my God why hast thou forsaken me He was deprived of the sense and comfort of his Fathers love Secondly Christ suffered natural death his humane soul was truly separated from his body Now Christ having satisfied that Law In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death by suffering the penalty of that Law hath fully delivered his people from the curse Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us A Learned man observes Because according to the sentence of the Divine Judgment in that day Adam fell and sinned humane nature ought to have been punished with eternal perdition therefore the Son of God offered himself to assume humane nature and afterwards did assume it that so man might not dye the death And the same Learned man hath another expression to the same purpose Because humane nature was depraved and lost so that it became the body of sin and death therefore the Son of God in lieu thereof was pleased in the humane nature assumed to condemn sin and abolish death and in his own person restore humane nature to righteousness life and happiness Christ having dyed for sin once dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 10. Our nature as it is in Christ it is above death and the fear of death O let us think of these things these things are the most solid grounds of comfort Our nature in Christ is above death and the fear of death it is possessed of life and immortality and brought to perfect happiness Hence is that expression 2 Tim. 1.10 Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Christ hath already brought life and immortality into our nature Christ doth already stand possessed of immortality in his own person And this is the singular comfort of Believers that they may see a part of their own nature set above sorrow misery and death and brought to the greatest happiness they can wish or long for and that they may be assured they shall be possessed of the same happiness in their measure which Christ their Head is possessed of This Christ assures them of Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given them Christ had glory with the Father from Eternity as he was his natural and coessential Son this he speaks of vers 5. Glorifie me with thy self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Now besides this there is a glory which is given to him the glory which thou gavest me I have given them Christ had a glory given to him as man and Mediator Now the glory which was given to Christ as man and Head of the Church is given to the Elect so that all the Elect do participate and share in it in their measure The glory which thou hast given me I have given them Calvin observes upon that Text The Samplar or pattern of perfect happiness is so exprest and set forth in Christ that nothing is confined to Christ only but Christ was therefore inriched that he might inrich Believers the glory which thou hast given me I have given them Christ and his Members share in glory in common only reserving the difference between Head and Members Christ hath the glory of the Head Believers have glory as Members Christs glorification is the surest pledge of our glorification for how is it possible that he who is our Head and is now in glory with the Father should leave us to those miseries we are now obnoxious to whenas we are so nearly related to him we being members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit The Church being so nearly related to Christ and Christ being in glory how is it possible Christ should leave them under those miseries they are now subject unto 17. The greatness of Christs love in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation all the Elect shall have a standing Monument before their eyes wherein they may see and behold the infiniteness and transcendency of the love of God to all Eternity And the reason of this Proposition is this Because the Hypostatical or personal Union shall not be dissolved in Heaven the humane nature shall remain and abide united to the Divinity to all Eternity As in Heaven we shall be admitted to the sight of God we shall see the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity we shall see the Unity of the Essence and the three persons Father Son and Spirit subsisting in this one Essence of God so in Heaven we shall see the great Mystery of the personal Union the Mystery of the two Natures in the person of Christ more than now we can And this will be one part of the happiness of Heaven that we shall see our nature united to the Divinity in the person of the Son of God and by this means we shall come to understand the greatness of the love of God by seeing how near our nature is taken unto God in the person of our Head The Hypostatical or personal Union is the foundation of the mystical Union viz. of our union and communion with God God hath taken a part of our nature into personal union with himself and by means of this we have union and communion with him Now in Heaven we shall have a clear sight what that glory is which Christ our Head is advanced unto by the personal union And this I take to be carried in that great Text Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The happiness of Heaven will be to gaze upon the glory of Christ as a Learned Divine expresseth it That they may behold my glory as if so be this would be Heaven enough for the Elect to see the glory their Head is possessed of And what glory is this That they may behold my glory certainly the glory of his Divinity Christ had glory with the Father before the foundation of the world Joh. 17.5 He was in the form of God saith the Apostle now all the Elect shall see and behold his glory that is they shall see the glory of his Divinity and how so They shall see and behold the glory of his Divinity shining forth through his humanity The humane nature is united to the Divinity in the person of the Son now the Elect in Heaven shall see that person who hath assumed their nature to be true God and to have all the glory of the Divinity in him As the second person in Trinity is true God and hath all the glory of the Divinity in him so the Elect in Heaven shall see the humane nature united to the Divinity in the person of the Son Therefore is it added in the close of the verse For
nature to lay down his life and dye for our sins Certainly he that believes this will find no reason to doubt of the love of God If God sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins if he had no other end in sending of him and if the Son of God did freely lay down his life for us then there is no reason that we should retain suspicious and jealous thoughts of the Father or the Son We know and believe the love that God hath to us How so Because God hath sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins If we can realize the sufferings of Christ to our minds by the eye of faith this will confirm our souls in the love of God towards us 2. Another effect of our studying the love of Christ in his sufferings for us is This will be a means to beget much love in us to Christ What more powerful argument to inflame our love to Christ than to consider what Christ hath done and suffered for us Can we behold the Son of God the second Person in Trinity God equal with the Father Emmanuel God with us God come down into our nature can we behold this great and excellent Person giving himself to suffer and dye for us taking the whole curse and punishment upon himself that we deserve and not love this person who hath so loved us and hath done and suffered such things for us The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains us The love of Christ that is Christs love to us the apprehension of Christs love to us constrains us why so Because saith the Apostle we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead If Christ had not dyed we must all have dyed If Christ had not suffered the wrath of God we must have suffered it to Eternity If Christ had not been deserted we must have been deserted If he had not undergone dereliction and the hiding of Gods face the face of God must have been turned away from us for ever If Christ had not conflicted with the Divine displeasure we must have conflicted with the wrath of God for ever If Christ had not been cast into that Agony wherein he sweat drops of blood we must have been cast into those inexpressible horrours and torments of soul and body which would have pressed us down to all Eternity The deep and serious consideration of these things cannot but constrain us to love Christ The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle because we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead The consideration of this That Christ hath freed us from that by his death which otherwise we must necessarily have undergone must needs be a strong ingagement upon us to love Christ We love him because he first loved us Learn how great the sin and ingratitude of the world is in slighting and abusing all this love Vse 2 and also how just that revenge is which God takes upon the world for slighting and abusing all this love If the love of Christ be so eminently seen in his suffering and dying for sinful men for the sinful world then how great is the sin and ingratitude of the world in slighting and abusing all this love God hath sent his Son from Heaven to save the world he hath sent his Son from Heaven to dye for the world but all this love is little thought of little regarded or esteemed by the generality of men this is the cause of the Lords great indignation against the world The world is guilty of many other sins it is guilty of great immoralities and many abominations in point of practice and these may have their influence and no doubt have as to the bringing down Gods displeasure upon the sinful world but that which is the fundamental sin the root sin of all it is the contempt of Christ and the Gospel the slighting and rejecting Gospel-love Gospel-grace This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light And we may say This is the condemnation that love is come into the world that the Son of God who is love it self the Son of God who hath all the love of the Father in him and God is love that he is come into the nature of man and hath dyed for men that they might be saved and this is not at all regarded by them When all this love of his hath been published and made known to men the generality of men have taken no notice of Christ and his love so they may have their honours pleasures and profits take Christ and his grace who will for them for this so great contempt of Christ and his grace when God hath offered his love and the grace of his Gospel to the world and men have slighted it taken no notice of it hath God come to revenge himself upon the ingrateful world and I speak it with a bleeding heart I fear will yet revenge it more sorely The end of the sixteenth Sermon SERMON XVII Job 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come now to other Particulars that set forth the greatness of Christs suffering for us 5. The greatness of Christs love in laying down his life for us appears in this That there was no one else that could have satisfied for us If men or Angels had attempted this work their sufferings had been but the sufferings of finite creatures there would not have been infinite worth and value in them to have satisfied for the sins of the whole world The expiation of sin requires a price of infinite value and the reason is because every sin is committed against an infinite Majesty an infinite Majesty being offended there must be a price of infinite value to expiate the offence Now whoever had been but a meer man could not have offered a price of infinite value but Christs sufferings were of infinite value because he was God as well as man and this is that which enhanceth the price of Christs love that none else could have suffered for us but Christ so as to have satisfied Gods Justice this Christ himself sets before us Isa 63.3 I have trod the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me So vers 5. I looked and there was none to help and I wondered there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation This commends the greatness of Christs love in his sufferings That when none was able to suffer for us so as to satisfie Gods Justice Christ undertook the work The sixth Consideration is The greatness of Christs love in his sufferings appears in this That so great and excellent a person should come to suffer for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us that is that he who was the Son of God and God that
death and suffering in those words Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Though Christ did discover the verity and truth of humane nature in him by those expressions yet his will was not absolutely bent and set against suffering and that appears from hence That knowing it to be his Fathers will that he should suffer he did readily and presently comply with the will of his Father but when he saith Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me he shews that the verity and truth of our nature was in him that the inclination of nature was not to suffer he shewed this that humane nature as humane nature had no delight in suffering But now seeing it was his Fathers will that he should suffer he puts off nature as it were lays aside the inclinations of it and saith Not my will but thy will be done His Father willing suffering he wills it too not as I will but as thou wilt as much as if he should say If thou wilt have me suffer I am willing I am content to suffer Christ therefore as man willed his own sufferings but still as I said at first his humane will was governed by his Divine will so that it was the Divine will that willed his sufferings primarily and the humane will was carried out by the Divine will to will them in conformity thereunto 2. It was the Divine nature in Christ that did permit the humane nature to suffer If the Divinity had exerted it self and put forth its power and efficacy it could and would have prevented all suffering and death in the humane nature No man saith our Saviour takes my life from me I lay it down of my self Joh. 10.18 Had not Christ freely and voluntarily laid down his own life no man could have taken away his life from him And hence is it that the Ancients do often use this expression That in the Sufferings and Passion of Christ the Divinity in Christ aid rest that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it did not put forth its virtue for if the Divinity which was personally united to the humane nature had exerted its virtue it had certainly prevented all sufferings in the Humanity therefore the Divinity did suspend its influence that so the humane nature might be in a capacity to suffer The Divine nature did not put forth its strength and efficacy to restrain the sufferings of the humane nature And this shews the love of Christ that the Divine nature suspended its influence that so the humane nature might be