else but the very words of the Text explained For the proof of it you may please to consider that name that is given to Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15 47. The first man is of the earth earthie The second man is the Lord from heaven Christ here is called the second man what is the reason of it Because there is a proportion between Christ and the first Adam onely it is a proportion of unlikenesse and contrarietie not a proportion of likeness and agrement Christ is just contrary to the first man how is that The first man did bring all mankind under sin and guilt and punishment Christ he doth bring all beleevers all mankind that doe beleeve in him he bringeth them all from under sin from under guilt from under punishment Thus there is a likeness between Christ and Adam onely by way of contrarietie Christ undoing what Adam did Christ bringing our of all that miserie into which Adam brought us therefore Christ is called the Second Man the first man undid us all the Second hath made us all that are beleevers the first man hath run us into debt the Second hath redeemed us from all that miserie into which the first hath plunged us And not to prove this onely in generall you shall see it proved in all the particulars how that the Lord Christ hath been a ransome and setteth free all beleevers from all Iniquitie First of all The first thing that I told you is meant by Iniquitie it is the breaking the transgression of Gods Law Now Christ he hath set beleevers free from this iniquitie he hath delivered them from the transgression of Gods Law this is that you have in the 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as filver and gold from your vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ Observe the precious blood of Christ doth redeem beleevers from their vain conversation that is from the transgression of Gods Law from a course of disobedience and of breaking Gods Commandments I pray observe it it is a thing that the world thinks not of Christ hath redeemed beleevers from the very breaking of Gods commandments from their vain conversation It is true beleevers are not yet perfectly free from all transgression of Gods Law yet notwithstanding they are freed from a great deal which they were subject to before which none doe obtain but they that doe beleeve for howsoever they cannot but sin yet notwithstanding sin doth not raign in them though they are not delivered from the presence of sin yet they are delivered from the power of sin as you have it in Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Sin indeed it hath a being in beleevers but yet notwithstanding it cannot so act and command them as it did formerly they doe not transgress the Law of God with resolution with love with delight the transgressions of the Law of God which they fall into they are their burthens they are their shame they are their grief they are the things that they hate and would not doe Thus I say in a great part they are for the present delivered from the first kind of iniquitie from the very violation of the Law of God and in due time they shall come perfectly to be delivered from all transgressions of Gods Law And there fore Saint Paul in Rom. 7. 24. when he cryeth our Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death that is from the power of sin that is in mee who shall deliver me from that Originall corruption whereby I am made to commit iniquitie and to transgress Gods Law He presendy subjoyneth I thanke God through jesus Christ my Lord. As if he should say I thank God Jesus Christ hath delivered me We have a title to perfect deliverance from all transgression and we have the beginnings of it in that we are now delivered from the power and raign and dominion of all sin Thus you see the first thing proved Christ hath delivered beleevers from the first kind of iniquitie that is from the transgression of the Law so that corruption doth not reign in them Secondly Christ hath also delivered them from the guilt of sin as he hath in a great part delivered them from the acting of sin This is that you have Eph. 1. 7. In whom wee have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of our sins Where sin is forgiven there all the guilt of sin is removed by the bloud of Christ beleevers have their sins forgiven therefore the guilt of their sins is taken away so that there is no guilt of any sin committed by a beleever that lieth upon him but he is as perfectly free from the guilt of any sin whatsoever he hath committed as a man is freed from debt by a discharge from the Creditor Thirdly Christ hath also redeemed beleevers from the punishment of all iniquitie so that there is no punishment of iniquitie can fall upon any beleever See this in Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ jesus that is to beleevers Christ hath redeemed them from the curse of the Law therefore from all punishment that belongeth to the breaking of the Law This the Apostle excellently setteth forth in Rom. 5. 18. Where as saith he by the offence of one that is the first Adam judgement came upon all men to condemnation So by the righteousnesse of one that is of Jesus Christ the free gift came upon all men to justification of life Observe it All that are in Christ they have a free gift of justification they are acquitted and discharged from all punishment of sinne whatsoever Indeed I am not of their minde that say That God never punisheth his children for sin it is an abhominable Doctrine and contrary to the whole course of the Scriptures But yet this I desire you to observe That though God punisheth beleevers for their sin yet there is no beleever that hath the punishment of sin For you must know that there is a punishment for sin and a punishment of sin the punishment of sin that beginneth in the wrath of God and endeth in eternall damnation now no beleever hath this punishment Indeed for their sins they are punished but not with a punishment of sin neither cometh their punishment from wrath neither doth it end in hell but all the punishment they have for sin is a fatherly correcton it is sueh a punishment as whereby God cleareth his justice to the world and makes it appear that he is no cockering Fathe It is such a punishment whereby they are trained fitted and educated for the Kingdome of heaven to which Christ hath redeemed them so that though God punisheth them for sin yet hee never layeth upon them the compleat punishment of sin Christ hath redeemed them from the fruit of iniquitie
received The last and principall thing is the stooping of the soul and subjection of the heart to that which is understood and remembred For then indeed according to the Phrase of the Spirit of God in Scripture a man is said to hearken when the soul begineth to yeeld and subject it self and to take the impression of that truth which God is pleased to make known unto it and that is the meaning of the Phrase 1 Kings 12.15 The Text saith there of Rehoboam that when the ancient men came to counsell him he hearkned not unto them as if it should be said he heard them well enough and he understood them well enough and he retained their counsel in his memory well enough but his soul yeelded not to it his heart imbraced not that counsel he did not subject himself thereunto therefore the Text saith He hearkned not to the counsell of the old men The like Phrase we have touching the sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.25 When their father spake to them after a cold fashion the Text saith They hearkned not unto the voice of their father They heard his words well enough and understood what he said but their souls stooped not their hearts submitted not they did not subject themselves to take in the impression of the truth upon them and to be framed to the wisdome of God revealed to them in the same So that my brethren then a man is said to hearken when his ear heareth the sound his understanding closeth with the sense and his memorie retains it and his heart cometh under it stoopeth to it yeelds up it self to the impression of the truths delivered to be disposed of thereafter In brief therefore this is the meaning A carefull attention to the word that includes the three former and obedience and subjection of heart to the word thus attended to comprized in the last Now for the party to be hearkned unto that is unto me What is meant here by the word mee If you have recourse to the beginning of this Chapter you shall see it is Wisdom And by Wisdom here you are to understand the Lord Jesus Christ so far as he hath pleased to reveal himself to us either in the Word of God or work of his grace For Christ is here especially meant but not Christ meerly or barely as God nor Christ in the second person but so far as the Lord Jesus Christ the wisdome of his Father is pleased by the work of his grace by the power of his Spirit in the Ministory of the word either written or preached to reveal himself to us So far he is said to be Wisdome The words now are clear you see what is to be understood by hearkning and who the parâ—ie is to whom we must hearken The Point then that ariseth from these two parts of the Text thus joyned together in the Explication is evident and it is to this effect Namely â—hat The voice of the Lord Jesus Christ ought onely to be attended to and must be obeyed of all his faithfull servants I say Of all his faithfull servants The Lord Christ thinketh 〈◊〉 vain to speak to others therefore he addresseth himself onely to his children These are they that must attend and obey his voice whatsoever he shall be pleased to reveal unto them they must submit themselves unto it and that before and above all others in the world The Point is clear and evident You see it is the main purpose and intent of Christ in this place and therefore hee calleth for audience he desireth to gain acceptance at the hands of men As if he should say in other terms Lay by all other advice onely hearken unto me my children let corrupt counsell carnall advice the sinfull delusions of all ungodly persons in the world let them all passe onely hear and hearken unto me entertain and unbrace my counsell submit your hearts to my instructions And not onely Christ requires this of his children in this place under the name of Wisdome but it is the injunction of God himself and that from heaven it is such a truth and of so great importance that God himself from heaven makes it known and giveth it in speciall charge to all the sons of men Matth. 