Againe a little while and ye shall see me a little while and ye shall not see me sayes he Which not seeing him refers not to that small space of absence whilst dead and in the grave but of that after his last ascending forty dayes after his Resurrection when he should goe away not to be seene on earth againe untill the day of Judgement and yet from that Ascension but a little while sayes he and you shall see me againe namely at the day of Judgement It is said Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little little as may be Though long for the time in it selfe yet as little while as may be in respect of his desire without the least delaying to come He will stay not a moment longer then till he hath dispatcht all our businesse there for us And then the doubling of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniens veniet Comming he will come implyes vehemencie of desire to come and that his mind is alwayes upon it he is still a comming he can hardly be kept away Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgencie vehemencie and intensenesse of some act as Expecting I have expected Desiring I have desired so Comming he will come And as not content with these expressions of desire hee adds over and above all these And will not tarry and all to signifie the infinite ardencie of his mind towards his Elect below and to have all his Elect in heaven about him He will not stay a minute longer then needs must he tarryes onely till he hath throughout all Ages by his Intercession prepared every room for each Saint that he may entertaine them all at once together and have them all about him Thirdly what his heart would be towards them in his absence he expresseth by the carefull provision hee makes and the order hee takes for their comfort in his absence Ioh. 16. 18. I will not leave you as Orphanes so the word is I will not leave you like father-lesse and friendlesse children at sixes and sevens My Father and I have but one onely friend who lyes in the bosome of us both and proceedeth from us both the holy Ghost and in the meane time I will send him to you Doing herein as a loving Husband useth to doe in his absence even commit his Wife to the dearest friend he hath so doth Christ Ver. 16. I will pray the Father sayes he and he shall give you another Comforter And Chap. 16. 7. he saith I will send him to you Who First shall be a better Comforter unto you then I am to be in this kind of dispensation which whilst I am on earth I am bound up towards you in So in that 16. of Iohn ver 7. he intimates It is expedient sayes he that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come who by reason of his office will comfort you bettet then I should doe with my bodily presence And this Spirit as he is the earnest of heaven as the Apostle speaks so he is the greatest token pledge of Christs love that ever was and such a one as the world cannot receive And yet secondly all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while will be but from the expression of my heart towards you For as he comes not of himselfe but I must send him Ioh. 16. 7. so he will speake nothing of himselfe but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake ver 13. And ver 14. he sayes He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Him therefore I shall send on purpose to be in my roome and to execute my place to you my Bride Spouse and he shall tell you if you will listen to him and not grieve him nothing but stories of my love So it is there He shall glorifie me namely to you for I am in my selfe already glorified in heaven All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me and to greaten my worth and love unto you and it will be his delight to doe it And he can come from heaven in an instant when he will and bring you fresh tidings of my mind and tell you the thoughts I last had of you even at that very minute when I am thinking of them what they are at the very time wherein he tells you them And therefore in that 1 Cor. 2. by having the Spirit ver 12. we are said to have the mind of Christ ver ult For he dwelleth in Christs heart and also ours and lifts up from one hand to the other what Christs thoughts are to us and what our prayers and faith are to Christ So that you shall have my heart as surely and as speedily as if I were with you and he will continually be breaking your hearts either with my love to you or yours to me or both and if either you may be sure of my love thereby And whereas sayes he you have the Spirit now in your hearts so ver 17. of Chap. 14. He now dwels in you yet after my Ascension he shall be in a further measure in you as it follows there And at that day ver 20. you shall know namely by his Dictate that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you He will tell you when I am in Heaven that there is as true a conjunction between me and you and as true a dearnesse of affection in me towards you as is between my Father and me and that it is as impossible to breake this knot and to take off my heart from you as my Fathers from me or mine from my Father And then thirdly you shall be sure that what he sayes of my love to you is true for he is the Spirit of truth Chap. 16. ver 13. as also Chap. 1. ver 16 17. which Christ speaks of him as he is a Comforter And as you beleeve me when I tell you of my Father because I come from him so you may beleeve him in all that hee sayes of mee and of my love to you for hee comes from me Ay but might they say Will not hee also leave us for a time as you have done No sayes Christ Chap. 14. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter and he shall abide with you for ever Christ speakes it in opposition to himselfe He himselfe had beene a Comforter unto them but he was now to be absent but not so the Spirit He shall be with you for ever and as he is now with you so he shall be in you ver 17. In the fourth place if this be not enough to assure them how his heart would bee affected towards them he assures them he will give them daily experience of it Doe but try me sayes he vvhen I am gone and that by sending me vvord upon all occasions vvhat you
Beatis nequaquam repugnare censendae sunt Those affections which are naturall to man and have no adhaesion of sinne or shame unto them but are wholly governed by reason and lastly are exempt from such effects as may any way hurt either the soule or the body there is no ground to thinke that such affections may not wel stand with the state of souls in blisse sayes Justinian upon this place Now if we consider it Christ his very state in glory is such as it becomes him to have such humane affections of pity and compassion in his whole man so far as to quicken and provoke him to our helpe and succour not such as to make him a man of sorrowes in himselfe again that were uncomely nay incompatible to him but such as should make him a man of succours unto us which is his office To this end it is to bee remembred that Christ in heaven is to be considered not personally only as in himselfe made happy in his Father but withall in his relations and in his offices as an Head unto us and in that relation hee now sits there as 1 Ephes 21. 22. and the head is the seat of all the senses for the good of the body and therefore most sensible of any other part Wherefore because his members unto whom he beares this relation are still under sinne and miserie therefore it is no way uncomely for him in that estate to have affections suitable to this his relation If his state of glory had been wholly ordained for his owne personall happinesse then indeede there had beene no use of such affections to remaine in him but his relation to us being one part and ingredient of his glory therfore they are most proper for him yea it were uncomely if he had them not Neither are they a weaknesse in him as so considered but rather part of his strength as the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And although such affections might in one respect be thought an imperfection yet in another respect namely his relation to us and office for us they are his perfection As he is our Head which he is as he is a man it is his glory to be truly and really even as a man sensible of all our miseries Yea it were his imperfection if he were not And 4. let me adde this for our comfort that though all such affections as are any way a burthen to his spirit or noxious to his body be not now compatible to him and though that passionate frailty and infirmity which did help him here to pity and relieve men in misery out of a suffering hurtfull to himselfe though these be cut off yet in those workings of affections and bowels which he hath now which for substance are the same there is instead of that passionate frailty a greater capaciousnesse vastnesse and also quicknesse in his affections now in heaven so to make up a compensation so no lesse effectually to stir and quicken him to relieve us then those former affections did For it is certaine that as his knowledge was enlarged upon his entring into glory so his humane affections of love pity are enlarged in solidity strength and reality as true conjugall love useth to be though more passionate haply at first They are not lesse now but are onely made more spirituall And as Solomons heart was as large in bounty and royalty as in knowledge so Christs affections of Love are as large as his Knowledge or his Power They are all of a like extent and measure So far as Gods intention to shew mercy doth reach and who knowes the end of those riches so farre doth Christs disposition to bestow it Ephes 3. 19. The Love of Christ God-man passeth knowledge It hath not lost or beene diminished by his going to heaven Though God in his nature be more mercifull then Christs humane nature yet the act and exercise of Christs affections is as large as Gods purposes and decrees of mercy are And all those large affections and mercies are become humane mercies the mercies of a Man unto men 3. Privatively If these affections of Christs heart be not suffering and afflicting affections yet we may be way of Privation expresse this of them that there is a lesse fulnesse of joy and comfort in Chriss heart wstilst he sees us in misery and under infirmities comparatively to what will be when we are presented to him free of them all To cleare this I must recall and I shall but recall that Distinction I made in the 4. Demonstration Sect. 2. Part 2. of a double capacity of Glory or a double fulnesse of Joy which Christ is ordained to have The one Naturall and so due unto his person as in himselfe alone considered The other Additionall and arising from the compleated happinesse and glory of his whole Church wherewith mystically he is one So in Ephes 1. ult although he by reason of his personall fulnesse is there said to fill all in all yet as he is an Head in relation to his Church as his body as in the verses before he is spoken of thus the perfection of this his bodies beatitude it is reciprocally called his fulnesse and therefore untill he hath filled them with all happinesse and delivered them from all miserie himselfe remaines under some kinde of imperfection and answerably his affections also which are suited to this his relation have some want of imperfection in them whilst theylie under miserie in comparison of what his heart shall have when they receive this fulnesse Wee may warrantably say Christ shall bee more gladde then and is now as his children are growne up from under their infirmities and as they doe become more obedient and comfortable in their spirits so John 15. 10 11. I shall adde some illustration to this by this similitude which though it hold not in all things yet it will hold forth some shadowe of it The spirits of just men departed are said to be perfect Heb. 12. yet because they have bodies unto which they have a relation and unto which they are ordained to bee united they in this respect may be said to be imperfect till these bodies be re-united and glorified with them which will adde a further fulnesse to them Thus in some analogie it stands between Christ Personall and Christ Mysticall considered Although Christ in his owne Person be compleat in happinesse yet in relation to his members he is imperfect and so accordingly hath affections suited unto this his relation which is no derogation from him at all The Scripture therefore attributes some affections to him which have an imperfection joyned with them and those to be in him untill the day of judgement Thus Expectation and Desire which are but imperfect affections in comparison to that joy which is in the full fruition of what was expected or desired are attributed to him as he is man untill the day of Judgement Thus Heb. 10. 12 13. He
their love encreased and the party for whom they suffered is thereby rendred the more deere unto them And as it is thus in these naturall relations so also in spirituall we may see it in holy men as in Moses who was a mediator for the Jewes as Christ is for us Moses therein being but Christs Type and shadow and therefore I the rather instance in him He under God had beene the deliverer of the people of Israel out of Egypt with the hazard of his own life had led them in the wildernesse and given them that good Law that was their wisdome in the sight of all the Nations and by his prayers kept off Gods wrath from them And who ever of all those Heroes we read of did so much for any Nation who yet were continually murmuring at him and had like once to have stoned him and yet what he had done for them did so mightily engage his heart and so immoveably point and fixe it unto their good that although God in his wrath against them offered to make of him alone a greater and mightier Nation then they were yet Moses refused that offer the greatest that ever any Sonne of Adam was tempted with and still went on to intercede for them and among other used this very argument to God even the consideration of what he had already done for them as with what great might and power he had brought them out of AEgypt c. thereby to move God to continue his goodnesse unto them so Exod. 32. 11. and elsewhere And this overcame God as you may read in the 14. ver of the fore-named Chap. Yea so set was Moses his heart upon them that he not only refused that former offer which God made him but he made an offer unto God of himselfe to sacrifice his portion in life for their good Rather sayes he blot me out of the book of life So ver 32. And we may observe the like zealous love in holy Paul towards all those converts of his whom in his Epistles he wrote unto towards whom that which so much endeared his affections was the paines the cost the travail the care and the sufferings that hee had had in bringing them unto Christ Thus towards the Galatians how solicitous was he how afraid to lose his labour on them I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain so hee expresseth himselfe Galat. 4. 11. and ver 19. he utters himselfe yet more deepely My little children sayes he of whom I again travaile in birth untill Christ be formed in you He professeth himselfe content to be in travail again for them rather then lose that about which he had beene in travail for them once before Now from both these examples whereof the one was Christs Type and the other the very copy and patern of Christs heart we may raise up our hearts to the perswasion of that love and affection which must needs be in the heart of Christ from that which he hath done and suffered for us First For Moses did Moses ever doe that for that people which Christ hath done and suffered for you He acknowledged that he had not borne that people in his wombe but Christ bare us all and we were the travaile of his soule and for us he endured the birth-throws of death as Peter calls them Acts 2. 24. And then for Paul was Paul crucified for you sayes Paul likewise of himselfe but Christ was and he speakes it the more to enhaunce the love of Christ Or if Paul had beene crucified would or could it have profited us no If therefore Paul was contented to have been in travail again for the Galatians when he feared their falling away then how doth Christs heart worke much more towards sinners he having put in so infinite a stock of sufferings for us already which he is loath to lose and hath so much love to us besides that if we could suppose that otherwise we could not be saved he could be content to be in travail again and to suffer for us afresh But he needed to doe this but once as the Apostle to the Hebrews speaks so perfect was his Priesthood Be assured then that his love was not spent or worne out at his death but encreased by it His love it was that caused him to die and to lay downe his life for his sheep and greater love then this hath no man said himselfe before he did it But now having dyed this must needs cause him from his soul to cleave the more unto them A cause or a person that a man hath suffered much for according to the proportion of his sufferings is ones love and zeale thereunto for these doe lay a strong engagement upon a man because otherwise he loseth the thanks and the honour of all that is already done and past by him Have you suffered so many things in vaine sayes the Apostle to the Galathians Chap. 3. 4. where he makes a motive and an incitement of it that seeing they had endured so much for Christ and the profession of him they would not now lose all for want of doing a little more And doth not the same disposition remaine in Christ especially seeing the hard work is over and dispatcht which he was to doe on earth and that which now remaines for him to doe in heaven is farre more sweet and full of glory and as the reaping in joy of what he had here sowne in teares If his love was so great as to hold out the enduring so much then now when that brunt is over and his love is become a tryed love will it not continue If when tryed in adversity and that is the surest and strongest love and in the greatest adversity that ever was if it then held will it not still doe so in his prosperity much more Did his heart stick to us and by us in the greatest temptation that ever was and will his glorious and prosperous estate take it off or abate his love unto us Certainly no Iesus the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 8. When he was in the midst of his paines one for whom he was then a suffering said unto him Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome and could Christ mind him then as you know he did telling him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise then surely when Christ came to Paradise he would doe it much more and remember him too by the surest token that ever was and which he can never forget namely the paines which he was then enduring for him He remembers both them and us still as the Prophet speaks of God And if he would have us remember his death till hee comes so to cause our hearts to love him then certainly himselfe doth it in heaven much more No question but he remembers us as he promised to doe that good thiefe now he is in his Kingdome And so much for this second
