and wounded his soul and why should they be contentment to mine God forbid 3 Minde the desert of sin We must fear sin because it crushed Christ and the severe proceedings of God against it in Christ our surety Luke 23.31 If this be done in the green tree what will bee done in the dry Christ was the Green tree full of sap exceeding fruitful the true vine Joh. 15.1 the very embleme of fruitfulness yea the tree of life Rev. 2.7 yet this could not exempt him from his sharpest sufferings Christ was free from all sin in his nature the Devil himself could find nothing in him Joh. 8.46 but we have a World of wickedness in us Christ was full of righteousness Rom. 5.17 and wee full of wickedness yet God spared not his Son where shall wee ungodly and sinners appear Christ was the onely begotten and wee are in comparison strangers if hee had no tenderness to his Son what can his Slaves hope for Christ was both God and Man in personal Union strengthened by Angels yet what Agony what tears what conflicts did hee undergo wee are but stubble but a rotten stick fit fuel for everlasting burnings how shall wee stand in the day of tryal O it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 Oh that wee had hearts to apprehend the evil of sin before wee come to feel it Blessed are they that beleeve and fear and tremble and never experimentally know the vileness of sin God seeing the hardness of our hearts hath manifested the evil of sin by the sufferings of Christ a better argument then all the curses racks and torments of Hell it self could produce to demonstrate the dreadful nature of it This may convince the hardest hearts in the world and let the very godly themselves see that sin is more vile than ever they imagined it to bee 4 Know that sin will kill us as well as it killed Christ if wee prevent not the malignity of it Death is the proper wages of sin both the first and second death Object But a Childe of God is in no danger of sinning nor of eternal punishment Sol. Surely 't is true Doctrin that 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God Wee know how Churches have smarted for sin for little sins in the Worlds account The Jews cast off for unbeleef Saints corrected though not damned for sin the Church of Ephesus for forsaking her first love Laodicea for lukewarmness threatned to bee dis-Churched Add that Ezek. 9.6 the destroying Angel had a charge to begin at Gods sanctuary Yea many godly men smart for their boldness in sin here in this World Paul writes to Saints Rom. 8.13 and yet tells them If you live in the flesh yee shall dye and speaks not onely of a temporal but eternal death You will say 't is not possible for Saints to dye eternally I answer 't is as possible for Saints to dye eternally as to sin eternally Let all men look to it for sin continued in will certainly destroy all its practitioners Having therefore these considerations Let us dread to have any thing to do with sin This consideration is proposed to this very end Heb. 12.2 3. that the sight of what Christ endured by sin might make us constant and couragious in withstanding all the fiery darts of the Devil and declining every evil way striving against it unto blood vers 4. as Christ did to the very death not refusing the worst of sorrows The worst sorrow is better than the best sin to eschew the best of sins to part with your heart blood as well as your good names ease and profit if God call you to it Thus doth Peter argue 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh for us let us arm our selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that hee no longer should live the rest of his life in the flesh to the lusts of men c. The issue of the words is this The Faithful have Union and Communion with Christ and therefore they must bee conformable to Christ in Holinesse but must ceafe from sinne arguing thus That if wee have lost our head for sin it is not possible we should live in sin any longer but we have lost our head for sin Or thus All they dyed in Christ for sin for whose sin Christ dyed and they that dyed once for sin cannot sin any more If therefore thou continuest to sin how beleevest thou that Christ dyed for thee Let thy conscience bee the judge 3 Hath Christ loved us so dearly Christs death merits our love that merited heaven for us as to suffer such dreadful torments for us then what shall wee do for Christ O man return this day an Answer to the Lord what course thou wilt take to walk suitable to his kindness When David received a deliverance from God hee saies Psal 18.1 I will love thee dearly O Lord my strength God shewed him much love and hee intends to make a retaliation And indeed love is the Load-stone of love Never was such love shown as that of Christ Rev. 1.5 Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Eph. 5.2 Who gave himself for us his life and blood and all Yea hee parted with his fathers love which was a thousand times better than life for us Hee became accursed that might have been blessed Let us not bee scanty in our love to him but give him our heart both freely and liberally to the death his death well merits our love that merits heaven for us Where Christ hath laid such deep ingagements sleepy faint good wishes will not serve the turn Love in Christ was stronger than death 't is pitty that any cold velleities of love and service should bee our sacrifice All blessings of the World should endear us more and more to the Lord but oh what an Obligation should it bee that Christ became a Curse for us The very Master-piece of all mercies and blessings to the Elect yea it gives a sweet seasoning to all our blessings which have a Curse cleaving to them for all that are out of Christ turning all their sweet morsels into the poyson of Asps or into gravel Prov. 1.32 yea their prosperity is destructive Alas what are Riches and Accommodations and good fare when the Lord once charges Sin upon the conscience what is it to bee rich and reprobate to bee deliciously fed with the rich Glutton and a damned creature The World is a Prison and Riches are shakels Creatures are enemies all wee have is vanity and vexation of spirit all blessings turned into cursings Mercies are curses without Christs death yea and all Ordinances gifts parts duties c. without Christs blood are but carnal things You say how doth that appear why Eph. 1.3 those are alone spiritual
the intensnesse and strength of it that it was stronger than death and all this to wash us from our sins 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive wee the love of God because he laid down his life c. sustaining the pains of death Of what death the First and Second Death He washed us in his bloud from all the filthinesse of Hell and Death All the dunghills in the world cannot defile us as sin doth and it was the filth of sin that Christ's bloud washed us from Sin defiles the soul yea the whole man Matth. 15.19 You then that are beloved ones and washed can yee content your selves with a slight consideration of this What manner of love is this Qualis Quantus 1 Joh. 3.1 Ephes 3.18 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. Mark here is a thing that concerns all Saints and wee should labour for such might and strength as not only to apprehend in our minds but comprehend and lay hold upon all the measures of this love in our hearts and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge i. e. either all other knowledge or else all the knowledge of carnal persons or all the knowledge of the Saints in the perfection of it that is it is the most desirable blessing in the world to understand the love of Christ aright Wee can never know too much of this love What should this love work upon our hearts truly wee should bee rooted and grounded in love not only have some leaves of profession but be rooted and grounded in it and it may lye deep in our hearts as roots and foundations use to doe yea this love of the Lord Jesus must bear up all the bulke and wait of our Christian trials yea as a root feed and nourish other graces and holy indeavours in us Oh it is much to be lamented that so many have left their first love They are but few sure that have ever had any rooted or grounded love to Christ at all that is suitable to Gospel measure or rule Luk. 7.47 What is the Gospel measure of love A. Matth. 