would have put out their hand to receive Him and seing it is so O receive this Gospel give Him room while He is content to sup with you take Him in make sure your union with Him this is the end why this Report is made and Christ is laid before you even that ye may lay your selves over on Him I would follow this Use a little by way of Exhortation and Expostulation jointly seeing the Doctrine will bear both for when Christ is brought so near even to the Mouth and to the Heart it will be great ground of reproof and expostulation if He shall be rejected Be exhorted therefore to be in earnest seing 1. It is a matter of such concernment to you many Nations Kings and Kingdoms have not had Christ so near them as ye have neglect not such an opportunity do ye think that all that is said in the Gospel concerning this is for nought Is it for no use that such a Report is made and Preaching continued so long among you And if it be for any use is it not for this that ye may receive the Report and may by doing so get your souls for a Prey To what use will Preaching be if this use and end of it be missed Will your hearing the Gospel make your Peace with God if Christ be not received 2. Consider the Advantages ye may have by receiving the Gospel that others have not is it a little thing to be called to God's Feast to be married to Christ to be made Friends with God and to enjoy Him for ever the Day comes when it will be thought an Advantage and are there Motives to perswade to any thing like those that are to induce to that 3. Consider what it is that we require of you it 's no strange nor hard thing it 's but Believing and this is nothing else but that the Report concerning Christ be received yea that He be received for your own good that is it that the Gospel calls you to even to betake you to a Physician for Cure to betake you to a Cautioner for your Debt if ye could escape a Reckoning and Wrath another way it were something but when there is no other way to obtain pardon of Sin and Peace or to escape Wrath and obtain favour and friendship with God but this and when this way to speak so is made so easie that it s but to stoop down and to take up Christ at your foot as it were or to roll your selves on Him how inexcusable will ye Unbelievers be when ye shall be arraigned before His Tribunal But 4. look a little farther to what is coming If ye were to live always here it were hard enough to live at feed with God but have ye faith of a Judgement after Death if so how will ye hold up your Faces in that Day that now refuse Christ will not horrible confusion be the portion of many then and will any ground of confusion be like this the slighting of Christ when He shall be seen coming to judge Slighters of Him what horrour will then rise in Consciences when He shall appear and be avenged on them that were not obedient to this Gospel as is most clear 2 Thess 1. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire with his mighty Angels from Heaven to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel 5. Consider that Death and Life are now in your option in your hand as it were choose or refuse I speak not nor plead here for Free-will but of your willing electing of that which ye have offered to you for one of two will be either shall ye willingly choose Life which is a fruit of Grace or refuse Life and choose Death which will be found the native fruit of your Corruption ye may have Life by receiving Christ who is laid to your Door and if ye refuse Him Death will follow it as now in Hearing this Gospel ye carry in choosing or refusing so will the Sentence pass on you at the great Day and so your Sentence in a manner is written down with your own hand as it 's said Act. 13.46 Ye judge your selves unworthy of eternal life not out of humility but maliciously Now when the matter is of such concernment beware of playing the fool if ye will continue presumptuous and secure following your Idols what will the Lord say but let it be so ye get no wrong when ye get your own choice and He but as it were ratifies the Sentence which ye have past on your selves 6. I shall add but this one word more and beseech you that ye would seriously lay this to Heart as a weighty thing considering the Certification that follows on it It 's not only Death but a horrible Death Wrath and Wrath with its aggravation from this Ground like that of Capernaum that was lifted up to Heaven in this respect having Christ brought so near them to whom this Gospel is not the savour of Life unto Life it shall be the savour of Death unto Death and think not this a common Motive though it be commonly used it will bring Wrath upon Wrath and Vengeance upon Vengeance on the Hearers of this Gospel beyond that of Sodom if ye be still Rejecters of it sure none of you would think it an easie thing to be punished as Sodom was nor digest well the Curse that came on them is there any of you but ye would think it uncouth and strange yea stupendious to enter into their Judgement and to have your Lands turned in a stinking Loch and your selves eternally tormented with them but there is more wrath and vengeance following on the sin of Unbelief and rejecting of Christ when He comes to your Door in this Guspel To close up all Consider that Christ is near you and hath been long near you and wooing you ye know not how many Days or Years ye shall have how soon this Gospel may be taken from you or ye from it how soon ye may be put in the Pit where ye will gnash your Teeth gnaw your Tongues and blaspheme God therefore be serious while Christ is in your offer and roll your selves over upon Him while ye have Him so near you welcome this Hearing or Report while it sounds in your Ears that there may be no just ground of this Complaint against you Lord who hath believed our report SERMON III. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THe most part of Men and Women think not much of the preached Gospel yet if it were considered what is the Lord's end in it it would be the most refreshful News that ever People heard to hear the Report of a Saviour that is and should be great and glad Tydings of great Joy to all Nations and we should be so composed to hear such News from God and concerning His Will and our own well as to be
and yet that he got not that which he bought and seing the event tells plainly that all are not justified and brought to Heaven it cannot be that he laid down his life a Ransom for all but it must be for the Elect only that he died 2. To say that God exacts double payment of one and the self same Deâ—â— that he exacts from men over again that which Christ payed already for them reflects on the Justice and Wisdom of God and to say that a person that goes to hell shall be no less in his common then another that goes to Heaven is no less absurd for the Apostle says Rom. 5.10 If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life where he plainly insinuates that if a person be bought by Christs death it cannot be that he can perish for if the price be payed by his death and so the greater thing be done much more will the lesser we shall be saved by his life now this reasoning could have no force if Christ died for any that shall perish yea vers 11. of this Chapter it 's said By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities where it 's clear that as many and no moâ— whose iniquities Christ hath taken on and born shall be justified for the one is given as a reason of the other and there should be no consequence to his justifying of them from his bearing of their iniquitries if he could by his death bear their iniquities whom he never justified A 6th ground is taken from the end of the Covenant which is to put a difference betwixt special Grace peculiar to some and severe Justice to others and particularly and especially in Christs death which makes out what we affirm for if when Christ died many were actually damned it cannot be said that he died for these not that it was with them as with Believers before his death for it cannot he said that the intention of his death in the Covenant could be beyond what it was at his death the one being the execution of the other And sure it could not be intended at his death for the damned For it would seem a very absurd thing to say that when Christ was to go and lay down his life that he was going to suffer for many that were suffering for their own sins in Hell as many reprobat sinners were before he came in the flesh Can any imagine a possibility of such a thing Our Lord was not to be so indifferent in the administration of Grace as to cast it thus away And can any reasonably think that at one and the same time the same punishment shall be exacted from Christ and from the persons themselves for whom he suffered It is possible that this could be intended in the Covenant of Redemption Or is there free access to Justice to pursue Christ as Cautioner when the Principal Debtor is actually siezed upon Indeed when the Principal is set free as the Elect were before his death there is access to pursue the Cautioner for their debt But no such thing can be alledged for others that were already damned But their being taken hold of by Justice is a proof that he answered not for them nor payed their debt 7. We may argue thus If Christ died for all then either for all indifferently and so all were alike obliged to Christ Or for some more absolutely that must be satisfied for and for others conditionally on supposition that they should believe But this last is absurd for 1. The Scripture makes not two considerations of Christs death 2. It were absurd to say that now it cannot be told whether Christ died for such an one or not 3. Either that condition is bought to them or not If it be bought then it must be fulfilled If it be not bought then 1. That person cannot be said to be bought because all needful for his Redemption is not bought and payed for 2. Either that condition can be fulfilled by themselves or not if it may be by themselves then is Free-will established and none are absolutely redeemed If it cannot be fulfilled by themselves and yet bought by him for them then they are determined for another end to wit not to get it and what wisdom can there be in such a Redemption as this The 1. Use serves for clearing and confirming of a Gospel truth of the Covenant of Redemption and for the refutation of a contrary error As we have somewhat of many errors practically in our hearts so have we this amongst the rest that Christ died for all sinners which fosters peoples security and their groundless hope of admission to Heaven But here we see that our Lord Jesus in laying down his life intended the satisfaction of Divine Justice for none but for his Elect people and if so there are many for whom he never intended the benefite of his death There are three particular Branches of the error which this Doctrine confutes 1. Their opinion which is more lax and takes in the sins of all men and women in the world and giveth them an equal share in Christs sufferings as if in his intention in laying down of his life and in Gods purpose he had suffered and died for all for him that goes to Hell as well as for him that goes to Heaven But if Christ stand as Cautioner for the Elect only then sure this opinion cannot hold for all are not Gods Elect And therefore all are not indifferently redeemed And though it may be that some of you think that this looks liker grace yet it s not only absurd as being contrary to truth but its absurd also even with respect to grace For 1. It makes grace a common thing a man that is in Hell to be as much obliged to Christ as one that is in Heaven And though it plausibly pretends to give grace abroad and large extent yet it takes away the power of it For if grace be thus largely extended it 's not grace that makes the application of grace but the free will of the Creature For grace according to this opinion leaves men to be saved or not as they please and leaves it self to be overcome by mans will And therefore these errours divide not but go together hand in hand For where grace is made so large free-will is made to have a dominion over it and thus the weight of grace and of election are laid upon it 2. It lessenâ—â— the estimation of Gods grace in the minds of people for thus they think little of Heaven and suppose that it is an easie matter to win at it and it breeds in them a fearlessness of Hell and of Gods Wrath And if many of you had not drunken in this errour practically ye would not be so confident of nor so obstinatly maintain your hope of Heaven without
think of injoying of Heaven and Glory ye would think also whence it came to be thus with you O! think on that Rock out of which ye are hewen as ye are Believers and are intitled to Life And this will lay the Natural Pride which Alas too often Believers have going along with their Hope of Life as if they were something better by Nature then others because they have hope to come to Heaven but think this also with your selves that there are no thanks to you but to Him who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood which should make you walk softly and with a stoppâ—d mouth and in this Case every thought of your Title unto and of your Hope of Heaven would be both singularly pleasant and profitable to you Use 3. See here that which maketh the Glad Tydings of Christ's Death wonderfully Comfortable It 's much that Christ came and Suffered but if ye add this that His Design in Suffering was to beget Sinners to a New and Spiritual Life tâ— raise and quicken them that were Dead in in Sins and Trespasses to pay their Debt and to Cancell their Obligation It makes it to be much more wonderfull Alas we have great want of Spiritual Affections that are not more Affected with this even with this That the Father should send His Son and that the Son should come into the World and wherefore That He might have a Seed that poor Bodies that were Dead and without Life might be quickned and that such as had no hope of Heaven might have it That in such a way an entry into Heaven should be made to Sinners this is the wonder do ye Believers indeed believe this that the Lord's Design in all the Work of Redemption was to bring Dead Sinners to Life This is it that makes Christ get the Name of a Saviour That the Shepherd being smitten God might turn his hand on the little Ones And therefore as a 4th Use See here a good ground whereupon to Preach to you by the Death of Christ the Offer of Life and the Remission of Sin as the Apostle hath it Act. 13.39 40. Be it known therefore to you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not he justified by the law of Moses And there is never a Text that speaks of the end of Christ's Sufferings but readily it some way layes a ground how a Sinner may get Life And it is as it were a Proclamation to Sinners to make the right use of what is offered to them If our Lord Jesus had not Suffered there had not been a warrand for us to speak of Life to you There had been no Treaty with Sinners no Door opened for access to Heaven no ground for any to call God Father But on the Contraire Christ having Suffered and Satisfied Justice it givâ—s us Ground to make this Procâ—amation to you Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgivenness of sins And these two put together 1. That there is a sufficient Price laid down for the Satisfying of the Justice of God for the Debt of Elect Sinners 2. That this is the Lords Dâ—signe in laying of the Prâ—ce down even to Procure and to Communicat Life to them according to that of John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life And that of John 12.32 And if I be lifted up I will draw all men after me This demonstrats that there is a Sufficient-Warrand to make use of Christ for pardon of Sin and for obtaining of Life through Him For readily the Exception is One of Two Either 1. That the Price will not â—o the Turn and that cannot be said for the Death of Christ is a Price Sufficient or 2. That Sinners know nor what is the Lorâ—'s Purpose in it This Text holds out that and tells us Iâ— is that he may have a seed This is the Sum of the Covenant of Redemption saâ—eth the Father Son if thou wilt lay down thy Life Thou shalt see a seed that shall have Life through thy Sufferings and the Lord would never have given His Son to die if He had not minded the Salvation of Sinners and to beget and promove Life in them through His Sufferâ—ngs And to what end is the Gospel Preached by which Life and immortality are brought to light But that what He hath bought may be appâ—yed to Sinners And therefore as a 5th Use We beseech you to concur with Christ in the Design of His laying down of His Life Is it not think ye great Ingratitude to Him and great Cruelty to your selves that when the Lord hath Designed such a thing by the laying down of His Life That ye should as far as ye can stand in the way of it Now His Designe is to have many in His Common for Life â—hat He may have a Seed and to have Poor Sinners that are Dead and Lifelesse in themselves taking with their Sin and coming to Him to get Justice Satisfied and a Right to Life by His Offering And is this a Prejudicial Designe or Unprofitable to Sinnerâ— Why then should ye stand in the way of that When Our Lord hath Designed Sinners good and hath been content to lay down His Life to make Life possible to you when all His Dâ—signe in dying is to have Sinners saved by their betaking themselves to Hâ—m and that by their betaking themselvâ—s to Him the Second Adam They may get a Râ—ght to Life Transferred to them â—s iâ— not Folâ—y and Madness for Sinneâ—s to obstruct what they can this His Design The Apostle makes use of this Argument 2 Cor. 5. â—8 19. He hath given us the word of reconciliation that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them we therefore as ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Châ—ist stâ—ad be ye reconciled to God And what is the reason For he was made sin for us who knew no sin And or this â—nd That we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not â—his the samâ— Argumâ—nt that â—s in the Text Our Lord was made 〈◊〉 Sin-offâ—ring that Hâ— might see a Seed And 〈◊〉 â—o then we would intâ—eat you if the Blâ—eâ—iâ—g Bowels of Chriâ—â— can have any weâ—ght with you and if you would do Him a Pleasure not to marr His Designe as fâ—r as ye can for He will infrustrably accomplish His Designe And that is to have Souls brought in to make Sinners Peace with God and that they may make use of His Sufferings for that End Need we use Arguments to perswade you to this Whâ—ch is so much for your own good and welfare even to save your Souls To come and be
That this Word Justification is a Legal Forensick or Judicial Word and we are to conceive of God who is the party offended as the Judge and of the Sinner Arraigned and brought before His Tribunal to be Judged as a delinquent the Law gives in the Lybel or Inditement founds the Challenge or Accusation the Sinners Conscience and Actions are as so many Witnesses proving the breaking of the Law and him to be obnoxious to the Curse on that account In this we say that God is the efficient Cause and so we may take the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Actively and efficiently to look to Christ as having this Power as He is God which is proper to God alone as is clear Rom. 8.34 It is God that justifies 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord And this is a reason of the former to wit that no other can Absolve but God the party offended who is Judge We mark it for this practical Use which the Apostle makes of it which is to bid us lay less weight upon others thinking well of us or absolving us and on our own absolving of our selves the Lord chargeth some thus Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knows your hearts Paul will not justifie himself for that is Gods place and prerogative How many are there who take another persons testimony for Gods and think that since others love respect and commend them they are in a good condition and well enough but alace is that Person God Except mens testimony be founded on the grounds that are held forth in the Word and if so then it 's Gods Testimony it will not do the businesse nor avail you any thing except there be â— Sentence of Absolution pronounced and â—ast by Him their Sentence or your own will be recalled Though many of you do not down right professe this yet many of you practically fall into it alwayes remember that it is God that Justifies and that His Absolution is different from mens and from your own many may have good thoughts of you and so may ye of your selves when God may have none For the 2d To wit The final Cause it is clear here also by comparing the former verse with the Words going before in this same verse and ye may take it in this Observation That the Glory of God and of the Media or is the end that God hath before Him in the Justifying of Sinners Therefore it is called the Lords pleasure or delight and the Mediators satisfaction because He hath proposed to Himself therein the Glory of His Grace especially and also of others of His Attributs as His end and so hath a kind of longing desire and thirst after it for the Lord being Absolutely Glorious cannot but love His own Glory and being the infinitly Pure Alsufficient Good He cannot but love Himself and His own Glory and therefore for attaining of this end He Justifies and Absolves poor Sinners Now God is glorified here two wayes 1. He gets the Glory of His Grace that is exceedingly magnified thereby as is clear Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace It 's the Lords pleasure to glorifie His Grace and this proves to be to the Glory of His Grace when a Sinner lyable to Wrath is fully Justifyed and Intitled to Heaven 2. He gets thereby the Glory of His Justice and Righteousness which takes in the Glorifying of God's Holiness and Wisdom He is seen here to be a Holy God who will needs testifie His dislike at Sin where ever it is a just God that will needs punish it a gracious God that will pardon and such a wise God as finds out the way how both to punish and pardon without any the least Imputation either to His Justice or to His Mercy and Grace and so He shews Himself to be Infinitly Just Gracious Wise and Holy in the Justification of Sinners These we may see Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ There Justice and Grace shine clearly Justification is free yet there is a Price laid down and a Satisfaction made to Justice and the 26. verse shews the end to wit To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of them who believe in Jesus He hath indeed taken a way how to pardon Sin but so as it is through a Redemption or by the exacting of a Price that He may be seen to be Just who will not pardon Sin without a Satisfaction Justice kythes in this that Christ is put to pay a great Price and that He may be seen to be Gracious He hath laid down a way how the Price that was to be payed by Christ might be imputed to or reckoned on the account of the guilty Sinner and that He might thereby be Absolved And thus Justice and Grace kiss each other in this admirable contrivance And although none almost except Socinians deny the Justice of God in the Justification of Sinners yet as they do Doctrinally in Substance deny it So many of us who professe to abhore their Doctrine do practically deny it also And therefore as the 1. Use of it let me speak a little to unbelievers and ask you what think you will become of you ye must either betake your selves to Christs Satisfaction or ye must resolve to Satisfie for your selves Secure Hypocrits think of nothing but of Grace and that God will alwayes be Gracious and never suffer themselves think of the necessity of a Satisfaction to be made to His Justice and thus they slight and on the matter deny His Justice as if He were not to be Glorified in that Attribute as well as in His Grace and Mercy whereas there is no other way to declare God to be Just in the Justification of them that believe but this which brings them to Christs Satisfaction Use 2. It 's ground of notable Consolation and Encouragement to a poor exercised Soul sensible of Sin whereupon to expect Justification It 's Gods end in Justifying Sinners to set out the Glory of His Grace and is it not much that God should contrive such a way for glorifying of Himself as should carrie along in it good to us yea such a way as should resolve in our good which comes in as a subordinat end to the glorifying of His Grace as the ultimat end may not this be an encouragement to them to seek after Justification on these terms and for this end Use 3. It shews that as many as submit not to the way of this Righteousness and of Justification by Grace are thwarting with God's End they set themselves to hinder and obstruct it even that He should not be glorified
the Mediators performing according to His undertaking as well as there is faithfulnesse in Gods performing whatever He hath spoken of Him or promised to Him Ye shall only take two or three testimonies for this The 1. is Matth. 3.14 and 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt and hath accordingly performed it so that the Father is well pleased A 2d is John 17.4 Where He appeareth before the Father and useth it for an argument for His Glorifying him with the same glory he had with the father before the world was I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do I have gotten a task and piece of Work committed to me and now it 's performed And that other Word which He hath on the Cross is remarkable to this purpose It 's finished Now the task and work is ended and I have no more to do but presently to passe to the Victory and to the dividing of the Spoil And a 3d. Testimony is our Lord Jesus His ascension to Heaven and the glory that He will appear in at the day of Judgement when His Kingdom shall be consummat That shall be a proof and testimony that He left nothing undone that was given Him to do that He bare the Sins of many that He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that pulled of the hair and that He satisfied justice freely and ascended to Heaven as it is 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the mystery of Godliness saith the Apostle God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit fully absolved as having performed all whatsoever He undertook Seen of Angels and raised up unto glory Use This is also though a general yet a very comfortable Doctrine to the People of God in as far as from it they may know that there is no more to be payed to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It hath gotten full Satisfaction The Cautioner hath payed all their Debt and is now exercing His Offices for applying to them His purchase making intercession for them overseeing them proving a Tutor to them guiding them and all that concerns them and His Church even doing all things well managing the affairs of His Fathers house as a Son and He cannot but guide all well Other sheep saith He I have which are not of this fold them I must bring in and they shall hear my voice and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish A most pregnant ground of comfort to the Believer that his eternal well-being cannot but be sure and sicker because it hath the Father and the Mediator their faithfulnesse ingaged for it If Jehovah perform the Promises made to the Mediator and if the Mediator perform His ingagement to Jehovah and raise up Believers at the last day then it must follow that their Salvation is sure This is the main ground on which Believers peace is founded and here we may allude to that Heb. 6. He hath sworn by two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lie that the heirs of promise who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them may have strong consolation even so here There are two immutable things to wit Gods promise to the Mediator and God will and must keep His Word to Him and the Mediators ingagement to God and He will and must keep His Word to Him And indeed we have good proof of both already For it was this ingagement that made the Father send the Son of His Love out of His bosome to be incarnat and to undergo the work of Elect Sinners Redemption and it was this ingagement that made the Mediator die of whom the Father exacted the Price till He declared Himself Satisfied and well pleased Now when these things that seemed most difficult are accomplished what can fail 1. Then there is here ground to fix our Faith upon and indeed there is need to fix it rightly The ground that our Salvation and Perseverance in the Faith is founded on is not our continuing to Pray to Believe and to Love God but this ingagement betwixt the Father and the Son and it is the cause procuring the other as an necessary and infallibly certain effect It 's mainly on this that believers shuld rest quiet and confident 2. It should make Believers humble and cheerful seeing though they be weak in themselves yet here they have a grip and hold for every hand as it were Jehovah's Word and the Mediators Word for their through bearing 3. It should much commend believing and the state of a Believer who have such ground of assurance The greatest Monarch on earth hath not such ground of assurance for his Dinner or Supper as the poor Believer hath for eternal Life For the Word spoken by Jehovah to the Mediator and the undertaking of the Mediator to Jehovah cannot fail and the Believer hath that to rest upon as the ground of his assurance More particularly The Articles on the Mediators side are as I said in these Four exprâ—ssions He hath poured out his soul unto death He was numbred with the transgressours he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours 1. He must die expressed in these Words He poured out his soul unto death Which implyes Three things 1. That it is an Article of the Covenant of Redemption and of the Mediators undertaking that he should die for Sinners And so it is a needlesse curious and unwarrantable dispute whether fallen man might have been redeemed any other way or whether a drop of His blood was not enough to redeem man because we see here it is Determined and Articled in the Covenant of Redemption that He should die Jehovah will have the Mediator dying And be possible what may to Gods Soveraignity which we would not make to clash with His Justice nor His Just ce with His Soveraignity this may bound and limit us that it 's concluded in this Covenant of Redemption that the Mediator shall lay down His Life and it being concluded It 's certain 1. That God hath given man a Law threatning him that if he should break that Law he should die 2. That all Mankind and so the Elect have broken that Law and so are lyable to the Threatning and Curse 3. That the Mediator became Cautioner and undertook to satisfie for the Elects Debt it was necessary that He should die because He undertook to pay their Debt and to satisfie for their Sin which was death by the Law to them and so the Justice of God is vindicat He cannot be called unjust nor partial nor unholy though He do not actually punish every Sinner that hath Sinned in his own Person because Gods holinesse and Justice appears conspicuously that He would rather execute what was due to the Elect on His own Son then that their Sins should go unpunished
