everlastingly for it O my soul canst thou ponder on this and not love him dearly who has thus loved thee Come stir up the gift that is in thee if thou art a Christian thou hast some sparks though now it may be under the ashes come rub chase and warm thy affections at this fire love like a watch must be wound up or else it will fall downwards what dost thou why stand'st thou idle in the heat of the Day Christ hath fire in his hand 't is but looking up and reaching out thy hand to take it from him O take it with both thy hands and be thankful for it Prayer ejaculation contemplation judicious observation of the Spirits season are thy best instruments to kindle this fire of love in thee And methinks thy heart should begin now to melt methinks it should receive more easie impressions from the object before it methinks these eternal works and acts of God and Christ towards thy poor soul should begin to overcome thee Cant. 6.5 Cant 8.6 and to burne thy heart as with coales of Juniper Why Lord is it thus was I Elected from all Eternity in Christ was I ordained to a glorious inheritance before there was a World was this business to make me happy one of the cheef deep counsels of God was this one of the works of his wisdome that he was exercised about before the World began was this the great designe of God in making the World and in making Heaven the place of glory to glorifie himselfe and to glorifie such a poor wretch as I am O then how should this but mightily inflame my heart with the love God and love of Christ how should I choose but say as the Martyr did Oh that I had as many lives as I have haires on my head to lay them down for Christ Ah what flames of Divine affection what raptures of zeal what ravishments of delight what extasies of obedience can be enough for my blessed God and dearest Redeemer SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that respect 7. WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on that great work of our salvation in that Eternity This joy is a passion arising from the sweetness of the Object that we enjoy O my soul dost thou believe and art thou now cast into a pang of love how then should thy joy but come on As Christ said to the 70. In this rejoyce not Luk. 10.20 that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven so rejoyce not thou in this that the world is thine that riches are thine that thou hast subdued men and devils but herein rejoyce that thy name is written in the Book of life O what a comfortable point is this that the Father and Christ should transact a bargaine from Eternity concerning thee by name that the Father and the Son should commune together concerning thy heaven as if their language had been thus Father what shall be given to thy justice to ransome such a one Abraham Isaac Jacob Matthew Mark Luke John Mary Martha Hannah c. why no more but this thou shalt dye my Son and whosoever believeth in thee shall live for ever Why then saith Christ I will engage for such and such a one I will enter into Bond for such and such a person Abraham shall believe in time See I have writ down his name in the Book of life And who art thou that readest art thou a believer dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ said the same of thee and entered into a bond for thee and entered they name in the Book of life See the certainty of this in Phil. 4.3 Phil. 4 3. Thou Thomas Andrew Peter Christ knows thee by name and thy name is written in the Book of life O go thy way and rejoyce and take strong consolation is there not cause why I tell thee thy name is in the Book of Heaven and if this may adde to thy joy know there is none in Heaven or Earth shall ever be able to blot it out again No no poor soul Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus God hath decreed thy salvation and Gods decree shall stand let Men and Devils say what they will to the contrary Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations it is as possible for God to deny himself as it is possible for thee a believer to perish 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept saith the Apostle by the power of God through faith to salvation and therefore rejoyce and againe rejoyce yea raise up thy joy to that pitch of triumph which is joy elevated and elevated so high that it comes to victoriousness and magnanimous conquest of heart over all things say with the Apostle what my name written in the Book of life Rom. 8 3â— 35 38 39. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect who then shall separate me from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword nay I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. VVE must call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus This also is included in looking as David while Praying unto thee do I lift up mine Eyes Psa 123.1 O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Now this calling on God or looking to God contains Prayer and Praise 1. We must pray that all these transactions betwixt God and Christ may be assuredly ours and that God would clear up our Titles more and more yea and seeing all good things tending to Salvation were from all Eternity prepared for us we are therefore to pray that by prayer we may draw them down from Heaven for what though our Evidences be clear Yet this must not cast out means God doth not use to bestow his saving Graces on lazy sluggards those therefore who from the certainty of Predestination do pretend that the duty of Prayer is superfluous do plainly shew that they have no certainty at all Aquinas Aquinas part c q. art 8. was Orthodox in this the Predestinate must Pray because by these effects of Predestination the Salvation of Souls is best ascertained The same Spirit which Witnesseth to our Spirit that we are his Chosen is also the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and therefore he that believes that he is one of Gods Elect he cannot but pray for those things which he believeth that God hath prepared for him before the foundation of the World 2. We must praise God what that God should look on us and Predestinate us to Life
cancelling of the bond so the payment was wrought by Christ's death and the cancelling of the Bond was at his resurrection I shall not disprove either of these I am sure this is without all controversie that Christ rose that it might fully appear that now the Bond was cancelled and Gods Justice satisfied 4. That he might overcome and conquer sin death and devil and hence the Apostle cryes victory upon the occasion of Christ's resurrection 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory now was the day that he broke the prison and carryed the keys of death and hell at his own girdle now was the day that he spoiled Principalities and Powers that he troad on the Serpents head and all-to-bruised it that he came upon him took from him his armour wherein he trusted and divided his spoyles now was the day that the Jew lost his rage and death his sting and the grave his corruption and Hell his purchase now was the day of his victory over all his enemies now was the day that the Phaenix sprung up out of its own ashes that Jonas came safe out of the belly of the whale that the Tabernacle of David that was fallen was raised again that the Son of righteousness covered with a cloud appeared and shone with greater lustre than before that Sampson took the gates of the City and carryed them away He arose even upon that account 1 Cor. 15.20 5. That he might become the first-fruits of them that slept Christ is called the first-fruits in a double respect 1. In respect of the day whereon he rose Paul was an excellent critick the very feast carryed him to the word as the day of his passion was the day of the passeover and the Apostle thence could say Christ is our passeover 1 Cor. 15.7 1 Cor. 5.7 1 Cor. 15.20 Lev. 22.10 11. So the day of Christ's rising was the day of the first-fruits and the Apostle thence could say Christ is our first-fruits Concerning this feast of the first fruits we read Lev. 22.10 11. It was their first harvest of their basest grain Barley but the full harvest of their best grain of Wheat was not till pentecost Now upon this day the morrow after the Sabbath the beginning of their first harvest when the sheaf of their first-fruits was brought unto the Priest and waved before the Lord Christ arose from the dead and in this respect Paul calls him the first fruits of them that sleep of all the Saints 1 Cor. 15.20 He arose first as on this day for the full Harvest is not till doomes-day the general Resurrection day 2. he is called the first-fruits in respect of them whom he thereby sanctified for as an handful of the first-fruits sanctified the whole Field of corn that was growing so Jesus Christ the first-fruits of the dead sanctifies all those who are lying in the grave to rise again by his Power even when they are in the dust of death 1 Cor. 15.17 28. If Christ be not risen saith the Apostle ye are yet in your sins But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that sleep 6. That being formerly abased as a servant and crucified as a sinner he might thus be declared to be the Son of God and exalted to be a Prince and Saviour of men and so his name might be glorified of all the World He was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 4. and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead It was of necessary consequence that he that was so humbled must be thus exalted therefore will I divide him a portion with the great Isa 53.12 and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death agreeable to which is that of Christ Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer Luke 24.46 and to rise from the dead the third day When Peter was Preaching Christ to the high Priest and councel that condemned him to death he told them that the God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5.30 31. Phil. 2.8.9 and suitable to this is that of Paul he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even to the death of the Cross wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name It was for his own glory and his Fathers glory that he should rise again from the dead 1 Pet. 1.21 Phil. 2.11 God raised him up from the dead and gave him glory and he was therefore exalted that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Of all the reasons of Christ's resurrection we must look upon this as the main for as he hath made all things for himself so he hath done all things for his own glory Rom. 6.4 Christ was raised up from the dead saith the Apostle by the glory of the Father By the glory or to the glory or for the glory of himself and of his Father SECT III. Of the manner of Christ's Resurrection 3. HOw he rose for the manner of his resurrection we may consider in it these particulars 1. That Christ rose again as a common Person he stood in our stead and therefore when he rose from death we and all the Church of Christ rose together with him and in him We have formerly observed that Christ took upon him the Person of no man he took only the nature of man into the union of the second Person that so he might dye and rise again not as a Particular but a common Person that he might be as a representative in our room and stead that he might be as a Spiritual head and as the second Adam who could infuse life into all his members In this respect the Apostle makes comparison betwixt Adam and Christ now Adam we know was reckoned before his fall as a common publick Person not standing singly or alone for himself but as representing all mankinde to come of him so Jesus Christ is reckoned to us both before his death and in his death and after his death as a common publick Person not living dying or rising again singly or alone for himself but as representing all the believers in the world and hence it is that Adam is called the first man 1 Cor. 15.47 and Jesus Christ is called the second man as if there never had been nor ever should be any more men in the world save only these two and why but because these two between them had all the rest of the Sons of men hanging at their girdles Adam had all the Sons of men born into this world called
coming to Christ as a river of much waters is strong in coming home to the Ocean 13. That Christ gives the sense of his own worth and excellency unto them they see now in Christ is wisdome surpassing the brightness of the Sun even all the treasures of wisdome in Christ is power excelling the strength of rocks he is not onely strong but strength it self in Christ is Honour transcending all the Kings of the earth for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Christ is beauty excelling the Rose of Sharon and Lilly of the valleys he is fairer than all the flowers of the field than all the precious stones of the earth than all the lights in the firmament than all the Saints and Angels in the highest heavens 14. That Christ gives the sense of their wants and of the worlds vanity and of his sutable goodness unto them In looking unto Jesus they see themselves in themselves miserable and all other things miserable comforters they have learnt the meaning of that Psalm Psal 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man and in whom there is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his God whose hope is in the Lord his God 15. That Christ gives all things every thing unto them All things are yours saith the Apostle whether Paul 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods All things are yours First all the Ministers of Christ from the highest to the lowest whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas they are your servants they are men that watch over you for your salvation Secondly the world is yours indeed the world stands but for your sakes if your number were but once compleated quickly would the world be set on fire you will say ay! but how is the world ours we find not this for who hath the world at will why though you have not yet the misery you find in the world the want of wealth as well as the enjoying of it is yours i e. it tends to your advantage Thirdly life is yours it is a fitting a preparing a squaring of you for a better life even for eternity Fourthly death is yours for you shall die just then when it is best for you death shall serve but as a servant to your advantage 1 Tim. 4.8 Fifthly things present and things to come are yours godliness hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come Sixthly I will add the Lord himself is yours take God and look on him in his greatness in his mighty power even this great God the Lord of heaven and earth is yours he is yours and all that he hath is yours and all that he doth is yours and all that he can do is yours I will be thine saith God to Abraham I will be to thee an exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Here is a Catalogue an Inventory of a Christians riches have Christ and have all when an Heathen was but asked where all his treasure was he answered where Cyrus my friend is and if any ask you where all your treasure is you may answer where Christ your friend is in this respect you may truly say Ephes 3.8 there is no end of your riches they are called the unsearchable riches of Christ Paul could find no bottom of these riches O who would not look unto Jesus If Christ be yours besides those particulars enumerated in this Text 1 Cor. 3.22 23. God is yours the Father is yours the Son is yours the Spirit is yours all the promises are yours for in Christ they are all made and for him they shall be performed Come let the proud man boast in his honour and the mighty man in his valour and the rich man in his wealth but let the Christian pronounce himself happy only happy truly happy fully happy in beholding Christ enjoying Christ having Christ in Looking unto Jesus You have the Motives of our wants in case of neglect and of our riches in case we are active frequent serious and lively in this Duty But for our further encouragement to fall upon it I shall add a few Motives more SECT VII More Motives to encourage us in this work 1 COnsider your looking on Jesus will maintain your communion with Jesus and is not this worth the while Why Christians what is this communion with Christ but very heaven aforehand hereby we enjoy his person and all sweet relation to his person his death and all the saving fruits priviledges and influences of his death hereby we are brought into Christs banquetting-house Cant. 2.4 held in his galleries his banner over us being love hereby we are carried up into the Mount with Christ that we may see him as it were transfigured and may say with Peter Master it is good for us to be here and let us here build Tabernacles Oh it 's an happy thing to have Christ dwell in our hearts for us to lodge in Christs bosome Oh it s an happy thing to maintain a reciprocal communication of affairs betwixt Christ and our souls as thus he bare our sins take we his healing he endured wounds for us drink we the spiritual balsom that sprang out of his wounds he took upon him our unrighteousness do we cloath our selves with his righteousness he endured pains for us come we to him and take his rest to our souls he embraced our curse and condemnation do we embrace his blessing justification and salvation To this end do we look on Jesus if he hide his face by desertions rest not till we find him if we find him hold him fast let him not go disturb him not out of our hearts by our corruptions Thus if we would prize the presence of Christ how comfortably should we maintain and encrease our Communion with Christ 2. Consider that your daily necessities call for a frequent looking up unto Jesus you have need of Christ you have need that he pray in you and need that he pray for you to your heavenly Father you have need that he work in you and need that he work for you his own blessed will you have need that he present you and yours blameless before his Fathers presence in life and death and at the judgment day there 's not a moment in your life wherein you stand not in continual need of Jesus Christ And can a hungry man forget his bread can the heart that pants for thirst forget the River can a man in bonds forget freedom can a child in distress forget a Father in honour and wealth Oh then let your necessities drive you to Christ and mind you of Christ Is not he the fountain that supplies all wants Christians consult your own
