censure upon our selves as Paul here doth That we are sinners great sinners even the chief of Sinners But I shall not proceed any further in the prosecution of this useful Observation which hath taken me up a great deal more time than I intended to have bestowed upon it when I first took it up There is yet one thing behind wherein I shall be Brief I have hitherto looked upon these words of the Apostle as simply considered in themselves It yet remains that I should look upon them in a relative way This I gave a touch upon and but a touch in my entering upon them Let me now do it a little more fully looking upon them as relating to what went before to the words immediately foregoing Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief That is One and a chief one of those sinners whom he came to save Thus doth he bring home that general Doctrine as before I shewed you making it his own by a particular Application Therein teaching Christians what they are to do not to rest contented with a general and Speculative knowledge of the Doâ—…ine of the Gospel the Doctrine of Salvation by Jesus Christ to know and believe that Christ came into the world to save sinners but thus to bring it home to themselves making it their own by a particular Application This are they to do as you have heard before by all such Truths as they meet withal in the Book of God Precepts Prohibitions Exhortations Comminations Consolations that they may be usefull unto them they are in such a way to bring them home to themselves And this they are to do in speciall by this saving Truth upon the right knowledg whereof depends their everlasting Salvation This is life eternal that they may know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ John 17. 3. That it may be saving to those that hear it it must be brought home by such a particular Application Such an Application doth this our Apostle make of it as here in the Text so elsewhere as Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live saith he by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Not onely who gave himself for us as elsewhere he speaketh Tit. 2. 14. and Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Iustification that is for us men in General us believers in Special but for me in Particular Thus doth he apply the benefit of Christs death and passion to himself in particular and the like are all true penitent sinners to do This is true Faith that faith whereby a sinner cometh to be justified before God Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by â—…aith saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 28. And what faith is this Why faith in Jesus Christ The faith of the Son of God as he calls it Gal. 2. 20. believing in him on him Such a faith it is that Christ calleth for at the hands of his Disciples Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 14. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Believe on me And such a faith it is that God commandeth at the hands of all This is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ 1 Joh. 3. 23. which is done by applying his merits to our selves And again as a Christian is hereby justified so it is hereby that he liveth That he liveth here upon earth The just shall live by his faith saith Habukkuk cap. 2. vers 4. His faith in God's word and promises This is the Anchor which he rides by in all storms and stresses which here come down upon him his Faith resting upon the promises of God specially upon this great promise the promise of Life and Salvation by Christ. So Paul lived as he there telleth us The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Whilest he lived in this frail mortal body for so are we to understand that his living in the flesh not his living after a carnal and fleshly manner but his living a natural life here upon earth this life he now lived by the faith of the Son of God resting and relying upon him in all estates and conditions committing himself unto him and by his Faith drawing Ver tue from him whereby he was inabled to live unto him to live a spiritual life whilest he was yet in the flesh And as a Christian liveth by this faith here so it is by this faith that he shall live hereafter Understand it rightly Not that he shall so live by it in Heaven as here he doth upon Earth No here we live by faith there by sight as the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 5. 7. seeing and enjoying what now by faith we hope for But this is the onely way and means to bring us unto Eternal life thus to believe in and on Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him or on him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. This is the true and only saving faith Believe on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved saith Paul to the Iailour Act. 16. 