us indeed that Christ dyed to confirm the Truth which he had preached and also that his dying and rising again and taking possession of eternal life was to give us an assurance of eternal life and that we shall come thither in due time also they tell us that he dyed for an example but they will not admit that Christ dyed by way of satisfaction or that his death was by way of price and ransom but the Scripture is most express and full as to this and I shall have occasion to speak more fully to it hereafter only at present I shall hint a few Scriptures Mat. 20.28 The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many So likewise 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a ransom for all Here we have two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Criticks in the Greek Tongue tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were gifts that were given for the ransom of Prisoners such gifts as were given for the setting free and releasing of persons taken Captive in War We were held captive by Sin and Satan we were Prisoners in the hands of Divine Justice Now Christ gave his life as a price to set us free that is the proper signification of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies the price of redemption but the compound word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more full and pregnant that signifies a price or ransom laid down for or instead of another Christ gave his life for our lives as the life of the beast sacrificed went for the life of the man so Christ gave his life for our lives Hence is it said that we are redeemed by Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from our fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye were redeemed by price or ransom so the word signifies the Blood of Christ was the Price that was laid down for our Redemption What can be more full and express to this purpose than what our Saviour declareth to us when he saith that he gives his flesh for the life of the world Joh. 6.51 The bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world The Son of God assumed our nature and offered it up this he calls his flesh and this he gives for the life of the world that is to purchase and procure life for the world The world lay dead before dead in sin dead in respect of condemnation the world was obnoxious to Divine wrath Now Christ gives his flesh for the life of the world that is he gives his flesh to deliver the world from that state of condemnation in which it was and to bring it into reconciliation with God Joh. 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved A word for Application Hath Christ laid down his life for his sheep Behold here as in a Mirroir the greatness of Christs Love Vse 1 The Son of God would not only take our nature but being in our nature he would lay down his life for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us That person who was God and man both laid down his life as man for us he laid down the life of his humanity for us But this I may have occasion to speak to more hereafter This is matter of infinite comfort and support to poor doubting Christians Vse 2 unto such who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them and yet have many remaining doubts within them concerning their Salvation whether they shall be saved in the conclusion yea or no. That which is matter of comfort to them is this 1. That Christ hath laid down his life for them Now this is certain Christ hath not dyed in vain Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed If thou shouldst be condemned for thy sins the guilt of which thou fearest whenas thou art a poor Believer and hast fled to Christ for refuge then hath Christ dyed in vain because the end of Christs dying was that those who believe on him might not perish So our Saviour himself tells us Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish If therefore thou who hast fled to Christ for refuge to save thee from the stroke of Divine wrath and from the condemning power of the Law if thou shouldst perish Christ hath dyed in vain If Christ hath laid down his life to purchase eternal life and Salvation for thee and thou shouldst go without it who art a poor Believer and runnest to him for Salvation then Christ hath dyed in vain Consider what the Apostle saith Gal. 2.20 If righteousness come by the Law then is Christ dead in vain If God should put thee to work out a righteousness for thy self and there were no possibility of Salvation but by perfect keeping the Law then there had been no necessity of Christs death but Christs death was not in vain Christ dyed to satisfie Gods Justice for them who could not fulfil the Law for themselves and therefore there is ground of hope that such who have fled to Christ for refuge shall not be disappointed of Salvation 2. A second thing to comfort doubting Christians is that Christ who hath the power to dispose of eternal life to whom he pleases hath invested poor Believers with a Right and Title to eternal life 1. Christ as he is Man and Mediator hath a power given to him to give eternal life to whom he pleaseth Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him 2. Christ having this power given to him hath invested Believers with a Right and Title to eternal life It is a great Text to comfort such who are concerned about their Salvation more than any thing else Joh. 10.29 Christ speaking of his sheep saith I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish If Christ hath given them eternal life how shall they be deprived of it If Christ hath given them eternal life who shall take it from them What Christ hath once given he never takes back again For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Christ therefore having made over a Right and Title to eternal life unto those that are his sheep to all that obey and follow him they must of necessity have it These things may be of use to support poor
exposeth us to Divine wrathhence is it said That by nature we are children of wrath Eph. 2.3 And the sentence of the Law is Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom. 2.8 9. Wrath is due to us as we are sinners now Christ by the work of his Satisfaction turns away this wrath from us He it is that trod the wine-press of divine wrath Isa 63.3 And Christ bearing the wrath of God for us delivers us from that wrath Hence it is said We are saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 And that We are delivered from wrath to come by him 1 Thess 1. ult Jesus that delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. The second effect of Christs Satisfaction is the procuring of pardon of sin for us Thus in those known words of the Institution of the Lords Supper our Saviour tells us This is the new Testament in my blood that was shed for the remission of sins The blood of Christ was shed on purpose to procure the pardon of sin and it doth procure pardon of sin for us Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins One great fruit of Christs Satisfaction and our Redemption by Christ is that by means of that Satisfaction and Redemption of his we should have forgiveness of sins therefore in the Text mentioned before it is said Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins Rom. 3.25 The meaning I take to be this That God having received satisfaction through the death and sufferings of Christ thereupon he gives forth pardon and remission of sins to us 3. The third effect of Christs Satisfaction is eternal life Christ by his Satisfaction procures eternal life for us hence is it that we read of the promise of an eternal inheritance through the death of Christ Heb. 9.15 Christs sufferings are not only satisfactory but they are also meritorious Christs sufferings did not only turn away the evil of punishment from us but they procured the good of eternal life for us Hence it is said That grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. ult The obedience of Christ active and passive is operative to bring us to eternal life 1. Vse 1 See what infinite reason there is that we should seek after a part and interest in Christs Satisfaction For 1. Without an interest in Christs Satisfaction we are liable to answer to Divine Justice in our own persons Divine Justice will be satisfied one way or other for God himself hath pronounced it That he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 God is just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.26 Therefore if we do not get an interest in Christ that he may fatisfie for us we are liable to be cast into prison by the hand of Divine Justice and we shall not come forth thence till we have paid the uttermost farthing 2. Without an interest in Christs Satisfaction Divine wrath still hangs over us It is Christ only that by his Satisfaction pacifies and turns away Gods wrath therefore unless we have a part in Christs Satisfaction infinite and unsupportable wrath hangs over our heads every moment and will assuredly fall upon us and we know not how soon it may do so He that believes not on the Son hath not life but the wrath of God abides upon him Joh. 3. ult 3. Without an interest in Christs Satisfaction we cannot have the pardon of sin for it is by the Satisfaction of Christ as we have heard that pardon of sin is procured We are liable to answer to Gods Justice for all our sins and all our sins will certainly come in against us to condemn us unless we have a part in Christs Satisfaction 4. Without an interest in Christs Satisfaction we can make