not mixed with Faith And that for making the Duty acceptable Faith is necessarily requisite we may clearly see Heb. 11.6 where it is expressly said that without Faith it is impossible to please God And how is it that Abel offers a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain it was nothing sure in Cain's Sacrifice it self that made it be casten nor any thing in Abel's that made it be received or acceptable but Faith in the Messiah to come that was found to be in the one and was a missing in the other Is there not reason then to press this Duty on you and to exhort you not to think this a common and easie thing though the most part think it to be so if we look to the benefites of it to the difficulty of it and to the rarity of it in the World there is no Duty had need more to be press'd than this even that Christ Jesus should get the Burthen of your immortal Souls cast on Him by this Saving Faith I shall therefore in the further prosecution of this First Shew what mainly ye would eshew and avoid as that whereat Folk more ordinarily stumble Secondly What it is we would press you to and on what Grounds For the first I know the deceits and mistakes in Men about the Exercise of Faith are so many that they are moe then can well or easily be reckoned up yet we shall in some generals spoken of before hint at a few of them for so long as ye continue in the same Snares they must be still pointed out to you and endeavours still used to undeceive and extract you out of them and therefore 1. Beware of resting on a Doctrinal Faith which before I called Historical We know it 's hard to convince some that they want Faith yet we would have you to consider that it is not every kind of Faith but Saving Faith that will do your turn it 's the want of that which the Prophet complains of And therefore to open this a little ye would consider That there may be really such a Faith as is an assent to the truth of the Word in a natural Man yea in a Reprobate but that Faith will never unite to Christ nor be waited with the Pardon of Sin First I do not say that every one that is in the visible Church hath this Doctrinal Faith to believe a Heaven and a Hell that the Scripture is the Word of God and that all that believe in Christ shall get Pardon of Sin and Life the carriage alace of many testifies that they have not this much whatever fleeting notions they may have of these things or whatever esteem they may seem to put on the Gospel and whatever profession they may make that they believe the truth of it yet in their deeds they deny it for if there were a fixedness in the Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel in Men they durst not for their Souls live as they do Neither yet Secondly Do we say that all they that have this Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel or somewhat of it do believe every passage in it alike but often as they please them they believe them Hence many believe what the Word speaks of Mercy and of Pardon of Sin and will not question that but what it speaks of Holiness and of the severity of God's reckoning with Men for Sin they do not so credit that part of the Word it 's true where the Faith of the one is the Faith of the other will some way be but because the one agrees better with their Corruption than the other therefore the one is not so so received as the other and it 's very frequent with such to be found diminishing from one place and adding to another of the Word of God Nor Thirdly Do we say that all Men do in a like and equal degree believe the truâ—h of the Word there is in some more Knowledge in some less in some moe Convictions in some fewer and though we preach to you all yet there are some that believe not this to be God's Ordinance albeit there are many who will not be saved that takes this Word to be the Word of God and believe what is the meaning of it because the Word it self says it is so And the reason of this is 1. Because there is nothing that is not Saving but a Natural Man may hâ—ve it now this Doctrinal Faith is not Saving and so a Natural Man may have it yea the Devils believe and tremble and James does not dispute with these to whom he writes on this account that they believe not thus but tells them that Historical Faith was not enough and we think a man in Nature may have a great perswasion of the truth of the Word of God and that what it says will come to pass and yet still continue but a Natural Man A second Reason is Because the Scripture speaks so often of many sorts of Faith that are not Saving as Exod. 14. at the close it 's said the People believed the Lord and Psal 106.12 then they believed His Word and sang His praise and John 2.23 many believed on Christ to whom He did not commit himself there was Faith in them which His Signs and Miracles extorted from them which was not Saving and Matth. 13. two or three such acts of Faith are spoken of in the Parable of the Sower that were not Saving however sound they might be in their own kind and 1 Cor. 13. we have such a Faith spoken of as a Man dare not deny the truth of the Word though he should bring his Body to be burnt by his avouching of the same A third Reason is Because as much credit may be given to the Word as is given to any other History that is creditably believed and it 's on this ground that we believe there was such Men as Cesar Pompey Wallace c. and it being certain that there may be impressions on the Consciences of Hearers that this is God's Word backed with some common work of the Spirit and that it is generally received to be the Word of God in the part of the World we live in what wonder is it that Folk believe thus and drink in this Historical or Doctrinal Faith of the Word so as they may even dare to suffer to Death for it and yet in the mean time they may want Saving Faith the Devils being as sure as any Natural Man is that God is true and that His Word will be performed and therefore they say to Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time the Paâ—gs of a Natural Conscience in Men will assure them of a Judgment coming though they tremble to think on it And therefore ere we proceed further take a word of Use from this and it may let you see the great and very general mistake of the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel in resting on this Doctrinal Faith If ye tell them that
And do ye think that such a Faith as that will abide the Tryal before God that never did abide your own Tryal It will doubtless be a sore beguile to go off the World with such an opinion of Faith and to have the Door shut in your very Teeth Alace there will be no amending or bettering of your Condition after Death The Day comes when many of you if God graciously prevent not shall curse your selves that ever ye should have been such Fools as to have trusted your own Hearts or to have taken up this opinion of your Faith without ground We would therefore seriously recommend to you the putting of your Faith more frequently to the tryal and that ye would often read and think on that place 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves c. O! do not think that a matter of such concernment should be left lying at conjecture and utter uncertainty who loseth when ye are so palpably accessory to your own Ruine by not endeavouring to put your selves to so much as a Tryal Do not say here for excuse We have no more Grace then God gives us when ye never endeavoured to be so much as at the form of the Duty or to go the length ye might have gone in putting your selves to the Tryal The deceit then being desperate and irredeemable if continued in do not for the Lord's sake after all that is said to you continue beguiling your selves A second Reason is Folks settling themselves on unsound evidences and principles of Peace that will not bear them thorow before God I do not say that they have nothing to say in word for themselves but that all they have to say will be no ground to prove their Faith or to bear it thorow before God that they do believe indeed It will be found at the best to be but a lie as it 's said of that Man Isa 44.20 A deceived heart hath turned him aside he feeds on ashes he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand He may have a seeming reason for his Faith but it 's no reason indeed If many of you were going now to die what reason have ye to prove your Believing by some will say God hath always been good kind and gracious to me I was in many straits and difficulties and I prayed and got many deliveries Thus all the ground of thy Faith is but Temporal Favours or Deliveries which is even as if Israel should have made their receiving of Temporal Deliveries and their acknowledging of them and having some sort of Faith of them to be ground enough to prove their receiving of Jesus Christ â—avingly There is a doleful proof of the unsoundness of this ground Psal 78.34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer They looked to God's by-gone Favours for them when they were in the Wilderness and at the Red Sea and they believed that he could do so still But they did flatter him with their mouth and lied unto him with their tongue for their hearts were not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant whereupon He destroyed them and through their Unbelief they did not enter into God's Rest It 's also said a little before in that Psalm vers 32. For all this they sinned still There may be many Temporal Favours and Deliveries and these acknowledged too and yet no receiving of Christ for making our Peace with God for removing the Quarrel betwixt Him and us and for making us cease from Sin Consider if it will be a good ground to plead with God upon to say to Him Lord thou must bring me to Heaven because I was in Sickness and thou raised me up I was in this and that strait and under this and that Cross and thou carried me thorow and brought me out of it The Lord will say to such that have no more to say ye had so many evidences of my Power and yet ye sinned still and yet this will be all the Pleading and Reasoning that will be found with many of you and the sad Reply you will meet with from God A third Reason is Folks giving an external Countenance to Ordinances and their formal going about of them They trow they have Faith because they keep the Church and are not open Contemners and Misregarders of Ordinances as some others are because they Pray Read Hear c. It seems it was something like this that the perswasion of these spoken of Luk. 13.26 is built upon Lord say they we have heard thee preach and have eaten and drunken in thy presence It 's not simply that they heard Christ Preach for many heard Him Preach who stoned Him but that when others stoned Him they followed Him and were not openly Prophane nor professed Contemners of Him and of His Preaching as these others were such like words fall sometimes from your Mouths Ye will possibly say what would we have of you ye are not Prophane ye wait on Preaching and live like your Neighbours and ye content your selves with that Alace this is a poor yea a doleful Fruit of Ordinances and of your attendance on them If there be more security presumption and desperate hazarding on the Wrath of God and less taking with the Quarrel betwixt Him and you on that ground A fourth Reason is Folks Hope even such a Hope that contrair to the nature of Hope will make the most part of you ashamed Ye trow ye Believe because ye hope ye Believe and that ye will get Mercy because ye think ye hope in God's Mercy and ye will not let any thing light to the contrair nor so much as think that ye may be deceived The opinion that Folk have of obtaining Mercy that is maintained without any ground but their vain hope is the rifest most unreasonable and prejudicial evil that is among the Professors of this Gospel hencâ— if any ground and evidence of their Peace be asked for they will answer that they Believe If it be again â—sked how know ye that ye Believe they answer we hope and believe it is so and can give no ground for it Many are like these spoken of Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand thereforâ— thou was not grieved They have a Faith and a Hope of their own making and this keeps them off that the Word of God takes no hold on them We preach that ye are naturally at Feed with God and offer Peace and Reconciliation through Jesus Christ but ye are Deaf for ye think your Peace is made already and but very few come sensible of a Quarrel with God to this Word as to the Ministry of Reconciliation This is wondered at in a manner by the Lord Himself Micah 3.11 where we have a People whose way is very unlike
them in it occasion to know this their inability in not giving obedience to His call and this is no small advantage when by it they have occasion to know the necessity of a Mediator and to seek after another way of Justication then by their own works for so it proves a notable mean to humble Men to stop their Mouths and to make them plead guilty before God 4. It 's profitable as the Lord is pleased to make use of it to call and gather in so many as He hath ordained to Eternal Life for though in it self it be not able to convert yet having the Power of God going along with it it is the instrument of Conversion and the Lord ordinarily makes use of it to the begetting of Faith in them that Believe as it is Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God preached and 1 Cor. 1.24 it 's called the power of God to salvation and it hath pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe for though God can work without it yet He hath thought good to make use of it to inform the Judgment and to stir up the Affections of Hearers and so it proves instrumental to the begetting of Faith in them 5. If it do not promove the Salvation of all the Hearers of it yet it promoves it in all the Elect and serves to make others the more inexcusable and in this respect it triumphs always 2 Cor. 2.15 16. In some it is the savour of life unto life in others the savour of death unto death leaving them the more inexcusable and the more obnoxious to Wrath by their rejecting of the Counsel of God against themselves I know this will be excepted against We come therefore to consider the second Question which is this How can the Call of the Gospel make Men inexcusable seing they cannot without the effectual Power of the Grace of God Believe as Christ saith John 6.44 No man can come to me that is no Man can believe in me except the Father who hath sent me draw him yea why doth God find fault with Men for their Unbelief for answer it hath been no new thing for Men to start Questions and Objections against the Grace of God and to be always striving to rub affronts and disgrace upon it see Rom. 9.13 14 c. where this same Objection is started and answered again and again for when the Apostle hath said vers 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated the Objection is moved Is there unrighteousness with God then Folks readily think that there is a sort of unrighteousness in God when He takes one and leaves another especially considering that the leaving of the other infers though it be not any culpable cause of the ruine of the Mans Soul he answers first with a God forbid as if it were an absurd thing so to assert and then endeavours to answer it from Gods Soveraignty as being Debtor to none I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and it 's not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that shews mercy In Gods administration of Grace He is Debtor to no Man nor hath He any rule by which He proceedeth but His own Soveraign Will and if it shall yet be said if God doth walk by His own Soveraign Will in giving Grace Why doth he yet find fault or condemn for who hath resisted his will Why is God angry that Men will not Believe since none can come to Christ against the Will of God His Indignation riseth at this proud and petulant Objection and He answers But who art thou O man that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour and another to dishonour By the Apostle's doubling of this answer and his not setting of himself to satisfie carnal Reason and Curiosity there is ground given to silence us here It 's the Lord He is our Potter and we the Clay it 's He in whose Hand we are who can do us no wrong and this may sufficiently serve to put a stop to all reasoning and disputing against Him Yeâ— we may add a word further seing the Apostle proceeds to another Reason Therefore 2. Consider whence it is that this inability to believe or turn to God doth come not from God sure for if He had not made Man perfect there might be some ground for the Objection but seing He did make man upright and he hath sought out many inventions who is to be blamed hath the Lord lost His right to exact His Debt because Man hath played the Bankrupt and debauched and turned Dyvour and unable to pay doth not this very objecting prove us guilty and evidence that we have lost that which God gave to us and made us with at the Beginning When God made Adam he had power to believe and give God credit as to every word revealed or to be revealed and that now after the Fall he and his Posterity want that power they have not this privation from Gods creating of them but from their Fall they by their Fall utterly incapacitating themselves for these Duties that they owe to God and for this among the rest 3. If there were no more but simple inability among them that hear this Gospel they might have some pretext or ground of excuse though it were not any real nor just excuse as hath been shewed but it never comes to this as the only or main cause of their not Believing There is always some maliciousness perversness and pravity in the Will it 's not I cannot but I will not it 's a wiful and some way deliberate rejecting of the Gospel that is the ground of Folks not Beliâ—ving and what excuse I pray can ye have who do not believe the Gospel when it shall be found that ye maliciously and deliberatly choosed to reject it To make this out consider but these few things 1. Mens neglecting of the very outward Meaâ—s that through Gods blessing prove instrumental in the begetting of Faith as of Hearing Reading Prayer Meditation Self-searching stirring up themselves to Repentance c. whereby the Lord ordinarily brings about and furthers the work of Faith 2. Consider the carnal careless and lazy manner of Mens going about these Means and Duties which to their own conviction are within the reach of that power which they have ye might hear oftener and more attentively ye might pray more frequently and more seriously then often ye do ye want even much of that moral seririousness in Hearing Prayer Reading c. that ye have in other things of less concernment ye will hear a Proclamation at the Cross with more attention then a Preaching of the Gospel ye will hear a Threatning from Man with more fear then ye will hear a Threatning from God's
sympathy from experience of these temptations vexations and sorrows as they are sinless as is clear from Heb. 2. and 4. at the close He knows what hunger thirst poverty contempt reproach and persecution are He knows what it is to be set upon with the violence of a temptation though there was no sin in him to comply with it 5. See here a most real Saviour since he is a suffering Saviour Why did our Lord become thus low But that he might come under the curse in the several degrees of it for the satisfying of Justice for our sins And see in every piece of Christs suffering a reality of the grace and love of God A reality in the Covenant and bargain of Redemption A reality in Christs satisfying of Justice and performing his ingagement according to the tenor of that transaction And seing there is a reality in this Saviour and in his suffering and satisfying of Divine Justice and in the price that he payed to the full Put not this Saviour again to open shame as the word is Heb. 6.6 Trode not the Son of God under foot neither account the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Do not despite to the Spirit of Grace as it is Heb. 10.29 He hath suffered enough already let him not be a sufferer again O! grieve him not by your unbelief but give him credit by adventuring your souls on him upon his own terms your selves will have the advantage and he the glory This is the pure simple truth of the Gospel Do not only receive it as a truth but receive him that it holds forth and let your hearts close with him and your Faith feed upon him wâ—o becâ—me poor that ye through his poverty migâ—t be made rich Happy they for evermore who are made rich through his poverty and miserable are they and mucâ— more miserable eternally will they be whose practice saith that they think they have another way to be happy then by his sufferings and satisfaction and so disdain and rejâ—ct both him and it SERMON XVIII ISAIAH LIII II III. Vers 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Vers 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IF our hearts were suitably tender the reading of these words knowing of whom they are spoken would some way prick and wound them It 's hard to determine though it may be we should not make the comparison whether there is more grace in our Lords condescendence or more wickedness and perversness in the unkind and evil meeting that he gets from sinners But surely there is much grace on the one side in his coming so low and much wickedness and perversness on the other side For what meets he with even blessed Jesus who is the glory and praise of all his Saints yea the brightness of his Fathers glory He is despised and rejected and we esteemed him not Even when he thus humbled himself and took on our nature and was and is prosecuting the work of our salvation and evidencing his grace in an inconceivable manner These are the two things that are spoken of here 1. His condescending to be a man and a mean man and which is yet more a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Which if we believed and knew really what he were that it was even he by whom all things were created who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every creature yea he for whom all things were created for whose glory the world and all things in it were made and continue He for whom all things are as their last end and through whom they are preserved in their beeing and governed in their operations and shall be seen to tend to his glory in the close we wold certainly wonder more at this his condescendence And yet alace it is he that is despised and rejected and that we hid as it were our faces from and would not give him our countenance It is he by whom the world was made that is despised and we esteemed him not And this is the second thing in the words which we are now to speak to even the abominably unsuitable meeting that men give to our Lord Jesus who hath so far condescended as to leave some way his Fathers Glory not to receive a Kingdom of this World but to be trode upon in it as a Worm He is despised and rejected and we will not intertain him nor make him welcome when he cometh We esteem him not Only take this advertisement for clearing of the words and for grounding of the Doctrine that this that is spoken of Christs Humiliation and mans stumbling at it is not precisely to be restricted to his Humiliation in his own person only and mens stumbling at that for it is given as the reason of men their stumbling and offending at Christ in all times But it is to be extended to Christ in his Gospel and Ordinances throughout all ages so it comes in as the reason why so few believe on him If ye ask the reason why men do not now believe and receive Christ in the offer of the Gospel Here it is for we esteemed him not for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant He shall be mean and contemptible-like to the men of the world and in an afflicted condition therefore he is not esteemed therefore he is not believed on These two are the main Doctrines to be spoken to here 1. That Jesus Christ who thus condescends and humbles himself for the salvation of lost sinners is not esteemed of but despised and undervalued which is implied in the words When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him and is more clearly holden out in the following words He was despised and we esteemed him not 2. That this undervaluing and little esteeming of Jesus Christ is the great ground of folks unbelief or the reason why men do not believe on him even because they think him not worthy the receiving two very clear truths in the words and in experience though as sad in their consequents As to the 1. which is this that our Lord Jesus Christ is usually and ordinarly exceedingly undervalued and little esteemed of by the men of the world to whom he is offered in the Gospel There are two things implied and supposed here in and about the Doctrine that will clear it and be as two reasons of it 1. That he hath no form nor comeliness and no beauty wherefore he should be desired which holdeth out this that men are ordinarily taken up with and seek after worldly grandour or greatness splendour and beauty that 's it that filleth mens eyes
such an end and yet so as he must flee into it ere he can plead for the benefit of the City So suppose a sinner to be fled to Jesust Christ by Faith he may plead for exemption from wrath by God's determining and appointing a Mediator for such an end And the Mediator Jesus Christ hath this priviledge conferr'd on him that he that thus flees unto him shall be safe Yet it is also suppos'd that such a sinner hath fled to him else he could not expect safety through him notwithstanding of Gods determining the Mediator for safety Thus we would have these three put together And yet as we said they differ for Gods determination is the efficient cause fountain of all Christs satisfaction is the meriâ—orious cause and our believing is the ground on which we have right to plead for the benefit of his satisfaction Even as the man that fled to the City of Refuge his safety was not by any vertue in his running but by God's determination yet his running to the City was requisite as the mids and except he run or fled to it he could not plead for the benefit of the City So our believing gives us ground to plead a right and title to Christ and his satisfaction without which we could not have that right But 2dly Because one will take up this under one notion and another under another To clear it therefore a little further we shall again consider in this Covenant these three steps 1. The determination of it as it is enacted in the Council of the God-head which in sum is this that such and such persons shall be satisfied for by the Mediator and his satisfaction accepted for them 2. The execution of this Covenant where we take in all our Lords sufferings all the stroaks and wounds that Justice pursued him with as Cautioner for the Elect and God's accepting and justifying of him and declaring his accepting of him and being well satisfied with what he did and suffered by his raising him from dead 3. The application of his purchase by his accepted satisfaction which consists in these 1. That these that were given to Christ on this condition that his satisfaction should stand good for them should be justified and saved that is that in due time application of his satisfaction should be made to the persons given him to to be saved by him Which takes in Christ's making intercession that Renewing-grace Faith c. may be given to such persons 2. That the work of the Spirit who as the Sanctifier begets Faith and perswads to imbrace Jesus Christ shall be given them Then 3. follows the Believers actual coming to Christ being sweetly and powerfully drawn to rest on him and his satisfaction Whereupon follows the application of the sentence of Justification and Absolution that results from the former So that whereas it was before Cursed is he that continues not in all things written in the Law Now it is He that believeth on Jesus Christ hath eternal life and shall never come into condemnation All these go and agree well together the Covenant as the ground Christ's satisfaction as the meritorious cause and the application of his satisfaction by Faith which entitles and gives the Believer a right to it The reason why we have so much insisted on this is that we may teach you to joyn respect to the Covenant of Redemption Christ's suffering and your believing together It will not be Faith that will justifie that is without respect to the Covenant Neither will the Covenant and Christ's satisfaction justifie without Faith yet ye would so put them together as the glory of Salvation through Grace may not lye on Faith but on God's everlasting Love and on Christ's satisfaction And indeed it is no little practick for a Soul sensible of sin in the exercise of Faith so to lay the weight of its Salvation on Christ and the Covenant as it neglects not running to Christ by Faitâ— and so to lay hold on Christ by Faith as it lay not the weight on Faith but on Christ and the Covenant As in the comparison before used suppose a man that had killed another unawares had been taken before he wan to the City of Refuge God's determination was not the cause of that but his not running or his not coming at the City So it may be that some are apprehended by the Justice of God that are less sinful than others yet the reason or câ—uâ—e is not in God's Covenant nor in Câ—rists want of worth but in the persons not running or not fleeing to Christ as to the City of Refuge and therefore they are not heard to plead for immunity by vertue of that satisfaction before the Bar of God A 2d sort of Uses are for exhorting and encouraging Sinners to come to Christ There is here then 1. A clear ground to our our Faith and a plain way opened to Heaven and a mighty encouragement to perswade Sinners to lay hold on Christ and to take this way for obtaining of life This Text opens as it were the gates of the City of Refuge and points out the way how to eshew the wrath which is to come There is a way here laid down in the Wisdom Justice Go dness and Grace of God which is made offer of in the Gospel and since it is so we beseech you that ye would not receive this Grace in vain but seing there is a Covenant well ordered and sure a Mediator and a Ransom provided and a way laid down how to come to Christ by Faith let all of you who come under the conviction of Sin and apprehension of Wrath step to and close with him and plead for Pardon by vertue of his Wounds and for healing through his Stripes with respect to the Covenant There are these four things here that will serve to give ground for this Application if we consider 1. The great ground of Faith that is here 2. The great reason we have to make use of this ground 3. The great encouragement we have so to do And 4ly The great necessity we have to make this Application A little to each of these But we shall premit one word to all and it 's this That considering you are all in tryfting terms with God whether ye live at a distance from him the Uâ—e will by way of Exhortation reach you or whether ye be brought to greater nearness under the sense of Sin and have some seriousness in seeking after God it will reach you for Consolation In a word we would exhort all and it may convince some comfort others But to the first thing we proposed We declare and proclaim this as a true and faithful saying that there is here an Everlasting Covenant wherein the salvation of the Elect is concluded through Christs satisfaction to Justice for them and a way laid down for making Peace betwixt God and all them that will thorowly renounce their own righteousnâ—ss and lay hold
present purpose is to shew how a guilty Sinner may be Justified And therefore we shall 1. Give you a general view of the Truth of the Doctrine by confirming it from Scripture in all the parts of it 2. We shall â—peak more paticularly to the severall branches of it And 3ly To the way of attaining Justification in the severall Causes of it as it is here holden forth For Confirmation of the General Doctrine ye shall 1. Look upon some Scriptures And 2. To some Grounds of Reason As for the Confirmation of it by Scripture If we look through the Gospel it is Our Lord Jesus Christ His own Doctrine which He preached and the way which He laid down therein for Justifying and saving a Sinner So John 3. Where it is three or four times repeated As v. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life v. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God v. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And v. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life And that is all one as to say he that believes shall be Justified Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned These are the terms on which the Apostles are by Christ warranded to preach the Gospel and to make the offer of Life to every Creature And therefore if we look forward to their Preaching we will find it to run in the same sâ—rain A Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Where while Paul is summing up the whole Message that he had to deliver he goes upon the same ground And wherein we have these three clearly holden forth 1. That all Mâ—n are lyable as in their Natural Estate to God's Curse and by the Law cannot be Justified 2. That there is a way laid down through Jesus Christ to come by Justification and Remission of Sins 3. That the way how Sinners came by this is Faith in Christ All that believe are justified Look to the Epistles especially these written to the Romans and Galatians Where this question about Justification is exprâ—sly and of purpose handled and we will find that it is the sum of both As Rom. 3. Where having said v. 23 That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so that all are lyable to Gods Judgement he subjoyns v. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Where is the great mean of our Justification and then he adds v. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Where we have the mean of Application to wit Faith and Chap. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Which place demonstrats this That an ungodly Person taking hold by Faith of Christs Righteousnesse may be and is Justified and Absolved and fred from the guilt of Sin as if he had never Sinned So Gal. 2.15 16. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles or not without the Covenant as they are Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Which place shews not only this that through Faith in Christ is Justification and Life to be had but it also excludes all other wayes of Justificâ—tion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith But that which we are now speaking to is only the positive part of the Doctrine To shew that a Guilty Sinner obnoxious to the Curse May by Faith come to be Justified and made free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never Sinned nor been under the Curse For further Confirmation of the Doctrine ye would consider these Four Grounds and ye will see from them good reason for it Only remember this That Justification looks alway to a Judicial Procedour as we hinted before Wherein the Lord is as it were on the Throne and the Guilty Sinner at the Bar pleading through Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction to be Absolved which is even as if a Debtor were arrested for Debt should plead for a Liberation not because he is not owing the Debt neither because he hath payed the Debt but because his Cautioner hath payed it for him This being supposed and remembred ye would we say consider these Grounds or Reasons for confirming the Doctrine 1. The Sufferings that Christ hath endured and the Satisfaction that He hath made in the Room of Sinners as the next Words hold out For he shall bear their iniquities And v. ult He bare the sin of many Nay this is the great scope of the Chapter Therefore it 's said That he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows and that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all This makes a Ground of Confirmation 2. Consider How that there is not only a sufficient price payed but there is a Covenant of Redemption warranding Him to pay it and accepting it off His hand as compleat Payment and Satisfaction for the Elects Debt And except there be a look had to this Covenant Faith hath not a sufficient Ground to rest on for Justification through Jesus His Satisfaction because otherwayes we see not a Reason why His Sufferings can be accepted for us For suppose if such a supposition may warrantably be made Christ to have Suffered yet it was free for God to have accepted that as a Satisfaction for our Debt or not But the consideration of the Covenant of Redemption removes that Doubt and gives Faith a Ground to lay hold on Christ's Sufferings as Satisfactory to the Justice of God because in the Covenant of Redemption it 's so transacted and agreed upon betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Apostle speaking Heb. 10.8 9. and forward from Psal 40. of this Covenant shews That when Sacrifices and Offerings will not do the turn Christ comes in Saying Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy
believing spoken of here to that saving Faith whereby folk believe and rest upon Jesus Christ 5. Consider that though there be no expresse Party named to whom the Prophet complaineth yet no doubt it is to God therefore Joh. 12.38 and Rom. 10.16 when this Scripture is cited it is Lord who hath believed our report so it is the Prophet's complaint of the little fruit himself had and that the Ministers of the Gospel should have in preaching of the Gospel regrating and complaining of it to God as a sore matter that it should come to so many and so few should get good of it so few should be brought to believe and to be saved by it Though these words be few yet they have four great things in them to which we shall reduce them for speaking more clearly to them 1. That the great subject of Preaching and Preachers great errand is to report concerning Jesus Christ to bring tydings concerning Him 2. That the great duty of Hearers implyed is to believe this Report and by vertue of it to be brought to rest and rely on Jesus Christ 3. That the great though the ordinary sin of the generality of the Hearers of the Gospel is unbelief Who hath believed that is it 's few that have believed it 's a rare thing to see a Believer of this Report 4. That the great complaint weight and grief of an honest Minister of the Gospel is this that his Message is not taken off his hand that Christ is not received believed in and rested on this is the great challenge Ministers have against the generality of People and the ground of their complaint to God that whatever they report concerning Christ He is not welcomed His Kingdom thrives not That we may speak to the first considering the words with respect to the Scope we shall draw five or six Doctrines from them The first whereof is more general that the discovery of Christ Jesus and the making him known is the greatest News the gladest Tydings and the most excellent Report that ever came or can come to a People there is no such thing can be told them no such Tydings can they hear this is the Report that the Prophet speaks of by way of eminency a Report above and beyond all other Reports these are News worthy to be carried by Angels Behold saith one of them Luke 2.20 I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people And what are these Tydings so prefaced to with a Behold for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord these are the good Tydings that Jesus Christ is come and that he is the Saviour by Office We shall not insist on this onely 1. We will find a little view of this Subject in the following words which hold forth clearly Christ God and Man in one Person so compleatly qualified and excellently furnished for His Offices 2. It 's also clear if we look to the excellent effects that come by His being so furnished as His satisfying of Justice His setting free of Captives His triumphing over Principalities and Powers His destroying the works of the Devil c. there cannot be more excellent works or effects spoken of 3. It 's clear if we look to Him from whom this Report cometh and in whose Breast these News bred if we may speak so they are the result of the Counsel of the God-head and therefore as the Report here is made in the Lord's Name so He is complained to when it is not taken off the Prophet's hand And 4. it 's clear if we look to the mysteriousness of these News Angels could never have conceived them had not this Report come these things tell that they are great glorious and good News glad Tydings as it is in the end of the former Chapter That which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they have not heard shall they consider The first Use is To draw our hearts to be in love with the Gospel and to waken our estimation of it Peoples ears are itching after Novelties and ye are much worn out of conceit with these News but is there in any News such an advantage as in these when God sendeth News to Men they must be great News and such indeed are these Use 2. Therefore be affrayed to entertain loathing of the plain substantial Truths of the Gospel if ye had never heard them before there would belike be some Athenian itching to hear and speak of them but they should not be the less thought of that they are often heard and spoken of Use 3. Therefore think more of the Gospel seeing it containeth the substance of these good News and glad Tydings and think more of Gospel-ordinances whereby these good Tydings are so often published and made plain to you 2. More particularly Observe that Jesus Christ and what concerneth Him the glad and good News of a Saviour and the reporting of them is the very proper work of a Minister and the great subject of a Ministers preaching his proper work is to make Him known or take it thus Christ is the native subject on which all preaching should run this is the Report the Prophet speaketh of here and in effect it was so to John and the other Apostles and should be so to all Ministers Christ Jesus and what concerns Him in His Person Natures and Offices to know and make Him known to be God and Man to make Him known in His Offices to be Priest Prophet and King to be a Priest in His suffering and satisfying Justice to be a Prophet in revealing the Will of God to be a King for subduing folks Lusts and Corruptions and to know and make Him known in the way by which Sinners both Preachers and Hearers may come to have Him to themselves as follows in this Chapter This this is the subject of all Preaching and all Preaching should be levelled at this mark Paul is 1 Cor. 2.2 peremptory in this I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified as if he had said I will meddle with no other thing but betake my self to this not onely will he forbear to meddle with civil Employments but he will lay aside his Learning Eloquence and Humane Wisdom and make the preaching of Christ crucified his great work and study the reason of this is because Christ standeth in a fourfold relation to preaching 1. He is the Text to say so of Preaching all Preaching is to explain Him Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness and so do the four Evangels and the Apostolick Epistles which are as so many Preachings of Him and that Preaching which standeth not in relation to Him is beside the Text and Mark 2. He is holden out as the Foundation and Ground-work of Preaching so that Preaching without Him wants Foundation and is the Building as it were of a Castle in the Air
foot or door of every Soul that heareth it to be believed and rested on this is the great errand of the Gospel to propose to People Jesus Christ as the Object and Ground of Faith to lay Him down to be rested on for that very end when the Apostle is speaking Rom. 10.8 of the Doctrine of Faith he saith It is not now who shall ascend into heaven nor who shall descend into the deep but the word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart what word is that the word of faith which we preach now sayeth he Christ by the preaching of the Gospel is brought so near folks that He is brought even to their Hearts and to their Mouths so near that to speak so People have no more to do but to stoup and take Him up or to roll themselves over upon Him yea it bringeth Him in to their very Heart that they have no more to do but to bring up their Heart to consent to close the Bargain and with the Mouth to make confession of it and these words are the more considerable that they are borrowed from Deut. 30. where Moses is setting Death and Life before the People and bidding them choose though he would seem to speak of the Law yet if we consider the scope we will find him to be on the matter speaking of Jesus Christ holden forth to that People under Ceremonial-Ordinances and shewing them that there was Life to be had in Him that way and according to Gods intent they had Life and Death put in their choice I know there are two things necessary to the acting and exercising of Faith The 1. is objective when the Object or Ground is proposed in the preaching of the Gospel The 2. is subjective when there is an inward spiritual and powerful quickning and framing of the Heart to lay hold on and make use of the Object and offer it is true that all to whom the offer cometh are not quickened but the Doctrine saith that to all to whom the Gospel cometh Christ is proposed to be believed on by them and brought near unto them so that we may say as Christ said to His Hearers The kingdom of God is come near unto you both Christ and John brought and laid the Kingdom of Heaven near to the Jews and it is laid as near to you in the preached Gospel This is it then that Doctrine sayes 1. That the Gospel holdeth out Christ as a sufficient ground of Faith to rest upon And 2. with a sufficient warrand to these who hear it to make use of Him according to the terms on which he is offered And 3. it brings Him so pressingly home as He is laid to the Doors and Hearts of Sinners who hear the Gospel that whoever hath the offer he must necessarily either believe in and receive Christ or reject Him and cast at the report made of Him in the Gospel I shall first a little confirm this Doctrine and then secondly make use of it First I shall confirm it from these Grounds 1. From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in His Word and from the warrand he giveth His Ministers to make the same offers It 's their Commission to pray them to whom they are sent to be reconciled to tell them that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself as it is 2 Cor. 5.19 20. and in Christ's steed to request them to embrace the offer of Reconciliation to tell them that Christ died for the Sinners that will embrace Him and that He will impute His Righteousness unto them and Chap. 6.1 We beseech you saith he that ye receive not this grace in vain which is not meant of saving Grace but of the gracious offer of Grace and Reconciliation through Him This is Ministers work to pray People not to be idle Hearers of this Gospel for saith he I have heard thee in a time accepted and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The force of the Argument is this if ye will make this Gospel welcome ye may get a Hearing for now is the day of Salvation therefore do not neglect it So Psal 81.10 11. where God maketh the offer of Himself and that very largely Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it The Offer is of Himself as the words following clear My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me for they that refuse His Word refuse Himself and hence Isa 65.1 he saith I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name and to the Jews I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people 2. We may clear and confirm it from these similitudes by which the Offer of this Gospel is as it were brought to the doors of People and there are several similitudes made use of to this purpose I shall name but four 1. It 's set down under the expression of wooing as 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you as a chast virgin to Christ this is ordinary and supposeth a Marriage and a Bridegroom that is by his friends wooing and suting in Marriage so that as we shew wherever the call of the Gospel comes it 's a bespeaking of Souls to Him as Cant. 8. What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for 2. It 's set out under the expression of inviting to a Feast and Hearers of the Gospel are called to come to Christ as Strangers or Guests are called to come to a Wedding-feast Mat. 22.2 3 4. All things are ready come to the wedding c. Thus the Gospel calleth not to an empty House that wants meat but to a Banqueting-house where Christ is made ready as the Cheer and there wants no more but feasting on Him So it 's set out under the similitude of Eating and Drinking John 6.57 He that eats me even he shall live by me 3. It 's set out often under the expression or similitude of a Market where all the Wares are laid forth on the Stands Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters c. and least it should be said or thought that the Proclamation is only to the thirsty and to such as are so and so qualified ye may look to what followeth let him that hath no mony come yea come buy without mony and without price and to the offer that is made to those of Laodicea Rev. 3. who in appearance were a hypocritical and formal People yet to them the Counsel and Call comes forth Come buy of me eye-salve and gold tryed in the fire c. It sayes the Wares are even in their offer or even offered to them 4. It 's set out under the similitude of standing and knocking at a Door because the Gospel brings Christ a knocking and calling hard at
Command with many gracious Promises knit to it as Isa 55. Hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David And whenever the Command of Believing comes out it 's always with a Promise as Paul deals with the Jaylor Act. 16. Believe and thou shalt be saved and Mark 16. towards the close the Lord says They that believe shall be saved to encourage to Faith in Him 5. It presses the Offer and commands embracing of it with the Promise with a certification for the Offer is not conditional but alternative Mark 16. If ye believe not ye shal be damned so Deut. 30. Death and Life are proposed and they are bidden choose If the Gospel be not effectual in it's Commands and Promises it will be effectual in its Threatnings The Word of God will triumph one way or the other and not return to Him void as is very clear Isa 55.11 and 2 Cor. 2.15 16. It triumphs in some while they are brought by the Promise to give obedience to the command of Believing and to them it becomes the savour of life unto life and to others it triumphs as to the execution of the Threatning on them for their Unbelief and to them it becomes the savour of death unto death In a word Christ Jesus comes so near People in this Gospel that He must either be chosen and Life with Him or refused to the destruction and death of the Refuser ye have the same Christ the same Word the same Covenant the same obligation to Believe proposed to you that Believers from the beginning of the World had and another ye will not get and what more can the Gospel do to bring Christ near to you when it brings Him so near that ye have Him in your offer and the Authority of God and His Promises interposed to perswade you to accept of the Offer and Threatnings added to certifie you that if ye accept it not ye shall perish in which respect we may say as the Prophet Isaiah doeth chap. 5. What could God do more to his vineyard which he hath not done as to the holding out of the Object of Faith Jesus Christ to be rested on by you But some wiâ—l it may be object here 1. But if there come not Life and Power with the Offer it will not do the turn we cannot Believe nor receive the Offer Answ Whose fault is this that ye want ability It 's not God's fault ye have a sure ground to Believe His Woâ—d is a warrand good enough the Promises â—re free enough the Motives sweet enough the great fault is a Hâ—art of unbelief in you that ye will not believe in Christ nor open to Him when He is brought to your Door I doubt yea I put it out of doubt when all that ever heard the Gospel shâ—ll stand before the Throne that there shall be one found that shall dare to make this excuse that they were not able to receive Christ the Gospel brings Christ so near them that they must either say yea or nay it is not so much I cannot as I will not believe and that will be found a wilful and malicious refusal 2. It may be objected But how can this Gospel come to all alike seing it cannot be that these that will never get good of the Gospel hath it as near to them as these that get the saving Fruit of it Answ Not to speak of God's Purpose or what He intends to make of it not of the Power and Fruit that accompanies it to some and not to all it 's certain the Gospel and Christ in its Offer comes alike near to all that hear it It objectively reveals the same glad Tydings to all with the conditional offer of Life and with the same command and encouragement and certification in Threatnings as well as Promises In these respects Christ is brought alike near to all and when God cometh to reckon He will let Sinners know in that day that the Gospel came to their Door and was refused yea it comes and where it comes will take hold of some to pluck them out of the Snare and be ground of Faith to them and to others it will be a ground of Challenge and so the savour of death unto death for though it take not effect as to its Promises in all nor in its Threatnings to all yet as to either Death or Life it wiâ—l take effect in every one so as if Life be refused Death steps in the room of it But it may be asked Why will God have Christ in the Offer of the Gospel brought so near the Hearers of it Answ 1. Because it serves to commend the Grace and Love of God in Christ Jesus when the Invitation is so broad that iâ— is to all it speaks out the royalty of the Feast upon which ground 2 Cor. 6.1 it 's called Grace the Offer is so large and wide 2. Because it serves for warranding and confirming the Elect in the receiving of this Offer for none of the Elect could receive Him if He were not even laid to their Door It 's this which gives us warrand to receive that which God offers it 's not because we are elected or beloved of God before time or because He purposed to do us Good that we believe these are not grounds of Faith being God's secret Will but we believe because God calleth and maketh the Offer inviteth and promiseth knowing that He is faithful and we may trust Him Hence David says I will never forget thy Word and in God will I praise his Word for the Word in its Offer speaks alike to all and to none particularly Indeed when it comes to the Application of Promises for Consolation that is to be made according to the qualifications in the Persons but the Offer is to all 3. Because by this means the Lord hath the fairer access to found His Quarrel and Contraversie against Unbelievers and to make their Ditty and Doom the clearer in the day of the Lord when it s found that they never received the Offer My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me therefore I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels and this is an approbation given to Justice here it 's well-wair'd seeing they would not receive Thee that they get worse in Thy room Use 2. Seing Christ comes near you in this Gospel and this is one of the Mercat days I intreat you while He is near receive Him call upon Him while He is near or take it in the plain words of the Apostle open to Him take Him in give Him welcome while He bodes Himself to say so on you there is not a Conscience in any Man that hears this Gospel but he will have this testimony from Him in it that He came near them was in their sight and within their reach and grips as it were if they
sutably affected with them It 's a wonder that God hath sent such a Report to People and in it hath laid Christ so near them that He puts Him home to them and lays Him before them even at their Feet as it were and as great a wonder that when the Lord hath condescended to give such a Saviour and bâ—ought Him so near that all He calleth for is Faith to believe the Report or rather Faith in Him of whom the Report is which is the second thing in the words The second thing then is The Duty that lyes on People to whom the Lord sends the Gospel or this Report concerning Christ and ye may take it in this general That it lyes on all that hear the Gospel to believe the Report that it brings concerning Christ and by Faith to receive Him who is holden out to them in it this is clearly implyed Isaiah and all Ministers are sent to report concerning Him and to bear witness of Him and its the duty of all Hearers to believe it and this is the ground of his and their complaint when People do not believe it By comparing this Text with Rom. 10.16 and John 12.38 we shew that it is saving Faith that is here to be understood I shall take up this Doctrine in three Branches which we will find in the words and which will make way for the Use 1. That a People to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel may warrantably accept of Christ or the offering of Christ in the Gospel is warrand enough to believe on Him otherwise there had been no just ground of expostulation and complaint for not believing for though the complaint will not infer that they had ability to Believe yet it will infer they had a warrand to Believe for the complaint is for the neglect of the Duty they were called to 2. That they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel are called to Believe it 's their Duty to do it thus Believing in all that hear this Gospel is necessary by necessity of command even as Holiness Repentance c. are 3. That saving Faith is the way and mean by which these that have Christ offered to them in the Gospel come to get a Right to Him and to obtain the Benefites that are reported of to be had from Him thus Believing is necessary as a mids to the end of getting Christ and all that is iâ— Him This is also here implyed in the regrate made of the want of Faith which prejudgeth Men of Christ and of the Benefites of the Gospel We shall shortly put by the first of these which is That all that hear the Gospel preached have Warrand to believe and receive Christ for their eternal Peace and for making up of the breach betwixt God and them this preached Gospel gives you all Warrand to accept of Jesus Christ and ye would not seek after nor call for another I shall first premit two distinctions to clear this and then secondly confirm it As for the first of the two distinctions that serve to clear it We may take up the Gospel more largely and complexly in a Covenant-form holding out Christ and His Benefites on condition of Believing or we may take it up as it holds out a Promise without particular mentioning of a Condition Now when we say that the Gospel commands and warrands all that hear it to accept the Offer we do not mean the last that all that hear the Gospel have Warrand to accept the Promise without a Condition but the first that is that all the Hearers of the Gospel are commanded to accept of Christ offered there is by the preaching of it a Warrand to close with the Report and then to meddle with and take hold of the Promises and the things promised so that it 's the Gospel conditionally proposed that gives warrand to Believe as Believing rests on Christ for obtaining Life in Him The second Distinction is That we would consider Faith as it rests on Christ for obtaining Union with Him and Right to the Promises or as it applyes and makes use of the Benefites to be gotten in and by Christ the Offer of the Gospel gives not to all a Warrand to apply the Benefites to be gotten by Christ instantly but it warrands them to close with Him first and then to apply His Benefites Secondly For confirmation of this Truth That the general preaching of the Gospel is a Warrand for believing and exercising Faith on Jesus Christ for making our Peace with God It 's clear from these Grâ—â—nds 1. From the nature of the Gospel it 's the Word of God as really invitng to do that which it calls for as if God were speaking from Heaven it 's the Word of God and not the word of Man and hath as reall Authority to call for Obedience as if God spake it immediatly from Heaven and the Word of Promise is as really His Word as the Word of Command and therefore to be rested on and improven as well as we are to endeavour obedience to the Command and if we think that God's Testimony is true and if we lay any just weight on these three Witnesses testifying from Heaven and on these other three testifying from Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 then we may rest on Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel and believe that these who rest on Him shall have Life for it is as we said as really God's Word as if He were speaking it audibly from Heaven 2. It may be confirmed from these solemn things the Word and Oath of God whereby He hath mightily confirmed the external Offer of the Gospel even the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for Him to lie that these who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before them may have strong Consolation as it is Heb. 6.18 And God having thus said and sworn anent this external Covenant for this very end that the Hearers of the Gospel may know that they who receive Christ offered therein shall have Life it is Warrand sufficient to believe on Him for Life It 's also for this end that He haâ—h put Sealâ— to the Covenant Circumcision and the Passover in the Old and Baptism and the Lords Supper in the New Testament which are extended not only to the Elect but to Professors in the visible Church that every one who is baptized and admitted to the Communion may have confirmation of this that the Offer that God maketh of Life through Christ is a true and real Offer and will be made good to the Persons that shall receive it and so perform the Condition 3. It may be confirmed from the End for which God hath appointed the Word and Ministry in His Church even to make the Offer of Christ and Life through Him John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name the Word is both written
and preached for this very End 4. And lastly It 's confirmed from the experience of all the Saints and from the ground on which they believed which was the same that we have they had no other ground but the same Gospel and Word that we have it was not the secret operation or instinct of the Spirit it 's that indeed which works Faith but it was the Word which was the ground of their Faith for there is no warrand for Faith but in the Word and as many Believers as have gone before us are as so many instances and experiences to confirm this Truth to us Use It serves for good use to such as may fall to doubt and dispute what warrand they have to Believe we say ye have as good warrand as Abraham David Paul or any of the Godly that lived before you had ye have the same Gospel-Covenant and Promises it was always God's Word preached which was the ground of Faith and there needs not be much disputing what is God's Purpose for we are not called to look to that in the matter of Believing more then in the matter of our Duty and as it were evil reasoning to dispute what may be God's Purpose in the matter of Duty when we are called to it it 's as bad reasoning to dispute His Purpose in the matter of Faith And therefore we leave this Use with a word of Adverâ—isement That this Gospel as it layes Christ before you it gives you Warrand to receive Him and rest upon Him and we may say as Paul did Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this Name is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses There is the Way held out for obtaining pardon of Sin and Peace the Lord hath made the Offer and laid a fair Bridge over the Gulf of Distance betwixt God and Sinners though ye should never get good of it and though ye should never set a Foot on the Bridge none needs to fear to step forward behold our Lord Jesus hath holden out the Golden Scepter His Call may be Warrand enough to come the Preaching of this Gospel stops all Disputing and banisheth debating of the Business it Calls all the Hearers of it and gives them Warrand to come forward and it 's such a Warrand as they will be found Slighters of the Great Salvation offered who had this Door opened to them and did not step forward for as the Apostle says 2 Cor. 6. Behold now is the day of salvation behold now is the accepted time and Heb. 2.2 If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord c. It 's the same Gospel that from the beginning hath been preached to Sinners and this is the reason why the Gospel is called Grace in that 2 Cor. 6.1 We beseech you that ye receive not this grace of God in vain and Gal. 2. at the ciose I do not frustrate the grace of God for many get the Warrand and Pass to come and receive Christ who put it up in their Pocket as it were and make no use of it as the Man that hid the Talent in his Napkin the Bonds of Marriage are proclaimed and the Warrand given forth and yet they halt and come not to the Wedding We shall add the second Branch which is That this Gospel where it comes and offers Jesus Christ to Sinners Men and Women are not only warranded to come but required and commanded to come the great Duty that the Gospel calls for is Believing it leaves it not indifferent to Believe or not but peremptorily lays it on as a Command ye hear many Preachings and Christ often spoken of now this is the great thing called for from you even Believing in Christ and while it is not performed there is no Obedience given to the Gospel We shall first confirm and then make use of this Branch of the Doctrine 1. For Confirmation take these Grounds 1. From the manner how the Cospel proposeth Faith it 's by way of Command in the Imperative Mood Believe Come ye that are weary c. Come to the Wedding open c. wherein somewhat of the nature of Faith is held out all these being the same with Believing 2. It 's not only commanded as other things are but peculiarly commanded and there is a greater weight laid on the obedience of this Command then on the doing of many other commanded Duties It 's the sum of all Christ's Preaching Mar. 1. Repent and believe the Gospel it 's the only command which Paul proposes to the Jaylor Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus c. 3. It 's as it were the peculiar Command that Jesus Christ hath left to His People 1 John 3.22 This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and this Command of Believing on Him is the peculiar Command left to and laid on Ministers to press 4. It will be clear if we consider that the great Disobedience that He quarrels for is when there is not Believing when Sinners will not come to Him this is His Quarrel John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye may have life and here Who hath believed our report so Matth. 23. I would have gathered you and ye would not and John 12.37 Though he did many mighty works among them yet they believed not on him 5 Look to the nature of the Offer made by Christ and to the End of it and ye will find that the great thing called for is the receiving of it which is nothing else but Believing and all our Preachings of Christ and of His Benefites are useless without it without this he wants the satisfaction he calls for for the travel of his Soul and without it the Hearers of this Gospel profite not 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls the subordinate End of Preaching to wit the salvation of our Souls cannot be attained without Faith The Uses are three 1. It serveth to be a ground for us to propose the main Gospel-Duty to you and to teach you what is the great and main thing ye are called to it is even to Believe in Jesus Christ to exercise Faith on Him it 's not only that your Life should be civil and formal that ye should Read Pray frequent Ordinances learn the Catechism and such like but this is it to Believe on Jesus Christ for the obtaining of Life and remission of Sins through Him and it 's not a thing indiffâ—rent to you but commanded and with this certification that if ye Believe not ye shall never get Life nor pardon of Sin and therefore as we
this latter is Saving Faith when we dare trust and lippen our selves to Him and to His Word and we think this Expression holds forth as much of the nature of Saving Faith as any of the former if we could take it up when we dare concredit our selves to Him because He hath said the word Thus also to act and exercise Faith on Him for Temporal or for Spiritual things it 's to expect the event from God but so as we expect and look for it on this ground that Christ hath purchased it and we have accepted Him on His Offer which gives us a right to these things needful for us and purchased by Him It 's said Matth. 22.5 when the Invitation comes that some made light of it but Faith on the contrary is a laying weight on it and a concrediting of our selves to God on that ground It 's called Rom. 6. a delivering up of our selves to the word and to Him in it it 's even to put a Blank in Christ's Hand to be filled up as He pleases Ye see then what ye are called to it is to open to Christ to come to Him to marry Him to roll your selves on Him to commit your selves to Him to give Him credit c. and is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you and if they be very reasonable and advantageous as indeed they are we would exhort you to come to Him to receive Him to apprehend Him to flee to Him to take hold of Him to marry Him c. Believe on Him and by believing be united to Him and get a right to Him and to all His Purchase give Him the credit of saving your Souls This we call for from you and if ye do it not the complaint in the Text will stand against you Who hath believed our report SERMON V. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's a great matter once to get the Gospel brought amongst a People and such Messengers as may make the savoury Report of Jesus Christ unto them yet this is not all there is a greater work behind and that is to get Christ believed on and to get the Report concerning Him received by the People to whom it is made This being the greatest and gravest work of the Prophets and of the Ministers of the Gospel and the most eminent not so much to get a word to say as to get the Word believed and this is Isaiah's complaint that though he himself brought the Report concerning Christ and foresaw many moe would bring it yet that the exercise of Faith in these who should hear it would be very rare We spoke of the great thing called for from a People to whom this Gospel comes and the Report of Christ is made and that is to Believe on Him to receive and rest on Him of whom the Report is made except this be though there were never so many Preachers and encouragements to Preach though ye should flock to the Ordinances every day the ground of Complaint will still remain if there be not Saving Faith in Jesus Christ which is the substance of the Gospel After confirmation of this Point We shew what Faith is from the several names the Scripture giveth it and wherein the exercise of Saving Faith is holden out all which imply these three 1. A great hazard and danger that the Hearers of the Gospel are in whether they be sensible of it in such a measure at least or not we speak not now yet they are so really so much fleeing coming laying-hold apprehending c. insinuate 2. A fulness and sufficiency in Christ Jesus holden forth to them as the object of their Faith as one that can deliver out of that danger and can right what ever is wrong 3. An act wherein mainly the exercise of Faith is holden forth and it 's the act of the Soul under that danger and distress betaking it self to Christ's fulness for help It 's a fleeing from the Curse of the Law to Him as to the City of Refuge so every name that Faith gets sets out a Man acting and moving some way for Christ's remeeding the evil and removing the hazard he is in Having spoken a little to this that Faith is the main duty that is called for we may now follow the Exhortation to press you to it it being to no purpose to speak of Christ and of Faith in Him except He be received This is the end of the Word written and taught John 20. at the close even to believe in the Name of the Son of God and by believing to receive Life in and through Him And therefore Secondly Seing this is the main Duty called for by the Gospel that by Faith ye should receive it and Christ offered in it we earnestly exhort you to it It is not so much to this or that particular Duty though these be implyed it 's not so much to attendance on Ordinances nor to submission to Discipline and Censures though these also be Duties that we exhort you to but it 's to obedience to the great command of Faith even to believe on Him whom the Father hath sent and sealed It is to receive this Gospel to submit to the Righteousness of Faith to open to Him that is knocking at the Door to yield to Him and to give Him the Hand that bygone Quarels may be removed and taken out of the way except this be we profess to you in His Name that ye bring not forth the Fruit that this Gospel calleth for from you and that no less will be acceptable to God nor taken off your Hand by Him And to add here the third Branch of the Doctrine We say that no less will do your turn as a necessary mean for attaining the Promise and that which is promised 1. Look to all the Promises whether of Pardon of Sin or of Peace with God of Joy in the Holy Ghost of Holiness and Conformity to God there is no access to these or to any of them but by Faith this is the very proper condition of the Covenant of Grace and the Door whereby we step into it and if ye think Pardon of Sin Peace with God and Holiness to be necessary then this great Gospel-Duty of Believing is no less necessary for the Lord saith John 3.36 He that believes not is condemned already 2. Look to the performance of any Duty or mortification of any Lust or Idol and Faith is necessary to that 1 John 5.5 It is by Faith we obtain victory over the world it was by Faith Heb. 11. that all the Worthies spoken of there wrought Righteousness c. 3. When any Duty is done of whatsoever nature it be there is no acceptation of it without Faith It is not our Praying or coming to the Church that will make Duty to be accepted but it 's Faith the word profited them not saith the Apostle Heb. 4.2 because it was
fancy to be Faith for either this Doctrine is not true that where-ever the Gospel comes it meets with Unbelief in most part of its Hearers and cannot be applyed to this Generation or that there is much Faith in this Generation that we live in that will not be counted Saving Faith If all of you were Believers there were no ground for this Complaint and if we will take Folks on their own word we can hardly get a Person but will say he Believes so that the generality of Mens Hearts run quite contrary to this Truth and therefore we say it is the scope of this Doctrine and the like to give Folks the alarm and to put them to suspect and try themselves I do not mean that any should cast the work of Faith where it is indeed for that is also a part of our Unbelief and ordinarily when Unbelief falleth on the one side the Devil maketh it up on the other and makes tender Souls question their Faith when they begin to Believe as if they could mend Unbelief with Unbelief but it is to such that we speak who cannot be brought to suspect their Faith certainly ye will wonder one day that ye should have heard such a plain Truth and yet would not so much as ask your own Hearts whether there was reason to suspect your want of Faith as it 's said that Christ marvelled at their Unbelief who heard Him so may we at yours and who ere long ye shall also marvel at your selves on this account Before we prosecute this Use and the rest any further we shall speak to another Doctrine and it is the last that follows from these words tending to the same scope to make us scar at Unbelief which the Prophet makes such a heavy ground of Complaint The Doctrine then is That if there were never so many under Unbelief and never so many who refuse to receive Jesus Christ yet Unbelief is a Sin and a most sinful Sin which though Folks had no more will seclude them from Heaven there were no ground for this Complaint if it were not so even as the Prophet would have had no ground to complain of the Peoples Unbelief if there were not many Unbelievers so Unbelief is a very great Sin in whomsoever it is and makes them exceeding sinful Or take the Doctrine thus It is a very great Sin for a People to whom Christ is offered in this Gospel not to receive Him and rest upon Him for Salvation as He is offered to them therein and it ariseth from this ground That where Christ is not received there the Ministers of the Gospel have ground of Complaint for it supposes a great defect in their Duty seing it is their Duty to Believe yea the great Gospel duty on which all other Duties hang and which is called for by many tyes and obligations This is his commandment saith John in his first Epistle chap. 3.23 that ye believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ therefore it must be a great Sin not to Believe There are shortly three things comprehended in this Doctrine speaking now of Unbelief not only as opposite to Historical Faith which we commonly call Infidelity but as it 's opposite to Saving Faith which we shew is that which is called for here 1. That Unbelief or not receiving of Christ is a Sin or a thing in its own nature sinful It 's a Sin as well as Adultery Murther Stealing Lying Sabbath-breaking c. are yea and in the Aggravations of it a Sin beyond these it is as contrary to the Word and Will of God and is as contrary to the Divine Majesty as Drunkenness Murther Adultery or any other Sin is the positive command of Believing being as peremptory plain and particular as these negative ones are the breach of it must be as sinful 2. That there is such a kind of Sin as Unbelief beside other Sins and such a distinct Duty as Believing that if Folks could do all other Duties if this Duty of Believing be wanting they will be still sinful and there will be still ground of Complaint and if Faith be a particular Duty required and distinct from other Duties and Graces as it 's clear it is Gal. 5.21 then Unbelief must be a particular Sin distinct from other Sins though it hath influence on other Sins as Faith hath on other Duties so Rev. 21.8 it 's ranked among the most abominable Sins the reason why we mark this is because there may be some in whom some gross Sins as Adultery Blood-shed and the like do reign and they get that name to be called Adulterers Murtherers c. others may possibly be free of these who yet have Unbelief reigning in them and therefore they get that name to be called Unbelieving and are ranked with the grossest of Evil-doers 3. That even many in the Times wherein the Scriptures were written and in every Age since are found guilty of this Sin and condemned for it who are as to several other things commended hence it 's said Rom. 10.3 of the Jews that they had a zeal of God which in it self is good though not according to knowledge yet it was their main lett and obstruction in the way to Life that being ignorant of God's righteousness they went about to establish their own for as much zeal as they had for the Law of Moses seing they did not receive Jesus Christ and His Righteousness by Faith it made any other good thing they had unacceptable and the reason why we mark this is that Folks may see that it is not only for gross Sins and with gross Sinners that the Gospel complains and expostulats but it 's also for not submitting unto and not receiving the Righteousness of Christ and therefore ye are far mistaken that think your selves free from just grounds of Challenge because forsooth ye are free of Murther Adultery Drunkâ—nness and the like do ye not consider that Unbelievers arâ— in the same Rank and Roll with abominable Whoremongers Sorcerers Idolaters and Dogs and is not Unbelief contrary to the Command of God as well as Murthâ—r Adultery and these other gross Sins and therefore because Folks think little of Unbelief though it be very rife if they be free of other gross Sins 4. We shall add a fourth thing which the Doctrine implyes That Unbelief though there were no other Sin is exceeding sinful and is first The great ground that makes God expostulate with the Hearers of the Gospel and that makes them come under the Complaint John 5 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life and Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered you and ye would not and for substance it 's the Lord's great complaint of most of His professing People Psal 81.11 I am the Lord thy God open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and then follows O that my people