10.37 Hee that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me i. e. our love to Christ should exceed all other loves and affections in our hearts yea in comparison of Christ we should hate father and mother c. Luk. 14.26.33 wee should hate all forsake all so farre as they stand in competition with Christ or the things of Christ else we cannot be the Disciples of Christ Instr 4. Redeemed ones have great boldnesse towards God This may work in all redeemed ones a marvellous boldnesse towards God that which the Scripture often expresses Ephes 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse of accesse with confidence Heb. 10.19 Having boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus It is sweet and precious that we have Heb. 4.16 Let us goe with boldnesse to the Throne of grace c. i. e. to Christ our High Priest hee hath set up a Mercy-seat for us And is that all Nay but saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Wee are come to God the Judge of all and we are come to the Seat of Justice and wee may in an humble boldnesse plead the justice of God and say Lord who art the Judge of all doe mee justice thou art just and therefore the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Oh ponder and take again upon thy heart the meaning of this it is not only that hee may bee merciful and gracious and the Justifier of beleevers though that bee a sweet and precious truth too to be beleeved and rejoyced in but it is that hee may bee just Oh beloved this is the very quintessence of faith when as the beleever by faith shall present unto God the Father the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for satisfaction for sins and goe to him with a full price in his hand and current pay and to say as they doe in dealing here is one and there is t'other and this is not bare distributive but commutative justice between God and man where there is not only Geometrical but Arithmetical proportion that is weight for weight and measure for measure is observed Oh then tender all the pay together all the obedience of Christ active and passive tender we to the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of Christ it is such a jewel as exceeds our sins infinitely though they have been very many and great Gods justice shall be no loser by us at all and let poor beleevers incourage and embolden their hearts with this Luther was bold when he prayed thus not only Fiat voluntas tua but Fiat voluntas mea not only let thy will be done but let my will be done and it was but the confidence of faith upon this ground we are speaking of Oh beloved the world will account this malepertnesse to come thus before God that they are more bold than welcome but they are strangers to these things and to all that liberty we have in Christ Gal. 2.4 It would be sauciness indeed for those that are out of Christ to approach at any time on this manner to God but let the Children take this as the daily portion of the Childrens bread and it is no wrong to that text 1 Joh. 1.9 to take it in this sense If we confess our sins he is just for Christs sake to forgive us our sins nor to that 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse Inst Adore the righteousnesse of God in all his wayes 5. If God be thus just exactly just in the justification of a Sinner let us learn to acknowledge and adore the righteousness of God in all his wayes Psal 145.17 If his mercy doth not pardon one sin but in a course of justice through the death of Christ then doubtlesse the Justice of God will not be bafled or turned aside in the managing other matters in the world The light of Nature sees nothing but mercy in this case but the light of Grace sees Gods justice also So that though God deals otherwise many times in many things than we could have expected or can see a reason of yet he is always just and holy in his proceedings and it is not enough for us to acknowledge the righteousnesse and holinesse of God in some of his ways and works or in his ways towards others and not towards our selves and in his dealing with some persons and not with all but wee must justifie the Lord in our hearts and words always in all things toward all in all the ways of his providences in his afflicting the godly as well as punishing the wicked Ezra 9.13 yea in the prosperity of the wicked In his great Counsels of Election and Reprobation in the rejection of the Jews c. of which when Paul had spoken Rom. 11. he
and disanul in their thoughts and apprehensions the Justice of God as though it were altogether Heterogeneal Heterodox and impertinent to the mystery of the Gospel Now I beseech you that yee would bee convinced of this whatsoever yee forget that there is more of the justice of God declared and demonstrated in the Gospel and Gospel mysteries thereof than there is in the Law I might tell you of those dreadful Threatnings against them that sin against the Gospel See Heb. 2.2 3. Heb. 10.26 27. Heb. 12.25 where there is a far heavier punishment denounced against the Gospel sins and sinners than there ever was against the transgressions or transgressors of the Law and if wee look into Examples it is true that there were heavy punishments inflicted in the times of the Old Testament as the drowning of the whole World the destruction of Sodome and Jerusalem yea take in the rejection of the evil Angels yet none of all these were comparative to the example in the text and Heb. 1. Christ is set above the Angels and hath a name above every name yet even upon him Divine Justice hath passed never any Justice was like this yet this must go for Gospel-justice yea this is the end of all that grace that the Lord hath shewed in the Gospel and in the death of Christ it is for the demonstration of the Justice of God yea the indispensable Justice of God The Lord would convince all the World in the Tenor of the Gospel how terrible his Justice and his Wrath is That is very remarkable Rom. 1.17 18. That in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Even since that in the same Gospel The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodliness of men c. why but was not Gods Wrath revealed in the Old Testament Truely the Text shews that it was never so cleared and demonstrated before Now let mee adde this that the Text holds forth in those words at this time what time was that time but the time of the Gospel whereby the Spirit of God intimates that there would bee mighty need and more than ever in the secure times of the Gospel that the Justice of God should bee manifested now many will think that since the death of Christ nothing but the Grace of God should bee heard of and that it would be accounted Legal Preaching to tell the people of the Justice of God but even at this time behold I say in these wanton times of the Gospel behold that God would have his justice declared more than ever in former times and say not that in the Gospel times this justice as executed onely upon Christ is declared for though that bee true in regard of the members of Christ yet doubtlesse as for others no doubt but the state of Chorazin and Bethsaida Tyre and Sidon is far worse than the state of unbeleevers and impenitent persons in the times of the Old Testament I do willingly receive and imbrace the difference betwixt the Law and Gospel held forth by the Protestant divines that free grace and remission of sins is promised and bestowed in the Gospel upon all beleevers Joh 3.16 which the Law strictly taken mentions not yet the contempt or neglect of this grace being a greater sin than any other must needs bring an heavier weight of justice upon them that are guilty thereof Let all this serve to rectify our judgement concerning the main Scope of the Gospel which is not onely to set forth Gods infinite grace in Christ but