more like to these of ours then those are which the Angels have So then by these two steps we have gained these two things That even in Christs humane nature though glorified affections of pity and compassion are true and reall and not metaphorically attributed to him as they are unto God and also more neere and like unto ours here then those in the Angels are even affections proper to mans nature and truly humane And these he should have had although this humane nature had from the very first assumption of it been as glorious as it is now in heaven But now thirdly adde this further that God so ordered it that before Christ should cloathe this his humane nature with that glory he hath in heaven and put this glory upon it he should first take it as cloathed with all our infirmities even the very same that doe cleave unto us and should live in this world as we doe for many yeeres And during that time God prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through which we our selves doe here meet withall and all that time he was acquainted with and inured unto all the like sorrowes that we are and God left him to that infirmity and tendernesse of spirit to take in all distresses as deeply as any of us without sin and to exercise the very same affections under all these distresses that we at any time doe find stirring in our hearts And this God thus ordered on purpose thereby to fit him and to frame his heart when he should be in glory unto such affections as these spoken of in the Text. And this both this Text suggests to be Gods end in it as also that fore-mentioned place Heb. 2. 13. For as much as we namely his members are partakers of flesh and bloud which phrase doth ever note out the frailties of mans nature as 1 Cor. 15. 50. c. he himselfe tooke part of the same that he might be a mercifull High-Priest c. ver 17. And then the Apostle gives this reason of it ver 18. For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able this Ability is as was before interpreted the having an heart fitted and enabled out of experience to pity and to succour them that are tempted The meaning of which is that it was not the bare taking of an humane nature if glorious from the first that would thus fully have fitted him to be affectionately pitifull out of experience though as was said the knowledge of our miseries taken in thereby would have made him truly and really affectionate towards us with affections humane and proper to a man and so much neerer and liker ours then what are in the Angels themselves or then are attributed to God when he is said to pity us but further his taking our nature at first cloathed with frailties and living in this world as we This hath for ever fitted his heart by experience to be in our very hearts and bosomes and not onely or barely to know the distresse and as a man to be affected with an humane affection to one of his kind but experimentally remembring the like in himselfe once And this likewise the Text suggests as the way whereby our distresses are let into his heart the more feelingly now he is in heaven We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne And the more to comfort us herein observe how fully and universally the Apostle speaks of Christs having beene tempted here below First for the matter of them or the severall sorts of temptations he sayes he was tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all points or things of any kind wherewith we are exereised Secondly for the manner he addes that too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as we are His heart having been just so affected so wounded pierced and distressed in all such tryals as ours use to be onely without sinne God on purpose left all his affections to their full tendernesse and quicknesse of sense of evill So that Christ took to heart all that befell him as deeply as might be he slighted no crosse either from God or men but had and felt the utmost load of it Yea his heart was made more tender in all sorts of affections then any of ours even as it was in love and pity and this made him a man of sorrows and that more then anyother man was or shall be Now therefore to explicate the way how our miseries are let into his heart come to stir up such kindly affections of pity and compassion in him it is not hard to conceive from what hath now been said and from what the Text doth further hint unto us 1. The understanding and knowledge of that humane nature hath notice and cognisance of all the occurrences that befall his members here And for this the Text is cleare For the Apostle speaks this for our encouragement That Christ is toucht with the feeling of our infirmities Which could not be a reliefe unto us if it supposed not this that he particularly and distinctly knew them And if not all as well as some we should want reliefe in all as not knowing which he knew and which not And the Apostle affirmes this of his humane nature as was said for he speaks of that nature that was tempted here below And therefore the Lambe that was slaine and so the man Christ Jesus is Revel 5. 6. said to have seven eyes as well as seven hornes which seven eyes are the seven spirits sent forth into all the earth His eyes of Providence through his annointing with the Holy Ghost are in all corners of the world and view all the things that are done under the sunne in like manner hee is there said to have seven hornes for power as seven eyes for knowledge and both are defined to be seven to shew the perfection of both in their extent reaching unto all things So that as all power in heaven and earth is committed unto Him as Son of man as the Scripture speakes so all knowledge is given him of all things done in heaven and earth and this as Son of man too his knowledge and power being of equall extent He is the Sunne as well in respect of knowledge as of Righteousnesse and there is nothing hid from his light and beames which doe pierce the darkest corners of the hearts of the sons of men He knowes the sores as Solomon expresseth it and distresses of their hearts Like as a looking-glasse made into the forme of a round globe and hung in the midst of a roome takes in all the species of things done or that are therein at once so doth the enlarged understanding of Christs humane nature take in the affairs of this world which hee is appointed to governe especially the miseries of his members and this at once 2. His humane nature thus knowing
all I know thy workes thy labour and thy patience c. Rev. 22. He therewithall hath an act of memory and recalls how himself was once affected and how distressed whilst on earth under the same or the like miseries For the memory of things here below remaines still with him as with all spirits in either of those two other worlds heaven or hell Son remember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evill c. sayes Abraham to the soule of Dives in hell Luke 16. 25. Remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome said the good theefe to Christ And Revel 1. I am hee sayes Christ that was dead and am alive Hee remembers his death still and the sufferings of it and as he remembers it to put his Father in mind thereof so he remembers it also to affect his owne heart with what we feele And his memory presenting the impression of the like now afresh unto him how it was once with him hence he comes feelingly and experimentally to know how it is now with us and so affects himselfe therewith as Dido in Virgil Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Having experience of the like miseries though a Queene now I know how to succour those that are therein As God said to the Israelites when they should be possessed of Canaan their own land Exo. 23. 9. Ye know the hearts of strangers seeing ye were strangers c. and therefore doth command them to pitty strangers and to use them well upon that motive So may it be said of CHRIST that he doth know the hearts of his children in misery seeing himselfe was once under the like Or as the Apostle exhorts the Hebrews Heb. 13. 3. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity as being your selves in the body and so ere you die may come to suffer the like So Christ the Head of the body which is the fountaine of all sense and feeling in the body doth remember them that are bound and in adversity having himselfe beene once in the body and so he experimentally compassionates them And this is a further thing then the former We have gained this further That Christ hath not onely such affections as are reall and proper to an humane nature but such affections as are stirred up in him from experience of the like by himselfe once tasted in a fraile nature like unto ours And thus much for the way of letting in all our miseries into Christs heart now so as to strike and affect it with them §. II. A more particular disquisition What manner of affection this is The Seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or the whole humane nature Some Cautions added BUt concerning this Affection it selfe of pity and compassion fellow-feeling and sympathie or suffering with as the Text calls it which is the product result or thing produced in his heart by these there still remaines another thing more particularly to be inquired into namely What manner of affection this is For that such an affection is stirred up in him besides and beyond a bare act of knowledge or remembrance how once it was with himselfe is evident by what we find in the Text. The Apostle sayes not onely that he remembers how himselfe was tempted with the like infirmities that we are though that be necessarily supposed but that he is struck and toucht with the feeling of our infirmities to the producing of which this act of remembrance doth but subserve And he tels us Christ is able and his heart is capable of thus being toucht And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a deep word signifying to suffer with us untill we are relieved And this affection thus stirred up is it which moveth him so cordially to helpe us Now concerning this affection as here thus expressed how far it extends and how deep it may reach I think no man in this life can fathome If Cor Regis the heart of a King be inscrutable as Solomon speaks the heart of the King of Kings now in glory is much more I will not take upon me to intrude into things which I have not seen but shall endeavour to speak safely and therefore warily so far as the light of Scripture and right reason shall warrant my way I shall set it forth three wayes 1. Negatively 2. Positively 3. Privatively 1. Negatively It is certaine that this affection of sympathie or fellow-feeling in Christ is not in all things such a kind of affection as was in him in the dayes of his flesh Which is cleare by what the Apostle speaks of him and of his affections then Heb. 5. 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and teares was heard in that which he feared Where we see his converse and state of life here below to be called by way of difference and distinction from what it is now in heaven The dayes of his flesh By flesh meaning not the substance of the humane nature for he retaines that still but the fraile quality of subjection to mortality or passibility So Flesh is usually taken as when all flesh is said to be grasse It is spoken of mans nature in respect to its being subject to a fading wearing and decay by outward casualties or inward passions So in this Epistle Chap. 2. 14. For as much as the children we his brethren did partake of flesh and bloud that is the frailties of mans nature he himselfe also took part of the same And accordingly the Apostle instanceth in the following words of that 14. verse as in death which in the dayes of his flesh Christ was subject to so also in such fraile passions and affections as did work a suffering in him and a wearing and wasting of his spirits such as passionate sorrow joyned with strong cryes and teares both which he mentioneth and also feare in those words He was heard in that which he feared Now these dayes of his flesh being over and past for this was onely as sayes the Apostle in the dayes of his flesh hence therefore all such concomitant passionate overflowings of sorrow feare c. are ceased therewith and he is now no way capable of them or subjected to them Yet 2. Positively why may it not be affirmed that for substance the same kinde of affection of pittie and compassion that wrought in his whole man both body and soule when he was here workes still in him now he is in heaven If this Position be allayed with those due cautions and considerations which presently I shall annexe For if for substance the same flesh and blood and animall spirits remaine and have their use for though Christ in Luke 24. 29. mentioned only his having flesh and bones after his resurrection unto Thomas and the other Disciples because these two alone were to be the object of his Touch and Feeling yet Blood
and Spirits are included in that flesh for it is caro vitalis living flesh and therefore hath Blood and Spirits that flow and move in it then why not the same affections also and those not stirring only and meerely in the soule but working in the body also unto which that soule is joyned and so remaining really humane affections The use of bloud and spirits is as to nourish which end is now ceased so to affect the heart and bowels by their motion to and fro when the soule is affected And why this use of them should not remaine and if not this we can conceive no other I know not Neither why this affection should be onely restrained to his spirit or soule and his corporeall powers not be supposed to communicate and partake in them That so as he is a true man and the same man that he was both in body as well as in soule for else it had not been a true Resurrection so he hath still the very same true humane affections in them both and such as whereof the body is the seat and instrument as well as the soule And seeing this whole man both body and soule was tempted and that as the Text sayes he is touched with a feeling in that nature which is tempted it must therefore be in the whole man both body and soule Therefore when as we reade of the wrath of the Lambe as Revel 6. 16. namely against his enemies as here of his pity and compassion towards his friends and members why should this be attributed onely to his Deity which is not capable of wrath or to his soule and spirit onely And why may it not be thought he is truly angry as a man in his whole man and so with such a wrath as his body is affected with as well as that he is wrathfull in his soule onely seeing he hath taken up our whole nature on purpose to subserve his Divine nature in all the executions of it But now how far in our apprehensions of this we are to cut off the weaknesse and frailty of such affections as in the dayes of his flesh was in them and how exactly to difference those which Christ had here and those which he hath in heaven therein lyes the difficulty and I can speak but little unto it Yet first this we may lay downe as an undoubted Maxime That so far or in what sense his Body it self is made spirituall as it is called 1 Cor. 15. 44. so far and in that sense all such affections as thus working in his Body are made spirituall and that in an opposition to that fleshly and fraile way of their working here But then as his Body is made spirituall not Spirit spirituall in respect of power and likenesse to a Spirit not in respect of substance or nature so these affections of pity and compassion doe work not onely in his Spirit or Soule but in his Body too as their seat and instrument though in a more spirituall way of working and more like to that of Spirits then those in a fleshly fraile body are They are not wholly spirituall in this sense that the soule is the sole subject of them and that it drawes up all such workings into it selfe so that that should be the difference between his affections now and in the dayes of his flesh Men are not to conceive as if his body were turned into such a substance as the Sun is of for the soule as through a case of glasse to shine gloriously in onely but further it is united to the soule to be acted by it though immediately for the soul to produce operations in it And it is called spirituall not that it remains not a body but because it remains not such a body but is so framed to the soule that both it selfe and all the operations of all the powers in it are immediately and entirely at the arbitrary imperium dominion of the soule that as the soule is pleased to use it and to sway it and move it even as immediately and as nimbly and without any clog or impediment as an Angel moves it selfe or as the soule acteth it selfe So that this may perhaps be one difference that these affections so far as in the body of Christ doe not affect his soule as here they did though as then under the command of Grace and Reason to keep their motions from being inordinate or sinfull but further the soule being now too strong for them doth as its owne arbitrement raise them and as entirely and immediately stir them as it doth it selfe Hence 2. these affections of pity and sympathie so stirred up by himselfe though they move his bowels and affect his bodily heart as they did here yet they doe not afflict and perturbe him in the least nor become they a burthen a load unto his spirit so as to make him sorrowfull or heavy as in this life here his pity unto Lazarus made him and as his distresses at last that made him sorrowfull unto death So that as in their rise so in their effect they utterly differ from what they were here below And the reason of this is because his Body and the blood and spirits thereof the instruments of affecting him are now altogether impassible namely in this sense that they are not capable of the least alteration tending to any hurt what ever And so his body is not subject to any griefe nor his spirits to any wast decay or expence They may and doe subserve the soule in its affections as they did whilst he was here but this meerly by a locall motion moving to and fro in the veynes and arteries to affect the heart and bowels without the least diminution or impaire to themselves or detriment to him And thus it comes to passe that though this Blood and spirits doe stir up the same affections in his heart and bowels which here they did yet not as then with the least perturbation in himselfe or inconvenience unto himselfe But as in this life he was troubled and grieved without sinne or inordinancie so now when he is in heaven he pitties and compassionates without the least mixture or tang of disquietement and perturbation which yet necessarily accompanied his affections whilst he was here because of the frailty in which his body and spirits were framed His perfection destroyes not his affections but onely corrects and amends the imperfection of them Passiones perfectivas to bee now in him the best of Schoolemen doe acknowledge Thirdly All naturall affections that have not in them Indecentiam status something unbefitting that state and condition of glory wherein Christ now is both Schoole-men and other Divines doe acknowledge to be in him Humanae affectiones quae naturales sunt neque cum probro vel peccato conjunctae sed omni ex parte rationi subduntur denique ab iis conditionibus liberantur quae vel animo vel corpori aliquo modo officiunt
