still in that work he stands engaged therein as an Undertaker for us and so as a Surety intercedes Such as Iudah was for Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for ever So sayes Christ for us And therefore Sponsio or undertaking for us is by Divines made a great part of this part of his office Now the consideration of this may the more secure us for the more peculiarly and solely it is his work the more his honour lies at stake and the more he will set himselfe to effect it yea and being by way of Suretiship it concerns him yet more neerly for he hath engaged and if he should faile might even lose that honour which he hath now in heaven CHAP. V. The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the pwoerfull influence it hath into our salvation Demonstrated first from the greatnesse of Christ and his favour with God THus we have heard what matter of support to our faith by way of evidence this must needs afford The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the influence of it into our Iust fication that Christ intercedes Let us consider now what further assurance will arise to our faith from the influence which Christs Intercession must needs have to effect and carry on our salvation to an assured issue The work of Intercession being effectually to procure our salvation and to continue the pardon of our sins and hold us in favour with God therefore the influence and energie it hath herein must needs lie in that potencie and prevalencie which this intercession of Christ hath with God to obtain any thing at his hands for us and so to continue his favour towards us Demonstrated Now to raise up our apprehensions how potent and prevalent this Intercession of Christ must needs be let us consider both the Person interceding namely Christ and the Person with whom Christ intercedes for this favour which is God the one the Sonne the other the Father and so the greatnesse of Christ with God and the graciousnesse of God to Christ together with the one-nesse of wills and unity of affections in them both So that Christ will be sure to aske nothing which his Father will deny and his Father will not deny any thing which he shall ask Now first for the greatnesse of Christ the Intercessor 1. From the greatnesse of Christs person and his interest in God who intercedes that is his greatnesse with God the Father This is often urged in this Epistle to the Hebrews to perswade confidence in us in this very point in hand thus Heb. 4. 14 16. Seeing we have a great High-priest let us come boldly And whilst Great and Priest are thus joyned together the more comfort and boldnesse wee may have the greater he is For he is a Priest in relation to his dealing with God for our pardon as he is a Priest he deales in nothing else and the greater the person is who useth his interest herein the better the sooner he will prevaile And he is there said to be Great because great with God in prevailing with him and indeed so great as it is impossible but he should prevaile It was the greatnesse of his person which did and doth put such an influence into his death that it was as you heard a price more then enough to satisfie Justice even to overflowing And therefore Who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed And the greatnesse of his person must needs have as much influence to make Intercession prevalent In a matter of intercession the person that intercedes prevailes more then any other consideration whatsoever We see what great friends doe procure oftentimes with but a word speaking even that which money no nor any thing else could have obtained Demonstrated by three things Now Christ must needs be great with God in many respects First 1. The neernes of his alliance that he is Gods naturall Son in respect of the neernesse of his alliance to him He is the naturall Son of God God of God and therefore certaine to prevaile with him This is diligently still put in almost in all places where this part of his Priest-hood his Intercession is mentioned in the Epistle to the Heb. So in the 4. of the same Epistle ver 14. We have a great High-priest entred into the heavens Iesus the Son of God So Heb. 7. 25. and 28. ver compared the Apostle having said ver 25. that He is able to save to the utmost seeing he ever lives to make Intercession he doth ver 28. devolve this ability of his to save ultimately upon his being the Sonne thus in the 28. verse in the end of that discourse this is made as the Basis of all The Law saith he makes men High-priests which have infirmity which infirmity or disability of theirs is mentioned in opposition unto what he had just before spoken of the great ability of his our High-priest in his interceding ver 25. in those words He is able to save to the utmost Those Priests whom the ceremoniall Law made Aaron and his sonnes are unable to save they have infirmity Now what is it in him that makes this difference and him so able above what they were The word of the Oath makes the Son sayes he who is perfected as you have it in the Greeke and margent for evermore He mentions this his Son-ship principally in relation to his Intercession which there he had discoursed of Intercession is a carrying on our salvation in a way of grace and favour as his death was by way of satisfaction How great an influence this hath into Intercession to make it prevalent And answerably it may be observed in the Scripture that as the all-sufficiencie of the satisfaction of his death is still put upon his being God and so upon the greatnesse of his Person considered in respect of his nature or essence namely his God-head So in like manner that the prevalencie of his Intercession is founded upon the neernesse of his relation unto God his allyance to him and the being his Sonne Thus for the first When Redemption is spoken of the sufficiencie of the price is eminently put upon his God-head The bloud of God Thus also Heb. 9. where when he had ver 12. shewne how Christ had purchased and obtained a perfect redemption he then argues the sufficiencie of it from his God-head ver 13 14. For if the bloud of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself c. The eternall spirit is his God-head Thus answerably when he speaks of the prevailing of his Intercession in Heaven he puts it upon his Sonne-ship Iesus the Sonne he mentions the neernesse of
the relation of his person to God as being that which draws with it that great respect of favour grace he being by this great with God as great in himself All matters of Intercession are carried we know by way of favour And therefore looke how prevalent in a way of merit his being God makes his death in its kinde no lesse prevalent doth his being the Sonne of God make his Intercession in its kinde namely in a way of obtaining grace and mercie yea so prevalent of it selfe it is that we might build upon it alone even as much as upon his death And indeed Christ intercedes not only in the vertue and strength of his satisfaction though in that also and of his obedience to his Father but also in the strength of his relation as a Sonne who pleads his own grace and interest in God as he is his Sonne which is a consideration that doth always actually exist and abide Whereas his obedience though perfect was but once offered up and its existence is but virtuall but he continues a Sonne for ever not virtually only but actually And therefore it is added in that seventh to the Hebrews ver last that the Gospell ordained the Sonne perfected for ever The meaning whereof is that he is not only a Priest perfected in the time past by that perfect offering once made but in that he is the Sonne he remains a perfect Priest for ever for time to come whom therefore no imperfection in his office no failing or missing of his suits can befall So as if it could be supposed that his obedience because past so long ago might be forgotten yet never this that he is a Sonne That for ever abides and of it selfe were enough to prevaile And how effectuall must the intercession of such a Son be who is so great a Sonne of so great a Father equall with him and the expresse Image of his Person never any Sonne so like and in so peculiarly a transcendent manner a Sonne as the relation of Sonne-ship among men is but a shadow of it Christ is one with his Father as himselfe often speakes and therefore if his Father should deny him any thing he should then cease to be one with him he must then deny himselfe which God can never do He is in this respect the Beloved as he is called Ephes 1. 6. as on whom originally and primarily all the beames of Gods love doe fall Solomon the type of Christ was the beloved of God 2 Sam. 12. 24. and had his name from thence namely Iedidiah that is beloved of the Lord And to shew how beloved he was God whē he came first to his kingdome bade him ask what he should give him 1 King 3. 5. Now the like God sayes to Christ when come first to his Kingdome also Psal 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee namely when he had set him as King on his holy hill ver 6. And of him he sayes This is my well-beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him God bids us therefore and upon that respect to heare him and that speech was but the eccho of his own heart in that he himselfe is so well pleased with him for this that he is his Sonne as he himselfe will heare him in every thing yea and is so pleased with him as that although Christ had never died nor obeyed the Law yet simply because he is his Sonne he hath so full an acquiescencie of all desires in him and complacencie of delights that he could deny him nothing How prevalent then must Christs intercession needes be though there were nothing else to be considered And that God had indeed this as one maine consideration That God had this consideration of his being his Sonne when he ordained him a Priest to intercede as that which would fit him for this work upon which he made him a Priest thus to intercede those words doe testifie Heb. 5. 5 and 6. He that said unto him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech These latter words are not onely a Paraphrase as some think meerly to shew that He that said Christ was his Sonne said also He was a Priest but it is to shew the foundation of his call to that office The great consideration that fitted him for it was that he was Gods Sonne especially that fitted him for that part of his Priest-hood which was to remain for ever of which that 110. Psal and the Epistle to the Heb. doe especially speak Neither is the meaning of the fore-cited place onely to shew that in that he was Gods Sonne it was his birth-right to be a Priest so as if God would have any Priest at all it must be he And so upon that consideration he that said to him Thou art my Sonne said Thou art a Priest and that being his right he therefore called him to it because he was his Sonne for according to the Law of Nature the eldest in the family was to be Priest and so Christ even as God-man being the first-borne of every creature and the naturall first begotten Sonne of God had right to be the prime leader of that great Chorus in that eternall worship in heaven That I say is not all the meaning of those words nor all that God considered in it when he thus ordained him to be a Priest but he had a further and more peculiar respect unto this especiall part of his Priesthood his Intercession as that clause for ever imports as for which he being his naturall Son so neerly allyed to him would transcendtly fit him and give such an omnipotent prevalencie and effectualnesse to his requests that he would be the most absolute perfect Priest for ever in this respect that could be That as God himselfe is perfect and his power irresistible so his Priesthood through this relation might be perfect also and his requests undenyable Thus did God order it to strengthen our faith And that indeed God did consider this relation of his to him to this very end is evident by that of the 2. Psal out of which that saying Thou art my Son is cited ver 7 and 8. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and what follows Ask of me and I will give thee c. He connects both these together namely intercession that part of his Priestly office of asking with his Son-ship for that is it which moveth God to grant all that he asks God loves Christ as he loves himselfe and therefore can deny him nothing as he cannot deny himselfe And so by the way this clears the ground of the Apostles quoting those words of the 2. Psal in the 5. to the Hebrews as a proofe of Christs call to the Priesthood which Interpreters have been troubled how to make out for as you have seene that speech Thou art my Son ask