Word Mark here one of Satans depths in outward things he tempts men to distrust God and to rely altogether on means but in heavenly things and matters of salvation he tempts men to lay all on Gods Decrees and Gods purposes without any regard had to the means Such men might as well say the Lord hath appointed that we shall live to such a time and till then we shall not die and therefore what need we food in health or physick in sickness Oh take heed of these reasonings Gods Decree doth not remove the use of the means but establish and confirm them 2. The Decree is the same with that book of life wherein are written the names of the Elect Phil. 4 3 Luke 12 20 Rev. 20.12 Paul tells us of some women with Clement and other fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life And Christ bids his Disciples rejoyce because their names are written in heaven And John saw in his vision the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life As Captains have a book wherein they write the names of their Souldiers and Citizens have a book wherein they record the names of their Burgesses So God hath his Decree or book of life in which he registers all that belongs to him Exod. 32.32 33. Some other texts speak of a book of life as blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written said Moses in his zeal for Israel to whom the Lord answered whosoever sinneth against me him will I blot out of my book But this was not the book say some of Gods eternal Decree but the book of his providences God hath a double book and both in a figure he hath a book of his resolved Decrees and a book of his acted providences this latter is but a transcript or a copy of the former those huge original volumes of love and blessings which God hath laid up in his heart for his own people from all eternity is the book I mean Indeed this book is writing out every day by the hand and pen of providence in the ordering of all those affairs which concern our salvation 3. This Decree is the very same also with Gods seal the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his A seal is used in three cases 1. To keep things distinct 2. To keep things secret 3. To keep things safe In every of these respects Gods Decrees are seals but especially in the last those souls that are sealed by God they are safe in the love and favour of God as when Job tells us that God sealeth up the stars i.e. say some he preserveth the stars in their Orbs in the places where he hath set them they shall never drop out so God seals up his Saints i.e. he secures them of the eternal love of God so that they shall never drop out of his heart All these titles speak the immutability of Gods eternal emminent acts q. d. I decree I predestinate I book it seal it that such and such persons shall be eternally saved and why all this but to note the certainty and stability of the thing shall great Monarchs of the earth do thus shall they decree and book and seal to shew their greatness and wisdom that they could so resolve as no person or power whatsoever should be strong enough to cause them to change their resolutions and shall not I much more do not I know or foresee all that can or will follow is there any power or ever shall be to take them out of my hands Or is it possible that ever I should have a relenting thought at the saving of thâ—se souls Can any thing fall out hereafter to make me more provident more powerful more wise more merciful then now I am it may be in some things I may will a change but can I in any thing truly change my will no no I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3 SECT IX The Covenant THE Covenant concerning mans salvation is the last and main particular I instanced in I dare not be too curious to insist on the order of nature and the rather because I believe the Covenant betwixt God Christ from everlasting is interwoven with the Decree fore-knowledge and election above So the Apostle tells us Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world mark that in Christ There was an eternal plot betwixt the Father and the Son there was a bargain made I speak it with reverence betwixt God and Christ there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord and his Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of the Elect and of this observe we especially these following Texts In Isaiah 49.1 2 3 4. the Prophet seems to set it Dialogue-wise one expresseth it thus First Christ begins and shews his commission telling God how he had called him and fitted him for the work of redemption and he would know what reward he should have of him for so great an undertaking The Lord hath called me from the womb Isa 19 1 2. from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shaft in his quiver hath he bid me Upon this God answers him and tells him what reward he should have for so great an undertaking only at first he offers low viz. onely the elect people of Israel And he said unto me thou art my servant O Israel Ver. 3. in whom I will be glorified or Israel it is in whom I will be glorified by thee Christ who stood now a making his bargain with him thought these too few and not worth so great a labor and work because few of the Jews would come in but would refuse him and therefore he says he should labour in vain if this were all his recompence then said I ver 4. I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for naught and in vain yet withal he tells God that seeing his heart was so much in saving sinners he would do it howsoever for those few comforting himself with this that his work or his reward was with the Lord. Upon this God comes off more freely and opens his heart more largely to him as meaning more amply to content him for his pains in dying ver 6. it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribe of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel that is not worth the dying for I value thy sufferings more than so I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth Methinks I imagine as if I heard God speak unto Christ from
find help in our necessities having such an High-Priest as was in all things tempted like unto us and was acquainted with our infirmities in his own person Heb. 4.15 5.2 SECT IV. Of the distinction of the two Natures of Christ 4. A Real distinction of these two Natures is evident 1. In regard of essence the Godhead cannot be Manhood nor can the Manhood be the Godhead 2. In regard of proprieties the Godhead is most wise just omnipotent yea wisdom justice omnipotency it self and so is not the Manhood neither can it be 3. They have distinct Wills Luke 22.42 Not my Will but thy Will be done O Father Plainly differencing the Will of a Creature from the Will of a Creator 4. The very actions in the work of Redemption are indeed inseparable John 10.18 and yet distinguishable I lay down my life and take it up again to lay it down was the action of man not of God and to take it up was the action of God not of man in these respects we say each nature remains in it self entire without any conversion composition commixtion or confusion there is no conversion of one into the other as when he changed water into wine no composition of both no abolition of either no confusion at all It is easy to observe this real distinction of his two natures from first to last as first He was conceived as others and so he was man but he was conceived by the holy Ghost as never man was and so he is God 2. He was born as others and so he was man but he was born of a Virgin as never man was and this speaks him a God 3. He was crucified died and was buried and so he was man but he rose again from the dead ascended into Heaven and from thence shall come at last to judge the quick and the dead and so he is God Or if from the Apostles Symbol we go to the Gospel which speaks both natures at large we find there 1. He was born of his Mother and wrapped in swadling-clouts as being a man but the Star shines over him and the wise men adore him as being a God 2. He was Baptized in Jordan as being a man but the holy Ghost from heaven descended upon him as being a God 3. He is tempted of Satan as being a man but he overcame Satan and dispossessed Devils as being a God 4. He travelled and was thirsty and hungry and weary as being a man but he refreshed the weary and fed the hungry and gave drink even water of life to the thirsty as being a God 5. He slept in the Ship and his Disciples awoke him as being a man but he rebuked the winds and stilled the raging of the tumultuous Seas as being a God 6. He was poor and needy had not an house to put his head in as being a man but he was and is rich and mighty and cannot be contained in the heaven of heavens as being a God 7. He was sorrowful and sad he wept and he prayed as being a man but he comforts the sorrowful and heareth the prayers of all his Saints as being a God 8. He was whipped and rent and torn and crucified as being a man but he rent the vail of the Temple and caused the Sun to hide his face for shame when he was crucified as being a God 9. He cried out on the Cross Eloi Eloi lamasabacthani as being a man but he could say to the Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as being a God 10. He died and was buried and lay in the grave as being a man but he overcame death and destroyed the Devil and raised up himself to life again as being a God 11. After his Resurrection he appeared to his Disciples and ate with them and talked with them as being a man but he provided meat and vanished out of their sight as being a God 12. He ascended into heaven and the heavens now contain him as he is Man but he sustains the Heavens and commands all therein and rides on the same as being a God Thus we see all along two real distinct natures still continuing in Christ God being become Man the Deity being abolished but the humane nature was adjoyned according to the old Distich Sum quod eram nec eram quod sum c. I am that I was but I was not that I am You will say How then is it said the word was made flesh or God became Man I answer one thing may become another either by way of change as when the water was turned into wine but thus was not Christ the Godhead was for a time concealed but it was never cancelled or one thing may become another either by way of union as when one substance is adjoyned unto another and yet is not transferred or changed into the nature of the other thus a Souldier putting on his Armour is an armed man or a man wearing on his Garments is no more a naked but a cloathed man and yet the Armour and the Souldier the man and his Apparel are distinct things and thus was it with Christ the flesh is said to be deified and the Deity is said to be incarnate not by the conversion of either into the nature of the other but by assuming and adjoyning the humane nature to the divine and yet still the humane nature and the divine are distinct things both the natures in Christ do remain entire and inconfused indeed the humanity is much magnified by the divinity but the divinity is nothing altered by the humanity Thus much for the distinction of his two Natures SECT V. Of the Vnion of the two Natures of Christ in one and the same Person 5. THe Union of two Natures of Christ in one and the self-same person is that great wonder which now we must speak of as we are able but alas how should we speak this union and not be confounded in our selves It is a great mystery a secret a wonder many wonders have been since the beginning of the world but all the wonders that ever were must give place to this and in respect thereof cease to be wonderful neither the Creation of all things out of nothing nor the restauration of all things into their perfect being I mean neither the first work nor the last work of God in this world though most admirable pieces may be compared with this This Union of the two Natures of Christ into one person is the highest pitch if any thing may be said highest in that which is infinite of God's wisdom goodness power and glory well therefore said the Angel to Mary The power of the highest shall overshadow thee and if God did overshadow this Mystery with his own Vail How should we presume with the men of Bethshemesh to look into it Christians If you will needs put it to the question How that wonderful connection of two so infinitely differing natures in the unity of one
Jesus and he shall not bear his Name for nought believe in him and ye shall live with him in Glory O blessed news Men may talk what they will of this and that news every one gapes after it but there is no news so welcome to one even now ready to perish as to hear of a Saviour tell a man in his Sickness of one that will make him well again tell a man in Captivity of one that will rescue him and set him free again tell a man in Prison condemned to die of one with a pardon that will save his life and every one of these will say this is the best news that ever was heard O then if it be good tidings to hear of a Saviour where is only a matter of loss of life or of this Earth how much more when it comes to the loss of Heaven to the danger of Hell when our Souls are at stake and likely to be damned for evermore what glad tidings would that be to hear of one that could save our souls from that destroyer is not such a Saviour worth the hearkning after were not the birth of such a one good news O my soul ponder on these words as if an Angel seeing thee stand on the brim of Hell should speak to thee even to thy soul 2. Consider Jesus in his Conception no sooner the news heard but Christ is conceived by the Holy Ghost in the Virgins Womb this Conception is worthy our consideration what that the great God of Heaven should condescend so far as to take our Nature upon him and to take it in the same way and after the same manner as we do the Womb of the Virgin was surely no such place but he might well have abhorred it true but he meant by this to sanctifie our very Conceptions and to that purpose he is conceived in an holy manner even by the holy Ghost we must not be too curious to enquire after the manner of the holy Ghosts operation who therefore overshadowed the Virgin this is work for our hearts and not meerly for our heads humble Faith and not curious inquisition shall find the sweetness of this Mystery It was Davids Complaint Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me O my Soul this was thy case in thy very first being or beginning Psal 51.5 and hadst thou died in that condition the word is express that nothing defiled nor unclean shall enter into the City of Glory but here 's the remedy thy sinful Conception is sanctified by Christs holy Conception the holiness of thy Jesus serves as a Cover to hide thy Original pollutions from the eyes of God O consider this Jesus Christ was not conceived in vain he was not idle doing nothing whiles he was in his Mothers Womb he that from all eternity began he was then carrying on the great work of our salvation for us O consider this Conception thus till thou bring'st it near and close to thy soul till thou feelest some sweetness and power coming and flowing from Jesus in the Womb. 3. Consider the duplicity of Natures in Jesus Christ The Word was made Flesh John 1.14 no sooner was he conceived but he was God-Man Man-God he was perfectly framed and instantly united to the eternal Word God sent his Son there 's the Nature Divine made of a Woman there 's the Nature Humane Certainly great is this Mystery that the Word is made Flesh that the Son of God is made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 that a Star gives Light to the Sun that a Branch doth bear the Vine that a Creature gives being to the Creator that the Mother was younger than what she bear and a great deal lesser than what she contained Admire O my Soul at this but withal consider that all this was for us and our Salvation he was Man that he might die for us and he was God that his death might be sufficient to save us had he been Man alone not God he might have suffered but he could never have satisfied for sin he could not have been Jesus a Saviour of Souls and had he been God alone not Man he had not been of kin to our Nature offending and so he could not have satisfied the Justice of God in the same Nature wherein it was offended neither could he as God alone have died for Sin and the Decree was out that our Redeemer must die for Sin for without shedding of Blood there is no Remission and no shedding of Blood Heb. 9.22 no Passion could possibly befal the Godhead of Jesus Christ I shall not dispute the power of God whether he was able to lay down another kind of way of mans Redemption than by the Incarnation of the Son of God without controversie this was the Will of God and he appointed no other way because he would not O my Soul consider of this in relation to thy self he is God-man that he might suffer and satisfie for thy sins he is God-man that he might be able and fit most fully to finish the work of thy salvation as God he is able and as man he is fit to discharge the Office of Mediator as God he is able to bear the punishment of sin and as man he is fit to suffer for sin O the wisdom of God in this very way Mans Nature can suffer Death but not overcome it the Divine Nature can overcome death and all things but he cannot suffer it and hence there is a duplicity of natures in Jesus Christ O muse on this it is a matter worthy of thy serious consideration 4. Consider the real distinction of these two Natures in Christ As the unapproachable light of the God-head was put into the dim and dark Lanthorn of humane flesh so these two natures remained entire without any conversion commixion or confusion they were not as Wine and Water that become one by mixing there is no such blending the divine and humane nature they were not as Snow and Water that become one by dissolving of the Snow into the Water there is no such changing of the Humane Nature into the Divine or of the Divine Nature into the Humane Some say indeed that the God-head was more plentifully communicated with the Manhood after his Resurrection than now at his Conception but howsoever it did not then swallow up the Truth of his Manhood as a whole Sea would swallow up one drop of Oyl look as at first moment of his Conception he was God and man so these two Natures continued still distinct in substance properties and actions Why consider this O my soul in reference to thy self O ther 's comfort in this by this meanes thou hast now free access unto the Throne of Grace that thou mayest find help in thy necessities and as thou hast free access so thou mayest boldly draw near his Deity indeed confounds but his Humanity comforts faint and feeble Souls his Divine Nature amazeth but his
Holiness of God and his love of Holiness to make man holy He tells us that without Holiness none shall see God and therefore fiâ—st he will make us holy and then he will bring us to himself O here 's a blessed Conformity as Christ was Born let us be New Born 7. Christ after his Birth did and suffered many things in his Childhood I should be too large to speaâ— to every particular so should we learn to bear Gods Yoak even in our Youth It is good to imitate Christ even betimes Lam. 3.27 Eccles 12.1 Remembâ—r now thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Do ye not see by experience what a blessed thing a gracious and an holy education is Train up a Child in the way he should go Prov. 22.6 and when he is old he will not depart from it O ye Parents that ye should do your duties and in that respect imitate Joseph and Mary in their care and nature of the Holy Child Jesus and O ye Children that you would do your duties and imitate Jesus the Blessedst pattern that ever was that as you grow in Stature Luke 2.52 you also might grow in favour with God and Man Observe him in the Temple when he was but twelve years Old see Him in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them Questions Children whiles little if but capable of instruction should with their Parents wait on God in the midst of our assemblies Exod. 10.9 Mosâ—s told Pharoah they must have their young ones with them to the solemn Worship and when Joshua read the Law of God to the Congregation of Israel Josh 8.35 they had their little ones with them in that solemn assembly Observe Christ also in Nazareth where during his minority he was ever subject to his Parents so Children obey your Parents in the Lord Eph. 6.1 2. for this is right not only the Law of God but the Gospel of Christ makes mention of this Honour thy father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise I know the subjection of Christs extends to his particular calling and this also is for your imitaion in obedience to his supposed Father the Holy Child would have a particular employment something must be done for the support of that holy Family wherein Jesus lived and to that purpose he puts to his own hands and works in the trade of a Carpenter such as will live idle and without a calling that serve for no other use but to devour Gods Creatures and to make a dearth O how unlike are they to Jesus Christ It is noted for a grievous sin and a chief part of the corruption of our nature to be unprofitable to the Generation with whom we live They are altogether become unprofitable Rom. 3.12 there is none that doth good Religion and Grace where ever it prevaileth makes Men profitable and in this respect the poorest Servant and drudge may have more comfort in his estate than the greatest Gentleman that hath nothing to do but to Eat and Drink and Play Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Incarnation or his first coming in the Flesh Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of Mans Salvation during his life from John's Baptism until his suffering and dying on the Cross LOOKING UNTO JESUS In His Life The Fifth Book PART II. CHAP. I. 1 John 1.2 For the Life was manifested and we have seen it SECT I. Of the Beginning of the Gospel IN this piece as in the former we must first lay down the Object and then direct you how to look to it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of Mans Salvation during the time of his Life Now in all the transactions of this time we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those three years and an half of his ministerial Office or if you will in those four compleat Years before his Passion and Death For the first Year and his actings therein the Evangelist Mark begins thus Mark 1.1 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God q. d. the beginning of that age of the World which the Prophets pointed out for the time of good things to come or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that Gospel which in respect of the promise figures and signification was from the beginning of the World This beginning of the Gospel the Prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last dayes Isa 2.2 and it shall come to pass in the last dayes sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord Mica 4.1 sometimes by the term of the Kingdom of God And in the dayes of these Kings Isa 61.1 2. Dan. 2.44 Isa 65.17 shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed Sometimes by the term of a New Heaven and a New Earth behold I create New Heavens and a New Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in mind Howsoever it is called this is concluded that the beginning of the Gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ but from the beginning of the Ministry and Preaching of John the Baptist Mat. 11.12 15. from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now said Christ the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John and when the Apostles were ready in the Room of Judas to choose a new Apostle it is said Act. 11.21 22. that of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that he was taken up must one be ordained to be a witness And Peter Preaching to Cornelius and his friends Acts 10.37 he tells them that the Word or Gospel was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the Baptism which John preached Mark 1.1 2. and see but how immediately these words follow The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God as it is written in the Prophets behold I send my Messenger before thy face which shall prepare the way before thee I know that Johns Ministry was six months before Christ's and yet that now was the beginning of the Gospel it appears 1. In that Baptism which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of Proselites or Heathens to their Church is now published and proposed to the Jews themselves shewing 1. That now they were to be entred and transplanted into a new Profession and 2. That the Gentiles and they were now to be knit into one Church and Body And 2. It appears in that the Doctrine