consolation who are flâ—d for refuge to the hope set before them O! will ye not trow and credit God when He swears Among other Aggravations of Unbelief this will be one that by it ye make God not only a liar but perjured a heavy hainous and horrid Guilt on the score of all Unbelievers of this Gospel 4. To take away all Contraversie He hath interposed His Command yea it 's the great Command and in a manner the one Command of the Gospel 1 John 3.23 This is his commandment that ye believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and therefore the Offer of the Gospel and Promulgation of it cometh by way of Command Ho come believe c. whereby the Lord would tell the Hearers of the Gospel that it is not left to their own option or as a thing indifferent to them to Believe or not to Believe but it 's laid on them by the necessity of a Command to Believe and if ye think ye may and should Pray sanctifie the Sabbath or obey any other Command because He bids you there is the same Authority enjoyning and commanding you to Believe and as great necessity lyeth on you to give obedience to this Command as to any other do not therefore think it Humility not to do it for Obedience is better than Sacrifice For your further Encouragement to Believe I would say three words which ye would also look upon as Warrands to Believe and by them know that it is a great Sin not to Believe 1. Ye have no less Ground or Warrand than ever any that went before you had David Mâ—sâ—s Paul c. had no better Warrand my meaning is ye have the same Covenant the same Word and Promises Christ and His Fulness God and His Faithfulness offered to you the same Warrand that God hath given to all His People since ever He had a Church and do ye not think but it will be a sad and grievous ground of Challenge against you when ye shall see others that believe on the same Grounds that ye have sit down in the Kingdom of Heaven and your selves as proud Rebels shut out what ever dâ—fference there be as to the main Work of Grace and of God's Spirit on the Heart in the working of Faith yet the Ground of Faith is the Word that all hear who are in the visible Church and ye having the same Ground and Object of Faith in your offer there will be no excuse for you if ye do not Believe A second Encouragement is That the Ground of Faith is so solid and good that it never disappoints any one that leans to it and count the Gospel a feckless and insignificant thing who will it shall have this Testimony which damned Unbelievers shall carry to Hell with them that it was the power of God to salvation to them that believed and that there was nothing in the Gospel it self that did prejudge them of the good of it but that they prejudged themselves who did not lippen to it Therefore the Word is called Gold tryed in the fire all the Promises having a Being from Jehovah Himself on jot or one title of them cannot fail nor fall to the Ground 3. If ye were to carve out a Warrand to your selves as I hinted before what more could ye desire what miss ye in Christ what Clause can ye desire to be insert in the Covenant that is not in it It contains Pardon of Sin Healing of your Backslidings and what not and he hath said sealed and sworn it and what more can ye require Therefore we would again exhort you in the Name of Jesus Christ and in His stead not to neglect so great a Salvation O! receive the Grace of God and let it not be in vain In the third place Let us speak a word or two to some Objections or Scruples which may be moved in reference to what hath been said And First It may be some will say that the Covenant is not broad enough because all are not elected all are not redeemed nor appointed to be Heirs of Salvation upon which ground Temptation will sometime so far prevaâ—l as to waken up a secret enmity at the Gospel But 1. How absurd is this Reasoning Is there any that can rationally desire a Covenant so broad as to take in all as necessarily to be saved by it there is much greater reason to wonder that any should be Saved by it then there is if all should Perish beside we are not now speaking to the Effects but to the Nature of the Gospel so that whoever Perish it is not because they were not elected but because they believed not and the Bargain is not of the less worth nor the less sure because some will not Believe and to say that the Covenant is not good enough because so many Perish it 's even as if ye should say it 's not a good Bridge because some will not take it but adventure to go thorow the Water and so drown themselves 2. I would ask Would ye overturn the whole Course of God's Administration and of the Covenant of His Grace did He ever à priori or at first Hand tell Folks that they were elected who ever got their Election at the very first revealed to them or who are now before the Throne that ever made the keeping up of this secret from them a Bar or Impediment to their Believing God's Eternal Purpose or Decree is not the Rule of our Duty nor the Warrand of our Faith but His revealed Will in His Word let us seek to come to the knowledge of God's Decree of Election à posteriori or by the Effects which is a sure way of Knowledge our thwarting with His Word to know His Decree will not excuse but make us more guilty He hath shewed thee O man saith Micah chap. 6.8 what is good and what doeth the Lord require of thee and if any will scruple and demur on this ground to close the Bargain let them be aware that they provoke Him not to bring upon them their own fears by continuing them under that scrupling and demurring condition Ye cannot possibly evite hazard by looking on only and not making use of Christ therefore do not bring on your own ruine by your fear which may be by Grace prevented and by this way of Believing shall be certainly prevented But secondly Some may object and say I am indeed convinced that Believing is my Duty but that being a thing that I cannot do why should I therefore set about it Answ 1. This is a most unreasonable and absurd way of Reasoning for if it be given way to what Duty should we do we are not of our selves able to Pray Praise keep the Lord's Day nor to do any other commanded Duty shall we therefore abstain from all Duties Our ability or fitness for Duty is not the rule of our Duty but God's Command and we are called to put our Hand to Duty in the sense of our
were put to make a report of you as we will be put to it what could we say we are afraid to speak our apprehensions O! how little is this Gospel as to it's Fruit and Success upon the growing hand among you We shall therefore forbear to speak of that which we think hath deep Impressions on our selves concerning you but we would have you to look thorow Matters how they stand betwixt God and you and if we may humbly lay claim to any measure of the judgement of Discerning may we not ask where is there a Man or a Woman amongst most of us that hath a Conversation suitable to this Gospel If we begin at the great Folks that have the things of the World in abundance it 's their work for most part not to be Religious but to gather and heap up Riches and to have somewhat of a Name or a piece of Credit in the World this is the farthest that many of such design And if we come and take a look of the way of the Poorer sort they live as if they were not called to be exercised to Godliness and this is the condition of the Generality to live as if God were not to call them to a reckoning ye will say we are poor ignorant Folks and are not Book-learned but have ye not Souls to be saved and is there any other way to be saved then that royal Way wherein Believers have walked But if we should yet look a little further through you how many are there that have not the very form of Godliness who never studied to be Christians either in your fellowship with others nor when alone or in your Families There are some O! that I might not say many who are hearing me that will not once in the Year bow their Knee to God in their Families many of you spend your time in Tipling Jeasting Loose-speaking which are not convenient yea I dare say there are many that spend more time in Tipling Jeasting and Idle-speaking then in the Duties of Religion either in publick or in private what report shall we make of you Shall we say that such a man spent three or four Hours every day in going up and down the Streets or in Tipling and Sporting and would not spend half an Hour of the Day on God and His Worship and further how many are yet ignorant of the first Principles of Religion a fault that is often complained of and yet we would be ashamed to have it heard of that such Ignorance should be under half a Years preaching of the Gospel that is in this Place under many Years preaching of it and this not only among the Poorer sort but even amongst those who hold their Heads very high and are above others who can guide and govern their own Affairs and give others a good counsel in things concerning the World yet if we come to speak with them of Repentance or of Faith in its Exercise of Convictions and Challenges for Sin of Communion with God of the working of God's Spirit in the Regenerate or of the Fruits of the Spirit they have not a Mouth to speak a word of these things and if they speak any thing O! but it looks wersh tasteless and thieveless like Put them to discourse of Religion it hath no gust to say so it relishes not they have no understanding of it at least that is experimental doeth this look like Folks that have heard and received the Gospel let me say it the Wisdom of this World and the Knowledge of Christ are far different things and if some of you go that length as to get the Questions of the Catechism which is well done in it self if we put you but to express them in other words ye cannot which says plainly that ye are not Masters of your Knowledge And what shall we say of others of whom we cannot say but we get respect enough from them yet how do Selfishness and Worldly-mindedness abound in them and how Graceless and Christless are they found to be when put to the tryal We would also say to you that there is great difference betwixt Civility and Christianity Fairfashions will never pass in Christ's account for the suitable Fruits of the Gospel and will never hinder us from having a just ground of Complaint against you How many have a Form of Religion and want the Power of it who think themselves something when they are indeed nothing and their Profession is so thin and holled to speak so that their Rottenness and Hypocrisie may be seen thorow it Though these things be but general yet they will comprehend a great many of you that are here in this Assembly and if so is there not just ground of Complaint of and Expostulation with you as a People among whom this Word hath no suitable Fruit And as for you that live Prophanely and Hypocritically what shall we say to you or how shall we deal with you we bring the Word to you but ye make no more use of it then if ye had never heard it no more Religion sheweth it self in you then if ye lived among Heathens Shall we say to God the Fruit of the Gospel is there Dare we be answerable to God or can we be faithful to you to flatter you over as if all were well with you and must not our Complaint then rather be this Lord they have not believed our report though we be feckless and though there be ground of Complaint of us yet the Word is His Word and will take hold of you I know that Folks do not readily digest such Doctrine well and it may be some think that few Ministers are better dealt with then we are but we say that that is not our Complaint we confess if we look from the beginning of the World to this Time there will be few Ministers of the Gospel found to have been better dealt with as to outward and civil things but alace should that stop our Mouth yea rather ought it not to be the more sad to us to be so dealt with and to live in civil Love with Men and Women who yet do not receive the Gospel nor deal kindly with our Master Do not think that we will take external respect to us for the Fruit of the Gospel as we have no cause to complain of other things so let us not be put to complain of this but receive Christ in your Heart let Him and His precious Wares have Change and go off amongst you make use of Him for Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and go not for the fashion about the Means that should bring you near Him but be in good earnest and this would satisfie us much and prevent Complaints Lastly I would ask you what will come of it if we shall go on in Preaching and ye in Hearing and yet continuing still in Unbelief will there not be an account craved of us and must we not make a report and if ye
that ye think not Faith and Holiness necessary but that ye may come to Heaven another way and this is an old Fault and Deceit it was in Moses his days for some are brought in Deut. 29.19 saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart and add drunkenness to thirst though I tipple daily at my Four Hours though I follow my Lusts and Pleasures and take my fouth and fill of the World we cannot be all Saints c. The Lord will not spare that man but His anger and jealousie shall smoke against him and all the curses that are written in this book shall ly upon him and the Lord will blot out his name from under Heaven and though this be not now believed it shall be found verified There are many when they come to Judgment that will know to their cost the truth of many things they never believed before as we find in that rich Man who says to Abraham Send some to tell my brethren that they come not to this place of torment it says as much as that He in his life-time did not believe how terribly-tormenting a place Hell is and it is even so still Though Men and Women have immortal Souls yet they go on following their sinful way and believe not that any evil shall befall them till God's Curse and Vengeance overtake them A third Ground or Cause is That Folk never think themselves in hazard nor suffer their hazard to affect them and therefore they seek not after the Remedy hence the Jâ—ws Scribes and Pharisees rejected Christ why they were righteous Persons whole and needed not the Physiciâ—n And thus it is with many of you ye will take with it that ye are Sinners but not with the gracelesness of your Nature and this makes it that when Life and Reconciliation with God are offered we have almost none to accept of it why so ye are generally in your own opinion good Friends with God already none of you almost think that ye have hatred at God and so ye carelesly and unconcernedly let the opportunity of making your Peace with Him slip over even like these Jews spoke of Joh. 8.44 45. who when Christ said to them Ye have the devil to your father answered he had a devil and that God was their Father that they were come of Abraham and were not born of fornication So it is with many of you ye could never endure to even your selves to Hell nor to take with it that ye were heirs of Wrath as if ye had been born with other Natures then the ordinary Race of Mankind is and this keeps so many of you that ye get no good of this Gospel for it seeks Sinners to pardon them and Enemies to reconcile them and till the Feud be once taken with the Friendship will never be sought after nor will it find Merchants though when once the Enmity is taken with the Gospel hath many sweet peaceful and comfortable words to speak to the Man afterwards A fourth Ground is The love of Money and of the World which is the root of all ill This is given as a main Cause Matth. 13. why the Word profites not The seed is sowen among thorns and the thorns spring up and chock it the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches chocked the Word This is not oppression nor stealing but entanglement with and addictedness to the things of this present World Folks allowing themselves too much satisfaction in their Riches and Pelf counting themselves as if all were well if they have it and grieved if they want it as if there were nothing but that to make Happy being wholly taken up about it and leaving no room for the concerns of their Souls for Prayer and Seeking of God nor for Challenges to work on them they are so wholly taken up with their Callings and Business for they lay it for a Ground that they must be rich and then they give themselves wholly to all things that may contribute to that end and that chockes and suffocates the Word that it never comes up that nothing comes to perfection therefore Christ says Luke 21.24 Take heed ye be not overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life I am afraid that many moe among you who are civil and esteemed vertuous and frugal shall perish in this Pit of Worldly-mindedness then shall perish by Drunkenness Gluttony Fornication or the like and yet there is nothing more frequent in Scripture then words spoken to scar Folk from Earthly-mindedness How hard is it says Christ for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven and such a Man is he that is taken up with Riches and places his Happiness and Contentment in them whether he have more or less of them We speak not this to foster Idleness in any but to press Moderation in the use of lawful things Ye think it enough if we cannot charge you with Oppression Stealing Whoring and the like but this Gospel will charge you with the love of Money and if it find the love of the World in you the love of the Father will not be found in you Doth not your experience tell you that it 's not an easie matter to be much taken up with the World and to win at a suitable disposition for Duties of Religion and to be painful in them A fifth Ground is Folks little prizing of the Gospel and the Benefites that come by it They look not upon it as their Happiness to have Communion with God they who are invited to the Marriage of the King's Son Mat. 22. will not come and the reason is given they made light of it the Offer of the Gospel hath no weight it relishes not If a Market of fine things at a cheap Rate were proclaâ—med ye would all run to it but ye delight not in the Word of God ye prize not the Gospel and the precious Wares that it exposeth to sale amongst you And to evidence and make out this I would ask you these few Questions And 1. I would ask you how often or rather how seldom have you sitten down purposly and thanked God for sending the Gospel to you ye have given thanks for your Dinner but how often have ye given Him thanks that ye have the Gospel Sabbath-days and Week-days 2. How little do many of you wait on the Preaching of it were there a Message sent to you but from some ordinary Man let be from a great Man ye would straiten your selves and your Business too somewhat that ye might hear it and yet it 's a wonder to think how some in this Place except on the Sabbath will hardly be seen in the Church from one end of the Year to the other 3. Had ye any evident to draw of House or Land ye would seek to have it drawn very well and sure but many of you never sought to have the evidents of Heaven made sure ye
few 1. There are some that stumble at the Messenger some at the Message Some thought Christ a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and said He had a Devil and so they said of John Baptist There are some that can abide neither free nor fair Speaking and they think it 's not the Word but the Speaker that they offend at but Prejudices against the Carriers of the Word have never done good but much ill and ye would guard against them 2. Sometimes there is a stumbling at the Spiritual Truths of the Gospel and a sort of new-fangleness in the Hearers of it that lasts not John's Hearers rejoiced in his light for a season something of it also was in Christ's Hearers but they soon turned the Back on Him when He tells them of eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood and of the necessity of it else they could have no Life in them This say they is a hard saying and who can bear it If we would consider these things we might see convincing Causes of our little Thriving and they might also through God's Blessing be made use of for directions to Thriving and if we could once bring you to be single and serious in Hearing and spiritually Thrifty in making use of every Sermon and Sabbath for edification we had gained a great point of you SERMON XI ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IF we would soberly consider the frame of the most part of Men and Women that live under the Gospel it would be hard to know whether it were more strange that so few should receive the Report and be brought to believe for all that can be said of Jesus Christ or whether that among the generality of Hearers that do not receive the Report there are so few that will let it light but that they Believe It 's wonderful and strange to see Unbelief so rife and it 's as strange and wonderful that among these many Unbelievers there are so few that think they want Faith Ye remember the last day we proposed to answer this Doubt or Question What can be the reason that when so few Believe all almost think they Believe and then to speak a word to the last Use that rises from the Matter that formerly we have handled on these Words We shew you and we think the Scripture is very clear for it That among the generality that hear the Gospel they are very rare and thin sawen that do believe it and yet go thorow them all there will not one among many be found but will assert they Bâ—lieve and they will to speak so be crabbed and picqued to tell them that they want Faith and so the most part of Hearers live and die in this Delusion a thing that Experience clears as well as the Word of God and a thing that doleful Experience will clear at the great Day therefore some are brought in saying Luk 13.26 We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets to whom Christ will say I know you not depart fâ—om me which doth import this much that some will come as it were to the very Gate of Heaven having no doubt of their Faith and Interest in God or of their entry into it and will therefore in a manner plead with Christ to be in and who would never once doubt of it nor put it in question but they were Believers and in Friendship with Him Although there will be no such debate or dispute after Death or at the Day of Judgement yet it says this â—hat many Hearers of the Gospel have drunken in this opinion which goes to Death with them and no Preaching will beat them from it that they are Believers and in gâ—oâ—â—erms with God till the intimation of the Sâ—ntence of Condemnation do it and the Wrath and Curse of God meet them in the Face And O how terrible a disappointment will such meet with in that Day May it not then very reasonably and justly be enquired what can be the reason â—nd cause when this is granted so generally to be a truth that there are few Believers that yet it should be â—s true that few question or make any doubt of theiâ— Faith and how this comes to pass I shall give you some reasons of it which if ye would think upon and suffâ—r to sink down in your Hearts ye would not marvel that so many are in this Mistake and Desusion and would put many of you to have quite other thoughts of your own condition then ye have We shall only speak to such Reasons as are sinful culpable upon your part The Reasons then are these First The most part never seriously think on the matter whether they Believe or not or they never put their Faith to a tryal if the foolish Virgine light her Lamp and never look whether there be Oyl in it and take on a fair outward Profession of Religion and never look what is within it or how it is lined to speak so what wonder she go up and down with the Lamp in her hand and never know whether there be Oyl in her Vessel or not since she never considers nor puts the Matter to proof and tryal The People are expostulated with Isai 44. from ver 9. for making of Images That a Man should cut down a Tree and with one piece of it should warm himself with another piece of it should bake his Bread and of a third piece should make a god and fall down and worship it and this is given for the ground of it ver 18 19. They have not known and understood and none considereth in his heart or as the word is seeth to his heart they consider not that that cannot be a god Folks would think that natural Reason might easily discover this folly We are perswaded that some of you will think your Faith as great a Folly when there shall be as clear evidences to prove the roâ—tenneâ—s of your Faith and Hope as there were even to common Sense to prove the Image made of a piece Tree not to be God when it shall be found and â—eclâ—red that though ye were never convinced of Sin nor of your Misery and lost Condition were never humbled nor touched under the kindly sense of it never fled to Jesus Christ in earnest nor never had the exercise of Gâ—ace yet out over the want of all these ye would needs keep up a good opinion of your Faith and Hope We say the reason why ye entertain this conceit and opinion is because ye never sit down seriously and soberly before God to consider the Matter nor do ye put your selvâ—â— to Proof and Tryal Let me therefore pose your Consciences if ye who have this opinion of your Faith durst assert to Him that this Faith of yours is the result of your serious Examination and Tryal is it not rather a guessing of fanciful opinion that ye Believe
never knew all along your life what these things mean'd had need to stand the more in awe and to be affraid when ye come near Death Though it be a sad matter that when we should be Preaching and would fain preach the Doctrine of Faith it should by reason of your Delusion be the great part of our work to be thus digging you out of your Presumption and overturning your carnal and ill-grounded Hope yet we have the greater confidence and the more peace to speak to and insist in these Truths because they ly so near to the great design of the Gospel and to your immortal Souls Salvation and though we were able to preach more plausible and sweet things to you yet if these Doctâ—ines profite you not these would not Sâ—ing therefore they are so profitable we should not weary to speak and ye should not weary to hear them spoken of Would to God ye were seriously â—nd sincerely aiming to be clear and through in the matter of Believing and that ye stood in need and were more capable of more pleasant Truths if so we might have more comforâ—able though we will not say more profitable Doctrines to insist upon to you SERMON XII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken at several occasions to this first part of the Verse and before we leave it there is one Use several times hinted at already to which there is good ground to speak it being the design and purpose of these words to hold forth of what great concernment Believing is and of what great difficulty it is and so many being to the ruine of their Souls mistaken about it there is ground to draw this Use of Exhortation from it to wit That then all the Hearers of this Gospel would be exhorted to advert well to this that they make Faith sure in it self and that they make it sure to themselves seing as I said so many are mistaken about it and beguile themselves The more pressingly that the Gospel calls for Faith in Christ and the more weightily the Lord expostulates with the Hearers of the Gospel because of their Unbelief they are doubtless so much the more concerned to receive it in its Offer and also to look well that they content not themselves with guessing at Faith and that they never think that things are well with them except they can give good proof and warrand that they are so and that it is Saving Faith that they have seing there are so many that satisfie themselves as being Believers when yet so few are Believers indâ—ed The sâ—d mistake and disappointment of many should have so much influence upon us as to put us to more watchfulness and to a more narrow tryal of our own state and condition that we may know how it is with us All that we have spoken to the Doctrines of this first part of the Verse may be as so many Motives to stir you up to both these and would to God we could be perswaded to this as the Use of so many Preachings once to admit and take it for granted that it is the Truth of God that there is a necessity an absolute necessity for us to be really rolled and casten over upon Jesus Christ by Faith for attaining of Life through Him Though this be a very common Doctrine and ye would think a very common Use of it yet it is the great thing that God requires in the Gospel and the neglect of it or not receiving His Son the very contest and quarrel that God hath with the Hearers of it and the cause of the ruine of so many Souls that perish under the Gospel We shall therefore propose to you some Considerations that may stir you up to this and briefly answer a Question in each of these two branches of the Use And first For stirring you up to this receiving of Christ by Faith 1. Consider if there be not a standing Quarrel and Contraversie betwixt God and you for Sin and if there be as no doubt there is consider how that Contraversie is to be removed is there any other possible way but by Faith in Christ If we were Preaching to such as had never sinned and were never under the hazard of the. Wrath of God there might possibly be a difficulty to perswade to a receiving of Christ But when ye have all this in your Conscience that there is Sin and a Curse following Sin and that there is no other way for removing that Curse but by Jesus Christ is there not reason to expect that ye should receive this Truth will any of you think to stand and bide it out against God and if not then there is sure a necessity of Believing in Jesus Christ or of lying under the Wrath of God for ever 2. Consider that this Gospel and Word of Salvation is preached to you in particular When we speak of Salvation we do not say that Christ was once preached to the Jews or that in such a far-off Nation there is a door opened for Salvation in the Gospel but we would turn over the words of the Apostle Acts 13.38 to you and say to you in his words Be it known to you therefore men and brethren that through this man to wit Jesus Christ is preached to you remission of sins c. and this brings the Gospel near you even to your door it lays before you the way of access to God by Christ and puts it so closs and home to you that Christ must either have a refusal or a welcome from you The first consideration of your own Sinfulness and Misery might put you to seek after a Saviour though he were at a great distance but this other brings Him to your Heart and Mouth and is it fit think ye to neglect such a fair occasion and will it be wisdom when Salvation follows you and crys after you and Wisdom lifts up its voice in the Streets saying O ye simple ones how long will ye love fooâ—ishness c. to stop your ear or to turn away from Christ and to run upon your destruction Do ye think that this Gospel will be silent always or that your Conscience will be deaf and dumb always There are many Nations that have not the Gospel so near them and it 's hard to know but the day may come when ye would be content to buy an offer of the Gospel at a dearer raâ—e and when there shall not be a Tryster nor a Dâ—ys-man to be had between God and you and these days will then be remembred with horrour which now ye securely slip over 3. Consider what will come of this if ye do not believe the Gospel Know ye not that many perish that hear the Gospel and that upon this same very ground that they did not receive Christ and Salvation through Him offered to them therein and whereof they are now deprived Are there not many this
conjectures about this Matter and the greater their Security be they perswade themselves the more that they have Faith This is as sad as any of the former when they grant all that Folks should make their Calling and Election sure and should endeavour to be sure of their Faith but in the mean time take Peace with the Devil and Peace with their Lusts for Peace with God and a Covenant with Hell and Death for a real Bargain with God This is as true as this Word of God is that there are many that put by all Challenges by this and never suspect their Faith they hope that all shall be well and they must always Believe as if that were the whole Duty of Faith to keep down all Challenges A fourth sort is even of the generation of them that have some thing of God in them who scar in a manner to make all sure and think it is a piece of Humility and of holy and tender walking to maintain Doubâ—ing even as others think it Faith to maâ—â—tain Presumption They are always complaining as if all things were wrong and nothing right in their Case and so foster and cherish Misbelief There is such a thing as this that marreth even serious Souls in their endeavours to make their Calling and Election sure and as long as this is they cannot win to the suitable discovery of this excellent Grace that God calls them to Exercise even Faith in the Lord Jesus Need we make use of Motives to press you to this tryal of your Faith and to this giving of all diligence to make it sure who have especially hitherto neglected it If ye knew any thing of the vexation that Unbelief hath with it and what horrour in Conscience from the sense of distance from God were ye would think it a great matter to be clear in this thing and if it were known and believed how this delusion and unsickerness of Faith destroys the most part of Men in the World even of the visible Church Durst Men ly in their Security as most do without all endeavours to make it sure on good ground that they do indeed Believe Durst they ly still under God's Curse if they thought themselves to be really under it and did not foolishly fancy that it is otherways with them Durst Men treasure up Wrath to themselves if they thought not that the Hope they had were good enough O! but Presumption beguiles and destroys many Souls and particularly this same Presumption of Folks thinking themselves right when they are wrong hath destroyed and doeth destroy and will destroy moe Members of the visible Church then Prophanity Drunkenness Whoredom Theft Desperation or any other of these gross and much abhorred Evils do This is the thing that locks Folk up in their Sin even their Presumption when they say on the matter We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own heart It 's this that makes Men without fear Steal and Lie and commit Adultery c. that they say Is not the Lord among us Is not this the thing that keeps many of you that ye never tremble at the Word of God we have Faith in God say ye we lippen and trust in Him therefore seing Presumption is so rife have ye not need to try your Faith If there were so much counterfeit Money in the Countrey that it were a rare thing to get one good and upright piece of Money ye would think your selves greatly concerned and obliged to try it well lest ye were cheated with base and counterfeit Coyn Is there not need then yea infinitely much more need for them that would be so wise as not to be beguiled about the salvation of their Souls to search and try whether their Faith will abide God's tryal or not Ye will readily move this Question What then are the Characters or Evidences of a solid and sicker Faith that will abide the tryal by which the pretended Faith that is among the Men of this Generation may be examined and put to just tryal I shall first name some direct Scriptures holding out somethings essentially accompanying Faith and then shall add others having more condescending Characters for the more particular differencing of this helping to the decision of this great Question The first Mark whereby ye may try your Faith is The ground and rise of it or that whereby it is begotten and cherished Faith comes saith the Apostle Rom. 10.10 by hearing Doctrinal Faith comes by the preaching of the Gospel and Saving Faith is wrought instrumentally by the same Word of God it being the power of God to salvation it being this Word that is the very ground of our Faith I would ask you where from your Faith comes and what hand the Word of God hath in it There are many that have a sort of Faith not only without but contrary to the Word of God whereby they believe that they will get Heaven while in the mean time the Word of God does directly exclude them Get ye your Faith maintained without ever knowing the necessity of a Promise for that effect Can ye maintain your Peace and not have so much as any foundation in the truth and faithfulness of God to build it upon Love never that Faith that hungers not after the Word that is supposed to be lively without being ever fed by the Word that cannot claim either its rise and original or its growth from the Word I will not say from this or that word in particular or at this or that time read or heard but from the Word of God the Word is the very foundation that Faith builds upon If we look to what either accompanieth or followeth Faith there are some plain Scriptures that will make that clear as Acts 15.9 and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith there was indeed once a great difference between Jews and Gentiles but now when he hath brought both to believe in Christ the difference is removed There is an efficacy in it to circumcise the Heart to purifie it and to banish Lusts out of it for it closes and unites with Christ and so brings him home to dwell in the Heart and where Christ dwells He commands and so whatever opposes Him is banished Faith gives Christ welcome and will give nothing welcome to dwell with Him that 's opposite and displeasing to Him Faith improves Christ for the subduing of its Lusts and mortifying its Corruptions whereas before there might be an fair outside of a Profession and something clean outwardly and much filthiness and rottenness within but when Faith is exercised on Christ it purifies from all filthiness of the Spirit as well as of the Flesh it applys the Promises for that end even to get the inside made clean as well as the outside yea it s main work is to have the inside the Heart purified that being the fountain of all the pollution that defiles the Man and brings
the Apostles and yet when he is Preaching Acts 28.25 and some believed and others believed not before he dismisses the multitude he adds this one word Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the Prophet unto our fathers saying Go unto this People and say Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive c. where he expressly differenceth his external Preaching from God's inward working and tells that so long as there was a judicial stroke on the Hearts of the People untaken away no external Preaching could do the turn as to their Conversion and bringing of them to Believe which he also does to guard against any offence that might be taken at the unsuccesfulness of his Ministry by any who would be ready to say what aileth these Folk that they will not receive the Gospel to whom he answers Isaiah long before told the reason of it to wit that there is a Plague on their Hearts and Minds which God must remove ere they can receive it 2. To these plain and clear instances we may add two or three Grounds or Reasons As 1. The exceeding greatness of the work of Conversion O how great and difficult is it Therefore it 's set out by the similitudes and expressions of raising the dead creating a new heart of removing the stony heart and the like all tending to set out the necessity of an omnipotent Power or a powerful work of Grace in the begetting of Souls to Christ and if it be so great a work what can the outward Ministry do if the Power of God be not added or what can the Man himself do here can a Mâ—n quicken raise creat or beget himself it's true these comparisons are not to be extended and and applied in every respect yet they hold out that Man being naturally dead can no more contribute to his own quickening and raising and to the bâ—getting of spiritual life in himself then a dead Mâ—n can contribute to his own quickening and raising to his natural life for which cause the Holy Ghost hath made choice of these expressions even to hold out the exceeding greatness of the work 2. Consider the condition that Mâ—n are in when this work is wrought and we will see they can contribute nothing to it thâ—t they have no aptitude for it except that they are subjects capable to be wrought upon being as it is Eph 2.1 dead in sins and trespasses being as to their Souls estate and as to their Spiritual condition like Adam's Body before the Lord breathed in it the Breath of Life and made him a living Soul as his Body could not move stir nor act till then no more can the Natural Man stir or act in the ways of God till a new principle of Spiritual Life be put in him To clear it further we would consider that the Scripture speaks of these three in the Natural Man 1. Of an utter inability and deadness as to that which is Good Dead in Sins Eph. 2.1 We are not sufficient saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.5 of our selves as of our selves to think any thing not so much as a good thought 2. The Scripture holds him out not only as unable for good but perverse and bent to every thing that is Evil Col. 1.21 Alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works the carnal mind being enmity against God Rom. 8.7 it 's plainly opposite to any thing that is Good and so to the way of Faith 3. Man's Mind is not only naturally perverse and stuffed with Enmity but in an incapacity to be healed while it remaineth such Rom. 8.7 It is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be and therefore in the work of Conversion there is not only an amending but also a renewing of our Nature called for there is more requisite then the rectifying of something in the Man even the creating of new Habits and the infusing of the Principles of Spiritual Life and Motion into the Soul It is true in some Sense the whole Image of God is not absolutely removed the faculties of the rational Soul still remain for Man hath an Understanding and a Will and some sort of Reason but without any tendency to Spiritual Life or to any action for God he hath an Understanding but it 's wholly darkened he hath a Will but wholly perverse and not in the least enclined to Good he hath Affections but wholly disordered and corrupted and set wholly upon wrong Objects so that it 's with Man's Soul as to Good as it is with spoiled Wine Wine when wholesome serves to cheer and refresh but when it 's spoiled it 's quite another thing not only not conducing to Health but it 's noisome and hurtful It 's just so we say with Man's Soul it 's by the Fall quite spoiled and corrupted it is not indeed annihilated or made to be nothing for it retains the same faculties still it hath to speak so the same quantity still but as to it's qualities it 's utterly corrupted and carried closs contrary to God it 's not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be and renovation by Grace is the taking away of the corrupt qualities in part in this Life and wholly in the other Life and the bringing in of new qualities for recovering the beauty of that Image of God which Man hath lost 4. Consider the end that God hath in the administration of His Grace and the Glory that He will needs have it getting in every gracious work and more especially in the work of Conversion and the silence as to any boasting that He will have all put unto that shall partake of it His end in the administration of His Grace is to bring down Pride to stop all Mouths and to remove all grounds of boasting from the Creature that He only may have the glory of Conversion that when ever that question is proposed What hast thou O man but what thou hast received and if thou hast received it why doest thou boast who made thee to differ from another the Soul may answer it was not external Preaching nor my own Free-will nor any thing in me but the power of God's Grace I have nothing but what I have received It is on this ground that the Apostle Phil. 2.12 13. presseth and encourageth Christians to their great work Work out saith he your own salvation in fear and trembling for it's God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure the Lord leaveth not to Man the working of the Will in himself and of him saith the same Apostle 1 Cor. 30.31 are ye in Christ Jesus who is made of God unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption that he that glorieth should glory in the Lord as he said before vers 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence there is one ground of boasting that the Lord wiâ—l have removed in a Sinner's Justification and
him And these are distinguished from these not given John 17.6 11. And are called his sheep Joh. 10.15 and 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life to wit for my sheep And all the strain of this Chapter being to shew Gods way of contriving and prosecuting the work of Redemption and Christs executing thereof according to the Covenant of Redemption All this spoken of Christs suffering must be expounded according to that ingagement 2. Whereas it is said v. 8. For the transgressions of my people was he stricken It is certain this our and us and we for whom Christ was stricken must be restricted to Gods people That is his peculiar people who are his by electing love as Christ saith Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are not his as all the World are his but are contradistinguished from the world as his own peculiar purposed designed people Sure all the World are not God's People in this sense therefore they are called his sheep and contradistinguished from these who are not his sheep Joh. 10.17 And therefore we are to look on these words our us and we as of equivalent extent with the peculiar people of God He carried the punishment of the sins of all Gods people that are his peculiar election 3. So v. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Hence we gather this that these whose iniquities Châ—ist bare are Christs Seed and for these he purposely laid down his life as these whom he expected should be saved for satisfying of him for the travel of his soul and for no moe and these cannot certainly be all the World there being such contradistinction betwixt Christ Mystical or his Seed comprehending the Elect And the Seed of the Serpent comprehending the Reprobat and Wicked who are said to be of their father the Devil These are Christs Seed who are spiritually begotten of him and these doubtless are not all the World and for these only he suffered So that our sins here are the sins of all the Seed 4. Look to v. 11. where it is said By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Where it is clear whose sins they are that Christ bears it 's theirs who are justified by his knowledge or by faith in his blood and justification by faith in his blood and redemption by his blood are commensutable and of equal extent Now it being certain as to the event that not all the World nor all in the visible Church are justified by the Faith of Christ it must also be certain that the sins of others who are not nor shall not be justified were never purposly born by Christ And this ground as all the rest will be the more clear if we consider that it is given as an Argument why they must be justified because he hath born their iniquities A 5. ground may be gathered from the last words of the Chapter He made intercession for the transgressours Whence we may reason that Christ's intercession and his satisfaction are of equal extent he satisfies for no moe then he interceeds for Now it was not for all the World nor indefinitely and by guess for all in the visible Church that Christ did interceed but for them that the Father had given him out of the world John 17. v. 9. and v. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me And v. 10. All mine are thine and thine are mine Christs death being the ground of his intercession and it being by vertue of his death that he interceeded his death and intercession must be of the same extent He interceeds for such and such sinners because he hath payed a price for them that there may be a good account made of them at the last day The 1. Use of it serves to clear a great and precious truth concerning Gods Covenant and discriminating love whereby he hath put difference betwixt some and others 2. It serves to stir them up who are thus differenced to admire at and to commend his love who hath been graciously mindful of them when others are past by 3. It serves also to clear other Scriptures and this same Chapter and to teach us not to make common to all the priviledges bestowed on some peculiar ones and to guard us against the vilifying and prophaning of our Lords sufferings as if he had no special and peculiar design in them or as if they might be frustrated in the design of them contrary to the promises made to him of the Father And therefore here to obviat an Objection which is made from the 6 vers All we like sheep have gone astray Whence some would infer that it 's all who like sheep have strayed whose iniquities Christ hath born We say that that all is not meant to comprehend them whose iniquities Christ hath born only but to hold out the extent of straying or the meaning is not to shew that his suffering and satisfying of Justice extended to all that strayed but to shew that the Elect for whom he suffered had all of them strayed as well as others And this is like the reasoning which the Apostle hath 2 Cor. 5.14 If one died for all then were all dead The meaning whereof is not that Christ died for all that were dead but this is the meaning that all for whom Christ died were once dead so here while it 's said All we like sheep have gone astray It is to shew that the Elect strayed and esteemed him not as well as others and had Goâ—s curse lying on them as their due all Christ interposed and took it off them as well as others The Point might have also Use for Confirmation but we do not follow these 2. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows that is our griefs and sorrows who are his Elect his People his Seed who flee to him for refuge and are justified by his knowledge or by Faith in him and for whom he maketh intercession Hâ—nce Observe that Believers would endeavour the strengthening of themselves in the Faith of this that Jâ—sus Christ hath born their griefs and sorrows and hath satisfied Justice for tâ—en in particular they would study to be in case on good ground with the Prophet to say Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows To make it sure that they are in the Roll of Elect Believers and Justified Persons To say with the Apostle Paul Gal. 3.13 He was made a curse for us And with the same Apostle 2 Cor. 5. ult to say He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And to say with the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree they speak alwayes by way of application So in these places whereby we confirmed the Doctrine that Christ really bare that punishment of
we may thâ—nce conclude that he hath loved us and given himself to save us Because he hath humbled me for sin may the serious soul say and givâ—n me this faiâ—h to believe in him and this is his promise which I rest upon that I shall be saved Or thou mayest try thy interest in his Redemption thus Whether am I one of Gods people or not Whether do I walk like them and so go thorow the marks and signs of holiness asking â—hy self What sinceriâ—y is there in me What Mortification What Humility Meekness Love to God and his Children Aâ—d whaâ— fruits of Faith in new-obedience These two F ith and Holiness are the Pillars that bear up the House of Assurance Working and not resting on it believâ—ng and yet not growing vain and light because of it but so much the rather studying Holiness And to go on betwixt and with these two till we come to read God's mind about our Election and Redâ—mption For neither Believing nor Holiness can make any alteration in the bargain of Redemption yet it will warrand our application of the bargain â—nd clear our interest in iâ— as the Apost e Peter plainly insinuats when he thus exhorts Give diligence to make your calling and election sure How is that Will diligence makâ— God alter his decree of Election or make it any surer in it self No by no means buâ— it will assure us of it For by so doing an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into his everlasting Kingdom by giving all diligence to add one grace to another and one degree of grace to another there shall be a wide door opened to us to go in to Heaven by And there is no hazâ—rd in commending this Doctâ—ine to you all even the study of Faith and Holiness thereby to come to the knowledge of Gods Secret Council concerning you And therefore as a third Use of th s point know that all of you that prejudge yâ—urselves of this comfort of your interest in Christs purchase do bring the blame of it on your selves If any shall prophanely object if God hath purposed so many shâ—ll get gooâ— of Christs sufferings and no moe what will my Faith and Holiness do if I be â—ot elected And what can my unbelief and negligence prejudge me if I be elected We shew in the former Use what Faith and Holiness will do and we tâ—ll you here what your unbelief and negligence will do and it 's this it will seclude you from all the blessings of the Covenant and bring you under the sentence of condemnation for as the conditional promise looks to the believer and unbeliever and so it is not Christ's purchase nor the difference God hath made in his purpose of election that is the cause why ye are damned and not justified But ye are damned because ye transgressed Gods Law and when salvation was offered to you through Christ ye would not close with the offer And ye are not justified becâ—use ye bâ—took not your selves to him for righteou nâ—ss but continued in your sin and in seekiâ—g righteousness by the Law For although this universal be not true That Christ died for all men yet this universal is true that they are all justified that by faith flee unto Jesus Christ for refuge Hence these two are put together Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me sha l come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the Fathers will that sent me If it should be asked what is the Faâ—hers will He answers This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing There are as if he had said some committed to me to be redeemed by me and I will lose none of them And lest it should yet be objected but I wot not if I be given to Christ to be redeemed by him He adds And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life In which words we have two wills to say so both having the same promise and effect the first he relates to the secret paction of Redemption vers 39. And the second is his revealed will pâ—inting at out duty vers 40. And so if any should say I know not it I be given to Christ I know not if I be elected This answer is here given What is that to thee It 's not to be searched into at the first hand and broken in upon per salâ—um and at the broad side That is God's secret will and that which is his revealed will belongs to thee and that is to see that thou believe and if thou believest the same promise that is annexed to believing is annexed to election and they sweetly tryst together and are of equal extent to wit believing and to be given to Christ And therefore let me commend it to you to hold you content with Gods revealed will For it is not the ground of your Faith I mean as to its first closing with Christ That of all given to Christ he shall lose none But this is the ground of it That every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life And we may add this word as one motive amongst others to Faith and Holiness that by your studying of these ye may turn over the words of the Prophet here to your selves and say Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows And that of the Apostle Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me Also that word of Peter cited before His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And O! what consolation is there The 4. Use of it is to commend the practice of this to the Believer that hath indeed fled to Jesus Christ And to shew the great priviledge that they have who are such The practice of it is that Believers should seek to be established and confirmed in the particular application of Christs death to themselves not only to know that he suffered for the Elect and for Believers but for them in particular that as it is â—eb 4.16 They may come with boldness to the Throne of God and confidently assert their intâ—rest And as it is Heb. 6. They may grow up to the full assurance of hope unto the end We suppose there are many believers that dar not disclaim the Covenant and their interest in Christ who yet are fearful to make this particular application Jesus Christ hath loved me and given himself for me But if they could knit the effects with the cause from whence they came they might attain to it for the man that can say I am fled to Christ for refuge he may also say tâ—at he purposely laid down his life to pay my debt And he is warranded of Christ to make this application of his particular
on this Satisfaction even such a way as procures Justificatâ—on and Healing to them And for your confirmation consider in general if it be possible that this Covenant of Redemption the Sufferings of the Mediator and the Promises made to Believing can be for nought did the Father pursue the Cautioner so hotly for nothing or did the Cautioner pay such a Ransom for nothing no certainly if it had not been to communicate Pardon and Peace with Healing by his Wounds anâ— Stripes to them who were lyâ—â—le to Condemnation and under the dominion of Sin neither of these would have been And therâ—fore for grounds of your Faith more particularly see here 1. A full Satisfaction God hath made way to Sinners Peace with himself by satisfying himself fully in Christ the Mediator for the sins of elect Believers so that a sinner that in the sense of sin betakes himself to him needs not to fear any back-accompts because what ever might make for our Peace was fully said on him so that we may with holy and humble boldness say that we are not come to the mount that might not be touched nor to blackness and darkness tempest and the sound of a trumpet but we are come unto mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling Our invitation therefore to you is not to bid you come and compt for your own Debt your selves but to come and accept of Christs payment of it and of his Satisfaction whereby Justice is compleatly satisfied 2. See here as another ground of Faith the Justice of God not with respect to us but to the Bargain betwixt the Father and the Son who are the principal Parties and we to speak so but Parties accidentally in this Covenant the Covenant being primarly and mainly betwixt God and the Mediator the Justice of it appears in this that it hath respect to a Covenant which is fulfilled on all sides and therefore the Elects believing and taking hold of the Mediators Satisfaction cannot but be accepted as if he had payed the the Debt himself the Father to speak so had the carving of the Bargain and what satisfaction his Justice was to receive to his own mind and as it was Justice on the Sons side to satisfie according to his undertaking so it 's Justice on the Fathers side to pardon and be at peace with the Sinner that by Faith flies unto Jesus Christ 3. See in this Bargain not only Justice but Mercy as its just so it s a graciously free Bargain which is wonderful and may seem somewhat strange if not paradoxal yet it s nothing inconsistent with the way of Grace it 's just that the Cautioner should pay the Debt and yet that Debt is most freely and frankly pardoned as to us it 's Justice in the height as to the Mediator but free Grace as to us in the height we come to it freely and without price though it cost him dear And that is one of the Mediators Undertakings that it should be free to his Seed Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that he who seeth the Son and believeth on him should have eternal life 4. Consider the reality and sureness of the Bargain it is such as it cannot fail having such Pillars to lean on the Faithfulness of God engaged on just and equal terms and the glory of God as the end and having a most necessary and câ—rtain effect to wit Healing to all to whom this soveraign Medicine is applyed This stability and sureness of the Covenant flows from Gods engaging to the Mediator and the Mediators engaging to God from the Mediators satisfying and the Fathers accepting of his Satisfaction which being confirmed by the Blood of the Testator it becomes a Testament which cannot be annulled nor altered or changed And if all this be so let me put the question is there not good ground here to exhort the Hearers of the Gospel to believe in Christ and on Believing to look for Life through him and a most solid ground laid down whereupon to build the hopes of Eternal Life and therefore seing this is the up-shot of all that Life is to be gotten freely by Faith in Jesus Christ improve this way of Salvation for making your Peace under no less certification than this even as ye would eshew reckoning with Divine Justice in your own Persons for the least Farthing of your Debt If it be objected here by any 1. We are at enmity with God and cannot satisfie I answer This Text tells you that satisfaction is not sought from you but from the Mediator who hath already given it and the Father hath accepted it for all such as shall by Faith plead the benefit of it 2. If ye shall say we know not how to win at God we are such as cannot step on foot forward and so very sinful and miserable that we know no such Transgressors and Wretches I answer Was it not for such that the Mediator transacted even for such as we Transgressors Rebels Despisers of him and such as judged him to be smitten and plagued of God If he had been Caution only for righteous Folks there had been some reason for such an objection but it is for Sinners for most hainous Sinners Nay this way of reasoning and pleading says on the matter that Christ needed not have laid down his life 3. If it be said We are so sinful and backsliding so filthy and polluâ—ed that we think we are not within the reach of healing I answer This reasoning would if it held turn in effect to this that ye are not within the reach of Gods Grace and for Christs Satisfaction which is not only injurious but even blasphemous to the Grace of God and to the Satisfaction of the Mediator if your sin be ugly and horrible he suffered horrible Wraâ—h he was wounded bruised chastised c. 4. If it be said further We can do nothing for our selves we cannot come to Christ we know not what it is to Bâ—lieve or if we win to do any thing alace all our Goodness is as the morning Cloud and early Dew that soon passeth away I answer The Covenant is not transacted betwixt God and you but betwixt God and the Mediator and the ground of your Peace as to the procuring cause depends on the Mediators performing his part of the Covenant in your name And further as for your Believing it is a piece of the Fathers engagement to the Mediator and must certainly be made as effectual as the Father must keep his word to the Son according to these Promises of the Covenant I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their minds they shall all know me and they shall be all taught of God And thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the like All these Promises were in the Covenant betwixt the Father
and it pleads much for them that never heard the Gospel yea possibly for all if they be not obliged to believe the Gospel as it 's hard to say they are who never heard of it 4. There are many in hell this day who know and feel this to be an untruth being condemned for sins against the Covenant of Works therefore he undertook not their debt nor payed for them And when the Books shall be cast open there will be many other sins sound to be reckoned for then sins against the Gospel Are not Whoremongers Adulterers Murtherers Thieves c to to reckon for these sins It 's very sad that such things should take place with men otherwayes useful but is in other things so in this hurtful â—hich we should not speak of were it not that they are spread abroad in Books wherewith many may be leavened A 3d. Branch of this errour which this Doctrine refutes is that Christ died conditionally for all hearers of the Gospel to whom he is conditionally offered and this is also vented by the same Authors who say that though he hath not bought all men absolutely nor died to procure life absolutely to them yet that he did so conditionally and upon supposition that they should afterward believe on him But there can be no conditional satisfaction intended here for 1. If respect be had only to the sins of the Elect in Christs undertaking then none is had to the sins of all 2. If the Fathers acceptation of the price be absolute then there is no conditional buying 3. If it be conditional then he suspended the effect of his death the satisfaction for his Soul-travel on mans will And if this condition could not be fulfilled by man then it is an unwise bargain and nothing of it may fall to be fulfilled and then believing is no fruit of grace Again he hath either bought Faith to them as he hath done to the Elect or not If he hath then they reject it and so grace is not efficacious If not he hath bought the end without the midses leading to it Or thus if it be conditional it 's either on a condition which they can fulfil or on a condition that they cannot fulfil If it be on a condition which they can fulfil then it hangs Grace on mens free-will and suâ—pends the Decree of Election on their receiving of Christ If it be a condition that is not in their power to fulfil then either Christ hath bought that condition to them or not to say that he hath not bought the condition of Faith it will infer a strange assertion that he hath bought life and not the condition the end and not the midses And if it be said that he hath bought it it cannot be said that he hath done so absolutely because they never get it Or if absolutely then to the Elect only in whom it must be and is in due time fulfilled And so in effect it resolves in this that Christ's purpose is to be bounded and confined to say so to the Elect only There are some difficulties and objections that will readily here be moved which we will not enter upon only for preventing of mistakes It stands in the way of some to hinder their believing as they suppose that Christ hath died for some and not for all aad they know not if they be of that small number If we were to speak to such we would say 1. God hath not elected all and so who knows if he hath elected them I And he will not save all and who knows if he will save them And so the doubt will stick still If folks will thus break in upon Gods secret will and purpose which belongs not to them 2. Christs death for you is not the formal ground not warrand of your Faith not yet of the offer of the Gospel but the Lords will warranding you to believe and calling for it from you and his commanding you to rest upon Christ for the attaining of righteousness as he is offered in the Gospel We are invited by his command and promise and we are not first called to believe that Christ died for us but we are called â—â—â—st to believe in him that is offered to us in the Gospel that is our duty And folks are not condemned because Christ died not for them but because when he offered the benefit of his death and sufferings to them they slighted and rejected it We are to look first to what Christ calleth to and not to meddle with the other to wit whom Christ minded in his death till we have done the first The Word bids all believe that they may be saved and such as neglect this command will be found disobedient 3. Though Christ hath not died for all yet all that flee unto him by Faith shall be partakers of his death and from this ye should reason and not from his intention in dying If ye come not to him ye cannot have ground to think that he died for you but if ye go to him by Faith ye may expect that he will pray for you and own you for Believers Christ casts in that word John 17. They have believed thy word as well as that other Thine they were and thou gavest them me And if we put these two together the one will be found as sure a ground of consolation as the other But it were but a poor comfort to say that Christ died for all and yet that they may all or most or many of them perish for all that The 2d Use serves to stir them up to thankfulness for whom Christ hath satisfied and who are fled for refuge to him If there be any here to whom Christ hath manifested such love that they can say he hath loved me and given himself for me O! How are ye obliged to wonder and bless him Greater love than this cannot be and it should warm your hearts with love to him the more when ye reflect on God's design upon you in particular in the Covenant of Redemption Use 3d. If Christ intended his Death and Sufferings only for behove of the Elect Then as because few come to Heaven all should be the more diligent so because Christ died not for all every one should aim in Gods own way to have it made sure to himself that Christ died for him and should be the more watchful and diligent to make his Calling and Election sure because as it s not all that are elected so it s not all that are purchased by Christs death Redemption is sure in it self and free Grace kithes conspicuously in it yet Wisdom and Soveraignity do also appear in this that it s not of all therefore study ye to make it sure by fleeing to Christ by Faith and by the study of Holineâ—s and Mortification in his Strength and through the power of his Death which will be a proof of your Interest in it This were much more suitable than to be quarreling with God's
with you either think on the right way which is by putting Christ in in your Room and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest or dream not of coming to Heaven A 2d Sort are they who are not altogether so prophane as the others but will condemn them as indeed the practice of many is loathsome they will it may be Pray in their Families and will not be Drunk neither will they Swear nor Lye and they will walk blamelesly and upon these grounds they promise Heaven to themselves very confidently and yet they come not through the sense of their sinfull and cursed State by Nature to close with Christ by Faith and to make use of His Sacrifice such err on the other hand Oh! when shall we be at this not to neglect the study of Holiness and yet not to rest on it to the prejudice of this one Offering This were a a practice suitable to and worthy of Professors of the Gospel to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God on the Sacrifice of Christ alone never coming to God without bring it along with them and looking through it to be accepted before Him there n eds no more and no other thing that we can bring will do our turn nor be taken off our hand if this be neglected The Lord Himself teach us this way SERMON XXXVII ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHat ever the Men of the World think of it it is not an easie matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men by Sin have drawn on themselves removed Offerings of Bullocks and Goats thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it the Redemption of the Soul is so precious that it ceaseth for ever that way and by all such Means Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended that His own dear Son His Fellow shall as a Lamb without Spot be a Sin-offering to take away the Sins of His Elect World and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ as making Himself therein an Offâ—ring for Sin and interposing Himself to satisfie Divine Justice that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to the last day was this That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin can be taken away and God so Satisfied as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner and to admit him to Peace and Friendship with Him If we would Enumerat all things imaginable and Invent Wayes and Means without number to remove Sin or to make a Sinners Peace with God there is no other Means but this that will do it As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself perfects for ever these who are sanctified and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved but the name of Jesus The Use is To Commend and to Demonstrat to us all the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ if He be the one Offering to take away Sin and if no other will be accepted then there is a necessity that He in His Offering of Himself be made use of If all be under Sin and if by the Law Sin and Death be knit inseperably together as it is said the wages of sin is death and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath and Peace with God be necessary then there is a necessity that Sinners be serious in this matter to get a Title to and Interest in this one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ In the prosecuting of the Use we shall speak a little to these four things 1. To some Grounds or Reasons to shew the Necessity of Sinners use making of Christ's Sacrifice or Offering 2. To this what it is to make use of this Offering 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement as to some mistakes that are about it 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters or Evidences of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering for obtaining of Pardon and for making of this Peace with God For the First That is the Reasons to evince the necessity of it The 1. of them is that which we hinted at just now If Men were not lying under Sin and obnoxious to Wrath and if there were any other Sin-offering or any other Way or Mean to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin there were no such necessity But seing that all Men are under Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath because of it and seing there is no other thing that can take away Sin then there is an absolute necessity seriously to make use of and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering 2. Consider that the great part of Men in the World and even of them that hears this Gospel do not indeed make use of this Offering though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin and we suppose if ye were all put to it ye could not deny but ye are Sinners and that nothing can take away Sin but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice Though some be that grosly ignorant that they will speak of some other thing yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel are under a Conviction that no other thing can take away Sin and yet even amongst these there are many that never make use of Christ and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins to remove Wrath and make their Peace with God There were many Jews who by the dayly Sacrifices which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ were taught that there was no other way to come by Pardon and Peace with God but there use making of it and yet the most part of them in going about these Sacrifices were slighters of this one Sacrifice Therefore the Apostle sayes of them Rom. â—0â— â—3 That being ignorant of Gods righteousness they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God It is as certain that many that hear this Gospel and professe Christ to be the only Sin-offering will be disowned of Him on this account Therefore many are brought in saylng Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence to whom He will say depart from me I never knew you ye workers of iniquity Because as if He had said what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God through
Reconciled to God to make use of Christ for Life to prevent the Wrath that is to come and to make Heaven sure to your selves Which is impossible for you honestly to ayme at but God shall have the Glory of His G ce and Wisdome from you And if this be not your ayme and endeavour God will not have the Glory of His Grace in you Though Passively He shall have the Glory of H s Justice in pun shing you Eâ—ernally in Hell but that is not His great and proper Designe in the sending of His Son For Hâ— could have had H s Gâ— ry that way though He had never sent Him into the World And therefore in His Name and in His stead we do again and again seriously beseech and solmnly obtest you to give Our Lord Jesus Satisâ—action in this Particular ye that are going to Hell or are in hazard of it come to Christ Jesus the Prince of Life The Purchaser and Giver of Life and get Life from Him Come as Dead-Sinners in your selves and by the Law to get a new Gift of Life by His Right And we propose this Suit and Request in His Name who tells us that He laid down His Life to get a Seed This Gospel comes to every one of your Doors and sayes to you will ye be oblidged to Christ for Life will ye be His Children If the Heart be honest and ye can sincerely say content Lord and will creep in under His Wings that ye may be found in Him and may be covered with His Righteousness There is good ground to expect a closed Bargain For our Lord purposly Died that He might have a Seed and is calling upon you for this very End and will not go back of His Word if ye be content to Bargain with Him And therefore I would again say unto you shift not His call It is His Design to have a Seed and it should be yours to seek to be of that Seed O! let Him have His Errand among you The Offer comes as I just now said to every one of your Doors and your answer will be and must be either yea or nay either that ye are content to be His Children that His Grace may be Glorified in you Or that ye are not content and that ye will not come to him that ye may have life As it is John 5. That ye scorn to be His Seed and Children But Ah! the day comes when ye would be glad of such an Offer and will not get it But to come a little nearer in the Application of this Use 1. Are there not many of you without Life Yea hundreds of you Not one among many is renewed If ye think your selves to be Dead this Word of Life and Salvation is sent unto you and sure ye have need of it 2. There is Life in Christ to be had a Fair Purchase made and a way laid down to bring Sinners to have a Right to Life And are not these two think ye well met and trysted on what ground then is it bottomed upon one of these two or rather on both of them implyed in this phrase of being Christ's Seed 1. It implyes That there be a coming to Christ as void of Life and an actual trusting to Him for the attaining of Life That Sinners pricked with the fear or feelling of the Wrath of God acknowledge Christ as the Father of their Life and Credit Him with the Application of Life to them 2. It implyes not only the Crediâ—ing Him with the Application of Life but that we commit our selves to be alone iâ— His Debt and Common for it which is implyed in that Word John 5. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life The use making of Christ for the attaining of Life is implyed in the Word coming And that is for slain and dead Souls to go to Christ for Absolution and Life called Heb. 7.25 A coming to God by Christ and again It is not ye will not come unto me that ye may buy or procure Life or Work it to your selves But ye will not come to me that ye may have it ye will not be in my Common for it The first Word expresses where we get our Life and that is in Christ's Sufferings The Second Word how we get it even as the Child gets Life from the Parent we get it fully and freely conferred on us by Him So that the Similitude sayes this much come to Christ who hath procured your Life and trust your getting of Life to Him on the Terms of Grace And since this is all that Christ seeks of you Not to make your Performances the ground of your Pleading for Life but His Purchase and that having need on your side and fulnesse on His side ye should come and have What hinders your closing of a Bargain This is the very thing your Salvation will stand or fall on even on your yeelding to come to Him and to be in His Common for Life and on your leaning to His Righteousness or not and according at ye Act Faith or not on Him in this respect So will the Sentence of your Absolution or Condemnation passe in the Great Day And therefore let me beseech you yet again above any thâ—ng to make this sure And when I speak of making it sure it is not only to have a Glance of the thing in your minds as many may have to whose Door Christ comes when yet they will not go out of doors to Him Nor is it only to have a Conviction in your Judgement and Conscience of the Reasonablenesse of it as many of you have so many Convictions of Sin and of the necessity of Faith in your Judgement aâ— will make you Inexcusable ye are Convinced that such a thing should be And there it holds The Lord draws you by His Word to give assent to the Reasonablenesse of the Offer but ye smuther the Conviction Ye come Aggrippa his length in assenting to the Truth but come no furder ye laid your account it may be that ye could not save your selves and that your Salvation was only in Christ and ye took that for Faith But believe me there must be something more â—hen that even a laying of your selves over on Him and a making of Application to Him to fi l the empty Room in the Heart I remember of a dying Person that had a good Word to this purpose who when it was asked at him how his Fâ—ith did now differ from that which he had in his health Answered when I was in health I was convinced that I should believe but now my Soul actâ—ally casts it self on Christ The many Convictions that Men have that they should believe will stick to them and go with them to Heâ—l and make them the more inexcusable that they held there and went no further 6ly And lastly It serves to be a ground of Expostulation with many hearers of thâ— Gospel who have heard of this noble Designe and