that Christ after the laying down of his Life was to enter into heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 This is a point which may yeeld us many and great Uses as 1. For Information to clear us â—bout Christ's Intercession 2. For Consolation To shew us the advantages that flow to Believers from it 3. For Direction in dutie to learn us what use we should make of it And 4. For Reproof and Conviction for and of the Sin of our much slighting and neglecting this part of Christs Priestly Office As for the First It serves we say for Information and to let us see that we have an excellent high Priest who is not only answerable to the Type in dying but also in interceeding who died that he might make application of what he purchased by his death For further clearing and prosecuting of this Use we shall speak a little to some few questions As 1. What this Intercession is 2 Who Interceeds 3. For whom 4. For what 5. How this Intercession is performed 6. What are the grounds on which it is founded For the First What this Intercession is in general and for clearing it ye would consider what it is not and 1. There is here no humbling of the Mediator in way of Supplication as he prayed when on earth or as we pray or as one man intreats or interceeds with another That way of Interceeding is inconsistent with his exaltation his humiliation being perfected and by and he being now exalted at the right hand of God 2. It 's no verbal thing no bringing forth or uttering of Words There is no such language in our Lords Intercession and so we are not to conceive of his Intercession as if he made a formal prayer That manner of dealling or proceeding is not now betwixt God and the Mediator 3. Neither doth this his Intercession consist in any new particular act of his will as if he did act or will something that he did not before therefore he is said to Live for ever to make intercession and to abide a Priest continually His Intercession is continual as is clear Heb. 7.3 25. His being in Heaven and appearing there in our name is his Intercession And therefore 2. Let us see in the next place what iâ— is And more generallâ— we may take it up in such expressions as the Scriptures make use of to hold it bâ— and in the similitude and analogie whence it 's borrowed for it 's a borrowed thing as the Covenant of Redemption is from compacts among men because we cannot take up divine and misterious things except they be exprest after the manner of men for our capacity Such is this as if a Kings Son were interposing for a person not in good terms with the King or for whom he would have some benefit from the King his Father The similitude seems indeed to be drawn from this yet it must not be astricted thereto Therefore 1 John 2.1 He is called an advocat with the Father and yet he doth not advocat our cause verbally as we said before And 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediator between God and man Where the Apostle is speaking of praying And here he is said to make Intercession for us as the high Priest did in name of the People in a word it is our Lords Jesus Christ his mâ—king of what he hath purchased and hath ingaged to him in the Covenant of Redemption effectually forth-coming for the behove of his People as if he were Agenting their cause as an Advocat in Heaven which is so held forth for the help of our Faith that the Mediator having made his Testament and confirmed it by his death is looking well that his death and the benefits purchased to Elect Sinners thereby may be made effectual and is as it were lying as Agent and Advocat at Court to procure and bring about this businesse according to that John 17.19 20 24. For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified c. Neither pray I for these alone c. and Father I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am It 's even that all may be made good to them for whom he Sâ—nctified himself and the effectual making out of that which he hath purchased to them that is called his Intercession 2dly Who makes Intercession It is not enough that Christ as man makes Intercession but it is Christ Mediator God and Mâ—n in one Person It being an error of the Papists to make the Intercession of Christ to be a thing performed by the humane nature only which lesseneth the consolation of Believers and is inconsistent with the Union of the two natures and detracts from the weigâ—t that his God-head gives to his Intercession 3dly For whom does he interceed There are here extreams on both hands to be eshewed 1. Some make his Intercession over broad as if he interceeded for all the World this he expresly denyes John 17.9 I pray not for the world and his Intercession being grounded on his death and satisfaction it must be of equal extent therewith and must relate to the Covenant of Redemption wherein so many were given him to be redeemed by his death 2. Others make his Intercession too naâ—row in making it only for them that actuaâ—ly believe He also refuts this opinion John 17.20 By saying Neither pray I for these alone but for all that shall believe on me through their word And it is alwayes on this ground that he interceeds to wit because they are given So that it 's for the Elect converted or unconverted that he interceeds The reason why we mark this is to overturn thereby Two corrupt distinctions that are made use of to bring in an universal Intercession as well as an universal Redemption 1. Some make his Intercession common to all but we according to the Scripture acknowledge no such Intercession to belong to Christ especially as Mediator however he might as man under the Law have prayed for some that shall not be actually saved as he commands one man to pray for other men yet not for all men simply 2. Others make a conditional Intercession for all as they make a conditional Redemption of all and make both absolute for Believers only which is also corrupt For considering the object of his Intercession as Mediator to be only the Elect as indeed they are it overturns both this and the former opinion if he prayed not for all he died not for all the one whereof is grounded on the other 4ly For what doth he interceed In general for all that is conditioned to him in the Covenant for the behove of his people He prayes for the fulfilling of all the Articles of the Covenant as that all the Elect who are not regenerat may be regenerat and made Believers That many through his knowledge may be justified That these that are regenerat and Believers and by Faith
as to the manner how he is affected so he hath the true nature and sinless affection of a man and so hath bowels to be wrought upon which kythed while he was on earth although we cannot take up the manner how he is touched yet he is touched otherwayes then God abstractly considered can be and otherways then an angel in heaven can be touched as we may see Heb. 2.17 and 4.15 We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted as we are yet without sin And it behoved him to be like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest and have compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way He is Sinners friend that is Intercessour and such an Intercessour that interceeds from the impression that the holy and inconceivable sympathie which he hath with his members hath upon him as his expression to Paul speaks forth Act. 9. Saul Saul why persecuts thou me counting himself a suffâ—rer with his people which cannot but have it 's own influence on his Intercession and add to the consolation of his People that what he interceeds for the procurement of to them is some way on this ground as being a favour to their glorified head 4. Beside this sympathy he hath a longing to speak so to have all the wants and dâ—fects of his people supplied and made up and to have all the promises made to him in behalf of the Elect fulfilled Not any such longing as may in the least incroach on or be inconsistent with the glory and glorified state of our blessed Lord Jesus but considering that there is a near relation betwixt him and his followrs he being the head and they the members and that he hath a sympathy and affection according to that relation It is answerable and suitable that he should desire and some way long for the perfyting of his body the Church which Ephes 1. is called The fulnesse of him who filleth all in all And he hath no question though a most pure and regular yet a most kindly and strong desire and longing to have his Body perfyted to have the Elect gathered and brought in As he had on earth a longing to have the work finished which was given him to do And this cannot but be a weighty part of his Intercession and very comfortable to his people his longing to have such and such a person converted such and such a person more mortified and more perfyted and made more confirm to him There is a word Heb. 10.13 that gives ground for this From henceforth expecting till all his enemies be made his footstool And what is spoken of this expecting of what is there mentioned may be applyed to other things He is sure expecting till all these promises concerning his seeing of a Seed and the justifying and glorifying of many be fulfilled because that was promised him in the former verse and expecting till he divide the spoil with the strong as is promised in the former part of this verse Now our Lord Jesus having laid down his Life what is he doing in heaven even longing till these promises be fulfilled Not that he hath any longing that implyes a defect in him simply for he is absoutly glorified and gloriouâ— yet such longing as is consistent with his glorified state as if we may make the comparison though in every thing it be not suitable the Souls in heaven are perfytly glorified yet they have a longing for the union of their bodies for the perfyting of Christs body mystical and for the union of all the members in a Soul and Body with the head So Christ considered as Mediator God-man in heaven hath a longing and holy desire which agrees with his Office and is a qualification thereof and doth no ways interrupt his happinesse that what concerns his Elect may be perfyted Therefore it 's said in the verse before He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied importing that it 's a kind of new satisfaction to him to get a Sinner brought in to believe in him and that he was waiting and longing for it 5. He hath an actual willing and continuing desire that what he hath purchased to such and such persons may be applyed And this is not simply to will for he had that on earth but a declaring of it in heaven that such and such things may be forth coming and made effectual for the behove of his members that what he intended in laying down his life may be brought to pass It 's the Mediator God-man willing whose will as man being perfytely conform to the will of God cannot be to speak so gainsaid in whatsoever he willeth for the persons given him and this is answerable to that John 17.24 Father I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am c. I will that such and such things ingaged to me for them may be made good That such and such persons be pardoned and brought through that they may be preserved from tentation may have their prayers heard that they may be made to persevere and may be glorified So that we cannot imagine a case wherein Gods People have need and a promise in the Covenant but there is an actual willingness in Christ to have the need suppl ed and the promise applyed according to the terms of the Covenant 6. We may take in here not only Christs willing that such a thing be done but his effectual doing of it And as this is a piece of his Intercession so it holds him forth to be a notable Intercessour compare John 14.13.16.26 15.26 67. In the 14. Chap. verse 13. he sayes Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do which we suppose respects Christ as Mediator to be trusted as great Lo d Dâ—puty in our nature to answer the prayers of his People when put up according to the will of God The 16. Chap. verse 26. Speaks of the Fathers sending the Comforter and Chap. 15.26 Of the Mediators sending the Comforter So doth Chap. 16.7 In one place it is What ye ask I will do and in another place it is that the Father will do It 's all one but it is to shew that what the Father doth he wil do it by the Son the Mediator and he wil actually perform it And these three expressions I will pray the Father And I wil send and the Father shall send hold out this That as the Father doth by the Son so that this is a part of Christs intercession effectually to procure and send out to us what we have need of 7. In all this there is in the Men Christ an adoration of the Father which though it be not such as is unsuitable to his exalted and glorified state yet is it becoming well him that is Man and in that respect is at his right hand to give
in whom his Soul delighted all along his sufferings His sufferings being for the sins of his Elect and he being to make application of his satisfaction and of the purchase made thereby to the Elect for whom he suffered and purchased these things by his intercession There was a necessity that he should come thorow otherwayes he should not have been a perfect and compleat Saviour Able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7.25 But such a High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heavens 3. It 's clear also if we consider the nature of the Covenant and of the promises made to him therein upon his ingaging and undertaking for the Elect as particularly vers 10. of this Chapter He shall see his seed and prolong his dayes his duration shall be for ever The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong Our Lord's Exaltation and victory over death being on the Lord's side conditioned to him the Mediator as well as he ingaged to suffer hence it 's said Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head The Uses are two The 1. whereof serves for clearing and confirming our Faith in a fundamental Article of Christianity without which it were needless for us to preach and needless for you to hear or believe and that is that our Lord Jesus suffered and also got the victory over suffering that he was raised from the dead and declared to be the Son of God with power intimating that Justice had gotten full satisfaction in evidence and testimony whereof he was declared free which is a main thing that believers have to believe even that we have an exalted Christ a raised up Saviour who could not be detained by all the Elects guilt in prison 2. It serves to be matter of strong consolation it puts life in all Christ's Offices and Qualifications and in all the Promises made to Believers to wit that our Lord Jesus is a living Christ over whom death had no dominion and he overcame it now to die no more So that as it is Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them There is nothing that a Soul needs or can desire but it is to be had in him And if we would look to particular instances much consolation will arise from this ground For 1. Hath a believing sinner to do with challenges at the Bar of Justice is it not unspeakable consolation that their debt is payed Hence it 's said Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It 's God that justifies who shall condemn It 's Christ that died yea rather that is risen again It 's that which gives proof of compleat payment of the Elects debt and defiance to any challenges and accusations to come against the Believer to his prejudice because Christ hath not only died but is also risen Justice being well pleased with his satisfaction he is let out of the Prison 2. If the Believer hath to do with corruption with the Devil and with many enemies Is it not strong consolation that our Lord is risen and up that the Prince of this world is judged that Satan is troden under foot and that be shall and must reign till all his enemies be made his foot-stool 3. Our Lord's Resurrection hath a twofold further consolation with it to Believers 1. It serves to be a ground for the exercising of Faith on him that as he is risen so Rom. 6. may we expect that being spiritually dead with him to sin we shall be with him raised up to newness of life 2. It is a pledge of Believers Exaltation and compleat victory over Death and the Grave and over all Enemies for Christ being raised as the Common Head of all Believers who are his Members they by vertue of his Resurrection and by that same efficacy shall be raised And it 's impossible that they can ly under corruption This is our great consolation who are Believers and live under the Gospel that we have not these things as a Prophesie of things to come but as a plain History of things in part done and by and by to be compleatly done 4. It hath also in it consolation in respect of temporal difficulties what are they all They are not sure such as Christ's were and the day is coming when Believers shall have an out-gate from them all And therefore since our Lord is up let not Believers be afraid of any changes whatsoever 2dly Observe That our Lord Jesus being raised up from his state of Humiliation is invested and put in a most excellent and glorious condition even such as the Prophet cannot express Who can declare his generation saith he Who can declare how glorious he is now Take two or three Scriptures to confirm this 1. That Eph. 1.20 21. He hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Our Lords Throne is exalted far above Angels and Archangels even out of sight The 2d is Phil. 2.9 Where having spoken of his Humiliation it follows Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and c. His Exaltation is such as hath a Dominion and Supremacy with it over every name He having as it is Col. 1.18 in all things the preheminency The 3d. place is Heb. 8.1 Of the things which we have spoken this is the sum we have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of Majesty in the Heavens Where Christs Exaltation is set out to be such as hath exalted him to the right hand of the Majesty on high Because this is one of the great Articles of our Faith to wit That Christ rose from death the third day and ascended into Heaven and is set down on the right hand of God We shall add a little more to clear it and 1. We would know that this Exaltation of our Lord is not to be understood of his exaltation properly as he is God in which respect there is no up nor down in him though his declarative glory was valid for a time during his humiliation yet in himself as he was God he was still glorious and blessed over all 2. When we speak of Christ's Exaltation as Mediator and as Man we do not mean that his Humane Nature hath lost the
rich man nor to the wise man c. God hath not choâ—en many of these as is clear 1 Cor. 1.26 buâ— say to the righteous or holy man it shall be weâ—l with him and is herâ— any thing that should have so much influence on men and take them so much up as how to be well in the close Folk may have a fighting life of it here and may suffer much and be under reproach for a time as Christ was but if thou be holy ere thy Body be laid in the Grave it shall be well with thy Soul And as for all who have chosen the way of Holiness we are allowed to say this to you that it shall be well with you at death and after death at Judgment and even for evermore To them saith the Apostle Rom. 2.9 who by patient continuance in well-doingr seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life O how many great and good things are abiding all the honest-hearted Students of Holiness Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what they are 3ly It 's ground of expostulation with them that neglect and slight Holiness As it will be well with the Righteous or Holy so they shall have a miserable and desperate lot of it who either despise or neglect Holiness Wo to the wicked saith Isaiah 3 1â— it shall be ill with him Some of you may think that ye are rich and honourable are well cloathed fit in fine Houses and have richly covered Tables when poor Bodies are keeped at the door and are destitute of these things and are ready to bless your selves as being well though ye care not for nor seek after Holiness but wo unto you for ye must die and go to the bottomleâ—s Pit and there ye will not get so much as a drop of water to cool your Tongues in these tormenting Flames neither your Riches nor Honours nor Pleasures will hold off the heat and fury of the vengeance of God nor in the â—eâ—st ease you in your exâ—ream pain but as it is Rom. 2.9 Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish four sore words wiâ—l be upon every soul of man that doeth evil O dâ— ye believe this â—'s the truth of God and a very plain truth and we are perswaded none of you will dare downright to deny it Holiness will have a sweet and comfortable close and the neglect of it will have fearful effâ—cts following on it what is the reason then that Holiness is so little thought of aâ—d followed do ye believe that ye will die and think ye ever to come to Judgment or to hear that word Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me naked and ye cloathed me c. O what will become of many of you when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels iâ—flaming fire to render vengeance to all them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel and will say to you Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for when I was hungry ye fed me not c. this is I grant a general truth yet if it be not received we know not what truth will be received and if it were received the practice of Holiness would be more studied there would be less Sin and more Prayer Reading Meditation more seeking after Knowledge and more watchfulness and tenderness in Folks Conversation always in this the Lord shews the connexion that is betwixt Holiness and Hâ—ppiness and hâ—re ye have the copy and pattern of an examplary walk 3ly From this that the holiâ—ess and blamâ—nleâ—eâ—s of Christ here spoken of is marked in him as peculiar to him for it fits him to be a High Priâ—st and proves that only he could be the Priest that â—uited and became us anâ— that no other could do our turn as the Apostle râ—asons Heb 7 26 27 28. For the law maketh men priests that have infirmity but the word of â—he oath which was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore From this I say Obseâ—ve That all men even the most holy except Christ who was both God and Man a e sinful and not one of them sinless while living here on earth and the reâ—son is becâ—uâ—e 〈◊〉 any were sinless then this that is said here would not be peculiar to our Lord Jesus Christ that He diâ— no violence neither was there deceit â—n his mouth This being a singular character of our High Priâ—st that none of his Types could clâ—â—m to it exclusively agreeth to him so as it agreeth to none other The Scripture is full to this purpose in asserting that not only all mâ—n are sinnâ—rs as considered in theiâ— naturâ—l condition but that even Bâ—lieveâ— are sinful in part for the same Apostle John that saiâ—h 1 Epist 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ saith also vers 8. If we say we have no siâ— we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and vers 10. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us and 1 Kings 8.46 and Eccles 7.20 There is no man that doth good and sinneth not plainly insinuating that all have need of an Intercessouâ— We shall not insist in this only from these words compared with the scope making it peculiar to Christ to be without sin and implying that none other are so we would consider the necessity of its being so 1. For differencing and separating of Jesus Christ from all others by putting this dâ—gnity on him of being holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners this is his prerogative and badge of honour above others 2. It 's necessary for this end to demonstrate the need that there is of his offering himself a Sacrifice for sinners and that it was not for himself but for sinners that he offered up himself and that there is a continual necessity of making use of that Sacrifice for if there were not a continuance of sin in part while Believers are out of Heaven there would be no need of this part of Christs office if we were holy and harmless our selves we needed not such an High Priest Use 1. To establish us in the faith of this Truth That among all men there is none that were true men except Christ that is without sin sin is still abiding in them while in this world of none of them all it can be said that they have done no violence neither is there any deceit in their mouth none of them could ever say since Adam fell the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me yea this is a special qualification of Christ Jesus for his Priest-hood that he was without sin and behoved to be so I am not pleading that sinners should take a liberty to sin because there is no perfection to be win at in this life God