which I believe are the beautifullest creatures the world has should be compared with the beauty of Christ which consists in the perfection of the divine nature and in the perfection of his humane nature and in the perfection of the graces of his Spirit they would be but as lumps of darkness The brightest Cherub is forc'd to skreen his face from the dazling and shining brightness of the glory of Christ Alas the Cherubims and Seraphims are but as spangles and twinkling stars in the canopy of Heaven but Christ is the Sun of righteousness that at once illuminates and drowns them all Come then cast up thy desires after Christ breath O my soul after the enjoyments of this Christ fling up to heaven some divine ejaculations Oh that this Christ were mine Oh that the actions of Christ and the person of Christ were mine Oh that all he said and all he did and all he were from top to the were mine Oh that I had the silver wings of a Dove that in all my wants I might fly into the bosom of this Christ Oh that I might be admitted to his person or if that may not be Oh that I may but touch the very hem of his Garment If I must not sit at Table Oh that I might but gather up the Crumbs Surely there 's Bread enough in my Fathers House Christ is the Bread of Life this one Loaf Christ is enough for all the Saints in heaven and earth to feed on and what must I pine away and perish with hunger Oh that I might have one Crum of Christ Thousands of Instructions dropped from him whiles he was on earth Oh that some of that food might be my nourishment Oh that my wayes were directed according to his Statutes many a stream and wave Psal 119.15 John 7.37 and line and precept flowed from this Fountain Christ Oh that I might drink freely of this water of life He hath proclaimed it in my ears if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Oh that I might come and find welcome why sure I thirst I am extreamly a thirst I feel in me such a burning drought that either I must drink or die either the righteousness of Christ the holiness of Christ the holiness of his Nature and the holiness of his Life must be imputed unto me or farewel happiness in another World why come come Lord Jesus come quickly Oh I long to see the beauty of thy face thy glory is said to be an enamouring glory such is thy beauty that it steals away my heart after thee and cannot be satisfied till with Absolon I see the Kings face come Christ or if thou wilt not come I charge you O Daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my beloved Cant. 5.8 that ye tell him I am sick of Love SECT IV. Of Hopeing in Jesus in that respect 4. LEt us hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Life By this hope I mean not a fluctuating wavering doubtful hope but an assured hope an hope well grounded The main soul question is whether Christ's life be mine whether all those passages of his life lâ—id open belong unto me whether the habitual righteousness and actual holiness of Christ be imputed to my justification and what are the grounds and foundations on which my hope is built The Apostle tells us that God gives good hopes through Grace if hope be right and good 2 Thes 2.16 it will manifest it self by operations of saving Grace O look into thy soul what gracious effects of the life of Christ are there certainly his life is not with out some influence on our spirits if we be his Members and he be our Head The Head we say communicates life and sense and motion to his members and so doth Christ communicate a spiritual life and sense and motion to his members O the glorious effects flowing out of Christ's life into a Believers soul I shall lay down these As 1. If Christ's life be mine then am I freed from the Law of sin This was the Apostles evidence For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Christ's Life is called the Spirit of Life because of its perfection and this Spirit of Life hath such a power in it here termed a Law that it works out in Believers a freedom from the Law or Power in Sin I cannot think notwithstanding the influence of Christ's life on me but that sin still-sticketh in me I am still a sinner in respect of the inherency of sin but I am freed from the power of sin i.e. from the guilt of sin as to its condemning power and from the filth of sin as to its ruling reigning power Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof I grant there is some difference among Divines in their expressions concerning the sins of Gods own people though they mean one and the self-same thing Some call them only sins of infirmity and others grant the name of reigning sins but with this limitation that this is not a total reigning Sin reigneth as a Tyrant over them not as a King at sometimes as in Davids case the will and consent may run along with sin no actual resistance may be made against sin at all 1 John 3.9 and yet at the very same time the seed of God remaineth in them though it seem dead and in Gods good time that very seed will revive again and throw out the Tyrant there is not cannot be that antecedent and consequent consent to sin in the godly as in the wicked O my soul consider this if the vertue of Christ's life come in it will take down that soveraign high reign of sin which the wicked suffer and will not strive against the flesh indeed may sometimes lust against the Spirit but it shall not totally prevail or get the upper hand Sin shall not have dominion over you Sin may tyrannize in me for a time but it shall not King it in me Look to this Rom. 6.14 Doth the power and dominion of Christs Life throw out of thy heart and life that Kingly power and dominion of my sin here is one ground of hope 2. If Christ's life be mine then shall I walk even as he walked such is the efficacy of Christ's life that it will work sutableness and make our life in some sort like his life The Apostle observes that our communion with Christ works on our very conversations he that abideth in him walkes even as he walked and to this purpose are all those holy admonitions walk in love as Christ also loved us and 1 John 2.6 Eph. 5.2 John 13.15 1 Pet. 1.15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done unto you And as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all
with Christ nevertheless I live c. he conjoins the death of Christ and the life of Christ in one and the same soul q. d. no man knows the benefit of Christs death but he that feels the virtue of Christ's life there 's no assurance of Christs dying for us but as we feel Christ living in us if the power of Christs death mortifie my lusts then the virtue of Christ's life will quicken my soul but what means he by this I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me It seems some Paradox I live yet not I but a right interpretation reconciles all as this I live to God and not unto my self I live to Christ and not unto the World I live according to the Will of God and not after my own lust and fancy or as some would have it I live under grace and not under the Law q. d. Sometimes I lived wholly under the Law which made me a persecutor of the Church of God which wrought in me all manner of Concupiscence and slew me and then I found my self to be dead in sin but now I have embraced Christ and am no more the man I was now I feel Christ quickning ruling guiding and strengthning me by his Spirit now I live spiritually and holily not of my self but from another The very whole of Christians is from Christ Christ is both Fountain-filling and Life-quickning I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Christs life hath an influence infusion transmission into our selves in reference to spiritual life Look as the Heavens by an influence into the Earth do quicken and enliven the Earth and make all the seeds and roots hidden in the Earth to revive and put forth themselves Matth. 4.2 so there is an influence that goes forth from the Sun of Righteousness into the Souls of men reviving and quickning them and making them of dead to become living and of barren to become fruitful To you shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as the Calves of the Stall O my Soul question thy self in these few particulars dost thou live to God and not to thy self dost thou live to Christ and not to the World dost thou derive thy life from Christ and hath that life of Christ a special influence into thy soul dost thou feel Christ living in thy understanding and will in thy imagination and affections in thy duties and services 1. In thy understanding by prizing the knowledge of Christ by determining to know nothing in comparison of Christ 2. In thy will by making thy will free to chuse and embrace Christ and by making his will to rule is thy will 3. In thy imagination by thinking upon him with more frequency and delight by having more high and honorable and sweeter apprehensions of Christ than of all the Creatures 4. In thy affections by fearing Christ above all earthly powers and by loving Christ above all earthly persons 5. In thy duties and services by doing all thou dost in his Name by his assistance and for his glory why then here 's another ground of thy hope surely thou hast thy part in Christs Life Away away with all dejecting doubts and perplexing fears while Christ was in Augustines eye he said I dare not despond I know who hath said it and I dare build upon it this Anchor of hope thus cast out and fastning upon Christ it would be admirably useful when Billows of Temptation beat upon Souls this Helmet of Hope thus used would keep off many blows whereby the comforts of distrustful spirits are many times sadly battered O my Soul look to the grounds of thy hope if thou findest the power of sin dying in thee if thou walkest as Christ walked if thou admirest adorest believest and obeyest thy Christ if thou livest and livest not but in deed and in truth it is Christ that lives in thee why then thou maist comfortably hope and assure thy self that Christs habitual righteousness and actual holiness is imputed to thy justification thou maist confidently resolve that every passage of Christs Life so far as Legal or Moral belongs unto thee What would ever Christ have come with his power against thy power of sin if he had not meant to rescue thee Would Christ ever have set thee a Copy and have held thy hand and thy heart to have writ legibly after him if he had not meant thee for a Scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.55 would Christ in his several actings have set himself before thee as the Object of Admiration Adoration Belief and Obedience if he had not meant to own thee and to be owned by thee would Christ ever have come so near to thee as to have lived in thee to have been the soul of thy soul and the life of thy life the All of thy understanding and will imaginations and affections duties and services if he had not purposed to have saved thee by his life Rom. 5.10 Lam. 3.26 Surely it is good that I both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of God I cannot hope in vain if these be the grounds of my hope SECT V. Of Believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Life Many Souls stand aloof not daring to make a particular application of Christ and his Life to themselves but herein is the property of Faith it brings all home and makes use of whatsoever Christ is or does for himself To ponder Christ's actions during his Life and the influence of his actions to all that are his what is this to me unless I believe my own part in all this Oh I dare not believe cries many a poor soul is it credible that Jesus Christ the Son of God the brightness of his Fathers Glory the express Image of his Fathers Person should be incarnate for me and lead such a life upon Earth for my soul What! to be baptized to be tempted to manifest himself in the form of man to whip the Buyers and Sellers out of his Temple to preach up and down the Gospel of the Kingdom to work miracles among men to send abroad his Apostles with a commission to preach to invite sinners to ease the burden of duties and in a word to publish the righteousness of his Nature and Life and all this and a thousand times more than all this for my soul O what am I or what is my Fathers House If God should let me live one year in Heaven it were infinite mercy but that the God of Heaven should live so many years on Earth and that all that while he should empty himself in watching fasting praying preaching for my sake Oh the depth Oh the depth I cannot believe Sweet Soul be not faithless but believing I know it is an hard and difficult thing but to help on a trembling soul I shall first
of men that he is the Standard-bearer and there is none like to him that if you will have but Jesus Christ you need no more yet do not many of you say in your hearts as Pilate here What shall I do with Jesus that is called Christ or as the devils said elsewere What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God nay hath not many times the secret grudgings of your reluctant souls accounted the gracious offers of speedy repentance to be but as a coming of Christ to torment you before your time Why alas what is this now but to prefer Barabbas before Jesus you that swear as the Devil bids and as Christ forbids you that prophane Sabbaths that revel drink to excess or it may be to drunkenness surely your vote goes along with the Jews Not this Man but Barabbas 2. Give me leave to look on the love and mercy of God in Christ our Jesus was not only content to take our nature upon him but to be compared with the greatest malefactor of those times and by publick sentence yea votes and voices of the People to be pronounced a greater delinquent and much more worthy of death than wicked Barabbas Levit. 14 4 5 6 7. O the love of Christ we read in Leviticus that in the dayes of the cleansing of the Leper the Priest was to take two Birds or two Sparrows alive and the one of them must be killed and the other being kept alive must only be dipt in the blood of the Bird that was slain and so it must be let loose into the open field Barabbas say some but all Believers say we are that live Sparrow and Jesus Christ is the Sparrow that was slain the lot sell upon him to dye for us all our sins were laid upon his soul so that in this sence Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the World yea a greater sinner than Barabbas himself and therefore he must dye and we being dipt in the Blood of Christ must be let loose and set at liberty was not this love he dyed that we might live it was the voice of God as well as men Release Barabbas every believing Barabbas and crucifie Jesus Another hour is gone let us make stand for a while and the next time we meet we shall see further sufferings SECT IV. Of Christ Stripped Whipped Cloathed in Purple and Crowned with Thorns ABout nine which the Jews call the third hour of the day was Christ stripped whipped cloathed with purple and crowned with thorns in this hour his sufferings came thick I must divide them into parts and speak of them severally by themselves 1. When Pilate saw how the Jews were set upon his death he consented and delivered him first to be stripped Mat. 27.27 Then the Souldiers of the Governour took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto him the whole band of Souldiers and they stripped him They pulled of his cloaths and made hm stand naked before them all He that adorns the Heaven with Stars and the Earth with Flowers Gen. 3.21 and made coats of skins to cloath our first Parents in is now himself stripped stark naked I cannot but look on this as a great shame it appears so by our first Parents Adam and Eve who no sooner had sinned and knew themselves naked but they sowed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons Gen. 3.7 If Adam was so ashamed of his nakedness before his own Wife who was naked too as well as he what a shame and blush was it in the face of Christ when in the common Hall in view of the whole band or company of Souldiers he stands all naked My confusion is continually before me and the shame of my face hath covered me Psal 44.15 saith David in the Person of Christ It is reported in the Ecclesiastical story that when two Martyrs and holy Virgins they call them Agnes and Barbara were stripped stark naked for their execution God pitying their great shame and trouble to have their nakedness discovered made for them a veil of light and so he sent them to a modest and desired death but our Saviour Christ who chose all sorts of shame and confusion that by a fulness of suffering he might expiate his Fathers wrath and consecrate to us all kinds of sufferings and affronts he endured the shame of nakedness at the time of his scourging see here a naked Christ and therein see the mercy of Christ to us he found us like the good Samaritan when we were stripped and wounded and left half dead and that we might be covered he quietly suffered himself to be divested of his own robes he took on him the state of sinning Adam and became naked that we might first be cloathed with righteousness and then with immortality oh what a blessed use may we make of the very nakedness of Christ 2. Pilate gave him to be scourged this some think he did upon no other account but that the Jews being satiated and glutted with these tortures they might rest satisfied and think themselves sufficiently avenged and so desist from takeing away his life That he was scourged is without controversie for so the Evangelist relates Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him John 19.1 and that Pilate might give him to be scourged on that account is very probable because that after the scourging he brings him out to the Jews proclaming I find no fault in him and before his scourging Ver. 6. Luke 23.15 16. he speaks it more expresly He hath done nothing worthy of death I will therefore chastise him and release him And it adds to this that howsoever the custome was that those that were to be crucified must first be whipped yet if they were adjudged to dye their stripes must be less and if they were to be set at liberty they must be beaten with more stripes Hier. in Mattheum Tom. 9. And Pilate endeavouring to preserve his life they scourged him above measure even almost to death In this scourging of Christ I shall insist on these two things 1. The shame 2. The pain 1. For the shame it was of such infamy that the Romans Exempted all their Citizens from it Act. 22.25 26. Is it lawful for you said Paul to scourge a man that is a Roman And when the Centurion heard that he went and told the chief Captain saying take heed what thou dost for this man is a Roman the Romans looked upon it as a most infamous punishment fit only for theeves and slaves and not for free-born or priviledged Romans and the Jews themselves would not suffer it above so many stripes lest a brother should seem vile unto them Deut. 25.2 3. If a wicked man be worthy to be beaten that the Judge shall cause him to lye down forty stripes he may give him and not exceed lest if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes then thy brother should seem
