this cursed thing Sin For which though he graciously for the sake of these sufferings of Christ pardon the guilt of it to his people and hear their Prayers yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions Psal 99.8 be they never so seriously holy and eminently serviceable to him and to their generation according to his will whereof Moses the Man of God is a most memorable instance That Ancient conceived rightly of the nature of sin who said That if he behoved necessarily either to commit the least sin or go to Hell to be tormented there eternally he would rather wish to desire to go to Hell if he could be there without sin Secondly Concerning the severity of Divine Justice in punishing sin whereof its punishment in the Person of the Son of God at such a rate is one of the greatest clearest and most convincing evidences imaginable to whom he would not abate one farthing of the Elects debt but did with holy and spotless severity exact the whole of it And though he was the Fathers Fellow yet he would needs have him smitten with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice and Wrath Zech. 13.7 As if all the executions that had heed done in the earth on men for sin as on the old World of the ungodly drowned by the Deludge On the miscreant Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and of these other Cities upon whom he showered down liquid flames of fire and brimstone even somewhat of Hell in a manner out of Heaven Coelum pluebat Gehennam burning them quick and frying them to death in their own skins On Core Dathan and Abiram and their associats upon whom the earth opened and swallowed them up in a most stupendious manner alive the rest being consumed by fire sent down from Heaven On the one hundred eighty five thousand men of Senacheribs Army all slain in one night by an Angel And on the Israelites who by many and various plagues were wasted and worn out to the number of six hundred thousand fighting men in the short space of fourty years Reflections on which made Moses a witness of all with astonishment to cry out Psal 90.11 Who knows the power of thy anger As if I say all these terrible executions of Justice had been done by a Sword asleep or in the Scabbard in comparison of the execution it did on Jesus Christ the Elects Cautioner against whom it awakened was unsheathed forbished and made to glitter So that we may say had all the Sons and Daughters of Adam without the exception of so much as one been eternally destroyed it would not have been a greater demonstration of the severity of the Justice of God in punishing sin Thirdly Concerning the greatness incomprehensible vastness and unparalellableness of the love of God to the Elect World which he so loved O wonderful so Eternity will but be sufficient to unfold all that is infolded in that mysterious so an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ita that hath not a sicut a so that hath not an as That he gave his only begotten Son to suffer all these things Joh. 3.16 and to be thus dealt with for them And of the Mediator who was content Phil. 2.6 7 8. Isa 53.3 5 though thinking it no robbery to be equal with God to empty himself and be of no reputation to take on him the shape of a servant to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with griâ—f to be chastized smitten wounded and bruised for their iniquities To step off the throne of his declarative Glory oâ— of his Glory manifested to the Creatures and in a manner to creep on the Foot-stool thereof in the capacity of a Worm and to become obedient even unto the death the shameful and cursed death of the Cross This is indeed matchless and marvellous love Joh. 15.13 Greater then which no man hâ—th to lay down his life for his friends But he being God-man laid down his life for his enemies that he might make them friends Rom. 5.10 Eph. 39 10 O! the hight and depth the breadâ—h and length of the love of Christ whereof when all that can be said is said this must needs be said that it 's a love that passeth not only expression but knowledge its dimensions being altogether unmeasurable So that we may say if it had seemed good to the Lord and been compatible with his spotless Justice and with his infinite Wisdome as Supream Rector and Governour of the World giving a Law to his Creatures to have pardoned the sins of the Elect in the absoluteneâ—s of his dominion that knows no boundary but what the other Divine attributes set to it without any intervenient satisfaction to his Justice at all which needs not to be debated here especially since God hath determined and in the Scriptures of truth made publication of his determination that he will not pardon sin without a satisfaction and particularly without this satisfaction made by Jesus Christ It would not have been a greater and more glorious demonstration of the freeness and riches of his love then he hath given in pardoning them through the intervention of so difficult and toilsome of so chargeable and costly a satisfaction as is the sad sufferings and the sore soul-travel of his own dear Son Who yet is pleased to account sinners coming to him and getting good of him satisfaction for all that soul-travel And indeed which of these is the greatest wonder and demonstration of his love whether that he should have undergone such soul-travel for sinners or that he should account their getting good of it satisfaction to him for the same is not easie to determine but sure both in conjunction together make a wonder passing great even a most wonderful demonstration of love Fourthly Concerning what dreadful measure all they may look for who have heard of these sufferings of Christ and make not conscience in his own way to improve them for their being reconciled to God thereby and whose bond to Justice will be found still standing over their heads uncancelled in their own name as proper debters without a Cautioner When the innocent Son of God who had never done wrong Isa 53.9 and in whose mouth no guile was ever found having but become Surety for the Elects debt was thus hotly pursued and hardly handled and put through sad soul-trouble to cry What shâ—ll I say Joh. 12.27 And falling a-groof on the ground with the tear in his eye in much sorrow and heaviness even to death and in a great agony causing a sweat of blood though in a cold night and lying on the earth conditionally to pray for the passing of that Cup from him and for his being saved from that hour So formidable was it to his holy Humane Nature which had a sinless aversation from and an innocent horrour at what threatned ruine and destruction to it self simply considered And which
