by charging them all upon Christs score That is a great expression of Nathan to David The Lord hath put away thy sin But the Original runs thus The Lord hath made thy sins to pass over that is to 2 Sam 12. 13. pass over from thee to his Son he hath laid them to his charge Now Christ hath discharged all his Peoples Debts and Bonds There is a two-fold debt which lay upon us one was the debt of Obedience unto the Law and this Christ did pay by fulfilling all Righteousness Math. 3. 15. The other was the debt of punishment for our transgressions and this debt Christ discharged by his Death on the Cross Isa 53. 4 10 12. and by being made a Curse for us to redeem us from the Curse Gal. 3. 13. Hence it is that we are said to be bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. chap. 7. 23. and that Christ is called our Raâ—som Lutron Math. 20. 28. and Antilutron 1 Tim. 2. 6. The words do signifie a valuable price laid down for anothers Ransom The Blood of Christ the Son of God was a valuable price a sufficient price it was as much as would take off all Enmities and take away all Sin and to satisfie Divine Justice and indeed so it did and therefore you read That in his blood we have Redemption even the forgiveness of our sins Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14 20. and his death was such a full compensation to divine Justice that the Apostle makes a challenge to all Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and vers 34. Who is he that Condemneth it is Christ that dyed As if he had said Christ hath satisfied and discharged all The Greek word Antilutron is of special Emphasis The vulgar Latine renders it Redemptionem Redemption Beza Redemptioms precium a price of Redemption but neither of them fully expressing the force of the word which properly signifieth a counter-price when one doth undergoe in the room of another that which he should have undergone in his own person As when one yields himself a Captive for the Redeeming of another out of Captivity or giveth his own life for the saving of anothers There were such Sureties among the Greeks as gave life for life body for body and in this sence the Apostle is to be understood when he saith that Christ gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom a counter-price paying a price for his people Christ hath laid down a price for all Believers they are his dear bought Ones they are his choyce redeemed Ones Isa 51. 11. Christ gave himself Antilutron a counter-price a Ransom submitting himself to the like punishment that his redeemed Ones should have undergone Christ to deliver his Elect from the Curse of the Law did subject himself to that same Curse of the Law under which all man-kind lay Jesus Christ was a true Surety one that gave his life for the life of others as the Apostle saith of Castor and Pollux that the one redeemed the others life with his own death So did the Lord Jesus he became such a Surety for his Elect giving himself an Antilutron a Ransom for them Joh. 6. 51. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Rev. 1. 5. chap. 5. 9. O what comfort is this unto us to have such a Jesus who himself bare our sins even all our sins left not one unsatisfied for laid down a full ransom a full price such an expiatory Sacrifice as that now we are out of the hands of Justice and Wrath and Death and Curse and Hell and are reconciled and made near by the Blood of the everlasting Covenant the Blood of Christ as the Scripture speaks is the Blood of God Act. 20. 28. So that there is not only satisfaction but merit in his Blood there is more in Christs Blood than meer payment or satisfaction there was merit also in it to acquire and procure and purchase all spiritual good and all eternal good for the people of God not only immunities from sin Death Wrath Curse Hell c. but priviledges and dignities of Sons and Heirs yea all Grace and all Love and all Peace and all Glory even that glorious Inheritance purchased by his Blood Ephes 1. 14. Remember this once for all that in justification our debts are charged upon Christ they go upon his accounts you know that in sin there is the vicious and staining quality of it and there is the resulting guilt of it which is the obligation of a Sinner over to the Judgment Seat of God to answer for it Now this guilt in which lies our debt this is charged upon Christ Therefore saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5. 19. And hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin ver 21. You know in Law the Wifes Debts are charged upon the Husband and if the Debtor be disabled than the Creditor sues the Surety Fide jussor or Surety and Debitor in Law are reputed as one person Now Christ is our Fide jussor He is made sin for us saith the Apostle for us that is in our stead A Surety for us one who puts our scores on his accounts our burden on his shoulders so saith that Princely Prophet Isaiah Isa 53. 4 5. He hath born our griefs and carried our soroows how so He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities that is he stood in our stead he took upon him the answering of our sins the satisfying of our debts the clearing of our guilt and therefore was it that he was so bruised c. You remember the scape-Goat upon his Head all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins were confessed and put And the Goat did bâ—ar upon him all their Iniquities Lev. 16. 21 22. What is the meaning of this Surely Jesus Christ upon whom our sins were laid and who alone died for the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. and bear our burdens away Therefore the Believer in the sence of guilt should run unto Christ and offer up his Blood unto the Father and say Lord it is true I owe Thee so much yet Father forgive me remember that thine own Son was my Ransom his Blood was the price he was my Surety and undertook to answer for my sins I beseech thee accept of his Attonement for he is my Surety my Redemption Thou must be satisfied but Christ hath satisfied thee not for himself what sins had he of his own but for me they were my debts which he satisfied for and look over thy book and thou shalt find it so for thou hast said He was made sin for us and that he was wounded for our transgressions Now what a singular support what an admirable comfort is this that we our selves are not to make up our accounts and reckonings but that Christ hath cleared all accounts and
should in a physical sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the Person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by his blood bought his people to himself for albeit the Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. 1 Cor. 6. 20. cap. 7. 23. proper and formal subject of physical sufferings be only the humane Nature yet the principal subject of sufferings both in a physical and moral sense is Christs Person God and Man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sorts of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow O Sirs you must seriously consider that though Christ as God in his God-head could not suffer in a physical sense yet in a moral sense he might suffer and did suffer For he being in the form of God thought it not robbery Phil. 2. 6 7 8. to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross O! who can sum up the contradictions the railings the revilings the contempts the despisings and calumnies that Christ met with from Sinners yea from the worst of Sinners But how could so low a debasing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Object 2 Majesty of the Person of the Son of God We must distinguish those things in Christ which are Answ proper to either of the two Natures from those things which are ascribed to his Person in respect of either of the Natures or both the Natures for infirmity physical suffering or mortality are proper to the humane Nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and super-excellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Diety but the sufferings of the humane Nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine Nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly and gloriously for by how much the humane Nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sins for our sakes by so much the more the love of Christ God and Man in one person toward man and his mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of all that judiciously do look upon him Object How could Christ indure Hell-fire without Obj. 3 grievous sins as blasphemy and despair c. I Answer That we may walk safely and without offence Answ these things must be premised First That the sorrows and sufferings of Hell be no otherwise attributed to Christ than as they may stand with the dignity and worthiness of his Person the holiness of his Nature and the performance of the office and work of our Redemption First then for the soul of Christ to suffer in the local place of Hell to remain in the darkness thereof and to be tormented with the material flames there and eternally to be damned was not for the dignity of his Person to whom for his excellency and worthiness both the place manner and time of those torments were dispensed with Secondly Final Rejection and Desperation Blasphemy and the worm of Conscience agreeth not with the holiness of his Nature Who was a Lamb without a spot and therefore we do not we dare not ascribe them to him Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. But Thirdly Destruction of body and soul which is the second death could not fall upon Christ for this were to have destroyed the work of our Redemption if he had been subject to destruction But Fourthly and lastly Blasphemy and Despair are no parts of the pains of the damned but the consequents and follow the sense of Gods wrath in a sinful Creature that is overcome by it But Christ had no sin of his own neither was he overcome of wrath and therefore he always Rev. 16. 9. 11. held fast his integrity and innocency Despair is an unavoidable Companion attending the pains of the second death as all Reprobates do experience Desperation is an utter hopelesness of any good and a certain expectation and waiting on the worst that can befall and this is the lot and portion of the damned in Hell The wretched sinner in Hell seeing the sentence passed against him Gods purpose fulfilled never to be reversed the gates of Hell made fast upon him and a great Gulf fixt Luk. 16. 26. betwixt Hell and Heaven which renders his escape impossible He now gives up all and reckons on nothing but uttermost misery Now mark this despair is not an essential part of the second death but only a consequent or at the most an effect occasioned by the sinners view of his irremediless woful condition but this neither did nor could possibly befall the Lord Jesus He was able by the power of his God-head both to suffer and to satisfie and to overcome therefore he expected a good issue and Psal 16. 9 10. Act. 2. 26 27 28 31. knew that the end should be happy and that he should not be ashamed Isa 5. 6 7. c. Though a very shallow stream would easily drown a little Child there being no hope of escape for it unless one or another should step in seasonably to prevent it Yet a man that is grown up may groundedly hope to escape out of a far more deep and dangerous place because by reason of his stature strength and skill he could wade or swim out Surely the wrath of the Almighty manifested in Hell is like the vast Ocean or some broad deep River and therefore when the sinful Sons and Daughters of Adam which are Rom. 5. 6. without strength are hurl'd into the mid'st of it they must needs lye down in their confusion as altogether hopeless of deliverance or escaping but this despair could not seize upon Jesus Christ because although his Father took Isa 63. 1 2 3. him cast him into the Sea of his wrath so that all the billows of it went over him yet being the mighty God with whom nothing is impossible he was very able to pass through that Sea of wrath and sorrow which would have drowned all the world and come safe to shore Object But when did Christ suffer Hellish Torments Obj. 4 they are inflicted after death not usually before it but Christs soul went strait after death into Paradise how else could he say to the penitent Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Now to this Objection I shall give these following Answers First That Christs soul after his Passion upon the Cross did not really and locally descend into the place of the damned may be thus made evident First All the Evangelists and so Luke among the rest 1. Luk. 1. 3. intending to make an exact Narrative of the life and death of Christ hath set down at large his Passion Death
fundamental guilt no no but he was made sin by imputation and law-account he was our Surety and so our sins were laid on him in order to punishment And to prefigure this all the iniquities of Gods people were imputed to their sacrifice though they were not inherently his own as we read Levit. 16. 21 22 Aaron shall put all the iniquities of all the children of Israel and all their transgressions and all their sins upon the head of the Goat and the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities and why then should it seem strange that the perfect righteousness of our sacrifice and surety though it be not our own inherently should be imputed to us by the Lord and made ours Frequently and seriously consider that the word answering this imputing is in the Hebrew Chashab and in To impute in the General is to acknowledg that to be another's which is not indeed his and it is used either in a good or bad sense so that it is no more than to account or reckon It is the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us and accepted for us by which we are judged righteous the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the summ as the learned say comes to this That though the words in the general signifie to think to reason to imagine c. yet very frequently they are used to signifie to account or reckon by way of computation as Arithmeticians use to do so that it is as it were a judgment passed upon a thing when all reasons and arguments are cast together And from this it is applied to signifie any kind of accounting or reckoning and in this sence imputation is taken here for God's esteeming and accounting of us righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to reckon or account 't is taken by a borrowed speech from Merchants reckonings and accounts who have their debt-books wherein they set down how their reckonings stand in the particulars they deal in Now in such debt-books Merchants use to set down whatever payments are only made either by the debtors themselves or by others in the behalf of them an example whereof we have in the Epistle to Philemon vers 18. where Paul undertakes to Philemon for Onesimus if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee any thing put that on my account that is account Onesimus his debt to Paul and Paul's satisfaction or payment to Onesimus which answers the double imputation in point of justification Psal 32. 1 2. that is of our sins to Christ and of Christ's satisfaction to us both which are implyed 2 Cor. 5. 21. He made him to be sin for us that is our sins were imputed to him that we might be the righteousness of God in him that is that his rightcousness might be imputed to us The language of Jesus Christ to his father seems to be this Oh holy Father I have freely and willingly taken all the debts and all the sins of all the believers in the world upon me I have undertaken to be their pay-master to satisfie thy justice to pacifie thy wrath to fulfil thy Law c. and therefore Loe here I am ready Psal 40. 6 7 8. Heb. 10. 4 5 6 7 8 9. to do what ever thou commandest and ready to suffer whatsoever thou pleasest I am willing to be reckoned a sinner that they may be reckoned righteous I am willing to be accounted cursed that they may be for ever blessed I am willing to pay all their debts that they may be set at liberty I am willing to lay down my life that John 10. 11 15 17 18. Rev. 20. 6. they may escape the second death I am willing that my soul should be exercised with the most hideous Agonies that their souls may be possessed of heaven's happinesses Oh what wonderful wisdom grace and love is here manifested that when we were neither able to satisfie the penalty of the Law or to bring a conformity to it that then Christ should interpose and become both redemption and righteousness for us Now from the imputed righteousness of Christ a believer may form up this fifth plea as to all the ten Scriptures Eâ—cles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 3. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. in the margent that refer to the great day of account Oh blessed God thou hast given me to understand that the mediatory righteousness of Christ includes first the habitual holiness of his person in the absense of all sin and in the rich and plentiful presence of all holy and requisite qualities Secondly the actual holiness of his life and death by obedience By his active obedience he perfectly fulfilled the commands of the Law and by his passive obedience his voluntary sufferings he satisfied the penalty and commination of the Law for transgressions That perfect satisfaction to divine justice in whatsoever it requires either in way of punishing for sin or obedience to the law made by the Lord Jesus Christ God and man the Mediator of the new Covenant as a common head representing all those whom the father hath given to him and made over unto them that believe in him This is that righteousness that is imputed to all believers in their Justification and this imputed righteousness of thy dear son and my dear saviour is now my plea before thy bar of Justice Imputed righteousness is the same materially with that which the Law requireth The Righteousness which the Law requireth upon pain of damnation is a perfect obedience conformity to the whole Law of God performed by every son and daughter of Adam in his own person Now imputed righteousness is the same materially with that which the Law requireth it is obedience to the Law of God exactly and punctually performed to the very utmost Iota and tittle thereof without the least abatement Christ hath paid the uttermost farthing He is the fulfilling of the Law for righteousness and he hath fulfilled the Law in the humane nature to the intent that it might be fulfilled in the same nature to which it was at first given and all this he hath expresly done in all their names and on all their behalfs that believe in him That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them Rom. 8. 3 4. It is as if our dear Lord Jesus had said oh blessed father this I suffer and this I do to the use and in the stead and room of all those that have ventured their souls upon me that they may have a righteousness which they may truly call their own and on which they may safely rest and in which they may for ever glory Isa 45. 24 25. Now it will never stand with the unspotted holiness justice and righteousness of God to reject this righteousness of his son or that plea that is bottomed upon it Oh the matchless happiness of believers who have so