also to demonstrate his justice against sin Vse 3. The grounded security of the faithful Instruction It may shew us the impregnable and grounded security of the faithful and the strongest foundation of assurance that I know of in the whole book of God that is in short the infinite love of God in Christ that follows necessarily upon this demonstration of his justice in the death of Christ If that the Lord had forgiven sinners without any more adoe of his meer will and Grace without any price or ransome this easy way of forgiveness prated of by the Socinians and Carnal Gospellers would in no sort have so declared or demonstrated the infinite love of God to the Elect as this doth that when as God the Father without violence and wrong to his just and holy nature I may speak it with reverence could not pardon one sin by his grace yet in his admirable wisdome and grace hee hath been at that cost to give his Sons blood to bee a ransome for sin that justice may have its due course This is the meaning of that vers 24. wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ this is admirable grace and free grace indeed All the Angels in Heaven and men on earth may bee astonished at this Oh! how exceeding pretious were our sinful souls to the Lord our God that they should bee valued at such a price by the Lord himself when as the Son of God himself was valued but at thirty peeces of silver by sinful men there was never such a price as this given for any creature besides and never such a love as this that either would or could be at this cost Object It is prophanely and wickedly objected by Hereticks in this case that if Christ dyed for sinners then the Sons love to us far exceeded the Fathers love the Father deals rigorously with sinners but the Son laies down his life for them God the fathers love to the faithful in scripture expressions and divers effects so all the Love is in the Son and not in the father Answ In the general the love of all the Divine persons is infinite and the same and therefore cannot admit degrees let us therefore abhor all such odious comparisons More particularly to root out all such evil surmises see what course the Scripture takes to discover the Fathers love in this whole mystery which is by all means to bee acknowledged and adored 1 There is the Fathers eternal Purpose and Decree to save a certain number of faln man-kinde and to redeem them from destruction which is called his so loving of them Joh. 3.16 2 There is the Fathers love in sending of his Son to take flesh upon him 1 Joh. 4.9 10. herein is the love of God manifested that he sent his Son into the World c. 3 There is the Fathers commandement given to his Son to dye for his Elect thus the Son himself acknowledgeth Joh. 10.18 I have power to lay down my life and power to take it up This commandement have I received of my father 4 God the Father therefore loves his Son because hee laid down his life Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life 5 God the Father is pleased to reveal this grace in the Gospel and the ministry thereof 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath
part of the World have quite mistook it and where there is any discovery of it infinite errors have been broached with it And the heart of man turns and windes under it not being able to close with the way of it Bee cautelous therefore and know That there is no true Justification but what Centers in Christ Act. 4.12 There is no Salvation not a jot in any other for there is none other Name given under Heaven God the Father gave no other way nor Name Therefore no other Way nor Name can possibly bee found out Redemption was alone by Christs blood Eph. 1.7 Hee is made our redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Hee shall give his Life Matth. 20.28 This is the great Lesson to learn Christ your satisfaction to the Father Now then as a poor man asks his Friends how hee shall pay his debts fears the Creditor will come to clap him up in Gaol and there hee must lye and dye because hee cannot pay as that complaint is 2 King 4.1 so ask you what you shall do to bee saved where you shall find a Ransome your soules are deeply indebted and you have not to pay Mat. 18.25 and the Creditor is coming hastily upon you O bee not more careful to save your bodies out of Prison than your souls out of Hell Lay hold on Christ who alone is Current mony and full satisfaction Quest But how shall we compass this satisfaction of Christ and comfort by it Answ You must do as the poor bankrupt doth First to get him a surety to undertake the debt Secondly to gain to himself an Acquittance under hand and zeal Get Christ to bee thy surety and an Acquittance written with his blood Now an Acquittance is derived by the Lawyers from the word quietantia an old barbarous term but very significant which when once it is got the Debtor is then at rest No suits in Law nor brangling controversies can bee maintained any longer against him for hee hath his quietus est a free and full discharge Plead for this from God and that from the beginning of the world to this day For Adam left his posterity in debt This Acquittance is nought else but what Paul speaks of Rom. 5.1 Peace in Conscience arising from Christs satisfaction for our sins And that you may attain this surety and Acquittance 1 Consider the necessity and worth of Justification It is the Justification of Life yee are dead without it Rom. 5.18 And having obtained it you are fit for any thing for glory whom hee justified hee glorified Rom. 8.30 Enoch had this testimony that hee pleased God Heb. 11.5 then was hee fit for Heaven Fit to bee a teacher of others Isaiah cries now send mee when his sins were pardoned But without it you are fit for nothing If Death arrests you how will you scramble for Bail how will you wish you had pleased God how unfit to go off the world O leave not that to the last gaspe that should bee done first Thou mayest bee great and rich and honourable and yet not fit to live nor to dye but he that is justified is fit for both 2 Highly esteem the Ransome It was no less than the blood of God that ransomed you And if things are to bee esteemed by what they cost nothing is more precious than this Ransome And accordingly the Apostle valued it Phil. 3.8 9. hee accounted all the worlds glory but Dirt and dung in comparison And desired to abandon all knowledge that hee might know Christ and him crucified How highly doth hee prize 1 Cor. 2.2 Christ not glorified but Crucified mainly intending to preach that Hence the whole work of the Ministery is called Preaching the Cross 1 Cor. 1.18 In a word the greatest love that God ever shewed to man and the greatest blessing man ever attained to it is this satisfaction of Christ Love with an affix 1 Joh. 4.10 3 Consider the lenity and difficulty of the satisfaction God would not have sent his Son if all the world could have made satisfaction Isa 53.10 11. Hee shall see of the travel of his soul and bee satisfied Hee saw the pay was current the travel of his soul to wit all the sufferings of Christ gave him satisfaction What need Christ take such pains if any else could do it It cost not Christ half so much pains to make the world Psal 33.9 10. Hee spake the word and it was done c. This work of satisfaction made him sweat drops of blood 4 Receive an unlimited Christ and entertain him in all his Offices Receive his person first and then his benefits Joh. 1.12 as many as received him c. Receive him and then his adoption and satisfaction Let him bee King as well as Priest Luke 19.27 Take him as a sanctifier as well as a Saviour Accept his Majesty as well as his Mercy Take Holiness as well as Happiness from him Let the water of regeneration bee welcome with the blood of Justification And that with speed for Luke 14.24 if you come not when invited you may never bee welcome The Israelites that denied to enter Canaan when God offered it Heb. 4.1 had never after an opportunity Francis Spira under dreadful torture pittifully lamented that now God would not give him one motion