That this Word Justification is a Legal Forensick or Judicial Word and we are to conceive of God who is the party offended as the Judge and of the Sinner Arraigned and brought before His Tribunal to be Judged as a delinquent the Law gives in the Lybel or Inditement founds the Challenge or Accusation the Sinners Conscience and Actions are as so many Witnesses proving the breaking of the Law and him to be obnoxious to the Curse on that account In this we say that God is the efficient Cause and so we may take the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Actively and efficiently to look to Christ as having this Power as He is God which is proper to God alone as is clear Rom. 8.34 It is God that justifies 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord And this is a reason of the former to wit that no other can Absolve but God the party offended who is Judge We mark it for this practical Use which the Apostle makes of it which is to bid us lay less weight upon others thinking well of us or absolving us and on our own absolving of our selves the Lord chargeth some thus Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knows your hearts Paul will not justifie himself for that is Gods place and prerogative How many are there who take another persons testimony for Gods and think that since others love respect and commend them they are in a good condition and well enough but alace is that Person God Except mens testimony be founded on the grounds that are held forth in the Word and if so then it 's Gods Testimony it will not do the businesse nor avail you any thing except there be â— Sentence of Absolution pronounced and â—ast by Him their Sentence or your own will be recalled Though many of you do not down right professe this yet many of you practically fall into it alwayes remember that it is God that Justifies and that His Absolution is different from mens and from your own many may have good thoughts of you and so may ye of your selves when God may have none For the 2d To wit The final Cause it is clear here also by comparing the former verse with the Words going before in this same verse and ye may take it in this Observation That the Glory of God and of the Media or is the end that God hath before Him in the Justifying of Sinners Therefore it is called the Lords pleasure or delight and the Mediators satisfaction because He hath proposed to Himself therein the Glory of His Grace especially and also of others of His Attributs as His end and so hath a kind of longing desire and thirst after it for the Lord being Absolutely Glorious cannot but love His own Glory and being the infinitly Pure Alsufficient Good He cannot but love Himself and His own Glory and therefore for attaining of this end He Justifies and Absolves poor Sinners Now God is glorified here two wayes 1. He gets the Glory of His Grace that is exceedingly magnified thereby as is clear Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace It 's the Lords pleasure to glorifie His Grace and this proves to be to the Glory of His Grace when a Sinner lyable to Wrath is fully Justifyed and Intitled to Heaven 2. He gets thereby the Glory of His Justice and Righteousness which takes in the Glorifying of God's Holiness and Wisdom He is seen here to be a Holy God who will needs testifie His dislike at Sin where ever it is a just God that will needs punish it a gracious God that will pardon and such a wise God as finds out the way how both to punish and pardon without any the least Imputation either to His Justice or to His Mercy and Grace and so He shews Himself to be Infinitly Just Gracious Wise and Holy in the Justification of Sinners These we may see Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ There Justice and Grace shine clearly Justification is free yet there is a Price laid down and a Satisfaction made to Justice and the 26. verse shews the end to wit To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of them who believe in Jesus He hath indeed taken a way how to pardon Sin but so as it is through a Redemption or by the exacting of a Price that He may be seen to be Just who will not pardon Sin without a Satisfaction Justice kythes in this that Christ is put to pay a great Price and that He may be seen to be Gracious He hath laid down a way how the Price that was to be payed by Christ might be imputed to or reckoned on the account of the guilty Sinner and that He might thereby be Absolved And thus Justice and Grace kiss each other in this admirable contrivance And although none almost except Socinians deny the Justice of God in the Justification of Sinners yet as they do Doctrinally in Substance deny it So many of us who professe to abhore their Doctrine do practically deny it also And therefore as the 1. Use of it let me speak a little to unbelievers and ask you what think you will become of you ye must either betake your selves to Christs Satisfaction or ye must resolve to Satisfie for your selves Secure Hypocrits think of nothing but of Grace and that God will alwayes be Gracious and never suffer themselves think of the necessity of a Satisfaction to be made to His Justice and thus they slight and on the matter deny His Justice as if He were not to be Glorified in that Attribute as well as in His Grace and Mercy whereas there is no other way to declare God to be Just in the Justification of them that believe but this which brings them to Christs Satisfaction Use 2. It 's ground of notable Consolation and Encouragement to a poor exercised Soul sensible of Sin whereupon to expect Justification It 's Gods end in Justifying Sinners to set out the Glory of His Grace and is it not much that God should contrive such a way for glorifying of Himself as should carrie along in it good to us yea such a way as should resolve in our good which comes in as a subordinat end to the glorifying of His Grace as the ultimat end may not this be an encouragement to them to seek after Justification on these terms and for this end Use 3. It shews that as many as submit not to the way of this Righteousness and of Justification by Grace are thwarting with God's End they set themselves to hinder and obstruct it even that He should not be glorified
Sin and Wrath may come to be absolved And this leads you in to know that there is a New Covenant made through a Mediator in which there is a Promise of Life and Salvation through believing in Him which Rom. 10. is called the law of faith which gives a Sinner ground of hope to be Justified by the Righteousnesse of a Cautioner and leads him in to know the Defence that he may and ought to plead upon before God And there is here presupposed as a necessity of knowing your selves so a necessity of knowing the Law and Covenant of Works for if we plead innocent in any one Sin whereof we are guilty it may hazard our eternal ruine And a necessity of knowing Jesus Christ who is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification that He became man and did take to Himself a true Humane Body and a reasonable Soul that by the Union of His two Natures He might be God and Man in one Person in reference to which He must needs be known for if we know Him not to be Man we cannot understand how Divine Justice is Satisfied and if we know Him not to be God we cannot understand how the Humane Nature can be sustained and supported and carried through in Satisfying the Justice of God and withal a necessity of knowing how the Mediator procures this Justification and this leads us in to know His Office how He was a Priest and interposed betwixt God and Sinners and made Himself an Offering for our Sin and maketh intercession for us how He was a Prophet and how when the thing was unknown to wit how a Sinner might have peace with God He revealed it of Old by His Prophets in the Old Testament and by His Apostles and Ministers in the New Testament and doth by His Spirit ellighten the Soul to take up the difference betwixt Justification by Faith and Justification by Works how He is a King to subdue Sin in us to mortifie our Corrupt Nature that will still boast till it be subdued to guide us in His way to fight our Spiritual Battels in us and for us and to take course with all His and our Enemies Otherwayes if we know not this though we were justified just now we would be led captive by Sin and Satan to our ruine within an hour but knowing Him to be King it gives Faith footing to expect Through-beating and Victory 4. As we must know what Christ is so we must know what is in Christ and what is communicated and applyed to Sinners by Him and so the condition of the Covenant of Grace which is Faith whereby we come to be united to Christ and that this Faith is not a bare assenting to the Truth but a closing with and a resting on Him for we can never believe except we know what Faith is 5. It is needful that we know what Dutie is called for from a Justified Person to wit Repentance and Holiness because though He Justifies none for Repentance yet He Justifies none but Penitents and He requires Repentance from all whom He Jusâ—ifies Except ye repent saith Christ ye shall all likewise perish For the Curse lyes at the door and we are so to Repent as that with grief and hatred of Sin we turn from it unto God with full purpose of heart and endeavour after new Obedience 6. There is also a necessity of the Knowledge of Christs Ordinance though non absoluâ—ely in order to Justification to know the Sacraments and how thâ—y represent Christ and the benefits that come by Him and how they do Ratifie and Confirm the Believers Right to Him and these good things promised through Him Let me intreat you Believers and as many as look for Justification to â—â—ndy throughly to know that these things are necessary to be known even to know God and your selves and what ye may be justly charged with before Him that your mouths may be stoped to know Jesus Christ and His Offices For ye can never upon ground expect Justification except ye know who hath procured it to know what God requires of these who are Justified in a Word study so much as may bring you to know your lost estate and the remedy thereof and how to found your Defence when ye come before God c. And if ye would study thus to know God and know your selves and your Natural Condition and Jesus Christ and the way how ye come to be Justified through Him and your Duty to Him and so make a Catechisme to your selves out of these few heads it were a short and sure way to come to knowledge The 2d Use Serves for Reproof and Conviction to them that lye still in ignorance which is a most Sinful and Dangerous Condition for if Knowledge be a Duty and if Ignorance be a Sin and such a Sin as hazards the Soul then what a woful case are many of you in who now hear me Lay aside all other Sins I would be ashamed to speak of the great Ignorance that is among you How many of you are there that cannot give any tollerable account of your Catechism who know not your natural State and Condition nor the way how to come at peace with God nor any ground for your Faith to rest upon nor Christ nor His Offices and alace if it be so what better are ye then Heathens Sure ye are much worse because ye have dispised Knowledge Can the Gospel give you Faith to whom it never gave Knowledge There are several sorts of Persons to whom I would here speak a Word 1 There are some that never lay the necessity of Knowledge to heart betwixt whom and Turks and Pagans there is in this respâ—ct but little difference and yet such will be ready to say we live and do as well as we may that there may not be a quarrel or contraversie betwixt God and us But is it possible but there must be a quarrel if it were but on this alone account that ye think there is none O! that ye would consider what a Sin Ignorance is when the Devil appeared in the World he made it a great part of his first Work to extinguish and put out the light of Knowledge and by this means he labours still to keep Folk in Ignorance hence the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 3. If our gospel he hid it is hid to them who are lost whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Prophanity and Error are great Baits and Snares but Ignorance carries moe to hell then both these do for Ignorance fostereth and cheerisheth if it do not also beget Prophanity and Error as the Apostle Peter insinuats when he sayes that the Ignorant or Unlearned Wrest or pervert the Scriptures unto their own destruction much Ignorance and Conceit of Knowledge will soon and easily shake people loose and make them a Prey to Error and also to Prophanity must not Ignorance then be an evil thing when it leads the way to so many other Sins and at
4.16 It 's of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed For if it were not of Grace the Sinner would never think himself sure nor would he know if such a Sinner might take hold of such a Promise but considering that the Promise is of Grace and His acceptation is of Grace as is often repeated Eph. 1 2 and 3. Chapters These Three are the great warrand that a Sinner hath to roll himself over on a compleat Mediator a faithful God promising to answer all grounds of Fears Doubts and Jealousness and free Grace which answers all Challenges that may come in to hinder his closing with and his resting on the Promise for if it should be said How darest thou lay hold upon the Promise The answer is it 's free it 's not the mount that may not be touched but it 's Jesus the mediator of the new covenant c. It 's Grace that is the Rise the End and the Condition of it These are the Three on which Faith yeelds it self to Christ and which are the Object of it on which it dar hazard and on which it does hazard and these Three are revealled in the Gospel of the Grace of Him that is Faithful and cannot deny Himself May we not then say O! Sinners if ye will believe that ye have a good resting place a sure foundation a tryed corner-stone as it is Isaiah 28. cited Rom. 9. Where the Apostle hath it He that believes on him shall never be ashamed There is a suffiâ—ient surety a full Mediator there is a faithful God that will keep His Word and there is a free Covenant and Promise softer for a bruised Soul to roll it self over upon than any bed of the finest downs is for a wearie and crasie body this is a chariot paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem single out Christ from all that is in the Word without slighting any part of it and believe in Him and lippen to Him let Him have another weight and lift of you than ye give to any other thing he is able to bear it and God will never quarrel you for so doing but will keep His word to you that do betake your selves or that have betaken your selves to Him He that believes shall never perish nor come into condemnation O! know what a ground ye have to rest upon it 's even the substance and marrow of all the Word of God ye have Christ and His Fulnesse God and His Faithfulnesse Grace and it's Freeness and are there such Three things beside or is it imaginable or possible that there can be any beguile or failure here spare not then to lay the weight of your Souls upon it let it be the foundation of your peace and let it answer all challenges that may be whether for many or for great and grievously aggravated Sins only by Faith take hold of this Righteousnesse and rest upon Gods Faithfulnesse and free Promise to make it forthcoming to you but upon the other side O! how great will it aggrege your guilt that had such a remedy in your offer such a tryed corner-stone elect and precious to rest upon and yet made no use of it Let me exhort beseech and even obtest you That ye recieve not this grace in vain but as Christ is laid for a sure foundation so come to Him and build upon him that ye may not be ashamed in the day of the Lord when all that believe not how presumptuously so ever they may hold up their heads now shall be ashamed and confounded World without end O! happy thrice happy will they all be found to be then who have trusted in him SERMON LIX ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Knowledge of Christ was wont to be much thought of by the People of God and to be in high estimation among them and we may say we wote well it was deservedly so considering that it is by His Knowledge that Justification was derived to them and is deryved to us This is that which the Lord is clearing by the Prophet here to wit how the benefit of Christs Sufferings and Purchase may be deryved and communicat unto a Sinner Which these words though but few as purposly made use of to clear even that His Sufferings should not be in vain but that He should sow a Seed and though that Seed should not be all Men yet they should be manie and the way how these many should come by the benefit of His Sufferings is also held forth and that is By his knowledge who is the Righteous Servant We shew you that this doth upon the matter look to Faith and is meant of it and confirmed it by other paralel Scriptures which say that through faith in him all that believe are justified we came also to speak of this Faith which Justifies and did propose Five things to be spoken of concerning it and indeed if any thing be of concerment this is if a right to Christ and His purchase be of concernment then sure it must be of concernment to know how we come by that Right 1. The necessity of it 2. The object of it 3. The act of it 4. The effects that flow from it 5. The manner of it's concurring in the attaining of Justification We spoke of the First to wit of the necessity of Faith and shew that though there be a full Satisfaction laid down to merit and procure Justification yet it 's applyed to none but to Believers and not till they believe 2. We spoke also to this That Faith as it Justifies looks not to all the Word of God as it 's Object but mainly and principally to Christ and to the Word only in so far as it holds out Christ in the Promises and Offers of Gods Grace as it 's here called the Knowledge of Him or Faith in Him We now proceed to hint a Word for clearing of a Question and it 's a new and very late one to wit whether Justifying Faith layes hold on Christ as a Saviour and Priest only or whether it layes hold on Him not only as a Priest to save but also as a King to command though this doth not look at first blush to be of any great moment and that such an inconsiderable-like difference is not to be stood upon yet we will find that this last wants not it's own influence on altering the common and ordinary and as we conceive the solid received Doctrine concerning the way of Justification if we should admit it And therefore we answer the Question from the Text. That Christ considered as suffering and bearing our Sins and so as offering Himself in a Sacrifice is the Object that Justifying Faith as such takes hold of Therefore the connexion of these two is clear in this verse He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied
for which cause Faith gets the name of Knowledge here and elsewhere in Scripture the antecedent being put for the consequent For Faith hath alwayes Knowledge with it though Knowledge hath not alwayes Faith 2. That there be an assent to the thing known as when we know that we are Sinners and that it is the Blood of Christ that must cleanse us from Sin we must assent to the truth of these as Christ sayes John 8. If ye believe not Moses his writings how shall ye believe my Words If ye assent not to the truth of that he hath written how can ye believe my speaking both these are in the understanding and if there be no more this makes but Historical Faith 3. When the Soul knows it's a Sinner and under the Curse and that Christ is a Saviour and that there is Salvation to be gotten by such a Mean and that he an able Saviour and hath assented to the truth of these there is a consenting of the heart to that Truth conditionally proposed and made offer of that is to receive Christ as he is offered in the Gospel which in Scripture is called a receiving of Him John 1.12 To as many as received him c. And this is an Act of the Will respecting Christ as offered and a bargain proposed that will make the Soul happy where Faith accepts 4. There is a resting on Christ received as a good bargain which is also an Act of the heart or will called in Scripture a committing our selves to him a leaning on him or rolling our selves on him which we conceive to be the same that Paul hath Philip. 3.9 That I may be found in him When the Soul places it's safety here and lippens to Christs Righteousnesse alone as contradistinguished to it 's own These Two last Acts are properly the essence of Faith as Justifying and they are well holden out in the Catechism where Faith is described to be a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Christ as he is offered in the Gospel we shall illustrat it in a comparison made use of before to this purpose Suppose there were a number of Rebells that had incurred the Princes displeasure and were guilty of Treason by the Law suppose also the Princes Son or some Courtier hath satisfied for them and procured their Pardon and Peace upon which there comes out a Proclamation that if they will submit and yeeld themselves and lay down their Arms they shall be pardoned and admitted to friendship as if they had never Rebelled These Rebels must know 1. That there is an Act of Favour past and a Proclamation made on such Terms 2. They must have a general Faith and Assent to the thing and that there is no Question but such a thing is done 3. There is a consultation by the understanding with the will if they will admit of and receive it and trust themselves to it And then 4. There is the hearts consenting to accept of the offer of Grace on the Terms of the Proclamation and a resting on it which is a lippening of their Defence to it that if ever they should be called to an accompt they will make use of such an Act of Grace and of the Proclamation for their Defence and safety and lippen to it and to His Faithfulnesse who made the Proclamation believing that He will fulfil His Word and Promise It is just so here in a Sinners acting Faith for Justification We may instance and illustrat it also in the example of the Prodigal wherein we may find something of all this when he had been in the hight of his distraction and madness in his natural condition It 's said He came to himself he knew and believed that there was meat enough in his Fathers house and resolved to go home upon his knowledge follows his resolution and his will consents I will rise and go which supposes his Faith of an offer of meat on condition of his going and then there is that whereon he grounds his Defence I will say father I have sinned I will disclaim all and betake me to thy Grace implyed in the word Father he resolves to table his Defence on this ground and upon this comes home More particularly 1. Knowledge of the Object rested upon is necessary Rom. 10. How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard It is not possible we can believe what we know not And as every other step hath some doctrinal mistake and some practical so hath this The Doctrinal mistake is that Error of Papists unworthy to be refuted They say there is no Knowledge requisit to Faith Yea some of their prime men have said that Faith is rather Ignorance then Knowledge but surely then Faith would not be called Knowledge if it might rather be defined Ignorance but this they maintain to keep the People in Ignorance of the Gospel and it 's the ground of many moe Errors and much Delusion It 's even as a blind man could go well in a slippery place where are many Pits for Knowledge is no lesse necessary to Faith then eyes are to such a man The practical Errors in this are such as we find in many of you who think ye can believe well but ask and put you to it ye cannot tell what many of you are obstinat maintainers of implicit Faith while ye say ye have Faith and yet cannot tell what it is nor whereon it is grounded but we say that Knowledge is so necessary to Faith that if it be not a part of it yet it 's necessarly antecedanious to it and presupposed Therefore if ever ye would be accounted Believers study Knowledge and the Knowledge of Christ Crucified at least so far as to ground your Faith upon It 's sad that so many will maintain the reality of their Faith and yet are grosly Ignorant of the Fundamentaâ—s of Religion Knowledge is the very use of and first step to believing and yet it 's hardly possible to brangle the vain confidence of many whom it 's as impossible to bring to Knowledge 2. There is an Assent requisit to the Object Known which is that we call historical faith and this is to be confirmed in the general Truths contained in the Gospel as that Adam was made according to Gods Image that he fell and brake the Covenant of Works and made himself and all his lyable to Gods Curse That we are by that Covenant under Gods Curse That Christ Jesus the Son of God according to the Covenant of Redemption entered Himself Cautioner for the Elect that He really died and payed their Debt That His purchase is made offer of in the Gospel and that according to the Covenant of Grace there is an real absolution from Sin and an eternal happinesse to be had at the great Day through embracing of Him There must be an assent to the Truth of these things for it is impossible that they who think not themselves Sinners and that mind
not a Day of Judgement and a reckoning will ever close with Christ and lippen to His Righteousnesse I fear there are but few hearers of the Gospel that come the length of Devils in believing and yet all will needs be counted Christians we would here upon the one hand disclaim the Popish Error that plâ—ceth all the essence of Faith in the understanding which is somewhat strange seing they scarce think Knowledge of the thing to be believed necessary The reason is because they know or at least own nothing more of the concurrence of Faith in Justification then is obedience to a Commandement they think it 's a duty obedience to a Commandment to assent to any Truth therefore they take this general historical Faith to be the only Faith as they take Holinesse to be the only ground of their Peace when they are called to an accompt and thus Faith as a part of their Holinesse comes in but they admit of no particular respect to Faiths taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse as the immediat ground of their Peace Upon the other hand we would seclude the vain Faith of many Professors who some way believe all that 's in the Bible so as they question nothing herein They know no other Faith but this yet if this were Justifying Faith the Devil should have it For they believe and tremble They believe there is a God that Christ is the Son of God that they that believe shall not perish that God is Faithful c. But this Historical Faith is not enough 1. Because as I just now said it may be in Reprobats and Devils 2. Because the Scripture expresly differenceth this sort of Faith from saving Faith many were called Believers to whom Christ would not commit himself as it is John 2.24 For though they believed it to be truth which He spake yet they rested not on Him So in the Parable of the Sower Math. 13. There are three grounds that receive the Seed which imports in two of them at least a kind of Believing but the fourth ground is only good 3. Because this Faith Acts upon every revealed Truth alike and assents to all Passages recorded in the Bible alike as one and to that Paul left his cloak at Troas and the like as it Acts on that this is a faithful saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners and such like But according to the ground formerly given Faith as it Justifies Acts on Christ only and therefore this bare assent to the Truth of the Word cannot be Justifying Faith because it Acts no otherways on Christ then it doth upon other things ye would therefore know a difference in your practice betwixt these two The crediting the truth of a thing and your actual receiving and resting upon that Truth As for Example a man proposeth Marriage to a woman and she believes that he is in earnest and not in scorn yet there is a great difference betwixt that and her actual consenting to marrie him So it is here the man may believe that Christ doth really make offer of Himself to him and yet be far from cordial receiving of Him or take it in the example made use of before suppose that some of the Rebells we spoke of believe the Proclamation to be a Truth yet thinking it hard to be under the bands of Government they do not embrace it If it be Objected here That the Scripture often calls Justifying Faith a believing that Christ is the Son of God which is no more then this assent of the Judgement or Historical Faith For Answer it would be considered of whom the Scripture there speaks 1. It is of Jews for the most part who had the Faith of the Messiah generally among them and no question the Believers of them such as the proselyted Eunuch Martha and Mary had the Faith of the Messiah satisfying Divine Justice and of their Justification through His Satisfaction But the great question of the Jews was whether Jesus the Son of Mary was the Messiah or not and it being revealed and believed that he was the other followed they rested on Him of will to say so as the Messiah 2. Believing of Christ to be the Son of God doth not exclude but include their consenting to the receiving of Christ but it holds forth also their assent to and perswasion of that Truth that was then debated that He was indeed the promised Messiah and the Son of God For the Devils confessed Him to be the Son of God and none will say but there was more in their believing Him to be the Son of God then in the Devils believing it who never believe unto Salvation as they did 3. Consider that as sometimes Knowledge is put for Faith so this assent may be put for Faith where yet more is implyed in it especially considering that Rom. 10. Faith is called Faith of the heart with the heart man believeth Now believing with the heart being an Act of the will these Testimonies setting out Faith to be a believing Christ to be the Son of God must imply a lippening to Him following upon it we are therefore never to look on these places as comprehending a bare assent only but as including also and carrying alongst with it the cordial receiving Him and of resting upon Him For the 3. to wit the receiving Act of Faith which differs from the former as we shew in the examples hinted at before It looks to the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator it accepts of the Terms of the Covenant as they are proposed in the Gospel and consents to the bargain and as God proposes the Righteousnesse of Christ it submits to the same which Paul 1 Tim. 1. calls a saying worthy of all acceptation to be welcomed and believed as such and the Believers mentioned Heb. 11. are said not to have received the promises but to have seen them afar off and to have embraced or saluted them This receiving is no Physical or Natural Act as if we were to receive such a thing by the mouth or bodily hand It 's an Act of Faith in the heart proportioned and suited to this Spiritual Bargain or Marriage proposed in the Covenant of Grace and it 's like a mans consenting to a civil bargain or like a womans consenting to marry a man As when it is said to Sinners ye are naturally dead in Sins and trespasses and under Gods Curse But be it known to you that we preach Remission of Sins to you through the Blood of Christ Faith considers this offer accepts of and welcomes it The 4th and last Act is a resting on him which is still the same Faith but another Act of it Not as if there might be a receiving and not a resting or a resting and not a receiving or as if we were to difference them in respect of time but Faith is said to receive as it respects the Gospel offer of Christ and his Satisfaction and it
Sinners Justification is to table Christ's Satisfaction for his defence before God and to plead his absolution that ground The believing Sinner's Faith sayes it is true I was own so much Debt of Sin but Jesus Christ my Cautioner to whom I am fled hath satisfied for it therefore I ought to be absolved and the Law allowes of this sort of pleading and upon this ground in which respect Faith concurreth in attaining and may well be called the Instrumental Cause of our Justification I shall say no more on this Use but these two words we may partly regrat our great ignorance that we know so little of the use of Faith in our Justification And partly we mâ—y lament the great confusion that is in these times wherein men are set to overturn such a clear truth as if Faith had no instrumentality in our Justification but as if it and other Duties and Works were equal sharers and alike in it Which 1. overturns the nature of Gods Covenant of Grace in making Works the condition of it as if there were no difference betwixt the two Covenants of Works and of Grace 2. It hath this miserable ill attending it that it shoulders out Christs Righteousnesse and shuffles in an inherent Rrighteousnesse of our own as our defence when we come immediatly before the Throne of God whereas the Gospel puts us to a Righteousnesse without us and imputed to us This way leads us to seek Righteousnesse in our selves whether Works or Faith as a Work be made the ground of our Justification it is all one For if Faith considered as a Work in us disposing us to Holiness and as a part of sincere Holiness be the thing presented to God as the ground of our Justification it is still something within us and such a thing as is still imperfite which would miserably mar poor Souls comfort whereas the Righteousnesse of Christ laid hold on by Faith being made the ground of our Justification it affoords solid consolation For though Faith in us be weak and imperfite yet His Righteousnesse is perfite and as it was not the Israelites looking as we said that was the ground of their health and cure but Gods appointing of such a mean for their cure looked to Otherwayes they that were weak-sighted and had bleared eyes might think themselves not in such capacity of healling as these who were strong and more clear-sighted whereas they were all alike cured if once they looked even so is it here A 2d Use of this and the other Doctrine formerly spoken of is for Direction and practical Information would any know how to get Justification by Christ here is the way It 's by Faith in Him when Christ Jesus and His Satisfaction is made offer of in the Gospel for Justifying all self-condemning Sinners that lay hold on Him Sinners by Faith fleeing to Him and resting on Him get a title to His Righteousnesse that cannot but save them So that if it were 1. asked what is that which a man appearing before the Throne dare hazard to present to God as the ground of his defence It 's answered Christs Righteousness His Satisfaction 2. If it were asked How comes one to have Title and Right to that Righteousnesse so as he may own and present it for his defence It is answered that it is attained by believing in Him If it be asked how comes Faith to get a Title to that Righteousnesse is it by any vertue or efficacy in Faith as a Work in us It 's answered no but it comes to get Title to it by going out of it self by receiving and taking hold and making use of the worthinesse that is in Christs Righteousness which is as a Garment able to cover the Sinners nakednesse and to hide all his spots and as a compleat Ransom to pay all his Debt And this we see here upon the one side a necessity of Faith in order to Justification and upon the other side a warning not to count Grace and the Righteousnesse of Christ the less free that Faith hath an instrumentality in the application of it Faith having Two things that it pleads upon 1. Emptiness and need in it self whence it arrogats nothing to it's own pleading but 2. founds it's defence on the good ground it hath to propose And therefore as upon the one hand we would know that there is away to come by Justification by taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse by Faith So upon the other hand we would be afraid to let any thing stick to us from our Faith as if we had a meritorious or efficient hand in or were to be thanked for our winning to Justification For as a Beggar in receiving an Alms can alleadge no merit to be in his receiving or calling for it so no more does Faiths receiving mar the freedom of our Justification by any merit in it Use 3. Seing Faith concurres instrumentally in the attaining of Justification there is here clear ground to exhort you by Faith to receive Christ and to commend to you the exercise of believing because without it ye cannot be Justified and by it ye shall certainly be Justified Use 4. Here O! here is ground of consolation to poor Sinners sensible of Sin trembling at Gods Bar as being obnoxious to the Curse that by receiving of Jesus Christ they may be absolved from the Debt of Sin and fred from the Curse Therefore if there be any such here put forth your hands and receive what is in your offer open your Souâ—s mouth wide and let in Christ and He will fill it Faith having as to our Spiritual Life the same place that the mouth hath to the body as to the entertaining of the natural and bodily Life it opens and receives what is needful to keep in the Life of the Body And were not this good news to poor Souls burdened with Sin loathing themselves and their own Righteousnesse seing it all to be but as filthy Rags and crying out with the Jaylour what shall we do to be saved Paul would say to such and we say it in the Lords name Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be justified and saved for Justification is derived by Faith in Him to the Sinner Use 5. This serves exceedingly to humble a Sinner whether it be a Sinner aiming and seeking to be Justified or a Sinner that hath attained Justification in so far as there is no ground of boasting here If ye be aiming to be Justified it may humble you for what can ye contribute to it being enabled ye can indeed receive what is offered and that is all neither can ye receive except ye be enabled as is said It serves also to humble such as are Justified Have ye Righteousnesse it's not your own but Christ's It 's He only that did the turn if it should be said ye beliâ—ved and may boast of that I ask what did ye when ye believed did ye any more but this ye pleaded guilty and did consent
the Mediators performing according to His undertaking as well as there is faithfulnesse in Gods performing whatever He hath spoken of Him or promised to Him Ye shall only take two or three testimonies for this The 1. is Matth. 3.14 and 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt and hath accordingly performed it so that the Father is well pleased A 2d is John 17.4 Where He appeareth before the Father and useth it for an argument for His Glorifying him with the same glory he had with the father before the world was I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do I have gotten a task and piece of Work committed to me and now it 's performed And that other Word which He hath on the Cross is remarkable to this purpose It 's finished Now the task and work is ended and I have no more to do but presently to passe to the Victory and to the dividing of the Spoil And a 3d. Testimony is our Lord Jesus His ascension to Heaven and the glory that He will appear in at the day of Judgement when His Kingdom shall be consummat That shall be a proof and testimony that He left nothing undone that was given Him to do that He bare the Sins of many that He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that pulled of the hair and that He satisfied justice freely and ascended to Heaven as it is 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the mystery of Godliness saith the Apostle God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit fully absolved as having performed all whatsoever He undertook Seen of Angels and raised up unto glory Use This is also though a general yet a very comfortable Doctrine to the People of God in as far as from it they may know that there is no more to be payed to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It hath gotten full Satisfaction The Cautioner hath payed all their Debt and is now exercing His Offices for applying to them His purchase making intercession for them overseeing them proving a Tutor to them guiding them and all that concerns them and His Church even doing all things well managing the affairs of His Fathers house as a Son and He cannot but guide all well Other sheep saith He I have which are not of this fold them I must bring in and they shall hear my voice and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish A most pregnant ground of comfort to the Believer that his eternal well-being cannot but be sure and sicker because it hath the Father and the Mediator their faithfulnesse ingaged for it If Jehovah perform the Promises made to the Mediator and if the Mediator perform His ingagement to Jehovah and raise up Believers at the last day then it must follow that their Salvation is sure This is the main ground on which Believers peace is founded and here we may allude to that Heb. 6. He hath sworn by two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lie that the heirs of promise who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them may have strong consolation even so here There are two immutable things to wit Gods promise to the Mediator and God will and must keep His Word to Him and the Mediators ingagement to God and He will and must keep His Word to Him And indeed we have good proof of both already For it was this ingagement that made the Father send the Son of His Love out of His bosome to be incarnat and to undergo the work of Elect Sinners Redemption and it was this ingagement that made the Mediator die of whom the Father exacted the Price till He declared Himself Satisfied and well pleased Now when these things that seemed most difficult are accomplished what can fail 1. Then there is here ground to fix our Faith upon and indeed there is need to fix it rightly The ground that our Salvation and Perseverance in the Faith is founded on is not our continuing to Pray to Believe and to Love God but this ingagement betwixt the Father and the Son and it is the cause procuring the other as an necessary and infallibly certain effect It 's mainly on this that believers shuld rest quiet and confident 2. It should make Believers humble and cheerful seeing though they be weak in themselves yet here they have a grip and hold for every hand as it were Jehovah's Word and the Mediators Word for their through bearing 3. It should much commend believing and the state of a Believer who have such ground of assurance The greatest Monarch on earth hath not such ground of assurance for his Dinner or Supper as the poor Believer hath for eternal Life For the Word spoken by Jehovah to the Mediator and the undertaking of the Mediator to Jehovah cannot fail and the Believer hath that to rest upon as the ground of his assurance More particularly The Articles on the Mediators side are as I said in these Four exprâ—ssions He hath poured out his soul unto death He was numbred with the transgressours he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours 1. He must die expressed in these Words He poured out his soul unto death Which implyes Three things 1. That it is an Article of the Covenant of Redemption and of the Mediators undertaking that he should die for Sinners And so it is a needlesse curious and unwarrantable dispute whether fallen man might have been redeemed any other way or whether a drop of His blood was not enough to redeem man because we see here it is Determined and Articled in the Covenant of Redemption that He should die Jehovah will have the Mediator dying And be possible what may to Gods Soveraignity which we would not make to clash with His Justice nor His Just ce with His Soveraignity this may bound and limit us that it 's concluded in this Covenant of Redemption that the Mediator shall lay down His Life and it being concluded It 's certain 1. That God hath given man a Law threatning him that if he should break that Law he should die 2. That all Mankind and so the Elect have broken that Law and so are lyable to the Threatning and Curse 3. That the Mediator became Cautioner and undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt it was necessary that He should die because He undertook to pay their Debt and to satisfie for their Sin which was death by the Law to them and so the Justice of God is vindicat He cannot be called unjust nor partial nor unholy though He do not actually punish every Sinner that hath Sinned in his own Person because Gods holinesse and Justice appears conspicuously that He would rather execute what was due to the Elect on His own Son then that their Sins should go unpunished
Believer is to beware least he be stollen off his feet and misken Christs Intercession for then he is ready to think that he cannot but be well and his prayers cannot but be heard because he gets liberty to put them up and it 's then often that there is hazard to lay least weight on Christs Intercession To improve Christs Intercession aright in such cases these Two are to be adverted to 1. That his Intercession be acknowledged as the fountain and procuring cause of that liberty and liveliness and so we are to carry a stoped mouth before God and not to boast of it For as we shew the pouring out of the Spirit is a special fruit of Christs Intercession It being by vertue thereof that gifts are given and grace to worship God in a spiritual manner 2. That we beware of thinking that our prayers are in a fitness or that they put us in a fitness of access to God because of that liberty except by vertue of Christs Intercession more then if we had not a word to say There is in our unbelief and presumption a secret inclination to lay the weight of our acceptance on our own liberty Whereas Revel 8. the prayers of all Saints must come up before God having the smoak of his incense to make them acceptable In which respect in a case of liberty Christs Intercession is made use of and improven when we are denyed to our own liberty and it is not made the ground of our confident application to God but Christs Intercession onâ—y Again 2. when the Believer is in bonds in some eminent manner so that he cannot pray he scarce hath a word to speak to God he goes it 's true about the duty but he comes not speed his prayer relishes not to himself he is like one speaking but not praying his heart is not warmed neither is there at least to his own apprehension any connexion betwixt his words whereupon he is ready to think that his prayer is as good as no prayer because of that inclination that is in all of us to rest on our own praying without making use of thâ— Intercession of Christ The reasons why in this case we would presse the use-making of his Intercession are these 1. Lâ—aâ—t we faint and grow wear in prayer which cannot but befal us if his Intercession be not made use of 2. Least we loss the estimation of the excellent worth of Christs Intercession which is exceeding derogatory to him that is mighty to save and on whom help is laid and it is especially for such a time and case that he is holden forth for an Intercessour Now there is a twofold improvement of Christs Intercession called for in this case when the Believer is in bonds and cannot so much as sigh but it 's called in question whether it be accepted though yet the man is serious 1. There is an improving of it for obtaining of that which we have been aiming at though we cannot tell our own teal to speak so nor open our cause nor make known our requests to God yet to expect what we have been aiming at and seeking after by vertue of Christs Intercession for as ill set together as our prayer hath been because it is founded upon the Intercession of the Mediator and we expect a hearing on that account alaâ—erly it being his Intercession that makes our prayers acceptable it can make such a poor prayer acceptable also whereupon the Soul rests quiet and expects a hearing on this ground because as was said the prayers of all Saints go up from his Censer and with his Incense and none are cast back that are put up through him and by vertue of his Intercession Hence sometimes looks sometimes thoughts sometimes broken words and groans come up before God are acceptable and get a return The reason is because through the Intercession of the Mediator the prayers of all Saints are acceptable This is even as if a man should credit his able Advocat with the managing of his Cause although he cannot to speak so â—outh-band his own teal nor expresse himself satisfyingly to himself in it Hâ—nce we have these words often John 14. and 16. Whatever ye ask in my name believing ye shall receive and whatever ye ask in my name I will do it that is when ye ground the expectation of your hearing and speed-coming in prayer on me and my mediation when folks because of their short-comings in prayer give over the expectation of a hearing and a return they give over in so far the laying of due weight on his Intercession only ye would remember the terms on which a person is warranted to make use of his Intercession for when we follow not his way in the improving of it we cannot expect to come speed or get good by it 2. A Believer in his bonds would expect a lousing through the vertue of his Intercession And this is another way how we would improve it in this case when we are bound up and to speak so langled that we cannot stir in prayer then we would have an eye to the efficacy of Christs Intercession that is of continual vigour and efficacy even when we are very dead indisposed and lifelesse for the attaining of liberty and liveliness This is indeed to cast a look to him and singly to improve the efficacy of his mediation when we cannot speak on word to work up our selves to a disposition for that work And these two go well together to be improving his Intercession for obtaining what we need for the time present and for the time to come and when we are in bonds to be improving it for liberty and freedom 2dly There is an use-making of Christs Intercession called for both when we aim to obtain any thing and when we have obtained that which we would be at 1. In our aiming to have or obtain we would improve it that our addresses to God may be in his name and our Faith of obtaining may be founded on Christs Intercession and not on our own and that our Faith may be stayed and fixed in expectation of the thing The improving of Christs Intercession in his respect leads us 1. To the right way of prosecuting our suits to God and 2. It quiets and fixâ—s us in expecting of an answer and when this is wanting Christians are either discouraged and know not how to pursue their cause or else they are carnally secure and presumptuous which is very ordinary for either as I have said we are under an anxious fear so that we know not how to go about dutie with any hope of success or else we grow secure and slack and careless in dutie 2ly There is an use-making of Christs Intercession when we have obtained any benefit which keeps the Soul in his common and debt and in acknowledging it self to be his Debtor This makes Christians when they have gotten any thing to be humble and helps them to a sanctified use of
to His Death what benefite redâ—unds to them from His Offices of King Priest and Prophet to the slaying of Sin and quickening to holy Duties what benefite or fruit from His Death Alace no more with most then if He had never died what profite or real influence as to any Spiritual change do any to count upon find and think ye all these things to be but words They know Him not that feel not something of the efficacy of His Death and Resurrection in themselves 3. Observe That the Report concerning Christ is the main subject and eâ—rand that has been and is and will be common to all the Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World It 's our Report it was the Report of all the Prophets Act. 10.43 To him bear all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth on him should have remission of sins they all agree and have a joint Testimony in these 1. In one Subject Christ and the same things concerning Him as that the pardon of Sin is to be gotten in Him and through Faith in Him and no other way c. 2. In one Commission they have all one Commission though they be not all equal all are not Apostles yet all are Ambassadours there is the same Authority for us to report and you to receive the Gospel as if Isaiah or Paul were preaching the Authority depending on the Commission and not on the persons of Men who carry it 3. In one common End which they all have and in one common Object they are sent to 4. In this that they all hold of one common Master being Gifts of one and the same Mediator Eph. 4. When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men to some Apostles c. The first Use is To teach you not to think the less of the Testimony or matter testified because of these that testifie to you if Isaiah or Paul were testifying to you ye would get no other Tydings though their life and way would be of another sort and stamp then ours are alace for the most part we are warranded as well as they to make Christ known to you therefore take heed of rejecting this Testimony of this Christ that we bear witness unto it is the same Christ that the Law and the Prophets bear witness to There is not another name given under heaven whereby a sinner can be saved it 's through Him that whosoever be on Him may receive remission of sins in this ye have not onely us but the Prophets and Apostles to deall with yea Jesus Christ and God Himself and the rejecting of us will be found to be the rejecting of them it 's the same Testimony on the matter that it was in Isaiah his time and therefore tremble and fear all ye that slight the Gospel ye have not us for your Party but all the Prophets and Isaiah among the rest and our Lord Jesus Christ who hath said He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me there will be many aggravations of the guilt of an Unbeliever and this will be a main one even the Testimony of all the Prophets that concur in this Truth which they have rejected take heed to this all ye Atheists that know not what it is to take with Sin and all ye Hypocrites that coin and counterfeit a Religion of your own and all ye legal Persons that lean to your own righteousness what will ye say when it shall be found that ye have rejected all these Testimonies ye must either say ye counted them false Witnesses which ye will not dare to say or that ye accounted them true and yet would not receive their Testimony and the best of these will be found sad enough for if ye counted them true why did ye not believe them this will be a very pungent dilemma Use 2. For comfort to poor Believers they have good ground to receive and rest upon Jesus Christ there is never a Prophet Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel but he hath sealed this Truth concerning Christ what needs any sinner scar at Him or be fearful to close with Him will ye give credit to the Testimony of Isaiah and of Peter Acts 10.43 and of the rest of the Prophets and Apostles then receive their Report and set your selves to be among the number of Believers that their Testimony may be rested on We are perswaded there is one of two that will follow on this Doctrine either a strong encouragement to and confirmation of believing and quietly resting on Jesus Christ for pardon of sin or a great ground of aggravation of and expostulation with you for your guilt who care not whether ye receive this Report or not We shall say no more for the time but God bless this to you SERMON II. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THE Prophet Isaiah is very solicitous about the fruit of his Preaching when he hath preached concerning Christ as indeed it is not enough for Ministers to preach and for People to hear except some fruit follow and now when he hath been much in Preaching and looketh to others that have been much in that work he sadly regrates the little fruit it had and would have among them to whom Christ was and should be spoken of a thing that in the entry should put us to be serious lest this complaint of Isaiah stand on record against us seeing he complains of the Hearers of the Gospel not only in his own time but in our time also We told you there were four things in this first part of the Verse 1. The great errand that Ministers have to a People it is to report concerning Christ and beside what we observed from this Head before looking to the Scope we shall observe further 1. The end that Ministers should have before them in preaching Christ and the Gospel is That the Hearers of it may be gained to Jesus Christ by hearing so as they may be brought to believe on Him it 's in a word to gain them to saving Faith in Christ 2. It is implyed That Jesus Christ is only to be proposed as the Object of Faith to be rested on by the Hearers of the Gospel and as the only ground of their Peace there is no name that can be mentioned for the salvation of Souls but this Name only ly and there is no other Gospel can be proposed but that which holdeth Him out to People 3. Observe which is much the same with the former Observation and to which we would speak a little more particularly That by the preaching of the Gospel Jesus Christ is laid before the Hearers of it as the Object of their Faith and proposed to be believed upon by them else there would be no ground of this complaint against them but where-ever this Gospel is preached there is Christ is laid as it were at the
tell you that remission of Sins is preached to you through Christ so we command and charge you to believe on Him and receive this Gospel wherein He is offered for the remission of Sins For clearing of this Use and that we may have the more ready access to Application We shall speak a word to these three First To several kinds of true Faith three whereof are noâ— saving or to the ordinary distinctions of Faith Secondly To the Scripture expressions that hold out the nature of saving Faith Thirdly To some differences betwixt this saving Faith and false and counterfite Faith or these acts of true Faith more generally taken which yet are not saving For the first of these When we speak of Faith we shall draw it to these four kinds ordinarily spoken of and shall noâ— alter nor add to the common distinctions of Faith though there may be moe given The first is Historical Faith which may be called true being it whereby we assent to the truth of a thing because of his supposed fidelity that telleth it as when an Author writes a History we give it credit upon report that he was an honest Man that wrot it So Historical Faith is when People hearing the Word preached or read they assent to the truth of it all and do not question but that Christ came to the World that He was God and Man in one Person that He died and rose the third day and ascended to Heaven that they that Believe on Him shall be saved c. and taking the Word to be God's Word they may give to it a higher assent then they give to any Mans word because God is worthy infinitly worthy of more credit than any Man yea then all Men and Angels too There may be I say in this Historical Faith of Divine Truths a higher or greater assent then there is in believing of any Humane History which may be the reason why many mistake Historical Faith and yet it is but of the same kind and a thing which mâ—ny Reprobates have as John 2. at the close it 's said Many believed on him when they saw the miracles which he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them they were brought to believe from the Signs which they saw that He was more than a meer Man and that it was the Word of God which He spoke and yet it was but a Historical Faith yea this Faith may be and is in Devils who are said James 2.9 to believe and tremble there are many who if they believe Christ to be God and Man and the Word to be true think it enough yet James having to do with such tells them that the Devils believe as much as that and more thorowly then many that hâ—ve that Historâ—cal Faith he knows God to be true and One that cannot lie and he finds it to his cost he knows that such as Believe cannot Perish for he cannot get one of them to Hell he knows that there is a time set when Christ will come to judge the World and himself among the rest and therefore he says often to Him torment me not before the time and as the Devil hath this Faith so there are many in Hell that have it too the rich Glutton had it therefore he bids go tell his Brethren that they come not to that place of torment and it s told him they have Moses and the Prophets c. which says that he then felt the truth of many things he would not believe before This I speak that ye may know that this Historical Faith is the first step of Faith but it may be in Hell and so in many in whom saving Faith is not it s really a wonder that Folks that are called Christians should own this to be saving Faith and think they are well come too when they are only come the Devils length in Believing yea there are many that never came his length else they would tremble more The second sort of Faith is the Faith of Miracles which is often spoken of in the New Testament as when the Lord sayeth If ye had saith as a grain of mustard-seed ye should say to this mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and it should be done there was an active Faith to work Miracles and a passiâ—e Faith to receive the particular effect the Mâ—racle did produce some had the Faith of Miracles to heal and others to be healed this is an extraordinary thing and Folks may go to Heaveâ— without it and go to Hell with it though they cannot go to Heaven without Historical Faith hence it 's said Many shall come to me in that day and shall say we have casten out devils in thy Name to whom he will say depart from me ye workers of iniquity And the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.2 If I had all faith and could remove mountains if I want charity it avails me nothing this Faith of Miracles availeth not alone to Salvation because it acts not on Christ holden out in the Promises as a Saviour to save from Sin but on Christ as having power and ability to produce such an Effect which may be where there is no quiting of a Man 's own Righteousness and if there be not Grace in the Person that hath it it is an occasion of Pride We call you then to Historical Faith as necessary though not sufficient but not to this Faith of Miracles it being neither necessary nor sufficient A third sort of Faith is Temporary Faith spoken of Matth. 13. and set out under the Parable of the Seed sowen on stony Ground which soon springs up but withers so some Hearers of the Gospel receive the Word with joy and are affected with it but endure not The difference betwixt this and Historical Faith is that Historical Faith as such consists in the Judgement and reaches not the Affections at best it reaches not the affection of Joy for though the Devils tremble yet they are never glad Temporary Faith reaches the Affections and will make a Man as to tremble at the Threatnings as Felix did so some way to delight himself in the Promises of the Gospel and to smack then as it were from the apprehension of the sweet taste and relish he finds in them It is even here as it were told a whole Man that a Physician is come to Town he is neither up nor down with it but tell it to a sick Man and he is fain from an apprehended possibility of a Cure yet the apprehended possibility of the Cure never sends him to the Physician nor puts him to apply the Cure The fourth sort is Saving Faith which goeth beyond all the rest and brings the sick Man to the Physician and to make use of the Cure there may be some measure of true Saving Faith where there is not much Temporary Faith or moving of the Affections and there may be a considerable measure of Temporary Faith where there is no Saving Faith
they have no Faith they will not by any means take with that they believe there is a Saviour and that He is God and Man and that such as believe on Him shall be saved and on this they rest It 's such as these who think they have believed all their days since ever they had any Knowledge because the Word was always or very long since received in the Place where they lived for the Word of God and they believe it to be so also and know no difference betwixt believing the Word and believing on Christ holden out in it though alace many of you believe not this much for if ye were among the Jews ye might be soon brought to question the truth of the Gospel But though ye had the real Faith of the truth of the Word take not that for Saving Faith for as there is a real Sorrow that is not the Saving Grace of Repentance unto Life so there is a sort of real Faith that hath a real Object and a real being in the Judgement which yet is not a real closing with Christ and so not Saving Faith as suppose a Man pursued by his Enemy should see a strong Castle-door standing open or one in hazard at Sea should see dry Land if he should stand still while the Enemy were pursuing him or abide still in the sinking Vessel the sight of the Castle-door open nor of the dry Land would not save him so it 's not the believing that there is a Saviour come into the World to save Sinners that will save except there be a resting on Him as He is holden out in the Woâ—d of the Gospel Historical Faith is only as it were a looking on the Saviour but Saving Faith grips to Him and rests on Him Historical Faith looks on Christ but acts not on Him closes not with Him and therefore such as have it only and no more sink and perish without getting good of Him We would think it a great matter to get many of you as far on in Believing as the Devil is who believes and trembles the little trembling that is shews that there is but little of this Historical Faith yet as I have often said this is not all ye may have this and yet if ye halt there ye will certainly perish if ye were never so confident to be saved the Apostle doth well distinguish these Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him where these two are presupposed First Believing that God is or hath a Being And secondly Believing that His Promise is sure and sicker that He is Faithful that hath promised and will make His Word good And then thirdly On both these follows a coming to Him as a Rewarder of diligent Seekers of Him The first two take in Historical Faith for to believe that God is is Natural and to believe that God is Faithful in His Promise may be in Natural Men but to come to Him to get the hazard that the Soul is in removed through Jesus Christ is a thing few do attain This then is the first thing we would be aware of not aware to believe the truth of the Word but to be aware of resting on it as Saving Faith it 's not enough to look on Christ and to grant that it is He but the Man must never be satisfied till he get himself rolled on Christ and the weight of his Salvation and Peace laid on Him in His own way The second thing ye would beware of is Some common and quickly transient work on the Affections that may accompany Historical Faith Whether the Affection of Grief or the Affection of Joy be stirred thereby both are unsafe to be rested on when ye can't prove your resting on Christ or where there is no relevant ground to prove it by though ye should tremble as Felix did and be under allaruming convictions of Conscience and fears of your hazard or though ye should be affected with Joy as the Temporary Believer may be and sometimes is what will that profite you it's a great mistake to take some small work on the Affections which at the best is but an effect of Historical Faith for a Saving work of the Spirit Or secondly If it be not an effect of Historical Faith it 's an effect of a challenge of Conscience and smiting of the Heart as in Saul who could say to David Thou art more righteous than I my son David Or thirdly It 's some common work of the Spirit such as was in Simon Magus of whom it is said he believed and who could say pray for me for Folks to conclude on this ground that they are brought out of Nature into a State of Grace is to build upon a Sandy Foundation The Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 7.10 of worldly Sorrow as well as of a godly Sorrow and as there may be a wordly Sorrow so there may be a carnal Joy a piece of fainness to speak so in Prayer or at hearing of a Preaching or at a Communion which is not Saving Faith some hear the Word with Joy Matth. 13. who yet endure not and John Baptist's Hearers rejoyced in his Light for a season even as a sick Man who hearing as we hinted before that a Physician who is skilful and able to cure him is come to Town he grows fain in the contemplation of a Cure of his Disease but here is the stick when the Physician tells the Man that he must be so and so abstemious and keep himself under such a strict Diet he dow not abide that and so all his joy evanishes There is something like this in Tempory Faith where some remote expectation of Salvation will cause a carnal Joy and Fainness but when it comes to this that a Man is called to quite his Lusts or his Estate or in the World to undergo Trouble and Persecution for the Gospel by and by he is offended he thinks to say so a Fowl in his hand is worth two fleeing and therefore when the Storm blows in his Teeth he turns his Back and runs away Especially we will find this to be with Men in Sickness they will have mints and seriousness and sometimes flashes of Sorrow under Convictions or Challenges and sometimes flashes of Joy that will evanish when they come to Health again When we speak of some common work on the Affections we would take in liberty and some warmness of Spirit in Prayer which no question even unrenewed Men may find more at one time than another as when they are in some great hazard or strait they will be more than ordinary serious in that Duty and yet that may be but an effect of Nature This proves a great Stumbling and Neck-break to many that they think they are well enough if now and then they get utterance in Prayer as sometimes they will get words beyond what they expected and when upon reflecting they find that
they have been in earnest though it hath been but with Moral seriousness that blows them up upon which ground it is that many shuffle in Prayer in the place of Saving Faith and when they Pray with warmness they trow they Believe when in the mean time they never knew what it was in good earnest to lay themselves over on Chist Jesus therefore when we invite you to Believe this is another thing we would bid you beware of that ye put not a flash of Sense in the room of Faith 3. There is yet a more subtile though no less dangerous Mistake that ye would beware of and that is When Faith is confounded with Obedience and is looked on in Justification as a piece of new Obedience with Love Repentance and other duties of Holiness so some think they Believe because they have some Natural awe of God in their Walk and some fear of Sin and do perform some duties of Religion and walk Honestly as they think according to the Rule which is to confound the Covenant of Works and of Grace and to make the Covenant of Works a Covenant of Grace or to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works only with this difference that though their works be not perfect but defective yet wherein they are defective they think there is worth in their Faith to make up that want and to supply that defect and so by Faith they think they will obtain the acceptation of their works and of their Persons on account of their works they look upon their works as pleasing to God but because they are not perfect they will believe or exercise Faith to make up their defects to which the way of Grace is quite contrary which makes the Tree first good and then the Fruit This way that many take is not to draw the evidences of Believing from works of Holiness which is warrantable but the founding of Faith or their hope of Heaven on works and the use they make of their Faith is to ward off Challenges for the imperfection of their works and to make Faith procure aeceptance as I just now said to their works and acceptance to their Persons for their works sake 4. Beware of that which ye ordinarily call a certain assurance or sure knowledge of your Salvation and that all the Promises are yours whereby ye think your selves in no hazard a hope and assuâ—ance of Heaven that ye can give no ground for nor proof of only ye think ye are sure of Pardon of Sin and coming to Heaven and that ye are obliged to maintain that groundless hope but that is not Saving Faith for it 's a hope of Heaven that can give you no right to Christ there must first be a fleeing to Him and closing with Him before ye can have any true and well-grounded hope of Heaven but your hope and confidence is never to question the matter ye are like Laodicea who thought her self rich and to stand in need of nothing when she was beggerly Poor or like these Men who when God was threatning them with Judgement yet would needs presume to think that they leaned on the Lord I think among all the Persons that God hath indignation against it 's in a special manner against these who have this sort of hope and to whom God discovereth the groundlesness of it and yet they will still stoutly maintain and stand fast by their hope it 's to these He speaks Deut. 29.19 who despise and tush at God's Threatnings and say We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own hearts and add drunkenness to thirst the Lord there pronounceth a Curse and to the Curse addeth an Oath that He will not spare such Persons but will separate them for Evil and cause all the curses of the Law to overtake them judge ye now what a condition this is for Persons to be in to be believing that all the Promises are theirs and yet in steed of that to be in the mean time lyable to all the curses threatned in the Word of God it 's this that we call presumption and the hope of the Hypocrite that will perish Job 8.13 the confidence of such shall be rejected and sweeped away as a Speeders Web and shall be rooted out of their Tabernacles and bring them to the King of Terrours they think they Believe always when they are not troubled nor disquieted they never want Faith but have a great deal of it which yet is but a guessing which cannot support and uphold them when they come to a straiâ— when they are more secure they Believe very well and they think when they are more awaken'd and disquiet'd they believe less and their fancied Faith ebbeth quite on them when they hear of any exercise of Mind or trouble of Conscience in others they wonder that they wil not Believe and all this work is to maintain their deep Security and strong Delusion this is then the fourth thing ye would beware of for it 's not the Faith that will turn away the Complaint Who hath believed our report and yet how many are there of this sort who say they shall have Peace and please themselves with this their good Hope say the Word what it will O! be perswaded that this is nothing else but woful Unbelief and Presumption and we preach to you Terrour and the Curse of God though ye cry Peace to your selves the Lord complains of such Persons Jer. 5.12 saying They have belyed the Lord He sent His Prophets to denounce Judgments in the days of Josiah when there was a fair profession of Religion and Reformation yet they would believe and hope that no evil should overtake them That which we aim at in this part of the Use is to make way for what follows even to give you a cleanly ground for exercising of Faith on Jesus Christ when all these Stumblings and Mistakes are rolled out of the way We therefore exhort you to lay your Hand to your Heart and narrowly to try if ye have called or accounted any of these to be Saving Faith for there are hundreds nay thousands that perish under these Pretexts deceiving themselves and deluding others with a Faith they were born and brought up with and they have no more but their groundless hope to prove their Faith by and they will stick by it be said to them what will but be not deceived for God will discover you ye think a strong presumption is Faith and that ye can by such a Faith drink in the Promises but God will make you vomit them up and ye shall be declared to be void of Faith in the great Day therefore be more jealous over your Faith and seek to have your grips of Christ sickered which is done when from the belief of your Hazard and Self-emptyness and of Christ's fulness ye go to Him and close with Him to make up all ye want in Him and this Faith is especially qualified by
had hearkened unto my voice there is no Sin the Lord complains more of than of this and it 's the great complaint of all His Servants Secondly Bâ—hold how the Lord threatens this Sin and punishes for it see Psal 95.7 and Heb. 3.7 and Heb. 4.8 where He swears in His Wrath against Unbelievers that they shall not enter into His Rest Adultery and Murther do not more certainly keep Men from Heaven than this Sin of Unbelief doth yea they are classed together Rev. 21.8 see also Luk. 12.46 where the severest Judgment that is executed is upon Unbelievers and in the Man that had the offer of Christ and did not receive it and put on the Wedding Garment Mat. 22.12 13. see it also in the words that are pronounced against Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum Matth. 11. and our blessed Lord Jesus loves not to speak so to pronounce woes but to bless His People yet when they have the offer of Life through Him and will not receive it He pronounces woe after woe upon them and of what sort were they even beyond these that came upon Tyrus and Sidon upon Sodom and Gomorrah we think such Threatnings as these should make Folks not to think Unbelief a light or little Sin and that there is no ground of quietness so long as they are in a Self-righteous-condition and have not their Peace made with God through Christ Thirdly Look further to the greatness of this Sin in the strange names that the Lord puts upon it 1 John 5.11 He that believes not hath made God a liar and is there any Sin that hath a grosser name or effect than this for it receives not the Report which He hath given of His Son He tells Folk that Happiness is to be gotten in Him only and they think to be Happy though they take another way they believe not the Report for if they believed it they would receive Christ as their Life See further what names are given to it Heb. 6.6 and Heb. 10.20 which though they be there given with other Aggravations of sinning wilfully with despite c. with respect to the unpardonable Sin yet who are they that live under the Gospel and Believe not but in a great measure they will be found capable of most of them at least It 's called a crucifying of the Son of God afresh a putting Him to an open shame c. and who are they that do this and on what ground it's Unbelievers through their Unbelief they think not Christ worth the having and reject all that is spoken of Him and cry away with Him as the Jews did and as to their particular Guilt they crucifie Him for they cannot refuse Him without affronting Him and can there be such an affronting of Him as when He condescends so very low to think so little of Him Fourthly Consider the Expressions under which He sets out His being affected to say so with this Sin He was so affected with it Mark 3.5 that it 's said He was grieved for their unbelief He had many Sorrows and Griefs and suffered many things but this grieved Him someway more than they all did and it 's said Mark 6.6 that He marvelled because of their unbelief it 's not said that He marvelled at their Adulteries and their gross Sins but that when He was taking such a convincing way to demonstrate to them His God-Head yet they would not Believe on Him He marvelled at that so Luk. 19.41 it 's said that when He came near to Jerusalem He weeped over it and why the following words tell us O that thou had known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace that is O that thou hadst believed and received the Gospel at least in this thy day though thou did it not before when thou wert and art so plainly and powerfully called to this Duty and ye may know that it behoved to be some great thing that made Him to weep when all that the Devil and Pontius Pilate and the Jews could do made Him not to weep It 's said Mat. 11. that He upbraided these Cities that He had preached much in on this ground sure when He that gives liberally and upbraids none does upbraid for this Sin it shews how much He was pressed with it and Luke 14.21 it 's said of this Sin that it angered Him and He is not easily angered Sinners need not fear to anger Him by coming to Him but when they come not He is angry it 's said Matth. 22.7 He was wroth at this Sin and it 's on this ground that Psal 2.12 we are bidden kiss the Son lest He be angry that is to exercise Faith in Him for if we do it not He will be angry and we will perish There are other Aggravations of this Sin which we leave till we come to the Application Use 1. Is there not as much here though Folks had no more but their Unbelief as may make them know it 's an evil and bitter thing and as may make them skar at it and flee from it and to fear lest they be found under the Guilt of it when called to a reckoning especially when Unbelief is so rife that but few suspect themselves or fear it there is hardly any ill but ye will sooner take with it then with this of Unbelief and there is no Duty nor Grace that ye more readily think ye perform and have then this of Faith and it is come to that height that Folks think they Believe always and know not what it is to misbelieve do ye think that this presumptuous and fancied Faith will be counted for Faith or that Christ who sifts Faith narrowly will let it pass for Saving Faith no certainly Use 2. Is there not here ground of Advertisement wakening rousing and alaruming to many that think themselves free of other Challenges if the Spirit were coming powerfully to convince of Sin it would be of this because they believe not as it is John 16.9 and we are perswaded many of you had need of this Conviction that never once questions your having of Faith or care not whether ye have it or not Put these two Doctrines together That Unbelief is an abominable Sin and that it is notwithstanding a very rife Sin and let them sink deep into your Hearts and they will put you to other thoughts of Heart if this plain Truth of God prevail not with you we know not what will do it but the time cometh when ye shall be undenyably convinced of both that Unbelief is a great Sin and that it is a very rife Sin and of this also that it is an abominable and loathsome thing and very prejudicial and hurtful to you Use 3. And therefore as a third Use If it be so let us ask this Question How comes it to pass that so many in trying their State and in grounding of it lay so little weight on Faith and think so little of Unbelief I am speaking to the