to take Christs Righteousnesse and the pardon of Sin through Him freely and what matter of boasting I pray is here none at all Thus this Doctrine contributes both to make these who are seeking pardon and these who have gotten pardon humble Where is boasting then sayes the Apostle it is excluded by what law by the law of works no but by the law of faith as it is Rom. 3.17 The believing Sinner does nothing and hath done nothing towards the procuring of His own Justification but gets all freely We can never think nor speak aright of Justification but it layes our vain humour and stops the mouth from boasting while it saith What hast thou O! man but what thou hast received and if thou hast received it why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it We shall close and shut up the whole of this Doctrine by proposing some few considerations as conclusions from it 1. See here a necessity of being acquainted with the Truths of the Gospel and with this Truth in particular concerning Justification whereof alace many are very ignorant seing there are so many wayes to go wrong and so many do go wrong about it we had need to be the more clear in the right way If there were more knowledge of this and of other Truths we might speak and hear with more profite and if ye did not please your selves with meer and airy notions but sought to be settled in what ye hear of other Truths and of this in particular it would contribute much to your peace and rid you of many doubts and difficulties A 2d Consideration is That there is much need to walk in holy fear in studying this and other Truths there are so many wayes to err and a wrong step here is very dangerous It were exceeding profitable to be more in the study of Justification that is of the very marrow of the Gospel and is deservedly accounted to be articulus stantis aut cadentis ecclesiae but ye would come to it in fear being jealous of your own ignorance and shallownesse of capacity rightly to take it up especially when new questions are rising and started concerning it And as Paul and David studied this way and held it forth to others as the way whereby they went to heaven and whereby others must come to it So we commend it to you to follow them A 3d. Consideration is If Faith be so necessary to Justification as without it ye cannot be Justified is there not reason that ye should study to be distinct and clear that ye have Faith and that ye are indeed Believers This is one of the great Uses of all this Doctrine If there be no way but Faith and if in studying this one way many go wrong then as ye would make your calling and election sure study to make this sure by puting your selves to the tryal if ye be taking this way as the Apostle most pathetically exhorts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves if ye be in the faith prove your own selves c. It 's truly matter of wonder to think how so many men and women are so soon satisfied in the matter of their believing which yet is so tickle and difficult a businesse we would have none to be jumbled and confounded about it who desire to be serious in the thing yet we would have all wakened and put to diligence many men have taken pains to be wrong in this matter of Justification and how few of you have taken pains to go right in it and how is it that many of you win so easily at it Seing the Apostle Rom. 9. calls it a stumbling stone to many and a rock of offence Surely 〈◊〉 it be so your coming at it by guess and ignoranly is to be suspected And therefore on this consideration ye would be awakened to put your selves more seriously to the study of it and to try your selves if ye be come well to it for it 's the special yea the only-ground of your peace before God There are many of you who in a manner think it impossible to miscarry in this For ye know that there is no way to be Justified but by Faith and yet if many of you were put to it ye know not the manner nor way how Faith Justifies which shews that it is not so easie a matter as ye take it to be A 4th Consideration is this That in speaking of Justification and Faith's peculiarnesse or peculiar way of concurring in it ye would beware of crying down Works as to their usefulness or necessity This was an error that soon entered in the Church as soon as Paul cleared and pressed the Doctrine of Justification by Faith some arose who as James shews in the 2d Chapter of his Epistle affirmed that Works were not needful but Faith would save them no sayes James that faith is dead and vain that wants works And therefore remember 1. That although we tell you that Works are not properly the condition of the Covenant of Grace yet we say that Faith and Works are never separat in a Justified Person sound Faith cannot but work and put on to the study of Holinesse 2. We say although Works concur not in the obtaining of pardon of Sin yet we say they are needful to Salvation and to folks entry in to Heaven For the Apostle saith Heb. 12.17 That without holiness none shall see the Lord Though it's Faith that makes our friendship yet it 's by holinesse that it 's entertained and it 's holinesse whereby our communion is keeped up with God Therefore Col. 1.12 We are said by it to be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light For it transforms us to Gods Image 3. Works are necessary though not to procure our peace yet for the entertaining of our peace and except we have Works we cannot have a solid proof that our Justification by Faith is real and in this respect James sayes Chap. 2. that Abraham was Justified by Works That is by his Works he was declared to be a justified person As to the Justification of his person he was justified by Faith before Isaac was born but by his offering up of Isaac and other Fruits of his Faith he was declared and manifested to be a Justified man and made suitable to the Covenant that he was ingaged in with God Therefore as the sum of all be exhorted to study the exercise of Faith and Holinesse so as every one of them may have it 's own room and place for that will be your advantage and without this no other thing will advantage you Now God himself that calleth for both Sanctifie and enable us for both SERMON LXII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. For he shall bear their iniquities IT 's a thing that can neither be easily believed nor yet understood how by Christs knowledge or by Faith in Him many shall be justified In these Words the Prophet adds a Reason that both confirms
the mutualnesse of the Terms of it and that though as to our conceiving and up-taking of it there be something first and something last yet with God there is no such thing but it is one present Act. Thâ— promises made to the Mediator are in two exprâ—ssiâ—â—s with an inference in the Word Therâ—fore knitting this to what went before I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong In short the similitudes here used are taken from Conquerours and Victors who having been in a War and fight and having defeat and routted all their Enemies and put them off the Field have a notable Out-gate Victory and Triumph and a great Spoil as the Fâ—â—iâ— of the War And so the meaning is That the Mâ—diator by His undertaking to Sâ—tâ— fie for the Elect should have a great Fâ—ght and Combat with many Enemies but He should losse nothing by it He shou d have a notable Our gate an excellent Victory and glorious Triumph great glory and spoil So that as there was never War like Hâ—s nor Enemies like these that He had to encounter with so there should never be such Victory Triumph and Spoil as our Lord Jesus should have The word Portion is not in the Original buâ— well supplied It is only I will divide him many as the Word is often used and He shall divide the spoil with the strong That is He shall iâ— dividing the Spoil be above the strongest The Words infer and take in these Three 1. A great defeat of and Victory over all the Mediators Enemies the Devil Death and the Curse He gets a great victory over them and gives them a great defeat so that they are quite beat off the Field as dividing the spoil imports Psal 68.12 She that remained at home divided the spoil and Isa 9.3 As men rejoyce when they divide the spoil 2. The great number of Captives that our Lord in His Victory and Triumph takes and brings off that is He gets a great bootie which is that spoken of in the words before By his knowledge shall many be justified and it 's that which is exprest in that Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive that is these that were formerly captives thou hast redeemed from their capivity and led them captive that carried others captive as the people of God pray Psal 126.4 Turn again our captivity 3. It takes in the excellent Victory the great Triumph and Glory that the Mediator should have by this means He is exalted above every name that is named that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of thinge in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth For further clearing of it we shall recommend to you Two or Three places in which it 's like there is an allusion to this as that Col. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us taking it out of the way and nailling it to his cross tearing as it were the Obligation that the Law had over the Elect by His paying of their Debt And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it There is His Victory and Triumph He combats with subdues and trods under foot all His and His peoples Enemies by satisfying the Justice of God for the Elects Debt and spoils them of many Souls that were led captive by them and triumphed openly over them declaring Himself to have gotten the Victory in a most Majestick manner A 2d place is Phil. 2.8 9. Being found in fashâ—on as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even to the death of the cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above eveâ—y name that at the name of Jâ—sus every knee should bow of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father This is His Victory Triumph and Glory such as none in Heaven or Earth ever had or shall have the like A 3d. Place is that Ephes 2.21 Hâ—â—alâ—ed him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the church Whether they be Devils or good Angels or Men Sâ—ints militant or triumphant He is above them all all are made subject to Him and He is the head of His Church The expressions run in different Persons The first is in the First Person I will divide him a portion It 's a Promise of God the Father to the Mediator for His attaining the Victory as it 's said Ephes 1.20 God raised him from the dead The 2d Expression is in the 3d. Person He shall divide the spoil To shew that the Mediator God man concurred in the attaining the Victory Therefore Rom. 1.4 He is said to raise himself and in thâ—t it 's said I will divide and He shall divide It is to hold out the Mediator His attaining and possessing of what was promised and to shew that there is nothing promised to the Mediator but actually He is and shall be put in the full possession of it The last part of the Words holds out the conditions on the Mediators side in Four Expressions 1. Because he hath poured out his soul unto death That is because He willingly condescended to die He yetted or poured out His Soul to death 2. He was numbred with the transgressours He had a reproached and shameful Life and a reproached and cursed Death He was thought the worst of the World so that Barrabas a murtherer was preferred unto Him It also points out the respect that His Death had to a Satisfaction for the Sins of the Elect He was legally numbred and counted amongst transgressours though He was no Transgressour 3. He bare the sins of many which expones the former and sayes this much That noâ— only He simply died and died a shâ—meful Death but that He died for this end to bear and by His bearing to remove the Sins of the Elect for it relates to the many that in the former Words are said to be justified by his knowledge And it cannot be but these many shall be Justified because He did bear their Sins as to the Punishment and Curse due to them and whosoever Sins are born by Christ these are and shall be Justified and therefore He must be Victorious and have a glorious triumph and out-gate because He layes down His Life for His Sheep as it is John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life and take it up again And by the way it is a strange
have be taken themselves to him may be justified pardoned and received in favour friendship and fellowship with God that Believers may be keeped from tentation that tentations may be prevented and they made to persever That Satan may not make their Faith to fail them as he designs and the Lord gives account of his design Luke 22.32 Satan hath sought to winnow you but I have prayed that thâ— faith fail not That they and their prayers and service may be accepted that the suits and supplications that they present and put up in his name may get a hearing That they may be armed against the fear of death That they may be carried on in the gradual advances of Sanctification to the end of their Faith the salvation of their Souls that they may be glorified and be where he is to behold his glory In a Word he interceeds for every thing needful and for every thing promised to them his Intercession being as broad as his Purchase 5ly How doth he perform this part of his Priestly Office for his People it's performed by his entrie into the most holy place in our nature and name as having satisfied Justice and vanquished death where he appears before God for us So that we are to look to Christ's being in heaven not simply as glorifying himself or as glorified in himself for himself but as our head and forerunner to answer all that can be said against his Elect for whom he suffered and satisfied as it is Heb. 9.23 24. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us So that our Lord Jesus by his entry into heaven doth declare I mean materially declare his victory in our name and appears there as a publick and not as a privat person His entry into heaven is not to be looked on as the entry of Moses or of Elias but as the entry of him who is head of the Elect whose entry there is a Declaration of what he would be at As by the power of his God-head he conveyed himself in thither So he hath taken possession in our name and according to the Covenant declares that these whose room he sustains may and must be admitted to glory And we must conceive an special efficacy in his being there for procuring to them what he hath purchased 2. His Intercession is performed through the efficacy of his blood and satisfaction flowing from the nature of the Covenant which hath a moral real cry for making effectual what he by his death hath procured As the Apostle speaking of Abels Blood and of making application of Christs Blood Heb. 12.24 Saith It speaketh better things then the blood of Abels For Abels Blood had a dmereit in it to cry guilt and could not but have a Curse following it because God had cursed the shedder of Blood But Christs Blood considered as the price of Redemption for the Elect hath an invaluable and unconceivable merit and worth in it and must have a cry for the blessings purchased to them by it 3. He performs this his Intercession by his constant care and by his continual willingnesse and actual willing that what he hath purchased for his Elect people may be applyed to them that such and such persons may be brought to believe that upon their believing they may be pardoned delivered from snares and tentations keeped in favour with God may be accepted in their performances c. For he had that prayer John 17.20.24 And he continues to have that same Sympathy His way on earth was alwayes sinless but now is glorious and majestick suited to his glorified state He continues to interceed according as he intended and his actual willingness is a main part of his Intercession which is not in renewing of acts to speak so but in his continuing desire willingness that what good he hath purchased may be conferred according to the Covenant For Christ in heaven is still a true man and hath a will as he had on earth continuing to seek that they may be glorified with him for whom he satisfied and this actual willing desiring and affecting that such a thing should be is called his Intercession because it cannot but be so esteemed as to have the effect to follow according to the Covenant as he sayes John 11.41 42. I thank thee Father that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwayes This as to his actual willing cannot but be in heaven However we are sure that he is there and in our name and that his death and blood shed hath an efficacy to bring about what he hath purchased and that his will and affection are the same and have an efficacy with them and the effect certainly following so as nothing can go wrong there more then the man that hath a just cause in a Court of Judicature and an able Advocat with much moyen to agent and plead it before a Just Judge can be wronged or loss his Cause 6ly The grounds of his Intercession are 1. The excellency of his person who though he be man yet is he God also equal with the Father the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his poweâ— As it is Heb. 1.2 Which cannot but add weight to his Intercession as well as to his Satisfaction the Person that interceeds being God The 2. is his Satisfaction which is the ground of his Intercession for upon his Satisfaction he maketh Intercession even as if a Cautioner would say I have payed such a mans Debt and therefore he ought to be absolved Therefore 1 John 2.1 2. These two are joyned We have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins So Rom. 8.34 They are joyned It 's Christ that died who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us 3. The Covenant of Redemption is the great ground on which his Intercession is founded Such and such persons are given to Christ and such priviledges and benefits offered to be conferred upon them on condition the Mediator would undertake and satisfie for them and he having undertaken and payed the price there is good ground for his interceeding for the making application of the purchase Therefore he sayes John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me c. This gives him right to plead and interceed for them seing he hath endured Soul-travel for them he ought to see his Seed and to have many Justified and fred from the curse and condemnation that they were obnoxious to as the fruit of that sore Soul-travel In and from the consideration of these we may gather what is the
he was made a Priest by the eternal oath in the Covenant of Redemption Psal 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever And hels said to have an unchangable Priesthood And there being but one way of access for Sinners to Heaven by Christ who is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world it must be holden for a sure conclusion that his Intercession is as old as his Sâ—crifice And he was intercessour before his Incarnation in these three respects 1. In respect of his Office being designed to be Intercessour For as we said being designed to be Priest and being Mediator before his Incarnation he behoved to be Intercessour also For that way he did Mediat and the benefits that came to Sinners from the beginning were the effects of his Intercession Therefore 1 Tim. 2.5 It 's said There is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus and there was never another real Mediator however Moses might be called a typical one 2. He was Intercessour before his Incarnation in respect of the merit of his future Sacrifice He did not before his Incarnation Interceed by vertue of his Sacrifice actually offered as now he doth yet there was vertue which flowed from his Sacrifice to be offered to the people of God as well then as now when it hath been long since offered The Sins of all that ever were pardoned were pardoned on the account of his Sâ—crifice And so also the spiritual benefits that did redound to them did redound to them through his Intercession then as now by vertue of the same Sacrifice because of the nature of the Covenant wherein it was agreed that his Sacrifice should be of the same efficacy before his Incarnation as after For the day and hour was agreed upon when he should offer that Sacrifice Therefore it 's said that in due time and in tâ—â— fulness of time he came and died 3. He was Intercessour before his Incarnation â—s after it in respect of the effects that followed on it to the People of God then and now The People of God before his Incarnation had communion with God and access to him though not generally in tâ—at degree of boldnesse they presented their Prayers through and were beholden to the sâ—me Christ for a hearing as we are and therefore his Intercession before his Incarnation extended to them as to us in these respects but with this difference that he procured these benefits to them by vertue of the Covenant and the efficacaâ— of his blood to be offered and now he procures them to his People since his Incarnation and ascension by vertue of the same ascension and by vertue of the efficacy of his blood offered As to the 2d How his Mediation and Intercession now differs since his ascension from his Intercession before it as to the strengthening of the consolation of the people of God For answer 1. We lay down this for a conclusion That though our Lord Jesus was Mediator both before his Incarnation and now yet since his ascension he hath a new way of Mediation and Intercession that exceedingly abounds to the strengthening of the consolation of his People therefore it 's ordinarly subjoyned to his ascension because of his new manner of discharging that his Office It is time there is no addition to that grace which is infinit in him as if he could be more gracious or as if in respect of the Covenant there could be larger promises as to essential things contained therein but by taking on our nature he hath a new way of being affected and a new way of venting his affection to us and is capable of another manner of touch with the infirmities of his people now that he hath humane bowels though glorified and glorious and the Faith of his People hath a ground superâ—dded whereupon to expect the communication of that grace mercy and goodnesse that is in him though all the effects that followed to his people before his Incarnation had respect to his future Incarnation So these effects had respect to his future Intercession in our nature as well as to his dying and laying down of the price for these that were admitted to heaven ere he came in the Flesh were admitted the same way that we are But 2dly and more particularly if it be asked wherein this addition to the consolation of God's People by his Intercession after his Ascension kythes or manifests it self We may take it up in these Six steps which will also serve to illustrat the manner of his interceeding 1. It kythes in this That he appeareth in heaven in our nature now the man Christ is in heaven interceeding and as Advocat answering for pursued Sinners or as Ambassador and Legat agenting the affairs of them that are given to him of the Father as it is Heb. 9.24 He is not entered into the holy places made with hands but into heaven it self to appear now in the presence of God for us Where the Apostle having been speaking of the excellency of his Priest-hood before and comparing him with the Type he tels that he is not entered into the typical tabernacle but into heaven it self to appear there in the presence of God for us And this is a solid ground of consolation to a poor believing Sinner that he hath Christ in his own nature in heaven interceeding that what he performed before by vertue of his Office and of the efficacy of his Sacrifice to be offered when he should be incarnat He now being incarnat and ascended performs it we having God in our nature become a man like unto us to care for the things of his people and if any new question arise or debate be started to entertain the treaty and to effectuat and make out their businesse that nothing that concerns them misgive 2. Their consolation is stronger in this respect That he is in heaven by vertue of the efficacy of his Sacrifice already offered As the High Priest when he had offered the Sacrifice took the blood with him within the vall and interceeded for the people So our Lord Jesus is not now interceeding by vertue of his Sacrifice to be offered but by vertue of his Sacrifice already offered having entered into heaven and taken the efficacy of his Sacrifice with him to enter it to speak so in the book of God to stand on record nay he standeth there himself to keep the memory of his blood fresh and by each appearance of him there who is never out of the sight of the Majesty of God there is still a representation of the worth and efficacy of his Sacrifice and for whom and for what it was offered 3. There is by the man Christ his being in heaven this ground of consolation supperadded That he hath a sympathie with Sinners otherwayes then before not as to the degree nor as to the intensness of his grace and mercy as I hinted before but
Devil is put from the Throne and gets not violence â—cted he turns about and falleth on another waâ— and â—peâ—â—s out this flood of errour to devour the Woman and her Child But our Lord hath a voce here also Afâ—er the persecution of the Heathens is over Revel 7.1 2. John sees an Angel ascending from the east the great Lord Keeper or Chancellour of the Fathers Council the supream Deputy over all unâ—er Officers that hath the keeping of the great Seal of the living God and there is nothing relevant nor valid till it be sealed by him And mark the time when he appears It 's when the winds are holden and ready to blow as v. 1. but he cryes with a loud voice Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the Servants of God in the foreheads Stay saith he a little ere these winds blow that will take the most part off their feet ere that delusion go forward there are some servants of God that must be marked and put without the reach of the hazard and then the wind shall get leave to blow what reason then of anxiety is there or could be here if the solid and lively faith of this Intercessour and Advocat his being in heaven and thus interceeding were in our hearts 2dly As to the particular times and occasions when the people of God should more especially make use of this ground of consolation and comfort themselves in it I speak not of Christs Intercession simply but of the consolation that flows from It 1. In their most languid and lifeless conditions when the body of death comes in on them like a wave of the Sea and is ready as it were to drown them they ought to comfort themselves in this that they have an intercessour that can rebuke that when tentation is violent and a person fears he be undone he hath a grip here to hold himself by Jesus Christ is intercessour He prayes that my graces sail not That my Faith and Patience be not undone that the Devil get not his will of me the man would be desperat if he were not in heaven and interceeding but he gathers confidence from this ground and sayes I shall not die but live and see the salvation of God For he is able to save to the uttermoâ—t all that come unto God through him Seeing he evee liveth to make intercession for them And therefore although I cannot win out of the grips of this tentation yet he can rebuke it and break the force of it And hence is that comfortable word Heb. 2. last For that he himself suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Sometimes it will not meet with Believers condition that Christ suffered but this doth when he comes on and finds that he was tempted It 's true there was no corruption in him and tentations had no sinful influence on him and the more comfort to us He is the stronger to overcome in us yet he was set on and assaulted by the tentation he was tempted and that is a consolation when Joshua the high Priest is in his dutie Zech. 3. And the Devil is at his right hand to resist him and mar him in it and he can do or say little himself he boasts him with authority from marring his servant in his work A great consolation it is when the tentation is strong and we weak when the Devil is violent and we are dispairing to resist him that there is a high Priest at hâ—nd whole office is to do it A 2d time is when challenges are very fresh when the charge of ones Debt given in is long and large and the Law iâ— severe in exacting and Justice in pressing and pressing hard and the conscience cannot deny nor resist and the man hath nothing to pay his Debt and he â—s ike to be dragged to the Prison and there is none to undertake for him There comes in that word 1 John 2.1.2 I writ these things to you that ye sin not I give â—oot a dispensation to sin but if any 〈◊〉 sin we have an Advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And this is the grâ—â—â—d of Pauls triumph so often mentioned Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies c. Though the charge should be given in what is the matter there is a way to be fred of it there is an Advocat at the right hand of God in heaven who became Cautioner for and payed the Elects Debt and is now interceeding for them and who can loss the cause when he pleads it and here he quiets and comforts himself giving a defiance to challenges and all that can be lybelled against him A 3d. time and occasion is under a Cross-condition when Christians have the world in their tops and their is confusion in publick things and there is darkness and indistinctness in our private condition It ought to comfort us that we have an Advocat in heaven who pleads our cause and will not dispise the suite of the poor and needy A 4th time is when we our selves cannot interceed for our selves when we pray but our prayers are much mangled and little worth and we think shame to look upon them we would then look on what accompt our prayers are put up If on the accompt of Christs Intercession a sigh a groan a broken word nay a breathing will be accepted the Intercessour hath his own incense to perfume it with and it 's accepted on the weight that it hath from him and though our prayer be but as the shaddow of a prayer if there be honesty in it it 's a comfort it will be accepted on that account Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name I will do And Revel 8. He accepts the prayers of all Saints the weakest as well as the best for the best goes not up but by his censer and incense and the weakest goes up that same way And there is in some respect no distinction of Believers and of their fervent or not fervent prayers there if honest the fervour of Christs Intercession and the favour of his incense makes all go up and be accepted because the reason of Gods hearing of our prayers is not in us else he should hear none of them but it 's in his intercession which is of equal worth and extent to all honest prayers of sound Believers He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him though there be no ability nor worth in themselves because he lives for ever to make intercession for them but the two last things will clear this yet more 3dly Though this may seem strange like yet it is true if we consider the grounds warranding us to make use of his Intercession and to draw this Consolation from it And they are Four 1. That his Intercession suppons a defect in us a libel and charge given
