he is able to perform hence 't is said Joh. 1. 16. Of his Fulness we have all received and Grace for Grace Of that Fulness which the Divine Nature is alwayes issuing out to the Humane Nature of Christ do Believers receive Grace for Grace Grace sutable to Grace in Christ so that the Humane Nature of Christ must needs be alwayes full of Grace by reason of its Union with the Divine As the Sun that gives out Light is alwayes full of Light and the Sea that sends forth Waters to the Rivers is never vacant This is a glorious Mystery of wonderful Encouragement to Believers to consider what a full Jesus they are related to Thirdly By vertue of this Union the Lord Jesus Christ hath right to all Glory and Adoration of Men and Angels as Mediatour He is the most Illustrious Person all Honour Blessing Praise Glory Adoration is due to him Heb. 1. 6. When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Surely he must be a glorious Person when all the Angels must bow at his Feet Seraphims Cherubims and all the Host of Heaven stoop and give Homage to him this the Lord Jesus Christ hath a proper Right to as he is God-Man Phil. 2. 9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every name Every Tongue shall confess at last that he is Lord ver 11. Rev. 1. 17. And when I saw him I fell at his Feet as dead O the very Vision of Christ is enough to strike a poor Creature to the Earth Rev. 4. 9 10 11. The four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped this glorious Person that sate upon the Throne which is Jesus Christ Joh. 5. 23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father So that God the Son the Second Person the Mediatour of his People deserves all that Divine and Religious Worship which is due to God as God Thrones and Principalities are made by him and put under him Col. 1. 16. 17. Fourthly By vertue of this Union the Lord Jesus Christ hath absolute Authority Kingship and Headship in his Church and over all things to the Church Matt. 28. 18. All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth O what vast Power is this All Power on Earth to do what he will there All Power in Heaven to do what he will there Eph. 1. 22. And hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church Jesus Christ as God-Man is invested with all Power and Authority to transact the Work of a Mediator to perform the Offices of Prophet Priest and King The Godhead of Christ working as God and the Manhood of Christ working as Man yet both these Natures concurr towards the management of Redemption-work As a Prophet he is able to reveal the Will of God for he knoweth the mind of the Spirit being God he is infinite in Wisdom Job 36. 4. Rom. 11. 33. All Knowledge comes from him as Mediator In him are hid the Treasures of Wisdom Col. 2. 3. He maketh Wise to Salvation He giveth Wisdom Prov. 2. 6. He openeth the Eyes of the blind and giveth Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the Region and shadow of Death Matth. 4. 16. Luke 2. 32. Ministers can but preach to the Ear but Christ can preach to the Heart Ministers can but open the Scriptures Christ can open the Heart He is a full and effectual Head to his Body the Church to guide influence and adorn it Col. 1. 18. As a Priest And so there 's an infinite Sufficiency in his Satisfaction and Intercession seeing he is God-Man In his Satisfaction enough to silence all Pleas against his People He can arrest all the Sentences and Executions of the Law against them As an High-priest he is a sufficient Sacrifice for the Sins of the People He was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. By the Obedience of Christ all Believers are made Righteous Rom. 5. 19. The Obedience of the Saints is represented compleat in Christ though imperfect in themselves Hence Believers that are wounded with the shortness of their Services in themselves may lift up their Heads when they look upon the perfect Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ Hence 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And he is the propitiation for our Sins Though the Saints do sin Christ becomes a Sacrifice for them This one Offering of Christ ever appears before God when new Provocations appear in his People By one Offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. By vertue of this Union his Blood becomes infinite Blood equally as large as the Offence Nay it is more able to save than the Sins of Believers to damn It is the Blood of Christ that cleanseth from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. Therefore his Obedience is a perfect Obedience and his Sufferings perfect Sufferings of more satisfaction to Divine Justice than if all the Sinners in the World had lain in Hell to all Eternity This Blood is so wonderfully precious that it is accounted by the Father as the Blood of God Acts 20. 28. If Infinite can satisfie Infinite then the Father is satisfied by the Blood of Christ because whatever the Justice of God can expect the Obedience of Christ can fully satisfie This Righteousness to Justification the perfect Obedience and Sufferings of Christ receives no Addition or Diminution by the Obedience or Disobedience of his People Eph. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ah! little do Souls know the Bottom they stand upon It is not poor Believer the shortness of thy Obedience the multitude and greatness of thy Sins can out-match this matchless Righteousness of Christ All the Injuriâ—s and Wrongs thou hast done is but the Injury of a Creature but the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ is the Satisfaction of God it is the Satisfaction of God the Soh presented to God the Father O what a blessed state are Believers in where there is such a price paid for their Sins Again By vertue of this Union There 's Sufficiency in the Intercession of Jesus Christ He must needs be able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him seeing he ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 7. 24 25. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works Heb. 9. 14. The Blood of Christ meritoriously purges the Soul from all filthiness being offered through the Eternal Spirit God will not deny himself whatever God the Son intercedes for God the Father will grant so that Christ's Intercession must needs be effectual O what potency hath Christ in Heaven what Prevalency in all his Addresses
in Glory when I see how Satan buffets and assaults you from day to day then I look upon the Palms of my hands and see your names engraven there and will not leave you comfortless I will come again to you He sends his Spirit to keep them Company here on Earth and he will come and fetch them home at last he will be faithful to them in all things that pertain to God and for the Salvation of their Souls Heb. 2. 17. and Believers may urge him with his Promise and Faithfulness and this obliges Christ to do all he can for them Seventhly Because of the great Necessity they have of his pleading for them He sees they would be undone if he did not stand up for them Satan would lay in his Accusations he is the Accuser and what ways he hath to accuse the Saints before God we know not he accused Job and doubtless he is ever and anon laying in fresh Charges against the people of God therefore Christ pleads for them he sees they want Grace and want Strength therefore he cannot be silent he saw Peter had need of Support Luke 22. 31 32. therefore he prayed for him Christ sees they stand in need of Promises Experiences Consolations and Priviledges therefore he pleads in Heaven for them Sixthly What are the Comforts and Advantages that flow from the Intercession of Jesus Christ to believing Souls There 's Cause of wonderful Joy and Consolation to Believers when they cast their believing Looks towards Heaven to see their Advocate there First In regard of the Excellency of this Intercessor O! what a glorious mighty and potent Friend have Believers to plead for them he is no mean person he is the Son of God the express Image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1. 3. He is one that made the World and upholdeth the World and after he had suffered for Sin he is gone to Glory and takes his Seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high he doth not stand by as a Begger but sits down on the Throne by the Fathers side and speak as a Friend for them O what a glorious and transcendent person is he it is not an Angel it is not a Saint but it is the Lord Jehovah Jehovah Christ O when the Believer by Meditation comes to reflect on his Glorious Agent in Heaven how he is honoured by Angels Saints and every Creature it will wonderfully consolate his Languishing Spirit Secondly Consider the Successfullness of this Intercession and it cannot but yield much Comfort the Father heareth him always Joh. 11. 42. The Father and he are one of one Nature one Glory one Will what the Son wills the Father wills and Jesus Christ is the Executor of his own Will and hath all Power in his hands to give out and perform what he pleads for What would'st thou have Soul Lord sayes the Soul I would have more Grace be more holy have strength against this and the other Temptation I am afraid I shall perish under these Blasphemous Thoughts Oh the horrible injections of Satan Lord support me Why sayes Christ Fear not Soul In me is Everlasting strength thou shalt have it in my time and according to my measure Thirdly Consider the extent of Christs Intercession and that will contribute wonderful Joy to Believers His Favour is not narrowed up to one or two Favourites but for all his Saints All that come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. All that believe in him Joh. 17. 20. Christ excepts none In this he out-goes the Affections of all Creatures It is rare for the largest Affections of Men not to run within some narrow limits but Jesus Christ hath an equal respect for all his Seed And then he intercedes for them in all their Matters Isa 63. 9. In all their Affiictions he is afflicted There is no part of their Trouble but he is concern'd in it As Christ is an Advocate in Heaven he is engag'd to attend the Concerns of his People though they should neglect him Isa 57. 18. He is privy to all their Matters How should this revive the Believing Soul It is the usual complaint of Souls O I fear Christ will not intercede for me I am so Carnal so full of Deceit Hypocrisie and Backslidings It is true He takes pleasure in the Prosperity of his People but I fear I am none of his They that pray and plead Spiritually may hope but I cannot pray nor look up But let me tell every poor trembling Believer There 's never a Soul that hath the Lord for his God that Jesus Christ can be unmindful of He intercedes for all his People and in all their Concernments Fourthly This may yield wonderful Comfort to Believers to consider That Jesus Christ doth not onely intercede in Heaven in their Names but in their very Natures He presents the Humane Nature in his own Person glorified and in this Nature he pleads to God for them He is set forth as the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. He cannot but be full of Pity and Compassion because he is of the same Nature with them They are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Eph. 5. 30. O if that Scripture were but put into the Believing Meditation of Believers what Comfort will flow from it O trembling Saint thou mayest object thy Unworthiness and defiled Nature but Jesus Christ hath thy Nature glorified now in Heaven at the Father's right hand Fifthly The restlesness and unweariedness of Christs pursuing the Blessedness and Salvation of all his Seed is that which may yield wonderful comfort to the Believing Soul Consider his Temper and Disposition whiles he was on Earth His Spirit shall not fail till he hath set Judgment in the Earth Isa 42. 4. And if Christ was so earnest to undergo such work then and was so restless and active till it was done surely he must needs be restless to carry on this Work now in Heaven He lives ever to make Intercession Heb. 7. 25. There are some times when men on Earth cannot agitate the Cause of their Friends but Christ is alwayes taken up about this Work of Mediation Christ's Authority is capable to manage all the Affairs of his People were they millions of men therefore it must needs be matter of wonderful Comfort to Believers that they have such a Mediator in Heaven Sixthly Consider the Advantages that flow from this Intercession of Christ to Believers and it will yield matter of wonderful comfort Their Sins shall be surely pardoned O what wonderful comfort is this Blessed is the man whose Transgression is forgiven and whose Sins are pardoned Psal 32. 1. He is an Advocate for them to take away their Sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 1 Joh. 1. 7 9. No Bill shall be laid in against them at the Bar of God Who dares accuse that Soul that is covered over with the Blood of the Redeemer Rom. 8. 33 34. Their Persons and Performances shall surely find acceptance
pleasant Habitations after all your Wilderness Journeyings There 's a large dwelling-place here you are thrust into corners and may be have little conveniencies in your Houses Here you dwell in Strangers and perhaps Enemies Houses but there your dwelling shall be in your Father's House 'T is really so I do not flatter you with vain hopes or feed you with false reports if it were not so I would have told you Some might object here That there may be Houses in Heaven and yet they in Hell No says Christ I go to prepare a place for you when I come to Heaven I will bespeak a House for you it shall be your own your own proper Right every one of you and of all my People shall have a House of their own and it shall be Fee simple theirs to all Eternity But some may say How shall we be sure of this that when we dye we shall have a place in Glory Why saith Christ As sure as I go to Heaven shall you have a Mansion there for 't is one end of my going thither 't is part of my business there I go to prepare a place for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word saith Grotius notes a Divine Appointment a place that God allots and appoints for you that you might not think it is procured by your own Merit and labours As if he should say you may be sure my People you shall not miss of a place in my Father's House because he hath given you a house in Heaven and I go to possess it for you and to make it sure My Father hath given it and I have purchased it and now I go to take it into my own hand for you yea to fit and sute your Lot in Heaven as may be most meet for you and as may bear a full proportion to all your Labours and Sufferings for me And thus the word likewise imports saith Dr. Preston to fit and fashion one as a Vessel is fashion'd and shap'd to its proper Use But Believers may urge Lord how shall we get thither the Journey is far the Way we know not many Dangers lye betwixt this and Heaven the Prince of the Air and all the Devils of Hell lye betwixt this and Glory and how shall we get safely through all these Dangers Why saith Christ I will come again and receive you when I have done your Work in Heaven when I have difpatched my gathering and compleating work on Earth when all my Saints are called and perfected then will I come again and receive you to my self I will come and unite your Souls and Bodies together and then will shew you the way to Heaven and lead you into your own habitations there and as surely put you into possession of Glory as I am going to possess it for my self and in the mean time I will take care of you in the way and send my Spirit to guide you and bear you thorow it and my Angels when you are at your Journeys end shall receive your Souls and bring them unto me that where I am you may be also Joh. 17. 24. Joh. 12. 26. What greater Love can there be than the Engagements of Christ's Heart to get all his Children brought home to Heaven that they may be ever with him and partake of his Glory 1 Cor. 15. 22 23. CHAP. X. Several Deductions drawn from the Love of Christ IF the Lord Jesus be so full of Love and tender Affection then First What reason have Sinners never to be quiet till the Lord Jesus become their Friend till they have an Interest in his special Love Alas poor Souls the common Love of Christ though now you fare the better for it will shortly be at an end His Philanthropy though procious yet is but like a Box of Ointment which may be wasted and consum'd Mark 14. 4. But his special Love is like the two Olive Trees Zach. 4. 12. always emptying out it self through the golden Pipes of his Ordinandes to his People Christ's common Love to Sinners is like a Land-flood that will be drained But his special Love is compar'd to a Fountain a Wood of Water that springeth up to Life Eternal O then labour after an Interest in this Love of Christ that brings Salvation Put away the Evil of thy doings hearken to Christ's counsel receive him into thy Heart by Faith obey his Voice take him to be thy Lord and God and thou shalt possess his love too Psal 45. 10. Secondly Then what an abominable thing is it to hate Christ how unexcusable will Sinners Enmity against him be when he comes to Judgment Jer. 2. 5. Prov. 8. 36. All they that hate me love Death Psal 21. 8 9. Psal 132. 18. Nah. 1. 2. 3dly Then why should Believers take up such hard thoughts of Christ Isa 40. 27. Why sayest thou O Jacob my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God that is my Condition my trouble my Soul is out of God's thoughts He takes no notice of nor cares what becomes of me And my Judgment that is God's judging my Cause his righting and helping my oppressed Soul is gone from me or he hath laid it aside he will not help me in my Affliction This was Sion's complaint and hard thoughts of God and this displeased him Why sayest thou O Jacob c As if he should say what cause hast thou O Israel my People to entertain such harsh conceptions of my Love what Iniquity hast thou found in me what wrong have I done thee Have I not born thee from the Womb and carried thee all the dayes of old Look back to the Red Sea and to the Wilderness who cared for thee there Call to mind the Manna and the Rock the Bread and Water on the Way I suffered none to do thee harm I delivered thee out of the hands of all thy Enemies and plagued them that injured thee Thus have I been thy help from thy Youth up and why sayest thou then my way is hid from the Lord O Jacob thou dost ill to censure me so severely Is this the requital of all my love and kindness to thee hitherto Repent of these injurious apprehensions and put more favourable constructions on my wayes Gracious Souls have no reason to prejudge the Heart of Christ and censure him of unkindness and negligence for 't is impossible he should forget his People Isa 49. 15. He hath paid too dear for them to do so They have cost his Blood Eternal Counsels many Troubles many Wonders and will he reject them after all O no. He hath engraven them on the Palms of his hands where he cannot but see and must secure their names Isa 49. 16. I cannot look upon my hands but I must remember thee I should forget my self should I forget thee thou art set as a Seal upon my Heart and thy Walls are continually before me that is though thy Protection be gone for a time and I