generality of you and let not others wrong themselves nor mistake the intent of this Scripture How is it I say that the generality of you that hear this Gospel come under this common and epidemick Temper or rather Distemper to maintain your Peace and Confidence when ye can in the mean time give so little proof of it think ye that Faith cannot be a missing nor mistaken or that it is ordinary and common or that it is indifferent whether ye have it or not we are perswaded that many of you think that if ye have a good Mind as ye call it and a square civil honest Walk and keep still your good Hope that all will be well ye never doubt nor question whether ye have received Christ or not but if Unbelief ly in your Bosom I mean not doubting-desperation or questioning of the God-head but the not receiving of Christ and His Righteousness though ye had more than ordinary Hypocrites have ye will for this Sin of Unbelief find your selves under the standing Curse of God for our Lord says John 3.18 He that believes not is condemned already and vers 36. the wrath of God abideth on him In pressing of this Use I shall shew by a few Aggravations of this Sin why the Lord layeth so much weight upon it and that not so much as it opposeth Faith as as it is a condition of the Covenant of Grace and a mean to unite us to Christ but mainly as it is 〈◊〉 Sin thwarting His Command And 1. It thwarteth with both the Law and the Gospel it thwarteth with the Commands of the first Table and so is a greater Sin than Murther or Adultery nay than Sodomy though these be great vile and abominable Sins which may be thought strange yet it 's true it makes the Person guilty of it more vile before God than a Pagan-Sodomite the nature of the Sin being more hainous as being against the first Table of the Law in both the first and second Commands thereof it being by Faith in God that we make God our God and worship God in Christ acceptably Next it s not only a Sin against the Law but a Sin against the Gospel and the prime Flower to speak so of the Gospel it comes in contradiction to the very design of the Gospel which is to manifest the glory of the Grace of God in bringing Sinners to believe on Christ and to be saved through Him but He can do no great things of this sort amongst unbelieving People because of their Unbelief it bindeth up His Hands as it were to speak so with reverence that He cannot do them a good turn 2. It strikes more nearly against the Honour of God and of the Mediator and doth more prejudice to the Ministry of the Gospel and causeth greater destruction of Souls than any other Sin it 's possible notwithstanding of other Sins that Christ may have satisfaction for the travel of His Soul and there may be a relation bound up betwixt Him and Sinners notwithstanding of them but if this Sin of Unbelief were universal He should never get a Soul to Heaven the salvation of Souls is called the pleasure of the Lord but this obstructs it and closeth the Door betwixt Sinners and access to God it strikes also at the main Fruit of the Ministry it makes them complain to God that the Word is not taken off their Hand it frustrats the very end of the Ministry and it comes nearest the destruction of immortal Souls we need not say it brings on but it holds and keeps on the Wrath of God on Sinners for ever He that believes not as we shew before from John 3. is condemned already and the wrath of God abides on him 3. More particularly There is nothing in God even that which is most excellent in Him if we may speak so not excepte◠but it strikes against it It strikes gainst His Grace and frustrates that when Christ is not received some sort and degree of despite is done to the Spirit of Grace Unbelievers thwart with Him in the way of His Grace and will have no spiritual Good from Him it comes in opposition to His Goodness for where Unbelief reigns He hath no access in a manner to communicate it it strikes against His Faithfulness there is no weight laid on His Promises it counts Him a Liar in a word it strikes against all His Attributes 4. There is no Sin that hath such a train of sad Consequents following on It it 's that which keeps all other Sins livly for none hath victory over any Sin but the Believer the Unbeliever lyes as a bound Slave to every Sin and it 's impossible to come to the acceptable performance of any Duty without Faith for none can come sutably to any Duty without a Promise and can any but a Believer comfort himself in use-making of any Promise We shall close our Discourse with speaking a word to that which we hinted at before even to let you see not only the rifeness of Unbelief but the great hazard that flows from it and the exceeding great evil of it if we be only convinced of the rifeness of it it will not much trouble us except we be also convinced and believe the hazard of it but if we were convinced of both through God's blessing it might affect us more and necessitate us to make more use of Christ ye that stand yet a distance from Christ can ye endure to ly under this great Guilt and ground of Contraversie that is betwixt Him and you do ye think little to hazard on His Upbraidings and Woes even such Woes as are beyond these that came on Sodom the heavy Curse and Malediction of God and yet we say to you who are most civil discreet formal and blameless in your Conversation if there be not a fleeing in earnest to Christ and an exercising of Faith on Him the Wrath of God not only waits for you but it abides on you O tremble at the thoughts of it it were better to have your Head thrust in the Fire than your Souls and Bodies to be under the Wrath and Curse of God for ever it 's not only the Ignorant prophane Drunkard Swearer Adulterer Whoremonger c. that we have to complain of and expostulate with but it 's the Unbeliever who though He be lift up to Heaven shall be cast down to the Pit of Hell If ye ask what is all this that we would be at it's only this in a word we would have you receiving Christ if ye think that Unbelief is an exceeding great Evil and that it 's an horribly hazardous thing to ly under it then haste you out of it to Christ O! haste haste you out of it to Christ kiss the Son lest He be angry embrace Him yield to Him there is no other possible way to be free of the Evil or to prevent the hazard SERMON VIII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom
is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's a great encouragement and delight to the Ministers of the Gospel and it 's comfortable and refreshing to Hearers when the Message of the Gospel is received and our Lord Jesus Christ is welcomed but on the contrary it 's burdensome and heavy when there are few or none that believe and receive the Report when their labour and strength is spent in vain and when all the assemblings of them together that hear the Word of the Gospel is but a trading of the Lord's Courts in vain if there were no more to prove it this Complaint of Isaiah speaking in His own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel is sufficient for as comfortable Messages as he carried and He carried as comfortable Messages as any that we hear of yet there was a general non-profiting by the Word of the Gospel in his Mouth when we meet with such words as these our Hearts should tremble when we consider how general and rife an Evil Unbelief and the not receiving of Christ is how horrible a Sin how abominable to God and how hazardous and destructive to our selves it is and how rare a thing it is to see or find any Number believing and receiving this Message of the Gospel We spoke from these words to these Doctrines First That where the Gospel comes it makes offer of Jesus Christ to all that Hear it Secondly That the great thing called for in the Hâ—arers of the Gospel is Faith in Him Thirdly That yet notwithstanding Unbelief is an exceeding rife Evil in the Hearers of the Gospel Fourthly That it 's a very sinful heavy and sad thing not to receive Christ and believe in Him all which are implyed in this short but sad Complaint Who hath believed our report We would now prosecute the Use and Scope of this The last Use was an Use of Conviction of and Expostulation with the Hearers of the Gospel for their being so Fruitless under it serving to discover a great Deceit among Hearers who think they Believe and yet do it not whence it is that so many are mistaken about their Souls Sâ—ate and most certainly the generality are mistaken who live as if Beâ—ieving were a thing common to all Professors of Faith while as it is so rare and there are so very few that Believe The next Use is an Use of Exhortation to you That seeing Unbelief is so great an Evil ye would by all means eschew it and seeing Faith is the only wâ—y to receive Christ and to come at Life through Him ye would seek after it to prevent the Evil of Unbelief This is the scope of the words yea and of all our Preaching that when Christ and Remission of Sins through Him is preached to you ye would by Faith receive Him and rest upon Him for obtaining Right to Him and to the Promises and for preventing of the Threatnings and Curses that abide Unbelievers We shall not again repeat what Faith is only in short it comes to this That seeing Christ hath satisfied Justice for Sinners and His Satisfaction is offered in the Gospel to all that will receive it even to all the Hearers of the Gospel that Sinners in the sight and sense of their lost condition would flee unto Him receive and rest upon Him and His Satisfaction for Pardon of Sin and making of their Peace with God Is there need of Arguments to perswade you to this if ye be convinced of your sinfulness and of your lost estate without Christ and that there is a Judgment to come when Sinners must appear before Him and be judged according to that which they have done in the Body and if ye have the Faith of this that Sinners that are not found in Christ cannot stand as by the way wo to that Man that is not found in Him if it were a Paul for even he he is only happy by being found in Him not having his own Righteousness but Christs and withall that there is no other way to be found in Him but by Faith which is that which Paul hath for his main scope Phil. 3.9 10. Then to be found in Him by Faith should be your main work and study this is it that we should design and endeavour and to this we have access by the Gospel and it is in short to be denuded of and denied to our own Righteousness as to any weight we lay upon it for our Justification before God and to have no other thing but Christ's Righteousness offered in the Gospel and received by Faith to rest upon for Justification and making of our Peace with God This is it that we command you to flee to and by all means to seek an Interest in that when the Gospel makes offer of Christ and Righteousness through His Satisfâ—ction and commands you to Believe on Him when it lays Him to your Door to your Mouth and Heart that ye would roll and lay your selves over on Him for the making of your Peace and the bearing of you thorow in the day of your reckoning before the Tribunal of God That we may speak the more cleâ—rly to this Use We shall shortly shew you 1. What Ground a lost Sinner hath to receive Christ and to lippen to Him 2. What Warrands and Encouragements a Sinner hath to lean and lippen to this Ground 3. We shall remove a Doubt or two that may stand in the way of Sinners resting on this Ground 4. We shall give some Directions to further you to this And. 5. We shâ—ll give you some Characters of one that is tenderâ—y tâ—king this way of Believing And because this is the way of the Gospel and we are sure there is not a word ye have more need of or that through God's Blessing may be more useful and there is not a word more uncontravertible which all of you will assent to the truth of to wit that there is a great good in Believing and a great evil in Unbelief we would exhort you the more seriously to lay it to Heart O! think not that our coming to Speak and Hear is for the Fashion but to Profite Cast your selves therefore open to the Exhortation and let the word of Faith sink down into your Hearts considering that there is nothing ye have more need of than of Faith and that ye will not find it safe for you to hazard your Souls on your own Righteousness or to appear before God without Christ's Righteousness and that the only way to come by it is Faith This may let you see the necessity of Believing and that it is of your concernment to try how it is with you as to that and therefore again and again we would exhort you in the fear of God that ye would not neglect so great a Salvation which through Faith is to be obtained but lay it to Heart as ye would not have all the Servants of God who have preached the Gospel to you complaining of
you It is our Bane that we suspect not our selves and indeed it is a wonder that these who have immortal Souls and profess Faith in Christ should yet live so secure and under so little care and holy solicitude to know whether they have believed or not and should with so little serious concernedness put the Matter to a tryal But we proceed to the Particulars we proposed to speak to And first to this That ye have a good solid Ground to Believe on for clearing of which we would put these three together 1. The Fulness and Sufficiency of thâ— Mediator Jesus Christ in whom all the Riches of the Gospel are treasured up in whom and by whom our Happiness comes and who wants nothing that may fit Him to be a Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him 2. The well-orderedness freeness and fulness of the Covenant of Grace wherein it is transacted that the Fulness that is in the Mediator Christ shall be made forthcoming to Believers in Him and by which lost Sinners that by Faith flee unto Him have a solid Right to His Satisfaction which will bear them out before God by which transaction Christ's Satisfaction is made as really theirs when by Faith it is closed with as if they had satisfied and payed the Price themselves 2 Cor. 5.21 He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him and this Consideration of the legality and order of the Covenant serves exceedingly to clear our Faith as to the Ground of it because by this Covenant it 's transacted and agreed upon that Christ shall undergo the Penalty and that the Believer in Him shall be reckoned the righteous Person if there be a reality in Christ's Death and Satisfaction to Justice if He hath undergone the Penalty and payed their Debt there is a reality in this Transaction as to the making over of what He hath Done and Suffered to Believers in Him and the Covenant being sure and firm as to His part He having confirmed it by His Death it is as sure and firm as to the Benefite of it to the Believer in Him 3. The nature of the Offâ—r of this Grace in the Gospel and the nature of the Gospel that makes the Offer of the fulness that is in Christ by vertue of the Covenant It is the Word of God and hath His Authority when we preach it according to His Command as really as when He preached it Himself in Capernaum or any where else even as the authority of a King is with his Ambasâ—ador according to that 2 Cor. 5. penult vers We are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us there is the Father's Warrand and Name interposed and for the Son 's it follows We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God add to this the nature of the Offer and the terms of it there is no condition required on our part as the precise condition of the Covenant but Believing Now when these are conjoined we put it to your Conscience if ye have not a good Ground to lippen to and a sufficient Foundation to build on and if so it ought to be an powerfully attractive Motive to draw you to Believe in Him and to bring you to rest on Him by Believing Secondly We have also many Warrands and Encouragements to step forward and when Christ in His Fulness lays Himself before you to roll over your selves on Him and to yeeld to Him If we could speak of them sutably they are such as may remove all scarring that any might have in coming to Him and may serve to leave others inexcusable and unanswerably to convince them that the main obstruction was in themselves and that they would not come unto Him for Life He called to them but none would exalt Him 1. Do ye not think that the Offer of this Gospel is a sufficient Warrand and ground of Encouragement to Believe on Him and if it be so to others ought it not to be a sufficient Warrand and Encouragement to you when He says Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it what excuse can ye have to shift or refuse the Offer if ye think Christ real in His Commands is He not as real in His Offers 2. He hath so ordered the Administration of this Gospel as He hath purposely prevented any ground that Folks may have of scarring to close with Christ He hath so qualified the Object of this Grace in the Gospel that these in all the World that Men would think should be secluded are taken in to be Sharers of it for its Sinners lost Sinners Self-destroyers Ungodly the Sheep that have wandered the Poor the Needy the Naked the Captives the Prisoners the Blind c. according to that of Isa 61.1 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me He hath sent me to preach glad tydings to the meek or poor to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. and Isa 55.1 These who are invited to come to the cryed Fair of Grace are such as are thirsty and such as want money who among Men use to be secluded but in Graces-Mercat they only are welcome it 's to them that Grace says He come and Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely it 's not only to say so with reverence these whom He willeth but it 's whosoever will and so if thou wilt come Grace puts the Offer into thy Hand as it were to carve on to let us know that He allows strong Consolation on Believers and that either the Hearers of this Gospel shall Believe or be left without all excuse He hath it to say as it is Isa 5. what could I have done to my vineyard that I have not done If ye had the Offer at your own carving what could ye put more in it it cannot be more free than without money it cannot be more seriously press'd than with a Ho and Oyes to come Sometimes He complains as John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life and sometimes weeps and moans because Sinners will not be gathered as Luk. 19.41 42. and Matth. 23.37 can there be any greater evidences of reality in any Offer A third Warrand is from the manner and form of Christ's Administration He hath condescended to make a Covenant and many Promises to draw Folks to Believe to which He hath added His Oath swearing by Himself when He had not a greater to swear by for our Confirmation and Consolation as it is Heb. 6.16 17. And among Men ye know that an Oath puts an end to all Contraversie and what would ye or could ye seek more of God than His Saying Writing and Swearing He hath done all this that the heirs of Promise may have strong
own Insufficiency acknowledging God's Sufficiency which if we did we should find it go better with us and may not the same be expected in the matter of Believing as well as in other Duties 2. None that ever heard this Gospel shall in the Day of Judgement have this to Object none shall have it to say that they would fain have believed but their meer Infirmity Weakness and Inability did imped them for though it be our own Sin and Guilt that we are unable yet where the Gospel comes that is not the Contraversie But that Folks would not come to Christ would not be gathered that when He would they would not for where there is a will to will and to do go together But it 's Enmity at the way of Believing Security Stupidity Senselesness and Carelesness what become of the Immortal Soul that ruines Folks for the Soul that would fain be at Christ shall be helped to Believe the reason is because the nature of the Covenant of Grace and of the Mediator thereof is such that all to whom He gives to will He gives them also to perform and His Faithfulness is engaged so to do It must therefore return to one of these two That either ye will not receive Him or else ye are willing though weak and if ye be willing Faithful is He that hath called you who also will do it but if it halt at your Perversness and wilful Refusal of the Offer there is good reason that in God's Justice ye should never get good of the Gospel nay there is never one to whom the Gospel comes and who doeth not Believe but formally as it were he passeth a Sentence on himself as the word is Act. 13 46. Ye judge your selves unworthy of eternal life which the Apostle gathers from this ground that they did not neither would accept of Jesus Christ offered to them in the Gospel as the event is that follows on the Offer so will the Lord account of your receiving of it Fourthly As for Directions to help and further you to Believe it 's not easie but very difficult to give them it being impossible to satisfie the curiosity of Nature neither can any Directions be prescribed that without the special work of God's Spirit can effectuate the thing the renewing of the Will and the working of Faith being Effects and Fruits of omnipotent Grace yet because something lyes upon all the Hearers of the Gospel as Duty and it being more suitable and congruous that in the use of Means then when Means are neglected Believing should be attained And because oftentimes these that desire this Question to be answered to wit how they may win at Believing are such as have some beginnings of the work of Grace and of Faith We shall speak a few words to such as would be at believing and exercising of Faith on Jesus Christ And 1. Folk had need to be clear in the common fundamental Truths of the Gospel they would know what their Natural Estate is what their Sin and Misery is and they would know the way how to win out of that State Ignorance often obstructs us in the way of Believing How shall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 when Folks Believe not it is as if they had never heard 2. When ye have attained to the knowledge of the common Truths of the Gospel as of your Sin and Misery the nature of the Covenant the Mediator and His Fulness c. Labour to fix well the Historical Faith of them we are sure that many never come this length to believe the History of the Gospel and till that be they can advance no further for as the word is Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him I say these common simple Truths of the Gospel would well be fixed by a Historical Faith and yet this would not be rested on because though they be excellent Truths yet they may be known and historically believed where Saving Faith and Salvation follow not 3. Be much in Thinking Meditating and Pondering of and on these things let them sink down into your Hearts that the Meditation of them may fix the Faith of them and that they may deeply affect us we would seek to have a morally serious feeling of them as we have of the common works of the Spirit But there are many like the Way sidehearers who as soon as they hear the Word some Devil like a Crow comes and picks it up therefore to prevent this ye would seek to have the Word of God dwelling richly in you ye would meditate on it till ye be convinced of your hazard and get the Affections some way stirred according to the nature of the Word ye meditate upon whether Threatnings or Promises the most part are affected with nothing they know not what it is to tremble at a Threatning nor smile as it were on a Promise through their not dwelling on the thoughts of the Word that it may produce such an Effect 4. When this is done Folks would endeavour a full up-giving with the Law of Righteousness as to their Justification that if they cannot so positively and stayedly win to rest on Jesus Christ and His Righteousness yet they may lay the weight of their Peace with God on no other thing they would lay it down for a certain conclusion that by the works of the Law they can never be justified and would come with a stoped Mouth before God thus tender Christians will find it sometimes easier to give up with the Law then to close with the Gospel as to their distinct apprehension of the thing 5. When this is done Go as it were to the top of mount Nebo and take a look of the pleasant Land of Promises and of Christ held out in them and let your Soul say O! to have the Bargain well closed to have my Heart stirred up to love Him and to rest upon Him O! to have Faith and to discern it in its actings for when the Life of Faith is so weak that it cannot speak yet it may breath and though ye cannot exercise Faith as ye would so as to grip to and catch fast hold of the Object yet essay seriously to do that far as to esteem love and vehemently desire it In this respect the Will is said to go before the Deed though as to God's begetting of Faith there be a contemporariness of the Will and the Deed yet as to our sense the Will outruns the Deed even as in another sense though it makes well for this purpose the Apostle says To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I know not for we ought to have our Will running after Christ and Believing on Him when we cannot attain to the distinct actings of it But it may be here objected and said Is not this Presumption Answ If this were Presumption then
we be necessitate to complain of you and to expostulate with you and considering the Case of People generally if our Hearts were suitably tender it would make us even burst for Grief to see so many sleeping securely and senslesly in their Sins and in that pitiful posture posting to the Pit if God prevent not Observ 3. The third Observation is That a Minister may and sometimes will be put to it to make report to God of what Fruit his Ministry hath and sometimes to complain to Him of the Unbelief and Unfruitfulness of the People among whom he hath long preached the Gospel Isaiah sure is not carried to this Complaint out of hatred to the People neither from any pleasure he hath in it nor any delight to tell ill Tales to speak so of them The Lord needs no Information yet he complains and that to the Lord as we shew from Rom. 10.16 where it is said Lord Who hath believed our report So then Prophets and Apostles complain of this It 's Ezekiel's Complaint no doubt to God as it was the Lords to him This people are a rebellious house and they will not bear And Isaiah speaks here in his own name and in name of other Ministers of the Gospel that they may joyn with him in this Complaint and there is reason for it if we consider 1. The Relation that a Minister stands in to God He ought to give an account to Him who gives Obedience and who not and what Is done by his Embassage there being no Talent given but a Reckoning how it was imployed will be called for 2. The Subordination that a Minister stands in to Christ wherein it is requisite he be keeped as knowing the Work is the Lords and not his pleads for this 3. That a Minister may be keeped from Carnalness and Vanity on the one hand and from Discouragement on the other he ought to be acquaint with and to hold up both the Fruitfulness and Unfruitfulness of the People to God 4. It 's meet for the Good of the People it be so not to irritate but kindly to affect the People that when he complains to God they may be convinced that it is to get the Evil complained of amended if so it may be This complaining will we fear be the result of much Preaching among you for either there must be more Faith and Fruits else ye will have the moe Complainers and the moe Complaints against you Observ 4. The fourth Observation is That it is and ought to be a very sad and weighty thing to a Minister and also to a People when he is put to complain to God of their Unbelief amongst whom he is labouring It 's the last thing he hath to do and he can do no more and it 's the greatest and highest of Witness and Ditty against them when a Minister hath been Preaching long and observing the Fruit of his Ministry and is out-wearied with their Unfruitfulness and forced to cry Lord there are none or but very few that have believed the Report that I have brought to them It 's the heaviest and hardest word that Christ hath to say to Jerusalem Mat. 23.37 and Luke 19.31 when He complains of their Unfruitfulness harder and heavier then all the Woes He pronounced against the Scribes and Pharisees or on other accounts and at least equivalent to them pronounced on the same account for the same Woe and Wrath follows both O! saith He that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes This comes as the last and sadest word holding out the desperateness of their Condition when the powerful preaching of the Gospel hath no gracious Force nor saving Effect following it when Directions prevail not when no sort of Ministerial Gifts do a People good when it comes to that Mat. 11.16 Whereunto shall I liken this generation it is like children sitting in the market-place crying to their fellows we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented when both the sweet Offers of Grace and the terrible Threatnings of the Law come forth to a People and both are followed for a long time without Fruit then comes out that word Whereunto shall I liken this generation John came neither eating nor drinking and ye say he hath a devil his austere way of Living and Preaching did you no good ye could not away with it The son of Man came eating and drinking in a familiar way and ye say behold a man gluttenous a wine-biber a friend of Publicans and Sinners They stumble on both unjustly and so it is still even to this day many stumble at the Messenger cast at the Message and then followeth the sad Complaint It 's meet that now we speak to a word of Use but we profess we know not well how to follow it there is so much ground to Complain and we are not alace suitably sensible of our own unfitness to follow the Complaint which makes us think that it would become another better But what shall we say It 's the Word of the Lord and it were needful that both ye and we should forget and take our eyes off Man and remember that it is the Lord God and some commissioned from Him that we have to do with that so we may accept of the Message 1. Then We may say that it is no pleasure to us to be hewing you and speaking sadly to you the Lord knows would to God there were moe that needed Healing-Medicines and that fewer had need of Hewing and Wounding but the truth is Carnal Security Spiritual Pride Hypocrisie and Formality are so rife and become so much the Plague of this Generation that People believe not their hazard Neither 2ly Is it our desire nor design to speak to all of you indifferently and without Discrimination for as the Lord saith Mat. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her children Though the Generality despise this Word yet we are confident the Lord hath some that He allows not to be grieved and we shall desire that such may not wrong themselves nor mar our freedom in speaking the Word of the Lord to others 3ly We shall not desire to speak peremptorly as to the Case of particular Persons though we will not deny nor conceal our Fears and sad Apprehensions as to many of you only what we have to say ye would know and be assured that it is not spoken at random by us but as having some acquaintance with many of your Conditions and we may gather from these what is very probably the Condition of others And now as to what we would say to you Some have been preaching this Gospel to you who are flitted and removed to another part of the Vineyard other some are gone to another World and some are yet continued Preaching to you but what Fruit is brought forth by the Ministry of all If we
think we must report can we report any other way then it is with you Shall we or dare we say that such a Man was a fine civil Man and that therefore he will not be reckoned with though he believed not in Christ No no but this must be the report that such a Man and such a kind of Men though Christ was long wooing them would not embrace Him though He invited them to the Wedding yet they would not come nay they mocked and spurned at it they trode the Blood of the Covenant under Foot and counted God a Liar in all His Offers and said by their Practice that they should be happy though they took not this way many of you who would not take it well if we should speak this to you in particular will find it to be a Truth one day And if ye shall say What would we be at The answer is at hand Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved This is the End of the Gospel and the mean of your Happiness it 's the great and the main thing that we call for which if it be not obtained the ground of the Complaint will continue And do you think this any strange hard or uncouth thing that when we bring to you the Offer of Christ in the Gospel we bid you receive it and flee in to Him to hide you from the Wrath to come and yet this is all we seek of you it 's neither your Shame nor your Skaith that we seek but that ye may take with your Sin that ye may judge and condemn your selves that your Mouth may be stopped before God and that ye may flee to Jesus Christ in earnest and close with Him on His own Terms As therefore ye would prevent the greatly aggravated Sin to wit sinning against the Gospel and the Complaint of the Ministers thereof against you and the terrible Vengeance of the Mediator Kiss the Son cast open the everlasting Doors of your Hearts and let the Gospel and Christ the King of Glory have access We pray you stand not in the way of your own Happiness refuse not to do Him that much pleasure and satisfaction for all the travel of His Soul as to give Him your Souls to be saved Now God Himself keep you from this Folly and Soul-destroying madness SERMON X. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken somewhat these days past to sundry Doctrines from this part of the Verse and particularly of the sad Complaint which Isaiah hath in his own name and in the name of all the Ministers of the Gospel that the savoury Report concerning Jesus Christ is not received and that though Life and Salvation through Him be offered to many yet there are but few scarce here one and there one that do embrace it this is the sad result Lord who hath believed our report Words that being spoken by such a Prophet and so often mentioned in the New-Testament may and should as often as we speak hear or reâ—d them put both Ministers and People to a holy demur and to look what becomes of all our Preaching and Hearing when this was all the Fruit even of Isaiah's Preaching as to the greatest part of his Hearers Ere we leave this part of the Verse it will not be unmeet that we speak a little to these three First To what may be the Causes why when the Gospel is powerfully Preached there are so few Believers Secondly How it comes to pass seeing so few Believe that generally so many think they Believe and so few suspect their own Faith And Thirdly To the necessity that lyes on the Hearers of the Gospel to enquire at and try themselves concerning their Faith and to have some solid Satisfaction in it Although we mention no particular Doctrines now yet considering the Doctrines we spoke to before these things will not be unsuitable to them nor impertinent to you For the first The Causes why so few believe the Gospel we cleared to you already That generally the powerful Preaching of the Gospel hath been with little Fruit so that Isaiah hath this sad Complaint Lord who hath believed our report and our Lord Jesus hath it also on the matter Mat. 11.7 We have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented and in the same express words John 12.38 And when it is so with sweet Isaiah in the Old Testament and with our blessed Lord in the New that spoke with such Power and Authority ye may see there is reason for us to enquire into the Causes why it is that so few Believe In speaking to which 1. We intend not to touch on all the Reasons that may be gathered together of Peoples not profiting under the Gospel but of these that ye have most reason to look to and that are most obstructive of Faith in you 2. Though we might speak of Reasons on the side of them that speak to you for who is sufficient for these things and we shall not deny but we have culpable accession to your Unfruitfulness yet it were not much to your edifying to insist on these 3. Neither will we speak to these soveraign Causes on God's part who in His Holy Justice gives up People to Unfruitfulness when they receive not the Truth in Love Neither 4ly Shall we insist on these Causes that may arise from the Devil who waits on wherever the Word is preached to mar the Fruit of it as we may see Mat. 13.19 the evil Spirits like as many Crows when the Seed of the Word is sowen waiting on to pick it up and ye would know that ye never come to hear the Word but there are as it were Flocks of Devils attending you Hence it is that some are rocked and lulled asleep some have their Minds filled with worldly Thoughts some forget all that they Hear ere they go out of Doors thus it is with many Hearers of this Gospel their Hearts are trode upon as the Way-side by Devils and Foul-Spirits that never a word takes impression on them and though ye may think such expressions uncouth-like and strange yet they are sadly true Satan waited on when Christ preached and sure he will scar no more to do so at our Preaching than he did at His if he stood at Joshua's right Hand to resist him he will no doubt be at ours But we say we will not insist on these But 5ly We shall speak a little to these Causes that are common in you which ye your selves mâ—ght know if ye would observe them and we would exhort you to take notice of them when we tell you of them First Then we offer or rather assert this for a Cause The want of serious minding the great concernment of the work of your Salvation and that this preached Gospel is the Word of the Lord by which ye must be saved Alace
though ye have immortal Souls and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart that your Souls are in hazard and that this Word must be it that ye must live by and live upon I appeal to your Consciences if ye think upon this seriously want of this Consideration fosters Security breeds Laziness and makes and keeps you Careless and Carnal I shall instance the want of it in three respects 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it How few are hungering and thirsting or preparing for benefite by it or preparing to meet with God in it In effect ye come not with a design to profite so that if it were known it would be wondred at wherefore ye come to hear the Word as Christ says of some They came not because they saw the miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so may we say of you that ye come not to profite by the Word but on some crooked carnal design 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come How many sleep a great part of the Sermon so that it 's a shame to look on the face of our Meetings when in every corner some are Sleeping whose Consciences God will waken ere long and the Timber and Stones of the House will bear witness against them Were you in any other Meeting about ordinary Business there would not be such Sleeping But when ye are Waking what is your Carriage for ye may be Waking and your Heart far away or fast asleep how seldom can ye give account of what is said though your Bodies be present your Hearts are wandering ye are like these spoken of Ezek. 33.31 who sat before the Prophet as God's people but their hearts went after their covetousness how often while ye are sitting here is your Heart away some in their Thoughts running after their Trade some after their Merchandice some after one thing some after another This is one sad instance of it that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years that can scarce tell one Note of it all and no wonder for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard What unedifying Discourse will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door how carnally and carelesly do many rush unto and go away from hearing of the Word and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Case do ye go to your Knees with it before God desiring Him to breath on it and to keep it warm or do ye meditate upon it Now put these three together your Carriage before in the time and after your Hearing the Word ye will find that there is just cause to say that the most part that hear this Gospel are not serious what wonder then that it do them no good In the end of that Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its said by the Lord Take heed how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given c. If ye improve well your Hearing ye will get yet more but so long as ye take no heed how ye hear ye cannot profite A second Ground or Cause is this That the most part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God they come never almost to have a Historical Faith of it it 's said Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently But when Folk do not really believe that God is what wonder they seek Him not that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell and that they study not Holiness they say in their Hearts they shall have Peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts and that the way to Heaven is not so narrow as Ministers say it is that God will not condemn poor christned Bodies this is the language of many Hearts and of some Mouths Need there any evidences of it be given if ye believed that the way to Heaven is so strait and that Holiness is so extensive could ye possibly with any seriousness reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted But the truth is this Word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God therefore sayeth our Lord to His Disciples Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink into your ears There are these things I fear ye do not Believe and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Consciences when there are so many that profess they know God but in works they deny Him as it is Tit. 1.16 when we see such things in your Carriage we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they spring 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be to wit Holy Just Powerful c. else ye durst not live at feed with Him The fool hath said in his heart there is not a God they are corrupt c. your practical Atheism and Prophanity say ye believe not there is a God 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature Do ye think as James bespeaks these he writes to chap. 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in you lusts to envy Ye do not think that your Heart is deceitful and desperatly wicked though we should Preach never so much on this Subject yet ye lay it not to Heart ye take it not to you in particular 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment and your particular and personal coming to it nay there are among you who are like to these Mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3 4. who say where is the promise of his coming And as there were in Paul's days some thâ—t denied the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. so there are still who do it on the matter at least Ye have the same corrupt Nature We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God Life to come and a Day of Judgment and if ye did so ye would be more serious in Duty and would come more Hungry and Thirsty to the Word 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed to wit That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jesus Christ and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holiness If all your thoughts were spoke out it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith and another way than that of Holiness And to make out this we need go no further then to your Practice we are sure many of you live in Prophanity and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven and what says this but
know how interruptions of and threatnings to remove the preached Gospel from you never troubled you That business of the Tender gave a proof that if ye might brook your ease and the things of the World ye cared not what became of the Gospel and of the Liberties of Christ's Kingdom among you nay we may say the Gospel was never less set by never more reproached despised and trode upon then in the time wherein we live and who lays it to Heart If it were well tried there is more pains taken on seckless particulars in a Week then ye take upon your Souls in a Year and which may be spoken to the shame of some more time taken up in Tipling Drinking and Debauching then in Prayer or any other Religious Duty And is not that an undenyable evidence that ye make light of the Gospel They made light of it and went their ways c. saying on the matter care for yonder Invitation who wili as for us we have somewhat else to do A sixth Ground or Cause though possibly it be not so rife is a shifting of Convictions and Challenges a quenching of any begun Exercise in the Conscience Some of you have been made sometimes to tremble as Felix did but ye shifted it and put it off to another time and went away to some Company or Recreation that so ye might stifle it and drive it out of your thoughts Is there any of you but in Sickness or under some other sad Cross or at a Communion ye have had your own Convictions Challenges and Frights about your Souls estate and yet ye have smothered extinguished and put them out again A seventh Ground or Cause which is as large and comprehensive as any is Folks resting and sitting down before they have any solid Ground to rest upon taking a counterfite Work for a real one like these spoken of Hosea 7.16 of whom it 's said They return but not to the most High Some attain to a sort of out-side Reformation and they trow that on that account they are well enough and in good terms with God and when such are called to return they say as these do Mal. 3.7 Wherein shall we return they think they are returned and that their Peace is made already They cannot endure to be bidden Believe or to lay a new Foundation for they think it 's laid already In a word as Laodicea did they think themselves rich and encreased in goods when yet they are poor blind miserable wretched and naked but they know not and so are well satisfied with themselves as gracious Persons resting on these and the like Grounds As 1. It may be they Pray and think something of that 2. They think they have Faith enough if they have a Historical Faith 3. It may be they have had some resolutions and fits of a sort of Tenderness and these they rest upon We shall not insist to shew the rottenness of these Props but shall only say it were in some respect good for many of you that ye had never had the little pieces of Profession ye have There is a sort of civil legal formal fairfashioned Men and Women among us whose Conversation and Communication relishes to none but themselves and speak the Word who will they think that they are without the reach of it I must say this sad word thâ—t I think mâ—ny of you have as much believing as keeps you from Faith in Christ that is ye have as much Presumption and Security as makes you that ye are never serious with the Lord to amend it and to bring you indeed to Believe so that it 's a greater difficulty to beat you off from your rotten Grounds then it is to get you right though both require the Omnipotent Power of God ye think ye Believe always and ye have no Doubts about it and therefore ye think ye have Faith enough to do your turn Ah! when will ye know that Security is no Faith and that there is great difference betwixt Presumption and solid resting by Faith on Christ Eighthly We think that this wrongs many of you because ye are not among the worst sort and others esteem well of you ye think ye are well enough and this makes us that as to many of you we know not whether to be more familiar with or to stand at a distance from you because ye are ready to rest on so very slender Grounds It is not the commendation of Men but the commendation of God that ye should seek mainly after and yet if ye think good Men esteem well of you ye apprehend ye are good enough This was it that madâ— the foolish Virgins so secure because the wise took them and retained them in their Company and this is the neck-break of many especially when they look about them and observe some Sin in others which they have win to abstain from As if it had been enough in Herod and a sufficient proof of the reality of his Religion That he heard John gladly and did many things on the hearing of him A ninth Ground is and it 's a very poor one Folks sitting down on the Means when they have them as if when they have gotten the Gospel they were in no hazard and could Believe when they list I make no question but where the Gospel is powerfully in any measure preached there are many more secure and fearless then if they had it not and it 's very probable somewhat of this is hinted at Luke 13.26 where some are brought in saying to Christ We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets who when He boasts them away from Him at the great Day they will in a manner hardly believe that He is in earnest and they give this for the reason of it that they have heard Him Preach and they have run out to the Fields after Him It were good to fear while ye have the Word lest ye miss the Fruit of it compare to this purpose Heb. 3. at the close with Heb. 4.1 and we will find this commended to us So we see saith the Apostle that they could not enter in because of unbelief let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of us should seem to come short of it It 's much yea the first step to Faith to get Folks made suitably affraid to miss the Fruit and Blessing of the Ordinances while they have them It 's good to be affraid to come to the Church and not to get good of the Preaching or to go and read a Chapter of the Bible and not profite by it always to put a difference betwixt the Ordinance and the Blessing of it and to be affraid in the use of the Ordinances to miss the Blessing of them There may be many other Causes and we would not stint and limit you to these but sure these are Causes why this Gospel profites not We may add these
the Gospel The heads judge for a reward and the priests teach for hire and the prophets divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us It is not for real Believing that they are charged but for their confident asserting their Believing when there was no ground for it So it is with many they will say they hope to escape Hell and to get their Sin pardoned and to win to Heaven and they believe it will be so when in the mean time there is no ground for it but clear ground to the contrary A fifth Ground is Folks spiritual and practical Ignorance of the Righteousness of God whereof the Apostle speaking Rom. 10.3 sayeth Being ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about to establish their own c. that which I mean is Folks being ignorant of their Natural Condition of the Spiritualness of God's Law what it requires and of the way of Faith and of the command of Believing and the nature of it It 's from the ignorance of these three to wit of the Mischief that is in them by Nature of the Spiritualness of the Law and of the Spiritualness of Faith and of the Exercise of it that they sleep on in Security and think they have Faith when they have it not And though sometimes they will say their Faith is weak yet they cannot be beaten from it but that they Believe and their Faith is up and down as their Security stands or falls This the Apostle makes clear from his own experience Rom. 7.9 where before his Conversion he says he was a living Man but after his Conversion he begins to think himself nothing but a dead and gone Man the reason is because before Conversion he knew not himself he knew not the Law nor the nature of the Covenant of Grace Before the Law came saith he I was alive he knew not the spiritual meaning of it and therefore he thought he observed it and so thought himself sure of Heaven and had no doubts nor disputings concerning his Interest in God But saith he when the commandment came sin revived and I died I saw my self then to be lost and gone and in every thing guilty that which I thought had been Humility I saw it to be Pride that which I took for Faith I found it to be Presumption anâ— Unbelief and my Holiness I found to be Hypocrisie not that his Sin grew more upon his hand but the Sin that before was vailed was now discovered and staired him in the face This is a sad truth yet a most real truth The good Believing as many of you call it and the Faith that ye have is a surer ground of your strangeness to God and of your Unbelief then any other thing ye have can be a ground whereupon to conclude ye have Faith and are good Friends with God ye are yet alive Strangers to God Strangers to your Selves Strangers to the spiritual meaning of the Law and to the exercise of Faith If ye would set your selves to ponder seriously this one Consideration I think ye might be somewhat convinced of it Do ye not see many that understand more of God then ye do and that are more tender in their Walk then ye are who yet are loather more difficuâ—ted and affraid to assert their Faith and Confidence in God then ye are and they are oftener brangled and put to question their Faith will ye then consider what can be the reason that ye have so strong a Faith that ye never doubted and they are troubled with doubting sometimes yea often though they Pray more and are more diligent in the use of all the Means and holier in their Conversation then ye are and ye wilâ— it may be say well's them that are like such a Person this is the reason of it they see their Sin and the spiritualness of the Law and the nature of Faith and are dead to the Law but ye are yet alive in your conceit Do ye or can ye think that much Praying Reading Meditation and Tenderness in Folks Walk will weaken Faith and occasion Doubting or is it not rather like that Faith will be more confirmed by these then by the neglect of them how is it then that ye are so strong in your Faith when they find themselves so weak and doubting or have ye an infused Faith without the Means or doeth God deal with you in a more indulgent way then He uses to deal with His People how is it then that these of whom ye cannot say but they are more tender then ye are cannot almost name Faith or assert their confidâ—nce in God without trembling and fear that they presume and yet ye dare very confidently take a mouthful of it without any hiâ—k or â—esitation and yet live carnally and without fear Do not many of you wonder whâ—t ails some Folks what need they to be so much troubled and why do they stand in need of some to Pray for them and with them and to answer their Doubts and ye mean while need no such thing and all your remedy is that ye assure your selves ye Believe and think the questioning of your Security is the very undoing of your Faith God help ye are in a woful taking A sixth Reason is That Folk drink in some Carnal Principles that have no warrand in the Word of God and accordingly square every thing that comes in their way 1. They lay it for a Ground that Folk should never doubt of God's Mercy we do not say that Folk should doubt of God's being most real in His offer of Mercy to Sinners in the Gospel but from that it will not follow that never one should doubt of God's love to them or of their coming to Heaven whether they close with the Offer or not Are there not many whom God curseth and should not these doubt A second Carnal Principle is That there is no such reality in the Threatnings of God as there is in His Promises as if He were utterly averse from executing a Threaâ—ning and as if it were a rare thing to Him to condemn any and is there any thing more opposite to Scripture then this Principle is Hath He not said in the same place to wit Ex. 34. where He proclaims Himself to be gracious merciful long-suffering c. That He is a God that will not clear the guilty And hath not the Scripture said that it 's but a remnant that are saved but as it were here one and there one and that there are many damned for one that is saved But know it of a certain that He will make you one day vomit up these Principles with exquisite torment when out of your own Mouth He will convince you of your Mistake and Delusion 3. When Folks want many things they supply all with an honest Mind This supplies your want of Knowledge your want of Faith and of Repentance and of
every thing whereof ye are said to be shorâ— Though ye live and should die Carnal and Unrenewed yet ye think stil ye have an honest Mind or Heart for all that and what I pray is your honest Mind but a rotten and prophane Heart that vails your Hypocrisie with a pretext of Honesty Would ye think that Man honest spoke of Isa 44.19 who with one part of the Tree warmed himself and with another part made a god and fell down and prayed to it and yet in your Sense he hath an honest Mind for he followeth his light which is but darkness and the deceit of his Heart carrying him away from God though he cannot see it he discerns not because he considers not that there is a lie in his hand and that a deceived heart hath led him aside so it is with you and if many of you saw what is latent under that honest Mind and Heart there would be nothing that would make you loath your selves more a little time will convince you that that which ye looked for most good from was your greatest and most traiterous Enemy He that trusts in his own heart is a fool saith Solomon Prov. 28.26 it supposes that Folks are ready to lippen to their Heart and to hearken to the language of it concerning their Spiritual Estate but it says also that they are Fools that do so for it betrayes them and there is no folly comparable to that whereby a Man betrayes his own immortal Soul and that he doth who trusts in his own Heart A seventh Reason is from the deceitfulness of our Heart and the natural Corruption that sticks to us There is naturally in us Pride and Self-conceit we are disposed and given to think any thing that is our own though it be but a shew is as good as others reality to think our own Light and Knowledge our own other Parts and Gifts to be as good as those of any others whosoever they be And with Pride there is joined Self-love we dow not abide to think evil of our selves or to suspect our selves Though this Self-love be indeed Self-hatred and is but love to our Corruptions and makes us that when we live in hatred of God to think that we love Him so that we cannot be induced to think that we love Him not for we know that love to God is good and we love our selves so well that we cannot endure to think that we want it hence it 's said of some in the last Times 2 Tim. 3.2 3. That they shall he covetous proud boasters blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers c. having a form of godliness and denying the power of it and the founâ—ain of all is Self-love for saith he men shall be lovers of their own selves And as Self-love is the fountain of much Evil so it 's the fountain of Self-deceit and keeps out any thing that may make Men question their own Condition so that if a word come in and say thou hast no ground for thy Faith the Heart will be ready to answer and say it cannot be that I am a Self-deceiver and Self-love as a partial Judge will offer to vindicate the Man and so makes him shift the Challenge Now when all these are put together you may see how many Grounds Folks have to go wrong upon and Men having Hearts disposing and inclining them to go wrong and little pains being taken to discover the deceit of them is it any wonder that they think they Believe when indeed they Believe not and be empty and toom-handed having little or nothing to rest upon while they think they are Rich and want nothing These are not fancied and far fetched things but obvious and at Hand and may easily be gathered from your daily Practice In all which it 's our design and scope to bring you to try your long unquestioned Peace do not therefore think that it is impossible to be thus perswaded as many of you are and yet to be mistaken which is another Ground of Folks deceit for Laodicea was very confident in thinking her self to be rich and encreased in goods and to stand in need of nothing when she was in the mean time poor blind miserable wretched and naked and the Galatians as we may see chap. 5.8 had a perswasion which was not of God As there may be a perswasion of a point of Doctrine as being right which yet is an errour so there may be a perswasion of a Man's Spiritual State as being right and which he will stoutly maintain to be so while in the mean time that perswasion is not of God that calleth him but a strong Delusion If all that be Faith that ye call Faith then certainly the way to Heaven is much broader then the Scripture hath chalked it out and Ministers needed not say Who believes our report for all should thus believe it It will then and must then turn to this that your perswasion is not of Him that calleth you and if a deceit may ly and lurk under this perswasion of yours ye have certainly so much the more need to put the business to tryal And this is the last Use which we cannot now insist on That seeing so many think they Believe who Believe not and that there are but few that believe the Report and indeed rest on Christ for their Salvation as He is offered to them in the Gospel it is of your concernment to endeavour to put your selves without the reach of this Complaint and to make it sure that ye have believed and received the Report Is there any thing of concernment if this be not even to makâ— your Calling and Election sure and that cannot be made sure as to you till your Faith be made sure If we could prevail this far with you we would count it a blessed Fruit of this and of many other Preachings even that some of you who have never quâ—stioned your Faith might be engaged first seriously to close with Christ and then to put your selves to the tryal that on distinct grounds ye might be able to say I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day There are many of you that talk of Faith and yet cannot only not assert your Interest in Christ distinctly but cannot so much as give any solid grounds of your Believing and should not this think ye put you to try it Is there not a Day coming wherein ye will all be tried whether your alledged Faith was true Faith or but Presumption and wherein the Conscience which is now quiet and which it may be never keeped you from an hours Sleep shall awake and put forth its Sting and shall bite and gnaw and ye who shall continue under the power of this Delusion will be put to gnaw your Tongues for pain and horrour under the gnawings of your Conscience Ye that
day cursing in Hell under the Wrath of God that they let slip and passed over so many golden Opportunities of the Gospel without improvement and know ye not that it will come to the same sad pass with you if ye do not receive it Do Men live always Is there not an appointed time for all Men upon Earth If before we have savingly exercised Faith on Him for making Peace with God we be drawn to a reckoning before His Tribunal what will come of it and are not our precious Opportunites apace and always sliping by and is not the work of Faith by delays still the more difficult are not our Bonds still the more strengthened and doth not our Indisposition still grow the greater and is it not very ordinary to see these who have slighted the work of Faith in their Youth to live stupid in their old Age and die Sensless 4. Consider what sort of Folk they are of whom the Scripture speaks as Unbelievers and whom the Word of God holds forth to be eternally secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith Many think that it 's but the grosly Prophane or such as never had so much as the form of Religion and such as others would scunner and loath to hear them but mentioned that it's I say only such that are accounted Unbelievers But the Scripture speaks of some that seek to enter in and shall not be able that desire to be in Heaven and take some pains to win in and yet are never admitted to enter into it and what is the reason because they took not the way of Believing for the obtaining of Life and coming to Heaven they took the way of Works they took the way of Prayer of Purposes Promises and Resolutions to ammend and grow better quite overlooking Christ and the way of Believing in Him and so took the way of Presumption and promised themselves Peace when there was no true Peace nor any solid ground for it 5. Consider which is of affinity with the former Consideration them that are secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith they are even Men and Women as we are that lived in the same Kingdom and City with us that prayed in the same Company with us that thought themselves as sure of Heaven as many of us do that were guilty of the same or like Sins that we are guilty of that have heard many of the same Preachings that we have heard and yet they perish for want of Faith for not believing in the Son of God Why then should we think that impossible as to us that is so common and frequent in others Is not the same Nature in us that 's in others and are not our Hearts naturally as deceitful and corrupt as those of others and so may not we be beguiled as well as others And is it not the same rule that He will walk by in judging of us that He walked by in judging of others What can be the reason that Folk will read and hear the Word and will promise to themselves Heaven when the same Word clears it plainly that Destruction is that which they have to look for from the Lord It is nothing else but this confident and proud Presumption that many take for Faith Let not your precious opportunities slip away and beguile not your selves in such a concerning matter as Faith is ye will never get this loss made up afterwards if ye miss Faith here Lastly Consider the great necessity that the Loâ—d hath laid upon all Men and Women by a peremptory Command and Charge to believe in the Son of God He hath not with greater peremptoriness required Prayer nor dependance upon Him nor any other Duty then He hath required this 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ yea it 's singled out as His main Commandment If that great iniquiry be made What shall I do to be saved this is the answer Believe on Jesus Christ Do ye think that our Lord who hath so marked and signalized this Command in so special a manner will never take account for the slighting of it or do ye think to satisfie Him by your other Duties without minding this It cannot be Suppose ye should mourn all your Life-time and your Life were a pattern to others yet if ye want this one thing Faith in Christ ye will be found Transgressours as having neglected the main work Now for the Question ye will say What this is we are bidding you do when we bid you Believe Answ When we call you to Believe we call you 1. To be suitably affected with the sense of your own Naughtiness Sinfulness and Hâ—zaâ—d Till there be something of this Faith in our Lord Jesus hath no access nor will ever get welcome Deep apprehensions of the Wrath that is coming and a standing in awe at the thoughts of our appearing before Him contribute much to it I am not preaching Desperation to you as some mutter but we would press upon you the Faith of the Word of God that tells you what we are and liveliness under that impression that ye may not be stopped or letted till ye come to a thorow closure with Christ The most part of Hearers come never this length and this is the reason why many stumble in the very Threshold and make never Progress 2. We call for and commend this to you that ye would study to be through and clear as to the Usefulness and Excellency of Jesus Christ as to the efficacy of His Death as to the terms of the Covenant of Grace whereby a Sinner comes to obtain Right to Him to be sensible of Sin and Hazard without this is only the way to make a Man desperate and mad but when this is clear it makes an open door to the Sinner that he may see whither to run from the Wrath to come I do not only mean that ye would get the Catâ—chism and be able to answer to all the Questions concerning the Fundamentals of Religion contained therein but that ye would also and mainly seek to have the Faith of these things in your Hâ—arts and to have Faith in God that ye may be perswaded that He that was and is God died for Sinners and that by the application of His Satisfaction Sinners may obtain Life and that there is a sufficient Warrand given to a Sinner to hazard himself upon Him The first of these speaks the necessity of some Sense the second holds out the necessity of a general Faith according to that word Heb. 11. He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him We must know that there is a Warrand to come and ground to expect Acceptance from God upon our coming or else we will never come to nor believe in Christ The third thing that we call you to when we call you
to Believe is That the Sinner would actually stretch out that Faith as the Souls Hand for the receiving of Christ and for the Application of Him to himself and would actually cast himself upon the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ for covering that Sinfulness that is in him and would catch hold of and grip to Him that is an able Saviour for keeping the Sinner from sinking under the weight of Sin that he lieth under This is the Exercise and Practice of Faith when it flows from the general Doctrine of the necessity of believing such things to be Truths in themselves and when it 's extended and put forth in Practice that we who are so certainly and sensibly lost must needs share of that Salvation which we believe to be in Jesus Christ and so for that roll our selves on Him The first piece of Sense may be in a Reprobate the second piece of Faith that there is a sufficient Salvation in Christ to be gotten by them that believe in Him may be in a Devil But this third of actual use-making of the Satisfaction of Christ for paying our Debt and rolling our selves upon Him that 's the Faith and Exercise of it that is peculiar to a sound Believer and the very thing that constitutes a Believer and it is that which we commend to you that ye may not stand and please your selves with looking only upon Christ but that ye may cast and roll your selves over upon Him that Christ may get your Weight and that all your Burthens and Wants may be upon Him which to do ye must be enabled by the mighty Power of Grace whereof in the next part of the Verse The second Branch of the Use which follows upon this is That we would desire you not only to follow this way of making your Peace with God but to follow the trying and proving of it to your own satisfaction that ye may be warrantably confident that it is so There is a great difference betwixt these to believe in Christ and to be clear and certain that we do believe in Him As there is a necessity of the first without which there cannot be Peace with God so there is a necessity of the second though not simply as without which there can be no Peace with God yet upon this account as without which we cannot be so comforted in God And seing there are so many who do not Believe who yet think themselves to be Believers and seing there is nothing more common among the Hearers of the Gospel then to reject Christ offered in it and to Misbelieve and yet nothing more common then to be confident that they do Believe There is good ground here to exhort you to put your Faith to the Touch-stone that ye may know whether ye can abide the Trial and whether ye may confidently assert your own Faith upon good ground and abide by it We would think if it were remembred and seriously considered how great a scarcety there is of Believers and how rare a thing it is to get any to receive Christ that Folk needed not be much pressed to put their Faith to the Trial and when there will not be one among many found who will pass under the account of a real Believer with Jesus Christ should not the most part suspect themselves seing the most part that hear the Gospel are the object of this Complaint Who hath believed our report or very few have believed it ye would study to have some well grounded confidence in this that ye are not guessing and presuming and going upon grounds that will fail you at last but that ye be in case to say on solid grounds with the Apostle I know whom I have believed c. There is a Faith and Hope that will make many ashamed and certainly in the day of Judgment when Christ shall have to do with these Persons that never once thought to be thrust away from Him they of all Men shall be thrust away from Him with greatest Shame O! the confusion that will fill and overwhelm them who had a profession of Christ and yet had never the root of the matter in them above and beyond many others Dare many of you upon the confidence ye have look Death in the Face It 's no great matter to be confident in the time of Health but will ye then be able to comfort your selves in the Promises of God do not promise to your selves the things in the Covenant except ye be endeavouring in God's way to be sure ye are Believers indeed Our Life depends upon our Faith but our Consolation depends much upon our clearness that we have Faith and that we are in Christ and therefore there is much need to press this upon you There is no way to rid you of the Terrours of God and to make you comfortably sure of your particular Interest in the Promises of God but by making it sure and clear that ye are Believers in Christ indeed There are three or four sorts of People to whom we would speak a little here 1. There are some who think that if they could do other Duties though they should never do this to wit to make their Calling and Election sure they would be and do well enough Are there not many of you that never so much as set your selves to try whether your Faith would abide God's tryal or not Ah! Ah! an atheistical Indifferency a slighting of the Consolations of God aboundeth amongst many so that they think the Promises and the Consolation that is to be gotten in the Promises are not of so much worth as to be thereby put to take pains to try and see whether they belong to them or not but the Day will come that many of you will curse your selves for your neglecting and slighting of this A second sort are these who because they were never sure of Peace with God themselves and because they were never sure of their own Faith neither ever concernedly endeavoured to be they think it 's all but fancy that 's spoken of assurance of Faith and of Peace with God they think it 's but guessing at the best There is such a sort of Persons who think they may be doing as they dow and need not trouble themselves with such fancies or nice things but if ye ask them what will come of them at last they will tell you they will lippen that to God Think ye it for nought that God hath laid so many Commands on you to make your Calling and Election sure and think ye it for nought that He hath given so many Marks to try it by and that some of the People of God do holily and humbly glory and boast so much of their Communion with God out of their assurance of His love to them and of their special interest in Him do not all these say that there is such a thing as this to be had There is a third sort that please themselves with meer