Fourthly know for your comfort that this imputed righteousness of Christ will answer to all the fears doubts and objections of your souls How shall I look up to God the answer is in the righteousness of Jesus Christ how shall I have any communion with a holy God in this world the answer is in the righteousnâ—ss of Christ How shall I find acceptance with God the answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I die the answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I stand before a Judgment seat the answer is in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Your sure and only way under all temptations fears conflicts doubts and disputes is by faith to remember Christ and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediator and Surety and say Oh Christ thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse being â— Coâ— 5. 21. â—al 3. 13. made a curse for me or rather I am thy sin and thou art my rightcousness I am thy curse and thou art my blessing I am thy death and thou art my life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my heaven Oh sirs if you think of your sins and of God's wrath if you think of your guiltiness and of God's justice your hearts will faint and fail they will fear and tremble and sink into despair if you do not think of Christ if you do not stay and rest your souls upon the mediatory righteousness of Christ The Imputed Righteousness of Christ The Imputed Righteousness of Christ answers all cavils and objections though there were millions of them that can be made against the good estate of a believer This is a precious truth more worth than a world that all our sins are pardoned not only in a way of truth and mercy but in a way of justice Satan and our own consciences will object many things against our souls if we plead only the mercy and the truth of God and will be ready to say oh but where is then the justice of God can mercy pardon without the consent of his justice but now whilst we rest upon the satisfaction of Christ justice and mercy kiss Psal 85. 10. each other yea justice saith I am pleased in a day of temptation many things will be cast in our dish about the multitude of our sins and the greatness of our sins and the grievousness of our sins and about the circumstances and aggravations of our sins but that good word Christ hath redeemed us from all iniquities he hath paid Titus 2. 14. the full price that justice could exact or require and that good word mercy rejoyceth against judgment may James 2. 13. support comfort and bear us up under all The infinite worth of Christ's obedience did arise from the dignity of his person who was God-man so that all the obedience of Angels and men if put together could not amount to the excellency of Christ's satisfaction The righteousness of Christ is often called the righteousness of God because it is a righteousness of God's providing and a righteousness that God is fully satisfied with and therefore no fears no doubts no cavils no objections no disputes can stand before this blessed and glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to us But Fifthly know for your comfort that the imputed righteousness of Christ is the best title that you have to shew for a Kingdom that shakes not for riches that corrupt not Heb. 12. 28. 1 Pet. 1 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4 for an inheritance that fadeth not away and for an house not made with bands but one eternal in the heavens 'T is the fairest certificate that you have to shew for all that happiness and blessedness that you look for in that other world The righteousness of Christ is your life your joy your comfort your crown your confidence your heaven your all oh that you were still so wise as to keep a fixed eye and an awakened heart upon the mediatory righteousness of Christ for that 's the righteousness by which you may safely and comfortably live and by which you may happily and quietly die It was a very sweet and golden confession which Bernard made when he thought Guliel Aâ—bas in vâ—ta Bern. lib. 1. cap. 12. himself to be at the point of death I confess said he I am not worthy I have no merits of mine own to obtain heaven by but my Lord had a double right thereunto an hereditary right as a son and a meritorious right as a sacrifice he was contented with the one right himself the other right he hath given unto me by the vertue of which gift I do rightly lay claim unto it and am not confounded ah that believers would dwell much upon this that they have a righteousness in Christ that is as full perfect and compleat as if they had fulfilled the Law Christ being the end of the Law for righteousness to believers invests believers with a righteousness every way as compleat as the personal obedience of the Law would Rom. 8. 3 4. have invested them withal yea the righteousness that believers have by Christ is in some respect better than that they should have had by Adam 1. Because of the dignity of Christ's person he being the son of God his righteousness is more glorious than Adam's was his righteousness is called the righteousness of God and we are made the 2 Cor. 5. 21. righteousness of God in him The first Adam was a mere man the second Adam is God and man 2. Because the righteousness is perpetual Adam was a mutable person he lost his righteousness in one day say some and all that glory which his posterity should have possessed had he stood fast in innocency But the righteousness of Christ cannot be lost his righteousness is like himself from everlasting to everlasting 't is an everlasting righteousness when once this white rayment is put upon a believer it Dâ—n 9. 24. can never fall off it can never be taken off This splendid glorious righteousness of Jesus Christs is as really a Rev. 19. 8. believers as if he had wrought it himself A believer is no loser but a gainer by Adam's fall by the loss of Adam's righteousness is brought to light a more glorious and durable righteousness than ever Adam's was and upon the account of an interest in this righteousness a believer may challenge all the glory of that upper world But Sixthly know for your comfort that this imputed righteousness of Christ is the only true basis bottom and ground for a believer to build his happiness upon his joy and comfort upon and the true peace and quiet of his conscience upon what though Satan or thy own heart or the world condemns thee yet in this thou maist rejoyce that God justifies thee you see what a bold challenge Paul
is a Toad hates every Toad and he who hates a Godly man because he is Godly he hates every Godly man and so he who hates sin because 't is sin he hates every sin Rom. 7. 15. What I hate that do I. Thirdly Every Godly man would fain have his sins not only pardoned but destroyed his heart is alienated from his sins and therefore nothing will serve him or satisfie him but the blood and death of his sins Isa 2. 20 chap. 30. 22. Hos 14. 8. Rom. 8. 24. Saul hated David and sought his life and Haman hated Mordâ—cat and sought his destruction and Absalom hated Amnon and kill'd him Julian the Apostate hated the Christians and put many thousands of them to death The great thing that a Christian has in his eye in all the duties he performs and in all the Ordinances that he attends is the blood and death and ruine of his sins Fourthly Every Godly man groans under the burden of sin 2 Cor. 5. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened Never did any Porter groan more to be delivered from his heavy burden than a Christian groans to be delivered from the burden of sin the burden of affliction the burden of temptation the burden of desertion the burden of opposition the burden of persecution the burden of scorn and contempt is nothing to the burden of sin ponder upon that Psal 38. 4. and Psal 40. 12. ver and Rom. 7. 24 ver Fifthly Every Godly man combats and conflicts with all known sin In every gracious Soul there is a constant and perpetual conflict The flesh will be still a lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal 5. 17 Rom. 7. 22 23. â— King 14. 30. 31. Though sin and grace were not born together and though sin and grace shall never die together yet whiles a Believer lives in this world they must live together and whilst sin and grace do cohabit together they will still be opposing and conflicting one with another Sixthly Every gracious heart is still a crying out against his sins he crys out to God to subdue them he crys out to Christ to crucifie them he crys out to the Spirit to mortifie them he crys out to faithful Ministers to arm him against them and he crys out to sincere Christians that they would pray hard that he may be made Victorious over them Now certainly it is a most sure sign that sin has not gained a mans heart a mans love nor his consent but committed a Rape upon his Soul when he crys out bitterly against his sin It is observable That if the Ravished Virgin under the Law cryed out she was guiltless Deut. 22. 25 26 27. certainly such as cry out of their sins and that would not for all the world indulge themselves in a way of sin such are guiltless before the Lord. That which a Christian does not indulge himself in that he do's not do in divine account But Seventhly The fixed purposes and designs of a Godly man is not to sin Psal 17. 3. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress that is I have laid my design so as not to sin Though may have many perticular failings yet my general purpose is not to sin Psal 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a Bridle while the wicked is before me When ever a Godly man sins he sins against the general purpose of his Soul David laid a Law upon his tongue he uses three words in the first and second verses to the same purpose which is as if he should say in plain English I was silent I was silent I was silent and all this to express how he kept in his passion that he might not offend with his tongue Though a Godly man sins yet he doth not purpose to sin for his purposes are fixt against sin Holiness is his high-way and as sin is it self a by-way so it is besides his way The honest Traveller purposes to keep straight on his way so that if at any time he misse his way he misses his purpose Though Peter denyed Christ yet he did not purpose to deny Christ yea the setled purpose of his Soul was rather to die with Christ than to deny Christ Math. 26. 35. Peter said unto him Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Interpreters agree that Peter meant as he speak But Eighthly The setled Resolutions of a gracious heart is not to sin Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments Neh. 10. 28 29 30 31. dwell on it Job 31. 1. c. Micha 4. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God and we walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever So Daniel and the 3 Children Blessed Hooper resolves rather to be discharged of his Bishoprick than yield to certain Ceremonies Jerom writes of a brave Woman who being upon the wrack bid her Persecutors do their worst for she was resolved that she would rather die then lye The Prince of Conde being taken Prisoner by Charles the Nineth of France and put to his choyce first whether he would go to Mass or second be put to Death or thirdly suffer perpetual Imprisonment Answered as for the first I will never do by the assistance of Gods grace and as for the other two let the King do with me what he pleaseth for I am very well assured that God will turn all to the best The Heavens shall as soon fall said William Flower to the Bishop that perswaded him to save his life by retracting as I will forsake the Opinion and Faith I am in God assisting of me So Marchus Arethusius chose rather to suffer a most cruel Death than to give one half-penny towards the Building of an Idol Temple So Cyprian when the Emperour in the the way to his Execution said Now I give thee space to consider whether thou wilt obey me in casting a grain of Frankincens into the fire or be thus miserably slain Nay saith he there needs no deliberation in the case There are many thousands of such instances scattered up and down in History Ninethly There is a real willingness in every gracious Soul to be rid of all sin Rom. 7. 24. Hos 14. 2. 8. Job 7. 21. Saving grace makes a Christian as willing to leave his sin as a Slave is willing to leave his Galley or a Prisoner his Dungeon or a Thief his Bolts or a Beggar his Rags Many a day have I sought Death with â—cars saith blessed Cooper not out of impatience dist ust or perturbation but because I am weary of sin and fearful of falling into it Look as the Daughters of Heath even made Rebeccah weary of her life Gen. 27. 46. so Corruptions within makes a gracious Soul even weary of his life
times I might turn you to many other Scriptures but in the mouth of twenty Witnesses you may be very clearly and fully satisfied that Jesus Christ is the Saints Beloved 1. When the Dutch Martyr was askt whether he did not love his Wife and Children he Answered Were all the World a lump of gold and in my hand to dispose of I would give it to live with my Wife and Children in a Prison but Christ is dearer to me than all 2. Saith Jerom If my Father should stand before me and if my Mother should hang upon me and my Brethren should press about me I would break through my Brethren throw down my Mother and tread under-foot my Father that I might cleave the faster and closer unto Jesus Christ 3. That Blessed Virgin in Basil being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her Estate and Life offered her if she would worship Idols cryed out Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better than all 4. Love made Hierom to say O! my Saviour didst thou dye for love of me a love more dolorous than death but to me a death more lovely than love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee 5. Henry Voes said If I had ten heads they should all off for Christ 6. John Ardley Martyr said If every hair of my head were a man they should all suffer for the Faith of Christ 7. Ignatius said Let fire racks pullies yea all the torments of Hell come on me so I may win Christ 8. George Carpenter being asked whether he loved not his Wife and Children when they all wept before them Answered My Wife and Children are dearer to me than all Bavaria yet for the love of Christ I know them not 9. O Lord Jesus said Bernard I love thee more than all my Goods and I love thee more than all my Friends yea I love thee more than my very self 10. Austin saith he would willingly go through Hell to Christ 11. Another saith He had rather be in his Chimney-Corner with Christ than in Heaven without him 12. Another crys out I had rather have one Christ than a thousand Worlds by all which 't is most evident that Jesus Christ is the Saints best Beloved and not this or that sin Now by these 13 Arguments 't is most clear that no gracious Christian do's or can indulge himself in any Trade course or way of sin Yea by these thirteen Arguments 't is most evident that no Godly man has or can have any one beloved sin any one bosom darling sin though many worthy Ministers both in their Preaching and Writings make a great noise about the Saints beloved sins about their bosom darling sins I readily grant that all Unregenerate persons have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins but that no such sins are chargable upon the Regenerate is sufficiently demonstrated by the thirteen Arguments last cited And O! that this were wisely and seriously considered of both by Ministers and Christians there is no known sin that a Godly man is not troubled at and that he would not be rid of There is as much difference between sin in a Regenerate person and in an Unregenerate person as there is between poyson in a Man and poyson in a Serpent Poyson in a mans body is most offensive and burdensome and he readily uses all Arts and Antidotes to expel it and get rid but poyson in a Serpent is in its natural place and is most pleasing and delightful So sin in a Regenerate man is most offensive and burdensome and he readily uses all holy means and Antidotes to expel it and to get rid of it But sin in an Unregenerate man is most pleasing and delightful it being in its natural place A Godly man still enters his protest against sin a gracious Soul while he commits sin hates the sin he commits O Sirs there is a vast difference between a special and a beloved sin a darling sin a bosom-sin Noah had a sin and Lot had a sin and Jacob had a sin and Job had a sin and David had a sin which was his special sin but neither of these had any sin which was their beloved sin their bosom sin their darling sin that passage in Job 31. 