in a capacity to suffer 3. It was the Divine nature that did strengthen and uphold the humane nature in suffering so great was the burden of our sins and Gods wrath that was due to us for them that it was enough to have sunk a meer creature if there had not been infinite and almighty power to support it Now the Humanity of Christ considered in it self being but a creature could not of it self have stood under the weight and burden of our sins and Divine wrath therefore was it supported by the infinite and almighty power of the Deity therefore is it said That Christ by the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 By the eternal Spirit that is Christ was supported by the power of the Deity in offering himself as a Sacrifice for our sins The second Consideration is this The Word the second Person in Trinity was united to the flesh when the flesh suffered the union between the two natures in Christ was not dissolved but it continued firm and inviolable in the time of Christs suffering Verbo inviolabili non sepâ—rato à carne passibili Hence is that of Leo The inviolable Word was not separated from his passible flesh therefore is it that our Saviour calls it his flesh his body The bread which I will give you is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Joh. 6.5 So in the words of the Sacrament This is my body which is broken for you the flesh that was given upon the Cross was his flesh the flesh of the Word his own proper flesh not another mans but the flesh of the Word the flesh of him that came down from Heaven I am the bread that came down from heaven and the bread which I will give is my flesh so likewise it is said This is my body Hence is that expression of Athanasius Caro illa trat corpus Dei. That flesh which suffered was the body of God not that God hath a body but thus we must understand it God was personally present with personally united to that body that suffered Another of the Ancients hath this passage Dominus gloriae erat in corpore quod crucifigebatur Epiphan The Lord of Glory was in that body which was crucified which was struck through which did suffer that body of his being no other but the Temple of the Word the Temple of the Son of God it was full of the Deity And hence was it saith he that the Sun beholding its Maker in the assumed body withdrew its rays and was covered with darkness So we read that in the time of our Saviours Passion there was a darkness over all the earth from the sixth hour to the ninth hour O what an astonishing Mystery is this How great a spectacle must this needs be to the holy Angels to see the Son of God and God that person whom they were wont to worship and adore in Heaven personally united to that flesh which was now hanging on the Cross and suffering in that flesh which he had assumed If this must needs be matter of wonder and astonishment to the Angels well may it be to us This is one of the things the Apostle speaks of when he speaks of the great Mystery of Godliness Without controversie saith he great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conspectus ab Angelis seen or beheld of Angels He appeared to the Angels How did he appear to them He appeared to them in such a way he never appeared before God was seen of Angels in mans nature he appeared to the Angels in humane nature this was such a sight as the Angels never saw before they never saw God in mans nature before the Son of God was incarnate therefore the Angels were struck with admiration at the novelty and excellency of this sight to see God made visible in flesh And as this was matter of great admiration to the Angels to see God come down into our nature so it ought to be to us and certainly as it was matter of wonder to the Angels to see God incarnate so it was matter of greater wonder to them to see God suffering and dying in the nature of man for man Vse 1 Learn to admire the infinite love of the Father and of the Son 1. Admire the
personal subsistence in the Godhead his taking our nature the Vnion of the two Natures the Nature of God and the nature of man in that one person of Christ his Passion his Resurrection his Ascension into Heaven his sitting at the right hand of God in our nature all these are wonders Now his love is the root and foundation of all and runs through all whatsoever respects us whatsoever Christ is whatsoever Christ doth with relation to us his love is the root of all and runs through all his love runs through his Incarnation Passion Resurrection Ascension and sitting at the Fathers right hand It was out of love to us he took up our nature subjected himself to the Law dyed in our nature rose again in it carried our nature into Heaven and wears it there and will wear it to all Eternity I say his love is the root of all this My desire is to speak a little of this infinite Love of Christ The Apostle intimates in the Text that it is a great duty incumbent on us to take in as much as possibly we can of this infinite and incomprehensible love of Christ That ye may comprehend with all Saints what are the heights c. Here it may be inquired what is this expression added with all Saints I conceive it is to shew us two things First That Grace in the hearts of the Saints doth naturally put them upon this study It is the natural tendency of the Spirit of Saints as they are Saints to study and take in as much of the love of Christ as is possible That ye may comprehend with all Saints as much as if he should say This is that which all Saints are pressing after and aspiring unto they all desire to know more and more of the love of Christ Secondly This expression is added to shew that it is the great duty of all the Saints to make the Love of Christ their great study That ye may comprehend with all Saints as much as if he should say It is your duty and the duty of all the Saints to study the dimensions of Christs love What will Heaven be but a clear and perfect knowledge of the love of God in Christ Then shall we know and understand perfectly what the purpose of the Father was to communicate himself to the Elect by the Son and so shall we be filled with the fulness of God as the expression is here in this Text and elsewhere it is said God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Not that we shall be able in Heaven it self to comprehend and take in the whole of this love for our understanding being finite cannot fully comprehend the infinite love of God but the souls of the Elect shall then be brim-full of it they shall take in as much of this love as they are able to contain Now there is something of this love may be understood and taken in here on earth for the Apostle is speaking of something that may be taken in here on earth when he saith that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth and breadth and length of the love of Christ as much as if he should say This is that knowledge that the Saints ought to be pressing after here on earth all Saints ought to aim and level at this mark The more we know and understand of this love of Christ the more will our hearts be ravished with it and the more shall we be over-powered and swallowed up in the admiration of it for we love him because he first loved us Amor est qui amatur It is love it self that is that which we love it is Gods love to us made known to us in and by his Son that must draw our hearts to love him The great end why God chuseth his people is that they should be holy and unblameable before him in love Eph. 1.4 Now this being the great end of God to bring us to love him the more we come to know and understand his infinite love to us the more will our love be perfected towards him There are two things that lye in the words of the Text. 1. Here is a Supposition The Supposition is that the love of Christ is exceeding great and carries all dimensions in it That ye may comprehend what is the height and the depth and the breadth and length of the love of Christ The Apostle supposeth this that there are heights and depths and breadths and lengths in the love of Christ 2. We have in the Text the Apostles prayer for the Saints upon this supposition and that is that the love of Christ being so great they may know understand and comprehend it more and more There are two Observations or Doctrines that do naturally arise from the words of the Text. Doct. 1 That the Love of Christ is infinite and surpassing great and such a love as carries all manner of dimensions in it there are heights and depths and breadths and lengths in Christs Love Doct. 2 That it ought to be the endeavour of all the Saints to know understand comprehend and take in more and more of this infinite and surpassing love of Christ I shall begin to speak to the first Observation which is That the Love of Christ is infinite and surpassing great Doct. 1 and such a love as carries all manner of dimensions in it there are heights and depths breadths and lengths in the Love of Christ Here there are two things I shall treat of 1. Shew what the Love of Christ is 2. Shew how the greatness infiniteness and surpassingness of this Love may be a little described and set forth to us 1. We must open the Nature of Christs Love in the general To understand this there is a threefold Love we may distinguish of 1. There is a love of Benevolence or good-will 2. There is the love of Beneficence 3. There is the love of Complacency 1. There is the love of Benevolence or good-will and this is nothing else but an intention purpose or decree of doing good to another 2. There is the love of Beneficence and this is that love whereby a man doth not only will good to another but doth actually confer and bestow some good upon him and this is not so properly love as the effect of love 3. There is the love of Complacency and that is when a man takes delight and pleasure in that good which is in another According to this threefold distinction we may a little conceive of the Love of Christ 1. There is the love of Benevolence or good-will in Christ This is such a love whereby a man wills good to another purposes and intends to bestow good upon him This love was in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ had a purpose and intention from Eternity to bestow grace and glory upon his people To understand which we must know that all the works of the Trinity which do respect
yet thus we ought to conceive of it God being love love being his very nature and essence God loves the creatures freely indeed but yet he loves according to the condecency or becomingness of his own goodness What so proper to Love as to love God is love Bonum est sui ipsius diffusivum and therefore he loveth us The more good any thing is the more diffusive it is of it self God is good by nature and essence there is no one good but God Mat. 19.17 Creatures are good by participation but they are not originally essentially good but the Essence of God is goodness therefore God being goodness it self it is most agreeable to his nature to impart and communicate good to the creature 3. The third Consideration The love that is in the Godhead or Divine nature in Christ is the cause of all the love that is to be found in his humane nature The humane nature indeed is the glass in which the perfections of the Divine nature do shine forth but the Godhead is the source and spring of all Gods love is most visible to us in the effects of it that God should be incarnate and become man that the Law should be fulfilled for us that the pains and torments of Hell should be suffered and undergone for us that our nature should be carried into Heaven and filled with glory there these are the effects of Divine love and these effects of love are made visible and conspicuous in the humane nature but the Divine nature is the principal Efficient in all these For mark it it is the Divine nature in the person of the Son which sanctifies the humanity and assumes it into unity of person that carries forth the humanity as to all actions and sufferings so that if these be demonstrations of the highest love for God to dwell in our nature to see the Law fulfilled for us to see the torments and pains of Hell undergone for us to see Divine Justice satisfied for us we ought to behold and contemplate the love of the Divine nature as the first root of these things for it is the Divine nature that is the principal efficient cause of all God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. 1 Joh. 3.16 There was the love of the humanity which did concur in Christs laying down his life for us That the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment even so I do Joh. 14.31 Christ as man loved the Father and having received a commandment from the Father he laid down his life for the sheep He was willing even as man out of love to the Father and to the sheep to lay down his life but notwithstanding this the love that was in his Divine nature was the principal therefore doth John say Hereby we perceive the love of God that he laid down his life for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Therefore we ought not to terminate our thoughts or to stick meerly in the consideration of the actions and sufferings of Christ-man but we ought to contemplate the love of the Divine nature in all these things for it was the Godhead was the primary and principal cause Habuit rationem causae minùs principalis ministrae and the humane nature is to be considered as the less principal cause and as the servant to the Divinity So that whatsoever is sweet or amiable in Christ as man consider all his actions and sufferings in the humane nature and whatsoever may make him amiable in that respect we ought to look to the Divine nature as the principal cause and to the humanity as acted by the Divinity the humanity is the Organ of the Divinity in all these things Thus have we passed over the second Consideration there are heights and lengths and depths and breadths in the love of Christ if we consider the love of Christ distinctly as it is to be found in both his natures in his Divine and humane nature 3. I proceed in the third place to speak something of the effects of Christs love As the love of Christ hath heights depths lengths and breadths and all manner of dimensions in it if we consider it in the properties of it and as it is to be found in both his natures so it hath the same dimensions in it if we consider the effects of his love The effects of Christs love are most admirable 1. The first effect of Christs love is his Incarnation O that God would give us an heart to listen to the great Mysteries of God that are contained herein as the weight of these things requires that the Word should be made flesh that God should assume a part of humane nature and become true man here are heights breadths lengths Opus mirabile opus singulare inter omnia super omnia opera sua and depths of love indeed Bernard calls the Incarnation of Christ a wonderful work a singular work among all the rest of Gods works yea above all the rest of his other works The work of Incarnation is the greatest of all the works of God it is a greater work than the creation of Heaven and Earth for God to make all creatures out of nothing this is a work suitable to the Majesty of God but for God to come into the nature of his own creature after he hath made it this is more wonderful Quid potentius quà m conjungere Creatorem creaturam Creator ac Dominus omnium unus voluit esse mortalium qui manens in forma Dei fecit hominem idem in formaservi factus est homo Leo. Non miror miracula mundi miror Deum in utero Virginis What greater Argument of power than to joyn the Creator and the creature in one Phil. 2.7 8. Made in the likeness of men and found in fashion as a man They are melting expressions to any one that weighs them and considers what the meaning of them is For the God of Heaven to be made in the likeness of men and to be found in fashion as a man this will overcome and swallow him up that understands a little what the meaning of that is Heb. 4.15 This work of Christs Incarnation is a stupendious work the greatest work that ever was done the greatest that ever shall be done The glorification of all the Saints in Heaven is not so much as this for the Godhead to dwell personally in our nature This was that made Cyprian to say I do not wonder at the other miracles that are in the world I wonder at this that God should be in the womb of a Virgin that God who is incorporeal should cover himself with the covering of our flesh that he who is invisible should after a sort make himself visible that he who is the immortal God should become a mortal man that he who is infinite and uncircumscribed should take to himself a finite nature these