of his blessed Spirit more many of which he slighted before If therefore you minde eternity and have any care of your souls or any respect to Christ or fear of God if heaven bee worth having give Christ entertainment in all his Offices Use 4. Comfort to all that are in Christ Comfort to sincere Christians that your ransome is paid Lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draws nigh 1 Consider your sins are satisfied to the full Poor bankrupt souls have all Bills and bonds and hand-writings that are against them cancelled Col. 2.14 Davids prayer is answered all his Transgressions are blotted out Psal 51.12 Oh what joy what contentation should display its triumph in the heart The discharge of sin is another gates thing than all other discharges The Debt is greater the Creditor more dreadful the Gaol more horrible the Gaoler more cruel and the satisfaction fuller then men ever felt or found Your Moralists say It is the hardest of all satisfactions for an Inferiour to satisfy a Superiour in point of honour If hee had injured him in his goods satisfaction might have been made but what will hee do here will hee submit to him that hee ought alwaies to do Will hee do it by his goods no a good name is better than Riches Prov. 22.1 Sin violated Gods Justice and affronted his God-head For every sin is a kinde of Dei cidium a murthering of God Hence men are called God-haters Rom. 1.30 but hee that hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 Joh. 3.15 so is hee that hateth God And indeed hee doth kill God as to himself for as the Sun though it cannot lose its light yet is utterly eclipsed as to
have destroyed Christ had not the sins of the elect met on him 2 The killing Christ is a farre fouler bloud-guiltinesse than ever David incurred than to kill an only Son or to murther a Josiah a King a godly King for this is the crucifying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 and may therefore well be lamented 3 The love we owe and bear to Christ for his unparallel'd condescentions to make us heirs of glory should engage our hearts to weep for his death as he did for Lazarus's death Joh. 11.35 56. which the Jewes took notice of to be the probate of his love Behold how he loved him Thus Christ imputes the repenting tears of that sinful woman Luke 7.47 to love Christs great graciousnesse makes the most stony heart to lament its provocations 4 The sense of our dreadful and undone estate that needed the death of Christ to establish a Covenant of Grace with us should provoke us to bee in bitternesse as God expects Ezeck 16.62 63. And I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. 5 The Spirit of grace and supplication is now poured forth into the soul and that Spirit is a spirit of Lamentation and works and continues a broken and contrite spirit in all that receive it as it did in those Converts Acts 2.37 Pricking them to the heart for all their wrongs and injuries put upon Christ for embruing their hands in his precious bloud Look back therefore upon thy pleasure that thou hast taken in sin and with what greedinesse thou hast committed it and compare them with Christs sufferings and what hee deserved at thy hands that it may break thy heart as it did Davids 2 Sam. 12.7 8. when hee had long lain in a slumbering condition and God told him how much he had done for him wondring that after so much love he should despise his Commandements and make so wretched a requital How doth he cry out upon his sins vers 13. and loathes himself Obj. But a Christian should rejoyce in the Crosse of Christ how then comes it to be the object of sorrow Sure Paul thought otherwise Gal. 6.14 Sol. How the Crosse is a ground of rejoycing as well as of mourning It is true Christs Crosse is a ground of rejoycing as well as a ground of sorrow Of sorrow in respect of that hand we had in his death the wounds which our sins gave him the hard dealing and unkind requital he hath received for all his love Of joy in respect of the benefits and good we receive by his death Let us therefore maintain a spring of godly sorrow for our sins and streams of joy for the blessings we receive by him which is the true eating the Passeover with bitter Herbs Exod. 12.8 Also making confession of their sins Levit. 16.21 The Papists have a seeming practice of this duty keeping Good-friday in penance and lamentation setting up a Crucifix before them and zealously hating the Jewes for putting Christ to death but think not of their own sins that they had a hand in it To whom Christ might justly say as to the Women weeping at his Crosse Luk. 23 28. O yee daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves for your sins whereby you have wounded me which is the duty of every Christian 2 Upon the consideration of Christs extream sufferings for Sin the Members of Christ are pressed hard Christs members should hate sin to hate every evil way and to shun all sin for ever 1 Because it was one end of Christs crucifying To hate sin is the end of Christs death that sin and the flesh should be crucified Gal. 5.24 that They that are Christs have crucified the flesh understanding by the flesh the corruption of Nature with the affections and lusts of it Christs members should pluck up the very roots of sin the very inward lusts that grow in the heart Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that is the whole corruption of Nature may be killed by the death of Christ yet not so farre as to free us from all sin but that we might not serve sin or obey it in the lusts thereof For this cause did Christ bear our sin upon the Crosse That we being dead unto sin might live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 That is that we should behave our selves like dead men not to be moved nor inticed to sin For first this was the end which God propounded to himself in his Sons death to destroy sin Wee must be very careful how we frustrate the end of God in our giving way to sin Secondly Christ hath by his death merited the death of sin and so we are said to dye with Christ and so bee freed from sin Rom. 6.7 Thirdly adde to this the efficacy of Christs death which works the ruine of sin in all his members Hence Phil. 3.10 wee read of a power and force in the death of Christ to make us conformable to his death while his Spirit is killing sin in us So that Christs death hath no comfort for them that hate not sin 2 Our sin killed Christ We must hate sin because it killed Christ if then wee have any love to Christ wee must needs kill sin Psal 97.10 Yee that l ve the Lord hate evil The Love of Christ constraineth us to it 2 Cor. 5.14 The law of Nature makes a man that hee cannot indure the sight of one that hath killed his father or his dear Friend but his very heart will rise against him and hee cannot choose but follow the Law upon him to the utmost to hang him if all the law in the World will do it And can wee bee so unnatural that sin should destroy our dearest Saviour and we not be avenged upon it How should wee bee transported with Indignation at sin that brought on our Redeemer the pains both of the first and second death Then let us pursue our sins with all possible detestations if wee let them go wee are no Friends to Christ Let us stab them to the heart till they bleed their last that drew the blood of Christ Let them never come to any Sanctuary or City of refuge but as Avengers of that precious blood let us leave sin no shift no way to escape Let us say to them as David to the young man that told him hee had slain Saul 2 Sam. 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to stretch out thy hand to destroy the Lords annointed and David commanded him strait to bee slain do thou likewise Reason thus also against all temptations these sins were the death of my Saviour and why should they bee my delight They pierced his hands and feet