33. is observable If I covered my Transgression as Adam by hiding mine Iniquity in my Bosom Mark in this Text while Job calleth some sin or other his Iniquity he denyeth that he had any beloved sin for saith he Did I hâ—de it in my Bosom did I shew it any favour did I cherrish it or nourish it or keep it warm in my Bosom O! No I did not A Godly man may have many sins yet he hath not one beloved sin one bosom sin one darling sin he may have some particular sin to which the Unregenerate part of his will may strongly incline and to which his unmortified affections may run out with violence too yet he hath no sin he bears any good will to or doth really or cordially effect Mark that may be called a mans particular way of sinning which yet we cannot we may not call his beloved sin his bosom sin his darling sin for it may be his greatest grief and torment and may cost him more sorrow and tears than all the rest of his sins it may be a Tyrant usurping power over him when it is not the delight and pleasure of his Soul A Godly man may be more prone to fall into some one sin rather than another it may be Passion or Pride or Slavish fear or Worldliness or Hypocrisie or this or that or tother Vanity yet are not these his beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins for these aâ—e the Enemies he hates and abhors these are the grand-Enemies that he prays against and complains of and mourns over these are the potent Rebels that his Soul crys out most against and by which his Soul suffers the greatest violence Mark no sin but Christ is the dearly beloved of a Christians Soul Christ and not this sin or that is the chiefest of ten thousand to a gracious Soul and yet some particular corruption or other may more frequently worst a Believer and lead him Captive but then the Believer crys out most against that particular sin O! saith he this is mine Iniquity this is the Saul the Pharoah that is always a pursuing after the blood of my Soul Lord let this Saul fall by the Sword of thy Spirit let this Pharoah be drown'd in the Red Sea of thy Sons blood O! Sirs It is a point of very great importance for gracious Souls to understand the vast difference that there is between a beloved sin and this or that particular sin violently Tyrannizing over them for this is most certain whosoever giveth up himself freely willingly cheerfully habitually to the service of any one particular Lust or Sin he is in the state of Nature under wrath and in the way to eternal Ruine Now
a little to shew the vanity folly and falshood of that Opinion that is received and commonly avowed by Ministers and Christians viz. That every Godly person hath his beloved sin his bosom sin his darling sin seriously and frequently consider with me of these following particulars First That this Opinion is not bottomed or founded upon any clear Scripture or Scriptures either in the Old or New Testament Secondly This Opinion that is now under consideration runs counter cross to all those thirteen Arguments but now alledged and to all those scores of plain Scriptures by which those Arguments are confirmed Thirdly This Opinion that is now under consideration has a great tendancy to harden and strong then wicked men in their sins for when they shall hear and read that the Saints the dearly beloved of God have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins what inferences will they not be ready to make What are these they call Saints wherein are they better than us have we our beloved sins so have they Have we our bosom sins so have they have we our darling sins so have they They have their beloved sins and yet are beloved of God and why not we why not we Saints have their beloved sins and yet God is kind to them and why then not to us why not to us also Saints have their beloved sins and yet God will save them and why then should we believe that God will damn us Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins and therefore certainly they are not to be so dearly loved and highly prized and greatly honoured as Ministers would make us believe Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins and therefore what Iniquity is it to account and call them Hypocrites Deceivers Dissemblers that pretend they have a great deal of love to God and love to Christ and love to his Word and love to his ways and yet for all this they have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins Surely these mens hearts are not right with God with much more to the same purpose Fourthly If Christ be really the Saints beloved then sin is not their beloved but Christ is the Saints beloved as I have formerly clearly proved and therefore sin is not there beloved A man may as well serve two Masters as have two Beloveds viz. a Beloved-Christ and a beloved Lust Fifthly Those supernatural Graces or those Divine qualities that are infused into the Soul at first conversion are contrary to all sin and opposite to all sin and engages the heart against all sin and therefore a converted person can have no beloved sin no bosom sin no darling sin Seriously weigh this Argument Sixthly This Opinion may sill many weak Christians with many needless fears doubts and jealousies about their Spiritual and Eternal conditions Weak Christians are very apt to reason thus Surely my Conversion is not sound my Spiritual Estate is not good my Heart is not right with God a saving work has never yet past upon me in power I fear I have not the root of the matter in me I fear I have never had a through change I fear I have never yet been effectually call'd out of darkness into his marvellous light I fear I have never yet been Espoused to Christ I fear the Spirit of God hath never taken up my heart for his Habitation I fear that after all my high profession I shall at last be found an Hypocrite I fear the Execution of that dreadful Sentence Math. 25. Go ye Cursed c. And why all this O poor Soul Answer Because I carry about with me my beloved sins my bosom sins my darling sins Ministers had need be very wary in their Preaching Writing that they don't bring forth fuel to feed the fears and doubts of weak Christians it being a great part of their work to arm weak Christians against their fears and faintings But Seaventhly This Opinion that is now under consideration is an Opinion that is very repugnant to sound and sincere Repentance for sound sincere Repentance includes and takes in a divorce an alienation a detestation a separation and a turning from all sin without exception or reservation One of the first works of the Spirit upon the Soul is the dividing between all known sin and the soul 't is a making an utter breach betwixt all sin and the soul 't is a dissolving of that old League that has been between a Sinner and his sins yea between a Sinner and his beloved Lusts One of the first works of the Spirit is to make a man to look upon all his sins as Enemies yea as his greatest Enemies and to deal with his sins as Enemies and to hate and loath them as Enemies and to fear them as Enemies and to arm against them as Enemies Seriously ponder upon these Scriptures Ezek. 18. 28. 30 31. 14. of Ezek. 6. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Psal 119. 101. 104. 128. verses True Repentance is a turning from all sin without any Reservation or exception he never truly repented of any sin whose heart is not turned against every sin The true penitent casts off all the rags of Old Adam he is for throwing down every stone of the old building he will not leave a horn nor a hoof behind The reasons of turning from sin are universally binding to a penitent Soul There are the same reasons and grounds for a penitent mans turning from every sin as there is for his turning from any one sin Do you turn from this or that sin because the Lord has forbid it why upon the same ground you must turn from every sin for God has forbid every sin as well as this or that particular sin There is the same Authority forbidding or commanding in all and if the Authority of God awes a man from one sin it will awe him from all He that turns from any one sin because it is a Transgression of the holy and righteous Law of God he will turn from every sin upon the same account He that turns from any one sin because it is a dishonour to God a reproach to Christ a grief to the Spirit a wound to Religion c. will upon the same grounds turn from every sin Quest But wherein does a true penitential turning from all sin consist Answ In these six things First in the alienation and inward aversation and drawing off of the Soul from the love and liking of all sin and from all free and voluntary subjection unto sin the heart being filled with a loathing and detestation of all sin Psal 119. 104. 128. as that which is most contrary to all goodness and happiness Secondly In the wills detestation and hatred of all sin when the very bent and inclination of the will is set against all sin and opposes and crosses all sin and is set upon the ruine and destruction of all sin then the Penitent is turned from all sin Rom.
those sad changes and dreadful providences that would have broke a thousand of such mens hearts upon whom God and Conscience could charge beloved sins bosom sins darling sins But Thirdly In the day of death Death is the King of terrors as Job speaks and the terror of Kings as the Philosopher speaks Oh how terrible will this King of terrors be to that man upon whom God and Conscience can charge beloved sins bosom sins darling sins This is certain when a wicked man comes to die all the sins that ever he committed don 't so grieve him and terrifie him so sad him and sink him and raise such horrors and terrors in him and put him into such a hell on this side Hell as his beloved sins his bosom sins his darling sins and had Saints their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins Ah what a Hell of horror and terror would these sins raise in their souls when they come to lye upon a dying Bed But now when a Child of God shall lye upon a dying Bed and shall be able to say Lord thou knowest and Conscience thou knowest that though I have had many and great failings yet there are no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins that are chargeable upon me Lord thou knowest and Conscience thou knowest 1. That there is no known sin that I don't hate and abhor 2. That there is no known sin that I don't combat and conflict with 3. That there is no known sin that I don't grieve and mourn over 4. That there is no known sin that I would not presently freely willingly and heartily be rid of 5. That there is no known sin that I don 't in some weak measure endeavour in the use of holy means to be delivered from 6. That there is no known sin the effectual subduing and mortifying of which would not administer matter of the greatest joy and comfort to me Now when God and Conscience shall acquit a man upon a dying Bed of beloved sins of bosom sins of darling sins who can express the joy the comfort the peace the support that such an acquittance will fill a man with Fourthly In the day of Account the vâ—ry thoughts of which day too many is more terrible than Death it self such Christians as are Captivated under the power of this opinion viz. That the Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins such cannot but greatly fear and tremble to appear before the Tribunal of God O! saith such poor hearts how shall we be able to answer for beloved sins our bosom sins our darling sins as for infirmities weaknesses and follies that has attended us we can plead with God and tell him Lord when Grace has been weak Corruptions strong Temptations great and thy Spirit withdrawn and we off from our Watch we have been worsted and captivated But what shall we say as to our beloved sins our bosom sins our darling sins O these fill us with terror and horror and how shall we be able to hold up our heads before the Lord when he shall reckon with us for these sins But now when a poor Child of God thinks of the day of Account and is able through grace to say Lord though we cannot clear our selves of infirmities and many sinful weaknesses yet we can comfortably appeal in thee and our Consciences that we have no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins O with what comfort confidence and boldness will such poor hearts hold up their heads in the day of Account when a Christian can plead those six things before a Judgment seat that he pleaded in the third particular when he lay upon a dying Bed how will his fears vanish and how will his hopes and and hopes and heart revive and how comfortably and boldly will he stand before a Judgment-Seat But Ninethly This opinion that is now under consideration has a very great tendancy to discourage and deaden the hearts of Christians to the most noble and spiritual duties of Religion viz. 1. Praising of God 2. Delighting in God 3. Rejoycing in God 4. Admiring of God 5. Taking full content and satisfaction in God 6. Witnessing for God his Truth his Ordinances and ways 7. To self-tryal and self-examination 8. To the making of their Calling and Election sure I cannot see with what comfort confidence or courage such souls can apply themselves to the Eight duties last mentioned who lye under the power of this opinion viz. That Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins But now when a Christian is clear and he can clear himself as every sincere Christian can of beloved sins of bosom sins of darling sins how is he upon the advantage ground to fall in roundly with all the Eight duties last mentioned But Tenthly and lastly This opinion that is now under consideration has a very great tendency to discourage multitudes of Christians from coming to the Lords Table I would willingly know with what comfort with what confidence with what hope with what expectation of good from God or of good from the Ordinance can such Souls draw near to the Lords Table who lye under the power of this opinion or perswasion that they carry about with them their bosom sins their beloved sins their darling sins How can such souls expect that God should meet with them in the Ordinance and bless the Ordinance to them How can such souls expect that God should make that great Ordinance to be strengthening comforting refreshing establishing and enriching unto them How can such souls expect that in that Ordinance God should Seal up to them his Eternal Loves their Interest in Christ their Right to the Covenant their Title to Heaven and the Remission of their sins who bring to his Table their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins But now when the People of God draw near to the Table of the Lord and can appeal to God that though they have many sinful failings and infirmities hanging upon them yet they have no beloved sins no bosom sins no darling sins that they carry about with them How comfortably and confidently may they expect that God will make that great Ordinance a blessing to them and that in time all those glorious ends for which that Ordinance was appointed shall be accomplished in them and upon them Now by these ten Arguments you may see the weakness and falseness yea the dangerous nature of that opinion that many worthy men have so long Preacht Maintained and Printed to the World viz. That the Saints have their beloved sins their bosom sins their darling sins neither do I wonder that they should be so sadly out in this particular when I consider how apt men are to receive things by Tradition without bringing of things to a strict examination and when I consider what strange definitions of Faith many famous worthy men have given both in their writings and Preachings and when I consider what a