wee hold his hands as Esay 27. 5. that God cries out to Moses like a man whose hands are held Let me alone Exod. 32. 10. yea that he accounts it as a command and a Mandamus so he styles it Esay 45. 11. Command ye mee so unable is he to go against it Then how much more doth Jesus Christs Intercession bind Gods hands and command all in heaven and earth Therefore Zach. 1. you have Christ the Angel of the Covenant brought in interceding with the Father for his Church and he speakes abruptly as one full of complaints and in an expostulating way O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not be mercifull to Hierusalem and the Cities of Iudah and ver 13. Zachary saith that he observed that the Lord answered the Angel with good woords and comfortable God was fain to give him good words as we use to say that is words that might pacifie him as words of comfort to us so good words in respect to the Angels complaint And you may observe how in the answer God returns upon it which he bade Zachary write God excuseth it as it were to Christ that his Church had beene so long and so hardly dealt withall as if beyond his intention he layes the fault on the instruments I was but a little displeased but they helpt forward the affliction ver 15. This is spoken and carried after the manner of men to shew how tender God is of displeasing Christ our Intercessor that when Christ hath as it were beene a long while silent and let God alone and his people have beene ill dealt withall he on the suddain in the end intercedes and complains of it and it is not only instantly redressed but excused for times past with good words and comfortable words Christs Father will not displease him nor go against him in any thing Now that you may see a reason of this A farther explication of this demonstration and have all cavils and exceptions taken away that may arise against this and how that there is an impossibility that it should be otherwise know that this Father and this Sonne though two Persons have yet but one will betweene them and but one power betweene them though the Sonne ad extra outwardly executes all Iohn 10. 30. My Father and I are one that is have but one and the same power to save you and one minde and will So also Iohn 5. 19. the Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe but what he sees the Father doe and what ever he doth the same the Father doth also they conspire in one have one power one will and then it is no matter though God commit all power to the Sonne and that the Sonne though he hath all power must ask all of the Father for to be sure what ever he asks the Father hath not power to deny for they have but one will and power They are one so as if God deny him hee must deny himselfe which the Apostle tels us he cannot doe 2. Tim. 2. 13. And so in the same sense that God is said not to have power to deny himselfe in the same sense it may be said he hath not power to deny Christ what he asks Therefore God might well make him an absolute King and betrust him with all power and Christ might well oblige himselfe notwithstanding this power to ask all that he meanes to doe for they have but one will and one power so as our salvation is made sure by this on all hands I come not to doe my will but the will of him who sent me and his will is that I shall lose none of all those whom he hath given mee Iohn 6. 38 39. And therefore who shall condemne It is Christ that intercedes As who shall resist Gods will as the Apostle speakes so who shall resist or gain-say Christs Intercession God himselfe cannot no more then he can gain-say or deny himselfe CHAP. VIII The potencie and prevalencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated from the graciousnesse of the Person with whom he intercedes considered first as he is the Father of Christ himselfe WE have seen the greatnesse of the Person interceding many considerations from thence The readinesse in God to hear Christ for us which may perswade us of his prevailing for us Let us now in the next place consider the graciousnesse of the Person with whom he intercedes which the Scripture for our comfort herein doth distinctly set before us to the end that in this great matter our joy and security may every way be full Thus in that 1 Iohn 2. 1. when for the comfort and support of Beleevers agains the evill of the greatest sins that can befall them after conversion the Apostle minds them of Christs Intercession in those words If any man sinne we have an Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous mentioning therein the power and prevalencie of such an Advocate through his own righteousnesse But yet over above all this the more fully to assure us of his good successe herein for us he also adds An Advocate with the Father He insinuates and suggests the relation and gracious disposition of him upon whose supreame will our case ultimately dependeth The Father as affording a new comfort and encouragement even as great as doth the righteousnesse and power of the Person interceding He sayes not With God onely as elsewhere but With the Father And that his words might afford the more full matter of confidence and be the more comprehensive and take in all he expresseth not this relation of God limitedly as confined to his Fatherhood either unto Christ onely or us alone He sayes not onely An Advocate with his Father though that would have given much assurance or With your Father though that might afford much boldnesse but indefinitely he sayes With the Father as intending to take in both to ascertaine us of the prevailing efficacie of Christs Intercession In that he is both the Father of Christ and also our Father from both You have both these elsewhere more distinctly and on purpose and together mentioned Iohn 20. 17. I goe to my Father and your Father sayes Christ there And it was spoken after that all his Disciples had before forsaken him and Peter denyed him when Christ himselfe would send them the greatest cordiall that his heart could utter and wrap up the strongest sublimation of comforts in one pill What was it Go tell them sayes he not so much that I have satisfyed for sinne overcome death or am risen but that I Ascend For in that which Christ doth for us being ascended lyes the height the top of our comfort And whereas he might have said and it had been matter of unspeakable comfort I ascend to heaven and so where I am you shall be also yet he chooseth rather to say I ascend to the Father for that indeed contained the foundation spring and cause of their comfort even that relation of Gods his Fatherhood
that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
Intercession ibid. 2. More particularly Our justification depends upon it as 1. The first Act of our conversion and justification depends on it 133 2. The continuance of our justification depends on it 134 3. A full security thereby given that we shall be justified for ever And this 1. Against sins past 135 2. Against our being condemned by new sins 137 Intercession principally intended for sins after conversion 138 3. Respecting Christ Intercession ordained 1. That none of Christs offices should lye vacant 139 2. That Christ might have a continuall hand in every work of our salvation unto the last 140 Chap. 4. The second Head The great security that our faith may have for our Justification from Christs interceding for us Shewed 1. By way of EVIDENCE And this by two things 142 1. The end of Intercession is actually and compleatly to save so as if Christ did not actually and compleatly save those that beleeve in him through his Intercession he were not a perfect Priest 143 2. Christs honour as a Surety is deeply engaged by his Intercession to save us 147 Christ a Surety in his Intercession as well as in his death ibid. 2. The difference betweene these two Surety-ships 148 Chap. 5. By that powerfull INFLVENCE into our Salvation and prevalencie which Christs Intercession hath with God for us Demonstrated 1. From the greatnesse of the person who Intercedes and his greatnesse with God 151 And this shewne by two things 1. His neerenesse of Alliance hee being Gods naturall Sonne 153 2. His filiall obedience he being Gods Obedient Son 159 Two things in Christs Obedience which make his Intercession prevalent 161 Chap. 6. 2. From the righteousnesse of the cause he pleades and that in justice And how forcible the cry of his blood is especially himselfe appearing to intercede with it 163 Explicated by two things 1. How an Intercession and appeale to justice is attributed to Christs blood 164 Illustrated by the cry of Abels blood and how far this exceeds that 166 In what sense Christs blood is said to cry 168 2. Christ himselfe being alive and following the cry of his blood how prevalent this must needes bee ibid. Chap. 7. 3. From the absolutenesse of his power he being able to doe what ever hee askes of his Father 172 Though Christ as he is a King can command all things yet to honour his Father he intercedes for what himselfe commands 173 An Inference from the prevalencie of our Prayers how forcible Christs Prayers much more must needes be 176 Chap. 8. 4. From the graciousnesse of the Person with whom Christ Intercedes For 1. Christ Intercedes with his Father 181 Chap. 9. 2. He intercedes with him who is Our Father also 186 Gods heart is as much enclined to heare Christ for us as Christs heart is tointercede ibid. The summing up of all 192 Chap. 10 The Vse containing some encouragements unto weake beleevers from Christs Intercession out of Heb. 7. 25. ERRATA PAge 37. line 30. for there reade thee p. 47. l. 1. for who is read As. line 7. for thereby the Influence reade thereby both the Evidence and the Influence p. 61. l. 8 shooke hands adde with the Testatour p. 59. l. 6. Adam who came after read Adam who came afore p. 62. l. 19. we conclude adde or argue by reason p. 69. l. 20. for that this God-man was justified reade that God being thus made man is said to have been justified p. 73. l. 3. blot out in us or p. 77. l. 31. unto which he hath read unto which faith or upon which beleeving he hath p. 94. l. 11. for whereof this was the intended type reade which was the intended type of Christs triumph at his Ascension p. 120. l. 14. for should share reade should yet share p. 122. l. 24. for before then Aaron reade by far then Aaron p. 125. l. 8. for all the owed reade we owed p. 147. l. 5. read perfect worke ibid. l. 20. reade the reason is because that p. 149. l. 2. each reade either p. 158. as for which read as that which p. 167. l. 20. besprinkled reade sprinkled p. 196. l. 6. of reade to p. 200. l. 25. competitours reade competitioners SECT I. SHEVVING BY VVAY of INTRODUCTION that CHRIST is the EXAMPLE and OBIECT of Iustifying Faith ROM 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us CHAP. I. The scope of these words That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of Beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence THese words are a triumphing challenge uttered by the Apostle in the name of all the Elect for so he begins it in the 33. ver foregoing Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies And then follow these words Who shall condemne namely Gods elect It is Christ that dyed c. This challenge we finde first published by Jesus Christ himselfe our onely Champion Esay 50. a Chapter made of and for Christ ver 8. He is neere that justifies me who will contend with me They were Christs words there and spoken of Gods justifying him and these are every Beleevers words here intended of Gods justifying them Christ is brought in there uttering them as standing at the High Priests Tribunall when they spat upon him and buffeted him as ver 4 5. when he was condemned by Pilate then he exercised this faith on God his Father He is neere that justifies me And as in that his condemnation he stood in our stead so in this his hope of his Iustification he speaks in our stead also as representing us in both And upon this the Apostle here pronounces in like words of all the Elect It is God that justifies who shall accuse Christ was condemned yea hath dyed who therefore shall condemne Loe here the communion we have with Christ in his death and condemnation yea in his very faith if he trusted in God so may we and shall as certainly be delivered Observe we first from hence by way of premise to all that follows That Christ lived by faith as well as we doe Obser In the first of Iohn ver 16. Christ an example of beleeving we are said to receive of his fulnesse grace for grace that is Grace answerable and like unto his and so among others Faith For Explication hereof Exlplained First 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe in some sense he had a faith for Iustification like unto ours though not a Iustification through faith as we have He went not indeed out of himselfe to rely to another for righteousnesse for he had enough of his owne he being The Lord our righteousnesse yet he beleeves on God to justifie him and had recourse to God for justification He is neer sayes he that justifies me If he had stood in his own