out no title to eternal life Heaven is called the purchased inheritance Vntil the redemption of the purchased possession Eph. 1.14 Heaven is the purchase of the death and sufferings of Christ therefore unless we have an interest in the virtue of Christs sufferings we can have no title to the heavenly inheritance Here it may be said But what shall we do that we may have a part in Christs Satisfaction 1. Let us labour to see our infinite need of Christ and his Satisfaction we never see the worth of Christs Satisfaction till first we see our selves to be condemned persons O let us be more deeply sensible what the Law and Divine Justice have against us As we are sinners we are condemned persons in Law The wages of sin is death The soul that sins shall dye This is the sentence of the Law O let us labour to be deeply sensible of this and then we shall see the need of Christs Satisfaction 2. If we would have an interest in Christs Satisfaction let us labour to know Christ and him crucified Paul saith That he determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 You will say Why is the knowledge of a crucified Christ so necessary to Salvation The reason is because the death and sufferings of Christ is the only means of atonement and to bring us unto reconciliation with God Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation There is no pacifying of an angry God but by the Blood of Jesus Christ and it is Faith in his Blood that gives us an interest in the atonement Him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood We must therefore close with a crucified Christ by faith cast an aspect of faith upon the Son of God in our nature offering himself up to God as a Sacrifice for our sins It is faith in this Sacrifice of Christ that must procure reconciliation for us Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life Christ is lifted up as the brazen Serpent was lifted up It was their looking on the brazen Serpent that brought healing to them that were stung by the fiery Serpents and it is our looking upon a crucified Christ by an eye of faith casting an aspect of faith upon Christ as crucified and the virtue of his sufferings that must bring Salvation to us who are sinners and who deserve to perish as we are such The end of the third Sermon SERMON IV. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Now proceed to the second thing which is to lay down several distinct and particular Propositions for the clearing of this great Doctrine the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction And here the Propositions that I shall lay down
How Christ that was a person always beloved of God could yet bear the sense of his wrath And now I would make a little farther use of what hath been opened as to Christs being made a curse and then I shall proceed to the other Propositions that remain for the clearing the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction Christ as we have heard hath been made a curse the wrath and displeasure of God hath been poured forth upon him whatever he underwent upon the Cross all that shame and pain all that grief and sorrow which he felt in soul and body was the effect of Gods wrath the punishment due to us for our sins the wrath of God was consummated upon him and he was cut off by the curse he underwent death as part of the curse Let us see what use may be made of this This may serve by way of direction to us Vse 1 to teach us what course to take when we are in distress and agony of conscience under the fear and terror of Gods wrath due to us for sin Who is there among us that some time or other may not lye under the fear of Gods wrath that may not be terrified with the apprehension of Gods wrath due to him for sin Now the proper relief in this case is to consider that Christ was made a curse If Christ hath felt what we fear if he hath suffered and undergone what we deserved what so proper a ground to relieve us as this We fear the wrath of God and Christ hath suffered that wrath This is the case of many of the children of God they do many times lye under dreadful apprehensions of Gods wrath and displeasure David in the trouble and anguish of his soul crys out Cast me not away from thy presence Psal 51.11 And that Saint we mentioned even now in Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soul Now when we begin to apprehend that God hath cast us off in displeasure when we are under trouble and anguish of soul and apprehend that God is highly incensed and his wrath is waxed hot against us what can give us relief in this case but to consider that Gods wrath was poured out to the utmost upon Christ our Head and Surety that the wrath of God spent it self and had a full vent upon him This therefore is the only course we can take when we are under the fear and apprehension of Gods wrath to lift up Christ in the arms of our faith and to interpose him between us and the wrath of an angry God If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in Christ Psal 2.12 This Doctrine of Christ being made a curse is of marvellous and unspeakable use in the serious exercises of faith when the soul is under sore conflicts from the fear of Gods wrath If thou art burdened with the guilt of sin and the fear of Gods wrath thou mayst go to God and tell him that Christ hath suffered as much as ever thou hast deserved to suffer that there is nothing that he may justly inflict upon thee but it hath already been executed and inflicted upon Christ to the uttermost and will he punish sin twice Will he punish sin in thee and will he punish it in the person of his innocent Son who had no sin of his own but only took upon him their cause that were not able to deliver themselves from wrath From this Doctrine of Christs being made a curse Vse 2 we may learn what the true and proper Antidote is against the fear of death The proper Antidote against the fear of death is this That Christ hath suffered death as part of the curse therefore Christ having undergone death for us as a part of the curse if we be in Christ the curse of death is taken away from us It is true Believers undergo death still but here lyes the comfort to a Believer that death is no longer a curse to him Christ by undergoing death as a part of the curse yea as the completion of the curse hath taken away death as it is a curse Death is now no more a curse unto Believers but a passage unto life It is a sweet Text Hos 13.14 O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Christ by dying hath destroyed and overcome death and Believers are freed from death as a curse therefore is it that our Saviour saith He that believes on him shall never dye Joh. 11.26 What better news to any of the sons and daughters of men than to tell them they shall never dye Our Saviour assures us of this He that believes on him shall never dye Joh. 11.26 O but do not Believers dye as well as other men Object Yes they do Answ but they do not dye under the curse they dye not as malefactors as condemned persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Death is now as no death to a Believer it is only a passage unto eternal life a Believers true life is not interrupted by death Joh. 10.28 I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish If death did interrupt or take away a Believers true life then there might be a time when he might be said to perish but our Saviour speaks it with the strongest asseveration and with the greatest solemnity They shall never perish I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish therefore there is such a life given to a Believer by Christ that shall never perish though this natural life be taken away from him yet that which is the true life eternal life shall never be taken from him his natural life may be taken from him but instead of it he shall have eternal life I give unto them eternal life I proceed now to some other Propositions for the clearing the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction The next Proposition therefore is this The eleventh Proposition God hath charged upon Christ the guilt and punishment of the sins of his people There is an act of God in this Christ did not only suffer such things as we have heard but he hath suffered them from the hand of God laying these things upon him as our Mediator and Surety Hence is it said That God hath made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 God hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 God hath laid upon him there is the act of God the act of Divine Justice put forth in laying upon Christ all the punishment that he underwent Hence are those expressions that are so frequent in Scripture that Christ was made sin made under the Law that he was made a curse that he was made of God to us Redemption all which expressions plainly shew that there was an act of God put forth whereby Christ is made or appointed of God to be our Surety and that God did exact that debt of obedience and punishment from Christ which we should have