person meerely and upon his owne bottome onely there had beene no occasion for such a speech and yet consider him as he stood in our stead there was for what need of such a Justification if he had not been some way neer a condemnation He therefore must be supposed to stand here in Esay at Gods Tribunall as well as at Pilates with all our sins upon him And so the same Prophet tels us Ch. 53. 6. God made the iniquities of us to meete on him He was now made sin and a curse and stood not in danger of Pilates condemnation only but of Gods too unlesse he satisfied him for all those sins And when the wrath of God for sin came thus in upon him his faith was put to it to trust wait on him for his Justification for to take off all those sins together with his wrath from off him and to acknowledg himselfe satisfied him acquited Therfore in the 22. Ps which was made for Christ when hanging on the Crosse and speaks how his heart was taken up that while he is brought in as putting forth such a faith as here we speak of when he called God his God My God my God then whēas to his sense he had forsaken him why hast thou forsaken me Yea he helped his faith with the faith of the Fore-fathers whom upon their trust in him God had delivered Our Fathers says he trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them Yea at the 5. v. we find him laying himselfe at Gods feet lower then ever any man did I am a worme sayes he which every man treads on and counts it a matter of nothing for to kill and no man as it follows and all this because he bare our sins Now his deliverance and justification from all these to be given him at his resurrection was the matter the businesse he thus trusted in God for even that he should rise again and be acquited from them So Psal 16. a Psalme made also for Christ when to suffer and to lie in the grave ver 8 9 10. The Lord is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad my flesh also resteth in hope Or as in the Originall dwels in confident surenesse thou wilt not leave my soule in hell that is under the load of these sins and thy wrath laid on me for them neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One in my body to see corruption This is in substance all one with what is here said in this one word He is neere that justifies me for Christs Resurrection was a Iustification of him as I shall hereafter shew Neither 2. 2. A faith for the justifying of us did he exercise faith for himselfe only but for us also and that more then any of us is put to it to exercise for himselfe for he in dying and emptying himselfe trusted God with the merit of all his sufferings aforehand there being many thousands of soules to be saved thereby a long while after even to the end of the world He dyed and betrusted all that stock into his Fathers hands to give it out in Grace and Glory as those for whom he dyed should have neede And this is a greater trust considering the infinite number of his elect as then yet to come then any man hath occasion to put forth for himselfe alone God trusted Christ before he came into the world and saved many millions of the Jews upon his bare word And then Christ at his death trusts God againe as much both for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles that were to beleeve after his death In Heb. 2. 12 13 14 15. it is made an Argument that Christ was a man like us because he was put to live by faith like as we are which the angels doe not and to this end the Apostle brings in these words prophecied of him as spoken by him of himselfe I will put my trust in him as one proofe that he was a man like unto us Now for what was it that he trusted God By the Context it appeares to be this that he should be the salvation of his brethren and children and that he should have a seede and a generation to serve him and raise up a Church to God to praise him in For this is made his confidence and the issue of his sufferings in that fore-cited Psal 22. from ver 22. to the end How should the consideration of these things both draw us on to faith Vse To draw on to faith and encourage us therein and encourage us therein and raise up our hearts above all doubtings and withdrawings of spirit in beleeving For in this example of Christ we have the highest instance of beleeving that ever was He trusted God as we have seene for himselfe and for many thousands besides even for all his elect and hast not thou the heart to trust him for one poore soule Yea Christ thus trusted God upon his single Bond but we for our assurance have both Christ and God bound to us even God with his surety Christ for he is Gods Surety as well as ours A double Bond from two such Persons whom would it not secure If God the Father and God the Son thus mutually trusted one another for our salvation whom would it not induce to trust them both for ones own salvation when as otherwise they must be damned that will not 1. This example of Christ may teach and incite us to beleve For did Christ lay downe all his glory and empty himselfe and leave himselfe worth nothing but made a Deed of Surrendring all he had into his Fathers hands and this in a pure trust that God would justifie many by him as it is in Esay 53. and shall not we lay downe all we have and part with what ever is deare unto us afore hand with the like submission in a dependance and hope of being our selves justified by him Especially against the greatnesse of sinnes And withall 2. it may encourage us to beleeve Hast thou the guilt of innumerable transgressions comming in and discouraging thee from trusting in him Consider but what Christ had though not of his owne Christ was made as Luther boldly in this sense that we speak of him speakes the greatest sinner that ever was that is by imputation for the sins of all Gods chosen met in him And yet he trusted God to be justified from them all and to be raised up from under the wrath due of them Alas thou art but one poore sinner thy faith hath but a light and smal load laid upon it namely thy own sins which to this summe he undertook for are but as an unite to an infinite number God laid upon him the iniquities of us all Christ trusted God for his own Acquitance from the sins of all the world and when that was givē him he yet again further trusted him to acquit the world for his satisfaction sake But thou
Personall excellencies cannot properly be called the object of it But the Formalis ratio the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the object of faith as justifying must necessarily be that in Christ which doth indeed justifie a sinner which is his obedience unto death For the act and object of every habit or facultie are alwayes suited and similar each to other and therefore Christ justifying must needs be the object of Faith justifying It is true that there is nothing in Christ with which some answerable act of faith in us doth not close and from the differing considerations under which faith looks at Christ have those severall acts of faith various denominations As faith that is carryed forth to Christ and his personall excellencies may be called uniting faith and faith that goes forth to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sinne may answerably to its object be called sanctifying faith and faith as it goes forth to Christ as dying c. for justification may be called justifying faith For faith in that act looks at what in Christ doth justifie a sinner and therefore Christ considered as dying rising c. doth in this respect become the most pleasing and gratefull object to a soule that is humbled for this makes Christ suitable to him as he is a sinner under which consideration he reflects upon himselfe when he is first humbled And therefore thus to represent Christ to Beleevers under the Law was the maine scope of all the Sacrifices and Types therein All things being purged with bloud and without bloud there being no remission Heb. 9. Thus did the Apostles also in their Sermons So Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his Sermon to have known nothing but Christ and him as crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. as Christ above all so Christ as crucified above all in Christ as suiting their condition best whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith on him Thus in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls his preaching among them the preaching of faith Chap. 3. 2. And what was the maine scope of it but the picturing out as the word is of Christ crucified before their eyes ver 1. so he preached him and so they received him and so they began in the spirit ver 3. And thus also doe the seals of the Promises the Sacraments present Christ to a Beleevers eye as they hold forth Christ as was in the former direction observed so Christ as crucified their scope being to shew forth his death till be come 1 Cor. 11. 26. the Bread signifying Christs body broken in the sufferings of it and the cup signifying the sufferings of his soule and the pouring of it forth unto death And hence likewise as faith it selfe is called Faith on Christ as was before observed so it is called Faith on his bloud Rom. 3. 24 25. because Christ as shedding his bloud for the remission of sinnes is the object of it So the words there are Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the Promises under that picture of him doth faith at first close with him And one reason similar to the former may be grounded on the 24. ver of that 3. to the Rom. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And as I shewed before in the reason of the former direction that all Promises hold of his Person as being Heire of all the Promises so the speciall Tenure upon which forgivenesse of sins doth hold of him is by purchase and by the redemption that is in him So that as the promise of forgivenesse refers to his person so also to this redemption that is in him Thus both in Eph. 1. and Col. 1. In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes His person gives us title to all the promises and his bloud shews the tenure they hold on a purchase and a full price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate price 1 Tim. 2. 6. And as sin is the strength of the Law and of the threatnings thereof so Christs satisfaction is the strength of all the Promises in the Gospel In a word an humbled soule is to have recourse to that Christ who is now alive and glorified in heaven yet to him as once crucified and made sinne He is to goe to Christ now glorified as the Person from whom he is to receive forgivenesse c. but withall to him as crucified as through whom considered in that condition he then was in he is to receive all CHAP. II. What in Christs death faith seeking justification is especially to eye and look at NOw then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying Direction 2 is Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end Faith is especially to look at Christs end and mind in dying meaning and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings and not simply at the Tragicall story of his death and sufferings It is the heart and mind and intent of Christ in suffering which faith chiefly eyeth and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified When a Beleever sees that Christs aime in suffering for poore sinners agrees and answers to the aime and desires of his heart and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgivenesse Namely that sinners might have forgivenesse and that Christs heart was as full in it to procure it as the sinners heart can be to desire it this draws his heart in to Christ to rest upon him And without this Without this the meditation of the story of his Passion unprofitable the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings and of the greatnesse of them will be altogether unprofitable And yet all or the chiefe use which the Papists and many carnall Protestants make of Christs sufferings is to meditate upon and set out to themselves the grievousnesse of them so to move their hearts to a relenting and compassion to him and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him with an admiring of his noble and heroicall love herein and if they can but get their hearts thus affected they judge and account this to be grace when as it is no more then what the like tragicall story of some great noble personage ful of heroicall vertues and ingenuity yet inhumanely and ungratefully used will work and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits who read or heare of it yea and this oft-times though it be but in the way of a fiction Which when it reacheth no higher is so far from being faith that it is but a carnall and fleshly devotion springing from fancie which is pleased with such a storie and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit and yet abused Such
lewdnesse in thy wickednesse as the Prophet speaks Consider what guilt of how hainous crimes God suffered to be laid to Christs charge by profane men when he was made an offering for sinne He dyed as a Traitor to his Prince and a blasphemer of God in the highest kind of blasphemy as making himself equall with God an Impostor a Seducer yea a Devill yea a Prince of Devils then whom a murderer was esteemed more worthy to live Which imputations though by men unjustly charged on him yet by God were so ordered as just in respect of his bearing our sins For him who was holines it self to be made the greatest of sinners yea to be made sin and the worst of sins and accordingly to suffer frō God men what greater satisfaction for the taking of sins away can be desired or imagined Or secondly 2. Against the badnesse of the heart in sinning dost thou aggravate thy sins by the naughtinesse of thy heart in sinning and sayst that the inward carriage thereof hath been much worse then the outward Look thou into the heart of Jesus Christ dying and behold him struggling with his Fathers wrath thou wilt find the sufferings of his soule more then those of his body and in them to lie the soul of his sufferings Thirdly 3. Against the delight and greedinesse in sinning may thy sin be aggravated in that thou didst commit it with so great delight and greedinesse and pouredst out thy heart unto it Consider that Christ offered himselfe more willingly then ever thou didst sin Loe I come sayes he Psal 40. I delight to do thy will and how am I straintned till it be accomplisht Luk. 12. 56. And though to shew how great an evill and misery it was in it selfe he shewed an aversenesse to it yet as it was his Fathers will for our salvation hee heartily embraced and drank off that cup unto the bottome Fourthly 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning didst thou sin with much deliberation when thou mightst have avoided it There was this circumstance in Christs sufferings to answer that that he knew all he was to suffer and yet yeelded up himselfe as Iohn 18. 4. Fiftly 5. Against presumption in sinning Hast thou sinned presumptuously and made a covenant with death and hell Christ in like manner offered up himselfe by a covenant and complot with his Father so to doe Sixtly 6. Against aggravating circumstances of person time place c. Are there any especiall circumstances of time and place c. that aggravate thy sins As first that so great a person in the Church should scandalize the Name of God in sinning Why how great a Person was Christ even equall with God the Father and yet how greatly humbled even to the death his offices of King Priest and Prophet being debased with him how great a name had he as Heb. 1. 4. which notwithstanding was dishonoured more then ever any mans Or 2. that thou sinnedst at such a time or in such a company which sometimes serve to make a sin the more hainous Consider how God contrived to have the shame and affliction of his Sons death aggravated by all these circumstances It was of deaths the most accursed At a time most solemne In a place most infamous With company most wretched Thus might we find out that in Christs sufferings and satisfaction made that would fitly answer to any thing in our sins and so thereby we should be the more relieved And though the whole body of his sufferings doe stand and answer for the whole bulk of our sinnings yet the consideration of such particulars will much conduce to the satisfying of an humbled and dejected soule about the particulars of its sinnings Therefore to conclude get your hearts and consciences distinctly and particularly satisfied in the all-sufficiencie of worth and merit which is in the satisfaction that Christ hath made As it is a fault and defect in humiliation that men content themselves with a generall apprehension and notion that they are sinners and so never become throughly humbled so is it a defect in their faith that they content themselves with a superficiall and generall conceit that Christ dyed for sinners their hearts not being particularly satisfied about the transcendent all-sufficiencie of his death And thence it is that in time of tentation when their abounding sinfulnesse comes distinctly to be discovered to them and charged upon them they are then amazed and their faith non-plust as not seeing that in Christ which might answer to all that sinfulnesse But as God saw that in Christs death which satisfied him so you should endeavour by faith to see that worth in it which may satisfie God and then your faith will sit down as satisfied also If a man were to dispute for his life some hard and difficult controversie wherein are many great and strong objections to be taken away he would be sure to view and study and ponder all that might be said on that other part which he were to hold in way of answer to them and to get such a clear and convincing light as might make the truth of his Position apparent and manifest through those clouds of objections that hang in the way Now you will all be thus called one day to dispute for your soules sooner or later and therefore such skill you should endeavour to get in Christs righteousnesse how in its fulnesse and perfection it answereth to all your sinfulnesse that your hearts may be able to oppose it against all that may be said of any particular in or about your sins that in all the conflicts of your spirits you may see that in it which could cleare your whole score and that if God would but be pleased to impute it to you you might say I durst presently come to an account with him and cut scores with his Law and Justice Thus much of the first thing made the object of faith namely Christ as dying SECT III. FAITH supported by Christs RESURRECTION ROM 8. 34. Yea rather that is risen againe CHAP. I. Christs Resurrection supporteth faith two wayes 1. By being an evidence of 2. By having an influence into our Iustification The necessity of Christs Resurrection for the procuring our Iustification THe next thing to be lookt at in Christ as he is the object of justifying faith and from whence our faith may seek and fetch support and comfort in the matter of Justification is Christs Resurrection upon which we see here the Apostle putteth a rather Yea rather that is risen againe Some speciall thing in Christs Resurrection for our Justification There must therefore be some speciall thing in the Resurrection of Christ which it contributes to our faith and justification for which it should have a rather put upon it and that comparatively to his death Now to shew wherein this should lie consider how the Resurrection of Christ serveth to a double use and end in the matter of