main furtherance in all Religion to get this solidly believed That Christ Jesus who is the express image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory is now in heaven in our nature and hath it for his work to be interceeding and interceeding for transgressours we are every day reaping the good of this Intercession in reference to many evils that are keeped off us and in reference to many mercies bestowed on us that we pray not all or but little for and we come never to hear a preaching but we are beholden to it it being a peculiar fruit of his intercession that gifts are given to men and that the Gospel is sent through the earth and if ever any get good of a Sermon it is by vertue of this Intercession seing he hath said that he will pray the Father and that he will send the comforter and when ever we come to hear a preaching there would be to say so a revising of the thoughts of Christs Intercession and a stirring up of our selves to get the faith of it lively in it's exercise That which we spake to the last day was concerning the comfort that flows from this and indeed if any Doctrine be comfortable this must be comfortable that we have such a friend in the Court of Heaven invested in this office of an Advocat and Intercessour for us Use 3. Of exhortation seing there is such an Office wherewith Jesus Christ is invested and such an Officer that bears this Office to be an Advocat for sinners then sinners would be exhorted to learn to improve and to make use of this Advocat and of his Office since he hath this Office of an Intercessour O! do not dispise such a mercy neglect not such an advantage but learn to make use of him and in your worship applications to God to approach by and through him The ground of this Use of exhortation is clear in the Words and from the nature of the thing For if Christ Jesus bear these Offices and if he bear them for us then sure we should improve them If he be a King we should make use of him for subduing sin in us If a Prophet we should improve that Office for attaining of Light and saving Knowledge from him And if he be a Priest to satiâ—fie divine Justice and to make intercession we should improve both parts of that Office The necessity of our improving Christs Intercession appears from this if we consider in what terms we stand with God have we any boldnesse or access of our selves is not the door shut on us and is there not a stated controversie standing betwixt God and us And have we any access but by his moyen The necessity of it is further clear from the order that God hath laid down in the way of his Administration of grace why I pray hath he appointed a Mediator and Intercessour is it not for good reason even for the consolation and encouragement of sinners to draw near who if they be in earnest cannot but be affected with fear to approach unto God and is it possible to come unto God and not by this door and were it not ingratitude to neglect it seing he hath contrived this new and living way of access unto him But to descend to more particular discoursing of this matter which is as difficult a thing to speak of a right and to practice suitably as any part of Religion if especially he himself teach us not for sometimes we will make use of his Sacrifice and Satisfaction when we know not how to make use of his Intercession For either we do all our alone and misken the Intercessour or we will do nothing and give it over as desperat as if our businesse were quite broken and hopelesse and as if it were needlesse or useless to lay any weight on Christ's Intercession And thus whether we apprehend our selves to be in better or in worse case he is much miskent and neglected That therefore we may the better know how to make use of Christs Intercession We shall 1. in the general shew what it is to improve it 2 Speak to some particular cases wherein it in a special manner is to be improven 3. Satisfy and remove some objections or answer some questions that may be moved about it 4. We shall give some characters of one that is serious and tender in improving of his Intercession For the First It is indeed a thing so difficult to improve Christs Intercession aright that we cannot easily tell how to conceive of it being a considerable part of the mistery of Faith to go to God by a Mediator and Intercessour However we shall 1. shew some mistakes that are to be eshewed 2. We shall shew wherein it more properly consists which is in the exercise of Faith in him with respect to his Intercession And 3. We shall illustrat it by some similitudes for the further making out of it 1. Then when we spake of improving Christs Intercession and of going to God by him we would have these mistakes eshewed 1. Beware of thinking that there is a going to the Mediator in a distinct or in a different manner from what is in going to God for he is God or that we may go to God at one time and to the Mediator at another time as if we would first speak a while to the Mediator and then speak to God or would first make our moan to the Mediator to pacifie God and when God were calmed to speak to him as if he were to make moyen with God for us as a Courtiâ—r makes moyen with the King the offended partie for a Rebel we would beware of this For it divides in our apprehension the God-head that is indivisible for if we consider the Mediator as the object of our worship he is to be considered as God though we may and are also joyntly to consider him as Mediator and on that account make use of him And if we consider him as God we must consider him as the same God with the Father and the holy Ghost But to have this imagination of him that we are to speak to him as to another Partie or not as God is to make him another thing which is unbecoming that apprehension and estimation that we ought to have of the unity of the blessed God-head 2. Beware of thinking that there is a greater facility or easiness to have access to the Mediator then to have access to God or that it is more easie to have access to the Second Person of the Trinity then to the First or Third Person we are afraid that there be mistakes here also as if the Mediator were more easie to be dealt with then the Majesty of God or as if there were more easie access unto him whereas he being the same God and so considered there are the same grounds whereon sinners may have access to the Father as to the Son For if we look on a sinner
for Christ hath payed the debt of them for whom he interceeds he hath purchased the same things for which he maketh Intercession they are the same acts of Faith that make use of both It 's the same Covenant and offer that warrands us to come to his Satisfaction for peace that warrands us to make use of his Intercession for the application of peace There is only this difference that by his Satisfaction he procures us peace and a right to it and our peace is made by his laying down before God the price which we by Faith take hold of but when he interceeds he hath nothing to pay but interceeds for what he hath purchased Therefore the Scripture hangs the application of his purchase upon his Intercession He hath bought peace and every good thing that we stand in need of by his death and by his Intercession he procures and makes the application Therefore it 's on this ground that the Spirit is poured out As among men it 's one thing to make peace and another thing to bring the offending person into familiarity with the offended party So it 's the same Faith acting on Christs Satisfaction for being brought in to Covenant with God as the meritorious cause that acts on Christs Intercession for application of that which he hath purchased but under a different consideration looking on his Satisfaction as procuring and on his Intercession for application of the same things A 2d Similitude to clear it is the people under the Law their making use of the high Priest There were two parts of the high Priests Office or two things wherein the people made use of him 1. For offering Sacrifice 2. For Intercession The high Priest went into the most holy once a year and sprinkled the blood and prayed for the people in which time they were standing without praying in the hope of having their prayers made the more acceptable This was by Gods appointment typically to prefigure our Lords Intercession in heaven It is true the high Priests praying for them was nothing to the Souls advantage of him or them if Christ was not made use of both by him and by them yet it was typical and to shew this much that they were to improve Christs Intercession as well as his Sacrifice and Satisfaction Therefore Luke 1.10 When Zacharias went in to pray the whole multitude of the people was without praying A 3d. similitude which we have hinted at in our going along is drawn from that way that is used among men for bringing two parties that are at ods and variance to be reconciled and at one which though we are not to conceive in that carnal manner yet it holds as to the substance of the thing as if the offending party durst not go his alone to the party offended but should carrie along with him a friend that hath place and power to prevail with the other when he undertakes to go along with him contrary to his deserving he will expect confidently to get a good hearing and if any should say to him how dar you go to such an one whom you have so provocked he would answer because I have a friend before me that will make moyen for me and when by that friends moyen he gets a favourable hearing and his suit granted he comes away rejoycing professing his great obligation to that friend So is it here as to the thing though as was said we would guard against carnal conceptions of taking up God and the Mediator as distinct parties to be made application to we shall insist no further for the time O! that there were seriousness to improve his Blood and Satisfaction for washing us from the guilt of sin and for making our peace with God and his Intercession for upholding our peace and communion with God and for the attaining of every good that he hath purchased and promised which is the sum of all God help us to the practice of it and to be conscientious in it SERMON LXIX ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours ALthough this be a most necessary thing and that whereof we have dayly and hourly use even to be improving Christs Intercession and although it be one of the most excellent and most comfortable things that a Christian hath to look to in his walk there being no condition but there is a ready help for it here yet this is our sinful misery that either through our blindnesse or our indifferency we are much out of capacity to improve aright so rare a priviledge For as much as we have heard of it are there many of us that can tell how Christs Intercession is to be improven Sure we may know that if ever we do it there is no thâ—nks to us for the doing of it And indeed it is of such a nature that we even cannot well tell whether it be better to speak of it or to be silent being so little able to make any thing plain of such a misterious yet very concerning thing Ye may remember the Doctrine that we proposed to speak to was this That our Lord Jesus hath this for a part of his Office to make Intercession for transgressours Being a real Priest he not only offers a Sacrifice but goes in and hath gone within the vail with the vertue of his Sacrifice to appear before God in heaven for us as all the Offices of Christ are advantagious and would be studied by us and we would study them well this hath many advantages with it and we would improve it least we frustrat our selves of the cluster of priviledges that is in this one Doctrine That Jesus Christ makes intercession for transgressours or sinners We shew the last day wherein the improving of Christs Intercession doth consist we shall now instance some cases wherein Believers in a special manner are to make use of it 2. We shall give some directions for clearing some questions or for answering some doubts about it And 3. We shall assigne some Characters of such as are rightly improving Christs Intercession For the First Christs Intercession ought to be made use of in as many cases as are possibly incident to a Believer and therefore we are not to restrict it to one case more then to another although indeed there be some wherein more especially we are called to improve it Now to clear it that there are some cases wherein in a special manner the Believer is to make use of this Office of Christs interceeding for transgressours It may be instanced in these 1. A Believer hath either liberty or he is in bonds and there is a special watchfulness called for in both these cases that the Intercession of Christ be not slighted 1. When he hath liberty and his spiritual condition thryves he prayes and his heart melts in prayer he hath what he would have the exercises of Religion become pleasant and he hath no will to come from them In this case the
Consideration is that the Saints often pray God that he would take his own way and use his own means to bring about these great ends mentioned wherein there is indeed at least a tacite insinuation that if he in his wisdom see it meet to make use of the rod and affliction in order thereto that they will not allow themselves to decline the same nor to mistake him in it But that rather they shall through grace be satisfied with and bless him for fulfilling their Petitions and granting them according to their own hearts desires though it be by such means Which is not praying for affliction but a resolved and declared Submission to infinite Wisdoms love-choise of his own midses to effectuat bring to pass the prayed for ends Tenthly If it be considered that it now neither grieveth nor troubleth any of all the glorified triumphing and Palm-bearing Company before the Throne of God and of the Lamb that they were exercised with so many and so great trials and tribulations while they were here below It troubleth not John the Baptist that he was imprisoned basely murthered and beheaded there in a hole without having access to give any publick testimony before his death And at the desire of a wanton dancing Damsel through the instigation of her Adulterous and Incestuous Mother Nor Stephen commonly called the Proto-Martyr that he was stoned to death as a Blasphemer for giving testimony to the most precious and comfortable truth of Christs being the Messiah Nor Paul that he was thrice beaten with Rods and received five times fourty stripes save one that he was in so many perils by Sea and Land in the City in the Countrey and in the Wilderness by the Heathen by his own Countrey-men and by false Brethren That he was stoned and suffered all these other things whereof he gives us an Historical Abridgment in his 2d Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 11. Nor doth it trouble any of all these Worthies of whom the world was not worthy that they were cruelly Mocked Imprisoned Scourged Tortured or Tympanized and Racked Stoned Tormented Sawen assunder Killed with the Sword Tempted driven to Dens and Caves of the Earth and put to wander up and down in Sheep Skins and Goat Skins Whose Martyrology the Apostle briefly compendeth Heb. 11. Nor doth it trouble any other of all the Martyres Saints and Servants of Jesus who have in the several Ages of the Church suffered so many and so great things while they were here in the World Nay all these their sufferings go to make up a considerable part of their Song of Praise in Heaven where the History of these Wars of and for the Lord will be very pleasant to them to read however sore and bloody they were on earth And not only so but these of them who have suffered most wonder much that they have suffered so little and that they are come to so excellently glorious a Kingdome thorow so little tribulation in the way to it Believe it there will be as much matter of thanksgiving and praise to God found treasured up under the plyes and foldings to say so of the most cross and afflicting providences that ever the People of God met with here in the World as under these that for the time were more smiling and satisfying Let us then valuing all things we meet with according to the Aspect they have on our spiritual and eternal state which is sure the justest and safest valuation of them heartily allow him to take his own will and way in afflicting us Eleventhly If it be considered that as this Submission to the will of God in cross and afflicting providences is Chronicled in the Sacred Records to the perpetual commendation of several of the Saints Namely of Aaron of whom it is said when God had slain his two Sons in a strange and stupendious manner even by Fire from Heaven for their presumptuous offering of strange fire before him that he held his peace Levit. 10.3 Of old Eli when he received a sad message concerning himself and his house by the hand of young Samuel who said It is the Lord 1 Sam 3 18 let him do what seemeth him good Of Job after by four several Messengers each of them coming immediatly on the back of the other so that he scarcely got leave to breath betwixt or the former to finish his lamentable narration the terribly allarming tidings were brought him concerning the plundering of his Oxen and Asses by the Sabeans and the killing of the Servants with the Sword Concerning the consuming of his Sheep and Servants by the Fire of God falling from Heaven upon them Concerning the carrying away of his Camels and the killing of his Servants by the Caldeans and concerning the smothering to death of all his Sons and Daughters while Feasting together by the falling of the House upon them Job 1.21 22. who said The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord In all this not sinning nor charging God foolishly Of David who in a croud of crosses saith to God Psal 39.9 2 Sam. 15.25 26. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it And who when forced to flee from Jerusalem by his unnatural and rebellious Son Absolom and sending back the Ark thither with admirable composure and sweet stooping of Soul said If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation but if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him Of Hezekiah when that heavy Message was brought to him by the Prophet Isaiah concerning the Babylonish Captivity wherein his Royal Posterity were to have their deep share 2 King 20.19 who said Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken who said moreover Is it not good if peace and truth be in my dayes If the threatned doom and sentence shall be for a while suspended and not presently execute And of these Christians who after they had with much weeping earnestly intreated the Apostle Paul deservedly very dear to them not to go up to Jerusalem where the Prophet Agabus had foretold he should be apprehended and put in Bonds and perceived that he was inflexibly resolved at any rate of hazard to go thither Act. 21 14 ceased and submissively said The will of the Lord be done As I say it is thus Chronicled to their commendation so it is a piece of most beautiful and amiable conformity to the practice of our blessed Lord Jesus of whom we ought to be followers as dear children in all these things wherein he is proposed as a pattern for our imitation Ephes 5.1 who in a great and grievous agony of trouble and when most terribly assaulted by a strong combination of cross and afflicting providences and after condition at deprecating of that bitterest Cup and
foot or door of every Soul that heareth it to be believed and rested on this is the great errand of the Gospel to propose to People Jesus Christ as the Object and Ground of Faith to lay Him down to be rested on for that very end when the Apostle is speaking Rom. 10.8 of the Doctrine of Faith he saith It is not now who shall ascend into heaven nor who shall descend into the deep but the word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart what word is that the word of faith which we preach now sayeth he Christ by the preaching of the Gospel is brought so near folks that He is brought even to their Hearts and to their Mouths so near that to speak so People have no more to do but to stoup and take Him up or to roll themselves over upon Him yea it bringeth Him in to their very Heart that they have no more to do but to bring up their Heart to consent to close the Bargain and with the Mouth to make confession of it and these words are the more considerable that they are borrowed from Deut. 30. where Moses is setting Death and Life before the People and bidding them choose though he would seem to speak of the Law yet if we consider the scope we will find him to be on the matter speaking of Jesus Christ holden forth to that People under Ceremonial-Ordinances and shewing them that there was Life to be had in Him that way and according to Gods intent they had Life and Death put in their choice I know there are two things necessary to the acting and exercising of Faith The 1. is objective when the Object or Ground is proposed in the preaching of the Gospel The 2. is subjective when there is an inward spiritual and powerful quickning and framing of the Heart to lay hold on and make use of the Object and offer it is true that all to whom the offer cometh are not quickened but the Doctrine saith that to all to whom the Gospel cometh Christ is proposed to be believed on by them and brought near unto them so that we may say as Christ said to His Hearers The kingdom of God is come near unto you both Christ and John brought and laid the Kingdom of Heaven near to the Jews and it is laid as near to you in the preached Gospel This is it then that Doctrine sayes 1. That the Gospel holdeth out Christ as a sufficient ground of Faith to rest upon And 2. with a sufficient warrand to these who hear it to make use of Him according to the terms on which he is offered And 3. it brings Him so pressingly home as He is laid to the Doors and Hearts of Sinners who hear the Gospel that whoever hath the offer he must necessarily either believe in and receive Christ or reject Him and cast at the report made of Him in the Gospel I shall first a little confirm this Doctrine and then secondly make use of it First I shall confirm it from these Grounds 1. From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in His Word and from the warrand he giveth His Ministers to make the same offers It 's their Commission to pray them to whom they are sent to be reconciled to tell them that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself as it is 2 Cor. 5.19 20. and in Christ's steed to request them to embrace the offer of Reconciliation to tell them that Christ died for the Sinners that will embrace Him and that He will impute His Righteousness unto them and Chap. 6.1 We beseech you saith he that ye receive not this grace in vain which is not meant of saving Grace but of the gracious offer of Grace and Reconciliation through Him This is Ministers work to pray People not to be idle Hearers of this Gospel for saith he I have heard thee in a time accepted and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The force of the Argument is this if ye will make this Gospel welcome ye may get a Hearing for now is the day of Salvation therefore do not neglect it So Psal 81.10 11. where God maketh the offer of Himself and that very largely Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it The Offer is of Himself as the words following clear My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me for they that refuse His Word refuse Himself and hence Isa 65.1 he saith I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name and to the Jews I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people 2. We may clear and confirm it from these similitudes by which the Offer of this Gospel is as it were brought to the doors of People and there are several similitudes made use of to this purpose I shall name but four 1. It 's set down under the expression of wooing as 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you as a chast virgin to Christ this is ordinary and supposeth a Marriage and a Bridegroom that is by his friends wooing and suting in Marriage so that as we shew wherever the call of the Gospel comes it 's a bespeaking of Souls to Him as Cant. 8. What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for 2. It 's set out under the expression of inviting to a Feast and Hearers of the Gospel are called to come to Christ as Strangers or Guests are called to come to a Wedding-feast Mat. 22.2 3 4. All things are ready come to the wedding c. Thus the Gospel calleth not to an empty House that wants meat but to a Banqueting-house where Christ is made ready as the Cheer and there wants no more but feasting on Him So it 's set out under the similitude of Eating and Drinking John 6.57 He that eats me even he shall live by me 3. It 's set out often under the expression or similitude of a Market where all the Wares are laid forth on the Stands Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters c. and least it should be said or thought that the Proclamation is only to the thirsty and to such as are so and so qualified ye may look to what followeth let him that hath no mony come yea come buy without mony and without price and to the offer that is made to those of Laodicea Rev. 3. who in appearance were a hypocritical and formal People yet to them the Counsel and Call comes forth Come buy of me eye-salve and gold tryed in the fire c. It sayes the Wares are even in their offer or even offered to them 4. It 's set out under the similitude of standing and knocking at a Door because the Gospel brings Christ a knocking and calling hard at