17.5 When Christ was transfigured in the Mount There came a voice out of the cloud which said This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mark there came a voice out of the cloud It is not onely the voice of man that perswades you aâ—d enjoyns you to give audience to the Lord Jesus but God himself and that from heaven and that in mediately with his own mouth layeth this upon us as a dutie that we are to perform that we should hear his Son that is hear him above all more then all nay hear him onely and none but him It is that also which Christ himself calleth for Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart As if he should say There are many masters and teachers in the world but leave all the rest and come hither and learn of me for I am c. Yea it is not onely the charge of God and command of Christ but it hath been and is the generall resolution of the Saints of God from day to day Mic. 4.2 all the people joyned hand in hand as it were Come say they and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem As if they should have said Because from Zion cometh the Law because at Jerusalem the word of God is taught and revealed therefore it is high time for us to go thither come let us goe let us wait upon God there he will teach us of his waies and what remaineth we will walk in his paths we will stoop unto the truth delivered we will submit our selves to it and conform our hearts and lives to the will of God revealed to us from thence And you shall observe the holy Prophet David as though there had been no Temple no Priest no Teacher besides how his good soul is still breathing upward in many passages of the 119. Psalm Lord teach me Lord quicken mee Lord give understanding to thy servant c. He repaireth maâ—nly and chiefly to the Lord for guidance and direction Enough for the proof of the point But a man may aske after what manner must I hearken Hearkning I told you implyeth attention and obedience therefore you may remember that I put them both together in the Doctrine that it was our duty both to attend to the voice of Christ and to yeeld obedience unto it But how must I doe this For the opening hereof give me leave to discover unto you three particulars which are specially to be considered and are required of
my hands The like Christian courage was in Luther when his friends disswaded him to goe to Wormes If all the Tiles in Wormes were so many Devils said he yet would I goe thither in the name of my Lord Jesus This is the last step Now gather up a little what I have delivered He that is resolved to stoop to the call of God to prize the promises and breath after them to rest upon the Lord and to wait his time for bestowing mercy upon him to break through all impediments and difficulties and to count nothing too deare for God to be content to performe ready and cheerful obedience he that walketh thus and treadeth in these steps peace be upon him Heaven is hard by he is as sure of salvation as the Angels are it is as certain as the Lord liveth that he shall be saved with faithfull Abraham for he walketh in the steps of Araham and therefore he is sure to be where he is The case you see is clear and the point evident that every faithfull man may and must imitate faithfull Abraham It may be here imagined that we draw men up to too high a pitch and certainly if this be the sense of the words and the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place what will become of many that live in the bosome of the Church Will you therefore see the point confirmed by reason The ground of this Doctrine standeth thus Every faithfull man hath the same faith for nature and for work that Abraham had therefore look what nature his faith was of and what power it had of the same nature and power every true Beleevers faith is Breifly thus The promises of God are the ground upon which all true faith resteth the Spirit of God it is that worketh this faith in all beleevers the power of the spirit is that that putteth forth it selfe in the hearts and lives of all the faithfull gather these together if all true beleevers have the same promises for the ground of their faith have one and the same spirit to work it have one and the same power to draw out the abilities of faith then certainly they cannot but have the very selfe same actions having the very selfe same ground of their actions Every particular beleever as the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.1 hath obtained the like precious faith Mark that There is a great deal of Copper-faith in the world much counterfeit beleeving but the Saints doe all partake of the like precious faith As when a man hath but a Sixpence in silver or a Crown in gold those small pieces for the nature are as good as the greatest of the same metall so it is with the faith of Gods Elect. And look as it is in graffing If there be many Scions of the same kind grassed into one stock they all partake alike of the vertue of the stock just so it is here The Lord Jesus Christ is the stock as it were into which all the faithfull are grafted by the spirit of God and faith therefore whatsoever fruit one beareth another beareth also howsoever there may be degrees of works yet they are the same for nature As a little Apple is the same in tast with a great one of the same tree even so every faithfull man hath the same holinesse of heart and life because he hath the same principle of holinesse The fruit indeed that one Christian bringeth forth may be but poor and small in comparison of others yet it is the same in kind the course of his life is not with so much power and fulnesse of grace it may be as anothers yet there is the same true grace and the same practise in the kind of it for truth however in degree it differ Here by way of caution I will suggest too things to you 1. That howsoever all beleevers have the selfe same nature of faith yet all must not look to have the same measure of faith and the same degree of works 2. That faith doth not performe all its works at one time but groweth to a ripenesse upon severall occasions A Child is a perfect man in regard of parts though not of degrees he is able to eat and to see though he cannot walk and talk yet because he hath a reasonable soule as well as others he will walk and talk like others in due time So howsoever many of the Saints of God have not attained to those great actions of grace that others have yet having the same spirit and principle of grace within they shall be inabled hereafter to a further discharge of those holy services that God requireth Thus you see the point confirmed by reason if all the Saints of God are ingraffed into Christ indifferently if all have the same ground of faith and the same spirit to work it and to make it work they must needs have the same actions and fruits of faith because I say they have the selfe same causes of their faith Let us now come to see what benefit we may make to our selves of this point thus proved and confirmed And certainly the Use of this Doctrine is of great consequence In the first place it is a just ground of Examination For if it be true as it cannot be denyed the reasons being so strong and arguments so plain that every sonne of Abraham followeth the steps of Abraham then here you may clearly perceive who it is that hath saving faith indeed who they be that are true Saints and the sonnes of Abraham By the light of this truth by the rule of this doctrine if you would square your courses and look into your conversations you cannot but discern whether you have faith or no. That man whose faith she weth it selfe and putteth it selfe forth in its severall conditions agreable to the faith of Abraham that man that followeth the footsteps of the faith of Abraham let him be esteemed a faithfull man let him be reckoned for a true beleever But if any mans faith doe not this but be contrary unto or fall short of this in the truth I say not in the measure of it certainly it is counterfeit it is Copper-faith O the world of counterfeit faith then that is in the Church at this day It was the complaint of our Saviour Christ that when he should come he should scarce finde faith on the earth Luke 18.8 as if he should say It will be so little and so rare that one shall hardly know where to find a faithfull man It was the complaint of the Psalmist of old and is most true of these times that the faithfull faile from among the children of men Psal 12.1 Many a man hath a name that he is alive and yet is dead Rev. 3.1 Many have a fancie of faith yet upon the tryall we shall find that there are but few even of those that are interested in the title of Christians and live in the bosome of the Church that have any right or