31. But I shall not enlarge upon it Briefly by way of Application Where I might take occasion to cast a stone at the dangerous Errour of the Church of Rome which maketh faith to be onely a general assent to the truth of what is revealed in the Scripture and held forth by the Church And so for justifying saving faith they look upon it as no more but a believing of the doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ as that he was the Son of God made man and that he came into the world to save sinners c. In the mean time as for such a particular Application this they make to be the work not of Faith but of Hope But them I shall pass by only chargeing that upon them which our Apostle did upon some Hereticks in his time who dâ—…nyed the Resurrection of the Dead 2 Tim. 2. 18. That concerning the Truth they have erred and have overthrown the faith of some of such as hearken to them whom they teach to trust in a broken Reed Which let not us do Let not us rest in such a general faith but as we desire to receive any benefit from Christ bring we him home by such a particular Application of his Merits to our selves Q. But how shall we be able to do this when as Christ did not intend that the Merit of his Death should be effectual to all how shall we know that we are in the number of those whom he came into the world to Save As for Paul he might know this having a speciall Revelation for it but how shall we come
to know it to be assured of it A. For Answer briefly Are we in measure such as Paul was Truly Penitent sinners such as have been throughly convinced of our sinnes such as have judged and condemned our selves for them such as see and feel the need we have of a Savâ—… our and such as are willing to receive Christ upon Gospel-tearms to take him not only as a Saviour but also as a Soveraign being as willing and desirous to be ruled and governed as to be saved by him Is it so that God hath thus revealed his Son to us and in us as Paul saith he had done to him Gal. 1. 16 If so now stand not to confer with flesh and blood as he there saith he did not Neither be we disobedient to this Heavenly Vision as he tells King Agrippa he was not Act. 26. 19. But hearken we to the command of God the Commandement as St. Iohn there calleth it 1 Iohn 3. 23. This is the Commandement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great Gospel-Command which is That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son In obedience to this Command now come we unto Iesus Christ and lay hold upon him beleeving on him for Life and Salvation being confidently assured that He came into the world to Save us And being assured hereof now despair not of obteining this Benefit by and through Him It matters not what our sinnes have been what for Number what for Nature though never so many never so great though we have been the chief of Sinners yet Despair not Such a one had Paul been yet Repenting and Beleeving on Jesus Christ he obteined Mercy Which he did as he saith in the words after the Text That in him Christ Iesus might shew forth all long-suffering for a Patern to them that should hereafter beleeve on him to everlasting Life And so let him herein be to every of us Onely see that we be changed as he was changed not onely in our Name as he was from Saul to Paul in our outward Profession but inwardly changed changed in our hearts and Lives that we may be able to say and make good what he there doth Gal. 2. 20. that we now live yet no longer we not what sometimes we were but made new Creatures finding Christ dwelling in our Hearts by Faith and working in us by his Spirit conforming us unto Himself in his Death and Resurrection so as we daily die to Sinne and rise to newness of Life Being such now what ever we have been yet comfort we our selves with the Remembrance of these words of the Apostle every of us saying after him This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Iesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief And thus shall I now dismiss You and the Text in the Handling whereof I have by a Divine Providence found the Loaves multiplyed my Meditations much enlarged beyond expectation My desire now is and shall be that they may be sanctified and blessed unto my Self and You for those Ends for which they were intended For which let us Pray FINIS READER THere is lately Printed an Exposition on the Parable of the Rich Fool Luk. 12. 16 22. By Mr. Nehemiah Rogers The same Author that formerly hath written upon the Parable of the Lost-Son Lost-Sheep and Lost-Groat Luk. 15. Also upon the Parable of the Creditor and Debtor Luk. 7. And on the Parable of the Samaritane Luk. 10. And on the Parable of the Friend at Mid-Night Luk. 11. And on the Parable of the Figg-Tree Luk. 13. All which are to be sold by George Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate-Hill 1662. ERRATA PAge 43. line 12. for It is read Is it P. 45. l. 32. for the work he came which about r. the work which he came about December 29. 1661. Parts of the Text Doctrine Application The Dâ—… ctrine Commended Praefatiâ—… haec nobiâ—… sit instaâ—… Buccinâ—… sonâ—…ntis ad publicandum gratiae Christi prâ—…conium Calv. Com. 