person meerely and upon his owne bottome onely there had beene no occasion for such a speech and yet consider him as he stood in our stead there was for what need of such a Justification if he had not been some way neer a condemnation He therefore must be supposed to stand here in Esay at Gods Tribunall as well as at Pilates with all our sins upon him And so the same Prophet tels us Ch. 53. 6. God made the iniquities of us to meete on him He was now made sin and a curse and stood not in danger of Pilates condemnation only but of Gods too unlesse he satisfied him for all those sins And when the wrath of God for sin came thus in upon him his faith was put to it to trust wait on him for his Justification for to take off all those sins together with his wrath from off him and to acknowledg himselfe satisfied him acquited Therfore in the 22. Ps which was made for Christ when hanging on the Crosse and speaks how his heart was taken up that while he is brought in as putting forth such a faith as here we speak of when he called God his God My God my God then whēas to his sense he had forsaken him why hast thou forsaken me Yea he helped his faith with the faith of the Fore-fathers whom upon their trust in him God had delivered Our Fathers says he trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them Yea at the 5. v. we find him laying himselfe at Gods feet lower then ever any man did I am a worme sayes he which every man treads on and counts it a matter of nothing for to kill and no man as it follows and all this because he bare our sins Now his deliverance and justification from all these to be given him at his resurrection was the matter the businesse he thus trusted in God for even that he should rise again and be acquited from them So Psal 16. a Psalme made also for Christ when to suffer and to lie in the grave ver 8 9 10. The Lord is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad my flesh also resteth in hope Or as in the Originall dwels in confident surenesse thou wilt not leave my soule in hell that is under the load of these sins and thy wrath laid on me for them neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One in my body to see corruption This is in substance all one with what is here said in this one word He is neere that justifies me for Christs Resurrection was a Iustification of him as I shall hereafter shew Neither 2. 2. A faith for the justifying of us did he exercise faith for himselfe only but for us also and that more then any of us is put to it to exercise for himselfe for he in dying and emptying himselfe trusted God with the merit of all his sufferings aforehand there being many thousands of soules to be saved thereby a long while after even to the end of the world He dyed and betrusted all that stock into his Fathers hands to give it out in Grace and Glory as those for whom he dyed should have neede And this is a greater trust considering the infinite number of his elect as then yet to come then any man hath occasion to put forth for himselfe alone God trusted Christ before he came into the world and saved many millions of the Jews upon his bare word And then Christ at his death trusts God againe as much both for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles that were to beleeve after his death In Heb. 2. 12 13 14 15. it is made an Argument that Christ was a man like us because he was put to live by faith like as we are which the angels doe not and to this end the Apostle brings in these words prophecied of him as spoken by him of himselfe I will put my trust in him as one proofe that he was a man like unto us Now for what was it that he trusted God By the Context it appeares to be this that he should be the salvation of his brethren and children and that he should have a seede and a generation to serve him and raise up a Church to God to praise him in For this is made his confidence and the issue of his sufferings in that fore-cited Psal 22. from ver 22. to the end How should the consideration of these things both draw us on to faith Vse To draw on to faith and encourage us therein and encourage us therein and raise up our hearts above all doubtings and withdrawings of spirit in beleeving For in this example of Christ we have the highest instance of beleeving that ever was He trusted God as we have seene for himselfe and for many thousands besides even for all his elect and hast not thou the heart to trust him for one poore soule Yea Christ thus trusted God upon his single Bond but we for our assurance have both Christ and God bound to us even God with his surety Christ for he is Gods Surety as well as ours A double Bond from two such Persons whom would it not secure If God the Father and God the Son thus mutually trusted one another for our salvation whom would it not induce to trust them both for ones own salvation when as otherwise they must be damned that will not 1. This example of Christ may teach and incite us to beleve For did Christ lay downe all his glory and empty himselfe and leave himselfe worth nothing but made a Deed of Surrendring all he had into his Fathers hands and this in a pure trust that God would justifie many by him as it is in Esay 53. and shall not we lay downe all we have and part with what ever is deare unto us afore hand with the like submission in a dependance and hope of being our selves justified by him Especially against the greatnesse of sinnes And withall 2. it may encourage us to beleeve Hast thou the guilt of innumerable transgressions comming in and discouraging thee from trusting in him Consider but what Christ had though not of his owne Christ was made as Luther boldly in this sense that we speak of him speakes the greatest sinner that ever was that is by imputation for the sins of all Gods chosen met in him And yet he trusted God to be justified from them all and to be raised up from under the wrath due of them Alas thou art but one poore sinner thy faith hath but a light and smal load laid upon it namely thy own sins which to this summe he undertook for are but as an unite to an infinite number God laid upon him the iniquities of us all Christ trusted God for his own Acquitance from the sins of all the world and when that was givē him he yet again further trusted him to acquit the world for his satisfaction sake But thou
three-fold consideration Christ is the object of justifying faith BUt ere I come to encourage your faith from these let me first direct and point your faith aright to its proper and genuine object Christ the object of faith three wayes Christ I shall doe it briefly and onely so far as it may be an Introduction to the Encouragements from these foure particulars the things mainly intended by me 1. Christ is the object of our faith in joynt commission with God the Father 2. Christ is the object of faith in opposition to our owne Humiliation or Graces or Duties 3. Christ is the object of faith in a distinction from the Promises First 1. As in joynt commission with God the Father Christ is the object of faith in joynt commission with God the Father So here It is God that justifies and Christ that dyed They are both of them set forth as the foundation of a Beleevers confidence So elsewhere Faith is called a beleeving on him namely God that justifies the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. and a beleeving on Christ Acts 6. Wherefore faith is to have an eye unto both Faith to eye both God and Christ in seeking justification for both doe alike contribute unto the justification of a sinner It is Christ that paid the price that performed the righteousnesse by which we are justified and it is God that accepts of it and imputes it unto us Therefore Justification is ascribed unto both And this we have Rom. 3. 24. where it is attributed unto them both together Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Where we see that Gods free grace and Christs righteousnesse doe concur to our justification Christ paid as full a price as if there were no grace shewne in justifying of us for mercy bated Christ nothing and yet that it should be accepted for us is as free grace and as great as if Christ had paid never a farthing Now as both these meet to justifie us so faith in justification is to look at both these So it followes in the next ver of that 3. Yet God the ultimate object Rom. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud And though it be true that God justifying is the ultimate object of our faith for Christ leads us by the hand as the word is Ephes 2. 18 unto God and 1 Pet. 1. 21. we are said by Christ to beleeve on God who raised him that so our faith and hope might be on God Christ under the New Testament the more immediate object yet so as under the New Testament Christ is made the more immediate object of faith for God dwelling in our nature is made more familiar to our faith then the Person of the Father is who is meerly God Under the Old Testament when Christ was but in the Promise and not as then come in the flesh then indeed their faith had a more usuall recourse unto God who had promised the Messiah of whom they then had not so distinct but onely confused thoughts though this they knew that God accepted and saved them through the Messiah But now under the New Testament because Christ as Mediator exists not onely in a promise of Gods but is come and manifest in the flesh and is set forth by God as the Apostles phrase is to tranfact all our businesses for us betweene God and us Hence the more usuall and immediate addresse of our faith is to be made unto Christ who as he is distinctly set forth in the New Testament so he is as distinctly to be apprehended by the faith of beleevers Ye beleeve in God sayes Christ to his Disciples whose faith and opinion of the Messiah was till Christs Resurrection of the same elevation with that of the Old-Testament-beleevers beleeve also in me Make Me the object of your trust for Salvation as well as the Father And therefore when Faith and Repentance come more narrowly to be distinguished by their more immediate objects it is Repentance towards God but Faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Act. 20. 