himself up by the eternal Spirit that we now have liberty of access to God Having therefore liberty by the blood of Jesus saith the Apostle let us draw near that is let us draw near unto God in confidence of this Sacrifice in the virtue of this Sacrifice Whenever we draw near to God we must have respect to the great and eternal Sacrifice of Christ and why so because sin separates between us and God and till sin be removed and taken out of the way there is no access for us to God Now it is by having recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ that the guilt of sin is removed and so we have access to God therefore doth the Apostle add Having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience We must draw near to God having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience we must first dip our consciences in the blood of Christ as Luthers expression is that is get the blood of Christ upon our consciences look after the pardon of our sins by the blood of Christ before we can expect to have access to God or acceptance with him This is one great part of the life of faith to have a constant recourse to the Satisfaction of Christ and to make use of that great and eternal Sacrifice of the Son of God in order to the pardon of our sins and our acceptance with God The Scriptures teach us That the just must live by faith Rom. 1.16 Now our living by faith notes a continued course living by faith is more than a single act it notes a constant course Now wherein doth this life of faith consist Certainly one main part of the life of faith consists in this In having a constant recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and making use of that for the pardon of our sins and our acceptance with God This is very clear and evident from that of the Apostle Paul Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God Paul here speaks of his living by faith The just shall live by faith and Paul lived by faith and how was it that he lived by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God who hath loved me and given himself for me Pauls living by faith consisted in this In having respect to Christ as giving himself for him Now how was it that Christ gave himself for Paul Certainly it was in the virtue of that great and eternal Sacrifice of his compare this with Eph. 6.2 Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God So that Christ giving himself for Paul was his giving himself an Offering and Sacrifice for him Now Paul lived by the faith of the Son of God who loved him and gave himself for him that is he lived by saith on the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ he had continual recourse to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ this was his living by faith Now here it may be said 1. Why ought we thus to live by faith on the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ And 2. How ought we to make use of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the virtue and benefit of Christs Satisfaction to our selves 1. Why ought we to make use of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and live by faith upon it The first reason is Because the Satisfaction of Christ is the only means of our Reconciliation with God Hence is it said That Christ hath made peace through the blood of his cross Col. 1.20 And We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 When-ever we would treat with God about terms of peace and reconciliation with him we must be sure to have recourse to the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ all our peace with God is founded in the blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins c. Here are two means of our reconciliation with God set down the principal and the instrumental The principal means of our reconciliation with God is the blood of Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The instrumental means of our reconciliation is our faith Faith in his blood That expression his blood comprehends the whole work of Christs Satisfaction Christs laying down his life was the compleating or consummating act of his sufferings and therefore all his sufferings in the whole work of his Satisfaction are comprehended under that expression of his blood Christs Satisfaction then is the principal means of our reconciliation with God Now that which must make this Satisfaction of Christ profitable and available unto us must be our faith Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood there must be the acting of our faith to make Christs Satisfaction profitable unto us I call it our faith not as if so be faith were a work of our own either wrought at first or exerted afterwards by any power and strength of our own but I call it our faith because it is such an act as is wrought in us and by us faith it self is the gift of God so the Apostle tells us Eph. 2.8 It is not of our selves it is the gift of God Yet it is an act in us and put forth by us though God works it yet it is such a work as God works in us not without us we make use of our faculties Faith I say is an act in us and put forth by us and there must be something done in us and by us in order to our receiving benefit by Christs Satisfaction Christs Satisfaction is a work wrought without us wrought by Christ himself in our nature for us without us yet there must be an act put forth in us by the help and assistance of the Spirit of God whereby we may reach forth unto and take hold of the Satisfaction of Christ that is wrought without us and without this acting of faith we cannot expect the benefit of Christs Satisfaction to our selves The Lord expects it at our hands that we should apply and betake our selves to the Satisfaction of his Son before ever we be admitted into favour and reconciliation with him This is confirmed to us by another Scripture Joh. 3.14 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life The lifting up of the Serpent in the Wilderness was a Type of Christs being lifted up upon the Cross Now saith our Saviour whoever will have benefit by me and would be delivered from perishing and condemnation he must direct the eye of his faith to me as crucified he must behold me in my Satisfaction there is no other means of reconciliation or peace with God but this he
that believes on me as crucified he that looks upon me as lifted up on the Cross to make satisfaction for the sins of men he it is that shall not perish but have eternal life Therefore it is that Paul said He determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.3 Paul knew that the foundation of our happiness lay in Christs crucifixion and sufferings and in the satisfaction that was made to God by them therefore this was the fundamental Doctrine that he insisted upon and in another place where he tells what the substance of the Gospel is he says That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing to them their trespasses but imputing to them the righteousness of his Son 2 Cor. 5.19 20 c. So that the substance of the Gospel consists in this That God offers reconciliation unto men by the death sufferings and satisfaction of his Son If therefore the death of Christ and his satisfaction be the only foundation of our peace with God and the alone means of our reconciliation with him it concerns us to make much of Christs satisfaction and to apply our selves by faith unto it 2. Christs sufferings and satisfaction are the food and nourishment of our souls Christs sufferings and satisfaction are the means to continue us in the love and favour of God as well as to bring us into the love and favour of God at first This is notably set forth by our Saviour in that mysterious Sermon of his in the sixth of John which many of his Hearers were not able to bear because it was so spiritual In that Sermon our Saviour calls himself the bread of life and he tells us The bread which he will give is his flesh which he will give for the life of the world vers 51. This Text doth plainly point out to us the work of Christs Satisfaction Christ gives his flesh for the life of the world that is to say he gives himself to suffer that in a part of our flesh which he assumed which we ought to have suffered and in this respect it is that he saith He gives his flesh for the life of the world this is a plain intimation of his satisfaction Now what is it that our Saviour saith of this work of his satisfaction vers 55. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed It is as much as if he had said My sufferings and my satisfaction are the true food and nourishment of souls Here it is that souls must repair for spiritual food and nourishment When-ever guilt lies upon the conscience when the load and burden of sin oppresseth the soul there is no remedy but by flying to the flesh of Christ who was crucified and to his blood which was shed to make atonement for sin My flesh is meat indeed Look as natural life is maintained by the constant use of our food and taking of it in omit the use of food but for a few days and the body is starved natural life ceaseth so the life of our souls is maintained by a daily living upon Christ crucified by living upon his sufferings and satisfaction and the reason is plainly this The life of the soul consists in the favour of God In thy favour there is life saith the Psalmist and thy loving-kindness is better than life Without the favour of God there is no life there can be no life to the soul for God to frown upon the soul to manifest himself as an enemy this is the death of the soul Now it is a constant recourse to the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ that is the only means to keep us in the favour of God for it is sin that separates between God and us Now the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ are the means to take away the guilt of sin The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore as we would have the life of our souls maintained which consists in the favour of God and in the sense of his love we must have a constant recourse to the