sutably affected with them It 's a wonder that God hath sent such a Report to People and in it hath laid Christ so near them that He puts Him home to them and lays Him before them even at their Feet as it were and as great a wonder that when the Lord hath condescended to give such a Saviour and bâ—ought Him so near that all He calleth for is Faith to believe the Report or rather Faith in Him of whom the Report is which is the second thing in the words The second thing then is The Duty that lyes on People to whom the Lord sends the Gospel or this Report concerning Christ and ye may take it in this general That it lyes on all that hear the Gospel to believe the Report that it brings concerning Christ and by Faith to receive Him who is holden out to them in it this is clearly implyed Isaiah and all Ministers are sent to report concerning Him and to bear witness of Him and its the duty of all Hearers to believe it and this is the ground of his and their complaint when People do not believe it By comparing this Text with Rom. 10.16 and John 12.38 we shew that it is saving Faith that is here to be understood I shall take up this Doctrine in three Branches which we will find in the words and which will make way for the Use 1. That a People to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel may warrantably accept of Christ or the offering of Christ in the Gospel is warrand enough to believe on Him otherwise there had been no just ground of expostulation and complaint for not believing for though the complaint will not infer that they had ability to Believe yet it will infer they had a warrand to Believe for the complaint is for the neglect of the Duty they were called to 2. That they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel are called to Believe it 's their Duty to do it thus Believing in all that hear this Gospel is necessary by necessity of command even as Holiness Repentance c. are 3. That saving Faith is the way and mean by which these that have Christ offered to them in the Gospel come to get a Right to Him and to obtain the Benefites that are reported of to be had from Him thus Believing is necessary as a mids to the end of getting Christ and all that is iâ— Him This is also here implyed in the regrate made of the want of Faith which prejudgeth Men of Christ and of the Benefites of the Gospel We shall shortly put by the first of these which is That all that hear the Gospel preached have Warrand to believe and receive Christ for their eternal Peace and for making up of the breach betwixt God and them this preached Gospel gives you all Warrand to accept of Jesus Christ and ye would not seek after nor call for another I shall first premit two distinctions to clear this and then secondly confirm it As for the first of the two distinctions that serve to clear it We may take up the Gospel more largely and complexly in a Covenant-form holding out Christ and His Benefites on condition of Believing or we may take it up as it holds out a Promise without particular mentioning of a Condition Now when we say that the Gospel commands and warrands all that hear it to accept the Offer we do not mean the last that all that hear the Gospel have Warrand to accept the Promise without a Condition but the first that is that all the Hearers of the Gospel are commanded to accept of Christ offered there is by the preaching of it a Warrand to close with the Report and then to meddle with and take hold of the Promises and the things promised so that it 's the Gospel conditionally proposed that gives warrand to Believe as Believing rests on Christ for obtaining Life in Him The second Distinction is That we would consider Faith as it rests on Christ for obtaining Union with Him and Right to the Promises or as it applyes and makes use of the Benefites to be gotten in and by Christ the Offer of the Gospel gives not to all a Warrand to apply the Benefites to be gotten by Christ instantly but it warrands them to close with Him first and then to apply His Benefites Secondly For confirmation of this Truth That the general preaching of the Gospel is a Warrand for believing and exercising Faith on Jesus Christ for making our Peace with God It 's clear from these Grâ—â—nds 1. From the nature of the Gospel it 's the Word of God as really invitng to do that which it calls for as if God were speaking from Heaven it 's the Word of God and not the word of Man and hath as reall Authority to call for Obedience as if God spake it immediatly from Heaven and the Word of Promise is as really His Word as the Word of Command and therefore to be rested on and improven as well as we are to endeavour obedience to the Command and if we think that God's Testimony is true and if we lay any just weight on these three Witnesses testifying from Heaven and on these other three testifying from Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 then we may rest on Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel and believe that these who rest on Him shall have Life for it is as we said as really God's Word as if He were speaking it audibly from Heaven 2. It may be confirmed from these solemn things the Word and Oath of God whereby He hath mightily confirmed the external Offer of the Gospel even the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for Him to lie that these who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before them may have strong Consolation as it is Heb. 6.18 And God having thus said and sworn anent this external Covenant for this very end that the Hearers of the Gospel may know that they who receive Christ offered therein shall have Life it is Warrand sufficient to believe on Him for Life It 's also for this end that He haâ—h put Sealâ— to the Covenant Circumcision and the Passover in the Old and Baptism and the Lords Supper in the New Testament which are extended not only to the Elect but to Professors in the visible Church that every one who is baptized and admitted to the Communion may have confirmation of this that the Offer that God maketh of Life through Christ is a true and real Offer and will be made good to the Persons that shall receive it and so perform the Condition 3. It may be confirmed from the End for which God hath appointed the Word and Ministry in His Church even to make the Offer of Christ and Life through Him John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name the Word is both written
fancy to be Faith for either this Doctrine is not true that where-ever the Gospel comes it meets with Unbelief in most part of its Hearers and cannot be applyed to this Generation or that there is much Faith in this Generation that we live in that will not be counted Saving Faith If all of you were Believers there were no ground for this Complaint and if we will take Folks on their own word we can hardly get a Person but will say he Believes so that the generality of Mens Hearts run quite contrary to this Truth and therefore we say it is the scope of this Doctrine and the like to give Folks the alarm and to put them to suspect and try themselves I do not mean that any should cast the work of Faith where it is indeed for that is also a part of our Unbelief and ordinarily when Unbelief falleth on the one side the Devil maketh it up on the other and makes tender Souls question their Faith when they begin to Believe as if they could mend Unbelief with Unbelief but it is to such that we speak who cannot be brought to suspect their Faith certainly ye will wonder one day that ye should have heard such a plain Truth and yet would not so much as ask your own Hearts whether there was reason to suspect your want of Faith as it 's said that Christ marvelled at their Unbelief who heard Him so may we at yours and who ere long ye shall also marvel at your selves on this account Before we prosecute this Use and the rest any further we shall speak to another Doctrine and it is the last that follows from these words tending to the same scope to make us scar at Unbelief which the Prophet makes such a heavy ground of Complaint The Doctrine then is That if there were never so many under Unbelief and never so many who refuse to receive Jesus Christ yet Unbelief is a Sin and a most sinful Sin which though Folks had no more will seclude them from Heaven there were no ground for this Complaint if it were not so even as the Prophet would have had no ground to complain of the Peoples Unbelief if there were not many Unbelievers so Unbelief is a very great Sin in whomsoever it is and makes them exceeding sinful Or take the Doctrine thus It is a very great Sin for a People to whom Christ is offered in this Gospel not to receive Him and rest upon Him for Salvation as He is offered to them therein and it ariseth from this ground That where Christ is not received there the Ministers of the Gospel have ground of Complaint for it supposes a great defect in their Duty seing it is their Duty to Believe yea the great Gospel duty on which all other Duties hang and which is called for by many tyes and obligations This is his commandment saith John in his first Epistle chap. 3.23 that ye believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ therefore it must be a great Sin not to Believe There are shortly three things comprehended in this Doctrine speaking now of Unbelief not only as opposite to Historical Faith which we commonly call Infidelity but as it 's opposite to Saving Faith which we shew is that which is called for here 1. That Unbelief or not receiving of Christ is a Sin or a thing in its own nature sinful It 's a Sin as well as Adultery Murther Stealing Lying Sabbath-breaking c. are yea and in the Aggravations of it a Sin beyond these it is as contrary to the Word and Will of God and is as contrary to the Divine Majesty as Drunkenness Murther Adultery or any other Sin is the positive command of Believing being as peremptory plain and particular as these negative ones are the breach of it must be as sinful 2. That there is such a kind of Sin as Unbelief beside other Sins and such a distinct Duty as Believing that if Folks could do all other Duties if this Duty of Believing be wanting they will be still sinful and there will be still ground of Complaint and if Faith be a particular Duty required and distinct from other Duties and Graces as it 's clear it is Gal. 5.21 then Unbelief must be a particular Sin distinct from other Sins though it hath influence on other Sins as Faith hath on other Duties so Rev. 21.8 it 's ranked among the most abominable Sins the reason why we mark this is because there may be some in whom some gross Sins as Adultery Blood-shed and the like do reign and they get that name to be called Adulterers Murtherers c. others may possibly be free of these who yet have Unbelief reigning in them and therefore they get that name to be called Unbelieving and are ranked with the grossest of Evil-doers 3. That even many in the Times wherein the Scriptures were written and in every Age since are found guilty of this Sin and condemned for it who are as to several other things commended hence it 's said Rom. 10.3 of the Jews that they had a zeal of God which in it self is good though not according to knowledge yet it was their main lett and obstruction in the way to Life that being ignorant of God's righteousness they went about to establish their own for as much zeal as they had for the Law of Moses seing they did not receive Jesus Christ and His Righteousness by Faith it made any other good thing they had unacceptable and the reason why we mark this is that Folks may see that it is not only for gross Sins and with gross Sinners that the Gospel complains and expostulats but it 's also for not submitting unto and not receiving the Righteousness of Christ and therefore ye are far mistaken that think your selves free from just grounds of Challenge because forsooth ye are free of Murther Adultery Drunkâ—nness and the like do ye not consider that Unbelievers arâ— in the same Rank and Roll with abominable Whoremongers Sorcerers Idolaters and Dogs and is not Unbelief contrary to the Command of God as well as Murthâ—r Adultery and these other gross Sins and therefore because Folks think little of Unbelief though it be very rife if they be free of other gross Sins 4. We shall add a fourth thing which the Doctrine implyes That Unbelief though there were no other Sin is exceeding sinful and is first The great ground that makes God expostulate with the Hearers of the Gospel and that makes them come under the Complaint John 5 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life and Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered you and ye would not and for substance it 's the Lord's great complaint of most of His professing People Psal 81.11 I am the Lord thy God open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and then follows O that my people
had hearkened unto my voice there is no Sin the Lord complains more of than of this and it 's the great complaint of all His Servants Secondly Bâ—hold how the Lord threatens this Sin and punishes for it see Psal 95.7 and Heb. 3.7 and Heb. 4.8 where He swears in His Wrath against Unbelievers that they shall not enter into His Rest Adultery and Murther do not more certainly keep Men from Heaven than this Sin of Unbelief doth yea they are classed together Rev. 21.8 see also Luk. 12.46 where the severest Judgment that is executed is upon Unbelievers and in the Man that had the offer of Christ and did not receive it and put on the Wedding Garment Mat. 22.12 13. see it also in the words that are pronounced against Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum Matth. 11. and our blessed Lord Jesus loves not to speak so to pronounce woes but to bless His People yet when they have the offer of Life through Him and will not receive it He pronounces woe after woe upon them and of what sort were they even beyond these that came upon Tyrus and Sidon upon Sodom and Gomorrah we think such Threatnings as these should make Folks not to think Unbelief a light or little Sin and that there is no ground of quietness so long as they are in a Self-righteous-condition and have not their Peace made with God through Christ Thirdly Look further to the greatness of this Sin in the strange names that the Lord puts upon it 1 John 5.11 He that believes not hath made God a liar and is there any Sin that hath a grosser name or effect than this for it receives not the Report which He hath given of His Son He tells Folk that Happiness is to be gotten in Him only and they think to be Happy though they take another way they believe not the Report for if they believed it they would receive Christ as their Life See further what names are given to it Heb. 6.6 and Heb. 10.20 which though they be there given with other Aggravations of sinning wilfully with despite c. with respect to the unpardonable Sin yet who are they that live under the Gospel and Believe not but in a great measure they will be found capable of most of them at least It 's called a crucifying of the Son of God afresh a putting Him to an open shame c. and who are they that do this and on what ground it's Unbelievers through their Unbelief they think not Christ worth the having and reject all that is spoken of Him and cry away with Him as the Jews did and as to their particular Guilt they crucifie Him for they cannot refuse Him without affronting Him and can there be such an affronting of Him as when He condescends so very low to think so little of Him Fourthly Consider the Expressions under which He sets out His being affected to say so with this Sin He was so affected with it Mark 3.5 that it 's said He was grieved for their unbelief He had many Sorrows and Griefs and suffered many things but this grieved Him someway more than they all did and it 's said Mark 6.6 that He marvelled because of their unbelief it 's not said that He marvelled at their Adulteries and their gross Sins but that when He was taking such a convincing way to demonstrate to them His God-Head yet they would not Believe on Him He marvelled at that so Luk. 19.41 it 's said that when He came near to Jerusalem He weeped over it and why the following words tell us O that thou had known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace that is O that thou hadst believed and received the Gospel at least in this thy day though thou did it not before when thou wert and art so plainly and powerfully called to this Duty and ye may know that it behoved to be some great thing that made Him to weep when all that the Devil and Pontius Pilate and the Jews could do made Him not to weep It 's said Mat. 11. that He upbraided these Cities that He had preached much in on this ground sure when He that gives liberally and upbraids none does upbraid for this Sin it shews how much He was pressed with it and Luke 14.21 it 's said of this Sin that it angered Him and He is not easily angered Sinners need not fear to anger Him by coming to Him but when they come not He is angry it 's said Matth. 22.7 He was wroth at this Sin and it 's on this ground that Psal 2.12 we are bidden kiss the Son lest He be angry that is to exercise Faith in Him for if we do it not He will be angry and we will perish There are other Aggravations of this Sin which we leave till we come to the Application Use 1. Is there not as much here though Folks had no more but their Unbelief as may make them know it 's an evil and bitter thing and as may make them skar at it and flee from it and to fear lest they be found under the Guilt of it when called to a reckoning especially when Unbelief is so rife that but few suspect themselves or fear it there is hardly any ill but ye will sooner take with it then with this of Unbelief and there is no Duty nor Grace that ye more readily think ye perform and have then this of Faith and it is come to that height that Folks think they Believe always and know not what it is to misbelieve do ye think that this presumptuous and fancied Faith will be counted for Faith or that Christ who sifts Faith narrowly will let it pass for Saving Faith no certainly Use 2. Is there not here ground of Advertisement wakening rousing and alaruming to many that think themselves free of other Challenges if the Spirit were coming powerfully to convince of Sin it would be of this because they believe not as it is John 16.9 and we are perswaded many of you had need of this Conviction that never once questions your having of Faith or care not whether ye have it or not Put these two Doctrines together That Unbelief is an abominable Sin and that it is notwithstanding a very rife Sin and let them sink deep into your Hearts and they will put you to other thoughts of Heart if this plain Truth of God prevail not with you we know not what will do it but the time cometh when ye shall be undenyably convinced of both that Unbelief is a great Sin and that it is a very rife Sin and of this also that it is an abominable and loathsome thing and very prejudicial and hurtful to you Use 3. And therefore as a third Use If it be so let us ask this Question How comes it to pass that so many in trying their State and in grounding of it lay so little weight on Faith and think so little of Unbelief I am speaking to the
though ye have immortal Souls and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart that your Souls are in hazard and that this Word must be it that ye must live by and live upon I appeal to your Consciences if ye think upon this seriously want of this Consideration fosters Security breeds Laziness and makes and keeps you Careless and Carnal I shall instance the want of it in three respects 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it How few are hungering and thirsting or preparing for benefite by it or preparing to meet with God in it In effect ye come not with a design to profite so that if it were known it would be wondred at wherefore ye come to hear the Word as Christ says of some They came not because they saw the miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so may we say of you that ye come not to profite by the Word but on some crooked carnal design 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come How many sleep a great part of the Sermon so that it 's a shame to look on the face of our Meetings when in every corner some are Sleeping whose Consciences God will waken ere long and the Timber and Stones of the House will bear witness against them Were you in any other Meeting about ordinary Business there would not be such Sleeping But when ye are Waking what is your Carriage for ye may be Waking and your Heart far away or fast asleep how seldom can ye give account of what is said though your Bodies be present your Hearts are wandering ye are like these spoken of Ezek. 33.31 who sat before the Prophet as God's people but their hearts went after their covetousness how often while ye are sitting here is your Heart away some in their Thoughts running after their Trade some after their Merchandice some after one thing some after another This is one sad instance of it that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years that can scarce tell one Note of it all and no wonder for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard What unedifying Discourse will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door how carnally and carelesly do many rush unto and go away from hearing of the Word and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Case do ye go to your Knees with it before God desiring Him to breath on it and to keep it warm or do ye meditate upon it Now put these three together your Carriage before in the time and after your Hearing the Word ye will find that there is just cause to say that the most part that hear this Gospel are not serious what wonder then that it do them no good In the end of that Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its said by the Lord Take heed how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given c. If ye improve well your Hearing ye will get yet more but so long as ye take no heed how ye hear ye cannot profite A second Ground or Cause is this That the most part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God they come never almost to have a Historical Faith of it it 's said Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently But when Folk do not really believe that God is what wonder they seek Him not that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell and that they study not Holiness they say in their Hearts they shall have Peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts and that the way to Heaven is not so narrow as Ministers say it is that God will not condemn poor christned Bodies this is the language of many Hearts and of some Mouths Need there any evidences of it be given if ye believed that the way to Heaven is so strait and that Holiness is so extensive could ye possibly with any seriousness reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted But the truth is this Word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God therefore sayeth our Lord to His Disciples Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink into your ears There are these things I fear ye do not Believe and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Consciences when there are so many that profess they know God but in works they deny Him as it is Tit. 1.16 when we see such things in your Carriage we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they spring 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be to wit Holy Just Powerful c. else ye durst not live at feed with Him The fool hath said in his heart there is not a God they are corrupt c. your practical Atheism and Prophanity say ye believe not there is a God 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature Do ye think as James bespeaks these he writes to chap. 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in you lusts to envy Ye do not think that your Heart is deceitful and desperatly wicked though we should Preach never so much on this Subject yet ye lay it not to Heart ye take it not to you in particular 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment and your particular and personal coming to it nay there are among you who are like to these Mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3 4. who say where is the promise of his coming And as there were in Paul's days some thâ—t denied the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. so there are still who do it on the matter at least Ye have the same corrupt Nature We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God Life to come and a Day of Judgment and if ye did so ye would be more serious in Duty and would come more Hungry and Thirsty to the Word 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed to wit That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jesus Christ and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holiness If all your thoughts were spoke out it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith and another way than that of Holiness And to make out this we need go no further then to your Practice we are sure many of you live in Prophanity and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven and what says this but
the Gospel The heads judge for a reward and the priests teach for hire and the prophets divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us It is not for real Believing that they are charged but for their confident asserting their Believing when there was no ground for it So it is with many they will say they hope to escape Hell and to get their Sin pardoned and to win to Heaven and they believe it will be so when in the mean time there is no ground for it but clear ground to the contrary A fifth Ground is Folks spiritual and practical Ignorance of the Righteousness of God whereof the Apostle speaking Rom. 10.3 sayeth Being ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about to establish their own c. that which I mean is Folks being ignorant of their Natural Condition of the Spiritualness of God's Law what it requires and of the way of Faith and of the command of Believing and the nature of it It 's from the ignorance of these three to wit of the Mischief that is in them by Nature of the Spiritualness of the Law and of the Spiritualness of Faith and of the Exercise of it that they sleep on in Security and think they have Faith when they have it not And though sometimes they will say their Faith is weak yet they cannot be beaten from it but that they Believe and their Faith is up and down as their Security stands or falls This the Apostle makes clear from his own experience Rom. 7.9 where before his Conversion he says he was a living Man but after his Conversion he begins to think himself nothing but a dead and gone Man the reason is because before Conversion he knew not himself he knew not the Law nor the nature of the Covenant of Grace Before the Law came saith he I was alive he knew not the spiritual meaning of it and therefore he thought he observed it and so thought himself sure of Heaven and had no doubts nor disputings concerning his Interest in God But saith he when the commandment came sin revived and I died I saw my self then to be lost and gone and in every thing guilty that which I thought had been Humility I saw it to be Pride that which I took for Faith I found it to be Presumption anâ— Unbelief and my Holiness I found to be Hypocrisie not that his Sin grew more upon his hand but the Sin that before was vailed was now discovered and staired him in the face This is a sad truth yet a most real truth The good Believing as many of you call it and the Faith that ye have is a surer ground of your strangeness to God and of your Unbelief then any other thing ye have can be a ground whereupon to conclude ye have Faith and are good Friends with God ye are yet alive Strangers to God Strangers to your Selves Strangers to the spiritual meaning of the Law and to the exercise of Faith If ye would set your selves to ponder seriously this one Consideration I think ye might be somewhat convinced of it Do ye not see many that understand more of God then ye do and that are more tender in their Walk then ye are who yet are loather more difficuâ—ted and affraid to assert their Faith and Confidence in God then ye are and they are oftener brangled and put to question their Faith will ye then consider what can be the reason that ye have so strong a Faith that ye never doubted and they are troubled with doubting sometimes yea often though they Pray more and are more diligent in the use of all the Means and holier in their Conversation then ye are and ye wilâ— it may be say well's them that are like such a Person this is the reason of it they see their Sin and the spiritualness of the Law and the nature of Faith and are dead to the Law but ye are yet alive in your conceit Do ye or can ye think that much Praying Reading Meditation and Tenderness in Folks Walk will weaken Faith and occasion Doubting or is it not rather like that Faith will be more confirmed by these then by the neglect of them how is it then that ye are so strong in your Faith when they find themselves so weak and doubting or have ye an infused Faith without the Means or doeth God deal with you in a more indulgent way then He uses to deal with His People how is it then that these of whom ye cannot say but they are more tender then ye are cannot almost name Faith or assert their confidâ—nce in God without trembling and fear that they presume and yet ye dare very confidently take a mouthful of it without any hiâ—k or â—esitation and yet live carnally and without fear Do not many of you wonder whâ—t ails some Folks what need they to be so much troubled and why do they stand in need of some to Pray for them and with them and to answer their Doubts and ye mean while need no such thing and all your remedy is that ye assure your selves ye Believe and think the questioning of your Security is the very undoing of your Faith God help ye are in a woful taking A sixth Reason is That Folk drink in some Carnal Principles that have no warrand in the Word of God and accordingly square every thing that comes in their way 1. They lay it for a Ground that Folk should never doubt of God's Mercy we do not say that Folk should doubt of God's being most real in His offer of Mercy to Sinners in the Gospel but from that it will not follow that never one should doubt of God's love to them or of their coming to Heaven whether they close with the Offer or not Are there not many whom God curseth and should not these doubt A second Carnal Principle is That there is no such reality in the Threatnings of God as there is in His Promises as if He were utterly averse from executing a Threaâ—ning and as if it were a rare thing to Him to condemn any and is there any thing more opposite to Scripture then this Principle is Hath He not said in the same place to wit Ex. 34. where He proclaims Himself to be gracious merciful long-suffering c. That He is a God that will not clear the guilty And hath not the Scripture said that it 's but a remnant that are saved but as it were here one and there one and that there are many damned for one that is saved But know it of a certain that He will make you one day vomit up these Principles with exquisite torment when out of your own Mouth He will convince you of your Mistake and Delusion 3. When Folks want many things they supply all with an honest Mind This supplies your want of Knowledge your want of Faith and of Repentance and of