how is it that men entertain these offers of grace and good things made to them in Christ read vers 5. They made light of it and went their ways one 18 his farm another to his merchandise O but mark the issue how doth God take this flighting of his grace rejecting of his Son and despising of the marriage-feast read vers 7. When the King heard of this he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murtherers and burnt up their city This was the revenge which God took for his despised and rejected grace He sent the Armies of the Romans burnt up Jerusalem destroyed the Nation of the Jews to whom Christ and the Gospel was first sent That the Son of God who was God blessed for ever should come from Heaven in person that he should take to himself the nature of man and do and suffer such things for man in the nature of man and yet be contemned and rejected by men this makes the sin of men very great In Joh. 6.51 our Saviour tells us That he was the living bread that came down from heaven and the bread which he would give was his flesh which he would give for the life of the world I am the living bread which came down from heaven The Son of God who was life happiness salvation and all good things came down into our nature assumed a part of our flesh and gave that flesh for the life of the world Now when the Son of God himself so great a person and all his sufferings shall be contemned and despised this must needs be great sin This is more fully explained to us in another Scripture Heb. 10.26 27 28 29 30. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace for we know him that said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompense saith the Lord. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God The scope of the Apostle is to shew how severely God punisheth the contemners and despisers of Gospel-grace The sin of such who contemn the Gospel and reject the grace of it consists in this That they neglect and contemn the great Sacrifice that was offered for sin that is plainly implied in that expression when it is said There remains no more sacrifice for sin If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin It is as much as if the Apostle had said There was a sacrifice for sin there was a sacrifice appointed there was a means to pacifie and atone God namely the death of his Son But they that neglect and reject the grace of the Gospel they contemn this sacrifice this great and only sacrifice they contemn the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ by which they might have peace with God Now let us consider what is the sentence that is passed upon such What is like to become of such who thus contemn the Gospel and despise the grace of it who contemn the great and only sacrifice That which is reserved for such is this It is judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary 1. Consider God accounts such adversaries as persist and continue in sin after the offer and tender of grace to them God would be reconciled to men but they will not be reconciled to him therefore they are adversaries they continue in open hostility against God 2. There is judgment reserved for such a certain and fearful looking for of judgment God will judge them according to their deserts he will execute judgment upon them according to their demerit and that we may fully understand this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls it fiery indignation Beza renders it Heat of fire as much as if it had been said The hottest of Gods wrath is reserved for such and shall fall upon such as contemn and reject the Gospel And then the Apostle goes on to confirm this in vers 28 29. He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who tramples under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace The force of his argument comes to this He that transgressed the Law of Moses was punished he therefore that despiseth the Gospel shall be much more punished He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy Why doth the Apostle call it Moses Law That which was called Moses Law was indeed the Law of God Moses was only the Minister to whom and by whom it was delivered but the Law was God's But Moses is set here in opposition to Christ Moses was a Minister and Servant only but Christ was more than a Minister and a Servant Christ was the Son of God therefore doth the Apostle say Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who trod under foot the Son of God Here lies the force of the argument If God did not suffer the transgressours of the Law which was published by Moses a Minister and Servant to go unpunished much less will he suffer the rejection of the Gospel which was published by his own Son that came out of his bosom to go unpunished The Law came by Mases but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 But this is not all the Doctrine of the Gospel hath not only a more excellent Publisher than the Law which is the Son of God whereas Moses was a Minister and Servant only but there is something more in it the matter published and the great object of saith propounded in the Gospel is the Son of God himself that expression Who hath trampled under foot the Son of God doth not only intimate that Christ the Son of God is the Publisher of the Gospel but it also intimates the great sin of them who reject the Gospel in that they reject so excellent a Person as the Son of God is who is the subject matter of the Gospel Compare this with other Scriptures Rom. 1.3 Separate unto the Gospel of God concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The great thing which the Gospel reveals is the Son of God 2
of the wrath of God And the wine press was trodden without the city and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs It is observable these two Angels which come out with their sickles to reap down the world with great Judgments come not until after the Promulgation of the Gospel which was made to the world by the three Angels which we read of in the beginning of this Chapter When God had sent the Gospel to the world and offered reformation to it and the world did not obey the Gospel nor embrace the reformation offered to it then God sent these two Angels to reap down the world with his Judgments Cluverus in Apocalyp It is the opinion of a Learned man that this Prophecy concerns the times of Reformation when light had been offered to the world and the world grew wicked after light and reformation was offered to it Now that which is observable in the second Angels Commission is That he should thrust in his sickle and gather the cluster of the vine of the earth And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth Now this expression of the Vine when it is taken mystically doth usually in Scripture signifie the Church of God Jer. 2.21 I have planted thee a choice vine And so in that passage of the Psalmist Behold and visit this thy vine The Church is compared to a Vine frequently in Scripture Now the Angel is commanded to gather the vine of the earth so that the Judgment here Spoken of is such a Judgment as did concern the Church at least the people that do profess themselves to be the Church The Reformed Churches which were planted at the first as a choice Vine with purity of Doctrine and more integrity of manners being degenerated from their first purity and bringing forth wild grapes of corrupt Doctrine and evil manners God sends his Angel with his sickle to cut down the cluster of this Vine And that which doth confirm this interpretation is this That the wine press is to be trodden without the City the City in the Revelations is Babylon the Mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth Now the wine-press was trodden without the City and blood came out of the wine-press even to the horses bridles So that the Judgment here spoken of doth not reach Babylon Rome which is mystical Babylon God hath his time when he will visit her he hath reserved a more fore Judgment for her but the Judgment that is here spoken of is a Judgment that reaches the Protestant Churches they are the Vine of the Earth the true Church by profession but not living up to their profession God punisheth them for their sinful and profane lives and the Judgment which God executes upon these is no small Judgment We read here of blood coming out to the horses bridles Which notes the copiousness and abundance of bloodshed which shall be at the time of the pouring out of this Judgment The Lord grant that we may not see this Scripture more and more verified I have been apt to think that the destruction which the Sword hath already made hath been in part a fulfilling of this Scripture and O that we could say that the force of this Prophecy and the strength of that Judgment which flows from it were already spent and exhausted but may not we yet fear that this Prophecy may bring forth more wrath and judgment upon us than yet we have seen If any thing prevent the farther effusion of blood which we read of here in this Scripture and that great wrath here threatened it must be humble hearty affectionate crys to Heaven faith in the blood of Christ with the through reformation of our lives for otherwise there seems to be great wrath determined against us therefore let us make this use of it to cry heartily to God let us endeavour to stand between the living and the dead to divert if it be possible that wrath which yet hangs over our heads The end of the fifteenth Sermon SERMON XVI Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THere have been two Observations that have been propounded out of this Verse The first was Doct. 1 That our Lord Jesus Christ hath laid down his life for his people The second was Doct. 2 That the love of Christ in laying down his life for us was the highest expression or demonstration of his love Greater love than this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends Under the former Point I have had occasion to open the nature of Christs sufferings and to unfold as I was able the great Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction that which I am now to do in this latter Point is to shew the greatness of the love of Christ in his suffering and in the work of his Satisfaction for here lies the stress of the Text to shew that the love of Christ was eminently displayed in the work of his Satisfaction Greater love than this saith our Saviour hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends Christs laying down his life for us was the most eminent expression of his love to us The Scripture when it speaks of the love of Christ it speaks of the heights and depths lengths and breadths of the love of Christ Now there are five things especially wherein these heights and depths and lengths and breadths of Christs love are eminently to be seen and they are 1. His Incarnation 2. His subjection to the Law 3. The work of his Satisfaction 4. The work of his Intercession 5. His Headship Now having already spoken of the Love of Christ in his Incarnation and also of the Love of Christ in his being made under the Law I come to shew how the love of Christ doth manifest it self and is to be seen in the work of his Satisfaction It is very observable that the Scripture when it speaks of the love of Christ lays the stress here it sets before us the love of Christ in his sufferings making the sufferings of Christ to be the great instance of Christs love to us Eph. 5.2 Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour So at the 25. verse of that Chapter Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Christ giving himself for the Church that is giving himself to suffer for it this was the great instance of his love Gal. 2.20 Who hath loved me and given himself for me Rev. 1.5 To him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 2 Cor. 5.12 The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead 1 Joh. 4.16 Hereby perceive we
