in Christ and how may that be known thus by our being New Creatures The Apostle sets it down indefinitely that he may reach every person if any man be in Christ c. This New Creature is one of the greatest riddles of Christianity to men that have it not 'T is that new creation which the Soul passes under in the work of Conversion or that great and universal change which follows upon Conversion a converted man is a changed man a quite other person than what he was before he may say with Austine I am not I all old things are pass'd away and all things are become new as it follows in the place alledged Upon Conversion understanding judgment thoughts will affections Conscience heart tongue life all is new when the Sinner is turned from Sin to God he hath new Principles from which he acts new Ends for which he acts new Guides and Rules by which he acts is not here a wonderful change Now are you acquainted with this New Creature what do you find of it in your selves it converns you to make sure of it for all is nothing without it * Gal. 6.15 In Christ Jesus and so in reference to the proof of being in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature O this is all in all this must be the sure and infallible witness of your Union with Christ Therefore examine your selves about it I beseech you look back compare your selves with your selves hath any thorough change been wrought in you are you not the same you ever were just such as you came into the world Can any that hears me say O blessed be God! 't is not with me as it hath been Time was when I was blind as ignorant a Creature as any but I hope now in some measure I am enlightened God hath shined into me and set up such a Light in me that I see what I never saw before and I see it in another manner than I did before Time was when I could swear curse be drunk take Gods name in vain profane Sabbaths c. but I dare not now give way to such impieties Time was when Sin and I agreed very well but now my heart rises at it * Psal 119.104 I hate every false way Time was when I had no love for Duty I liv'd in the total omission of it but now I love Prayer I love the Word and all the Ordinances of Christ are precious to me Time was when I was all for the world my whole heart was taken up in it but now * Phil. 3.8 I count all but loss that I may gain Christ now None but Christ none but Christ Can any of you thus speak here 's a change indeed upon that the New Creature indeed and upon that Being in Christ indeed There 's a double change which evermore accompanies the Mystical Vnion 1. The State of the Person is changed He who before he was in Christ was a Child of wrath is now upon his being in Christ an heir of Grace he that before the Union was in a state of Condemnation is now after the Union in a state of Salvation 2. The Nature is changed there 's a new Nature a new Soul not physically yet morally infus'd into the regenerate person the * 2 Pet. 1.4 divine Nature it self is now communicated to him whereupon he doth not think speak or act as he did before he doth not love or live as before he walks in newness of life as 't is Rom. 6.4 This is the change which we are to make sure of for assuredly the Lord Jesus will put none into his bosome or make them a part of himself but first the New Creature shall pass upon them to prepare and make them fit for so near and so close an Union 'T is not consistent with his honour to take a Sinner just as he finds him and without any more adoe to own him as a member of himself There out any more adoe to own him as a member of himself There cannot be a passage-from one Head to another but there must be some not able alteration Christ will not break off a branch from the first root and ingraft it into himself but he will first alter the very nature and property of it 'T is not in the power of Creatures to change those whom they take into Union with them the Husband may take the Wife into his bosome but he cannot change her Nature temper disposition As Bernard saith of Moses Aethiopissam-duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem he married an Aethiopian but he could not alter her Aethiopian complexion much less could he alter her inward temper But Christ can and doth thus work upon those whom he takes into near Union and relation if he joyns the black swarthy Soul to himself he puts a new complexion upon it he makes it comely with his own comeliness as God promises Ezek. 16.14 So then by this you may know whether you be truly really savingly in Christ viz if you be new Creatures without the new Creation there 's no Mystical Vnion 2. Another trying Scripture is that Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's who are in him have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts This also is a very close Word and it speaks this No Crucifixion no Vnion The crucified Head will have crucified Members he that is planted in Christs person shall * Rom. 6.4 be planted in the likeness of Christs death O is Sin crucified in you did you ever set that upon the Cross which brought the Son of God to the Cross is there in you that death to sin which carries some analogy to Christs death for sin is the Flesh with all its cursed retinue the affections and lusts thereof mortified in you is the corrupt Nature dead as to its former power and soveraignty in the Soul for that 's the crucifixion here spoken of Assure your Selves Christ will not have a member in him to be under a foreign power the Flesh shall not be the Ruler where He is the Head where he brings about the Vnion he will have the Dominion My Text too speaks of this Flesh and it tells you that they who are in Christ Jesus do not walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit Paul here seems to rise and to go on step by step would you know who are exempted from Condemnation he tells you such who are in Christ would you further know who are in Christ he tells you such who walk not c. Here then is the Characteristical Note of all who are in Christ they live not the fleshly carnal sensual Life but the spiritual heavenly holy Life Sirs what is your walking 't is the Conversation that must discover the Vnion do but reflect upon your course of Life and that will plainly tell you to what Head you belong 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself
5.8 If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith You are Christ's * Joh. 13.1 own of his house and kindred nearly related to him nay members of himself and therefore certainly he will provide for you And that he will do in all your concerns whether outward or inward that look as you must * 1 Cor. 6.20 glorifie God in you body and in your spirit for both are Gods so Christ will supply you in your bodies in your spirits for both are his Death shall not hurt them 5. Are you in Christ then you have no reason to be afraid of Death Though it be * Job 18.4 the King of terrours of all terribles the most terrible yet as to you there 's no cause of fear why because it can never dissolve the union that is betwixt Christ and you and so long as that abides death can never do you much hurt Hear me thou sincere Christian do'st thou live thou art in Christ do'st thou dye thou art in Christ neither life nor death therefore shall be hurtful to thee Nay 't is so far from that that death it self shall be thy advantage To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil 1.21 You read of dying in the Lord Rev. 14.13 of sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 the Saints dye their bodies are thrown into the grave that vast repository yet there they are united to Christ yea their very dust is so This Death cuts asunder all other knots but it cannot do so to the mystical knot it dissolves the union 'twixt soul and body 'twixt husband and wife c. but it shall never dissolve the union betwixt Christ and the believing Soul When the body of a Child of God shall be no better than a rotten carkass Christ will say O yet this very carkass is precious to me for 't is in union with me * Psal 102.14 David speaks of the Saints favouring the dust of Zion the very dust of dead Believers is valued by Christ insomuch that he will not lose the least atome of it They shall certainly rise again 6. Are you in Christ Here 's matter of Comfort as to the certainty of an happy resurrection Your bodies may be lock'd up in the grave for a time but Christ who hath the key of the grave they being united to him will certainly open it and take them out he will raise them up again and that with advantage too for they shall then * Phil. 3.21 be fashioned like to his own glorious body The head is risen and the members shall rise also by virtue of the union that is betwixt them Quod praecessit in capite sequetur in corpore as Austine speaks 1 Cor. 15.20 Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And this is not to be limited to a bare resurrection there is more in it than so for * Dan. 12.2 1 Cor. 15.22 all shall arise the resurrection shall be general and universal But yet there will be a vast difference in it 't will be an happy resurrection to them who are in Christ but a dreadful resurrection to others The wicked shall be raised by Christ as a judge in order to their tryal and the passing of the sentence of death upon them but the Saints shall be raised by Christ as an head virtute unionis in order to the receiving of the blessed sentence of life Joh. 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation How should Believers rejoyce in this Great is the love of the Father to them 7. Are you in Christ then great is the Fathers love to you Take Believers as they are in themselves the Father greatly loves them but now as they are in Christ and made one with him there 's an additional love an higher love belonging to them from the Father because they are so near to his own Son Therefore upon this union God loves them with the same love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me c. that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me O Believers what a love hath the Father for you upon this And Christ's own love too is very great to you for you are his flesh and * Eph. 5.29 30. no man ever hated his own flesh yea he told his Disciples * Joh. 15.9 As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you So near an union must needs be accompanied with a very dear affection 't is not always so with us but as to Christ the strength of the affection from him shall always be answerable to the nearness of the union with him They shall persevere 8. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort as to your perseverance stability and fixedness in the state of grace This upon which all depends a Child of God may be fully assured of for will Christ lose a member a part of himself shall one united to him finally and totally fall away from him no that shall not be So long as the union is firm and indissoluble do not fear I speak not against the duty of fear but the sin of fear 'T is not here in and out in to day and out to morrow but 't is once in Christ and ever in Christ there 's your safety Indeed the Saints stand firm upon several great foundations as the Fathers election the * Heb. 6.17 immutability of his council the tenour of the Covenant c. but this also must be taken in their inseperable union with Christ You are not only in Christ's hands out of which none shall pluck you Joh. 10.28 but you are in Christ as your head and who shall be able to sever the members from this head If Christ should lose a member he would be imperfect as an head you are * Eph. 1.23 his fulness as hath been said now he will be Christus plenus a full Christ as * Aug. in Ps 36. he speaks which he would not be if any of his members should be taken away from him If he might lose one he might then lose another and another and so he would be sure of none O your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 therefore 't is sure and
Holiness c. He that will undertake to redeem Sinners must have all these for they all were indispensably requisite to such an undertaking the Lord Jesus had them all and that too in an eminent and extraordinary measure as I might easily shew at large never did any meer Creature arrive at that pitch of Wisdom Power Holiness c. which he did therefore none so fit to be sent as he 3. 'T was grounded upon his Sonship and neer relation to God Who so fit to make others the adopted sons of God as he who was himself the Natural Son of God 4. Vpon the glory and dignity of his Person He was the image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 the express image of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 Now who so fit to restore Man to God's image as that Man who was the essential image of God 5. Christ's admirable and transcendent fitness was grounded upon his threefold Office as he was King Priest and Prophet For hereupon he was and is fit to deal both with God and Man he 's a Friest to deal with God a King and Prophet to deal with Man Doth God stand upon Satisfaction Christ is a Priest to die and to offer up himself an expiatory Sacrifice or will God keep his distance from the Creature and be known in his greatness Christ is a Priest to mediate and intercede Then is the Sinner under ignorance and darkness Christ is a Prophet to inlighten and teach or is he under the tyranny of sin and a rebel against God Christ is King to rescue subdue and conquer him to himself to bring and keep him under his own dominion and government To sum up all there are but two things to be done for the Sinner in order to his happiness viz. impetration and application now both of these are done by Christ's threefold Office By the first part of his Priestly Office his Oblation there wâ—s the impetration for by that he procured purchased merited all good by the second part of his Priestly Office his intercession there 's the application And because both God and the Creature are to be dealt withal in order to this application therefore Christ doth accordingly deal with both of them with God he deals in the way of prayer or intercession for God because of his Majesty and Soveraignty will be treated in this manner with the Creature he deals in the way of power partly by dispelling the darkness of the mind which he doth as Prophet and partly by taking off the rebellion of the Will and bringing the stubborn Sinner under a ready subjection to God which he doth as King Which things being done all that Christ hath purchased is now made over and actually applyed to the Creature Upon the Whole then it follows that Christ being invested with these Offices which are every way so full of so great virtue so suited to the Nature and demands of God and the condition of the Sinner he must needs be by many degrees the fittest-Person to be sent by God Before I go off from this Head I desire One thing may be taken notice of It must be granted that the sending of Christ was praevious and antecedent to several of the Things which have been mentioned as the demonstrations of his superlative fitness to be sent and the grounds of his being sent Yet nevertheless they may be alledged and made use of in that notion because though in our apprehension if not also in the Nature of the Thing they were after the sending yet in the eye and estimation of God they were before it For instance Christ just at his sending had not then assumed the Humane Nature we suppose that to antecede his incarnation yet God judged him a person fit to be sent because of that Nature And so he might very well for though the incarnation as considered in it self was future yet as to the knowledge consideration estimation of God it was present and done already I thought it necessary to put in this for the preventing of an Objection which might arise in the thoughts of Some upon the reading of what hath been laid down 4. Fourthly God therefore sent Christ not only because he was the fittest Person to be sent but because indeed he was the only Person that could be sent for none but he could effect or accomplish Man's Redemption If God will be so gracious as to send 't was not only convenient but necessary that he should send this very person his own Son for there was none Other in heaven or earth that could go through an undertaking of this nature There were Evils to be indured which were above the strength of any meer Creature to indure there were Evils to be removed the Wrath of God the Guilt of Sin the Curse of the Law which no meer Creature was able to remove there were also Blessings to be procured as Reconciliation with God Justification Adoption eternal Salvation which no such Creature possibly could procure O no! therefore Christ himself must come or nothing can be done Why did not God send an Angel rather than his Son why because he knew Redemption-work was no work for an Angel no not for the whole body of Angels If the whole Order of them had come from heaven and combined all their strength together they could not have redeemed so much as One Soul I dispute not how far God by his mighty power might have enabled an Angel to have bore up under the greatest sufferings Suppose he might have had such a strength as to have been able to undergo all that Christ did yet under the highest communications of the grace of God to him he being still a meer Creature could never satisfie for what was past not merit for what was to come he could neither expiate sin nor procure eternal Life No these are things which could only be accomplished by Him who was more than a meer finite or created being even by the Lord Jesus who was Man but God too wherefore he 's the Person whom the Father will send And he very well understood himself in what he did if the work had been possible to have been effected by any Creature God would have employd that Creature and spar'd his own Son nothing but absolute necessity made him to fix upon this course So much for the Reasons why God sent his Son which we poor dim-sighted creatures do but in a manner guess at but he himself understands them fully As * Acts 15.18 all his works are known to him so also the special reasons of all his works are known to him and eminently those which he went upon in this his highest and greatest work When we come to heaven we shall more fully know why Christ was sent but here our knowledge is very dark and imperfect about it I have done with the three Things which I propounded to open and so have dispatch'd the Doctrinal part I am now to make some practical
semel tantum missus est Dei Filius secundum alterum saepe missus est mittitur quotidie Nam secundum alterum missus est ut sit Homo semel tantum factum est secundum alterum verò mittitur ut sit cum Homine quomodo quotidiè mittitur ad Sanctos missus est etiam ante incarnationem ad omnes Sanctos qui ante fuerunt etiam ad Angelos Unde Aug. de Filio c. Lomb. L. 1. D. 13. twofold sending of him the one External and Visible the other Internal and Invisible the First was Christ's sending to be Man that 's past and over and was to be but once the Second is Christ's sending into Man that yet continues and is reiterated from time to time Now these two though they are of a different nature must not be parted he that would regularly hope for Salvation by Christ must have the latter as well as the former sending for 't is most certain that a Christ without if it be not also a Christ within will never save A Christ in our Flesh must be accompanied with a Christ in our Hearts there must be not only a Christ sent to us but also a Christ sent into us or else he will not profit us The whole business of Merit lies upon the Christ without as he took our Nature and therein fulfilled the Law but the fitting or qualifying of persons to have a share in the blessings merited that lies in the Christ within as he is received into the heart In a word the impetration is by Christ without but the application is by Christ within Now therfore I say you must nor rest in the One unless you find the Other too there are very dangerous mistakes abroad in the world about this Some are all for a Christ within making nothing of a Christ without a most pernicious Opinion and destructive of all Christianity Others again are all for a Christ without contenting themselves with this that he was sent into the world to save Sinners and this to them is enough for future happiness they look no farther But now whoever would be wise to Salvation must take in both so as to adore believe in rest upon a Christ as externally sent and yet so as to make sure of a Christ in * Col. 1.27 himself through the gracious operations of the Spirit Paul here in this Verse speaks of the External Sending in the 10 Verse he speaks of the Internal Sending And if Christ be in you all that live under the Gospel know the former but few know the latter O how is it with you Christ was sent to you but is he in you he was formed in the Virgins womh but is he formed in your hearts as the expression is Gal. 4.19 he came from heaven in a corporeal manner for you but did he ever in a spiritual manner come into you you have the external mission but have you also the mystical Vnion hath the Father who sent his own Son in your Flesh sent also his own Spirit into your hearts which is the great Promise of the New Testament as the former was the great Promise of the Old see Joh. 14.26 Joh. 15.26 Joh. 16.7 'Pray search diligently into these things for be assured that a Christ as only sent in the likeness of sinful flesh if He and his Spirit be not also received within I say a Christ so stated will never make you happy Men exhorted to believe in him whom God sent 6. Did God thus send Christ it calls aloud to you all to believe in him Hath the Father chosen him set him apart every way fitted him to be a Redeemer sent him into the world for that end and after all this will you not receive embrace fly to and venture your selves your All upon him O what an Argument is this to draw Sinners to an hearty closure with Christ what will engage Souls to believe on him if this will not Christ as sent is the Object the Ground and also the great Encouragement of Faith Sinners you may very safely believe on him for he 's no Impostor or Deceiver but that very person whom God sent to be the Saviour of the world And 't is not only so that you may safely believe on him but 't is your great duty to believe on him for he who sent him layes this as his grand Command upon you so to do 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that great Work which he injoyns that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 'T is observable how high Christ speaks of the knowledge of himself under this notion as he was sent of God Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent As also how desirous he was that the World might know and believe that he was thus sent of God Joh. 17.21 23. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me Now what was it that Christ propounded to himself in all this certainly he had more in his eye than the bare notional knowledge of or naked assent to this great Truth that he was the Person sent of God Yes his desire reach'd to a practical and fiducial knowledge of it to such a knowledge as might be attended with true and saving Faith So that 't is not enough for you to know and believe in a common and general way that Christ was indeed sent of God which will only make you differ from Jews and Heathens but you must so know and so believe it as to receive accept close with rest upon him in a saving manner which will make you differ from all outside and formal Christians Further let it be considered what was God's great design in the sending of Christ 't was this that Sinners believing in him might live So the Gospel tells you over and over * Joh. 3.16 17 God so loved the world that he gave or sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved is not here a strong engagement as well as an high encouragement to believe And it being God's act to send his Son he looks upon Himself as highly concerned according as men carry it towards him therefore saith Christ * Math. 10.40 He that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me * Luk. 10.16 He that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And especially this holds true in