impossibility that is in us naturally for the exercising of Faith in Christ If Men naturally be dead in Sins and Trespasses if the Mind be blind if the Affections be quite disordered and if the Will be utterly corrupted and perverted then that which converts and changes and renues them must be a real inward peculiar immediate powerful work of the Spirit of God there being no inward seed of the Grace of God in them to be quickened that seed must be communicate to them and sowen in them ere they can believe which can be done by no less nor lower Power then this Power of God's Grace It 's not Oratory as I said nor excellency of Speech that will do it it 's such a work as begers the Man again and actually renews him The second is drawen from God's end in the way of giving Grace comunicating it to some and not to others If God's end in being gracious to sâ—me one and not to others be to commend His Grace solly and to make them alone in Grace common or debt then the work of Grace in Conversion must be peculiar and immediate and wrought by the Power of the Spirit of God leaving nothing to Man's Free-will to diffâ—rence himself from another or on which such an effect should depend But if we look to Scripture we will find that it's God's end in the whole way and conduct of His Grace in Election Redempâ—ion Calling Justification c. to commend His Grace solly and to stop all Mouths and to cut off all ground of boasting in the Creature as it is 2 Cor. 4.7 Who makes thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou didst not receive This being certain that if the work of Grace in Conversion were not a distinct inward peculiar real immediate work and did not produce the effect of it self by its own strength and not by vertue of any thing in Man the Man would still be supposed to have had some Power for the work in himself and some way to have differenced himself from another but the Lord hath designed the contrary and therefore the work of Grace in Conversion must be suitable to his design Use 1. The first Use is for the refutation of several Errors and for the confirmation of a great Truth of the Gospel which we profess It serves I say First For the refutation of Errors which in such an Auditory we love not to insist on yet we cannot here the Ground being so clear and the Call so cogent forbear to say somewhat briâ—fly this way and the rather that the Devill hath taken many waâ—s and driven many dâ—signs to weaken the estimaâ—ion of God's Grace among Men and to exalt proud Nature and that there is here a collection and concatenation of these designs and ways against the Truth which this Doctrine holds forth vented by corrupt Men. As 1. They will have nothing to be necessarily applyed for the working of Conversion buâ— the preaching of the Word taking it for granâ—ed that all Men have universal or common Grace which God by His Soveraignty say they was obliged to give else he could not not reasonably require Faith of them and upon this comes in the pleaded for Power of Free-will and Mans ability to turn himself to God others by pleading for this notion of a Light within Men become to be Patrons of proud and petulant corrupt Nature as if there were need of nothing to beget Saving Faith but that common Grace within and Oratory or Swasion of Mouth from without And hence they came to maintain the foulest Errors which have not only been condemned by the Chuâ—ch of God in all Ages bâ—t have even by some Papists been abominated and many of these same Errors are creeping in even in these times wherein we live the design whereof is to tempt Folk to turn loose vain and proud and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness as if they needed not at all to depend on God and His Grace having a sufficient stock within themselves on which they can live well enough And it 's not only the Errors of Papists Pelagians Socinians Arminians or Errors in the Judgment that we have to do with but of such as overturn the very foundation of the work of Man's Salvation and who though pretending to higher notions do yet go beyond all these But if it be true that in the work of Conversion beside the preaching of the Word there is a distinct real inward peculiar immediate efficacious work of the Spirit necessary for bringing about such an effect Then there is no common and universal Grace that all the Hearers of the Gospel have nor is there any Power or Ability in Man to believe of himself otherwise there were no necessity of such a work as this for the converting of a Sinner the Prophet needed not to cry Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And Christ needed not say No man can come to me except the Father draw him for Men might come without drawing and believe without the revelation of God's Arm But in opposition to that we say and have made it clear that the work of Conversion is brought about by a distinct peculiar powerful real and immediate work of the Spirit on the Heart whereby he not only enlightens the Mind but renews the Will and rectifies the Affections 2. There is another Error that this refutes which seems to be more subtile for some will grant a necessary connexion betwixt the effect and the Grace of God who yet say that it is swasion or perswasion for here we take these for the same so and so trysted to prevail with some that brings about the effect or work of Conversion in them and not in others where that perswasion is not so trysted but this opinion lays not the weight of Conversion on the Arm of the Lord but on some circumstances accompanying the work and leaves still some ground of boasting in the Creature 3. A third Error which this Doctrine refutes is that of some others who will have Grace necessarily to go alongs with the Word in the working of Faith but so as it reacheth not the Will but that the Will necessarily determines it self as if the Will were not corrupt or as if that Corruption that is in the Will were indeed no Corruption as if that Corruption that is in the Will could be any more removed from the Will without the immediate work of the Spirit upon it then Darkness can be removed from the Judgment without the Spirits immediate work on it But seing the Will is the prime seat of Man's perversness while in Nature and the principal part to be renewed It 's a strange thing to say that in the work of Conversion other faculties and powers of the Soul must be renewed and yet that this which comes nearest to
the first branch of the Doctrine 2. Of the effectualness and irresistableness of Grace that wherever God begets and brings in a Soul He does it by His own powerful Grace and wherever He applies that work Faith and Conversion necessarily follow which belongs to the second branch of the Doctrine and we would the rather speak a little to this because it is questioned by the Enemies of the Grace of God then which there is nothing they set themselves more to dethrone and debase and to exalt and cry up Nature and Free-will as if it did sit on the Throne and Grace behoved to come and supplicate it and as if it might accept or reject its Bill at pleasure as to the Conversion of a Sinner In opposition to which this Doctrine holds good that wherever the Lord applies His Grace He effectually throughs the work of Faith and Conversion and there is no Soul that can utterly resist it and wherever the Lord applies this Grace the Grace that converts one cannot be frustrated by another These things we hold in opposition to the direct assertion of the Enemies of Grace whereby they make the work of Conversion not ultimatly to terminate on Grace but on Man's Free-will and how dangerous and damnable this Error is may easily appear For 1. It overturns and runs cross to the whole strain of the Gospel for if we loose but this one Pin in making Faith and Conversion not to depend on Grace but on Free-will then the whole Fabrick of Grace falls down flat then God should elect us because we were to elect Him contrary to the Scripture which tells us that He elects us not we Him and that our closing with Him by Faith depends on His electing of us It overturns our free Justification by Grace for supposing Faith comes in in Justification as it doth none being justified but by Faith and that Believing is of our selves and that it is in the power of Man's Free-will to close the Bargain all is not here of Grace our Justification is not free but some-way depends on Free-will It overturns the Perseverance of the Saints for if Believing depend on Free-will then our Perseverance depends on it also for if the Mans Free-will change he may fall back and break his neck in a manner at the very threshold of Heaven whereas if it be the work of Grace as indeed it is that brings forth Faith and carries it on and if this work of Grace cannot be frustrated or restrained by the malice and hardness of any Heart to which it is applied because it cures the hardness and removes that malice then certainly this Error cannot stand and we are perswaded when we plead thus for Grace we have the best end of the Debate and the surest Ground to go upon most for God's Honour and most for the comfort of Believers 2. This Error thwarts with the Glory of the Grace of God for it is an Error that strikes at the richest and most radiant Diamond of the Crown of the Glory of Christ it hangs Election and the effectualness of God's Decree as to effectual Calling Faith Justification and Perseverance on the Person himself and makes God and Christ to be in the Man 's common debt and reverence to make His Decree effectual whereas it is the glory of Grace to have all Flesh allanarly in its debt and common as having loved freely elected called justified sanctified and carried on the work of Grace til it end and be perfected in Glory freely which is the Song of the redeemed Rev. 1.5 6. Unto him who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion If eternal love be free then the expression or manifestation of it in making us Kings and Priests unto God is also free 3. This Error is exceeding destructive to the consolation of God's People Is it not a comfortless Doctrine that founds their Believing and Perseverance on their own Free-will if ye were to make the bargain of Grace whether would ye think it more comfortable and sure that the effectualness of Believing and Perseverance should hang on the Grace of God or on your own Free-will especially considering the pravity of your Will doleful would your condition be if Free-will were the Base or Foundation and God used no more but external perswasion how specious soever this opinion seem to be because it puts it in Mans option to believe and convert himself or not as he pleaseth yet it overturns the whole strain of the Gospel and quite eclipseth the glory of Grace and cuts the very throat of your Consolation and is the great ground of Popery Pelagianism and Arminianism to which ye would therefore so much the more advert and we do the rather speak to it that ye may be guarded against it and that ye may be setled in the Truth especially since the same Errors are a-reviving in another shape in these days as is manifest in that foolry of Quakers who talk of a Light within them and talk so of that Light as if it were of power sufficient to convert and guide them if it be not resisted As also that other conceit of being above Ordinances implys something of this same Error which ye would set your selves to abhor as that which the Devil is again labouring to sow the Seed of amongst us and labour to be confirmed in the Truth For if there be any truth at all in Christianity these are two main Truths the utter inability that is in Mens Hearts by Nature to exercise Faith in Christ and the efficacious and irresistible power of the Grace of God in the begetting of Faith where it is begotten which when we shall all appear before the Tribunal of God will be found to be so and none will have a Mouth opened to oppose them And what absurdity I pray is there here notwithstanding all the clamour of corrupt Men that God hath reserved this work of converting Sinners by His Grace to Himself and hath not put it in the hand of their own Free-will which supposeth Men to have a stock within themselves and hath many fearful effects following it tending to the depreciating of the Grace of God and to the drawing Men off from dependance on Christ and to the giving of them ground of boasting in themselves and of vanity and security all which this Doctrine of Gods Grace overthrows and stops the Mouth of the Creature from all vain boasting to the high exaltation of Gods free soveraign and efficacious Grace and to the great comfort of His People Use 3. The second Use serves to commend the Grace of God to the Hearers of the Gospel and especially to Believers There cannot be a greater commendation given to it than this that it works effectually and indeed it could not be called Grace I mean Saving Grace if it should want this effect even to
save such as it is applied to but this highly commends Grace that if there be mighty Corruption in us there is a strong arm of Grace put forth by Him for perfiting of that which concerns us notwithstanding of this great strength of Corruption And if ye think your selves not to be Believers and think this Doctrine to be hard that ye cannot Believe without this Grace and yet would fain Believe consider that as none can believe neither can Believers stand without Grace so Grace can help you to do that which ye cannot do which is the commendation of Grace and should make it more lovely to you this gives encouragement to any poor Soul that is as it were in the place of the breaking forth of Children and layeth greater ground of confidence that they shall come speed than if they had it in their own hand and serves to obviat that grand objection of Souls that would fain be at closing with Christ and cannot come to Him here is a powerful Arm reached forth to draw them Use 3. The third Use serves to humble Believers who have any thing of the work of Grace and so to work them up to thankfulness to Him that hath communicate ought of it to them Is there any of you that have Grace who hath made you to differ from others it was not your selves but free Grace and therefore ye have reason to acknowledge it with thankfulness and to say if this same Doctrine had not been true I would have been a stranger to God all my days and remained under the dominion of Satan and Sin with these that are in Nature and with David Psal 16.7 to say I bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons This counsel was not the common advice that all got from the Word preached but the inward counsel of the Spirit that made his reins Instruct him and made him inwardly to follow the advice that the Word gave him outwardly and it is this inward work of the Spirit that keeps in the life of Grace as well as begets it as it is Psal 73.23 24. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory whom have I in heaven but thee c. my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever the Psalmist glorieth in this that the work of his throw-bearing did not depend on his own flesh and heart but on God who was the strength of his heart and his portion for ever If Believers would consider what they were in their natural condition and how much they are obliged to the Grace of God that with power was applied in their Conversion it would stop their Mouth as to boasting make them admire Grace and sound forth its praise And they would think Graces sweet way of prevailing to be no co-active forcing of their Will but the greatest part of their freedom and so far would it be from being look'd on as a violenting or wronging of their Will that it would be esteemed their truest and greatest liberty We are perswaded that the Saints in Heaven count it no bondage that God hath so fully fred them from all Corruption that they serve Him with delight and do so necessarily and shall any sojourning-Saints here below count it a wronging of their Will that God takes such pains on them to subdue Corruption and to bring them to some measure of conformity to them who are above God forbid Use 4. The fourth Use of it is To let us see what great ground of encouragement there is here for the Hearers of the Gospel to set about the work of Believing and what ground there is to make them all utterly inexcusable who shall continue in their Unbelief which may be thought somewhat strange when we say that no means can be effectual for working of Faith wâ—thout the effectual Grace of God be applied But let these two be put together 1. That though we be insufficient of our selves and though all outward means be of themselves ineffectual that yet there is a sufficiency in the Grace of God And 2. That this Grace shall be powerful to work Faith in the Hearers of the Gospel if they make not themselves guilty of frustrating this Grace in the offer of it as they may do These then who will not believe will be found most inexcusable But to return to the main intent of this Use We say that the encouragement lies here that though we be unable we have an able Mediator and Grace is powerful and therefore we should with the greater encouragement set about the work of Believing as the Apostle reasons Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it's God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Ye might possibly think it had been more encouraging to have said ye are able of your selves to will and to do but certainly Grace is a more encouraging motive then any thing in the Creature say not then ye cannot will nor do for that excuse is taken away by God's offering to work both in you by His Grace But let me exhort all both these that are begun to be Believers and these that are to begin to believe to be so far from disputing themselves from it as that they rather encourage themselves to work out the work of their own Salvation with fear and trembling because God's Grace which ye have in your offer is so powerful to work the work and will admit of no utter opposition from Corruption in you if ye receive not the Grace of God in vain that is offered to you in the Gospel If Grace were so weak as we might cast it back at our pleasure and if it were but a helper in the work of Faith and Conversion as Arminians make it what encouragement could we have from it and as to Practice is not this Doctrine as encouraging what advantage or comfort is it to undertake any thing in our own strength which is none at all is not this much more encouraging to undertake in the strength of Gods Grace knowing that the same work of Grace that begets Faith is as effectual to carry it on and to make us to persevere in it and to enable us to every good word and work let Grace work then and take a proof of it and ye shall find it powerful The Lord Himself give you wisdom so to do for your Salvation and Consolation SERMON XVI ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's much to walk evenly and stedfastly under the pure Doctrine of Grace and neither there-from to take occasion to give way to loosness and carnal liberty nor to become faint and discouraged and fearful at the way of God corrupt Nature is ready to abuse the
and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Verse 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IN the former Verse the Prophet hath asserted the rarity and scarcity of Believing the Gospel and receiving of Jesus Christ offered therein Who hath believed our report saith he who hath made Christ welcome And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to whom hath this Gospel been made effectual by the Power of God for the engaging of their Hearts to him In these two Verses he gives a reason as it were of this which runs upon these two 1. The low appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of his outward condition it hath no outward beauty splendor nor greatness to commend it but is attended with much meanness and with many afflictions 2. The itching humour of Men who are taken up with worldly grandour or greatness and glory and make little account of any thing that wants that as if he said it is no wonder that Christ get few to believe on him and that few receive this Gospel for he will not come with much worldly pomp and grandour which the Men of the World greatly affect and are much taken up with To open the words a little we shall first consider the matter of this reason and then the consequence of it or what influence it hath on Mens offending at Christ and continuing in their Unbelief only we shall premit two or three words to both That which we premit first is this That the He that is here spoken of is our Lord Jesus Christ who in the New Testament hath this Text applied to him for albeit there be no He so expressly mentioned in this Chapter before yet in the 13. Verse of the former Chapter to which this relates the He that is spoken of here is called the Lords Servant and it 's said of him that He shall be exalted and extolled and made very high and it is not unusual to speak of Christ singularly by a relative without an antecedent as Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth because Christ to Believers is so singular an one that when ever he is spoken of by way of eminency and excellency as here they cannot mistake him or take an other for him Secondly This want of form and comeliness is not to be understood of any personal defect in our Lords Humane Nature but in respect of and with reference to the tract of his Life and what accompanied his Humiliation to wit That it was low and mean without that external grandour pomp and splendour of outward things which the world esteem to be comliness and beauty 3. Where it is said He shall grow up before him c. It relates to the hearers of the report of the Gospel concerning him or to the man that believes not the report spoken of before And so relates to the words of the first vers Who hath believed our report Which is certainly meant of the man that hears of him and to whom he seems nothing worth because of his mean and low outward condition for if we should apply it to God we cannot see how it will so well infer the scope and be the reason of the unbelief asserted formerly for which end it is brought in here We come now to open the words a little and here we would know that Christs low condition is two wayes set down in these two verses 1. In the 2. vers In respect of his want of the abundance of the things of this world 2. In the 3. vers In respect of the accession of outward crosses and afflictions for not only doth he want credit respect and esteem but he hath contempt despight and reproach Not only wants he great riches but he hath poverty and is in a poor and low condition The first vers expresseth him negatively to be no worldly great man The second vers expresseth him positively to be a mean and despised man 1. Then these words He shall grow up as a plant out of a dry ground are expounded by the words following He hath no form nor comliness For as Shrubs or Scrogs growing up out of dry ground cryn and wither when trees planted in a fat soil are fresh fair and beautiful So shall it be with Christ when he cometh forth saith the Prophet to the eyes of the world he shall as it were be like a Scrab in a Moor edge Our Lord had personal and much divine comliness in him as we may see John 1.14 Where he saith that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth But the comliness here spoken of is that outward state pomp and splendour which great men in the world use to have which Christ wanted This is confirmed by the following words And when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him There is in men naturally a delight and complacency in that which is beautiful to the natural eye But saith he there shall be no such thing seen in Jesus Christ when he cometh and therefore no great wonder that few believe on him And that he saith We it is either according to the phrase used in Scripture to make some hard thing digest and go down the better with the hearers whereof the speaker is not guilty or it is his expressing what is the humour generally in all men naturally as if he had said had even we who are elect and godly no more but carnal eyes we would think no more of Christ then other folk do for we should get no satisfaction to carnal reason The second thing whereby his low condition is set out is in these words He is despised and rejected of men c. Not only shall he want that which carnal hearts and eyes seek and look after but he shall be so very low that men shall set him at nought mock and reject him And what wonder then that he be not believed on A man of sorrows As for the tract of his life it shall be spent in sorrows And acquainted with grief He shall not be a man that shall be a stranger to crosses griefs and heaviness but he shall be familiarly acquainted with them and they with him And we hid as it were our faces from him A consequent of the former As men will not give their countenance to them whom they despise So saith he we shall think shame to see or look at him He shall be the object of mens contempt and scorn and we shall not so much as countenance him He shall be despised and set at nought by Herod and the Roman
like these that are brought in Jer. 44.17 saying It was better with as when we did bake cakes to the queen of heaven the Lord is counted by them to be as a wilderness and land of darkness and they say as it is Jer. 2.31 We are lords and will come no more unto thee and when Men esteem not Christ they seek not after him they care not for an interest in him they trust not to him when a Man valueth a Pearl he will readily sell all that he hath that he may buy it but that which is not esteemed there will be no care to come by it 2. It hath influence to obstruct Folks giving him credit which is of the very essence of Faith so then where he is not esteemed of he is not he cannot be believed on the former says that we will not marry him this says we will not trow him nor trust the reality of his offer Where he is not esteemed of he is not taken up to be real in good earnest and faithful in what he says His offers are looked upon as having neither solidity nor reality in them therefore Rev. 19. these two are put together first it s said Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb and then it is subjoined these are the true and faithful sayings of God so that when Christ is not esteemed of he is not thought worthy the crediting and lippening to And it 's on this ground that the Lord founds his contraversie with his professing People Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they have gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain they undervalued his word they thought him not worthy credit and therefore they turned the back on him the same is insinuated by the Lord Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me 3. This little esteem of Christ weakens hope or expectation of any good that Men may have from him when we esteem him not there is no expectation of getting our need supplied and our wants made up by him nor of attaining in him the Happiness that we would be at and therefore there are no serious addresses made to him for the same These three Love to him Trust in him hope from and through him being the prime Graces in a Christian when they are weakened Unbelief most certainly in so far prevaileth and it being Christ's worthiness and the estimation thereof that gives ground to all these then sure when he is not esteemed but undervalued these must also fall in their exercise and be in utter non-entry where he is altogether undervalued Now laying all these together there can hardly be any thing more culpably accessory to the abounding of Unbelief then the undervaluing of precious Jesus Christ it 's impossible that he can be cordially welcomed where he is not at all esteemed of As for Uses of these Doctrines they are of large extent serving to make manifest a root of bitterness and a great neck-break of multitudes of Souls and which Men and Women will not easily be perswaded to believe Let this therefore be the 1. Use of it To discover a great Sin that is incident to the Hearers of this Gospel among many other things that may be charged on them this is one and not the least even little estimation of Jesus Christ so little that when he is speaking they count him scarce worthy the hearing hence is the slumbering and sleeping of so many when he is preached of which holds out something of the nature of all Men and Women this despising undervaluing and thinking little of Christ is a Sin that may for a long time cleave fast and close to the Hearers of the Gospel and doth so to many to their very dying day It may be ye will think this a strange and uncoath châ—rge and that whoever disesteem him ye do certainly esteem him much but it were better ye were seriously and humbly saving with the Prophet here He was despised and we esteemed him not There are many who never once suspect themselves as guilty of or chargeable with this evil for whose conviction let me speak but a few words Is there not such a bitter root in you If it be natural to all Men and Women how comes it to pass that ye are free of it Is there nothing of the seed of the Serpent in you and if there be will there not be hatred at the seed of the Woman in you are ye any other sort of Hearers then they were to whom this is spoken were they not Hearers of the Gospel as well as ye nay he speaks here of Hearers of the Gospel in all Ages and yet ye will disdain to take with this Sin and will account it to be an uncouth if not an unjust charge and imputation to say of you that ye are undervaluers and despisers of Christ but the reason of it is twofold the first whereof is Because ye know not what Christ's worth is and therefore ye do neither esteem him nor know that ye disesteem and undervalue him whereas they who have win to some knowledge of his worth are always or very often complaining that they cannot get him suitably thought of and esteemed The second Reason is Because ye know not your selves and therefore ye take self-love and estimation of your selves to be love to him and estimation of him ye think your selves so well that ye cannot endure to think that ye want any Grace or good thing and estimation of Christ being a good thing and ye thinking that ye could not hold up your face and own the reproaching and despising of him ye will not let it light that ye want this Grace and good thing a precious esteem of him But there is no greater evidence that ye are lying under the power of the deceit and delusion of your own Hearts that your natural distemper and Feaver is not yet cooled and calmed but that ye are still roving in Nature and therefore though ye be living in enmity at God and Christ yet ye cannot be made sensible of it we really think it somewhat strange that Men and Women should live twenty thirty fourty or fifty years under the Gospel and yet never be brought to groan under this enmity nor to lay to heart this Sin of undervaluing of Christ But if it be a truth that none naturally do love and esteem him then certainly many of you are grossly mistaken that think ye esteem highly of him Ah! your fancied esteem of him will be counted an undervaluing of him And if ye ask What is that to undervalue Christ or when is he undervalued I answer He is undervalued 1. When he is not matched with or married when ye match with himself whereof he maketh offer is not closed with upon his own terms for what I pray can hinder the ending of a Bargain or finishing
esteemed him not even because of his lowness In the words now read and forward the Prophet sets himself to remove the offence that men took at our Lords Humiliation by shewing them that although he became so low yet he was not to be the less esteemed of for that And the ground which he layes down to remove the offence is in the first words of the Text which in sum is this that there was nothing in himself wherefore he should have been brought so low there was no sin in him neither was there any guile found in his mouth but he was graciously pleased to take on him that which we should have born and therefore men ought not to stumble and offend at his stooping to bear that which would with its weight have crushed them eternally and thereby to make their peace with God in the 6. vers he shews how it came to pass that he stooped so low All we saith he like sheep have gone astray and turned every one of us to our own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all We had lost our selves and God in the depth of his eternal wisdom love and good-will found out the way to save us wherein to speak so a Covenant was transacted betwixt God and the Mediator who becomes Cautioner for our sins which are transferred on him From the 7. vers to the 10. vers he goes on in shewing the execution of this transaction and how the Cautioner performed all according to his engagement And from the 10. vers to the close we have the promises made to him for his satisfaction The scope is as to remove the scandal of the Cross so to hold out our Lords pursuing the work of satisfaction to the Justice of God for elect sinners and the good success he had in it In the 4 and 5. verses we have three things 1. This ground asserted Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows 2. Mens enmity aggreged from this yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted In the very mean time that he condescended to stoop so low for us and to bear that which we should have born we esteemed but little of him we looked on him as a plagued man 3. This is more fully explained vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He was so handled for our sins and the chastisement of our peace was on him that which made our peace with God was on him By his stripes we are healed the stripes that wounded and killed him cured us We have here then rather as it were a sad narration then a Prophesie of the Gospel holding out a part of our Lords sufferings yet a clear foundation of the consolation of the people of God it being the ground of all our Faith of the pardon of sin of our peace with God and of our confident appearing before him that our Lord was content to be thus dealt with and to give his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair We shall clear the words in the assertion which will serve to clear the words of the whole Chapter and also of the Doctrines to be drawn from it 1. The thing that Christ bare is called griefs and sorrows by which we understand the effects that sin brings on men in the world for its the same that in the 5. vers is called his being wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity It 's a wounding that iniquity causeth and meritoriously procureth It 's not sin it self but the effect of sin to wit the punishment the sorrow and grief that sin brings with it called griefs and sorrows Partly because grief and sorrow is necessarily joyned with sin partly to shew the extremity and exceeding greatness of this grief and sorrow and the bitter fruits that sin hath with it 2. How is it said that Christ hath born and carried their griefs and sorrows By this we understand not only Christs removing of them as he removed sickness and diseases as it is said Matth. 8.16 17. But also and mainly his actual and real enduring of them as the phrase is frequently used in Scripture That man shall bear his iniquity or he shall bear his sin Levit. 5. and many other places It sees out a real inflicting of the punishment that sin deserves on him 3. That it is said our griefs and our sorrows it is not needlesly or superfluously set down but to meet with the offence that men take at Christs humbling himself so low As if he had said What aileth you to stumble at Christs coming so low and being so afflicted It was not for his own sins but for ours that he was so handled And they are called our griefs and sorrows 1. Because we by our sins procured them they were our deserving and due to us the debt was ours though he as our Cautioner took it on himself 2. Because though the Elect have distinct reckonings and peculiar sins some moe some fewer some greater some lesser yet they are all put on Christs account there is a combination of them a gathering of them all on him as the word is vers 6. He hath laid on him or made to meet on him the iniquities of us all The meaning then of the assertion is this Surely this is the cause of Christs Humiliation and this makes him not only to become Man but to be a mean poor Man and to have a comfortless and afflicted life in the World that he hath taken on him that Punishment Curse and Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and therefore he ought not to be offended and stumbled at Now because Socinians the great Enemies of Christs satisfaction and of the comfort of his People labour to elude this place and to make Christ only an exemplary Saviour and deny that he really and actually did undergo these Griefs and Sorrows for the Sins of his Elect We shall a little clear and confirm the exposition we have given the question is not about the taking away of Sin but about the manner of removing it They say that it is by Gods pardoning of it without a Satisfaction We say it is by Christs Satisfaction So the difficulty in expounding the words is whether to expound them of Christs removing our Sorrows and Griefs from us or of his bearing of them for our Sin and so really taking it away And that this Scripture means not of a simple removing of them as he did remove Sickness Matth 8.17 but by a real taking them on himself and bearing of of them in order to the satisfaction of the Justice of God for our Sins We shall give these Reasons to confirm it 1. Because these words are to be understood of such a bearing of Sorrows and Griefs as made Christ to be contemptible and despised before others This is clear from the scope for they are given as a reason
why Christ was rejected and despised as a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief and why Men should not stumble at him for all that because it was for them now if he had only removed Sorrows from them as he did Sicknesses it had not been a cause of his Sorrow and Grief nor of any Mans stumbling at him but had been rather a cause of his exaltation in Mens esteem But it s given here as a cause of that which went before in the first part of the 3. Verse and also as a reason why Men should not stumble at him and withall as an aggravation of their guilâ— who did stumble at him Now it 's clear that the ground of the Jews despising and mocking of him was nor his removing of Sicknesses and Diseases but his seeming to be given over unto Deaths power 2. Because that which is called here bearing of sorrows and griefs is in the words following called a being wounded for our transgressions which imports not only that hâ— was wounded but that our Iniquities were the cause of his being wounded and that the desert of them was laid on him 3. This wounding is holden forth to be the stripes whereby we are healed and all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all we did the wrong but he made the amends and it was such a wounding as proves a cure to us and makes way for our peace and reconciliation with God and such as without it there is no healing for us for by his stripes we are healed it 's by his swallowing up of the river and torrent of Wrath that was in our way and would have drowned us eternally had not he interposed for us that we escape 4. Consider the parallel places to this in the New Testament and we will find that this place holds our Christs reâ—l and actual bearing of our Sorrows and and Griefs I shall only name three The 1. Is that of the 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him which can be no other way exponed but of Christs being made an Offering and Sacrifice for our Sins he not being a Sinner himself but becoming our Cautioner and engaging to pay our Debt and to tell down the price for the satisfaction of Divine Justice he is reckoned to be the Sinner and our Sins are imputed to him and he is dealt with as a Sinner A 2d place is that of Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us as it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree The Sorrows and Griefs that Isaiah says here he should bear are there exponed by the Apostle to be his being made a Curse or his bearing of the Curse that we should have born it 's not meant simply of his removing the Curse from us but it also sets out the manner how he removed to wit by his own bearing of it himself being nailed to the Cross according to the threatning given out before The 3d. place is that of 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree where there is a direct reference to this place of Isaiah which is cited for confirmation of what the Apostle saith and every word is full and hath a special signification and emphasis in it He his own self bare the same word that is here and our sins and in his own body and on the tree intimating the lowest step of his Humiliation by whose stripes ye were healed for ye were as sheep going astray c. by his bearing of our Sins the burden of Sin was taken off us and we are set free I know that place of Matth. 8.17 hath its own difficulty and therefore I shall speak a word for clearing of it he hath spoken vers 16. of Christ's healing all that were sick and then subjoyns in the 17. vers That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet saying himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses whereupon these enemies of Christ would infer that this place of Scripture hath no other nor further meaning but of Christ's curing of some sick Folks and of the deputed or committed power which he hath to pardon sins but we suppose that the reasons which we have already given make it clear that this cannot be the meaning of the place to which we shall add first A Reason or two and secondly Give you the true meaning of it The Reasons why one cannot be the meaning of the place are 1. Because Acts 8.32 this Scripture is spoken of as being dayly a fulfilling by Christ and therefore it could not be fulfilled in these few days wherein he was in the Flesh upon Earth 2. Because this bearing of our Griefs and Sorrows is such a piece of Christs Humiliation as thereby he took on all the Griefs and Sorrows of all the Elect at once both of these who lived in Isaiah his time and of these who lived before and since his time and therefore cannot be restricted to the curing of Temporal Diseases in the days wherein he was on Earth nay not to the pardoning of the Sins of the Elect then living there being many Elâ—ct before and since comprehended in this his Satisfaction which was most certainly a Satisfaction for the Sins of the Elect that were dead and to be born as well as for the Sins of them that were then living 2. For the meaning of the place 1. We are not to look on Christ's curing of Sicknesses and Diseases Matth. 8 16. as a proper fulfilling of this place Isa 52.4 but as many Scriptures are spoken by way of allusion to other Scriprures so is this there is indeed some fulfilling of the one in the other and some resemblance betwixt the one and the other and the resemblance is this even to shew Christs tenderness to the outward condition of Folks bodies whereby he evidenced his tenderness and respect to the inward sad condition of their immortal Souls whereinto they were brought through their Sin the great thing aimed at by the Prophet 2. If we consider the Griefs and Sorrows that Christ bare and suffered complexly in their cause and effâ—cts he in healing of these Diseases and Sicknesses bare our Griefs and carried our Sorrows because when he took on our Debt he took it on with all the consequences of it and so though Christ took on no Disease in his own Person for we read not that he was ever sick yet in taking on the Debt in common of the Elect he virtually took on all Sicknesses and Diseases or what they suffered in all Diseases or should have suffered he took it on together and hereby he had a right to speak so to the carrying of all Diseases and in carrying of them he had respect to the cause of
Christ Jesus It 's Gods great mercy that he hath given a Mediator and that the Mediator is come and that he hath taken on our debt What had been our eternal perishing and wallowing in Hells torments with Devils to his sufferings Alwayes this Doctrine saith that there is a necessity of making use of him and receiving of him And therefore either resolve to meet with this sorrow in your own persons or betake you to him that by his interposing it may be kept off you Weigh these two that sorrow death and the curse necessarily follow sin And that Jesus Christ hâ—th died and undergone that curse for elect sinners and then ye will see a necessity of being found in him that ye may be free of the curse Which made Paul make that choise Philip. 3 8 9 I count all things dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Oft-times the allurements of the Gospel prevail not to bring sinners to Chriâ—t but if it's allurements do not prevail will not the consideration of the vengeance of God perswade you However in these two Doctrines ye have in sum this the curse of God following sin and a free and full Saviour holden out to you by whom ye may eviâ—e the curse ye are invited â—o make him welcome Choose you death and life are set before you whereby you are put to it whether ye will adventure to meet with the curse or to make him welcome Now God himself make you wise to make the right choise SERMON XX. ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF we had the Faith of that which the Prophet speaks here and the through conviction who it is of whom he speaks we would be in a holy transport of admiration and astonishment at the hearing of it That it 's he who is the Prince of life that was bruised and wounded and that these bruises wounds and stripes are ours were for us and the price and satisfaction for our iniquities to Divine Justice And yet that even he in the performing of all this is vilipended and despised by these whose good he is thus pursuing and seeking after O! how should it be wondered at These words as we shew hold forth these three 1. The cause or end of Christs suffering Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows which is to remove and take away the scandal that might arise from Christs Humiliation described in the foregoing words He was low indeed but there was no guilt found in his mouth It was for no quarrel that God had at himself but he undertook our debt and therefore carried our sorrows 2. The aggravation of mens enmity and desperat wickedness that yet notwithstanding of all this We esteemed him smitten of God and a flicted 3. We have the Exposition of the first part more clearly set down But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. Where more fully he expounds what in the beginning of the 4. vers he asserted We expounded the first part of the words and shew that these griefs and sorrows held forth the due desert of sin called ours because they are the due and particular desert of our sins and that which they procured and that Christ's bearing of them was not only meant of his taking away or removing from us of sorrows and griefs as he did diseases but of his real undergoing of that which we should have undergone even such a bearing as made others think him smitten and plagued of God and such as wounded and bruised him even such as made him become a curse for us and such as procured healing to us All which proves that it was a reâ—l undergoing of sorrow and grief We spoke to two Doctrines from this part 1. That sin hath sorrow necessarily knit to it and never wanteth sorrow following on it 2. That Christ Jesus undertook these same sorrows and really bare these same griefs that sin procured to the Elect or that by sin were due to them That we may proceed to observe somewhat more and for clearer access to the Doctrine we shall speak a word to a Question that may be moved here What is meant by these words our we and us He hath born our griefs the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all by his stripes we are healed And the rather I would speak to this because throughout the Chapter we will find these Pronouns very frequent We know in Scripture our and us are sometimes extended to all mankind so we are all lost in Adam and sin hath a dominion over us all And that part of the worâ—s vers 6. All we like sheep have gone astray may well be extended to all mankind Sometimes it is to be restrictâ—d to God's Elect and so all comprehends only such and all such And in this respect our us and we and all are contradistinguished from many others in the World and take not in all men as Gal. 4.26 Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Which is spoken in opposition to thâ— bond woman and her children spoken of before So that this our us and we are not to be extended to all individual men in the Wâ—rld as if Christ had satisfied the Justice of God for all but it is to be applied to Gods Elect separat in his purpose from others and in Gods design appointed to be redeemed and satisfied for by Christ And the words being thus expounded they lead us to this Doctrine that Jesus Christ in bearing the punishment of sin had a particular and distinct respect to some definite sinners for confirmation of it we shall not go out of the Chapâ—er the scope whereof we would clear a little And if we look thorow the Chapter we will find five grounds to clear these words are to be thus restricted For 1. We are to expound this universal with respect to Gods purpose and Covenant the contrivance of the Elects Redemption and to the death of Christ the execution of it and so these words our us we all are and must be restricted to these and in them we are to find out who they are Now who these are we find clear John 6.37 39. In the 37. v. where he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And v. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing It 's in a word these whom the Father hath given to Christ and as many as are given will believe And certainly these that are given to Christ to be redeemed by him are the same whose iniquities the Father makes to meet on
know and study to be clear and distinct in your knowledge of this precious Truth how a Sinner that by nature is under Sin and Wrath and hath ground every day to look for it may be freed from that Curse and Wrath To prevent which the Lord hath made a Covenant with the Son who is appointed Mediator for making Peace betwixt God and Sinners by satisfying his Justice for them and by paying the same Debt that was due by them so that this Wrath is prevented and their Peace is made by vertue of this Covenant of Redemption wherein these two clauses are agreed and concluded upon betwixt these two infinitely responsal Parties 1. That Christ shall become the Sinner and be handled as a Sinner though there was no sin in him 2. That the Elect Sinner that by nature was a child of wrath even as well as others shall be fred from the Wrath to come by vertue of his Satisfâ—ction These are two Pillars that our Salvation is built upon and that our Peace and Reconciliation with God flow from By his wounding and bruising we are pardoned The chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed To clear this a little This Covenant would be considered 1. As it looks to the parties and their several actions 2. As it lookes to the Execution thereof in all the steps of it For the first There are three parties that concur in their own place 1. God is the Party offended and he is here bruising and wounding the Mediator He is the Judge and stands ready to execute the Sentence that stands in his Law against Sinners if he get not an equivalâ—nt Satisfaction 2. Jesus Christ the Mediator is the Party wounded and bruised the Mediator's part is to satisfie â—ustice to pay the Price and perform the Satisfaction resolved upon in the Counsel of God of suitable and sufficient value for the Redemption of the Elect according to his Engagement and he is actually wounded and bruised God determined what shall satisfie Christ Jesus accepts of the Determination engages to satisfie and does actually satisfie for elect Sinners A 3d. Party is We poor Sinners He was wounded for our Transgressions c. It 's the elect Sinner or the Sinner who being made in due time sensible of Sin and affraid of Wrath and who being kindly touched with the Apprehension of it and cleared anent the firmness and freeness of the Covenant and anent the fulness of Christ's Satisfaction doth by Faith flee unto Jesus Christ and submit to his Satisfaction and betakes himself allenatly to that for Righteousness Christ layes down the Price and the beleeving Sinner pleads for Interest in it and for the Benefit of it and by Faith gets Title and Right to an Absolvitor from his Debt and Guilt If it then be asked what is the thing whereby a Sinner is pardoned and justified reconcealed to God and delivered from Wrath and healed I answer It is by Believing in Jesus Christ If it be again asked What is the ground or reason why the believing Sinner obtains that Favour I answer Because our Lord Jesus hath sufficiently satisfied for and fully payed the debt of so many as are brought to believe on him If it be 3dly asked How comes it that Christs Satisfaction becomes a Ransom and is accepted for such and such a Believer I answer It is by vertue of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption or Transaction made betwixt the Father and the Son wherein it was agreed that his suffering and satisfieing of Justice should be accepted for believing Sinners as if themselves had satisfied according to that of Job 6.39 40. This is the fathers will that sent me that of all that he have given me I should lose nothing and this is the will of him that sent me that whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life So our believing is the first immediat step whereby we came to obtain pardon of Sin and Peace with God Christ's Righteousness or Satisfaction is that whereon our believing sounds it self yet so as it hath a respâ—ct to the eternal Covenant of Redemption whence both Christ's Satisfaction and our Believing do flow and without which we could have no Warrand to expect Righteousness through a Mediator for unless we know that Christ hath satisfied Justice for Elect sinners that shall believe on him we cannot rest on him for righteousness And unless we have an eye to the Covenant of Redemption we cannot expect that this satisfaction will be accepted for us And therefore if we will trace these steps back again the first rise of our Salvation is in the counsel of God the prosecution of it is in Christs satisfaction And the application of his satisfaction is by our fleeing to it and accepting of it by Faith And therefore we would learn in our looking and stepping up to Heaven to look to these three in this order we would first begin at Faith and in believing we would consider Christs satisfaction and from that we would ascend to the rise of it to wit the Covenant of Redemption and the terms of it All which put together give a very clear ground of expecting righteousness through Jesus Christ I shall illustrat it by a Scripture-similitude wherein I shall shew you how all the three concur yet so as there is a difference in their concurrence Ye know that under the Law there were Cities of refuge appointed which were Types of Jesus Christ in whom we find a shelter In these Cities of refuge consider these three that concurred for saving the person that had committed man-slaughter 1. God's determination appointing such a thing and that the Man-slayer being within such a City should be safe from the avenger of blood and this gave the rise to the other two that follow 2. The City it self as a shelter or refuge to the Man-slayer 3. The persons fleeing or running to hide themselves in it Now the safety of the person of the Man-slayer did flow from all the three 1. The Law appointing such a City was the ground 2. The City was the shelter 3. The persons actual running to the City gave him a claim and title to the priviledge of the City For though the former two had been if he had not fled to the City he had not obtained the benefit of safety Even so the Believer that would be saved is to consider these three 1. Gods determining such a way of Salvation to Elect Sinners by a Mediator 2. The Mediator priviledged as the City of Refuge for this end And 3. The sinners fleeing to him which is his believing on him and his seeking and pleading for the benefit of Christ's satisfaction according to the terms of the Covenant Now suppose a person to flee to the City of Reâ—uge he is preserved in it Justice cannot follow him further then the Gates yet so as he hath the benefit by Gods determination and appointment of the City for
truth and that Paul lived in the faith and feeling of it then judge if there be not just ground to expostulate with most part of you as being yet without the faith and feeling of this moâ— concerning thing The 3â— Use of it serves wonderfully to set forth the glory of the free and rich Grace of God that all this business is made and this transaction entered into that Christ comes to satisfie and doth actually satisfie Justice for a number of such wretches that had gone astray like lost sheep This comes in as he scope we have strayed done the wrong but he hath payed the debt satisfied for the wrong done and from comparing this v. with the foregoing we may take these five Considerations that serve to heighten the glory of Gods Grace and Free-love and to shame Believers that are so little in wondring at it 1. Who is smitten his own Son we sinned and he was smitten even he who was and is the Fathers fellow the Sword awakes against him and we go free 2. What did our Lord suffer He was wounded and bruised the chastisement of our peace was on him he laid on him the iniquity of us all It was not a complemental or fashional suffering but he was arraigned before the Tribunal of Justice and did really pay our Debt and satisfie Justice for our Sins 3. Who exâ—ctâ—d this Satisfaction who did smite him It 's the Lord Jehovah it 's the Father which makes the glory of Grace shine the more It 's God the Father whose Heart was tender to the Son of his love that exâ—cts the full price of him so that as he said of Abraham By this I know that thou lovest me because thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only son Isaac from me we may say by this we know God's love to the Elect when he hath not withheld nor spared his own Son from them but hath laid on him the iniquities of them all 4. For whom did he smite him for Sinners for straying Sheep for Covenant-breakers for such as had gone a whoring from God and were bent to sin against him I mean the Elect. 5. When was it that he suffered for them even when they were straying rejecting despising nodding the head at him spitting in his face and saying away with him even then he is praying and dying for them Now put all these together that such a price shall be exacted of such a Cautioner and for such Sinners and at such a time behold see therein how God commends his love to us as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.8 In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us when we were in our sin not praying to him nor in capacity to pray or give him thanks for any thing that he did or suffered he then died for us Is there any thing here but freedom of Grace and does not this exceeding highly commend the love of God that he exacts the Debt due by us of his Son and the wonderful love of the Mediator and Cautioner that at such a time and for such transgressions he should pay such a price Use 4. Seing this was our state that we were Sinners and that yet herein was the love of God commended that he laid oâ— his Son the iniquity of us all then is there not good ground to take with Sin and to make use of the Remedy to take with Sin and to close with Christ We might take occasion here to exhort 1. To Watchfulness and to walking soberly and humbly from this ground that we have such a Nature 2. To exhort every one to Repentance because by Nature ye are all in such a sinful state and condition â—t may be ground of exercising Repentance even long after your justification and peace made with God who are justified with whom it should be as we see it was with David But 3ly Seing by Nature ye are under God's Wrath and Curse and in a state of enmity with him it mainly serves to exhort you to flee unto Jesus Christ and not to rest till ye gâ—t the quarrel taken away It might be in reason thought that Folks would be soon and easily induced to this even to run unto Jesus Christ and to welcome the Gospel with good will for preventing the Curse and Wrath due to them for sin and for subduing of this sinful nature and inclination to stray from God and his Way Therefore seing there is a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness since there is a satisfaction given to Justice for removing the guilt of sin since the Spirit is purchased for mortifying of sin making holy let as many as think that they have gone astray and have turned to their own way as they would not be found still at this distance with God make use of Christ for making their friendship with God it 's the word that Peter useth 1 Pet. 2. ult All we like sheep have gone astray but we are now turned unto the shepherd and bishop of our souls hold O hold you near this Shepherd and make use of his Righteousness for making your Peace If we could rightly understand the words we would see in them 1. A Motive to put us on to believing in Christ and can there be a greater motive then necessity We have sinned and gone astray he is the only Saviour there is no other name given under Heaven whereby Sinners can be saved 2. There is also in them an Encouragement to Believing It was for Sinners such as we are that Jesus Christ suffered all that he suffered which may be ground of hope and encouragement to step forward and if neither our need nor Christ's being a Saviour willing to make Sinners welcome will prevail we know not what will do it It will turn to this and ye will be put to it Whether are ye Sinners and if Sinners whether is it not a desperate thing to ly under Sin and Wrath If ye be not Sinners we have no warrand to propose this Doctrine to you to invite or make you welcome to a Saviour but if ye grant that ye are Sinners will ye contentedly ly under Sin will ye be able to bear it out against God or think ye that ye will be well enough for all that and if ye dare not resolve to ly under Sin I would ask what way will ye win from it think ye it easie to win from under it must not the Justice of God be satisfied some of you think that ye can pray your selves out of Sin but what need was there of Christs sufferings if a satisfaction might have been made to Justice another way and if none but Christ can satisfie it turns to this that by all means ye would make use of him else ye will most certainly drown and die in your sins And this is the thing that we would commend to you that under the sense of sin and in the faith of Gods condescending
are chargeable above and beyond others we will readily all grant that we are sinners but who of us will take with our particulâ—r and peculiar guilt that doth more easily beset us who amongst many are as Doves of the Vallies on the Mountains every one mourning for his own iniquity for his own Plague and Sore that by several circumstances may be aggreged as to its sinfulness beyond the sin of others Use 2. The second Use which is the scope serves to shew the exceeding greatness of Christs sufferings O! what a shock he was in when he had not only all the common sins of the Elect to satisfie for but when all their peculiar sins with their respective aggravations rendâ—zvouzed and trifted on him It serves likewise to exalt the free Grace of God and the condescendency of our blessed Lord Jesus who took in altogether in his making satisfaction for them when there were several sorts of them as if every one of the Elect had been set to invent a new sin what great and sore suffering was here when he condescended to drink the Cup that had the wonderful effects of all the sins of the Elect wrung into it when not only in gross he takes on the sins of the Elect but this and that mans particular sins which were all reckoned and summed on Christs account and for which he was made to satisfie and wherein Justice proceeded equally and equipollently this notably confirmed the reality of Christs satisfaction by suffering what all the Elect should have suffered eternally or the equivalent of it for if there had not been a proportional satisfaction in his sufferings wherefore serves such an enumeration of his sufferings Use 3. The third Use serves to lead us in to know how much we are in Christs Debt and what a great encouragement we have to believe and withall what notable ground of consolation Believers have I say 1. It shews how much we are in Christs Debt when we take a view of all our sins and consider that there was a particular view taken of them in the Covenant of Redemption not only all our common sins but even all the particular and peculiar sins of Believers were reckoned unto Christ the Cautioner and put on his account and he engaged to satisfie for all and pay the whole Reckoning doth it not lay a great obligation on us to him who counted for the least farthing of our Debt we like a pack of bank-rupt Dyvours did take on the Debt and the Accompt was put in his Hand not only as I just now said of all our common sins but of this and that particular sin with all their several aggravations and the sinful circumstances that did highten them and he satisfied for them all And of this we would take special notice for it may readily wrong us to look upon the Covenant of Redemption as a Bargain in gross there is a particularness in it to shew not only the soveraignty but the exactness of Justice and also the riches of Gods Grace and of the great condescendency of Christs love to elect sinners 2. It 's a great encouragement to believe for even these sins that would fright and skar serious and exercised Souls from coming forward to Christ were all compted on Christ's scorce and were all satisfied for by him 3. It 's a notable ground of consolation to Bâ—lievers when they are disposed and ready to think that their particular sins are insuperable and unpardonable they think that course might be taken with all their common evils but as for this most sinful and shameful unthankfulness this despising of his Grace this woeful Unbelief c. it stairs them in the face and they know not well how that will be got done away But Believers in Christ who are sorrowful and sadly perplexed on this account is that your own way it's transacted on Christs score with the rest every one of us hath turned to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all O! impregnable ground of strong consolation which is as good news from a far country a non-such cordial to a fainting soul 3. Observe here That a believing Elect or an elect Believer will not only be sensible of sin in the general but of his own particular and peculiar sinful way or thus it 's a good token when Folk look not only on sin in common but on their own peculiar sinful way or thus that Folk should consider their sinfulness not only in common but in particular with its several aggravations The Scriptures which we cited before do confirm this as Psal 18.23 I keeped my self from mine iniquity and 2 Chron. 6.29 where saith Solomon when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief or as it is 1 King 8.38 The plague of his own heart This implys these two things 1. A distinct aggravating of sin when a man not only looks on himself as a sinner but looks on his sin by reason of several aggravating circumstances as being above and beyond the sin of others and abhorreth and loatheth himself as the chief of sinners as David doeth when he saith Psal 51. Against thee thee only have I sinned he is not there extenuating his sin as if it were done only against God but aggreging his sin as the words following shew and I have done this evil in thy sight as if he had said thy concern in the matter doth most affect and afflict me Thou lovest truth or sincerity in the inward parts but I have been alace all this time jugling and greatly playing the Hypocrite which makes it to be a wonderful great evil and Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me and as Paul doth who calls himself the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 So that Believeâ—s before conversion yea and in respect of their natural inclination even after their conversion are wofully inclined each of them to a sinful way of their own called Eccles 11. the way of a mans own heart And of this Believers would be sensible not only of their sinfulness in general and of their particular acts of sin but of their peculiar sinful acts and that for these ends or uses 1. It serves deeply to humble and to press forth to speak so Repentance When we consider our own way to be sinful beyond others and that such and such a man hath sinned but his sin hath not such aggravations as mine this makes the Soul to blush and to say as it is Psal 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassâ—d me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are moe then the hairs of mine head therefore my heart faileth me he wonders at himself how a man can be so given to sin and every day to add one new sinful step to another never to weary and give over this makes him to blush and to be ashamed as it is Ezek. 16.63 the remembering of common sins and
and the exacting of the price according to the transaction is the ground of his expectation of the benefit of Christs purchase And there is Justice for it as the Apostle intimats Rom. 8.34 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. And upon this follows the believing souls triumph O! but there is much need to be thorowly acquainted with the mutual relations that are betwixt Christ and believing sinners with the ground of their approaching to him and with the good they are to expect through him Use 4. This word is made use of 1 Pet. 2.21 To give us a notable and none such pattern of patience Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He did bear all wrongs patiently and packed them up quietly to say so and opened not his mouth He could have told Pilate and Caiaphas what they were but spoke not a word save one to the High Priest notwithstanding all his provoking carriage and a very meek one too If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil and if well why smitest thou me Among other Copies then that Christ hath casten take this for one make him a Copy and Pattern for Patience It is to be regrated that folks are so unlike to Christ in this respect they think it a disdainful thing to pack up a wrong and they will scorn and rush at it But what if Jesus Christ had been of that temper and disposition if it be fit to make such a supposition ye had been without a Redeemer and had perished for ever When he calls you to be followers of him and to suffer patiently as he did though most unjustly as to men for you to think or say that ye scorn it and that ye are not so mean spirited what is it else but to think and say on the matter that blessed Jesus in his patient and silent carriage under all the injuries that he suffered very unjustly from men shewed himself to be of a low and base spirit and that ye disdain to follow his way O! intollerably saucy and proudly blasphemous reflection The many contests the many high reâ—entments of wrongs the great grudging frettiâ—g and foaming at them that there are in Châ—istians say plainly that there is little of the meek and patient Spirit of Christ in and amongst us and that many of us know not what spirit we are of SERMON XXVIII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken WE need not tell you of whom the Prophet is speaking here every verse and every word almost do make it manifest that he speaks of Christ the Saviour and indeed it can be applyed to none other It 's the same verse Acts 8.34 from which Philip proceeds to preach Christ to the Eunuch The Prophet hath been largely holding forth Christ's sufferings in the former verse and we conceive he takes a turn to speak of Christ's exaltation and out gate from these sufferings It 's true as if he had said He was brought to Prison and Judgement He was indeed straitned and pinched and laid very low but Prison and Judgement did not keep him He was taken or as the word is He was lift up from both And for as despicable as he was in man's eyes yet he was not so in himself for who shall declare his generation There is a wonderfulness in him who suffered that cannot be reached but must be left with admiration And a wonderfuâ— glory whereunto he was after his humiliation exalted and there is a reason of this given for preventing of offence if any should say how then could he suffer and be brought so low in suffering if he was so glorious a persoâ— He answers it is true that he was cut off out of the land of the living but for no offence in himself but for the transgression of Gods Elect was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was upon him Yea this as we conceive is given as a reason of his exaltation Because in the lowest steps of his humiliation he condescended to fulfil his ingagement to the Father in satisfying Justice for the sins of the Elect according to that of John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again Because according to his ingagement he suffered for the sins of his Elect People therefore he could not but have a comfortable and glorious outgate There are these three things in the words 1. Somewhat asserted concerning Christ Jesus He was taken from Prison and from Judgement 2. Something hinted at which cannot be expressed Who shall declare his generation 3. There is a reason given in reference to both For he was cut off c. which we shall expound when we come to it For the first He was taken from Prison and from Judgement We conceive these words look both to his humiliation and to his out-gate from it the one being clearly supposed that he was in prison or straits and brought to judgement and the other being expressed that he was brought from prison and from judgement 1. Prison here may be taken generally for any strait pinch or pressour thaâ— one may be brought unto which we conceâ—ve both the Words and the Prophets scope will clear Christ never having been properly in prison at least for any considerable time but straitned and pinched And he was taken from that being in his humiliation and in his sufferings in the room of the Elect pursued by the Law and Justice of God 2. Judgement is taken passively for Judgement past on him and it looks not only to the procedour of Pilate of the Chief Priest and of the Scribes and Pharisees but to a Judicial Process which the Justice of God led against him in which respect he answered as the words after will clear for the sins of God's people 3. The word He was eaken sometimes signifies to deliver as a Captive is delivered when he is taken from him that took him Captive as it is Isai 49.24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered To which the Lord here answers It or he shall be taken So then the scope and meaning of the words is that the Prophet subjoyns a narration of Christ's Exaltation upon the back of his Humiliation as it is usual in the Scripture to put these together and in this order as namely Philip. 2.8 9. He bumhled himself and became obedient unto death even to the death of the cross Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name c. He was exceedingly straitned and pinched for the Elects sins but death had
straits out of which ye will not be able to extricate your selves and he shall appear like everlasting burning when the great day of his wrath comes and when it shall be said by you who can stand before it or abide it It were good that ye who are most atheistical and who with a sort of triumph and gallantry will needs destroy your selves would lay this to heart and remember that the day comes when ye will be brought to this Bar and gravely consider what a Hell that will be to have the desperateness of the outgate sealed up in your Consciences and these evidences of Gods hatred and these aggravations that our Lords holy nature could not admit of in your bosome when Wrath meets with Corruption and Corruption with Wrath and when these mingle how dreadful will your case be 3ly Let Believers see here what ye are obliged to Christ Consider what he hath payed and what the satisfaction of Justice for you cost him Folks are ready to think that it was an easie thing to satisfie Justice and to drink of the brook by the way but if Sinners were sensible of challanges for sin and if they had the Arrows of the Almighty drinking up their spirits they would think otherwise of Christs drinking out the cup of Wrath for them not leaving so much as one drop of it It 's but the shorings or threatnings with some drops of it that any of you meet with in your sharpest Soul-exercises O! believing Sinners are ye not then eternally obliged to Christ who drunk out this wrathful-cup for you 4ly There is notable consolation here to poor Souls that would fain make use of Christ As 1. That Christ hath stepped thorow this deep Foord or rather Sea before them and if the Cup come in their hand it 's empty Freedom from the Wrath of God is a great consolation and yet it 's the consolation of all them that are fled unto him for refuge 2. It 's comfortable to them in their comparatively petty straits and difficulties when they wot not what to do when the Law seizeth and Justice pursueth and when the Conscience challengeth to consider that Christ was a prisoner before them though he had no challenge for his own debt yet he was challenged for ours that he might be a compassionate high Priest being made like to us but without sin Justice pursued him the Law arrested him wrath seized on him so that when we are set upon by these he will be tender of us for he knows our frame and that we cannot bear much and therefore on this ground a believing sinner may go with boldness to the Throne of Grace because Christ the Cautioner who hath payed his Debt is there it 's a shame for believing sinners to walk so heartlesly even under these things that are terrible as if Christ had not gone thorow them before them and for them 3. There is consolation here when they are under any pinshing cross and difficulty as there is also ground for patient and pleasant bearing of it because it was another sort of prison that Christ was put in for them ye may I grant lament over the long want of sensible presence it being kindly to the Believer to miss it and to long for it but ye should not be heartless under the want of it nor complain as the Lords people do lament Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow but submissively and contentedly bear it without fretting seing our Lord bare so much for you 5ly There is here a notable encouragement to believe and a notable ground for the Believer to expect freedom from sin and from the pinshing straits that it deserveth because Christ payed dear for it wherefore was all this pinshing but to pay Believers Debt But when we come to speak of his outgate it will clear this more 2. While it 's said That he was brought from judgment which supposes and implyes that he was once at or under judgment even the judgment of God who is his great party all along He laid on him the iniquity of us all and vers 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him He was the Creditor that caused take and arrest him Observe That in all the Soul-vexation in all the pinshing pressure of spirit that our Lord sustained he was standing judicially before the bar of God and was judicially proceeded against as the Elects Cautioner and Surety there was no access to bring Christ to â—udgment had he not engaged to be Surety and had not God laid on him our iniquities for it was for no Debt that he was owing himself but for what by his engagement as the Elects Surety he came under and was made lyable to That which I mean by his being brought to Judgment is not only that he suffered was occasionally condemned by a Court of men or by a humane Judicatory which was rather like a tumultuary Meeting or a company of men in an uproar than indeed a Court but whatever was before men there was a legal and judicial procedure before God For clearing whereof ye would consider 1. The account whereon he suffered and was brought before Gods Court of Judgment to speak so It was not for any thing that the Scribes or Pharisees or Pilate had to lay to his charge it was envy in them the former at least that stirred them in what they did but the next words tell us what it was for the transgression of my people was he striken The Priests and People had no mind of this but this was indeed the ground of his judicial Challenge and Arraignment before God the Elect were in their sins and he by the Covenant of Redemption stood lyable for their Debt because in it he had undertaken for them as their Cautioner and Surety 2. Consider who was his great party in his Sufferings it was not Pilate and the Jews he cared not so much for them but it is God and therefore he crys My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and therefore he makes his address to God Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me he cared not for answering them but looks to a higher hand and upon himself as standing before another Tribunal therefore it 's said v. 10. yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he looked not to Pilate but to the Lord pursuing him 3. Coâ—sider our Lords submission to his being brought to Judgment not only nor chiefly before men but before God therefore says he John 12.48 Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I to this hour come thâ—n Fâ—ther and let us compt he looks not only to the present dispensation but also to the ground whence it came and to the end that God had in it for this cause came I unto this hour even to have my soul troubled and to be put to answer for the D bt of my elect People according to my Engagement Lo I come saith he in that