blessings that are given us in Christ Yea they are dead and deadly things without Christ for the letter killeth 'T is his Divine power that sets all a work 2 Pet. 1.3 Let us then fix our thoughts therefore on Christs sufferings not onely now and then giving them a slight glance or two as they come in our way Let us dwell on the Meditation of his infinite love till our hearts are warmed and inlarged by it till it kindles heavenly affections in us till his love constrains us to every good duty 2 Cor. 5.14 'T is that the greatest part of the World never knew God hath not shewed his love to all people Let Christs love therefore work love in thee out-biding all other loves Matth. 10.37 to hate the very best things in nature in comparison of Christ yea our love to Christ should make us bold to attempt anything commanded by him So it wrought in Paul Act. 21.13 I am ready to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus And if any man love him not saith Paul 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him bee accursed till the Lord come 4 Let this Argument inforce brotherly love 'T is the Holy Ghosts own inference We cannot bestow our love better than on them whom Christ loves 1 Joh. 4.11 If Christ so loved us wee ought to love one another For wee ought to love them best that Christ loved best Wee cannot bestow our affections better than where Christ hath bestowed his Now Christ hath bestowed his dearest bowels on the Saints so also ought we to bee tender of each other Far be it from any Christian to bee of the mind of Josephs brethren to hate him the more because their Father Jacob loved him or because the Saints have more grace or more infirmities than our selves They must bee loved for their Fathers sake though they should give us some cause to slight them Christs Propitiation THE TENTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Whom God hath set forth a Propitiation I Have spoken of the Redemption and Satisfaction of Christ and the fulness of that satisfaction Now of the efficacy thereof which is expressed in the word propitiation together with the efficient cause thereof i.e. God the Father and his manner of working in the word set forth Propitiation signifies the Lords Reconciliation to sinners by way of Sacrifice Heb. 2.17 Propitiation what it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is said to bee a merciful High-Priest in things pertaining unto God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Where the Verb of which the word in the Text comes is used It belonged to the Priest when the people had sinned to make reconciliation for them to God by way of sacrifice as often in Levit. 5. 6. for which end God appointed certain expiatory sacrifices in the time of the Law the beast must dye instead of the sinner And this doth singularly set forth and express both the Priestly Office of Christ that it belongs to him and him onely to make an attonement and that by way of Sacrifice and oblation to God So Levit. 23.27 28. Propitiation is also often used for the Mercy Seat Heb. 9.5 referring to Exod. 25.17 18 21 22. which Mercy Seat covered the Ark of the Testimony wherein were put the two tables of the Law and there saith God I will meet thee I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from between the two Cherubims for all things that I will give thee in commandement unto the children af Israel Where wee may consider 1 That as the Mercy Seat covered the Tables of the Law from the face of God dwelling between the Clâ—â—ruâ—ims aboue the Ark So Christ doth cover the transgressions of both the Tables of the Law from the face of God that hee should not behold sin so as to impute it to the faithful Thus 1 Joh. 2.2 2 The Mercy Seat was the place where God used to meet his people and to shew himself reconciled to them 3 There they might consult with God in their straights 4 That over against the Mercy Seat the Priest went daily to offer sacrifice Heb. 9.6 So that in this word is contained both the means appointed for the attonement i.e. The Sacrifice of Christ and also the Lords reconcilement unto the persons of his people 5 The Mercy Seat contained the Law so doth Christ all our righteousnesse 6 It was interposed betwixt the Testimony and the Lord so is Christ betwixt God and our sins Doct. Through the sacrifice of Christs blood the Father is pacified That through the Sacrifice of Christ God is pacified and appeased with all those that have fellowship with Christ 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Christ is called our propitiation in the abstract Signifying that all which is requisite to pacify Gods anger against us is laid up in Christ and his Death there needeth nothing more but onely the pleading of his merit with the Father which also Christ himself doth as our Advocate 1 Joh. 4.10 God sent his Son to bee the propitation for our sins 1 Thess 1.10 Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him This was typified by all the Sacrifices from the beginning of the World All the vertue in them was by vertue of Christs death Heb. 10.4 The death of a beast could not suffice by way of Exchange for the death of a man If a subject should bee a Traytor to his Sovereign would the King take his Cattels life for his much less then can the wrath of God bee appeased with the blood of beasts It is onely by Christs death Rom. 5.1 Matth. 3.17 Eph. 1.6 Luk. 2.14 The Mercy Seat was called the Propitiatory as here Christ is called the Propitiation No propitiation was by the Mercy Seat without blood Heb. 9.7 thus sweetly prefiguring the satisfaction of Jesus Christ Quest Wherein stands this pacifying of Gods anger Answ There be three things implyed in it 1 The wrath of God before to bee kindled against sinners Rom. 3.5 2 That the effects of his anger in punishment and judgements are hanging over the sinners head 3 It doth mainly import the turning away of those judgements and the quenching of that wrath with the exemption and delivery of the sinner there-from All which wee finde Col. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated c. So Isa 59.2 compared with Eph. 2.13 Quest How God is pacified toward them whom he loved eternally How can God bee said to bee pacified towards them that have fellowship with Christ seeing that undoubtedly God loved them from all eternity Answ 1 Eph. 2.3 whatever wee are by grace yet by Nature wee are children of wrath Or as the Apostle Rom. 11.8 Concerning the Gospel they are enemies but as touching Election they are beloved for the Fathers-sake So indeed Gods chosen being yet in a natural estate they are enemies to God and God is an enemy to them in regard of
you goe to your rules of constructions and expound the dealings of God with you Yea it is well if a spirit of utter despair and horror and astonishment do not then seize upon thee As it is said of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37 38. Deut. 28.28 6 When that we doe make inquiry at the hearing of the Word God will take it well at our hands and when troublesome times doe come we shall have the lesse to doe and not find them troublesome So Hab. 2.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottennesse entred into my bones that I might rest in the day of trouble Thus Josiah 2 Chron. 