true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience He that comes to God with a true honest upright heart being sprinkled from an evil Conscience may draw near to God in full assurance of Faith whereas guilt clouds clogs and distracts the soul that it can never be with God either as it would or as it should Conscientia pura semper secura A good Conscience hath sure confidence Conscience is mille testes a thousand Witnesses for or against a man Conscience is Gods Preacher in the bosom 'T is better with Euagrius to lye secure on a bed of Straw than to have a turbulent Conscience on a bed of Down It was a Divine saying of Seneca a Heathen viz. That if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the ugliness of sin and the grief of his own Conscience But Fifthly Cherrishing of any special or peculiar sin or the keeping up of any known transgression in heart or life against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience will greatly hinder his high esteem and reputation of Jesus Christ and so it will keep him from comfort assurance and sight of his interest in him so that somtimes his dearest Children are constrained to cry out God is departed from me and he answereth me not neither by Dream nor Vision neither this way nor that 1 Sam. 28. 15. But Sixthly The greatest and most common cause of the want of assurance comfort and peace is some unmortified Lust some secret special peculiar sin unto which men give entertainment or at least which they do not so vigorously oppose and heartily renounce as they should and might hinc illae lachrymae and this is that which casts them on sore straits and difficulties and how should it be otherwise seeing God who is infinitely wise holy and righteous either cannot or will not reveal the secrets of his love to those who harbour his known Enemies in their bosoms the great God either cannot or will not regard the whinings and complainings of those who play or dally with that very sin which gauls their Consciences and connive and wink at the stirrings and workings of that very Lust for which he hides his face from them and writes bitter things against them Mark all fears and doubts and scruples are begotten upon sin either real or imaginary Now if the sin be but imaginary an enlightned rectified judgment may easily and quickly scatter such fears doubts and scruples as the Sun doth mists and clouds when it shines in its brightness but if the Sin be real then there is no possibility of curing those fears doubts and scruples arising from thence but by an unfained Repentance and returning from that sin Now if I should produce all the Scriptures and instances that stand ready prest to prove this I must transcribe a good part of the Bible but this would be labour in vain seeing it seemeth to have been a notion engraven even on natural Conscience viz. That sin so defiles persons that till they be washed from it neither they nor their services can be accepted from whence arose that custom of setting water-pots at their entrance into their Temples or places of worship Let him that wants assurance comfort peace and a sight of his interest in Christ cast out every known sin and set upon a universal course of Reformation for God will not give his Cordials to those that have a foul Stomack those that against light and checks of Conscience dally and tamper with this sin or that those God will have no commerce no communion with on such God will not lift up the light of his countenance Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone and in that stone a new name written These are all Metaphorical expressions which being put together do amount to as much as Assurance but mark these are promised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that overcometh to him that rides on conquering and to conquer O that Christians would seriously remember this The dearer it cost any one to part with his sins the more sweet and comfortable will it be to call to mind the Victory that through the spirit of grace he has got over his sins There is no comfort joy or peace to that which arises from the conquests of sin especially of special sins When Goliah was slain what joy and triumph was there in the Camp So here Seventhly Cherrishing of any special or peculiar sin or the keeping up of any known transgression either in heart or life against the Lord and against the light of a mans own Conscience will hinder the soul from that warm lively fervent frequent seasonable sincere and constant way of duty as contributes most to the increase of grace peace comfort and assurance c. Eighthly Seriously consider of the several assertions and concurrent judgments of our best and most famous Divines in the present case I shall give you a tast of some of their Sayings First A man saith one can have no peace in his Conscience that favoureth and retaineth any one sin in himself against his Conscience Secondly Another saith A man is in a damnable state whatsoever good deeds seem to be in him if he yield not to the work of the Holy Ghost for the leaving but of any one known sin which fighteth against peace of Conscience But Thirdly So long saith another as the power of mortification destroyeth thy sinful affections and so long as thou art unfainedly displeased with all sin and doest mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit thy case is the case of Salvation But Fourthly Another saith A good Conscience stands not with a purpose of sinning no not with irresolution against sin this must be understood of habitual purposes and of a constant irresolution against sin Fifthly The rich and precious box of a good Conscience saith another is polluted and made impure if but one dead fly be suffered in it One sin being quietly permitted and suffered to live in the soul without being disturbed resisted resolved against or lamented over will certainly mar the peace of a good Conscience Sixthly Where there is but any one sin saith another nourished and fostered all other our graces are not only blemished but abolished they are no graces Dike of the deceiptfulness of the heat chap. 16. Seventhly Most true is that saying of Aquinus That all sins are coupled together though not in regard of conversion to temporal good for some look to the good of gain some of glory some of pleasure yet in regard of aversion from eternal good that is God So that he that looks but towards one sin is as much averted and turned back from God as if he looked to all in which respect St. James says He that offâ—ndeth
Statutes of God there is a two-fold Obedience to all the Royal Commands of God First One is legal when all is done that God requireth and all is done as God requireth when there is not one path of duty but we do walk in it perfectly and continually thus no man on Earth doth or can walk in all God's Statutes or fully do what he Commandeth For in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. So Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not 1 King 8. 46. For there is no man that sinneth not Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Secondly Another is Evangelical which is such a walking in all the Statutes of God and such a keeping of all the Commands of God as is in Christ accepted of and accounted of as if we did keep them all this walking in all God's Statutes and keeping of all his Commandements and doing of them all is not only possible but it is also actual in every Believer in every sincere Christian and it consists in these particulars First In the Approbation of all the Statutes and Commandements of God Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy and just and good ver 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good there is both assent and consent Psal 119. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right A sincere Christian approves of all Divine Commands though he can't perfectly keep all Divine Commands But Secondly It consists in a Conscientious submission unto the Authority of all the Statutes of God Every Command of God hath an Authority within his heart and over his heart Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word A sincere Christian stands in awe of every known Command of God and hath a spiritual regaâ—d unto them all Psal 119. 6. I have respect unto all thy Commandements But Thirdly It consists in a cordial willingness and a cordial desire to walk in all the Statutes of God and to obey all the Commands of God Rom. 7 18. For to Will is present with me Psal 119. 5. O! that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes ver 8. I will keep thy Statutes But Fourthly It consists in a sweet complacency in all Gods Commands Psal 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandement which I have loved Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But Fifthly He who obeys sincerely obeys universally though not in regard of practice which is impossible yet in regard of affection he loves all the Commands of God yea he dearly loves those very Commands of God that he cannot obey by reason of the infirmity of the flesh by reason of that body of sin and death that he bears about with him ponder upon that Psal 119. 97. O how I love thy Law Such a pang of love he felt as could not otherwise be vented but by this pathetical exclamation O how I love thy Law ver 113 163 127 159 167. ponder upon all these verses But Sixthly A sincere Christian obeys all the Commands of God he is universal in his obedience in respect of valuation or esteem he highly values all the Commands of God he highly prizes all the Commands of God as you may clearly see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 119. 72 127 128. Psal 19. 8 9 10 11. Job 23. 12. But Seventhly A sincere Christian is universal in his Obedience in respect of his purpose and resolution he purposes and resolves by Divine assistance to obey all to keep all Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will pâ—rform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments Psal 17. 3. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress But Eighthly A sincere Christian is universal in his Obedience In respect of his inclination he has an habitual inclination in him to keep all the Commands of God 1 King 8. 57 58. 2 Chron. 30. 17 18 19 20. Psal 119. 112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always oven to the end But Ninethly and lastly Their Evangelical keeping of all the commands of God consists in their sincere endeavour to keep them all they put out themselves in all the ways and parts of obedience they do not willingly and wittingly slight or neglect any Commandement but are striving to conform themselves thereunto as a Dutiful Son doth all his Fathers commands at least in point of endeavour So your sincere Christians make Conscience of keeping all the Commands of God in respect of endeavours Psal 119. 59. I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies God esteems of Evangelical Obedience as perfect obedience Zacharias had his failings he did hesitate through unbelief for which he was struck dumb yet the Text tells you That he walked in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless Luk. 1. 6. Because he did cordially desire and endeavour to obey God in all things Evangelical Obedience is true for the essence though not perfect for the degree A Child of God obeys all the Commands of God in respect of his sincere desires purposes resolutions and endeavours and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat obedience This is the glory of the Covenant of Grace that God accepts and esteems of sincere obedience as perfect obedience Such who sincerely endeavour to keep the whole Law of God they do keep the whole Law of God in an Evangelical sense though not in a legal sense A sincere Christian is for the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do O Christians for your support and comfort know that when your desires and endeavours are to do the Will of God entirely as well in one thing as another God will graciously pardon your failings and pass by your imperfections He will spare you as a man spareth his Son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. Though a Father see his Son to fail and come short in many things which he enjoyns him to do yet knowing that his desires and endeavours are to serve him and please him to the full he will not be rigid and severe with him but will be indulgent to him and will spare him and pitty him and shew all love and kindness to him The Application is easie c. The second Question or case is this viz What is that Faith that gives a man an interest in Christ and in all those blessed benefits and favours that comes by Christ or whether that person that experiences the following particulars may not safely groundedly and
out thy transgressions Isa 43. 25. Isa 4â— 22. for my own sake and will not remember thy sins I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy transgressions and as a Cloud thy sins Who is this that blots our transgressions he that hath the keys of Heaven and Hell at his girdle that opens and no man shuts that shuts and no man opens he that hath the power of life and death of condemning and absolving of killing and making alive he it is that blotteth out transgressions If an Under-Officer should blot out an Indictment that perhaps might do a man no good a man might for all that be at last cast by the Judge but when the Judge or King shall blot out the Indictment with their own hand then the Indictment cannot return now this is every Believers case and happiness Secondly To those glorious expressions of Gods not remembring of their sins any more Isa 43. 25. And I Jer. 31. 34. will not remember thy sins And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more So the Apostle For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness Heb. 8 12. and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more And again The same Apostle saith This is the Covenant that I will make with them After those days Heb. 10. 17. That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affiâ—med of God Nihil oblivâ—sci solet praeter injurias he forgetâ—eth nothing but the wrongs that daily are done him by his saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more The meaning is their iniquities shall be quite forgotten I will never mention them more I will never take notice of them more they shall never hear more of them from me though God hath an Iron memory to remember the sins of the wicked yet he hath no memory to remember the sins of the righteous Thirdly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth most and best agree with those blessed expressions of his casting their sins into the depth of the Sea and of his casting them behind his back He will turn again he Mic. 7. 19. will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Where sin is once Pardoned the Remission stands never to be repealed pardoned-sin shall never come in account against the pardoned man before God any more for so much doth this borrowed speech import If a thing were cast into a River it might be brought up again or if it were cast upon the Sea it might be discerned and taken up again but when it is cast into the depths the bottom of the Sea it can never be buoyed up again By the Metaphor in the Text the Lord would have us to know that sins pardoned shall rise no more they shall never be seen more they shall never come on the account more he will so drown their sins that they shall never come up before him the second time And so much that other Scripture imports Behold Isa 38. 17. for Peace I had great bitterness But thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back These last words are a borrowed speech taken from the manner of men who are wont to cast behind their backs such things as they have no mind to see regard or remember A gracious soul hath always his sins before his face I acknowledge Psal 51. 3. my transgressions and my sin is ever before me and therefore no wonder if the Lord cast them behind his back The Father soon forgets and casts behind his back those faults that the Child remembers and hath always in his eyes so doth the Father of Spirits Fourthly His not bringing their sins into Judgment doth best agree with that sweet and choice expression of Gods pardoning the sins of his people And I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity whereby Jer. 33. 8. they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me So in Micah Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passes by the transgressions of Mic 7. 18. the remnant of his heritage as though he would not see it but wink at it He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy The Hebrew word Nose from Nasa that is here rendered pardoned signifies a taking away when God pardons sin he takes it shier away that if it should be sought for yet it could not be found Jer â—0 20. as the Prophet speaks In those days and in that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve and these words and passeth by in the afore-cited seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnabâ—â— he passed over of Micah and the 18th according to the Hebrew Vegnober Gnal is and passeth over God passeth over the transgression of his heritage that is he takes no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of business seeth not things before him his mind being busied about other matters he neglects all to mind his business As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lameness or any other defect ot deformity So God beholding in his people the glorious Image of his Son winks at all their â—sa 40 1 2. faults and deformities which made Luther say Do with me what thou wilt since thou hast pardoned my sin and what is it to pardon sin but not to mention sin Fifthly His not bringing their sins into the Judgment of Discussion and Discovery doth best agree to those expressions of forgiving and covering Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered In the Original Psal 32. 1. it is in the plural Blessednesses so here is a plurality of Blessings a chain of Pearls The like expression you have in the 85th Psalm and the second v. Thou hast forgiven the Iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah For the understanding of these Scriptures aright take notice that to Cover is a Metaphorical expression Covering is such an action Sic velâ—â—tur ut in judicio non râ—vel ntur which is opposed to disclosure to be covered it is to be so hid and closed as not to appear Some make the Metaphor from filthy loathsome objects