one in Hell Who made thee to differ or what hast thou O man that thou hast not received it's election that makes the difference and it 's sure for their salvation is founded on Gods purpose and decree which is the solid rest of a Believer kindness began not on our side but on Gods as Christ says Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you John 15.16 4ly It says this That all of you had need to make your calling and election sure that is the very hinge of Believers consolation even to have the proof of it in your Conscience that ye are inrolled here to get out the extract of this decree that ye may see and read your names in it Hence many streams of consolation flow out if it be so with you then ye were given to Christ Christ undertook to satisfie Justice for you ye shall get Faith and more Faith ye shall get Repentance and Sanctification and ye shall get Heaven and Glory at the end of your course If it be said this is much how shall it be brought about we answer it 's not impossible and to make it out take but two words that are both directions and marks the practice whereof will give a solid proof of your inrolment in Gods book whence all these great and glorious things have their rise 1. Where there is a yielding to Christs call in the Gospel a closing with him that evidenceth election for it is certain that none shall nor can come to Christ and believe in him but the Elect and whoever are elected must and shall come sooner or later John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and John 10.4 His sheep follow him and know his voice they accept of and make welcome Christs call in the Gospel and they that accept of it are elect So that there is no need of any new revelation about the matter neither needs there any torturing anxiety to know how to come by thy name in the roll of the Elect try it by this if thou hast given obedience to the call of the Gospel if thou hast in the sense of thy need of a Saviour fled unto â—esus Christ and on his own terms closed with him by this thy tenure or holding is sure and by this thou hast an evidence that thou art an elect for his Sheep come unto him and hear his voice and as many of you as soundly believe on him and have betaken your selves to him for life and salvation have the seal and witness in your selves that your names were in Gods roll and book before the World was But if this be not debate dispute question as ye will about it whatever may be afterwards ye have no evidence for the time of your election 2. Where there is real Holiness or a real study and endeavour to be holy and more holy it is an evidence of election and of a persons being inrolled in the volumn of the book of Gods decree because Holiness is a fruit of election as is clear Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy never a person is really holy but such as God designed should be holy to this purpose the Apostle having 2 Tim. 2.21 spoken of election The foundation of the Lord stands sure having this seal the Lord knows who are his and let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity but in a great house are not only vessels of gold c. he subjoyns If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified c. not that election dependeth on mans Holiness but by his holiness he shall be manifested to be and accompted an elect Vessel and may warrantably conclude himself to be such so that true holiness brings folk to be acquainted with the great secret of Election and gives them boldness to make the application of it There is nothing that men readily desire more to know than this whether they be elected or not here is a sure way to come by the knowledge of it even to study to believe and to be holy and then we may be confident that our names were written in the Lambs book of Life but if we slight faith in Christ and Holiness whatever may be in God's purpose about us we have for present no ground to conclude our election upon God himself fixus in these things that have such mighty consequents depending on them SERMON XXXI ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken THE Prophet hath been long in describing Christs Sufferings and hath showen what height they came to even to prison and to judgment and to death it self He was cut off out of the land of the living now he casts in a word to shew wherefore all this was or what was the procuring cause that brought all this suffering and sorrow on Christ which also was the end that he had before him in it in these words for the transgression of my people was he stricken we shew that by my people here was not meant all men and women in the world nay not all men who are externally called in the visible Church but his Elect only these whom he hath chosen to be his People and separated from others by an eternal decree of Election we shew also that these words for the transgression of my people was he stricken do not contain only a reason of Christ's extream suffering even of his being brought to prison and to judgment before men but also and mainly of his being brought so before God and of his being cut-off for the sins of Gods People are not laid to his charge before men but before God they are and so it does imply an influence that the sins of the Elect had upon Christs Sufferings and a respect that his Sufferings had to their sins the Elects sins procured these Sufferings to him and his Sufferings were undergone by him for the satisfying of Justice for their sins and for the removing of them I shall not insist further in the exposition of the words having opened them up the last day but shall hint at a few Doctrines from them and because they are general and more doctrinal I shall be the shorter in speaking to them though it may be ye think not so much of them yet they are not a little for your edification and if ye were suitably sensible of sin and of your hazard there is no Doctrine concerning the Covenant of Redemption but it would be useful and refreshing to you There are several things implyed here concerning the efficacy of the price of Christ's death and concerning the extent of it as it 's laid down as a price for the sins of the Elect which
of patience and obedience to them But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation as well as since And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants what influence or advantage can it have as to them Either they are not taken to Heaven at all or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither or if they be obliged to him it is certainly by vertue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people 4. It 's clear from this that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel all the benefits that come to Gods people as namely Justification and pardon of sin they are attributed to this as the cause of them as vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death there must necessarily be vertue in it that procured them and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof that he laid down in his dying 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption and in Christ's Sufferings which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon now by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified and he is seen to be just in executing his threatning against sin even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice though there might be some shew of shewing Mercy yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus by this God hath made it manifest that he is a just God that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity For Use and Application 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you as alace they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many and therefore they are tasteless to them and it 's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of and yet notwithstanding this same truth that we are now upon is a great ground of our faith for if we believe not this that Christ was a propitiation for sin we can have no ground of lippening to him or believing on him but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth we have cordially closing with him ground from it to expect God's favour and to be fred from the curse because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example is much yet if we had no more by it it would be but cold comfort except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us 1. These that securely sin on still and yet hope to get mercy and who will confess that they are sinners but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life and they will speak of a number of things but it may be not one word of Christ or of his purchase or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Saviour or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatned without a satisfaction so that Christs satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church and this is easily proven from this that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room and that Christ is the only Surety Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven or be more in Christs common and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ and without employing of him it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error A 2d sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin yet are as heartless hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him as if he had not satisfied what else does the doubting and despondency of such say but that there is not a compleat satisfaction in Christ's death and that therefore they dare not trust to it otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy and yet adventure to rest upon it seing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provocked him at all or had satisfied his Justice themselves 2ly It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt and how much we are obliged to the Mediator when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes this is our great ground of confidence and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son and at the Sons love that was so condescending and should make our souls warm towards him who when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit was content to enter himself as our Surety and to pay our Debt It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him knowing that where sin is there a satisfaction must be and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him and to give him the credit of its thorow-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine SERMON XXXII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the
ground Hence alace it is that many will say God is merciful and Christ died for all sinners and for me and so sleep it out in security I am perswaded that much of the security and presumption that abounds among carnal Professors is from this ground that grace is fancied to be thus broad and large We grant that as to the convey and nature of it it 's broad but in respect of the objects on whom it is bestowed it 's narrow though it cometh from large bowels 3. It exceedingly marrs and diminisheth mens thankfulness for when a mercy is judged to be common who will praise for it as he would do if it were special and peculiar That which is a great ground of thankfulness for Election Effectual Calling Justification c. is because these mercies are peculiar even so that which makes the redeemed thankful for Redemption is because they are redeemed and bought when others are left hence is that Song of the redeemed company Rev. 5.9 Thou art worthy to open the Book for thou wast stain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kind ed and tongue and people and nation It hightens not their praise that all of every kindred and tongue and nation were redeemed but this doth it that when the Lord had the whole world before him he was graciously pleased to purchase and redeem them out of it that as it is John 11.52 He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad They therefore I say bless him and wonder when they consider that they are pitched on who are by nature the same with these that are past by were a strange thing to affirm that they who are in Hell have as great ground of praise and of saying We thank thee for thou hast redeemed as by thy blood as these that are in Heaven have 4. This making of grace so wide and large in his extent as to take in all doth leave the people of God altogether comfortless But it may be here said How is it that it is more comfort to Believers that grace is peculiar in saving and that but a few are redeemed in comparison of others that are not redeemed then if we should extend it unto and account it to be for all Or how is this more comfortless to them that grace is made universal Answer 1. Because if it were universal many whom Christ died for are now in Hell and what consolation can there be from that A man may be redeemed and yet perish and go to Hell for all that But it 's strong consolation when this comes in If when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life If he died for us when we were enemies will he not much more save us being friends 2. Suppose a person to be in black nature what comfort could he have by looking on Redemption as universal He could not expect Heaven by it for many expect Heaven on that ground who will never get it But it 's a sort of consolation even to them that are without to consider that Redemption is peculiar to some For though all get not Heaven yet they that believe get it and so upon their closing with Christ the consolation presently flows out unto them Whereas if they should lay it for a ground that Christs death were universal they could never have solid ground of consolation by flying to him 5. This errour doth quite overturn and enervat the whole Covenant of Redemption and peculiar love 1. It enervats and obscures the wisdome that shines in it if Christ may buy and purchase many by his death who shall yet notwithstanding perish 2. It enervats and obscures the love and grace that shine in it for it makes Christ to cast away the love and grace of it to reproâ—â—e and â—o to cast pearls to swine 3. Tâ— obscures the freedom of it which â—â—y tâ—â—â— in his taking of one and refusing another as it is Rom. 9.11 12. The children not being yet born and having done neither good nor 〈◊〉 that thâ— pâ—â—pose of God according to election might â—â—â—â—d 〈◊〉 of works but of 〈◊〉 that calleth it was said the elder shall serve the 〈◊〉 as it is written Jacob have I loved and Esaâ— have I hated 4. It obscures the Justice of it if he should but all and yet get but som for it being the design of God to inflict on Christ the curse that was due to sinners and to spare them if this should be the result of it that many for whom he died and took on him the curse should pâ—rish he should get but some of these whom he bought and Justice should twice exact satisfaction for one and the same debt once of the Surety and again of the Principal Debtor that perisheth Whereas when Christ becomes Surety they are set free for whom he was â—urety and it is Justice that it should be so We do the rather insist in the refutation of this errour because this is a time wherein it is one of the Devils great designs which he drives to trouble the clear Springs of the Gospel and to revive this errour amongst the rest And there is something of it in these poor fool Bodies who speak so much of a light within as if all were alike and had something which if they use well they may get life by This error alwayes leaves men to be Masters and Carvers of Gods Decree and of Christs purpose and design in the work of Redemption and suspends the benefit of his death mainly if not only on the consent of mans free-will A 2d Branch of the errour which this Doctrine refutes is that which is vented by some who are not professed enemies but in other things deserve well of the Church of Christ which therefore should be our grief to mention And it is this that though Christ hath not simply purchased Redemption from sin to all men that yet he hath taken away from all the sins of that first Covenant of Works as if there were as they say no sin for which men are now condemned but the sin of infidelity or unbelief But this is dangerous for iâ— If this be true that Christ's death is only a price for the sins of the Elect then there are no sins of others reckoned on his score 2. It halveth Christs purchase and hardly will we find Christs death divided which were to say that he hath bought a man in part or haâ—f from wrath and not wholly such a dividing of Christ and halving of his death seems not consistent with the strain of the Gospel for as there is one Sacrifice so there is one account on which it is offered 3. It seems to infer a good and safe condition to all them that die without sinning against the Gospel and so to Infants born out of the Church that never sinned against the Covenant of Grace
Life And we say that such an exercise suppons Life to be though it be not descernable in it's exercise to the Soul it self There are many Poor Creatures born and brought forth into the World that can neither Talk nor Walk but must be carried and keeped Tenderly and that are some way as if they were not brought out of the Womb So is it with many Believers and it were good to be in Christ's Common as for Life so for bringing Life to exercise and by diligence and waiting on Him in the use of His own appointed Means to seek to come to some Distinctnesse in Neating and Exercising of any Life that He hath given And it is no small incouragement to this That Christ shall see his seed That He must have Saints and Believers in Him which should make Poor Souls that have no Life in themselves with the more confidence to commit themselves to Him upon this very ground that the Father hath ingadged to Christ that He shall have many such for His Seed The which Promise is performed to Him in the gathering in of Poor confused and Mind-perplexed Sinners to be in His Debt for Life and to hold their Life of Him for ever It will sure be no small part of the ground of Saints praise in Heaven that He not only bought Life for them but that He made Application of Life to them And trained them on till He got them fitted to speak to His Prâ—ise Wherein the Body of Death makes many a sad stop and makes poor Believers to Stammer as it were while they are here But it 's good News that Jesus Christ hath bought Life and brought it to Light And that by this Gospel He is making Application of it and declaring that He is content to bestow it freely on all them that will be in His Common for it SERMON XLI ISAIAH LIII X. Vers 10. He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand IT was once a Riddle how out of the strong could come forth Meat and how out of the Eater could come forth Sweet It 's here most clearly Unridled and that in a most Wonderfull and Comfortable Manner Our Lord Jesus the strong Lyon of the Tribe of Judah it put to grief and bruised and his soul is made an offering for sin and here is the Sweet Meat that comes out of it He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days c. The substance of the Words is That by His Death many shall be brought to Life It 's the same Death that hath given us the hope we have of Life And all the ground that we have to speak of it to you which had never been had He not been bruised and put to grief We shew that here is holden forth the Lord 's great design in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption And that these Words are a further answer to the Stumbling Objection proposed before to wit How the innocent Son of God could Suffer It pleased the Father to bruise him when he should make his soul an offering for sin c. Which Justifies God in that proceeding and serves to weep away that Reproach that might seem to stick to Him In sum it is this If we consider the notable and noble Fruits and Comfortable Effects that followed on His Sufferings and Death there is no ground to stumble at God's giving His Son or at the Sons Condescending as Mediator to Suffer to be Dispised and put to Dâ—ath And this is the first Fruit and Eff ct thereof that He shall see his seed Whereby is meaned that by His Death the Elect who are given to Him do by Faith in Him recâ—ive a new Life from Him aâ—d are taken in under a most sweet and kindly Relation to Him by their being begotten again to a lively hope through His Resurrection from the Dead We spoke to â—â—is Point That Believers are Christ's Seed which shews the great Priviledge that they are admitted to and their great Obligation to Christ on that account they are oblidged to Him for their Spiritual Life and Beeing as Children are oblidged to their Natural Parents for their Natural Life and Beeing And Infinitely more oblidged in as much as the one Life is Infinitly Preferable to the other There are three things more to be Observed from the Words And 1. Considering them as they stand in Dependence on the Former That God's Design in sending His Son into the World and the Mediators Dâ—sign in coming so low is to have a Seed begotten to the Hope of Eternall Life and to have â—oor Souls dead in themselves shareing of Life in and through Him even to have many partaking of Life through His Death 2. Considering the Words as foretelling the event of Christ's Death and Sufferings We have this Observation from them That Our Lord's Deaâ—h shall certainly procure Life to many Or thus it cannot be but His Death must have truâ—â— to the saving of Souls from Death and to the making of them partakers of Life 3. Looking on the Words as a Promise made to the Mediator We Observe from them That the Seeing of a Seed is exceeding much thought of by Jesus Christ It pleased Him wondrous will Therefore this Promisâ— of a Seed is mâ—de to Him to incourage Hâ—m to lay down His Life We shall speak a Word to each of these And shall leave the consideration of the Words as they hold out not only our Lord 's out-living his Sufferings but His seeing a Seed on the back of them to the Second Effect that follows He shall prolong his days For the First Doctrine we suppose It will be clear if we consider how the seing of his seed is Subjoyned to and Dependeth upon the former Words anent His making His soul an offering for sin which holds out this That the great Design of God and of Christ the Mediator it s His Sufferings is to beget a People to â—ternal Life And to make way that Sinners Naturall Dâ—ad in Sin may partake of Spiritual and Hâ—avenly Life and may be begotten to the Hope of Eternal Life through Him And what other Design I pray could there be then this For the Lord had nothing to procure to Himself To speak simply there could be no addition made to the Glory of God thereby Therefore it 's said John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all that be hath given me I should loss nothing but should raise it up at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one who seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation and what is it That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that John 10.10 I came that they might have life and that they might
think of injoying of Heaven and Glory ye would think also whence it came to be thus with you O! think on that Rock out of which ye are hewen as ye are Believers and are intitled to Life And this will lay the Natural Pride which Alas too often Believers have going along with their Hope of Life as if they were something better by Nature then others because they have hope to come to Heaven but think this also with your selves that there are no thanks to you but to Him who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood which should make you walk softly and with a stoppâ—d mouth and in this Case every thought of your Title unto and of your Hope of Heaven would be both singularly pleasant and profitable to you Use 3. See here that which maketh the Glad Tydings of Christ's Death wonderfully Comfortable It 's much that Christ came and Suffered but if ye add this that His Design in Suffering was to beget Sinners to a New and Spiritual Life tâ— raise and quicken them that were Dead in in Sins and Trespasses to pay their Debt and to Cancell their Obligation It makes it to be much more wonderfull Alas we have great want of Spiritual Affections that are not more Affected with this even with this That the Father should send His Son and that the Son should come into the World and wherefore That He might have a Seed that poor Bodies that were Dead and without Life might be quickned and that such as had no hope of Heaven might have it That in such a way an entry into Heaven should be made to Sinners this is the wonder do ye Believers indeed believe this that the Lord's Design in all the Work of Redemption was to bring Dead Sinners to Life This is it that makes Christ get the Name of a Saviour That the Shepherd being smitten God might turn his hand on the little Ones And therefore as a 4th Use See here a good ground whereupon to Preach to you by the Death of Christ the Offer of Life and the Remission of Sin as the Apostle hath it Act. 13.39 40. Be it known therefore to you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not he justified by the law of Moses And there is never a Text that speaks of the end of Christ's Sufferings but readily it some way layes a ground how a Sinner may get Life And it is as it were a Proclamation to Sinners to make the right use of what is offered to them If our Lord Jesus had not Suffered there had not been a warrand for us to speak of Life to you There had been no Treaty with Sinners no Door opened for access to Heaven no ground for any to call God Father But on the Contraire Christ having Suffered and Satisfied Justice it givâ—s us Ground to make this Procâ—amation to you Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgivenness of sins And these two put together 1. That there is a sufficient Price laid down for the Satisfying of the Justice of God for the Debt of Elect Sinners 2. That this is the Lords Dâ—signe in laying of the Prâ—ce down even to Procure and to Communicat Life to them according to that of John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life And that of John 12.32 And if I be lifted up I will draw all men after me This demonstrats that there is a Sufficient-Warrand to make use of Christ for pardon of Sin and for obtaining of Life through Him For readily the Exception is One of Two Either 1. That the Price will not â—o the Turn and that cannot be said for the Death of Christ is a Price Sufficient or 2. That Sinners know nor what is the Lorâ—'s Purpose in it This Text holds out that and tells us Iâ— is that he may have a seed This is the Sum of the Covenant of Redemption saâ—eth the Father Son if thou wilt lay down thy Life Thou shalt see a seed that shall have Life through thy Sufferings and the Lord would never have given His Son to die if He had not minded the Salvation of Sinners and to beget and promove Life in them through His Sufferâ—ngs And to what end is the Gospel Preached by which Life and immortality are brought to light But that what He hath bought may be appâ—yed to Sinners And therefore as a 5th Use We beseech you to concur with Christ in the Design of His laying down of His Life Is it not think ye great Ingratitude to Him and great Cruelty to your selves that when the Lord hath Designed such a thing by the laying down of His Life That ye should as far as ye can stand in the way of it Now His Designe is to have many in His Common for Life â—hat He may have a Seed and to have Poor Sinners that are Dead and Lifelesse in themselves taking with their Sin and coming to Him to get Justice Satisfied and a Right to Life by His Offering And is this a Prejudicial Designe or Unprofitable to Sinnerâ— Why then should ye stand in the way of that When Our Lord hath Designed Sinners good and hath been content to lay down His Life to make Life possible to you when all His Dâ—signe in dying is to have Sinners saved by their betaking themselves to Hâ—m and that by their betaking themselvâ—s to Him the Second Adam They may get a Râ—ght to Life Transferred to them â—s iâ— not Folâ—y and Madness for Sinneâ—s to obstruct what they can this His Design The Apostle makes use of this Argument 2 Cor. 5. â—8 19. He hath given us the word of reconciliation that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them we therefore as ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Châ—ist stâ—ad be ye reconciled to God And what is the reason For he was made sin for us who knew no sin And or this â—nd That we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not â—his the samâ— Argumâ—nt that â—s in the Text Our Lord was made 〈◊〉 Sin-offâ—ring that Hâ— might see a Seed And 〈◊〉 â—o then we would intâ—eat you if the Blâ—eâ—iâ—g Bowels of Chriâ—â— can have any weâ—ght with you and if you would do Him a Pleasure not to marr His Designe as fâ—r as ye can for He will infrustrably accomplish His Designe And that is to have Souls brought in to make Sinners Peace with God and that they may make use of His Sufferings for that End Need we use Arguments to perswade you to this Whâ—ch is so much for your own good and welfare even to save your Souls To come and be
Justified through thy Death And this is so acceptable to the Mediator That He sayes Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God And Heb. 10. the Apostle saâ—es By â—his will we are sanctified He sought no more but this for all His Sufferings and Soul travel and that it is no less acceptable to Jehovah that makes the Promise is as clear Therefore in the last part of the verse It is said The pleasure the Will or the Delight of the Lord shall prosper in his hand That is the ingadgeing of Souls to believe which is Gods delight as well as the Mediators shall Thrive Succeed and Prosper Well It 's this that John 17. Christ callâ— the finishing of the work which the Fatheâ— gave him to aâ— What is that Thine they were and thou gavest them me It 's even His sâ—epping in betwixt Justice and them to make way for their Reconciliation through His Blood And this is very delightsome and well pleasing to Jehovah It is true this delightsomenesse is not to be so understood as if there were such Affections and Passions in the Lord as there are in us But it is Attributed to Him in these Respects 1. It 's called Pleasing and Delightsome to Him as it agrees with His Revealed Will and Command And so it câ—nnot be conceived but to be pleasing to God as that which He commandeth calleth for and approveth in which respect the Holinesse of them that will never be Holy and the Faith of them that will never bâ—lieve is or may be called Pleasing to God 2. It is called Pleasing to the Lord in respect of the End and as it is a Midse to the Glorifying of His Grace and the performance of His Promise to the Mediator For by this His Grace comes to be Glorified and He hath access to perform what He hath Promised to the Mediator 3. It 's pleasant to Him Because in this the Lord hath a speciall Complacency And hath Evidenced in His Word Comparatively a greater delight in Sinners cloâ—ing with Christ and in their accepting of Life through Him then in many other things Therefore it is that He calleth for this so pressingly And when Christ is not thus made use of He declares Himself to be grieved and that there is a sort of dispit done to Him whereas upon the other side He takes it dare I â—p ak it with reverence as a courtisie and honour put upon Him when a Soul gives up it self to Christ and dare hazarâ— the weight of it's Immortal Soul on His Word in this respect Abraham is said Rom. 4. To give glorie to God When he Trusted himself his Soul and all his Concerns to Him And we will find that believing is accounted to be an honouring of the â—ather and of the Son if we compare the 24. and 25. Verses of John 5. together The 1. Use Serves To let you see That not only do the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ call Sinners to believe do warrand them to believe and lay down grounds whereupon they may found their Faith But they also declare that it is well pleasing to them And that they shal be very welcome that come The carriage of the Father of the Prodigal Luke 15. Is but a little shadow of that welcome that a Sinner in returning to God by Faith in Jesus Christ may expect though indeed that Parable shewes plainly how hâ—arty a welcome returning Sinners may expect It was meet saith he that we should makâ— merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive and was loâ—â— but is found again Use 2. It serves to banâ—sh away that unworthy apprehension that is in the minds of too many that there is greater Rigidiâ—y and Austerity in God the Father then there is in the Mediator towards poor Sinners If we look to God as God His Grace abounds in the Person of the F ther as it doth in the Person of the Son And if we look to the Son as God He is the same Just God that will not acquit the Guilty more then the Father will do So that there is no ground for this apprehension which Fosters a sort of Blasphemous Conception of the blessed Trini y as if they were of different Natures and Dispositions most unbecoming Christians Hâ—nce is iâ— that many who are ignorant of God wâ—â—â— speak of Christ as bâ—ing easier to be dealt withall then the Father is a most Derogatory Conceit to the Divine Majesty and unâ—orthy of Christians Indeed if we abstract God from the Mediator there is no dealling with Him but if we look on God and come to Him in the Mediator there we find Him easie to be dealt with Therefore that which is called the Satisfaction of the Mediator Verse 11. Is called here the pleasure of the Lord Because He delights in the performing of His Promise to the Mediator in reference to His having of a Seed It is from this also that some Folks will pray to Christ as if He were a different Thing or Being from God And they would first make their Peace with Christ and then by His Moyon bring themselves in good Terms with God The Mediator indeed considered as Mediator is different from God who without Him or out of Him is a Consuming Fire But considered as God He hath the same Properties and gives Pardon on the same Terms And in this Respect we are to make use of His own Righteousnesse for obtaining of Pardon from Himself there being but one God There is occasion too frequently to meet with this Error And I know not how many inconveniences it hath following upon it Some think that they are alwayes sure of Christ's Friendship but they doubt of Gods As if the Father had not the same delight to save Sinners that Christ the Son hath And another abuse follows on the formâ—r that there is no more use made of Christ but by a Word of Prayer to Him without exercising Faith on His God-head If there ere no more to Rectifie this gross misâ—ake This one Text might do it If ye make use of Christ's Righteousnesse ye may expect Friendship from the Father and from the Son And if ye do it not ye have no ground to expect Friendship from either of them Use 3. There is here Ground of Glad Tydings to Sinners And that which makes the Covenant of Redemption to be diservedly called the Gospel and that made the Angels to Sing Glory be to God in the highest peace on earth and good will to men That there is such a Covenant laid down for bringing Life to Dead Sinners And that the Father and the Mediator are Delighted Comforted to say so Satisfied and well pleased with Sinners making Use of the Mediator for Life Is there then any Sinner here whose Conscience layes open to Him His hazard applyes the Curse to Him and passes Sentence on himself and hath some desire
as it 's one of the things that it seeks in Prayer so it 's one of the things that it eyeth in Repentance It 's much affected with the want of it confesses it to Him and aggredges the Sin thereof against it self from this ground that it loves nor Christ as it should I know not if there be much of this among us many will be sorry if they fall in drunkenness or in any other gross Sin but O! how few repent of their want of Love to Christ and that He gets not His own room in the heart 3. Where this Love is it is ever Suâ—picious and Jealous lest the heart cliver anâ— cleave to some other thing and give it room to the prâ—judice of Christ It 's a sad thing when folks let their affections go our at random and are not afraid lest they out-shoot themselves in loving the World their Pleasures their Credit c. But rather they are like the whore in the Proverbs who sayes come and let us take our fill of loves Love to Christ hath a Weanedness from these things and a Jealousy least they usurp a room in the heart that is not due to them Because as John sayes There is not a consistency betwixt the love of God and the love of the world in the heart and therefore it 's the watchfull care of a poor Bâ—liever to keep out inordinat love of the World and of these things that the heart is given to go a whoreing after Hâ—nce David prayes Psal 1â—9 Incline my heart to thy law and not to covetousness and Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity There is in too many a sort of râ—oted confidence that they love Christ and they nâ—ver suspect themselves of the contâ—are when yet some other thing hath his room 2dly There is ground here to exhort you to believe on Him as the Prince of Life and a Saviour that is well fitted and qualified to give Repentance and Remission of Sins And this is the very native Use that flows from this Doctrine even to lay a solid ground of Faith to a Soul lying under the sense of Sin to step forward to Godâ— Bar with confidence Considering Jesus Christ Crucified and put to Soul-travel for Elect Sinners who should betake themselves to Him Which if it had not been there had not been any ground for Faith And the lower He came in His Sufferings we have the more native and broad ground of Faith and the stronger motive to draw us to take hold of Him and to found and fix our Faith on His Satisfaction To clear this Branch of the Use a little 1. Consider here a ground for Faith in a fourfold respect And 2. The force of the motives that arise from these grounds pressing a sensible Sinner to exercise Faith on them or on Him by them And 3. The necessity that we are under so to do For the First 1. In general There is ground here to bring the heart to be through in the Historicall Faith of what is spoken concerning the Truths of the Covenant For doth not this Soul-travel of Our Lord say That Men are lying Naturally in a sinfull Condition and obnoxious to Wrath That there is a Covenant past betwixt the Father and the Son for delivering of Elect Sinners out of that Condition and that by the Sufferings of the Mediator And that by our betaking of our selves to Him we may be fred from Sin and Wrath Otherwayes why did the Mediator come thus low except it had been true that man was under a Debt that he could not pâ—y And why â—id the Father send His Son except He had been really minded that He should offer Himself up a propitiatory Sacrifice to God for Mans Sin And His accepting of the Satisfaction tells plainly that He was content that the Cautioners Payment should stand for the Principal Debtors All this supposeth a Covenant which is as real as if we had seen and had been Ear-witnesses of the reading over of the Covenant in all the Articles of it we wish that many were come this length as to be confirmed in the Historicall Faith of the General Truths of the Gospel summed up in Christs Sufferingâ— And there cannot be any serious Râ—ading or Hearing of Christs Sufferings but theâ—e must also be some considering of their Riâ—e and End if it be otherwise we do but superficially run over them 2. As this shews the Lords Seriousness in pressing the offer of Redemption on Sinners so it calleth you to be Serious in accepting of it According to that in John 12. When I am lifted up I will draw all men after mâ— Where Christs lifting up is made an Attractive to draw lost Sinners after Him And can their be a greater ground of Faith or a stronger motive to perswade a Sinner to be reconciled to God and to rest upon Christs Satisfaction in order to that then this That Jesus Christ hath purposly laid down His Life and undergone Suffering even to such an extremity to bring it about 3. When we say that Christ's Soul-travel calls for Faith It requires this and gives ground for it That they that betake themselves to Christ for Justification before God may confidently commit themselves to His guiding in all other things For will He not be tender of them in these when out of respect to them when there was not a Covenant betwixt Him and them though they were mentioned in the Covenant of Redemption He laid down His Life and Suffered such things for them May we not from this Reason as the Apostle doeth Rom. 8. He that spared not his own son but gave him to the death for us how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Can there be a greater ground for Sinners that fear to give Him credit to trust Him with all things that concern them then this That He suffered so much for them 4. Having betaken our selves 〈◊〉 Him it serves to confirm our Faith and to bring us to the quieting of our selves in resting on Him and acquiescing in Him For what more could we require for ouâ— settlement and quieting then this That Hâ— hath come so low and condescended so faâ—â— for the behove of poor Sinners Therefore in all these respects let me exhort you and in His Name Who was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Obtest you not to keep at distance from Him but take with your Sin by Faith to fl e unto Him and to the efficacy of His Blood O! Yeeld your selves by Faith to Him for use making of Him for your Juâ—tification And a little more particularly let me here speak a word to two soâ—ts of Persons 1. To them that are yet strangers to God 2. To them that are looking towards Christ And 1. For you that are strangers to God whose hearts were never yet â—ffected with the Conviction of the necessity of believing who can lye down and rise up without
serious thoughts of your Souls estate or of the necessity of making sure your Peace with God I beseech you lay to heart your Condition and bewar of trampling the Blood of the Covenant under your Feet let not the Grace that is offered to you in this Gospel be heard and received in vain but by the acknowledgement of Sin and of Gods Justice to which ye are lyable for the same timously betake your selves to Christ's Suffering for a shelter from the Wrath of God that will be as a Storm against the Wall Thus we press as the great Use of this Doctrine upon you that ye improve the Cup of Wrath that the Mediâ—tor hath Drunken for your exempting from the Curse that is due to you and that Cup that ye deserved to have Dâ—unken Eternally 2. For you who under the Conviction of Sin are looking towards Christ let me intreat you not to stay on this side of the City of refuge but step forward and improve this Soul-travel of the Lord for your Spiritual Ease Setlement Quiet and Comfort as well as from keeping you from Wrath otherwayes it will bring bitternesse in the End If ye make not use of Christ's Sufferings if ye betake not youâ— selves to Him and do not trust Him for Justification and Life ye will make your selves guilty oâ— His Blood and will be found traders of it under Foot And therefore let me here speak a Word to the Second thing proposed That is the Grounds or Reasons or Motives that should press you to make Use of these Sufferings and of the Grounds of Faith that they hold out unto you And 1. In General let me ask Is there not need that ye should do so Is there not Guilt and hazard of Wrath because of Guilt and if â—o Why stand ye at a distance â—rom the Saviour If it were Sinless Saints and Angels that were exhorted to make Use of H m it would be the leâ—s wonder that there were so little thinking of a Mediator but when it is Sinners that are called upon and Sinners in such eminent hazâ—rd it 's indeed a wonder that there iâ— not greater flocking unto Him and pressing on Him If there had noâ— been need would the Father have so pursued the Son or do ye think that it was for a Complement that He laid down His Life Which sure He would not have done if Salvation could have been had another way 2dly And more particularly As ye would consider the marvellous Grounds that He hath laid down for Faith to rest upon so ye would consider the many Motives that ye have to press you to rest on these Grounds which we shall draw to these Four 1. The Fulness and Sufficiency of the Ground that is given to Faith in Christs Sufferings which the deeper they draw on His Soul Faâ—th hath the Fuller and Better Ground to make Use of them 2. The Power and Ability that are Conspicuously in Him to make Application of His Purchase He hath encountered Wrath and hath overcome He is Absolved and Justified before God and is exalted to be a prince and a saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins And having Satisfied Justice and defeated the Devil and being thus exalted He can bring through and land fate such Sinners as betake themselves to Him And these two to wit A sufficient Price payed for the Debt of the Elect And a sufficient Prince and Saviour able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through Him and who is Exalted and sitteth at God's Right Hand to make Intercession for us as they are a solid Ground for Faith to rest on so a strong Motive to press believing 3. The great Faithfulnesse of God that Brightly Shines and Wonderfully appears here who according to the Covenant sends His Son and pursues the Quarrel against Him and in so doing keeps the Promise made to Abraham And the great Faithfulnesse of the Meadiator in coming and performâ—ng all that He undertook for the Elect Both of them are so faithfull in performing all that was Covenanted to the least ioâ—a thereof as is evidenâ— by what our Lord sayes I have finishâ—d the work which thou gavest me to do Seing therefore there is such exact Faithfulnesse in Keeping and Fulfilling of all that passed in the Covenant of Redemption and of all that was Promised to the Fathers And seing the Mediator hath said that of all that come unto him he will cast out none nor put thâ—m away is there not here a strong Motive to believing Will not the Lord Jesus be as Faithfull in keeping the Promise made to Comers unto Him as the Faâ—her and He have been in performing of what was Covenanted concerning their Redemption The 4th Is the great Love of God and of the Mediator that eminently shined here in their willingness to make the Application As He is Faithfull so is He willing to be imployed and what greater evidence of Love would we have then this That Our Lord Jesus hath delighted so much in the Salvation of Sinners that He laid down His Life and endured much more Soul travel for this very End We beheld sayes John Chap. 1.14 his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Fatherfull of grace and truth In His Humiliation He was G orious in both these Glorious in His Truth making His Faithfulnesse to shine in exact keeping of what was Aggreed upon and Promised Glorious in His Grace to poor Sinners in making Application of His Purchase Freely and Fully yea the more that He was obscured by His Humiliation the more did His Grace shâ—ne forth how much more Gloriâ—us will He be in these when He is now exalted 3dly If these two perswade you not to believe on Him To wit the Grounds that He hath given for belâ—eving and the powerfully pressing Moâ—ives to make Use of these Grounds consider the absolute necessity that ye lye under of making use of these Grounds without which ye will never be able to shift the Wrath of God Is there any that can give God a Recompence The redemption of the Soul is precious and ceases for ever as to you Or if any could have been able Why did the Mâ—diâ—tor come thus low And where should have been the Glory of Grace and Truth that hath shined so Radiantly in His Sufferings And therefore from all these be exâ—orted to give Him the Credit of your Sâ—lvation by making Use of His Righteousnesâ— and by founding your Plea before God on His Sufferings as ever ye would have your Souls saved Otherwayes ye can expect nothing but to fall under the Rigour of Justice and to be made to satisfy for your own Debt to the uttermost farthing and when will that be Darâ— the most innocent amongst you step in to satisfy Justice for themselves if not is there not a necessity to make Use of His Sufferings for that End Which He haâ—h made attainable by His Tearing of the Vail of His
own Flesh that Sinners may step in with humble boldnesse to the Holy of Holies This is the End of all our Preaching and of your Hearing which when it is not simply Aimed at and Endeavoured to be Reached we are Useless in both And therefore 2dly May we not expostulat with you that are hearers of this Gospel and yet continue Strangers to Christ that can hear of His Sufferings and of His having been in an Agony for this very End that Sinners might have a warrand to their Faith and yet have never to this very hour Actually fled unto Him to find shelter I know that mâ—ny will not take with this and therefore in more close Application of this Use seing here lyeth the great Treasure of the Gospel which if it be not what can be improven to any purpose We shall speak a Word to two Sorts 1. To the Generality of Hearers who are Sâ—rangers to the right Use-making of Christ's Righteousnesse And though ye may think this to be a hard Charge and cannot well endure to be expostulated with as Unbelievers yet let me ask you 1. Do ye think that all of you will go to Heaven If not but that it is a Truth that the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel will Perish Then sure all are not Believers for all Believers will go to Heaven and not one of them shall Perish and though ye wiâ—l not now believe this The Day is coming when ye shall if Grace prevent not see and find it When Believers will be taken in with Christ and others shut out Many of you may think that this Doctrine is needless The more needless that many of you think it to be it is so much the more needfull and useful to be insisted on with you 2. If ye say ye have Faith I ask you whence came it and how got you it I know many of you will say We believed alwayes since we had understanding to know Good by Ill yet when ye are put to tell what it is ye know not how to answer nor can ye give the least Satisfying Account of it And yet ye question not but it will be well with you and never once feared to go to Hell And is that Faith think ye Alace no It 's a plain Counterfit and a very Cheat Others are ready to say we believed not alwayes yet we believe sometimes to wit when we do some Duties and abstain from gross Evils But when Challenges come for the Neglect of Duties and for the Commission of Sins we want it and have nothing of it And when Death comes such are forced to say we fear we have been beguiling our selves Whence comes this But even from this Ground that they would never suffer it to light but they had Faith which yet will never be accounted to be Faith because it hath not Christ's Righteousness for the Ground of it and therefore when any Challenge is awakened it 's a seeking and quite gone whereas True Faith will in some measure stand it out against a Challenge and will abide the Tâ—yal of a Challenge on the account of Christ's Righteousness fled to 3. We ask you this Question Are ye sure of your Faith Ye will say we hope so and believe so and this is all ye can say which in effect comes to this we Groundlesly presumed so And it 's observable That if ye be put to a Second Question What ground have ye for your Faith ye have none at all If ye be asked whether ye be certain that ye are Believers ye will answer no body is certain God knows that Is not this strange And hath it not in it an utter inconsistancy That Men and Women should confidently assert and maintain their Faith and yet when they are put to prove it they will tell you that they are uncertain and that none can be certain of it Therefore think it not strange that we expostulat with you that ye have been so long hearing of Christ and that yet ye have little or rather no Faith at all in the Use-making of His Righteousness But to make this the more convincingly clear We shall give you four Characters whereby True Faith may be tryed and known which will serve also to discover the Unsoundness of the Faith of many 1. It may be tryed by the Ground that it leaneth upon solid Faith hath for the Ground of it Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction His Sufferings the Price that He payed to Justice for Sinners Debt That He who knew no sin might become sin for us As it is 2 Cor. 5. ult Ye that say ye hope to come to Heaven and will assert strongly that ye believe Try it I beseech you by this What is it that warrands you to believe or whereon is your Faith founded Is it Christ's Righteousnesse that gives your Faith a Ground ye will say yes And who do otherwayes Are there any but they expect Life through Christ But deceive not your selves There are many that have some sort of respect to Christ who do not at all rightly respect His Sufferings many will look upon Christ as a Soveraigne and as one that can pardon them their Sins and will pray to Him for Pardon of them who yet never seriously lay the weight of their obtaining Pardon on His Death but expect Pardon immediately without an interveening Satisfaction Yea they never look upon that as needfull Others again look only to Christ's ability to save and will pray to Him as to an able Saviour And here also by such His Righteousness and Merit is shut out as if it were superfluous and unnecessary A third sort look to His mercy and think that He is very Kâ—nd and Gracious and that as one Man forgives another so will He forgive them And do not Respect His Righteousness nor found their Faith and Expectation of Pardon upon Him as upon one that hath Satisfied Justice by the travel of His Soul that Pardon might come to them who come to Him But where true Faith is the Soul begins to look on it self as arraigned be-before the Tribunall of Justice and libelled as unable to pay its own Debt Judges it self and hath not only some piece of exercise to be fred from a Challenge which is all the Faith that many have but hath serious exercise how to have the Challenge answered by betaking it self to Christs Satisfaction from these Grounds that a Satisfaction is given that this Satisfaction is made Offer of in the Gospel and that the Soul is content to make use of it and thereupon it draws the Conclusion anent Pardon It hath interveening betwixt the Consideration of its Guilt and its Application of Pardon both the Covenant of Redemption on Gods side and the Covenant of Reconciliation on the Sinners side which the Soul doth eye as that which gives it warrand to lay hold on Christ's Suffering which the other who presums doth not The Believing Soul sayes If this Satisfaction had not been
I could never have expected mercy 2. In the solid Faith of a Believer there is as an Use-making of Christ Crucified allenarly as the meritorious Cause of Justification and Life So he is exercised in this to be allenarly settled on Him as such As for presumptuous Souls as they find it easy to believe so they find it easie to believe and to rest on Him only but as the true Believer hath it for one Piece of Exercise to Him how to win to Christ so it 's a Second Piece of Exercise to Him to get Him rested on only and to get Him as Crucified made the Ground of his Faith As the Apostle insinuates when He sayes 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Christ Jesus and him crucified Where we have three Grounds of Sâ—ving Faith or Knowledge 1. Jesus Christ 2. Him as Crucified and 3. A determining to know no other thing but Him to rest upon for Life and Salvation It 's in this Respect that the Apostle Philip. 3. Doth count all things to be but loss and dung and cast as it were all over board that he may wâ—n Christ and be found in Him Many find it no difficult business to rest on Christ only and to keep out other things from being joyned with Him and never once suspect themselves in this by any thing But the Believer as I just now said hath here an Exercise and Difficulty to get Christ alone rested on so that nothing else be in the least rested on Because he knows nothing else to be a sure Foundation and because he knows that it 's natural to him to rest on other things beside Christ 3. The true Believer is taken up not only to have a sure Ground to build on but also to have his own Gripping at and Building on that Ground made sure It 's his exercise to have it out of question that his Faith is true Faith and not Presumption or Guessing To have the Grace of Faith Actually and Really taking hold of or apprehending Christ Whereas another that presumeth and hath only an Opinion or Conjecture in place of Faith As he is in his own Opinion easily brought to Christ so he finds it easy to exercise believing on Him he will it may be grant that he cannot Sanctifie the Sabbath-day and yet he can believe as if Believing were less difficult then to Sanctifie the Sabbath So many will grant that they cannot Pray and therefore do decline Worshipping of God in their Families who yet will confidently say that they can believe and that they do believe alwayes as if believing were lesse difficult then to Pray for a quarter or half a quarter of an hour But where solid Faith is the exercise of it is a difficult thing and the Person that hath it hath a holy Jealousy of it And the experience of many others and of himself sometime telling him that he may be mistaken he is often trying it and doth not nay he dar not trust much to it and is put often with that Man spoken of Mark 9. To cry and sometimes with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief He dar not trust much to his own Grip and therefore hath recourse to Christ to get it sickered and to have Him taking and keeping the Grip of his Grip as it was with the Apostle Phil. 3.12.4 When Believers have betaken themselves to Christ they have a new Exercise to know that it is so indeed It 's not only an Exercise to them how to Ground their Faith right how to quite all other things and to betake themselves to Christ only and to cast their burden on Him But it 's an exercise to thâ—m to clear that it 's Christ indeed that they rest on or to be clear that they have rested on Him It 's no good token when folk are soon Satiâ—fiâ—d with their Believing and never put it to the Tryâ—l And this is it that mâ—kes many go on guessing till they come to Death which makes a devorce betwixt them and their fancied Faith and discovers it to be but a Delusion Wheras it is Believers Work to try whether they have and to know that they have believed which they win not soon to know and the Reason is because the sense of Sin the apprehension of Wrath and their love to God and to Christ the Mediator with their desire to enjoy Him suffer them not to be quiet till they be sicker We may see all the Four together Philip. 3.7 8 9 10. Where the Apostle speaking of his case when he was a converted Christian in opposition to what it was when he was a Pharisee and thought himself to be very well and a strong Believer sayeth What things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dâ—ng that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness c. The oâ—jâ—ct he would be at is Christ The manner how is Not having mine own righteousness The meâ—n through whâ—ch is Faâ—th in Him This is it that brings him to Union with Him And then he would know experimentalâ—y that he doth know Him savingly as a Believer in Him By finding the power of his resurrection by having fellowship in his sufferings And by being made comformable unto his death Whereby he would prove and make out to his own Quieting and Consolation that he is indeed a Believer The Bâ—liever is never right till he be in Christ and it s his Exercise to be quit rid of all other things and to rest upon him alone neither doth he rest here but he must be clear that he is in Him and that he hath fellowship in His Sufferings and Conformity to His Death This we would recommend to you as your main study as ever ye would comfortab y evidence to your selves your believing in Him SERMON XLVI ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THE Bargain of Redemption is a great Bargain and we may say that it is a good Bargain wherein the greatest things that ever were imagined are transacted The sum whereof is in these two 1. What shall be the Satisfaction that must be given to the infinit Justice of God or what shall be the amends that must be made to God for the Satisfying of His Justice for the Sins of all the Elect and that is compended in these Words The travel of Christs soul That is the condition or these aâ—e the Terms on which only the Lord Jehovah will Tryst to speak so and He will Tryst on no other Terms 2. What shall be the Satisfaction that the Mediator shall have for all His Sufferings and Soul-travel
this Satisfaction is allowed Him for His Soul-travel and as it 's Just that they that Labour should partake of their Labour and that the Hirling should have his hire so it 's not only Satisfying to Christ that Sinners get good of Him but it 's Just He having Purchased it at so dear a Rate For the First of these That Our Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted and satisfyed with Sinners making use and getting good of Him If there were no other Scripture to confirm it this same is sufficicient Would ye then know what Christ aims at in His Sufferings what will content and satisfie Him as a Recompence for all His Soul-travel It 's even this To see the of fruit of the travel of his soul To have Sinners getting good of Him and saved by Him and there is nothing but this that will Satisfye Him It were a great matter to have the Faith of this Settled and Rooted in our Hearts if we could rightly take up what He hath Suffered how low He hath condescended to come even to be a Man and a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief To be reproached and mocked to take on Him the Curse and to be in Pain and Soul-travel And then if we could rightly take up what He aimed at and designed in all this and what He accounted to be a recompence to Him for it all even this That when His Gospel is Preached such and such poor Sinners under hazard of Wrath and Challenges for Sin should through closing with Him be brought to answer all their Challenges by this Our Lord Jesus hath satisfied Justice for Sinners and when poor Sinners are under the sense of a hard heart that they should cast their Eye on the same ground for a remedy of that Spiritual Malady and Plague even His Sufferings which have purchased the mollifying of the heart as well as Justification and Pardon of Sin And when a Sinner is disconsolat and dejected because of Sin and Divine Displeasure that He should be Cheered and Comforted in His Sufferings This even this is refreshing and is delightsome to Him We say it were much to get this throughly believed That Sinners are not half so fain to come in under His Sufferings for shelter and refreshing as Our Lord Jesus is to speak with reverence to see them Sheltered Refreshed and Thriving The very mentioning of this ought to be as marrow to the bones But for furder clearing of it we would speak a Word 1. To what this Delight and Satisfaction is 2. To some grounds to confirm the truth of it that Our Lord Jesus is indeed delighted to see poor Sinners coming to Him and getting good of Him For the First of these We did when we was speaking of these Words v. 10. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Shew how it was a delightsome thing to Jehovah And now speaking of it from this 11. v. in reference to the Mediator we shall take it up in these particulars 1. There is in Our Lord Jesus not only a delight in Sinners getting good of Him as it is a thing He calls for and is agreeable to His revealed will and as being required of them as their Duty in which respect it 's acceptable to God and cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him neither 2. Is this delight only in respect of the End of His Sufferings which were undergone to make a way for and to strick open a Door to the Throne of Grace through the Vail which is His Flesh that poor Sinners might come to a Fountain and wash and have access to God through Him Which being the End He had before Him in His Death cannot but be acceptable to God because it was His End in the giving of His Son to Die and so it 's delightsome to the Mediator but also 3dly It is so in these two respects further Sinners coming to Him resting on Him and getting good of Him is His delight 1. In respect of the Honour that is done unto Him when a Sinner believes on Him He counts it the putting of the Crown on His Head As it is Cant. 3 11. see also to this purpose John 5.23 24. And though there could have been a possibility of honouring of God before yet there is no Honouring of the Mediator till Folk make use of His Sufferings by Faith And it is on this ground that Christ complains when He is not made use of and therefore when Sinners give Him credit by committing the saving of their Souls to Him and by making use of His Offices for that End and for His performing in them that wherefore they were appointed it cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him 2. In respect of that Sympathy that Our Lord Jesus hath with His own Members For though the Mediator be now glorified in H aven yet He hath a humâ—ne Heart and affection still though inconceivably glorious and so a kindly Sympathie with them and is some way affected with both their good and their ill And considering Him thus He hath a delight in the good and well-fare of His People and their being delighted in and satisfied with Him proves a Delight and Satisfaction to Him For the next thing to wit the clearing and confirming of it It might be cleared and confirmed from many Grounds but we shall only touch on some that may make it out most convincingly that it 's most delightsome to Jesus Christ to see Sinners making use of Him and getting good of His Sufferings And this His Delight may be drawn from Eternity and carried on to Eternity 1. In the making of the Covenant of Redemption it was delightsome to Him to enter in it As is clear Psal 40. I delight to do thy will O my God The Bargain was no sooner proposed if we may speak so to that which is Eternal But heartily it was closed with by Him And this is confirmed Prov 8.32 Where the Substantial Wisdom of the Father is brought in saying Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delights were with the Sons â—f men Our Lord Jesus before the World began was delighted in the fore-thought that such a thing was a coming that in such and such parts of the World such and such poor Sinners should be called by His Grace and get the good of His Suffufferings As a Man in a long Journey or Voyage may be delighted in the Forefight of the End of it before He come at it 2. Look foreward to Hâ—s â—xecuting of His Office of Mediator anâ— to His going about the work of Râ—dempâ—â—on and we will find that He does it with delight Therefore John 4. When Hâ— is sitting on the Well side and is weary with Hâ—s Journey and hath neither to eat nor to drink He falleth a Preaching â—o a poor sinfull Woman and when the Disciples would fain have refreshed Him
His Sufferings if this Covenant had not been which gives them warrand to lay hold on the same Ere Faith can Act on Christs Sufferings it must have this Ground laid down That it hath a warrand by Vertue of this Covenant to lay hold on them 3. The knowledge and offer of this Mysterious Contrivance of Grace is also necessary and doth concur to bring about the Freedom This must be manifested that there is such a Saviour such a Satisfaction and such a Covenant wherein the Ground is laid down and a Warrand given by Vertue of this Covenant to make Use of Christ's Satisfaction and to come by the Benefit of it This is implyed in that Word His knowledge So Rom. 10. It 's said How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard which sayes plainly That there can not be Faith except knowledge preceed I observe this the rather because many think to come to Heaven without Knowledge and so continue still in their Ignorance But ere their can be sound Faith there must necessarly be some measure of Knowledge of these things that are necessary to be known As that we are Sinners and that we are lost in our selves That Jesus Christ is the alone Propitiation for Sin and that according to the Covenant of Grace they that believe on Him shall be Absolved and set Free 4. There is a concurring of Faith for taking hold of this Benefit of Offered-salvation through Christ how Faith concurres with Christs Satisfaction in order to the making of our Peace with God We shall not now stand to speak particularly only in general it is by His Knowledge that it Justifies For though He have sufficient Righteousnesse and though the Covenant give warrand to take hold of it yet if there be not an actual taking hold of it It will not profit us Therefore Rom. 3.22 and 9.30 It is called The righteousness which is by faith in him And Rom. 4.5 The Apostle saith To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness It is not Faith without it's Object Christ nor the Object Christ without Faith But it is Faith taking hold of Him as it's Object by which we have access to plead for Absolution without Christ our Faith will do us no good and without Faith Christ will not profit us For without Faith we have no Title to Christ And each of these would be put in their own Room and Place Christ in His Room and Faith in it's Room as the condition on which His Purchase is made offer of to us More particularly Let me First consider the Title that Christ gets in these Words He is called the Lords Servant and His Righteous servant 1. As for Servant It looks to Him as Mediator as this whole Chapter with Chapter 42.1 and 52.13 do abundantly clear Christ Jesus then as Mediator is the Lords Servant or He in performing the Office of Mediator is His Fathers Servant so the Lord calls Him Psal 89.19 When He says I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have found David my servant c. For He is there speaking of Jesus Christ with whom the Covenant of Grace as with the head of the Confederated Party is principally made It imports these Four which may be as so many Reasons of this Designation 1. An Humiliation and Inferiority in respect of God as it 's said Phil. 2. He humbled himself and became of no reputation In which respect He Himself sayes that the Father is greater then he And that He is sent That He came not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him This holds forth a great Wonder in the dispensation of Grace That the Fathers Fellow and Equal He that was Lord and Master of all should become a Servant in the Work of Redemption for the saving of Souls This must sute be a great Work wherein the Son becomes a Servant As it must be a greater Wonder that Grace so far condescended as to make Him who is the Prince of Life to become a Servant And we would look at it as a much greater and far more momentuous business then we use to do to get a Soul saved 2. It imports His Prerogative as being Singularly and Eminently Gods Servant He is called Heb. 13.20 The great shepherd So may He be called the great Steward and Deputy over all the Lord's House So then He is a Singular Choise and Non-such Servant Behold sayes Jehovah Isa 42.1 My servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth Though all be Gods Servants yet in this respect He is Singularly and Solly a Servant as He is Great Lord Deputie made head over all things to the Church who was before all things and is preferred to all things This is very Comfortable to Believers to consider that though Our Lord Jesus be a Servant yet He is a Choice and Singular Servant Administrator and Steward for their Good it being for them that He becomes a Servant 3. It imports the particular Task or Work that is laid on Him and the Commission that He hath gotten to follow forth and prosecute that Work which is the main Reason of this Designation of a Servant Because He is intrusted with carrying on the Great Work of the Redemption of Elect Sinners Therefore He sayes I came not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Because He is particularly intrusted with the bringing about of that Work He hath gotten so many given Him to Redeem and Save to whom He is appointed a Shepherd a Head and Overseer or Bishop Therefore He calls Himself the good shepherd And is called by the Apostle the Shepherd and Bishop or Overseer of Souls And of all that are given Him He loseth none but maketh accompt of them all And this is yet more Comfortable when we consider that Christ is not a Servant simply but a Servant Commissionat to gather in Souls to bring home the lost Sheep of the House of Israel This is His Office and Service even to satisfie for the Sins of such to destroy the power that the Devil hath over them and so subdue Sin in them 4. It imports this that the Work which He performs in the Redeeming of Souls is so acceptable to God and doth so mightily concur and Co-operat to the promoving of His Design that the Lord owns every thing that He performs as performed by His Great Ambassadour and by Him who hath the Trust of all the affairs of His House committed to Him So that Our Lord Jesus in performing the Work of Redemption cannot but be acceptable to Jehovah because it is a performing of that with which He hath intrusted Him Therefore John 4. He sayes that it is his meat to do his fathers will and to finish His Work And to this
will O! my God By which will saith the Apostle we are sanctified And had there not been such a Will His Sufferings had not been usefull to us 3. Consider the Offer that is made in the Gospel to Sinners which is the object of our Faith For the Covenant of Redemption is not the Ground and Object of our Faith though it clears the Ground and Reason of our Faith but it 's Gods Offer in the Gospel according to that place Mark 16.15 16. Go ye and preach the gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved He warrands them to go and make it known to all to whom they shall Preach that there is Remission of Sinâ— to be had through Faith in Christ and this is a Ground to Faith when God makes offer of Christ's Satisfaction in the Gospel on condition that we believe and accept of Him When we by Faith close with the offer it gives us as it were an Assignation to Christs Purchase The Gospel sayes as Paul doth Acts 13.38 Be it known to you that through this man is preached to you remission of sins and by him all that believe are Justified And Faith consents to that as giving God credit and accordingly closes with and rests upon it as the ground of it's Plea before God So that when the Question comes to be asked What have ye to Answer the Law and to pay your Debt with Faith or the believing Sinners Answers I have nothing of my own but there is a Satisfaction in Christ according to the Covenant of Redemption which is holden out and made offer of to me in the Gospel and is given and allowed to me for defence against what the Law or Justice can say And I betake me to that And this is the native and kindly Act of Faith in Justification when it makes use of this Defence and Trusts to it alone This is even it that Paul hath Philip. 3.9 compared with v. 8. I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him That when it shall be asked Paul where art thou I may have it to say I am here Lord even in Christ and in His Righteousness this is the ground of his Plea having given up with his own Righteousnesse as to his Justification before God and he will have no other defence but that 4. Consider the end of all these to wit of Christ's Sufferings of the Covenant of Redemption and of the Offer of the Gospel It 's the Praise of the Glory of His Grace that God may make it known that He is Gracious and freely Gracious without respect to any thing in in the Sinner This End is not only set out in these two peaces put together one is Rom. 3.26 To declare I say his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus That he might be Just That is one that will fulfill His threatnings and therefore He hath provided One to Satisfie His Justice and One that is Faithfull in keeping His Promises and therefore He is the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus The other place is Ephes 1.6 Where when the Apostle hath spoken of Election Predestination and Adoption he sets down the end of all to wit To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved And this is a Ground that makes all sure For God cannot fail to Justifie the Sinner that believeth in Christ as He is offered in the Gospel because that is the very end of His Justifying Sinners the Praise of the Glory of Grace which He will not miss but most certainly and infrustrably come by The Uses are 4. in general The 1 whereof is for Information and it 's such a Lesson of Information as without it all the Preaching of the Gospel is to no purpose and the hope of Eternal Life were utterly desperat if such a Doctrine were not in the Gospel that through Faith in Christ a Sinner may be Justified would any know then how they may be Absolved this Answers the Question and tells us that it is through Faith in Christs Righteousness and no other way And if we digestedly believed the former two Doctrines 1. That we must all come before the tribunal of God And 2. That we are all obnoxious to the Curse of God we would think this were a very concerning Question to be put how such a guilty Sinner may be Absolved and Justified And indeed if we be not clear in this point It 's as to any Fruit in vain for us to Preach and for you to hear or to think of coming to Heaven Which is in a Word that a Sinner through resting on Christs Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace may come to be absolved and fred from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never sinned nor been lyable to that Curse For further clearing of this Use Consider 1. What Justification is 2. What we mean by Faith And 3. What are the Causes of this Justification spoken of in the Text. 1. By Justification in this place is not to be understood the making of a Person perfectly holy nor to have Grace infused into him for that is Sanctification But it is to be absolved and declared free in respect of the Guilt of Sin and of the Curse as if a Man had never Sinned As it 's said Ephes 1.6 Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved It 's an Act of Gods free Grace whereby our Sins are pardoned and we accepted as Righteous in His sight c. as our Catechisme hath it as if our Sin had never been 2. When we speak of Faith we mean not a General Historical Faith that Devils or Reprobat Men may have and whereby an assent of the Judgement is given to the Truths of the Word though indeed Justifying Faith doth presuppose that neither by Faith do we mean such a Faith whereby a man doth at the very first believe that he is Pardoned and which puts away all doubting and lifts him in his own conceit to the hight of assurance about the obtaining of the thing It 's the Antinomian presumption to believe at first hand that I am Justified and Pardoned But it 's such a Faith that takes hold of Christs Righteousness made offer of in the Gospel that I may obtain Justification and pardon of Sin through Him According as it 's said Gal. 2.16 We believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ It 's an actuall closing with the offer of Christs Righteousnesse and a submitting to the terms of it for Justification The Souls founding of all it's defence before God on Christs Righteousnesse and Purchase offered to it in the Gospel and resting on it for Life and Salvation As suppose there were a Multitude of Rebels to whom Pardon were by Proclamation offered on condition that at such a time they should