ver 6. Otherwise as that woman said to Philip when she came to him for justice and he put her off Then cease sayes she to be a King So if Christ should deny any such soule to take its cause in hand he must then cease to be a Priest He lives to intercede He is a Priest called by God as was Aaron ver 6. Wherefore he ought to doe it in that it is his office 3. And if thy soule yet feareth the difficulty of its owne particular case in respect of the greatnesse of thy sinnes and the circumstances thereof or any consideration whatsoever which to thy view doth make thy salvation an hard suit to obtaine the Apostle therefore further addes He is able to save to the utmost what ever thy cause be and this through this his Intercession That same word to the utmost is a good word and vvell put in for our comfort Consider it therefore for it is a reaching vvord and extends it selfe so farre that thou canst not look beyond it Let thy soule be set upon the highest mount that ever any creature vvas yet set upon and that is enlarged to take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sinne and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poore humbled soule did cast within it selfe yea joyne to these all the objections and hinderances of thy Salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it selfe lift up thy eyes and looke to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his Intercession is able to save thee beyond the Horizon and furthest compasse of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of Man can suppose It is not thy having laine long in Sinne long under terrours and despairs or having sinned often after many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the utmost and then put in what exceptions thou wilt or canst lay all the barrs in thy way that are imaginable yet know thou that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee 4. Again consider but what it is that Christ who hath by his death done enough to save thee doth yet further for thee in Heaven If thou thoughtest thou hadst all the Saints in Heaven and Earth jointly concurring in promoving thy salvation and competitours unto God in instant and incessant requests and prayers to save thee how wouldest thou be encouraged shall I tell thee one word out of Christs mouth who is the King of Saints will do more then all in heaven and earth can doe and what is there then which we may not hope to obtain through his Intercession And wouldst thou know whether he hath undertaken thy cause and begun to intercede for thee In a word Hath he put his spirit into thy heart and set thy own heart on work to make incessant Intercessions for thy selfe with groans unutterable as the Apostle hath it Rom. 8. This is the Eccho of Christs Intercession for thee in Heaven 5. And lastly If such a soule shall further object But will he not give over suing for me may I not be cast out of his prayers through my unbeliefe Let it here be considered that he lives ever to intercede And therefore if he once undertake thy cause and getteth thee into his prayers he will never leave thee out night nor day He Intercedeth ever till he hath accomplisht and finished thy salvation Men have been cast out of good and holy mens prayers as Saul out of Samuels and the People of Israel out of Ieremies but never out of Christs prayers the smoak of his Incense ascends for ever and he will intercede to the utmost till he hath saved thee to the utmost He will never give over but will lye in the dust for thee or he will perfect and procure thy Salvation Onely whilst I am thus raising up your Faith to him upon the worke of his Intercession for us let me speak a word to you for him so to stir up your love to him upon the consideration of this his Intercession also You see you have the whole life of Christ first and last both here and in heaven laid out for you He had not come to earth but for you he had no other businesse here Vnto us a Son is born And to be sure he had not dyed but for you for us a Son was given and when he rose it was for your justification And now he is gone to heaven he lives but to intercede for you He makes your salvation his constant calling O therefore let us live wholly unto him for he hath and doth live wholly unto us You have his whole time among you and if he were your servant you could desire no more There was much of your time lost before you began to live to him but there hath beene no moment of his time which he hath not lived to and improved for you Nor are you able ever to live for him but onely in this life for hereafter you shall live with him and be glorified of him I conclude all with that of the Apostle The love of Christ it should constraine us because we cannot but judge this to be the most equall that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed for them and rose again and out of the Text I also adde sits at Gods right hand yea and there lives for ever to make Intercession for us FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven Towards SINNERS on Earth OR A TREATISE DEMONSTRATING The gracious Disposition and tender Affection of Christ in his Humane Nature now in Glory unto his Members under all sorts of Infirmities either of Sin or Misery By THO GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN M DC XLII THE TABLE OF The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth 1. Demonstrations of the gracious disposition of his Heart towards us Extrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so Part 1. Intrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reasons why it must needs be so Part 2. 2. The Manner how his Heart is affected towards us and the way how it comes to passe that such affections are let into his heart Part 3. Part I. Containing Demonstrations Extrinsecall §. I. Demonstrations from Christs carriage at his last Farewell and his last Sermon John Chapters 13 c. and in his last prayer John 17. the scope of all which was to assure his Disciples of his being constant in his Affections towards them 5 1. From his carriage at his last Fare-well And this in foure things 6 2. From many passages in that his last Sermon in 5. things 13 3. From his last Prayer Joh. 17. which Prayer is a patterne of his Intercession in Heaven and so an expression of what his heart is there 22 §. II. Demonstrations from many passages and expressions after his Resurrection 24 This Resurrection
his first step to his glory and therefore this a certaine Demonstration 25 1. From the first gracious message which Christ after his Resurrection sent his Disciples who yet had forsaken him 26 2. From his carriage and speech at his first meeting with them 25 §. III. Demonstrations from passages at and after Christs Ascension into heaven 1. At his Ascension his blessing his Disciples 32 2. After he was come to heaven 1. Pouring out his Spirit on them as in his last Sermon he had promised which Spirit is to this day in our Preaching and an Argument of the fulfilling of this 33 2. All those works of Miracles and conversions of soules that accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel doe argue this as also the New Testament written since 34 3. Christs owne words spoken to Paul since himselfe was in heaven doe confirme it 35 4. The last words uttered in Scripture in the Book of the Revelation which was more immediately given unto John by Christ 37 Part II. Demonstrations Intrinsecall §. I. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the Influence which all the three Persons have into the Heart of the Humane nature of Christ in Heaven 48 1. From God the Father Which Demonstration is made forth by two things 1. God hath given Christ a perpetuall command to love his Elect on earth and hath written a Law of love in his heart 49 2. This Law of love remaines for ever in his heart which is proved by two things 1. That it is a Law and that of Love 52 2. That by observing that Law it is that Christ continues in his Fathers love 53 2. From God the Sonne unto whom the Humane nature is united This disposition of grace is naturall to him as he is Gods naturall Sonne 54 Accordingly the Humane nature framed on purpose with dispositions of mercy and meeknesse above all other 55 3. From God the Holy Ghost who on earth filled him with meekenesse and grace above all other dispositions and now resteth upon him in Heaven more abundantly then ever 60 §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in Heaven 70 1. Engagement The continuance of all his Relations and Alliances to us which no glory of his doth any thing lessen or alter ibid. Which relations were made chiefely for the other world and so must needes continue there 72 The Ground of this Engagement 76 2. His love is engaged and encreased by what he did and suffered for us 77 What a great obligation this is 78 3. His office of Priesthood which continues in Heaven doth further require all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse in him towards us sinners This Demonstration hath two parts 83 The 1. Shewing that the office of Priesthood was erected on purpose for grace and mercie ibid. Which is argued 1. By the Ends of it 2. By the Qualifications required for it 85 The 2. Shewing that by reason of this office an eternall duty lyeth upon him to shew grace and mercy and Christ is a faithfull High-Priest to performe that duty 90 Christs advancement can make no alteration in his heart for his Priesthood is his highest advancement And Grace did both Found and now upholds his Throne of Grace 94 4. His own Interest puts him upon these Affections of heart towards us His own joy happinesse and glory are encreased by shewing mercie to and comforting his children upon earth and it is more for his glory then for our good 98 Christ hath a double fulnesse of joy 1. Personall in his Father 2. Mysticall in his Members 99 How Christ rejoiceth in Heaven at our well-doing here on earth 101 5. His having the nature of man the same for substance in Heaven that he had on earth obligeth him to be mercifull unto men 104 The end of his Assuming mans nature was to qualifie him for mercie 105 Though it adds not to the greatnesse of mercie in God yet it addes a new way of being mercifull even as a man 106 Part III. §. I. Some Generals to cleare 1. How this is to be understood That Christs Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities 2. The way how our Infirmities come to be feelingly let into his heart 109 1. How this affection in Christ is to be understood This explained by these degrees 1. This affection of compassion is not wholly to be understood in a Metaphoricall sense as when God is said to be afflicted c. that is not meerely after the similitude of men but in a true and reall sense 111 2. These affections in Christs humane nature are more like to ours then those which the Angells have who notwithstanding have affections analogicall to ours 113 3 Christ having taken fraile flesh ere he went to Heaven this fits him yet more for having affections of mercie like unto ours 115 3. For the way how our miseries are let into Christs heart so as to affect it This explained by two things 1 The Humane nature hath the knowledge and cognizance of all that can or doth befall us here 118 2 He remembers how himselfe was once affected when he was under the like 119 §. II. A more particular Disquisition what manner of affection this is The seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or in the whole humane nature Some Cautious added 121 This affection for our better conceiving it set forth three wayes 1. Negatively it is not in all things such as it was in the dayes of his flesh 2 Positively It is yet for substance the very same affection and the seat of it is his bodily heart as well as his soule 124 Foure Cautions or Positions about this 1. In what sense or so far as his Body is made spirituall so far are these Affections spiritualized as they are in his body 125 2. Hence though they move his Bowels yet they doe not perturbe or hurt him in the least 126 3. All naturall humane affections may be still in him that are not unbecomming his state glory And how much the having such affections are suteable to that state and relation wherein he is 128 4. Though a passionate suffering be cut off yet these affections are now more large and strong for the substance of them then they were on earth 130 3. Privatively If his heart suffers not with us under our Infirmities yet he hath lesse joy then his heart shall have when we are freed from all 131 How the Scripture attributes some kinde of Imperfection to some affection in him and in what sense §. III. This Scruple satisfied How Christs heart can bee feelingly touched with our sins our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne 133 Foure answers given thereunto for our comfort Vses of all 137 FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth I. PART HAving set forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all those great and most solemne actions of his his Obedience unto