21. not but that God and Christ are the objects of both but that Christ is more immediately the object of Faith and God of Repentance So that we beleeve in God through beleeving in Christ first and turne to Christ by turning to God first And this is there spoken when they are made the summe of Christian doctrine and of the Apostles preaching And therefore the faith of some being much enlarged to the mercies of God and his free grace and but in way of supposition unto Christ or in a taking for granted that all mercies are communicated in and through Christ yet so as their thoughts work not so much upon nor are taken up about Christ although this may be true faith under the New Testament in that God and his free grace is the joynt object of faith together with Christ and his righteousnesse and the one cannot be without the other and God oft-times doth more eminently pitch the streame of a mans thoughts in one chanell rather then in another and so may direct the course of a mans thoughts towards his free grace when the streame runs lesse towards Christ yet it is not such a faith as becomes the times of the Gospel it is of an Old-Testamentstraine and Genius whereas our faith now should in the more direct and immediate exercises of it be pitcht upon Jesus Christ that through him first apprehended our faith might be in God as the ultimate object of it as the Apostle speaks And so much for the first The second is 2. Christ the object of faith in opposition to all in our selves that Christ is to be the object of our faith in opposition to our owne Humiliation or Graces or Duties 1. We are not to trust 1. Not to rest in humiliation nor rest in Humiliation as many doe who quiet their consciences from this that they have been troubled That Promise Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden and you shall find rest hath been much mistaken for many have understood it as if Christ had spoken peace and rest simply unto that condition without any more adoe and so have applyed it unto themselves as giving them an interest in Christ Whereas it is onely an invitement of such because they are most apt to be discouraged to come unto Christ as in whom alone their rest is to be found If therefore men will set downe their rest in being weary and heavy laden and not come to Christ for it they sit down besides Christ and will lye downe in sorrow This is to make Iohn who onely prepared the way for Christ to be the Messiah indeed as many of the Jews thought that is to think the eminent work of Iohns Ministerie which was to humble and so prepare men for Christ to be their attaining Christ himselfe But if you be weary you
lewdnesse in thy wickednesse as the Prophet speaks Consider what guilt of how hainous crimes God suffered to be laid to Christs charge by profane men when he was made an offering for sinne He dyed as a Traitor to his Prince and a blasphemer of God in the highest kind of blasphemy as making himself equall with God an Impostor a Seducer yea a Devill yea a Prince of Devils then whom a murderer was esteemed more worthy to live Which imputations though by men unjustly charged on him yet by God were so ordered as just in respect of his bearing our sins For him who was holines it self to be made the greatest of sinners yea to be made sin and the worst of sins and accordingly to suffer frō God men what greater satisfaction for the taking of sins away can be desired or imagined Or secondly 2. Against the badnesse of the heart in sinning dost thou aggravate thy sins by the naughtinesse of thy heart in sinning and sayst that the inward carriage thereof hath been much worse then the outward Look thou into the heart of Jesus Christ dying and behold him struggling with his Fathers wrath thou wilt find the sufferings of his soule more then those of his body and in them to lie the soul of his sufferings Thirdly 3. Against the delight and greedinesse in sinning may thy sin be aggravated in that thou didst commit it with so great delight and greedinesse and pouredst out thy heart unto it Consider that Christ offered himselfe more willingly then ever thou didst sin Loe I come sayes he Psal 40. I delight to do thy will and how am I straintned till it be accomplisht Luk. 12. 56. And though to shew how great an evill and misery it was in it selfe he shewed an aversenesse to it yet as it was his Fathers will for our salvation hee heartily embraced and drank off that cup unto the bottome Fourthly 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning didst thou sin with much deliberation when thou mightst have avoided it There was this circumstance in Christs sufferings to answer that that he knew all he was to suffer and yet yeelded up himselfe as Iohn 18. 4. Fiftly 5. Against presumption in sinning Hast thou sinned presumptuously and made a covenant with death and hell Christ in like manner offered up himselfe by a covenant and complot with his Father so to doe Sixtly 6. Against aggravating circumstances of person time place c. Are there any especiall circumstances of time and place c. that aggravate thy sins As first that so great a person in the Church should scandalize the Name of God in sinning Why how great a Person was Christ even equall with God the Father and yet how greatly humbled even to the death his offices of King Priest and Prophet being debased with him how great a name had he as Heb. 1. 4. which notwithstanding was dishonoured more then ever any mans Or 2. that thou sinnedst at such a time or in such a company which sometimes serve to make a sin the more hainous Consider how God contrived to have the shame and affliction of his Sons death aggravated by all these circumstances It was of deaths the most accursed At a time most solemne In a place most infamous With company most wretched Thus might we find out that in Christs sufferings and satisfaction made that would fitly answer to any thing in our sins and so thereby we should be the more relieved And though the whole body of his sufferings doe stand and answer for the whole bulk of our sinnings yet the consideration of such particulars will much conduce to the satisfying of an humbled and dejected soule about the particulars of its sinnings Therefore to conclude get your hearts and consciences distinctly and particularly satisfied in the all-sufficiencie of worth and merit which is in the satisfaction that Christ hath made As it is a fault and defect in humiliation that men content themselves with a generall apprehension and notion that they are sinners and so never become throughly humbled so is it a defect in their faith that they content themselves with a superficiall and generall conceit that Christ dyed for sinners their hearts not being particularly satisfied about the transcendent all-sufficiencie of his death And thence it is that in time of tentation when their abounding sinfulnesse comes distinctly to be discovered to them and charged upon them they are then amazed and their faith non-plust as not seeing that in Christ which might answer to all that sinfulnesse But as God saw that in Christs death which satisfied him so you should endeavour by faith to see that worth in it which may satisfie God and then your faith will sit down as satisfied also If a man were to dispute for his life some hard and difficult controversie wherein are many great and strong objections to be taken away he would be sure to view and study and ponder all that might be said on that other part which he were to hold in way of answer to them and to get such a clear and convincing light as might make the truth of his Position apparent and manifest through those clouds of objections that hang in the way Now you will all be thus called one day to dispute for your soules sooner or later and therefore such skill you should endeavour to get in Christs righteousnesse how in its fulnesse and perfection it answereth to all your sinfulnesse that your hearts may be able to oppose it against all that may be said of any particular in or about your sins that in all the conflicts of your spirits you may see that in it which could cleare your whole score and that if God would but be pleased to impute it to you you might say I durst presently come to an account with him and cut scores with his Law and Justice Thus much of the first thing made the object of faith namely Christ as dying SECT III. FAITH supported by Christs RESURRECTION ROM 8. 34. Yea rather that is risen againe CHAP. I. Christs Resurrection supporteth faith two wayes 1. By being an evidence of 2. By having an influence into our Iustification The necessity of Christs Resurrection for the procuring our Iustification THe next thing to be lookt at in Christ as he is the object of justifying faith and from whence our faith may seek and fetch support and comfort in the matter of Justification is Christs Resurrection upon which we see here the Apostle putteth a rather Yea rather that is risen againe Some speciall thing in Christs Resurrection for our Justification There must therefore be some speciall thing in the Resurrection of Christ which it contributes to our faith and justification for which it should have a rather put upon it and that comparatively to his death Now to shew wherein this should lie consider how the Resurrection of Christ serveth to a double use and end in the matter of
Common person with or for another hee goes for is one who represents personates and acts the part of another by the allowance and warrant of the Law so as what he doth as such a common person and in the name of the other that other whom he personates is by the Law reckoned to doe and in like manner what is done to him as being in the others stead and roome is reckoned as done to the other Thus by our Law an Attorney appears for another money received by him is reckoned as received by him whom it is due unto Thus the giving possession of an estate a re-entry made and possession taken of land c. if done by and to a man who is his lawfull Attorney it stands as good in Law unto a man as if in his owne person it had been done So Embassadours for Princes represent their Masters what is done to them is reckoned as done to the Prince and what they do according to their Commission is all one as if the Prince whose Person they represent had done it himselfe In like manner also the marriages of Princes are transacted solemnized by Proxie as a Common person representing his Lord and in his name is married to a Princesse in her Fathers Court and the Lawes of men authorize it and the marriage is as good as if both Princes themselves had been present and had performed all the Rites of it The difference betweene these two And thus to be a Common person is more then simply to be a Surety for another it is a farther thing and therefore these two relations are to be distinctly considered though they seem to be somewhat of a like nature Thus an Attorney is a different thing from a Surety A Surety undertakes to pay a debt for another or the like but a Cōmon person serves to perform any common act which by the Law is reckoned and virtually imputed to the other and is to stand as the others act is as valid as is he had done it So as the good and benefit which is the consequent of such an act shall accrew to him whom he personated and for whom he stood as a Common person Adam was not a Surety for all Man-kind Adam a Common person but not a Surety he undertook not for them in the sense fore-mentioned but he was a Common person representing all Man-kind So as what he should do was to be accounted as if they had done it Now the better to expresse and make sure our Justification in and by Christ according to all sorts of Laws the equity of all which God usually draws up into his dispensations God did ordain Christ both to be a Surety for us Christ ordained to be both and the reason why and also a Common person representing us and in our stead That as Christ tooke all other relations for us as of an Husband Head Father Brother King Priest Captain c. that so the fulnesse of his love might be set forth to us in that what is defective in any one of these relations is supplyed and expressed by the other Even thus did God ordaine Christ to take and sustaine both these relations of a Surety and a Common Person in all he did for us thereby to make our justification by him the more full and legall and justifie as I may so speake our Justification it selfe or his justifying of us by all sorts of legall considerations what ever that hold commonly among men in like case and that which the one of these relations or considerations might not reach to make good the other might supply what fel short in the one the other might make up and so we might be most legally and formally justified and made sure never to be condemned CHAP. III. The first Head The EVIDENCE of Iustification which Christs Resurrection affords to faith explained by two things 1. By shewing how Christ was made a Surety for us 2. How his Resurrection as a Surety holds forth this evidence COncerning the first of those two Heads at first propounded namely the Evidence which Christs Resurrection affords unto our faith in point of non-condemnation I have two things to handle in this Chap. to make this out First how Christ was made a Surety for us and what manner a Surety he did become secondly what the consideration hereof will contribute to that evidence which faith hath from Christs Resurrection For the first §. 