a literal speculative notional knowledge of him as such so as to know both him and his Sonship practically and savingly O then be much in Prayer Read and pray hear and pray meditate and pray study and pray he studies this mystery and all others best who study's it most upon his knees This special and supernatural Sonship of Christ is not savingly to be known without special and supernatural illumination from Christ through the Spirit 'T is observable that in Matth. 16.17 when Peter had made that * Matth. 16.16 good Confession Thou art Christ the Son of the living God see what Christ resolved it into †17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven You know that passage Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son or makes others to know him but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him these two Persons do make known each the other the Father reveals the Son and the Son reveals the Father the Son is a fit Person to reveal the Father for he 's his only begotten Son and lies in his bosom therefore he saith * Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is the bosom of the Father he hath declared him and the Father is also a fit Person to reveal the Son for he having begotten him and having had him with himself from everlasting he knows him exactly O therefore go to him by Prayer beseech him to reveal his Son to you 'T is a great thing to know Christ in this relation so great that there must be an heavenly light a spiritual understanding given to a man before he can come up to it mark that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 5.20 And hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true he speaks of the knowing of Christ as the true Son of God 't is as if the Apostle had said if God had not illuminated our understandings and irradiated them with a divine light we had never known Christ savingly in this notion He who begat the Son of himself from all eternity to him it appertains by his Spirit in time savingly to reveal this Son to the Creature and therefore your work lyes with him in prayer to beg of him this revelation of the Son So much for the first thing 2. Branch of the Exhortation To believe Christ to be the Son of God and to believe on him as the Son of God 2. A second branch of the Exhortation shall be this Is Christ God's own Son then do you believe him to be such and believe on him as such The first we call dogmatical the second justifying and saving Faith the first is assent to the proposition that Christ is God's own Son the second is relyance upon the person who is and as he is God's own Son The first is more general and common for all who bear the name of Christians in some sense or other come up to it yet notwithstanding there is much worth and excellency in it though not so much as in the latter and that is absolutely necessary in order to the second for how can he believe on Christ as the Son of God who doth not first dogmatically believe him to be the Son and such a Son of God And this general Faith too as well as that which is more special admits of degrees for though all Christians believe it yet some are more confirmed rooted stablished in the belief of it than others are Now therefore this is that which I would press upon you to labour after a more steady unshaken fixed believing of this great Foundation-Truth I hope you do believe it but do you believe it in such a degree doth not your faith sometimes waver about it is not your assent weak and languid attended with doubtings and questionings are you rooted and * Col. 2.7 stablished in the faith as of other things so in special of this great Article of the Christian Religion are you come up unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ as the Apostle speaks Col. 2.2 I could most heartily wish that it was thus with you and with all who do profess that they believe Christ to be the Son of God but I fear it is not so Now my Brethren that I may the better excite you to labour after a full and firm assent hereunto consider that one special-reason or end why a great part of the New Testament was written was this that you might believe and be confirmed in your belief of this very thing Joh. 20.31 But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name You may observe concerning this Evangelist St. John as of all the other Evangelists he was most inspir'd in the revealing of Christ's divine Sonship so he was also most inspir'd in the pressing of men to believe it and in the setting out of the weightiness of the belief of it 1 Joh. 2.23 Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also 1 Joh. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 1 Joh. 5.5 Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God What a mighty stress did this great Apostle lay upon it O how doth it concern all upon the Considerations laid down by him to live under a steady belief of Christ's being the Son of God! Indeed this is the Foundation-Truth Christ himself is the personal foundation and this Truth not exclusively but eminently is the doctrinal foundation to both of which that famous and so much controverted Text is applicable Matth. 16.18 I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it upon this rock what rock doth Christ mean was it Peter personally considered or was it Peter and his Successors as Some would have it they meaning by these Successors the POPES of ROME whom I trust I shall never close with in this interpretation so long as 't is this rock and not this sand undoubtedly let but persons be unbyass'd and not wedded to Party's and Opinions calculated for worldly designs and Interests nothing is more clear than that by this rock we are to understand either the Person of Christ or that Doctrinal proposition which Peter had laid down concerning him Vers 16. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God after which it immediately follows Vpon this rock I will build my Church or else we
of God You find in Scripture that saving Faith is described by its special reference to Christ as standing in this relation so Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me why doth the Apostle thus express it by the Faith of the Son of God I answer partly because Christ the Son of God is the efficient and * Heb. 12.2 author of faith partly because this Son is the great Object of faith and partly because Faith in its essential act doth very much eye Christ as thus related to the Father for 't is a believing or relying upon him as the Son of God 'T is very usual in the Gospel where it speaks of believing to mention Christ with it as standing in this relation 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him as the only begotten Son should not perish but have everlasting life O what a person is Gods own Son for Sinners to believe on what an all-sufficient Saviour how able to * Heb. 7.25 save to the utmost must he needs be who is God and Man the Son of God and the Son of Man And indeed 't is not enough barely to believe on Christ but there must be such a believing on him as may in some measure be answerable to this his relation is he God's own Son at what a rate should we believe what a faith should we act upon him what great things should we expect for him and from him can any thing be too high for our faith when we have the proper natural Son of God in our eye as its basis and foundation Saints should have their faith raised not only upon the encouragement of the Promises but also upon the consideration of Christ's Person as he is so near and dear to God I have formerly observed how our Apostle in the Text rises higher and higher in the setting forth of the Love of God he sayes God sent there was Love he sent his own Son there was more Love this own Son he sent in the likeness of sinful flesh there was yet more Love and this he did for this end that he might for sin condemn sin in the Flesh c. there was the very top and zenith of Love Now as there is a rise in these things in the setting off the Love of God so there is also a rise in them in their several engagements and encouragements to us to believe in Christ and to believe in him yet more and more firmly and fiducially he was sent therefore we must believe he was and is God's own Son therefore we must the rather and the more strongly believe he took our flesh here 's an higher argument for an higher faith in that flesh he condemned sin performed all that the Law commanded suffered all that the Law threatned what a faith doth this call for Now if notwithstanding all this it shall yet be either no believing or but faint-believing both will be sad though in a great disparity for the faint-believing is unanswerable to what is reveal'd and uncomfortable to the Saint but the no-believing is damnable to the Sinner 3. Branch of the Exhortation To honour Christ 3. Thirdly is Christ God's own Son how then should all honour and adore him certainly upon this Sonship the highest yea even divine adoration it self is due to him Is he a Son such a Son the Son of such a Father the greatness of his Person arising from that high and near relation wherein he stands to God calls for the highest respect reverence veneration which Angels or Men can possibly give unto him Besides this 't is the absolute Will of the Father that all should * Joh. 5.23 honour his Son even as they honour himself for he having the same Nature and Essence with the Father the Father will have him have the same honour which he himself hath which whosoever deny's to him reflects dishonour upon the Father who will not bear any thing derogatory to the glory of his Son 'T is a known * Nicephor lib. 12. cap. 9. Sozom. l. 7. c. 6. story that of the carriage of Amphilochius to the Emperour Theodosius he had petitioned the Emperour to be severe against the Arrians to discountenance and suppress them because in their Opinions they did so much disparage the Son of God but could not prevail whereupon he made use of this device coming one day into the presence of the Emperour and of his Son Arcadius who now ruled joyntly with his Father he made his humble obeysance to the Emperour himself and shewed him all reverence but as for his Son he passed him by shewed him no respect at all rather dealt derisorily with him stroking him upon his head and saying to him in a way of contempt Salve tu Fili The Emperour upon this was much offended sharply reproves Amphilochius for his affront to his Son c. whereupon the good man vindicates his carriage plainly telling the Emperour he had given reverence enough to his Son And now the Emperour was more incens'd commands him with great indignation to be thrust out of his presence c. which whilst some was doing Amphilochius turn'd himself to the Emperour and said thus O Emperour thou being but a man canst not bear the contempt or disparagement of thy Son how dost thou think the great God can bear that contempt of his Son which the Arrians cast upon him the Emperour was much affected at this begg'd the Bishop's pardon commended his ingeny and did that now which he refus'd to do before The inference is undenyable if great Men stand so much upon the giving of all honour and due observance to their Sons much more will the Great God stand upon the giving of all due Honour and Reverence to his own and only Son O therefore let Christ be highly adored and honoured by you If you ask me how I answer every honouring of him is not sufficient but it must be such as may suit with his infinite Majesty and Greatness you must conceive of him as God as the Natural and eternal Son of God and according to that honour which is due to him as such so you must honour him The Apostle speaks of some * Rom. 1.21 who when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God so some pretend to give some glory to Christ but they do not glorifie him as God O this is that which you must come up to to adore and reverence Christ in such a manner
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ O if he had not condescended to take our flesh there had been * c. Alioqui nec satis propinqua vicinitas nec affinitas satis firma unde nobis spes fieret Deum nobiscum habitare tantum erat inter nostras sordes summam Dei munditiem dissidium Calvin Instit lib. 2. c. 12. no such thing as our Communion with God but now 't is sure And so 't is in the other things which were mentioned what is Christ's gracious presence in the Soul or the in-dwelling of the Spirit in a child of God both of which are often spoken of in Scripture to the personal presence and inhabitation of the Godhead in the Manhood of Christ In him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 Communications of Grace from God 3. There are such and such communications of Grace from God to a gracious heart these are very secret yet very sure and credible Upon communion of Nature communications of Grace do certainly follow Christ having assumed flesh there 's now a way made through which God may convey his Mercy and Love to Creatures as he pleases The Godhead is the fountain from which all flows and there 's now a pipe to convey supply's from that fountain viz. the Manhood of Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him by Christ in our flesh all things come to us and we by him go to God he is the Way as he saith of himself Joh. 14.6 the Way by which our duties are handed to God and God's mercies to us O so long as Christ is Mediator betwixt God and Man as God-man there may and there shall be mutual intercourses and communications betwixt God and Man Sonship to God 4. The Scripture speaks much of the Sonship and Adoption of Believers A very great and glorious priviledge infinitely too great for such despicable worms as we are considered in our selves yet through the Grace of God in a Christ incarnate it is ours This neer relation to God upon the Manhood of his own Son is now made very * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in 1 Joh. Si Naturâ Dei filius propter filios hominum factus est Hominis filius quantò est credibilius Naturâ Filios Hominis Gratiae Dei filios fieri c. Aug. de Trinit lib. 13. c. 9. credible for if the Son of God was made the Son of Man why may not the Sons of Men be also made the Sons of God if the One was so abased why may not the Other be so advanced Especially if we consider that the bringing of Believers into this near relation was one great and special end why Christ was incarnate Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons When the Evangelist had laid down the exaltation of believers to a state of Sonship Joh. 1.12 and had shown how that is brought about Vers 13. immediately he falls upon Christ's being made flesh V. 14. whether the latter carries any reference to the former or is brought in upon this or that account with respect to the Saints Sonship spoken of I will not be positive in determining one way or another only this I say as to the thing 't is not incredible that such who believe should become the Sons of God when the Word was made Flesh The Resurrection of the Body 5. There 's the Resurrection of the Body And what more incredible to us than that though the Sâ—riptures are very express and plain in the asserting of it though we know the Power of God and have many Considerations for the assuring us of its truth and certainty yet how apt are we to stagger and to be under doubtful thoughts about it But saith the Apostle Acts 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead blessed Paul is the Resurrection of the dead a thing not incredible what is there to take off the incredibility of it why enough and enough especially to us Christians Christ's Incarnation and that which followed upon it is sufficient to remove the incredibility of this mystery for he took our flesh then died in our flesh then rose again in our flesh I say in our flesh for he rose not only with a true Body but with the self-same Body that ours is with that very Body in which he died and was buried and if so why then should the Resurrection of our Flesh or Bodies be incredible This is nothing but what hath been done already to and in our flesh and 't is less to raise flesh than to take flesh 't was more strange for him who was God to die than 't is for him who is Man being dead to live again If it be said that Christ was an extraordinary Person and therefore that his Resurrection is not to be bottomed upon for the making of ours sure and certain I answer but it is because he did not rise as a single Person but as a common Head and therefore he rising we may be assur'd that we shall rise too 1 Cor. 15.20 21 22. But now is Christ risen from the dead become the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive He that believes Christ's Incarnation will upon that believe the Resurrection As 't is well observ'd by some upon that passage betwixt Christ and Martha which we read of Joh. 11. where he asked her vers 25 26. I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die believest thou this mark her answer Vers 27. She said unto him yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world as if she had said yea Lord I do believe that thou canst raise the dead since thou art the Son of God which wast to be and now art incarnate he questions her about the Resurrection she professeth her faith in his Incarnation yet her Answer was very pertinent because she believing this could not but believe that also 6. The possessing of the heavenly glory is the highest of all The Heavenly Glory and therefore of all the most incredible for usually the higher the mercy is the harder it is to believe it What saith the poor Christian shall I in this flesh see God and live with him for ever O this is a thing very improbable much too big for my