death his Resurrection Ascension into heaven his sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession for us which of all the other hath beene more largely insisted on I shall now annexe as next in order and homogeneall thereunto this Discourse that follows which layes open The HEART of Christ as now he is in heaven sitting at Gods right hand and interceding for us How it is affected and graciously disposed towards sinners on earth that doe come to him how willing to receive them how ready to entertaine them how tender to pity them in all their infirmities both sinnes and miseries The scope and use whereof will be this To hearten and encourage Beleevers to come more boldly unto the Throne of Grace unto such a Saviour and High-priest when they shall know how sweetly and tenderly his heart though he is now in his glory is inclined towards them and so to remove that great stone of stumbling which we meet with and yet lyeth unseen in the thoughts of men in the way to faith that Christ being now absent and withall exalted to so high and infinite a distance of glory as to sit at Gods right hand c. they therefore cannot tell how to come to treat with him about their salvation so freely and with that hopefulnesse to obtaine as those poore sinners did who were here on earth with him Had our lot been think they but to have conversed with him in the dayes of his flesh as Mary and Peter and his other Disciples did here below wee could have thought to have beene bold with him and have been familiar with him and to have had any thing at his hands For they beheld him afore them a man like unto themselves and he was full of meeknesse and gentlenesse he being then himselfe made sinne and sensible of all sorts of miseries but now he is gone into a farre Countrey and hath put on glory and immortality and how his heart may be altered thereby we know not The drift of this Discourse is therefore to ascertaine poore soules that his Heart in respect of pity and compassion remains the same it was on earth that he intercedes there with the same heart he did here below and that he is as meek as gentle as easie to be entreated as tender in his bowels so that they may deale with him as fairely about the great matter of their salvation and as hopefully and upon as easie tearmes obtaine it of him as they might if they had beene on earth with him and be as familiar with him in all their requests as bold with him in all their needs Then which nothing can be more for the comfort and encouragement of those who have given over all other lives but that of faith and whose soules pursue after strong and entire communion with their Saviour Christ Now the Demonstrations that may help our faith in this I reduce to two Heads The first more extrinsecall and outward The second more intrinsecall and inward The one shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it that it is so the other the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasons and grounds why it must needs be so First for those Extrinsecall Demonstrations as I call them they are taken from severall passages and carriages of his in all those severall conditions of his namely at his last Fare-well afore his Death his Resurrection Ascension and now he is sitting at Gods right hand I shall lead you through all the same Heads which I have gone over in the former Treatise though to another purpose and take such observations from his speeches and carriages in all those states he went through as shall tend directly to perswade our hearts of the point in hand namely this that now he is in heaven his heart remains as graciously inclined to sinners that come to him as ever on earth And for a Ground or Introduction to these first sort of Demonstrations I shall take this Scripture that follows as for those other another Scripture as proper to that part of this Discourse JOHN 13. 1. When Iesus knew that his houre was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father HAVING LOVED HIS OWNE HE LOVED THEM TO THE END or for ever §. I. Demonstrations from Christs last Fare-well to his Disciples IT was long before that Christ did break his mind to his Disciples that he was to leave them and to goe away to heaven from them for Ioh. 16. 4. he sayes he had forborne to tell it them from the beginning But when he begins to acquaint them with it he then at once leaves with them an abundance of his heart and that not onely how it stood towards them and what it was at the present but what it would be when he should be in his glory Let us to this end but briefly peruse his last carriage and his Sermon at his last Supper which he did eate with them as it is on purpose penned and recorded by the Euangelist Iohn and we shall find this to be the drift of those long Discourses of Christs from the 13. to the 18. Chap. I will not make a Comment on them but onely briefly take up such short observations as do more specially hold forth this thing in hand These words which I have prefixed as the Text are the Preface unto all that his Discourse that follows namely unto that washing of his Disciples feet and his succeeding Sermon which accordingly doe shew the argument and summe of all 1. Demonstration from his carriage at his last fare-well The Preface is this Before the Feast of the Passeover when Iesus knew that his houre was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father having loved his owne which were in the world he loved them unto the end And supper being ended Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God he then washed his Disciples feet Now this Preface was prefixed by the Euangelist on purpose to set open a window into Christs heart to shew what it was then at his departure and so withall to give a light into and put a glosse and interpretation upon all that followes The scope whereof is to shew what his affections would be to them in heaven He tels us what Christs thoughts were then and what was his heart amidst those thoughts both which occasioned all that succeeds 1. He premiseth what was in Christs thoughts and his meditation He began deeply to consider both that he was to depart out of this world Iesus knew c. sayes the Text that is was then thinking of it that he should depart unto the Father and how that then he should shortly be installed into that glory which was due unto him so it followes ver 3. Iesus knowing that is was then actually taking into his mind that the Father had given all things into his hands that is that all power in
parting Sermon My peace I leave with you After this hee breathes on them and conveyes the holy Ghost in a further measure into them so to give an evidence of what he would doe yet more plentifully in heaven and the mystery of that his breathing on them was to shew that this was the utmost expression of his heart to give them the Spirit and that it came from the very bottome of it as a mans breath doth as well as that the holy Ghost proceeds from him as well as from the Father which was also the meaning of it And to what end doth he give them the Spirit not for themselves alone but that they by the gifts and assistance of that Spirit might forgive mens sins by converting them to him Whose sins soever ye remit namely by your ministery they are remitted to them His mind you see is still upon sinners and his care for the conversion of their soules And therefore in another Euangelist namely Mark his last words recorded are these Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospell unto every creature and he that beleeveth shall be saved c. Chap. 16. 15. And in Luke Chap. 24. ver 46 47. his last words on earth there recorded are Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached among all Nations And addes beginning at Hierusalem where hee had beene but a few dayes before crucified Of all places one would have thought he would have excepted that and have charged them to passe by it but he bids them begin there let them have the first fruit and benefit by my death that were the actors in it And to that end he also sayes Behold I send you the Promise of my Father c. ver 49. Another time he appeares to two of them and then indeede he rates them saying O ye fools and slow of heart but for what is it but onely because they would not beleeve on him for no other sinne not for that they had forsaken him so it follows O ye fooles and slow of heart to beleeve c. Luk. 24. 25. and this because he is glad when we beleeve as Iohn 11. 15. And after that he appeares to all the eleven and upbraids them the Text sayes but with what with their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart still because they beleeved not so ver 14. No sinne of theirs troubled him but their unbeliefe Which shews how his heart stands in that he desires nothing more then to have men beleeve in him and this now when glorified Afterwards he meets with Thomas and scarce chides him for his grosse unbeliefe onely tels him it was well that having seene he beleeved but pronounceth them more blessed who though they have not seene yet beleeve and so he is reproved Iohn 20. 29. Another time he shews himselfe to his Disciples and particularly deales with Peter but yet tels him not a word of his sins nor of his forsaking of him but onely goes about to draw from him a testimony of his love to himselfe Peter sayes he lovest thou me Christ loves to heare that note full well doe those words sound in his eares when you tell him you love him though he knows it already as Peter tels him Thou knowest all things thou knowest I love thee Iohn 21. 15. and this Christ puts him thrice upon And what was Christs aime in drawing this acknowledgement of love from Peter to him but onely to put an engagement upon Peter that if he loved him as he professed and would ever shew it then to feed his lambs This is the great testimonie that he would have Peter to shew his love in when he should be in heaven and this is the last charge he gives him Which how great a testimony is it to shew how his owne heart was affected and what his greatest care was upon His heart runs altogether upon his Lambs upon soules to be converted He had said afore Sheep I have Iohn 10. 6. which are not of this fold them I must bring in and he left his Apostles to doe it but this here was a more moving and affectionate expression for sheep can shift for themselves but poore little Lambes cannot Therefore Christ sayes unto Peter Feed my Lambes even as Iohn to expresse the more love unto those he writes to calls them My little children And to what end doth the Euangelist record these things of him after his Resurrection One of the Euangelists that recorded them informs us In the 20. of Iohn ver 30. it is said that Iesus did many other signes namely after his Resurrection for in the middest of the story of those things done after his Resurrection hee speakes it which are not written in this Book but partly recorded by other Euangelists and partly concealed but these things are written that yee might beleeve that JESVS is the CHRIST that is that so you might come to him as to the Messiah the Saviour of the World and therefore the most of the things recorded tend to shew Christs heart and carriage towards Sinners that so wee might beleeve on him and that beleeving we might have life through his Name §. 3. Demonstrations from passages at and after his Ascension into heaven LEt us view him next in his very ascending his carriage then also will further assure our hearts of this Luke 24. 50. it is said He lifted up his hands and blessed them and to put the greater emphasis upon it and that we might the more observe it as having some great mystery in it ver 51. it is added And whilst he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven This benediction Christ reserved to be his last act and what was the meaning of it but as I have before shewne to blesse them as God blessed Adam and Eve bidding them Encrease and multiply and so blessing all Man-kind that were to come of them Thus doth Christ in blessing his Disciples blesse all those that shall beleeve through their word unto the end of the world I only adde this to the illustration of it this mystery is interpreted by Peter Acts 3. 26. when speaking to the Jews he sayes Vnto you first God having raised up his Sonne Iesus sent him to blesse you and how in turning away every one of you from his iniquities and so forgiving of them for Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven Thus at his ascending In the next place let us consider what Christ did when he was come to heaven and exalted there how abundantly did he there make good all that he had promised in his last Sermon For First he instantly powred out his Spirit and that richly as the Apostle to Titus speakes and he being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost hee hath shed forth this which you now see and heare sayes the Apostle in his first
Sermon after Acts 2. 33. he then received it and visibly powred him out So Ephes 4. 8. it is said He ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery ver 15 and for the joynting in of the Saints to the encrease of the body of Christ ver 16. that is for the converting of elect sinners and making them Saints And the gifts there mentioned some of them remain unto this day in Pastors and Teachers c. And this spirit is still in our preaching and in your hearts in hearing in praying c and perswades you of Christs love to this very day and is in all these the pledge of the continuance of Christs love still in Heaven unto sinners All our Sermons and your Prayers are evidences to you that Christs heart is still the same towards sinners that ever it was for the Spirit that assists in all these comes in his name and in his stead and works all by commission from him And doe none of you feele your hearts moved in the preaching of these things at this and other times and who is it that moves you it is the Spirit who speakes in Christs name from heaven even as himselfe is said to speake from heaven Heb. 12. 25. And when you pray it is the Spirit that endites your prayers and that makes intercession for you in your own hearts Rom. 8. 26. which Intercession of his is but the evidence and eccho of Christs Intercession in heaven The Spirit prayes in you because Christ prays for you he is an Intercessor on earth because Christ is an Intercessor in Heaven As he did take off Christs words and used the same that he before had uttered vvhen he spake in and to the Disciples the vvords of life so he takes off Christs prayers also when he prayes in us hee takes but the vvords as it were out of Christs mouth or heart rather and directs our hearts to offer them up to God He also follovvs us to the Sacrament and in that Glasse shews us Christs face smiling on us and through his face his heart and thus helping of us to a sight of him vve goe away rejoycing that we savv our Saviour that day Then secondly all those vvorks both of miracles and conversion of sinners in answer to the Apostles prayers are a demonstration of this What a handsell had Peters first Sermon after Christs Ascension when three thousand soules were converted by it The Apostles you know went on to preach forgivenesse through Christ and in his Name and to invite men to him and what signes and wonders did accompany them to confirme that their preaching and all were the fruits of Christs Intercession in heaven So that what he promised Iohn 14. 12. as an evidence of his minding them in heaven was abundantly fulfilled They upon their asking did greater works then he so Acts 4. 29 30. at the prayers of Peter And Heb. 2. 3 4. the Apostle makes an argument of it How shall we escape sayes he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles c. Yea let me adde this that take all the New Testament and all the Promises in it and expressions of Christs love it was written all since Christs being in heaven by his Spirit and that by commission from Christ and therefore all that you find therein you may build on as his very heart and therein see that what he once said on earth he repealeth not a word now he is in heaven his mind continues the same And the consideration hereof may adde a great confirmation to our faith herein Thirdly some of the Apostles spake with him since even many yeeres after his Ascension Thus Iohn and Paul of which the last was in heaven with him and they both doe give out the same thing of him Paul heard not one Sermon of Christs that we know of whilst on earth and received the Gospel from no man Apostle or other but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven as he speaks Gal. 1. 11 12. But he was converted by Christ himselfe from heaven by immediate speech and conference of Christ himselfe with him and this long after his Ascension And in that one instance Christ abundantly shewed his heart and purpose to continue to all sorts of sinners to the end of the world Thus in two places that great Apostle telleth us the first is 1 Timoth. 1. 13. I was a persecuter a blasphemer sayes he but I obtained mercie and the grace of our Lord namely Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant and upon this he declares with open mouth as it were from Christs own selfe who spake to him from Heaven that this is the faithfullest saying that ever was uttered that Christ came into the World to save sinners whereof I am chiefe sayes he ver 15. And to testifie that this was the very scope of Christ in thus converting of Paul himselfe and Pauls scope also in that place to Timothy to shew so much appears by what follows v. 16. For this cause I obtained this mercie that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to all them that should hereafter beleeve on him unto life everlasting It is expresse you see to assure all sinners unto the end of the world of Christ heart towards them this was his drift For this very cause sayes Paul The second place I alledge in proofe of this is the story of Pauls conversion where he diligently inserts the very words that Christ spake to him from heaven Acts 26. 16. which were these I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse to send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Brethren these are Christs words since he went to Heaven and he tels Paul hee appeared unto him to testifie thus much This for Pauls conference with him Then againe sixty yeares after his Ascension did the Apostle Iohn receive a Revelation from him even when all the Apostles were dead for after all their deaths was that book written and that Revelation is said to be in a more immediate manner the Revelation of Iesus Christ so Chap. 1. 1. then any other of the Apostles writings and you read that Christ made an Apparition of himselfe to him and said I am he that was dead and am alive and live for evermore Chap. 1. 18. Now let us but consider Christs last words in that his last book the last that Christ hath spoken since he went to Heaven or that hee is to utter till the day of Judgement