Satisfaction of Christ for we cannot expect one smile from God out of Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Sin doth in its own nature tend to alienate the heart of God from us Now it is the respect that God hath to the Satisfaction of his Son Christ having born that displeasure that punishment which we deserved that is the only means to turn away Gods displeasure from us Therefore is it said We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 2 Joh. 1.1 It is as much as if the Apostle had said Sin doth in its own nature incline God to anger and displeasure towards us but God respects the satisfaction of his Son he respects what Christ hath done and suffered and so he turns away his anger and becomes propitious kind and savourable upon the account of what Christ hath done and suffered for us therefore it becomes us to keep the satisfaction of Christ much in our eye because this is the means of preserving us in the favour of God as well as of bringing us into it at first Hence are we said to be preserved in Christ Jesus Jude 1. The merit of Christs obedience and sufferings is a means to preserve us in the love of God We might soon fall from the love of God did not Christ preserve us and continue us in his love by the merit of his satisfaction Hence also are we said to be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 If when 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 Saved by his life that is continued in the love and favour of God brought to the perfection of salvation The Apostle supposeth that we are brought into the love and favour of God when he tells us We were reconciled when we were enemies therefore this expression of being saved implies our being kept and continued in the favour of God and our being brought to the consummation and perfection of salvation We are saved by his life that is Christs living to make Intercession for us and pleading by his Intercession the virtue and merit of his sufferings this is the means to keep us in the favour of God till we be brought to salvation therefore we ought to have a constant recourse to the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ because it is the means of continuing us in the love and favour of God all along as it was to bring us into the favour of God at first Hence is that expression in Jude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life It is that grace and mercy which is given to us in Christ through his merit and satisfaction that carries us along
he expresseth it thus Of his fulness we receive and grace for grace which expression intimateth thus much That the humanity of Christ is the first receptacle of all grace To understand this we must know that our nature had lost original righteousness our nature was deprived of the image of God was alienated from the life of God and the way was barred and shut up as to our reception of grace for our iniquities had separated between God and us as the Prophets expression is Isa 59.1 The Son of God therefore by his Incarnation hath so united the Divine nature to the humane that he hath brought down and deposited as it were the whole fulness of the Godhead in the humane nature assumed that so grace life salvation from which we were estranged and alienated by sin might be brought near to us again and grace being now deposited in a part of our nature from this part of our nature which is taken into personal union with the Son of God which is a nature consubstantial with ours and near akin to us grace life salvation might be derived to us from his fulness we might receive grace for grace Heb. 2.14 Because the children were made partakers of flesh and blood he also took part of the same Now saith the Apostle elsewhere No man ever as yet hated his own flesh He that is a brother indeed it is no grief to him to part with some of his substance with some of the goods he is possessed of to his own brethren who are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone It is a great Scripture yet farther to illustrate this As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself and hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man Joh. 5.26 27. Calvin observes from that expression because he is the Son of man Christ was therefore ordained by the Father to be the Author of life that so we might not have life to seek afar off Christ received nothing for himself as if he needed any thing for himself but he received that wherewith he might inrich us and the sum of these two verses he makes to be this That is laid open to us in Christ man which did before lye hid in God because the Majesty of God as it is at a great distance from us is like to a spring that lyes hidden and latent Habemus promptum expositum fontem ex quo haurire licet Calvin therefore God hath displayed himself openly to us in Christ We have in Christ a fountain that is near and ready at hand and that which lyes open to us from whence we might receive all grace 10. The love of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this In that by means of the Incarnation of the Son of God grace is not only brought near to us but it is made most firm and sure That which a meer man received might be taken away and lost as it was in Adam therefore grace was deposited in the hands of one who was God as well as man that so grace might be made most sure and firm The best of creatures are mutable things and subject to change hence is that expression Job 4.18 Behold he puts no trust in his servants and his Angels he chargeth with folly The Angels themselves which are the highest rank of creatures are subject to change the good Angels who never sinned yet might have sinned and fallen had they not been confirmed by Divine grace And that they might have done so it appears plainly by the instance of the evil Angels The evil Angels were created at first in the same state of dignity and glory as the good Angels were but they being left to the mutability of their own will fell from God whereas the good Angels were confirmed by grace It is a wise speech of Austin God Deum sic ordinâsse Angelorum hominum vitam ut in ea priùs ostenderet quid posset liberum arbitrium deinde quid posset gratiae suae beneficium Aug. saith he hath so ordered and disposed concerning the life of Angels and men that he hath shewn first of all what free-will could do and then what the benefit of his grace could do Free-will both in Angels and men discovered it self to be a mutable thing therefore that grace might be laid sure it was laid in the hands of one who was God as well as man Austin observes Christ was predestinated to be Head of the Church and we are predestinated to be his members Now grace in the Head of the Church is laid most sure The Godhead in Christ is an indeficient never failing Principle of grace So that the humane nature of Christ had not only created habits in it as Adams soul had but the Godhead was personally united to it so that unless we could suppose a dissolution of the Hypostatical or personal Union it is impossible that the humane nature in Christ should cease to be filled with Divine grace Hence is that expression of Christ Joh. 6.57 As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father It is as much as if our Saviour had said The Godhead is a living spring a living fountain of grace It is usual with Christ when he speaks of those things which belong to the Divine nature which is common to him and the Father to attribute them to the Father therefore he saith I live by the Father The Father is the first person in the Deity and although the Son be possessed of the same Deity yet when Christ speaks of such things as belong to the Deity or the Divine nature he useth the name of the Father in which expression his own Divinity is comprehended So Joh. 14.10 The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works his meaning is the Divine nature The Divine nature is common to him and the Father but he expresses it thus The Father in me doth the works Now saith he As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father his meaning is the Divinity which is united to my flesh is a living Spring and fountain of grace my humanity receives all grace life and virtue from the Divinity inhabiting in it The Divine nature in the person of the Son holds the humane nature in the nearest closest and most indissoluble union and being so nearly and strictly united to the humanity fills the humanity with all grace So that the firmness and sureness of grace to the Elect depends upon a treble Basis or foundation 1. It depends upon the firmness and indissolubility of the Union that is between the two Natures in Christ 2. It depends upon the Indeficiency of grace and the inexhaustible Fulness that is in the Godhead 3. It depends upon a Believers Union with Christ 1. If the personal Union can never be dissolved then the humane nature which always abides in the nearest union