consider that my sins were the cause of all methinks I should need no more arguments for self-abhorring Christians would not your hearts rise aganst him that should kill your Father Mother Brother Wife Husband dearest Relations in all the World O then how should your hearts and souls rise against sin surely your sin it was that murthered Christ that killed him who is instead of all relations who is a thousand thousand times dearer to you than Father Mother Husband Child or whomsoever Job 42.6 one thought of this should methinks be enough to make you say as Job did I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Oh what 's that cross on the back of Christ My sins Oh what 's that Crown on the head of Christ My sins Oh what 's that nail in the right hand and that other in the left hand of Christ My sins Oh what 's that spear in the side of Christ My sins Oh what are those nails and wounds in the feet of Christ My sins With a spiritual eye I see no other engine tormenting Christ no other Pilate Herod Annas Caiaphas condemning Christ no other Souldiers Officers Jews or Gentiles doing execution on Christ but only sin Oh my sins my sins my sins John 3.14 15. 2. Comfort we our selves in the end and aim of this death of Christ As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life The end of Christ's crucifying is the material business and therefore let the end be observed as well as the meritorious cause without this consideration the contemplation of Christ's death or the meditation of the story of Christ's sufferings would be altogether unprofitable now what was the end surely this John 12.32 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ lifted up that he might draw all men unto him Christ hanged on a Tree that he might bear our sins on the Tree this was the plot which God by ancient design had aimed at in the crucifying of Christ and thus our faith must take it up indeed our comfort hangs on this the intent aim and design of Christ in his sufferings is that welcome news and the very Spirit of the Gospel O remember this Christ is crucified and why so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have life everlasting We are now at the height of Christ's sufferings and the Sun is now in his meridian or height of ascent Mat. 27.45 I shall no more count hour by hour for from the sixth hour till the nineth hour that is from twelve till three in the afternoon there was darkness over all the Land But of that and of the consequents after it in the next Section SECT VII Of the consequents after Christ's crucifying THe particulars following I shall quickly dispatch As thus 1. About twelve when the Sun is usually brightest it began now to darken This darkness was so great that it spread over all the Land of Jewry some think over all the World Luke 23.44 so we translate it in Luke And there was a darkness over all the Earth and many Gentiles besides Jews observed the same as a great miracle Dionisius the Areopagite as Suidas relates could say at first sight of it Suid. in vita Sa Dion Either the World is ending or the God of Nature is suffering This very darkness was the occasion of that Altar erected in Athens and dedicated unto the unknown God Of this prophesied Amos And it shall come to pass in that day that I will cause the Sun to go down at noon Acts 17 23. Amos 8.9 and I will darken the Earth in a clear day The cause of this darkness is diversly rendered by several Authors some think that the Sun by Divine power with-drew and held back its beams Others say Hier. in Mat. 17. Orig. tract 35. in Matth. Dionis Epist. 7. ad Policarpum that the obscurity was caused by sâ—me thick clouds which were miraculously produced in the air and spread themselves over all the earth Others say that this darkness was by a wonderful interpoposition of the Moon which at that time was at full but by a miracle interposed it self betwixt the Earth and Sun Whatsoever was the cause it continued for the space of three hours as dark as the darkest winters night 2. About three which the Jews call the nineth hour the Sun now beginning to receive his light Jesus cryed with a loud voice Eli Eli Lamasabachthani my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And then that the Scriptures might be fulfilled Matth. 27.46 John 19.28 30. Luke 23.46 he said I thirst And when he had received the vinegar he said it is finished And at last crying with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost I cannot stay on these seven words of Christ which he uttered on the cross his words were ever gracious but never more gracious than at this time we cannot find in all the Books and Writings of men in all the Annals and Records of time either such sufferings or such sayings as were these last words and wounds sayings and sufferings of Jesus Christ John 19.30 And having said thus he gave up the ghost Or as John relates it He bowed his head and gave up the ghost He bowed not because he was dead but first he bowed and then dyed the meaning is he dyed willingly without constraint cheerfully without murmur what a wonder is this life it self gives up his life and death it self dyes by his death Jesus Christ who is the Author of life the God of life layes down his life for us and death it self lyes for ever nailed to that bloody cross in the stead of Jesus Christ And now we may suppose him at the gates of Paradise calling with his last words to have them opened that the King of glory might come in 3. About four in the afternoon he was pierced with a spear and there issued out of his side both blood and water And one of the Souldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water How truly may we say of the Souldiers John 19.34 that after all his sufferings they have added wounds they find him dead and yet they will scarce believe it until with a spear they have search'd for life at the well-head it self even at the heart of Christ And forthwith there came out blood and water this was the Fountain of both Sacraments the Fountain of all our happiness Zach. 13.1 The Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness There are three that bear-witness on earth saith John the Spirit and the Water 1 John 5.8 and the Blood Out of the side of Christ being now dead there issues water and blood signifying
life neither in thought word or deed that being endowed with the Power of Miracles he lovingly employed it in curing the lame and blind and deaf and dumb in casting out devils in healing the sick in restoring the dead to life that as he lived so he dyed for being unjustly condemned mocked stripped whipped crucified he took all patiently praying for his persecutors and leaving to them when he had no temporal thing to give them a legacy of love of life of mercy of pardon of Salvation When the Sermon is done and the Burial is finished let every Mourner go home and begin a new life in imitation of Jesus Christ O my soul that thou wouldst thus meditate and thus imitate that so thy meditation might be fruitful and thy imitation real I mean that thy life and death might be conformable to the life and death of Jesus Christ But of that hereafter SECT III. Of desiring Jesus in that Respect 3. LEt us desire after Jesus carrying on the work of our salvation in his death Jesus Christ to a fallen sinner is the chief object of desire but Jesus Christ as crucified is the chief piece of that object Humbled souls look after the remedy and they find chiefly in Christ crucified and hence are so many cryes after bathings in Christ's blood and hiding in Christ's righteousness active and passive Indeed nothing doth so cool and refresh a parched dry and thirsty soul as the blood of Jesus which made the poor woman cry out so earnestly I have an husband and Children and many other comforts but I would give them all and all the good that ever I shall see in this world or in the world to come to have my poor thirsty soul refreshed with that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ But what is there in Christ's blood or death that is so desirable I answer 1. There is in it the person of Christ he that is God-man man-God Heb. 1.3 The brightness of his father's Glory and the express Image of his Person it is he that dyed every drop of his blood was not only the blood of an innocent man but of one that was God as well as man God with his own blood purchased the Church Acts 20.28 now surely every thing of God is most desirable 2. There is in it a worth or price Christ considered under the notion of a sacrifice is of infinite worth now this sacrifice saith the Apostle he offered up Heb. 9.28 Heb. 9.28 He offered up not in Heaven as the Socinians would have it in presenting himself before God his Father but upon earth viz. in his Passion upon the Cross No wealth in heaven or earth besides this could redeem one soul and therefore the Apostle sets this against all corruptible things as silver and gold the things so much set by amongst the men of this world Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver 1 Pet. 1.18 and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 3. There is in it a merit and satisfaction the Scripture indeed doth not expresly use these words but it hath the sense and meaning of them As in that text Ephes 6.7 He hath made us accepted in the beloved to whom we have redemption through his blood I know there is a different notion in these words for merit doth properly respect the good that is to be procured but satisfaction the evil that is repelled but in Christ we stand not on these distinctions because in his merit was satisfaction and in his satisfaction was merit A great controversie is of late risen up Whether Christ's death be a satisfaction to Divine justice But the very words redeeming and buying do plainly demonstrate that a satisfaction was given to God by the death of Jesus Tit. 2 14. 1 Cor. 6.20 Rev. 5.9 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us ye are bought with a price and what price was that why his own blood Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood i.e. by thy death and Passion Mat. 20.28 1 Tit. 2.6 This was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ransome which Christ gave for his Elect The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many or as the Apostle He gave himself a ransome for all the word is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an adequate price or a counterprice as when one doth or undergoeth something in the room of another as when one yields himself a Captive for the redeeming of another out of Captivity or gives up his own life for the saving of another man's life so Christ gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome or counterprice submitting himself to the like punishment that his redeemed ones should have undergone The Socinians tell us that Christ's sufferings and death were not for satisfaction to God but in reference to us that we might believe the truth of his Doctrine confirmed and sealed as they say by his death and that we might yield obedience to God according to the pattern that he hath set before us and that so believing and obeying we might obtain the remission of Sins and eternal Life But the Scripture goes higher in that mutual compact and agreement betwixt God and Christ we find God the Father imposing and Christ submitting to this satisfaction Isa 53.6 1. The Father imposeth it by charging the sins of his Elect upon Jesus Christ The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all not the sins themselves not the evill in them or fault of them but the guilt and penalty belonging to them this God laid upon his Son and charged it upon him he charged it as a Creditor chargeth the debt upon the Surety requiring satisfaction 2. Christ undertook it He was oppressed Ver. 7. and he was afflicted or as some translate It was exacted and he answered i.e. God the Father required satisfaction for sin and Jesus Christ was our Surety answered in our behalf Ver. 12. He bear the Sins of many he bear them as a porter that bears the burthen for another which himself is not able to stand under he bear them by undergoing the punishment which was due for them he bear them as our Surety submitting himself unto the penalty which we had deserved and by that means he made satisfaction to the justice of God Surely Christs death was not only for confirmation of his Doctrine but for satisfaction to God 4. There is in it not only a true but a copious and full satisfaction Christ's death and blood is superabundant to our sins The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant 1. Tim. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was over-full redundant more than enough Many an humble soul is apt enough to complain Oh if I had not been so great a sinner if I had not committed such and such transgressions there might have been
that Respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his Sufferings and Death Every one looks upon this as an easie duty only the humble Soul the scrupulous Conscience cries out What! Is it possible that Christ should die suffer shed his blood for me His incarnation was wonderful his life on earth was to astonishment but that the Son of God should become man live amongst men and die such a death even the death of the Cross for such a one as I am I cannot believe it it is an abys◠past fadoming the more I consider it the more I am amazed at it suppose I had an enemy in my power man or Devil one that provokes me every day 1 Sam. 24.19 one that hunts my soul to take it away should I not say with Saul if a man find his enemy will he let him go well away It may be an ingenuous spirit such as David would do thus much but would David or any breathing soul not only spare his enemy but spill himself to save his enemy would a man become a Devil to save Devils would a man endure hell pains to free all the Devils in hell from their eternal pains and yet what were this in comparison of what Christ hath done or suffered for us It is not so much for us to suffer for Devils for we are fellow-creatures as it is for Christ God-man man-God to suffer for us Oh what an hard thing is it considering my enmity against Christ to believe that Christ died for me that he gave himself to the death even to the death of the Cross for my soul Trembling soul throw not away thy self in a way of unbelief It may thou wouldst not die for an enemy an irreconcileable enemy but are not the mercies of God above all the mercies of men O believe And that I may perswade effectually I shall say down first some Directions and secondly some Encouragements of Faith 1. For the Directions of Faith in reference to Christ's death observe these particulars 2. Faith must directly go to Christ not first to the promise and then to Christ but first to Christ and then to the promise the Person ever goes before the Prerogative 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh this was the difference betwixt the New-Testament and old-Testament-Believers their Faith directs only to God but our Faith looks more immediately to Jesus Christ Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved 3. Faith must directly go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law He continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and so our Faith must look upon him But of these before I shall say nothing more to these particulars 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death in both these respects Christ was made under the law The one half of the Law he satisfied by the holiness of his life he fulfilled the law in every jot and every tittle the other half of the Law he satisfied by his enduring the death even the death of the Cross he paid both the Principal and the Forfeiture and though men do not so yet Christ did so that the whole Law might be satisfied fully by his being under both these parts of the Law pay and penalty Come then and look upon Christ as dying it was the Serpent as lifted up and so looked at that healed the Israelites of their fiery stings Alas we are diseased in a spiritual sense as they were and Christ Jesus was lifted up as a remedy to us as the Serpent was unto them it remains therefore that as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent so we look up to Jesus believe in Jesus as lifted up for life and for salvation As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness John 14.15 so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Indeed some difference there is betwixt the Serpent and Christ As 1. The Brazen Serpent had not power in if self to cure as Christ hath 2. The Serpent cured the Israelites but for a time John 11.26 to die again but whomsoever Jesus cures in a Spiritual sense he cures for ever they shall never die 3. The serpent also had its time of curing it did not alwayes retain its virtue but during the time they were in the Wilderness only Iesus Christ our Brazen Serpent doth ever retain his power and virtue to the end of the world and hence it is that in the Ministry Christ is still held forth as lifted up that all that will but look on him by faith may live 4. The Serpent sometimes a remedy against poyson was after turned even to poyson the Israelites which made Hezekiah to crush it and brake it and stamp it to powder but Jesus Christ ever remains the sovereign and healing God he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is unchangeable in his goodness as he is in holy and divine nature he can never be defaced nor destroyed but he abideth the saviour of sinners to all eternity why then let us rather look unto Christ and believe in Christ as lifted up i.e. as he was crucified and died on the Cross In this respect he is made a fit object for a sinner's faith to trust upon and rest upon Christ as crucified as made sin and a curse for us it the object of our pardon O this is it that makes Christ's death so desirable why therein is virtually and meritoriously pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation and what not Oh! cries a sinner where may I set my foot how should I regain my God my sin hath undone me which way should I cast for pardon why now remember that in seeking pardon Rom. 8.34 Christ was crucified Christ as dying is principally to be eyed and looked at Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8.34 No Question Christs active Obedience during his Life was most exact and perfect and meritorious yet that was not the expiation of sin only his passive obedience Christ only in his sufferings took away sin the guilt of sin and punishment for sin We have redemption through the blood of Christ Eph. 1.7 even the forgiveness of sins If any humble soul would have recourse to that Christ who is now in heaven let him first in the actings of his Faith consider him as crucified as lifted up as made sin for us as through whom under that consideration he is to receive pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation sanctification salvation 5. Faith in going to Christ as lifted up it is principally and mainly to look unto the 〈◊〉 meaning intent and design of Christ in his sufferings as he was lifted up we