you have them in the last Chapter ver 16. I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches I am the root and the off-spring of David and the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely They are the latter words I cite this place for The occasion of these words was this Christ was now in Heaven and had before promised one day to come again and fetch us all to Heaven And in the meane time marke what an ecchoing and answering of hearts and of desires there is mutually betweene Him from heaven and beleeving sinners from below Earth calls upon Heaven and Heaven calls upon earth as the Prophet speaks The Bride from earth sayes unto Christ Come to me and the Spirit in the Saints hearts below sayes Come unto him also and Christ cryes out as loud from Heaven Come in answer unto this desire in them so that heaven and earth ring againe of it Let him that is athirst come to me and let him that will come come and take of the waters of life freely This is Christ speech unto men on earth They call him to come unto earth to Judgement and he calls sinners to come up to heaven unto him for mercie They cannot desire his comming to them so much as he desires their comming to him Now what is the meaning of this that upon their calling upon him to come he should thus call upon them to come It is in effect as if he had plainly uttered himselfe thus I have a heart to come to you but I must have all you my Elect that are to be on earth come to me first You would have me come downe to you but I must stay here till all that the Father hath given me be come to me and then you shall be sure quickly to have me with you Hereby expressing how much his heart now longs after them This to be his meaning is evident by the words which he adds ver 20. He which testifies these things namely Christ sayes Surely I come quickly And if we observe how much by the by as it were these words of Christs doe come in it makes them the more remarkable to shew his heart in uttering them This Book was intended meerly as a Prophecie of the times of the Gospell untill his comming unto which period of it when Iohn had brought that Prophetique story he brings in the Bride longing for that comming of Christ The Bride sayes Come And no sooner sayes she so but Christ by way of retortion doth likewise say Come unto her also yea it puts the more observation upon it that he had uttered the same words before Revel 21. 6. but notwithstanding he will repeate them again and have them to be his last words All which shews how much his heart was in this part of the Gospel to invite sinners to him that now when he is to speake but one sentence more till wee hear the sound to judgement he should especially make choice of these words Let them therfore for ever stick with you as being worthy to be your last thoughts when you come to die and when you are a going to him He speakes indeed something else after them but that which he sayes afterwards is but to set a seal unto these words and to the rest of the Scriptures whereof this is the chiefe And further to shew that these words vvere singled out to be his last and that he meant to speak no more till the day of judgement therefore also he adds a curse to him who should adde to them or take from them He adds indeed after that another speech but it is onely to ingeminate his willingnesse to come quickly were all his elect but once come in to him so ver 20. And all this tends to assure us that this is his heart and wee shall find him of no other minde untill his comming again And that you may yet the more consider them as thus purposely brought in by him as his last words to make them stick with us let me adde another observation about them and that is this that at another time when he was upon earth he in like manner singled out these very words I mean the matter of them as the conclusion and shutting up of many dayes preaching Thus Iohn 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the Feast Iesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke These words were spoken on the last day of the feast after which hee vvas to preach no more at that time and for a good vvhile after unto them and he had preached upon all the former dayes of that feast as his manner vvas and it vvas the great day of the Feast vvhen he had the greatest audience and you see he chooseth this for his last sentence of tht his last Sermon then and vvhen he vvould give them something at parting as a Viaticum vvhich he would have them carry home vvith them to feede upon above all the rest these are his vvords If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke which himself interprets to be beleeving on him ver 38. and he stands up to speak this yea he cries sayes the text vvith open mouth with utmost vehemencie to the intent that all might heare this above all sayings else And thus in like manner at this time also when he is to speak no more but to hold his tongue for ever till the day of Judgement nor is to write any more Scriptures he then sends his Angel to testifie these to be his last words and this although he had spoken them before It was therefore assuredly done to shew his heart in them They were his last words then and they shall be mine in the closure of this Discourse for vvhat can there be added to them THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth II. PART HEB. 4. 15. For we have not an High-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin THE onely Use I shall make of these words is to be a foundation unto that second part of that head or point of Doctrine into which I have made an entrance which was to demonstrate the gracious inclination and temper of Christs he art towards sinners now he is in Heaven The extrinsecall Demonstrations of this which I make the first part of it are dispatched And for a ground-word to these more Intrinsecall Demonstrations which make a second part I have chosen this Text as that which above any other speaks his heart most and sets out the frame and workings of it towards sinners and that so sensibly that it doth as it were take our hands and lay them upon Christs breast and let us feele how his heart
that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
sayes Christ injuries and unkindnesses doe not so worke upon me as to make mee irreconcileable it is my nature to forgive I am meeke Yea but may we thinke he being the Sonne of God and Heire of Heaven and especially being now filled with glory and sitting at Gods right hand he may now despise the lowlinesse of us here below though not out of anger yet out of that heighth of his greatnesse and distance that he is advanced unto in that we are too meane for him to marry or bee familiar with Hee surely hath higher thoughts then to regard such poore low things as we are And so though indeed we conceive him meeke and not prejudiced with injuries yet he may bee too high and lofty to condescend so far as to regarde or take to heart the condition of poore creatures No sayes Christ I am lowly also willing to bestow my love and favour upon the poorest and meanest And further all this is not a semblance of such an affable disposition nor is it externally put on in the face and outward carriage onely as in many great ones that will seeme gentle and curteous but there is all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heart it is his temper his disposition his nature to be gracious which nature he can never lay aside And that his greatnesse when he comes to enjoy it in Heaven would not a whit alter his disposition in him appears by this that he at the very same time when he uttered these words tooke into consideration all his glory to come and utters both that and his meeknes with the same breath So ver 27. All things are delivered to mee by my Father and presently after for all this he sayes Come unto me all you that are heavie laden I am meeke and lowly ver 28 29. Looke therefore what lovely sweete and delightfull thoughts you use to have of a deere friend who is of an amiable nature or of some eminently holy or meeke Saint of whom you thinke with your selves I could put my soule into such a mans hands can comprimise my salvation to him as I have heard it spoken of some Or looke how we should have beene encouraged to have dealt with Moses in matter of forgivenesse who was the meekest man on earth or treated with Ioseph by what we reade of his bowels towards his brethren or what thoughts we have of the tender hearts of Paul or Timothy unto the soules of men in begetting and in nurturing and bringing them up to life being affectionately desirous of you we were willing sayes Paul to impart our own soules to you 1 Thes 2. 8. and this naturally as his word is 2 Phil. 20. even such and infinitely more raised apprehensions should wee have of that sweetenesse and candour that is in Jesus Christ as being much more naturall to him And therefore the same Apostle doth make Christs bowels the patterne of his Phil. 1. 8. Ge◠is my witnesse how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Iesus Christ This phrase in the bowels of Christ hath according to Interpreters two meanings and both serve to illustrate that which I intend First in the bowels of Christ is taken causally as if he meant to shew that those bowels or compassions were infused into him from Christ and so longed after them with such kind of bowels as Christ had wrought in him and if so that Christ put such bowels into him hath he not them in himselfe much more Paul had reason to say in the bowels of Christ for in this sense I am sure he once had scarce the heart and bowels of a man in him namely when he was out of Christ how furious and Lion-like a spirit had he against the Saints and what havock made he of them being ready even to pull out their bowels And how came Paul by such tender bowels now towards them who gave him now such tender affections Even Jesus Christ it was he that of a Lion made him a Lambe If therefore in Paul these bowels were not naturall but the contrary rather were naturall to him and yet they so abounded in him and that naturally as himselfe speakes how much more must they needs abound in Christ to whom they are native and in-bred Or else secondly In the bowels is put for Instar Like the bowels or After the bowels according to the analogie of the Hebrew phrase And so then the meaning were this Like as the bowels of Jesus Christ do yerne after you so doe mine Bowels are a Metaphor to signifie tender and motherly affections and mercies so Luke 1. 78. Through the tender mercies In the originall it is The bowels of mercie Thus Paul when he would signifie how tender his affections were he instances in the Bowels of Jesus Christ he making Christ his pattern in this in all Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Now how desirous was this great Apostle to beget men to Christ he cared not what else hee lost so he might winne some he counted not his life deare nay not his salvation deare but wisht himselfe accursed for his brethren who yet vvere the greatest enemies Christ then had on earth How glad was he when any soule came in how sorry when any fell off falling into a new travail he knew not how better to expresse the anxietie of his spirit for the Galatians till Christ was formed in them Hovv comforted vvas he vvhen he heard tidings of the constancie and encrease of any of their Faith 1. Thes 3. 6 7. and ver 8. he sayes for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. Reade all his Epistles and take the character of his spirit this vvay and vvhen you have done look up to Christs humane nature in Heaven and thinke vvith your selves Such a man is Christ Paul vvarbles out in all these high strains of affections but the soundings of Christs Bowels in Heaven in a lower key Esay 63. They are naturall to Christ they all and infinite more are eminent in him And this is the second Demonstration taken from his own naturall disposition as Sonne of God A third demonstration shall bee taken from the Third Person of the Trinity the holy Ghost If the same spirit that was upon him and in him when he was on earth doth but still rest upon him now he is in Heaven then these dispositions must needes still entirely remaine in him This Demonstration is made up of two Propositions put together 1. That the holy Ghost dwelling in him concurs to make his heart thus graciously affected to sinners And 2. that the same spirit dwels and continues in and upon him for ever in Heaven For the first It was the Spirit who over-shadowed his mother and in the meane while knit that indissoluble knot betweene our nature and the second Person and that also knit his heart unto us It was the Spirit who sanctified him in the vvombe It vvas the Spirit
that rested on him above measure and fitted him vvith a meek spirit for the vvorks of his mediation and indeed for this very grace sake of meeknesse did the Spirit come more especially upon him Therefore when he was first solemnly inaugurated into that office at his Baptisme for then he visibly and professedly entred upon the execution of it the holy Ghost descended upon him and how as a Dove so all the Euangelists joyntly report it But why in the shape of a Dove All apparitions that God at any time made of himself were not so much to shew what God is in himselfe as how he is affected towards us and declare what effects he works in us so here this shape of a Dove resting upon him vvas to shew those speciall gracious dispositions wherewith the holy Ghost fitted Jesus Christ to be a Mediator A Dove you know is the most innocent and most meek creature without gall without tallons having no fiercenesse in it expressing nothing but love and friendship to its mate in all its carriages and mourning over it in its distresses and was therefore a fit embleme to expresse what a frame and temper of spirit the holy Ghost did upon this his descending on him fill the heart of Christ with and this without measure that as sweetly as doves doe converse with doves sympathising and mourning each over other so may we with Christ for he thus sympathizeth with us And though he had the Spirit before yet now he was anointed with him in respect of such effects as these which appertained to the execution of his office with a larger measure and more eminently then before Therefore the Euangelist Luke notes upon it Chap. 4. 1. Iesus being full of the holy Ghost returned from Iordan And Peter also puts the like glosse upon it as appeares Act. 10. 37. for speaking there of the baptisme of Iohn he shews how after that his being baptized he began to preach and how God having anointed him with the holy Ghost namely at that baptisme of his hee went about doing good c. And that this was the principall thing signified by this descending of the holy Ghost as a Dove upon him even chiefely to note out his meekenesse and sympathizing heart with sinners vvrought in him by the holy Ghost is evident by two places vvhere Christ himselfe puts that very intendment on it The first presently after in the first Sermon that he preached after that his having received the holy Ghost in the same 4. of Luke where first it is noted ver 1. that he returned from being baptized full of the Spirit and so was led to be tempted then ver 14. it is said that hee returned from being tempted in the power of that spirit and after this is explained by himselfe the mystery of his having received the Spirit in the likenesse of a dove and this is the subject matter of the first Text which he opened in his first Sermon singled out by him on purpose by choice not chance out of Isaiah which he read to them ver 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore that is in spirit the afflicted in conscience for sinne he hath sent me to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised c. And when he had read so much as concerned the expressing the compassionate disposition of his spirit unto sinners whose misery he sets downe by all sorts of outward evils then he reads no further but closeth the Book as intimating that these were the maine effects of that his receiving the Spirit The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore That is for this end or for this very purpose hath he given me his Spirit because I was designed or anointed to this work and by that Spirit also hath he anointed or qualified me with these gifts and dispositions suitable to that worke Another place that makes the fruit and end of his receiving the Spirit then at his baptisme to be these tender dispositions unto sinners is that in Mat. 12. 18 19 c. out of another place of Isaith Behold my beloved in whom my soule is well pleased I will put my Spirit upon him and he shall shew judgement to the Gentiles c. That seems to be a terrible word but be not afraid of it for by judgement is meant even the doctrine of free grace and of the Gospell that changeth and reforms men As in like manner according to the Hebrew phrase in ver 20. by judgement is meant the worke of Gods grace on mens hearts When he sayes He will send forth judgement unto victory the worke of grace being the counterpane of the Doctrine of grace And in preaching this Doctrine which in it selfe is good tidings the Prophet shews hovv he should carrie it vvith a spirit answerable and suitable thereunto even full of all meeknesse stilnesse calmnesse and modesty which he expresseth by proverbiall speeches usuall in those times to expresse so much by He shall not strive nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets that is he shall deal with all stilnesse and meeknesse without violence or boisterousnesse Iohn had the voice of a cryer he was a man of a severe spirit but Christ came piping and dancing all melodious sweetnesse was in his ministery and spirit and in the course of his ministery he went so tenderly to work he was so heedfull to broken soules and had such regard to their discouragements that it is said he would not break a bruised reed That is he would set his steps with such heed as not to tread on a reed that was broken in the leafe or he would walk so lightly and softly that if it lay in his way though he went over it yet he would not have further bruised it nor quenched either by treading out the smoaking flax which is easily done or vvith any rushing motion have raised so much vvind as to blow out a weike of a candle as some translate it smoaking in the socket which the least stirring of the aire puffes out All this is to expresse the tendernesse of his heart and this upon his receiving the Spirit and especially from the time of his baptizing for then you know those words were together therewith uttered This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and they are the same words also which together with Gods giving him the Spirit are joyned in that 40. of Esay whence these words are taken So that he was filled with the Spirit to that end to raise up in him such sweet affections towards sinners Now for the second part that goes to make up this Demonstration It is as certaine that the same Spirit that was upon Christ and acted his spirit here below doth still