them good men cannot regard wicked men let them be never so high and honourable Though they give every man his due yet they cannot weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary as any thing They had rather converse with a poor Saint than with the greatest persons in the world if wicked 2. Kings 3. 14. And Elisha said As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand Surely were it not that I regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee So lightly esteemed are wicked men in the Eyes of God Saints and Angels Lastly A poor man is liable to dangers and sufferings he hath no might against the mighty but lies open to the injuries and oppressions of those that are above him Amos 4. 1. Hear ye this word ye kine of Bashan which oppress the poor which crush the needy Poor men lye under the feet of the potent and are subject to their Tiranny On the oppressors side is power and on the oppresseds side are tears Eccl. 4. 1. So Christless Souls are under the ruling power of Satan and taken Captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. They have no defence against the stroaks of Judgment 't is easie with God to crush them every moment they no have power to secure themselves from ruining vengeance wicked men are no more match for God than Bryars and Thorns Isa 27 4. Yea they can no more resist him than the stubble can the fire Mal. 4. 1. O sinner thou art a miserable Caitiff indeed O see thy poverty let this stain thy glory O sinner look about thee whiles thou hast a little time Art thou willing to die so poor O 't is not Houses nor Lands nor Money nor Friends can minister comfort to thee then O how wilt thou do to live for ever if thou hast none of Christs tryed Gold So much of the Third Inference CHAP. XXV Wherein Christ is set forth to sinners as a Match wortby of their choice in regard of the excellency of his Estate The amiableness of his Person His lovely Dispositions and other Considerations to win the hearts of sinners to be looking after this lovely Jesus IF there are such vast treasures in the Lord Jesus Christ then this will follow hence That the Lord Jesus Christ is worth the looking after by perishing sinners O what a match is Jesus Christ for undone sinners could â—hey but obtain him how happy would they be for ever this is a principal thing in a woers eye to get a rich match O Souls you cannot get a better match than Jesus Christ there 's none like him First In point of Riches O let me commend the Lord Jesus Christ to you upon the account of his wealth Sinners if you would have a rich Husband there 's none so rich as Christ He is wonderfully rich if you but consider the Nature and number of his riches If you observe the verity and variety of his treasures If you weigh the kind or degree of his substance you will say he is exceeding rich Take him positively or comparatively he is vastly rich he is really so and superlatively so The worlds treasures are but shadows But he hath substance true solid subsisting treasures Pro. 8. 21. That I may cause them that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures Christ's Gold is tryed Gold that which can bear the hardest touch and abide the fire And he is superlatively rich none like him Job was a rich man but his riches were limitted within the Confines of a Countrey He was the richest not in all the world but of all the men of the East Job 1. 3. But Christ is richest of all All the Men and Angels in Heaven and Earth put together cannot vye treasures with Christ What was said of the vertuous woman is true of Christ he excels them all Pro. 31. 29. O sinners would you have a rich match cast your eyes on Jesus Christ He hath a very taking Estate that will be wonderful attractive upon your hearts if rightly set I shall shew in a few particulars what an Estate Christ hath First It is a fair Estate exceeding large and full 't is incomprehensible and past finding out both as to his personal and purchased Treasure It is in heighth depth length breadth passing knowledge as hath been shewn at large Eph. 3. 18 19. Christs Estate is as large as himself is and he is past finding out Who can search out the Almighty to perfection Job 11. 7. All mens Estates lie here in the lower world within the measure of a spot of ground But Christ's treasure fills Heaven and Earth The Heavens yea the Heaven of Heavens are his Neh. 9. 6. The Lord Jesus Christ is rich every way considered He is rich in inheritance Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. He is rich in Jewels he hath abundance of choice Jewels he hath a day on purpose to make up his Jewels Mal. 3. 17. He is rich in mansions too Joh. 14. 2. In my Fathers House are many mansions A mansion for every Heir of Glorie O how many Houses hath this Heir of all things How many dwelling places in Glory He is rich in Crowns and Thrones We account that man rich that hath two or three Kingdoms But Jesus Christ hath a multitude of Crowns A Crown for every Subject Mat. 9. 28. Every saved Soul is a Crowned King or shall be so to all Eternitie Rev. 1. 6. Every overcoming Soul shall sit on Thrones and every one wearing a Crown of Glorie 1 Pet. 5. 4. O what a vast Potentate is Jesus Christ All the Angels in Heaven cannot draw an inventory of Christs Estate so numberless are his Treasures He that hath so many millions of Saints and can give every one of them a Kingdom O how rich must this Lord be O sinners think what a rich Jointure Christ can make you he can settle an Estate upon you indeed O will you Espouse Christ he hath a fair Estate indeed Secondly Christ hath a free Estate Some men may have large Estates but many Mortgages and debts upon them but Christ's Estate is all free no debts lies on Christ to lessen his Estate whatever he gives to the whole Creation doth no way lessen his Riches like the Sun whatever light it imparts to the World or Inferiour Luminaries doth not exhaust or diminish it's Original splendour all that the Rivers emptie from the Sea do not lessen it but repay its bounty by a retribution of all those receptions so whatever contributions come from Christ to men it doth not lessen his ability to give to his people The more Abraham gave to his Sons by Keturah the less he had for Isaac But Christ's liberality and Obligations do not diminish his treasure Christ's whole Estate comes to every Believer every saved Soul hath a whole Christ full of Grace and Glory Thirdly Christ hath a sure Estate exceeding safe there 's
1. 2. This Term Mediator is taken sometimes in a more large sense sometimes in a more strict sense First This Term as it is taken in a large Sense so the Lord Jesus Christ is a Mediator as he is the Head the middle between God and his Creatures so he is the Mediator of Angels as well as men It is by him the Angels were made and in him the Elect Angels are chosen and by him they are preserved for Angels cannot be thought to come to such a State of Felicity and such near Union with God but upon the account of a second person Col. 1. 20. in the sixteenth verse Christ is said to be the Creator of Angels and in this 20. ver there 's his Mediatorship for Angels By him to reconcile all things to himself whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven This is a place of very great Difficulty and hath puzled many Interpreters some conceive it is to reconcile man and Angels together supposing the Angels were enemies to fallen man but by Jesus Christ brought into a State of Amity but it cannot be so understood here for the Parties reconciled are not said to be men and Angels but God and these things how then is this understood Some therefore conceive that this Reconciliation is to be understood by way of Proportion and Similitude not as if the Angels needed Pardon for they never sinned but they stand in need of a Mediator that they may not sin for as Creatures they are mutable and as subject in their Nature to sin as the Devils were and it is by Jesus Christ they are preserved and kept in the Favour of God It is said all things in Heaven The Heavens themselves are or shall be brought into a capacity of meetness for the presence of God Saints and Angels by Jesus Christ as Mediatour The Angels are called Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5. 21. And how but as they are chosen in Christ for all Election is founded in the Lord Jesus Christ as a middle Person as the Head of Election Eph. 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him all those Creatures that shall be made or kept holy are plac'd in the Lord Jesus Christ Likewise the Angels are call'd the Sons of God Job 38. 7. When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Joy Now all Adoption is in the Lord Jesus Christ If they are reputed as the Sons of God this Relation must needs be in Christ who is the onely begotten Son of God therefore all the Angels must needs have dependance upon Christ as Mediator Eph. 1. 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth even in him Some conceive it is meant of those Saints that were in Heaven before Christ came to suffer but that cannot be it being put in the Neuter Gender All things in Heaven so that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Mediator of Angels in that he procures for them Preservation with God and were it not for a Mediator they would never be secur'd from Falling Secondly More strictly Christ is called Mediatour in respect to God and fallen Man coming betwixt them as a middle Person to make up the Breach effect a Peace and reconcile them together Heb. 9. 15. He is the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant John 14. 6. He is the Way the Truth and the Life It is through his Name alone Salvation is to be had Acts 4. 12. He is appointed of God the Father to this end Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation for our Sins to be one that may reconcile God to Man and render him propitious and favourable to him Acts 2. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 20. Heb. 5. 4. Joh. 6. 24. For him hath God the Father sealed He was annointed and furnished with all Abilities for this end Isa 61. 1 2. And he is the onely Mediator 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. The onely Surety Heb. 8. 6. The onely Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 'T is God the Son the Second Person is the only Mediator 't was he that made man and therefore fittest for him to re-make him It would be a great derogation from Christs Honour saith Austin should another mend and reform that spoiled work which he made He is fittest to restore man to the lost Image of God who himself is the express Image of the Father 'T is best meet for him to commend the Love of God to man who himself is the Son of the Father's Love He is the onely begotten Son of the Father and so fit to Adopt others into a state of Sonship As Man also Christ hath Right to Redemption-work Lev. 25. 23. As God he hath Ability to redeem As Man he was capable to suffer As God he was able to bear up the Humane Nature under Sufferings As Man he could bear the Punishment of Sin As God he could remove our Sins and purifie our Natures As Man he could compassionate his People As God he could help them As Man he is capable to tender a Satisfaction As God to render it infinite As Man he was able to become a Sponsor a Surety to make a promise in the behalf of his Seed And as God he could make good his Promise He can reveal the mind and disclose the deep things of God and pour out the Spirit of Grace He hath all Power in Heaven and Earth and is able to save to the uttermost He can exalt his Interest and subjugate his Enemies under his Feet He sits at the Right hand of God and is God with the Father and Man with Man CHAP. IV. Shewing what is the Work of Jesus Christ as he is Mediator WE come in the next place to shew wherein the Office and Work of this Mediator lies And it will much conduce to the Glory of Christ to display his Mediatorship Now we must consider him in a double Relation The Lord Jesus Christ hath to deal with two different Parties where there is a Breach 1. His Work lies with respect to God the Father 2. His Work lies with respect to fallen Man First His Work lies with respect to God the Father And here his Office lies in several particulars First One great part of the Work of Christ as Mediator is to mediate in the behalf of fallen Man with the Father so as to procure terms of Reconciliation Thus a Mediator is to agitate with the offended Person to bring to terms of Peace This was the Work of Jesus Christ from before all time He did act with God the Father that there might be a way found out for agreement between him and poor Sinners This was drawn up in the Covenant between the Father and the Son as in Isa 42. 6 7. I the Lord have called thee
that thou should'st keep them from the Evil. This implies Christ's mind is his People should continue in the World till their Work be done that neither Sin nor Danger may cut them off till their full time be come but that they may be kept from Evil from the Evil of Temptation and the Evil of Persecution Secondly He intercedes for the Sanctification of his People and this is a glorious Priviledge indeed Jo. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth By the word of thy Truth make them partakers of thy Holiness For their sakes I sanctifie my self ver 19. I set apart my self now on Earth as an High-Priest and Mediator And why so That they may be sanctified through the Truth It may be a poor tempted Soul hath beg'd for Grace but finds no answer as Paul prayed twice thrice many times without return but Jesus Christ intercedes who will prevail and because he prayes they shall obtain according to the measure of Christ and in his time Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ pleads in Heaven for Believers Union with himself and with one another Jo. 17. 11 21 22 23. Holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou bast given me that they may be one as we are That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one This he died for to gather his People into one and this he will procure in due time Their Union with himself shall be inseparable their Communion may be interrupted but their Union can never be broken And it is a matter of Comfort to Believers that grieve for the sad Breaches amongst Saints how that Christ intercedes in Heaven for their Union who cannot be denied Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for his Peoples Succour and support under and deliverance from Temptation Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that tby Faith fail not Ah Soul Art thou followed with new Temptations every day Doth the Devil vex thee casting in wicked vile thoughts that do make thee tremble pulling and haling thee Fear not sayes Christ the Devil shall not prevail O sayes a Soul What shall I do for Faith I cannot take hold of this and the other Promise Why Christ in Heaven pleads for Believers that their Faith shall not fail shall not sink away nor faint in the day of Temptation He will not suffer you to be tempted above measure 1 Cor. 10. 13. He will make a way to escape As sure as Christ himself hath escaped from Satan and Dangers unto Glory so sure shall Believers pass thither also O Soul thou canst not tell how to pray this and the other wicked thought hurries thee Faith and Hope all seem to be gone but O what a blessed thing is this that there is a Mediator in Heaven to pray for thee Fifthly Jesus Christ intercedes in Heaven for the Pardon of all the Sins of his People and for the enjoyment of his Fathers favour If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. That 's part of Christ's Work in Heaven to Advocate in regard of their Sins So Joh. 17. 26. That the Love with which thou lovest me may be in them I have purchased thy Favour for them and Peace with thee by my own Blood therefore Father O take not away thy loving kindness from them O do not be angry with them for ever O what a wonderful Priviledge is this Christ is not contented that his Father love them with an ordinary and a common Love but his Will is that the same Love with which the Father loved Christ as Mediator be bestowed upon them Sixthly The Lord Jesus Christ Advocates in Heaven for the supply of all the wants of his People Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need according to the Riches of his Glory by Jesus Christ Observe the ground and meritorious cause of all the Supplies of the Saints Needs is the Riches of Christ in Heaven the Riches of Christs Intercession O! when the poor Believer goes mourning under a sense of this and the other Want Christ in Heaven is interceding for them O sayes one I want a soft Heart a Heart to love God I want more power over Corruptions and Temptations More Humility sayes another O my proud heart I want more Patience I am fill'd with the Fire of Hell I want more Purity unclean Thoughts lodge in my Soul but Christ in Heaven is interceding for them thus Father There 's a Child of mine wants a soft Heart I will that thou give it to him there 's another goes complaining for want of more power over Corruptions I will that thou grant it to him Another wants Bodily supplies he is in straits in the World and knows not what to do Father thou hast made me Heir of all things and I will that thou give him some of mine Inheritance O that Believers did know this when they are pining away in their straits that they would look to Jesus and by Faith see him interceding for them Seventhly Another thing Christ pleads in Heaven for is the subduing of all the Enemies of his People Whatever is like to endanger their well-being in thelr work of glorifying God and in their way to Glory with God Christ pleads that it may be removed Are the Snares of the World like to carry away one the Snare of Prosperity or vain Company like to ruin another Doth the Flesh lust against the Spirit and ready to reduce it into Bondage Christ pleads in Heaven for the destruction of these Leviathans and will in his own time bring down all the Enemies of his People Yea Gog and Magog and all the implacable Adversaries of Sion must be subdued because Christ intercedes for it and Reigns till he hath put down all Enemies under his Feet 1 Cor. 15. 25. Eighthly He intercedes for his Peoples Consolation He seems to be much concern'd in this that his People be of good cheer in the World Joh. 16. 33. Be of good cheer Pluck up your Spirits walk comfortably I have overcome the World for you I will not leave you comfortless I will not leave you in danger of overwhelming Christ takes care that his People be not overladen with trouble but that they have comfort in due time Ninthly The Lord Jesus Christ pleads for their thorough and compleat Salvation for their preservation in Grace and their sure and certain enjoyment of Glory Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost because he ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Whatever their dangers straits and hazards be Christ intercedes in Heaven for their utmost saving thorough all and from all The gracious Soul miscarries sadly this and the other time in this and the other matter he falls dangerously and bruises his Bones but Christ pleads in Heaven that this might not prove