1. Christ was appointed by God and himselfe also undertook to be our Surety 1. How Christ was made and became a Surety for us This you have Heb. 7. 22. He was made Surety of a better Testament or Covenant namely of the New The Hebrew word for Covenant the Septuagint stil translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament the word in the Hebrew being of a large signification comprehending both a Covenant and Testament and so in the New Testament it is used promiscuously for either And indeed this new Covenant of Grace is both Of this Covenant Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the plighter of his troth for it the Surety the Promiser the Undertaker The Verb this comes of is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promittere which comes form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in manibus striking hands or giving ones hand as a signe of a covenant and so to bargaine with or make up a covenant Prov. 22. 26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts Which whole verse the Septuagint reads Give not thy selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Suretyship The same word that is here used by the Apostle It was the manner both of the Jews and Romanes also to make Covenants by striking of hands And in Testaments the Heire and Executor shook hands or the Executor gave his hand to fulfill it Suretiship not onely used in matters of debt but in criminall causes punished with death and is put for being a pledge for another And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used not onely in promising to pay a debt for another but also in becomming a pledge for another for to undergoe death or a capitall punishment in anothers roome as in that famous story of friends namely Euephenus and Eucritus Eucritus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly become a surety for Euephenus when condemned to dye by Dionysius the tyrant This very word is used by Polyenus the Historian of that fact Now such a Surety every way did Christ become unto God for us Christ undertook as a Surety for both to satisfie God to work all in us also both to pay the debt by undergoing death in our stead and so to satisfie God and then as the Heire to execute his Will and Testament He became a Surety of the whole Covenant and every condition in it take it in the largest sense and this of all both on Gods part and on ours For us he undertook to
up to Heaven and that as far above Angels and Principalities as the Apostle speaks Eph. 1. as the Heavens are above the Earth will you not in your faiths hopes proportionably ascend and climb up also have thoughts of pardon as far exceeding your ordinary thoughts as the heavens are above the earth Therefore first view him as ascending into Heaven ere ever hee comes to be at Gods right hand and see what matter of triumph that will afford you for that you must first suppose ere you can see him at Gods right hand and so is necessarily included thought not expressed here But that place fore-quoted out of Peter 1 Pet. 3. gives us both these two particulars included in it 1. His Ascension Who is gone into Heaven And 2. his power and authority there Is at Gods right hand and hath all power and authority subject to him and prompts both these as fit matter to be put into a good conscience its Answer and Apologie why it should not be condemned therfore both may here as well come in into faiths triumph and that as being intended also by the Apostle and included in this one expression He speaks with the least to shew what cause faith had to triumph for the least expression of it his purpose being but to give a hint to faith of that which cōprehensively contains many things in it which he would have us distinctly to consider for our comfort CHAP. II. Shewing first what evidence for our justification Christs Ascension into Heaven affords unto our Faith upon that first forementioned consideration of his being a Surety for us FIrst then to see what triumph his ascending into Heaven will add unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation And herein 1. By considering what was the last action he did when he was to Ascend Blessing his Disciples first there is not nothing in it to consider what he then did and what was his last Act when he was to take his rise to fly up to Heaven He blessed his Disciples and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them for all his elect to the end of the World The true reason and minde of which blessing them was that he being now to go to execute the eternall office of his Priest-hood in Heaven of which God had sworn Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec As Melehisedec in the Type blessed Abraham and in him all the faithfull as in his loins therefore the Apostle said that Levi paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abrahams loines therefore he was blessed in his loines so did Christ begin this new and second part of his Priest-hood with blessing the Apostles and in them all the elect to the end of the World This was the last thing that Christ did on earth yea this he did whilst ascending he was taken up whilst he did it So Luke 24. 50. 51. And thus solemnly he now did this to shew that the curse was gone and that sin was gone and that action speakes thus much as if Christ himselfe had said To shew the curse was removed and their sins pardoned O my brethren for so he styled his Disciples after his Resurrection I have been dead and in dying made a curse for you now that curse I have fully removed and my Father hath aquited me and you for it and now I can be bold to blesse you and pronounce all your sins forgiven and your persons justified For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them which he reserved thus as his last Act to shew how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the Law now going to Heaven was able to blesse them with all the spirituall blessings that are there and which Heaven can afford for Heavenly they are called in that respect And in blessing his Apostles thus he blessed all that should believe in him Ephes 1. 4. And as in Abraham blessed by Melchisedec all the faithfull were blessed so in these Apostles all the elect to come are blessed As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve at the first Creation yet he in them blessed all that were for ever to come of them so Christ in blessing them blessed us and all that shall beleeve through their word to the end of the World And that they were thus then to be considered as common persons receiving this blessing for us all appeareth by Christs words then uttered I am with you to the end of the World i. e. with you and all your successors both Ministers other believers Mat. 28. ult And Christ herein did as God did before him When God had done his worke of creation He looked upon all he had done and saw that it was good and he blessed it Thus did Jesus Christ now that he had by that one offering perfected for ever all the elect he comfortably vieweth and pronounceth it perfect and them blessed and so goes to Heaven to keepe and enjoy the Sabbath of all there Now Secondly let us see him Ascending A second support from the very Act of Ascending and see what comfort that will also afford our faith towards the perswasion of Iustification The Apostles stood gazing on him and so doe you lift up your hearts to gaze on him by faith and view him in that act as he is passing along into Heaven as leading sin hell death and devill in triumph at his Chariot wheeles And therewith let your faith triumph in a further evidence of justification Thus Ephesians 4. 8. out of the 68. Psalme ver 18. the Apostle saith How it was an act of Triumph over death hel sin c. When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive to which Hebraisme the Latine phrase vincere victoriam to win a victory doth answer then He led captive all our spirituall enemies that would have captived us they being now captived Now leading of captives is alwaies after a perfect victory And therefore whereas at his Death he had conquered them at his Rising scattered them now at his Ascension he leades them captive And so that Psal in the Type begins ver 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them flee before him so at his Resurrection they did And then he ascends in triumph ashere in token of victory he is ascended up on high ver 18. he ascends as David after his victory up to Mount Sion for the celebrating of which that Psal seemes to have beene made by David whereof this was the intended Type Two Acts of Triumph in it And two Actus triumphales triumphing Acts there were here mentioned 1. Leading the captives bound to his Chariot wheeles as the manner of the Roman triumphs was when the Conqueror went up to the Capitol and other Heathens in Davids time As Achilles led Hector captive who