which are covered from our eyes as dead carcasses are buried under the ground some from Garments that are put upon us to cover our nakedness others from the Egyptians that were drowned in the red Sea and so covered with water others from a great Gulf in the earth that is filled up and covered with earth injected into it and others make it in the last place an allusive expression to the mercy-seat over which was a covering Now all these Metaphors in the general tend to shew this that the Lord will not look he will not see he will not take notice of the sins he hath pardoned to call them any more to a judicial account As when a Prince reads over many Treasons and Rebellions and meets with such and such which he hath pardoned he reads on he passeth by he taketh no notice of them the pardoned person shall never hear more of them he will never call him to account for those sins more So here c. When Caesar was painted he puts his finger upon his scar his wart God puts his fingers upon all his peoples scars and warts upon all their weaknesses and infirmities that nothing can be seen but what is fair and lovely Thou art all fair my Love and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 7. Sixthly It best agrees to that expression of not imputing of sin Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile So Psal 32 2. the Apostle in that Rom. 4. 6 7 8. Now not to impute Iniquity is not to charge Iniquity not to set Iniquity upon his score who is blessed and pardoned c. Seventhly and lastly It best agrees with that expression that you have in the 113. Psalm and the 11 and 12. Verses For as the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that fear him as far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our Transgressions from us What a vast distance is there betwixt the East and West of all visible latitudes this is the greatest and thus much for the third Argument The Fourth Argument that prevails with me to judge that Jesus Christ will not bring the sins of the Saints into the judgement of discussion and discovery in the great day is because it seems unsuitable to three considerable things for Jesus Christ to proclaim the infirmities and miscarriages of his people to all the world First It seems to be unsuitable to the glory and solemnity of that day which to the Saints will be a day of refreshing a day of Restitution a day of Redemption a day of Coronation as hath been already proved now how suitable to this great day of solemnity the Proclamation of the Saints sins will be I leave the Reader to judge Secondly It seems unsuitable to all those near and dear relations that Jesus Christ stands in towards his Isa 9. 6◠Heb 2. 11 12. Eph◠1. 21 22. Rev. 19. 7. Joh. 15. 1. Joh. 2. 1 2. he stands in the Relation of a Father a Brother a Head a Husband a Friend an Advocate Now are not all these by the Law of Relation bound rather to hide and keep secret at least from the world the weaknesses and infirmities of their near and dear Relations and is not Christ is not Christ much more By how much he is more a Father a Brother a Head a Husband c. in a spiritual way than any others can be in a natural way c. Thirdly It seems very unsuitable to what the Lord Jesus requires of his in this world the Lord requires that his people should cast a Mantle of Love of Wisdom of Silence and Secresie over one anothers weaknesses and infirmities c. Hatred stirreth up strifes but Love covereth all sins Loves mantle is very large Love will find a hand a plaister to clap upon every sore Flavius Vespacianus Prov. 10 12. 1 Pet 4 8 the Emperour was very ready to conncal his friends Vices and as ready to reveal their Vertues So is Divine love in the hearts of the Saints If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother As the Pills of Reprehension are to be gilded and sugar'd over Mat. 18. 15. with much gentleness and softness so they are to be given in secret tell him between him and thee alone Tale-bearers and Tale-hearers are alike abominable Heaven is too hot and too holy a place for them Psal 15. 3. Now will Jesus Christ have us carry it thus towards offending Christians and will he himself act otherwise Nay is it an evil in us to lay open the weaknesses and infirmities of the Saints to the World and will it be an excellency a glory a vertue in Christ to do it in the great day c. A fisth Argument is this It is the glory of a man to pass over a Transgression The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression Prov. 19. 11. or to pass by it as we do by persons or things we know not or would take no notice of Now is it the glory of a man to pass over a transgression and will it not much more be the glory of Christ silently to pass over Non 〈◊〉 quen-◠quam nisi offendam said a Heathen the transgressions of his people in that great day The greater the Treasons and Rebellions are that a Prince passes over and takes no notice of the more is his Honour and Glory and so doubtless it will be Christs in that great day to pass over all the Treasons and Rebellions of his people to take no notice of them to forget them as well as to forgive them The Heathens have long since observed that in nothing man came nearer to the Glory and Perfection of God himself than in Goodness and Clemency Surely if it be such an honour to man to pass over a Transgression it cannot be a dishonour to Christ to pass over the Transgressions of his people he having already buried them in the Sea of his blood Again saith Solomon It is the glory of God to conceal a thing And why it should not make Prov 25. 2. for the Glory of Divine Love to conceal the sins of the Saints in that great Day I know not And whether the concealing the sins of the Saints in the great day will not make most for their joy and wicked mens sorrows for their comfort and wicked mens terrour and torment I will leave you to judge and time and experience to decide and thus much for the resolution of that great question Now from what has been said in answer to this third Question a sincere Christian may form up this first plea as Eccles 11 9. cap. 12. 14. Math. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16 3. Rom 1◠10. 2
Cor. 5. 10. Heb 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4 5 to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general judgment or to the particular judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed God Jesus Christ has by his own blood ballanced and made up all reckonings and accounts that were between thee and me and thou hast vehemently protested that thou wilt not bring me into Judgment that thou wilt blot out my Transgressions as a thick Cloud and that thou wilt remember my sins no more and that thou wilt cast them behind thy back and hurl them into the depth of the Sea and that thou wilt forgive them and cover them and not impute them to me c. This is my Plea O Lord and by this plea I shall stand Well saith the Judge of Quick and Dead I own this plea I accept of this plea I have nothing to say against this plea the plea is just safe honourable and righteous enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Secondly Every Sinner at his first believing and closing with Christ is justified in the Court of glory from all his sins both guilt and punishment Justification Act. 13. 39. doth not increase or decrease but all sin is pardoned at the first act of believing All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst Believers as to their justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same Righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst Believers Every one is not sanctified alike for some are 1 Cor. 12. 19 1â— 14. 1 Joh 2 1. 12 13 14. stronger and higher and others are weaker and lower in grace As soon as any are made Believers in Christ all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Now that all the sins of a Believer are pardoned at once and actually unto them may be thus demonstrated First All phrases in Scripture imply thus much Esa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Jer. 33. 8. And I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have Transgressed against me Ezek. 18. 22. All his Transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their Vnrighteousness and their sins and their Iniquities I will remember no mâ—re ergo all is pardoned at once But Secondly That Remission of sins that leaves no Condemnation to the party offending is the Remission of all sins for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in 2. At a sinners first Conâ—ersion his sins are truly and perfectly pardoned 1. All as to sin already past 2. All as to the state of Remission they had a perfect right to the pardon of all their sins paâ—t present and to come though not an equal 〈◊〉 the state of Condemnation but Justification leaves no Condemnation Romans 8. 1. vers There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth and ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death to life ergo all sins are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of Condemnation c. Thus you see it evident that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus therefore there is full remission of all sins to the soul at the first act of believing But Thirdly A Believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ Joh. 15. 1. 6. Joh. 17. 21 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And he is still Cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ which covers all his sins and dischargeth him from them so that no guilt can redound to him Isa 61. 10. Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. c. But Fourthly A Believer is not to fear Curse or Hell at all which yet he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned c. But Fifthly Our Lord Jesus Christ by once suffering suffered for all the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of God the Father fell on him for all the sins of the chosen of God Isa 53. 9. Heb. 12. 14. chap. 10. 9 10 12 14. If Christ had suffered for ten thousand worlds he could have suffered no more than he did for he suffered the whole infinite wrath of God the Father the wrath of God was infinite wrath the sufferings of Christ were infinite sufferings ergo Look as Adam's sin was enough to infect a thousand worlds so our Saviours merits are sufficient to save a thousand worlds those sufferings that he suffered for sins past are sufficient to satisfie for sins present and to come That all the sins of Gods Isa 54. 5 6. people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the days of his sufferings did meritoriously purchase perfect remission of all their sins to be applyed in future times to them and by them is most certain But Sixthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only Faith therefore pardon of sin is not suspended until we repent of our sins But Sevently If the Remission of all sins be not at once it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there is some hinderances in the way But a man by the hand of faith may lay hold on all the merits of Christ and the word reveals the pardon of all and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seals and confirms the pardon of all and there is no danger nor inconvenience that attends this assertion for it puts the highest obligation imaginable upon the soul as to fear and obedience Psal 1 30. 3. v. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand ver 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgiveness makes not a Christian bold with sin but fearful of sin and careful to obey as Christians find in their daily experience By this Argument it appears clear that the forgiveness of all sins is made to the soul at once at the first act of Believing But Eightly If new
sins were not pardoned until you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent as you see in David who lay long under the guilt of Murther and Adultery before he repented and you know Solomon lay long under many high sins before he repented c. and it may be more long ere we do or can know that we do truly repent of our sins But Ninethly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which cannot consist with the true doctrine of justification Certainly as to the state of justification there is a full and perfect remission of all sins considered under the differences of time past present and to come as in the state of Condemnation there is not any one sin pardoned so in the estate of Justification there is not any one sin but is pardoned for the state of Justification is opposite to all Condemnation and Curse and Wrath. But Tenthly All agree that as to Gods eternal decree or purpose of forgiveness all the sins of his people are forgiven God did not intend to forgive some of their sins and not the rest but an universal and full and compleat forgiveness was fixedly purposed and resolved on by God Forgiveness of sins is a gracious act or work of God for Christ sake discharging and absolving believing and repenting persons from the guilt and punishment of all their sins so that God is no longer displeased with them nor will he ever remember them any more nor call them to an account for them nor condemn them for their sins but will look on them and deal with them as if they had never sinned never offended him Thirdly Consider that at the very moment of a Believers dissolution all his sins are perfectly and fully forgiven all their sins are so fully and finally forgiven them that at the very moment of their souls going out from the body there is not one sin of omission or commission nor any aggravation or least circumstance left standing in the book of Gods remembrance and this is the true reason why there shall not be the least mention made of their sins in their tryal at Christs Tribunal because they were all pardoned fully and finally at the hour of their death all debts were then discharged all scores were then crossed so that in the great day when the Books shall be opened and perused there shall not one sin be found but all blotted out and all reckonings made even in the blood of Christ Indeed if God should pardon some sins and not others he would at the same time be a friend and an enemy and we should be at once both happy and miserable which are manifest contradictions besides God doth nothing in vain But it would be in vain for God to pardon some sins but not all for as one leak in a Ship unstopped will sink the Ship and as one sore or one disease not healed nor cured will kill the body so one sin unpardoned will destroy the soul Fourthly God looks not upon those as Sinners whose sins are pardoned Luk. 7. 37. And behold a Woman in the City which was a sinner A notorious sinner a branded sinner mark it is not said behold a Woman which is a sinner but behold a Woman which was a sinner to note that sinners converted and pardoned are no longer reputed sinners Behold a Woman which was a sinner look as a man when he is cleansed from filth is as if he had never been defiled so when a Sinner is pardoned he is in Gods account as if he had never sinned Hence those phrases in Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all fair my love and there is no spot in thee Col. 2. 10. And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power as though he had said Because in himself he hath the Well-head of Glory and Majesty the which becometh ours in that he is also the head of his Church Col. 1. 21. And you that were somtime alienated and Enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled ver 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight that is by his Righteousness imputed and imparted Ephe. 5. 27. That he might 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 The word present is taken from the custom of solemnizing a Marriage first the Spouse was woed and then set before her Husband adorned with his Jewels as Rebecca was with Isaacs Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God 1. They are without fault by imputation 2. By inchoation Hence Job is said to be a perfect man Job 1. And David to be a man after Gods own heart Act. 13. 22. The forgiven party is now looked upon and received with that love and favour as if he had never offended God and as if God had never been offended by him Hos 14. 1 2 4. Isa 54. 7 8 9 10. Jer. 31. 33 34 36 37. Luk. 15. 19 20 21 22 23. Here the sins of the Prodigal are pardoned and his Father receives him with such expressions of love and familiarity as if he had never sinned against him his Father never so much as objects any one of all his high sinnings against him Hence it is that you read of such sweet kind tender loving comfortable expressions of God towards those whose sins he had pardoned Jer. 31. 16. Refrain thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from tears verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child Math. 9. 2. Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee The Schools say that the remission of sins is not only oblativa mali but collativa boni a remotion of guilt but a collation of good Look as he that is legally acquitted of Theft or Murder is no more reputed a Thief or Murdeter so here Isa 50. 20. In those days and in that time saith the Lord the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Pardoned sin is in Gods account no sin and the pardoned sinner in Gods account is no sinner as the pardoned debtor is no debtor Where God hath pardoned a man there he never looks upon that man as a siner but as a just man Pardon of sin is an utter abolition of it as it doth reflect upon the person making him guilty and obliging him actually to condemnation in this respect the pardoned man is as free as if he had never sinned Therefore the Believer