a mortal wound Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am to behold my Glory Joh. 17. 24. All his Glory that he hath purchased with his Blood is for his People As a Father if he gets a large Estate his Children shall fare the better for it he will leave it all to them so Christ in Heaven intercedes Father I will that my Children may share with me in my Glory may Reign and sit on Thrones and be crowned with Immortality with me Where I am there shall my Servant be Thus you see what Christ intercedes for in Heaven Fifthly Why doth the Lord Jesus Christ intercede in Heaven First Because he hath undertaken this Work for his People He is their Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. He is an Officer in Heaven for them and hath undertaken their Cases and being bound he will be faithful He is there as their Fore-runner and his Fidelity lies at stake to make their way plain to Glory If they come not after how can he be their Fore-runner Secondly Because of his Interest in them they are very near to him they are his own Having loved his own that were in the World Joh. 13. 1. Persons use to love their own The World loves its own therefore is Christ so concern'd in the welfare of his People because they are his Propriety They are his Friends Joh. 15. 14 15. Ye are my Friends I have called you Friends And will not a man concern himself about his Friends There 's never a man on Earth that hath a Friend so near his heart as the Saints are to the heart of Christ They are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. 11. He is their Elder Brother and they are younger Brethren and he cannot but have a tender heart towards them How full of Bowels was Joseph to his Brethren though they had sold him and injured him yet how affectionately did he discover himself to them he wept that the Egyptians heard him Gen. 45. It is a most affecting Story to shew what the heart of a Brother is or should be O how much is Jesus Christ concerned in the welfare of his People Again He is their Father He hath the Bowels of a Father He pleads in Heaven at the Right hand of God as a Father doth speak for his Children O! if a man had a Child or some Children condemn'd to dye how would a tender Father speak for them and weep for them that they might not dye with such Bowels doth Jesus Christ plead for his People in Heaven Again They are his Spouse his Love his Dove married to him Cant. 5. And can a tender affectionate Husband shut up his Bowels towards his own Flesh So Christ in Heaven accounts nothing too dear that might be for the welfare of his People because of their conjugal relation to him Thirdly Because of the great Love he bears to them therefore will he make Intercession for them Isa 63. 9. In his Love and pity he redeemed them Nor men nor Angels can tell the Height Depth Length and Breadth of the Love of Christ it is Love passing Knowledge Eph. 3. 18. Christ's Love to his people is unconceivable unchangeable many waters cannot quench it all their Unkindness cannot diminish it therefore he remembers their Concernments and pleads their Cause Fourthly Because of the Sympathy the Lord Jesus Christ hath with them he hath a fellow-feeling of all their Infirmities and Afflictions as he is their head he cannot but sympathize with all the Maladies and Distempers of every Member he is the high-priest and must have Compassion Heb. 4. 15. For we have not an High-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities He cannot be capable of Insensibility of the Cases Concerns and Conditions of his people Weaknesses Sins and Wants whatever becomes the Burden of his People it is near his Heart It is not his own Glory in Heaven can take off his Thoughts and Care of them He that abuseth the Saints offers Violence to Christ's Eye Zach. 2. 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his Eye While he was in Heaven in the Possession of the Fathers Glory no sooner did their Cry come up from Aegypt but presently it reached his Heart God tells Moses he could not stand still to hear the Complaint of his poor afflicted people God in Christ the second person the Angel of the Covenant resents the Miseries and Afflictions of his people Exod. 2. 23. 24. I have surely seen the Afflictions of my People which are in Aegypt and have heard their Cry and I am come down to deliver them Exod. 3. 7 8. And if he was so pityful as to be soon afflicted with the Afflictions of his people before he assumed the humane Nature upon him is he not as much now sith he hath taken our Nature upon him and stands in Heaven cloathed with our Body and Soul Heb. 5. 2. Christ carries no Weaknesses to Heaven with him he hath no kind of Wants Pains nor Sorrows but he is compassed with Infirmities that is a Sense of the Weaknesses and Remembrance of the Afflictions and Infirmities whilst he was here He knows the Heart of a Stranger he knows what it is to be under the Wrath of God therefore cannot but have a fellow-feeling of the Infirmities of his People No tender Mother can be more affected with the pain of a little sucking Child with the Fear of losing it than Christ is with the case of his people therefore he pleads for them Fifthly Jesus Christ cannot chuse but speak for his People in Heaven because he hath purchased them he hath bought them and paid for them he thought it fit to lay down a very great price for every believing Soul 1 Cor. 6. 19. You are bought with a price He was willing to have his Heart opened and his Side opened that he might let out his Blood for them and surely he cannot but be willing to intercede for them when he was willing to dye and bear divine Wrath for them he hath bought Grace and Glory for them and he must needs speak that they might have what he hath paid for It is true if God should deal upon the account of Creature-deservings they would soon be totally destitute but though unworthy in themselves Christ pleads his Worthyness Father I will that thou give out this and the other Mercy to them I have purchased it for them it is true they have abused the Gospel and sinn'd away the Light of thy Countenance but I will that thou speak comfortably to them for my sake for I have always obey'd thee and done thy Will Sixthly Because of his Promise to them he hath promised he will not leave them Jo. 14. 18. I go away says Christ but I will not leave you I go to Heaven but it is for you I carry your Names on my Heart that I might think upon you when I am
He that gives a Kingdom at the Journeys end will not deny Bread and Water in the way He will provide for their Bodies and Souls for their Persons and Families Sixthly Correction is theirs Psal 89. 32. Heb. 12. 8. Correction is the Saints Priviledge and great advantage they have need of it 1 Pet. 1. 6. Though for a season if need be you are in heaviness c. And they have advantage by it Psa 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted Heb. 12. 10. But he for our profit Seventhly Protection is another priviledge of Children He will keep them as the Apple of his Eye Psa 17. 8. He will hide them in the secret of his Tabernacle Ps 31. 20. He will keep them Day and Night Isa 27. 3. He gives his Angels charge concerning them Psa 91. 11 12. Heb. 1. 14. Lastly The Kingdom is theirs O think what rest what joy what holiness what perfection what immutability and Eternity of Glory is in Heaven and say all this is my Estate by Adoption I shall one day be possessed of it here I am poor but there I shall be rich here I am empty and hungry there I shall be full here I am despised there I shall be honoured here I have not a house lay my head in there I shall have a Mansion to all Eternity here one and another says come sit at my Foot there shall I sit on a Throne and be a Crowned King for ever Here my Comforts go and my troubles stay worms breed in all my enjoyments but thereis no Rust nor Moth no Decay nor Death O blessed state indeed that Believers are Adopted to in Christ Fifthly The last considerable thing in Adoption is the Duties that flow from such a state and this is part of their priviledge also as being the Fruit of an Adoption-state and that which they are purchas'd as well as oblig'd unto by the blood of Christ all the filial duties of Believers are the fruits of Adoption-Grace Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts The Spirit of his Son to make you really such and to form in you the Nature and work you to the duty of Sons So that Adopted Souls are not only chosen of God to be heirs with Christ but are also begotten of God into the Nature and Image of Christ Rom. 8 29. Whom he did foreknow them he did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that as Christ carryed himself as a Son so should the Children of God in their measure and time and that by the same Spirit Now these duties which Gods Children are spirited and engaged to are First To love God as their Father even from a sense of his Fatherly love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul and with all thy might The Lord thy God because he hath pleased to make thee his Son and to place thee in so near and high relation to himself Psa 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints You that are set apart for him and Sanctified by him O you of all Persons from the sense of this relation should love him This is a filial duty and so essential to Sons as that 't is put for the ground of all their Obedience Joh. 14. 13. If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him that is manifest his love to him as a Father This is not a forced but a natural love to God arising from that new Nature and Spirit of Adoption in them so that a Child of God may as well cease to be a Child as cease to have a disposition to love him Indeed a gracious Soul may not alwayes actually love God but he hath a disposition to love him and can appeal to God that he knows he would love him and there is nothing in all the World he can value like him Secondly To obey him 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to former Lusts 'T is a great duty of Children to obey their Parents in all things lawful and so they that are Gods Children are much more oblig'd to obey God whose relation much more binds them being so far above all other relations whose love constrains them 2 Cor. 5. 14. whose Laws invite them they being holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. Whose rewards also encourageth them there is a reward in keeping them Psa 19. 11. and a reward upon those that keep them Rev. 2. 10. Now this Child-like obedience differs from all other obedience in that 1. 'T is the fruit of faith Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods word that is obeyeth Gods word but what an Obedience is this see the former ver It is an Obedience from faith ver 46. If I say the truth why do ye not believe me 2. 'T is the labour of love 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of love 3. 'T is delightful Obedience Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner Man Thirdly A fear of offending him Hos 3. 5. And shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter daies This is a filial fear arising from their relation to God as their Father 1 Pet. 1. 17. And if you call on the Father c. pass the time of your sojourning here in fear This is a fear springing from and consisting with love there is a fear that love casteth out 1 Joh. 4. 18. perfect love casteth out fear that is slavish fear 'T is such a fear as keeps the Soul close to God and not drive him from him Jer. 34. 40. O how fearful is such a Soul of offending God Job 34. 31. He will do all he can to prevent sin Psa 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee Fourthly A zeal for Gods glory Psa 69. 9. The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up That is the zeal which I have for thy house or for thy pure Worship against them that would corrupt it hath like fire consumed me Zeal is the burning fire of love which will not bear any thing that dishonours God So Phinehas could not endure to see God dishonoured by the whoredomes of his People but in his zeal executes the Law upon one of the highest offenders Numb 25. 11. The want of the zeal made Laodicea in danger of being spued out of Gods mouth Rev. 3. 16. and therefore God calls her to Repentance and to this zealous Spirit in his Worship ver 19. Be zealous and Repent This zeal was that Child-like temper that God commended in Ephesus Rev. 2. 2. Thou canst not bear them that are evil A zealous Soul cannot suffer any reproach on Gods Name Psa 69. 20. Reproach hath broken my heart
the World put together compar'd with glory is no more than a single grain to a Massy weight of Glory O 't is that which Men and Angels cannot express All that Believers have here of Heaven it is but as Bread and Water in the way the choicest and richest feasting is reserv'd for the other World for the Kings Table where are all Varieties all Rich Dishes all the choice Procurements that may feed and satiate the most curious desires of saved Souls Dost thou meet with high Comforts at a Sacrament wonderful refreshings in Ordinances yet they are but a Morsel or two thy Father gives thee to chear thy Spirits compar'd with the varieties he hath reserv'd for thee in Heaven Or as the short allowance of some Rich Heir whiles in his Nonage compar'd with the great Inheritance he is to possess when at full age or as the first-fruits which are inconsiderable compar'd with the lump This is glory this is Heaven there 's the place where all Christ's Treasures are laid up O Christians could you but get a look into glory you would say O unsearchable riches indeed Treasures past finding out Thus have I dispatcht the first assertion and shewn somewhat of those vast riches that are in Christ and though sometime hath been spent in opening them yet it is but little of all those Treasures which are prepar'd for them that are Heirs of the Promise CHAP. XXII The second and third assertions proved Shewing that those vast treasures of Christ are opened in and by the Gospel that 't is the will of God they should be tenderd to the chiefest of Sinners I Come now to demonstrate the truth of the second assertion which is this That those vast and hidden Treasures which are found in Jesus Christ are opened in and by the Gospel For the proof of which I shall demonstrate these three things First That those treasures of Grace and Glory which are in and come by Christ can no otherwise be known than by the Gospel they are deeps that cannot be fathomed by all the greatest lengths of mans wisdom 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God Things that lay deep in his breast which none could know but himself and his own Spirit By these deep things the Apostle understands the hidden grace of God in Christ with the fruits of it called ver 12. The things freely given us of God These are the Riches of Christ or that come by Christ called Rom. 11. 33. The depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God These riches of grace that come by Christ are so deep that none can know them except they be revealed Therefore the wisdom that makes wise to Salvation is called hidden wisdom 1 Cor 2. 7. And Treasures of wisdom are said to be hid in Christ called the mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Heb. word Mistar or hidden or secret things Some derive it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from shutting the mouth up because such things must be concealed or as others think it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shutting up the senses as well as the mouth it being a thing hard to be known such a secret is the great Power of Salvation by Christ A religious secret saith one that cannot be known without some extraodinary flatus and such are the riches of Christ hidden things hid in God Eph. 3. 9. The fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World have been hid in God and therefore cannot be known by all the wisdom of men without the revelation of the Spirit Eph. 3. 3. 5. And therefore it was an unsound assertion of Mr. John Goodwin That the Sun and Moon do Preach the Gospel seeing it cannot be known but by the revelation of the Spirit Secondly These Treasures of Christ are Doctrinally contain'd in the word of the Gospel there 's the only discovery of them Doctrinally there 's no other word can discover them and thus they are set forth and brought to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. But now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel There are actually exhibited to the view of Believers all the mysteries of godliness so the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery which is kept secret since the World began Rom. 16. 25. The Gospel is the wisdom of God that maketh wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. There are all things opened necessary to Salvation There are words whereby we may be saved Acts 11. 4. In the word of truth are all the Prophesies of Christ and of those great and glorious things that God would accomplish upon and by him Acts 3. 18. In the word are all the promises of grace and Glory all things needful to life and godliness and these promises are revealed in the word of God All the promises ever God made to the Sons of Men are in the word and therefore the promises are joyned with the Law and the service of God the glory and the Covenant and all those royalties that in Scripture are made over to Believers Rom. 9. 4. There 's all that God hath spoken by the Prophets Luke 24. 25. There 's all discover'd that ever God Doctrinally revealed of his love to Sinners and the things that are freely given to them there 's the whole Doctrine of Christ concerning his Person Nature Offices Works Excellencies Promises what he hath done for them and procured for them what is laid up in him and shall be laid out by him to all that come to him there are the openings of his heart and the secrets of his love to them Eph. 3. 18 19. Therein the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. The deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 12 16. Things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard Thirdly Those great and glorious things contain'd in the Gospel are opened by the Spirits Ministration in the Gospel This is Gods appointed way to discover and bring to light those glorious things Tit. 1. 3. But hath in due time manifested his word through Preaching which is committed to me according to the Commandement of God our Saviour This is Gods way to manifest the deep things of the Word by Preaching This he hath appointed as a standing Ordinance in his Church through all ages that some should be set apart for this work to open and to discover the glorious secrets of the Gospel 1 Cor. 2. 12 13. 2 Cor. 4. 2 6 7. To these the Lord Jesus Christ reveals his truth even the mysteries of it by his Spirit Eph. 3. 5. That they might Preach and open them to others This way God is pleased to work thus he taught the Eunuch by Philip Acts 8. 26. and Paul by Ananias Acts 9. 11. and Cornelius by Peter Acts 10. 5. 3. Assertion It is the
no defrauding of his Spouse no pre-mortgage to take it away If Christ's Life could not be taken from him without his consent when he was Mediatour Joh. 10. 18. Then all the Estate he hath purchased with his blood is unremoveable the Father hath given it who is greater than all and in whose hands Believers are put and their Estates secured for them All new-Covenant promises are sure as you have heard part of which is the inheritance of the Saints This Estate is sure both by donation and purchase The Father hath given Christ and all that is his to Believers Isa 55. 4. I have given him to be a witness to the people a leader and commander to the people This shews the certainty and truth of this Covenant which is confirmed in Christ whom the Father hath given and made over to Believers to be the confirmation of his promises 'T is confirm'd by purchase he hath bought and paid for 't he went and sold all to get this pearl he parted with his Life Blood Glory his All to get this Estate for Believers The Father hath received every Farthing of the money and gives him an acquittance under his hand declares before men and Angels that Christ ows him nothing for all the whole Estate he hath purchas'd for Believers Mat 3. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased O 't is a sure Estate A conveyance is made of it to Christ in the behalf of Believers Isa 49. 8. Math. 28. 18. All power is put into the hands of Christ The Deeds are drawn and interchangeably sealed between the Father and the Son that the Estate is firm and sure to all Believers Nay the seisure and delivery is given and Christ hath taken possession of it and he is entered into the Heavens in the behalf of Believers and all to make this sure O sinners will you espouse Hell and let go Jesus Christ who is Heir of Life and Glory that hath such a sure Estate for you Fourthly He hath a sutable Estate Let a man have a fair free and sure Estate yet if it be not sutable to his quality necessities and desires 't is unsatisfying But Christ's Estate is every way sutable both to himself and to his Bride He hath a large inheritance sutable for his dignity and to his Spouses quality Christ having finished his work on Earth being about to drink the last draught of the Cup he comes and treats with the Father about his receiving and 't is Glory sutable to his quality O Father glorifie thou me with thy self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was Joh. 17. 1. to ver 5. O unreasonable Souls that despise Christ O sinners had you ever such a Lover stood at your doors No nor never will have the like if you refuse this Jesus Yea 't is a sutable Estate to his Spouse too 'T is a fit joynture for the Kings Daughter sufficient to maintain her Immortality and Glory Luk. 22. 29. I appoint unto you a Kingdom Now a Kingdom is a sutable state to a Kings Daughter O Souls will you fall in Love with Christ he hath Crowns Thrones a Kingdom of Glory for you Then 't is an Estate sutable to your necessities too There 's enough in Christ to spend upon and maintain you bravely richly here and for ever O sinners will you match with Christ whatever you need is in him My God shall supply all you wants Phil. 4. 