laid hold upon by Faith but on condition of our own Works alone For though they pretend that it may be called Christ's Merit because say they He hath procured Grace to work these Works yet in effect their way of Justification is to restore us to that Covenant which Adam had and to ability to keep the same terms though as we said the rise be different 4ly It 's inconsistent with our natural State for it suppons Man before Conversion to have a free-will to good and ability to dispose himself to receive Grace and gives him a hand in turning himself to God as if he were not dead in Sins and Trespasses and so the soveraignity of Grace is bounded and limited to wait on a Man so disposed and so disposing himself 5ly It destroyes the nature of Gods Law as if it were consistent with His holy Law to have such and such Lusts abounding within and did not exact a reckoniâ—g for such branches of it as they call Venial Sins 6ly It overturns the Scripture Doctrine concerning Sin for it makes many Sins to be in effect no Sins 7. It corrupts and destroyes the nature of the Sacraments and makes new Sacraments that God never appointed and gives them power to work that which God nevâ—r gave them as if the very works wrought did confer Grace 8ly It is inconsistent with the Justice of God as if forsooth such poor Triffiles and Toyes as these which they invent were satisfaction enough to his Justice yea as if some men could more then satisfie Justice and could not only merit Heaven to themselves but also help to merit it to others and as if God were bound in proper Justice to the Creature and that not only on the account of this Promise but also if not mainly on the account of Merit of Condignity All these things are involved in this Popish way of Justification and inconsistent with the Truth of the Gospel And we have touched on them to let you see that it is not one Error that is here but a complication of Errors And truely if there be not an abhorrency at Popery because of this gross Error in Justification there is but little ground to expect that Men will keep at suitable distance from it in other things And therefore from what hath been said take a few Directions as your Use of it and if we were tender it might do us good now and then to get a little view of such Errors 1. Then see here the necessity of being more distinct and clear in Gods way of Justification in the way how peace is made betwixt Him and a Sinner when we see how many Errors follow and creep in after one Error and when we consider how Popish Priests and Jesuits are moving and how this same Error which hath so many Errors with it is stealling in ye had much need to be well acquainted with the Truth and to be guarding your selves against Errors especially when some lay so little weight on it that they call it a striving about words which sayeth that there is but little abhorrence of the thing I am apt to think that the most part of them that are called Christians could not well tell how to expose Popery Armenianisme or Antinomianisme if they were tempted to imbrace them or any other Erronious Heresy And when withall we consider how naturally we are inclined to shuffle by the Covenant of Grace and to cleave to the way of Works or to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works we would try well what we incline to in this point whether in our Judgement or in our Practice least we fall from that which is right in practice at least if not in opinion also I intreat you to study this as a main point of Christian Religion even that ye may know and be clear in your knowledge of the way how God accepts of and justifies a Sinner 2dly Know that this Error of Popery in particular is not of so little concernment as many think it to be It 's a wonder that Men should think differences about matters of Religion to be so light and so little a matter as if it were but the change of outward ceremonies or of Words Hence it comes to passe that there is so little Care and Zeal to prevent the rise and spreading of Errors We shal only commend to you Three things for guarding you in reference to this Error 1. Sist your selves often before the Tribunal of Gods Justice till your hearts be brought under suitable impressions of Gods Holinesse and Justice of the severity and strictnesse of his Law and of the necessity of your answering to it in your own Persons or in the Person of a Cautioner And then consider what will be your defence in such a posture 2dly Carry alwayes alongst with you the impression of your Original Sin and Natural Corruption and of the sinfulness of your Practices This will make you loathsome and abominable in your own eyes and Christ precious and such a Soul will not be in such hazard of putting his own merits in the room of Christ's 3. Think upon that which in Gods offer is presented to you as the way of making your Peace Though ye would study Holinesse in order to that end when ye are so sinful and when Divine Justice is so severe It looks not like the way to Peace But when ye consider Gods offer in this Gospel as it is held forth Act. 13.38 39. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses And the invitation that is given Isa 55. to them that have no money to come and buy freely without money and without price And see God tabliâ—g His call on another ground than your Holinesse and putting in your offer Jesus Christ and His Righteousnesse It 's a raising and rousing up of the Soul to expect Absolution before the Throne of God on a more solid foundation that will bear it's weight We would beware of taking that way of Justification and of making our Peace with God that seems to be most rational like to our corrupt nature for as many say to be sorry for Sin to study to make amends and to do what they dow seems to be the most reasonable way and agrees best with our corrupt nature but that is not it which will do your turn but the way which God hath holden out and that is by His knowledge by Faith in the Righteous Servant 3dly See here how much we are obliged to God for holding out to us the right way to Life If ye look to many Nations abroad the way to Life is holden out to them on this ground even their own inherent Holiness their own Good Works their giving of considerable parts of their Estates their Pennances c. Which
yet can never quiet the Conscience nor Satisfie Gods Justice Yea our own Predecessours in this Nation were drowned in the same Errors And we were as foolishly and senslesly superstitious as the Inhabitants of any other Nations before the Light of the Gospel brake up among us accounting such and such Sins to be do Sins leaning to their Merits to the Merits of Saints to Indulgences Soul-masses Whippings and a nuâ—ber of things of that kind And now that God hath mercifully fred us of these foolries how much are we obliged to him Hath ever Scotland been thankfull as it becometh for this mercy We do by our unthankfulnesse darken and obscure the freedom of Grace that by this Gospel is preached unto us And there needs no other evidence of it but this That many are to this day as ignorant of the way of Justification of Sinners and as abstract from and as great strangers to the right way of making use of Christ's Righteousness as if it had never been revealed unto them or if they know and can speak any thing of it all the use that they make of it is to turn the Grace of God into wantonness And because Holiness is not the ground of making their Peace with God to take the more Liberty to Lousness These are not Fruits of the Gospel other Fruits must be brought forth or else ye will repent it when ye cannot mend it Let it therefore affect you that God is so ill requite for His goodness and study to be more thankfull to Him that we may speak of these Truths and discover their Errors and that we are not Judicially blinded as many other People and Nations are 4ly Pitie them that are lying under darkness of their Delusions and Errors and pray for them It 's a sore matter that the most part of the Christian World should have the Name of Christians and yet should maintain such Doctrine and lay down and hold such a way as keepeth from benefit by Christ Jesus yea as denyes on their matter that He is come For this is indeed the Spirit of Antichrist and of the Man of Sin that takes Souls off from Christ and yet how few make conscience to pray for these poor people and that God would pursue the whoore and brake up and skell that Market spoken of Revel 18. And would discover His Truth and make His Gospel to be purely preached to them that are fitting in the Region of Darkness and in the Shadow of Death ye would pity bound up and imprisoned Souls in this Error and pray for their reclaiming and that God would keep this Land from it It 's an old seated and rooted Error and the rest are but foolries in comparison of it This is the Devils great ingine and arme others are but vapourers to say so which may tell us that speaking and hearing of such a business is not altogether uselesse What if the day should come that all our Bibles and every English Book that serves to hold out Truth and to discover Error should be taken from you and ordered to be burned and that Books stuffed with their Errors should come in their room Many of you think little or nothing now of the Light and Liberty of the Gospel which ye enjoy but if Heaven be of so much worth this Gospel is of much worth to you and this Truth of it in particular 5ly Let not this Gospel be preached for nought O! receive not this Grace in vain that is this Grace offered to you in the Gospel and the clearing of such Truths to you O! What a challenge and aggravation of our Guilt will it be when we come before the Throne when many other Nations will be condemned because they leanned to their own Merits and made not use of Christ and many of us shall be condemned because though we professed an indignation at these Errors yet we made no more use of Christ than these who by their Doctrine excluded Him If our Predecessors could speak what could they say Would it not be this it is just that ye perish for ye had Christ and His Righteousness clearly preached to you which we had not and yet ye slighted Him Therefore take hold of and improve the opportunity God hath clearly revealed this Truth to the Land and to this Place walk in the Light while ye have it else your condemnation will be the greater as it is John 3.19 6ly Seing God hath given us this a singular mercy even the clear Revelation of the way of Justification by Christs Righteousness and Merits Let us not through our evil conversation make the Truth of God to be evil spoken of turn not the Grace of God into wantonness It was an evil that soon arose in the Primitive Church and which the Apostle disputs against Rom. 2.3 and 6. Because He preached Justification by Grace and not by the Works of the Law some were ready to abuse that sweet Doctrine and to say Let us sin that grace may abound and let us do evil that good may come of it whose damnation sâ—yes he is just And he follows out these Objections and insists in answering of them And O! but this is damnable from the abounding of Gods grace to take the more liberty to Sin and yet what other Language have the Lives of mâ—ny but this Because Justification and Hâ—ppiness are not builded on our Works â—herefore we may live as we list dispitfully and presuâ—ptuously reflecting on the way of Justification by Faith and on God who hath contrived it But if any of you will abuse Gods grace and Sin the more God shall charge it on your own heads this Gospel shall never do you good God will require it of you your Sins are multiplied and your Plagues shall be multiplied above any that have lived under black Popery I dar say many of you would probably have had a greater restraint on you from Sin and would have been more Charitable and Foreward in many external good Works if ye had been profest Papists than now ye are being profest Protestants a judicial stroak on you for the abusing of Grace And is this the Fruit of the Gospel No certainly Grace was never preached that Men should grow cold and indifferent in the practice of good Works but that through the laying hold on Christs Righteousnesse they might have peace with God and that thâ—ough the study of Holinesse God might be glorified Therefore study the exercise of Faith so as ye seclude not Holiness and study Holiness so as ye mar not the freedom o Grace and put these two together which are the Compend of the Gospel when suitably practised SERMON LIV. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many THis blessed Death and Soul-travel of Our Lord Jesus hath been good news to many and it is the ground of all the hope of Life that ariseth from the Word to a Sinner It should never be tastlesse nor dis-relishing
Justification But here is a way for the most prophane and gracelesse to be Justified which we do not mention to foster prophanity or an indifferency as to the having or wanting of inherent Gâ—ace and Holinesse God forbid we should but to hold out the excellency of this way of Justification by Grâ—ce whereto if ye kindly submit ye may come to be Justified It 's not your own Righteousnesse whether ye have lesse or more of it that Justifies you for to that ye must be denyed and endeavour to make this sure and sicker Therefore let not this Grace be offered to you in vain if ye slight it it will be a fearful challenge and will make you one day stand with a silent mouth and an empty hand when ye shall be charged because ye have not laid hold on this Righteousness which only can answer all challenges and ye shall stand naked before God because ye had this Robe of Christ's imputed Righteousnesse for covering of your nakednesse in your offer and would not put It on This is it that bare through David Abraham and Paul and all other Believers yea that which to say so bare through Our Lord Jesus who was justified in the Spirit as He stood in the Room of Elect Sinners and Believers in Him may be fully assured of their Justification through His imputed Righteousnesse not that which is His Essential but Cautionary Righteousnesse therefore througâ— in to make use of it and let God Himself blesse through Christ what hath been said to you to this purpose SERMON LVI ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iâ—iquities THese Words shew the great Scope and Design of the Covenant of Râ—demption and of Christ's Sufferings agreed upon therein which have been so much insisted on in the former verses And that 's in a Word that there may be a ground laid down how a Sinner may be Justified therefore there is the greater need that this point be well studied in all the causes of it It follows now that we consider this part of the Words which holds out the mean by which this benefit is made ours and that is by his knowledge which holds out the Instrumental Cause of our Justification It 's ordinarly so called and we see no cogent reason inducing us to a change of the Designation Faith â—here is called Knowedge not as if it were a bare speculative notion such as Devils may have but because Knowledge is a notable antecedent to Faith and Faith is consâ—quent to and supposes preceeding Knowledge as we may see Rom. 10. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Thus Faith is exprest by Knowledge John 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ c. Now it cannot be eternal life to know by a meer notional or speculative Knowledge For several reprobat men exceed many Believers in this but it 's to know so as to believe in God and to rest on the Mâ—diator for Life through Him as it is 2 Pet. 1.3 He hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godlinâ—ss through the knowledge of him c. Meer speculative knowledge cannot be the condition of the Promises For they are made to the Man that believes which believing takes in not only the Act of the mind knowing and assenting but of the will consenting and closing with the object known and this will be the more clear from these two 1. That by knowledge here is meaned that by which Justification is made ours or applyed to us and that which intitles us to it now meer sâ—eculative knowledge doth not that but it 's Faith embracing Him who is made known 2. If we compare that which is attributed to knowledge here with that which is attributed to Faith else where Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God and Rom. 3.25 He is the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus We wil find that what is called knowledge here is called Faith there So that we may without hesitation take the meaning of thâ— Words thus My righteous servant shall by faith in him justifie many who by His bearing of their iniquities shall be absolved and set free Therefore what is spoken of knowledge in the Doctrine we may look on it as agreeing to and meant of Faith We shall here insist a little on this Doctrine which is implyed in the Words that Justification through Faith or the obtaining of the Pardon of Sin through Christs Righteousnesse taken hold of by Faith doth necessarily presuppose knowledge in the person that may expect it Or thus Faith where it is Saving and such as Justifies hath alwayes Knowledge going along with it other wayes Faith could not be called Knowledge There may be Knowledge without Faith but there can be no Faith without Knowledge and so consequently a Sinner cannot expect Justification without Knowledge For making out of this ye may consider these things 1. Faith is of it self nothing but as it layes hold on some Object How can Faith lay hold on an Object except it know it as the Word is Rom. 10. How can they believe except they hear Can any person rest on an unknown Mediator that sure were not Faith but a blind guissing It 's just as if ye should say that ye believe such a thing when yet ye cannot at all tell what it is which is not Faith but as I said blind guissing and presumption 2. Faith as Justifying is alwayes holden forth as making use of and giving credit to that which is revealed in the Word hence we that hear the Gospel have that revealed to us therein binding us to the belief of it that Heathens have not as it is Rom. 1.17 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Where it is necessarly presupposed that the revealing of the Righteousnesse of the Gospel which here comprehends the knowing of it must go before Faith and as a Person grows in Faith he grows in the knowledge of it hence also they are said to be strong in Faith who were strong in knowledge and they were said to be weak in Knowledge who are weak in Faith Rom 14.1 and 15.1 Because they knew not that the cerimonial Law was taken away and particularly the difference of Meats and so durst not hazard on some things which their Christian Liberty gave them accesse to 3. Consider that in Justification God would have a Sinner to proceed as a man doth who tables his defense before an earthly Tribunal of Justice who if he pleads well and on relevant grounds he comes the better to And as it is dangerous in a weighty cause depending to have an ignorant Advocat who puts in a wrong defence so is it here and in this case to be ignorant hence Rom 10. It 's given as the reason of
Faith as it is a laying hold upon Christ 3. When we speak of the necessity of Faith in order to Justification we mean not as if there were such an absolute necessity of it in it self that God could not do otherwayes or Justifie without it but we mean a necessity in respect of the order which God hath laid down and held forth in the Gospel which is by the Knowledge of His Son to Justifie many And from these considerations many Arguments of our Adversaries are made very little regardable yea utterly void For Confirmation of the Doctrine then 1. Consider these Scriptures that expresly limit confine and bound Justification and pardon of Sin to the Person that doth believe So Rom. 1.17 The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. Col. 3.22 God hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Act. 13.38.39 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Consult the Scriptures and we will find that Paul clears both these Questions 1. who are Justified All that believe 2. When are they Justified When they believe 2ly Consider these Scriptures that place all men before believing into a state of Wrath and they will furnish a second ground for this as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already He lyes under the Covenant of Works and is condemned as considered in himself though God may have a purpose to make a change of his state So Ephes 2.1 2 3. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked and were children of wrath even as others c. and v. 12 13. We were sometimes without Christ being alians from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise without hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far of are made near by the blood of Christ and v. 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast it 's Faith that gives the Title which we had not before 3. Consider That the Scriptures do expresly make believing to preceed Justification and make Justification to be an effect or rather a consequent of Faith to which Faith necessarly concurrs as all these places which say that we are Justified by Faith in Christ do clear as Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ which place looks on Faiths concurring in Justification with a kind of causality Rom. 3.22.25 The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe c. Ephes 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith See more fully to this purpose Gal. 2.16 where the Apostle designedly as it were sets himself to confirm this Truth For speaking of the way how Sinners come to be Justified and as it were entring in the Debate he says Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even as we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ In which place we have three things considerable to make out the point 1. He compares the concurring of Faith to Justification in the Covenant of Gracâ— to the concurring of Works to Justification or to the obtaining of Life in the Covenant of Works as Works did Justifie in the Covenant of Works so does Faith in the Covenant of Grace Now certainly the performing of Works in the Covenant of Works behoved to go before Justification that way therefore the want of Works made Adam to come short of Justification by Works 2. He looks on Faith and speaks of it as concurring to Justification with a respect to Christ and never looks on it in this matter as a Grace considered in and by it self but as acting on Christ in a peculiar manner 3. In expresse words he sayes We have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified which clearly implyes that they could not be Justified before they believed and we may well and easily gather that the Justification here meant is that which is real and actual and not the declaring of a man to be Justified to Himself else Works might declare a man to be Justified to himself as well as Faith But he contradistinguishes Faith and Works here and opposes the one to the other The 1. Use Serves for clearing of this Truth That there is a necessity of Faith's taking hold of and resting on Christ ere we can be absolved and Justified And so both these Errors of Antinomians fall to the ground 1. That by which they assert that these who are Justified were Justified from Eternity and were never under God's Curse And 2. That Faith is not necessary to the attaining of Justification but only to a Persons knowing that he is Justified and so they say that Faith enters us not in the Covenant which is false it being the terms or condition on which God proposeth and promiseth pardon in his Covenant as is clear John 3.18 Whosoever believes shall not be condemned but shall have everlasting life and Mark 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved with this opposition He that believeth not shall be damned Faith being it which enters us in the Covenant For either Sinners are Justified before they can be in Covenant with God which is an absurdity and inconsistent with Gods Covenant or it 's by Faith that they are entered in the Covenant There is here also a clear discovery and confutation of a 3d. Error of Antinomians concerning the nature of Faith That it is Persons believing that they are Justified No not so For as the Apostle sayes Gal. 2.16 We have believed that we might be justified We believe in order to Justification And to say as Antinomians do would do much to infer universality of Justification as well as of Redemption It 's Gods mercy that this Error is discovered and that we have His Truth pointing out to us that Justification must have Faith going before it and alongst with it The 2d Use Serves to demonstrat the absolute necessity of believing and taking hold of Christ If Absolution and Justification be necessary Faith must be necessary And therefore if Christ be preached to you and if by Him all that believe are Justified Take hold then I beseech you of the Offer receive embrace close with it and let
your very hearts open to it without which ye can never expect to be Justified before the Tribunal of God Now let God Himself blesse the same Word to you through Jesus Christ SERMON LVIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities SOme further and more serious apprehensions of our Sin and hazard would make the reading of these Words to be refreshful and welcome to us The stayed thoughts of an Arrestment laid upon us to appear before God's Tribunal and to reckon for our Debt would make us think much of a Cautioner The want whereof make the glad tydings of the Gospel to be tastlesse and without relish This is the great scope of these Words to shew how a Summonded Sinner arraigned at Gods Bar may be Justified and fred from the charge that he is lyable to For sayes the Prophet By his knowledge who is the surity of the Covenant shall many be justâ—fied That which we last left at was this That Faith in Christ receiving and resting on Him is necessary for the attaining of Justification so that in Gods way these are so linked and knit together That never one shall be Justified but a Believer Though there be a Righteousnesse in Christ yet it shall be derived and communicated to none come to Age but to these who by Faith betake themselves to Christ what way the Lord takes with infants Elect Infants I mean is not that which the Prophet aimes to speak of though it be Christs Righteousnesse that is communicated to them as well as it is to them who are at Age yet as to the manner of communicating it God hath His own way which we know not Now that we may learn in speaking to these Truths not only to get some Light for informing of our Judgement but also some help for our practice take two or three Uses ere we proceed any further The 1. Use then is To let you see the absolute necessity of believing in Christ Jesus and that it is as necessary for the attaining of our Justification as Christs dying is For our Justification is an effect flowing from several Causes and the want of any of them will mar it There must necessarly be a concurrance of them all to bring it about And therefore though their be an excellent worth in Christs Righteousnesse yet there is a necessity of Faith to lay hold upon it and to make it ours Gods order in the Covenant bears this out wherein he hath knit the Promise of Pardon of Sin and of Justification to Faith and resting on Christ and there is good reason for it As 1. The Lord will have a Sinner to know what he is obliged to Christ which Faith contributs much unto For Faith stands not in the way of the freedom of Justification but rather commends it for the Lord would have us know that we hold our Life of Him and not to receive Him by Faith is an evidence of highest presumption Therefore it 's said Rom. 4.16 It is by faIth that it might be of grace God hath chosen this way that the freenesse of His Grace in pardoning of Sin may be seen 2. The Lord by this le ts the unbeliever know that the reason of his own ruine is of himself There shall not be one unbeliever found that shall have it to say that the blame lay on God or on Christ because the offer was made to them on condition of receiving it by Faith and they not performing the condition their Guilt is aggreged by their slighting of the offer It 's true that we are not now dealling with them who down-right deny the Truth of this Doctrine but alace what better are they who do in their practice deny it and live senslesly and securely under the Gospel We conceive that there are Three sorts of Persons that have need of a Word to be spoken to them here 1. Such as live carelesly and securely as we just now said as if God required nothing of them at all as they were born they know not how so they live they know not how and when they are pressed to a change of their state and way they make excuses partly from the sinfulnesse of their Nature that they can do nothing partly from the abundant Grace of God that He must do all But it will never excuse you that ye wanted Grace and had a Sinful Nature for whom I pray can ye blame for it ye that make a bachel of His mercy if ye continue to do so shall never get good of it For He hath said that He will Justifie and save none but the Believer There is none other that hath the promise of Pardon it is not made to any thing that is to be brought forth or done by your own strength or by the strength of Nature or of free-will But God hath laid down this order and method and made it known that ye should believe and receive the offer of Christ in the Gospel renunce your own Righteousnesse and betake you to Christ's Righteousnesse otherwayes ye cannot on good ground expect to be Justified 2. Others will set about many things that are good but the Work of believing they can never be brought to mind or own they will make a sort of Conscience of Prayer of keeping the Church of reading the Scriptures c. But to give obedience to the Command of Believing they mind it not they can live and die without it This was the woful and Soul-ruining practice of the Jews of old as we are told Rom. 9. They took much pains to come by Righteousnesse but they attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone when they had gone part of the way as it were and come to the Stone of believing there they fell and brake their necks Hence there are many who promise Heaven to themselves and think that they have done something for it who yet never laid hold on Christ for their Justification but let me tell you that though you could go the greatest length in Holinesse that ever any did since Adams fall it will not avail you if ye neglect Faith in Christ I say not this to disswade you from the Duties of Holinesse God forbid but to divert you from seeking Justifiâ—ation by them study the Duties of Holinesse but seek alwayes by any means to be found in Christ and in His Righteousnesse and not in the Righteousnesse of your Duties as to your Justification It is true none that have any tollerable measure of Knowledge will profâ—sse down right that they lean to holy Duties yet many are so ignorant that they cannot distinguish betwixt Faith and Works and there are not a few who have a hope of Heaven such as it is who nâ—ver knew any thing of the exercise of believing A 3d. Sort are these who because of some
common favours that they have received as evidences of Gods care and kindnesse conclude their Justification It may be some have had now and then deep convictions or have win to Tears in Prayer or at a Sermon Others it may be have had some joy now and then at hearing the Word Others will it may be dream of such and such Heavenly things and have as they suppose a vision of them in their sleep and some joy will follow on it when they are awaked Others may have met with many deliveries by Sea and Land and God hath dealt wel with them and their Children in external things but alace these things may befall unbelievers not one of them nor all of them together if there be no more will Justifie ye would rather try these things whether they be found and evidences of special Love or not by your believing If they have Faith in Christ carried along with them It 's well If ye can say that after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise and that your joy followed upon your closing with and resting upon Christ ye have no reason to question it but where such tastes goes before and are without believing it 's suspect-like there are many of you that have multitudes of things that ye lean to beside Christ and never seriously put your selves to the tryal whether ye be indeed fled to Him 2. Use We would commend this to you as a ground of Tryal of your selves if ye be Justified if ye have seriously taken with your sin and embraced God's offer of the Righteousnesse of Christ and rested on it make this once sure that ye have been sensible of Sin that ye have been beaten from your own Righteousnesse and that ye have fled to Jesus Christ and closed with His Righteousnesse offered in the Gospel then this will natively follow that by His Knowledge thou art Justified His Word speaks it out plain to thee It may be that some think this to be a broad mark and that others will think it narrow Yet it 's a solid mark and no other thing is or can be a mark but as it implyes this though some may presumptuously gather from it a broad conclusion yet it will be found to be as straining and searching a mark when well considered as other marks and evidences are that we cannot at first so easily lay hold upon and therefore we would say that it 's not every one that thinks he believes but it 's such as really believe who have this evidence and for preventing of mistakes we shall follow this evidence of Justification to wit Faith to the very rise of it 1. It supposes a Charge and Summonds as it were given to the Persons to appear before God 2. There is a Sentence discovered standing against them and over their heads by the Covenant of Works now what can ye say to these Two where I desire you not so much to speak your light as your practice and experience what a Charge or Summonds was put in your hands Have ye read the Lybel of your Sins And have ye seen the breaches of the Law and your lyableness to the Curse of God for the same If so then what means the good opinion that many of you have of your selves This is even the thing that the Apostle sayeth of himself before his conversion Rom. 7.9 Before the law came I was alive but when the commandement came sin revived and I died That is before the charge was put in my hand and I summoned to appear before Gods Bar I had a good opinion of my self and I thought that all was well but when I came to take up the Law in the Spiritual Meaning and broad extent of it I saw my self lost and gone and that conceat fell These Three then usually preceed Faith 1. That a person hath had a good opinion of himself 2. That this person is Summoned or Charged to answer at Gods Bar. 3. That the person is made to passe Sentence on himself as lost and undone by reason of the Laws Sentence and Curse standing over his head unrepealled Now how hath it been with you as to these The most part are quite of another disposition then Paul was They think they are well enough because they never discovered their rotten condition but try well how it is with you go in and see if ever ye discovered in your selves 1. An inclination to establish your own Righteousnesse 2. Was ye ever under a work of the Law humbling you and 3. Was ye ever in your own apprehension lost If so then ye are such as Christ came to call 2ly In the next room consider what ye betook your selves to for answering that Charge and for a remedy of that lost condition there is no remedy but the offer of Christ's Righteousnesse in the Gospel Some being charged wirh Guilt betakes themselves to Prayer and that is well done in so far but if ye hold there and go no further it 's not right It 's here as it was with these who lived under the Law who when they had Sinned made use of Sacrifices and the greatest part held there and went no further whereas the believer looked through the Sacrifices to Christ So if ye hold at Prayer and other Duties and go no further these will not profit you but know ye what it is to go to Prayer and in Prayer to go to Christ and rest on his Sacrifice for your acceptance I fear there be great ignorance here The most part know not what they have done when they were charged or if they did any thing they prayed or if they went any further on they looked to the promise of Gods mercy but that is not far enough gone How many such are there who have made their Prayer their only intercessour and have presumed to step in on God's mercy without a Mediator 3. Suppone that ye have betaken your selves to Christ as to the remedy come on and try how your union hath been made up with him where did ye seek and find him Christ Jesus is to be found in the Gospel in the Ministry of the Word Therefore that is put in on good reason in the definition of Faith given to us in the Catechism That its a resting on him as he is offered in the Gospel but I fear and suppose that many have another Christ to speak so whom they have gotten without knowing or making any use of the Word or offer of the Gospel which is the power of God for salvation to them that believe 4. Wherewith did ye take hold on him or how did ye act on him was it by Faith or not There are many who act on him as they think by Prayer not as the meritorious Cause but as the efficient cause of Justification praying for pity and pardon from Him but this is not to take hold of Christs Righteousnesse by Faith Others think that if they can love and serve Him
's said to rest or rely as it respects Christ and his Satisfaction the thing offered and received with regard to the charge to which it is lyable It 's here that it rests and to this it betakes it self as to it's defence when challenged It 's difficult to difference these two or peremptorly to say whether Christs Righteousnesse be received or rested upon yet it 's made our defence because it 's closed with and we make them two Acts of the same Faith though it 's hard to make the one of them to be the effect of the other or the one of them to be antecedent to the other in respect of time at least As a Proclamation of Pardon being made to Rebells they say this Proclamation gives a freedom from the Laws pursuit because they have embraced it and these Rebells make that the ground if ever they be challenged whereon they found their Defence they have this to lippen to and upon this they rest Though none of these Acts can well be said to be before or after the other in respect of time For clearing of this a little more consider that this resting may be looked on either Passively or Actively Passively in respect of the Believers acquiescing in Christ and assuring himself that all shall be well This is not that Act of Faith that is called for to Justification but supposes the Person to be Justified for he must be Justified ere he can rest or acquiesce in it Actively in respect of our resting on him that we may be Justified as the Apostle hath it Gal. 2.16 And this Isaiah 5.6 Is called a taking hold of Gods covenant It is an actual committing of our selves to Him that we may win to peace or a leaning on Him as suppose one were to rest upon a Staff it doth not only imply the effect his having of ease but also and firstly his leaning to or resting on it in order to ease Therefore it 's said Math. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden and ye shall find rest The Act that Justifies is this last and active Act the Act of coming or leaning or resting and the passive Act of acquiescing or assurance is that which follows upon it as a fruit and effect of it And therefore we humbly conceive that it is not safe to define Justifying Faith by Assurance or to say that where-ever Faith is there is Assurance It is rather a resting on Christ that we may have rest and a ground of Defence and reason to be proposed if we should be quarrelled for or charged with the Debt of Sin The Uses are 1. To remove the difficulties as namely it may be asked here is there no confidence not assurance in this Active Act of Faith which is the Essence of it we answer shortly There are Three sorts of confidence pleaded for that are far from the nature of Faith and yet Faith wants not it's own Confidence and Assurance if it be taken in a right sense The 1. is for a man to believe that Christ died for him in particular at the first hand and to think that he hath no more to do but to believe that Christ Died and Suffered for him and that thereupon he is Justified For this layeth a ground for universal Redemption against the current of the Scriptures and can never be a ground of interest in Christ's Righteousnesse It supposes that to be done already and admits not the Soul to concur by believing for coming to the application and yet this is very rise amongst People I believe that Christ died for me and shed His precious Blood for me and so long as they can maintain this presumption and not suffer themselves to admit of any debating and questioning whether they have ground and reason for it or not they think they have Faith enough but this is no Act of Faith nor of the nature of true Justifying Faith which is to take hold of Christ offered that we may come to be absolved through Him Therefore when ever the Scripture puts us to believe It commands us to take hold of Christ offered and not at first hand to believe that he died for us in particular I suppose many are carried away with this presumption that will to their cost at last find it to be otherwayes 2. Others think that all Faith consists in this to believe that God loved them from all Eternity and that they are already Justified which is the Antinomian way They believe not that they may be justified which was Pauls way Gal. 2.16 but they believe that they are Justified And this also presuppons an universal Redemption and to presse it upon you were to bid you all believe that God hath loved you and pardoned you from all Eternity which were to bid you believe a lie for we wot well from the Scriptures of Truth that God hath not loved all from Eternity and yet this is the Faith that many of you presumptuously practises we are all naturally some way Antinomians Papists and Arminians in our practice and the way of Error is more consistent and current with our nature then the way of Truth But O! presumptuous hypocrites will ye darringly and without any ground believe Gods Love to you God shall shake you out of that confidence and blow upon it and make it evanish ye cry out on them that live in Error yet ye practise these same Errors to speak so as fast as ye can we cannot by much Preaching get you brought to the Knowledge of the Truth but ye can drink in Error ere ye hear of it and it will ruin your Souls if Grace prevent not and many of you shall find that thus you have destroyed your selves A 3d. Sort of rotten confidence is that which some have who cannot say they are for the time Justified yet they have a perswasion to get Heaven and to be Justified ere they die or that at death they will be sure of it and they wote well they shall not despair This is also naughty presumption and continued in as hazardous as outer disperation and killeth moe Souls then dispair doth for such rest quietly in their hope of being fred from wrath and having their peace made with God and yet never go to Christ to have it done this is like that mans presumption that sayes tush I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart God is gracious and merciful and I hope he will not be so severe as He is called The Lord calleth this a believing of Him for He sayes in His Word that there is no peace to the wicked and the foolish presumer sayes I shall have peace shall His Word or theirs stand they say Jer. 5.12 and 7 9. The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these they make a fair shew of attendence on ordinances and yet steall murder and commit adultery and say we are delivered to do all these things
is not this a gross believing of the Lord God shall beat back many of your vain confidences in your faces and your hearts shall tremble and your faces wax pale when God shall cause your Charge and Summonds to come unto Judgement sound in your Ears These and such like confidences will never bear you through it is not these we speak of Yet 2ly We say that the right exercise of Faith wants not it's own confidence comfort and assurance when taken in a right sense much whereof is attributed by by some to the definition of Faith for some mistake Faith and others are mistaken or misunderstood in their speaking of Faith Some Divines that writ of Faith speak of it's being an assurance defining it at it's hight yet generally they take in and presuppose the active Act of Faith resting on Christ others define it by these two Acts a receiving of and resting upon Christ Therefore we would never conceive of them at least of many of them as making this assurance to our sense to be essential and absolutely necessary to the being of Justifying Faith much lesse would we think that they mistaken and passe by the true Acts of receiving and resting upon Christ only some of them which we humbly think is their mistake having to do with Papists who place Faith in the understanding adde an assurance of Faith to the Former Acts In which we say there is a ground of confidence or a conditional assurance upon supposition that Souls receive Christ and rest upon Him they may be confident that that is a ground that will not fail them They may be confident that He will not deceive them a confidence in this that they may step to or lean upon Christ and not fear that He fail them or that they may without all fear of hazard cast themselves on Christ Therefore He is called a tryed elect precious corner-stone a sure foundation and indeed that is no small ground of confidence That when a Soul comes to Christ by believing it may be sure He will not fail it 2. Being sure that we have committed our selves to Christ which supposes Faith's being put to exercise and practice there may be a confidence in this respect we may be sure He will not fail us in particular 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that I have committed to him and that I shall not be ashamed He puts both these together I know that He is able and that He will not fail me I shall not be ashamed So Rom. 8. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separat us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus If Souls have received the offer they may be sure it will not misgive them 3. Adde that this actual or active resting on Christ may be seperat from the sense of it or from the passive Act of Faith or quietnesse that follows on resting on Christ for there is a resting on Christ which is very Faith it self and not the effect come and ye shall find rest coming is before finding of rest to our sense at least we are not to knit this passive rest with the other active Act of resting as if it were impossible to rest on Christ without present sensible ease Beside it is this active resting that gives us right to Christ and not the passive Gal. 2.16 We believe that we may be justified This necessarily goes before our believing that we are Justified To close with a Word of more particular Use let me exhort you to lay lesse weight on your bare thinking that ye believe on your present ill grounded hope and peace Aim and endeavour to Act and exercise Faith on Christ actively receiving and resting on Him for winning to Peace This practice of Faith is the over word to say so of the Doctrine of Just fication That seing there is such ground of Justification laid down the Righteousnesse of Christ and that it is proposed to you and seing this is the very Act of Justifying Faith to receive and rest on Christ as He is proposed and offered when this offer is made to you let your Faith receive take hold of and consent to the bargain and ground and found your Defence here for answering all challenges that the Law and Justice may present against you That there was a Saviour offered to you and that ye received Him and rested upon Him will be a ground that shall bear you out when ye come before God and except this be made sure our speaking and your hearing of Faith will be to no purpose SERMON LX. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many For he shall be or their iniquitâ—eâ— THis is a great assertion and of mighty moment wherâ—in to the Knowledge of Christ the Justification of many is attributed and indeed if we knew what an advantâ—ge and benefit it were there would be nothing more studied then how to obtain it For it is the vâ—ry in let and opens the door to Glorification and if to be happy in the enjoyment of God be a benefit of great concerment then this of Justification must be so We proposed to speak of the way how this benefit is applyed and that is by Faith set out under this expression His knowledge or the knowledge of him and touched on the benefit of Faith and the necessity thereof for attaining Justification God having so ordered it in the Covenant that none others should be Justified but such as have Faith 2. We spoke also to the Object of this Faith Christ Jesus as our Righteousnesse and Peace So that Christ becomes in a peculiar manner the Object of Faith beside any other thing Because it 's only in Christ it can find a shelter Therefore it 's only to Christ that it flâ—es when it is pursued 3. We spake likewise of the nature of this Faith or it's Act it being the hearts trusting it self to Christs Righteousnesse whereon it hazards the weight of it's Peace and relyes here And as all the Terms of Justification are borrowed from Law wherein there is supposed a Charge a Tribunal and a Judge So is this resting in like manner It 's in effect an arraigned Persons making of Christ's Righteousneesse his Legal Defence against all Challenges The substance of the phrase is in that of Philip. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having my righteousness c. Where presupposing a lybelling and Charge where to does the Apostle betake himself and what is his refuge It 's Christ and His Righteousnesse even to be found in Him as if the question were proposed Paul what wilt thou do in the day of Judgement what wilt thou lean to for a Defence in that day To which he answers not to my own Righteousnesse but this is it even to be found in Him which he expones to be the having on His Righteousness by Faith
Phrases that the Scripture useth to this purpose and where we are said to be Justified by faith There is a sort of causality attributed to Faith that can be attributed to no other Grace nor Works Hence the Righteousnesse of Christ is called the Righteousness of faith and we are said to be Justified by faith in his blood So Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things to be but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God bâ— faith and Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood many moe such Phrases there are And truly it would look very unlike the Scripture to expone these Scripture Phrases of a Righteousnesse of Works or by Works 3. Consider how the Apostle opposeth the two Covenants The Covenant of Works made with Adam and the Covenant of Grace made with Believers in Jesus Christ Rom. 10.5 6 7. Moses describeth the righteousness of the law that the man which doth these things shall live by them The Righteousnesse of the Law speaks of doing by which we come to be Justified But the righteousnesse of faith or the Covenant of Grace Speaketh on this wise The word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Where the Apostle opposeth these two Covenants not in respect of merit only as if the one were inconsistent with Grace and not the other but he opposeth them in this that the Righteousnesse of the one Covenant is in doing and the Riâ—hteousness of the other Covenant is by believing And therefore according to this opposition whaâ—ever is a mans doing is not the ground of his Peace and Justification before God because the Righteousnesse of his doing is the condition of the Covenâ—nt of Works and the Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is quite of another nature to wit Believing in him who justifieth the ungodly 4. Consider that the thing that is the ground of our Justification before God is Christ's Righteousness inherent in Himself and imputed to us for the covering of our nakedness because He is as our Cautioner hath payed our Debt Hence it follows that Faith hath another way of concurring in Justification then any other thing can have because it 's Faith which receives and puâ—s on that Righteousnesse which no other thing doth That I may be found in him saith the Apostle Philip. 3.9 not having my own righteousness but the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ So that to be in him is to hâ—ve His Righteousnesse and this Righteousnesse is put on by Faith Only take two words of Adverisement ere we come to clear the other branch of the Doctrine The 1. is this when we speak of the peculiarness of the way of Faith's concurring in Justification so as no other Grace or Work doth we design not to weaken or cry down the necessity of Repentance and of other Graces nor of good Works the very thoughts whereof we abhore but to give every one of them their own and the right place and therefore it 's a gross calumnie to say that we affirm that the study and practice of Holiness and good Works is not necessary we only cry them down on this account that when we come before God our Works or Holinesse aâ—e not to be presented to Him as the ground of our Justification and Absolution but the Righteousnesse of Christ that Faith takes hold of and in this we say that Faith peculiarly concurres as no other Grace doth because iâ—'s fitted with an aptitude to receive and apply Christs Righteousnesse which no other Grace is as we say iâ—'s by the eye that a man sees though if he had not a â—ead and brains he would not see So though Fai h and Hol nesse or good Works be not sepâ—rat yet Faith is as it were â—he eye of the Soul that discerns and takes hold of Christs Righteousnesse The 2. is this That when we speak of good Works we speak of tâ—â—m as the Apostle doth Tit. 3.5 where 〈◊〉 saith not â—y the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us and by good Works denyed in the point of Justification we understand all that is our own doing not excluding â—nly some things that were so accounted iâ— the time of darkness as almesdeedâ— and the like but as we have said all that is our own doing The 2d Branch is that this peculiarness of Faiths concurring in Justification is not from any efficacy in Faith or from Faith considered as our Deed or Work but as it Acts on Christ as the Objâ—ct of it and therefore when it is said Rom. 4.3 That Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness The meaning is not as if God had accepted his believing as an Act or Work for his Righteousnesse and that it was accounted as a perfite Grace but the meaning is that Christ Jesus the promised Seed received by Faith or his betaking of himself to the Riâ—hteousness of Christ holden out to him in the Promise was accounted his Righteousnesse as if he had had an inherent Righteousnesse of his own and so Faith is imputed not in respect of it's Act but in respect of it's Object By his union with Christ through Faith Christs Satisfaction becomes his To clear it a little take these considerâ—tions 1. Consider Faith as a Grace in us and so it cannot be imputed for Righteousness for in that respect it 's a Work and is excluded by the Apostles opposition made of Grace and Works It must therefore be Faith considered as acting in it's Object 2. Consider that in Scripture to be Justified by Christ by his blood and by Faith are all one because when it is said we are justified by Christ or by His Blood it takes in Christ and His Blood laid hold on by Faith therefore sometimes Christ sometimes Faith is called our Righteousnesse because as Christ considered as suffering and satisfying is the meritorious cause of our Justification so Faith is the instrumental cause taking hold of His Satisfaction which is our Righteousnesse both are necessary in their own way and Christs Righteousnesse implyes Faith and Faith implyes Christ and His Righteousnesse the one implyes the other necessarily 3. Consider the Phrases used in Scripture to this purpose as where we are said to be justified by faith it ever respects Christ and where we are said by faith to put on Christ It is not Faith considered as Righteousness of it self but it 's Faith considered as Acting on Christ and His Righteousness Therefore it 's the Righteousness which is by Faith the Righteousnesse which is in Christ and by Faith taken hold of by us and
becoming ours The Uses are several 1. For information and conviction and we would 1. be informed in and understand well the meanining of this Doctrine when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in attaining of it as no other thing doth that ye may give it it 's right place and may make no confusion of these things that are distinct 1. We deny not Works notwithstanding of all that we have said to be necessary more then we do Faith but the great difference is anent the giving of Faith and Works or Faith as it is a work on equal share in respect of causality in our Justification And therefore we would beware with Papists to attribute a sort of condignity to Faith as if it merited eternal Life which flowes from their ignorance of Gods Covenant For they think that since He commands us to believe and promiseth Life to believing that there is a merit in believing as they fancie there is in Prayer Almes-deeds and others Duties or good Works but in this respect as it is a Work in us the Apostle excludes Faith and makes our Justification free whereas if Faith in Justification were considered as a Work meriting our Justification it should not be free and although there be no Papists in profession here amongst us yet it may be there are some and that not a few that think God is obliged to them because they believe and that expect Heaven and life Eternal on that ground even as when they pray they think they should be heard for their Praying and when they give Almes that they should be rewarded for the same as a meritorious Work 2. Neither do we understand when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in the attaining of it That by believing we are disposed to be holy and so more enabled to Justifie our selves which is also a Popish Error wherein I fear many professors of the Gospel amongst us ly who think they are obliged to their Faith because it disposes them to hear read pray and the like and so enableth them to work out a Righteousnesse to themselves whereby they expect to be Justified This is another fault and Error to be guarded against For though we give Faith a radical vertue to keep Life in other Graces yet so considered it is still a piece of inherent Holiness and pertains to Sanctification and not to Justification 3. When we say that Faith concurres in the attaining of Justification we do not say that it concurres in the same manner that Repentance Prayer and good Works do concur But it may be said here seing we grant that good Works and Duties are necessary what then is the difference I answer in these two 1. Faith is the proper and peculiar condition of the Covenant of Grace and not our Works or Holiness whereof Faith considered as a Work is a part Works is the condition of the Covenant of works for it sayes in this manner The man that doth these things shall live by them but the Covenant of Grace in opposition to it sayes If thou believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and confess with thy mouth that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved as it is Rom. 10. What Works is in the one Covenant Faith is in the other Covenant and that as it is opposed to Works and to Faith it self as it is a Work in us 2. There is a peculiarness in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification in respect of it's instrumentalness in taking hold of Christ for our Justification or in receiving and resting upon Him as we said before for that end For when Christ is offered in the Gospel Faith flees to Him receives Him takes hold of Him and rests on Him neither Repentance nor Prayer nor any good Work hath an aptitud and fitness to receive Christ and present His Satisfaction to God as the ground of the Sinners defence as Faith hath And therefore it 's so often said by Divines according to the Scripture that Faith is the instrumental cause of our Justification which we shall clear in two or three similitudes which the Scripture makes use of 1 Christ compares Himself to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse John 3.14 Man by Sin is stung deadly as the Israelites were by the fiery Serpents Christ Jesus as suffering and hung or lifted up upon the Cross is proposed to our Faith to look upon as the brazen Serpent was proposed to them that were stung and put up on a poll for that end and as there was no healling to the stung Israelites except they looked to it and the cure followed to none but to these who did behold it So Christ Jesus proposed as the Object and meritorious Cause of Justification Justifies none but such as look to Him by Faith and although they were to look to the Brazen Serpent yet their look gave no efficacy to the cure but it flowed from Gods ordaining that as a mean of their Cure even so it is not from any efficacy in Faith considered in it self that Sinners are Justified but it is from Jesus Christ the Object that Faith eyeing Him lifted up as the Saviour of the elect and His Satisfaction as appointed of God for that end doth Justifie and therefore it may well be called an instrumental cause because it is not Christ abstractly considered that Justifies more then it was the Serpent considered abstractly without their looking to it that did cure but Christ considered and laid hold on by Faith and in this respect Faith is said to Justifie even as the e e looking to the Brazen Serpent put them in capacity of the Cure though the Cure flowed from Gods appointment and not from their looking So is it in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification A 2d Similitude is that of miraculous Faith We find it often said by the Lord in His working such Cures Thy faith hath made the whole There was no efficacy in Faith it self for producing the Cure but it was the mean by which the Cure was transmitted to the Person under such a disease So it is in believing in order to our Justification It is by believing on Christ that our Spiritual Cure in Justification is transmitted to us and we are said to be Justified by Faith as they were said to be cured by Faith because by Faith it is convoyed to us A 3d. Similitude for clearing that Faith may well be called the instrumental Cause of Justification may be this even as the Advocats pleading may be called the instrumental Cause of the Clients absolving As suppose a man whose Cautioner had payed his Debt were cited to answer for the Debt his Advocat pleads his absolution and freedom from the Debt because his Cautioner hath payed it although the Debt was payed yet the man had not been absolved if it had not been so pleaded on this behalf So the concurrence of Faith in the
and clears it It shall be saith he that many shall be Justified through Faith in Him For he shall bear their iniquities He shall take on and pay their Debt And so as I said it is a reason confirming the former Truth and shewing that it cannot be otherwayes but they must be absolved through Faith in Him because He bears the punishment due to them for their Sin It serves also to clear how Justification is attained by Faith to wit not by any vertue or efficacy that is in Faith abstractly considered as if believing of it self did the turn but by vertue of Christs bearing their iniquities and making Satisfaction for them which Faith layes hold on So that when he said By his knowledge shall many be justified It is not by any efficacy attributed to their believing but by vertue of Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction which only Faith gives a Title to and is the midse and way by which a Believer comes to it and so as I have said it serves for explication of the former Truth So that if the question be asked how can Sinners be Justified by believing It 's here answered because Christ shall take on their Debt and the Righteousnesse purchased by Him shall redound to them and be reckoned theirs It 's the same on the matter with that which we have 2 Cor. 5. ult He that knew no sin was made sin for us and what follows That we might be made the righteousness of God in him which clears that this way of Justification which the Gospel holds out is not as I just now said by any efficacy or worth in Faith it self nor by any inherent qualifications in the person that believes but this is the ground of it Christs bearing of our iniquities The Elect were Sinners and Christ hath taken on Him their iniquities Therefore they cannot but upon their fleeing to Him by Faith be Justified when they plead His Satisfaction for their Defence before God their Absolution must needs follow This is the scop of these Words which are as it were the bond knitting all the rest together and containing the foundation whereon our Justification is founded There are only Three Words here that need a little of explication 1. By iniquity is not meaned Sin formally taken We shew when we spake of the 6. v. That Christ was not the Sinner formally considered that being inconsistent with His holy Nature and with the personal union of the Man head with the God-head But the meaning is that He took on Him the punishment due to our iniquities or the punishment that our iniquities deserved 2. When He is said to bear their iniquities it imports a burdensome bearing or His bearing of it with a weight and that there was a weight in it as it 's said verse 3. and 4. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows And therefore the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.24 saith He his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree when He was made a curse for us as it is Gal. 3.13 He did bear our Sins by coming under the Curse that was due to us for them In a word His bearing of our iniquities is a real satisfying of the Justice of God for them by interposing His own blessed back and taking on the stroaks that were due to us 3. When it 's said Their iniquities It relats to the many that in the former Words are said to be justified through His Knowledge it 's spoken of the iniquities of the Elect and Believers who through Christ are made friends with God And therefore these being the many they cannot but be Justified because Christ hath come and payed their Debt according to His Ingagement These Words as almost every other verse of this Chapter contain the substance of the Gospel Take shortly Five or Six Observations from them which we shall put together The 1. Is That the Person who is to be Justified by Faith in Christ is naturally lying in iniquities this is supposed while it is said that Christ shall bear their iniquities â—ven the iniquities of them who are to be Justified through Faith in Him So it 's said before The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all and we all like sheep have gone astray These and many other Scriptures nay the whole current of the Scriptures confirm the point and put it beyond debate I observe it for these Ends and Uses which will shew why it is so frequently marked 1. That the freedom of Gods Grace may kyth the more in their Justification They are Sinners even as others are and it 's Grace that makes the diffâ—rence Therefore their Justification must be free If then any would have good or have gotten good by the Gospel and by Christ offered to them therein let them know that it is freely 2. That a Believer who is Justified should be very humble for he was a Sinner as well as others and is still a Sinner in part Therefore it becomes him to walk fortly with a stopped mouth and to be tender and compassionat towards other Sinners There is not a Believer but the weight of his iniquities would have born him down to Hâ—ll had not Christ interposed and taken them on him and therefore he ought to be both humble and thankful 3. That Sinners who have the offer of Christ's Righteousnesse in the Gospel may not dispair how great soever their Sins be Indeed if they resolve to continue in Sin or to Sin that Grace may abound they have no ground to expect pardon the Apostle doth with abhorrency reject the drawing of such conclusions from the Grace of God Rom. 3. But for a guilty Sinner that hath no good in himself to commend him to Christ to lean to and to believe in Him who justifies the ungodly is a Doctrine which the same Apostle approves and gives an open door to them that desire to abandon Sin and to expect Justification through Christ's Satisfaction Thus a door is set open to you to bâ—lieve in Him who justifies ungodly Sinners to betake your selves to Him who is the Saviour 4. To confound and stop the mouths of all Self-righteous men as having nothing to do with Christ He came to take on iniquity and to bear it He came to seek and to save that which was lost and hath not a commission to save Self-righteous Folks For he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and so long as they continue in that condition they cannot look on themselves as persons whom He came to call neither can they take any comfort in or from His coming The 2d Observation is That wherever iniquity is it 's a burden a heavy burden There is nothing more heavy then Sin it being that which presses the guilty person to the lowest Hell It brought the fallen Angels out of Heaven to the pit ye may tâ—ke an instance or two of
that gave His Son and of the Mediator that came to buy and redeem Elect Sinners at so dear a rate and to take on such a weighty burden to ease them of it Were there any here as we hope there are that know the weight of Sin O! but they would think much of this even of Christs taking on the burden of Sin and casting it by having Satisfied Justice for it and loosed the knot of the Law and of the Curse that tyed it to them To become Man was much but to bear the burden of our Sins was more Angels wonder at this that He who is their head should become so low as to fist Himself before Gods Tribunal and to undergo the Suffering of Death and to take on the weighty burden of the Elects Debt and to Satisfie for it If we were in a right frame of Spirit we could not hear this word but it would ravish our hearts and put us to a pause and holy nonplus but the most part alace walk lightly under the burden of Sin without ever considering what Christ hath done to remove it from off His People nay I am afraid that Believers who have ground to be lightned through Christs condescending to bear their burden do not as they ought acknowledge Him who hath taken the burden off them 4ly From comparing these words with the former Many shall be justified for he shall bear their iniquities Observe That Christ's bearing of our iniquities and His Satisfaction for our Sins is imputed to us as the immediat ground of our Absolution and Justification before God So that if it were asked what is the ground on which a Sinner is Justified before God The Text answers Because Christ hath born their iniquities He hath payed their Debt even as to make comparison fore clearing of it when a Debtor is pursued and hath nothing to pay yet he pleads that the Debt cannot be exacted of him because his Cautioner hath payed it and the ground on which that Debtor is absolved is his instructing that the Cautioner hath payed that Debt which being done he is set free So is it here The Believer he is Gods Debtor Christ Jesus is his Cautioner who hath payed his Debt who when he is brought to the Bar of God and somewhat is laid to his charge he pleads upon the ground of Christs Satisfying for his Debt and that therefore he ought not to be put to answer for it himself according to that Word Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn and the ground fol ows It is Christ that died He hath payed the Debt Use Among other things there are two consequences that follow upon this Doctrine that serves to clear the Doctrine of Justification 1. That the Righteousnesse whereby we are Justified is imputed to us and accepted of God as if it were our own ye are sometimes hearing of imputed Righteousnesse and it 's of great concernment to you to know it well yet I am afraid that many of you are very ignorant of it I shall therefore in a word or two explicat it by comparing the two Covenants The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Works is an inherent Righteousnesse as it is Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done It 's a Righteousnesse of our own doing made up of our Praying Hearing and other Duties as they are Acts of ours The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is an imputed Righteousnesse that is when Christs doing and Suffering is accounted ours Take both in this comparison The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Works is like a Debtor or Tennent his paying of his own Debt or Rent by his managing his businesse providently and dexterously and none other is troubled with it The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is like one that hath spent up and debauched all and hath not one penny to pay his Debt or Rent with but hath a worthy able and responsal Cautioner who hath payed for him Both being pursued and brought before the Judge The first man is absolved because what he was owing he payed it at the term precisely The other man grants that he was owing the Debt but pleads that his Cautioner hath payed it aâ—d the Law excepts of the Cautioners payment and pursues the Debtor no further but absolves him So is it here when the Believer comes to stand at Gods Bar it is nothing in himself that he pleads upon but it 's Christs Sufferings who said on the Cross it is finished The Debt of my People is fully payed and Faith pleading for Absolution on that ground according to the Law of Faith he is absolved as if he had payed the Debt himself or had been owing none If then it should be asked Believers what ground have ye to expect to be Justified The Prophet answers here Christ hath born our iniquities and this is the Believers Defence and therefore see here a possibility to reconcile these Two that some men scorn and flout at as irreconcileable to wit how one can be a Sinner and yet Righteous he may be sinful in himself and yet Righteous through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might made the righteousnesse of God in him Rom. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse The man ungodly in himself is justified through the Satisfâ—ction of Christ imputed to him for Righteousnesse and laid hold on by Faith as if he had not Sinned or had actually satisfied himself 2dly This consequence followeth That it serves to clear how Faith Justifies as when we say Faith is our righteousnesse and is imputed to us for righteousness we are not to look on Faith properly as a Grace in us and divided or abstracted from the Object no by no means but as it is a laying hold on the Object It 's Faith in him that justifies and Through his knowledge shall many be justified because he shall bear their iniquities Faith Justifies by vertue of Christs Satisfaction and as taking hold of it Faith does not Justifie as it is an Act of Grace in the Sinner but as closing with Christ the Object of it even as in the similitude we made use of before It 's not enough that the Cautioner hath pâ—yed such a mans Debs but the man must instruct it by producing the Discharge the production whereof is the cause of his Absolution in Law yet the vertue that makes the Discharge so to concur is not the Discharge it self but the Cautioners payment or Satisfaction mentioned and contained in the Sinners Discharge even so is it here It 's Christs Righteousnesse that concurreth as the meritorious cause of the Sinners Absolution and Faith concurres as the Instrumental Cause in the pleading of that Defence whereon Justification follows as an effect of
Christ hath born their iniquities that Faith is a saving Grace and a Fruit of Christs Death that such as believe may conclude their Justification and that Christ will make out the benefits of His purchase to them what want Believers that may be for their comfort Whereas if we should lay it for a ground that Christ died for all what comfort were in that For all are not Justified and Saved but only Believers yea by the Doctrine of universal Redemption though ye were even new Believers ye could not conclude that ye should be saved because ye might fall from it again But our Doctrine of Justification hath solid consolation For Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes And Rom. 3.12 It 's unto all and upon all that believe And it makes the Believer sure of his perseverance for it 's an expresse Article of the Covenant We shall only say this That ye will find that all that in Doctrine or Practice make the way to Heaven wydest they make it most unsicker and unsure and they are in great confusion and indeed it 's impossible it can be otherwayes For if men go once out of Gods way which is the strait and narrow way they can never be sicker and solidly sure because there is no solid ground of confidence in it The 2. Use serves to answer a Question that some out of curiosity pussel themselves with which if well soberly and wisely followed would be do curiosity and it is this How shall I know if Christ died for me Answer make it sure that ye believe and then ye shall be sure of the benefits of His Death For if He hath born the iniquities of these that believe and if there be no way to make it sure that He hath born our iniquities but by believing it is a needlesse stir and noise that is made about the knowledge of Election and of Christs intention in His Death for though we would say that He died for all it would not comfort except we said also that all go to Heaven But are ye burdened with Sin and have ye by Faith fled unto Christ and do ye actually rest upon Him Then ye may on that ground conclude your interest in Christ's Death and from that ascend to Election That which makes many Believers to be in hesitation as to this is their never throughing and making it clear to themselves whether they have believed and therefore if ye would see your Election and Interest in Christs Death put the matter of your believing to a point For it 's the door whereby ye win in to other secrets of God such as Election is and there is no other way to win to it Therefore these two are knit together John 6.39 40. This is the will of him that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing And if it should be asked How shall I know who are given to Christ to be redeemed by Him The next verse answers This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day would ye then know who are given and redeemed They are Believers I mean of such as are come to Age for none will make the question concerning Infants And therefore if ye would know the way of the coming to Knowledge of your Justification Redemption and Election of God begin at the lowest step of believing and make that sicker and all the rest will follow of will but if ye misken and overlook this and will go up to the top of the ladder per saltum and at the first it will be just with God that ye never win at the Knowledge of these secrets which were in His heart before the World was Use 3. It 's matter of Consolation to the Believer who may as certainly conclude an interest in Christ's Death as if he had heard the Transaction of Redemption read over and had seen his name in the Book of Life For our Lord saith John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life If thou be a Believer thy name is there Christ hath born thy iniquities and what Consolation is that to them who are clear anent their Faith But alace it sayes there is much Rotten Unsound and Slippery Faith among us and also much Faith that is but little lively that there is so little solid comfort following it Use 4. It serves to demonstrat the nec ssity of believing the advantages of it and the necessity of our indeavouring to be clear that we do believe If these two go together Justification and Believing then there is a necessity of Believing and if these two go together clearness about our Believing and the Knowledge that Christ did bear our iniquities then there is in some respect a necessity that we know we believe otherwayes we can have little or no comfort in Christs bearing of our iniquities and of our being given to Christ to be redeemed by Him From these two the advantages of Believing may appear Therefore to make all sure Justification Christs bearing of your iniquities and â—our being given to Christ make it sure that ye are in the Faith and this way give all diâ—igence to make your Calling and Eâ—ection sure And the Lord Himself prevail with you to do so SERMON LXIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressâ—urs and he bâ—re the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours THere hath been a compendious Sum of the Covenant of Redemption delivered by the Prophet in this Câ—apter wherein what is required as the Price for Elect Sinners from the Mediator is ho d n forth on the one side in a l ge descâ—iption of Hâ—s Suffâ—rings and â—â—at is pâ—oposed as the Fruit that should follow and as the Satisfaction that the Mediator should have for His Sufferings is on the other side also laid down as that He should see his seed and prolong his dayes and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand That he should see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and that by his knowledge many should be justifiâ—d In this verse we have a summary re-capitulation and repetitâ—on of this mutual bargain only it is proposed in a difâ—erent method For before what was reqâ—ired and undertaken by the Mediator was first set down and then the Promises made to Him were next set down Here the method is altered and the Promises made to the Mediator are first set down and the conditions required of Him last set down it 's like to shew the onenesse of the Covenant and