we may thâ—nce conclude that he hath loved us and given himself to save us Because he hath humbled me for sin may the serious soul say and givâ—n me this faiâ—h to believe in him and this is his promise which I rest upon that I shall be saved Or thou mayest try thy interest in his Redemption thus Whether am I one of Gods people or not Whether do I walk like them and so go thorow the marks and signs of holiness asking â—hy self What sinceriâ—y is there in me What Mortification What Humility Meekness Love to God and his Children Aâ—d whaâ— fruits of Faith in new-obedience These two F ith and Holiness are the Pillars that bear up the House of Assurance Working and not resting on it believâ—ng and yet not growing vain and light because of it but so much the rather studying Holiness And to go on betwixt and with these two till we come to read God's mind about our Election and Redâ—mption For neither Believing nor Holiness can make any alteration in the bargain of Redemption yet it will warrand our application of the bargain â—nd clear our interest in iâ— as the Apost e Peter plainly insinuats when he thus exhorts Give diligence to make your calling and election sure How is that Will diligence makâ— God alter his decree of Election or make it any surer in it self No by no means buâ— it will assure us of it For by so doing an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into his everlasting Kingdom by giving all diligence to add one grace to another and one degree of grace to another there shall be a wide door opened to us to go in to Heaven by And there is no hazâ—rd in commending this Doctâ—ine to you all even the study of Faith and Holiness thereby to come to the knowledge of Gods Secret Council concerning you And therefore as a third Use of th s point know that all of you that prejudge yâ—urselves of this comfort of your interest in Christs purchase do bring the blame of it on your selves If any shall prophanely object if God hath purposed so many shâ—ll get gooâ— of Christs sufferings and no moe what will my Faith and Holiness do if I be â—ot elected And what can my unbelief and negligence prejudge me if I be elected We shew in the former Use what Faith and Holiness will do and we tâ—ll you here what your unbelief and negligence will do and it 's this it will seclude you from all the blessings of the Covenant and bring you under the sentence of condemnation for as the conditional promise looks to the believer and unbeliever and so it is not Christ's purchase nor the difference God hath made in his purpose of election that is the cause why ye are damned and not justified But ye are damned because ye transgressed Gods Law and when salvation was offered to you through Christ ye would not close with the offer And ye are not justified becâ—use ye bâ—took not your selves to him for righteou nâ—ss but continued in your sin and in seekiâ—g righteousness by the Law For although this universal be not true That Christ died for all men yet this universal is true that they are all justified that by faith flee unto Jesus Christ for refuge Hence these two are put together Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me sha l come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the Fathers will that sent me If it should be asked what is the Faâ—hers will He answers This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing There are as if he had said some committed to me to be redeemed by me and I will lose none of them And lest it should yet be objected but I wot not if I be given to Christ to be redeemed by him He adds And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life In which words we have two wills to say so both having the same promise and effect the first he relates to the secret paction of Redemption vers 39. And the second is his revealed will pâ—inting at out duty vers 40. And so if any should say I know not it I be given to Christ I know not if I be elected This answer is here given What is that to thee It 's not to be searched into at the first hand and broken in upon per salâ—um and at the broad side That is God's secret will and that which is his revealed will belongs to thee and that is to see that thou believe and if thou believest the same promise that is annexed to believing is annexed to election and they sweetly tryst together and are of equal extent to wit believing and to be given to Christ And therefore let me commend it to you to hold you content with Gods revealed will For it is not the ground of your Faith I mean as to its first closing with Christ That of all given to Christ he shall lose none But this is the ground of it That every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life And we may add this word as one motive amongst others to Faith and Holiness that by your studying of these ye may turn over the words of the Prophet here to your selves and say Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows And that of the Apostle Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me Also that word of Peter cited before His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And O! what consolation is there The 4. Use of it is to commend the practice of this to the Believer that hath indeed fled to Jesus Christ And to shew the great priviledge that they have who are such The practice of it is that Believers should seek to be established and confirmed in the particular application of Christs death to themselves not only to know that he suffered for the Elect and for Believers but for them in particular that as it is â—eb 4.16 They may come with boldness to the Throne of God and confidently assert their intâ—rest And as it is Heb. 6. They may grow up to the full assurance of hope unto the end We suppose there are many believers that dar not disclaim the Covenant and their interest in Christ who yet are fearful to make this particular application Jesus Christ hath loved me and given himself for me But if they could knit the effects with the cause from whence they came they might attain to it for the man that can say I am fled to Christ for refuge he may also say tâ—at he purposely laid down his life to pay my debt And he is warranded of Christ to make this application of his particular
hold of and close with Christ and to rest upon his satisfaction for his Justification and healing because he hath God and the Mediator Covenanting for this very end the Mediator engaging to satisfie and God engaging to receive the satisfaction and to justifie all these who shall accept of it and rest upon it 4. It s therefore a notable ground of encouragement and of exhortation to take hold of Jesus Christ and of his satisfaction Folk would not skar at him but lippen their Salvation to him and be sure the bargain will not fail As it is sure that the Mediator hath satisfied it is as sure that his satisfaction shall be made forth-coming to Believers in him 5. To reprove the neglecters and slighters of Jesus Christ and of this offered Salvation through him when he hath taken the threatning and curse of the Law on himself to make out the Promise to them it must be a great aggravation of folks guilt to slight him It serves also to comfort a poor sinner that hath may sins and challenges and knows not how to be quit of them The Covenant sayes our sins are translated on the Mediator that we might be set free Christ Jesus Covenanted on the terms of Justice to make way for us to Covenant on the terms of Mercy God Covenanted with him to pursue our sin in him and he Covenanted to impuâ—e that satisfaction freely to us Hence is that never enough noted saying 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself It 's Justice on his part he satisfies for pardon of sin and peace to them But on the Elects part it's grace God is reconciled to them not imputing their sin to them but it s for Christ's satisfaction that he freely forgives them their sin so that what cost him dear comes most freely to us and this is no small ground of comfort to a Conscience pressed with sin God fix these things in your Hearts SERMON XXIV ISAIAH LIII V Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF there were more deep conviction amongst us of our natural deadness in sin and of that fearful condition that naturally we ly under by our lyableness to the wrath and curse of God all Men and Women having by nature Gods curse as the sentence of the Law registrate against them the reading of such a Text wherein a way of remedy is holden forth would be more welcome to us and we are perswaded that such a thorow conviction would not only make the Word more lovely and delightsome to us but more plain and easie to be understood by us and would be sooner taken up by us and one Preaching would thus be more profitable and effectual than many are to you while in a secure condition when People are not under the deep and due conviction of their sin and misery they have no serious thoughts that the word of the Gospel concerns them in particular and that their souls stand in need of that which is spoken to them therein Ye may remember we spoke somewhat from these words for clearing the way of making Peace betwixt God and Sinners and for holding forth the way that God in his infinite wisdom hath laid down for setting of poor sinners that are lying under his Curse free for this end there was an eternal Transaction and Covenant entered into by the Father and the Son the Father demanding and the Son accepting and satisfying as Mediator and Sinners-Cautioner what was due to Justice for the sins of the Elect as was determined in the counsel of God from which bless'd Bargain all our Salvation flows as from the Fountain and runs down as a river to us That which now we are to speak a little to is some profitable Uses which are the scope of all and tend to lead you in to know the use of such Doctrine and not only to know it but to engage you to make suitable practical improvement of it There are several sorts of Uses that flow from this Verse whence the preceeding Doctrines have been drawen The first sort is for Information which ye who are more ignorant and have not so much light in â—ou as to discover the way to Heaven would especially take heed to though they be useful to all And 1. Ye would know and be informed in this that all Men and Women without exception are lying under Transgressions and Iniquities and lyable to be smitten and cursed of God till these be taken away But this having been spoke of in the Forenoon we need nor insist on it now but the truth is neither Law nor Gospel hath gained this much ground on the great part of you as to bring you really to know that naturally ye are dead in sins and trespasses and till this be drunk in and digested other Truths cannot to any purpose profite you 2. Ye would know and consider the necessity of a satisfaction to the justice of God before Sinners can be fred from sin and from the curse and wrath of God that they are under and liable to by reason of their original corruption and actual transgressions Do ye think that Jesus Christ did needlesly enter into the Covenant of Redemption and engage to satisfie and actually and really did suffer and satisfie Justice If men might come so easily to Heâ—ven as many suppose it had been needlesse Wouâ—d God think ye have wounded the Cautioner his own dear Son if those who ly under Sin and Wrath might have by another way satisfied his Justice and restored him to his Honour Nay Eâ—etheir Peace could be made this bâ—hoved to be and yet I must doubt if many do think that there is any such distance betwixt God and them which a word of Prayer or Confâ—ssion or some Pennance cannot remove This is alas the woful Ignorance of many that live under this Gospel but ye would know that a Satisfaction behoved to be and such a Satisfaction as was equivalent to the wrong done and suitable and satisfying to him that was wronged by sin and that among all the Creatures it could not be found Yea ye may read from this the dreadful effects of sin and what a horriblâ— thing it is to have your Transgressions to count for with God your selves If sin brought such heavy things on the Cauâ—ioner what will it bring on thee a Sinner who hath continued all his days in tops with God to speak so and would not make pâ—â—ce with him when he was earnestly iâ—vited to it Yea we may from this know what is that most horrible dreadful and confounding Sentence which is abiding all of you that stand it out and do not make your Peace with God through this Satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus When ye shall be made eternally to bear the wrath that Sin deserves which yet is intollerable 3. Ye would hence
with you either think on the right way which is by putting Christ in in your Room and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest or dream not of coming to Heaven A 2d Sort are they who are not altogether so prophane as the others but will condemn them as indeed the practice of many is loathsome they will it may be Pray in their Families and will not be Drunk neither will they Swear nor Lye and they will walk blamelesly and upon these grounds they promise Heaven to themselves very confidently and yet they come not through the sense of their sinfull and cursed State by Nature to close with Christ by Faith and to make use of His Sacrifice such err on the other hand Oh! when shall we be at this not to neglect the study of Holiness and yet not to rest on it to the prejudice of this one Offering This were a a practice suitable to and worthy of Professors of the Gospel to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God on the Sacrifice of Christ alone never coming to God without bring it along with them and looking through it to be accepted before Him there n eds no more and no other thing that we can bring will do our turn nor be taken off our hand if this be neglected The Lord Himself teach us this way SERMON XXXVII ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHat ever the Men of the World think of it it is not an easie matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men by Sin have drawn on themselves removed Offerings of Bullocks and Goats thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it the Redemption of the Soul is so precious that it ceaseth for ever that way and by all such Means Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended that His own dear Son His Fellow shall as a Lamb without Spot be a Sin-offering to take away the Sins of His Elect World and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ as making Himself therein an Offâ—ring for Sin and interposing Himself to satisfie Divine Justice that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to the last day was this That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin can be taken away and God so Satisfied as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner and to admit him to Peace and Friendship with Him If we would Enumerat all things imaginable and Invent Wayes and Means without number to remove Sin or to make a Sinners Peace with God there is no other Means but this that will do it As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself perfects for ever these who are sanctified and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved but the name of Jesus The Use is To Commend and to Demonstrat to us all the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ if He be the one Offering to take away Sin and if no other will be accepted then there is a necessity that He in His Offering of Himself be made use of If all be under Sin and if by the Law Sin and Death be knit inseperably together as it is said the wages of sin is death and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath and Peace with God be necessary then there is a necessity that Sinners be serious in this matter to get a Title to and Interest in this one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ In the prosecuting of the Use we shall speak a little to these four things 1. To some Grounds or Reasons to shew the Necessity of Sinners use making of Christ's Sacrifice or Offering 2. To this what it is to make use of this Offering 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement as to some mistakes that are about it 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters or Evidences of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering for obtaining of Pardon and for making of this Peace with God For the First That is the Reasons to evince the necessity of it The 1. of them is that which we hinted at just now If Men were not lying under Sin and obnoxious to Wrath and if there were any other Sin-offering or any other Way or Mean to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin there were no such necessity But seing that all Men are under Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath because of it and seing there is no other thing that can take away Sin then there is an absolute necessity seriously to make use of and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering 2. Consider that the great part of Men in the World and even of them that hears this Gospel do not indeed make use of this Offering though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin and we suppose if ye were all put to it ye could not deny but ye are Sinners and that nothing can take away Sin but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice Though some be that grosly ignorant that they will speak of some other thing yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel are under a Conviction that no other thing can take away Sin and yet even amongst these there are many that never make use of Christ and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins to remove Wrath and make their Peace with God There were many Jews who by the dayly Sacrifices which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ were taught that there was no other way to come by Pardon and Peace with God but there use making of it and yet the most part of them in going about these Sacrifices were slighters of this one Sacrifice Therefore the Apostle sayes of them Rom. â—0â— â—3 That being ignorant of Gods righteousness they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God It is as certain that many that hear this Gospel and professe Christ to be the only Sin-offering will be disowned of Him on this account Therefore many are brought in saylng Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence to whom He will say depart from me I never knew you ye workers of iniquity Because as if He had said what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God through
own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And when He had Offered up Himself as a Sacrifice he sat down on the right hand of majesty on high He is the alone Sacrifice that comes properly in the Room of Elect Sinners 2. As there behoved to be One to Offer the Sacrifice so Christ Jesus is the Priest that Offered up the Sacrifice of Himself He is not only the Sacrifice but the Priest And in this He differed from other Priests Heb. 7.26 Such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless seperat from sinners and made higher then the heavens and then follows who needs not dayly as these high priests to offer up sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself There are three things ordinarly Attributed to Christ as to His Sacrifice to wit That He was the Sacrifice the Altar and the Priest 1. He was the Sacrifice in respect of His Humane Nature which we are not so to look upon as Abstracting and Dividing it from His Divine Nature For though He Suffered in the Flesh yet it was the same Person that was God that Suffered 2 He was the Altar by which His Sacrifice received a speciall Efficacy Vertue Value and Commendation As it 's said The Altar sanctifies the offering So Christ Jesus according to His God-head was the Altar which did put an special excellency on His Sufferings and made them to be of such Worth and Value Therefore Heb. 9.14 It 's said that he through the eternal spirit offered up himself without spot unto God It was the Suffering of the Person that was God that made the Sacrifice to be accepted 3. He was the Priest and that according to both His Naturs each Nature concurring and that joyntly as in one Person to the making of the Sâ—crifice Offered up to God acceptable 3. We have in Him a reall destruction but do not mistake the Word It is not so to be understood as if He were annihilated or had been utterly destroyed and undone but the meaning is this That He was Killed or put to Death and His Soul seperat from His Body in which respect He ceased to be what He was before for a time having been really Slain Dead and Buried And 4. All this was according to God's prescription and appointment in the Covenant of Redemption This commandement saith He John 10.18 have I received of my Father to wit that I should lay down my life for my sheep And most emphatically He says John 14.13 as my Father gave me commandement even so mark even so most exactly in conformity to the Commandement do I It was all as to every circumstance ordered according to the good pleasure of God who was pleased thus to bruise Him and to put Him to Grief The 1. Use of it serves To teach us how to Conceive and Consider of Christ's Death and Sufferings rightly to wit even as a Sacrifice designed by God to come in the Room of Elect Sinners and how to look upon His Death not as the ordinary Death of ordinary or meer Men who by necessity of Nature Die but to look on it as being appointed of God to be a Sacrifice properly so taken for the Sins of His People 2dly This serves to clear some Truths concerning our Lord Jesus His Sacrifice For we must consider it as satisfying to Justice and Meritoriously procuring the escaping from Wrath and Salvation of them for whom He Interposed It is from the gross Ignorance or from the wicked denyal of this ground that the damnable denyers of Christ's Satisfaction do also deny the Propriety of His Sacrifice on Earth and bound it to Heaven whereas it is bounded to His Death though by vertue of this One Offering He continues to interceed for us in Heaven 3dly It teaches Sinners what is the native Use which they should make of this Sacrifice They should look upon it as the only Sacrifice to prevent Eternal Death and the Curse of God anâ— so it demonstrats to us that either Jesâ—s Christ must be received by Faith and His Sacrifice rested on or we must resolve to meet with Wrath and the Curse of God our selves in our own Persons 4ly It serves to clear us anent the Way and Tract of Grace to wit how it came to passe that our Lord who was innocent and without Sin was so bruised and put to grief He came to be a Propitiâ—tion for the Sins of His People and sisted Himself in our Room as our Cautioner as a Sin-offering for us It would doubtlesse gnash many Questions and Doubts that arise in the Hearts of Believers if it were well understood They may say we should have been in such and such a sad condition this and that terrible thing would have come on us if He had not Interposed never enough can these words be spoken and thought of that we have 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 5ly It serves for notable Consolation to Believers who have betaken themselves to Christ and have many Challenges for Sin to buckle with That His Death was to be properly a Sacrifice for Sin and was so accepted of God in their Room So that ye see the right uptaking of Christs Death is a matter of no little moment Christ crucified being the very Substance of the Gospel It helps much to keep alive the Impression of our Sinfulness and of the Goodness of God and gives us Direction how to escape Wrath by puting Him in our Room There is nothing wherein Folks more readily miscarry in making of their Peace with God then in not making the right use of Christ and of His Sacrifice and Death Some praying for Pardon of Sin from Him and not for Him or for His sake when they know not what they are saying as we hinted at before Some praying for strength from Him for Dutie that they may do for themselves not considering that we are Justified by His Interposing in our Room and by Faith's closing with Him under that consideration as fisting Himself at the Bar of Justice and as being content to be a Sin-offering and the Lord accepting of Him in the Room of Elect Sinners This being well considered gives to Faith much clearness how to take Him up when the Soul honestly aims to partake of the benefit of His Sufferings 2ly For clearing this a little further we would know That there are as Divines observe Four or Five wayes how the Death of Christ is to be considered or how Christ in procuring by His Death Redemption Peace and Pardon to Sinners is holden forth in Scripture 1. He purchases Redemption and Pardon of Sin Meritoriously or He Merits it by His Death this Respects the Value of Christ's Sufferings and Satisfaction So that if we consider Christ in Himself and the Elect in themselves His Death