19. If a Kingdom will do it you shall not want it If a Crown of Glory will make you happy and blessed you shall not want it his Estate is fullness that filleth all in all Eph. 1. 23. O Believer it may be thou wantest Bread Cloaths Money and thou goest up and down dejected sad full of fears But hast thou espoused Christ O consider thou hast a fullness O what a vast Estate hath Jesus Christ for thee Sinners your wants are many more then you know God only knows your wants Sinners yet there 's enough in Christ's Estate and Patrimony to supply them all Then 't is sutable also to their desires Sinners desires are large O what wandring things are the desires persons may desire things to the utmost ends of the Earth which they cannot get But all that the Believer rationally desires Christ's Estate can satisfie He will fulfill the desires of them that fear him Psa 145. 19. Yea 't is above their desires Desire as much as thou canst Christ's Estate is above thy desires Pro. 3. 15. O what a treasure then is Christ it fills every chink of the Believers desires with an overplus 'T is more than can be desired Fifthly 'T is a pleasant Estate Psa 16. 6. The lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly herritage The Chaldee renders it in sweetness others delightful place A great Estate if it be not well scituated and lye not in a pleasant place is not half so contentful but Christs Estate is well scituated it hath all considerations and circumstances that may make it desirable Canaan that was a type of it is call'd the pleasant Land Jer. 3. 19. 'T is in the Original the land of desires So the Believers portion that is prepared for him by Christ 't is a Land of desires an Inheritance of beauty and Glory Christs Riches are very precious and pleasant Riches Pro. 24. 4. And by knowledge shall the Chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant Riches Rare as the word imports delighting Riches The whole possessions of Christ are pleasant the way to it is pleasant Pro. 3. 17. The borders of Christs interest are made with pleasant stones Isa 54. 12. And all thy borders of pleasant stones The first fruits of Christ's harvest is all pleasure and delight much more the lump the maintenance he allows his Children here in the way is delighting much more the Estate reserved at the Journeys end The Fruits that fall from this Tree of Life is sweet to those that sit under its shaddow Cant. 2. 3. how much more to them that climb and crop the pleasant fruits thereof Their drink is pleasant Psal 36. 8. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures And at last he brings them to his Right Hand where are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. 11. Sixthly It is a peaceful state not liable to contests and controversies as mens Estates oft-times are here A man may have a great Estate but it may be a litigious Estate It may occasion many Law Suits about it But it is not so in Christ's Estate 'T is a peaceful Estate no wars grow out of this Estate Christs Countrey is called Salem The Land of peace Psa 76. 2. And he is The King of Salem The King of peace Heb. 7. 1. His Kingdom is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. He is their peace Eph. 2. 14. In him they shall have peace Joh. 16. 33. His
His belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires His tender Bowels and boundless affections to his people are wonderfully lovely and delighting they are pure firm and fixed in their nature and they are chearing and enriching in their effects O Christs love is not fleeting 't is firm as Ivory set with gold overlaid with Saphires O how rich are his affections what a Treasure to those that have him His legs are as Pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine gold The gracious motions and efficacious workings of his Spirit are exceeding mighty and glorious full of strength He hath power to bear up all those that follow him His legs are strong he can carry his Lambs that are committed to his arms there 's no burden too heavy for Christ his loins are strong he can bear what is laid upon him the weight of all the Saints on Earth is nothing to him He can carry on all his intendments and interest in the World his legs are as Marble able to bear his Body quick in motion O what a lovely Christ is this display'd in the Gospel His countenance is as Labanon excellent as the Cedars Those discoveries the Lord Jesus Christ makes of himself in his word and works are wonderful taking exceeding enriching Christ's word is fruit fullizing O when he speaks to the hearts of his Children what a deal of vertue goes through his lips Grace is poured out of his lips Milk and hony is under his tongue His appearances carries excellency riches and glory with them His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely His discourses the openings of his mind is wonderful pleasing The word of Christ never cloys the spiritual part Thus you see what a Person Jesus Christ is O Sinners consider his beauty O how lovely an object is he what can you object against his Person why you will not espouse him Thirdly Consider his lovely dispositions O Sinners will you accept of him He is of an excellent Spirit of a very sweet nature full of grace and goodness His sweet dispositions have been largely opened already he is full of mercy and compassions meekness gentleness patience long-suffering slow to anger ready to forgive great in kindness free and bountiful of a generous Spirit true and faithful Sinners you may trust him with your secrets you may venture your Souls upon him He is harmless and inoffensive he doth wrong to no man his company is lovely and desirable His converses are pleasant and profitable O what a person is Christ O Sinners never was such a one offer'd you as Christ is why will you not come unto him Fourthly Consider his quality and high dignity he is no mean Person but a mighty Potentate 1 Tim. 6. 15. The sole and only superintendent of the whole World the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords He is not only a King but the King the only true Potentate from whom all ohters derive their glory a King not only of Men but of Saints not only of Saints but of Angels of Thrones Principalities and Powers Math. 26. 53. And can command them down now he is in Heaven for the service of his elect Heb 1. 14. Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation O Sinners shall this prevail with you to accept of him Fifthly Take notice of his potency He hath power as well as honour Math. 28. 18. All things are put under his feet Heb. 2. 8. All the Armies of Heaven and Earth are deliver'd over to him He is Lord of Hosts He hath the Keys of Heaven Death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. Who then can lock out Christ or exclude him from doing what he pleaseth seeing all things are at his beck He doth whatsoever pleaseth him in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and in all deep places Psa 135. 6. He sitteth in the Heavens and laughs the Counsels of the Potentates to scorn he makes no reckoning of their combinations but derides their ambitious attempts against him Psa 2. 4. He shall pass thorow and over-flow and break all their consederacies in pieces Isa 8. 8 9 10. Let all the subtleties of Hell be woven together to make a web to catch the interest of Christ in it shall all be as a spiders web that can soon be swept away O admire the Kingdom of Christ the glorious power of Christ nothing is too hard for him He hath an absolute unlimited and uncontroulable power He is the supream over all persons and all things in all places Lands and Countries O what power hath he not only Authority but likewise Might 2 Chro. 20. 6. In his hand there is power and might and none is able to withstand him O Sinners come away to Christ he can protect you and defend you from dangers Sixthly Observe his wisdom too this is taking with some to have a head that hath intellectuals in him and marry one that hath exquisite parts and eminency of knowledge Now all Treasures of wisdom are in him Col. 3. 3. His judgments are unsearchable and past finding out Rom. 11. 33. His judgments his acts in the World his Righteous deeds and the way he takes to accomplish his designs O how wonderful deep are they The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of Counsel and might the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Isa 11. 2. He is of quick understanding full of judgment called The wonderful Counsellour Isa 9. 6. The only wise God from whom all wisdom is fetch'd that fills Men and Angels all the World do light their Candles at his Torch He is the Sun that fills the whole Creation with beams There 's no searching of his understanding he can bring to light the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4. 5. He hath eyes can reach where men cannot he can reveal the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. O Sinners what an excellent one is Christ O how worthy of your choice Seventhly Weigh the glorious and blessed effects of your closing with the Lord Jesus Christ Sinners the very day you marry Christ he will pay all your debts and they are many he will pardon all your sins blot out all your iniquities remember them no more He will free you from all your Bondages deliver you from all your fears secure you from all your dangers if you will but espouse him O the very day you marry Christ he will wipe off all your shame and remove your reproach He will heal all your wounds and sicknesses he will begin to heal them immediately and never leave till he hath perfectly cured your Souls He will strip off all your filthy garments and cloath you with broidered rayment he will advance you to highest dignity he will lift up your heads above
your fellows He will make you Kings and Priests to God he will set you in Heavenly places he will seal your title to a Rich Joynture he will make sure your interest to all the Treasures of Heaven He will possesse you with grace and assure you of glory O sinners is not this argument enough to win your Souls and make you willing to accept of such a Majesty as Jesus Christ Eighthly Sinners think upon the greatness of that love tâ—e Lord Jesus Christ bears you He hath good-will towards Men towards sinners as sinners whiles in their blood he hath a love of pity for you 'T is true till you close with Christ he can have no love of acquiescense in you but he hath a love of good-will to your Souls he hath so much love for you as hath made him willing to shed his blood for you his love brought him down from the Fathers Glory made him willing to drink the dregs of a cup of wrath for you the love of Christ to Sinners hath set up a standing Ministery in the World sent forth multitudes to publish glad tidings O Sinners did you but believe this how attractive would it be upon your hearts to draw you to Christ But if none of these arguments will prevail let me adde one consideration more Lastly The effects of your refusing Jesus Christ will be dreadful if you will not accept of this proposal O think what a terrible answer Christ will send you Such shall not taste of his Supper Luke 14. 24. Not a crumb that fall from this Rich Table of Salvation-chear shall fall to the share of that wretched sinner If you will not have his Person you shall not have his purchase He hath sworn in his wrath these shall never enter into his Rest Heb. 3. 11. O sinner were there no other Hell but the loss of Heaven it were enough to break thy heart in pieces O think upon the sad Issue of thy final unbelief When thy sins get over thy head and thy guilt follows thee at thy heels When Death and Hell shall be at thy back and then to call and cry and knock at the door of mercy and not be heard O what a doleful thing will this be When armies of devils are round about thee ready to snatch thy Soul into everlasting burnings and none to relieve thee O fearful will the case of thy Soul be When thou shalt cry O for mercles sake Help Lord I am going to Hell for mercies sake help and then for the Ear of God to be deaf and thou not have one good word and the door be shut against thee O what a dolefull case will this be for tender mercy to cease is miserable But for mercy to become cruel to you O fearful case indeed when tender Bowels shall become Brass and Iron and there shall be no sounding at all in it towards thy Soul O sinner if thou wilt not accept of this Christ he will laugh at thy Calamity and mock when thy Fear cometh Pro. 1. 26. That 's terrible when God shall not only cease to pity but deride thy misery Be assur'd Soul as quiet as now thou art a day of Calamity will come there will come a time of Fears for thy poor Soul and then will mercy it self be turn'd into wrath and laugh at thy Calamity yet further sinner if thou wilt not accept of Christ then will incensed fury send forth its army of destroyers and ruine and cut off thy Soul for ever Mat. 22. 7. Then shalt thou be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his Power 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Then shall vengeance glut it self upon thy Soul and seize upon thee in flaming Fire O 't is a dreadful thing to lye at the mercy of vengeance O what will not enraged fury do to its adversaries when it hath them at its power But what will divine vengeance do O sinner when God shall arraign thee at the Bar of Judgment for kicking at the Bowels of mercy for Crowning the head of Christ with thorns and trampling his blood under feet what wilt thou do then O canst thou read this and not shake when thou shalt see Devils round about thee and flaming vengeance take hold of thee But thus it will be Then they that would not let Christ reign over them shall feel Devils rending of them Then they that fled from the Arms of mercy shall fall into the Jaws of fury Then they that shut their ears against the fervent wooings of Christ shall open their hearts to the fiery wrath of Christ Then they that would not get into the bosom of Christ shall lodge in the burnings of Hell Then the Furnace of Hell shall be heated seven times hotter for those whose hearts freezed under the warm beams of Christ's Love Oh dreadful will thy state be Sinner if thou refuse Christ Well sinner take the Counsel given thee kiss the Son Iest he be angry turn in turn in hither reach out thy arms come away to Christ say Lord Jesus I am willingly thine Sinners are you perswaded what answer shall we return to this Lord of Glory Will you be his Will you accept of this grace tendered to you before it breathe its last to you CHAP. XXVI Objections answered Counsels how to come to Christ I shall now endeavour to answer those Objections which are made by doubting Souls against their coming to Christ 1. Objection Says a Soul But will this blessed Potentate this glorious King of Kings stoop so low as to look upon such an obscure Creature such a worthless worm as I am Alas I am too mean to unloose the latchet of his shooes I am too unworthy to be the meanest Servant in his House To be a dog to his Flock And will he cast his skirt over me O do not flatter me into such vain hopes and fond dreams that such a King of Glory will look upon me I am too low for one aspect of his Eye Answ Abundant Testimony hath this Lord given of his condescending heart to sinners Dost thou think thou art too low for such a Majesty When he left his Fathers Kingdom and came down from his Eternal Glory with the Father he gave abundant proof of the humility of his heart when he did espouse thy nature sinner to himself and took upon him the form of a Servant he shewed his humble heart that he was far from contemning sinners He was the true Jacob who served a far harder bondage for thy Soul than ever Jacob did for his Rachâ—l this shews his humility His choosing such mean persons such notorious sinners for his companions in nearest Union and Communiwith himself Matthew the Publican Paul the Blasphemer Poor Fishermen of no regard upon Earth These did Christ personally chuse for his nearest Converses this shews his condescension And 't is not thy low state sinner can discourage Christ if thy heart be really willing His
There could be no Redemption of them that were bound an I cast by the Statute of the first Covenant but by Christs Sufferings therefore Christ did actually lay down his Life a Ransom for all his Seed 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be Sin for us By way of Stipulation and Agreement he was made a Sin-offering he did actually undergo all those Sufferings while he was on Earth which was a full sufficient equal just valuable and proportionable Satisfaction to divine Justice all that it could demand in foro judicii Justice hath nothing more to charge the Extremity and Rigour of the Law was fulfillled and whatever the Believer should have suffered in his own person was all born by Christ 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a Ransom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gomarus observes signifies an equal-price of Redemption an Eye for an Eye a Tooth for a Tooth caput capite redimo saith Arist So full is this Satisfaction made by Christ that God declares himself well pleased Math. 3 17. So great was the delight and Pleasure that God took in his Sons Satisfaction as that by an audible Voice from Heaven in the Presence of men and Angels he discharges him and gives him an Acquittance Again This Satisfaction must needs be full because upon the very Promise of this Ransom when the Conclusion was made between the Father and the Son did the Lord let his Prisoner free and give the purchased Possession to the Seed of Christ before ever Christ did fully pay the Debt as much as to say assoon as ever the Lord Jesus Christ gave Bond for the payment of this Debt the Father gives out the Fruit of it and so all the Saints that were saved before Christ came were saved by Virtue of this Promise of Christ to the Father fully to pay the Debt and the Spirits of just men were made perfect with God before Christ came into the World upon the account of this compleat Satisfaction afterwards to be made Again A Proclamation is sent out from Heaven upon the Death and Resurrection of Christ that now Peace is made for fallen man upon the terms of Sinners coming to and receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ now God would never have sent forth this Proclamation from Heaven had not the Satisfaction Christ made been compleat and full Matt. 11. 28. Come unto me whoever you be let your Burdens be never so great your Wearyness never so much your Dangers never so many come unto me and I will give you rest thus he proclaims in the great Feast Joh. 7. 27. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink be he what he will here 's enough to satiate his Soul if he comes here 's Redemption procur'd And upon this by the joynt Agreement of the Father and Son a Commission is given to a certain number of men to preach the Gospel and tender Reconciliation to lost Sinners Luke 24. 47. And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations Mark 16. 15. And he said unto them go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature O Friends These are glorious things if they be but believed Tenders of Life must be made to all the perishing World that all may know that this was a full and sufficient Ransom which Christ gave and that the Father was compleatly satisfied with it Again Upon the Fathers actual Acceptance of Christs Redemption and Mediation he doth give out begun Salvation to Believers they are admitted to the actual Enjoyment of this purchase so all Believers upon their Reception of Christ have the Spirit of Christ given them which to them is begun Salvation a Seal of Glory the first fruits of Heaven 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts Now seeing the Father upon the receiving of this Payment made by Christ delivers out Grace and therein the Begiâ—nings of Glory to all that savingly close with Christ therefore this price paid by Jesus Christ must needs be compleat and full That 's the second thing that this Mediator doth he doth actually pay down the price the Father demands and this becomes a full Satisfaction to divine Justice for every Soul that doth savingly close with Jesus Christ Thirdly Another thing the Lord Jesus Christ doth as Mediator is this By his shed blood he seals to and engages with the Father in the Behalf of Believers that they shall abide with God in his Covenant and shall no more wickedly depart from him we have shewn before that this was one of those Terms agreed upon between the Father and the Son that Jesus Christ should be the Surety of another and better Covenant and here the Lord Jesus Christ stands actually bound for the Preservation of all the Saints to Glory O if Souls had this Truth let into their Hearts it would wonderfully prevent many stumbling Blocks by reason of their Unbelief he stands bound to the Father as a Sponsor or Surety in the Behalf of Believers that he will work all in them and for them that tends to the Salvation of their Souls for in this new Covenant God doth not deal with man but by a Surety mans single Bond will never pass more in the Court of Heaven no it was broken in Adam's Fall and God made no more Covenant with man upon these Terms there must be a Surety hence he is said to be the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. So that that which is to be wrought in and by Believers the Lord Jesus Christ undertakes to do Rom. 8. 4. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us That is that Righteousness which the Law requires even a perfect Conformity to the will of God might be fully found in Christ our Head for us and in us by way of Imputation and Application through Faith by vertue of the Union between Christ and his Members all the Righteousness and Obedience which was wrought in Christ's own person as their Head Redeemer and Mediator of this new Covenant is imputed to them as their Obedience and Righteousness and accepted of God the Father as if it were done by them and so it is fulfilled in Believers so that the Lord Jesus Christ stands engaged to the Father for the Obedience of all his Seed that it shall be wrought in them and for them in Truth and Sincerity And he begins to place this inward Conformity to God in the Soul when he doth new create it in the Image of God there is something in every part and Faculty of the believing Soul that corresponds and answers to the Holiness of God though but in Part and Degrees in their Understandings something of the true Light of God in their Wills something of real