〈◊〉 Text. 1. From the Veritie of it The Doctrine of the Gospel the word of Truth Compased about with a cloud of witneses From the Dignity of it Quin potius in illorum cordibus â—…rat durities non in sermone Calv. Com. in loc 1. The Doctrine of the Gospel worthy of Acceptation Groecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non tantum acceptionem vel acceptationem sed approbationem Corn a Lapide in Text. 2. Worthy of All Accepâ—…ation 1. To be received by all Men. 2. By all means Estius Com. in Text. Into the Ear worthy to be heard * Into the Head worthy to be studied and believed Cabala Hebâ—…aice idem est quod Acceptio i. e. accepta Doctrina traditio a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kibbet i. e. accepit c. Corn. a lapide in Text. q. d. Iudaei jactant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Traditionem Cabalam sed nugosam et fabulosam ego veram et certam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Traditionem Cabalam a Christo ipso acceptam vâ—…bis trado c. a Lap. ibid. Into the Heart worthy to be entertained with Ioy. With Gratitude Application Divided into 2. Conclusions Christs Iourny Errand Christs Iourny touching which 4 particulars opened Q. 1. Who it was that came Q. 2. How he came Q. 3. From whence he came Q. 4. Whither he came 2. Christs Errand For what he came to be a Saviour For whom he came to save Sinners Some greater sinners than others Christ came to save the greatest of Penitent sinners Use 1. By way of Information 4. Doctrines deduced 1. Touching the two natures in Christ. In mundum venit exprimiâ—… duplicem naturam sc. Divinitatis in qua erat antequam in mundo appareret Humanitatis in qua apparuit Aquin. Com. in Text. 2. The invalidity of the Law Contra Iudaeos significat Legem Legis caeremonias inefficaces esse ad salutem illam enim attulit Christus Corn. a Lapide Com. in Text. 3. The hainous nature of sin Hine discimus enormitatem peccati Idem ibid. Augustine Serm. 9. de verbis Apostoli Cum audis Christum venisse in hunc mundum ut peccatores salvos faceret noli dormire in dulci strato peccati sed audi Paulum dicentem Surge qui dermis illuminabit te Christus Ibid. 4. The wonderful Grace of God to mankind 1. The Grace of God the Father in sending of Christ. Grotius Annot. in 1 Tim. 1. 1 Set forth in 3 Particulars 1. The Person sent his Son 2. For whom he was sent for sinners 3. The benefit to be procured by Him Salvation 2. The Grace of God the Son in coming upon such an Errand Homines desperate aegrotabant ipsa agritudine quia mentes perdiderant etiam medicum caedebant Ille autem etiam cum occideretur medicus erat c. August ubi supra Use 2. Consolation to all and only Penitent
truth hereof so receiving this Truth into our Iudgments looking upon it as a Faithful Saying yielding a full and firm assent and consent unto it Not entertaining any doubtful hesitations concerning it All which our Apostle here maketh it his design to expectorate and drive out of the hearts of Christians holding forth this unto them as a most infallible Doctrine laying it as a sure foundation which they may safely build upon And so do we taking this for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Principle of our Religion the truth whereof is not to be questioned Every of us labour thus to get our hearts established in the belief hereof 3. Thus receiving it into our Understandings and Iudgments Receive we it also into our Memories lodging and laying it up there as a most precious Treasure of inestimable value and singular use Remember it and make use of it as occasion shall be offered Holding it forth as a Buckler for the repelling of those fiery Darts those Satanical Temptations which he is ready to inject for the disquieting and troubling the Souls of poor sinners with the apprehension of their sins The Quantitie and Qualitie the Multitude and Magnitude the Number and Nature of them which being let into the Soul without a Divine support may be enough to sinck it into the Gulph of Desperation Against all these oppose we this faithful Saying Remember the Consolation it holdeth forth That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners A true Catholicon a Soveraign Cordial proper for what ever Faintings the Soul may be subject to 4. Thus lodging it in our Memories Receive we it also into our Wills and Affections imbracing it resting upon it rejoycing in it and being thankful for it 1. Imbracing it as the most acceptable the most welcome Tidings that ever were brought unto the world Had not Iesus Christ come into the world better we had never come into it Were it not for the Sun what were the world but a Dungeon And were it not for this Sun of Righteousness which is risen upon earth we must have sate in darkness to all Eternitie His coming is our reviving Even as the coming of the Sun in the Spring time is unto Hearbs and Plants which before were seemingly dead such is the coming of Jesus Christ unto us who without Him were in a state of Death really dead How welcome then should the tidings hereof be unto us How ready should we receive this Doctrine O were this Doctrine to be Preached to the Spirits in Prison to the Divels and Damned Souls in Hell That Jesus Christ was come to save them how welcome would it be unto them And why not unto us who were it not for this Coming should erelong be in their condition 2. And thus imbracing it now rest upon it making it the sheat-Anchor of our Souls hope riding by it in all storms flying unto Iesus Christ receiving him as our Saviour clasping him in the arms of our Faith resting upon him for Salvation This is true justifying saving faith not barely to believe him to believe that Christ is come into the world but to believe in Him and on Him God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish Joh. 3. 