are God respecteth no mans person if you would arrive at the same haven you must saile thorough the same sea you must walk the same way of grace if you would come to the same kingdome of glory It is a conceit that harboureth in the hearts of many men nay of most men in generall specially your great wise men and your great rich men that have better places and estates in the world then ordinary What think they may not a man be saved without all this adoe what needs all this is there not another way besides this Surely my brethren you must teach our Saviour Christ and the Apostle Paul another way I am sure they never knew other and he that dreameth of another way must be content to goe beside There is no such matter as the Devill would perswade you it is but his delusion to keep you under infidelity and to shut you up to destruction under false and vain conceits The truth is here is the way and the onely way and you must walk here if ever you come to life and happinesse therefore be not deceived suffer not your eyes to be blinded but know what Abraham did you must doe the same if not in action yet in affection If God say forsake all thou must doe it at least in affection thou must still wait upon his power and providence yeeld obedience to him in all things be content to submit thy selfe to his will This is the way you must walk in if you ever come to heaven The last Use shall be a Use of Comfort to all the Saints and people of God whose consciences can witnesse that they have laboured to walk in the uprightnesse of their heart as Abraham did I have two or three words to speak to these Be perswaded out of the Word of God that your course is good and goe on with comfort and the God of Heaven be with you and be sure of it that you that walk with Abraham shall be at rest with Abraham and it shall never repent you of all the paines that you have taken Happily it may seem painfull and tedious to you yet what Abigail said to David let me say to you Oh saith she let not my Lord doe this when the Lord shall have done to my Lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee and shall have appointed thee Ruler over Israel this shall be no greife unto thee nor offence of heart that thou hast shed blood causelesse or that my Lord hath avenged himselfe 1 Sam. 25.30 31. My brethren let me say so to you You will finde trouble and inconveniencies and hard measure at the hands of the wicked in this world many Nabals and Chins will set themselves against you but goe on and beat it patiently know it is a troublesome way but a true way it is grievous but yet good and the end will be happy it will never repent you when the Lord hath performed all the good that he hath spoken concerning you Oh! to see a man drawing his breath low and short after he hath spent many houres and dayes in prayer to the Lord grapling with his corruptions and striving to pull down his base lusts after he hath waited upon the Lord in a constant course of obedience take but such a man and ask him now his conscience is opened whether the wayes of holinesse and sincerity be not irksome to him whether he be not grieved with himselfe for undergoing so much needlesse trouble as the world thinks it and his soul will then clear this matter it is true he hath had a tedious course of it but now his death will be blessed he hath striven for a Crown and now behold a Crown now he is beyond the waves all the contempts and imprisonments and outrages of wicked men are now too short to reach him he is so farre from repenting that he rejoyceth and triumpheth in reflecting back upon all the pains and care and labour of love whereby he hath loved the Lord Jesus in submitting his heart unto him Take me another man that hath lived here in pompe and jollity hath had many livings great preferments much honour abundance of pleasure yet hath been ever carelesse of God and of his Word profane in his course loose in his conversation and ask him upon his death-bed how it standeth with him Oh! woe the time that ever he spent it as he hath done now the soule begins to hate the man and the very sight of him that hath been the instrument with it in the committing of sinne now nothing but gall and wormwood remaineth now the sweetnesse of the Adulterers lust is gone and nothing but the sting of conscience remaineth now the covetous man must part with his goods and the gall of Aspes must stick behinde now the soul sinks within and the heart is overwhelmed with sorrow Take but these two men I say and judge by their ends whether ever it will repent you that you have done well that you have walked in the steps of the faith of Abraham My brethren howsoever you have had many miseries yet the Lord hath many mercies for you God dealeth with his servants as a father doth with his son after he hath sent him on a great journey to doe some busines the weather falleth foul and the way proveth dangerous and many a storm and great difficulties are to be gone through oh how the heart of that father pittieth his son how doth he resolve to requite him if he ever live to come home again what preparation doth he make to entertain and welcome him and how doth he study to doe good unto him My brethren so it is here I beseech you think of it you that are the Saints and people of God You must finde in your way many troubles and greifes and we ought to find them but be not discouraged the more misery the greater mercy God the father seeth his servants and if they suffer and indure for a good conscience as his eye seeth them so his soul pittieth them his heart bleeds within him for them that is he hath a tender compassion of them and he saith within himselfe Well I will requite them if ever they come into my Kingdome all their patience and care and conscience in walking in my wayes I will requite and they shall receive a double reward from me even a Crown of eternall glory Think of those things that are not seen they are eternall the things that are seen are temporall and they will deceive us let our hearts be carried after the other and rest in them for ever FINIS CULPABLE IGNORANCE OR THE Danger of Ignorance UNDER MEANES By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England 2 THES 1.7 8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
what we ought to doe Now let us gather these up together The Lord onely hath right to command us therefore we ought to obey him His rules and directions are such as are most sure and safe therefore most worthy to be observed Lastly He onely can teach the inward man men may teach the care but have no power to bow the soule to buckle the heart to give wisdome and understanding to the simple onely the Lord that dwelleth in heaven is he that must doe it Let us now see what Use we may make of this Doctrine First it is as it were a bill of Inditement falling marvellously heavy upon the practise of many that live in the bosome of the Church those I mean that will heare any thing attend to any thing but to the voyce of Christ Whom they should heare they neglect and those they ought to neglect they will heare whether the Lord will or no The Drunkard hearkeneth to his companions they no sooner say as those Prov. 1.14 Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse or as the speech of our good fellowes is Comes let us goe and club it but presently he gives his consent The Adulterer stoopeth to the glance of the Adulteresse and that prevaileth with him he goeth after her straightways as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a Foole to the correction of the stocks Prov. 7.22 The truth is if you mark the ordinary and common course of the wicked and ungodly men of the world you may easily see how every thing is imbraced onely the voice of Christ is refused Nay though Satan whisper not though occasions move not yet mark how the soule of such men yeeldeth to the inclinations of every sinfull lust If a lustfull thought arise in the heart see how the soule sucks the sweetnesse of it by meditation how it is delighted in the contemplation of filthynesse If a covetous thought oh how the man pursueth it he will never be at quiet till he have hatched some sinfull resolution within and brought forth some ungodly practise abroad It is admirable to see in that one place Acts 19. how the voyce of gain sounded so loud in the eares of those covetous Silver-smiths that the voyce of Paul could not be heard Doe but observe how Demetrius reasoneth the case with his follow-craftesmen Verse 25. Sirs saith he you know that by this craft we have our wealth we get our living Moreover you see and hear that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath perswaded and turned away much people from entertaining and following this superstitious course saying that they be no gods which are made with hands So that this our craft is in danger to be set at nought When they heard these sayings the Text saith all men with one voyce cryed out about the space of two houres Great is Diana of the Ephesians Truly so it is now in the world there is such a noyse in mens mindes and judgements what the World will have and what Profit will have and what Pleasure will have that the Lord Christ may call till he be hoarse and yet no man will mind him but all stop their cares and refuse to heare the voyce of the Charmer charme he never so wisely Psal 58.4 5. It is evident then that these men are not the Schollers o Christ and certainly therefore the judgement of Christ shall be executed upon them hereafter In the mean time let me wish such to remember that place 2 Thes 2.11 12. When men will not