34.21 22. with the following verses 7 It is a condition extreamly dangerous for a man to continue in sin with a senslesse spirit as Isa 42.24 25. Jer. 23.18 19 20. There is no such fire as the fire of Gods anger kindled against a Nation or person Joel 2.3 A fire devoureth before and behind a flame burneth the Land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate Wildernesse and nothing shall escape So Deut. 32.22 23. Obj. But I feel no such thing as this scorching heat and wee hope that though Ministers preach and Scriptures threaten yet I hope God will be better than his word Ans Yea then see Isa 31.2 Hee is wise and will bring evil and not call back his word but will arise against the house of evil doers and against the help of them that work iniquity The Lord hath forsaken the generation of his wrath Jer. 7.29 What though thou dost not yet feel it yet consider what Elihu saith to Job Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroak then a great ransome cannot deliver thee will he esteem thy riches or all the forces of strength The greatest calmes doe usually goe before the greatest stormes 1 Thess 5.3 4. doe not thou therefore rest secure upon vain hopes and thoughts without full inquiry what thy estate is whether this wrath doth not burn against thee The World is at peace with me and my Neighbours are at peace with me but is the living God at peace with me Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is a messenger of death but a wise man will pacifie it When but Ahasnerosh was angry against Haman what became of him Hest 7.7 What then would the wrath of the King of Kings be Who can cast body and soul into hell Mat. 12.28 How we may know that wee are delivered from the wrath of God Quest How shall we come to attain to this knowledge of our state Ans 1. Beware of judging love or hatred by all these outward things Eccles 9.1 2. The richnesse of the lading doth not shew the goodnesse of the Vessel the more weighty the lading is the more danger if it bee put into a rotten leakie ship So are this worlds goods when it is put into a rotten heart Prosperity is not a certain argument of Gods love neither on the other side is adversity a sure note thereof Thou mayest understand much by the dictate and verdict of thine own Conscience especially being inlightned and awakned 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God The Lord hath appointed the Conscience as his Vicegerent in every mans heart that keeps a register yea a diary of all that passes The Gentiles had this Rom. 2.14 15. now the conscience witnesseth not alone but together with God Rom. 9.1 Thus Shimei was privie to his own wickednesse 1 King 2.44 And Balshazzar Dan. 5.5 6. though that hee understood not the writing yet horror seized upon him his Conscience telling him that he was naught and God was angry with him You shall not need to climbe unto Heaven to know this but descend into your own hearts The Conscience of man is that candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 This discovers the works of darknesse as Lying Swearing Adultery Cousenage Drunkennesse c. Jer. 17.1 and to despise this is to despise God and his wrath kindled against the soul and if thou dost shuffle over matters now there is a day coming when thy Conscience will not be shuffled off This notary hath taken notice of thy most secret faults 1 Cor. 2.11 thus the Church confesses Isa 59.12 Our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them When Conscience doth therefore admonish of any sin doe not say to it as David to Joab 2 Sam. 11.25 Let not this trouble thee it is as the common chance of men This sin troubled David with a witnesse afterwards Now hee slighted it but afterwards he did sink under it and was troubled as Psal 38.4 to vers 9. so if thou doest not observe its admonitions now it will upbraid thee afterwards as Reuben Gen. 42.21 Did not I say unto you sin not 3 Come to the clearest light of the Word of God Joh. 3.21 He that doth the truth comes to the light c. Bee yee not as Batts and Owls that decline the light this will bee a lamp to thy feet and a lauthorn to thy paths Psal 119.105 that will keep thee from falling and discover thy filthinesse to thee and shew thee the way to purge it whatever thy estate bee it will doe thee good 4 Consider it is most certain that all that are children of men are children of wrath Ephes 2.3 This was thy condition from the Wombe and doe not stand to plead that thou art born in faederal holinesse for this doth not exempt any soul from being a childe of wrath Phil. 3.5 Paul had faederal holinesse he was circumsized the eighth day an Hebrew of the Hebrews yet born a childe of wrath Neither was it his state alone but every ones that hath the nature of man And if I be born so I still am so unlesse I can shew that I am delivered from it yea I have brought more wrath upon my soul by every sin I have committed Numb 32.14 Rom. 2.5 when it was told that there was but one Traytor among the Disciples they all enquired Lord is it I Matth. 26.22 But we are all under wrath Those that are disaffected to the word Rom. 8.7 Jer. 6.10 They that pray not nor regard God Jer. 10. ult Eph. 5.6 Scorners Prov. 3.24.19.29 therefore let not Satan put it away from us neither suffer wee our hearts to return and goe off this consideration until they have brought in a deliberate answer unto this 5 See whether you have ever had this propitiation or no. You see there is but one means to appease wrath it is the Wrath of God and therefore infinite and none but a sacrifice of infinite value can appease it And this being grounded in our very nature it is impossible that any meer creature can turn it away It is Christs peculiar Quest How may we know that Christ hath done it Ans See whether Christs propitiation hath changed thy nature yea or not and thou art a
so prosperous as a pardoned estate And this right use of pardon stands in deep humility and abasement of our selves Ezek. 16.63 That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. 2 Another use of it is in vigilancy and watchfulnesse at all times and in all places against sin Psal 85.8 3 In a resolved care and conscience of obedience for the time to come Jerem. 31.33 38. 4 To love God so much the more as the poor woman Luke 7.47 Now I come to shew you how farre a Christian ought to goe in comforting his soul about the forgivenesse of his sin 1 A beleever holding his integrity should never conceive How farre a beleever ought not to charge his soul with sin or let his heart be perswaded that any of all his sins shall ever bring guilt upon him so as to cause Gods revenging justice to bind him over to wrath If any one shall doe so hee sins and bears false witnesse against God and his own Soul It is one thing to say we are worthy to bee condemned and another thing to say or think we shall be condemned indeed For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. Rom. 8.1 because Christ hath condemned their sin sins guilt is on them as the Viper on Pauls hand which he soon shook off without any hurt Or like the Lions in the Den where Daniel was cast who though they were hungry God shut their mouthes and they had no power on Daniel Dan. 6.22 25. but when they who caused Darius to make the Decree were cast in the Lions tare them suddenly in pieces before they came to the ground Just so it is with the sins of the faithful and the sins of wicked men and unbeleevers the sins of the faithful though they are of a killing and Lion-like nature for the wages of every sin in it self is death yet the Lord Jesus in the behalf of beleevers stops the Lions mouthes and takes away the guilt and the condemning power of it so that it cannot hurt them But when it meets with an unbeleever it soon slayes him Psal 34.21 Evil shall slay the wicked yea sin shall lye at his door Gen. 4.7 the filthinesse of the unclean person shall devoure him the disobedience of the stubborn shall plague him the pride of the haughty and scorner shall rend the very caul of his heart one day c. but so it is not with poor beleevers though their sin hath teeth and jaws and power to make them worthy of condemnation yet it shall never be able to fasten condemnation on them 2 Every faithful soul is bound to perswade his heart that God doth not nor ever will charge any one sin upon him He will never follow the Law upon him here for his hurt curse or mischief in this life God may indeed hide his face from him and write bitter things against him and deal with him as an angry Father with a disobedient Childe but will never prosecute him at his Law as an enemy or Judge but a beleever may say with holy Job chap. 13.15 Though hee stay me I will put my trust in him because he sees no iniquity in Jacob Numb 23.22 What is that Not to trouble you with the delusions of the Familists the meaning is that the Lord takes no notice of the sins of his Israel to impute them or to punish them but only to pardon cover and cure them Isa 53.6 all the sins of beleevers meet in Christ as in the center like so