a Curse as to himself The Cup which my 〈◊〉 giveth me he drank it I say and drank it 〈◊〉 every drop leaving nothing behind for his Redeem 〈…〉 of Love and Salvation in the Sacramenâ—â— Cup of his own Institution saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood for the Remission of sins This 〈◊〉 in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11. 25. Math. 26. 28. Thus my Friends look upon Christ as Mediator in which capacity only he covenanted with his Father for the Salvation of man-kind and there was not so much as a shadow of any receding from or repenting of what he had undertaken But Secondly As the sufferings of Jesus Christ were very free and voluntary so they were very great and hainous what agony what torment was our Saviour wrackt with how deep were his wounds how weighty his burden how full of trembling his Cup when he lay under the Mountains of the guilt of all the Elect How bitter were his Tears how painful his Sweat how sharp his encounters how dreadful his Death who can impute how many Vials of Gods inexpressible insupportable wrath Christ drank off in that 53. of Isa you may read of despising rejected stripes smilings wounds sorrows bruising chastisement oppression affliction cutting off putting to grief and pouring out of his soul to death all these put together speaks out Christ to be a very great sufferer he was a man of sorrows as if he were a man made up of sorrows as the man of sin as if he were made up of sin as if He were nothing else He knew more sorrows than any man yea than all men ever did 〈◊〉 Iniquity and consequently the sorrows of all men met in him as if he had been their center and he was acquainted with griefs he had little acquaintance else grief was his familiar acquaintance he had no acquaintance with laughter we read not that he laughed at all when he was in the world his other acquaintance stood afar off but grief followed him to the Cross from his Birth to his Death from his Cradle to the Cross from the Womb to the Tomb he was a man of sorrows and never were sorrows like his he might say Never grief or sorrow like mine 'T is indeed impossible to express the sufferings and sorrows of Christ and the Greek Christians used to beg of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that for the unknown sufferings of Christ he would have mercy upon them Though Christs â—â—rings are abundantly made known yet they are but little known eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it or can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what Christ suffered who hath known the power of Gods wrath Christ Jesus knew it for he underwent it his whole life was made up of sufferings He was no sooner born but sufferings came trooping in upon him He was born in an Inn yea in a Stable and had but a Manuger for his Cradle As soon as his Birth was noised abroad Herod under a pretence of worshiping of him had a design to murder him so that his supposed Father was fain to flye into Aegypt to secure his life he was persecuted before he could after the manner of men be sensible of persecution and as he grew up in years so his sufferings grew up with him Hunger and Thrist Travel and Weariness Scorns and Reproaches false Accusations and Contradictions still waited on him and he had not where to lay his head 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins This is the wonderment of Angels the happiness of fallen man and the torment of Devils c. that Christ hath suffered The Apostles words look like a Riddle Christ hath suffered as if he should say read thou if thou canst what he hath suffered as for my part they are so many that in this short Epistle I have no mind to Record them and they are so grievous that my passionate love won't suffer me to repeat them and therefore I content my self thus abruptly to deliver them Christ hath sufferd Christs sufferings were unspeakable His sufferings were unutterable and therefore the Apostle satisfies himself with this unperfect broken speech Christ hath suffered O what woes and lamentations what crys and exclamations what complaints and sorrows what wringing of hands what knocking of breasts what weeping of eyes what wayling of tongues belong to the speaking and hearing of this doleful Tragedy Even in the Prologue I tremble and at the first entrance I am as at a non-plus that I know not with what woful gesture to act it with what moanful voice to pronounce it with what mournful words with what pathetical speeches with what emphatical phrases with what interrupted accents with what passionate compassionate plaints to express it The multiplicity of the plot and the variety of the acts and scenes is so intricate that my memory falls to comprise it the matter so importent and the story so excellent that my tongue sailâ— to declare it the cruelty so savage and the massacre so barbarous that my heart even fails to consider it Wherefore I must needs content my self with the Apostle here to speak but unperfectly of it and thinks this enough to say Christ hath suffered and well may I think this enough for behold what perfection there is in this seeming imperfect speech For First To say indefinitely he suffered without any limitation of time what is it but to say that he always suffered without exception of time And so indeed the Prophet speaks of him namely That he was a man of sorrows Isa 53. 3. His whole life was fill'd up with sufferings But Secondly To say only he suffered and nothing else what is it but to say that he patiently suffered he never resisted never rebelled never opposed He was led as a Sheep to the slaughter and as a Lamb dumb before the Sheerer so opened he not his mouth Act. 8. 32. Isa 53. 7. And when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not 1 Pet. 2. 23. But Thirdly To say precisely he suffered and no more what is it but to say that he freely suffered that he voluntarily suffered Christ was under no force no compulsion but freely suffered himself to suffer and voluntarily suffered the Jews to make him suffer having power to quit himself from suffering if he had pleased I lay down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Joh. 10. 17. But of this before Fourthly To say plainly he suffered what is it but to say that he Innocently suffered that he wrongfully suffered for had he been a Malefactor or an Offender it should have been said that he was punished or that he was executed but he was full of Innocency he was holy and harmless and so it follows in that 1 Pet. 3. 18. The just for the unjust But
soul is his sufferings for it follows And he shall bear their Iniquities But Sixthly Christ gave himself for his peoples sins Gal. 1. 9. 6. Ephe. 5. 25. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself for our sins Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquities c. but the body only is not himself ergo The Apostle saith Phil. 2. 7. Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exinanivit Christ did empty or evacuate himself or as Tertullian expounds it Exhausit Teâ—tâ—llian Conâ—ra Marcian lib. 5. He drew out himself or was exhaust which agrees with the Prophesis of Daniel chap. 9. 26. Mâ—ssias shall have nothing being brought to nothing by his death without life strength esteem honour c. Hence we conclude that if Christ were exhaust upon the Cross if nothing was left him that he suffered in body and soul that there was no part within or without free from the Cross but all was emptied and poured out for our Redemption Again We read That Christ through the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14 offered himself to God Whatsoever was in Christ did either offer or was offered His eternal Spirit only did offer ergo His whole humane Nature both Body and Soul was offered Thus Origen witnesseth in these words Origen â—om 9 in Levit. Vide quo modo verus pontifex Jesus Christus adsumptâ— batillocarnis humanae c. See how our true Priest Jesus Christ taking the censor of his humane flesh putting to the fire of the Altar that is His magnificent Soul wherewith he was born in the flesh and adding Incense that is an immaculate Spirit stood in the middest between the living and the dead Thus you see that he makes Christs soul a part in the Sacrifice Seventhly and lastly Christs love unto man in suffering for him was in the highest degree and greatest measure that could be as the Lord saith What could I have done any more for my Vineyard that I have not done unto it But if Christ had given his Body only and not his Soul for us he had not done for us all he could and so his love should have been greatly empaired and diminished ergo He gave his Soul also together with his Body to be the full price of our Redemption and certainly the travail and labour of Christs Soul was most acceptable unto God Isa 53. 12. Therefore I will give him a Portion with Isa 35. 12. the great because he hath poured out his Soul unto death c. and bare the sins of many Doubtless the sufferings of Christ in his Soul together with his Body doth most fully and amply commend and set forth Gods great love to poor Sinners Before I close up this particular take a few Testimonies of the Fathers which do witness with us for the sufferings of Christ both in Soul and Body Christ hath taken off us that which he should offer as Ambrose de Incarnat c. 6. proper for us to Redeem us and whatsoever Christ took off us he offered ergo He offered Body and Soul for he took both Another upon these words My Soul is heavy saith Anima Concil Hispalens 2. c. 13. passionibus obnoxia divinitas libra His Soul was subject to passions his Divinity was free c. If nothing were free but his Divine Nature than his Soul was subject to the proper and immediate passions thereof Perspicuum est sicut corpus flagellatum ita animam verè Hierom in 35. cap. Isa doluisse c. It is evident that as his body was whipped so his Soul was verily and truly grieved lest some part of Christs sufferings should be true some part false ergo Christs Soul as properly and truly suffered as his Body the Soul had her proper grief as the Body had whipping the whipping then of the body was not the proper grief of the soul Whole Christ gave himself and whole Christ offered himself ergo He offered his soul not only to suffer by way of compassion with his body as it may be Fulgenâ—ius ad Thâ—aâ—maud lib. 3. answered but he offered it as a Sacrifice and suffered all passions whatsoever incident to the soul The same Author expounds himself further thus Because this God took whole man therefore he shewed in truth in himself the passions of whole man and having a reasonable soul what infirmities soever of the soul without sin he took and bare If Christ then did take and bare all the passions of the soul without sin then the proper and immediate grief and anguish thereof and not the compassion only with the body To these let me add the consent of the reformed Churches French Confes Christ did suffer Harm p. 59. Sect. 6. both in body and soul and was made like unto us in all things Sin only excepted Thomas granteth that Christ Secundum genus passus est 3. Par. qu 46. Artic. 5. omnem passionem humanam in general suffered all humane sufferings as in his soul heaviness fear c. Now the Testimonies of the Fathers and the consent of the reformed Churches affirming the same that Christ was Crucified in his soul and that he gave his soul a price of Redemption for our souls Who can then doubt of this but that Christ verily properly immediately suffered in his soul in all the proper passions thereof as he endured pains and torments in his flesh and if you please this may go for an eighth argument to prove that Christ suffered in his soul Secondly That the sufferings of Christ in his soul were very high and great and wonderful both as to the punishment of loss and as to the punishment of sense all which I shall make evident in these four particulars First That Jesus Christ did suffer dereliction of God really that he was indeed deserted †Forsaken 1. By denying of protection 2. By withdrawing of solace Non solvit unionem sed subtraxit visionâ—m Leo. The Union was not desolved but the beams the influence was restrained forsaken of God is most evident Math. 27. 46. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But to prevent mistakes in this high point seriously consider 1. That I do not mean that there was nay such desertion of Christ by God as did desolve the union of the Natures in the person of Christ For Christ in all his sufferings still remained God and Man Nor 2. Do I mean an absolute desertion in respect of the presence of God For God was still present with Christ in all his sufferings and the God-head did support his Humanity in and under his sufferings but that which I mean is this That as to the sensible and comforting manifestations of Gods presence thus he was for a time left and forsaken of God God for a time had taken-away all sensible consolation and fâ—lt joy from Christs humane soul that so divine justice might in his sufferings be the more fully satisfied In this
of future deliverance and present support and 5. By denial of Protection and 6. By withdrawing of all solace and comfort Now it is foolish and impious to think that Christ was forsaken any of the first four ways for the unity of his person was never dissolved his graces were never either taken away or diminished neither was it possible that he should want Assurance of future deliverance and present support that was Eternal God and Lord of Life but the two last ways he may rightly be said to have been forsaken in that his Father denied to protect and keep him out of the hands of his cruel bloody and merciless Enemies no ways restraining them but suffering them to do the uttermost that their wicked hearts could imagine and left him to endure the extremity of their fury and malice and that nothing might be wanting to make his sorrows beyond measure sorrowful withdrew from him that solace and comfort that he was wont to find in God and removed far from him all things for a little time that might any way lessen and asswage the extremity of his pain Secondly That Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the wrath of God which was due unto us for our sins The Prophet Isa 53. 4. saith That he was plagued and smitten of God and ver 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him To be plagued and smitten of God is to feel and suffer the stroak of his wrath And so to be chastified of God as to make peace with God or to appease him is so to suffer the wrath of God as to satisfie God and to remove it And truly how Christ should possibly escape the feeling of the wrath of God incensed against our sins he standing as a Surety for us with our sins laid upon him and for them fully to satisfie the justice of God is not Christianly or rationally imaginable And whereas some do object that Christ was always the beloved of his Father and therefore could never be the object of Gods wrath I answer By distinguishing of the person of Christ Sol. whom his Father always loved and as sustaining our sins and in our room standing to satisfie the justice of God and as so the wrath of God fell upon him and he bore it and so satisfied the justice of God that we thereby are now delivered from wrath through him So the Apostle Rom. 5. 9. Much more being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath by him 1 Thes 1. 10. And to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which deliverod us from the wrath to come It is a groundless conceit of some learned heads who deny the cause of Christs Agony to be the drinking of that Cup of wrath that was given to him by his Father saying That the sight of it only and of the peril he saw we were in was the cause of his Agony for the Cup was not Joh. 18. 11. only shew'd unto him and the great wrath due to our sins set before him that he should see it and tremble at the apprehension of the danger we were in but it was poured not only on him but into him that he for the sins of his Redeemed Ones should suffer it sensibly and drink it that the bitterness thereof might affect all the powers of his soul and body for the Scripture do's sufficiently testifie that not only upon the sight and apprehension of this wrath and curse coming on him the holy humane Heb. 5. 7. Nature did holily abhor it but also that he submitted to receive it upon the consideration of the divine decree and Math. 26. 38 39 42 44. 1 Cor. 6. 20. cap. 7. 