great thing for God to become man but it was a greater thing for that person who was God to put himself into the nature of man to dye for man Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Christ is said to come down from Heaven by his Incarnation when the Son of God took our nature into unity of person with himself this was his coming down from Heaven Now that the Word as he is called Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word that the Word the second Person in Trinity should not only assume flesh but give that flesh for the life of the world this was the highest demonstration of love Hence is that expression of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby preceive we the love of God that he lay down his life for us As if he should say This is the most illustrious and glorious manifestation of the love of God to us that that Person who was God laid down his life for us He that was God by nature took up the humanity in a voluntary way of condescension and having voluntarily taken up our nature voluntarily laid down the life of his humanity for us It was not possible for him to lay down the life of his Divinity but that Person who was God took up the humane nature and in that nature laid down the life of his humanity for us This is that which sets forth the greatness of Christs love that he should lay down his life for us What more contrary or unsuitable to the Nature of God than sin suffering and death and yet Christ who was God as well as man God and man in one person although he had no sin of his own no sin inherent in him yet was he content to be accounted a sinner He was numbered among the transgressors as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. yea He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ also who was above suffering and death exposed himself to suffering and death for us He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Thus was the Son of God pleased out of the greatness of his love to us to put himself as it were out of Heaven into Hell and to descend from the height and top of happiness to the lowest degree of misery and abasement He humbled himself saith the Apostle and became obedient to the death even the death of the cross This Doctrine of the Cross is the greatest stumbling-block and offence to carnal reason to hear of a crucified God to hear that he that was to be the Saviour of the world should suffer and dye this is that which carnal reason cannot away with 1 Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness A crucified Saviour was the great stumbling-block to the world and yet that which was accounted foolishness by the men of the world was the Wisdom of God to save the world by it This I say was the lowest degree of Christs humiliation or exinanition that the Lord of glory should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes this is commonly expressed in that Article of our Faith That Christ descended into Hell When we say that Christ descended into Hell we are not to understand any local descension as if Christ did descend into the place of the Damned thus indeed Bellarmine and some others have understood that Article of a local descension but by Christs descending into Hell we are to understand the lowest degree of his humiliation his descending into a state of mortality and death first being content to put himself into a passible and mortal state who himself had been impassible and immortal and then actually undergoing suffering and death for us Eph. 4.9 That he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth What are those lower parts of the earth into which Christ descended Compare it with Acts 2.27 Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell that is thou shalt not leave it in the grave So that Christs descending into the lowest parts of the earth is his descending into the grave Christ indeed suffered the pains of Hell but we do not read he descended into Hell locally and Christ suffered the pains of Hell in this life as I had occasion to shew heretofore But his soul did not locally descend into Hell no his soul was taken into Paradise This day saith Christ to the repenting Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be with me that is as a Learned man understands it thy humane soul shall be with my humane soul in Paradise Christ as to the presence of his Divinity is every where therefore when he speaks of his being in Paradise this is most properly to be understood of his humane soul that his humane soul was to be in Paradise Christs descending into Hell therefore notes his descending into the state of the dead which was the completion of all his sufferings and the lowest state of his humiliation 2. The love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction appears in this That we were the offending persons and Christ a person most innocent It was we that had done the wrong and injury unto God and yet Christ who had not committed the least offence was content to suffer for us Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all So in vers 9 10. He had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence also is that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered for sin the just for the unjust Christ who was a just and an innocent person gave himself to suffer for us who were the unjust and nocent persons yea which is much more admirable Christ who was one of the persons offended unto whom the wrong and injury was done he comes to suffer and bear the punishment for them that had committed the offence The injured person is content to bear the punishment for them who had done him the wrong and injury Sin is an offence against all the Persons of the Trinity for as all the Persons of the Trinity have but one Essence one Majesty one and the same Will so sin strikes at all the Persons and is an offence against all because it is one and the same common Divinity that is offended in all and yet the Son of God who is one of the Persons of the Trinity and had received wrong and injury from men by reason of their sins was pleased to take upon him the nature of man and to bear the punishment which man had deserved for his offence against himself as well as against the other Persons Hence is it said
sufferings without this we have no life in us Let us therefore take heed how we have slight thoughts of the sufferings of Christ this is to slight them when we do not study the virtue of these sufferings when we do not see our need of them and do not apply our selves to them that we may be saved by them 4. Then are the sufferings of Christ contemned when we come unworthily to the Lords Table The Sacrament of the Supper it is the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ when therefore we rush upon the Sacrament in a rude manner we do in an eminent way contemn the sufferings of Christ The Supper of the Lord is called a shewing forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come This phrase of shewing forth the Lords death implies three things in it 1. It implies the inward assent of the mind that we do indeed with our hearts and minds believe that Christ did dye and suffer such things for us as we read of in the Gospel 2. This phrase of shewing forth the Lords death implies the profession and confession of our faith before the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we owne it and profess it before the world that we believe such and such things concerning Christ 3. It implies our faith in our our reliance upon the death and sufferings of Christ for salvation that is our expectation of salvation by the death of Christ and by that means only All this I take to be implied in this phrase of shewing forth the death of Christ the Sacrament therefore being a shewing forth of Christs death when we come to the Sacrament we have to do with the death and sufferings of Christ in a peculiar manner if therefore we rush upon that Ordinance in a rude or unworthy manner we must of necessity contemn the sufferings of Christ because the Sacrament is the special and peculiar Ordinance that is appointed to represent to us the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus and that this is one way of contemning Christs sufferings the Apostle is exceeding clear and plain 1 Cor. 11.27 Whosoever shall eat and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. As much as if he should say Every unworthy Communicant every unworthy receiver at the Lords Table is guilty of no small sin he is guilty of the very body and blood of Christ that is he is as one that hath imbrued his hands in Christs blood he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The Ancients expound it to this sense Every unworthy receiver and Communicant that comes in a rude manner to the Lords Supper is like Judas that betrayed Christ like the Jews that buffeted and spit upon him like to Pilate that condemned him and like the Souldiers that crucified him these dealt unworthily with the body of Christ and so doth every unworthy Communicant deal unworthily with the body of Christ The others indeed abused and dealt unworthily with his natural body but every unworthy Communicant deals unworthily with his sacramental body and the sin of the one is so much the greater than the sin of the other because many of them that had a hand in the crucifixion of the body of our Saviour looked upon him as an ordinary man they did not look upon him as the Son of God Hence doth the Apostle say If they had known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But now rude Christians who rush irreverently upon this Ordinance do profess they believe him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the world and yet offer indignity to him They therefore that come unworthily to the Lords Table do in an eminent manner contemn the sufferings of Christ But here it may be useful for us to inquire What is it to come unworthily Who are they that come unworthily Whosoever shall eat this bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily 1 Cor. 11.29 The Greek word as Peter Martyr observes Indecenter parùm congruè minùs apposité signifies in this place as much as indecently not congruously not in that fit manner as he ought to do he eats and drinks unworthily that comes in an indecent manner without due preparation to this Ordinance I shall more particularly shew what this unworthy receiving is in two or three things 1. Then do we come unworthily to the Sacrament when we have not a due reverence of those great and sublime Mysteries that are set before us in the Sacrament Whoever shall drink this cup of the Lord saith the Apostle this Cup of the Lord here is an accent that it is the Lords bread the Lords cup the bread that we partake of in the Sacrament is the Lords bread and the cup that we drink of in the Sacrament is the Lords cup. Some may say so is all our bread the bread that we live upon daily is the Lords bread and the cup we drink of daily is the Lords cup it is he that spreads our tables for us and causeth our cups to run over But we must consider that the bread here spoken of the sacramental Bread and the sacramental Cup are called the Lords bread and the Lords cup in a peculiar manner it is that bread that is instituted to signifie and represent the Lords body and it is that cup that is instituted to represent the Lords blood therefore when we look upon the sacramental bread as common ordinary bread when we drink of the sacramental wine as common ordinary wine this is a prophanation of this Ordinance We ought to be sensible of the Mystery that is in this Ordinance namely that the Lords body and his blood are represented to us by the outward signs The ancient Church were wont to call the Mysteries represented to us in the Sacrament tremendous Mysteries O here are tremendous Mysteries indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we rightly consider what they are that are set before us in the Sacrament to see the incorporeal God assuming a humane body to see God personally inhabit in that flesh that suffered and offering that very body of his in which he was crucified dyed rose again and ascended into Heaven to be the food of our souls these are wonderful Mysteries indeed and yet these are the Mysteries that are represented to us in the Sacrament in the Sacrament we see the Son of God and God to have assumed a part of our flesh and then offering himself up in that flesh a Sacrifice for our sins and as we see the Son of God first giving himself for us upon the Cross so in the Sacrament we see him giving himself to us Here lyes the mystery of the Sacrament In the Sacrament we do not only see Christ giving himself for us but we also see
by the eye of faith see and behold what it was that the Son of God suffered in our nature for us There may we see him suffering dereliction undergoing the deprivation of the sense and comfort of Gods love there may we see him bear the whole Curse suffering the wrath of God yea the very pains and torments of Hell for us We ought to contemplate these things and by faith to realize the sufferings of Christ and the greatness of his love to us in his sufferings We ought not to look upon the sufferings of Christ as a story but to see what he suffered was for our sakes and out of love to us and the desire of our salvation Now the more we meditate upon the sufferings of Christ there are two things that will follow thereupon 1. The more we meditate upon the sufferings of Christ the more shall we understand what those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of the love of Christ are which the Apostle speaks of The Apostle speaks of infinite dimensions in the love of Christ and the more we study the sufferings of Christ the more shall we see what those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of Christs love are O what immense love was this that the Son of God should come from Heaven to Earth to suffer and dye for men God might have glorified himself although man had never been saved A manifest proof of this we have in the Angels the Angels that fell were never recovered out of their sin and misery and yet God is glorified upon them and if fallen man had never been recovered God might have glorified himself upon men in their condemnation and destruction as he is now glorifying himself upon the fallen Angels Now this was the abundant love of God to man that God did not only will mans salvation but that so great a person as the Son of God and God should come from Heaven to Earth to save and dye for man O let us stand and wonder at this love the more we soak our hearts in the meditation of these things that the Son of God and God should come into the nature of man for this very end to suffer such things for man that man might be saved the more shall we be taken up in the admiration of this love 2. The more we meditate on Christs sufferings and of the end which Christ had in his sufferings that he suffered such and such things for us the more shall we be confirmed in the belief and assurance of our own salvation Christ did not suffer in vain he did not shed his blood in vain If Christ did indeed suffer the pains of Hell that is a certain sign that God hath no mind that such as believe in Christ shall suffer those pains The sufferings of Christ are a clear miroir to shew us what we are delivered from What Christ hath suffered we shall not suffer for God will not punish sin twice If God hath inflicted the full punishment of our sins upon the person of our Head he will not lay the punishment of sin upon us too God indeed may correct his children in a way of fatherly discipline but he will not lay the punishment of sin upon them in a way of vindictive Justice and the reason is because God hath already punished their sins in the person of their Head Christ their Head and Surety hath born the full punishment of their sins for them This is the force of the Apostles argument Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed As much as if he had said If Christ hath dyed we shall not dey if we be Believers who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed that is if Christ hath dyed we shall not dye eternally if the Law hath had its full power and strength upon Christ if the Law hath put Christ to death if it hath executed the Curse upon Christ to the uttermost then it hath no more to execute upon a Believer as a part of the Curse for Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Therefore the consideration of what Christ hath suffered for us may be as food to our faith Hath Christ indeed suffered such things as we have heard of in the Doctrine of Satisfaction then we shall never suffer them Hath Christ suffered dereliction hath he been forsaken of God and that as our Surety then will God never forsake us for ever God may hide his face from us for a moment but he will not forsake us for ever Hath Christ born the wrath of God then shall we never bear it O when-ever the sense of guilt and the fear of Gods wrath oppress our consciences and lye heavy upon us the best course we can take is to dip our consciences in the wounds and blood of Christ as Luther's expression is and the realizing by faith what Christ hath suffered will be the best balm to cure a wounded conscience for if the sufferings of Christ were real then first there is real satisfaction made and if there was real satisfaction made then is God really pacified and really atoned and if God be really satisfied why then should we doubt and call in question his love any more Only our great concernment is to secure our part in Christ and to secure our interest in his sufferings till Christ himself be ours we can lay no claim to the benefits of his sufferings 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life We must first have the Son himself before we can have life by the Son Our first work therefore is to make sure our interest in the Son himself Let me now in a few words close up the whole Doctrine concerning the Sufferings of Christ and the work of his Satisfaction We have heard much concerning the preciousness of Christs sufferings and that ample and full satisfaction that he hath made by his sufferings All that we have heard concerning the sufferings of Christ and the work of his satisfaction will signifie nothing to us will nothing at all avail us as to our salvation unless we get an interest in that great and blessed Person who hath done and suffered all these things That which must make the sufferings of Christ and his satisfaction available unto us is to know that Christ hath suffered as our Head that he hath suffered in our room and in our stead Now we cannot know that Christ hath suffered as our Head and as our Representative unless we first chuse him for our Head and pitch our faith upon his Person It is the Person of the Son of God who hath done and suffered all that in our nature which is necessary to be done and suffered for our salvation therefore as ever we expect benefit by what Christ hath done and suffered in our nature we must first direct the eye of our faith to that great person who hath taken up our nature and done and suffered such things in it Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life We must first by the eye of faith see that great Person the Son of God come down into our nature and doing and suffering such things in it for the accomplishment of our salvation and then we must close with this Person and embrace him with both the arms of our faith It is the Election of Christs Person that gives us union with him Now we having chosen Christ to be our Head we ought to contemplate what was done by him in our nature and to have all our expectation of salvation from what was wrought by him in it thus shall we have communion in the obedience death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ and what Christ our Head hath done and suffered in our nature he dwelling in our hearts by faith shall be accounted as if we had done it The end of the twentieth Sermon FINIS
EMMANVEL OR THE LOVE of CHRIST Explicated and Applied in his INCARNATION Being made under the LAW AND HIS SATISFACTION IN XXX Sermons Preached by JOHN ROW Minister of God's Word AND Published by SAMUEL LEE LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton Book-seller at the Three Daggers near the Inner Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet 1680. TO THE PIOUS READER THIS Treatise here presented to thine eyes first sounded in the ears of a gracious Society by that Gospel-Trumpet Mr. John Row It was a Darling-child brought forth from a judicious head and a sanctified heart The Ancients compared John to the Eagle in the Vision of Cherubims because soaring high in the contemplation of our Lords Divinity Our John as if he had lain in the bosom of that John who lay in the bosom of our Saviour hath sweetly attempted to descant upon the Song of Angels about the Vnion of Heaven and Earth God and man together Luk. 2.10 The heavenly Host answered in a heavenly Anthem to that single Angel who brought the good Tydings of great joy for all people to the Shepherds of Bethlehem and behold here one of the Shepherds of Zion sings his Epiphonema to theirs Glory to God in the highest Indeed the union of two Natures in one Person and of three Persons in one Essence are Mysteries unaccountable by Angels but the joy of its influence shall never forsake the Harps of Angels or Saints to all Eternity None but who is assumed into that glorious Vnion can exhaust the Treasury of Divine Wisdom Rev. 5.5 John the beloved Disciple could not unloose the seven Seals of these Mysteries but must weep at the foot of the Lamb to do it Yet what is to be believed admired adored may and ought to be the subject of our most profound Meditations and delight What God hath revealed let none presume to count impertinent to dive into though they can feel no bottom they will find more amiable Gemms than Pearl and Coral adhering to the sides of the adamantine Rocks in this unfathomable Abyss True none can fully explain this Vnion but he that injoys it To delineate some glittering rays that stream from it requires deep communion with the person in union We are not able to conjecture what pleasures flow in upon the palates of Angels as they stand drinking of the beams of the Divine Essence neither can they transfuse or pour out those Paradise-rivers into our broken cisterns How far this holy man hath added to the point I rather leave to the Candidates of these Mysteries than determine Each may see deeper into their own Notions than others and it is far easier to conceive than express and yet there is infinitely more left for all Ages in the remainder of the Spirit than ever was uttered or can be thought of Yet I think with respect had to others he hath rendred some things more intelligible and many things more applicable and useful to common capacities The Cherubims that stood looking down upon the crowned Mercy-seat might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 25.11 1 Pet. 1.12 but could not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might gaze upon it but not through it It was not transparent Gold like the streets of Jerusalem Rev. 21.21 but too thick a plate of Ophir for an Angels eye to pierce They may pry into the state of Saints in Glory but not the contrivance of Grace to bring Saints thither Much less can man and man fallen receive or sustain wings strong enough to fly into the depth of this amazing Firmament What God bath made on the back-side of the exteriour Heavens hath a terminating bound because a Creature though it pose Astronomy it self to measure and square the Circle of the Heavens so what God hath written is infinitely true though our finite and crooked thoughts can never unfold or draw a parallel what Scripture reveals though it do not fully unveil it is our duty both to study and embrace Divine love say the Platonists made the Vniverse and therefore more capacious and were it not more comprehensive than all created love it would never take a Saint He finds a bottom in all created joy and not like the Sea the fresher at the bottom but sometimes more salt and bitter but uncreated love hath no shoars nor centre but the bosom of God and the depth is upward still higher and sweeter These things are reserved for such as pass Kidron and Olivet let us a while step into the Sanctuary and study to grow in the Mystery of the Father and of Christ and pray that the Spirit would reveal in us what the Son hath revealed to us from the Father Joh. 1 1◠and then draw spiritual and sweet consequences from above Did the Son of God come down from Heaven to earth was it not to take the sons of men from earth to Heaven Did not the second Person partake of the humane Nature that we might partake of the Divine He took not the persons of Enoch or Abraham or Paul that they only might be happy but the nature of the first Adam that all who by faith are united to the second Adam in Grace may triumph in Glory Did not he lye in Davids Inn at Bethlehem that we might lye in the Son of Davids mansions that are above in that Zion of Zions Was not he made of a woman in Canaan to restore us to a better Paradise than what was lost by the woman of Eden Was not he made under the Law that we might be new born under Grace Was not he exalted on the Cross this Josephs Son to speak with reverence to erect a more firm and sublime Ladder into Heaven than Jacob's That Patriarch saw only a Vision of Angels by star-light but we by this Ladder ascend up to the Angels themselves that are singing in the Noon of Glory Was not his most precious Blood poured out as a Ransom for many to the remission of sins that ours might not be poured out like oyl to feed the perpetual Lamps in the flames of Hell Did not the Father make his love honourable as the Prophet speaks by his Son 's more honourable obedience and justifie his Justice by his Son's Righteousness and quench his anger in the Ocean of his Son's love Thus doth our blessed Author from the Son's Deity proceed to the great Doctrine of his most meritorious Sufferings and full Satisfaction for the sins of all the Elect. The Father by his Eternal love made way for his Temporal anger to his beloved Son that he might redeem his adopted sons from eternal wrath and made a way through the heart of his Son for them to pass into eternal love This point he no less sweetly than substantially clears against the Socinians venom who aim by darkning the Deity of Christ to extinguish the glory and honour of his Satisfaction Act. 20.28 For if it had not been the Blood of God it could never have purchased the Church But it is that
all the money he hath to purchase that inheritance it is a sign he loves that child well So is it in this case the things that God intends to bestow upon his people are the greatest things and he hath been at the greatest cost and charges to bring them to this inheritance 1. God bestows upon his people the greatest things and therein he shews how strong his love is to them What things are they no less than himself his own glory and blessedness all the riches of Heaven Heirs of God coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Heirs of God what is that We shall inherit God himself for our portion we shall enjoy all that he is all that God hath so far as we are capable or according to the measure and capavity of creatures 2. As the things are great in themselves which God bestows upon his people so God hath been at great charge and expences to bring us to this inheritance He hath given us his Son his Spirit his Promises his Providences his Ordinances to bring us to this inheritance All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Observe the last expression the called according to his purpose Those whom God hath a purpose to save those whom he hath laid out his eternal love upon all things are ordered to bring them to that happiness he hath purposed to bestow upon them God lays the train of all his providences so as to bring his Elect to that happiness he hath chosen them to 3. The love of Christ is constant unchangeable and everlasting The unchangeableness of Gods love ariseth from the unchangeableness of his nature Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed As much as if God should have said My nature is unchangeable and that is the reason my love and mercy towards you is never changed The manifestation of Gods love may be changed towards us we may not apprehend the same effects of love at one time as at another therefore doth the Church complain Lam. 5. ult Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us but yet the root and fountain of Gods love is still the same Whom the Lord loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.20 Gods correction of his people proceeds from his love Not but that God is truly displeased with the sins of his people when his people give way to such particular sins he disapproves of such particular acts of theirs and disapproves of them in relation to those acts therefore when David committed that sin in taking Vriah's wife the Text saith expresly but the thing which David did displeased the Lord 2 Sam. 11. ult It is contrary to the nature of God who is Holiness it self to approve of the sins of his people or of them with relation to such sinful acts nay God may be so far angry for particular miscarriages in his people as to take up the rod and correct them yet in this very case Gods original love remains The Scripture is very clear to this purpose Psal 89.30 31. If his children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rood c nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him Here we see Gods paternal displeasure or his fatherly corrections may consist with his love yea in some sense Gods corrections are the Fruit of his love 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world he therefore chastens that he may not condemn Gods love to his people is a fixed unalterable thing Gods love is founded in his eternal purpose now there is no changing of Gods purpose It is a great expression that of the Apostle Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to election might stand The purpose of God in election stands firm and this is matter of singular and unspeakable comfort to the Saints of God If thou canst once see a line of electing love drawn forth upon thee thou mayst conclude the purpose of God remains unalterable concerning thee Now it is possible a Saint may know his election 1 Thess 1.4 Knowing beloved your election of God A Saint may know his Election by his Vocation 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure Now if thou canst find out thy election thou mayst conclude the purpose of God stands unalterable to thee Christs love is from Eternity and his love never ends Having loved his own he loved them to the end Joh. 13.1 2. Having spoken of the Properties of Christs love I come to speak of the love that is to be found in both his Natures in the Divine and in the humane nature The Love of Christ is a great love if we consider the love that is to be found in each of his Natures the Divine and humane nature Eph. 5.25 it is said Christ hath loved the Church and given himself for it Christ as God hath loved the Church from Eternity therefore is it said I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 Now to this ancient and first love of his there was a new love added and that was the love of Christ as Man this love which is founded in his humane nature had a beginning even as the humanity it self had a beginning but yet it is such a love as never shall have an end Christ therefore loves his Church with a twofold love with a Divine and a humane love each of which is the most sincere the greatest the most perfect the most constant and abiding love I shall speak 1. Of the love that is in his humane nature because that will help us to conceive the better of the love that is in his Divine nature the love that is in the humane nature is the product or effect of the love that is in his Divine nature and if the love of his humane nature be so great the love of his Divine nature must needs be far greater as we shall hear The love which is in his humane nature is exceeding great To understand which we must consider as there are two natures in Christ the Divine and humane nature so there are two wills the Divine and humane will and as there are two wills in Christ so we must necessarily suppose a twofold operation of those wills and so by consequence a twofold love in Christ for love is nothing but the efflux of the will some motion in the will whereby some good is willed to another now the love that is in Christs humane nature is exceeding great It is true that which the School men call Habitual grace which is in the soul of Christ is not simply infinite and the reason that they give is this The humane soul of Christ being but a creature and not infinite the habits of grace which do inhere in his humane soul as the subject they