many Diameters of a Circle or as all the Rivers meet in the Sea so all the Sins of beleevers on Christ in the full punishment and curse of them Therefore let every beleever make conscience to consider what God hath revealed in the Promise and take heed that you make not God a Lyar and be sure that you are discharged from all your sins by Christ but let not any unbeleever or prophane person meddle with this priviledge for he hath no part or fellowship with it they shall bear their own drunkennesse scorning Sabbath-breaking and all manner of prophanenesse the Devil is let loose iniquity is upon them and the flying roul of Curses and Divine vengeance is gone forth against them They have sinned and be sure their sin will find them out Num. 32.23 as a Bloud-hound findes out a Thief But you that are beleevers glorifie the name of Christ and his Death and I charge you take heed what you say or think in this case as though God would avenge himself on you or deal with you as an enemy 3 Every true beleever should exempt his soul from any fear of the charge of any sin upon it by any accuser in this world so as to break off the love of God in Christ from him Famous is that bold challenge of Paul Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect be it Devil or World or Conscience there is nothing can be of such force and power as to affright us as though wee might fall from the love of God whereby hee hath loved us in Christ Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace c. 4 A beleever should take heed of speaking or thinking that God is so displeased with him as to neglect him reject him or forget him for his sins Isa 40.27 28. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord c. Isa 49.14 Sion said God hath forsaken mee c. yea though he should fall into some foul sin yet hee should not conceive his condition hopelesse and helplesse 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Psal 130.3 though he must see that he repent and bee suitably humbled for such falls but this is his comfort when hee falls he shall arise not perish-through hardnesse and impenitency but be raised by true remorse hearty sorrow and humiliation for his sins or any one in particular that he hath fallen by Vse 4. It is exhortation to the performance of several duties about or concerning the pardon of our sins 1 Wee should learn from hence highly to esteem the pardon and forgivenesse of our sins for these grounds 1 Because it is a peculiar property of God A property of God to forgive sin belonging to the Lord alone to forgive sin that is expressed in the text in these words through the forbearance of God forbearance and remission belong only to the Lord as his Prerogatives royal Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Isa 47.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions c. Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity c. Oh! there is an infinite evil in sin and therefore requires an infinite power to remove it Hence it is made an argument of the God-head of Christ to forgive sin Matth.
are the more blinded and hardned by the means and grow worse and worse and never beleeve and never are justified and therefore were never elected For the love of God remember this that obdurate and continued unbelief under the means of Grace is a very Brand-mark of a Reprobate Dreadful is that place 2 Co. 4.4 5. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that be lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeve not And remember Joh. 10.26 Obj. 1. But such as these have many good parts good knowledge judgement memory skill in Arts and Tongues Orthodox in Religion yea it may bee just in their dealings live peaceably with their neighbours repair to Ordinances diligently full of good works of mercy courteous and loving in their behaviour c. will you not say that such as these are elected Ans This I will say that these things will not prove to our hearts that we are gone beyond the state of Reprobates Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Righteousness is unto all and upon all that beleeve but upon none else though Parts Gifts outward conformity and many other natural and moral Excellencies may bee in whom Christs righteousness is not witnesse Judas the Pharisees and others Object 2. But God can do much and save mee at last Answ But thou must look to the ordinary and ordinate power of God which works suitably to his will yea his revealed will and that is not to save but by faith 1 Pet. 1.5 True the absolute power of God can do much but it doth not cross his secret determination or revealed purpose for end or means and God hath sworn that an unbeleever shall not enter into his rest Heb. 3.11 18. and is it possible God should be forsworn Object But many gracious Promises are made by God Answ See for that Heb. 4.1 2. And fear lest a Promise being made c. you come short of it c. Object But I may beleeve hereafter and so have Gods righteousness imputed to me and this will be an evidence of Gods Election in me Answ I will not deny that for otherwise it were clear that thou art a reprobate and the Gospel should no more be preached to thee than to the Devils But let mee tell thee thus much it is a very sad condition for any one long to stand out under powerful means in unbeleef and a deadly Symptome As it is in a disease wherein the strongest medicines have been applyed yet work no cure but the disease grows worse and worse It is a strong presumption that such a disease will never bee healed Jerem. 51.9 Wee would have healed Babylon but shee is not healed forsake her c. Prov. 29.1 Hee then being often reproved c. The Jews among whom our Saviour had Preached and wrought many miracles beleeved not because Isaiah had said Hee hath blinded their eies c. Joh. 12.37 39. So it is with some that stand out long under the means that they are blinded and hardened to their destruction However it is a grievous condition for any poor soul to live in the want of the comfort of Gods eternal election as every unbeleever doth Use 3. It is unspeakable comfort to a true Beleever Hee may hence undoubtedly conclude these things 1 That Christs righteousness is imputed to him 2 That hee is eternally elected 3 That hee shall never lose his faith or the righteousnesse received 4 That hee is no less justified or righteous than any of the faithful from the beginning It is true a weaker measure of faith doth less firmly apprehend this benefit but it doth as truely belong to one beleever as another and there is a double certainty one of the Object and as in the particulars named 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure And there is a certainty of the Subject that is the Minde and Heart of the Beleever this is often shaken in the Faithful with Doubts and Fears and Carnal Cavils but it is to bee striven against and every one that beleeves in Truth and knows it ought as certainly to conclude with himself that his sins are forgiven him and righteousness is imputed unto him as hee ought certainly to beleeve the Gospel or God in the Gospel John 3.33 1 John 5.10 Rev. 2.17 And as it is certain so it is unchangeable the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Christ hath prayed that it fail not Luke 20.22 23. Lastly There is no difference all have righteousnesse alike that is the one robe that serves to cover one and all the rest of the members of Christ By the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all c. Rom. 5.18 The weakest Beleever is as Righteous before God as Paul Peter Abraham c. This Righteousnesse is not imputed to some more and to some lesse but as the Sun shines alike to all that have eies to see it or to all upon whom it is risen So also the Sun of righteousnesse Vse 4. Exhort To every one then to thrust in amongst the crowd of true Beleevers and to labour to be in the number of them to give diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Make first your calling sure which is done when saith is wrought and then you need not climbe into Heaven to know whether you are appointed to Justification and Salvation Do but look into your own hearts whither you have faith without Hypocrisy 1 Tim. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.5 that is faith without reigning hypocrisy but here you had need of some Cautions Caut. 1. Cozen not your selves with presumption instead of faith as the most Professors do Caut. 2 Look not at all true faith as that which is justifying there is a true faith a man may make Ship-wrack of 1 Tim. 1.19 but that cannot bee said of Justifying Faith Caut. 3. See that wee do not make an Idol of Faith as though it had any inward virtue in it self to justify a sinner before God For this were to make the Righteousnesse of God in vain for to bee justified by faith is no more than to bee justified by Christ and they are spoken promiscuously Gal. 2.16 17. Caut. 4. That wee do not bring a faith of our own making true faith is of the operation of God Col. 2.12 and it is not in the Creatures power to make it but see thy insufficiency to beleeve and unworthiness too that God should ever work it in thee especially in regard of thy sleighting Christ and grace many a time when it hath been offered to thee Caut. 5. Look not at that as true faith wherewith we can bee content to stand at a distance from Christ Beleeving on Christ is comming to him Joh. 6.35 Eph. 2.13 A beleever will get as near Christ as possibly hee can that Christ may dwell in his heart Eph. 3.17 but on the contrary it is very dreadful when as the soul
his grace wherein hee hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence It was such abundance of wisdome that no creature could reach unto or comprehend that this strange way should bee found out for a sinners attonement 2 The Glory and Riches of Gods grace are singularly manifested hereby it had been glorious grace if that God should or could of his good will alone towards men have pardoned their iniquities as Saul said to David 1 Sam. 24.19 If a man find his enemy will hee let him go well away but sinful men and women which of themselves are Gods enemies and cannot hide themselves any where but God will finde them hee not only lets them go well away and freely pardons them but freely forgives them in such a way that cost him so exceeding dear as the blood of his onely Son When there was no other sufficient remedy for the misery of man but this when as the pardon and redemption of souls is so exceeding costly and pretious this above measure exalts the riches of Gods grace as David said 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer of that that cost mee nothing This was Davids royal spirit So this is Gods royal love that hee saved not his people in a way that cost him nothing 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Herein is the love of God manifest to us that hee sent his Son into the World to dye that wee might live by him And again Herein is love that hee sent his Son to bee a Propitition for our sins they that do not understand this have too low and mean conceits of the love and grace of God 3 Here is a demonstration of the glory of the Holinesse of the Lord in his so hating and punishing of sin even to the uttermost though but imputed and that to such a Son he that breaks a pitcher because deadly poyson was in it or burieth a beggars coat because infected with the plague shews his hatred to them but hee that throws away a vessel of gold because poysoned or burneth or burieth some royal and rich robes for the leprosy cleaving to them hee is carried with greatest indignation against the corruptions of them now this is the case of Gods hatred of the sins of the Elect imputed to the Son of God here is the pearl of great price even the richest treasure so and so dealt withall this is mighty holiness and hatred of sin Psal 99.8 9 It is said Thou art a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions Whence hee inferres Exalt the Lord our God for hee is holy hee speaks of the Lords manner of forgiving of the sins of his people it was with vengeance for their inventions surely this is an holy God but this is incomparably more to pardon the sins of his Elect in such a way by laying the chastisement of their peace on his only Son Oh what an holy God is this 4 Adde to the rest the glory of Gods Kingdome Providence and Government This is that which the Saints do blesse the Lord for Psal 145.10 11. They speak of the glory of thy kingdome and talk of thy power now the glory of Gods kingdome appears in this that hee rectifies all the disorders that are in the world by sin there is no confusion in the World but that which is in sin or brought in by it which hath made the world like that woful land Job 10.21 22. A land of darknesse and of the shaddow of death without order now to bring all into order again was a busy work and this is a glorious work of the government and providence of the Lord. There are strange examples of Gods glory in holy Writ concerning this in the sin of Josephs brethren selling Joseph into Egypt to bee a bond-servant accused imprisoned and in great abasement many years what strange disorder was here how strangely did the Lord rectify and amend this by setting him at liberty making him Ruler over all the land of Egypt and making his brethren to stoop to him and be beholding to him for their sustenance afterwards Another Example I might tell you of of the great confusion among the Jews by Hamans sin in the daies of Ahasuerus yet how gloriously did the Lord work for his Church in the confusion of Haman and the deliverance of the Church and the destruction of their enemies Here was a great deal of disorder by sin but Gods providence set all in right order again yea and brought great good out of all this disorder that wee may say according to Sampsons riddle out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong sweetnesse but the matter in hand is a greater and deeper riddle Adams sin had brought a woful Ataxy and confusion into all the world and grievous dishonour to God then Providence findes out a way by the death and blood shed of the second Adam to bring all into a better order than ever they were before in the Lord makes a better and a surer covenant and ordered in all things 2 Sam. 23.5 and Christ is set up in his Kingdome to order and to establish it with justice and judgement for ever Isay 9.7 Ye may see by all this what abundance of glory redounds unto God by the death of Christ and the sinners justification thereby Vse 1. Refutation of Socinians Refutation of that damnable blasphemy of the Socinians in making the death of Christ onely exemplary and no wise satisfactory whereby they do rob God of his glory and would disappoint him of his principal end of the incarnation of his onely begotten Son yea and rob him of his glory which hee hath sworn that hee would not give unto another The Devil hath formerly done great mischief to Christian Religion by Heresies of Monstrous shapes but this is a blasphemy of a more bloody dye whereby hee induces down-right Paganism or as bad as Turcism again Oh that such a Godlesse Christlesse-villany should bee ever tollerated to harbour amongst Christians This is a lamentation and shall surely bee the saddest lamentation of these last perilous times Use 2. The Doctrin of Gods justice is sutable to the Gospel It may serve to discover and confute the general mistake and error about the Doctrin of the Gospel Truely the Lord hath dealt graciously with us in the times of the New Testament and especially with his people in these latter times wherein the Grace of God and the Riches therof are more abundantly sounded forth and magnified above former ages and most blessed is the estate of those vessels of Grace the persons that receive it in truth and are made partakers thereof but beloved I do very much fear lest that Satan get advantage by this means to make innumerable persons to miss their mark and Gods mark too causing them utterly to pervert the doctrine of the Gospel and the grace of God and his principal plot and purpose therein so as to cause many to forget