what could there be in them to pacisie an angry God or to to purifie a guilty Sinner what was the blood of a Beast as considered in it self to expiate the sin of a Man The Apostle plainly tells us Heb. 10.4 It is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin therefore he sayes there was no perfection by the Levitical Priesthood Heb. 7.11 and the Law made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 in which were offered gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9.9 So that whatever virtue those Sacrifices had further than the taking away of civil guilt ritual uncleanness securing from Church and State-penalties it wholly depended upon the institution of God and the merit of Christ The brazen Serpent heal'd such as were stung yet not from any intrinsick power in it self but only as God was pleas'd to give that power and efficacy to it and so 't was here in the case of the old Sacrifices These four things I have laid down both to clear up the Sacrifices themselves and also because they are of great use to set us right in our conceptions about Christ the great Sacrifice which must be opened by them Answerably now to these two great Ends and Effects of the Mosaical Sacrifices the same were designed to be done and were actually done by the Lord Jesus when he offered up himself to God upon the Cross whereby he also 1. atoned God 2. expiated the sin of the Elect. As God was angry and offended with the Sinner so Christ by his death procur'd atonement pacification reconciliation as the Sinner lay under guilt so Christ brought about the purgation or expiation of his guilt both of these were done by him and that too not only really but in a much higher way than what was done by the old Sacrifices therefore he was a true proper expiatory Sacrifice yea the most eminent expiatory Sacrifice Of atonement and reconciliation by Christs Sacrifice 1. For atonement or reconciliation By Adams Fall a sad breach had been made 'twixt God and Man Sin had greatly incens'd the holy God against his sinful Creatures nay there was a mutual and reciprocal enmity contracted between them Things being in this dismal state the blessed Jesus interpos'd himself in order to the appeasing of an offended God and the reconciling of him and the Sinner the two parties that were at variance For the effecting of which he did not only as a bare Internuntius treat with both or only offer up prayers to the one in which respect Moses atoned God Exod. 34.10 11 12 13 14. and intreaties to the other 2 Cor. 5.20 and so proceed by some verbal interposures but when nothing else would do it he was willing even to lay down his own Life to die as a Sacrifice upon the Cross by this means to bring God and Man together again in amity and love By which death of Christ the offended God was perfectly atoned and reconciled to the Sinner so as that now upon the satisfaction made to him therein he could without any injury to his Justice and Holiness receive the Sinner into his favour and not inflict upon him that wrath and punishment which he had made himself obnoxious unto this is the true notion of atonement and reconciliation by Christ and all that we * Non statuimus Deum irato propriè factum esse propitium sed Christi Satisfactione causas irae divinae obliteratas esse ut salvâ justistiâ suâ possit gratiam exhibere Essenïus p. 253. mean by it But that this was thus done by him what one thing is there in all the matters of Faith wherein the Gospel is more clear and full 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood c. Rom. 5.10 11. For 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 And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement 2 Cor. 5.18 19. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Col. 1.20 21. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself c. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death So Eph. 2.13 14 c. Isa 53.6 the chastisement of our peace was upon him i. e. by his penal sufferings our peace was made with God 'T is true which our * Socin de Serv◠p. 1. c. 8. Adversanies would fain improve to their purpose that all along in these Scriptures the reconciliation is said to be on Mans part as if Sinners were reconcil'd to God not God to them but there 's a special reason for that viz. * Baxters Life of Faith p. 189. because they were the first in the breach they fell out with God before he fell out with them as also because the averseness to reconciliation is on their part wherefore if they be willing to be reconcil'd to God and are actually reconciled to him there 's no question of it but that he is willing to be reconciled to them and is so actually Some would have the reconciliation as on God's part to be spoken of Heb. 2.17 that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is according to the Hebrew Enallage as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as * De Satisf p. 93. Grotius well observes Howerver supposing that this Text doth not so expresly hold forth the thing yet there is enough in those convincing Reasons Arguments and Consequences which the Word elsewhere affords to prove the reconciliation to be mutual as is fully proved by divers Which reconciliation you see was accomplished by Jesus Christ yea by his death and blood so that he exactly answers to the first effect of the Jewish Sacrifices Of the Expiation of Sin by Christ's Sacrifice 2. The for the Second the expiation of sin that also was done with great advantage by Christ his death carried indeed a Sin-expiating virtue in it and was most truly of an expiatory nature Let us a little look into the Scripture see what it saith about this and that we shall find not only to assert the thing but so to assert it as withal to set down and determine the nature and true notion of it I mean this
c. Justification and no Condemnation with respect to the Sentence are all one onely the one notes what is Positive the other what is Negative now the Apostle in the words inferring No Condemnation from Justification as you will see he doth by and by it appears that his eye was upon something distinct from and consequential upon Justification and that must be exemption from the state of Condemnation There is no Condemnation c. 't is as if he had said such shall not be condemned hereafter or lie under that damnation in Hell which will be the portion of Unbelievers to this therefore I shall chiefly speak Condemnation Virtual or Actual Further as some distinguish of Justification 't is either Virtual or Actual either in Title as to the Sentence of the Word here or full and compleat in the Sentence which shall solemnly be pronounced by God at the Great day So we may also distinguish of Condemnation 't is either Virtual that which is now in the Sentence of the Law or Gospel or Actual that which is to come when God by Christ will in a publick and solemn way pass a condemnatory Sentence upon men according to the Word and this shall be at the Last and Great Judment You read of the First Joh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned he that believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is condemned already so v. 26. of that Chapt. Of the Second Mark 16.16 and in divers other places In both of these senses also Gods people are exempted from Condemnation take it Virtually or Actually in Titlo here or in the Final Sentence of the Judge hereafter it belongs not to them And this I am now to make good which was the Second Head that I propounded to speak to The Observ proved The Negation in the Text is so express so absolute and peremptory that there cannot be the least doubt of the truth of it Indeed as to the application of this to a mans self in Hypothesi so there may be many doubts arising in the Soul concerning it but as to the Thing it self in Thesi nothing more sure and certain than it is You have it asserted not only in this single Scripture but in divers others also Joh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned neither is nor ever shall be Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you Christ would have Believers fully settled in the belief of this precious Truth and therefore he premises asseveration upon asseveration and gives you his own Authority for it he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Read Joh. 3.16.36 Mark 16.16 1 Thess 1.10 If you look into the Text for I 'le go no further you will find a double Argument or Ground for the Non-condemnation of Believers The strength and import the Illative therefore opened 1. The First lies couch'd in the Illative Particle There is therefore now no Condemnation c. What doth this therefore point to when that is found out we must then enquire what there is of strength in it to prove and bottom Non condemnation upon For Answer to this Expositors do somewhat differ about it Some make it to refer to all that goes before from the 16 v. of the 1 Chapt. Est conclusio totius superioris disputationis à v. 16. primi Capitis Beza 'T is a Conclusion drawn from all that hath been taught hitherto Deodate Others limit it to some special part of the Apostles foregoing Discourse in this Epistle And so some apply it to what he had laid down in the 3 4 5 Chapt. where he insists upon Justification and proves at large that Believers are justified and that through the Righteousness of Christ which being so from this their blessed state and this gracious act of God upon them he here infers There is therefore now no Condemnation c. Others again make the Spring-head of the Inference to lie in the 7 Chapt. especially in the close of it Paul there thanks God who had delivered him from the body of sin through Christ he says with his mind his renewed and sanctified part he served the Law of God though with the flesh the carnal and unregenerate part he served the law of sin Now * Thus Bucer Insert ad illud in proximâ sectione Gratias ago c. Thus Pareus Illatio est valdè vehemens ex praecedenti querelâ Gratulatione Thus Musculus Nulla Condemnatio c. Quare referendum est istud exordium ad Gratiarum actionem capitis praecedentis quà dixit Gratias ago c. Thus Tolet Connexa est haec sententia ultimis praecedentis capitis verbis ex ipsis deducitur Pendet initium hoc tam saustum faelix ex hoc quod ultimò dictum est in fine praecedentis Corn. Mussus from this he draws the Conclusion There is therefore now no Condemnation c. I for my part will not limit the Inference to the One or to the Other but I 'le take in All yet I 'le consider the whole in its main Parts viz. Justification and Sanctification The Non-condemnation then of persons in Christ may be proved by or is grounded upon Non condemnation of Believers proved from their Justification 1. Their Justification He that is a justified man cannot be a condemned man for these two are contrary and incompatible If it be justifying it cannot be condemning if it be condemning it cannot be justifying There being in justification an acquitting absolving discharging from Guilt how can this consist with the condemning of one as guilty or because guilty this would be a plain contradiction oppositum in apposito 'T is with Law-contraries as 't is with Physicalcontraries upon the position of the one there needs must be the exclusion or negation of the other now Justification and Condemnation are Law-contraries ergo c. The Apostle argues upon this v. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and surely there must be charging before there can be condemning but there can be none of that why because it is God that justifieth The Believer being justified and justified by God too he must needs be exempted from Condemnation He that will not acquit the guilty will not condemn the righteous * Prov. 17.15 for both are equally an abomination to the Lord Now the justified person is a righteous person for else what doth his justification signifie and will the righteous Judge condemn a righteous person 'Pray that you may the better perceive how the deduction in the Text is grounded look back a little into the Epistle and see what the Apostle there lays down concerning Justification He says and this is the main Position upon which he doth but enlarge in all his following discourse Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith ch 1.16 Even
maledictione carni suae interim securè indulgens Ut ergo frustra blanditur c. Calvin Non satis est Christum ore profiteri oportet Fide per opera esfioaci Christo ahhaerere quod fit non Carnis sed Spiritus ductum sequendo in vitâ Observa secundò quòd connexam esse docet Justificationis Sanctificationis Gratiam adeò ut divelli nequeant ut frustra de priore glorietur qui posteriorem non habeat Qui igitur habâ—nas laxant carni testantur se in Christo non esse c. Hinc refutatur trita Papistarum Calumnia c. Atqui docemus cum Apostolo non esse in Christo nisi qui secundum Spiritum ambulant qui carni indulgent eos inanem Fidem profiteri c. Pareus Sunt cohaerentes quidem c. Beza this very place say that which might be enough to all ingenuous men to obviate these Calumnies But let this pass Give me leave onely in the General to vindicate our Faith in this matter and to shew that what we believe herein is not at all repugnant to this or to any other Scripture For do we hold that Believers are exempted from condemnation and shall most certainly be sav'd upon their being in Christ though they live a sinful carnal wicked life how often have our Opposers been told that we detest and abhor such an Opinion We say indeed that sanctification holiness or walking after the Spirit are not the meritorious causes of Non-condemnation that honour we give to the alone merits of our Saviour yet withall we say that whoever hath an interest in such blessedness he is a sanctified person and he must and shall live an holy life Is not this enough as much as what the Word will bear us out in Can we not be for Walking after the Spirit unless we make it to be a Cause of our justification or can we not hold imputed righteousness but we must deny inherent righteousness are these two inconsistent Our Adversaries asperse us as if we denied the latter which we do not but what may we say of them who do most certainly deny the former To go on Do not we set inherent righteousness as high as they bate but perfection and merit the First of which would make it impossible in this life as the Other would derogate from the freeness of God's grace and the fullness of Christ's merit And we appeal to the world do our Censurers with their principles live more holily than Protestants with theirs we wish we could see it Nay take the whole model and platform of their Doctrine and of ours and let the would judge which doth most tend to the * See Dr. Stillingslees of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome Chap. 3. p. 178. promoting of a strict and holy conversation Indeed if we give way to the flesh and walk after the flesh we are to be blamed for our practices but the principles of our Religion are strict holy and good In short we are for the same things which They contend for and that too in the highest measures and degrees so far as the infirmities of the present state will admit of but not upon the same grounds We are for the spiritual life as the fruit and evidence of the Vnion and as always attending the person who is in Christ and shall not be condemned but we dare not make it to be the meritorious ground or to have any causal influence upon the one or the other If this will not satisfie let our revilers revile on 3. There are but Iew who are in Christ 3. If this be the way and course of such who are in Christ that they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit it informs us then that there are but few who are in Christ or who have any interest in the Mystical Vnion I would not streighten or narrow the Grace of God or the happiness of the Creature further than the word it self doth but on the other hand I must not make them wider than that doth The most it is to be feared are out of Christ because the most do walk after the flesh 't is but here and there some few who walk after the spirit Instead of walking not after the flesh but after the spirit the generality of men walk after the flesh and not after the spirit they are in the flesh there 's their state and they walk after the flesh there 's their course O that this was not as evident as the light of the noon day This Flesh as you have heard is either the corrupt Nature in the general or more particularly 't is the corrupt Nature venting it self in and about fleshly and sensual things now in both respects how do fleshly Walkers abound As to the First what an unholy sinful life do the most live how doth the depraved Nature break forth and show it self in their whole course this is that which acts them all along by which they steer and order their conversation And as to the Second look upon the greatest number of men how sensual are they they lie tumbling and wallowing in the mire of Lust are even immers'd and swallowed up in fleshly things minding nothing so much as the pleasing of the flesh Go to them at their Tables there 's gluttony excess in eating and drinking they pamper the body whilst they starve the soul Mind them in their pursuits 't is some fleshly good they mainly drive at some fleshly interest by which they steer their course what do they most consult but the Fleshes ease and interest O that 's the thing which they make provision for that they may fulfil the lusts thereof which the Apostle so expresly forbids Rom. 13.14 their forecasts projects contrivances are for the Flesh yea all their thoughts are imployed as so many caterers or purveyours for their sensual lusts is not this walking after the flesh and is not this more or less the Walk of the most Alas as to that walking after the spirit which hath been opened how few are there that know any thing of it the generality are wholly strangers to it understanding the Angelical life in Heaven as well as the spiritual holy life of Saints here upon earth you can scarce make them believe that there is such a life so far are they from the living of it Thus 't is with the multitude and is not this then too clear an evidence too full a demonstration of the paucity of such as are in Christ O that we could bewail and lament it what more plain than that such who are in Christ do walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and what more plain too than that the body of men do walk after the Flesh and not after the Spirit Sirs let us not flatter and think too well of our selves * Ut eos omnes intelligamus esse exclusos qui Fidem Evangelium jactitant cum interim volutentur in
life nay should God leave him to his liberty to make his own choice and fully assure him of his future blessedness let his choice be what it would yet he would chuse to live the spiritual rather than the carnal life was there no Heaven nor no Hell yet the sincere Christian would be for holy walking because of that excellency and intrinsick goodness which he sees in it 2. Walking after the Spirit is pleasant delightful comfortable walking that which begets true peace solid joy unspeakable comfort in the Soul The more spiritual a man is in his walking the greater is his rejoycing O * Psal 119.165 what peace have they who thus walk The Flesh must not vye with the Spirit about true comfort men exceedingly mistake themselves when they look for pleasure delight and satisfaction in a fleshly course alas 't is not there to be had It s very sweet is bitter there 's gall and wormwood even in its hony * Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness It promises indeed great things but it falls exceedingly short in its performances eminently it doth so in its promises of joy and comfort True peace is onely to be found in a holy course Rom. 8.6 To be spiritually minded is life and peace life hereafter peace here 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimoâ—â— of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world There 's no comfort like to that which attends * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 1. c. 9. holy walking the true Christian would not for a world exchange that joy which he hath in his Soul in and from Meditation Prayer the Word Sacraments Promises mortification of sin holiness communion with God the hope of glory for all that joy which the Sinner hath in the way of sin and in his sensual delights Would you have the * 1 Pâ—t 1 8. joy which is unspeakable the * Phil. 4.7 peace which passeth all understanding the * Job 15.11 consolations of God which are not small O walk after the Spirit Men have false notions of Religion which experience must confute the Devil belies and misreports the ways of God as if a godly life was a sad pensive melancholly life pray try and then judge be perswaded to fall upon this heavenly course and then tell me whether * Prov. 3.17 wisdomes ways be not ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches The Flesh is outdone by the Spirit if it gives some outward flashy joy the Spirit with advantage gives inward solid abiding joy should not this allure you to walk after it We always love to walk where our walking may be most pleasant and delightful surely to walk with God to live in communion with Father Son and Spirit to be taken up in the contemplation and fruition of heavenly things to be always sucking at the breasts of the Promises to act in the daily exercisâ— of Grace I say surely this must needs be pleasant and delightful Walking indeed And the Spiritual Walker hath not onely this peace and satisfaction whilst he lives but in a dying hour too he is full of comfort O the Soul-chearing reflexions which he then can make upon an holy life O that heart-exhilerating prospect which he hath of the World to come whether he looks backward or forward all administers ground of rejoycing to him Is it thus with the Sinner the Sensualist alas 't is quite otherwise when Death comes and lays his cold hands upon him what bitter pangs of Conscience doth he feel what dreadful terrours do sill his Soul how doth the sense of Judgment and Aeternity strike him with astonishment All his sensual Comforts do now fail him and he did not live so full of joy but he dyes as full of sorrow This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sâ—rrow Isa 50.11 but Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 3. This is blessed Walking for it evermore ends in salvation It doâ—â— not onely at present evidence Non-condemnation and Vnion with Christ but it assures of Heaven and certainly brings to Heaven at last Holiness and Happiness never were never shall be parted Every motion hath its terminus or end the End of this motion or walking is eternal rest Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Gal. 6.18 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousness is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death so that if you will be perswaded to enter into and to hold on in the way of the â—pirit it will infallibly lead you to eternal life and what can be spoken higher The sum of all is this I here set * Jer. 21.8 life and death before you if the One will not allure you to an holy heavenly conversation nor the Other deter you from a sinful carnal conversation I have then no more to say but surely such as have any sense of God of the worth of the Soul and of the things of the world to come they will resolve for the spiritual life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athenag Leg pro Christian p. 35. Athenagoras in his Apology for the primitive Christians states their practice thus If saith he we did believe that we should onely live the present life there might then be some room for suspicion that we might be as wicked as others indulging flesh and blood and drawn aside by covetuousness and concupiscence but we know that God is privy not onely to all our actions but to all our thoughts and words that he is all light and sees what is most hid in us and we are fully perswaded that after this life we shall live a much better life with God in Heaven and therefore we do not live as others do whose life will end in Hell fire O that we could as easily draw men to the heavenly life as we can apologize for those who live it or set down the grounds and reasons why they live it And now you who are Flesh-followers will nothing prevail with you shall all these Considerations be ineffectual will you yet persist in your fleshly course though an Angel with a drawn sword stands before you to stop you in your evil way yet * Numb 22.22 Balaam-like will you go on will you set your selves in a way that is not good as the wicked are described Psal 36.4 are you at that language * Jer. 18.2 We will every one walk after our own devices and we will every