and have it more abundantly He was made Sin for them that they might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. And now he is performing this and strips the poor Soul of his filthy Garments and takes away the filth of Original and Actual Sin and comes and cloaths the Soul with Righteousness and puts his fair Ornaments upon it and makes it as a fair Jewel in the sight of God and when the Soul hath bespotted his own Garments Christ comes and cloaths him with pure Rayment So that here 's alwayes Work for Christ to do for his People whilst on Earth to apply the fruits of his Purchase Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ in pursuing his Mediatorly Work doth take upon him the Work of an Intercessor in Heaven and Advocates in the behalf of all his People He hath done all that was needful for him to do on Earth and now he is entred into the Heavens and sate down at the Right hand of God and ever lives to make Intercession for the Saints Heb. 7. 25 27. That is his Work now in Heaven to perform that part of his Priestly Office as is needful for him to do as a Mediator there CHAP. V. Wherein is opened the glorious Advocateship of Christ with the unspeakable Comforts and Advantages thereof THere are two parts of Christs Priesthood 1. His Satisfaction 2. His Intercession The first I have spoken to already and proved That the Lord Jesus by his Active and Passive Obedience hath satisfied the Law of God and made a full Atonement for the Sins of all Believers that he underwent all that they were bound to undergo and that in their Name Room and Stead for their Sakes Heb. 7. 22. Gal. 4. 4 5. Rom. 5. 19. This he did by his Active Obedience and also by his Passive Isa 53. 4. to vers 7. Gal. 3. 13 14. Joh. 1. 28 29. And by this one Offering of his hath he perfected them that are sanctified for ever Heb. 10. 14. by way of Merit that God hath no more now to charge on Believers by way of Punishment for their Sins seeing Christ hath borne it in his own Body for them on the Tree By this he hath obtained Salvation for them that 's the first part of his Priestly Work But Secondly Having dispatch'd his Expiation 't is needful that he carry on his Application of this Obedience and Suffering to them and this is done by his interceding in Heaven for them Now because so much of the Riches of Christ lies in this part of his Mediatorly Work and it is of such infinite Concernment as to the Faith Comfort and Advantage of Believers therefore I shall speak the more fully to this Subject and shall prove 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ God-Man doth now sit down at the Right Hand of God Interceding there in Heaven 2. How the Lord Christ carries on this Work of Intercession in Heaven 3. For whom he doth intercede in Heaven 4. What he doth intercede for 5. Why the Lord Jtsus Christ as a Mediator carries on this Work of Intercession 6. What are the unspeakable Comforts and Advanvantages that flow from this Intercession of Christ First Jesus Christ doth now sit down at the Right Hand of God and is entred upon the Work of Intercession There are two Arguments to prove this First The nature of the Office the Lord Jesus Christ hath undertaken now in Heaven He hath taken on him the Office of an Advocate on the behalf of his People 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is ordinarily rendred a Comforter when applied to the Holy Ghost but when spoken of Christ as Gomarus and other Learned men affirm it is taken for an Advocate or one that undertakes the Cause of another an Atturney or Officer at Law that appears in Court for one that is there concerned and accused to look after and plead his Cause He is one that is by Law deputed and set apart to that Office and so is bound to do his utmost for his Client as for himself Thus is Jesus Christ set apart and deputed by the Father to this Office of Advocate and Intercessor Joh. 6. 27. For him hath God the Father sealed That is appointed set apart and confirmed to be Mediator and High-Priest Psal 110. 4. That he might satisfie for the Sins of his People and sue out the Benefits of it for them Secondly Christs Fidelity in the Performance of this Work proves he is now in Heaven interceding He cannot be content to have a Name and no more he is faithful in things pertaining to Men. The Lord Jesus Christ did actually carry on this Work of interceding for his People before he took their Nature upon him and came into the World Isa 53. 12. He bore the Sins of many and made Intercession for the Transgressors Upon his Deputation to this Office and by vertue of the Sacrifice to be offer'd he did ever since the Fall mediate for his People and put on Bowels for them He carried them all the dayes of Old Isa 63. 9. whilst he was in Heaven ever since Adam's Fall assoon as he had any Seed on Earth Again Christ was faithful in this Work of Mediation and Intercession whilst on Earth Heb. 5. 7. Who in the dayes of his Flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears Those cries and tears he put up were for his People not for himself he needed it not He was willing to be subject to his Fathers Will to drink of the Cup the Father gave him to drink But he prayed for the conversion of those the Father had given him and prayes for the Salvation of his People Joh. 17. 19 20. Luke 22. 32. And this he doth now he is in Heaven he carries on this Work there in his Humane Nature He is entred into Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. It is a Metaphor taken from an Atturney that appears in the behalf of his Clients So Jesus Christ is at the Right hand of God making intercession by way of Office When Satan or the Law doth accuse Believers there 's Christ at the Bar ready to make answer for them to plead the Cause of his Clients and procure their Justification the Apostle makes use of Christs Intercession to this purpose Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Rom. 8. 33 34. So Heb. 6. 19 20. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the veil whither the Fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus made an High-Priest for ever By an
entrance within the veil was typified out Heaven Glory As the High-Priest entred within the veil so Christ as an High-Priest is now in Heaven to carry on Redemption-work He is there to oppose all Designs against his People and secure them against all the Impleadings of their Enemies He ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 7. 25. The word signifies to attain the Mark as an Archer doth or he that throws Darts hits the Mark so the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes so as to prevail Secondly How doth Christ intercede in Heaven Ans 1. Negatively Jesus Christ doth not intercede in Heaven Figuratively As if his Intercession were no more but the vertue of his Merit as Abel's Blood is said to speak Heb. 12. 24. But formally as one that takes upon him the Cause of his sinning suffering people Secondly he doth not intercede Charitatively by way of Courtesie and Kindness which he might do or leave undone as he pleaseth but officially by way of Office and Trust committed to him for so he is our Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. Thirdly Neither doth he intercede Precario in such an humble manner and Mode of Supplication of bowing the Knee and submissive Intreaties with Cries and Tears as the Saints do and as once he did whilst on Earth for this is inconsistent with that State of Majesty and Glory he is in at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 3. But Authoritatively by way of Right and Power as one that hath deposited a sufficient Price and now demands his Captives as one that hath made a Purchase and now requires the thing purchased as one that hath deserved what he moves for and hath Power as God to bestow Secondly Affirmatively and so First Christ's Intercession in Heaven is by his appearing there for us as our Mediator and Surety presenting his person God-man as our Agent and High-priest Heb. 9. 24. As the High-priest of old did appear in the holyest of all with the Names of the twelve Tribes on his Breast and Shoulders for a Memorial before the Lord Exod. 28. 9. to 22. to which says one the Church alludes Cant. 8. 6. Set me as a Seal on thy Heart as a a Seal upon thy Arm as a Manifestation of his Love so Christ's interceding is his appearing in the behalf of his People as their Advocate and Christ's sitting in Heaven in this Relation to his people may be calleâ— his interceding Secondly By presenting his Obedience and Sufferings before the Father on their behalf that they might have the Benefit of it and that God would in Justice communicate the Fruits of it to all his Seed 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. A type of this we might see in the High-priest's bringing the blood of the Sacrifice within the Veil and sprinkling it on the Mercy Seat Lev. 16. 11. to 17. First he killed the Sin-offering and then brought in the Blood before the Lord within the Veil without which his Act was not compleat Thus Christ first sheds his Blood on Earth for his People then enters into Heaven there to present his Blood for us Heb. 8. 4. Thirdly By declaring his Willingness that his People should have all that Mercy and Salvation which they need and that he purchases for them Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am Father I will that my Children have their due 't is true they have sinned but I have suffered they have fallen short but I have fulfilled all Righteousness thou knowest I obeyed for them and dyed for them that all which thou hast promised might be made good to them and Father I will that Justice be done for them in Heaven and I will that this and the other Mercy be given out to them here according as their Necessities and Capacities require whilst Christ was on Earth he came to do his Fathers Will and now he is in Heaven he must in all things have his own Joh. 11. 42. Thus much may be understood by the manner of Christ's Intercession in Heaven Thirdly For whom doth Jesus Christ intercede in Heaven Answ For all that come to God by him Heb. 9. 27. For all that do believe in him Joh. 17. 20. Some desponding Sinners may be ready to say alas this is not for me I am unworthy of so choice a Mercy will Christ plead for such a grace-abusing wretch as I Why Sinner if thou art one that comest over to Jesus Christ and believest on the Son thou mayest lay claim to this Advocate in Heaven and confidently expect the Benefit of his Intercession Again The Lord Christ intercedes for all his People on Earth Joh. 17. 11. And now I am no more in the World but these are in the World holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me The Saints on Earth are the Subjects for whom he intercedes particularly for his sinning people he made Intercession for the Transgressors Isa 53. 12. Some trembling Soul may say Christ's Intercession is for them that are holy but I am vile but know O Soul Christ interceeds in Heaven for his people that sin against him 1 Joh. 2. 2. Again Christ intercedes in Heaven for his weak and impotent people that are compast about with Clouds of Infirmities he hath a special Respect to these as a tender Father hath to a weak Child Christ's grace was sufficient for Paul when his own fail'd under the horrible Buffetings of Satan 2 Cor. 12. 9. Such as are weak in themselves that know not how to pray or wait upon God in any holy Duty as they should these are the Persons Christ pleads for to help them such as are ready to be overcome by Temptations Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Luke 22. 31. 32. Poor tempted Souls hurryed up and down sometimes assaulted with blasphemous Thoughts then poysoned by ugly Temptations put upon this Sin and then the other Sin every day the Devil following them with new Temptations laying in new Batteries against them Now the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God interceding for these Again Christ intercedes in Heaven for his suffering People such as are in danger of being overcome by their Enemies and have no Might and none to intercede for them Isaiah 59. 16. Sore Judgments there were upon the People of God and that justly for their Transgressions no Righteousness of their own to plead for them nothing at all that could justly intervene between Wrath and them Now in this case Christ steps in and he intercedes and brings Salvation These are the persons Christ intercedes for in Heaven Fourthly What doth the Lord Jesus intercede for in the behalf of his People First One thing he pleads for is for their Preservation in the World and from the Evil of the World Joh. 17. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but
upon a Death-Bed Ah! what are all thy Cries when God hears not Thirdly there 's sure Damnation waits for thy Soul the Devil stands by and expects the time when Christ will take his final leave of thee O Sinner if once thy time be gone and precious Overtures of Grace do cease then certain Ruine follows as sure as the Work-man's wages is due to him so will Damnation be to thy Soul that dost live and dye in thy Refusal of Christ every Soul that will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed Acts 3. 23. Psal 2. 12. Fourthly all the precious Intercessions of Jesus Christ will be turn'd against thee and this is a most doleful Consideration enough to make the hardest heart to break now while there 's hope the blood of Christ pleads Father wait a little longer for this Sinner when divine Justice says cease interceding that I may take Vengeance on this wretch no says the blood of Christ spare this Drunkard a little longer O wait one day longer one year longer for this Swearer but upon thy final Refusal of Christ the blood of Christ pleads another wâ—y Father I will the Damnation of this Sinner I will that Mercy be no more tendred to him Luke 2. 34. This Child is set for the Fall and Rising again of many in Israel Christ is for the Fall as well as the rising of many and believe it his blood hath as great a Vertue to heighen the Damnation of willful Unbelievers as ever it hath to further the Salvation of Believers and O what a dreadful thing is this when the blood of Christ shall plead against thee It may be upon thy Death-bed thou wilt cry Lord pardon me Lord let me never go to the place of Torment but the Blood of Christ will say Father damn him he made me wait many Days and Years and would not let me into his Heart Father let him perish and whom do you think the Father will hear This is one of the most trembling Considerations that I know to heighten the Wrath of Sinners that Soul must needs go deep into Hell that the Blood of Christ sends thither the blood of Christ cries for Vengeance Ah! Sinners think of it what a fearful thing it is to refuse this Mediator the Lord open your Ears and the Lord work upon your Hearts that you may turn and live while there is Hope Fourthly Hence see whence 't is that the Prayers of any are so prevailing with God what is it that makes Faith and Prayer so omnipotent 'T is the Intercession of Christ in Heaven that wings our Prayers and makes them so speedily arrive at the Mercy-seat and come off with an answer of Peace 'T is a Friend in the Court of Heaven that makes the Saints Sutes so prevailing with God Rev. 8. 3 4 5. 'T is his Incense makes way for the Prayers of the Saints and then Fire comes out of the Censer and burns up the Enemies of Christ O there 's wonderful Mightiness in the prayers of the Saints whom Christ favours with his Mediation Vse 2. Of Confutation If the Lord Jesus Christ be the Great and onely Mediator between God and Man then this will strike down that dangerous damnable Errour of the Papists Of Praying to Saints and setting up other Interceders besides Christ making Addresses to the Virgin Mary placing her in the Throne with Christ If there be but one Mediator 1 Tim. 2. 5. and one that liveth to make Intercession and that the Assurance of Salvation depends on this Intercession of Christ Heb. 7. 25. Then 't is a damnable Errour of the Papists to pray to the Virgin Mary as they do in their Missal one of which is thus O Virgin the onely chaste Mother loosing our Sins give us the Kingdom for thou art Queen of the World art able to do all things and with thy Son disposest all things Another is That God by the Prayers and Merits of the ever blessed Virgin and of all Saints would bring us to the Kingdom of Heaven Amen Nay they say That Prayers made to and delivered by the Saints are better than those by Christ So Sal. Now if Christ be the only way to the Father and Acceptance is through him alone then this is a false Way and never of Gods appointing but blasphemous Sacrilege and horrible Robbery of the very Flower of Christ's Crown Nothing plucks the Scepter out of Christ's Hand his Crown from his Head as these irreligious Opinions of the Papists If Prayer be an act of Worship Matth. 4. 10. then 't is onely due to God Indeed there 's a civil Worship due to Superiours but Religious Adoration is God's Prerogative If we must trust on him to whom we pray Rom. 10. 13 14. then we must pray to none but God in Christ for cursed is the man that trusteth in man Jer. 17. 5. He to whom we pray must be able to know our wants and our Hearts to see our Miseries and hear our Prayers Now this the Saints in Heaven cannot do Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not Isa 63. 16. 'T is Omnisciency alone can hear our Prayers and Omnipotency that can Answer them Psal 65. 2. Matth. 6. 6. 8. 32. Eccles 9. 5. Thus we may see the Heterodox Assertions of the Papists in making many Mediators Vse 3. For Reprehension to the professing People of God First To such as are no more affected with this great and glorious Privilege of having an Advocate with the Father Ah! Did Souls but know what an Ocean of Privileges and Fountain of Mercies is comprised in this one Mediator Jesus Christ it would fill their Hearts with Joy tip their Tongues with Praises and make them more glad in the Salvation of God But it may be you are more affected with your Frames fine Expressions and your own Duties than with the Pleadings of Jesus Christ This deserves a sharp Reproof 2dly Such as make little Use of the Intercession of Jesus Christ Alas how few employ Christ about their Matters in Heaven and engage him in the momentous and weighty Matters of their Souls May not Christ complain still as once on Earth Joh. 5. 40. You will not come to me that you may have Life 'T is sad indeed that the Lord Jesus Christ should enter upon so costly an Office and pay so dear for a Right to do thy Soul good and thou neglect to use him after all This is the condemnation to Unbelieving Sinners That they turn their Backs upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ Alas Soul Are not thy wants great and thy Sins many thy Provocations and abuses of Mercy daily and yet wilt thou not engage Christ for thy help to procure thy Pardon and Passage from Death to Life O how justly miserable will thy case be who might'st be happy but would'st not He is worthily miserable saith one that will not be happy for the asking Who knows but that thy hard heart might have been softened thy