receive the truth in the love of it but have pleasure in ungodliness when they shut out the truth and will not be perswaded to forsake their ungodly courses but suffer their sins and sinfull occasions to prevail with them above the word of God what befalleth them See what the Text saith and the Lord fasten it upon your hearts Read it over and over again That they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Mark I beseech you this is the word of God Who ever he is that hath pleasure in unrighteousnesse and will not hear and receive the truth in the love thereof so as to yeeld obedience thereunto and to frame his course according to it God hath appointed that man to everlasting damnation So that when thy conscience calleth thee to the discharge of such and such duties to forsake such and such courses and the word of God shineth full in thy face and is as clear to thee as the Sun at noon-day when the Lord hath revealed to thee his will and yet thy soul can say within thee notwithstanding all this Thou hast loved those sins which God out of his word hath forbidden thee thou hast had pleasure in those courses which God in his word hath condemned those proud and adulterous courses those ungodly practises thou hast harboured them in thy heart and kept them in thy bosome and taken pleasure in the practise of them Doth thy own soul say this Well then my brethren make the conclusion your selves See I beseech you doth not the Word of God say plainly that the Lord hath sealed such up to everlasting damnation because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse A Second sort that are here justly to be reproved are those that captivate their own opinions and conceits to the judgement of men There are a poor kind of deluded creatures in the world that have made themselves so far servants unto men that they have pinned their conceits and judgements to the opinions and commands of those upon whom they depend and from whom they expect either profit or preferment That look what their great masters say whatsoever they speak that they account as Gospel and whatsoever these have devised they must desend and maintain it and their judgements must entertain nothing to the contrary These are marvellously estranged from the Lord and are contrary to this truth that hath been taught from the words of this Text. For doth not the Text say Hearken unto me Therefore it plainly reproveth those that can be content to have the word of men to carry weight with them and the commands of men to cast the ballance that whatsoever they will have practised must be yeelded unto let the word of Christ say what it will and they must be content to give up themselves to perform it let it be agreeable to the Scriptures or not This argueth clearly that these are the servants of men and that they have mens persons in admiration for filthy lucres sake because they thinke that their profit or pleasure or preferment is gone if their good will and pleasure be not observed upon whom they depend This is an ordinary and grosse fault The wife she complaineth and saith Indeed it is true the course is good that you wish me to and I am perswaded that God requireth it but my husband is against it and I shall lose the
he will say whether he will speak comfort to his soul or no and then away with carnall reason and delusions of Satan My brethren yee should in the first place go to God and advise with him and hear what his good pleasure is toward you and never inquire of your own carnall reason Again there is oft another great fault in the people of God that as they go not to Christ in the first place for advice and counsell so in the second place when they have it they rest not upon it Many a one there is who after he hath been convinced evidently and clearly by the power of the word rightly and strongly applyed that his estate is good before God and that his conscience is sincere his heart upright and that the spirit of God hath begun an everlasting work of grace in him yet notwithstanding oftentimes relinquisheth that ground that God hath given him to stand upon and letteth go that hold that hath been reached out from heaven for him to sustain himself by and returning home again to a view of his own weaknesses and infirmities he forsaketh his own mercies and groweth forgetfull of his former comforts the consolations of the Almightie seem small unto him hee will not quiet himself in that truth which God hath made known nor rest upon his word as he requireth Yea but the soul replieth alas should a man content himself with a blind perswasion that his estate is good and not try his title to heaven or search whether his interest in Christ be such as will not deceive him at the last I say Yes a man should look into himself and examine himself whether he be in the faith or no but alwaies let the Lord be Judge let his word onely passe sentence upon thee Never Judge thy self barely by what either Satan seems to suggest or thy own sinfull weakness would perswade thee unto but when the Word of God is revealed and his truth manifested unto thee when the Minister out of the Seripture hath setled thy conscience and declared thy case good by such assured Evidences as thou maist safely build upon then hold there and beleeve nothing to the contrary search your selves but still doe it by the word of God If this course were taken and well observed where there are thousands of complaints among Christians there would be scarce one For my brethren the ground of all our feebleness and distrust and distemper lieth especially in this that we neglect our grounds and doe not fix upon those truths which God hath revealed and made known unto us either publikely or privately Hold this therefore for ever as the best direction I can give thee If my soul shall be condemned the word of God shall condemn it If I must judge my self to have no grace the Word of God shall say it If I must conclude salvation as yet belongeth not unto me it shall be because the Word saith so and not because Satan or my own imagination saith so This carrieth thousands of poor souls into manifold distempers because they settle not themselves upon the truth of God which alwaies standeth as mount Zion unmoveable and would make them rest in abundance of peace in the midst of all those disquiets that are raised by Satan and our own distrustfull hearts Lastly in a word doth the Lord himself call for and require this at our hands the Lord I say who onely hath right and authority to command us Doth he injoyn us when he speaks to hear and obey Oh now therefore though an unworthy Minister cannot perswade you to yeeld up your selves to the practice of this duty yet let the Lord himself prevail with you and woe to that soul that will not bee perswaded by the Lord himself Take notice of that place before alledged Acts 3.23 Every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Let every one therefore now in the fear of God observe that which Christ himself injoyneth and so often calleth for in the second and and third Chapters of the Revelation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear The Lord saith the same now to every soul in this place Let every soul that hath an ear to hear hear what the Lord saith unto him not onely now but hereafter whensoever God shall be pleased to reveal any of his counsell to him for his direction Labour to bring your hearts to that temper we read to have been in Cornelius and those that he had gathered together to be partakers of Saint Peters Ministerie Acts 10.33 When the Apostle was come mark what Cornelus saith to him We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God My brethren the same frame of spirit ought we to have whatsoever it is that the Lord shall speak unto us wee must hear him in all things as I told you before not onely in some easie kind of dutie such as every man is willing to imbrace but in every thing be it never so crosse to carnall reason and corrupt nature when the Lord teacheth we must bring docile hearts hearts inlarged to hear and entertain his doctrine hearts willing to be moulded into that good word of God that he shall reveal to us neither must we thinke this dutie tedious we should never be weary of it Observe what Christ saith Luke 10.24 Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them What things Even those that are preached unto you and made known from day to day the great things of the Gospel which are now published in open view great men of great place and eminencie have desired to see and hear them The holy Patriarchs and Prophets whose spirits are now in heaven looked long for Christs day Abraham saw it afar off his eies dazeled in beholding of it If they rejoyced and delighted in these things should not we much more Nay the blessed Angels come down and delight to pore into these sacred mysteries that are now revealed to the people of God Which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 Those blessed spirits that are the subjects of joy and happiness are so ravished with those glorious mysteries that they are contented to come to our Congregations not a step or two as we doe who assoon almost as we are out of our doors are in the Church but a great journey even from heaven and with a great deal of liking and complacencie they behold the services of Gods people and are glad to see a poor soul converted and report it again in heaven rejoycing there together that a sinner is turned unto God My brethren thinke of it Shall we now that have most reason to attend these things they being that upon which our everlasting salvation depends be utterly careless of them Alas the