many threatnings gone out against them never so many presidents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins and in the like case yet Christ can prevaile against them all CHAP. IX The potencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated in that he intercedes with God who is Our Father How Gods heart is as much inclined to heare Christ for us as Christs is to intercede SEcondly Christ is an Advocate for us with Our Father You may perhaps think there is little in that but Christ puts much upon it yea so much as if that God would however grant all that Christ himselfe means to ask whether Christ asked it or no. This you have expresly in Iohn 16. 26 27. At that day sayes Christ you shall ask in my name and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you To open this place where he sayes at that day The day he meanes through this whole Chapter is that time vvhen the holy Ghost should be shed upon them for throughout his discourse he stil speaks of the fruits of his Ascension and of giving the Comforter vvhich vvas done upon his ascending and vvas the first fruits of his priestly office in Heaven Thus Peter informs us Act. 2. 33. He being sayes he exalted by the right hand of God and having received namely by asking Ask and I will give thee of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Now of that time vvhen he shall be in Heaven he sayes I say not that I will pray for you vvhich is not meant that Christ prays not for us in heaven but rather those very vvords are the highest intimation that he vvould and doth pray for us that can be When men vvould most strongly intimate their purpose of a kindnesse they mean to doe for one they use to say I doe not say that I love you or that I will doe this or that for you which is as much as to say I will surely doe it and doe it to purpose But Christs scope here is as in the highest manner to promise them that he would pray for them so withall further to tell them for their more abundant assurance and security that besides their having the benefit of his prayers God himselfe so loves them of himselfe that indeed that alone were enough to obtaine any thing at his hands which they shall but ask in his name so as he needs not pray for them and yet he will too But now in this case if he himselfe pray for them and they themselves in his name and both unto a Father who of himselfe loveth them and who hath purposed to grant all before either he or they should ask vvhat hope must there needs be then of a good successe this is both the meaning of this place and a great truth to be considered on by us to the purpose in hand That it is the meaning of the place the manner of Christs speech implies I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you It is such a speech as Christ used upon a cleane contrary occasion Iohn 5. 45. Doe not thinke sayes he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one who accuseth you even Moses c. He there threatens the obstinate and accursed Pharisees with condemnation Never stand thinking that it is I sayes he who am your onely enemie and accuser that will procure your condemnation and so prosecute the matter against you meerely for my own interest no I shall not neede to doe it though I should not accuse you your owne Moses in whom you trust he is enough to condemne you he will doe your errand sufficiently you would be sure to be damned by his words and sayings I shall not neede to trouble my selfe to come in and enter my action against you too Moses and his Law would follow the suit and be enough to condemne you to Hel. So as this Speech doth not implie that Christ will not at all accuse them no he meanes to bring in his action against them too for he after sayes If he had not spoke to them they had had no sinne and therefore he meant to bring the greatest accusation of all Now in an opposite though parallel speech here to comfort his Disciples he sayes I say not that I will pray for you that God may save you I who your selves shall see will dye for you I say not that I will pray for you not I. But though I speake this to insinuate in the highest manner that I will for if I spend my blood for you will I not spend my breath for you yet the truth is that the case so stands that but for Gods own ordination I should not neede to doe it for the Father himselfe loves you that is the Father of his own motion and proper good will taken up of himselfe towards you and not wrought in him by me doth love you and beares so much love to you as he can deny you nothing for he is your Father as well as mine How much more then shall you be saved when I shall strike in too and use all my interest in him for you Christ on purpose useth this speech so to dash out of their hearts that conceit which harboureth in many of ours who look upon God in the matter of Salvation as one who is hardly entreated to come off to save sinners and with whom Christ through the backwardnesse of his heart hath so much adoe and we are apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon he doth it only meerly at Christs entreaty and for his sake having otherwise no innate motion in himselfe sufficient to encline his heart to it but that it is in this transaction by Christ with him as a Favourite procures a Pardon for a Traitor whose person the King cares not for only at his Favourites suit and request he grants it which else he would never have done You are deceived sayes Christ it is otherwise my Fathers heart is as much towards you and for your salvations as mine is Himselfe of himselfe loveth you And the truth is that God took up as vast a love unto us of himselfe at first as ever he hath borne us since and all that Christ doth for us is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in Gods owne heart Thus we find that out of that love he gave Christ for us So Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world of elect that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to dye c. Yea Christs death was but a meanes to commend or set forth that love of his unto us So Rom. 5. 8. it was God also that did himselfe give the persons unto Christ and under-hand set him on work to mediate for them God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe He onely used
his first step to his glory and therefore this a certaine Demonstration 25 1. From the first gracious message which Christ after his Resurrection sent his Disciples who yet had forsaken him 26 2. From his carriage and speech at his first meeting with them 25 §. III. Demonstrations from passages at and after Christs Ascension into heaven 1. At his Ascension his blessing his Disciples 32 2. After he was come to heaven 1. Pouring out his Spirit on them as in his last Sermon he had promised which Spirit is to this day in our Preaching and an Argument of the fulfilling of this 33 2. All those works of Miracles and conversions of soules that accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel doe argue this as also the New Testament written since 34 3. Christs owne words spoken to Paul since himselfe was in heaven doe confirme it 35 4. The last words uttered in Scripture in the Book of the Revelation which was more immediately given unto John by Christ 37 Part II. Demonstrations Intrinsecall §. I. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the Influence which all the three Persons have into the Heart of the Humane nature of Christ in Heaven 48 1. From God the Father Which Demonstration is made forth by two things 1. God hath given Christ a perpetuall command to love his Elect on earth and hath written a Law of love in his heart 49 2. This Law of love remaines for ever in his heart which is proved by two things 1. That it is a Law and that of Love 52 2. That by observing that Law it is that Christ continues in his Fathers love 53 2. From God the Sonne unto whom the Humane nature is united This disposition of grace is naturall to him as he is Gods naturall Sonne 54 Accordingly the Humane nature framed on purpose with dispositions of mercy and meeknesse above all other 55 3. From God the Holy Ghost who on earth filled him with meekenesse and grace above all other dispositions and now resteth upon him in Heaven more abundantly then ever 60 §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in Heaven 70 1. Engagement The continuance of all his Relations and Alliances to us which no glory of his doth any thing lessen or alter ibid. Which relations were made chiefely for the other world and so must needes continue there 72 The Ground of this Engagement 76 2. His love is engaged and encreased by what he did and suffered for us 77 What a great obligation this is 78 3. His office of Priesthood which continues in Heaven doth further require all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse in him towards us sinners This Demonstration hath two parts 83 The 1. Shewing that the office of Priesthood was erected on purpose for grace and mercie ibid. Which is argued 1. By the Ends of it 2. By the Qualifications required for it 85 The 2. Shewing that by reason of this office an eternall duty lyeth upon him to shew grace and mercy and Christ is a faithfull High-Priest to performe that duty 90 Christs advancement can make no alteration in his heart for his Priesthood is his highest advancement And Grace did both Found and now upholds his Throne of Grace 94 4. His own Interest puts him upon these Affections of heart towards us His own joy happinesse and glory are encreased by shewing mercie to and comforting his children upon earth and it is more for his glory then for our good 98 Christ hath a double fulnesse of joy 1. Personall in his Father 2. Mysticall in his Members 99 How Christ rejoiceth in Heaven at our well-doing here on earth 101 5. His having the nature of man the same for substance in Heaven that he had on earth obligeth him to be mercifull unto men 104 The end of his Assuming mans nature was to qualifie him for mercie 105 Though it adds not to the greatnesse of mercie in God yet it addes a new way of being mercifull even as a man 106 Part III. §. I. Some Generals to cleare 1. How this is to be understood That Christs Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities 2. The way how our Infirmities come to be feelingly let into his heart 109 1. How this affection in Christ is to be understood This explained by these degrees 1. This affection of compassion is not wholly to be understood in a Metaphoricall sense as when God is said to be afflicted c. that is not meerely after the similitude of men but in a true and reall sense 111 2. These affections in Christs humane nature are more like to ours then those which the Angells have who notwithstanding have affections analogicall to ours 113 3 Christ having taken fraile flesh ere he went to Heaven this fits him yet more for having affections of mercie like unto ours 115 3. For the way how our miseries are let into Christs heart so as to affect it This explained by two things 1 The Humane nature hath the knowledge and cognizance of all that can or doth befall us here 118 2 He remembers how himselfe was once affected when he was under the like 119 §. II. A more particular Disquisition what manner of affection this is The seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or in the whole humane nature Some Cautious added 121 This affection for our better conceiving it set forth three wayes 1. Negatively it is not in all things such as it was in the dayes of his flesh 2 Positively It is yet for substance the very same affection and the seat of it is his bodily heart as well as his soule 124 Foure Cautions or Positions about this 1. In what sense or so far as his Body is made spirituall so far are these Affections spiritualized as they are in his body 125 2. Hence though they move his Bowels yet they doe not perturbe or hurt him in the least 126 3. All naturall humane affections may be still in him that are not unbecomming his state glory And how much the having such affections are suteable to that state and relation wherein he is 128 4. Though a passionate suffering be cut off yet these affections are now more large and strong for the substance of them then they were on earth 130 3. Privatively If his heart suffers not with us under our Infirmities yet he hath lesse joy then his heart shall have when we are freed from all 131 How the Scripture attributes some kinde of Imperfection to some affection in him and in what sense §. III. This Scruple satisfied How Christs heart can bee feelingly touched with our sins our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne 133 Foure answers given thereunto for our comfort Vses of all 137 FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth I. PART HAving set forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all those great and most solemne actions of his his Obedience unto