filthy heart cleansed thy covetous heart spiritualized and thy captivated Soul set free from the damning Power of Sin and Satan had'st thou but improv'd a Mediator in Heaven Know Soul if ever Life and Salvation be obtained it must be by a Mediator Thirdly Here 's a Reproof to such as make Mediators of their Duties that trust their Prayers more than Christ and lay all their hopes of obtaining on the act of seeking Indeed the Promise of having is made to asking Matth. 7. 7. but not for asking Thy Matters saith Luther do not depend on the worth of thy Self or Prayer but solely on the account of Christ Joh. 14. 13. It is Prayer in his Name And therefore saith Luther Nulla Oratio extra Christum There is no Prayer at all out of Christ 'T is the Altar that sanctifies the Gift Matt. 23. 19. Our very Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. When you have done all you are unprofitable Servants Luke 17. 10. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give Glory Psal 115. 1. All acceptance with God is through Christ To trust to thy Prayers is to trample on the Blood of Christ accounting it an unholy thing and the most effectual course to provoke the Lord to a real abhorrency of thy Duties and to throw them back as Dung on thy Face CHAP. VII Shewing what Consolation flows to Believers from the Intercession of Christ IF the Lord Jesus Christ be the onely Mediator between God and Man then here 's Comfort for Believers in several Cases First To weak Believers such as need Mercy and are unable to beg it as they should Poor Soul Art thou sensible of thy urgent Necessities that thy Wants are more than can be numbred Knowest thou the Hardness Pride Filthiness and Ungratefulness of thy Heart understandest thou thy need of the Spirit of Grace and the Gifts of Grace but canst not pray for supplies so understandingly sensibly affectionately and believingly as thou oughtest and therefore fearest shalt never find an Answer or obtain any reviving comfort to thy Soul in the believing view of Christ's Intercession in Heaven Let me tell thee desponding Christian thou canst not be really poor and pray in Faith thou canst not perish for want and have a Jesus in Heaven interceding for thee Heb. 7. 25. Him the Father heareth alwayes Joh. 11. 42. If the matter depended upon thy own Oratory and Eloquence thy Case were sad but there is one in Heaven that is wise mighty merciful omniscient who minds thy case considers thy needs hears thy groans knows thy distresses and ever liveth to make Intercession for thee Object But sayes a Soul How shall I know that Christ intercedes for me who am not worthy to lye under his Table nor crawl at his Feet I fear he hath greater concernments upon his Heart than to remember me For Resolution in this look back to Chap. 4. where is shewn for whom Christ intercedes He prayes for all that believe in him Joh. 17. 15. Art thou one that believest in Christ Hast thou chosen him as thy Lord and Righteousness And is he precious to thy Soul Could'st thou be content to part with all for him Pleasures Profits and Worldly Grandeur are they nothing when they come in competition with him Canst thou not say O! None but Christ none but Christ Christ with Poverty with Disgrace with Bondage and misery is far more preferrable than Riches Repute Liberty and Mercies without him Dost thou consent to all his terms and art thou willing to take up his yoke and to learn of him to bear his Cross and follow him to leave all and come to him and that considerately and from thy whole Heart Dost thou cast and adventure thy Soul and thy All upon his Ability to save thee Believest thou all that the Scripture reporteth concerning him his Personal Excellencies and purchased Sufficiencies That he is able and willing to save all that come to God by him and will not cast out any that really come And in this hope art thou resolved to trust thy All upon him and if thou perish to perish at his Feet Then art thou that Soul for whom Christ intercedes in Heaven Luke 10. 42. Lam. 3. 24. Isa 44. 5. Esth 4. 16. Mark 9. 24. Object But I cannot pray as I ought according to the Will of God Alas how cold dead spiritless are my Prayers and will God hear me Sol. 'T is not for thy name thou art heard but for the Name of Christ as you have already heard Joh. 14. 13. Rom. 8. 26 27. We know not what to pray for as we ought Neither I Paul nor you believing Romans know how to pray as we ought If thou wantest words yet if thou hast sighs and groans thy Prayers are heard through Christ Again Thou sayest thou canst not pray according to the Will of God I Answ 1. If thy Prayers are for such things as God requires for things that concern his Glory and the good and Salvation of thy Soul and for these outward things as God sees needful for thee If thou prayest for these as God promiseth them for Spiritual blessings absolutely and for others with submission to his Wisdom and Will if thou seekest these onely in the Name of Christ and ultimately for the Glory of God with all thy Heart and with all thy Strength thou askest aright and God will grant thee Secondly God in his infinite Grace through Christ accounts those things in his People that are not as if they were Rom. 4. 17. He judges his People to be what they would be Rev. 2. 9. I know thy Works and Tribulation and Poverty but thou art rich The Lord judgeth of his People not so much by their Frames inherent Qualifications and external Performances but by their real Sincerity and unfeigned desires Psal 38. 9. Thou complainest thy Prayers be cold and dead heartless and lifeless but doth this please thee or trouble thee Is not this the burden of thy Soul that which thou mournest over prayest and strivest against Doth no Prayer content thee but what is spiritual and fervent affectionate and upright Why poor Soul chear up thy self God esteems thy Prayers such through Christ as if they were so Thirdly The Procurement of thy needed Mercies doth not depend upon thy Prayer-frames or the Modes and Measures of thy Holiness but on the Mediation of Jesus Christ Pray weigh that Scripture Joh. 14. 14 16. If you shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it And I will pray the Father Any thing that is any thing you absolutely need Any thing that is fit for you to ask and me to give I will do it He doth not say The Modes of your Prayers the measures of your Frames and Holiness shall do it but if ye ask though with broken Language and troubled Expressions Sighs and Groans I will do it You have but one Advocate with the Father I will word your Requests
God and one another Creature-affections are but streams deriv'd from this Ocean Candles lighted at this Sun We love him because he first loved us 1 John 4. 19. The ascending Love of Saints is a faint Reflection of the descending Love of Christ the same Waters that empty themselves into the Sea have their Birth from it Seventhly An active love Creature-affections are dull and sluggish and savour rankly of the Vessel they are in but Christ's are vigorous and laborious a parental Love that sets his Wisdom on designing his Faithfulness on securing and his Power on accomplishing the chiefest Concernments and highest good of his Children Lastly a fruitful Love full of good Works 't is commended love Rom. 5. 8. manifested love 1 John 4. 9. Not love in the Womb or abortive but love in the Birth I shall name some of it's Fruits to his People First the giving of himself for them Eph. 5. 25. Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. This is the highest Testimony of his Love imaginable he could not have bestowed a better thing he that gives himself gives all He gave himself to procure a purchased Treasure to enrich them to destroy the partition Wall and fill up that bottomless Gulf that lay in their way to glory he gave himself to discharge their Debts remove their Guilt justifie their Persons fulfil all Righteousness and make good the new Covenant Secondly The opening of his heart to them John 15. 14 15. I have called you Friends for all that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you O! the wonderful Love and Kindness of Christ to his People that he communicates his Secrets and opens to them the Thoughts of his Heart from all Eternity he leads them into his retired Chambers and secret Recesses and feasts them liberally with hidden Manna and excellent Discoveries of the things freely given them of God Saints cannot ascend up into Heaven and see the Length Depth Breadth and Height of those glorious things God hath prepared for them but they have the Priviledge to wade deep into sanctuary Waters and the Spirit of Grace is freely given them to reveal the Depths of divine Love Thirdly The Communication of all good things to them He will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold Psa 84. 11. Psal 34. 10. O boundless Love indeed he may bestow some sublunar Portions on his Enemies but his Children only shall have the Inheritance they shall have his Wisdom to direct them his Goodness to supply them his Power to protect them and his Spirit to instruct them Joh. 16. 13. 14. And O what a wonderful Gift is the Spirit he will shew them their Duty reprove them for their Sin answer their Doubts clear up their Way and enlighten them in their Darkness he will open their Hearts enlarge their Souls regulate their Wills illuminate their Minds and sanctifie their Persons he will communicate Counsel reveal Christ discover their Inheritance and seal them up to the day of Redemption Fourthly His minding and pursuing all their Concerns in Heaven the Business Believers have in another Country where they cannot come is very weighty they need Receptions of more Grace every day Strength against Corruption Wisdom in their Difficulties Patience in their Sufferings and Faith in their Temptations now Christ doth agitate their Cause becomes their Factor and dispatches their Work Exod. 28. 29. Heb. 7. 25. Isa 49. 15. 16. Fifthly His gracious Presence with them Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless Heb. 13. 5. Jer. 32. 40. 2 Cor. 6. 16 He may hide his face for sometime and suspend the gracious light of his Countenance he may stand behind the Wall and step behind the Curtain yet these are but momentary not continual and imaginary not real Sixthly His bearing with them and forbearing of them 1 Cor. 13. 7. Charity beareth all things it cannot easily be overloaded what gross Indignities and abusive Injuries doth Christ patiently receive from the hands of his People Amos 2. 13. Psal 95. 10. Seventhly His thinking often and well of them and his being a Friend to their Friends and an Enemy to their Enemies where a mans Affections are there will his Thoughts be also the Adulterers Thoughts are on his Uncleanness the wordly man 's on his Treasures and the Ambitious on his Honours but Christ's are on his People Isa 43. 4. They are his Hephzibah's the delight of his Soul his Jewels and Treasures Isa 62. 4. Mal. 3. 17. He esteems their Enemies as his Exod. 23. 29. and favours their Friends with peculiar Blessings Exod. 1. 20. Gen. 39. 5. Eighthly His being troubled with their Troubles and delighted with their Welfare Joh. 11. 33. 35 36. when the Lord Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead and saw Mary weeping and the Jews that were with her 't is said He groaned in Spirit and was troubled nay when he came to the place where Lazarus lay he wept whereupon the Jews said Behold how he loved him and his Heart is the same now in Heaven Isa 63. 9. True love will suffer in the Tryals of it's Friend Acts 9. 4. hence the Afflictions of Saints are call'd the Afflictions of Christ Col. 1. 24. what Hester said concerning her people may be more truly spoken by Christ Hester 8. 6. How can I endure to see the Evil that shall come upon my people He is grieved at the Evil of their Sins or Sufferings Mark 3. 5. Eph. 4. 13. and takes wonderful Pleasure in their Welfare Poov 8. 31. no tender parent can more earnestly desire the Happiness and rejoyce in the Advantages of his Children than Jesus Christ in his Psal 147. 11. If the Joy of his Ambassadors doth much depend upon the Prosperity of the Souls of their Auditors 3 Epist Joh. ver 4. Then surely himself is not altogether unconcern'd Lastly His preparing a Heaven for them John 14. 2 3. In my Fathers House are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you c. The Lord Jesus knows that his departure from the World with the sad Consequences thereof would breed great Trouble in the Hearts of his Disciples therefore labours to prevent it by telling them of the occasion of his Departure that it was for their sakes and in their business and though the World would abuse them when he was gone and cast them out of their House and Country yet he tells them he had a Father in Heaven that would receive them and he was going thither to prepare a place for them and there was store of room for them in Heaven The word translated Mansion here signifies an abiding fixed place Here you dwell in Tabernacles but in Heaven are places for you out of which you shall never be turned more Don't expect much Happiness in the World but look to Heaven for all your satisfying Comforts There 's a Rest for you after all your wearying Duties and Troubles there are
they cannot sleep through trouble he will sit up with them when they are solitary and dejected he will come and see them Fifthly His comforting them in their Troubles He is the Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort who comforteth us in all our Tribulations Consolating is an act of pity to those that are in trouble 1 Thes 3. 2. So Job's Friends when they had heard of all the Evil that was come upon him they came every one from his place to mourn with him and to comfort him Herein lies much of Christ's pity to his People he would not have them swallowed up of overmuch grief 2 Cor. 2. 7. When they are cast down he charges his Messengers to speak comfortably to them Isa 40. 2. When he brings his People into the Wilderness he will speak comfortably to them Hos 2. 14. Isa 66. 13. chap. 57. 18. This is part of Christ's Intercession in Heaven that the Father would send the Comforter to them Joh. 14. 16. And part of his last counsel that he left with them was That they would be of good cheer Joh. 16. 33. Joh. 14. 1. He began his Sermon with a Use of Comfort Let not your hearts be troubled c. and here he closeth the same with a word of Comfort And indeed the whole of Christ's Fare-wel Sermon was Consolation to his People He would not have them be in Heaviness longer than need did require 1 Pet. 1. 6. but commands them to rejoyce evermore 1 Thes 5. 16. Sixthly His counselling them in all cases wherein they stand in need of his Advice Hence they have Line upon line and Precept upon Precept that they might be wise to Salvation and therefore he is called the wonderful Counsellor Isa 9. 6. Psal 16. 7. I bless the Lord who hath given me counsel Counsel saith Ainsworth about my Sufferings and the Glory that shall follow Job 36. 8 9 10. Adversity sometimes is God's University and Schola Crucis saith Luther is Schola Lucis Mysterious Truths many times spring out of Affliction-depths Seventhly His giving to them and forgiving of them Pity hath open hands and stretcht out arms Christ hath left a large witness of his liberality 1 Tim. 6. 17. Who giveth richly all things to enjoy Men give sparingly but Christ bountifully they with straitned hearts but he with open bowels they sometimes in Reversion but he in possession And he doth not only give but forgive Mic. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquities c Exod. 34. 6. Psal 86. 5. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive Numb 14. 20. 1 Joh. 2. 1. They run into debt and he dischargeth them They do as it were write down their Iniquities and he blots them out Now Are not these admirable demonstrations of his Pity and affectionate compassions of his tender Bowels towards his People Secondly He hath infinite Pity for his Enemies Mercy and good will for Sinners Luke 6. 35. This appears First In his bearing with them and forbearing of them Rom. 9. 22. Endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction How doth the Lord suffer the vilest of men to live and that very long Lo I have come these three years looking for fruit Luke 13. 17. These forty years have I been grieved with this People Psal 95. 10. An hundred and twenty years did he bear with that high and uncurable wickedness of the first World and that after it was come to the full Gen. 6. 3. Four hundred years did God bear with the sins of the Amorites even after he had given Abraham their Land Gen. 15. 13 16. How long did the Lord bear with the Ten Tribes after their Apostasie from his pure Service even the space of two hundred and fifty years in which time there were Nineteen Kings and all wicked men walking in the steps of Jeroboam O! the slowness of God to Anger even against his Enemies that dare him to his very Face yea that trample his Glory under foot and that every day yea hour and yet God spares them to old Age many times Alas how soon are we angry at our Enemies and if but slighted a little ready with the Disciples to call for Fire from Heaven to consume those that receive us not Luke 9. 54. But the Lord Jesus is not so he waiteth that he may be gracious and his long-suffering leadeth to Salvation Secondly His maintaining of them and that sometimes at the highest rate giving them Honour and Riches Prosperity and Favour Pharoah must have a Kingdom and yet an Enemy to his People Nebuchadnezzar an Empire Ahasuerus an hundred twenty and seven Provinces Croesus vast riches and Sardanapalus delicate Pleasures All the Creatures are pressed at their Service the Air Earth and Sea are ransack't to satiate their Lusts Hos 11. 2 3 4. He feeds and cloaths helps and prospers his greatest Enemies and all to heap up Coals of Fire upon their heads Thirdly His affectionate seeking their Salvation This was his Errand into the World he came to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Lost Sinners Matth. 18. 11. Bloody Sinners Ezek. 16. 6. Blind Idolaters Acts 17. 23. Cruel Persecutors Acts 9. 4. Wicked Sorcerers Acts 8. 9. These the Lord Jesus seeks to save he sends his Gospel to invite them to come unto him Matth. 11. 28. Yea beseeches them 2 Cor. 5. 20. Makes large promises to them if they will return Isa 55. 7. Act. 3. 19. Yea how doth the Spirit strive with Sinners that they may be saved Reasons with them Why will you dye Come let us reason together Isa 1. 18. Why wilt thou not suffer me to save thy Soul and to make thee happy to all Eternity Poor Sinner I have a real mind to do thee good an affectionate kindness for thee I came from Heaven to save such as thee Behold my hands and my feet see how my heart bleeds for thee Behold how ready my purchase is yonder is thy fair Estate if thou wilt be mine Lift up thine eyes to those Mansions Crowns and Thrones all these shall then be thine See those beautiful Garments consent to me and thou shalt wear thy filthy Rags or lye in those pinching straits no longer thou shalt lodge no more in those stinking Kennels of thy Lusts O poor Sinner why wilt thou stand in thy own light and slight this offer which thou mayest never have made thee more Lo how my Bowels move towards thee see how my Arms are open'd to thee Be mine and I will be thine My Kingdom shall be thine my Friends will be thine my Servants shall be thine My Angels shall protect thee yea attend thee my Creatures shall maintain thee my Wisdom shall guide thee my Faithfulness shall keep thee my Power shall be laid out for thee my Love shall delight thee my Honour shall adorn thee and my Treasure shall enrich thee I will be a loving Husband to thee I will provide all good things for