own Flesh that Sinners may step in with humble boldnesse to the Holy of Holies This is the End of all our Preaching and of your Hearing which when it is not simply Aimed at and Endeavoured to be Reached we are Useless in both And therefore 2dly May we not expostulat with you that are hearers of this Gospel and yet continue Strangers to Christ that can hear of His Sufferings and of His having been in an Agony for this very End that Sinners might have a warrand to their Faith and yet have never to this very hour Actually fled unto Him to find shelter I know that mâ—ny will not take with this and therefore in more close Application of this Use seing here lyeth the great Treasure of the Gospel which if it be not what can be improven to any purpose We shall speak a Word to two Sorts 1. To the Generality of Hearers who are Sâ—rangers to the right Use-making of Christ's Righteousnesse And though ye may think this to be a hard Charge and cannot well endure to be expostulated with as Unbelievers yet let me ask you 1. Do ye think that all of you will go to Heaven If not but that it is a Truth that the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel will Perish Then sure all are not Believers for all Believers will go to Heaven and not one of them shall Perish and though ye wiâ—l not now believe this The Day is coming when ye shall if Grace prevent not see and find it When Believers will be taken in with Christ and others shut out Many of you may think that this Doctrine is needless The more needless that many of you think it to be it is so much the more needfull and useful to be insisted on with you 2. If ye say ye have Faith I ask you whence came it and how got you it I know many of you will say We believed alwayes since we had understanding to know Good by Ill yet when ye are put to tell what it is ye know not how to answer nor can ye give the least Satisfying Account of it And yet ye question not but it will be well with you and never once feared to go to Hell And is that Faith think ye Alace no It 's a plain Counterfit and a very Cheat Others are ready to say we believed not alwayes yet we believe sometimes to wit when we do some Duties and abstain from gross Evils But when Challenges come for the Neglect of Duties and for the Commission of Sins we want it and have nothing of it And when Death comes such are forced to say we fear we have been beguiling our selves Whence comes this But even from this Ground that they would never suffer it to light but they had Faith which yet will never be accounted to be Faith because it hath not Christ's Righteousness for the Ground of it and therefore when any Challenge is awakened it 's a seeking and quite gone whereas True Faith will in some measure stand it out against a Challenge and will abide the Tâ—yal of a Challenge on the account of Christ's Righteousness fled to 3. We ask you this Question Are ye sure of your Faith Ye will say we hope so and believe so and this is all ye can say which in effect comes to this we Groundlesly presumed so And it 's observable That if ye be put to a Second Question What ground have ye for your Faith ye have none at all If ye be asked whether ye be certain that ye are Believers ye will answer no body is certain God knows that Is not this strange And hath it not in it an utter inconsistancy That Men and Women should confidently assert and maintain their Faith and yet when they are put to prove it they will tell you that they are uncertain and that none can be certain of it Therefore think it not strange that we expostulat with you that ye have been so long hearing of Christ and that yet ye have little or rather no Faith at all in the Use-making of His Righteousness But to make this the more convincingly clear We shall give you four Characters whereby True Faith may be tryed and known which will serve also to discover the Unsoundness of the Faith of many 1. It may be tryed by the Ground that it leaneth upon solid Faith hath for the Ground of it Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction His Sufferings the Price that He payed to Justice for Sinners Debt That He who knew no sin might become sin for us As it is 2 Cor. 5. ult Ye that say ye hope to come to Heaven and will assert strongly that ye believe Try it I beseech you by this What is it that warrands you to believe or whereon is your Faith founded Is it Christ's Righteousnesse that gives your Faith a Ground ye will say yes And who do otherwayes Are there any but they expect Life through Christ But deceive not your selves There are many that have some sort of respect to Christ who do not at all rightly respect His Sufferings many will look upon Christ as a Soveraigne and as one that can pardon them their Sins and will pray to Him for Pardon of them who yet never seriously lay the weight of their obtaining Pardon on His Death but expect Pardon immediately without an interveening Satisfaction Yea they never look upon that as needfull Others again look only to Christ's ability to save and will pray to Him as to an able Saviour And here also by such His Righteousness and Merit is shut out as if it were superfluous and unnecessary A third sort look to His mercy and think that He is very Kâ—nd and Gracious and that as one Man forgives another so will He forgive them And do not Respect His Righteousness nor found their Faith and Expectation of Pardon upon Him as upon one that hath Satisfied Justice by the travel of His Soul that Pardon might come to them who come to Him But where true Faith is the Soul begins to look on it self as arraigned be-before the Tribunall of Justice and libelled as unable to pay its own Debt Judges it self and hath not only some piece of exercise to be fred from a Challenge which is all the Faith that many have but hath serious exercise how to have the Challenge answered by betaking it self to Christs Satisfaction from these Grounds that a Satisfaction is given that this Satisfaction is made Offer of in the Gospel and that the Soul is content to make use of it and thereupon it draws the Conclusion anent Pardon It hath interveening betwixt the Consideration of its Guilt and its Application of Pardon both the Covenant of Redemption on Gods side and the Covenant of Reconciliation on the Sinners side which the Soul doth eye as that which gives it warrand to lay hold on Christ's Suffering which the other who presums doth not The Believing Soul sayes If this Satisfaction had not been
is satisfied in the undertaking and performing of the Work of Redemption it 's also set down here He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied Which in a Word is this He shall see many who had perished if He had not Suffered getting good of His Sufferings and to be benefited by them Who by His taking on Him the Curse and by His undergoing this Soul travel shall be fred from the Curse and made to partake of the Benefits Priviledges and Comforts that He hath bought by so great and precious a Price We proposed this as the main Doctrine from the Words the last day That it is great Satisfaction to Our Lord Jesus to see Sinners making use of and getting good of Hâ—s Sufferings Or thus That Sinners making use of Christ's Sufferings for their good is His Satisfaction for all the Soul-travel and Sufferings â—hat He indured He shall see of the Fruit of the travel of his soul and shal be satisfied I shall insist no further in clearing and confirming this but come closs to the Use of it And if any Point of Doctrine have Use this may have and hath it to the Glading and making Joyfull and Fain the Hearts of lost Sinners That Our Lord Jesus should Suffer so much and seek no more Satisfaction â—or it all but to see Sinners improving His Sufferings for their good to have a Seed brought forth by His Soul-travel and to have them getting Life by His Death and the Blessing by His bearing of the Curse and yet this is it that this Doctrine bears forth We may draw the 1. Use to these Four from and by which we may learn and know in some measure how to answer this Question seing we have heard so much of Christ's Sufferingâ— and Soul travel what shall we give to Christ for all that how shall we satisfie Him â—f there w re any affected suitably with thankfulness from the hearing of Christ's being brought so low by His sad Sufferings This would be and could not but be their Question Hâ—re is an Answer to it That Our Lord Jesus seeks no more as a Satisfaction for all His Sufferings but that ye improve them for your good This will Delight and Satisfie Him ye cannot do Him a greater pleasure noâ—hing will be â—ore acceptable nay nothing will be acceptable to Him nor taken off your hâ—nd but thiâ— even to see you coming in to Him and making use of His Sufferings for your own good That as to your particular His Sufferings may not be in vain and for nought but that ye improve them and so improve them as ye may not Live and Die in the Case that ye would have been in for ever had He not Suffered That is under the dominion of Sin and Sathan under the Wâ—ath and Curie of God in an anxious heartless Life without God and without Hope in the World It is even this in a Word That hearing of His sad Sufferings and of the Designe of them ye may betake your selves to Him for Pardon of Sin for Sanctification in both the Parts of it and for Consolation and that in the end ye may get your Souls â—aved on the account of His Sufferings and by vertue thereof 1. then ye would seek to be reconciled to God as the Apoâ—â—le 2 Cor. 5.20 21. exhorts We as ambassadours for â—hrist and in his stead beseech you to be reconciled to God And the Argument whereby it is pressed is the same that the Doctrine holds forth For he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Hence it follows also Chap. 6.1 We beseech you receive not this grace of God in vain Are there â—ny of you who are convinced that Christ should be Satisfied and that He should not be at all this Travel and Pains for nought And that think ye would fain Satisfie Him if it were in your power Behold Our Lord hath told you what will satifie Him It is not thousands of Rams nor ten thousand Rivers of Oyl but that His Sufferings be so improven by you as the native Fâ—uiâ—s of them may follow and be found in you That considering the wofull case ye are in by Nature ye may make use of His Satisfaction to Divine Justice as as the alone Atonement and may by Faith take hold of it as the Ground of your Peace if this be not Câ—rist will be to you as if He had never Suffered 2dly It calls for Holinesse and Mortification of Sin This is much pressed Rom. 6. from v. 2 to 14. And by this same Argument to wit That seing Christ died for Believers we should die with Him That being it wherein the Power of His Death kythes even in the Mortification of our Lusts which He came to destroy But when Folks live as they had wont to do in their Prophanity and Loosness thâ—re is nothing of the Fruit of the Travel of His Soul to be seen in them 3 Christ Travelled for the Consolation oâ— His People And this is another Fruit of His Death and Suffâ—rings that these who have betaken themselves to Christ may comfort themselves on â—his Ground Thâ—t once and that ere long they will get the Mâ—stery over a body of Death and will get both Sathan and it bruised under their Feet through Him Who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification and who hath blotted out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us nailing it to his cross And that through the vail which is his flesh there might a way be made Patent to us unto the most holy And that with confidence we might approach to God and in His Sufferings drâ—wn all our Challenges And indeed Believers are behind and greatly at a loss who have betaken themselves to Christ and yet live as Anxiously and Uncomfortably as if they had not a slain Mediator to comfort themselves in who by His Sufferings Soul-travel and Death hath made a Purchase of so great things for them And in a Word The up-shot of His Sufferings is to get the Sâ—uls of Believers in Him carried unto Heaven and keeped there perfect till the Body be raâ—sâ—d and in a perfect â—ate be Reâ—unâ—â—ed to the Soul at the Great Dâ—y according to that of the Apostle Eph. 5.26 27 He gave himself for his church that he might sanctifie and cleâ—nse it and present her to himself a glorious church without spot and wrinkle or any such thing And when Souls are not taking the right way to heaven he hath nothing of the Travel of his Soul from such more then if he had not undergone it or not Suffered at all Use 2. If this be Christ's Satisfaction for all the Travel of his Soul that he see Sinners getting good of his Sufferings Then if any Motive be weighty to move People to give Him their Soâ—ls to save this must sure have weight with them even that
it will leave you in a worâ—â— condition then it found you in It 's not now whether ye will perish or not though that be a great matter the most Barbarous Heathens will readily think that Gods Justice is terrible to meet with but it layeth these two in the Ballance It 's either a most inconceivable condition beyond what others who have not heard the Gospel will come under if the Offer be slighted or Eternall Salvation if it be imbraced Woe to thee Chorazin woe to thee Bethsaida saith the Lord Matth. 11.21 22. For if the mighty works which are done in thee had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long agoe And it shall be more tollerable for Sodom in the day of judgement then for Capernaum who because they were lifted up to heaven in respect of a glorious Dispensation of Gospel-ordinances and improved them not shall be cast down to hell and whereon is this dreadfull denunciation founded Even on this ground just now hinted at the Gospel was more plainly and powerfully Preached to them then it was to Tyre and Sidon to Sodom and Gomorrah who had Lots Testimony but Christ's and His Apostles Testimony in a manner swallowed up that which Testimony they slighted Now pose your selves whether this Gospel hath not sounded loud in your ears have ye not heard it yes verily We may here allude to that Word Rom. 10.16 Doubtless ye have heard the sound thereof is come to you and ye shall never have that to object that ye heard it not This Text and this same Sermon on it and others will bear witness that through Jesus Christ ye had a way laid down to you for remission of Sins and for Justification and what will follow either ye must betake your selves to Christ's Righteousness for Justification and study to be Holy or else ye will bring upon your selves a more terrible Condemnation then came upon the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who were consumed and burnt quick by fire and brimstone from Heaven And therefore there is ground here for all to look well about us what use we make of this benefit offered to us that we miscarry not and make not our selves most inexcusable for slighting of it I shall here speak a little to some sorts of Persons that ought mainly to lay this to heart 1. To some that are so utterly carelesse and indifferent in making their Peace with God that to this day all warnings threatnings and dispensations that they have met with could never prevail with them once to make them that far serious as to ask that Question what they should do to be saved to whom much preaching is but a beating in the Air to whom such Preaching is Fruitlesse and Christ uselesse It 's of these that He speaks Matth. 22. Who being invited to the Wedding They made light of it and went away one to his farm another to his merchandize There is a Generation of such Persons amongst us to this day who never thought seriously of the Gospel nor of this Doctrine which is the Substance and Life of the Gospel and without which we can enjoy no Mercy nor Benefit holden forth and made offer of in the Word But slight Pardon of Sin and think little of Justification who will the day is coming when it will be much thought of and when many of you if God prevent not would give all the World for an Offer of it and would be glad to be burnt with the World or covered with and smothered under a Hill or Mountain rather then to come and receive your fearful Doom and Sentence from the Judge because ye had this favour in your Offer and made not use of it A 2d Sort are a Prophane Company who if there carriage be looked on it sayes plainly nay it openly Proclames that such Men believe not that there is a Judgement coming otherwayes they durst not for a World live as they do Is this think ye the way to be Justified to be Laughing Sporting Gaming Tipling and Trifling away your time in spending it in Decking and Dressing your Bodies in bestowing of more time in one day on the Body then ye do in eight or many moe dayes on the Soul To be glutting in the World to be following the desires of your hearts and the sight of your eyes Prophane as ye are think upon it for we declare even unto you that there is a way how the ungodly may be Justified held forth and offered in this Gospel and if ye contemn it God shall vindicat His Grace and your trampling on it shall return on your own head A 3d. Sort are such as have never taken with their Sin nor with the fead betwixt God and them We invite the filthy to come and wash Sinners to come and get Pardon the Ungodly to come and be Justified but alace we cannot get Sinners that walk under the due sense of their Sin to Preach to I dar say that to many of you the Doctrine of Justification is in some respect needlesse I am sure for the time useless For ye were never convinced of your Sin nor of your hazard but thought that ye were alwayes sure of your Justification ye never evened your selves to speak so to Hell God alwayes ye think loved you and perish who will ye will not perish These and such as these have been your thoughts of your selves and of your state And we have more difficulty to get you prevailed with to think seriously of making your Peace with God then we would readily have in this to prevail with Pagans or with Adulterers and Murderers whose Natural Conscience would sooner be awakened then yours Justification is not a serious matter to many of you ye think to slip through Gods Judgement If ye be asked whether or no ye be Absolved yes that we are will ye say long since But ah how came ye to be Absolved was ye ever Chased and did ye ever flee for refuge to the Hope set before you was ye ever pursued by the Law to Christ and were ye ever made cordially to close with Him and to found your Plea on His Righteousness It will be strange if so many shall slip in to Heaven and never know how we grant there may be some brought in who have not distinctly discerned the manner how but that almost whole Congregations and Countreysides should be made Friends with God and never know or at least never kindly take with the Fead we professe we see not through it it 's to us an unintelligible Riddle and a Paradox Therefore be intreated to Reckon over again Though there be a Justification through the Blood of Christ to be gotten yet assure your selves that ye are not in the way to it while ye continue sensless of your Sin and of your hazard A 4. Sort are these who think that they have nothing to do with this Doctrine they are Rich they are Wise they are of honest Rank and
have a Name and Commendation in the Place where they Live and they have may be some School-craft and Learning and therefore they are perswaded that they cannot miss Justification and where is there one Person amongst many if it be not some poor Body even it may be poor in the World that ever thinks that the Severity of the Law or the Threatnings thereof concern them But are there any moe wayes to Heaven but one Or is there one for the Rich and another for the Poor Do not all come in at this Door is not this the way even to take with your Sin and to flee to Christ for Life And yet are there not some among you that cannot endure to think of Hell to dread it or as we use to speak to even your selves to it because ye are thought something of able to do your turn and have some parts and abilities but there are many more Rich more Wise and Learned Folk then you are in Hell that were never absolved before God nor never shall yet there is a propensnesse in Great Men in Rich Men and in Men of Parts to slight this Doctrine But such have in some respect more need to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure then many others and yet ye go not so far as they do who yet go not the just length A 5th Sort are such as never knew any inward Work or exercise of the Spirit of God upon their Consciences but have lived with a sort of wholeness of heart all their dayes If any be called to take notice of this Doctrine they are called to take notice of it There is a generation sayeth Solomon Prov. 30.12 which are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness They conclude they are Absolved but never look inward to see if there be ground to bear that conclusion 6ly And lastly There are a sort that are Formal and Hypocritical They were never grosly Prophane but they were as little truly and seriously Religious ye had need therefore to take heed whereon ye found your Peace and beware that ye take not the Form of Godlinesse for the Power of it especially when the Form is come to so great a hight And seing this way of Justification is holden out to you through Christ we exhort and beseech you all and especially those of such sorts as we have named to look well that this Grace be not received in vain In a Word these two sorts would take special heed to this Doctrine 1. Some that mind not Religion at all 2. Others who if they mind it mind it not in the way of Grace but as it were by the Works of the Law We declare to you that Justification iâ— by Faith in Jesus Christ and by resting on His Righteousnesse as many as take that way they may be assured to come speed and they that misken and slight that way shall never win to Heaven for there is no other name given whereby a sinner can be saved but the name of Jesus only He is the way the truth and the life and no man cometh to the father but by him SERMON LIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. THere is as I said lately nothing of greater Concernment to a Sinner to know then these two 1. What it is that satisfies Justice and makes a Sinner acceptable before God 2. To know how that may be attained or what way it is applyed And this verse shortly but very clearly answers both 1. That which Satisfies Justice is the travel of Christs soul or His Sufferings 2. The way how this is Applyed Derived or Communicat is set down in the latter part of the verse By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities This is the effect of Christ's Sufferings that many by them shall be Absolved from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse And this is the way how these many come to be thus Absolved It is by believing on Him for thus His Satisfaction is accounted theirs as if they themselves had Satisfied We proposed the last day this Doctrine to be spoken to from the Words That there is a way through Faith in Christ and resting on His Sufferings by which a Sinner obnoxious to Gods Curse may attain to be Justified and declared free before the Throne of God This Doctrine implyes these Two things in general 1. That there is such a thing possibly attainable by a Guilty Sinner as Justification 2. That Justification is to be attained allanerly by Faith in Christ Jesus resting on His Righteousnesse By his knowledge shall he justifie many As there is a necessity to be Absolved so there is a necessity to take this way for Absolution because this and this only is holden out to be the way how Justification is attained It 's by Christs knowledge which in short is by Faith in Him We discoursed somewhat of the positive part of this Truth the other day Which is of great Concernment the understanding thereof being the very hinge of the Gospel and that wherein in a special manner the Gospel and Covenâ—nt of Grace differs from the Law and Covenant of Works and pointing out a way for coming by Righteousnesse and Life through Christ in opposition to the Law as a Covenant of Works that holds out a way to Righteousnesse and Life through our own performances We touched also at some Uses of the Doctrine for directing of you to the believing use-making of Christ for coming at Peace with God It would follow now that we should speak a little to that Use of Refutation that flows natively from this Doctrine For if this be the way and the only way of the Justification of a Sinner before God to wit by or through Faith in Christs Righteousnesse Then all these wayes that lead not Sinners to resting on Christ's Righteousness alone for Justification and Peace must be inconsistent with the Gospel and so to be rejected and abhorred whether they be in Doctrine or in Practice And we choose the rather to speak a Word to this because it will clear the Doctrine of Justification by Faith the more when we come to see and consider these Corruptions and Errors that are foisted in by Heterodox Men in this great Truth of God to the Perverting and Corrupting thereof And it will the more provoke us to thankfulnesse to God who hath graciously delivered us from these Snares Errors and Corruptions An Error and mistake here about the Substance of this Truth being such as though we held all other Truths incorrupted will ruine us There are we suppose Four Sorts of Errors especially that contradict this grand Truth anâ—nt Justification by Faith in Christs Righteousnesse to which we shal speak a little The 1. is That old rooted Error of Papists who in this Point â—nervat and overturn the whole way of the
to us in mentioning reading or thinking of it but it should in reason make Sinners glad that ever there was such a subject to be spoken of and to be considered It behoved certainly to be a great businesse that brought the Son of God to die The Salvation of Sinners is a great Work though many of us think but very little of it The Sum and Scop of Christs Sufferings and Death are briefly holden forth in these Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Where we have 1. The great benefit that comes by His Death which is Justification or the Absolving of Sinners from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God due to them for Sin by Christ's interposing Himself to become a Sin-suffering there is a way laid down how Sinners may be relieved 2. The parties made partakers of this benefit and they are called many 3. The way how it is derived to these mâ—ny it is by his knowledge That is by or through Faith in Him We have spoken somewhat of the benefit it self Justification which is the thing aimed at for the most part in preaching and in all other Ordinances That God may by the Righteousnesse of His Son in the Gospel carry on the Justification of S nners through their knowledge of Him or by causing them to rest upon His Righteousnesse by Faith in order to their Salvation It 's sad that in this point which is of so great concernment so many should go so far wrong and mistake so grosly that it is no great matter in some respect whether they be called Christians or not This being the advantage of a Christian that He hath a way to Justification and Absolution from Sin and Wrath before God revealed to Him which others have not who if he come short of this or fall in grosse Errors about it he hath little or no advantage beyond Heathens who may have more of the Fat of the Eâ—rth and of the things of the World than these who are within the visible Church have But in this in a special manner the Christian excells and goes beyond the Pagan or Heathen That he hath a way laid down to him how he may come to be reconciled to God and freed from Wrath and from His Curse due for Sin which we have shewed to be by fleeing to Christ and by Faith resting on His Righteousnesse and Satisfaction For Christ the Cautioner having payed the Debt by laying down a Price fully satisfactory to Divine Justice And this Satisfaction being offered in the Gospel upon the condition of receiving him a Sinner giving his consent to Gods offer and closing therewith may confidently expect according to that offer to be Justified and no other wayes We shew you one particular great and grosse Error wherewith these who are under the darkness of Popery are wofully carried away which we did the rather touch upon because though it be a Doctrinal Error in respect of them and disputed for by them Yet in respect of the practice of many Protestant Christians it 's very rise and ordinary that is to Mistake Error and go wrong in the way of making of their peace with God And there are Three Sorts especially who do exceedingly Mistake Err and go wrong here These of whom I mean and am now speaking are not such as are maintaining Disputing or Writing for such Errors but such as commit themselves to be sound Protestant Christians and haters of the grosse Popish Error That we spake somewhat to the last day The 1. Sort are thâ—se who to this hour never laid down any solid Reckoning how to make their Peace with God or what way to come at Absolution before Him these Persons do in practice deny what ever may be their Professions that there is any such thing as a Reckoning to be made betwixt God and them or that there is a necessity of Justification for preventing of their eternal ruine and destruction They live from their birth with a hope of coming to Heaven without looking how they may passe this great step of Justification before God they never saw nor laid to heart their need of it are their not many hearing me to day that are of this number who will needs keep up confidently their fancied hope of Heaven and yet never knew what it was to answer a challenge for Sin or a threatning of the Curse for the breach of Gods Law from Christs Righteousness nor did they ever fist and arraigne themselves before Gods Tribunal as guilty nor did they ever think seriously of their charge nor of their Summonds nor of the way of making their Peace with God by taking hold of Christs Righteousness A 2d Sort are the generality of Legal Professours I do not say that they are Legal in their Practices that is that they make it their business to keep the Law for they are as little concerned or careful in that as any but they are Legal in this respect that when it comes to the making of their peace with God they know nothing but the Law to deal with as that man spoken of Math. 25. That got the one Talent and was utterly careless to improve it yet when it comes to a Reckoning he stands and sticks to a rigor of the Law Master saith he Lo here thou hast that which is thine just so such will be ready to say we have no more Grace then God hath given us we have a good heart to God we are doing what we dow or can Here come in Prophane Men meer Civil Men and Hypocrites and more especally the meer Civil Men who do much in the duties of the Second Table of the Law and they will profess that they do mind Judgement and a Reckoning but as if they had been bred and brought up in a Popish School they foist in a Legal Righteousnesse in stead of Christ's as the ground of their Justification before the Tribunal of God ye may take in these instances of this sort of Persons which are very common and who in their Practice almost in every thing agree with the Popish Doctrine The 1. Instance is of such Persons that know nothing of the imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse yet if we speak of it they will fall out in such expressions as these we can do nothing of our selves there is no goodness in us It 's God's grace that must do our turn yet in the mean time it is not Christs Righteousness they lay down to themselves as the ground of their Justification but the good which they have done as they suppose in Christs strength and the Grace which is given them to work and do that good by which is the same thing with the Popish way of Justification as if Christ had procured an ability to us to keep the Law our selves in order to our being Justified thereby hence they will Beliâ—ve Pray Hear the Word Praise and go about other Duties and will professe that they acknowledge