abide upon him in heaven It must never be said The Spirit of the Lord is departed from Him who is the Sender and Bestower of the holy Ghost upon us And if the Spirit once comming upon his Members abides with them for ever as Christ promiseth Iohn 14. 16. then much more doth this Spirit abide upon Christ the Head from whom we all since Christ was in heaven receive that Spirit and by vertue of which Spirits dwelling in him he continues to dwell in us Therefore of him it is said Esay 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him Yea and in that storie of the holy Ghosts desending upon him at his Baptisme it is not onely recorded that He descended on him but over and above it is added And abode upon him Yea further to put the greater emphasis upon it it is twice repeated So Iohn 1. 32. I saw the Spirit sayes the Euangelist descending from heaven like a Dove and hee adds this also as a further thing observed by him and it abode upon him And then againe ver 33. I knew him not sayes he but he that sent me gave me this token to know him by Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he And further as it is intimated there he rested on him to that end that he might baptize us with the holy Ghost unto the end of the world The same sayes he is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost He at first descends as a Dove and then abides as a Dove for ever upon him and this Dove it selfe came from heaven first And therefore certainly now that Christ himselfe is gone to heaven he abides and sits upon him much more as a Dove still there Moreover let me adde this that although the Spirit rested on him here without measure in comparison of us yet it may be safely said that the Spirit in respect of his effects in gifts of grace and glory rests more abundantly on him in heaven then he did on earth even in the same sense that at his baptisme as was said he rested on him in such respects more abundantly then he did before his Baptisme during the time of his private life For as when he came to heaven he was enstalled King and Priest as it were anew in respect of a new execution so for the work to be done in heaven he was anew anointed with this oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes as Psal 45. 7. Which place is meant of him especially as he is in heaven at Gods right hand in fulnesse of joy as Psal 16. ult it is also spoken of him when also it is that he goes forth in his majesty to conquer as ver 4. of that 45. Psal And yet then Meeknesse is not far off but is made one of his dispositions in this heighth of glory So it followes in the fore-cited verse In thy majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and Meeknesse c. Therefore Peter sayes Acts 2. 36. that That same Iesus whom you Jews have crucified and who was risen and ascended God hath made both Lord and Christ Lord that is hath exalted him as King in heaven and Christ that is hath also anointed him and this Oyle is no other then the holy Ghost with whom the same Peter tells us he was anointed at his Baptisme Acts 10. 38. Yea and because he then at once received the Spirit in the fullest measure that for ever he was to receive him therefore it was that he shed him downe on his Apostles and baptized them with him as in that 2. of the Acts we reade Now it is a certaine rule that whatsoever we receive from Christ that he himselfe first receives in himselfe for us And so one reason why this oile ran then so plentifully downe on the skirts of this our High-priest that is on his members the Apostles and Saints and so continues to do unto this day is because our High-priest and Head himselfe was then afresh anointed with it Therefore ver 33. of that 2. of the Acts Peter giving an account how it came to passe that they were so filled with the holy Ghost sayes that Christ having received from the Father the promise of the holy Ghost had shed him forth on them which receiving is not to be only understood of his bare and single receiving the promise of the holy Ghost for us by having power then given him to shed him downe upon them as God had promised though this is a true meaning of it but further that hee had received him first as powred forth on himself and so shed him forth on them according to that rule that whatever God doth unto us by Christ he first doth it unto Christ all promises are made and fulfilled unto him first and so unto us in him all that he bestows on us he receives in himselfe And this may bee one reason why as Iohn 7. 39. the Spirit was not as yet given because Iesus was not as yet glorified But now he is in heaven he is said to have the seven spirits so Rev. 1. 3. which book sets him out as he is since he went to heaven Now those seven spirits are the holy Ghost for so it must needs be meant and not of any creature as appeares by the 4. ver of that Chap. where grace and peace are wisht from the seven spirits so called in respect of the various effects of him both in Christ and us though but one in person And seven is a number of perfection is therefore there mentioned to shew that now Christ hath the Spirit in the utmost measure that the humane nature is capable of And as his knowledge which is a fruit of the Spirit since his Ascension is enlarged for before he knew not when the day of Judgement should be but now when he wrote this book of the Revelation he did so are his bowels I speak of the humane nature extended all the mercies that God meanes to bestow being now actually to run through his hands and his particular notice and he to bestow them not on Jewes only but on Gentiles also who were to be converted after he went to heaven And so he hath now an heart adequate to Gods own heart in the utmost extent of shewing mercie unto any whom God hath intended it unto And this is the third demonstration from the Spirits dwelling in him wherein you may help your faith by an experiment of the holy Ghost his dwelling in your own hearts and there not only working in you meekenesse towards others but pitty towards your selves to get your soules saved and to that end stirring up in you incessant and unutterable groanes before the Throne of grace for grace and mercie Now the same Spirit dwelling in Christs heart in heaven that doth in yours here and always working in his heart first for you and then in yours by commission from him rest assured therefore that that Spirit
our soules and the comforting of our hearts unto Christ these are the purchase of Christs blood and whilst he is exercised in promoving these he doth good to his own child and Spouse c. which is in effect a doing good unto himselfe Yea to doe these bringeth in to himselfe more comfort and glory then it procures to them And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following Chapter namely Heb. 3. sayes that Christ is engaged to faithfulnesse in the execution of his office not as a meere servant onely who is betrusted by his Master but as an owner who hath an interest of possession in the things committed to his care and a revenue from these So ver 5. Moses verily sayes he was faithfull as a servant in Gods house but Christ as a Son over his owne house that is as an Heire of all Whose house or family are We sayes the Apostle ver 6. If a Physitian for his fee will be faithfull although he be a stranger much more will he be so if he be Father to the Patient so as his own life and comfort are bound up in that of the childs or when much of his estate and commings in are from the life of the party unto whom he ministers physick In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost and to lack no Cordials that will comfort them no means that will cure them and keep them healthfull and no fit diet that may nourish and strengthen them As the care of that Prince of the Eunuchs in the first of Daniel was to have those children committed to his charge to eat and drink of the best because that on their looks and good liking his place depended Now so God hath ordered it even for an everlasting obligation of Christs heart unto us that his giving grace mercy and comfort to us is one great part of his glory and of the revenue of his happinesse in heaven and of his inheritance there First to explaine how this may be consider That the Humane nature of Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory happinesse and delight One in that neere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other Persons through his personall union with the Godhead Which joy of his in this fellowship Christ himselfe speaks of Psal 16. ver ult as to be enjoyed by him In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And this is a constant and setled fulnesse of pleasure such as admits not any addition or diminution but is alwayes one and the same and absolute and entire in it selfe and of it selfe alone sufficient for the Sonne of God and Heyre of all things to live upon though he should have had no other commings in of joy and delight from any creature And this is his naturall inheritance But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory and a revenue of pleasure to come in another way and answerably another fulnesse namely from his Church and Spouse which is his Body Thus Ephes 1. when the Apostle had spoke the highest things of Christs personall advancement in heaven that could be uttered as of his sitting downe at Gods right hand far above all principalities and powers c. ver 20 21. yet ver 22. he addes this unto all And gave him to be an Head to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all So that although he of himselfe personally be so full the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him that he overflowes to the filling all things yet he is pleased to account and it is so in the reality his Church and the salvation of it to be another fulnesse unto him super-added unto the former As Sonne of God he is compleat and that of himselfe but as an Head he yet hath another additionall fulnesse of joy from the good and happinesse of his members And as all pleasure is the companion and the result of action so this ariseth unto him from his exercising acts of grace and from his continuall doing good unto and for those his members or as the Apostle expresseth it from his filling them with all mercy grace comfort and felicity Himselfe becomming yet more full by filling them and this is his inheritance also as that other was So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon One personall and due unto him as he is the Son of God the first moment of his Incarnation ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation Another acquired purchased and merited by his having performed that great service and obedience And certainly besides the glory of his person there is the glory of his office of Mediatorship and of Headship to his Church And though he is never so full of himselfe yet he despiseth not this part of his revenue that comes in from below Thus much for explication Now secondly for the confirmation and making up the demonstration in hand This superadded glory and happinesse of Christ is enlarged and encreased still as his members come to have the purchase of his death more and more laid forth upon them So as when their sins are pardoned their hearts more sanctified and their spirits comforted then comes Hee to see the fruit of his labour and is comforted thereby for he is the more glorified by it yea he is much more pleased and rejoyced in this then themselves can be And this must needs keep up in his heart his care and love unto his children here below to water and refresh them every moment as Isaiah speaks Chap. 37. 3. For in thus putting forth acts of grace and favour and in doing good unto them he doth but good unto himselfe which is the surest engagement in the world And therefore the Apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground that in so doing they love themselves Ephes 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe so strict and neere is that relation Now the same doth hold true of Christ in his loving his Church And therefore in the same place the love of Christ unto his Church is held forth as the patterne and exemplar of ours so ver 25. Even as Christ also loved the Church And so it may well be argued thence by comparing the one speech with the other that Christ in loving his Church doth but love himselfe and then the more love and grace he shews unto the Members of that his Body the more he shews love unto himselfe And accordingly it is further added there ver 27. that he daily washeth and cleanseth his Church that is both from the guilt and power of sinne that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Observe it is to himselfe So that all that he doth for his members is for himselfe as truly yea
now insisted on when yet this primary qualification I then passed over and reserved unto this mention it is said Every High-Priest taken from among men is ordained for men and that to this end that so he might be one that can have compassion namely with a pity that is naturall and kindly such as a man beares to one of his owne kind For otherwise the Angels would have made higher and greater High-Priests then one of our nature but then they would not have pityed men as men doe their brethren of the same kind and nature with them And secondly this was also Gods end and intention in ordaining Christs assumption of our nature which that other place before cited namely Heb. 2. 16 17. holds forth Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham That is an humane nature and that made too of the same stuffe that ours is of and it behooved him to be made like us in all things that he might bee a mercifull High-Priest c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the end hee might become or be made mercifull But was not the Son of God as mercifull may some say without the taking of our nature as afterwards when he had assumed it Or is his mercy thereby made larger then of it selfe it should have beene had he not tooke the humane nature on him I answer Yes he is as mercifull but yet 1. Hereby is held forth an evident demonstration and the greatest one that could have been given unto men of the everlasting continuance of Gods mercies unto men by this that God is for everlasting become a man and so we thereby assured that he will be mercifull unto men who are of his owne nature and that for ever For as his union with our nature is for everlasting so thereby is sealed up to us the continuation of these his mercies to be for everlasting So that he can and will no more cease to be mercifull to men then himselfe can now cease to be a man which can never be And this was the end of that assumption But secondly that was not all His taking our nature not onely addes unto our faith but some way or other even to his being mercifull Therefore it is said That he might be made mercifull c. That is mercifull in such a way as otherwise God of himselfe alone had never beene namely even as a man So that this union of both natures God and Man was projected by God to make up the rarest compound of grace and mercie in the result of it that ever could have beene and thereby fully fitted and accommodated to the healing and saving of our soules The greatnesse of that mercy that was in God that contributes the stock and treasury of those mercies to be bestowed on us and unto the greatnesse of these mercies nothing is or could be added by the humane nature assumed but rather Christs Manhood had all his largenesse of mercie from the Deity So that had he not had the mercies of God to enlarge his heart towards us he could never have held out to have for ever been mercifull unto us But then this humane nature assumed that addes a new way of being mercifull It assimilates all these mercies and makes them the mercies of a Man it makes them humane mercies and so gives a naturalnesse and kindlinesse unto them to our capacities So that God doth now in as kindly and as naturall a way pity us who are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as a man pities a man Thereby to encourage us to come to him and to bee familiar with God and treat with him for grace and mercie as a man would doe with a man as knowing that in that man Christ Jesus whom we beleeve upon God dwels and his mercies worke in and through his heart in an humane way I will no longer insist upon this notion now because I shall have occasion to touch upon it againe and adde unto it under that next third generall Head of shewing the way how Christs heart is affected towards sinners Onely take we notice what comfort this may afford unto our faith that Christ must cease to bee a man if he continue not to be mercifull seeing the very plot of his becomming a man was that hee might bee mercifull unto us and that in a way so familiar to our apprehensions as our owne hearts give the experience of the like which otherwise as God hee was not capable of And adde but this bold word to it though a true one that he may now as soon cease to bee God as to bee a man The humane nature after he had once assumed it being raised up to all the naturall rights of the Son of God whereof one and that now made naturall unto him is to continue for ever united And he may as soone cease to be either as to be ready to shew mercy So that not onely the scope of Christs office but also the intention of his assuming our nature doth lay a farther engagement upon him and that more strong then any or then all the former THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth PART III. HEB. 4. 15. For we have not an High-Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted like as we are yet without sin §. I. Some generals to cleare how this is to be understood That CHRISTS Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities together with the way how our infirmities come to be feelingly let into his Heart HAving thus given such full and ample Demonstrations of the tendernes samenesse of Christs Heart unto us now he is in Heaven with that which it was whilst he was here on earth and those both extrinsecall in the first part and Intrinsecall in the second I now come to that last Head which I propounded in the opening of these words namely the way and manner of Christs being affected with pity unto us both how it is to be understood by us and also how such affections come to be let into his heart and therein to work these bowels of compassion unto us This in the beginning of the Second Part I propounded to be handled as being necessary both for the opening and clearing the words of the Text which mainly hold forth this as also for the clearing of the thing it selfe the point in hand For as I there shewed these words come in by way of pre-occupation or prevention of an objection a sif his state now in heaven were not capable of such affections as should tenderly move him to pity commiseration he being now glorified both in soule and body Which thought because it was apt to arise in all mens minds the Apostle therefore fore-stalls it both by affirming the contrary We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched c. that is he both can be or is capable of it and