one do the imagination of his evil heart or as 't is Jer. 6.16 Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way the way of the Spirit and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls but they said we will not walk therein Do you walk after the Flesh and resolve to do so still then 't is sad indeed but I would fain hope better of you 'Pray be intreated to read the Motives again which have been set before you and in your most calm thoughts to pause and dwell upon the things which have been spoken Shall I need to add any thing further in telling you that all your walkings yea every step you take is known to God Job 21.4 Job 34.21 Psal 139.3 Psal 119.168 that God judges of every man here and hereafter will judge every man at the Great Day according to his walking Eccles 11.9 2 Cor. 5.10 Eccles 12.14 that Death will come with a dreadful aspect where the life hath been carual and sinful that in the way of the Flesh you are in danger of treading upon Serpents Vipers Adders Scorpions every â—â—â—p you take that by this Course you * Psa 16.11 forsake the path of life and for a little flesh-pleasing put your selves into the broad way to everlasting damnation how much might I yet say upon this account but enough and enough hath been already said if God will but set it home upon the Conscience The Lord hedge up your ways with thorns and make a wall that you may not find the paths of the Flesh and thereupon may resolve to get into the paths of the Spirit for surely it will be better then than now it is I allude to Hos 2.6 7 VSE 4. To those that do walk after the Spirit Three things urged upon them There is one Vse more and that shall be directed to them who do walk after the Spirit Three things to such 1. First I would with the greatest earnestness stir up such to be highly thankful to God Are any of you through grace made spiritual and do you live the spiritual life have you received the Spirit and do you also walk after the Spirit what cause have you to bless God! yea what thankfulness can be high enough to him who hath brought you to this Why do you not walk just as others do why is not the Flesh as powerful as predominant in you as 't is in others why does not the very worst of the Flesh prevail over you why are not you Atheists Scoffers at Religion Drunkards Adulterers open and notorious Sinners surely all must be resolved into the discriminating grace of God that and that onely hath made the difference Time was when your walking was bad enough when you were as carnal as any and very tamely lacquey'd it after every base lust is not God to be admir'd upon that blessed change which he hath wrought in you Eph. 2.1 2 3. You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world c. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in Sins hath quickened us together with Christ Tit. 3.3 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures See also Col. 3.7 1 Pet. 4.3 O what a sad course do the best follow before conversion and as to your selves if God by his distinguishing and almighty grace had not seized upon you as you began with that course so you had continued in it to this very day O let the Lord be forever magnified who hath delivered you from fleshly walking and brought you over to that which is spiritual and heavenly And this must the rather be done because you now have so clear so convincing an evidence of your being in Christ is not that a great thing The blessedness of this Vnion with Christ hath been fully set before you 't is all yours you not walking after the Flesh but after the Spirit Surely though you cannot in your praises reach so great mercy yet you should go as far as ever you can 2. Secondly such are to be exhorted to walk yet less and less after the Flesh and yet more and more after the Spirit For this walking admits of degrees there are none in the present state so freed from the Flesh and the fleshly conversation but that yet they may be more freed from it and so too there are none who have so much of the Spirit and walk so much after the Spirit but that yet they may be more spiritual in their walking 'T is mercy that 't is so well as to the main but surely it may yet be better Saints are you so universally acted by the Spirit of God and the sanctified Nature as you might be O do you so constantly live under the guidance and conduct of the Spirit as you might and should is he your guide no sooner to show you the right way but presently and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Epict. lib. 2. cap. 7. p. 186. readily you engage therein are all your affections so pure and heavenly as God requires are there not many strong inclinations to evil yet remaining in you are your Ends in all things so sublime and spiritual as the Gospel commands Ah! something is yet wanting there is yet room for growth you have not yet arrived at perfection as the Apostle speaks of himself Not as though I had already attained c Phil. 3.11 O that every day you might rise higher and higher in heavenly walking that the Flesh might decrease and the Spirit increase the carnal part like the house of Saul might still be going down and the spiritual part like the house of David might still be getting up that Heart and Life might be refin'd and spiritualiz'd yet more and more I beseech you do not stay where you are but still be * Phil. 3.14 pressing forward Walking 'tis motus progressivus so it should be in your walking after the Spirit as there is a going from strength to strength Psal 84.7 from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 so there should be also from spiritualness to spiritualness And Walking 't is motus uniformis are you so steady so eaven and uniform in your walkings as you ought In a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. statue or piece of Art all the several parts are uniform and proportionable or else it loses in its exactness and curiosity and should it not be so too in the Spiritual Life but I 'le onely keep to the Metaphor of the cavenness of the Christians Walking O the many crooked wandring extravagant stops which you
should be uttered by the heart of man Sinner do'st thou know what thou saist pray thee make a little pause be persuaded to consider what thou do'st is this spoken in good or rather in bad earnest do'st thou resolve upon it wilt thou stick to it ô then thou art a meer vassal thou putt'st thy self under the reign of the worst Tyrant in all the world from this day forward thou must carry chains and fetters about thee from this act of thine Sins reign commences therefore if it be not yet done let it never be done if it be done let it be rescinded speedily but I forget my self The lowest act of the Will in order to the constituting of this Law of Sin is Election or Choice there 's Good and Evil Holiness and Sin set before the Soul and it chooses the evil before the good this is a sad evidence of Sins power Isa 65.12 but did evil before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not Isa 66.3 4 c. they have chosen their own ways and their Soul delighteth in their abominations c. But though I say that this is the lowest act of the Will in Sins being a Law yet even this is enough to put a person under that Law The godly man chooses the way of Holiness Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of truth the Sinner chooses the way of Sin this he prefers before the Other Now should there be nothing more than this choice supposing it to be deliberate full and peremptory that would be enough to evince Sins dominion for wherever it hath the preference it hath the power But there are higher acts of the Will than this which do more highly constitute and more fully demonstrate the Law of Sin and which are to be found onely in the Vnregenerate As namely when the Will doth not meerly choose embrace prefer Sin before Holiness but 't is pertinaciously set for Sin its full purpose and resolution is for Sin against Holiness the Sinner says he hath sinn'd and so he will do still he 's fixed and obstinate in his wickedness instead of cleaving to the Lord with full purpose of heart as Barnabas exhorted the Christians at Antioch to do Acts 11.23 he cleaves to Sin with full purpose of heart Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them I will go Jer. 8.5 They hold fast deceipt they refuse to return Jer. 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will certainly do whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth c. Now wherever it comes to this that Sin is thus enthron'd in the Will there most certainly 't is the Law of Sin But I must yet go one step further there is one act of the Will higher than this too viz when the heart is wholly set for Sin and is not onely resolvedly but also impetuously carried out after it Eccles 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Jer. 50 38. They are mad upon their idols Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves ever unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Jer. 8.6 Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel Here the power of Sin rises high indeed when the Will doth not barely consent to it but 't is eager and fierce for it ô this speaks not onely its own great wickedness and most woful depravation but also the Sinners full subjection to Sin this is the Law of Sin with a witness where 't is thus it may easily be known who bears Rule in the Soul Sin never arrives at this heighth of power in the Regenerate this is altogether inconsistent with Grace upon Conversion the Will is sanctified and the sanctified Will can never carry it thus towards Sin You see what that is in the interiour faculties of the Soul which doth constitute and evidence the Law of Sin in unregenerate persons I might instance also in the exteriour parts of the Body for though Sins power doth mainly reside and put forth it self in the Former yet it reaches to these also therefore the Apostle brings them in upon this account Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies c. 13. neither yield you your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin c. 19. As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness c. When the Body is prostituted to Sins drudgery the several parts thereof imploy'd in its service as the Eyes to let in external Objects for the exciting and feeding of Lust within the Feet to run on Sins errands the Tongue to utter vanity and frothiness c this is a great demonstration of a mans being under the Law of Sin 'T is true it chiefly reigns in the Heart there 's its imperial Seat or the Pallace where it hath its imperial residence that 's the inward Citadel where its main strength doth lie but yet from thence it issues out its Laws and Edicts to the Body also and that is its out ward Fort or Territory where it hath a great strength and command also Indeed the Law of Sin is best discerned as to Others by its venting of it self in and through the Body for so long as Sin keeps in its power within the interiour Faculties of the Soul 't is known onely to the Sinner himself but when that once breaks out in Sins committed in and by the body as intemperance drunkenness uncleanness c. then it becomes discernible to all to whom such Sins shall be known And though 't is certain that Sin may have its full dominion in the heart without the external eruptions of it in the Life in gross and corporeal acts yet where they are added they infallibly discover that Sin lords and domineers O therefore how evident is it that all who abuse and defile their bodies who use them as instruments for Sin and wear them out in its service are most perfectly under the Law of Sin But 't is not thus with any who are truely sanctified Sin hath not the command of their Bodies they * Rom. 6.19 yield up their members servants to righteousness unto holiness they look upon their Bodies as the * 1 Cor. 6.19 Temples of the Holy Ghost and accordingly they keep them holy they know they are themselves * 1 Cor. 6.20 bought with a price and that their Souls and Bodies are both Gods and therefore both to be imploy'd in the glorifying of God they scorn to let their Bodies be drudges to Sin and Satan and in this respect they are not under the Law of Sin 3. Thirdly the Law of Sin and its different workings in the people of God and Others may be opened by the modification of the act of Sin As 1. Where Sin is committed industriously and designedly there 't is the
thy fetters love thy dungeon be fond of thy bondage and prefer it before liberty what is this but madness not to be parallel'd what ingratitude is this to thy Saviour what cruelty to thy self as to thee I may well alter Tiberius's ô gentem c. into ô animam ad servitutem natam Further I pray you think of this if Sin rule you will Christ save you you cannot but know the contrary you know that he rules wherever he saves that he will be the Governour Where he is the Saviour that Sins yoke must be taken off and * Matth. 11.29 his yoke taken up or no salvation and yet shall Sin be obey'd and be thy Lord and Sovereign rather than Christ The business comes to a narrow issue let Christ rule thee and hee 'l save the but let Sin command thee and 't will condemn thee the Law of Christ and of the Spirit is the Law of Life but the Law of Sin is the Law of Death but these things have been insisted upon O that this Spirit which frees from the Law of Sin would shew you what there is in the Law of Sin men do not endeavour to get out of it because they are not convinc'd of the evil that is in it did they but know what it is they would choose to dye rather than to live under it And as for you let me ask you how you carry it in other respects you hate the Tyrant without will you love the Tyrant within you groan under the Laws of men when they are a little heavy shall there be no groanings under the far heavier Laws of Sin you will not be called slaves to any will you be content to be indeed slaves to Sin is a barbarous Turk cry'd out of when a Devil and a cursed Nature are never regarded But one Consideration more as God made you at the first you had nothing to do with this Law of Sin no he made you for his own government to be subject to himself his Law was written within you to command and act you in your whole course how then came Sin by this power how did it get up thus into the throne why onely by the first Apostacy from God Adams Fall was Sins Rise its reign commenc'd from mans rebellion 't is a meer upstart and intruder God never design'd this power to it will you now by your liking of it and continuance under it give an after-ratification or approbation of its power It hath depriv'd you of your primitive liberty and will you not endeavour to regain it when Sardis was taken by the Grecians Xerxes commanded that every day when he was at dinner one should cry aloud Sardis is lost Sardis is lost that hereby he might be inminded of what he had lost and stirr'd up to endeavour the regaining of it ô Sirs your Original Liberty is lost Sin hath got it out of your hands this we proclaim in your ears from time to time that you may never be quiet till you have recovered it and yet will you do nothing in order thereunto will you e'ne sit still under this inexpressible loss ô that 's sad All this hath been spoken to set you against Sins dominion to excite you to the most earnest endeavours to be rid of its soveraignty to cause you to fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be made free from the Law of Sin to work holy purposes in you that Sin shall no longer reign over you that you may say with the Church Isa 26.13 O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy name O that I might prevail with some Soul to say with respect to Sin Ah Lord other Lords have had dominion over me lust pride passion covetuousness sensuality have ruled me just as they pleas'd but I desire it may be so no longer I am resolved now onely to be subject to thy self ô do thou dethrone Sin and inthrone thy self in me let me be brought under universal hearty ready subjection to thy Laws and let not the Law of Sin carry it in me any longer c. One Direction given for the Sinners being freed from Sins power In what ways and by what means a poor enslaved Sinner may be made free from the Law of Sin is a very weighty enquiry and I would hope that some Sinners being convinc'd by what hath been spoken have it in their thoughts For answer to it there 's one Direction only which I shall at present give 't is this Get into the regenerate state regenerate persons are the adequate Subjects of this freedom they and none but they are freed from Sin as a Law Paul so long as he was unconverted was as much under this Law as any person whatsoever but as soon as it pleased God to convert him he was made free from it This deliverance depends upon the state it must be the state of regeneracy till which Sin will keep up its regency and soveraignty in the Soul ô as you have heard when Grace once comes into the heart the kingdom of Sin goes down and the kingdom of Christ goes up therein but never before All your strivings endeavours convictions purposes promises will never make Sins throne to shake and fall till you be renewed and sanctified Therefore pray much for the regenerating Spirit and attend much upon the regenerating Word in order to this great work Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth c. 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 't is this Spirit and this Word which must renew and bring about the new birth in you and so deliver you from the power of darkness and translate you into the kingdom of Gods dear Son as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.13 But this will be more properly enlarg'd upon when I shall come to the third Observation therefore here I 'le say no more about it VSE 3. To such who are made free from the Law of Sin first by way of Counsel 3. I will direct my self to those who by the Spirit of Life are made free from the Law of Sin something to them 1. by way of Counsell 2. by way of Comfort By way of Counsel I 'le urge three duties upon them 1. The first is hearty and deep humiliation and this is incumbent upon such partly upon what is past and partly upon what is present Regenerate persons to be deeply humbled though they be made free from the Law of Sin First hath the Lord been so gracious to any of you as to bring you out of the Natural bondage to dethrone and bring down this Sin which did at such a rate domineer over you ô you must be deeply humbled upon your taking a view of what is past