our name in our room in our stead Hence is it said that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 The meaning is Christ performed that righteousness for us which the law required of us The Papists say That Christ first merited for himself and then for us but this is a very fond Opinion What need had Christ to merit any thing for himself who was Lord of all things Christ needed nothing for himself all that he did and suffered was for us The end of his Incarnation and being made man was for us To us a Son is born to us a Child is given Isa 9.6 The end of Christs being made under the Law was for us he was made under the law to redeem them that were under the law as the Text tells us The end of his Sufferings was for us 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh The end of his Resurrection was for us who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 The end of his Ascension and Glorification was for us Hence is it said The glory which thou gavest unto me I have given unto them Joh. 17.22 Hence also are we said to be set together in heavenly places with Christ Eph. 2.6 Christ never sought any thing for himself nor received any thing for himself but he received all things for us Spiritus S. nihil aliud vult nos in morte Christi cernere gustare reputare sontire agnoscere quà m meram Dei bonitatem Calvin They are Calvins words The Spirit of God would have us behold nothing else taste nothing else make account of nothing else perceive nothing else acknowledge nothing else in the death of Christ but the meer love of God to us And what is true of his death is true of his life as Christ dyed for us so he lived for us And this will yet further appear in the 6. The sixth and last Proposition which is this The end of Christs obedience to the Law was that Christs obedience might be the matter of our righteousness Hence is it said By the obedience of one many are made righteous or constituted righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the word signifies Rom. 5.19 It is Davenants expression Christs very obedience is imputed to us Ipsissima ejus obedientia nobis imputatur quasi esset nostra personalis as if so be it were our personal obedience like as that very disobedience of Adam in eating the forbidden Fruit is imputed to his posterity as much as if it had been committed by their own actual will In this sense the obedience of Christ or his righteousness is said to be the formal cause of our Justification because the obedience of Christ or his righteousness is accepted of God in reference to our Justification as much as if it had been wrought by us in our own persons Hence is it said Christ is made of God to us righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 An emphatical Phrase that Christ is made of God to us righteousness It is not said that Christ doth infuse a Principle of righteousness into us though that is true and might have been said and the Apostle saith as much as that comes to in the next expression when he saith Christ is made of God to us sanctification How is Christ made Sanctification to us One way is as he infuseth grace into us and thereby works a work of Sanctification and Holiness in us which is inchoate and begun in us but here is another expression the Apostle useth He is made of God to us righteousness that is he himself is made to us righteousness It is one thing for Christ to work righteousness in us and another thing for Christ himself to be made righteousness to us The one is done in a physical way as they speak in a way of proper operation the other is done in a moral way by way of imputation Christ is made of God to us righteousness That which the Apostle intimates in this expression is That the most perfect righteousness which Christ hath in himself is made ours by true application and imputation Christs own righteousness that righteousness which inheres in Christs own person is made ours by imputation and application Hence is it said in the Text mentioned before Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe Rom. 10.3 The meaning is Christ answers that end of the Law so as by his obedience to bring in that righteousness whereby we may be justified and accepted of God The Law is still a rule of life to Believers but there is no more use of the Law to Believers as a Covenant of Works no Christs obedience to the Law is the compleat and intire matter of our righteousness Christ hath supplied and answered that end of the Law that his obedience is the matter of a Believers righteousness and all a Believers obedience is not lookt upon on this account to be a part of his righteousness whereby he should stand before God or be justified in his sight This is clear from that Text Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God The meaning of that Scripture is If Abraham did good works those good works might be praise worthy and commendable in the sight of man but they were not of that value and worth as to procure his Justification in the sight of God Abrahams best works were too short to justifie him before God therefore it is Christs obedience that is that which God tooks upon in the point of Justification is his righteousness and that only Therefore is it said Dan. 9.24 He hath brought in everlasting righteousness and he is the Lord our Righteousness Hence also is that expression Heb. 7.12 The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity also a change of the law How is there a change of the Law I take it to be a good interpretation which a Learned man gives of this Text Facta est translatio legis in Mediatorem There is saith he a translation of the Law made upon the Mediator in this manner That he being made under the Law should satisfie the Law for us Now Christ satisfies the Law these two ways 1. By yielding most perfect obedience to the Law 2. By undergoing that punishment which we deserved Hence is it said That we are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 It is not said the righteousness of God by him but the righteousness of God in him Videte duo justitiam Dei non nostram in ipso non in nobis August And it is an excellent passage of Austin upon that Text Behold saith he two things the Righteousness of God not our righteousness and this righteousness is said to be in him not in us And it is well observed by another Learned man Christ saith he hath
consummate and compleat sorrows and pains which our Saviour did suffer and undergo for our sake In Psal 22. which is certainly a Prophecy of Christ and a description of his sufferings we have these sufferings notably set forth in vers 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and vers 14. I am poured out like water all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels my strength is dryed up like a potsherd and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death He that thinks this is spoken of some ordinary sufferings which are common to other men must needs have a very slender consideration of these things certainly they are more than common ordinary sorrows that drew such expressions from our Saviour in whose person here the Psalmist speaks our Saviour then tasted of supernatural death he did undergo the pains of Hell for us Now that I may unfold a little more particularly and distinctly how it was that Christ suffered the pains and torments of Hell for us I must do it in some particular Propositions and I would speak of this a little for these two ends 1. That we might more fully understand what it was that we deserved by our sins 2. That we might admire the love of Christ so much the more that he should suffer such pains and torments for us that we might be delivered from them 1. Our Saviour suffered the greatest and most inexpressible dolors anxieties and perplexities in his mind for us and yet without sin no sorrows were ever like to his sorrows Hence is that expression Mark 14.33 He began to be sore amazed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to be very heavy or He began to be afraid and grievously troubled The first word properly signifies to be struck with fear or to be astonished with fear our Saviour was as a person astonished this is the proper import of the word This amazement as we express it was such a passion as was stirred up in our Saviour by which from the sudden commotion of all the faculties of his Soul he was as a person astonished all over in a fear astonished at the greatness of the things he had to suffer neither dâ—d this astonishment speak any imperfection of Holiness in the humane nature of our Saviour but only demonstrated the greatness of his sufferings for it is possible that the mind by some sudden and vehement commotion from some terrible object may be so occupied and taken up that there may not be the free exercise of the thoughts for the present and yet this without sin this was the case of our Saviour he was like a person astonished at the greatness of the sufferings that he was to undergo and that he saw coming upon him all the faculties of his Soul were moved and stirred in him at the torrent of Divine wrath that he saw ready to break in upon him 2. The second word used by the Evangelist is He began to be amazed and very heavy This word is well rendred by our Translators very heavy for I find that Phavorinus renders the Substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavorinus sadness of soul He began to be amazed and very sad Now concerning this fear and this grief that our Saviour underwent I shall speak more particularly hereafter but before we proceed to that I shall make some use of what hath been already opened Learn from hence in the first place Vse 1 how great an evil sin is nothing shews more clearly what an evil sin is than those great sorrows and sufferings of our Saviour that God should cast so innocent a person as Christ was in himself meerly because he was our Surety and took upon him the guilt of our sins into such great sorrows and inexpressible dolors both in soul and body this shews what an infinite evil sin is and how much God hates it and what it is that we deserve by it We may slight sin and think