are Sanctifyed are all of one Heb. 2. 11. Thirdly For this end he was actually designed of God and made over to his People in the Everlasting Covenant decrees purposes and determinations of God 1. Cor. 1. 30. He is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He is made of God Non in creatione sed in ordinatione saith Paraeus Not created so according to his Divine Essence as some Hereticks assert but ordained and given of God to this end to be Sanctification that is the Author of Sanctification and therefore he is said to save to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. which can never be accomplish'd without Holinesse For without holinesse no man can see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Fourthly For this work was the Lord Jesus promised by the Father to come unto Sion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Rom. 11. 26. This Scripture is quoted out of Isa 50. 10. from which the Apostle varies following the Septuagint Translation then in great use rather than the Hebr. seeing it retaines tâ—e sense though different in words In Isa 't is The Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from Transgression The Apostle saies He shall come out of Sion and turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob To reconcile which Peter Martyr thinks the Septuagint might mistake Lashub To turn for Leshabe To them that turn But this is not likely that those Learned Doctors could be so mistaken in the Original and therefore 't is a far better answer that Beza and Grynaeus do give That the Prophet speaketh of the Effect of Christs coming which is a turning away from Sin And that the Apostle speaks of the Cause of their turning from Sin which is Christs taking away of Sin for none can turn from sin till Christ do remove Sin And this is the end of his coming into the World To this end he is promised Mal. 3. 2 3. He shall sit as refiners fire and purify the Sons of Levi. The Sons of Levi are Firstly meant of the Apostles Secondly I suppose of all the Saints But so much is clear that the Lord Jesus is promised to be a refiner to his People in Gospel times and to purge away their filth and dross and to make them Holy Fifthly For this end it was the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself up to Redemption-work Eph. 5. 25 26 27. As Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might Sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the word Here we have 1. One great end of Christs Obedience and Suffering 't is to make his People Holy 2. Here 's the efficient Cause of this Holinesse that is By the Spirit of Christ The blood of Christ purges away the guilt of sin Meritoriously and the Spirit of Christ purifies the filth of sin Efficiently signifyed by Water as 't is often us'd in Scripture Joh. 4. 10. 14. Chap. 7. 38 39. 3. Here 's the instrumental cause of this Holinesse the means by which it is wrought and carryed on and that is by the word the immortal seed of the Soul This he undertook and was intended to do in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and him Isa 42. 1 2 3 4. He shall not fail till he hath set Judgment in the Earth that is Holiness for so 't is taken Joh. 16. 8. And this work is the Lord Jesus here engag'd to do Some take the word Ethmoch I uphold passively for the Fathers dependence and Christs Faithfulnesse He leans or stays upon his undertaking this work and trusts to his performance of what he undertook to do Others take it actively for the Fathers upholding and carrying Christ through this great work of Redemption and Sanctification In both senses 't is true The Lord Jesus stands engaged to carry on Redemption-work and is throughly furnished with grace to accomplish it Heb. 10. 7. Christ readily consents to the fulfilling of the Fathers will and what that was you have Isa 42. 7. To open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners out of the Prison which is meant of the work of Redemption and Regeneration and it was the will of God the Father that Christ should do this 1. Thes 4. 3. This is the will of God even your Sanctification And this he stood bound to do to promote and perfect the power of Holinesse in all his Children Now what Christ did undertake he finished Meritoriously whiles on Earth Joh. 17. 4. I have finished the work thou hast given me to do And for the application of it he is in Heaven to see it perform'd and this is the work of his Intercession Joh. 17. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth This Christ Intercedes for in Heaven and therefore 't is the fruit of his Purchase for he Intercedes for no more in Heaven than what he dyed for on Earth Sixthly His Authoritative sending the Spirit of Holinesse to his people shews his right to it by his Purchase Joh. 16. 7. I will send him to you That is after the finishing of his work and re-instalment in Glory Joh. 7. 39. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorifyed Lastly Were not holinesse purchased for saved Souls Christs Redemption-work would be imperfect neither could Souls ever answer the ends for which he dyed Without Holinesse were procured and compleated by Christ there could be no Salvation For First Man cannot Sanctify himself We are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesse as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. And who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean no not one Job 14. 4. Indeed the Scripture sometimes speaks after this manner Make you a clean heart Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart So Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make ye celan But there is Mans Duty not his power It shews the subject not the Author or this holinesse and where you find such Exhortations they are to lead men to Christ for the getting of this Holiness wrought in them as 1 Pet. 2. 4. To whom come as as to a living stone c. Secondly Without this holiness be wrought in Believers they can never be capable of answering the ends of Redemption which are First To enjoy Union and Fellowship with God Joh. 11. 52. 1 Joh. 1. 3. Heb. 8. 10. Now without Holiness no Fellowship with God 2 Cor. 6. 14 15. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. For his Person is Holy and his offerings and services are Holy Secondly To reconcile together in one all things in Heaven and Earth Col. 1. 20. But no Fellowship with Angels or Saints in Heaven without holiness for they are holy Creatures Thirdly To be brought into the nearest Union and Conformity to himself Rom. 6. 4 5. But without Holiness this cannot be Fourthly To be a Name and a praise unto God Eph. 1. 12. But without Holiness no glorifying of God Fifthly To bring Souls to the possession of the purchased
grow no nor the Winter of Temptation or divine desertion Bodies have their growing times so have Souls Believer thy growing time may be yet to come if thou art Christs Thirdly Souls may grow though slowly and invisibly to themselves and others Believers have sometimes a vail on their Eyes and cannot discern their flourishing and sometimes the smalnesse of Grace renders it indiscernable to others There may be a growing downward in Faith and Humility those radical Graces that strengthen the Souls adherence to Christ though there be no growing upwards in fruitfulnesse for Christ There is a growing in internal longings and secret desires after more of God and in higher valuations of Jesus Christ though not in such sensible enjoyments of him As the truth of Grace lies beyond the view of Men so doth many times the growth of grace to a Mans self and to others Fourthly The People of God shall at last have their growth in grace further'd by their present decays in Grace As the sicknesse of Children though it makes them languish for a time yet it helps on their growth when 't is over so the Winter season promotes the growth of Trees and herbs when the Summer comes Fourthly The Lord Jesus hath Purchased for his people Perfection in Grace also This is intended by his death that they may be made perfect in one Joh. 17. 23. This he presseth them to Mat. 5. 48. Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And what he exhorts them to he prepares and hath redeem'd them to For this end he gives them Ordinances that they may come to a perfect Man to the fulnesse of the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ Eph. 4. 12 13. Heb. 10. 14. This perfection of grace is nothing else but glory 1 Cor. 13. 10. When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away And this Christ hath purchas'd for Believers Joh. 10. 28. Quest If Christ hath Purchased perfection in Holinesse Then what 's the reason the professing people of Christ are so imperfectly Holy never a day since the Gospel of more light and lesse life of more profession and less Power of Holiness Whence comes this so Answ First These are the last daies yea the latter part of the last daies and the Iast daies are daies of great unholinesse and little grace O the Catalogue of sins the Scripture gives us that will abound at that time 2 Tim. 3. 1. In the last daies Perillous times shall come for Men shall be lovers of themselves Having a form of Godlinesse but denying the Power thereof Christ himself shews us the complexion of the last times Mat. 24. 12. Then Iniquity shall abound and the love of many wax cold The daies before the Coming of Christ to avenge his Elect are daies of little Grace When the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith on the Earth Luke 18. 8. Secondly Because of the abundance of Hypocrites that get under a profession and crowd in amongst Saints In the last times the greatest number of Men are formalists as you have heard 2. Tim. 3. 5. Half at least of Virgin Professors will at the coming of Christ be found foolish and abundance of tares among the Wheat and Goats among the Sheep will be discovered when Christ comes to Judgment and this hinders the holinesse of professours when a great number among them are rotten and Carnal unsound Persons amongst the sincere hinder their thriving in Grace by their Examples and ensnaring Company these as Gangreens do eat away all holiness and as dead bodies become contagious if the living touch the dead they are unclean Hag. 2. 13. Can a man touch Pitch and not be defiled Thirdly Because 't is the hour and power of darkness Luke 22. 53. 't is a time of great temptation to Gods people Satan is come down with great wrath Rev. 12. 12. This Chap. is contemporary with the Seals and Trumpets and gives us a repetition of the Churches State under the first and second Persecution this ver holds forth the second persecution under Antichrist when Satan is cast out of the true Church and Believers and comes down among rotten professours to stir them up to persecution and then the Devil hath great wrath especially in the latter part of his Reign when he hath but a little time then by temptation as well as persecution he labours to destroy the Saints holiness Fourthly Gods leaving his people as a punishment of former sins under present Corruptions for their humbling and driving them nearer to himself These may be some Reasons why there is so little holiness but however the time will come when Christ will make up his Jewels and set holiness in the Earth Fourthly This sanctification of Believers is part yea the choicest part of Christs purchased Treasure I have shewn before that Riches import two things 1. Some things that were of worth and value men never seek great heaps of dusâ— or straw as part of their Riches but Silver Gold and Jewels are things of account 2. Abundance and large measures of these excellent things Now sanctification is a thing of wonderful value and an unknown excellency in its nature holiness must needs be excellent because it is a sparkle of Divine Glory 't is part of the Nature and Image of God himself 2 Pet. 1. 4. 'T is the Glory of God Hab. 3. 3. When the Prophet would set forth God in his Glory he gives him the name of the holy one God came from Teman and the holy one from Mount Paran his Glory covered the Heavens The Prophet here speaks and Prophesies of the calling of the Jews by the Gospel after the Ascension of Christ in an allusion to his former giving the Law on Mount Sinai and making them his people by that Covenant So Teman is a place in Idumea Paran in Arabia between Sinai and Seir from whence God gives out his Law and shews out his Glory as you may see Deut. 33. 3. Some take Teman for Jerusalem and then the meaning is thus As God did formerly manifest his Glory by giving out his Law from Mount Sinai and his Holiness in keeping and leading his people through the Wilderness to Canaan and Jerusalem So will he in Gospel-times manifest his Glory in giving the Gospel and calling a People to himself and this Glory of his will most eminently appear in the manifestation of his Holiness So that Holiness is the Glory of God and therefore must needs be most excellent Nay Sanctification is the honour of the Creature Rev. 21. 10 11. The Glory of the latter Church is set forth by its Holiness So Sanctification and Honour are joyned together 1 Thess 4. 4. Holiness is the greatest Treasure for 't is laid up in the choicest Treasury in Heaven the place of Gods Holiness and the Habitation of the Holy Saints and Angels Isa 63. 15. Treasures are not the Possession of every one
this Covenant O what manner of Love is this if duly weighed That the Son of God should come down and be made man take upon him the form of a Servant engage to the Service of the first Covenant to make good all the violated conditions thereof by his sufferings and all the precepts thereof by his Obedience That he should be made a Curse and taste of death and all to make this Covenant sure That he should shed his blood to make firm this Covenant in all the parts of it That he should come and melt himself to death that the seal might be put upon this new Covenant O what wonderful Love is this for nothing could make it sure but the Testatours blood and that he would shed his Blood to make it sure Now then there 's no greater constraints to duty than the sense of the Love of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constrains us Arguments of Love are irresistible it silences the Believing Soul in all his resistances When Arguments fetch'd from the Law do only drive the Soul to Duty nay sometimes bind back from duty That at such a time the sense of the Love of Christ doth draw yea post the Soul away to Obedience Draw me and we will run after thee Cant. 1. 4. that is Let out the potent influences of thy sweet Love upon me and then I will hasten after thee or further my Obedience of thee Secondly Another reason for Obedience is taken from the certain blessed Ends and Fruit of new-Covenant Obedience which is no less than Eternal Life Rom. 6. 22. All the blessings of the everlasting Covenant are ensured to such Ps 103. 17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him to such as keep his Covenant to them that remember his Commandments to do them Mercies in the way mercy in the end are all ensured to them that fear him to them that Evangelically keep his Covenant Psa 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies There 's great reward in the very keeping his Commandements and reward in the latter end O what promises are entail'd to Gospel-Obedience Nay you will not only have the Fruit of your own Graces but you will have the Fruit of Christs Grace the Fruit of his Obedience and his Righteousness too Therefore O what reason have such to obey seeing the Covenant is made sure they cannot miscarry their labour shall not be lost considering the Love of God that should engage them to Obedience and the blessed Issue of it Thus much of the sixth Branch and Item of Chist's Inventory and the Riches of his Purchase CHAP. XXI The Heavenly Inheritance is the Fruit of Christ's purchase WE shall briefly add one particular more of the Purchase of Christ that is The Consummation and compleating of all the Believers happiness and comprehension of his chiefest treasure which is the purchased possession of Glory Eph. 1. 14. Vntil the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory that is unil we come to inherit this glory purchased by Christ O what a blessing is this All that have been treated of already are but little parcels of this total sum of a Believers happiness O when the whole treasury of Christ shall be opened and set forth to the view and enjoyment of saved Souls When all Christ's personal Glory as Mediator shall be discovered to them and become their Glory when all his purchased Glory for them also shall then be entred on by them all that he hath received for himself and all he hath procured for them shall all be made over to them This will be a blessed Eternity indeed when their Crowns of Massy Glory shall be set upon their heads and when they also shall be set down upon Thrones of dignity honoured with the reflections of Christs Majesty and unconceivable grandure This is a mystery indeed but a real truth to all Believers O blessed purchase indeed who can tell over this sum when the Saints shall be so enriched with the Riches of Christ cloathed with the beautiful Garments of his praise O wonderful Glory indeed Deckt with the Jewels of the Graces of his Spirit and fill'd with his holiness brim full When they shall be satiated with his pleasures but never tyred sit down at the Well head and drink full draughts of pleasure Take in their fill of the highest consolations and unknown Sweetness Love and delight from Christ O this must needs be wonderful enriching when they be ever ever ever with the Lord where no clouds can darken their sights of their blessed mansion and their blessed God where no vail can intervene between them and their Beloved Where Rust Moth Worms Time and Death can never come to wear out their enjoyments O blessed Treasure indeed Where Eternity shall be the Date Immensity the Bounds and Immutability the fixation of their happiness But so it shall be with saved Souls in Heaven when they are got through the Sea of Christ's blood to Glory O Believers Do not your hearts leap within you What no kind of affection at all to these things Is all this as a dream to you Where are your Hearts O be affected at this wonderful blessedness Christ hath procured in Heaven for you O blessed blessed Eternity where saved Souls shall wear a Crown that fadeth not away where their Garlands shall be ever fresh and green their joys ever new and their enjoyments never wearing where all their sown seed of Spiritual-Duties and Gospel-sufferings shall spring up to Glory to a full crop of blessedness to an harvest of pleasure proportionable to all the Love of God to them to the utmost measures of their Graces and acts of their Faithfulness the large extent of divine promises yea suited to the infinite deservings of Christ for his saved ones Glory as much as can be claimed This will set forth the Treasures of Christ to be boundless bottomless endless without all circumference higher then all Altitude broader than all Latitude deeper then all profunditude O treasures indeed Saints and Angels may look into them but can never see the bottom In comparison of which Riches in Heaven all the warmest Apprehensions all the sweetest tastes all the highest enjoyments of Saints here are no more than a drop to the Ocean like one ear of Corn compar'd with all the fields in the world cloath'd with fruitfulness No more then a single Dust to all the Beds of Sand in the whole Sea O what is glory Christians are these Jewels so valuable that you can bear about with you here O what a Cabinet then is Heaven O what are the Treasures laid up there O wonderful large indeed Weigh the utmost pleasures and delighting ravishing consolations that all the Believers in the World can get by this side Heaven all the graces all the Joys of all the Saints in