as a free Denizon of it who doth so little know how to value such a priviledge Go thy way therefore and be a slave again since thou knowest not how to carry it as becomes one that is free Now I say if God should deal thus with any of you would it not be sad true he will never wholly reverse what he hath done in you and for you but thus far he may go he may let corruption at some times and in some acts prevail over you and he may wholly deprive you of the sense and comfort of your spiritual liberty and would not these be bad enough To walk suitably to it Let me under this Head press another thing upon you viz. to walk suitably to this your freedom wherein doth that consist why in this in being holy and very holy If you so be this will suit with the deliverance from the Law of Sin which you have upon regeneration and which you must therefore be because 't is one great end of God in doing that for you Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 'T is observable how God ushers in the Ten Commandements with his delivering the people of Israel out of the Egyptian bondage thereby to lay the greater obligation upon them to obey and keep those Commandements Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage then the several Commandements follow And as to that particular Command of keeping the Sabbath you find God enforcing of it with this Argument only Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. O how holy how obedient should they be whom God hath brought out of the state of spiritual bondage the obligation rising higher from this deliverance than from the former Christians you should be very holy partly from a principle of gratitude partly because now the life of holiness is made more easie and facil if you be not so now the power of Sin is broken in you it must be from your sloth or something worse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oec Some observe upon the latter-Clause of the preceding Verse who walk not after the flesh c. that now under the Gospel 't is much more easie to live the heavenly life than it was formerly under the Law so that say they if men do not live that Life it must be charg'd meerly upon their own negligence so here I say persons being delivered from the Reign of Sin to them now 't is much more possible nay easie to be holy in their walkings than sometimes it was and therefore if they do not so walk 't is meerly from their idleness and sinful neglects Sirs now the holy Life is made practicable to you what an engagement doth this lay upon you to live it The Apostle here according to that Connexion of the Words which some pitch upon brings in freedom from the Law of Sin as the ground of not walking c. therefore they who are in Christ do not follow the sinful and carnal but the holy and spiritual course because they are freed from Sins power I 'm sure as to the thing 't is the duty of such so to walk upon this account Let me add a third Consideration regenerate persons upon this must be very holy that there may be some proportion 'twixt Nature as renewed in the way of Holiness and Nature as depraved in the way of Sin 'pray observe it so long as depraved Nature was upon the throne you were very sinful therefore now when renewed Nature is upon the throne you should be very holy I do not from hence plead for an equality that I very well know is not possible and the reason is because corrupt nature before Conversion was entire not broken or weakened by any contrary habit or principle but 't is not so with the renewed Nature after Conversion for that hath Sin mingled with it striving against it making opposition to it therefore men cannot be so entirely good after grace as they were entirely evil before grace yet I may and I do plead from hence for some proportion whilst Sin ruled you you were very sinful therefore now Christ and Grace rule you you should be very holy So the Apostle argues Rom. 6.19 20. As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness For when ye were servants to sin ye were free from righteousness therefore which though it be not express'd yet 't is imply'd proportionably now when you are the servants of righteousness you should be free from sin Upon this threefold Consideration such as are made free from the Law of Sin should be holy Against Sins actual and partial dominion Now that I may be somewhat more particular about this Sin being that which is opposite to Holiness and much of the nature of holiness lying in refraining from sin and also the dominion of any particular sin very ill agreeing with deliverance from the Law thereof therefore in both of these respects I would caution all regenerate persons against it but 't is the latter only that I shall speak a few words unto Where I would be very earnest with you who have passed under the regenerating work of the Spirit to take heed even of the actual and partial dominion of Sin and there is great need of this admonition for though upon regeneration you are secur'd from its Habitual and Vniversal dominion yet as to some particular Sin and some particular evil acts it may have that which looks too much like dominion though strictly and properly it be not so Here therefore I desire you to be very careful that you do not suffer any one sin to reign in you for how would this consist with your being made free from the Law of Sin since as hath been said the power of any one sin and subjection thereunto if it be full and free plenary and voluntary doth as certainly prove its dominion as the power of many nay of all ô take heed that this and that sin do not rule or be too high in you 'T was Davids prayer Psal 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression he goes further and takes in all Psal 119.133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Saints are not so freed from the Law of Sin by the Spirit but that there is need of daily prayer and that there be all endeavours and care on their part against it and their care must reach even to this that not any single iniquity may have dominion over them
the Spirit He 's the great agent in your Regeneration deliverance from Sins Soveraignty illumination conviction turning to God believing mortification c. from him your light life strength liberty joy peace do all proceed why do you not more love and honour the Spirit O love the Son for what hath been done without but love the Spirit also for what he hath done within the whole management of Soul-work within in order to salvation now lies upon the hands of the Spirit let him be adored and honoured by all Saints 2 To live under the Law of the Spirit As you have found the Law of the Spirit in your first Conversion so you should live under the Law of the Spirit in your whole Conversation There is the power of the Spirit at the first saving work that is here spoken of and there is in what sense you have heard the continuation of it in the whole life now this you are to labour after I mean two things 1. you are to live under the constant influences 2. under the constant government and rule of the Spirit Blessed is the man that hath it always working in him and ruling of him what a life doth he live who ever lives under the Spirits authoritative guidance Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts c. I and let the Spirit of peace rule in your hearts 'T is a great motive to men to come under the rule of Christ to consider that where he rules there he saves and 't is also a great motive to sanctified persons to live under the rule of the Spirit to consider where he rules there he comforts his governing and his comforting go together he that is acted by the Spirits command and yields up himself to the Spirits guidance shall neither want peace here nor come short of Heaven hereafter 3 To set Law against Law Set Law against Law the Law of the Spirit against the Law of Sin You yet find too much of this latter Law and it goes to the heart of you that Sin should yet have so great a power over you well what have you to do in this case why set Law against Law power against power the power of the Spirit against the power of Sin this should humble you that should support you That power which could baffle Sin when in its full strength can it not subdue it in the remainders thereof that power which could bring you in to God in spite of all opposition is it not sufficient to keep you now you are brought in to God 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation that very power is put forth for your establishment now which was put forth for your Conversion at the first ô fear not the Law of Sin against you so long as the Law of the Spirit is for you When you are beset and enemies press hard upon you see that you improve both for duty and comfort this power of Gods own Spirit Thus I have finish'd the three Observations which take in the summe of this Verse Rom. 8.2 Reader the Contents of this Chapter were insisted upon only in the close of a Sermon I having under the former Head the Law of Sin exceeded the bounds allowed by the Press cannot upon this Head the Law of Death make any considerable enlargement From the Law of Sin and Death CHAP. VIII Of the Law of Death The connexion 'twixt Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death Regenerate persons are made free from this Law that opened with respect to Death temporal and Death eternal Vse 1. Men persuaded to believe that Sin and Death go together dehorted from thence not to sin Vse 2. Of the happiness of Gods people Of the Law of Death THe Apostle here sets a twofold Law before us the Law of Sin and the Law of Death the former I have been large upon the latter I must dispatch in a few words And Death The word Law is not repeated but according to that interpretation which some put upon the Words 't is to be * Ut Lex ad utrumque ex aequo referatur Erasm Of the twofold Sense of the Words repeated 't is the Law of Sin and 't is the Law of Death too as if the Apostle had said The Law c. hath made me free both from the Law of Sin and also from the Law of Death In the * See pag. 152. opening of them I told you there is a twofold Sense given of them 1. Some tell us there is in them the Figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein one thing is set forth by two words therefore they render this and Death as being onely an Adjective or Epethite of Sin thus the Law c. from the Law of Sin and Death that is from deadly Sin or from the Law of Sin which is of a deadly nature 2. Others take the word substantivè making the Law of Death to be a Law by it self as well as the Law of Sin as if this Death was not to be melted into Sin and the deliverance from it into the deliverance from Sin but that they are distinct things and point to distinct deliverances Now both of these Senses are very true and good and indeed I know not which to prefer From the First The Matter contained in them one single point offers it self to us viz. That Sin is a deadly thing From the Second these three which mutatis mutandis perfectly answer to the three former under the Law of Sin 1. That men by Nature and before Regeneration are under the Law of Death 2. That upon Regeneration or such as are Regenerate are made free from the Law of Death 3. That 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Death The due handling of these Heads would take up a great deal of time but I having already staid too long upon this Verse and upon some other Considerations I am necessitated to contract and therefore for the better shortning of the work I must pitch upon another method wherein I may draw all into a narrow compass Three things abserv'd in the Words That Sin and Death go together Three things onely shall be observ'd 1. That Sin and Death go hand in hand together There 's an inseperable connexion or conjunction betwixt them they come here in the Text very near each to the other there 's but an and betwixt them and that too is copulative the Law of Sin and Death And well might the Apostle put them together when God himself in the methods of his Justice and in the threatning of his Law hath so put them together and surely what he hath so joyn'd no man can put asunder When Sin came into the world Death came along with it the one trod upon the heels of the other if man will sin he shall
say yet lies upon the Law Be you who you will Believers or unbelievers regenerate or unregenerate the Law is of marvellous use to you 'T is a rule to all whether they be good or bad and as so none are exempted from it as is by several Divines sufficiently proved against the Antinomists and it hath too very good and useful effects upon all whether called or uncalled Saints or Sinners Our Apostle who here doth so much depress the Law in respect of Justification doth elsewhere in other respects speak much of its usefulness Rom. 3.19 Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Rom. 7.7 What shall we say then is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Gal. 3.19 24. Wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the Promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith I must not launch out into this vast Ocean you have variety of * Taytor's Reg. Vitae Burg. Vind. Legis Boltons Bounds c. Baxter in several Treat with divers Others Facessat longè ex animis nostris profana ista Opinio Legem non este regulam Est enim inflexibilis vivendi regula Calvin Treatises upon this Argument namely to prove that the Law is still a Rule and still very useful in those great effects which have been mentioned I refer you to them for further satisfaction This I only touch upon as it lies in my way both that I may prevent dangerous mistakes and also shew you how you are to carry it towards the Law O let it be highly esteemed reverenced honoured by you yea bless God for it for though indeed 't is weak and unprofitable as the Covenant of Works yet as 't is a Rule and as it produces such effects upon the Conscience so 't is of great use and highly beneficial So much for the 2d Vse Thirdly Use 3. Was the Law thus unable to do for the Sinner what was necessary to be done then never look for Righteousness and Life from and by the Law For as to these it cannot do your work unless you could do its work it cannot justifie or save you unless you could perfectly obey and fulfil it O pray expect little from it nay nothing at all in this way you cannot answer its expectations and it cannot answer yours It highly concerns every man in the world to make sure of righteousness and life but where are these to be had only in Christ in the way of believing not in the Law in the way of doing We would fain make the Law stronger than indeed it is and 't is natural to us to look for a righteousness from it because there was our righteousness at first and that suits best with the pride of our hearts Man is not so averse to the Law in point of obedience but he is as apt to rest upon the Law for Heaven and Happiness if he can but do something which the Law requires O this he looks upon as a sufficient Righteousness and as a good Plea for Heaven Especially when Conscience is a little awakened then the poor Creature betakes himself to his doing to his obedience to the Law and this he thinks will do his work till God lets him see his great mistake As 't is * Hos 5.13 said When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judab saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb yet could he not heal you nor cure you of your wound just so 't is with the convinced Sinner in reference to the Law both as to his practise and also as to his success I would not be mistaken in what I have said or shall further say as if I did design to take off any from Obedience to the Law God forbid all that I aim at is only to take men off from trusting in that obedience and from leaning upon that as their Righteousness We should be doers of the Law for * Rom. 2.13 not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified yea we should go as far as ever we can in our endeavours after a Law-righteousness for though that be not sufficient to justifie us before God yet that must make us righteous in his eye * Vide Burg. of Justif 2d p. Serm. 22. p. 215. as to qualitative and inherent righteousness and so we are to understand that Text with many others of the same import * Deut. 6.25 It shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us But yet when we have gone the furthest the Righteousness which we are to rely upon is only the Gospel Righteousness or the imputed Righteousness of the Lord Jesus if we take up with any thing short of that we are * O nos miseros si vel tantillum nostra salus basi tam infirmá nitatur Beza in 1 Joh. 1.8 miserable and lost for ever As to the Law is it thus weak or rather are you thus weak and yet will you bottom your expectation and confidence there can you fulfil or satisfie it in its demands of perfect personal universal constant Obedience If you cannot then which nothing more certain it can never then do your business nay upon the least failure it will be your enemy to plead against you for the non-performance of its Conditions and so though it cannot as a Friend do you much good yet as an Enemy it can and will do you much hurt What a sad case is the legalist in the Law condemns him because he doth no more obey and the Gospel condemns him because he doth no more believe he 's lost on every hand O this is woful And yet how many precious Souls split themselves upon this rock millions of men look no higher than the Law that is the foundation upon which they build their confidence for Life and Salvation Could we but get into them and be privy to the Grounds of their Hope we should find that 't is not Christ and Faith in him but the Law and some imperfect Obedience thereunto upon which they bottom they deal honestly wrong no body live unblameably make some external Profession perform such duties are thus and thus charitable to the poor c. and hereupon they are confident of their Salvation Now I deny not but that these are very good things I wish there was more of them yet when any rest in them or upon them for Righteousness and Life they set them
have been some ground of fear that he would not have been able to have gone throught such a work but when Christ is pitch'd upon all ground of fear is removed to be sure he can and will finish what he engages in And 't is evident that he perfected what he came about from the Father's re-admitting him into Heaven had there been any thing left undone by him would the Father have given him such a reception as he did Believers do not fear all is * Joh. 17.4 finished Christ gave not over till he brought it * Joh. 19.30 to that You do your work by halfes very weakly and imperfectly but Christ did his compleatly yea though the Law it self through your flesh was weak yet Christ in your flesh was strong he did that throughly which the Law was altogether unable to do 4. Did God send Christ know to your Comfort he hath not yet done As to his own Satisfaction he hath no more to do but as to Your Glory and Happiness he will yet do more He sent Christ once into the Flesh and he will send him again in the Flesh not to suffer and die again no Christ †Rom. 6.9 being dead dies no more there 's now no further need of any suffering and dying but to appear * c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athan. de Incar Verbi p. 110. like Himself in Glory and then to take you up into Glory Once already he came down from Heaven to Earth from thence hee 'l come again for what end why to carry you up from Earth to Heaven Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many that 's past and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation this is yet to come O long for it and rejoyce in it His First-Sending was to make the Purchase his Second shall be to put you into Possession which shall be done as certainly as the former is done and then there will be nothing further to be done 5. Wherefore did God send Christ for most gracious ends and purposes 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners c. 1 Joh. 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Joh. 3.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Now were these God's Ends and shall they not be accomplished may not Faith fetch strong encouragement from these for in order to the strengthning of Faith we are to look to God's Works and their great Ends as well as to his Word and Promise 6. Did God send Christ set this against All. Against the weakness of the Law that which the Law could not do Christ did that which was too hard for it was not too hard for him the Text tells you he was sent on purpose to make up what was defective in the Law Set it also against the guilt of Sin upon Christ's Sending presently you read of the condemning of sin God sent his own Son c. and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Sin was to be destroy'd and the Wise God took a fit course imploy'd a fit messenger for that end as the Scape-Goat with the Sin of the people was to be sent away by the hand of a fit man into the Wilderness Lev. 16.21 Several Other things might be instanced in whatever it is which troubles the dejected Christian let him therein study a God sending a Son sent and there he may find very proper and considerable satisfaction in every Case 7. God sent Christ for whom for you who see your lost and undone condition Matth. 15.24 I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the house of Israel so his Commission was straitned at first but afterwards it was enlarged to the lost sheep of the Gentiles also Luke 19.10 The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost Matt. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief 8. He that sent Christ was also pleased to lay a special Trust and Charge upon him to secure all the Elect and to look to it that not One of those should perish Here 's a Truth which is like the full Honey-comb you cannot touch it but Honey and sweetness drops from it And I the rather here take notice of it because I find our Saviour himself when he is speaking of his Sending to make mention of it or when he mentions it to take in also his sending as Joh. 6.39 40. This is the Father's Will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the Will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day O when the Father sent Christ he made this known to him as his Will and Pleasure that he should take special care of all his Elect and see that not one of them should be lost And this Christ submitted to as a part of his Surety-ship and ever since he hath with all faithfulness observed this his Father's Will and made good his Trust in the securing of every sincere Christian And for your Comfort know that this Trust doth as much lie upon Christ's hands now as ever it did that even as to your individual Persons if you be true Believers it is the Father's Will to Christ that he should not lose one of you or let one of you perish A child of God perish O by no means that neither Father nor Son will permit Rather than that should befal any of the Elect God would send his Son again to do and suffer all over again if such a thing was to be imagined Here then Believers is matter of strong Consolation for you viz. as to your Spiritual and Eternal State you are safe Christ is under a special obligation to secure you For the Father did not only send him in order to the bringing of you into a good estate but he did also then entrust him with the keeping of you in that estate when he should have brought you into it and what can be spoken higher for your support and comfort But I must leave these things with you O that you would often think of them especially in Soul-distresses and be ever drawing from them till your Hearts be even brim-full of Heavenly Consolation A Third Vse offers it self