us to him that he might be a fit Mediator takes upon him the nature of man that so being God and man in one person and having interest in both parties he might bring God and man together Hence is it that the Mediator hath this appellation of Christ given to him Luk. 2.17 Vnto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Christ you know signifies the anointed Under the Old Testament Kings Priests and Prophets were wont to be anointed Now Christ being to undertake the office of Mediator in general and those three Offices in particular of Prophet Priest and King he also is anointed Christs Vnction or Anointing properly belongs to his humane nature Act. 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost For although it be true that Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures and the name of Christ doth not only agree to Christ as he is man but as he is God manifested in the flesh yet Christs anointing properly respects his humane nature As God he needed not any anointing for he had all fulness in himself therefore he was properly anointed as man If it be asked what this anointing of Christ was I answer It is that plenitude and fulness of the gifts of the Holy Ghost yea the fulness of the Godhead which dwells personally in the humane nature assumed whereby he is qualified to perform the office of Mediator Christ being to undertake the Office of Mediator hath his humanity filled with all habitual grace and also the presence of the Divinity inhabiting personally in his humane nature So that Christs assumption of our nature anointing it with the Spirit of all grace lays the foundation for the great work of his Mediatorship It is well observed by a Judicious Divine That we may more firmly believe Chemnitius that the benefit of Redemption doth belong to us therefore did the Son of God assume a nature that was of the same substance with ours and near akin with us by which in the virtue of the Divinity he might accomplish our Redemption that as by humane nature in Adam sin and death entred into the world so by the same nature in Christ righteousness and life might be restored to the world 2. As the Incarnation of Christ lays the foundation and prepares the way to the work of Mediatorship in general so by the Incarnation Christ is fitted and prepared as it were to enter upon the execution of those three great Offices of his the Office of a Prophet Priest and King 1. The Lord Jesus assuming mans nature performs the office of a Prophet to the Church in the humane nature assumed The great work of the Prophets of old was to be the Messengers of God to the people the Interpreters of Gods mind and will they were to reveal Gods mind and will to the people The Lord Jesus undertaking our nature is the great Messenger of the Covenant the Interpreter of the Fathers counsels he hath revealed the whole will and mind of the Father to us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Should God speak to us immediately from Heaven we should be affrighted at his presence and terrified with his Majesty as they were when they heard God speaking to them from Mount Sinai and said Let not God speak to us but let Moses speak to us Exod. 20.19 Therefore hath the Son of God assumed our nature and appeared visibly in flesh and conversed among men like one of us that we might receive the Law at his mouth The humanity of Christ is the Organ of the Divinity And this is one great commendation of the office of the Ministry as Peter Martyr hath observed That the Son of God who was God over all blessed for ever was pleased to take up humane nature that he might perform the office of a Minister in it Therefore is Christ called Rom. 15.8 A Minister of the Circumcision that is to the Jewish Church There is some Controversie among Divines concerning the knowledge that was in the humane soul of Jesus Christ but this is certain Christ as man had all things made known to him that did concern our salvation now whatsoever the Lord Jesus as man received from the Father that as the great Prophet of the Church he hath faithfully revealed to his people Joh. 17.8 I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me Christ as man receives all from the Father and he gives out all to the Church Thus his Incarnation prepares him for the execution of his Prophetical Office 2. The Son of God by assuming mans nature is prepared for the execution of his Priestly Office Two great works were incumbent on the Priests under the Law 1. To offer Sacrifices and make atonement for the people 2. To intercede and pray for the people 1. One Office of the Priest was to offer Sacrifice and make atonement So Heb. 8.3 Every High-Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices 2. Another office of the Priest was to pray for the people Therefore saith Samuel God forbid that I should cease to pray for you Now the Son of God by assuming our nature is qualified to perform both these works of a Priest 1. Christ by his Incarnation is fitted to offer Sacrifice God took no delight in the Sacrifices of beasts and cattle Sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst not therefore did the Son of God take a true humane body and offered himself for a Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Christ is Priest Altar and Sacrifice Christ is the Sacrifice that is offered so vers 28. Christ was offered to bear the sin of many Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures so that there is a concourse of both natures the Divine and humane nature in the work of Satisfaction The humane nature was the nature suffering and the Divine nature that sanctified the sufferings of the humanity The Divinity was in the humanity in the time of its offering that body which hung upon the Cross which suffered and dyed was the body of him who was God it was filled and replenished with God the Godhead did personally inhabit in it in the time of its suffering Although the Godhead did not put forth its operation as it might have done but did rest and suspend its operations for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might give liberty to the humane nature to suffer for if the Godhead should have put forth its operation as it might it could have hindred all passion and suffering in the humane nature yet the personal union always remained the Son of God did always retain and keep the humane nature in the bond of personal union in the height of his sufferings and he
thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world Let us take heed how we mistake here the Love of the Father was not the cause of the Divinity of the Son although the Son be begotten of the Father yet the Generation of the Son proceeds not from an act of Gods will the Father did not first love the Son and then beget him but the Generation of the Son was natural the Father begets the Son from Eternity and cannot but beget him God doth necessarily understand himself therefore his eternal Son is his natural Image Therefore in this last clause For thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world Christ speaks of himself as man the humanity of Christ was beloved of the Father from Eternity above every creature that humanity of his was so chosen and beloved above all creatures as to be united to the Divinity Now in Heaven the Elect shall see that Christ is in the possession of that which he was elected and chosen unto from Eternity And this will be one singular demonstration of the love of God to them that they shall see themselves taken so near to God in the person of their Head For although it be true there will always remain a vast difference between Christ the Head and the Elect that are Members to him none of the Elect have or can have that personal union which his humanity hath to the Divinity yet all the Elect in the glory of their Head shall see and behold the greatness of the love of God to themselves for it was for their sakes he took part of their nature into personal union and a part of their nature being united to God all the Elect are confirmed in their Head and by means of their Head are brought into the nearest communion with God they are capable of So that I say this will be matter of wonder to the Elect to Eternity to see a part of their nature placed so near to the Divinity yea to see a part of their nature so intimately united to the Divinity in the bond of personal union and to become the seat and Temple of the Divinity to all Eternity Vse And now I shall winde up all in one short word of Application From all that hath been said let us learn to admire and adore the infinite and transcendant love of Christ in his Incarnation Here may we cry out with the Apostle O the heights and lengths and depths and breadths that are in the love of Christ in his Incarnation I have shewn you in seventeen Propositions how great the love of Christ is in the work of his Incarnation and when we have dived never so much into this Mystery it is but little that we do understand of the glory of it in comparison of what it is in it self O study more this great work of the Incarnation of the Son of God this is the greatest of all the works of God the greatest work that ever he hath done or that ever he will do The Incarnation of the Son of God is more than the glorification of all the Saints in Heaven O therefore study this Mystery the more we study it the more will our hearts be ravished with it and the reason why we are no more affected with it is because we know and understand so little of it And let us not only labour to understand the greatness of the thing it self but also of what importance this work of the Incarnation of the Son of God is to our salvation The work of the Incarnation is that which hath laid the foundation of the whole work of Redemption The Son of God therefore took our nature and became true man that he might transact the business of our Salvation in the humane nature assumed Vnigenitus venit in hominem propter hominem Hoc Deus in nobis salvavit quod pro nobis accepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are memorable passages which the Ancients have The only begotten Son of God came into the nature of man for man If the Word had not been pleased to have become flesh no flesh could have been saved God hath saved that in us which he hath assumed and took for us And it is a common saying among the Ancients That which was not assumed was not healed If Christ had not assumed the whole of our nature our whole nature had not been healed and restored We have heard somewhat of the Mystery of Christ in his Incarnation let us meditate on what we have heard Our work will be to meditate on these Truths all our days The best of us have arrived but to a little understanding in the Mystery of Christ The Apostle prays for the Saints Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Let us pray for great affection to Christ Great love to the Person of Christ will procure great manifestation of Christ So Christ hath promised Joh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him The more you love Christ the more fond you are of his person if I may so speak the more will Christ discover himself to you The more you love him the more will Christ lead you into the understanding of those Mysteries concerning his Person Divinity the Union of his Natures his Offices his Grace which the rest of men are little acquainted with They that love most shall know most Love Christ much and then Christ will manifest and discover himself much to you and the more Christ discovers himself to you the more sweet will you find the knowledge of Christ to be from day to day The end of the eighth Sermon SERMON I. Gal. 4. vers 4. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law THat which hath been in my desire hath been to unfold as I am able some part of the Mystery of Christ and to speak something concerning the great dimensions of the Love of Christ And as a bottom to build upon I pitched upon that Text Eph. 3.18 19. That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Now to shew what these dimensions of Christs love were I propounded to speak to three things 1. To shew the Properties of Christs Love 2. To shew that this love of Christ is surpassing great as it is to be found in both his Natures in his humane and in his Divine nature And here we considered the love of Christ distinctly the love that was found in his humane nature and in his Divine nature 3. To shew that the love of Christ is surpassing great if we consider the great