likewise is touched notwithstanding all his glory as also by his annexing the reason of it or shewing the way how it comes to passe in that in all points he was tempted like as we are Now in handling and opening these which is a matter full of difficulty I shall with all warinesse proceed to the discovery of what manner of affection in Christ this is and that by these steps and degrees 1. This affection of compassion or his being touched with the feeling of our infirmities is not wholly to be understood in a metaphoricall or a similitudinary sense as those speeches used of God in the Old Testament are to be understood when bowels of compassion are attributed unto him and his bowels are said to be rowled together or as when as it is said of God that he repented and was afflicted in all his peoples afflictions All which expressions were spoken of God as wee all know but meerely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men so to convey and represent to our apprehensions by what affections use to be in parents or friends in such and such cases what provoke them unto such and such actions which like effects proceede from God towards us when he sees us in distresse And so they are spoken rather per modum Effectus then Affectus rather by way of like Effect which God produceth then by way of such Affection in Gods heart which is not capable of any such passions as these are Now towards the right understanding of this the first thing which I affirme is that barely in such a sense as this that which is here spoken of Christ is not to be understood and my reason for it is grounded upon these two things put together First that this affection of his towards us here spoken of is manifestly meant of his humane nature and not of his God head only for it is spoken of that nature wherein he once was tempted as we now are So expresly in the next words which can be meant of no other then his humane nature And Secondly That those kind of expressions which were used of God before the Assumption of our nature onely in a way of metaphor and similitude after the manner of men should in no further or more reall and proper sense be spoken of Christ and his humane nature now assumed when he is a man as truly and properly as we are I cannot imagine when I consider and remember that which I last insisted on that one end of Christs taking an humane nature was that hee might be a mercifull High-Priest for ever in such a way as he being God alone could not have beene I confesse I have often wondred at that expression there used Heb. 2. He tooke the seede of Abraham that he might he made a mercifull high-Priest which at the first reading sounded as if God had beene made more mercifull by taking our nature But this solved the wonder that this assumption added a new way of Gods being mercifull By meanes of which it may now bee said for the comfort and reliefe of our faith that God is truly and really mercifull as a man And the consideration of this contributes this to the clearing of the thing in hand that whereas God of himselfe was so blessed and perfect that his blessednesse could not have beene touched with the least feeling of our infirmities neither was he in himselfe capable of any such affection of pitty or compassion He is not as a man that he should pittie or repent c. He can indeed doe that for us in our distresse which a man that pitties us useth to do but the affections and bowels themselves he is not capable of Hence therfore amongst other ends of assuming mans nature this fell in before God as one that God might thereby become loving and mercifull unto men as one man is to another And so that what before was but improperly spoken and by way of Metaphor and similitude in the Old Testament so to convey it to our apprehensions might now be truly attributed unto him in the reality that God might be for ever said to be compassionate as a man and to be touched with a feeling of our infirmities as a man And thus by this happy union of both Natures the language of the Old Testament uttered onely in a figure becomes verified and fulfilled in the truth of it as in all other things the shadows of it were in Christ fulfilled And this is the first step towards the understanding of what is here said of Christ taken from this comparison with the like attributed unto God himselfe A second and further step to let in our understanding to the apprehension of this is by the like further comparison to be made with the Angels and those affections of love and pity that are certainly found in them In comparison of which these affections in Christs humane nature though glorified must needs be far more like to ours even more tender and more humane For in that Heb. 2. it is expresly said He therefore took not the nature of the Angels that he might be a mercifull High-Priest Part of the intendment of those words is to shew and give the reason not onely why he took our nature under fraile flesh though that the Apostle mentions ver 14. but why an humane nature for the substance of it and not the nature of Angels Because in his affections of mercy he would for ever come neerer to us and have such affections and of the same kind with ours Whereas otherwise in other respects an Angel would have been an higher and more glorious High-Priest then a man Now the Angels being fellow-servants with us as the Angel called himself Rev. 22. 9. they have affections towards us more assimilated unto ours then God hath and so are more capable of such impressions from our miseries then God is Although they be Spirits yet they partake of something analogicall or resembling and answering to those affections of pity griefe c. which are in us And indeed so far as these affections are seated in our soules and not drencht in the passions of the body unto which our soules are united they are the very same kind of affections in us that are in them Hence the same lusts that are in men are said to be in devils John 8. 44. and therefore the devils also are said to feare and tremble c. And so oppositely the same affections that are in men so far as they are spirituall and the spirit or soule is the seat of them they must needs be found in the good Angels But Christ having an humane nature the same for substance that ours is consisting both of soule and body although through glory made spirituall yet not become a Spirit A Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have sayes Christ of himselfe after his Resurrection Luke 24. 39. therefore he must need have affections towards us yet
is said to sit in heaven expecting till his enemies be made his footstoole The destruction of which enemies will adde to the manifestative glory of his kingdome Now as that will adde to the fulnesse of his greatnesse so the compleat salvation of his members will add to the compleatnesse of his glory And as the expectation of his enemies ruine maybe said to be an imperfect affection in comparison of the triumph that one day he shall have over them so his joy which he now hath in his Spouse is but imperfect in comparison of that which shall fill his heart at the great day of Marriage And acordingly the Scripture calls the accomplishment of these his desires a satisfaction so Isai 63. 11. He shall see of the travaile of his soule and be satisfied which argues desires to be in him lying under a want of something in the end to bee obtained Onely we must take in this withall that Jesus Christ indeede knowes and sees the very time when this his fulnesse through the exaltation of his members up to himselfe shall bee compleated and when he shall trample upon the necks of all his and their enemies Hee sees their day a comming as the Psalmist hath it which alleviates and detracts something from this imperfection that hee should thus expect or tarrie §. III. This Scruple satisfied How his heart can be feelingly touched wtth our Sinnes our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne THere remaines one great unsatisfaction to be removed which cannot but of it selfe arise in every good heart You told us may they say that by infirmities sinnes were meant and that the Apostles scope was to encourage us against them also and they are indeede the greatest discomforts and discouragements of all other Now against them this which the Apostle here speakes affordeth us but little seeing Christ knowes not how experimentally to pitie us therein for he knew no sinne Yea the Apostle himselfe doth here except it Hee was tempted in all things yet without sinne It may comfort us indeede that Christ doth and will pittie us in all other infirmities because hee himselfe was subject to the like but hee never knew what it was to bee under sinne and vexed with a lust as I am and how shall I releeve my selfe against that by what the Apostle here speakes of him I shall endeavour to give some satisfaction and reliefe in this by these following considerations First The Apostle puts in indeede that hee was tempted yet without sinne and it was well for us that he was thus without sinne for he had not beene a fit Priest to have saved us else so Heb. 7. 25. Such an High-Priest became us as was separate from sinners innocent c. Yet for your reliefe withall consider that hee came as neer in that point as might be he was tempted in all things so sayes the Text though without sinne on his part yet tempted to all sinne so far as to bee afflicted in those temptations and to see the miserie of those that are tempted and to know how to pittie them in all such temptations Even as in taking our nature in his birth he came as neere as could be without being tainted with originall sin as namely by taking the very same matter to have his body made of that all ours are made of c. So in the point of actuall sinne also he suffered himselfe to bee tempted as far as might be so as to keepe himselfe pure He suffered all experiments to be tryed upon him by Satan even as a man who hath taken a strong antidote suffers conclusions to be tryed on him by a Mountibanke And indeede because hee was thus tempted by Satan unto sinne therefore it is on purpose added yet without sinne And it is as if he had said sinne never stained him though hee was outwardly tempted to it Hee was tempted to all sorts of sins by Satan for those three temptations in the wildernesse were the heads of all sorts of temptations as Interpreters upon the Gospels do shew Then Secondly To fit him to pittie us in case of sinne he was vext with the filth and power of sinne in others whom he conversed with more then any of us with sinne in our selves His righteous soule was vexed with it as Lots righteous soule is said to have been with the impure conversation of the Sodomites He endured the contradictions of sinners against himselfe Heb. 12. 3. the reproaches of them that reproached thee that is upon his God fell upon me Rom. 15. 3. It was spoken by the Psalmist of Christ and so is quoted of him by the Apostle that is every sinne went to his heart So as in this there is but this difference betwixt him and us that the regenerate part in us is vexed with sin in our selves and that as our own sin but his heart with sin in others onely yet so as his vexation was the greater by how much his soule was more righteous then ours which makes it up yea in that he sustained the persons of the elect the sinnes which he saw them commit troubled him as if they had beene his owne The word here translated Tempted is read by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vexed Yea and Thirdly to helpe this also it may be said of Christ whilst he was here below that in the same sense or manner wherein hee bore our sicknesses Mat. 8. 17. who yet was never personally tainted with any disease in the same sense or manner he may be said to have borne our sins namely thus Christ when hee came to an elect child of his that was sick whom he healed his manner was first by a sympathie pittie to afflict himselfe with their sicknesse as if it had beene his owne Thus at his raising of Lazarus it is said that he groaned in spirit c. and so by the merit of taking the disease upon himselfe through a fellow-feeling of it he tooke it off from them being for them afflicted as if he himselfe had beene sick And this seemes to be the best interpretation that I have met with of that difficult place in Mat. 8. 16. 17. where it is said He healed all that were sick that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet saying Himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Now in the like way or manner unto this of bearing our sicknesses hee might beare our sinnes too for hee being one with us and to answer for all our sinnes therefore when he saw any of his owne to sinne hee was affected with it as if it had beene his own And thus is that about the power of sin made up and satisfied And fourthly as for the guilt of sinne and the temptations from it he knowes more of that then any one of us He tasted the bitternesse of that in the imputation of it more deeply then wee can and of the cup of his Fathers wrath for it
vvould have mee to doe for you and I have left my Spirit to be your Secretary and the Enditer of all your Petitions Hitherto you have asked nothing that is little in my name he blames them that they have asked him no more to doe for them but now ask and you shall receive And if otherwise you vvill not beleeve yet you shall beleeve your own eyes ask you shall see your selves answered presently and so Beleeve me sayes he for the very works sake Ioh. 14. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in answer to their prayers when hee was gone which should be as so many Epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs For it follows ver 12. Hee that beleeveth on me shall do greater works then I because I goe to my Father So that it is manifest he speakes of the works done after his Ascension And how vvere they to get and procure them to be done By Prayer so it follows ver 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I doe Hee speakes it of the time when he is gone And again he sayes in ver 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name I will doe it Let me but heare from you be it every weeke every day every houre you shall be sure of an answer Open your mouthes wide I will fill them And those your Prayers shall be as continuall tokens both of your hearts towards me and my answers shall be the like of mine to you And because Christ bids them direct their Letters their Prayers to the Father onely to send them in his name as Iohn 16. 23. and so they might perhaps not so cleerly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them but his Fathers hand onely therefore hee adds twice in the 14. of Iohn I will doe it I will doe it He speakes like one as forward to doe for them as his Father is or should be and as desirous to have them knovv and take notice of his hand in it And it is as if he had said Though you ask the Father in my name yet all comes through my hands and I will doe it there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done and my heart shall not be wanting In the fift place yet further to evidence his love he not onely bids them thus to pray to him and in his name upon all occasions but he assureth them that he himselfe will pray for them and observe but the manner of his telling them this it is in the most insinuating perswasive expressions to convey his heart in to them that men use to utter when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to doe a thing Chap. 16. 26. At that day namely after his Ascension ye shall ask c. sayes he and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you no not I. I mentioned it afore I wil but add this illustration to it It is such a speech as men use when they would expresse the greatest reason that another hath to rest confident and assured of their love I doe not love you no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary which is most emphaticall As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be You are shrewdly hurt It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians I converted your soules when you thought not of it I caught you with guile forgive mee this wrong So sayes Christ here I say not that I will pray for you when the truth is that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven He lives ever to intercede as he ever lives so to intercede ever and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved But the work of Christ in heaven is a subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse I wil therefore speak no more of it now neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his Sermon Reade but over those 3. Chapters the 14 15 and 16. for in them you have the longest Sermon of his that is recorded and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other because indeed his heart was more in it then in any point that he ever preached on Onely if any object and say He spake all this to his Disciples to quiet and pacifie them and so more in respect to their trouble then otherwise he would have spoken In the sixt place reade but the next Chapter the 17. and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father and speaks over all again unto him that which he had said unto them He sayes as much behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them Reade it and you will finde that he was the same absent that present with them He was therefore not onely hearty in what he had said but his heart was full of it That Chapter you know contains a Prayer put up just before his suffering and there he makes his Will his last request for in such a style it runs Father I will ver 24. which Will he is gone to see executed in Heaven And Arminius said true in that that this Prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in Heaven he spake as he meant to doe in Heaven and as one that had done his worke and was now come to demand his wages I have finished thy work sayes he ver 4 c. And whereas he speakes a word or two for himself in the first 5. verses he speaks five times as many for them for all the rest of the Chapter is a Prayer for them He useth all kind of Arguments to move his Father for his children I have finished the work which thou gavest me to doe sayes he and to save them is thy work which remains to be done for mee by thee and they are thine and thou gavest them me and I commend to thee but thine owne And all mine are thine and thine are mine He insinuates that he of himselfe had not added a man but useth all his interest onely for those that the Father had given him and what a motive is this and he professeth he wil not open his mouth for a man more I pray not for the world sayes he I will not open my lips for any one sonne of perdition but I employ all my Blood my Prayers and my whole interest with thee but for those thy selfe hast given me And sayes he though thou hast given me a personall glory which I had before the World was yet there is another glory which I account of almost as much and that is in their being saved I am glorifyed in them sayes he ver 10. and they are my joy ver 13. and therefore I must have them with mee where ever I am ver 24. Thou