may put them together and take in both upon this Person and this Faith the Church of God is built and therefore it shall stand fast for ever so that according to this Exposition which is with great strength defended by our PROTESTANT Divines this Sonship of Christ is the foundation-truth And therefore no wonder that in all Ages the Zeal of the Church hath been so much engag'd therein for 't is very well known that in its drawing up of Creeds and Summaries of Faith this one Article viz. Christ's being the Coessential Coeternal only begotten Son of God hath ever been put in witness the Nicene Constantinopolitan Athanasian Creeds because this was judged a thing most necessary to be believed And indeed there is not any one branch of the Christian Faith which the Church hath gain'd more out of the fire after much trouble and opposition than this one Nay this was that very Truth for the owning and asserting of which above any other our blessed Lord lost his life as you may plainly see by the * Joh. 19.7 Mark 14.61 c. Evangelical History And I desire that it may yet further be considered that as God himself began and ended with the witness and declaration of Christ's Sonship for as soon as he entred upon his publick Ministry the Father set him out with this witness * Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son c. and when he had well nigh finished his work and was going off the stage then the Father renew'd his witness again * Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son c So the Devil too he began and ended with the Sonship of Christ for presently after the Father's testimony thereof he took him aside to tempt him and when he had him alone and began the duel with him how did he assault him why * Matth. 4.3 if thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread he comes over it again †Vers 6. if thou be the Son of God cast thy self down c If thou be the Son of God why did Satan harp so much upon this what might his design be in laying his temptation thus I answer it must be for one or for all of these Reasons either that he might by the observing of Christ's behaviour in the contest more fully inform himself whether Christ was indeed the Son of God which was the thing he was deadly afraid of knowing that such a person would be the ruine of his kingdom or that he might see whether he could make Christ to doubt of his Sonship after and notwithstanding the plain testimony of his Father or that he might go as far as ever he could to draw him to the doing of what was evil and so if such a thing had been possible null this his neer relation to God surely there was some special cause why Satan pick'd out this and so much insisted upon it Well! here he began these were the very first words which this cursed Spirit uttered when he dared to assault our Saviour wherein he plainly struck at his Sonship it self though cunningly he made his temptations to point to some wicked inferences which he would have had drawn from Christ's relation rather than directly to the truth of the relation it self And as he began with this so he ended with this for 't was he which speaks a prodigious infatuation in him that he should be so forward in the promoting of that which certainly would end in his ruine who stirr'd up Pilate the High Priest the Body of the Jews against Christ and they through his instigation fell upon Christ and took away his life for what for this very cause because he made himself to be as indeed he was the Son of God By all this you see of what great moment and importance this Truth concerning Christ's Sonship is And to add yet one thing further pray look to that grand Seducer and Enemy of Christ and of the Christian Faith I mean Mahomet of whom we reade that he also set himself to his utmost to oppose and decry the Sonship of Christ He was willing to grant Christ to be a great Prophet but by no means to be the very Son of God this particularly and expresly he principled his Followers against in his ridiculous Alcoran and * Constantèr dic illis Deum unum esse necessarium omnibus incorporeum Qui nec genuit nec est generatus nec habet quenquam sibi similem Azoar 122. Alcor in Bibliandri Edit p. 188. Vide Cribrat Alcorani per Nicol. de Cusa lib. 1. c. 10 11 13 14 c. See Dr. Pearson on the Creed p. 272. he gave them in special this Command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship one onely God and to honour Christ as the Word of God but not as the Son of God From all these premises I infer is this such a foundation-Truth and shall not we firmly assent to it hath the Church with such zeal contended for it and shall we yet doubt of it do Heathens Jews Turks so much oppose it and shall not we Christians who have and own Scripture-revelation steadily believe it hath Christ sealed it with his blood and yet shall we stagger about it have we such attestations from God and Man and yet shall there be questionings and reasonings in our Souls against it 1 Joh. 5.9 10. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son But Some will say to what purpose is all this who question 's whether Christ be God's own Son I answer O that there was not too much need of this advice many poor Souls think they do fully and firmly believe it and yet 't is to be feared they do not and the truth is that weakness which is in our Faith of adherence proceeds in part from that weakness that is in our Faith of assent much of that dejectedness which is upon our Spirits under trouble and of those inward sinkings under the sense of guilt comes from one of these two Causes either we do not revive upon our thoughts or else we do not fixedly believe in our hearts that Christ is God's Son and his own Son And as to loose and common Professors if ever Arrianism Old or New should get upon the throne which God forbid I fear the belief of Christ's Godhead and eternal Sonship would soon be laid aside O therefore I would be very earnest with you to get your faith yet more and more strengthned and confirmed about it But though this be very good yet 't is not enough besides the believing of Christ to be the Son of God there must be believing on Christ as the Son
see Heb. 5.7 Thus you are to understand the Apostle in these words and not as if he laid aside all knowledge of or respects unto the Lord Jesus as considered in his Humane Nature In believing we must eye a whole Christ Christ God and Christ Man too his whole Person with both his Natures is the proper object of Faith And certainly there 's something in 't that believing is so much set forth by its reference to his Flesh as Joh. 6.53 54 56. Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Take away this Flesh and Christ's fitness to be a Mediator to God and a Saviour to us ceases and consequently his fitness too to be the object of saving Faith 't is Christ God-Man whom in believing you have to do with and you are neither so to eye his Manhood as to overlook his Godhead nor so to eye his Godhead as to overlook his Manhood both together do your work Upon the whole therefore you are in the actings of Faith to look upon Christ as having assum'd your Nature and so to rest upon him 2d Branch of the Exhortation To be much in the study and contemplation of a Christ incarnate 2. Secondly be much in the study and contemplation of Christ as sent in flesh What an object is a Christ incarnate for these I have press'd you to study him as the Son of God I would also press you to study him as the Son of Man to know him as God's own Son and as having taken our own Flesh there 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the * Phil. 3.8 excellency of the knowledge of him What dry insipid jejune knowledge is all other in comparison of the knowledge of Christ as God-Man One dram of this especially if saving practical and fiducial is better than great heaps of meer natural and philosophical knowledge It cannot be enough lamented that Christ in his Person Natures Offices is so little known as to that which I am treating of his assuming Mans nature how little do the most understand of it all hope to be saved by a Christ incarnate but alas they know not what a Christ incarnate is in the general possibly they can tell you he was a Man but if you examine them about particulars what woful ignorance will you find in them is not this to be greatly bewail'd Nay go even to Saints themselves how scant and dimme is their light and knowledge about this none can know it fully some know nothing of it they who know something 't is God knows but very little in comparison of what they might they wade but ankle deep into this great depth is there not need therefore of this advice to stir you up to the studying of Christ as sent in the flesh O that you would study other things less and this more that you would every day with all due sobriety be prying searching diving into this mystery of a God manifested in the flesh so the Angels do this is one of those things which they desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and we being more concern'd in it than they shall not we be looking into it David says Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein here 's a great work indeed the greatest that ever was done by God many great and glorious things he hath done but the sending of his own Son in our flesh exceeds them all now shall not this be sought out by us Things are to be studyed according to their excellency in themselves and their influence upon the good of others there are in a very eminent manner both of these inducements in the Incarnation of Christ to draw out our most serious endeavours after the knowledge of it for what so excellent in it self so beneficial to Man as that It stands very high in the place and reference which it bears in and to the Gospel 't is the Soul and Spirit the marrow and kernel of the whole Gospel one of the highest discoveries which the Gospel makes all the Articles of Faith saith * Dr. Sibbs o◠1 Tim. 3.16 p. 65. one stoop and vail to it and if so what a necessity doth this lay upon you to search as narrowly into it as ever you can Pray do not object the mysteriousness of the thing as if it was so much above you that you were not to meddle with it for 1. Though it be a great mystery yet 't is a mystery in a great measure revealed 2. The more mysterious it is the more need there is of the most diligent inquisition into it 3. 'T is a mystery to curb curiosity and Pride but not to stifle sober and modest enquiries Further be much in meditating upon and contemplating of Christ as sent in the flesh You are to study him that you may know more of him to meditate upon him that you may draw out and improve what you do know O Sirs he that is in your Nature in Heaven should he not be very much in your hearts here on earth A Christ incarnate how should our Souls be swallowed up in thinking of him as such What doth the whole world afford so deserving of our most fixed thoughts is there any flower in Natures garden out of which such sweetness may be suck'd what divine comfort what heavenly delights must needs flow from hence to the Soul that is much in the contemplation of it Is the foundation of our eternal happiness laid in it and shall we not mind it is it a thing so rare so unparallel'd and yet shall it be seldom in our thoughts What fools are we to suffer our selves to be so much taken up with trifles and shadows when we might live in the daily view of Christ God-Man why should an empty perishing world engross our thoughts when we have such an object as a Jesus incarnate to contemplate why do we dwell so much upon fleshly things of a deceiving and defiling nature when the flesh-assuming Christ the spotless and undefiled flesh of the holy Jesus is either not at all regarded or very hastily pass'd over 'T is said of Isaac Gen. 24.63 He went out to meditate in the field O Christians what a spacious and delicious field is Christ's Humane Nature for you to meditate in and upon O that you would go out frequently and so do You say sometimes you would imploy your thoughts in divine Meditation and Contemplation but you cannot call to mind a proper object for it or you are presently on ground and want matter for your thoughts to work upon 'pray when 't is so fix upon the Word as made Flesh there 's a fit and
subdued and conquered all the powers of Hell held it out till all was finished all this was done in our flesh by Christ-Man though not as meer Man I say in our flesh for had it not been so * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost Haec erat Dei virtus in substantià pari perficere salutem Non enim magnum si Spiritus Dei Carnem remediaret sed si Caro consimilis peccatrici dum Caro est sed non peccati Tertull. adv Marcion l. 5. the thing had not been so great but that Christ in our very Nature and Flesh should be able to do such things there 's the wonder doubtless he must be assisted and strengthened by an higher Nature otherwise it could not have been thus Nay that Christ-Man should continue yet to do such strange and mighty things O stand and wonder at his Power 'T was the stone cut without hands by which you are to understand Christ in the miraculous production of his Humane Nature which smote the image c. Dan. 2.34 You read of one sitting upon the cloud like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle for the cutting down of his enemies Rev. 14.14 and the Son of man is brought before the ancient of dayes and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve him c. Dan. 7.13 14. Now that Christ in the Nature of Man should be thus exalted and also do such great and glorious things is not this wonderful Suppose you had seen * Exod. 2.3 Moses when a child in his Ark of bullrushes laid in the flags by the rivers brink and then afterwards had seen him when grown up in the head of the people of Israel as their ruler and deliverer as he is stiled Act. 7.35 subduing Pharaoh and all his Host would not this have struck you with admiration What then shall we say and think of Christ he that for some time was shut up in his Mothers womb lay as a weak infant on her lap suck'd at her breasts c. and when grown up suffer'd and dy'd upon the Cross this very Christ is the redeemer of the world the Saviour of man the King of all the earth the universal Conqueror over Devils and all Enemies whatsoever exalted far above principalities c. what shall we say to these things verily they command adoring silence and wonderment I have been very long yet not too long I hope upon this head when the Incarnation of the Son of God is before me than which there never was a greater thing to be wondred at could I say too much in order to the raising of your hearts to the highest adoration both of the thing and also of the persons concern'd in it what more proper and necessary to be urg'd upon such an Argument than such a frame of spirit Fourth Branch of the Exhortation To labour after the powerful influence of Christ's Incarnation upon Heart Life 4. Fourthly this great mystery of Christ's Incarnation must have some powerful influence upon your hearts and lives My Brethren 't is not enough to believe it to have an ineffective light in the head about it no nor sometimes to have the affections wrought upon in the admiration of it but this must be attended with deep impressions upon the heart and have a great efficacy upon the life The Apostle having spoke of the * 1 Tim. 3.16 mystery of Godliness presently he falls upon Christ's being manifested in the flesh as a great part of that mystery of Godliness and this in particular as well as the whole Gospel in General is set forth thereby because where 't is known and believ'd aright it doth very much conduce and operate to the promoting of Godliness St. John tells us 1 Joh. 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God is every Spirit that confesseth this of God yes so far as assent to the truth and a faithful profession of that truth will carry it But such as would be said to be of God in a more special and saving way they must not only assent and profess but they must live suitably to what they do so believe and profess this truth of Christ's being come in the flesh must have an efficacy upon them in what is practical and then they will be of God indeed A God incarnate is both the great incouragement to Faith and also the great incentive to Duty Should I here fall upon the several particulars which offer themselves and enlarge upon them I should too much trespass briefly therefore let me but touch upon six or seven things 1. Was Christ sent in flesh and do you know and believe it Christians upon this must be humble Oh how humble should you be What an argument is here from Christ's Incarnation for humility in his assuming flesh he hath set before you the highest the most glorious pattern of humility that ever was will you not follow it * Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for saith he I am meek and lowly he gave sufficient evidence of his lowliness in becoming Man now is it not better to learn of an humble God than of a proud man O Christian after such abasement of thy Lord and Saviour wilt thou be haughty and proud how unsuitable is a proud sinner to an humble Saviour What saith one more mysterious than God humbled more monstrous than man proud When ever pride self-conceitedness self-exalting begin to rise in the heart think of the humility of the Son of God how he emptied himself made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a Servant c. and surely this will be an effectual Antidote against pride The Apostle when he would further lowliness of mind in the Philippians this is the consideration which he sets before them Phil. 2.3 6 7 c. * Diabolus superbus hominem superbientem perduxit ad mortem Christus humilis hominem obedientem reduxit ad vitam quia sicut ille clatus cecidit dejecit consentientem sic iste humiliatus surrexit erexit credentem August tem 3. p. 1051. We were undone by a proud Devil and a proud heart if ever we be sav'd it must be by an humble Saviour and an humble heart 2. Do not sin Partly Must not Sin that there may be in you as full a conformity to Christ as here you can come up to he took your Nature and sinn'd not therein you should be as like to him as ever you may Partly that Christ may have his end in his coming in the flesh for why did he so come but that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 that he might redeem you from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 that you being delivered out