23. agreement made upon the price to be paid by him and that upon the feeling of this wrath this Agony in his soul and bloody sweat of his body was brought on But how could the pourings forth of the Fathers wrath upon Quest on his innocent and dear Son consist with his Fatherly love to him c Even as the innocency and holiness of Christ could well Answ consist with his taking upon him the punishment of our sins for even the wrath of a just man inflicting capital punishment on a condemned person put case it be his own Child can well consist with Fatherly affection towards his Child suffering punishment Did you never see a Father weep over such a Son that he has corrected most severely Did you never see a Judge shed tears for those very persons that he has Condemned There is no doubt but wrath and love can well consist in God in whom affections do not war one with another nor fight with reason as it often falls among men for the affections ascribed unto God are effects rather of his holy will towards us than properly called affections in him and these effects of Gods will about us do always tend to our happiness and blessedness at last how-ever they are diverse one from another in themselves Thirdly That Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the very torments of Hell though not after a Hellish manner I readily grant that Jesus Christ did not locally descend into Hell to suffer there amongst the damned neither did he suffer Hellish darkness nor the flames of Hell nor the Worm that never dyes nor final despair nor guilt of Conscience nor gnashing of teeth nor impatient indignation nor eternal separation from God these things were absolutely inconsistent with the holiness purity and dignity of his person and with the office of a Mediator and Redeemer But yet I say that our Lord Jesus Christ did suffer in his Soul for our sins such pain horror terror agony and consternation as amounted unto cruciatus infernales and are in Scripture called The sorrows of Hell The sorrows of Hell did compass me about or the Psal 18. 5. cords of Hell did compass me about such as wherewith they bind Malefactors when they are led forth to Execution Now these sorrows these cords of Hell were the things that extorted from him that passionate expostulation My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. 46. Christs sufferings were unspeakable and somewhat answerable to the pains of Hell Hence the Greek Letany By thine unknown sufferings good Lord deliver us Funinus an Italian Martyr being asked by one why he was so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. and Mon. fol. 853. merry at his death sith Christ himself was so sorrowful Christ said he sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with Hell and death due to us by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow and the fear of them all It was a great saying of a very learned man that setting Iniquity and Eternity of punishment aside which Christ might not sustain Christ did more vehemently and sharply feel the wrath of God then ever any man did or shall no not any person reprobated and damned excepted and certainly the reason annexed
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he assumed apprehended caught laid hold on the seed of Abraham as the Angel did on Lot as Christ Gen. 19. 16. did on Peter or as men do upon a thing they are glad Mat. 14. 31. they have got and are loath to lâ—t go again Oh sirs it is a main ground and pillar of our comfort and confidence that Jesus Christ took our flesh for if he had not took our flesh upon him we could never have been saved by him Christ took not a part but the whole nature of man that is a true humane soul and body together with all the essential properties and faculties of both that in man's nature he might die and suffer the wrath of God and whole curse due to our sins which otherwise Heb. 2. 14. being God only he could never have done and that he might satisfie divine justice for sin in the same nature that had sinned and indeed it was most meet and fit that the Mediator who was to reconcile God and man should partake in the natures of both parties to be reconciled Oh what matchless love was this that made our dear Lord Jesus to lay by for a time all that glory that he John 17. 5. had with the father before the world was and to assume our nature and to be found in fashion as a man to see Phil. 2. 8. the great God in the form of a servant or hanging upon the Cross how wonderful and astonishing was it to all that believed him to be God-man God manifested in 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11. our flesh is an amazing mystery a mystery fit for the speculation of Angels that the eternal God should become 1 Tim. 2. 5. the man Christ Jesus that a most glorious Creator should Dan. 7. 9 13 22. Mat. 2. 11. become a poor creature that the Ancient of days should become an Infant of days that the most high should stoop so low as to dwell in a body of flesh is a glorious mystery that transcends all humane understanding It would have seemed a high blasphemy for us to have thought of such a thing or to have desired such a thing or to have spoken of such a thing if God in his everlasting Gospel had not reveiled such a thing to us Among the Romish Priests Friars Jesuits they count it a great demonstration of love an high honour that is done to any of their orders when any Noble man or great Prince who is weary of the world and the world weary of him comes among them and takes any of their habits upon him and lives and dies in their habits Oh what a demonstration of Christ's love is it and what a mighty honour hath Jesus Christ put upon mankind in that he took our nature upon him in that he lived in our nature and died in our nature and rose in our nature and ascended in our nature and now sits at his fathers right hand in Acts 1. 10 11. our nature Though Jacob's love to Rachel and Jonathan's love to David and David's love to Absolom and the primitive Christians love to one another was strong very strong yet Christ's love in taking our humane nature upon him does infinitely transcend all their loves I think Bern. sup cant ser 20. saith one speaking of Christ he cannot despise me who is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh â— for if he neglect me as a Brother yet he will love me as a husband that 's my comfort Oh my Saviour saith one didst thou Hierom. die for love of me a love more dolorous than death but to me a death more lovely than love it self I cannot live love and be longer from thee I read in Josephus that when J. s Bel. Jud. l. 1. c. 8. Herod Antipater was accused to Julius Caesar as no good friend of his he made no other Apology but stripping himself stark naked shewed Caesar his wounds and said let me hold my tongue these wounds will speak for me how I have loved Caesar ah my friends Christ's wounds in our nature speak out the admirable love of Jesus Christ to us and Oh how should this love of his draw out our love to Christ inflame our love to that Jesus who is God-man blessed for ever Mr. Welch a Suffolk-minister weeping at table being asked the reason said it was because he could love Christ no more ah what reason have we to weep and weep again and again that we can love that Jesus no more who hath shewed such unparalelled love to us in assuming of the humane nature Et ipsam animam odio haberem si non diligeret meum Jesum I must hate my very soul if it should not love my Jesus saith Bernard ah what cause have we given to hate our selves because we love that dear Jesus no more who is very God and very man But Thirdly Is Jesus Christ God-man is he very God and 3. consult hese Scriptures Isa 61. 1. Dan. 9. 24. 1 John 3. 8. Luk. 1. 74. 75. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 4. very man then we may very safely and roundly assert that the work of Redemption was a very great work the Redemption of souls is a mighty work a costly work to redeem poor souls from sin from wrath from the power of Satan from the curse from hell from the condemnation was a mighty work wherefore was Christ born wherefore did he live sweat groan bleed die rise ascend was it not to bring deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound was it not to make an end of sin to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to destroy the works of the Devil and to abolish death and to bring life and immortality to light and to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie us to himself and to make us a peculiar peple zealous of good works Certainly the work of Redemption was no ordinary or common thing God-man must engage in it or poor fallen man is undone for ever The greater the person is that is engaged in any work the greater is that work the great Monarchs of the world do not use to engage their sons in poor low mean and petty services but in such services as are high and honourable noble and weighty and will you imagine that ever the great and glorious God John 1. 18. 8. Pro. 22. 33 would have sent his son his own son his only begotten son his bosom son his son in whom his soul delighted before the foundations of the earth was laid to redeem poor sinners souls if this had not been a great work a high work and a most glorious work in his eye The Creation of the world did but cost God a word of his mouth Let there be light and there was light but the Redemption Gen. 1. 3. of souls cost him his dearest son there is a
divine greatness stamp'd upon the works of providence but what are the works of Providence to the work of Redemption what are all providential works to Christ's coming from heaven to his being incarnate to his doings sufferings and dying and all this to ransom poor souls from the curse hell wrath and eternal death souls are dear and costly things and of great price in the sight of God Amongst the Romans those their proper goods and estates which men had gotten in the wars with hazard of their lives were called Peculium Castrense of a Field-purchase Oh how much more may the precious and immortal souls of men be called Christ's Peculium Castrense his purchase gotten not only by the jeopardy of his life but with the loss of his life and blood Ye know saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as with silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition but with the precious blood of the son of God as of a lamb without a spot Christ that only went to the price of souls hath told us that one soul is more worth than Mat. 16. 26. all the world Christ left his father's bosom and all the glory of heaven for the good of souls he assumed the nature of man for the happiness of the soul of man he trod the Wine-press of his father's wrath for souls he wept for souls he swet for souls he prayed for souls he payed for souls and he bled out his heart-blood for the redemption of souls The soul is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels and the envy of Devils 't is of an Angelical nature 't is a heavenly spark a celestial plant and of a divine off-spring 't is capable of the knowledg of God of union with God of communion with John 14. 8. Psal 17. 15. God and of an eternal fruition of God there is nothing that can suit the soul below God there is nothing that can satisfie the soul without God the soul is so high and so noble a piece that it scorns all the world what are all the riches of the East or West Indies what are Rocks of Diamonds or Mountains of Gold or the price of Cleopatra's draught to the price that Christ laid down for souls 't is only the blood of him that is God-man that is an equivolent price for the Redemption of souls Silver and Gold hath redeemed many thousands out of Turkish bondage but all the Silver and Gold in the world could never redeem one poor soul from Hellish bondage from hellish torments Souls are a dear commodity he that bought them found them so and yet at how cheap a rate do some sinners sell their immortal souls Callenuceus tells us of a noble man of Naples that was wont prophanely to say that he had two-souls in his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it but if he hath one soul in Hell I believe he will never find another for Heaven A person of quality who is still alive told me a few years since that in discourse with one of his servants This pious Gentleman was with me in May 1673. at my house he asked him what he thought would become of his soul if he lived and died in his ignorance and enmity against God c. he most prophanely and atheistically answered that when he died he would hang his soul on a hedg and say run God run Devil and he that can run fastest let him Discipul at de tâ—mp Serâ— 132. take my soul I have read of a most blasphemous wretch that on a time being with his companions in a common Inn carrowsing and making merry asked them if they thought a man had a soul or no whereunto when they replyed that the souls of men are immortal and that some of them after death lived in hell and others in heaven For so the writings of the Prophets and Apostles instructed them he answered and swore that he thought it nothing so but rather that there was no soul in man to survive the body but that Heaven and Hell were mere fables and inventions of Priests to get gain and for himself he was ready to sell his soul to any that would buy it then one of his companions took up a cup of wine and said sell me thy soul for this cup of wine which he receiving We laugh at little children to see them part with rich Jewels for silly trifles and yet daily experience tells us that multitudes are so childish as to part with such rich and precious Jewels as their immortal souls for a lust or for base and unworthy trifles of whom it may be truly said as Augustus Caesar said in another case they are like a man that fishes with a golden hook the gain can never recompence the loss that may be sustained bad him take his soul and drank up the wine Now Satan himself being there in man's shape bought it again of the other at the same price and by and by bad him give him his soul the whole company affirming it was meet he should have it since he had bought it not perceiving the Devil but presently he laying hold of this soul-seller carried him into the Air before them all to the great astonishment and amazement of the beholders and from that day to this he was never heard of but hath now found by experience that men have souls and that Hell is no Fable Ah for what a thing of nought do many thousands sell their souls to Satan every day how many thousands are there who swear curse lye cheat deceive c. for a little gain every day I have read that there was a time when the Romans did wear Jewels on their shooes Oh that in these days men did not worse Oh that they did not trample under feet that matchless Jewel their precious and immortal souls Oh sirs there is nothing below heaven so precious and noble as your souls and therefore do not play the Courtiers with your poor souls now the Courtier does all things late he rises late and dines late and sups late and goes to bed late and repents late Christ made himself an offering for sin that souls might not be undone by sin the Lord died that slaves might live the son dies that servants might live the natural son dies that adopted sons may live the only begotten son dies that bastards might live yea the judg dies that Malefactors may live Ah friends as there was never sorrow like Christ's so there was never love like Christ's love and of all his love none to that of soul-soul-love Christ who is God-man did take upon him thy nature and bare thy sins and suffered death and encountered the Cross and was made a sacrifice and a curse and all to bring about thy Redemption and therefore thou maist safely conclude that the work of Redemption is a great work But