The only begotten Son after his Incarnation is still in the bosom of the Father Therefore our Saviour saith of himself even whilst he was here on earth Joh. 3.13 The Son of man who is in heaven He that was on earth at that time in respect of his humane nature was in Heaven at the same time in respect of his Divine nature Therefore whenas it is said here God sent forth his Son thus we ought to conceive of it God sent forth his Son not by any change of place but of condition He that was in the form of God before by his Incarnation took on him the form of a servant Christ therefore as God did not begin to be and exist when he was first incarnate no in the beginning he was with God but he began by his Incarnation to be true man who was God before from Eternity 5. The fifth Article of Faith contained in these words is this That the Son of God was incarnate and made man in the best time When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son Our curiosity is apt to inquire Why did not Christ come in the flesh sooner Had it not been more for our benefit and advantage if the Son of God had sooner taken our nature But the Spirit of God silenceth all these reasonings by telling us When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son God lost no time he slipt no time when the compleat time was come that was predetermined in his holy Decree and before signified in his promises then he sent forth his Son God accomplisheth all his promises in the best time and season 6. The sixth Article of Faith is this That the manner of Christs Conception and Incarnation was wonderful and extraordinary God sent forth his Son made of a woman It is not said born of a woman but made of a woman Made of a woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he did partake of the substance of the Virgin Because the children were made partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same Heb. 2.14 He was made of a woman that shews he was true man and had a true humane nature but in that it is said he was made not born or begotten that shews Christ had his Original as man not in the common way of generation Eve was made out of one of the ribs taken out of Adams side and Adam could say of her She is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone and Christ as man his humanity was formed out of the substance of the Virgin so that we may say This was flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Made of a woman 7. The seventh Article of Faith comprehended in these words is this That although Christ hath two Natures in him yet he hath but one Person For here is but one Son that is spoken of in the Text. God sent forth his Son made of a woman He that was the Son of God from Eternity and made of a woman in time is still one and the same Son It is the Son that is sent forth the Son that is made of a woman the Son that is made under the Law so that still though Christ hath two Natures yet he hath but one Person Christ had not a new Person but a new Nature added to him by his Incarnation and therefore we commonly say the humane nature is without any personal subsistence of its own but it subsists in the Divine person who was a person from Eternity These seven great Articles of Faith are comprehended in these few words so that we may say with one of the Ancients I adore the fulness of the Scriptures See how many great weighty Articles of Faith are comprehended in a few words 8. The last Article contained in this verse is this That Christ was made under the Law God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law The end of his being made under the Law is set down in the next verse To redeem us who were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons This is the second great effect of Christs love I am now to speak of viz. Christs being made under the Law For this we must carry all along with us whatever Christ was whatever he did and suffered was for us Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given Isa 9.6 Hence is it that Christ is called the gift of God Joh. 4.10 Christ is the gift of God to us He is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Whatsoever Christ was whatsoever he did it was not for himself or his own sake but for us and therefore his being made under the Law was for us and so it is expressed here in the Text He was made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons The end of Christs being made under the Law was to accomplish our Redemption Here there are two things to be spoken unto 1. What it is for Christ to be made under the Law 2. Wherein did the greatness of Christs love appear in being made under the Law 1. What is it for Christ to be made under the Law Before I come to enter upon the main subject I must necessarily lay down some preliminary or previous Propositions for the clearing of the whole 1. The first Proposition is this The Law of God is the Transcript or Copy of Gods Holiness The holy Nature of God and his pure Will is decypher'd and displayed to us in his Law The Law of God is nothing else but the declaration of his holy nature and of his holy will Hence is that expression Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 Holiness in us is our conformity to the Law when we are conformable to the Law which is the Rule of Holiness then are we in our measure holy as God is holy In the Law of God we see what things are consonant to Gods nature what are repugnant to his nature in the Law we see what is agreeing to the will of God what is dissonant and disagreeing to his will The Law of God is nothing else but the declaration of the eternal Will of God God that is most holy in himself cannot but will every thing in the most holy and perfect manner And the Law is nothing else but the declaration of Gods holy will concerning his creatures Now the will of God being most perfect and holy in it self the Law which is the declaration of Gods will must needs also be most perfect Therefore is there this Epithete given to the Law Psal 19.7 The law of God is perfect converting the soul Also that it is very pure Psal 119.140 The Law of God is the pure will of a pure God 2. The Law of God is immutable perpetual and everlasting Still we must remember
this The love of Christ in his being made under the Law appears in this That Christ took upon him the whole debt of obedience which the Law requires Our Saviour teaches us expresly That he came to fulfil the law yea the whole law Mat. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I came not to destroy but to fulfil Christ came to fulfil the law and how what a part of it nay the whole law Our Saviour explains himself to this purpose in the next words Verily I say unto you Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled All the law every part and tittle of it was fulfilled in and by Christ It is the observation of Divines That Christ fulfilled the natural Law and the Law of Moses most perfectly By the natural Law they understand all the moral Duties comprehended in the Ten Commandments and by the Mosaical Law they understand those Rites and Ordinances of Worship which were in a peculiar manner given to the Jewish Church Thus Christ was circumcised and presented to the Lord in the Temple and they offered a Sacrifice for him according to that which is said in the Law A pair of Turtle-doves or two young pigeons Luk. 2.22 23 24. Christ also observed the Ordinance of the Passover and as Christ observed all the Legal Ordinances so he submitted to the Ordinance of Baptism which was to be a standing Ordinance under the Gospel and he gives this reason for it Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 Behold Vse from what hath been spoken the infinite Humility of the Son of God Christ that was Lord of all was yet content to become a servant Christ was the Fathers servant and he was our servant 1. He was the Fathers servant Isa 42.1 Behold my servant 2. He was our servant therefore he is said to be a Minister of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 that is a Minister to the Jewish Church And he saith of himself he came not to be ministred unto but to minister Mat. 20.28 How did Christ minister Christ is said to minister as he doth work and do those things which do concern our Redemption and Salvation He is a Minister for us a Minister to accomplish the great work of Redemption and Salvation Christ was made under the Law that he might redeem us who were under the Law Christ became a Servant as he took upon him the Office of Mediator and as he obeyed and fulfilled the Law for us Now this is a Rule in Divinity Tota person a propter assumtam servi formam facta nobis est serva Zanch. Actiones sunt suppositorum That Christ is Mediator according to both his Natures so that the whole person by means of his taking on him the form of a servant is become a servant to us It is the Person that humbles himself it is the Person that obeys it is the Person that suffers in and by the humane nature assumed Actions belong to persons Now that so great a Person as the Son of God was should become a Servant a servant not only to the Father but to us what an instance of humility is this that the God of Heaven should come down from Heaven to serve what an instance of humility is this It is Calvins observation upon Phil. 2. He made himself of no reputation or he emptied himself This expression is to be understood of whole Christ as he is God manifested in the flesh though this agrees to him in respect of his humane nature only For we must know that whereas there is but one person consisting of both natures he that was the Son of God truly and really God equal with the Father did yet contain and keep in the rays of his own glory whenas in our flesh he did take upon him the form of a servant this humility of Christ should teach us great humility And the Apostle presseth humility upon us on this very account Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus how so who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient Here is the great Pattern of humility saith the Apostle he who was in the form of God took upon him the form of a servant he that was above all obedience took upon him to be obedient Should Christ who was in such a height of excellency so debase himself as to take upon him the form of a servant and become obedient and should we lift up our selves How unlike doth this make us to our Head Let us study the great condescension and abasement of God incarnate who though he were Lord of all yet put himself into the form of a servant to obey and serve for us and then see whether there is such reason we should think so highly of our selves stand so much upon our own dignity and honour Christ was content to lay aside his honour and to have the glory of the Divinity unseen for a time that he might be a servant to the Father and to us in working out our Salvation If we would be like our Lord and Head we ought to be content to lay aside our own honour and glory if we may any way be serviceable to him or his interest The humility of Christ should teach us great humility The end of the second Sermon SERMON III. Gal. 4. vers 4. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law I Mentioned a third Proposition wherein the love of Christ in being made under the Law did appear and shall now prosecute it a little further 3. The love of Christ in being made under the Law appears in this That Christ took upon him the whole debt of obedience which the Law required Now there are two things which the Law of God requires of us 1. The Law requires habitual purity and sanctity of nature 2. The Law requires actual obedience to whatsoever is commanded by it 1. The Law of God requires from the creature habitual purity and sanctity of nature God made man upright man was created at first in a state of Integrity Man in his original constitution had not the least inclination to any thing that was evil but mans will and affections in their primitive constitution were inclined to good It is true man had liberty of will and it was possible for him to sin otherwise he had never sinned but man was not in his original constitution as he was first framed by God inclined to the least evil nay man had that rectitude put upon all his faculties as that in respect of his original constitution his nature was
them Now in the serious exercises of faith we ought to attend this we ought to consider how that all the great things of our salvation were transacted by our Head in a part of our nature for us what Christ suffered our nature suffered in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas It is a good speech of Athanasius It was not our Lord himself so much as we that suffered in him The third Direction is We should behold our nature in Christ suffering and undergoing the same things which we deserved and do lye under the fear of As it is a great relief to faith to behold our nature suffering in Christ so that which makes this relief compleat is to see our nature in Christ suffering the very same things which we deserved and are under the fear of The Apostle tells us Rom. 4.5 The law worketh wrath The Law works the fear of wrath in the conscience the Law begets the sense of Gods wrath in the conscience How so The reason is Because by the law is the knowledge of sin sin is the transgression of the law by the Law I know my self to be a sinner because I see I have transgressed such a Law now the breach of this Law worketh wrath that is it works the fear of wrath as that which is due for sin Hence also is that expression of conscience of sin Heb. 10.2 The worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin By conscience of sin here in this place I take it that we must understand a conscience burdened and laden with the guilt of sin The meaning is not certainly that those who are once purged by the virtue of Christs Sacrifice should make no more conscience of sin that would be an impious opinion nay the contrary thereunto is most true a conscience purged from the guilt of sin by the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ such a person makes more conscience of sin that is of committing sin Shall we sin because grace abounds God forbid The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts But the meaning of the place is that those who have their consciences once purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ they ought to have no more conscience of sin as to guilt that is they ought to look upon their consciences exonerated and discharged from guilt by the Sacrifice of Christ But that which I quoted this Text for was to shew that sin brings a conscience of guilt When sin lyeth upon the conscience it fills the conscience with the fear and horrour of Gods wrath now the great relief to conscience in this case must be for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ in our nature suffer that which we deserve and that which we are afraid of We are afraid of Gods wrath and Christ that was true man our Head and Surety felt and suffered the wrath of God we fear lest God should forsake us lest God should cast us off for ever now we ought to turn our eyes upon Christ and see our nature forsaken and deserted in Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Do you fear the torments of Hell Christ hath born these very pains and torments This is certain there is no such relief or remedy to an afflicted conscience as for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ who was most innocent in himself suffering all that for us which we deserve and fear Deseritur cum desertis pro natura quam assumpserat tributum solvit Christ was deserted with them who were deserted and paid the tribute for that nature which he assumed as we heard heretofore And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to the same purpose God saith he in his righteous judgment exacted all those things from us which are written in the Law which