Mat. 26.65 as making himself equal with God yea see how the high Priest rends his clothes saying he hath spoken blasphemy Surely all this he endured that very blasphemers may find mercy if they will but come in and believe in Jesus I might instance in other sins art thou a Traytor a glutton a drunkard a wine-bibber a thief a seducer a companion of sinners why see now how Jesus Christ was for thy sake thus called reputed accounted whatever the sin is there 's something in Christ that answers that very sinfulness thou art a sinner and he is made sin to satisfie the wrath of God even for thy sin thou art such and such a sinner and he is accounted such and such a sinner for thy sake that thou mightest find in him something suitable to thy condition and so the rather be encouraged to believe that in him and through him all thy sins shall be done away Away away unbelief distrust despair you see now the brazen serpent lifted up you see what a blessed object is before you O believe O look up unto Jesus O believe in him thus carrying on the work of thy salvation in his death SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect 6. LEt us love Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his sufferings and death What! did he suffer and dye Rom. 5.8 Greater love than this hath no man that a man should give his life for his friends but God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Why here 's an argument of love indeed how should we but love him who hath thus loved us in prosecution of this I have no more to do but first to shew Christ's love to us and then to exercise our love to him again 1. For his love to us had not God said it and the Scriptures recorded it who would have believed our reports yet Christ hath done it and it is worth our while to weigh it and consider it in an holy meditation Indeed with what less than ravishment of Spirit can I behold the Lord Jesus who from everlasting was cloathed with Glory and Majesty now wrapped in rags cradled in a manger exposed to hunger thirst weariness danger contempt poverty revilings scourgings persecution but to let them pass into what extasies may I be cast to see the Judg of all the world accused judged condemned to see the Lord of life dying upon the tree of shame and curse to see the eternal Son of God strugling with his Fathers wrath to see him who had said I and my Father are one sweating drops of blood in his agony and crying out on his cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh whither hath his love to mankind carried him had he only sent his creatures to serve us had he only sent his Prophets to advise us in the way to Heaven had he only sent his Angels from his chamber of presence to attend upon us and to minister to us it had been a great deal of mercy or if it must be so had Christ come down from Heaven hnmself but only to visit us or had he come only and wept over us saying Oh that you had known even you in this your day the things belonging to your peace Oh that you had more considered of my goodness Oh that you had never sinned this would have been such a mercy as that all the world would have wondered at it but that Christ himself should come and lay down his blood and life and all for his people and yet I am not at the lowest that he should not only part with life but part with the sense and sweetness of God's love which is a thousand times better than life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life that he should be content to be accursed that we might be blessed that he should be content to be forsaken that we might not be forsaken that he should be content to be condemned that we might be acquitted O what raptures of Spirit can be sufficient for the admiration of this so infinite mercy be thou swallowed up O my soul in this depth of Divine love and hate to spend thy thoughts any more upon the base objects of this wretched world when thou hast such a Saviour to take them up Come look on thy Jesus who dyed temporally that thou mightest live eternally who out of his singular tenderness would not suffer thee to burn in hell for ten twenty thirty forty an hundred years and then recover thee by which notwithstanding he might better and deeper have imprinted in thee the blessed memory of a dear Redeemer no no this was the Article betwixt him and his Father That thou shouldst never come there see but observe but Christ's love in that mutual agreement betwixt God and Christ Oh I am pressed saith God with the sins of the world as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves come my Son either thou must suffer or I must damn the world Accordingly I may imagine the Attributes of God to speak to God Mercy cryes I am abused and Patience cryes I am despised and goodness cryes I am wronged and Holyness cryes I am contradicted and all these come to the Father for Justice crying to him that all the world were opposers of his Grace and Spirit and if any be saved Christ must be punished In this case we must imagine Christ stepped in nay rather than so saith Christ I will bear all and undertake the satisfying of all And now look upon him he hangs on the cross all naked all torn all bloody betwixt Heaven and Earth as if he were cast out of Heaven and also rejected by Earth he hath a Crown indeed but such a one as few men will touch none will take from him and if any rash man will have it he must tear hair skin and all or it will not come his hair is all clodded with blood his face all clouded with black and blew he is all over so pittifully rent outwards inwards body and soul I will think the rest alas when I have spoken all I can I shall speak under it had I the tongues of men and Angels I could not express it Oh love more deep than hell Oh love more high than heaven the brightest Seraphims that burn in love are but as sparkles to that mighty flame of love in the heart of Jesus 2. If this be Christ's love to us what is that love we owe to Christ Oh now for an heart that might be some wayes answerable to these mercies Oh for a soul sick of love yea sick unto death how should I be otherwise or any less affected this only sickness is our health this death our life and not to be thus sick is to be dead in sins and trespasses why surely I have heard enough for which to love Christ for ever The depths of God's grace are
hangs over thy head like Democles s sword and therefore thou leavest thy sin thus Ahab for a time acts the part of a penitent but no thanks to Ahab for the Prophet had rung him such a peal for his fin as made both his ears tingle 1 King 21.19 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood even thine or it may be there is in thee a fear of Hell in thy apprehension death is come and is ready to carry thee before the dreadful Tribunal of a terrible God and therefore thou leavest thy sin thus Sea-men in a stress part with their goods not because they are out of love with them but because they love their lives better they see plainly that either they must part with them or perish with them Now in these cases thy leaving off sin bears no similitude with the death of Christ for his death was voluntary and true mortification is a voluntary action But may there not be some reluctancy in this work betwixt the flesh and the Spirit Quest and if so is it then voluntary I answer Yes such a reluctancy we find in the humane nature of Christ concerning the Cup Answ Mat. 26.39 that it might pass from him and yet his death was a true voluntary death An action is said to be voluntary or involuntary according to the superior faculties of the Soul and not according to the inferior if the reasonable part be consenting the action may be called voluntary though there be some reluctancy in the sensitive appetite Thus in the Christian in whom there is nature and grace flesh and spirit an unregenerate and a regenerate part if the superior and better part be willing I mean advisedly and deliberately willing with full consent of the inward man though perhaps there may be some reluctancy in the flesh in the unregenerate part yet this is said to be a true voluntary act So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Rom. 7.25 22 23. but with my flesh the Law of sin I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind Paul was dead to sin according to the inward man the regenerate part though he found a reluctancy in his outwards members and therefore his death to sin carried with it the resemblance of the death of Christ it was a voluntary death 2. Christ's death was a violent death he died not naturally but violently 1 Pet. 3.18 Isa 53.7 he was put to death in the flesh he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter So is our mortification it is voluntary in respect of us but violent in respect of sin and herein is the life as I may say of this death Oh when a man layes violent hands on his sins when he cuts them off being yet in their flower and strength and power and vigor when he pulls up those weeds before they whither in themselves this is true mortification many have left their sins who never mortified them so the aged Adulterer hath left his Lust because his body is dead and hence it is that late repentance in an aged sinner is seldom found true alas he dies not to sin but his sin dies to him I will not say but God may call at the eleventh hour though it be very seldom but in that case you had need to be jealous over your selves with a godly jealousie what do you find some sins within you to be dead that were sometimes alive O be inquisitive impannel a Jury call a Coroners Inquest upon your own souls enquire how they came by their deaths whether they died a violent or natural death search what wounds they have received and whether they were deadly wounds yea or no enquire what weapon it was that slew them whether the Sword of the Spirit that two-edged Sword the Word of God what purposes what resolutions have been taken up and levelled against them what prayers and tears have been spent upon them If you find not these signs you may gâ—â—e in your Verdict that they died not a violent but a natural death And here 's a good Caveat for others Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth Eccles 12.1 while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Oh take heed of reprieving your Lusts let them not live till to morrow now bring them forth in the sight and presence of God arraign condemn crucifie mortifie them whiles they might yet live Surely this is true mortification when the body of sin dieth as Christ died a violent death 3. Christ's Death was a lingring death he hung divers hours upon the Cross From the first hour to the ninth hour saith Matthew i.e. from our twelve to three before he gave up the Ghost So is our mortification a lingring death sin is not put to death all at once but languisheth by little and little this is looked upon as one main difference betwixt justification and sanctification the former is a perfect work admitting of no degrees but so is not the lattâ—r though a Believer is freed perfectly from the guilt of sin yet not so from the power of it sin dwelleth in us though it hath not altogether a dominion over us Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me like a rebellious Tenant it keeps possession in despight of the owner till the house be pulled down over his head True indeed the body of sin in a regenerate soul hath received its death-wound and in that respect it may be said to be dead but it is not quite dead still it stirreth and moveth dying but by degrees What the Apostle saith of the renewing of the new man we may say of the destroying of the old man the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 â—nd the old man is destroyed dâ—y by day or as Paul said of himself in respect of his afflictions we may say of a Christian in respect of his sins I die daily 1 Cor. 15.31 there is not the most sanctified soul upon earth but has some remainders of corruption left in it which God in his wise providence permits for the trying exercising and humbling of our souls and for the making his own rich Graces in renewing and multiplying pardons so much the more glorious Gen. 25.22 And here is a ground of consolation to a drooping and dejected soul such an one cries out alas I feel the stirring and vigorous actings of sin and I am afraid my sin is not mortified as Rebekah said when she felt the Children strugling within her if it bâ— so why am I thus so if sin be mortified saith the soul why am I thus trembling soul let not this discourage Jesus Christ was not dead so soon as he was fastned to the
Cross But hast thou taken the same course with the body of sin that the Jews did with the body of sin hast thou arraigned it accused it condemned it and fastened it to the Cross hast thou arraigned it at the Bar of God's judgment accused it by way of humble and hearty confession condemned it in passing the sentence of eternal condemnation upon thy self for it and fastned it to the Cross in beginning the execution of it in setting upon the mortification of it with a serious and unfeigned resolution to use all means for its mortifying and killing why then be not disheartned it may be thou feelest it stirring and strugling within thee and so will a crucified man do and yet in the eye of the Law and in the account of all men that see him he is a dead man surely so is the body of sin when it is thus crucified though it still move and stir yet upon a Gospel-account and in God's estimation it is no better than dead and it shall certainly die it shall decay and languish and die more and more is not the promise express He that hath begun the good work Phil. 1.6 he will perfect it to the day of Jesus Christ Of this Paul was confident in behalf of his Philippians and of this let all true Believers rest confident in respect of themselves Thus far we see wherein we must conform to Christ viz. in his Graces in his Sufferings and in his Death For the Query what is the cause of this conformity I answer The death of Christ is the cause of this conformity And that a fourfold cause Eph. 5.25 26 27. 1. It is a meritorious cause Christ's death was of so great a price that it deserved at God's hands our conformity to Christ Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that by his death he might sanctifie it and cleanse it and present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 1 Pet. 2.21 2. It is an exemplary cause He suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps he died for us leaving us an example that we should die to sin as he died for sin we may observe in many particulars besides those I have named a proportion analogy and likeness betwixt Christ's death and ours Christ died as a servant to note that sin should not rule or reign over us Christ died as a curse to note that we should look upon sin as a cursed thing Christ was fast nayled on the Cross to note that we should put sin out of case yea crucifie the whole body of sin Christ died not presently yet there he hung till he died to note that we should never give over subduing sin while it hath any life or working in us 3. It is an efficient cause it works this conformity by a secret virtue issuing from it Thus Christians are said to be engraffed with Christ in the likeneâ—s of his death Rom. 6.5 Phil. 3.10 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a passive signification importing not only a being like but a being made like and that by a power and vertue out of our selves so the Apostle elsewhere interprets That I may know him and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Not conforming my self but being made conformable by a power out of my self But how then is the power of mortification attributed to men as Quest Col. 3.5 Gal. 5.24 Mortifie ye your members which are upon the earth And They which are Christ's have crucified the flesh I answer there is a twofold mortification the one habitual the other practical Answ the former consists in a change of the heart turning the bent and inclination of the heart from all manner of sin now this is the only and immediate work of the Spirit of Grace breathing and working where it will the latter consists in the exercise of putting forth of that inward grace in the acting of that principle in resisting temptations in suppressing inordinate Lusts in watching against sinful and inordinate acts now this is the work of a regenerate person himself co-operating with the Spirit of God as a rational instrument with the principal Agent and therefore the Apostle joins both together If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body Rom. 8.13 ye shall live 4. It is an impelling or a moving cause as all objects are for objects have an attractive power Achan saw the wedge of Gold and then coveted it David saw Bathsheba and then desired her As the brazen Serpent did heal those who were bitten by the fiery Serpent tanquam objectum fidei meerly by being looked upon so Christ crucified doth heal sin beget grace encourage to sufferings by being looked upon with the eyes of Faith Heb. 12.1 2. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking uâ—to Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith The Apostle was to encourage the Hebrews to hold on the well-begun profession of Faith in Christ and to that purpose he sets before them two fights to keep them from fainting 1. A cloud of witnesses the Saints in heaven on which cloud when he had staid their eyes a while and made them fit for a clearer Object he scatters the cloud and presents the Sun of Righteousness Christ himself and he wills them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turn their eyes from it to him looking unto Jesus q. d. this sight is enough to make you run the race and not to faint why Jesus is gone before you and will you not follow him O look unto Jesus and the very sight of him will draw you after him Christ crucified hath an attractive power And I if I be lifted up John 12.32 will draw all men to me Thus of the causes of our conformity we see how it is wrought 3. For the last Query what are the means of this conformity as on our part I answer 1. Go to the Cross of Jesus Christ It is not all our purposes resolutions promises vows covenants endeavours without this that will effect our conformity to Christ in his sufferings and death no no this conformity is a fruit and effect of the death of Christ and therefore whosoever would have this work wrought in him let him first have recourse to Christ's Cross O go we more immediately to the Cross of Jesus 2. Look up to him that hangs upon it contemplate the death of Jesus Christ consider seriously and sadly his bitter shameful painful sufferings Much hath been said only here draw it into some Epitome As 1. Consider who he was 2. What he suffered 3. Why he suffered 4. For whom he
there is a conveyance of an healing strengthning quickning vertue flowing into the Soul in the time of its viewing eying contemplating reflecting upon Christ crucified Christ lifted up and this comes from the secret presence of God blessing this our looking upon Christ as the Ordinance by which he hath appointed to make an effectual impression upon the heart It is not for us curiously to enquire how this should be Principles we say are not to be proved save only God hath said it and experience hath found it out that when Faith is occasioned to act on any sutable sacred object God by his Spirit doth not fail to answer in such a case he fills the Soul with comfort blessing vertue he returns upon the Soul by from and through the actings of Faith whatsoever by it is looked for Indeed none knoweth this but he that feels it and none feels this that knoweth how to express it as there is somewhat in the fire heat warmth and light which no Painter can express and as there is somewhat in the face heat warmth and life which no Limner can set forth so there is somewhat flowing into the soul while it is acting faith on the Death of Christ which for the rise or way or manner of its working is beyond what tongue can speak or pen can write or pencil can delineate Come then if we would have grace endure afflictions die to sin grow in our mortification let us again and again return to our duty of looking unto Jesus or believing in Jesus as he was lifted up And yet when all is done let us not think that sin will die or cease in us altogether for that is an higher perfection than this life will bear only in the use of the means and through God's blessing we may expect thus far that sin shall not reign it shall not wear a Crown it shall not sit in the Throne it shall hold no Parliaments it shall give no laws within us we shall not serve it but we shall die to the dominion of it by vertue of this Death of Jesus Christ And this He grant who died for us Amen Amen Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his sufferings and death Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during the time of his Resurrection and abode upon earth until his Ascension or taking up to Heaven LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Resurrection The Seventh Book PART VII CHAP. I. Matth. 28.6 He is risen Come see the place where the Lord lay 2 Tim. 2.8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead SECT 1. Of the Time of Christ 's Resurrection THe Sun that went down in a ruddy cloud is risen again with glorious beams of light In this piece as in the former we shall first lay down the Object and then give directions how to look upon it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of man's salvation in his Resurrection and during the time of his abode on earth after his Resurrection Now in all the transactions of this time I shall only take notice of these two things 1. Of this Resurrection 2. Of his Apparitions for first he rose and secondly he shews himself that he was risen in the first is the Position in the second is the Proof 1. For the Position the Scripture tells us that he rose again the third day In this point I shall observe these particulars 1. When he arose 2. Why he arose 3. How he arose 1. When he arose it was the third day after his crucifying Mat. 12.40 As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth This was the time he had appointed and this was the time appropriated to Christ and marked out for him in the Kalender of the Prophets of all those whom God raised from death to life there is not one that was raised on the third day but Jesus Christ some rose afore and some rose after the Son of the Shunamite the son of the widow of Sarephtah the daughter of Jairus he of Naim and some others rose afore Lazarus and the Saints that rose again from the dust when Christ rose staid longer in the grave but Christ takes the day which discovers him to be the Messiah Luke 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Had he rose sooner a doubt might have been of his dying and had he lain longer a doubt might have been of his rising he would rise no sooner because in some diseases as in the Apoplexy or such like examples are given of such as seeming to be dead have indeed revived and he would lie no longer in his grave because in all dead carcasses and especially in a wounded body putrefaction and corruption begins the third day this may be gathered by the Story of Lazarus in the Gospel where Jesus commanding the stone to be rolled from his grave John 11.39 Psal 16.10 Martha his Sister answered Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four dayes Now the body of Christ as it was prophesied must not corrupt for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Mark this Text All men shall rise again but their bodies must first see corruption only the Messiah was to rise again before he saw corruption and therefore he would not delay his resurrection after the third day Hosea 6.2 Some think this and that of Hosea after two days he will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up to be the main Texts to which Christ refers when he said Luke 24.46 Thus it is written And to which the Apostle refers when he said that Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.4 I dare not be too curious in giving reasons for this set time and the rather because Christ is a free worker of his own affairs he doth what he pleaseth and when he pleaseth times and actions are in his own power and he needs not to give us any account of them and yet so far as Scripture discovers we may go along and amongst many others I shall lay down these following Reasons 1. Because the Types had so prefigured we see it in Isaac Jonah and Hezekiah a Patriarch a Prophet and a King 1. For Isaac from the time that God commanded Isaac to be offered for a burnt offering Isaac was a dead man but the third day he was released from death this the Text tells us expresly that it was the third day when Abraham came to Mount Moriah Gen. 22.4 Heb. 11.19 and had his Son as it were restored to him again Gen. 22.4 And Paul discovers that this was in a figure