very Doctrine are words of peace Eph. 2. 17. He came to guide our feet into the way of peace Luke 1. 79. He came and Preached Peace O what a blessed Estate hath Christ what a lovely Lord is Christ He bequeaths peace to his people Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Joh. 14. 27. They have peace with God who Espouse this Christ Rom. 5. 1. Peace with Saints and Angels Col. 1. 20. Peace with Conscience too Phil. 4. 7. Heb. 10. 22 The Fruits of the Spirit is Peace Gal. 5. 22. His Riches have no sorrow annexed with them 7thly It is a perpetual Estate An inheritance that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 4. Christs Riches are durable Riches aged Riches strong solid Riches Opes densae that is â—ultae firmae says Mercer they are great stable Riches Pro. 8. 18. Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness His Gold is not liable to rust 'T is said of the Cedar worms will not breed in it sure there 's no worm in Christ's Treasure O Souls 't is a lasting Estate That neither time nor changes can wast nor weaken All the Saints spending upon it to all Eternity never detracts from it Christs Treasures are like the deep waters or like the bottomless Ocean that cannot be exhausted his treasure will last as long as God the Soul and Eternity lasts which is for ever for ever for ever Some men have out-liv'd their Leases and their Estates and have seen an end of their Houses and Riches but the Spouse of Christ can never out-live her jointure it lasts to all Eternity Lastly 'T is a possest estate Some may have great estates but it is in reversion they may look long for it as some Heirs do all their days But Christs Estate is all in his own hand 't is actually made over to him by the Father and possession given him when he sate down at the Right hand of God Heb. 1 3. He hath actually obtained this Inheritance with the Fruits of it Heb. 1. 4. And is actually invested with this glory Heb. 2. 7. This sinners is the Estate of that Beloved that is tendered to you in the Gospel for your choice he is very wealthy he hath a fair free sure sutable pleasant peaceful perpetual possession an Estate you cannot spend or comprehend an Inheritance you cannot lose or out-â—ive riches that will not cloy nor clog yâ—u a portion that cannot be out-vy'd or match'd Come view the Rentals of his Lands the Inventory of his Goods and see what a rich match Christ is there 's none like him where can you mend your penny-worths all the world no nor the Heaven of Heavens can yield you such another bargain Job 28. ver 13. c. Man knoweth not the price thereof the gold and the Chrystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine gold c. Then Jesus Christ is worth a looking after if he be so rich as the Scripture reports him to be and I presume you question not the truth of this testimony O slight not this bargain which will make you happy to all Eternity if wealth will please you here 's enough what say you Have you any objection against his estate If not what stick you at Secondly Dost thou dislike his person Then it argues thou knowest him not for he is altogether Lovely the chiefest of ten thousands The fairest of the Children of Men O come behold the Lamb of God Look upon this glorious Jehovah Christ O see his Personal Excellency and it will allure you and invite you to come to him he is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1. 3. Sinners look well upon him view him from top to toe there is no blemish in him O he is the most exquisite one his perfections are enough to please you his beauty sufficient to allure you See his excellent lineaments the sweet proportion of every part O how lovely is Christ to the believing eye in regard of his Person Consider his Natures God Man sweetly concentring in an intimate and Eternal Union perfect God perfect Man in one person O where can you espy such an object sure he is a Non-such none like him in Heaven none like him on Earth in regard of his Personal Glory as Mediatour God Man look over his Characters that his friends have given him See in that Book of Cant. Chap. 5. How the Spouse displays him and you will find him a beautiful Person ver 11. to the end His head is as the most fine gold His Wisdom and Government is most pure solid and excellent His locks are bushy and black as a Raven Which notes not only his love liness but his strength and vigour he hath his radical moysture his vital heat He is strong his vigour abides with him he hath strength sufficient for all his undertakings and he is able to go through what he sets his hand unto he is strong vigorous and spritely His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the Rivers of Waters washed with Milk and fitly set His sight is quick and perfect his understanding is infinite His Counsels are holy and consistent all well set his decrees his purposes all methodically ordered and fixed His looks are gracious his aspects lovely enamouring the eyes of them that behold him O such a lovely Christ is tendred to Sinners O I know not how to set him forth to your capacities he is a most taking object indeed His face is white and ruddy Emblems of Rich Beauty captivating the eyes and ravishing the hearts of beholders The purity of the divine nature with the passions of the humane and procurements of his Redemption sets him forth as infinitely amiable in the eyes of Believers His cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers His graces and choice discoveries of his Excellencies doth wonderfully feed and delight the Souls of those that have acquaintance and fellowship with him his sweet and lovely perfections discover'd to Believers are like a rich feast that stay with them His lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe The impartings of his wisdom the droppings of his Doctrine his gracious words his Holy Communications are savoury and sound pure and incorruptible they strengthen the heart and heal the Soul of those that imbrace him His Doctrine carries wonderful strength to those that are in weakness how do the words of grace revive the fainting hearts of Believers his wayes are strength to the upright like Myrrhe they make the heart sound His hands are as gold rings set with the Beryl His works and administrations in the World are full of order beauty and excellency All that he doth in Sion and out of Sion is all holy every providence that seems to us sometimes to be unseasonable is in infinte wisdom display'd by Jesus Christ for the good of his people
World O unexcusable Like Dinah they wander after the things of this World as she did after the people of the Land till they deflower their Souls O Christians have you chosen God and will you back to the World again Hath God deliver'd you from this present World and will you yield up your selves to it again Hath grace opened your Prison Doors and will you enter in again Have you tasted God to be gracious and yet long after the worldlings bottle to drink of these Waters of Marah O unreasonable Souls How unsutable is this to your state and condition if you are Saints indeed you are not of this World Joh. 15. 19. Are you the Citizens of Heaven Eph. 2. 19. And would Saints and Angels so dig after the World if they come down from Heaven 'T is contrary to your promises and engagements You go against your convictions and experiences and by your inordinate love to and pursuit of the World you are Enemies to God your own and others Souls Fourthly This reproves those of the People of God who have an interest in these vast Treasures of Christ and yet are miserably poor in their own Souls Many complain Times be hard Estates wast Trades decay but the greatest Poverty lies in Spirituals Faith Love Humility selfe denyal Mortifiedness to the World persons are destitute of these things chiefly little grace laid out little grace laid up Few workings of Spirit in duty and few works of grace in Mens lives this argues wonderful Poverty in mens Souls 'T is not Poverty in Spirit but poverty in Spirituals Professours are so guilty of this day few acts of Piety towards God few works of charity towards Men How lean and ilfavoured are most under the Gospel Many are learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth a strange vail lyes yet upon the minds of many Little right-kind of knowledge few know the meaning of the Spirit few are led into the mysteries of the Gospel Others profess themselves wise and to know God but by works deny him and their Poverty lies here They are ful of notions but empty of holiness Earthly and vain in their Spirit Most mens Religion this day lies in the head little-heart-godliness little life-holiness Little love to God and Saints Little fruits brought forth for God this shews the Poverty of the times we live in Again the difficultness of maintaining Spiritual life hard to get to a life of faith and love hard to keep up hope this comes from Soul Poverty Hard for Persons to live from one Ordinance to another Spiritual life decays wasts languishes 't is with too many Professours as it is with ancient weak Persons that are grown so cold Nature so decay'd that they can hardly keep themselves warm longer then by the fire So t is with many Christians no longer then under a warming Sermon but cold presently nay 't is not ordinary Sermons will heat them The richest feedings the choicest Cordials scarce keep up faith love and delight in God one moment and are not these poor men Corruptions grow a light vain Eearthy frothy Spirit abounds but meekness savouriness humility gravity livelyness decays Little strength for duty hard to hear pray or to manage one duty aright little Spirit and Truth in most duties and services Unable to conflict with temtations corruptions oppositions Hard to live up to light convictions resolutions How do Souls make shipwrack of faith and conscience How easily are they overcome by their hearts lust pride passion Earthyness presently carries them aside Unable to bear the least sufferings The very shaking of the rod will drive some from duty Persons cannot yet digest difficulties and endurings for the Gospels sake How soon are many worn out by the afflictions and persecutions of this day This deserves sharp reproof Lastly It reproves those who partake of those riches of Christ and yet are reserved to others O how unlike are these to Christ He opens his Treasures to you but you shut yours from others he hands out his bounty to you but you shut your eyes from others His streams make glad the City of God your narrow heartedness makes sad the Sons of men His bowels are enlarged yours sttaitned Milk and Honey are under his tongue emptiness and vanity under yours his steps drop fatness your hands cause leanness O Christians see your unsutableness to Christ and be ashamed of your straitned bowels and shut hands towards your poor Brethren whether as to outward or spiritual supplies How few are the better for you in soul or body whose lips bless God for your bounty Deut. 14. 13. A close-handed Professor is a Paradox in nature and differs from God and the whole Creation The Lord is good and doth good Jesus Christ ascended on high and gives gifts to men Eph. 4. 8. He is always doing good The Sun diffuseth freely of his light and heat The clouds drop fatness The Earth brings forth her increase the Trees yield their fruit and when fit for the use of man lets them fall into their bosomes the air communicates its refreshing the fire its heat the Sea its store only man is selfish and with the unprofitable Servant hides his talent in a Napkin Christians be humbled for your non-conformity to Christ and the little use you have made of your Talents and graces for the good of those you live with Note That this use of Reprehension was more fully and largely compos'd by the Author but the substance of it is contain'd in that excellent Treatise of the Author call'd The Heavenly Trade to which the Reader is refer'd Third Vse of Consolation If there be such unsearchable riches in Câ—rist for his people Then here 's wonderful Comfort to those that are in Christ such have cause to rejoyce and be exceeding glad For First In your interest in Christ lies your right to all those great and glorious treasures of Christ He that hath Christ all that is Christ's is his All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 21. Such are Joynt-Heirs with Christ put down in the same everlasting Covenant adopted to the same inheritance Rom. 8. 27. They have a Title to all that Christ hath as Mediatour and that by donation and purchase A title that cannot be forfeited nor wasted A Title to the whole inheritance of God Ah Believer if Christ be thine then 't is no presumtion to lay claim to any thing that is his All that have been treated of him as God-Man Mediatour his glorious endowments his personal dispositions and excellent perfections are all thine 1 Cor. 1. 30. Is not this comfort indeed to believers that have such a Beloved in Heaven that is altogether lovely 'T is wonderful reviving when a Person can see some excellency he is related to beyond what is in himself What comfort will a Mother take in a beautiful Child though her self be deformed What delight will the faithful Wife take in
of his Soul the Jewels of his Crown the Inhabitants of his glorious Presence to all Eternity that he should account such spotty Worms as you worthy of his Love his Blood and his Mediation deserving his Bosom his Kingdom and his Throne O what strange astonishing Grace is this and will you prefer Creatures and place Relations in your Bosom and let Christ lye out of door O unworthy act indeed Surely he deserves your highest Estimation O prize Christ prize Christ value him First Above all things in Heaven and Earth count nothing like him much less above him set him in the uppermost Seat enthrone him in your Heart Let him ride in that Chariot of yours that is pav'd with Love Esteem his Person above all Persons his Purchase above all Purchase his Love above all Affections his help above all Assistance Value him above Father Mother Husband Wife Friends Pleasures Credit Riches or whatever is dearest to you Say as Moses did Who is like to thee Exod. 15. 11. Thy Name alone is excellent thy Glory above the Heavens Esteem his Precepts above all the Commands of men His Promises his Priviledges his Comforts his Ordinances his People above all Christ in conjunction with other things accounts himself slighted He must be Aut Caesar aut nullus Secondly Prize Christ in all in all Persons and things make him the Standard to measure the worth of all created Beings by Reckon things as they carry Christ in them when Satan or Corruption tempt you to a high esteem of any Ask them as Christ did whose Superscription and Image they bear Matth. 22. 20. As the Talent of the Temple was of greatest value so let thy Account be of those things that have the Temple stamp upon them in a Sacred Reflection of Jesus Christ Reckon not much of any thing that hath not Aliquid Christi something of Christ in it Thirdly Prize Christ at all times not only by fits and starts not when he brings thee Loaves and loads thee with his Favours onely but also when he hides his Face and holds his Hand when he seems to take no notice of thee Let Christ be thy Sun in the Day-time let him be thy Diamond in the Night when all other Lights are gone and shadows of Darkness are over thee let him be alwayes uppermost in thy Account Think meanly of him at no time let him lye between thy Breasts to satiate thee at all times Cant. 1. 13. 3. Duty Thirdly Believers Have all your expectations from Christ Psal 62. 5. My Soul waiteth only upon God for my expectation is from him If the Lord Jesus be so rich then he is able to maintain you and supply all your wants There 's Bread enough in his house to feed you Light enough in him to guide you Comfort enough to cheer you Blood enough to pardon you Righteousness enough to justifie you Grace enough to sanctifie you Strength enough to bear and support you Treasures enough to satisfie and requite you Hence 't is he calls his People to look to him and be saved Isa 45. 22. And on this Belief the Saints resolved to wait and look for him Isa 8. 17. O Christians expect all you need from Christ His sufficiency to help you and his willingness to supply you are Arguments enough for your Expectation why should you look to Creatures more than to the Creator to the Clay more than to the Potter to broken Pits more than to the Fountain to the Physician more than unto God Is there not a God in Israel why then are your eyes Christians after empty Cisterns and things that cannot profit you Have you chosen Christ to be your Rock your Fountain Life Sufficiency and Fulness to fill all in all and yet run to other things for your Relief as if he were not able to supply you O Souls fasten your eyes on Christ expect all you want from him as the impotent man did on John and Peter Acts 3. 5. Look not so much on Creatures and Relations Friends Riches and Wisdom c. lest you be ashamed but wait for the Vision for it will speak Hab. 2. 3. Expect all you need from Christ for the expectation of the poor shall not perish 4. Duty Fourthly Be contented with Christ alone whatever is wanting and truly 't is strange indeed that an infinite Portion cannot satisfie a finite Being and a whole Ocean fill a little Vessel Believer Thou hast the person of Christ who is the wonder of Angels the Satisfaction and the Heaven of glorified Saints the desire of all Nations the longed-for Joy of all that truly know and tast him and will not this content you Paul could leave all the World to go after Christ and art not thou satisfyed with Christ without the World This saith Agnes the Roman Martyr Even this is he I now confess that I do love I will make haste to meet him The naked presence of Christ hath been a Heaven to suffering Saints under the want of all things I have found a nest of Honey saith Algerius in the Entrals of a Lyon in a deep dark Dungeon I have found a paradise of Pleasure c. And if some glimpses of the presence some Illapses of the love of Christ were enough to these Sufferers in the want of all things O unreasonable Soul that thou shouldest complain and be dissatisfyed who hast an Interest in Christ and so much of other things too O Christian If Christ be thine let it content thee for all is thine his Heart is upon thee and will not that content thee He loves thee more than all the World he will not leave thee and will not this please thee Heb. 13. 5. He will care for thee 1 Pet. 5. 7. Thou shalt want no good thing he will make up the want of creatures with himself he will sweeten bitter cups 't is but a little while and he will take thee to himself where Wants Sufferings Shame Reproaches Griefs and Sin shall trouble thee no more O then be satisfyed with a single Christ in Heaven he must be thy alone Happiness there 's no House Land Husband Wife Parent Children to make up thy Fullness and Blessedness there God will be all in all and is not this God in Christ enough now 5 Duty Fifthly Take up your Delights in this rich and glorious Christ he is the Treasure and his should be the heart also Math. 6. 21. There is all that in Christ which thy Heart can desire stretch thy Longings to the utmost and he is infinitely beyond them and if he deserves to be the object of thy Desires then of thy Delight for what is Delight but Desire in Fruition He is the only adequate object of Delight other things are unsutable to a spiritual Heart and cannot please empty and cannot satisfie fading and cannot last cloying and soon become burdensome but God in Christ is an eternal Excellency those things that seem most delectable in Creatures are but