had and what he received by faith they that beleeve as he did may expect the selfe same mercy that he had Now the faithfull of God and sonnes of Abraham are here described two wayes I say every faithfull man that is the sonne of Abraham that imitateth the faith of Abraham is discovered two wayes First Negatively What will not suffice to make a man the sonne of Abraham Secondly Affirmatively What God specially looks for at the hands of those that are to be the children of Abraham First Negatively thus Abraham is the father of circumcision not onely to them who are of the circumcision that is not onely theirs who have the priviledges of the Jewes the Word and the Oracles of God Circumcision and the Passeover T is true Abraham is their father but not onely theirs that have no more but those priviledges but also theirs that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham So that by Circumcision you must here understand all these prerogatives and priviledges which the Jewes had above any other Nation and consequently that none of all those priviledges then could that none of ours as to be in the Church to be baptized c. now can make a man to be the sonne of Abraham Abraham is the father of the circumcision not to them who are of the circumcision onely but he is the father of the circumcision if they have faith They that have bare circumcision onely may indeed applaud themselves therein but they shall never receive thereby those things God hath promised This is the Negative Secondly The Affirmative part sheweth who they be indeed that shall truly be partakers of the comforts and graces of Abraham namely those that walk in the footsteps of that faith of Abraham If a man beleeve as he did work as he did walk as he did so onely he may come to have title unto and interest in the promises God hath vouchsafed in his Word Thus much for the opening of the words Come we now in the first place to speak of the negative part in which the Spirit of God is pleased to exclude all outward priviledges and prerogatives and to say thus Abraham is the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision onely that is if they injoy onely outward priviledges they are not the children of Abraham The point we learn hence is thus much That all outward priviledges as the hearing of the Word the partaking of the Sacraments and the like are not able to make a man a sound Saint of God The point is clear in the Text That if a man had circumcision that is if he had all those preferments that God vouchsafeth to a people in the face and bosome of his Church this would not doe him any good at all he hath no title to the promises because of these if he rest in them Abraham is not the father of those that are circumcised onely So that I say again all outward priviledges are not able to make a man a true Saint of God Our Saviour Christ speaking of Capernaum saith And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome c. Mat. 11.23 Capernaum was lifted up to Heaven how In all those spirituall helpes and excellent meanes that God vouchsafed them above many others they were highly advanced in the enjoyment of heavenly priviledges they heard the Word of God and they saw the Miracles of Christ and yet Thou Capernaum shalt be deep in punishment thou wert lifted up to Heaven in regard of excellent priviledges but thou shalt be cast down to Hell in regard of thy impenitency and stubbornesse under them The Apostle Paul disputeth the point and makes the case clear Rom. 2.28 29. where he plucks away all these hopes and vain props which men raise to themselves from the having of outward priviledges He is not a Jew saith he that is one outwardly that is he is not therefore a true child of God and a faithfull man he hath not therefore saving faith because he is circumcised because he enjoyeth the liberties and priviledges of the people of God and liveth in the bosome of the Church but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumciston is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God You know that it was an ancient Proverb in Israel Is Saul also amongst the Prophets 1 Sam. 10.12 and 19.24 Yes Saul was amongst the Prophets and he that was once amongst the Prophets is now amongst the Devils in Hell Judas was highly promoted he lived as an Apostle amongst the Disciples heard out Saviour continually sate at table with him and yet for all this is now damned in hell for ever These were high priviledges and if these would have done the deed Judas had never perished Ishamel was circumcised and yet he was excommunicated out of Abrahams family the then Church of God and was a cast-away Instances are many in the Scriptures to this purpose but I list not to dwell longer upon the proofe of the point you see it is evident enough that bare priviledges be they never so high and excellent are not able to make one indeed a faithfull man before the Lord nor the sonne of Abraham I should have shewed the Reasons Alas outward matter 's never work upon the heart That which makes a man a Saint must work upon the soul Now the Word and the Sacraments barely considered cannot work upon the spirit unlesse the Lord work a new frame inwardly by the infusion of Grace Gal. 5.6 Circumcision and uncircumcision profiteth nothing but faith that worketh by love These outward things are too shallow to reach the inward man too weak to work so powerfully upon the soule of a Christian man as to bring the heart to God But I leave the strengthning of the point by Reasons and because I would not be prevented I come to the Uses The first Use I will hence raise is an Use of reproof This Doctrine confoundeth the carnall confidence of those Professors that living in the bosome of the Church place all their hopes and assurance of being saved upon this bottome because they have been baptized and come to Church and hear the Word and receive the Sacrament therefore of necessity they presume they must be accepted of God This was the old plea of the Jewes in Jeremies time When the Prophet came to them to reprove them for their sinnes and presse them to repentance they began to quarrell with him and to take up Bucklers against him and cried out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these These are the Fig-leaves wherewith poor and ignorant Christians think to hide themselves at this day Tell them of their saults bid them walk humbly and holily before God reprove them for their strange practises against God
Israel And It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Mark how she replyed Truth Lord I confesse all that yet notwithstanding the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters table O the excellency and strength and work of her faith Shee comes to Christ for mercy he repelleth her reproacheth her tells her shee is a dog she confesseth her basenes yet is not discouraged for all that but still resteth upon the goodness and mercie of Christ and is mightily resolved to have mercie whatsoever befalleth her Truth Lord I confesse I am as bad as thou canst term me yet I confesse too that there is no comfort but from thee and though I am a dog yet I would have crumbes Still she laboureth to catch after mercy and to lean and bear her selfe upon the favour of Christ for the bestowing thereof upon her So it must be with every faithfull Christian in this particular he must roll himself upon the power and faithfulness and truth of God and wait for his mercy I will joyn them both together for brevities sake though this latter bee a fourth step and degree of faith I say he must not onely depend upon God but he must wait upon the holy one of Israel The Text saith of Abraham Heb. 6.15 That after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise he received the performance after he had a little waited for it So the Prophet David Psal 101.2 I will walke in the uprightnesse of my heart till the Lord come to me As if he should say If the Lord will absent himself from me and not reveal himself to me yet wait I will and desire I will and still I will be hoping for the mercie of the Lord till he come to me So it was said of Simeon that good old man That he waited for the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 Mine eies saith David Psal 119.123 grow dim for the looking for thy salvation He that belceveth makes not haste Isai 28.16 he makes hast to obey but makes not hast to bring mercie from God The fifth step of Abraham's faith appeared in this Hee counted nothing too dear for the Lord he was content to break through all impediments to passe through all difficulties whatsoever God would have he had of him This is the next step that Abraham went and this you shall finde Gen. 22. when God put him upon the tryall The Text saith there That God did tempt Abraham did try what he would doe for him and he bade him Go take thy son thy onely son Isaac whom thou lovest and stay him And straight Abraham went and laid his son upon an Altar and took a knife to cut the throat of his son So that Abraham did not spare his Isaac he did not spare for any cost he did not dodge with God in this case if God would have any thing hee should have it whatsoever it were though it were his own life for no question Isaac was dearer to him then his own life And this was not his case alone but the faithfull people of God have ever walked the same course The Apostle Paul was of the same spirit Acts 20.22 24. I know not saith he the things that shall befall me save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every Citie saying That bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministerie which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Oh blessed spirit here is the work of faith Alas when we come to part with any thing for the cause of God how hardly comes it from us But I saith he passe not no nor is my life dear unto me Here I say is the work of faith indeed when a man is content to doe any thing for God and to say If imprisonment losse of estate libertie life come I passe not it moveth me nothing so I may finish my course with comfort Hence it was that the Saints of God in those Primitive times Heb. 10.34 took joyfully the spoyling of their goods Me thinks I see the Saints there reaching after Christ with the arms of faith and how when any thing lay in their way they were content to lose all to part with all to have Christ Therefore saith Saint Paul Acts 21.13 I am rerdy not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Mark rather then he would leave his Saviour he would leave his life and though men would have hindred him yet was resolved to have Christ howsoever though he lost his life for him Oh let me have my Saviour and take my life The last step of all is this When the soul is thus resolved not to dodge with God but to part with any thing for him then in the last place there followeth a readinesse of heart to addresse a mans self to the performance of whatsoever dutie God requireth at his hands I say this is the last step when without consulting with flesh and blood without hammering upon it as it were without aukwardnesse of heart there followeth a prestness to obey God the soul is at hand When Abraham was called Behold saith he here I am Gen. 22.1 And so Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.9 and so Ananias Behold I am here Lord Acts 9.10 The faithfull soul is not to seek as an evill servant that is gone a roving after his companions that is out of the way when his master should use him but is like a trusty servant that waiteth upon his master and is ever at hand to doe his pleasure So you shall see it was with Abraham Heb. 11. 8. When the Lord commanded him to goe out of his country He obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went he went chearfully and readily though he knew not whither as who should say if the Lord call I will not question if he command I will performe what ever it be So it must be with every faithfull soule we must blind the eye of carnall reason resolve to obey though heaven and earth seem to meet together in a contradiction care not what man or what devill saith in this case but what God will have done doe it This is the courage and obedience of faith See how Saint Paul in the place before named Acts 21.12 13. flung his ancient friends from him when they came to crosse him in the work of his ministry They all came about him and because they thought they should see his face no more they besought him not to goe up to Jerusalem Then Paul answered What mean yee to weep and to break my heart as who should say it is a greif and vexation to my soule that yee would hinder me that I cannot goe with readinesse to performe the service that God requireth at
Judas may thus farre have his understanding inlightned concerning all the truths of life and salvation that are either discovered or made known out of the Book of God as to perceive the sense of the words that are set down and understandingly to discourse of the meaning of the Scripture and reason of the points therein contained and that more freely and abundantly in outward appearance then many of the deare Saints and Servants of God are able to doe and yet all this is but that which the Apostle Paul cals a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 Such an one hath onely got religion by rote as we use to say like a child that happily may be taught a sillogisme or some forme of an argument he may say it without book but understands it not so hypocrites may have a form and as it were an outside of knowledge but there is something in the bottome concerning the savingnesse and holinesse of knowledge which they can never attain unto For certain it is there is never a carnall person under heaven howsoever he can talk of God and of Christ and of Faith that either knoweth God in the works of his wayes toward him or hmselfe in the works of his duty toward God That is a strange passage concerning Hazael 2 Kings 8 When the Prophet Elisha setled his countenance upon him and wept Hazael said Why weepeth my Lord And he answered Because I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou stay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe And Hazael said But what is thy servant a dog that he should doe this great thing He thought that there was no such matter in himselfe he perceived not the corruption of his nature And truth it is that as it was with Hazael so it is with every wicked man under heaven further then God is pleased to awaken him he neither knowes what he is himselfe nor what God is talk of it he may but cannot apprehend it in truth in the the generall he may speak of it but in his own particular he cannot 2. For the further proof of this point That there is a main difference between a child of God and an hypocrite in their very knowledge though I know it is the judgement of many and those holy and godly too that wicked men in matters of knowledge may go as far as any Saint under heaven yet I take it they are deceived for no sanctifying work of the holy spirit of God is common to those that are wicked and reprobates but the work of saving understanding and illumination is a work of sanctification and to prove that goe no further but to the naked consideration of a mans bare understanding When the Lord is pleased to work effectually upon the soule there is a sanctifying work on the understanding as well as on the will Now that work which is upon the understanding of a servant of God as truly differs from the inlightning of a carnall hypocrite as the heart of a Saint from the heart of a man not sanctified As the Spirit of God I say hath a proper and peculiar work of sanctification upon the will of Gods children so also hath he upon their mind and understanding therefore of necessity wicked men having no work of sanctification the children of God must needs differ from them in this particular of knowledge Again the Apostle is clear enough 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Before a man can discern spirituall objects he must have spirituall light therefore wicked men being as all hypocrites are but bare nature and wanting spirituall light are not able to perceive and discern the things of God So you see there is a plain and broad difference between the Saints of God and carnall hypocrites in the point of knowledge and understanding Now then for the point it selfe That there is such a knowledge as is peculiar to the Saints take it my brethren thus The godly doe not onely apprehend the meaning of the words in the Scripture and are able to discourse of the reasons therein contained but they discern also the spiritualnesse of the work of grace that is discovered in the same Observe it There being first the Word of God set down in his book and then reasons that goe along with it and lastly a spirituall work of grace that God hath made known in those reasons the Saints of God alone see the spiritualnesse of the work that is manifested and communicated in that reason there set down The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 wicked men may know repentance but there is a secret of repentance which the godly onely have Wicked men may pray but there is an inward spiritualnesse and closing with the Lord a secret humbling of the soule before the Lord which the godly onely have wicked men I say can pray and hear and discourse of repentance and of faith and the like but there is a secret in all these and a spirituall work derived into the soule thorough the knowledge of all these which the Saints onely apprehend and understand Take but an Apple there is never a man under heaven can tell what tast it is of whether sweet or soure untill he have tasted of it he seeth the colour and the quantity of it but knoweth not the tast so there is no man under heaven discerneth more of grace then he findeth in himselfe A carnall man may talk of repentance and faith and obedience yet notwithstanding there is a sappinesse which I call the spiritualnesse in these blessed works that no man can tell and understand but onely those that indeed have found by experience the work in themselves We use to say and we say truly that no woman knoweth the nature of a mother before she hath been a mother So it is here first a man must have the work of grace in himselfe before he can rightly understand the nature of it No man knoweth what it is to be the child of God or what it is to have a child-like affection toward God but so farre forth as he findeth and feeleth this in some measure wrought in himselfe by the operation of the Spirit I will not dispute that text Rev. 2.17 I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it but I take this to be the main thing intended there which makes for my present purpose Name there signifies Adoption and the white stone Absolution the Lord will absolve and acquit him of all those sinnes that he is guilty of and withall he will give him the name of a sonne The Lord sealeth to the soule of a Christian man that he is God