it a light and trivial thing but O let us stand by the Cross of Christ a while and see what it was that the Son of God and God suffered in our nature consider what grief what anguish what trouble and perplexity of soul he underwent and then we shall see that God doth not look upon sin as such a slight and trivial thing whatever we may do Would God have exposed his own innocent Son who was so near to him who was so tenderly beloved by him who always pleased him and who never offended him to so much ignominy to so much contempt and shame to so much pain grief and sorrow had he not hated sin infinitely had not his soul been infinitely set against it O when we find our hearts begin to play and dally with sin it is good for us to soak our hearts in the meditation of Christs sufferings to take a turn at the Cross of Christ and behold the Son of God incarnate made a spectacle to men and Angels and bearing the wrath of God to expiate the guilt of our sins Learn from hence what remains still to be suffered by Vnbelievers those dolors those sorrows Vse 2 those torments of soul and body that death which Christ hath not suffered for them remains still to be suffered by them in their own persons for the sentence of the Law must take place therefore unless thou have suffered in a surety thou art liable to suffer in thy own person the sentence of the Law is In dying thou shalt dye dye nuturally and dye spiritually taste of natural and supernatural death therefore unless thou have suffered this in a surety thou art liable to suffer this in thy own person Now all Unbelievers who are guilty either of positive or negative unbelief have no part in Christ or his sufferings 1. They who are guilty of positive unbelief such as reject Christ and will have nothing to do with him as they said We will not have this man to reign over us these have nothing to do with Christ and his sufferings 2. Such as are guilty of negative unbelief such who do not believe on Christ who do not close with him who do not embrace him by a lively faith all such have no part in Christ and in his sufferings therefore it necessarily follows that that which Christ hath not suffered for them remains still to be suffered by them in their own persons Joh. 3. ult He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him O how should this make every soul of us to tremble lest we should be found out of Christ Canst thou bear the terrour of the first death when the sting of it is not taken away Or canst thou bear the fear of supernatural death to have thy soul separated from God for ever If thou hast not a part in Christ and in his death thou art liable to both
nature to lay down his life and dye for our sins Certainly he that believes this will find no reason to doubt of the love of God If God sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins if he had no other end in sending of him and if the Son of God did freely lay down his life for us then there is no reason that we should retain suspicious and jealous thoughts of the Father or the Son We know and believe the love that God hath to us How so Because God hath sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins If we can realize the sufferings of Christ to our minds by the eye of faith this will confirm our souls in the love of God towards us 2. Another effect of our studying the love of Christ in his sufferings for us is This will be a means to beget much love in us to Christ What more powerful argument to inflame our love to Christ than to consider what Christ hath done and suffered for us Can we behold the Son of God the second Person in Trinity God equal with the Father Emmanuel God with us God come down into our nature can we behold this great and excellent Person giving himself to suffer and dye for us taking the whole curse and punishment upon himself that we deserve and not love this person who hath so loved us and hath done and suffered such things for us The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains us The love of Christ that is Christs love to us the apprehension of Christs love to us constrains us why so Because saith the Apostle we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead If Christ had not dyed we must all have dyed If Christ had not suffered the wrath of God we must have suffered it to Eternity If Christ had not been deserted we must have been deserted If he had not undergone dereliction and the hiding of Gods face the face of God must have been turned away from us for ever If Christ had not conflicted with the Divine displeasure we must have conflicted with the wrath of God for ever If Christ had not been cast into that Agony wherein he sweat drops of blood we must have been cast into those inexpressible horrours and torments of soul and body which would have pressed us down to all Eternity The deep and serious consideration of these things cannot but constrain us to love Christ The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle because we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead The consideration of this That Christ hath freed us from that by his death which otherwise we must necessarily have undergone must needs be a strong ingagement upon us to love Christ We love him because he first loved us Learn how great the sin and ingratitude of the world is in slighting and abusing all this love Vse 2 and also how just that revenge is which God takes upon the world for slighting and abusing all this love If the love of Christ be so eminently seen in his suffering and dying for sinful men for the sinful world then how great is the sin and ingratitude of the world in slighting and abusing all this love God hath sent his Son from Heaven to save the world he hath sent his Son from Heaven to dye for the world but all this love is little thought of little regarded or esteemed by the generality of men this is the cause of the Lords great indignation against the world The world is guilty of many other sins it is guilty of great immoralities and many abominations in point of practice and these may have their influence and no doubt have as to the bringing down Gods displeasure upon the sinful world but that which is the fundamental sin the root sin of all it is the contempt of Christ and the Gospel the slighting and rejecting Gospel-love Gospel-grace This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light And we may say This is the condemnation that love is come into the world that the Son of God who is love it self the Son of God who hath all the love of the Father in him and God is love that he is come into the nature of man and hath dyed for men that they might be saved and this is not at all regarded by them When all this love of his hath been published and made known to men the generality of men have taken no notice of Christ and his love so they may have their honours pleasures and profits take Christ and his grace who will for them for this so great contempt of Christ and his grace when God hath offered his love and the grace of his Gospel to the world and men have slighted it taken no notice of it hath God come to revenge himself upon the ingrateful world and I speak it with a bleeding heart I fear will yet revenge it more sorely The end of the sixteenth Sermon SERMON XVII Job 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come now to other Particulars that set forth the greatness of Christs suffering for us 5. The greatness of Christs love in laying down his life for us appears in this That there was no one else that could have satisfied for us If men or Angels had attempted this work their sufferings had been but the sufferings of finite creatures there would not have been infinite worth and value in them to have satisfied for the sins of the whole world The expiation of sin requires a price of infinite value and the reason is because every sin is committed against an infinite Majesty an infinite Majesty being offended there must be a price of infinite value to expiate the offence Now whoever had been but a meer man could not have offered a price of infinite value but Christs sufferings were of infinite value because he was God as well as man and this is that which enhanceth the price of Christs love that none else could have suffered for us but Christ so as to have satisfied Gods Justice this Christ himself sets before us Isa 63.3 I have trod the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me So vers 5. I looked and there was none to help and I wondered there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation This commends the greatness of Christs love in his sufferings That when none was able to suffer for us so as to satisfie Gods Justice Christ undertook the work The sixth Consideration is The greatness of Christs love in his sufferings appears in this That so great and excellent a person should come to suffer for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us that is that he who was the Son of God and God that