Againe a little while and ye shall see me a little while and ye shall not see me sayes he Which not seeing him refers not to that small space of absence whilst dead and in the grave but of that after his last ascending forty dayes after his Resurrection when he should goe away not to be seene on earth againe untill the day of Judgement and yet from that Ascension but a little while sayes he and you shall see me againe namely at the day of Judgement It is said Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little little as may be Though long for the time in it selfe yet as little while as may be in respect of his desire without the least delaying to come He will stay not a moment longer then till he hath dispatcht all our businesse there for us And then the doubling of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniens veniet Comming he will come implyes vehemencie of desire to come and that his mind is alwayes upon it he is still a comming he can hardly be kept away Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgencie vehemencie and intensenesse of some act as Expecting I have expected Desiring I have desired so Comming he will come And as not content with these expressions of desire hee adds over and above all these And will not tarry and all to signifie the infinite ardencie of his mind towards his Elect below and to have all his Elect in heaven about him He will not stay a minute longer then needs must he tarryes onely till he hath throughout all Ages by his Intercession prepared every room for each Saint that he may entertaine them all at once together and have them all about him Thirdly what his heart would be towards them in his absence he expresseth by the carefull provision hee makes and the order hee takes for their comfort in his absence Ioh. 16. 18. I will not leave you as Orphanes so the word is I will not leave you like father-lesse and friendlesse children at sixes and sevens My Father and I have but one onely friend who lyes in the bosome of us both and proceedeth from us both the holy Ghost and in the meane time I will send him to you Doing herein as a loving Husband useth to doe in his absence even commit his Wife to the dearest friend he hath so doth Christ Ver. 16. I will pray the Father sayes he and he shall give you another Comforter And Chap. 16. 7. he saith I will send him to you Who First shall be a better Comforter unto you then I am to be in this kind of dispensation which whilst I am on earth I am bound up towards you in So in that 16. of Iohn ver 7. he intimates It is expedient sayes he that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come who by reason of his office will comfort you bettet then I should doe with my bodily presence And this Spirit as he is the earnest of heaven as the Apostle speaks so he is the greatest token pledge of Christs love that ever was and such a one as the world cannot receive And yet secondly all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while will be but from the expression of my heart towards you For as he comes not of himselfe but I must send him Ioh. 16. 7. so he will speake nothing of himselfe but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake ver 13. And ver 14. he sayes He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Him therefore I shall send on purpose to be in my roome and to execute my place to you my Bride Spouse and he shall tell you if you will listen to him and not grieve him nothing but stories of my love So it is there He shall glorifie me namely to you for I am in my selfe already glorified in heaven All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me and to greaten my worth and love unto you and it will be his delight to doe it And he can come from heaven in an instant when he will and bring you fresh tidings of my mind and tell you the thoughts I last had of you even at that very minute when I am thinking of them what they are at the very time wherein he tells you them And therefore in that 1 Cor. 2. by having the Spirit ver 12. we are said to have the mind of Christ ver ult For he dwelleth in Christs heart and also ours and lifts up from one hand to the other what Christs thoughts are to us and what our prayers and faith are to Christ So that you shall have my heart as surely and as speedily as if I were with you and he will continually be breaking your hearts either with my love to you or yours to me or both and if either you may be sure of my love thereby And whereas sayes he you have the Spirit now in your hearts so ver 17. of Chap. 14. He now dwels in you yet after my Ascension he shall be in a further measure in you as it follows there And at that day ver 20. you shall know namely by his Dictate that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you He will tell you when I am in Heaven that there is as true a conjunction between me and you and as true a dearnesse of affection in me towards you as is between my Father and me and that it is as impossible to breake this knot and to take off my heart from you as my Fathers from me or mine from my Father And then thirdly you shall be sure that what he sayes of my love to you is true for he is the Spirit of truth Chap. 16. ver 13. as also Chap. 1. ver 16 17. which Christ speaks of him as he is a Comforter And as you beleeve me when I tell you of my Father because I come from him so you may beleeve him in all that hee sayes of mee and of my love to you for hee comes from me Ay but might they say Will not hee also leave us for a time as you have done No sayes Christ Chap. 14. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter and he shall abide with you for ever Christ speakes it in opposition to himselfe He himselfe had beene a Comforter unto them but he was now to be absent but not so the Spirit He shall be with you for ever and as he is now with you so he shall be in you ver 17. In the fourth place if this be not enough to assure them how his heart would bee affected towards them he assures them he will give them daily experience of it Doe but try me sayes he vvhen I am gone and that by sending me vvord upon all occasions vvhat you
vvould have mee to doe for you and I have left my Spirit to be your Secretary and the Enditer of all your Petitions Hitherto you have asked nothing that is little in my name he blames them that they have asked him no more to doe for them but now ask and you shall receive And if otherwise you vvill not beleeve yet you shall beleeve your own eyes ask you shall see your selves answered presently and so Beleeve me sayes he for the very works sake Ioh. 14. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in answer to their prayers when hee was gone which should be as so many Epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs For it follows ver 12. Hee that beleeveth on me shall do greater works then I because I goe to my Father So that it is manifest he speakes of the works done after his Ascension And how vvere they to get and procure them to be done By Prayer so it follows ver 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I doe Hee speakes it of the time when he is gone And again he sayes in ver 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name I will doe it Let me but heare from you be it every weeke every day every houre you shall be sure of an answer Open your mouthes wide I will fill them And those your Prayers shall be as continuall tokens both of your hearts towards me and my answers shall be the like of mine to you And because Christ bids them direct their Letters their Prayers to the Father onely to send them in his name as Iohn 16. 23. and so they might perhaps not so cleerly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them but his Fathers hand onely therefore hee adds twice in the 14. of Iohn I will doe it I will doe it He speakes like one as forward to doe for them as his Father is or should be and as desirous to have them knovv and take notice of his hand in it And it is as if he had said Though you ask the Father in my name yet all comes through my hands and I will doe it there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done and my heart shall not be wanting In the fift place yet further to evidence his love he not onely bids them thus to pray to him and in his name upon all occasions but he assureth them that he himselfe will pray for them and observe but the manner of his telling them this it is in the most insinuating perswasive expressions to convey his heart in to them that men use to utter when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to doe a thing Chap. 16. 26. At that day namely after his Ascension ye shall ask c. sayes he and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you no not I. I mentioned it afore I wil but add this illustration to it It is such a speech as men use when they would expresse the greatest reason that another hath to rest confident and assured of their love I doe not love you no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary which is most emphaticall As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be You are shrewdly hurt It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians I converted your soules when you thought not of it I caught you with guile forgive mee this wrong So sayes Christ here I say not that I will pray for you when the truth is that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven He lives ever to intercede as he ever lives so to intercede ever and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved But the work of Christ in heaven is a subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse I wil therefore speak no more of it now neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his Sermon Reade but over those 3. Chapters the 14 15 and 16. for in them you have the longest Sermon of his that is recorded and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other because indeed his heart was more in it then in any point that he ever preached on Onely if any object and say He spake all this to his Disciples to quiet and pacifie them and so more in respect to their trouble then otherwise he would have spoken In the sixt place reade but the next Chapter the 17. and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father and speaks over all again unto him that which he had said unto them He sayes as much behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them Reade it and you will finde that he was the same absent that present with them He was therefore not onely hearty in what he had said but his heart was full of it That Chapter you know contains a Prayer put up just before his suffering and there he makes his Will his last request for in such a style it runs Father I will ver 24. which Will he is gone to see executed in Heaven And Arminius said true in that that this Prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in Heaven he spake as he meant to doe in Heaven and as one that had done his worke and was now come to demand his wages I have finished thy work sayes he ver 4 c. And whereas he speakes a word or two for himself in the first 5. verses he speaks five times as many for them for all the rest of the Chapter is a Prayer for them He useth all kind of Arguments to move his Father for his children I have finished the work which thou gavest me to doe sayes he and to save them is thy work which remains to be done for mee by thee and they are thine and thou gavest them me and I commend to thee but thine owne And all mine are thine and thine are mine He insinuates that he of himselfe had not added a man but useth all his interest onely for those that the Father had given him and what a motive is this and he professeth he wil not open his mouth for a man more I pray not for the world sayes he I will not open my lips for any one sonne of perdition but I employ all my Blood my Prayers and my whole interest with thee but for those thy selfe hast given me And sayes he though thou hast given me a personall glory which I had before the World was yet there is another glory which I account of almost as much and that is in their being saved I am glorifyed in them sayes he ver 10. and they are my joy ver 13. and therefore I must have them with mee where ever I am ver 24. Thou