nature of Christs Intercession and how we may make use of it And how particularly we should beware of a carnal mistake in many about his Intercession as if he were praying in heaven as a distinct partie from God It 's true he is a distinct Person of the glorious Trinity but not a distinct Partie in interceeding as some ignorantly conceive of him and therefore think him easier to have access to then the Father and therefore will pray him to pray the Father for them as if when they prayed to him they were not praying to the Father or as if there were not on object of Worship This flows from ignorance of the nature of Christs Intercession and â—s unbecoming a Christian for supposing â— man to rest by Faith on Christ the Father is content and well pleased to pardon him as well as the Son is because he is ingaged in the Covenant of Redemption so to do and if he be not a Believer neither the Father nor the Son will respect him our use making of Christs Intercession doth consist rather in the founding of our hope of speeding with God on it as on his Satisfaction then inputing up words of prayer to him to interceed for us as if he were to pray in heaven as â—e did on earth or as one man interceeds for another The point is sublimly spiritual and some way tickle and I indeed fear to enter on moe Uses at least for the time only remember that he is an Intercessour And learn to make right use of him as an Intercessour And the Lord himself make the benefit of his Intercession forthcoming to us SERMON LXVI ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours IF Christ were known in the greatness and vast extent of his worth O! how lovely would he be How incomprehensibly full are his Offices of grounds of consolation to his people But the mean and low thoughts we have of him and the poor consolation we feed on do evidence much ignorance of him and much unbelief of the solid worth and fulnesse that is in him and in his Priestly Office in particular and yet O! how full of consolation is it Such a high Priest became us Heb. 7.26 Even such a High Priest â—s Sinners had need of There hath been much spoken of one part of his Priest-hood to wit his Sacrifice and offering up of himself in the former verses of this Chapter Now ere the Prophet close he gives a hint of the other part of his Priestly Office to wit of his Intercession a main commendation of Christs fulnesse It 's that which evidenceth him to be a Saviour able to save to the uttermost such as come â—nto God through him because he lives for ever to make intercession for them as it is Heb. 5.25 And it 's a piece of the consolation of Gods People that Jesus Christ hath this Office by the Fathers allowance and that it is Articled in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and him That as he shall pour out his soul unto death be numbred with transgressours bear the sins of many So he shall make intercession for the transgressours Therefore Heb. 7.21 He is said to be made an high Priest with an oath by him that said unto him Psal 110.4 The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melhisedeck He was a Priest on earth by offering himself in a Sacrifice and by interceeding for Elect Sinners and he is a Priest in heaven by his Intercession and therefore is preferred to all the Priests on earth Who did not continue by reason of death but he continues for ever and none can start him wrong to speak so with reverence of him We shew in our entring on this verse that this his intercession is not to be a stricted to his prayer on the Cross that was but an evidence or particular instance of it but it takâ—s in his whole Intercession Because the Scope of the Prophet here is to hold out as what God promised to him on the one hand in the Covenant of Redemption so on the other what he interceeds for and so his Intercession looked on in the Covenant of Redemption takes in his whole Intercession especially as it is gone about in heaven by vertue of his Sacrifice once for all offered up when he was on earth We Observed the last day That according to the Covenant of Redemption our Lord Jesus Christ behoved not only to die but to be an Intercessour or that it belongs to our Lords Priestly Office agreed upon in the Covenant of Redemption not only to offer up himself in a Sacrifice and to die but to make intercession for his people He made intercession for the transgressours or as all the rest may be read in the future time so this He shall make intercession for the transgressours but for the certainty of the thing it 's set down in the preterit or by-past time The Father did take his word and so it past as done in the Court of Heaven We cleared this point and proposed Four Uses of it The First whereof was to inform uâ— anent Christs fulnesse to discover his insearchable riches and to let us see what an excellent high Priest we have that continues an Intercessour Not only hath he once for all offered up his Sacrifice as the high Priest under the Law did once a year but hath entered within the vail to interceed and thereby to make the benefits of his purchase effectual and forthcoming to them for whom his Sacrifiâ—e was offered Even as Levit. 16. where the rules for the high Priests offering are given after he had offered the Sacrifice he took the blood and entered within the vail and by the Sacrifice and his going in to pray he made atonement for the People typically answerable to this our Lord Jesus by his once offering hath perfected for ever these who are sanctified and by his going within the vail he executes this part of his Priestly Office in interceeding for transgressors In prosecuting this Use we answered some Questions which now we shall not insist to repeat Only there is a short Question or two that further may be asked which wil clear the former ere we go to the next Use And the 1. is if our Lord before he came in the flesh discharged this part of his priestly Office The reason of the question or doubt is because in the new Testament his intercession is alwayes at least very ordinary subjoyned to his Ascension The 2d is How his Intercession now difers from his Intercession before his Incarnation or in what respects the consolation of Believers that flows from his intercession is stronger now then the consolation of Believerâ— flowing there from was before he was Incarnat As for the First It cannot be denyed but Christ was Intercessour since he had a Church in the World for it 's a part of his priestly Office and
〈…〉 keeped from many 〈◊〉 or when they asault thaâ— they prevail not utâ—erly over us Tâ—e Devil lyeâ— alwayes aâ— the waâ— and we are often secure but our Lord Jeâ—us to say so watch â—n the stor or rebound of the tentation and 〈◊〉 it off as to the designed prejudice Luke 22 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired that he may have you that hâ— may winnow you but I have prayed for thee that thy saith fail not There are many tentations that he keeps off that they beat not on us and when they assault us he breaks the power of them tha the Believer succumbs not under them Hence it is that we are keeped on our feet otherwayes what would become of us when David fell in adultery and Peter denyed his Master what would have become of them had it not been for this there would be no living for us in the multitude of tentations if he were not interceeding for us what could we forsee of Satans snars what strength have weak and witlesse we to resist tentations what could we do with the spear of corruption when it rises like a flood upon us and Satan inforceth his assaults upon us a if he were speaking with mans voicâ— or mouth hiding us do this and that But there is an Intercessour that pleads our cause 3. We have by this Intercession the preventing of many Judgements temporal and spiritual when tâ—e ax is laid to the root of the tree and it is found barren and juâ—â—ice cryes and the command comes out Cut it down why cumbers it the ground How comes it that the ax strikes not why is it not hewed down There is an efficacy in Christs Intercession for paring of it a while longer as it is Luke 13.6 The dresser of the vineyard sayes spare it for this year and it 's granted O! but we would have a most sinful and miserable life if there were not an Intercessour at Gods right hand 4. Disposition for dutie and help in the performance of dutie flows from his Intercession It 's this that makes us pray and that gives us boldnesse in prayer and in other duties that there is such an high Priest over the house of God as it is Heb. 10.19 20.21 Iâ—'s this that gives us ground of approaching to God and to expect a hearing and as it is Luke 13.7 8. It is his digging and pains that makes the barren fig tree fruitâ—ul 5 It flows from this that our prayers are heard though there be much I firmâ—â— in them and that they are not call back in our â—aces as dung but are made s voury to Goâ— it 's through the efficacy of his Intercession We have a type of his Revel 8.4 5. where John sees an Angel come and â—and at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it up with the prayers of all faints and the smoak of the incense which came up with the prayers of the sâ—ints ascended up before God It was savoury and acceptable to God and made the prayers of all Saints acceptaâ—le for the weight of Gods accepting their prayers is laid on the smoak of his incense It 's he that takes the â—â—â—gled and halfe prayers of his People and presents them to God and when they would be cast back as the supplication of an enemy He as great Master of Râ—quists through the acceptation that he hath with God makes them acceptable We should have no ground to pray with confidence nor acceptation to be heard if there were not a golden censer in his hand 6. We have from his Intercession an answer to all challenges There is much debt on our score the Law pursues hâ—rd and curseth us for our habitual enimity and all the particular Acts of it and his Intercession is the last defence on which the triumph of Faith rises by the other stepâ— Rom 8 43. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Is it because they want a chaâ—ge No for there is the Devil the Law and the Conscience to charge them But it's God that justifies who shal condemne It 's Christ that died yea rather is risen again who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us We have a high Priest there that hath payed our Debt and pleads that the application of his purchase may be made forthcoming and who I pray will lay any thiâ—g to our charge in that Court where God is Judge and Christ is Advocat 7. More particularly our Lord by his Intercession taketh away the guilt of our holy things for when we approach to God in worship there is a carnalness and pollutedness in the best things we do much irreverence much unbelief much want of humility zeal sincerity and tendernesse So that all our righteousnesses are but as filthy rags But the high Priest Exod. 28.38 hath on his fore-head Holiness to the Lord And his Oâ—â—ce is to bear the iniquitie of the holy things of the children of Israel â—hat they may be accepted before the Lord and in this he was a Type of Christ the great high Priest going in unto Heaven to make Intercession for his Peoplâ— who bears not onâ—y their iniqâ—â—ties but the iniquity of their holy tâ—inâ—s Aaron answers for them as the Type Our Lord Jesus as the anti-râ—pe He being emâ—nently holiness to the Lord and having holiness on his forehead and being so well pleasing to the Father however our prayers anâ— praises and other parts of service be but little worth yeâ— he makes them acceptable and procures that they be not rejected when he is for this end imployed and made use of 8. We will find that strength to bear through under a Cross and a good oâ—tgate from under the cross comes from him as Intercessour O! so advertant as he is when his own are under the cross his bowels are then moved though not as they were on earth yet certainly they want not their own holy motion suitable to the glorious estate whereunto he is exalted Therefore Acts 9. He cryes from Heaven Saul Saul why persecuts thou me And Stephen when a stoning to dâ—ath sees him standing at the right hand of God executing this part of his Priestly Oâ—â—ice One part whereof is to keep off a cross and another part whereof is to help to get it honourably born and to a victory over it 9. Our perseverance in the Faith and perfect glorification is a fruit of Christs Intercession so that his own cannot but persevere and be glorified because he interceeds for them This is it that is spoken to several times John 17. especially verses 15. and 24. In the 15. v. I pray for them that they may be keeped from the evil He prayes for them that they may be keeped from the evil of sin especially he prayes for them that they may be keeped that they fall nor from the truth And v. 24. Father I will that these whom thou
hast given me be where I am to behold my glory That longing and effâ—ctual desire â—nd will of his presented by him in heaven is continuing still effectuall for all the Saints in the Câ—urch militant There is ground of quieâ—nesse anâ— comfort from his Intercession â—nd by verâ—ue of it to have hope that not only presenâ— but coming snares and tentations shall not prevaiâ— Therefore the Apostle Rom. 8.38 â—o his speaking of Christs Intercession â—ubjoâ—nes his highest triumph I am perswaded that neither death nor life principalities nor p wers things present nor things tâ— come and because it 's impossible to numâ—â—r all things hâ— sayes nor any other creature shal be able to separat us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Now if all â—hese be put together beside many moe that may be gatherâ—d from Scripture what wants a Beâ—iever for his own privat and particular consolation which this one word That Christ is an intercessour doth not answer But 2. There is not only consolation for a Believers particular condition from this ground but also in reference to the publick case of Gods Church Thâ—re are Four things especially that seem very heâ—â— to the Church and publick work â—f God in reference to all which we will find consolation from this ground The 1. is the fear of a scarcity or weakness of the puâ—â—ick Ministry that being the great gift wâ—ich he hath given for the edifying of hiâ— body and it being a prejudice to the Church when she hath not Pastors accordâ—ng to Gods own heart But compare Psal 68 18. with Ephes 4.8 12 13 14. and we will find that his Intercession answers that fear In the Psalm it 's said Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men wâ—ich suppoâ—es his seeking of or making suite for them or as the word is thou hast received gifts in the man that is being in our nature he procured them And Ephes 4. It 's said he gave gifts to men and compare these Two places with a Third to wit Acts 1.4 Where he bids his Apostles tarry at Jerusalem till he send the promised spirit and immediatly after his ascension as it is Acts 2. He poured it out which abode on them in the likness of cloven tongues of fire It 's likewise said John 11.39 That the spirit was not given for Jesus was not yet glorified All which shew an influence that Christ's ascension hath on the pouring out of the Spirit and on the gifts given to men whether Ministers or others There is nothing amongst men readily lesse cared for then a Ministry some would have none at all others would have them of such a stamp as would please and humour them But our Lord haâ—h received gifts to give unto men And he that poured out such gifts on the Apostles and others haâ—h what gifts he pleaseth and sees needful for his Churches edification yet to give And that he gives such gifts to men that his people are not praying much for whence is it but from his Intercession Therefore Revel 1. we will find that he delights in this propertie as a piece of his spiritual state and grand our That he holds the stars in his right hand such is his respect to them and his it is to dispose of them 2. It 's a greatly exercising difficultie to the Church of God to think of the mighty opposition that is made by enemies Mahomet Heathens Antichrist false Brethren threatning to swallow up the little flock the Church of Christ which is like a bush burning with fire and not consumed But for this there is a consolation in Christs intercession according to that word Heb. 10.13 He sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool He hath this for his suite at the Fathers Bar and is backing it upon this it followed and as a fruit of it that all the first persecutions were broken On this it hath come to pass that Antichrists kingdom is tottering and it 's on this ground that his bearing down and utter breaking wi l be accomplished Hence it 's most emphatically said 1 Cor. 15.24 That He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet According to the promise made by Jehovah to him Psal 110. 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool He cannot be an Intercessour but his enemies must down For who I pray wiâ—l be able to stand when he gives in his complaint against them who will plead Antichrists and other persecutors cause when he appears against them â—nd he is so certain of his enemies being mâ—de his footstool that he is waiting till he see it done he must reign till then maugre all the malice and might of Devils and Men. 3. It 's a difficultie to the Church and people of God to think on such great confusions as are in the world there are but few Judicatories that are for Châ—ist but few Governours higher or lower that do consult his honour or regard him It 's others that have the Throne and Court and the guiding of things thâ—â— friends and fâ—vourers of his interest for most part But here the consolation lyes that there is a Court in Heaven that gives out orders where the Church hath an Agent constantly lying where the Devil and the World hath none Jesus Christ is the Churches Agent and Intercessour there Daniel Chap. 10.13 Hath a word to this purpose The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes but Michael the chief prince came to help me And v. 21. There is none in all the court of Persia that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince The great Intercessour was at Court looking that nothing went wrong seeing that no decree were past to the prejudice of the people of God and his work in the time when they were building the Temple He Zech. 6.13 is said to build the temple of the Lord to bear the glory and to be a Priest sitting and ruling on his throne having the government committed to him what hazard then is there here when heaven guids all when the Church hath an Agent at the Court to see as I said that nothing go wrong when Michael the Prince is there and sees all the Acts and Decrees of the Court and readeth them yea draweth them and looks well that there be nothing in them hurtful to his Church And O! may we not and should we not thank God for this 4. A Fourth thing that troubles the Church of God is the abounding of offences in her self and the spreading of errour which like a flood threateneth to drown the Church and great stormy winds come that are like to blow down the house of God offences and stumblings abound and errour which I just now said as a flood is like to drown all when the
without a Mediator and withall an approbation of Gods way who hath appointed a Mediator for that end and a loving to keep up communion with him by a Mediator So that suppose we were clear that our sins are pardoned yet we would know that this coviction and impression is necessary to put us to make dayly use of this part of the Mediators Office for we may have conviction of the First part that is that we cannot make our peace without Christs Satisfaction and yet we may be defective as to our walking under the due conviction of the Second that is of a necessity of keeping up of our communion with God by vertue of his Intercession which is as if a Rebel being reconciled and made a friend by the procurement of some great Person yet having to do with the King should not dare to go unto him without the man that was instrumental in making his peace or we may allude to Absaloms coming home by Joabs procurement who was three years thereafter at Jerusalem ere he saw his Fathers face and had a new dealling with Joab for that end So it 's very suitable to the way of grace and shews that our being and standing in grace is free not to dare to go in to God even when our peace is made without the Mediator 4. Upon the back of all this there is a necessity of the Faith of the Mediator or Intercessor his being at the right hand of God ready to agent our cause through whom we may have access when there is reason enough in our selves why we should be keeped at the door and though we dar not go our selves alone yet to adventure to go through him to God And though this be but the doctrinal Faith of the thing in general yet it 's necessarily presupposed as well as the rest That whâ—n a challenge rises and the Conscience sayes how â—aâ— thou go to God Faith may answer Because there is a friend there in our nature when the sinner is convinced of sin the Conscience challengeth and the Law condemns and there is some sad expectation of the drawing forth of the Sentence Theâ—e is an act of Faith that convinces of a Saviour whose satisfaction if it be made use of and improven all will be well This we say is necessarily presupposed to the use making of Christs Intercession 2dly These 4. being presupposed it follows that we shew what properly it is to make use of Christs Intercession or wherein it consists And 1. when Faith hath laid hold on Christs Satisfaction for peace with God in the improving of his Intercession there is an act of Faith whereby we actually bestir our selves to approach unto God upon the weight we lay on his Intercession that when the Soul sees it self secluded considered in it self yet it will go forward lippening to that so that if a challenge come in its way and say what ground hast thou to look that thou wilt be welcome to God the Soul sayes none in my sâ—lâ— but there is a friend before me with whose satisfaction I have closed for my peace and I lay this weight on his Office and on Gods call to make use of him that on the ground of his moyen with God I dar h zard to go forward even as if a Rebel after his peace were made had some business to do with the Prince and hearing that there is a friend at Court yea the same friend that made his peace he thinks that a good time and fit season to go in and present his suit expecting to come speed through his moyen And this keeps alwayes the weight and honour of our obtaining any thing we seek as a prerogative to Christ and stops the persons own mouth from looking to any thing in it self to boast of even as the Rebel hath no cause to boast of his getting a hearing from the Prince but gives the thanks to him who as he made his peace so also procured him a hearing and it is according to that word Heb. 10.21 Having an high-Priest over the house of God let us draw near with full assurance of faith expecting a hearing and that Heb. 4.15 16. Seeing we have an high Priest who was tempted in all things like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtâ—in mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the First step of improving Christs Intercession when the juâ—â—ified sinner is at a stand on some new challenge for guilt and dar not go forward nor adventure to approach unto God on this account and ground that there is a Mediator and Advocat at his right hand to hazard if we may speak so or rather with confidence to go forward and present his suit to God 2. There is an act of Faith as in undertaking so in expecting and on-waiting upon God for obtaining a hearing of our suit on this account that Jesus Christ is an intercessour in heaven for such as imploy him And this guards against both the faillings before mentioned to wit against anxiety on the one hand 〈◊〉 presumption on the other against anxâ—â—ty and fainting when as there is not only a proposing of our desire but an on-waiting for and expectation of a hearing from God against presumption and turning carnal when the expectation of a hearing is not founded on our own righteousnesse but on the Intercession of Christ This is it which we have Dan. 9.17 compared with Jonah 2.4 In the 2. of Jonah 4. v. He sayes Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet will I look again toward thy holy temple The which look was in effect a looking toward the intercession of Christ the Messiah The Temple with it's Sacrifice having been typical of him and the Mercy-seat that was there being typical of his intercession It is as if unbelief had suggested to Jonah now Jonah what will become of thee thou art a gone man and needs not pray any more yet sayes he I will look again towards thy holy temple and though he knew not wel now being in the belly of the Whale where the Temple stood yet his Faith having an suitable exercise on the Messiah signified by the Temple and his looking being an act of Faith carried in his suit to God which was accepted and Indeed this is a main thing by which a poor Believer cast down wins to his feet again The other place is Dan. 9.16 17. Where when he is serious and doubling his petition he hath these words Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolat for the Lords sake and to let it be known what he meaned by saying for the Lords sake which looks to him who was to be intercessour in our nature he expones it in the following words O! my God incline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desâ—lations For we do not present our supplications bâ—fore thee