him giving himself to us for these are no vain words This is my body which was broken for you setting aside those gross conceits of the Papists That the bread is transubstantiated into the body of Christ and that Christ is corporally present under the outward form of the Elements I say setting aside their gross conceits there is certainly a real though spiritual presence of Christ to every believing soul in the Sacrament The humane nature of Christ indeed is really present in Heaven therefore is it said Whom the heavens must contain till the time of the restitution of all things Act. 3. Yet the virtue of Christs body and blood is still really communicated to every believing soul Corpus ipsum in quo passus est resurrexit yea not only so saith Calvin Not only the virtue of his Death and Resurrection but that very body that dyed and rose again this is offered to us in the Sacrament these are great Mysteries indeed Now not to have a due reverence to such great and sublime Mysteries as these are to come to these as if they were common and ordinary things or to come to them with a common and slight spirit this is to come unworthily 2. Then do we come unworthily to the Sacrament when we live in the practice of any gross sin or retain the love of any sin We profess by our coming to the Sacrament that we believe that Christ dyed for such and such sins and yet we love these sins or continue in the practice of those sins that cost Christ his life this is to offer the greatest indignity to the Son of God This is as if a Traitor should come to sit at Table with the King to dine or sup with him and yet never repent of his treason but retain a traiterous mind and intention in his heart all the while When a man sits at the same table to eat and drink with another it is a sign of friendship no one would willingly admit another to his table but whom he accounts to be his friend When we come to the Lords Table we profess the highest friendship to Christ now when we profess the highest friendship to Christ and yet retain that in our love and practice that is most directly contrary to the honour and glory of Christ this is the greatest indignity that can be This is that the Apostle calls the crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting him to an open shame Heb. 6.6 What is this but crucifying Christ afresh and making Christ as contemptuous as possibly we can whenas we profess to expect salvation by the death and sufferings of Christ and yet in the mean time love harbour entertain and practise those very things we say we believe Christ dyed for Certainly every loose Christian that makes a profession of Christ and yet lives in gross open sins makes a plain mock of Christ and his sufferings for he professeth that he believes he shall be pardoned by the sufferings and death of Christ and yet he continues in the love and practice of those sins as if so be the end of Christs death were that men might continue in their sins and not be delivered from them 3. Then do men come unworthily to the Sacrament when they come without examining themselves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup 1 Cor. 11.28 It is observable the Apostle opposeth this examining a mans self to his eating unworthily In the former verse he had said He that eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord now he adds But let a man examine himself so then if a man do not examine himself then he eats unworthily But it may be said Object What ought a man to examine himself about Concerning two things Answ 1. Concerning his state 2. Concerning the present frame and dispostion of his heart 1. A man ought to examine himself concerning his state whether he be in Christ whether he have a right to such an Ordinance 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobate We must examine our selves concerning our fundamental estate whether that be good yea or no to examine what standing we have in Christ 2. We ought to examine our selves concerning the frame and disposition of our souls whether we be in a fit frame to partake of such an Ordinance We ought to examine our selves whether our hearts be strongly bent and inclined to any sin whether we be under the power of any sin this is the examination of our repentance We ought to examine what the frame of our hearts is God-ward whether the bent of our hearts be towards God and the ways of God this is the examining of our other graces Now when we rush upon the Sacrament without reflexion and examination of our spiritual state this is unworthy coming And here let us observe That the children of God themselves may in a degree come in an unworthy manner for there are several degrees of unworthy receiving They that have slight and contemptuous thoughts of this Ordinance they that live in gross and scandalous sins they are guilty of unworthy receiving in the highest degree But then they that have true grace and do not retain in their hearts the love of any sin yet if they are remiss in searching into their hearts to find out their secret corruptions and to judge themselves for them they come unworthily in a lesser degree and God may correct his own children for their spiritual remisness in this kind The Apostle tells us For this cause many were sickly and weak and many were fallen asleep 1 Cor. 11.30 that is for coming to the Sacrament without due preparation Others who grosly profane this Ordinance that come to this Ordinance and live in gross sins and continue to live and dye in them God punisheth them otherwise he punisheth them with eternal condemnation He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself or judgment to himself as the word may be rendred The godly themselves coming in a rude and careless manner to this Ordinance may and oftentimes do bring the judgment of temporal chastisement upon themselves for not coming in a right manner to so great an Ordinance But such as are profane who come to this Ordinance and yet live in sin they eat to themselves the judgment of eternal condemnation Now to return unto what we first propounded to come unworthily to the Sacrament is one way of contemning Christs sufferings And if it be asked What is the reason of it why is the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament a contemning of Christs sufferings I answer 1. Because the Sacrament is a plain revelation and exhibition of Christ crucified This is my body which was broken
by the eye of faith see and behold what it was that the Son of God suffered in our nature for us There may we see him suffering dereliction undergoing the deprivation of the sense and comfort of Gods love there may we see him bear the whole Curse suffering the wrath of God yea the very pains and torments of Hell for us We ought to contemplate these things and by faith to realize the sufferings of Christ and the greatness of his love to us in his sufferings We ought not to look upon the sufferings of Christ as a story but to see what he suffered was for our sakes and out of love to us and the desire of our salvation Now the more we meditate upon the sufferings of Christ there are two things that will follow thereupon 1. The more we meditate upon the sufferings of Christ the more shall we understand what those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of the love of Christ are which the Apostle speaks of The Apostle speaks of infinite dimensions in the love of Christ and the more we study the sufferings of Christ the more shall we see what those heights and depths and lengths and breadths of Christs love are O what immense love was this that the Son of God should come from Heaven to Earth to suffer and dye for men God might have glorified himself although man had never been saved A manifest proof of this we have in the Angels the Angels that fell were never recovered out of their sin and misery and yet God is glorified upon them and if fallen man had never been recovered God might have glorified himself upon men in their condemnation and destruction as he is now glorifying himself upon the fallen Angels Now this was the abundant love of God to man that God did not only will mans salvation but that so great a person as the Son of God and God should come from Heaven to Earth to save and dye for man O let us stand and wonder at this love the more we soak our hearts in the meditation of these things that the Son of God and God should come into the nature of man for this very end to suffer such things for man that man might be saved the more shall we be taken up in the admiration of this love 2. The more we meditate on Christs sufferings and of the end which Christ had in his sufferings that he suffered such and such things for us the more shall we be confirmed in the belief and assurance of our own salvation Christ did not suffer in vain he did not shed his blood in vain If Christ did indeed suffer the pains of Hell that is a certain sign that God hath no mind that such as believe in Christ shall suffer those pains The sufferings of Christ are a clear miroir to shew us what we are delivered from What Christ hath suffered we shall not suffer for God will not punish sin twice If God hath inflicted the full punishment of our sins upon the person of our Head he will not lay the punishment of sin upon us too God indeed may correct his children in a way of fatherly discipline but he will not lay the punishment of sin upon them in a way of vindictive Justice and the reason is because God hath already punished their sins in the person of their Head Christ their Head and Surety hath born the full punishment of their sins for them This is the force of the Apostles argument Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed As much as if he had said If Christ hath dyed we shall not dey if we be Believers who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed that is if Christ hath dyed we shall not dye eternally if the Law hath had its full power and strength upon Christ if the Law hath put Christ to death if it hath executed the Curse upon Christ to the uttermost then it hath no more