when we our selves were not able to pay our Lord hath paid them for us Christ hath assumed and volunt arily taken upon himself the curse and condemnation which we were obnoxious unto Quae pati debueramus illa ipse pertulit those things which we ought to have suffered he himself hath born for us This is a great support to faith to consider that the things we deserved and feared those are the things which Christ hath suffered and born for us The fourth Direction is this Let us behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer this also is a great relief to faith As it is a relief to faith to behold our nature suffering and suffering the same things that we ought to have suffered so this is another great relief to faith to behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer As we who are the sinful sons of men have sinned voluntarily so one of our kin one of our stock and linage one that was true man hath voluntarily offered himself to suffer for us poor sinful men So that satisfaction is voluntarily tendered up to God in our room and stead by one who was true man and in all points like unto us sin only excepted Our sin and disobedience was not more voluntary than Christs obedience and offering himself to suffer for us was free and voluntary Christ our Head and Surety when the Justice of God was coming forth armed against us hath most voluntarily run to meet it and to expose himself to those strokes which should have lighted on us Lo I come to do thy will thy law is in my heart Heb. 10. The Justice of God was not more desirous of satisfaction to be made to it than Christ our Head and Surety was willing to tender it Now if a Creditor hath never so great a sum of money owing to him and the Surety undertake the payment of the whole debt and be most free and ready as to the payment of it as free to pay the debt as the Creditor is to demand it what can he desire more Christ our Surety undertook the payment of our debt and was as ready to tender the satisfaction as God was to require it The fifth Direction is Let us direct the eye of our faith to the person of the Son of God acting in our nature and sanctifying all his sufferings by the dignity of his own person To illustrate this let us consider that Scripture Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens and then it follows in vers 28. The Law maketh High Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore The scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew that he who is our High Priest is more than a man he is the Son of God The word of the oath makes the Son which is consecrated for evermore He opposeth the Son of God to the Priests under the Law Now
of Christs Satisfaction this will be of marvellous use to us when we are under troubles and conflicts of conscience for sin Though our sins are great exceeding great considered in themselves yet being compared with the infiniteness of Christs Satisfaction they are swallowed up in the vastness and insiniteness of the merit of the sufferings of that person who was God as well as man 5. The excellency of Christs Satisfaction appears in this In that the Sacrifice of Christ is an eternal Sacrifice that is the virtue and efficacy of Christs Sacrifice and Satisfaction is eternal Christs Sacrifice is but one and that once offered and yet the virtue of it is eternal The repetition of the Sacrifices under the Law did shew the imperfection of those Sacrifices for if one Sacrifice had been sufficient what need of such a multitude of Sacrifices and those so frequently repeated Now the Sacrifice of Christ is but one and it was not necessary that it should be repeated for though it was but once offered yet the virtue of it is eternal It is a great expression of the Apostle speaking of this Sacrifice Heb. 9.14 Christ by the eternal Spirit offered himself up without spot to God Christ offered himself up to God by the eternal Spirit that is he offered himself up to God in the virtue of his eternal Deity the Son of God who offered himself up as a Sacrifice to God in our nature being an eternal person hath put eternal virtue and efficacy into that Sacrifice of his Such was the dignity of Christs person that he being the eternal Son of God the virtue and efficacy of his Sacrifice which was once offered and that now in the end of the world doth yet extend it self to all ages of the world those that are past as well as those that are to come For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The Sacrifice of Christ is eternal for as much as the virtue and efficacy of it is eternal and extends it self to all ages Hence also is Christ called the new and living way Heb. 10.20 That expression which we translate new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies that which was newly killed or newly slain the virtue of Christs blood is such in Gods account as if Christ were just now crucified his blood is always fresh the vigour and efficacy of it remains as if it were but newly shed What a mighty incouragement may this be to us to come and make use of the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ since the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ are as fresh in Gods account as if Christ had just now undergone them as if he were but newly come down from the Cross and God is as much pleased and satisfied in them as if Christ had but newly undergone them There is one Use more to be made of the Doctrine Vse 5 Let us learn from the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction why the contempt of the Gospel is so great a sin and why it is that God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely the reason why the contempt of the Gospel is so great a sin is because it is a contempt of the sufferings of Christ and the reason why God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely is because it is a contempt of the great Sacrifice that was offered for sin There hath been a great impression on the hearts of men in all Ages That God was to be pacified by sacrifice hence it is that all Nations have offered sacrifices and hereby the common sense of mankind hath been exprest that God was to be pacified by some sacrifice Now when the true the great the only sacrifice hath been offered up which is the death of Christ and the virtue of this sacrifice which was to pacifie and atone God published and declared in the Gospel and men do yet contemn this sacrifice and him that hath offered it certainly this must needs make the sin of the world exceeding great and the reason is because that this is a plain evidence that men do not value reconciliation with God When God hath provided a sacrifice by which he will be atoned and reconciled to men and they despise this sacrifice and undervalue this way of reconciliation 't is a plain sign and evidence that men do not care for reconciliation with God it is all one to them if they continue in open hostility against him The slighting of Christ and neglect of grace offered by the Redeemer is a plain contempt of the Divine Majesty it is a clear sign that men do not regard Gods anger neither are they afraid of his wrath For if men were afraid of Gods anger and terrified at the apprehensions of his wrath they would seek after reconciliation with God Now nothing doth aggravate sin more than when there is a plain and manifest contempt of God and this there is in the refusing of reconciliation with him God offers reconciliation to men by a Redeemer they neglect it they reject it this is a manifest contempt of God and hence it is that God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely I shall illustrate this by several Scriptures Mat. 22.1 c. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King which made a marriage for his son and he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come Again he sent forth other servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the marriage But they made light of it and went their ways one to his farm another to his merchandise and the remnant took his servants and intreated them spightfully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murtherers and burnt up their city A certain King made a marriage for his son God hath married his Son to our nature God hath sent his Son into our nature and the Son of God hath married our nature to himself by joyning it to himself in the bond of personal union Upon this marriage the joyning of our nature to the Son of God God makes a Feast a Marriage-feast and in that Feast he prepares all good things for the sons of men he offers righteousness life salvation and all good things whatsoever in his Son and God by his Ambassadours the Gospel-Ministers invites them to partake of these good things He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding When God had prepared this Feast of all good things in his Son opened the Treasures of his Grace in Christ when he had set open the Treasure of Christs Righteousness for mens Justification and the alsufficiency of his Grace for Sanctification then he sends his Ambassadours and Ministers to invite men to come and partake of all this grace But
That Christ hath given himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Observe that expression That he might purifie unto himself Christ did not give himself that he might purifie to the Father only a peculiar people but also that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people So Eph. 5.25 Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church Here it is said That he might present it to himself a glorious Church As Christ by his death and sufferings reconciled us to God the Father so he reconciled us to himself also It is true the Scripture when it speaks of the work of reconciliation doth in a peculiar manner attribute it to the Father as the Person to whom we are reconciled and it speaks of our reconciliation to God by Christ 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of Godâ— who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Col. 1.20 By him to reconcile all things to himself By him that is by Christ To reconcile all things to himself that is to the Father by Christ then we are reconciled to the Father But we must understand this aright When it is said We are reconciled to the Father by Christ we must not suppose that the other Persons are excluded We are not only reconciled to the Father but we are reconciled to the whole Trinity and Christ considered as Mediator as God-man reconciles us to himself considered as God simply And here lies the Mystery of Divine wisdom and goodness that God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself God is the person offended and yet in and by his Son it is he that offers reconciliation to the world 3. The greatness of Christs love in laying down his life for us appears in this That there was no merit in us to move Christ to lay down his life for us It is well observed by Austin It was our sins not our merits that drew Christ from Heaven to earth As we could not merit Christs Incarnation so neither could we merit his death and sufferings for us For what is it that we can suppose that should merit Christs death and sufferings for us Was it our fore-seen faith or our fore-seen obedience This is all that can be supposed Now these were the effects of Christs death and sufferings therefore they could not be the cause of them It is observed by Alvarez That Christs fore-seen Merits were the cause of all that grace that was bestowed upon man in the state of lapsed nature Joh. 1.17 Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ All the grace that we receive in lapsed nature is by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.4 God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Christs Merits are the foundation of our faith and obedience Whatever faith and obedience is found in us is wrought by the Spirit of Christ in us Now the Spirit it self that works all grace in us is the purchase and fruit of the death of Christ Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour The Holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that is through the Merit of Jesus Christ our Saviour Now it is by this Spirit that faith it self and all other effects of grace are wrought in us therefore it is said By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 4. We were so far from having any merit to oblige Christ to suffer and dye for us that we were full of demerit full of evil merits We were sinners enemies rebels against God and herein God commended his love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 The greatest love amongst men is when one friend will dye for another Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend But where was it known that ever any man laid down his life for his enemy Yet Christ hath commended his love to us in that while we were enemies he dyed for us Col. 1.21 You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death It is commonly said That sin is a kind of God-murther Peccatum est Deicidium the sinner would dethrone God and take away the life and Being of God if it lay in his power Now herein the admirable and transcendent love of God to man appeared That when man by sin would dethrone God and take away the life and Being of God if it were in his power that God would lay down his life for them that would take away his life and Being God redeemed the Church with his own blood and Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us Learn to study much the greatness of Christs love in his sufferings Vse 1 and in the work of his Satisfaction Let us often have recourse to the Cross of Christ and by the eye of faith behold the Son of God in our nature giving himself a Sacrifice for our sins The more we study the love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction we shall find two notable effects of it 1. Hereby we shall be strengthened and confirmed in our belief of Christs love to us 2. This will be a means to beget greater measures of love in our hearts to Christ 1. The more we contemplate the love of Christ to us in his sufferings and satisfaction the more shall we be strengthened and confirmed in our belief of Christs love to us 1 Joh. 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath towards us for God is love How come we to know and believe the love that God hath towards us Compare this with the former verses and they will shew us vers 8 9 10. God is love In this was manifested the love of God to us that he sent his only begotten Son that we might live through him Herein was love not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins When by faith we can apprehend and believe that God hath sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins this will confirm us in the certain belief and perswasion of the love of God to us Who hath reason to doubt of Gods love when he is certainly perswaded and doth firmly believe that God hath sent his Son from Heaven to earth to take our nature and being in our