would much embolden you in your addresses to God Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. Having therefore boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an High Priest over the house of God Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Had Joseph's Brethren known that their own brother had been so near to Pharaoh with what confidence would they have addressed themselves to him Believers Christ your Brother who is flesh of your flesh is at God's right hand as the great Master of Requests the great Dispenser of Mercies why do you not more improve this for the emboldening of your Spirits when in Prayer you go to God 'T is a great thing for the Saints Comfort to consider how things were formerly under the Law and how they are now under the Gospel Then God carried it in a way of greater state and majesty then he kept a greater distance and was more hardly accessible see how the Apostle sets it forth Heb. 9.1 c. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the Candlestick c. and after the second vail the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all Which had the golden Censer c. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the Service of God But into the second went the high Priest alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people The Apostle here takes notice of the partition or division of the Tabernacle for the * Of this and of the whole Tabernacle see Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. 3. c. 5. Atrium or outer Court where the people used to be that he speaks not of only he meddles with the first and second Tabernacle where the ordinary Priests and the high Priest did officiate Now he saith the first of these were to go no further than the first Tabernacle the People might not go so far the high Priest might go into the second Tabernacle the Sanctum Sanctorum but how with great restrictions he must go alone but * Austine whom Sigonius follows differs in his interpretation of this Quod autem scriptum est Pontificem sèmel in Anno solum Sancta esse ingressum S. Augustinus interpretatur eum quotidie quidem ingressum esse propter incensum ac semel in Anno propter expiationem cum sanguine purificationis Verùm possumus etiam dicere eum quotidiè quidem Sanctuarium esse ingressum sed Sacerdotum comitatu stipatum semel autem in Anno solum i.e. sine Sacerdotibus in die expiationum Sigon de Rep. Hebrae l. 5. c. 2. For this Opinion he is severely taken up by P. Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. l. 1. c. 4. once a year and that too not without blood see Exod. 30.10 Levit. 16. and God was so strict about this that it was as much as his life was worth even for him at any other time to venture into the Holy of Holy's Levit. 16.2 The Lord said unto Moses speak unto Aaron thy brother that he come not at all times into the Holy place within the vail before the Mercy-seat which is upon the Ark that he die not for I will appear in the cloud upon the Mercy-seat Well! not to instance in the restraints laid upon the Priests Levites c. which the Word also mentions what might God's meaning be in this see Vers 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing as if the Apostle had said let not any wonder that God then would keep men at such a distance here was the reason of it or the mystery which was at the bottom of it Christ was not yet come the true Tabernacle was not as yet erected the first Tabernacle was only then standing Christ had not assum'd the Nature of Man thereby to make way for man freely to go to God therefore the way to the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest But now under the Gospel Christ being incarnate and gone to heaven in our flesh now all may go to God freely the way to him is open every believer in the world may now enter into the Holy of Holy's all former restraints and distances are now taken away Mark the Scripture cited already Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh By this flesh Christ's Humane Nature or Christ in the Humane Nature is unquestionably meant which he calls the vail in allusion to that in the Tabernacle wherein there was a twofold vail one that covered the Ark Exod. 40.3 And cover the Ark with the vail the other which separated betwixt the Atrium and the first Tabernacle as also betwixt the first Tabernacle and the second Exod. 26.33 And the vail shall divide unto you between the Holy place and the most Holy so Heb. 9.3 And after the second vail the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all to which he also alludes Heb. 6.19 which entreth into that which is within the vail Now with respect to these vails Christ's Flesh or Manhood is set forth by the vail 1. as his Godhead for a time was hid and covered under it 2. as believers through this do go to God as it is the way into the Holiest And so 't is here brought in for he saith by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh You see what these Texts drive at and what the Apostle draws from them viz. that Saints now upon the Manhood of Christ should with boldness enter into the Holiest and draw neer to God with full assurance of Faith this is their unspeakable priviledge under the Gospel which they should improve and rejoyce in This is the fourth thing for Comfort God is now knowable and accessible The Humane Nature is by Christ's Incarnation highly dignify'd and advanc'd 5. Fifthly This cannot but be exceedingly delightful to us to consider the advancement and dignity
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 97. PORPHYRY's Objections against Sacrifices in general viz. they would encourage men to be wicked All to labour after an interest in Christ's Sacrifice and in the benefits thereby procured 3. Thirdly I would excite you to labour after and to make sure of a personal interest in this great Sacrifice and in the benefits resulting from it For 't is a thing to be resented with the greatest sadness imaginable that where â—ere is such a Sacrifice so at first offered up to God and now so revealed to men that yet so many millions of Souls should perish and as to their spiritual and eternal state be little the better for it because they regard not as to themselves either the thing or the good that flows from it My Brethren I beseech you if you have any love for your Souls let it not be so with you but let it be your greatest care to secure an interest in this Sacrifice and to partake of the blessings procured by it be often considering and questioning with your selves here 's a Sacrifice for expiation and atonement but what 's this to us here 's a dying Christ but did he die for us shall we be ever the better for his death if this propitiatory oblation be not ours what will become of us Under the Law the Gentile-strangers were to offer Sacrifices as well as the born-Jews see Numb 15.14 15. Lev. 17.8 and amongst the Jews the poor as well as the rich with respect to which difference in mens outward condition God accordingly appointed different Sacrifices Lev. 14.21 but yet something or other both were to Sacrifice and in their offerings for the ransome of their Souls all were to give alike Exod. 30.15 The rich shall not give more the poor shall not give less than half a Shekel Now all this was to shadow out two things about Christ's Sacrifice 1. its equal extent to all men notwithstanding all national or civil differences be they Jews or Gentiles rich or poor 't is the same Christ to all if they believe for there is no difference Rom. 3.22 2. the equal obligation lying upon all men to look after make sure of and rest in this one and the same all-sufficient Sacrifice none in order to remission justification atonement eternal life need to carry more to God by Faith and Prayers and none must carry less Sirs let us all put in for a share in Christ's offering and in the benefits purchased thereby for if we should come short of that we are lost eternally Are not reconciliation with God the expiation of sin eternal redemption c. things most necessary and most desireable if so where can we hope to have them but in a sacrific'd Redeemer but in the imputation of the merit of his death and Sacrifice And I add do not only make sure of the thing objectively considered but labour also after the subjective assurance of it Oh when a Christian can say Christ dy'd for me * Gal. 2.20 gave himself for me his body was broken and his blood shed for me he took my guilt and bare my punishment how is he filled with †1 Pet. 1.8 joy unspeakable with | Phil. 4.7 peace that passes all understanding what a full-tyde of comfort is there in his Soul This is the receiving of the atonement as some open it and that is very sweet Rom. 5.11 And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement This is to be ey'd and only rely'd upon 4. In the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for sin and there let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd I say in the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for indeed this grace hath to do with him mainly and principally as dying and sacrific'd the Apostle speaks of Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 't is a bleeding crucified Saviour that is the great and most proper object of Faith true it takes in a whole Christ all of Christ his Nativity holy Life Resurrection Ascension Intercession c. but that which it primarily and chiefly fixes upon is his death and passion When a Soul is brought into Christ to close with him in the way of believing what of him is first in its eye in that act is it a Christ as ascending as sitting at the right hand of God as interceding no thus it beholds him for the after-encouragement and support of Faith but that which it first considers is a Christ as dying upon the Cross and so it layes hold upon him And no wonder that 't is so since all the great blessings of the Gospel do mainly flow from Christ's death they are assur'd and apply'd by his Resurrection Ascension and Intercession but they were procur'd and purchas'd by his death as the Scriptures abundantly shew Rom. 5.9 10. Eph. 1.7 et passim now tnat which hath the most causal and most immediate influence upon these that deserves to be first and most eyed by Faith Here 's the difference 'twixt Faith and Love this chiefly looks to the excellencies of Christ's Person but that to the merit and efficacy of his Sacrifice When the Apostle Gal. 2.20 had spoken so high of his Faith in the Son of God he tells you in what notion he did therein consider him by adding who loved me and gave himself for me The stung Israelite was to look upon the brazen Serpent as lifted up and so he was healed do you desire to find healing redemption salvation by Christ O look upon him as lifted up upon the Cross so all good shall come to you Further I say let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd here this is that firm rock which you must only build upon for pardon peace with God salvation for all Oh take heed of relying upon any thing besides this Sacrifice Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ he that glory 's or trusts in any thing besides that his glorying is vain The forlorn undone Sinner should be alwayes clasping and clinging about this Cross resting upon the merit of Christ thereon and upon that only for all that hope will be but dying hope which is not solely bottom'd upon a dying Saviour The * Quum sis ipse nocens moritur cur victima pro te Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem Heathens could not believe that ever the death of Sacrifices should do the guilty person good they look'd upon it as folly to hope for life by anothers death but blessed be God we see that which they did not we firmly believe and steadily hope for expiation and Salvation by Christ's one offering of himself and lay the sole stress of our Faith and happiness upon that which they counted folly But let us be sure we do not mistake here I mean let us indeed
pleasing to God Phil. 4.18 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleas'd Heb. 13.16 And to summe up all holiness of heart and life that 's an excellent Sacrifice excelling all the old Law Sacrifices whatsoever 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams Micah 6.6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The * Vis Deos propitiare bonus esto Satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est Senec. Ep. 9.5 Non immolationibus sanguine multo colendus est Deus sed mente purâ bono honestóque proposito Idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 62. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. l. 3. with many more in Stuck de Sacrif p. 153. col 2. Saubert de Sac. c. 1. p. 4. HEATHENS themselves upon the light of Nature look'd upon moral goodness as the best and most acceptable Sacrifice I 'me sure Evangelical Holiness is so The wickedness of the Jews made God even to abhorre and slight the Sacrifices which were instituted by himself as we find Isa 1.11 c. Isa 66.3 Jer. 6.20 7.21 c. Amos 5.21 22. if we live in sin we may offer this and that to God but 't is all nothing nay that makes all our Sacrifices an abomination to him Prov. 15.8 Oh live the holy life keep the heart pure mortifie whatever is evil do good shun all excesses be heavenly in your affections in all things act in complyance with God's Nature and Will c. this will please him more than the most costly oblations which you can bring to him These are the Sacrifices which now under the Gospel we are to offer and surely we should offer them with all readiness and faithfulness our Lord having submitted to the bloody Sacrifice of himself on the Cross and left us none but these easie and delightful Sacrifices how reareadily should we close with them But so much for this Vse A third shall put an end to this Subject and that is of Comfort Was Christ a Sacrifice for sin Vse 3. For Comfort to Believers did he thereby condemn sin what doth this Truth drop but honey and sweetness to them who are in Christ I say to them who are in Christ for they are the persons only who can lay hold upon the grace contain'd in it as the non-condemnation of the person in the first verse so the condemnation of sin in this belongs only to such You that are in the number of these to you I bring glad tydings matter of great joy out of the bitter comes sweet for Christ to do die as a Sacrifice this was bitter to him but 't is sweet to you his death passion and whole humilation speak nothing to you but consolation Oh did Believers especially such as are under a troubled spirit but better understand and better improve this sin-condemning Sacrifice they would certainly have more of inward peace and comfort than now they have I must not in fist upon the particular and full drawing out of that consolatory matter which it affords therefore shall conclude with a brief review only of what the Text offers And so 1. here 's a Sacrifice for sin All men in ADAM having sinned wilfully after that they had receiv'd the knowledge of the truth there might have been no Sacrifice for their sin to allude to that Heb. 10.26 but the gracious God notwithstanding all this was pleas'd to admit of a Sacrifice yea himself to find out and ordain that Sacrifice here 's matter of comfort 2. Christ himself was this Sacrifice And if so how pleasing must it needs be to God! Eph. 5.2 and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour I tell you there was infinitely more in this one Sacrifice to please God than there is in all your sins put them all together to displease God If Christ be the Sacrifice there must be an infinite efficacy and merit in it from the dignity of his person an infiniteness of merit must needs result if he will die and shed his blood what can be too high for you surely too there 's more in his Offering to save you than there is in Sin to damn you If he be the Sacrifice no question but the Father did accept of it and indeed of this he hath given sufficient evidence to the world not only by his carriage towards the Saints but also and chiefly by his carriage towards Christ himself for whereas of old he was wont to testifie his acceptation of the Sacrifices by consuming them by fire from heaven Gen. 15.17 Levit. 9.24 Judg. 6.21 2 Chron. 7.1 here with respect to Christ's Sacrifice he testify'd his acceptance in an higher way viz. by raising him from the dead taking him up to heaven re-admiting him into his presence and setting him at his Son had he not been well-pleased with his person and oblation Oh there 's a convincing evidence of this in his going to the Father Joh. 16.8 10. By this Sacrifice thus accepted you are made perfect as you have often heard out of Heb. 10.14 18. there 's nothing now to be done by Christ or by you but only to apply and improve what he hath already done is not this ground of strong consolation And know further for your comfort that the vertue of Christ's Offering is as great now as it was at the first his blood is as effectual with God for your good now as it was when it was just running warm from his veins and * Adeò magnum est hoc Sacrificium ut quamvis unum sit semel oblatum sufficiat ad aeternitatem Anselm so it shall be to the end of the world And that he may make the best of it he is entred into the holy place where 't is his business to present and plead the merit thereof he back 's his oblation on earth with his intercession in heaven and what can be spoken higher for your support comfort he that was the Sacrifice here is the Advocate there 3. By this Sacrifice Sin was condemn'd Sin condemn'd what a word is that that which would have condemned you and which only can condemn you that is by Christ condemn'd it-self condemning sin is condemn'd by a condemned Saviour And
* Qui maledictionem legis perpetitur per hoc non implet mandata legis aut operatur justitiam c. Wegelin de Obed. Christi fulfil who suffers that 's very harsh To say that one of the things that have been spoken of was or is sufficient viz. the undergoing of the punishment without the doing of the duty and that therefore the imputation of Christ's death and sufferings is enough I say for any to assert this they do in my thoughts offer some violence to the Text in hand which tells us the righteousness the whole righteousness of the Law was to be and is fulfilled in believers 3. 'T is urged thirdly 3. Arg. 't is necessary not only in respect of the Law but of our selves also that Christ's active Obedience should be imputed inasmuch as our righteousness and title to eternal life do indispensably depend upon it The Law is the measure and standard of righteousness let that be fulfilled and a person is righteous otherwise not without this none can stand before the great God as being such Wel then the Sinner himself being altogether unable thus to fulfil the Law thereby to be made righteous Christ's fulfilling of it must be imputed to him in order to righteousness Guilt and righteousness do both carry in them a reference to the holy Law when that is broken 't is guilt when that is kept 't is righteousness therefore as supposing that Law had not been transgress'd we had not been guilty so unless that Law be fully conform'd to we cannot be * Deut 6.25 righteous Now where shall we find this full conformity to the Law but in Christ and what will that in Christ avail us if it be not imputed and made over to us So as to eternal Life unto which without fulfilling the Law we can have no claim or title For the old Law-condition or Covenant being yet in force Hoc fac vives do and live Levit. 18.5 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 Luk. 10.28 unless this Condition be performed we cannot hope for life True indeed under the Covenant of Grace God accepts of what is done by the Surety and he doth not exact of the Sinner in his own person the perfect obeying of the Law as the condition of life but yet he will have the thing done either by or for the Sinner either by himself or by his Surety or else no life doth not this then evince the necessity of the imputation of Christ's active Obedience But 't is queried Was not Christ's passive obedience without the active sufficient for both of these for righteousness and for life To which they of this Opinion answer No they say upon Christ's death and suffering we are freed from guilt but upon that abstractly from his active obeying of the Law we are not strictly and positively made righteous So also upon his death and suffering they say we are saved from wrath and Hell but yet upon that alone we are not entitled to Heaven they grant in Christ's death a fulness and sufficiency of Satisfaction but as to merit for that they must take in the holiness and obedience of his life I do but recite not undertaking at present to defend what is here asserted only let me close this Head with one thing which to me is observable Our Lord being both to do and to suffer to obey actively and passively that he might fully answer the Laws demands for the justification and salvation of Sinners 't is considerable how the New Testament in two eminent places speaks distinctly to both these parts of his Obedience in their distinct reference to both the parts of the Law under the old Testament and in their distinct influence upon the Sinners good Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one c. or as 't is Vers 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things c. here is Christ's passive Obedience with respect to the old curse or penal part of the Law here mentioned and the benefit which we reap thereby viz. deliverance from the Laws curse That 's one place the other is Rom. 10.5 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them here is Christ's active Obedience with respect to the mandatory part or doing righteousness of the Law here mentioned also and the imputation and benefit of this to believers viz. righteousness and life Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness that is to convey that righteousness which the Law could not or to perform the Law in order to righteousness which the Sinner could not take it as you will it must have reference to the Moral Law and to the preceptive part thereof for so the Apostle opens it in that which follows Vers 5. Now Christ's active Obedience thereunto is imputed to believers otherwise why is it said that he is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth All that I drive at is 1. That the imputation of the passive obedience in Gal. 3.13 must not justle out the imputation of the active obedience in Rom. 10.5 2. That as the imputation of the one is necessary to free from the Laws curse so the imputation of the other is necessary for the having of righteousness and life 4. If Christ actively fulfilled the Law for us then his active fulfilling thereof must be imputed to us 4. Arg. but so he did ergo The Consequence I judge to be good and strong for surely whatever Christ did on our behalf in our stead as designing and aiming at our good as his main end that must needs be imputed to us otherwise he and we too might lose that which he principally designed in his Obedience which is not to be imagined As to the Assumption that Christ actively fulfilled the Law for us that is generally asserted and defended by Divines against SOCINIANS and Others For whereas these affirm that Christ fulfilled the Law for himself he as a Creature being under the obligation of it they prove the contrary of which before shewing that Christ was not in that way wherein he fulfilled the Law at all obliged so to fulfil it for himself but that all was done by him purely upon our account he obey'd not meerly as a Subject but as a Surety therefore his Obedience must be for us and so imputable and imputed to us And whereas others affirm that Christ actively fulfilled the Law that he might thereby be fitted and qualified for his Mediatory Office two things are answered 1. The Scripture when it speaks of Christ's subjection to the Law and accomplishment of it doth not lay it upon this end or upon what refers to Christ himself but upon that which refers to us as the proper end