16. He that believeth on him is not condemned Vers. 18. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Vers. 36. Still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eum in him on him As for believing him this is no more than the Divels do I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God saith that unclean Spirit Mark 1. 24. Will we have any benefit by him see that we believe on him receiving him as our Saviour casting our Souls upon the all sufficiency of his Merit there resting for the pardon of all our sins and the Salvation of our Souls 3. And thus resting upon him now rejoyce in him in this his Coming Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion shout for Ioy O Daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King cometh unto thâ—… he is Iust and having Salvation saith the Prophet Zacharie to the Church Zach. 9. 9. This coming of Christ in the Flesh is a matter of great Joy as you have heard And so let it be entertained by us Rejoyce we in this our King and Saviour Rejoycing not with a carnal and sensual joy such as that joy is wherewith the memory of this great benefit is by some and too many celebrated at this Season of the year but a spiritual joy sutable to the benefit which he came to procure for us which is spiritual and eternal Salvation In the apprehension hereof let all true Believers who have received Christ into their hearts exsult and rejoyce rejoycing in this their God and Saviour as Mary saith she did Luke 1. 47. joyning in consort with that multitude which attending upon him in his Coming to Ierusalem cryed saying Hosannah to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosannah in the Highest Mat. 21. 9. 4. And thus rejoycing in it Be we thankful for it really thankful studying how to express our gratitude for so great a Favour Not by letting loose the raines to all kind of licentiousness which hath been and I fear still is the practice of too many who at this Season of the year take greater liberty to abuse the Creatures of God and to waste and mis-spend their precious time in vain if not sinful Recreationâ—… and Disports than at any other times as if the end of Christs coming had been not to bind Satan but to let him loose not to save sinners from their sins but to indulge them in them Not so but by endeavouring to walk answerably to so great a favour so as becometh the redeemed of the Lord. All of us taking out and practising that Lesson which our Apostle telleth us this Grace of God teacheth us Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men this saving Grace of God in sending his Son upon this Errand which hath now under the Gospel appeared to all men not only Jews but Gentiles teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world To this end it was as you have heard That Christ came into the world to save sinners to save them from their sins from the power as well as from the guilt of them to redeem them from all iniquity Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works as we have it Tit. 2. 14. that being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies our Spiritual enemies Sin Satan Hell Death we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life as Zacharias hath it in his Song Luk. 1. 74 75. And thus
do not but what I hate that I do ver 19. The good that I would that I do not but the evil which I would not that I do And so out of the strength of Corruption working in him and sometimes prevailing against him I finde saith he a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me ver 21. I see a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of Sin which is in my Members Thus was this precious Saint much taken up not onely with reflecting upon his former sinnes before Conversion but with considering his present condition In the sense and apprehension whereof he therebreaks forth into that passionate complaint Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this Death And so here in the Text Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief Not onely was but am a Sinner a great sinner still Thus were his sins ever before him sins before Conversion and sins after Conversion And so is it in measure with every Gracious soul being truly Penitent for sin it cannot forget it it is frequent in the Remembrance of it And it cannot be otherwise the Eyes of such a one being in the First place throughly opened The man whose eyes are open saith Balaam of himself Numb 24. 