spirits now in prison What spirits were these which once were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah Those spirits and damned souls those damned Ghosts now in hell the spirits of wicked men now in hell what were they they were those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Noah a preacher of righteousnesse whose life was a continuall preaching who daily called upon them and was earnest with them to repent and there was much long-suffering and patience afforded them God waited long for their amendment yet those souls were then rebellious under such great meanes and they are now cooped up in Hell A man would thinke it strange when he shall read the storie of Cain that he notwithstanding God himself came from heaven to teach him should yet remain obstinate and stout-hearted and yet you know the storie Gen. 4. you see it was so Cain began to be dismaid and his countenance fell because God regarded not his sacrifice Well God came from heaven and takes Cain to taske Cain what meaneth all this stir Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest ill sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him A man I say would thinke that one should be instructed when God himself teacheth yet notwithstanding after all this Instruction of God himself whith in reason would be thought as effectuall as could be Cain forsakes God and flyeth off from the commandement of God stoopeth not nor yeeldeth obedience thereunto This is that which the Prophet I saiah hath Chap. 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Though there be many helps afforded to him though he be planted in the Church of God where all things call and cry to him for amendment of life though the holinesse and mercy and goodnesse of God compasse him about though he have holy and religious neighbours about him though he have a good Minister in the Parish where he is yet he will not learn righteousnesse but will deal unjustly notwithstanding all the washing he will remain black still notwithstanding all the means that God vouchsafeth for his good yet he will be naught still One example you shall see of this in a passage of a Parable Mark 12. which makes good the Point in hand A certain man saith the Text planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and digged a place for the wine fat and built a Tower here was much pains and a great deal of cost bestowed Well he let out this vineyard to husbandmen and went into a far countrey and at the season he sent to the husbandmen that he might receive of the fruit of the Vineyard Did he receive any fruit No they beat one and stoned another and killed another and all the messengers they sent away emptie At last he sent his son his welbeloved but they took him and killed him and cast him out of the Vineyard In a word The Vineyard is the Church of God and the Husbandmen were the Scribes and Pharisees they were those to whom God as it were had let out his Church He sendeth his messengers his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them his Apostles and Disciples to call for fruit for the fruits of holiness of faith and obedience but they abused his servants they made him no return of fruit but when he looked for grapes behold they brought forth wild grapes At last the Lord sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ he came amongst them he that spake as never man did speak so that even all the world wondred at the gracious words which did proceed out of his mouth certainly saith God they will reverence my Son they will hear him they will be governed by his directions they will stoop at his command No they were then most outragious and malicious against him they all banded themselves together Come say they let us slay him they joyned heart and hand and all for his ruine I will not dwell longer upon the proof of it See it in nature The Physitian observeth it of the stomack that is naught that the best meat that a man giveth it the more cordials the better diet the worse are the humors that are bred by it Even so it is with a naughtie heart and it is an argument of a most wretched disposition when the best Physick the best Remedies the best diet as I may say that God can afford a man for his spirituall cure shall make the heart the worse And truly when the heart is naught it groweth stark naught under the best means No men are so bad as they that live where are the best helps for amendment The thing you see is evident in the proof of it we will a little further discover the nature of such men as live under the means and yet harden their necks and how that corruption that is in the heart doth discover it self most where the best means are And you shall see it made good in these two particulars That wicked men corrupt hearts are the worst under the best meanes though they have admonition after admonition though they are often reproved First of all The hearts of those men grow usually most rebellious against the Lord and against that truth that cometh with greatest power upon them either discoveriing sin to them or working effectually upon the soul and conscience The disposition of men usually that are naught is so that they manifest a marvailous fiercenesse of soul whereby they carry themselves violently against the blessed truth and Word of God and the more because it is the more powerfull we have a rule in reason that contraries when they meet the more violent one is the more the other will work against it as we may see it in fire and water So it is here the greater violence and Spirit and power the Word hath in any place the more violent the heart will shew it self in gainsaying the Ministry thereof The more home the Word cometh to the conscience and the more powerfully it is applied either in the convincing of sin or perswasion to holiness of life the greater risings and stirrings of heart there is against it You shall observe this in a passage of the story of the men of Sodom Gen. 19.9 When the cursed Sodomites came about the house and would have taken the Angels that came to Lot Lot he came out to them and spake very lovingly to them but because that which he said tended to crosse them in their wicked and unnaturall courses mark how they answered him Stand back say they This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Judge now will we deal worse with thee than with them and they pressed sore
and sin they that have an overcoming and victorious faith they have this happiness You therefore that are not such labour to be such for if you are not beleevers you have no benefit by Christ it shall be to you as if Christ had never dyed Is there any thing in the world that is able to interest you in this gift but onely faith Suppose you had never so much honour will this bring you to be in the number of those for whom Christ is given Suppose you had never so much wealth and good trading health and strength of bodie and the confluence of all other outward contentments Will all this Interest you in the gift of Christ No no Christ hath not given himself for worldlings for those that are loaden with honours and carnall pleasures and profits he hath given himself for those that have faith and onely for them As ever therefore you desire to have an interest in this gift of Christ labour to have in your souls this grace of Faith Would it not do any one good to be in the number of those who are so dear unto Christ that for their sakes he gave himself There is no way to be in their number but to bee beleevers Oh therefore above all minde this to get the grace of faith it is that one thing necessary for they that are beleevers are the Persons for whom Christ hath given himself Thus I have done with the two first Parts of the Text the Action of Christ He gave himself Together with the Object thereof For us that is for beleevers Come we now to the End why Christ gave himself for beleevers And this is laid down in the latter part of the Verse That he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a pecuâ—iar people zealous of good works Here are two ends of this action of Christ the one is Particularly concerning them for whom he gave himself concerning Beleevers That he might redeem them from all iniquitie The other is concerning himself that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works These are the two ends of Christs giving of himself the one concerneth the good of his people the other the glory of himself Here was the end of Christs Incarnation of Christs obedience to the Law of Christs suffering and passion the glory of himself and the good of his people This was the end of all that Christ did and these two are ever joyned together in Christ mans salvation and Gods honour First of all we will begin with the first end which is all I suppose that we shall go through with at this time and that is that which concerneth beleevers that he might redeem us that is us that are beleevers from all iniquitie For the opening of the words We will shew you first of all what is meant by iniquitie and then secondly What is meant by redeeming from all iniquitie For the first What is meant by iniquitie The Word in the Original it is Transgression That he might redeem us from all transgression It is a going beside the Law a violating and breaking of the Law of God It is well translated iniquitie for it is an evill for the Law of God is onely good and therefore going beside the Law must be evill It is injurious to God dishonourable to him therefore it is called iniquitie But yet this transgression of the Law or iniquitie as it is here called it is to be taken largely not only for the act of iniquitie the act of breaking the Law but for all the consequences and for all the concomitants of it The transgression of