matchless wrath of an angry God that was so terribly imprest upon the Soul of Christ quickly spent his natural strength and turned his moisture into the Psal 32. 4. drought of summer and yet all this wrath he patiently underwent that Sinners might be saved and that he Heb. 2. 10. might bring many sons unto glory O wonder of love Love is passive it enables to suffer The Curtii laid down their lives for the Romans because they loved them so 't was love that made our dear Lord Jesus lay down his life to save us from hell and to bring us to heaven As the Pelican out of their love to her young ones when they are bitten with Serpents feeds them with her own blood Gen. 3. 15. to recover them again so when we were bitten by the old Serpent and our wound incurable and we in danger of eternal death then did our dear Lord Jesus that he might recover us and heal us feed us with his own Jeh 6. 53. 54 55 56. Dilexisti me Demine magis quà m teipsum Bern. blood O love unspeakable This made one cry out Lord thou hast loved me more than thy self for thou hast laid down thy life for me It was only the golden link of love that fastned Christ to the Cross and Joh. 10. 17. that made him die freely for us and that made him willing to be numbred among transgressors that we might Isa 53. 12. be numbred among general assemby and church of the Heb. 12. 23. first born which are written in heaven If Jonathan's 2 Sam. 1. 26. love to David was wonderful how wonderful must the Heb. 10. 10. love of Christ be to us which led him by the hand to make himself an offering for us which Jonathan never did for David for though Jonathan loved David's life and safety well yet he loved his own better for when his father cast a javelin at him to smite him he flies 1 Sam. 10. 33 34 35. for it and would not abide his fathers fury being very willing to sleep in a whole skin notwithstanding his wonderful love to David making good the Philosophers notion that Man is a life-lover Christ's love is like his name and that is wonderful yea it is so wonderful that Isa 9. 6. it is supra omnem creaturam ultra omnem mensuram contra omnem naturam above all creatures beyond allmeasure contrary to all nature 'T is above all Creatures for it is above the Angels and therefore above all others 'T is beyond all Measure for time did not begin it and time shall never end it place doth not bound it sin doth not exceed it no estate no age no sex is denied it tongues cannot express it understandings cannot conceive it and 't is contrary to all Nature for what nature can love where it is hated what nature can forgive where it is provoked what nature can offer reconcilement where it receiveth wrong what nature can heap up kindness upon contempt favour upon ingratitude mercy upon sin and yet Christ's love hath led him to all this so that wel may we spend all our days in admiring and adoring of this wonderful love and be always ravished with the thoughts of it But Secondly Then look that ye love the Lord Jesus Christ with a superlative love with an over-topping love there are none have suffered so much for you as Christ there are none that can suffer so much for you as Christ the least measure of that wrath that Christ hath sustained for you would have broke the hearts necks and backs of all created Beings O my friends there is no love but a superlative love that is any ways sutable to the transcendent sufferings of dear Jesus O love him above your lusts love him above your relations love him above the world love him above all your outward contentments and enjoyments yea love him above your very lives for thus the Patriarchs Ptophets Apostles Saints Primitive Christians and the Martyrs of old have loved Act. 20. 24. cap. 21. 12 13. 2 Cor. 1. 8 9 10. cap. 4. 11. cap. 11. 23. Heb. 11. 36 37 38 39. our Lord Jesus Christ with an over-topping love Rev 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto the death that is they slighted contemned yea despised their lives exposing them to hazard and loss out of love to the Lamb who had washed them in his blood I have read of one Kilian a Dutch Scholmaster who being asked whether he did not love his wife and Children answered Were all the world a lump of gold and in my hands to dispose of I would leave it at my enemies feet to live with them in a prison but my Soul and my Saviour are dearer to me than all If my father saith Jerom should stand Hieron ad Heliodor epist 1. before me and my mother hang upon and my brethren should press about me I would break through my brethren throw down my father and tread underfoot my mother to cleave to Jesus Christ Had I ten heads Cere non amaut illi Christum qui ali quid plusqe am â—â—ristum amant Aug. de resurr Hey do nâ—t lâ—ve Christ who love any thing more than Christ said Henry Voes they should all off for Christ If every hair of my head said John Ardley Martyr were a man they should all suffer for the Faith of Christ Let fire racks pullies said Ignatius and all the torments of Hell come upon me so I may win Christ Love made Hierom to say O my Saviour didst thou die for love of me a love more dolorous than death but to The more Christ hath suffered for us the dearer Christ should be â—nto us the greater and the bitterer Christs sufferings have been for us the greater and the sweeter should our love be to him me a death more lovely than love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee George Carpenter being asked whether he did not love his wife and children which stood weeping before him answered My wife and children my wife and children are dearer to me than all Bavaria yet for the love of Christ I know them not That blessed Virgin in Basil being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her estate and life offered her if she would worship Idols cried out Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better than all Sufferings for Christ are the Saints greatest glory they are those things wherein they have most gloried Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra your cruelty is our glory saith Tertullian It is reported of Babylas that when he was to die for Christ he desired this favour that his Chains might be buried with him as the ensigns of his honour Thus you see with what a superlative love with what an over-topping love former Saints have loved our Lord Jesus and can you Christians who are cold and low in your love to Christ read over these
is the highest discovery of the Lords hatred and indignation of sin that ever was or will be 'T is true God discovered his great hatred against sin by turning Adam out of Paradise and by casting the Angels down to hell by drowning the old world and by raining hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah and by the various and dreadful judgments that he has been a pouring forth upon the world in all ages but all this hatred is but the picture of hatred to that hatred which God manifested against sin in causing the whole curse to meet upon our crucified Lord as all streams meet in the sea 'T is true God discovers his hatred of sin by those endless easless and remediless torments that he inflicts upon Devils and damned spirits but this is no hatred to that hatred against sin which God discovered when he opened all the flood-gates of his envenom'd wrath upon his Son his own Son his only Son his Son Isa 53. 5 6. Prov. 8. 30 31. Matth. 3. ult that always pleased him his Son that never offended him Should you see a father that had but one son and he such a son in whom he always delighted and by whom he had never been provoked a son that always made it his business his work his heaven to promote Joh. 8. 49 50. the honour and glory of his father a son who was always Joh. 9. 4. most at ease when most engaged in his fathers service Joh. 4. 34. a son who counted it his meat and drink to do his father's will now should you see the father of such a son inflicting the most exquisite pains and punishments tortures and torments calamities and miseries upon this his dearest son you would readily conclude that certainly the sins the offences that have put the father upon exercising such amazing such matchless severity fury and cruelty upon his only Son are infinitly hateful odious Jer. 44. 4. Zech. 8. 17. The Rabbins to scare their Scholars from sin used to tell them that sin made God's head ache but I may say sin hath made Christs head ache and his heart ach too and and abominable to him Now if you please but to cast your eye upon the actings of God the Father towards Jesus Christ you will find that he hath inflicted more torments and greater torments upon the Son of his dearest love than all mortals ever have or could inflict upon their only sons Isai 53. 6. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all Heb. Hath made the iniquities of us all to meet on him or to light or fall on him rather God made all the penalties and sufferings that were due to us to fall upon Jesus Christ as a man is wont to fall with all his might in a hostile manner upon his enemy God himself inflicted upon dear Jesus whatsoever was requisite to the satisfying of his Justice to the obtaining of pardon and to the saving of all his elect vers 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief all the devils in hell nor all the men upon earth could never have bruised or put to grief our Lord Jesus if it had not pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief he had never been bruised or put to grief O how should this work us to look upon sin with indignation Suppose a man should come to a Table and there should be a knife laid at his Trencher and it should be told him this is the very knife that cut the throat of your child or father if this person should use this knife as any other knife would not every one say Surely this man had but very little love to his father or his child who can use this bloody knife as any other knife So when you meet with any temptation to sin O then say This is the very knife that cut the throat of Jesus Christ that pierced his sides that was the cause of his sufferings and that made Christ to be a curse and accordingly let your hearts rise against it Ah how well doth it become Christians to look upon sin as that accursed thing that made Christ a curse and accordingly to abhorr it Oh with what detestation should a man fling away such a knife and with the like detestation should every Christian fling away his sins as Ephraim did his Idols Get you Hosea 14. 8. Isa 2. 20. cap. 30. 22. hence what have I any more to do with you Sin thou hast slain my Lord thou hast been the only cause of the death of my Saviour Let us say as David Is not this the 2 Sam. 23. 17. blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives so is not this the sin that poured out Christ's blood oh how should this enrage our hearts against sin because it cost Heb. 2. 10. the Captain of our salvation not the hazard but the very loss of his life God shewed Moses a tree wherewith he Exod. 15. 25. might make the bitter waters sweet but lo here is a tree wherewith ye may make the sweet waters of sin to become bitter Look upon the tree on which Christ was crucified remember his Cross and the pains he suffered thereon and the seeming sweetness that is in sin will quickly vanish when you are sollicited to sin cast your eye upon Christ's Cross remember his astonishing sufferings for sin and it will soon grow distasteful to your souls for how can that chuse but be hateful to us if we seriously consider how hurtful it was to Jesus Christ who can look upon the Cross of Christ and excuse his sin as Adam did saying The woman which thou gavest me she Gen. 3. 12. gave me of the tree and I did eat who can look upon the Cross of Christ and colour his sin as Judas did saying Hail Matth. 26. 49. Master who can look upon the Cross of Christ and deny his sin as Gehazi did saying Thy servant went no whither 2 Kings 5. 25. who can look upon the Cross of Christ and defend his sin as Jonah did saying I do well to be angry O sirs where is Jonah 4. 9. that hatred of sin that use to be in the Saints of old David could say I hate vain thoughts and I hate every false Psal 119 104 113 128. Rom. 7 15. way and Paul could say what I hate that do I. 'T is better saith one to be in hell with Christ than to be in heaven with sin O how odious was sin in the Saints eye The primitive Christians chose rather to be cast to Lyons without Ad leonem magis qnà m lemonem saith Tertullian than to be left to lusts within so great was their hatred of sin I had rather saith Anselm go to hell pure from sin than to heaven poluted with that guilt I will rather saith another leap into a Bonfire than wilfully to sin
off from the land of the living his life was taken from off the earth 3. As Acts 9. 33. Heb. 9. 14. 2 Pet. 3. 13 this Goat was not killed so Christ through the eternal Spirit offered up himself whereby he was made alive after death Though Christ Jesus died for our sins acording to his his Humanity yet death could not detain him nor overcome him nor keep him prisoner but by vertue of his impassible Deity he rises again and triumphs over Hos 13. 14. death and the grave and over principalities and powers Col. 2. 13. 4. As this Goat went into an inhabitable place so Christ went into heaven whither I go ye cannot come Christ Joh. 13. 33. speaks this not to exclude his Disciples out of heaven Vers 36. but only to shew that their entrance was put off for a time Saints must not expect to go to heaven and rest with Christ till they have fought the good fight of faith 2 Tim. â— 7 8. Heb. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 9 24. Act. 13. 30. finished their course run their race and served their generation Christ's own children by all their studies prayers tears and endeavours cannot get to heaven unless Joh. 14. 1 2 3. Christ come and fetches them thither Christ's own servants cannot get to heaven presently nor of themselves no more than the Jews could do Now if you please to cast your eye upon the Lord Jesus you will find and exact correspondency between the Type and the Antitype the one fully answering to the other Did they carry substitution in them that eminently was in Christ he indeed substituted himself in the sinners room he took our guilt upon him and put himself in our place and died in our stead he died that we might not die Whatever we should have undergone that he underwent in his body and soul he did bear as our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the punishments and torments that were due to us Christ's suffering dying satisfying in our stead is the great Article of a Christian's Faith and the main prop and foundation of the believers hope It is bottomed as an eternal and unmovable truth upon the sure Basis of the blessed Word Substitution in the case of the old sacrifices is not so evidently held forth in the Law but substitution with respect to Christ and his sacrifice is more evidently set forth in the Gospel Ponder seriously upon these Texts Rom. 5. 6. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly vers 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Herein God lays naked to us the tenderest bowels of his fatherly This shews us the greatness of mans sin and of Christs love of Satans malice and of Gods Justice and it shews us the madness and blindness of the Popish Religion which tellâ— us that some â—â—â— are so light â—enial as that the sprinkling of holy water and ashes will pâ—rge them away compassions as in an Anatomy There was an absolute necessity of Christ's dying for sinners for 1. God's Justice had decreed it 2. His Word had foretold it 3. The Sacrifices in the Law had prefigured it 4. The foulness of mans sin had dâ—served it 5. The Redemption of man called for it 6. The glory of God was greatly exalted by it So 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust To see Christ the just suffer in the stead of the unjust is the wonderment of Angels and the torment of Devils 1 Pet. 4. 1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh c. that is in the humane nature for the expâ—ation and taking away of our sins 1 Pet. 2. 21. Because Christ also suffered for us Joh. 10. 11. I lay down my life for the sheep this good Shepherd lays down life for life his own dear life for the life of his sheep Joh. 11. 50. Nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not that is rather than the whole nation should perish Caiaphas took it for granted that either Christ or their Nation must perish and as he foolishly thought that of two evils he designed the least to be chosen that is that Christ should rather perish than their Nation but God so guided his tongue that he unwittingly by the powerful instinct of the Spirit prophesied of the fruit of Christ's death for the reconciliation and salvation of the elect of God Heb. 2. 9. That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for every creature who all these be the Context sheweth 1. Sons that must be led unto glory ver 10. 2. Christ's Brethren ver 11. 3. Such children as are given by God unto Christ ver 13. In all which Scriptures the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used which most commonly notes substitution the doing or suffering of something by one in the stead and place of others and so 't is all along here to be taken But there is another preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that proves the thing I am upon undeniably Matth. 20. 28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministred unto Matth. 20. 28. but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Redemptory price a valuable rate for it was the Blood of God wherewith the Church was purchased 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave Acts 20. 28. himself a ransom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all the Greek word signifies a counterprice such as we could never have paid but must have remained everlasting prisoners to the wrath and justice of God O sirs Christ did not barely deliver poor captive souls but he delivered them in the way of a ransom which ransom he paid down upon the nail when their ransom was ten thousand talents Matth. 18. 24. and they had not one farthing to lay down Christ stand up in their room and pays the whole ransom Every one knows that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in composition signifies but two things â—ither opposition and contrariety or substitution and â—â—â—autation So that the matter will thus issue 1 Joh. 2. 18. Rom. 1â— 17. Matth. 5. 38. That eiâ—her we must carry it thus That Christ gave himself a ransom against sinners than which nothing can be more absurd and false or else thus That he gave himself a ransom in the room and stead of sinners which is as true as truth it self Certainly no head can invent no heart can conceive nor no tongue can express more clear plain pregnant and apposit words and phrases for the setting forth of Christ's substitution than is to be found in that golden Chapter of Isai 53. In this Chapter as in a holy Armory we