3. Meaning either his Bodily eyes which being closed whilst he was in a Trance were now opened or rather the eyes of his Mind which were now opened to behold and fore-see those future events which before were hid from him and others It may be applied to every true Convert Every such a one is a man whose eyes were shut but now they are open the eyes of his Understanding being opened to see the true Nature of Sin and to see it in himself to see the sinfulness of his Nature and of his Life 2. And his Understanding being thus Enlightned his Conscience is withal Awakned so as That doth the Office for which it was placed in the Soul being as a faithful Register recording and remembring the several Acts of sin 3. And again Thirdly the True Penitent sinner hath been pricked at his heart As is said of those new Converts Acts 2. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were pricked in their Hearts deeply affected with the Sense of those Sins whereof they were by Peter's Sermon convinced And so in measure are all true Penitent Sinners Being convinced of their Sins they are in like manner affected with grief and sorrow of Heart for them Now that which goeth near a mans Heart maketh a deep and firm impression upon the Memory so as it cannot easily be forgotten These and many other Reasons might be given Why a Regenerate person should be so mindful of his own sins and that more than the sins of others The sinnes of others however they both may and ought to affect a Christian upon the seeing or hearing of them yet they come not so near the Heart they make not so deep an Impression upon the Soul as a mans own Sinnes do Thus have I done with the Doctrinal part of this first Branch Which now bring we home to our selves by way of Application Let that be directed onely two Wayes By way of Conviction By way of Exhortation 1st By way of Conviction Is this the Disposition of a truly Gracious Soul a true Penitent sinner How many then are there who may from hence be convinced that they are none of this number being such as seldom or never reflect upon their own sinfulness or if they do they do it not in a right way and manner Of these I shall reckon up four or five several sorts 1. Some there are and many whose Consciences were never yet awakened their eyes were never yet opened to see their own sinfulness the sinfulness of their natures and errours of their lives Such a dead sleep hath seised upon them that nothing will awaken them Notwithstanding that their sins being it may be crying sins cry loud in their ears yet they hear them not Notwithstanding that the Iudgments of God against those sins and against them for them have been by his Ministers thundered out in their ears enough to shake and rend the most rocky heart yet they stir not them Notwithstanding that their sins have taken hold upon them and broke forth upon them in many terrible and remarkable Judgments pointing out their sins unto them yet they affect them not Still they go on in their way being stupid and sensless never brought to consider the state and condition they are in never brought to fix a serious thought upon any of their sins though never so foul never so open and scandalous Others see them the world cryeth shame on them yet themselves are not at all touched with the sense of them Such a dead sleep as I called it is fallen upon them And well may it so be called When a man cannot be awakened by hallowing in his ears by pricking and pinching and smiting of him we conclude he is in a desperate Lethargie a dead sleep And is not this the case of many stupid Souls among us Word Threatnings Iudgments Word Pronounced Threatnings Denounced Judgments Executed yet all stir not them Still they lie in sin go on in sin without sense without remorse never reflecting upon themselves upon their hearts or lives to consider the evil of them This is that which the Lord complaineth of in the people of Hierusalem Jer. 8. 6. I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness Saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the Battle Such was their general securitie and stupiditie none of them had any remorse or touch at all in their Consciences for any of their sins so far forth as but to think once seriously with themselves What it was that they had done But like a fierce headstrong horse which hearing the sound of the Trumpet and seeing or smelling the Battle a far off doth with much violence notwithstanding what his Rider can do to hold him in in a full Carier make towards it and rusheth into the midst of it Such was the eagerness of that people to the pursuit of their sinful wayes and courses And so is it with too many every where Whatever can be said or done to them yet still they will hold on their course nothing can bring them to a serious consideration of the evil thereof So far are they from that tenderness of Conscience which was in this our blessed Apostle and is to be found in measure in every regenerate person who having tender hearts as Iosiah is said to have 2 Chron. 34. 27. the least hint is enough to bring their sins to remembrance that nothing will stir nothing will awaken them Certainly a fearful state a desperate condition a clear