That the heart of Jesus Christ now he is in heaven is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth §. 1. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the influence all the three Persons have for ever into the heart of the Humane nature of Christ in heaven THe first sort of Demonstrations shall be fetcht from all the three Persons and their severall influence they have into Christs heart in heaven to encline it towards us The first shall be taken from God his Father who hath thus advanced him and it hath two parts 1. That God hath given a perpetuall command to Christ to love sinners 2. That therefore his heart continues the same for ever For the first God the Father hath given Iesus Christ a speciall command to love sinners and hath withall implanted a mercifull gracious disposition in his heart towards them This I mention to argue it because it is that which Christ alledgeth Iohn 6. 37. as the originall ground of this disposition of his not to cast out those that come to him For it is my Fathers will sayes he in the following verses that I should performe that which I came downe from heaven for ver 38. And this lyes now still upon him now he is in heaven as much as ever for his will also is sayes he ver 39 40. that I should raise them up at the last day so as it must needs continue the same till then And compare with this the 10. of Iohn from ver 15. to 18. where having discoursed before of his care and love to his sheep to give his life for them to know and owne them and to bring them into the fold c. he concludes at ver 18. This commandment have I received from my Father It is his will sayes the 6. of Iohn and if a good son knowes that a thing is his fathers mind and will it is enough to move him to doe it much more if it be his expresse command And in this 10. of Iohn he further sayes that it is the command which he had received from the Father A command is a mans will peremptorily expressed so as there must be a breach if it be not fulfilled and such a command hath God given Christ concerning us Out of both which places I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of Gods First that Christ should die for his sheep in respect to which command he continued so to love them whilst here as to lay downe his life for them so Iohn 10. 15. but then he tooke it up againe and is ascended into heaven Therefore those other two things commanded him doe concerne him when he is in glory namely to receive all that come to him which is the second and the third to looke that he lose none of those for whom he dyed but to raise them up And for these his Fathers command lyes as strictly on him now he is in Heaven as for dying for them whilst he was on earth This command have I received from my Father and this is his will And together with this command God did put into his heart as where he commands he ever useth to doe such an instinct of transcendent love towards them as shall so strongly encline him to performe it that he shall neede no more commands He hath put such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an especiall love into him as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their own children more then to all other mens children which they see besides although more beautifull and more witty then their own And both this commandement and this inclination of love towards them wee have at once expressed Psal 40. 8. where giving the reason why he became our Mediator and sacrificed himselfe he not onely sayes I come to doe thy will O God but also Thy law is in my bowels In which speech both these two are mentioned 1. That command I mentioned is there expressed for it is called a Law And 2. it was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart and therefore said to bee a Law in his heart or bowels You may easily conceive what Law it was by the subject of it his Bowels which are still put for the most tender affections Colos 3. 12. Bowels of mercie kindnesse c. It was no other then that law of love mercy and pity to poore sinners which God gave him in charge as he was to be Mediator It was that speciall law which lay on him as he was the second Adam like that which was given to the first Adam Non concedendi over and above the Morall Law not to eate the forbidden fruit such a Law was this he there speakes of It was the law of his being a Mediator and a sacrifice for of that he expresly speakes v. 6 7. over and besides the Morall Law which was common to him with us The word in the Originall is In the middest of my bowels to shew it was deeply engraven it had its seat in the center it sate neerest and was most inward in his heart Yea and as that speciall Law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam Praeceptum Symbolicum as Divines call it given over and besides all the ten Commandments to be a tryall a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest such was this Law given unto Christ the second Adam so as that God would judge of all his other obedience unto himselfe by this Yea it was laid on him vvith that earnestnesse by God and so commended by him as that if ever Christ vvould have him to love him he should be sure to love us Thus in that place fore-cited Iohn 10. 17 18. Christ comforts himselfe with this in his obedience Therefore doth my Father love me It is spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned and so withall imports as if God should love Christ the better for the love he should shew to us it pleased him so well to see Christ love us And so it is as if God when he gave Christ that Commandement ver 18. had said Sonne as you vvould have my love continue tovvards you let me see your love towards me shewne in being kinde to these I have given you whom I have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you as you have it Iohn 17. 23. As God vvould have us shevv love unto him by loving his children so he vvould have Christ also shevv his love towards him by loving of us Novv for the second Branch of this Demonstration namely that that love vvhich Christ vvhen on earth expressed to be in his heart and vvhich made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father that it doth certainly continue in his heart still novv that hee is in Heaven and that as quick and as tender as ever it was on earth even as vvhen he vvas on the Crosse
more fully then for them and his share of glory out of theirs is greater then theirs by how much the glory of the cause is greater then that of the effect And thus indeed the Scripture speaks of it as whilst it calls the Saints the glory of Christ So 2 Cor. 8. 23. And Christ in Iohn 17. 13. and ver 22 23. sayes that he is glorified in them And Psal 45. where Christ is set forth as Solomon in all his royalty and majestie yet ver 11. hee is said greatly to desire or delight in the beauty of his Queene that is the graces of the Saints and that not with an ordinary delight but he greatly desires his desire is encreased as her beauty is For that is there brought in as a motive unto her to be more holy and conformed unto him to encline her care and forsake her Fathers house v. 10. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Christ hath a beauty that pleaseth him as well as we have though of another kind and therefore ceaseth not till he hath got out every spot wrinkle out of his Spouses face as we heard the Apostle speake even now so to present her glorious unto himselfe that is delightfull and pleasing in his eye And suitably unto this to confirme us yet more in it Christ in that Sermon which was his solemne fare-well before his going to heaven assures his Disciples that his heart would be so farre from being weaned from them that his joy would still be in them to see them prosper and bring forth fruit so JOHN 15. 9 10 11. where his scope is to assure them of the continuance of his love unto them when he should be gone so ver 9 10. As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue in my love c. As if he had said Feare not you my love nor the continuance of it in my absence but looke you to doe your duty c. And to give them assurance of this he further tels them that even when he is in heaven in the greatest fulnesse of pleasure at Gods right hand yet even then his joy will be in them and in their well doing so ver 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remaine in you and that your joy may be full He speakes just like a Father that is taking his leave of his children and comforting them at his departure and giving them good counsell to take good courses when he is gone from them to keepe his Commandements and to love one another so ver 10 12. and backs it with this motive so shall my joy remain in you it is as Fathers use to speake and it will be for your good too your joy will be also full To open which words a little the word remaine used concerning their abiding in his love and his joy abiding in them is used in reference to the continuing of both these towards them in heaven And when Christ sayes That my joy may remain in you it is as if he had said that I may even in heaven have cause to rejoice in you when I shall heare and know of you that you agree and are loving each to other and keepe my Commandements The joy which he there calls His joy My joy is not to be understood Objectivè of Their joy in Him as the object of it but Subjectiè of the joy that should bee in himselfe and which hee should have in them So Augustine long since interpreted it Quodnam sayes hee est illud gaudium Christi in nobis nisi quod ille dignatur gaudere de nobis what is Christs joy in us but that which hee vouchsafeth to have of and for us And it is evident by this that otherwise if it were their joy which hee meant in that first sentence then that other that follows And your joy shall be ful were a Tautologie He speakes therefore of his joy and theirs as of two distinct things and both together were the greatest motives that could be given to encourage and quicken his Disciples in obedience Now take an estimate of Christs heart herein from those two holy Apostles Paul and John who were smaller resemblances of this in Christ What next to immediate communion with Christ himselfe was the greatest joy they had to live upon in this world but onely the fruit of their Ministery appearing in the graces both of the lives and hearts of such as they had begotten unto Christ See how Paul utters himself 1 Thes 2. 19. What is our hope sayes hee or joy or crowne of rejoycing Ye are our glory and our joy ver 20. And in the 3. Epist of JOHN ver 3. John sayes the like that hee greatly rejoyced of that good testimony hee had heard of Gaius For sayes hee I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walk in the truth ver 4. Now what were Paul and John but instruments by whom they beleeved and were begotten and not on whom Neither of these were crucified for them nor were these children of theirs the travaile of their soules How much more then unto Christ whose interest in us and our welfare is so infinitely much greater must his members be his joy and his crown And to see them to come in to him for grace and mercy and to walke in truth rejoyceth him much more for he thereby sees of the travaile of his soule and so is satisfied Certainly what Solomon sayes of Parents Prov. 10. 1. that a wise son maketh a glad father c. is much more true of Christ Holinesse and fruitfulnesse and comfortablenesse in our spirits while we are here below doe make glad the heart of Christ our everlasting Father Himself hath said it I beseech you beleeve him and carry your selves accordingly And if part of his joy arise from hence that we thrive and doe well then doubt not of the continuance of his affections for love unto himselfe will continue them towards us and readinesse to embrace and receive them when they come for grace and mercy There is a fift Engagement which his very having our nature which he still weares in heaven and which the end or intention which God had in ordaining Christs assuming it doe put upon him for ever For one great end and project of that personall union of our nature unto the Godhead in the second Person for ever was that he might be a mercifull High-Priest So that as his office layes it as a duty upon him so his becomming a Man qualifies him for that office and the performance of it and so may afford a farther demonstration of the point in hand This we find both to have beene a requisite in our High-Priest to qualifie him the better for mercy and bowels and also one of those great ends which God had in that assumption of our nature First a requisite on purpose to make him the more mercifull So Heb. 5. 1. the place even