to execute upon a Believer as a part of the Curse for Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Therefore the consideration of what Christ hath suffered for us may be as food to our faith Hath Christ indeed suffered such things as we have heard of in the Doctrine of Satisfaction then we shall never suffer them Hath Christ suffered dereliction hath he been forsaken of God and that as our Surety then will God never forsake us for ever God may hide his face from us for a moment but he will not forsake us for ever Hath Christ born the wrath of God then shall we never bear it O when-ever the sense of guilt and the fear of Gods wrath oppress our consciences and lye heavy upon us the best course we can take is to dip our consciences in the wounds and blood of Christ as Luther's expression is and the realizing by faith what Christ hath suffered will be the best balm to cure a wounded conscience for if the sufferings of Christ were real then first there is real satisfaction made and if there was real satisfaction made then is God really pacified and really atoned and if God be really satisfied why then should we doubt and call in question his love any more Only our great concernment is to secure our part in Christ and to secure our interest in his sufferings till Christ himself be ours we can lay no claim to the benefits of his sufferings 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life We must first have the Son himself before we can have life by the Son Our first work therefore is to make sure our interest in the Son himself Let me now in a few words close up the whole Doctrine concerning the Sufferings of Christ and the work of his Satisfaction We have heard much concerning the preciousness of Christs sufferings and that ample and full satisfaction that he hath made by his sufferings All that we have heard concerning the sufferings of Christ and the work of his satisfaction will signifie nothing to us will nothing at all avail us as to our salvation unless we get an interest in that great and blessed Person who hath done and suffered all these things That which must make the sufferings of Christ and his satisfaction available unto us is to know that Christ hath suffered as our Head that he hath suffered in our room and in our stead Now we cannot know that Christ hath suffered as our Head and as our Representative unless we first chuse him for our Head and pitch our faith upon his Person It is the Person of the Son of God who hath done and suffered all that in our nature which is necessary to be done and suffered for our salvation therefore as ever we expect benefit by what Christ hath done and suffered in our nature we must first direct the eye of our faith to that great person who hath taken up our nature and done and suffered such things in it Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life We must first by the eye of faith see that great Person the Son of God come down into our nature and doing and suffering such things in it for the accomplishment of our salvation and then we must close with this Person and embrace him with both the arms of our faith It is the Election of Christs Person that gives us union with him Now we having chosen Christ to be our Head we ought to contemplate what was done by him in our nature and to have all our expectation of salvation from what was wrought by him in it thus shall we have communion in the obedience death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ and what Christ our Head hath done and suffered in our nature he dwelling in our hearts by faith shall be accounted as if we had done it The end of the twentieth Sermon FINIS
That Christ hath given himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Observe that expression That he might purifie unto himself Christ did not give himself that he might purifie to the Father only a peculiar people but also that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people So Eph. 5.25 Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church Here it is said That he might present it to himself a glorious Church As Christ by his death and sufferings reconciled us to God the Father so he reconciled us to himself also It is true the Scripture when it speaks of the work of reconciliation doth in a peculiar manner attribute it to the Father as the Person to whom we are reconciled and it speaks of our reconciliation to God by Christ 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of Godâ— who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Col. 1.20 By him to reconcile all things to himself By him that is by Christ To reconcile all things to himself that is to the Father by Christ then we are reconciled to the Father But we must understand this aright When it is said We are reconciled to the Father by Christ we must not suppose that the other Persons are excluded We are not only reconciled to the Father but we are reconciled to the whole Trinity and Christ considered as Mediator as God-man reconciles us to himself considered as God simply And here lies the Mystery of Divine wisdom and goodness that God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself God is the person offended and yet in and by his Son it is he that offers reconciliation to the world 3. The greatness of Christs love in laying down his life for us appears in this That there was no merit in us to move Christ to lay down his life for us It is well observed by Austin It was our sins not our merits that drew Christ from Heaven to earth As we could not merit Christs Incarnation so neither could we merit his death and sufferings for us For what is it that we can suppose that should merit Christs death and sufferings for us Was it our fore-seen faith or our fore-seen obedience This is all that can be supposed Now these were the effects of Christs death and sufferings therefore they could not be the cause of them It is observed by Alvarez That Christs fore-seen Merits were the cause of all that grace that was bestowed upon man in the state of lapsed nature Joh. 1.17 Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ All the grace that we receive in lapsed nature is by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.4 God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Christs Merits are the foundation of our faith and obedience Whatever faith and obedience is found in us is wrought by the Spirit of Christ in us Now the Spirit it self that works all grace in us is the purchase and fruit of the death of Christ Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour The Holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that is through the Merit of Jesus Christ our Saviour Now it is by this Spirit that faith it self and all other effects of grace are wrought in us therefore it is said By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 4. We were so far from having any merit to oblige Christ to suffer and dye for us that we were full of demerit full of evil merits We were sinners enemies rebels against God and herein God commended his love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 The greatest love amongst men is when one friend will dye for another Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend But where was it known that ever any man laid down his life for his enemy Yet Christ hath commended his love to us in that while we were enemies he dyed for us Col. 1.21 You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death It is commonly said That sin is a kind of God-murther Peccatum est Deicidium the sinner would dethrone God and take away the life and Being of God if it lay in his power Now herein the admirable and transcendent love of God to man appeared That when man by sin would dethrone God and take away the life and Being of God if it were in his power that God would lay down his life for them that would take away his life and Being God redeemed the Church with his own blood and Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us Learn to study much the greatness of Christs love in his sufferings Vse 1 and in the work of his Satisfaction Let us often have recourse to the Cross of Christ and by the eye of faith behold the Son of God in our nature giving himself a Sacrifice for our sins The more we study the love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction we shall find two notable effects of it 1. Hereby we shall be strengthened and confirmed in our belief of Christs love to us 2. This will be a means to beget greater measures of love in our hearts to Christ 1. The more we contemplate the love of Christ to us in his sufferings and satisfaction the more shall we be strengthened and confirmed in our belief of Christs love to us 1 Joh. 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath towards us for God is love How come we to know and believe the love that God hath towards us Compare this with the former verses and they will shew us vers 8 9 10. God is love In this was manifested the love of God to us that he sent his only begotten Son that we might live through him Herein was love not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins When by faith we can apprehend and believe that God hath sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins this will confirm us in the certain belief and perswasion of the love of God to us Who hath reason to doubt of Gods love when he is certainly perswaded and doth firmly believe that God hath sent his Son from Heaven to earth to take our nature and being in our