not here but risen Mat. 28.6 as they said Come see the place where the Lord lay Others think it was to do their office of duty and service to Christ Jesus to make way for his body to pass out of the grave without any penetration of other Bodies for my part I adhere to these though we need not to exclude the former for the stone might be removed both that Christ might come forth and that the women might be convinc'd that he was risen again But as for the opinion of them who think the stone was not removed till after the resurrection that the body of Christ went through the grave-stone when he rose again it is without all warrant the very order of nature will not permiâ— that one body should pass through another without corruption or alteration of either We say two bodies cannot be together and at once in one proper place no more than one body can be together and at once in an hundred or a thousand places now that Angelical argument is full for this he is not here for he is risen he is not in the grave Mat. 28.6 for he is risen out of the grave he could not be in the grave and out of the grave at one and the same time But I mean not to dwell on controversial Points Mat. 27.52 53. 5. That Christ rose again accompanied with others and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints wâ—ich slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many It may be the graves were opened when Christ was laid down in his grave yet the spirits came not into the dead bodies till Christ's Resurrection the Text iâ— plain that they came not out of their graves till Christ was raised Christ is the beginning saith the Apostle the first-born from the dead Col. 1.18 how the first-born I answer both in time and efficacy 1. In time he rose to eternal life the first of all men This was the sum of Paul's preaching that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead It is true indeed Acts 26.2 3. that Lazarus and fundry others rose before Christ but they rose to live a mortal life and to die again Christ was the first of all that rose to eternal life never any in the world rose before Christ in this manner 2. In respect of efficacy Christ rose first that by his power all the rest might rise there is in Christ's resurrection a reviving and a quickning vertue and herein is a main difference betwixt the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of any other man the Resurrection of Abraham availes nothing to the resurrection of Isaâ—c or of Jacob but the resurrection of Christ availes to the resurrection of all that have believed or that shall believe in him is not Christ called a quickning Spirit how then should he but quicken all his members 1 Cor. 15.45 when a man is cast into the Sea and all his body is under water there is nothing to be looked for but present death but if he carry his head above the water there is good hope then of a recovery now Christ is the head unto his Church and therefore he being raised all his members must follow in their time no sooner did Christ arise but many of the bodies of the Saints arose not all that were dead but only some to shew the resurrection of all to come the time for the whole Churches rising being not yet till the great resurrection day It is a question what became of those bodies which now arose Some think they died again but it is more probable that seeing they rose to manifest the quickning vertue of Christ's resurrection that they were also glorified with Christ and as they rose with Christ arising so they ascended up into heaven with Christ ascending 6. That Christ rose again with a true perfect incorruptible powerful spiritual agile and glorious body 1. He had a true body consisting of flesh and blood and bone so he told his Disciples when they supposed him a Spirit Handle me Luke 24.39 and see said he for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have I know this body after his resurrection was comparatively a spiritual body yet for all that he never laid aside the essential properties of a true body as length and breadth and visibility and locality and the like he still keepeth these because they serve to the being of a true body 2. He had a perfect body however he was cut and bored and mangled before his death yet after his resurrection all was perfect Eusebius tells of one of the Children of the Machabees that were put to death for the profession of the Truth and when they cut off his members saies he I have received these from heaven and now I do give them unto the God of heaven and I hope I shall have them again Not a member of Christ was wanting not a bone out of joint but all was perfect 3. He had an incorruptible immortal body To this end saith the Apostle Christ both died and rose and revived and why revived but to shew that he rose never to die again The Apostle is yet more express Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Consonant hereunto is that of Christ I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen Rom. 14.9 Rom. 6.9 Rev. 1.18 And herein the body of Lazarus and the rest whom Christ raised differed from his for after they were raised they died again but Christ died no more 4. He had a powerful body Luther could say of the glorified Saints that they had a power so great as to toss the greatest mountains in the world like a Ball And Anselm hath an expression not much unlike that they have such a power Anselm lib. de simil cap. 52. as they are able to shake the whole earth at their pleasure How much more could Christ cause that great Earth-quake at the rising of his Body O it was powerful 5. He had a spiritual body it needed not to meat drink or refreshings as it did before it is true that the Disciples gave him a piece of a broiled fish Luk. 24.42 43 and of an honey-comb and he took it and did eat before them but this he did only to confirm their faith that he appeared solidly and not imaginarily he Ate out of power and not out of necessity even as the Sun sucks up thâ— water out of power but the earth out of want he Ate not as standing in need of food but to shew the truth of his being risen again as the Saints in heaven neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor have Magistrates nor Ministers but the Spirit of God is all in all to them so it was with
fully finished the mercy which thereupon depended was now made certain and as the Apostle speaks sure unto all the seed Methinks a thought of this object in respect of it self and in respect of us should put our souls into a longing frame Rom. 4.16 is it not a desirable thing to see the King in his beauty were not the Daughters of Zion glad to go forth Cant. 3.11 and to behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him in the day of his espousalls If Christ incarnate and in humane frailty was the desire of Nations how much more is Christ exalted and in his glory if it was Augustines great wish to have seen Christ in the flesh how should we but wish to see Christ as risen again from the dead he is altogether lovely or he is altogether desireable desireable in the womb Cant. 5.16 desireable in the cratch desireable on the Cross even when despised and numbred with thieves desireable in his resurrection yea all desirable yea above all desirable as risen exalted glorified in this consideration we cannot fathom the thousand thousand part of the worth and incomparable excellency of Jesus Christ Or if Christ's resurrection in it self will not stir up our lazy desires as it not desirable as in reference unto us what that he should rise again for our justification that by vertue of his resurrection thy soul should appear righteous before the judgment seat of God O what a ravishing word is that what a triumphing challeng Rom. 8.33 34. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again O the stings that many have saying what shall I do when I dye and go down to the dust may not the Lord have something against me at the day of reckoning why no poor soul if thou art in Christ it is he that dyed yea rather that is risen again for thy justification by his resurrection he hath cleared all reckonings so that now who shall condemn not sin Christ hath took it away not the law Christ hath fulfilled it for us not Satan for if the Judge acquit us what can the Jaylor do O my soul that thy portion may be with theirs who hath right and title to this blessed resurrection of Jesus Christ But thou sayest again what is it to me if I be justified in Christ and yet my heart remain unholy and unsubdued to Christ it is true thou findest a wofull sinful nature within thee cross and contrary to holiness and leading thee dayly into captivity yet remember it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again and by vertue of his resurrection he hath given thee a new nature another nature which makes thee wrestle against sin and shall in time prevail over all sin But thou sayst again what if I be justified and sanctified if after death I shall not be raised to life why fear not O my soul for if Christ be risen thou shalt rise and rise to eternal life John 14.19 I am the resurrection and the life not only the resurrection but life is in him originally as water is in the fountain and from him it is derived to us because I live ye shall live also But thou sayst again O that I were assured of this many doubts and jealousies are upon me from day to day Sometimes indeed I have a comfortable hope of my justification Psal 88.14 sanctification salvation and sometimes again I am forced to cry Lord why caâ—test thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me O consider of the ends of Christ's resurrection was it not to give thee the sure mercies of David was it not to apply the merits of Christ's active and passive obedience and to bring them home to thy soul 1 Cor. 15.17 was it not to confirm and to ratifie thy faith else were it in vain O the Person of Christ and O the priviledges of Christ as being raised from the dead O my soul that thou wert on the wing in thy desires after Christ O that thy motions were as swift as the Eagles that hasted to eat O that feelingly thou knewest him and the power of his resurrection that thou wert resolved to give no sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids until thou couldst say Christs resurrection is mine why Lord that I should long after vanities trifles toyes pleasures profits earthly contentments that I should long like some women with Child for a deal of baggage coles or ashes very lothsome food and yet that I should feel no pantings breathings hungerings thirstings after Christs resurrection to feed upon it and to be satisfied with it come here 's a blessed object here 's delights O stir up thy appetite suck and be satisfied drink ye drink abundantly O my beloved SECT IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect LEt us hope in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection Only remember I mean not a fluctuating wavering unsetled unestablished hope no no let us hope firmly surely fixedly let us come up to that plerophory or full assurance of hope that we may conclude comfortably and confidently Christs resurrection is ours and yet that our conclusion may not be rash but upon right grounds we may examine the firmness solidness substantialness of our hope in Christs resurrection by these following signs 1. If Christs resurrection be mine then is Christs death mine the fruits or effects of Christs death and resurrection cannot be severed if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death Rom. 6.5 we shall be in the likeness of his resurrection Mortification and vivification are twins of one and the same spirit depart from evil and do good Cease to do evil learn to do well Many may think they have their part in the first resurrection Psal 34.14 Isa 1.16 17. but can they prove their death unto sin as there cannot be a resurrection before a man dye so there cannot be a resurrection to a new life but there must be a separation of the soul from the body of sin what shall a man cleave to sin be wedded to sin yea shall a man like it love it live in it and yet say or imagine that Christs resurrection is his O be not deceived God is not mocked come scearch try examine hast thou any share in Christs passion knowest thou the fellowship of his sufferings art thou made conformable to his death that as he dyed for sin so thou dyest to sin if herein thou art at a stand peruse those Characters laid down in his sufferings and death the truth and growth of our mortification or of our death unto sin is discovered before 2. If Christs resurrection be mine then is Christ's Spirit mine yea then am I quickened by the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 11. If
law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ or the law of this quickening Spirit communicated from Christ unto thy soul 3. If Christ's resurrection be mine then am I planted together in the likness of Christ's resurrection then do I resemble and am made conformable to Christ in his resurrection now if we would know wherein that resemblance is the Apostle tells us that like as Christ was rised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.5 even so we also should walk in newness of life Our mortification is a resemblance of Christ's death and our vivification is a resemblance of Christs resurrection In this ground of our hope concerning our interest in the resurrection of Christ I shall propound these questions Rom. 6.4 1. Whether indeed and in truth our souls are vivified 2. Whether we increase and grow in our vivification For the first the truth and certainty of our vivification will appear by these rules 1. True vivification is general both in respect of us and in respect of Grace 1. In respect of us it is diffused throughout the whole man the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly saith the Apostle and I pray God that your whole spirit 1 Thes 5.23 soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And. 2. In respect of Grace it is in every Grace I know it is a question whether all Graces are so connexed and chained together that possible they cannot be severed but I suppose it is truly answered that in respect of habit they cannot be severed though in respect of the act or exercise they may be severed some Graces are more radical than others as faith and love and therefore they first appear but as a man lives first the life of a plant then of sense then of reason though all were radically there at first so it is in graces experience tells us that some Christians are eminent in some graces and some in other graces some have more love and some more knowledg and some more patience and some more self-denial but all that are true Christians have each of these graces in some measure or other or at least they have them in habit though not in the act if vivication be true there is a whole work of grace both in heart and life as the light in the ayre runs through the whole hemisphere so the whole work of grace runs through and is diffused through the whole man soul body and spirit O my soul this may put thee to thy study because of the several constitutions or tempers of graces thou mayest find this or that grace this or that image of Christ clearly stampt on thy heart but thou canst not find such and such graces in this case fear not for if in truth and sincerity thou hast but one grace thou hast the whole chaine of graces But to speak to some graces in particular Gal. 2.20 2. True vivification is a new life acting upon a new principle of Faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God They are the words of a man pursued by the law unto Christ Paul seeing he was dead by the law he speaks for a better husband the law finds him dead and leaves him dead Nevertheless I live saith Paul what means he a natural life why so he lived before now no no it is a better life than a natural life such a life is no contentment to a soul pursued by the law very heathens and infidels have such a life and in that respect are as happy as the best of Saints Paul's life is a spiritual life and the Spring of his life is the Son of God Jesus Christ is esscentially radically fundamentally life it self and by his incarnation passion resurrection he is life for his Saints they live by him and in him and for him and through him he is the heart and liver of their Spiritual life But as from the heart and liver there must be arteryes and vains for maintenance of life and conveyance of blood throughout all the body so from Christ there must be some conveyance to bring this to life unto us and this is by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God O my soul dost thou live this life of faith on the Son of God canst thou make use of Christ in every state and in every condition As for instance in thy particular calling dost thou look to Christ for wisdome success blessing ability dost thou say if I have ill success I will yet go to Christ it is he that set me here and it is he will enable me in case of provision dost thou run to Christ and dost thou hang upon him for all things needful dost thou say If I want means God will create means he commands all means and he can suddenly do whatsoever he will In case of protection dost thou look unto Jesus to be thy shield and protector dost thou mind the word of God to Abraham Fear not Abraham for I am God all-sufficient Gen. 15.1 thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward In case of thy Children goest thou to Christ saying Are not my Children thy Children and wilt thou not provide for thy own it is true thou must do what thou canst but for the rest despair not cast thy burthen upon him who hath commanded thee in nothing to be careful Phil. 4.6 Phil. 27.10 but in all things to make thy suits known with prayer and supplication when my Father and Mother forsake me God will take me up saith David He is a Father to the Fatherless he provided for them in the womb he provided brests for them ere they saw the Sun and therefore how should he but have care and compassion over thy Children in case of prosperity dost thou see Christ's love in that state dost thou set him in the first place receiving all and joyning in all as coming from him is this it that makes thy prosperity sweet because thou knowest and believest that thy sins are pardoned otherwise what is thy silver and gold so long as thy pardon is not sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ if a prisoner condemned to dye should abound in all outward plenty what comfort could he have so long as his pardon were not sealed it is the life of faith that sweetens prosperity who are better Christians than they who know they enjoy these things with God's favour and blessing faith sees Gods love in all and so is abundantly thankful faith makes a man to eat and drink and sleep and to do all in Christ as it cost Christ dear to purchase our liberty to the creatures so faith ever sets Christ in the first place it receives all as coming from him it returns all as to the glory of him in case of disgrace dost thou commit thy credit to Jesus Christ dost thou look up to Jesus and
for condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came on all men unto justification 7. That he might regenerate us and beget us anew by his resurrection Joh. 17.19 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead And this he doth Rom. 15.18 two wayes 1. As our pattern platform Idea or exemplar like as Christ was raised from the dead even so we also should walk in newness of life 1 Pet. 1.3 and likewise reckon ye also your selves to be alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. As the efficient thereof for when we were dead in sin he hath quickened us together with Christ Rom. 6.13 and ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead Ver. 11. O the power of Christ's resurrection in this respect if we saw a man raised from the dead how should we admire at such a wondrous power but the raising of one dead soul is a greater work than to raise a Church-yard of dead bodies Eph. 2.5 Col. 2.12 8. That he might sanctifie us which immediatly follows after the other but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Rom. 6.13 and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God In our regeneration we are risen with Christ and it is the Apostles argument Col 3.1 2. if ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth We usually reckon two parts of Sanctification viz. Mortification and Vivification now as the Death of Christ hath the special influence upon our Mortification so the Resurrection of Christ hath the special influence on our Vivification Eph. 2.5 6. he hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together with Christ O my Soul Look to this main design of Christ in his rising again and if thou hast any faith O set thy Faith on work to draw this down into thy Soul But here is a question how should I manage my Faith or how should I act my Faith to draw down the vertue of Christ's resurrection for my Vivification I answer 1. Go to the Well-head look into the resurrection of Jesus Christ This one act contains in it these particulars As 1. That I must go out of my self to something else this is that check that lyes upon that work of Grace to keep out pride that Faith sees the whole good of the soul in a Principle extraneous even the springs of Jesus Christ Alas if this Vivification were in me or in my power what swellings and excrescencies of pride should I quickly nourish God therefore hath placed it in another that I may be kept low and that I may go out of my self to seek it where it is 2. That I must attribute wholly Gal. 2.20 freely joyfully all that I am to Jesus Christ and to the effectual working of his Grace 1 Cor. 15.10 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And by the Grace of God I am what I am and I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me The life of grace springs only from the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ and therefore as I must deny my self so I must attribute all to him from whom it comes 3. I must lye at his feet with an humble expectation of and dependency upon him and him alone for the supplies of grace this was the Apostles practice O that I may be found in him O that I may know him and the power of his resurrection O that by any meanes I might obtain unto the resurrection of the dead he lay at Christs feet with an humble expectation to feel the Power of Christ's resurrection in raising him first from the death of sin to the life of grace after from death of nature to the life of glory 2. Lay to these springs thy mouth of Faith it is not enough to have all the treasuries of grace all the actings of Christ for thee layd before thee but thou must act thy faith upon that object O then go to Christ's resurrection and believe make a particular application of those glorious effects of Christ's resurrection upon thy soul Say Lord thou dyedst that I might dye to sin and thou wast raised from the death that I might be raised to newness of life Come Lord and quicken my dying sparks give me to lay hold on Christ's resurrection give me to adhere to it and to rest upon it and to close with it I see without faith I am nere a whit the better for Christs resurrection and thy commands are upon me open thy mouth wide and I will fill it why Lord I believe help thou my unbeliefe This faith is necessary to our vivification as well as Christ Psal 81.10 Christ is the fountain of life but faith is the meanes of life Mark 9.24 the power and original of life is intirely reserved to Jesus Christ but faith is the radical band on our part whereby we are tyed unto Christ and live in Christ and thus saith Christ himself I am the resurrection and the life Is that all no he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live And I am the bread of life Is that all Joh. 11.25 no he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst John 6.35 Isa 66.11 3. Suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted Christ's resurrection is a brest of consolation there is in it abundance of life and glory and therefore we should not believe a little but much the word suck is as much as to exact on Christ draw hard from Christ the more we exercise faith the more we have of Jesus Christ and of Vivification there is a depth in Christs resurrection that can never be fadomed when the soul hath as much as its narrow hand can grasp whole Christ is too big to be inclosed in mortal arms onely the longer our arm of faith is the more we shall grasp of him and therfore suck and pull and draw harde And to this purpose 1. Pray for an increase of faith complain to Christ of the shortness of thy arm tell him thou canst not believe as thou wouldst thou canst not get in so much of Christ into thy soul as thou desirest thy Vivification is very poor and small Oh when Christ hears a soul complain of drawfishness in faith and grace then is he ready to let out of his fulness even grace for grace 2. Act thy faith vigorously on Christ's resurrection for a further degree of quickning activity and lively abillity of grace Christ is an ever-flowing fountain and he would have
say was a saving work of God some one that sate with me in the same seat found much stirings of God Oh what meltings chearings warmings of the spirit had such a one and such a one the Word was to them as hony and as the hony comb but to me iâ— was as dry bread I found no sweet I got no good at all Or you have been often tossing the Bible and you have observed this or that promise but O what in-come hath appeared Surely nothing at all I wonder at Saints that tell of so much sweetness and comfort and ravishing of heart that with joy they should draw water out of these Wells of salvation Whereas I find therein no joy no refreshing at all Ah poor soul thou art in a sad case thou art not yet vivified thou hast not the life of God in thee After vivification thou wilt in the use of Ordinances at least sometimes if not frequently feel the saving in-comes of God In prayer thou wilt feel the spirit breathing in and carrying up thy soul above it self plainly declaring there is another power than thy own which makes thee not only to exceed others but thy self also in hearing of the Word thou wilt see the Windows of heaven set wide open and all manner of spiritual comforts showred down upon thee thou wilt hear the rich treasury of everlasting glory and imortality unlocked and opened so that thou mayst tumble thy self amidst the mountains of heavenly pearls and golden pleasures joyes that no heart can comprehend but that which is weaned from all worldly pleasures As it is written Rom. 10.15 how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things In meditation of the promises or of Divine love thou wilt find meltings quickenings encouragings filling thy heart with gladness and glorying and thy mouth with praises and songs of rejoycings O What fountains of life are the promises to a living man to a soul that is vivified what food what strength what life is a thought of Christ of Heaven and of God's love to a spiritual man whereas all these glorious things of the Gospel are to the natural man but as a withered flower a sealed book a dry and empty cistern he hath no use of them 6. It is a life of another kind or manner Before vivification our life was but death because we our selves were but dead in sin even whilest alive 1 Tim. 5.6 Col 2.13 She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth and you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh But after vivification we live how live a spiritual life Gal. 2.20 Phil. 3.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God an heavenly life for our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ an immortal life Rom. 6.9 11. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him likewise reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 11.26 You know the meaning of Christ Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye he shall never dye a spiritual death never come under the dominion of sin never totally fall away from grace Rom. 8.10 that incorruptible seed by which he is regenerate shall abide in him for ever If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness the body indeed is subject to corporal death through the remainders of sin but the Spirit it life even that little spark of grace through the most perfect righteousness of Christ imputed is life here and shall be life hereafter even for ever And herein is our vivification answerable to Christ's resurrection like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 raised up to a new life even so we also should walk in the newness of life For the second question how is this conformity or vivification wrought I shall answer only to the state and so our vivification is usually wrought in us in this manner As first in the understanding Secondly in the will First the understanding lets in the verity and truth of what the Gospel hath recorded John 1.4 John 6.35 John 11.25 In him was life and the life was the light of men I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live I am the way John 14.6 1 John 5.11 12. the truth and the life And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 2. This light let in the understanding thence inferreth as to a man 's own self that by the assistance of the Spirit of holiness who raised up Jesus from the dead it 's possible for him to attain this life Eph. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. others have attained it and why not he You hath he quickened who were dead in traspasses and sins here 's a president for a sin-sick soul In time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience this was the state of the Ephesians But were they all no no ye and we also among whom also we had all our conversation in times past But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ that in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Mat. 8.2 9 21. Ezek. 37.4 5. Christ's dealings with some are as flags and patterns of mâ—rcy hung forth to tell and to bring others in whence the understanding infers it 's possible for a dead soul yea for my dead soul to live others have lived and why may not I I discover in those Scriptures even in these presidents a door of hope to my self why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean yea if I may but touch thy garment I shall be whole if thou wouldst but say O ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord then breath would enter into me and I should live surely if Christ be risen again from the dead there 's no impossibility but I may rise if others have been raised by the vertue of Christ's resurrection why may not I However this may seem to be little or nothing yet considering the soul in a mourning dark disconsolate frame under deep apprehensions of sin guilt and wrath full of
this vivification By this meanes it was that those dead bones were quickened in Ezekel's prophesie viz. by the Prophets prophesying upon them And he said unto me son of man prophesie upon these bones Ezek 37.4 and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the Word of the Loâ—d And by this means it is that dead souls are quickened the Ministry of the Word is the Trumpet of Jesus Christ when that sounds who knows but he may quicken the dead hearken therefore to this Word of God 2. Act saith upon the Lord Jesus as to justification As is the clearness and fixedness of our souls in bottoming our selves on Christ for righteousness so will be our quickness Luke 7.47 and successfull prâ—gress in the work of holiness because Maries sins which were many were forgiven her therefore she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Many a soul loseth much of vivification for want of clearness in its justification or for want of setledness and stronger measure of acting faith Oh what life would be raised as to holiness what working binding filling the laws of love retribution thankfulness would there be when we see our selves clearly reconciled with God and wrapt up in the foldings of everlasting love 3. Trace every Ordinance and every duty for the appearings of the Son of God Be much in Prayer hearing reading fellowship with the Saints living in the fulness of Sacraments be much in secret conversings with God in meditation expâ—sâ—ulation enquiries searchings and which is a precious work be much in diligent watching of and hearkening and listening to the movings workings hints intâ—mations of the Spirit of God be much in observing the methods and interpreting the meanings and language of God in all his secret dispensations with the soul Certainly there will be abundâ—nce of the life of God conveyed to him that walks in these paths Blessed are they that dwell in thy house might David well say and one Reason is pertinent to this case Luke 15.17 because In our fathers house is bread enough and to spare while the Prodigal that goes out from it shall feed upon husks and with Ephraim swallow up the East-wind Oh for a Spirit of Prayer Meditation c. Oh for a Spirit even swallowed up in communion with God! Isa 64 5. Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness and those that remember thee in thy wayes 4. Look much at Christ raised Christ Glorified Christ's Resurrection was the beginning of his glory and therein is comprehended both the glory that draws desires towards Christ Psal 34 5. Psal 123.1 2. and the grace and power that establisheth faith in its depenâ—ancy They looked unto him and were lightened unto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that â—wettest in the heavens behold as the eyes of the servants look unto the hand of their Mastâ—rs and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistris so our eyes waâ—te upon the Lord our God It is said of Moses Heb. 11.27 that he endured affliction as seeing him who is invisible Oh could we keep our hearts in a more constant view and believing meditation of the glory of Christ our faces would certainly bring some beams of Divinity with them from the Mount 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory The very beholding of Christ hath a mightty conforming and assimilating vertue to leave the impressions of glory upon our Spirits 5. See our own Personal vivification linked unseparably unto and bottomed unremoveably upon the resurrection of Christ when we can by faith get a sight of this it is not to speak how couragiously and successfully the soul will grapple in the controversies of the Lord against the Devil and our own deceitful hearts with what strength could Joshua Gidion c. go on when backed with a promise and their Spirits setled in the perswasion of it and what use will the promises be in this kind and more than all the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ when we can clearly and steadfastly rest upon this that there is an inseparable connection betwixt the resurrection of Christ and our personal holiness and perseverance to the end Oh that I could act my faith more frequently on Christs resurrection so that at last I could see it by the light of God to be a destinated principle of my vivification in particular what a blessed means would this be 6. Walk as we have Christ Jesus for an example This example of Christ though it be not ours as it is the Socinians totum Christi yet certainly it yields much to our vivification who can deny but that acting with the pattern ever in ones eye is very advantageous come then and if we would live the life of God let us live as Christ lived after his resurrection But how is that I answer 1. See that we return to the grave no more take heed of ever returning to our former state you may say what needs this Caveat hath not Christ said He that liveth and believeth in me shall never dye or never fall away I answer it is true they shall never totally and finally fall away yet they may fall foully and fearfully they may lose that strength and vigour that sense and feeling which sometimes they had they may draw so nigh to the grave as that both by themselves and others they may be accounted amongst them that go down to the pit free among the dead Psal 88.5 as Heman saith of himself The Apostle saith something that might even startle Christians he tells of some who have been once enlightened by the Word and have tasted of the heavenly gift some flashes of inward joy and peace and were made partakers of the holy Ghost the common gifts and graces of the Spirit and have tasted the good Word of God have found some relish in the sweet and saving Promises of the Gospel and the powers of the world to come have had some ravishing apprehensions of the joyes and glory in Heaven and yet fall away by a total Apostacy Christians Heb. 6.4.5 6. how far goes this I know it is said only of such who have a name to live and no more but surely it gives a warning to us all that we come not nigh the verge the brink of the grave again let us not give way to any one sin so as to live in it 2. Let us evidence our resurrection Christ being raised he shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs so let us evidence our vivification by many infallible proofs i.e. Let us yield up our selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Rom. 6.13 Col. 3.2 let us walk as men of another world If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God let us serve God
suffered upon earth it had been ineffectual unto us had he not entred into heaven Heb. 9.24 to appear there in the presence of God for us Surely this Intercession is that which puts life into the death of Christ this Intercession is that which strikes the last stroak during this World in the carrying on of our souls Salvation Goodwin Christ set forth Rom. 8.34 and makes all sure It is a witty observation that one makes of these several steps of Christs actings for us as first there was an all-sufficiency in his death who shall condemn it is Christ that dyed 2. A rather in his Resurrection yea rather that is risen again 3. A much rather in his life and session at God's right hand for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of Christ much rather being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 4. The Apostle riseth yet higher to a saving to the utmost and puts that upon his intercession wherefore he is able to save us to the utmost Heb. 7.25 seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us If in the former were any thing wanting this intercession of Christ supplies all it is the Coronis which makes all effectual it saves to the uttermost for it self is the uttermost and highest step on earth Christ begins the execution of his office in heaven he ends it in his life and death Christ was the meritorious cause but by his intercession Christ is the applying cause of our souls salvation In this very Intercession of Christ is the consummation and perfection of the Priest-hood of Christ O then how requisite and necessary must this needs be 4. It is gracious and full of bowels Christ his intercession and indeed Christ's Priestly office is erected and set up on purpose for the relief of poor distressed sinners There is no mixture of terror in this blessed office of Jesus Christ and this doth distinguish it from his other offices Christ by his Kingly office rules over the Churches and over the World but all obtain not mercy whom he thus rules over Christ by his prophetical office comes to his own but many of his own received him not but now wherever the Priestly office of Jesus Christ is let forth upon a Soul that soul shall certainly be saved for ever O this Priestly office of Christ is an office of meer love and tender compassion Heb. 4.15 Christ saith the Apostle is such an high-Priest as cannot be but touched with the feeling of our infirmities Oh he is a merciful Heb. 2.17 and a faithful high Priest in things partaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People He is mercifull and exceeding compassionate in all our afflictions he is afflicted Isa 63.9 and in his love and in his pity he Redeemed us and in his love and pity he intercedes for us SECT VIII Wherein the Intercession of Christ consists 8. WHerein more especially doth the Intercessions of Jesus Christ consist some suppose that Christs very being in heaven and putting God in mind of his active and passive obedience by his very presence is all that intercession that the Scripture speaks of But I rather answer is these particulars As 1. Christs intercession consists in the presenting of his Person for us he himself went up to heaven and presented himself the Apostle calls this an appearing for us Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands but into heavâ—n now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 I believe there is an Emphasis in the Word appearing for us But how appears he for us I answer 1. In a publick manner whatsoever he did in this kind he did it openly and publickly he appears for us in the presence of God the Father he appears for us in the presence of his Saints and Angels heavens eyes are all upon him in his appearing for us 2. He appears for us as a Mediator he stands in the middle betwixt God and us hence it is that he is God-man that he might be a Mediator betwixt God and man 3. He appears for us as a Sponsor and a pledge surely it is a comfort for a man to have a friend at Court at the Princes elbow that may own him and appear for him but if this friend be both a Mediator and Surety a Mediator to request for him and a Surety to engage for him Phil. 9.10 ver 18 19. Oh what comfort is this thus Christ appeared in every respect he is a Mediator to request for us and he is a Surety to engage for us as Paul was for Onesimus a mediator I beseech thee for my Son Onesimus and a Sponsor if he hath wronged thee or owe thee ought put that on my account I will repay it So is Jesus Christ for his Saints he is the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 Heb. 8.6 and he is a Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 Heb. 7. â—2 4. He appears as a Solicitor to present and promote the desires and requests of his Saints in such a way as that they may find acceptance with his Father He is not idle now he is in Heaven but as on earth he ever went about doing good so now in glory he is ever about his work of doing good he spends all his time in Heaven in promoteing the good of his people as from the beginning it was his care so to the Worlds end it will be his care to solicite his Father in the behalf of his poor Saints he tells God thus and thus it is with his poor Members they are in want in trouble in distress in affliction in reproach and then he presents their sighs sobs prayers tears and groans and that in such a way as that they may become acceptable to his Father 5. He appears as an Advocate if any man sin 1 John 2. â— we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous An Advocate is more than a Solicitor an Advocate is one that is of Counsel with an other and that pleadeth his Case in open Court and such an advocate is Jesus Christ unto his people 1. He is of Councel with them that is one of the Titles given him by the Prophet Isaiah Wonderful Councellour Isa 96. He councells them by his Word and Spirit 2. He pleads for them and this he doth in the high Court of Heaven at the Bar of God's own Justice there he pleads their case and answereth all the accusations that are brought in by Satan or their own Consciences but of this anon 6. He appears as a publick agent or Ledger-Embassadour what that is some tell us in these particulars 1. His work is to continue peace and surely this is Christ's work he is our peace saith the Apostle that is the author of our peace Eph. 2.14 he purchased our peace and he maintains our peace with