yet in your sins un-justified persons you lie open to the wrath of that God whose Law you have violated can make no good claim of life for the Law is not done its condition of life is not performed and which is very dreadful if the Laws righteousness be not fulfilled in you the Laws curse will most certainly be inflicted upon you God will have a perfect righteousness and obedience some where or he will not justifie and save if therefore the perfect righteousness and obedience of Christ be not imputed to you what will you do what will become of you wo to that man who when he shall come at the great day to stand before God's Tribunal shall not be judg'd in and through Christ a fulfiller of the Law that shall then be found without the garment of Christ's imputed righteousness how will the Law fall upon him for non-obedience and thereupon demand satisfaction of him in the suffering of eternal torments Pray think of this in time so as to get an interest in Christ's fulfilling the Laws righteousness Some dispute whether his righteousness be imputed to any let your enquiries you taking the thing in thesi for granted be about something else viz. whether in particular it be imputed to you and what you may be and do that it may be imputed to you For your direction and help in both of these enquiries look to three things Vnion with Christ Faith the Spiritual conversation these are the evidences of the priviledge and also especially the two former the grounds and means of obtaining it The us of whom the Apostle speaks in whom the Laws righteousness is fulfilled are 1. Such who are in Christ 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Such who believe Rom. 3.22 Rom. 4.24 Phil. 3.9 3. Such who live the Spiritual Life for so they are here characteriz'd that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit So that would you either know whether Christ obey'd the Law for you and that that his obedience be imputed to you or would you take some course in order to the securing of this grace to your selves these are the things which your eye must be upon that you be in Christ that you be true believers that you be holy and spiritual in your walking God never intended that his Sons Obedience should be imputed to any but only to such as these 2. You who pretend to the having an interest in this glorious priviledge I would with the greatest earnestness exhort you to go as far in your own persons as is possible in the fulfilling of the Laws righteousness And this I would with the more vehemency press upon you because of those ugly aspersions and calumnies which some do cast upon this precious Truth and the worthy Assertors of it How do * Ita nunc juxta hujus bestiae Sanctimoniam he means Beza renatus in Christo credens in eum Christi que justitiam forti fide apprehendens fornicetur inebrietur omni spurcitiâ contaminetur peccatum pro nihilo habetur utcunque supersint reliquiae ejus in nobis Staplet Antidot p. 630. Haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt daemonum praestigiae quibus Legem Dei eludere c. Vid. Conâ—â—â—n in loc Qu. 1. Papists let fly whole volleys of bitter invectives against Protestants because they assert the imputation of Christs Obedience and so expound these Words And there are some Others who are high enough in their censuring and calumniating of this Doctrine as if it tended to nothing but to make men careless and loose and profane as if it opened a wide door to all licentiousness and did cut the sinews of all piety and godliness O therefore I would intreat you to be the more strict exact holy obedient in your course that you may live down all these scandals and that your conversation may be a â—isible confutation of them 'T is no new thing for the Doctrines of imputed righteousness of not resting on the Law for justification the decrying of Works for righteousness the crying up of Faith as the great condition of righteousness and life I say 't is no new thing for these evangelical Truths to be reviled by some and perverted by others Therefore as to the latter the Apostle when he was speaking of them was fain ever and anon to interpose something by way of Caution that he might obviate those misinterpretations perversions abuses which some might make of what he had said * Rom. 3.31 Do we saith he make void the Law †Gal. 2.17 is Christ the minister of sin And surely we have need to do the same as to that which I am upon O say some did Christ in our stead obey the Law is his fulfilling the Law made over to us then we have nothing to do we are under no obligation on our part to obey too is not Christ's perfect fulfilling the Law enough what can be further required of us what need we trouble our selves about any obedience or holy walking But God forbid that any of you should thus reason We are indeed too prone to such reasonings 't is very natural to us to catch at any thing that may comply with the gratifying of the flesh and with the easing of us as to the severities of an holy obediential course and hence it is that we suck poison out of the sweetest flowers turning the grace of God into wantonness But I assure you there 's nothing in Christ's Obedience and in the imputation thereof that hath any tendency or gives any encouragement or patronage to any such loose inferences for though he obey'd the Law for us yet we our selves must obey it too his obedience must not justle out ours both together upon different accounts do very well agree Indeed he having obey'd the Law we are not bound to obey it for such an end as for satisfaction and merit for righteousness and life yet in other respects and for other ends as that we may conform to the Will of God and so please him that we may in our sphere imitate our holy Saviour that we may testifie our love and gratitude to God c. so we are as much bound to keep and obey the Law as ever O 't is such an excellent Law in the commands and injunctions of it that all should delight in conforming to it as 't is the Law of works calling for perfect and personal Obedience and giving no strength thereunto so 't is burdensom but as it is puts the creature upon works and is the rule and matter of obedience so the gracious Soul will delight in it Wherefore though Christ hath fulfilled it for you yet it becomes you too to live in all obediential complyance with it and subjection to it And I say herein go as far as is possible You cannot perfectly fulfil it blessed be God that is not required of you but yet you should do as much
Page 214 c. One Direction given in order to it Page 217 What is incumbent upon those who are made free from the Law of Sin Page 217 c. Comfort to such Page 225 c. Of the Law as weakned by the Flesh Of what Law doth the Apostle speak Page 259 How 't is said to be weak Page 263 Wherein 't is weak Page 260 266 267 Grounds or Demonstrations of its weakness Page 268 Yet the Law is holy and good and 〈◊〉 disparag'd by this Page 272 c. Nor to be cast off as useless Page 274 Nor is it altogether weak in other respects Page 275 There 's no looking for Justification or Righteousness by the Law Page 276 c. Of the Law as Christ fulfilled the righteousness thereof Page 567 Which is to be understood of the Moral Law ibid. Of the Righteousness of that Law Page 569 In what respects Christ is said to fulfil it Page 570 584. How the Laws Righteousness is fulfilled in Believers Four Opinions about it Page 572 c. Christ was made under the Law opened in Five things Page 579 Whether the Law requir'd both Suffering and Doing too Page 600 Of the Honour that God had for his Law Page 611 All to get an interest in Christ's fulfilling the Law Page 612 Believers themselves to go as for as ever they can in the fulfilling of the Law Page 613 The admirable Love of Christ in being willing to be made under the Law Page 616. The Comfort that resâ—â—ts from thence to Believers ibid. Christ hath fulfilled the Moral Law but we our selves must fulfil the Evangelical Law Page 615 Saints being made free from the Law of Sin must stand fast in their Liberty Page 219 And walk suitably to it Page 225 Also be very thankful for it ibid. Christ to be loved greatly for his readiness to come when he was sent Page 306 The Love of the Father in sending Christ Page 366 Of Lust or Lusts the most natural act of the Flesh Page 101 c. Lusts distinguished Page 102 121 M. Of Christ's Manhood Page 375 He was a real Man Page 377 Had a Soul and Body as we have Page 383 Yea he submited to all our sinless Infirmities Page 385 The excellency of Christ's Manhood Page 419 Marks and Signs grounded upon Sanctification not to be neglected under the Gospel Page 115 Our Sin the Meritorious Cause of all Christ's Sufferings Page 467 Whether there be a Medium betwixt not guilty and righteous Page 601 Of Christ's Mission V. Sending The Misery of all out of Christ Page 25 The Moral Law as given to Israel not only a Covenant of Works Page 260 N. The two Natures in Christ united but not confounded nor converted Page 403 Negative Promises carry a great Emphasis Page 16 Negatives in Religion not sufficient Page 94 O. Of Christ's Obedience Active and Passive Page 570 His Obedience imputed to us Page 576 He being bound to obey how doth his Obedience become imputable to us or meritorious for us That cleared up in Three things Page 582 Whether his Active as well as his Passive Obedience is imputed Four Opinions about it Page 585 c. Arguments to prove its imputation Page 588 c. Whether it be imputed as done in our stead Aff. Page 595 Arguments to prove it Page 596 c. Ten Objections against both answered Page 598 c. Though Christ obey'd yet we also are bound to obey Page 606 The Opposition which Sin makes to what is good Page 178. P. Against PAPISTS it is proved That in all in this life there is that which deserves Condemnation Page 8 That inherent Righteousness is not the proper Cause of Justification Page 145 That their granting of Christ's being come in the Flesh doth not acquit their Supream Head from being Antichrist Page 421 That no man in this Life doth or can personally and perfectly fulfil the Law Page 572 That their Calumnies against Protestants as if they were against Inherent Righteousness and Good Works are false and groundless Page 116 That their Humane Satisfactions are vain and groundless Page 523 That the Lords Supper is not a Sacrifice but a commemoration only of Christ's Sacrifice Page 528 c. Pardon of Sin plenary Page 14 Persevenrance inferr'd from Vnion with Christ Page 83 Of the different Principles by which men are acted Page 105 The Spirit the Principle in the Regenerate Page 107 Sin the Principle which acts the Vnregenerate Page 175 176 All the Promises seal'd by Christ's taking Flesh Page 443 When Propensions to sin are entire it is the Law of Sin Page 180 Protestants Vindicated Page 116 The people of God are lyable to Punishment for sin Page 7 But not under the notion of Satisfaction or in a vindictive way Page 524 R. Christ's fitness to be a Redeemer Opened in some Particulars Page 299 c. The Work of Redemption a great Work Page 352 All Believers have an equal share in Remission Page 15 Remission of Sin not the fulfilling of the Law Page 577 Of the Necessity and Efficacy of Renewing Grace Page 200 Also of the necessity and mighty power of Restraining Grace Page 197 Resurrection sure from our Vnion with Christ Page 82 Also from Christ's Incarnation Page 446 The Laws Righteousness Page 569 S. Christ a real proper Sacrifice for sin proved Page 471 All the old Sacrifices Types of Christ the great Sacrifice Page 472 They receiv'd all their virtue from him Page 473 They all began and ended with him Page 478 Six Things in the Levitical Sacrifices all which are answerably to be found in Christ Page 476 Christ a propitiatory and expiatory Sacrifice Page 478 Four Heads much enlarg'd upon to prove Christ to be such a Sacrifice Page 481 Of Atonement and Expiation and the true notion thereof by his Sacrifice according to what was done by the Jewish Sacrifices Page 494 c. to 502 c. Christ was a Sacrifice when he dy'd upon the Cross That proved Page 504 c. Of the Nature and Extent of the Expiation of Sin by Christ's Sacrifice Page 508 c. The excellency of Christ's Priesthood and Sacrifice Page 539 Duties incumbent upon us in reference to this Page 544 c. The Comforts which flow from it to Believers Page 560 c. Whether the old Sacrifices were meerly typical Page 474 The Division and Distinction of the Jewish Sacrifices Page 479 Whether they did expiate all sin opened Page 511 Of the Gentile Sacrifices and their notions in them Page 502 c. Evangelical Sacrifices now to be offered up by Christians Page 558 Salvation under the Law and Condemnation under the Gospel Page 14 The truth of Christ's Satisfaction proved Page 515 The Vanity of Humane Satisfactions Page 523 c. Of the Sending of Christ Page 282 c. When the case of Sinners as to the Law was desperate Christ was sent Page 282 God the Father sent him Page 283 Christ came not till sent Page 288
What this sending of Christ was not Page 289 What it was opened in Five things Page 290 How this was consistent with his equality with his Father explained Page 294 The Grounds of Christ's being sent Page 296 The Love of Father and Son to be adored upon this Page 302 c. All are to go when they are sent not before Page 307 None to rest in the external sending of Christ Page 309 Christ as sent to be believed on Page 310 Comforts from Christ's being sent Page 313 None free from Sin here Page 8 Sin a vile and base thing Page 190 The Tyranny of it Page 192 Its advantages against us Page 232 It hath not barely a Being but too great a power even in the Regenerate Page 203 The special and most prevailing Sin must be most resisted Page 222 Christ's Death the highest Demonstration of the Evil of Sin Page 541 What the Condemning of Sin is Page 460 Of the breaking of the Heart for and from Sin upon Christ's being a Sacrifice Page 546 SOCINIANS dealt with and these great Truths made good against them 1. That Christ did praeexist before he was born of the Virgin Page 284 2. That Christ was the Son of God not in respect of the things which they alledge Seven of which are instanc'd in and largely refuted but in respect of his eternal Generation Page 323 c. 3. That he who was antecedently the Son of God was in time made the Son of Man or was incarnate Page 393 c. 4. That Christ was a true and proper Expiatory Sacrifice and the true notion of his Expiation is made good gainst them Page 481 c. 5. That he made Satisfaction to the Justice of God Page 515 6. The principal Ends of Christ's Death are asserted and their Ends thereof proved not to be the principal Page 517 c. 7. That Christ is truly and Essentially God Page 349 Sons of God by Creation by Grace by Nature Page 321 Christ God's Son Page 319 Scripture attestations of it Page 319 c. Christ God's own Son Page 321 That opened Comparatively and Absolutely ibid. His bâ—ing the Natural Son of God Co-equal Co-essential Co-eternal with the Father begotten of him by eternal Generation is explained proved and largely vindicated against Opposers Page 323 c. He is not God's own Son partly in respect of eternal Generation and partly in respect of his miraculous Conception c. Page 345 c. Of the different communications of the Divine Essence from the Father to the Son and to the Spirit Page 348 Christ's Godhead inferr'd from his Sonship Page 349 How Christ's Sonship is to be studyed Page 354 c. All are to believe Christ to be the Son of God and to believe on him as such Page 358 How he is to be Honoured as the Son of God Page 363 What Comfort doth arise from Christ's Sonship Page 368 How the Spirit is the Spirit of Life Page 162 How 't is said to be in Christ Jesus Page 161 He is the Spirit of Life Formally Page 162 Effectively Page 163 c. What is meant by the Law of the Spirit Page 158 His making free from the Law of Sin opened Page 228 Of the Necessity Sufficiency Efficacy of the Spirits Power and Operation in that Page 230 c. The Spirit the sole Efficient therein Page 243 How he secures against the Law of Sin after Conversion Page 240 Deliverance from Sins power is to be expected from this Spirit and to be ascribed to him Page 244 c. Of the Spirits greatness and glory Page 241 He is greatly to be honoured Page 247 How the Spirit may be obtain'd Page 70 The Spirit taken Personally and Habitually Page 104 What it is to Walk after the Spirit Vide Walking Of Christ's Substituting himself in the Sinners stead Page 483 The true Nature and Ends of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Page 528 c. Christ sympathizes with his Members Page 80 T. The Tabernacle a Type of Christ's Body Page 389 Of the Distinction of the Persons in the Sacred Trinity Page â—87 Great relief under Troubles of Coâ—â—ence from Christ's Incarnation Page 513 U. How Sin reigns in the Understanding Page 181 How the Spirit works on the Understanding in order to freeing from the Law of Sin Page 236 Of the Union Of Three Persons in one Nature Of two Natures in one Person Of Persons where yet both Natures and Persons are distinct Page 44 Of the Hypostatical Union Page 399 Of the Sublimeness and Mysteriousness of it Page 400 Opened in Four things Page 401 c. The Mystical Union opened Page 42 c. That also is a great Mystery Page 43 Of the threefold Union 'twixt Christ and Believers Mystical Page 48 Legal Page 48 Moral Page 48 The Bonds of the former the Spirit and Faith Page 49 Several Scripture-Resemblances by which 't is set forth Page 52 c. Six Properties of it Page 54 c. How Persons may know whether they be under it Page 60 Of Natural and Spiritual Union with Christ ibid. Of External or Common and Internal or Special Union Page 61 Sinners exhorted to labour after this Union Page 68 How it may be attained Page 70 Without Union no Communion Page 69 Several Duties urged upon such who are united to Christ Page 72 c. Several Comforts directed to such Page 78 c. The Mystical Union made credible by Christ's Incarnation Page 444 W. Of Walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Page 88 Why the Apostle pitches upon this Evidence Page 90 Spiritual Walking not the Cause of the Priviledge but the Property of the Person to whom it belongs Page 93 The contrariety of the Two Walkings Page 95 Men must be in Christ before they can live the Spiritual Life Page 96 There alwayes was and alwayes will be different Walkers ibid. What it is to Walk after the Flesh opened Page 97 103 c. Walking in the Flesh taken in a good sense Page 98 Of the more gross and the more close Walking after the Flesh Page 120 Men dehorted from Fleshly Walking Page 121 c. The Dehortation enforced with diverse Motives Page 122 c. Directions in order to it page 129 c. What it is to Walk after the Spirit Page 104 106 Opened by the Spiritualness of the Principle Page 106 c. Guide Page 106 c. Affections Page 106 c. Propensions Page 106 c. Ends Page 106 c. All in Christ thus Walk Proved Page 112 This Walking Excellent Page 132 c. Pleasant Page 132 c. Saving Page 132 c. Spiritual Walkers are To be very thankful Page 136 To be yet more Spiritual Page 137 To take the Comfort of it Some Discouragements about it removed Page 139 The Will is the principal Seat of Sins Power Page 181 How the Spirit works upon the Will efficaciously yet without the infringing of its Liberty Page 238 Reader In the drawing up of this Index many things occasionally spoken unto have slipped me but thou wilt find them under those main Heads which I chiefly insist upon to each of which thou art here directed FINIS