sayes the Apostle of our warefare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the bringing down of holds and leading every thought and imagination lifted up against God captive unto the obedience of Christ There is Christs Victory and Triumph What are the strong holds that He batters storms and takes in He makes some proud hearts to stoop and yeeld to Him and carries some that were Rebells to Him captive to His obedience O! happy Captivity It is not meant in respect of Thraldom and Bondage but in respect of Voluntary Subjection to Him This is a most noble notable and lovely Victory and Triumph and a Glorious Day indeed which is ours as well as His it being the redeeming of poor Captive-sinners and bringing in of many followers to the Lamb and therefore v. 11. It 's called Satisfaction for the travel of his soul and the justifying of many That 's the Spoil and the Prey verse 10. It 's called the pleasure of the Lord and in this v. His portion and spoil What doth our blessed Lord Jesus take to Himself what doth this David claim or take to Him as His Spoil who is alone the the Monarch of this great Universe It 's a number of poor Sinners Come to me says he ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you He hath no more He seeks no more but so many Souls as He minded to do good to When the Lord divided the Nations as it is Psal He choise Jacob for his portion If we consider a little more particularly we will find the Justification and Salvation of Sinners to be our Lord Jesus His Victory Triumph and Spoil because herein He is Victorious and Triumphs and gets the glory of His Obedience Faithfulnesse Grace Power and Love The Glory of the Mediator shines manifestly and conspicuously in all these here 1. The Glory of His Obedience when He hath it to say as it is John 18.9 Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none He gets so many Souls committed to Him of the Father to redeem and when He hath done and performed the Work and brought them in He hath the Glory of His Obedience to His Father who saith to Him Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2. The glory of His Faithfulnesse according as He did ingage and undertake to Jehovah He hath keeped His Word and there is a necessity lying on Him that it should be so that of all committed to Him He should losse none but present them without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Therefore He is called the Faithful shepherd because He losses none of the Sheep that are given Him 3. The glory of Grace and infinit love the moe that are saved the more Grace and Love shins forth in paying their Debt and Ransome and in bringing them in to be partakers of His Love Therefore John 17. He sayes That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them He would have the love communicated by the Father to Him to be in them that it may be known that He hath loved them as the Father hath loved Him There cannot be such a proof and demonstration of Love as this It is evidenced in His exaltation as their head and in their being brought where He is 4. The Glory of Power shines forth here that trampled upon and triumphs over all difficulties that are in the way of saving Elect Sinners And O! what difficulties there are in the way of saving Sinners He having the Devil and the World without and a deceitful heart and a tickle humour within themselves to encounter with So many Sins to mortifie and Snares to lead through yet none plucks His Sheep out of His hand Therefore 1 Pet. 1. They are said to be keeped by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation In a Word as it was the manner of old for Conquerors to ride in Triumph and all their Prisoners led after or before them at their back So our Lord for manifesting the Glory of His Grace Faithfulnesse and Power brings so manny Sinners through to Glory and hath so a greater train then ever any Conqueror had and He counts it His Glory and Triumph to get many lost Souls saved John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and I am glorified in them How is that I have given them thy word and they have received it He counts himself glorified in Sinners submitting to Him in their believing on Him and in their taking pardon from Him Now let me say that if we were wailling and making choise of a Doctrine to warn the heart of a sensible Sinner to shame unbelief out of the World and to give impregnable ground to hazard on Christ here it is That our Lord Jesus placeth His Victory Glory and Triumph and Spoil in this even in doing good to Sinners and in having Sinners getting good of Him It 's His Portion when to say so the World is dealt that He gets a number of lost Sinners to save as His share And though He be the Heir of all things and the first born yet He loves that better then a thousand Kingdoms When He hath His Spoil and Prey at the taking this is it and He choiseth no other O! Sinners do ye think this little Or do ye think little of this Had He placed His Glory in crushing under foot all the prisoners of the Earth or in bringing the World to nothing who could have said what doest thou But when He placeth His Glory and Triumph in this to overcome the Devil to cast him out of Souls to relieve poor Sinners and to bring them in to acknowledge Him as the Author of eternal salvation and as the author and finisher of their faith If ye would have something to wonder at is it not here He will burn the World into ashes and leave it and will cast many Kings and great Men into Hell and yet He gathers poor Elect Sinners out of that burnt heap as it were as the thing He hath designed for His Spoil He hath no more and He seeks no more as I said and yet He gets no gaâ—n of these poor Sinners for all this And therefore as the 1. Use of it wonder at this will it not be a glorious day when Christ is Crowned and hath all redeemed Sinners at His back with harps in their hands Singing Salvation Glory and Power to the Lamb O! wonder that there is not only a Saviour and Life and Salvation to be had through Him but that it 's such a Salvation as is wonderful in this respect that He counts it His Glory and Triumph to have many Sinners saved when He might have glorified Himself in sending us all to hell May we not wonder at this and yet we ought to believe it and the little Faith of it makes it be so little wondered at Ah! Sinners for most part believes not that Christ thinks
out his Soul unto death So Psal 89.34 35. Once I sware by my holiness that I will not lie unto David my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And indeed it cannot but be so If we consider either the Person that makes the Promise He is God unchangeable in Himself absolutely faithful and cannot deny Himself Once have I sworn and I will not lie unto David Or the party to whom the Promise is made He is the Mediator God-man in whom the Father is well pleased And the Mediator having performed what He undertook for the Elect There is no ground to question the performance of the promises made to Him Use And it is a very comfortable one look whatever is promised to the Mediator in reference to Particular Privat or Publick Mercies all shall be most certainly and infrustrably performed Christ is the Party to whom the Promises are made and Jehovah cannot fail to perform what is Promised to the Mediator more then the Mediator hath failed in performing what He undertook Now it 's promised to the Mediator Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse from the womb of the morning tbou hast the dew of thy youth Where there are these things promised to Christ 1 That His People shall be made willing in the day of His power which is exponed in that John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him God takes away the stubbornesse and frowardness that is in the Elect and makes them plyable to embrace and receive and give up themselves to Christ 2. That His People shall be numerous the youth of His womb shall be numerous as the dew in the morning 3. They shall be holy and shining in holiness In the beauty of holiness Again it 's promised to the Mediator that all Believers in Him shall be Justified as it 's verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many and this is according to that John 6.39 40. This is the will of him that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should losse none and this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life The poor Sinner that by Faith betakes himself to Gods Promise the Promise cannot fail him because the Mediator is considered as the party to whom the Promise is made and the absolute Salvation and Redemption of Believers is in the same place Promised Though they be in hazard through many Sins indwelling Lusts Tentations and Snares to be drawn away yet they shall have eternal life they shall never perish none shall pluck his sheep out of his band He shall see his seed of all that are given him he shall loss none This would commend believing to us as a sure and sicker bargain because the ground of our Faith is Articled betwixt God and the Mediator and it 's as Impossible that it can fail as it 's impossible that God can be unfaithful and that the Mediator can fail in that He is ingaged Again if ye look to promises of publick mercies as that He shall have a Church in the World and that she shall be continued and preserved c. These Promises shall certainly be performed as that Psal 2.6 I have set my king upon my holy hill of zion ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheâ—itance and the uttermost ends of the eaâ—th for thy pâ—ssession A fruit of which promise is our Preaching and your Hearing the Gospel here this day and the Promises Psal 89. from verse 20. and forward With him my hand shall be established and my arme shall strengthen him the enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him I will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers I will make him my first-born higher then all the kings of the earth my mercy will I keep for him his seed shall endure for ever if his children forsake my law then I will visit their transgression with the rod nevertheless my loving kindness I will not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail There is Hos 3. A promise of the ingathering of the Jews And Isa 9.6 It 's said that The government shall be upon his shoulders and of the increase of his government there shall be no end And Revel 11.15 It is proclaimed The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ All these and many the like Promises shall be accomplished though the World should be turned upside down every moneth once let be every year The ground of the Churches continuance and preservation is not because such and such persons govern otherwayes what would have become of the Church when Antichrist prevailled but the promises made to the Mediator Here lyeth the Christians peace when he hath to do with challenges it 's impossible that the Believer in Christ can perish And here is insured the Churches preservation even by Gods promise to the Mediator that He shall have a Seed and that many shall be Justified that He shall divide the Spoil And though we see but very little appearance of the spreading of the Gospel amongst the Jews and Pagans or where Antichrist reigns the visible Church being now for many years rather incroached upon then extended yet there is not one Word here promised but it shall be accomplished And this is both a ground of our peace and of our confidence in prayer as it is Psal 7.2 Prayer also shall be made for him continually and dayly shall he be praised Two sweet exercises dayly to be praying for that which is in the pattern of prayer Let thy kingdom come and dayly to be praising Him for the coming of His Kingdom But 2ly What is spoken of Christ the Mediators part we take it for granted that there is nothing spoken of but it is or shall be performed The Father ingages to perform to Him whatever Promises are made to Him because He hath performed whatever He undertook and although Isaiah long ere the Messiah came in the Flesh spake of it as a thing done in the preterit or by-past time when as yet it was not actually done yet He doth so because it was as certain as if it had been already done Observe hence That there is no part of Christs undertaking as Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption but it is and shall be actually performed O! but there are two responsal and faithful Par ies in this Covenant it is not God and Adam who brake the Covenant and played the Traitor but it 's God upon the one side and the Mediator Immanuel God with us on the other side Therefore there is faithfulnesse in
when it came to be accomplished though He gave evidences of His power in making them fall backward who came to apprehend Him yet He raises them again and goes with them And when they mock Him and buffet Him and nod the head at Him and bring Him to the Bar and question Him and when they said If thou be the king of Israel come down from the cross and we will believe on thee which we may think He could have done though they were but tempting Him yet in all these He is silent and never opens His mouth till He come to that It is finished He never spake a repyning word It was wonderfully much to suffer and to die so cheerfully but to pour out His Soul unto Death to take His Life in His own hand and to be so holily prodigal of it as to pour it out there having never been such a precious Life and so precious Blood poured out this was much more Use It shews what esteem ye should have of Souls and every one of you of your own Souls Our Lord Jesus poured out His Soul unto Death for Souls He values Souls so much that He gave His precious Life for them Therefore it 's said 1 Pet. 1.19 We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ If He esteemed so much of Soulâ— what will it be thought of when ye waste your Souls and ye know not whereon He bought Soulâ— dear and ye sel them cheap for a little Silver or Gold or for that which is worse and far lesse worth what an unsuitableness is here betwixt Christs estimation of Souls and yours betwixt His buying them at so dear a rate and your casting them away for that which is very vanity What do the most part of you get for your Souls Some a bit Land some a House some a fecklesse Pleasure some a Sport some the satisfaction of their Lust or a moments sinful mirth O! pitifully poor bargain what will become of that mirth or lust or pleasure of this house or of that land when Kings and great Men will lye crawling like so many wormes before the Lamb ye will not get your House or Land with you ye will not get leave to wear your brave cloathes ye will have no Silver nor Gold in your Purse in that day And suppose ye had it the Redemption of the Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever by any such Price It 's a wonderful thing that when Christ esteems so much of Souls that Sinners should esteem so little of them Is it not just that such Souls should go to hell when they esteemed them so little worth Use 2. It should teach you to love and heartily to welcome this Lord Jesus Christ what argument of Love and of Trust what motive to welcome Him can there be if this be not That He spared not His Life but poured it out unto death for Sinners How long shall we halt betwixt Christ and Belial We dow not endure to mortifie a Lust to want our Sport and Laughter or a bit of our credit or honour though it should cost us the want of Christ But O! ingrate fool is that a becoming requital to Him that took His innocent Soul in His hand and poured it out for Sinners and when it was some way melted like leid in the fire of Gods Wrath was content to yett it forth abundantly out of love to their Salvation Should it not rather call for love to Him for trusting and welcoming of Him and to Suffering for His sake if He call you to it Will ye skar to hazard your life for Him that poured out His Soul for Sinners It would do a Soul good to think how willingly and cheerfully He Suffered But Alace how reluctantly and unwillingly come we under Suffering for Him However let me commend these three Words to you 1. Love Him For even Publicans will love these that love them and give Christ love for love 2. Credit and Trust Him do not look for ill at His hand what ground is there to suspect Him It is His glory to do good to Sinners and He counts them His triumph and spoil and to make conquest of them He poured out His Soul unto Death or as the Word is Phil. 2. He emptied himself Which seems to look to this Word of the Prophet and is not that warrand sufficient for you to trust and credit Him and to lay the weight of what concerns you upon Him And 3. welcome Him which is a fruit of Faith and Love He is a sweet wooer He is that good shepherd that laid down his life for his sheep he gave himself for his church as it is Ephes 5. Therefore I say welcome Him This is the great thing the Gospel aims at such expressions are a great deepth and it would require time to read to ponder them and to wonder at them and we would be much in praying for a right uptaking of them 3dly From the connexion Because He hath poured out His Soul unto death Observe That our Lord Jesus His willing condescending to die is most acceptable to the Father Therefore He sayes I will give him a portion with the great and be shall divide the spoil with the strong because He hath done so and so and all the Promises made to Him confirm this That is a wonderful Word John 10.17 Therefore does my father love me because I lay down my life for the sheâ—p The only begotten and beloved Son of the Father cannot but be loved Yet He sayes Therefore or on this account does my father love me That is as I am Mediator the Fâ—tâ—ers Minister Steward or Deput in this Work of the Redemption of Sinners and because I so willingly and cheerfully lay down my self for them He hath given me this Victory and Glory So well pleasing to God is the willing and cheerful death of the Mediator that it should be admired by us and should have this weight laid on it by us that seing cheerfulness in obedience is so acceptable to God we would study it for He loves a cheerful giver and cheerfulnesse in any duty It 's much we have this word to speak of to you many Nations never heard it and ye would make some other Use of it then if ye had never heard it O! but it will be dreadful to such as have heard it and do slight it their Souls shall be poured out into Hell even squized and wrung eternally by the Wrath of God Therefore look not lightly on it do not think all this transaction of Grace to be for nought If we were serious we would wonder what it means Alace we think little or nothing to make our peace with God and yet all this business is ere the matter can be brought about It 's a great evidence of the stupidity senslessenesse and absurd unblief of many that they think nothing of Sin and Wrath and of the hazard
that Christ after the laying down of his Life was to enter into heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 This is a point which may yeeld us many and great Uses as 1. For Information to clear us â—bout Christ's Intercession 2. For Consolation To shew us the advantages that flow to Believers from it 3. For Direction in dutie to learn us what use we should make of it And 4. For Reproof and Conviction for and of the Sin of our much slighting and neglecting this part of Christs Priestly Office As for the First It serves we say for Information and to let us see that we have an excellent high Priest who is not only answerable to the Type in dying but also in interceeding who died that he might make application of what he purchased by his death For further clearing and prosecuting of this Use we shall speak a little to some few questions As 1. What this Intercession is 2 Who Interceeds 3. For whom 4. For what 5. How this Intercession is performed 6. What are the grounds on which it is founded For the First What this Intercession is in general and for clearing it ye would consider what it is not and 1. There is here no humbling of the Mediator in way of Supplication as he prayed when on earth or as we pray or as one man intreats or interceeds with another That way of Interceeding is inconsistent with his exaltation his humiliation being perfected and by and he being now exalted at the right hand of God 2. It 's no verbal thing no bringing forth or uttering of Words There is no such language in our Lords Intercession and so we are not to conceive of his Intercession as if he made a formal prayer That manner of dealling or proceeding is not now betwixt God and the Mediator 3. Neither doth this his Intercession consist in any new particular act of his will as if he did act or will something that he did not before therefore he is said to Live for ever to make intercession and to abide a Priest continually His Intercession is continual as is clear Heb. 7.3 25. His being in Heaven and appearing there in our name is his Intercession And therefore 2. Let us see in the next place what iâ— is And more generallâ— we may take it up in such expressions as the Scriptures make use of to hold it bâ— and in the similitude and analogie whence it 's borrowed for it 's a borrowed thing as the Covenant of Redemption is from compacts among men because we cannot take up divine and misterious things except they be exprest after the manner of men for our capacity Such is this as if a Kings Son were interposing for a person not in good terms with the King or for whom he would have some benefit from the King his Father The similitude seems indeed to be drawn from this yet it must not be astricted thereto Therefore 1 John 2.1 He is called an advocat with the Father and yet he doth not advocat our cause verbally as we said before And 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediator between God and man Where the Apostle is speaking of praying And here he is said to make Intercession for us as the high Priest did in name of the People in a word it is our Lords Jesus Christ his mâ—king of what he hath purchased and hath ingaged to him in the Covenant of Redemption effectually forth-coming for the behove of his People as if he were Agenting their cause as an Advocat in Heaven which is so held forth for the help of our Faith that the Mediator having made his Testament and confirmed it by his death is looking well that his death and the benefits purchased to Elect Sinners thereby may be made effectual and is as it were lying as Agent and Advocat at Court to procure and bring about this businesse according to that John 17.19 20 24. For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified c. Neither pray I for these alone c. and Father I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am It 's even that all may be made good to them for whom he Sâ—nctified himself and the effectual making out of that which he hath purchased to them that is called his Intercession 2dly Who makes Intercession It is not enough that Christ as man makes Intercession but it is Christ Mediator God and Mâ—n in one Person It being an error of the Papists to make the Intercession of Christ to be a thing performed by the humane nature only which lesseneth the consolation of Believers and is inconsistent with the Union of the two natures and detracts from the weigâ—t that his God-head gives to his Intercession 3dly For whom does he interceed There are here extreams on both hands to be eshewed 1. Some make his Intercession over broad as if he interceeded for all the World this he expresly denyes John 17.9 I pray not for the world and his Intercession being grounded on his death and satisfaction it must be of equal extent therewith and must relate to the Covenant of Redemption wherein so many were given him to be redeemed by his death 2. Others make his Intercession too naâ—row in making it only for them that actuaâ—ly believe He also refuts this opinion John 17.20 By saying Neither pray I for these alone but for all that shall believe on me through their word And it is alwayes on this ground that he interceeds to wit because they are given So that it 's for the Elect converted or unconverted that he interceeds The reason why we mark this is to overturn thereby Two corrupt distinctions that are made use of to bring in an universal Intercession as well as an universal Redemption 1. Some make his Intercession common to all but we according to the Scripture acknowledge no such Intercession to belong to Christ especially as Mediator however he might as man under the Law have prayed for some that shall not be actually saved as he commands one man to pray for other men yet not for all men simply 2. Others make a conditional Intercession for all as they make a conditional Redemption of all and make both absolute for Believers only which is also corrupt For considering the object of his Intercession as Mediator to be only the Elect as indeed they are it overturns both this and the former opinion if he prayed not for all he died not for all the one whereof is grounded on the other 4ly For what doth he interceed In general for all that is conditioned to him in the Covenant for the behove of his people He prayes for the fulfilling of all the Articles of the Covenant as that all the Elect who are not regenerat may be regenerat and made Believers That many through his knowledge may be justified That these that are regenerat and Believers and by Faith
have be taken themselves to him may be justified pardoned and received in favour friendship and fellowship with God that Believers may be keeped from tentation that tentations may be prevented and they made to persever That Satan may not make their Faith to fail them as he designs and the Lord gives account of his design Luke 22.32 Satan hath sought to winnow you but I have prayed that thâ— faith fail not That they and their prayers and service may be accepted that the suits and supplications that they present and put up in his name may get a hearing That they may be armed against the fear of death That they may be carried on in the gradual advances of Sanctification to the end of their Faith the salvation of their Souls that they may be glorified and be where he is to behold his glory In a Word he interceeds for every thing needful and for every thing promised to them his Intercession being as broad as his Purchase 5ly How doth he perform this part of his Priestly Office for his People it's performed by his entrie into the most holy place in our nature and name as having satisfied Justice and vanquished death where he appears before God for us So that we are to look to Christ's being in heaven not simply as glorifying himself or as glorified in himself for himself but as our head and forerunner to answer all that can be said against his Elect for whom he suffered and satisfied as it is Heb. 9.23 24. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us So that our Lord Jesus by his entry into heaven doth declare I mean materially declare his victory in our name and appears there as a publick and not as a privat person His entry into heaven is not to be looked on as the entry of Moses or of Elias but as the entry of him who is head of the Elect whose entry there is a Declaration of what he would be at As by the power of his God-head he conveyed himself in thither So he hath taken possession in our name and according to the Covenant declares that these whose room he sustains may and must be admitted to glory And we must conceive an special efficacy in his being there for procuring to them what he hath purchased 2. His Intercession is performed through the efficacy of his blood and satisfaction flowing from the nature of the Covenant which hath a moral real cry for making effectual what he by his death hath procured As the Apostle speaking of Abels Blood and of making application of Christs Blood Heb. 12.24 Saith It speaketh better things then the blood of Abels For Abels Blood had a dmereit in it to cry guilt and could not but have a Curse following it because God had cursed the shedder of Blood But Christs Blood considered as the price of Redemption for the Elect hath an invaluable and unconceivable merit and worth in it and must have a cry for the blessings purchased to them by it 3. He performs this his Intercession by his constant care and by his continual willingnesse and actual willing that what he hath purchased for his Elect people may be applyed to them that such and such persons may be brought to believe that upon their believing they may be pardoned delivered from snares and tentations keeped in favour with God may be accepted in their performances c. For he had that prayer John 17.20.24 And he continues to have that same Sympathy His way on earth was alwayes sinless but now is glorious and majestick suited to his glorified state He continues to interceed according as he intended and his actual willingness is a main part of his Intercession which is not in renewing of acts to speak so but in his continuing desire willingness that what good he hath purchased may be conferred according to the Covenant For Christ in heaven is still a true man and hath a will as he had on earth continuing to seek that they may be glorified with him for whom he satisfied and this actual willing desiring and affecting that such a thing should be is called his Intercession because it cannot but be so esteemed as to have the effect to follow according to the Covenant as he sayes John 11.41 42. I thank thee Father that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwayes This as to his actual willing cannot but be in heaven However we are sure that he is there and in our name and that his death and blood shed hath an efficacy to bring about what he hath purchased and that his will and affection are the same and have an efficacy with them and the effect certainly following so as nothing can go wrong there more then the man that hath a just cause in a Court of Judicature and an able Advocat with much moyen to agent and plead it before a Just Judge can be wronged or loss his Cause 6ly The grounds of his Intercession are 1. The excellency of his person who though he be man yet is he God also equal with the Father the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his poweâ— As it is Heb. 1.2 Which cannot but add weight to his Intercession as well as to his Satisfaction the Person that interceeds being God The 2. is his Satisfaction which is the ground of his Intercession for upon his Satisfaction he maketh Intercession even as if a Cautioner would say I have payed such a mans Debt and therefore he ought to be absolved Therefore 1 John 2.1 2. These two are joyned We have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins So Rom. 8.34 They are joyned It 's Christ that died who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us 3. The Covenant of Redemption is the great ground on which his Intercession is founded Such and such persons are given to Christ and such priviledges and benefits offered to be conferred upon them on condition the Mediator would undertake and satisfie for them and he having undertaken and payed the price there is good ground for his interceeding for the making application of the purchase Therefore he sayes John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me c. This gives him right to plead and interceed for them seing he hath endured Soul-travel for them he ought to see his Seed and to have many Justified and fred from the curse and condemnation that they were obnoxious to as the fruit of that sore Soul-travel In and from the consideration of these we may gather what is the
main furtherance in all Religion to get this solidly believed That Christ Jesus who is the express image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory is now in heaven in our nature and hath it for his work to be interceeding and interceeding for transgressours we are every day reaping the good of this Intercession in reference to many evils that are keeped off us and in reference to many mercies bestowed on us that we pray not all or but little for and we come never to hear a preaching but we are beholden to it it being a peculiar fruit of his intercession that gifts are given to men and that the Gospel is sent through the earth and if ever any get good of a Sermon it is by vertue of this Intercession seing he hath said that he will pray the Father and that he will send the comforter and when ever we come to hear a preaching there would be to say so a revising of the thoughts of Christs Intercession and a stirring up of our selves to get the faith of it lively in it's exercise That which we spake to the last day was concerning the comfort that flows from this and indeed if any Doctrine be comfortable this must be comfortable that we have such a friend in the Court of Heaven invested in this office of an Advocat and Intercessour for us Use 3. Of exhortation seing there is such an Office wherewith Jesus Christ is invested and such an Officer that bears this Office to be an Advocat for sinners then sinners would be exhorted to learn to improve and to make use of this Advocat and of his Office since he hath this Office of an Intercessour O! do not dispise such a mercy neglect not such an advantage but learn to make use of him and in your worship applications to God to approach by and through him The ground of this Use of exhortation is clear in the Words and from the nature of the thing For if Christ Jesus bear these Offices and if he bear them for us then sure we should improve them If he be a King we should make use of him for subduing sin in us If a Prophet we should improve that Office for attaining of Light and saving Knowledge from him And if he be a Priest to satiâ—fie divine Justice and to make intercession we should improve both parts of that Office The necessity of our improving Christs Intercession appears from this if we consider in what terms we stand with God have we any boldnesse or access of our selves is not the door shut on us and is there not a stated controversie standing betwixt God and us And have we any access but by his moyen The necessity of it is further clear from the order that God hath laid down in the way of his Administration of grace why I pray hath he appointed a Mediator and Intercessour is it not for good reason even for the consolation and encouragement of sinners to draw near who if they be in earnest cannot but be affected with fear to approach unto God and is it possible to come unto God and not by this door and were it not ingratitude to neglect it seing he hath contrived this new and living way of access unto him But to descend to more particular discoursing of this matter which is as difficult a thing to speak of a right and to practice suitably as any part of Religion if especially he himself teach us not for sometimes we will make use of his Sacrifice and Satisfaction when we know not how to make use of his Intercession For either we do all our alone and misken the Intercessour or we will do nothing and give it over as desperat as if our businesse were quite broken and hopelesse and as if it were needlesse or useless to lay any weight on Christ's Intercession And thus whether we apprehend our selves to be in better or in worse case he is much miskent and neglected That therefore we may the better know how to make use of Christs Intercession We shall 1. in the general shew what it is to improve it 2 Speak to some particular cases wherein it in a special manner is to be improven 3. Satisfy and remove some objections or answer some questions that may be moved about it 4. We shall give some characters of one that is serious and tender in improving of his Intercession For the First It is indeed a thing so difficult to improve Christs Intercession aright that we cannot easily tell how to conceive of it being a considerable part of the mistery of Faith to go to God by a Mediator and Intercessour However we shall 1. shew some mistakes that are to be eshewed 2. We shall shew wherein it more properly consists which is in the exercise of Faith in him with respect to his Intercession And 3. We shall illustrat it by some similitudes for the further making out of it 1. Then when we spake of improving Christs Intercession and of going to God by him we would have these mistakes eshewed 1. Beware of thinking that there is a going to the Mediator in a distinct or in a different manner from what is in going to God for he is God or that we may go to God at one time and to the Mediator at another time as if we would first speak a while to the Mediator and then speak to God or would first make our moan to the Mediator to pacifie God and when God were calmed to speak to him as if he were to make moyen with God for us as a Courtiâ—r makes moyen with the King the offended partie for a Rebel we would beware of this For it divides in our apprehension the God-head that is indivisible for if we consider the Mediator as the object of our worship he is to be considered as God though we may and are also joyntly to consider him as Mediator and on that account make use of him And if we consider him as God we must consider him as the same God with the Father and the holy Ghost But to have this imagination of him that we are to speak to him as to another Partie or not as God is to make him another thing which is unbecoming that apprehension and estimation that we ought to have of the unity of the blessed God-head 2. Beware of thinking that there is a greater facility or easiness to have access to the Mediator then to have access to God or that it is more easie to have access to the Second Person of the Trinity then to the First or Third Person we are afraid that there be mistakes here also as if the Mediator were more easie to be dealt with then the Majesty of God or as if there were more easie access unto him whereas he being the same God and so considered there are the same grounds whereon sinners may have access to the Father as to the Son For if we look on a sinner
for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies That is an improving aright of Christs intercession not to pray directly to him as a distinct party but to pray for mercy upon the account of his Intercession For what is for mercies sake in the latter is for the Lords sake in the former viz. because by him and by vertue of his Intercession mercy comes out unto us And this is a main use to be made of Christs Intercession to wit to have upon that ground an expectation of a hearing or to found our expectation of a hearing on that account and let it bear the weight of it as well it can 3. The right improvement of Christs Intercession hath this act of Faith That although there seem to be many difficulties and long off puting yet Faith upon the account of his Intercession will continue it's expectation of a hearing and it's looking for of what the person hath sought and stands in need of whatever cross dispensations thwart it's expectâ—tion and whatever signes of anger appear in the way of it's obtaining it waiâ—s on for all that Though Jonah be in the belly of the Wâ—ale and the weids wrapped about his head yet will he look towards his holy Temple So though a Soul have no life nor sense no inward â—â—isting nor arguments in the mouth yet acting on Christs Intercâ—ssion by Faith it will not leave nor give over it's suite considering that though it hath no ground of expectation of good from it self yet from Christs Intercessiâ—n it hath which is the improvement of that Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him c. If there were never so strong objections from unbelief and carnal reason and if it should be suggested ye have such and sâ—ch difficulties that cannot be overcome lying in the way of your Salvation and there is nothing in you concurring to make out your Salvation yet Faith sayes He is able to save to the uttermost or as the word iâ— he can save to the full or to the yond mosâ—â— and what is the ground because he ever lives to make intercession And this is the main thing to be taken notice of in improving of his Intercession when the sinner hath presented his suit or request to God through the Mediator to get his mind quieted on the account of Christs Intercession that it shall be answered even as a man who having a Cause to plead and geting an able Advocat who sayes to him I will warrand your cause quiets himself because of his undertaking So proportionably there is a weight laid on Christs Intercession by Faiths lippening to him which maketh the Soul to be without anxiety And this continued act of Faith doth not at all foâ—ter sin but strengtheneth rather to oppose sin quiets the mind and makes more humble and keeps a tranquillity in the Soul in bands as well as in liberty because it layes the weight of it's coming speed with God not on iâ—'s own argumenting but on the Mediators Intercession For as we shew from Revel 8. The prayerâ— of all Saints go up from his censer the weakest as well as the strongest because it 's his incense that makes them savoury 4. There is an improvement of Christs Intercession when any thing is obtained whether it be a mercy in preventing such and such a stroak or the bestowing of such and such a favour and that is when Faith derives not that mercy from nor attributs it to it 's own praying though it did pray and pray somewhat seriously but derives it from and attributs it to the vertue and efficacy of Christs Intercession and counts it self obliged to that as the rise of all the persons good and again by him returning thanks to God for it And this is a little proof of improving Christs Intercession Sometime when we want what we would have and are restrained we will improve all means to obtain yet when we have obtained there is but little acknowledgment of him therein which acknowledgment is our duty insinuat John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son And in this sense we ought to walk in the use of every mercy as beâ—â—iâ—g the acknowledgment of Câ—â—ists Intercession and to be affected with love to God and should withal have a new impression of it's obligation to be forthcoming for God upon the account of his Intercession Whereas the most part of foâ—k take their mercies and think not themselves to be in his common for them neither do they own him with thankful acknowledgment of them when they have gotten them even as a man who had gotten a favour through the mediation of another and should forget him would be very ingrate The making use of Christs Intercession in this respect is the improving of it for the awaking of our thankfulnâ—ss and the confirming of our obligation to him If we look through our life is there any day or hour but we will need something and be injoying something and the improving Christs Intercession thus would make the thoughts of Christ always fresh and lovely to us but we seek and get and enjoy as if a Mediator were not in heaven but as we acknowledge him in praying to him when we have need so when any thing is gotten we should acknowledge that we have received it and do enjoy it on the account of his Intercession who obtained it for us 3dly We said That this may be illustrat by similitudes And there are these Three whereby it may be illustrat The 1. is if we may call it a similitude the comparing of the use-making of his Intercession with the use-making of his Satisfaction wherein there is a resemblance we make use of his Satisfaction when we are convinced of our natural sinfulnesse and enimity and that we cannot make our own peace our selves yet hearing of his Satisfaction and having an offer of it and believing that His able to do our turn we hazard 〈◊〉 that ground to close with God in the Covenant And through the sense of peace come not for a long time yet we with confidence wait for it because the ground we lean on for it cannot fail proportionably to this we 〈◊〉 use of Christs Intercession when under a challenge we are convinced of a 〈◊〉 and daâ— not approach to God yet hearing tell that there is an Intercessouâ— in heaven who will undertake for them that imploy him we hazard confidently on that ground to propose our suits unto God and notwithstanding of difficulties expect and wait for an answer It may be Objected here that it seems there is no difference betwixt the improving of his Satisfaction and the improving of his Intercession Answer There is no difference in respect of the things fought nor in respect of the acts of Faith whereby we make use of the one and of the other nor in respect of the grounds whereupon
He will let him see as much as is meet and Chap. 34. When he gives him his answer It is not any glorious visible brightness he lets him see but he proclaims his name to him The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. And comparing the words with the scope It sayes that there can be no saving uptaking of God but as he is revealed in the word and that way we are to be fixed in the Faith of the excellency that is in him and in going to him by prayer through the Mediator we would guard against any representation and fix our Faith on clear Promises and attributs as Scripture holds him forth 5. We would endeavour rather to have a composed frame of Spirit with holy reverence in the exercise of fear faith and love and of other spiritual graces then to fill our understanding with things meerly speculative and lesse practical and profitable And supposing that we are in some measure clear in what is revealed of God and of his attributs and promises in the Word in as far as may found our Faith and warrand us to put up such and such suits to God through the Mediator and that we come to him in holy reverence we are rather to exercise our graces and have an â—ve downward in reflecting on our selves â—â—eking to be clear in what is called for in a worshipper of God then to be curiously poring and prying into the Object of our worship himself And therefore let this be well studied even to be up at that wherein we are clear and which we do not question not make any doubt of as namely that we should be in a composed frame of Spirit in holy reverence and under the due impression of the Mâ—jesty of God and then there will be the less hazard if any at all of going wrong whereas if we divert from this and seek to satisfie our selves in the how or manner of up-taking of God we will but myre our selves and maâ— the frame of our own Spirits and bring our selves under an incapacity of going about duty rightly This much we have spoken on the Third part of the Use of Exhortation wherein we allow a sober and solid up-taking of the things of God and in as far as may be profitable for founding of our Faith and for guiding of our practice but not to satisfie curiosity For if we once go to chase and follow question upon question in what concerns the Doctrinal and speculative part of this Doctrine we will run our selves a ground and therefore God having made these things wherein our duty necessarily lyes clear that there is no hazard to go wrong in single following of it we would study these things that are clear which might be another direction and hold us with and at what we are clear in and not suffer our minds to run out on either groundless or unprofitable speculations God himself help to the suitable practice of these things and to him be 〈◊〉 SERMON LXX ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours IT 's a great mercy that God hath bestowed such a Mediator on Sinners that He hath given such an high Priest that can be touched with the feeling of Sinners infirmities so as to make Intercession for them And O! but it 's a great mercy to be helped to make right use of him When these two go together to wit a Saviour offered furnished with all these Offices of King Priest and Prophet and a Soul sanctified and guided by the Spirit of God in making use of him according to these Offices It 's a wonderfully and inconceivably gracious dispensation And it 's no doubt a very valuable mercy to be hepled to make use of this part of Christs Office to wit his Intercession This is that whereof we have begun some few dayes since to speak to you and for the better clearing of it we endeavoured to answer some doubts or questions that it may be have arisen and been tossed in the minds of some while we have been discoursing of and opening up this matter That which we would now speak a little to is a subject of that nature that considering our shallowness in uptaking of these things we cannot easily tell whether it be better to speak of or to forbear the speaking of any doubt or question least one occasion â—n another And therefore most certainly there would be much sobriety here and an abandoning of all sinful curiosity least unseasonable and intemperat desiring to know either what is not to be known or what we cannot know mar and obstruct our improvement of what we do or may know several things doubted of may be moved and objected here but we shall only speak a word to the clearing of these Four 1 Some thing concerning the Object of worship and particularly of prayer in general 2. We shall consider how the Mediator is the object of our prayer or how he may be prayed unto 3. A word more particularly in reference to the form of some particular petitions and to what seems most warrantable from the word in these 4. We shall answer some practical doubts that have or may have some puzling influence on the consciences of some Christians But as I said we had need in speaking and hearing of these things to be awed with some deep impression of the Majesty of God on our hearts least we medle carnally with matters of a most sublimely spiritual and holy nature For clearing of the First then we lay down these assertions The 1. whereof is That as there is one worship so there is no formal Object of worship but God This is clear because the worshipping of any with divine worship as namely with believing in them or praying to them supposes them to have such Attributs of Omni-science Omni-potency Supremacy c. As are only agreeable to the Mâ—jesty of God For we cannot pray to one but we must believe that he hears us and so that he is Omni-scient that he is able to help us and so Omni-poâ—entâ— that he is above all and so Supream as it is Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed There can be no divine Object of worship to settle the Soul upon but where the essential attributs of the God-head are and it 's on this ground that we reject invocation of Saints and Angels Adorability being the essentiall property of the Majesty of God as well as Eternity and Immutability are There can be no Adoring or Worshipping of any but where there is Adorability in the Object that is worshipped by that worship and there is none capable of worship but God Supremacy being due and Essential to him only 2. That though there be three Persons in the glorious and blessed God-head distinct yet there are not three distinct Objects of Worship but one Object of Worship only The Father is not one Object of Worship the Son another and the holy Ghost a
2. The formal Object of our worship is Christs God-head and we pray to him on that account because He is the Eternal Infinit Omni-potent Supream c. in respect of his divine nature 3. In our worshipping of this Mediator on this account or ground the mind may be swayed to it on consideration that the person whom we worship as God is also Mediator and Man and this proposes no new Object of worship but gives a motive to induce us to worship him and warms the heart with love to him as when we go to pray to him the mind may consider him as one that died now so considered he is not the Object of our worship because it holds him out as humbled and suffering yet our so considering him strengthens Faith to expect what we need from him and it induces to pray to him and engages to love him even as the People of Israel in prayer to God sometimes used that Title Our redeemer that brought us out of Egypt Yet the ground and account on which they worshipped him was his being the Eternal Infinit and Omnipotent God and the consideration of his Works were but motives to induce them to worship him and to strengthen their Faith in expecting what they stood in need of from him So is it here For if it were possible to conceive that the Mediator that died were not God we would not pray to him for God is the alone Object of divine worship yet to consider that he is God and yet died is an inducement to us to pray to him and it strengthens our Faith to consider that as he is God so also Man one that died and hath also entered himself in this near relation to us For the 3d. which will help to clear the former That is the forms of such Petitions as may be used in petitioning the Mediator we need the lesse to stand on it if as hath been said we hold us by these grounds 1. That there is but one Object of worship 2. That this one Object of worship is God 3. That in worshipping the Mediator we do not divine that Object of our worship Yet we shall speak a word for clearing 1. What form seems most allowable here 2. For clearing of somewhat which we hinted at the other day anent one particular form of petition First then This is clear that we may pray directly to the Mediator by naming him as Stephen does Act. 7. at the close 2. That the Mediator when prayed to may be considered as such by us For there is a differenee betwixt that which is considered by us in the act of our worship and that which is the Object of that Act and as we said the motive that induces us to that Act is the uptaking of him as Mediator 3. That he may be designed Mediator and Redeemer and may get these Names and Titles because they serve to strengthen our Faith and to warm our affections to him even as when the people of Israel prayed to God they remembred that he was their Redeemer and Deliverer and had wrought so and so for them and these were motives to induce them to pray and served to strengthen their Faith in praying to him yet the ground and account on which they worshipped him was his own infinit glorious Majesty 4. It 's clear that when the Mediator is prayed unto something may be sought from him that agrees to the Office of the Mediator For instance he may be prayed unto to take to him his Government and to exerce it to give gifts unto men to gather his own Elect to make his will effectual for the ingathering of them c. yet even then a difference would be put betwixt the Object of our sutie and the matter we suite for which belongs to him as Mediator yet as God he is the Oâ—ject of our suite and prayer This seems to be â—â—lured at Psal 45. when the Psalmist speaking to the Son the Mediator sayes Giâ—d thy sword upon thy thigh ride prosperously let the kings arrows be sharp in the hearts of his enemies Which upon the matter seems clearly to relate to Christs executing his Office as Mediator yet look to the Title he gives him and the ground or account on which he puts up his prayer It 's the consideration of him as God Therefore he sayes O! thou most mighty a divine attribute pointing him out to be God And thy throne O God sayes he is from everlasting c. Now as for the 2d thing If all this be granted it may then be asked why we seem not to be satisfied with that manner of expression or form of petition which we hinted at the other day Lord Jesus make intercession for me plead for me with or before the Father Seing we allow such a Petition as this Lord Jesus make me partaker of thy intercession and the like As warrantably when put up with reverence and faith The same Object of worship being invocat with them both Answer 1. We say that the use-making and improving of Christs Intercession is not to be restricted to this manner of expression or form of Petition and it was for this end that we observed it For it cannot be said that only we make use of Christs Intercession when we use this form and so it 's not essential nor necessary to the use-making of Christ's Intercession This is the fault that is in it as if there were no use-making of his Intercession but when this form of Petition is used whereas we shew that it is mainly the exercise of Faith resting on his Intercession whereby it is improven and one may be usâ—ng this forme of word and yet not be improving his Intercession And another may not use this form of words and yet be improving it when Faith is exercised on it and th refore to improve his Intercession is rather by the exercise of Faith to rest on it then in any such form of words to pray to him and we would not think that Christ's Intercession is not made use of when the Father is prayed unto or when such a form of words is not used but place it in the exercise of Faith alone 2. We say if such a petition be well understood and qualified it is not simply sinful or evil if so be that our meaning in it amount to this much Lord Jesus let me be partaker of the benefites of thy Intercession even as we may pray Lord Jesus let me be partaker of the benefits of thy Satisfaction yet we say it would be well understood and qualified and a person in putting up such a petition would advert well that he be not praying to any other Object of worship but God and that his meaning be the same as if he were praying to the Father and said Father let me be accepted through the Intercession of the Son And thus the one is an improving of Christs Intercession as well as the other for although the altering the
it 2. We would remember and think upon our condition by nature that upon the one side God is a consuming fire and we on the other like dry stubble and that there is no approaching to Him without a Mediator There were the less hazard of going wrong if folk were walking under the suitable impression of their sinfulness and misery by nature the want whereof makes too much forwardnesse in steping into God without Christ Therefore we commend to you all and especially when ye go to prayer to endeavour to be under deep impressions of your own sinfulness and baseness As we see it was with Abraham Gen. 18. Behold now I have taken on me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes 3. Mind the promise of Gods hearing you through Christ and His promise of leading you in all necessary truth and so to perform duty in this manner Minde I say 1. The promise of hearing that it 's not a promise to hear us simply in what we pray for but in whâ—t we pray for with other requisit qualifications of prayer and with this in particular That it be in Christs Name Hence is Asking in his name so often mentioned John 14. v. 13 14 and 16. v. 23 24 26. To mind that there is a promise of hearing draws a Soul to pray to God and to minde that the promise is made to praying thus qualified to wit that it be in Chrisâ—s Name binds the Soul to this way because otherwise it forfaults the Promise if it observe not the due qualification I fear there are too many who look on the Promise as absolute It 's true Though there are absolute Promises in the Covenant yet there are other Promises that have qualifications and conditions whereof this anent hearing of prayer is one and we are to expect the performance of the Promise when we seek after the qualification and condition 2. Mâ—ne Christs Promise whereby he hath ingaged as to lead us in all necessary truth so in this part of it to put up our prayers in His Nâ—me John 16.24 In that day ye shall aâ—k in my name To consider aright of this promise gives some ground of confideâ—ce to win at the performance of it anâ— holds the Soul in dependence on him and makes it to be quiet in the duty of improving Christs Intercession and indeed this is a main part of Religion Learn therefore to put these things together First think it a mercy that ye have a warrand and access to pray 2. That ye have a promise to be heard 3. That ye have a Mediator to interceed for you 4. That a promise is given you to learn how to make use of Him and that though the use-making of His Intercession aright be difficult and many do misken and mistake it yet that by the eying of the Promise ye may win to the right use-making of it ye would by any means eye the Promise that ye be not mistaken It may be there is a look now and then to liberty and it is good in it self but there may be a defect here That ye look not to Christ to be helped to pray with liberty and to be guided to pray in His Name so as to lay the weight of your being heard on Christs intercession 4ly When there hath been an eying of the Promise not only for the thing we seek but also to be guided in the seeking of it ye would be often taking a review of your selves in and after prayer whether ye be indeed praying and have prayed in Christs Name that when the Soul looks back and sees it hath much miskenned and neglected Christ it may take it self in this evil and disclaim it and settle it self on a right ground In a word there would be looking well on the one side that Jesus Christ be the ground we build on and on the other side that when we eye Christ and build on him we be not afraid to hazard on Him For into one of these extreams we readily run either to lippen and lean to some other thing then Christ or if we see no other thing to lean and lippen to and be necessitate to eye Him we distrust Him and are loath to hazard on Him 5ly And lastly if we consider well we will see good ground 1. To press 2. To incourage us to this way not to be doing duty only as men under the Law but as Christian men under the Gospel with respect to Christs Satisfaction and Intercession And First For pressing it consider that there is a necessity of it in reference to as many prayers as are accepted of God If it be necessary to get a hearing fit 's necessary to pray in Christs Name It a may be many think it to be but an indifferent thing that we have been pressing ll the while that we have been speaking of Christs Intercession but indeed it 's of more moment then our pressing you to any external duty for the external duty of prayer though it must needs be gon about is yet but the carcase this is the Soul and Life of Prayer And therefore let me exhort and obtest you never to saâ—iâ—fie your selves with a legal performance of the most spiritual duties in themselves except ye win to a Christian way of perfoâ—ming them that is That they be done in Christs strength and that ye rest on Him for the acceptance of them It 's as necessary to worship God in and by a Mediator as it is to worship the only true God and not to worship a false or strange God I make no question but most part of the hearers of the Gospel do destroy themselves here by resting on their legal performances and not making use of Christ 2. For your incouragement consider that it is most advantagious and profitable These words in the Promise are broad and full Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do it And the Promise is frequently repeated in these forecited Chapters of John O! what calmness tranquility peace victory over anxiety what patience in waiting whether when in bonds or in liberty do flow from the exercising of Faith on this ground to wit That we have an Advocat in Heaven with the Father further consider the great ground of confidence that he hath given us that we shall come speed in this way which should stir us up hearten and incourage us to it which wil manifestly appear if we joyn these Two together 1. That this blessed Advocat is our Brother that He was made like unto us in all things except sin that He is a fellow-feeling high Priest that is touched with our infirmities that He refuseth to grant no suits of His People that are for His glory and their good that He saves all to the uttermost that come unto God by Him none could ever say that He refused to take their Cause in hand when they indeed committed it to Him 2. That when a Cause is committed to Him it cannot
Original sin as young Serpents before they can sting actually or like Ravenous Birds before they come out of the Nest yet we call these Serpents and Ravenous Birds because they are come of such a kind In our Swadling-clouts we have the venomous and Ravenous Nature to wit Original sin in us And in our Actual sinning we are like Serpents when they come to sting actually or like Ravenous Birds when they come to catch the Prey And our Actual sin is a fruit of Original sin Or take it in this same similitude in the Text there are many Shep that never actually strayed yet they are called straying witless Creatures because they are inclined to stray and ready to stray Or take it in this similitude there are some diseases that follow such a House and Family some are inclined to a Consumption some to the Stone some to one disease some to another which is from some defect of the Body even so it is here that from a defect of our Nature infected by Original sin that all Actual sins flow The 2d Use is for Conviction and Reproof and indeed we cannot well tell where we shall begin here However the first thing that it reproves is our natural Pride Though this be the sinfulness of our very Infancy yet we are ready to look upon our selves as something it 's a true saying though much misapplyed that Job hath chap. 11.12 Vain man would be wise though man be born as an wild â—ssâ—s colt a Colt hath a wild humour and â—s the most witless of Creatures and this same is it that is implyed in that saying of James 4.5 Do ye think the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy which saith this much that the most part never trow that they have such a spirit in them that 's enclined to all evil bent to have God and every thing that is good 2. Iâ— reproves the great security that is amongst the most part It this be a truth that Mâ—n and Women are thus born under the Curse of God and enclined to every thing that is evil born enemies to God and enclined to aggrege highten the quarrel how comes it then to pass that the great part sleep as soundly and securely as if they were in no hazard If ye were all posed and put to it how many of you can give a solid proof that ye are reconciled that your Peace is made that ye are changed and your nature renewed and the quarrel betwixt God and you taken away and yet if we look up and down ye are generally as sâ—cure and quiet as if ye were born friends with God There are but few taking with a Conviction and saying within themselves Is yonder Doctrine true of me as if the Scripture had spoken in vain whatever it speaks of Original Sin Ah! shall this never be amended will ye never lay your sinfulness to heart shall ye still think nothing of that which gives the occasional rise to the Covenant of Redemption and to Christs Satisfaction all the preaching that ye hear daily if it be not now laid to heart it shall be most terrible and dreadful to you one day and the Peace that ye now have shall end in red War and great bitterness 3. It reproves Folks exceeding great unwatchfulness and their trusting to their own Nature and following their own Council the wise man saith Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Is it not reproof-worthy for a man to be as bruitish as the very beast that perisheth as it is Psal 49. and yet to be as little watchful and as much trustful or to trust as much to a mans own guiding as if nothing of a milguiding humour and disposition were in him we may more then allude to these words of our Saviour here If the blind lead the blind shall not both fall into the ditch many of you think that ye are instructed as Scribes in the way to Heaven and will be readâ— to say God forbid we should be ignorant of that and what have we been doing all our days if we be yet to learn that lesson but we will tell you what ye have been doing ye have even been like silly witless Sheep straying all your days And we would the rather speak to this because it is so necessary to be known and believed and yet so little known and credited For 1. Ye will never be rightly humbled nor make use of Jesus Christ nor walk watchfully and soberly In a word ye will never believe and repent till â—e know be convinced of and believe this to be your natural Inclination and the sinfulness of your nature And yet 2. Tho this be so necessary that the want of it mars the fruit of the Word in you and Preaching doth but buff on you to say so How many are there that are as little sensible of it as the very stones of the Wall that are before us or the boards that they lean upon as to their own particular state and condition I would but ask you Is it possible that ye could live so securely and satisfied with your own case if ye believed indeed that ye had such a sinful nature and that ye were lyable to Gods Wrath and Curse or would ye give such way to your natural sinful humours and inclinations and so contentedly slight Jesus Christ and the offers of the Gospel as many of you do and yet we see amongst them with whom we converse Men and Women not only as secure as if they had not such natures but even belshing and foaming out their own shame We would have you therefore to be convinced and know that not only ye are Sinners in the general but that every one of you is such in particular To make it the more clear I shall give you two or three Qualifications that are requisite to a suitable conviction of your sinfulness 1. It would be particular 2. It would be sensible ye would not in bare words take with it that ye are Sinners but ye would see and be convinced that in this and this ye have sinned and ye would be kindly affected with it 3. It would be distinct not a guessing but a thing that from the seeing and feeling of it ye would be clear in 4. It would have such iâ—fluence on the moving of your Aff ctions and such an inward working on your hearts as that ye may loath â—our nature and your self because of it We may see all these in Paul Rom. 7. vers 10. and forward who though he was greatly renewed yet saith he I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind he feels and is very sensible of that which leads him in captivity and he crys out Who shall deliver me c. his affections are mightily stirred with it What I do I allow not c. O miserable man that I am c. If ye believe this to be a
to us in mentioning reading or thinking of it but it should in reason make Sinners glad that ever there was such a subject to be spoken of and to be considered It behoved certainly to be a great businesse that brought the Son of God to die The Salvation of Sinners is a great Work though many of us think but very little of it The Sum and Scop of Christs Sufferings and Death are briefly holden forth in these Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Where we have 1. The great benefit that comes by His Death which is Justification or the Absolving of Sinners from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God due to them for Sin by Christ's interposing Himself to become a Sin-suffering there is a way laid down how Sinners may be relieved 2. The parties made partakers of this benefit and they are called many 3. The way how it is derived to these mâ—ny it is by his knowledge That is by or through Faith in Him We have spoken somewhat of the benefit it self Justification which is the thing aimed at for the most part in preaching and in all other Ordinances That God may by the Righteousnesse of His Son in the Gospel carry on the Justification of S nners through their knowledge of Him or by causing them to rest upon His Righteousnesse by Faith in order to their Salvation It 's sad that in this point which is of so great concernment so many should go so far wrong and mistake so grosly that it is no great matter in some respect whether they be called Christians or not This being the advantage of a Christian that He hath a way to Justification and Absolution from Sin and Wrath before God revealed to Him which others have not who if he come short of this or fall in grosse Errors about it he hath little or no advantage beyond Heathens who may have more of the Fat of the Eâ—rth and of the things of the World than these who are within the visible Church have But in this in a special manner the Christian excells and goes beyond the Pagan or Heathen That he hath a way laid down to him how he may come to be reconciled to God and freed from Wrath and from His Curse due for Sin which we have shewed to be by fleeing to Christ and by Faith resting on His Righteousnesse and Satisfaction For Christ the Cautioner having payed the Debt by laying down a Price fully satisfactory to Divine Justice And this Satisfaction being offered in the Gospel upon the condition of receiving him a Sinner giving his consent to Gods offer and closing therewith may confidently expect according to that offer to be Justified and no other wayes We shew you one particular great and grosse Error wherewith these who are under the darkness of Popery are wofully carried away which we did the rather touch upon because though it be a Doctrinal Error in respect of them and disputed for by them Yet in respect of the practice of many Protestant Christians it 's very rise and ordinary that is to Mistake Error and go wrong in the way of making of their peace with God And there are Three Sorts especially who do exceedingly Mistake Err and go wrong here These of whom I mean and am now speaking are not such as are maintaining Disputing or Writing for such Errors but such as commit themselves to be sound Protestant Christians and haters of the grosse Popish Error That we spake somewhat to the last day The 1. Sort are thâ—se who to this hour never laid down any solid Reckoning how to make their Peace with God or what way to come at Absolution before Him these Persons do in practice deny what ever may be their Professions that there is any such thing as a Reckoning to be made betwixt God and them or that there is a necessity of Justification for preventing of their eternal ruine and destruction They live from their birth with a hope of coming to Heaven without looking how they may passe this great step of Justification before God they never saw nor laid to heart their need of it are their not many hearing me to day that are of this number who will needs keep up confidently their fancied hope of Heaven and yet never knew what it was to answer a challenge for Sin or a threatning of the Curse for the breach of Gods Law from Christs Righteousness nor did they ever fist and arraigne themselves before Gods Tribunal as guilty nor did they ever think seriously of their charge nor of their Summonds nor of the way of making their Peace with God by taking hold of Christs Righteousness A 2d Sort are the generality of Legal Professours I do not say that they are Legal in their Practices that is that they make it their business to keep the Law for they are as little concerned or careful in that as any but they are Legal in this respect that when it comes to the making of their peace with God they know nothing but the Law to deal with as that man spoken of Math. 25. That got the one Talent and was utterly careless to improve it yet when it comes to a Reckoning he stands and sticks to a rigor of the Law Master saith he Lo here thou hast that which is thine just so such will be ready to say we have no more Grace then God hath given us we have a good heart to God we are doing what we dow or can Here come in Prophane Men meer Civil Men and Hypocrites and more especally the meer Civil Men who do much in the duties of the Second Table of the Law and they will profess that they do mind Judgement and a Reckoning but as if they had been bred and brought up in a Popish School they foist in a Legal Righteousnesse in stead of Christ's as the ground of their Justification before the Tribunal of God ye may take in these instances of this sort of Persons which are very common and who in their Practice almost in every thing agree with the Popish Doctrine The 1. Instance is of such Persons that know nothing of the imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse yet if we speak of it they will fall out in such expressions as these we can do nothing of our selves there is no goodness in us It 's God's grace that must do our turn yet in the mean time it is not Christs Righteousness they lay down to themselves as the ground of their Justification but the good which they have done as they suppose in Christs strength and the Grace which is given them to work and do that good by which is the same thing with the Popish way of Justification as if Christ had procured an ability to us to keep the Law our selves in order to our being Justified thereby hence they will Beliâ—ve Pray Hear the Word Praise and go about other Duties and will professe that they acknowledge
so much of the saving of sinners and therefore they wonder not at it are not suitably affected and taken up with it Use 2. There is here a sweet and solid ground for quieting and setling the Faith of sensible Sinners who would have footing to their Faith Christ counts it His Glory and Triumph to save such as ye are and if ye perish that would fain be at Christ and His Righteousnesse for Life Christ shall want His Glory and Triumph and may not that serve and satisfie you that your Salvation is His Glory and Triumph which He will not come short of The Father hath here promised it and He shall not He cannot want it Sinners He must have and shall have to be saved because His Victory Triumph and Spoil depends on it A wonderful condescension of Grace which is not easily believed that all these are linked and coupled together and through other as it were Sinners Salvation Christs Victory Triumph and Spoil and Gods Glory in His Grace Love Faithfulnesse and Power ye reflect no doubt on Gods Faithfulnesse who suspect and are jealous of your Salvation if indeed ye do by Faith betake your selves to Jesus Christ Use 3. Doth Christ think so much of the Salvation of Sinners that He counts it His Victory and Triumph His Portion and Spoil Then 1. All that give not Christ their Souls to be saved do what they can to lessen Christs Portion and to frustrat Him of His Glory 2. If ye would do Christ service that is most acceptable to Him give Him your Souls to be saved by Him frustrat not His Grace lay your Sins on Him and look for Salvation through Him in His own way He came to fight with Principalities and Powers and to vanquish them and by the strong hand to rescue Souls from them and step ye to at His back for that is His Satisfaction His Portion and Spoil We wote well there is here a strong and effectual motive to perswade to Faith in Christ and a stronger and more effectual cannot be thought upon It will be Christs Triumph to pull you out of the claws of the Devil and if He do it not ye on the matter allow the Devil some way to get the victory over Christ which is yet impossible but the Devil will certainly have Victory over you to whom ye will be Slaves and Druges for ever There is also here ground of great terrour and of dreadful warning to such as yeelds not to Christ because they do what they can to impede His Victory when He comes by His ordinances to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God they thwart with Him The day is coming when this Doctrine will be comfortable to some and terrible to others when there shall be none of us but we shall see it confirmed with our eyes when He as a man sorting and sharing His Spoil after the Victory shall say to these on His right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you and to others Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Even as if a Conquerour should take some Prisoners and make them Sons and Heirs and set them upon Thrones and should cast others into perpetual Prison who loved not liberty And indeed it will be a fearful Prison who loved not liberty And indeed it will be a fearful Prison to be in Hell with the Devil and His Angels either we will be part of Christs Portion and Spoil in that day or He will refuse disown and reject us leaving us to be an everlasting prey to the Devil happy they whom He choiseth and woe to them eternally whom He casts as refuse wair God give us wisdom to lay these things to heart SERMON LXIV ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sin of many and he made intercession for the transgressours THis Covenant of Redemption is a great bargain there was never such parties as the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator and we may say there was never such Conditions and Articles in any bargain as are in this The verse now read doth contain the sum of that which was agreed upon betwixt these Parties The promises upon Jehovahs side made to the Mediator and what He shall have on His accepting of the offer and performing of the Condition required of Him And what are the terms proposed to the Mediator and the Conditions which He is to perform or rather hath performed 1. There are two things promised to the Mediator I will divide him a portion with the great a fair and large Victory and a good and glorious Out-gate And He shal divide the spoil with the strong As these that are Conquerours and Victors use to share most largely and deeply in the Spoil so our Lord Jesus shall have a rich Spoil a large booty many redeemed Souls a Bride whom He shall present blamelesse to the Father These are the Spoil the Jewels that He fights for and the Prey He choiseth when the World is burnt and the rest are sent to hell He gathers out so many for Himself 2. The Conditions on the Mediators side are four He comes to this Victory and Triumph because He hath poured out His soul unto death because He was numbred with transgressours because He bare the sins of many and because He made intercession for the transgressours Therefore shall He be sure of all this Although there be no expresse name of a Covenant here yet ye see the thing because as in Covenants amongst men there are two parties and their ingagements are mutual and the performance of these ingagements in the one depends on the performance of them in the other So is it here 1. The Parties are Jehovah and the Mediator 2. There are two things promised to the Mediator a glorious Victory and a rich Spoil the justifying of many 3. The Conditions on the Mediators side on which the performance of the promises depends He condescends to die and to die willingly to be numbred with transgressours to bear their Sins and to make intercession for them This Jehovah condescends to accept of and upon this many to wit all Elect Sinners are justified through faith on him as it is v. 11. 1. From the promise made to Christ where the Person is changed I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong I will grant Him such a thing and He shall obtain it Take this general Observation as the reason of it That all the Promises made by Jehovah to the Mediator are certain and shall actually be performed I will grant this to Him and He shall get it The connexion doth also confirm it Because he hath poured