now shall pass away with a great noise 11 12. that the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and that the earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up and doth he not infer thereupon in the eleventh and twelfth verses that all these things shall be dissolved and in the thirteenth verse that we are therefore to look for new heavens and a new earth dissolution mends not a fabrick but destroyes it how then should that which is dissolved be said to be reserved and let stand surely if Peter had thought of this refining only some words of his would have intimated so much The end of these creatures was for man's use and man using them no more to what end should they be reserved to say for a monument of what hath been or for the habitation of the Saints or for an out-let for the Saints descending sometimes from the highest heavens to solace themselves here below are but groundless surmises and deserve no answer at all 2. Positively by new heavens and a new earth is meant the heaven of heavens and place of glory Now these heavens are termed new not in regard of their new making but of our new taking possession of them for our new habitation and they are called heavens and earth because they come in stead of that heavenly covering and that earthly habitation which we now enjoy so that the Text may well bear this paraphrase we look for new heavens i.e. the supreme court of God's presence and a new earth i.e. a new habitation for us which shall infinitly exceed the commodities and happiness of these heavens and earth which we now enjoy thus John in his Revelations Rev. 21.1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more Sea This new heaven and new earth is the place or habitation prepared for the blessed Saints and people of God A new heaven where the Moon is more glorious then our Son and the Sun as glorious as he that made it for it is he himself the Son of God the Son of righteousness the Son of Glory a new earth where all their waters are milk and all their milk honey where all their grass is corn and all their corn is Manna where all their glebe and clods of earth are Gold and all their Gold of innumerable Carats where all their minutes are ages and all their ages Eternity where every thing is every minute in the higest exaltation as good as can be Of these new heavens and this new earth I can never say enough not know enough till I come there to inhabit it Something only we shall discover of it in our next Sections for now are the Saints entred in with Jesus Christ Vse Only one word of use Christians what 's the matter that we are so busie about this world why look about you not one of these visible objects shall that day remain or have a being those houses wherein we dwell these Temples wherein we meet this Town this Country this Isle and the Seas and waters that surround it shall be all on fire and consume to nothing the Sea shall be no more and time shall be no more or if we look higher yond Sun and Moon and Star shall be no more that glorious Heaven which rolls over our heads shall be rolled together as a scrol Isa 34.4 Isa 51.6 and all the hoast shall fall down as a leaf falleth from the Vine and as a falling Fig from the Fig-Tree the heavens shall vanish away like smoak saith Isaiah comminuentur in nihilum as Hierome reads it they shall be battered into nothing Alas alas what do we toyling all the day it may be all our life for a little of this little almost nothing earth you that have an hundred or two hundred or a thousand Acres if every acre were a Kingdom all will be at last burnt up so that none shall say here was Preston or here was London or here was England or here was Europe or here was the Globe of Earth on which men troad let others bâ—ast as they will of their inheritances but Lord give me an inheritance above all these visibles heaven shall remain when earth shall vanish that Empyreal Heaven those seats of Saints those mansions above prepared by Jesus Christ shall never end but for my riches lands possessions moveables goods real or personal they will end in smoak in nothing what wilt thou set thine eyes upon a thing that is not Prov. 23.5 upon this the primitive Christians took joyfully the spoiling of their goods it was but a loss a little before the time and they knew in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance O let this be our care here we have no abiding City but O let 's seek one to come even that one that will abide for ever and ever Amen SECT VIII Of Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father 8. FOR Christ's surrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God even the Father no sooner is he in heaven but these things follow 1. He presents the Elect unto his Father of this the Apostle speaks you hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable Col. 1.12 22. and unproveable in his sight to this end Christ dyed that he might wash us and cleanse us by his blood and then that he might present us without spot unto his Father We may imagine Christ as going to his Father with his bride in his hand and saying thus O my Father here is my Church my Spouse my Queen here are the Saints concerning whom I covenanted with thee from Eternity concerning whom I went down from heaven and dyed on earth and ascending up I have interceded these many hundred years concerning whom I went down to Judge the World and having sentenced them to life eternal I now bring them in my hand to give them the possession of thy self These are they whom thou gavest me in the beginning of the World and now I restore them to thy self at the end of the World for they are thine Thus he presents them to his Father Indeed we read that Christ presents the Saints to himself as well as to his Father Eph. 5.25.27 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle but this I take it was done before when first a Soul believes it is contracted to Christ when the soul is sentenced to glory then is the solemnity and consummation of the Marriage then doth Christ present the Soul to himself and I know not but that the Ministers of Christ may have a part in this matter for I have espoused you to one husband said Paul to his Corinthians that I may present you as a chast Virgin to
conceive the most usual and ordinary course of Faiths working and of the souls conforming to Jesus Christ in its closing with Christ As thus 1. Faith hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant of Grace it stirs up in the heart a serious consideration of their blessed condition that are in covenant with God Blessed art thou O Israel a People saved by the Lord What Nation in the Earth is like thy People Deut. 33.29 2 Sam. 7.2.3 even like Israel whom God went to redeem for a People unto himself Time was saith the Soul that I counted the proud blessed and the rich blessed and the honourable blessed time was when I placed my blessedness in other things as in Riches Preferments Favour Credit with men but now these are become vile and things of no value Faith makes us change our voice and to speak as the Psalmist Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord. Psal 144.15 2. Faith stirs in the heart a longing desire after this condition good being believed cannot but be desired and longed for Desire naturally springs from the apprehension of any good being made known hence Faith we say is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discern the Blessing of the Covenant as it is in the will it pursues and desires the attaining of the Grace revealed nor are these desires faint desires but very earnest eager violent sometimes it is called a thirsting after God and sometimes a panting after God and sometimes a gasping after God it is such a desire as cannot be satisfied by any thing without God himself 3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition I say some hope for Faith being as yet in the Bud or in the Seed though its desire be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts fain would the Soul be joyned to Christ but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin it stands like the Publican afar off as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God only with Jonah it can look towards his holy Temple As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick and weak and speechless only it can look towards the Mother for help the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say thus Faith being weak it would speak to God but it cannot or dares not only it hath its eye towards Heaven 2 Chr. 20.12 as Jehoshaphat sometimes said Our eyes are towards thee It feels a need and fain would have but sense of unworthyness and the sense of the Law strikes such a fear into the heart that it dares not come near Consider Israels Case and we shall find it parallel to this God proclaims on the Mount I am the Lord thy God what was this but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Israel and yet the terrour of the Thunder was so great that Israel durst not come near a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himself to be in Covenant in him Come soul I am the Lord thy God Why alas it dares not come near What am I the Lord or what is my Fathers House that I should enter into a Covenant with the most high God The Soul is unquiet within it self it is hurried to and fro and finds no rest it hears of Peace with God but feels it not there is much ado with the Soul to sustain its hope only Faith sets the mind again and again to consider the promises invitatiâ—â—â— and all other incouragements which God hath given in his Word 4. Faith stirs in the heart some resolves to go to Gods Throne and to sue for Grace Faith speaks within as they did Jonah 3.9 Amos. 5.15 Who can tell whether the Lord will return And it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph So Who can tell saith the Soul It may be the Lord will saith the Soul and this begets some resolves as those Lepers in Samaria knew they were sure to perish if they sate still therefore they resolved to try whether the Aramites would save them Or as Esther knowing all was undone if she would not stir she would try whether the King would hold out his Golden Scepter So the poor Soul knowing there is no way but perishing if it continue in its Natural State therefore it resolves to go to God Doth the Lord say Seek my Face Why Jer. 3.22 thy Face Lord will I seek Doth the Lord say Come unto Me Why Behold Lord I come unto Thee for Thou art the Lord our God And now the Soul betakes it self unto God it sends up Complaints of it self it laments its own sinful Rebellions it puts out a whole Volley of Sighs Groans and strong Cryes towards Heaven it confesseth with Grief and bitter Mourning all its former Iniquities it smites with Repenting Ephraim upon its Thigh it lyes down at God's Foot-stool it puts its Mouth in the Dust it acknowledgeth God's Righteousness if He should condemn and cast off for ever and yet withal it pleads for Grace that it may be accepted as one of His It sayes unto God Lord I have nothing to plead why Thou may'st not Condemn me but if Thou wilt receive me Thy Mercy shall appear in me O let Thy Mercy appear take away all Iniquity and receive me graciously Thus the Soul lyes at God's Throne and pleads for Grace 5. As Faith is thus earnest in suing to God for Grace so it is no less vigilant and watchful in observing what Answer comes from the Lord even as the Prisoner at the Bar not only cries for Mercy but he marks every Word which falls from the Judges Mouth if any thing may give him Hope or as Benhadad's Servants lay at catch with the King of Israel to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him to plead for the Life of Benhadad So the poor Soul that is now pleading for Life and Grace it watcheth narrowly to see if any thing may come from God any Intimation of Favour any Word of Comfort that may tend to Peace O let me hear Joy and Gladness I will hear what the Lord will say for He will speak Peace unto His People 6. As Faith waits for an Answer so accordingly it demeans it self 1. Sometimes God answers not and Faith takes on and follows God still and cryes after Him with more Strength as resolving never to give over till the Lord either save or destroy Nay if the Lord will destroy Faith chuseth to die at God's Feet as when Joab was bidden to come forth from the Horns of the Altar and to take his Death in another Place Nay saith Joab but I will dye here Or as when Christ saw no Deliverance come in His Agony He Prayed more earnestly So a poor Soul Luke 22.44 in the Time
of its Agony when it is striving as for Life and Death if Help come not at first Call it prayes again and that more earnestly Faith is very urgent with God and the more slack the Lord seems in answering the more earnest is Faith in plying God with its Prayers It will wrestle with God as Jacob with the Angel it will take no Denyal but will crave still Bless me even me also O send me not away without a Blessing 2. Sometimes God answers in part He speaks as it were out of a Dark Cloud He gives some little Ease but He speaks not full Peace In this manner He speaks to the Woman Go thy way and sin no more He doth not say Go in Peace thy Sin is forgiven thee John 8.11 No no but Go thy way and sin no more Hereby Faith usually gets a little Strength and looks after the Lord with more Hope It begins to plead with God as Moses did O Lord Thou hast begun to shew Grace unto Thy Servant go on Lord to manifest unto me all Thy Goodness Here Faith takes a little hold on the Covenant of Grace It may be the Hand of Faith is feeble shaking and trembling yet it takes a little Hold it receives some Encouragement it finds that its former Seeking is not in vain 3. Sometimes God answers more fully and satisfactorily He applyes some Promise of Grace to the Conscience by His Spirit He lets the Soul feel taste the Comforts of himself or of such and such a Promise more effectually than ever before Fear not Isa 41.10 saith God for I am thy God Here Faith waxeth bold and with a glad Heart entertains the Promise brought Home unto it The Apostle calls this the Embracing of the Promises Now Heb. 11.13 Embracing implies an Affectionate Receiving with both Arms opened So the Soul embraceth the Promise and the Lord Jesus in the Promise and having Him like Simeon in his Arms it layes Him in the Bosom it brings Him into the Chamber of the Heart there to rest and abide for ever And now is the Covenant struck betwixt God and the Soul Now the Soul possesseth God in Christ as her own it rests in Him and is satisfyed with Him it praiseth God for his Mercy as Simeon did when he had Christ in his Arms it commits it self wholly and for ever to that Goodness and Mercy which hath been revealed to it O my Soul Hast thou come thus by little and little to touch the Top of Christ's Golden Scepter Why then Is thy Hand given to God Then art thou entred into a Covenant of Peace Christ's Offering and thy Receiving the Covenant of Grace bears a sweet Agreement an harmonious Conformity 2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us so we through Christ should be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God In the Things of this Life a strict Eye is had to the Covenants we make Now it is not enough for us to enter into Covenant with God but we must keep it The Lord never will never hath broken Covenants on His Part but Alas we on our Parts have broken the first Covenant of Works Take heed we break not the second for then there remains not any more place for any more Covenants As the Lord keeps Covenant with us so let us keep Covenant with Him and therein is the Blessing Psal 103.17 18. The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting to such as keep his Covenant There is much also in this keeping of the Covenant and therefore give me leave a little to enlarge Sundry Acts of Faith are required to this keeping of the Covenant As thus 1. Faith in keeping the Covenant hath alwayes an Eye to the Rule and Command of God As in Things to be believed Faith looks on the Promise so in Things to be practised Faith looks upon the Command Faith will present no strange Fire before the Lord it knows that God will accept of nothing but what is according to His own Will 2. As Faith takes Direction from the Rule so in keeping of the Covenant it directs us to the right End that is to the Glory of God We are of Him and live in Him and by Faith we must live to Him Rom. 14.7 8. 2 Cor. 5.15 Psal 50.15 Psal 86.12 for Him For none of us liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's Again He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them This God claims as His right and due Thou shalt glorifie Me saith God Yes saith Faith I will glorifie thee for ever 3. Faith in keeping the Covenant shields the Soul against all Hinderances that it meets withal As for instance Sometimes we are tempted on the Right Hand by the Baits and Allurements of the World All these will I give thee saith the World if thou wilt be mine but then Faith overcomes the World by setting afore us better Things than these Sometimes we are tempted on the Left Hand by Crosses Afflictions Persecutions and Sufferings for the Name of Christ but then Faith helps us to overcome and makes us Conquerours through Christ that loved us by setting before us the End of our Faith and Patience Heb. 12.2 It is said of Jesus That for the Joy that was set before Him He endured the Cross and despised the Shame 4. Faith encourageth the Soul that the Lord will have a Gracious Respect unto its keeping Covenant Acts 10.33 In every Nation he that feareth Him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with Him Surely this is no small Encouragement to well-doing What would not a Servant do if he knew his Lord will take it in good part Now Faith assures the Soul there is not one Prayer one Holy Desire or one Good Thought or Word which is spoken or done to the Glory of God but God takes notice of it and accepts it in good part Then they that feared the Lord Mal. 3.16 spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His Name 5. Faith furnisheth the Soul with Strength and Ability to keep the Covenant By Faith we get a Power and Strength of Grace As thus 1. By Faith we look at Christ as having all Fulness of Grace in Himself It pleased the Father Col. 1.19 that in Him should all Fulness dwell All others have but their Measures some more some less according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ but Christ hath received the Spirit John 3.34 not by Measure but in the Fulness of it 2. By Faith we know that whatever Fulness of Grace is in Christ He had it not for Himself