the Law with all the Effects of it is here meant by iniquitie And therefore by iniquitie here are three things meant 1. The transgression of the Law of God that which wee commonly call sin that is meant by iniquitie Mat. 13.41 They shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquitie that is them that transgresse the Law of God There is one thing which is here meant by iniquitie the violation of Gods statutes the transgression of Gods Law 2. By iniquitie is meant also that which followeth upon this and that is guilt that same guilt which cleaveth to the conscience of a man upon every transgression of Gods Law This is also meant by iniquitie as you may gather from that in Hebr. 8.12 I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more What is here meant by Iniquitie Not the transgression of the Law of God for God cannot but remember that ever for all things past as well as to come are present before him But by not remembring iniquity is meant this I will not charge upon them the guilt of their iniquitie I will acquit them from that judgement which by their iniquitie they are bound over to So that here by iniquitie is meant that guilt which followeth the transgression of Gods Law 3. By Iniquity is further meant all that wrath which is deserved by breaking of Gods Law that which they are bound over to by the guilt all that judgement which justly followeth the transgression of Gods Law and that is slaverie to Sathan and the vengeance of God here and hereafter This is also meant by Iniquitie all temporall spirituall and eternall wrath that righteously followeth upon the breach of Gods Law Thereupon it is that you shall finde in Act. 8.23 Peter there speaks to Simon Magus I perceive saith he that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Observe there how they are joyned together Gall of bitterness and bond of iniquitie Why is the bond of iniquitie called the gall of bitterness Because who ever is under iniquitie they are in a gall of bitterness they are under all the wrath which from God is due justly to sinners horror of conscience slaverie to Satan and temporall and eternall vengeance Thus you see what is meant in the Text by iniquitie These three things the breaking of Gods Law the guilt which followeth upon it and all the judgements of God which followeth upon that plagues both temporall and eternall The Second thing is What is meant by redeeming them from all iniquitie What it is to redeem you are well acquainted with to redeem it is by a ransome to set a person free from that evill to which he is bound over and so it is here to be understood Christ by paying a ransome setteth free beleevers from all that miserie to which they were bound by their Iniquitie The words being thus explained the Doctrine arising from them is this That Christ gave himself for beleevers for this end that by becomming aransome for them he might set them free from all transgression of the Law of God from all guilt that followeth upon transgression and from all punishment that is due to the transgression of the Law The Doctrine you see is nothing
Thus you see the Doctrine opened That Christ hath given himself as a ransome to redeem all beleevers from all iniquity from the transgression of the Law from the guilt of sin and so from the punishment of all sin For the further opening and unfolding of this excellent Point consider with me briefly these four particulars First That all beleevers they are by nature under all Iniquitie when the Text saith That Christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquitie This implieth that beleevers were under all iniquitie what need Christ give himself to redeem them from that under which they were not You shall finde this evidently declared Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned And Ephes 2. 1 2. 3. the Apostle speaking of beleevers he saith of them as well as of others that they were dead in trespasses and sins and that they are by nature the children of wrath as well as others and that they were in time past acted by the Divell and walked after the course of the world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience And again Rom. 3. 19. all the world is become guiltie before God all men by nature as well beleevers as unbeleevers are all under iniquitie First they are under the transgression of the Law they break the Commandments of God continually Secondly they are under the guilt of that transgression for he that hath the sin must have the guilt Thirdly they are under the punishment that belongeth to the breakers of the Law for he that committeh sin and hath the guilt thereof must needs be lyable to the punishment Here is the first thing considerable Christ gave himself to redeem beleevers from all Iniquitie therefore they are by nature under all iniquitie The second thing to be considered is How beleevers come to be under all iniquitie To this I answer that they are born under the power of iniquitie Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquitie saith a beleever that is David and in sin did my mother warm mee they were warmed in sin and conceived in iniquitie and the Apostle in the place before alledged Eph. 2. 3. telleth us that we that are beleevers were all by nature the children of wrath But you will say Whence is it that beleevers come to bee born under iniquitie vassals to sin slaves to Sathan and exposed to the wrath of God whence cometh this I answer and that in a word onely it cometh thus by their first Father Adam for all mankinde was in Adam in his loynes and Adam in innocencie represented all mankind he stood as a Parliament man doth for the whole country for all that should be born of him so that look what Adam did all his posterity did Now Adam broke the Commandment of God eating that fruit God had forbidden him to eat off he breaking this Commandment all his posteritie brake it upon the breaking of the commandment there cometh a guilt upon him the guilt that came upon him came upon all that were in him and so upon all mankind upon the guilt God layeth a punishment for sin What is that to withdraw that Image of holiness and righteousnesse wherein he was created and to leave him to a contrary Image of unholinesse and unrighteousnesse that was the punishment that God laid upon Adam and this punishment God layeth upon all the posteritie of Adam because they were as truly guiltie of Adams sin as he was whence it commeth that all that are born of Adam are guiltie of eating the forbidden fruit being guilty of that the punishment that is laid upon that sin is laid upon them that holinesse and righteousnesse wherein they were once in Adam created is taken from them and they are left to a contrary Image of Sathan an image of unholinesse and unrighteousnesse Whence it cometh to passe that they are all born under the guilt of sin under the power of Originall corruption slaves to Sathan and the objects of divine wrath Thus you see the second thing how it cometh to passe that all beleevers are under all iniquitie The third thing is How Christ cometh to redeem beleevers from all this iniquitie how Christ by giving of himself could redeem beleevers from all iniquitie I beseech you observe it Christ did it thus Because that which brought beleevers under iniquitie as you have heard was the breaking of Gods Law Christ he cometh and fulfillleth the Law of God and he suffereth all that which the justice of God thought due for the breach of his Law And so Christ doing that which beleevers should have done namely to keep the Law and suffering that which beleevers had deserved by their sins Christ doing and suffering this in the nature of beleevers that is in mans nature so that the same nature that sinned suffered the same nature that was bound to keep the Law did keep the Law in Christ hence it cometh to passe that Christ giving God the full price for their ransome he cometh to redeem them from all iniquitie And that you may yet the better see that Christ by this act of his giving himself thus to be a man to obey all the Law and to suffer all the wrath of God due to sin that he did fully pay the price that might ransome all beleevers consider but in brief these things First God and Christ made a compact or a covenant together God offereth Christ this who was the second person in Trinitie that he would become man and in mans nature fulfill the Law and suffer all that wrath of God that was due for the breach of this Law God promised Christ that hee should acquit and discharge all such as beleeved in him Christ he agreeth to this Covenant and undertakes it after the Covenant was made he came and performed it he became man and gave a perfect price for the full payment of what ever was due God abated him not a farthing the uttermost farthing of that which beleevers were condemned to pay hee paid it he perfectly kept the law he perfectly suffered the uttermost of all that wrath of God that was due to sin And all this was done by Christ who was God all this was done by the Second Person in Trinitie so that now the person obeying the Law of God was infinitely better then the persons breaking the Law of God the person that did suffer the wrath of God was infinitely better then the persons that should have suffered the wrath of God for they were but men but this was the very Son of God So that now God satisfieth God God paid the ransome to God therefore the ransome cannot but be compleat And thus cometh Christ by giving of himself fully paying a price to redeem from all iniquitie all them for whom he paid it that is all that doe beleeve in him It