speaks of them John 17. he opposeth them to and contradistinguisheth them from all others I pray for them I pray not for the world buy for them that thou hast given me out of the world to let us know that the things prayed for to the one are denied to the other according to the strain of the Covenâ—â—t Aâ— ad ground is drawen from the strain and frame of the Covenâ—nt of Redemption where we find two things clear 1. That as to the end and convey of it the Elect are the only Persons for â—hose good and behove it 's intended and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that Covenant theâ— the advantage good and benefite of the Elect must be eâ—ed in this main aâ—ticle of the Covenant which relates to Chriâ—'s death and sufferings For 1. In the Covenant of Redemption the good of the Elect is proposed and designed by the Father as is clear John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing and this is the Fathers will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life which will be the more clear if we consider the time when this is spoken it 's at such a time when many will not come to him and belâ—â—ve on him as vers 36 37. Ye also have seen me and believe not all that the Father hath given shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and then follows This is the will of him that sent me c. and vers 43 44. Murmure not saith he among your selves no man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him this ye heard of from John 17.2 at greater length 2. Look on the Son's side of the Covenant and it will also be clear for his undertaking must be according to the Fathers proposing if the Father did not propose all but some only to be redeemed then his undertaking must be for these some and not for all conform to the Fathers proposal Psal 40. Then said I lo I come to do thy will O my God now the Fathers will is that the should undertake for these given him and it 's not his will that he should undertake for others therefore he did not undertake for them 3. Christs sufferings and death are the execution of the Fathers will and therefore must be the execution of his undertaking according to his engagement for the Elect and given ones therefore these two are put together John 17.9 and 19. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me and for their sakes I sanctifie my self that is for their sakes whom thou hast given me and not for the world He sancrifies himself for them for whom he prays for them that are given him and no more 2ly This is clear in the Covenant that Christs death is intended thereâ—n as all other Mercies covenanted are that is to say to whom Faith Effectual Calling Justification c. are covenanted for these is Christ's death covenanted and for none others for the Covenant being mutual the repromâ—ssion on the Fathers part must be of equal extent with the Son's stipulation but all these are only peculiarly applicable to the Elect as benefites flowing from and following upon Christ's death which therefore must be peculiarly intended for them as being undergone for them hence when Christ speaks of Faith and Effectual Calling John 6. he says All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and none other will nor can come so Justification Pardon of Sin c. are bought to the Elect and to none others and when the smallest of blessings are covenanted and articled for none other but for the Elect shall Jesus Christ himself that gift of God or his death which is the chief thing articled in the Covenant be covenanted for or applyed to any others but to them A 3d. ground is drawen from Christs executing of his Offices for this piece or part of Christs executing of his Office must correspond and be of equal extent with all the other parts and pieces of his Offices such as his effectual teaching interceeding subduing to himself c. which are no broader then the Elect for he executes no part of any of his Offices for the behove and benefite of any but of the Electâ— he saâ—ingly enlightens no others he subâ—uts none others to the faith of the Gospel he interceeds for none others his intercession is not for the world therefore his death must be for none others all these being commenturâ—â—le and oâ— equal extent his intercession being grounded on his suffâ—ring therefore Joh. 17. he lays by the world expressly as theâ—e for whom he will not pray and looks back to the Covenant as the ground of his undertaking for the Elect given him out of the world and not for others and if he will not pray nor interceed for others what reason can be given of his dying for others when he will not do the less which is to pray for them it were absurd to think or say that he will do the greater which is to lay down his life for them A 4th ground is this Christ's death is one of the peculiar evidences of his deâ—rest love beyond which there is none greater and a main proof and fruitâ— thereof and therefore is not common to all but is intended for them only whom he peculiarly loves and designs to bring through to glory which is clear Eph. 5.26 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it c. Rom. 5.5 God commends his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his friends there is a world of Reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love and sure for these he did not die Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated saith the Lord Rom. 9.13 which the Apostle holdeth forth as a sort of copy of God's dealing in reprobation and election in reference to all Mankind and where the Lord himself hath set bounds betwixt them whom he loves and hates it 's too great liberality or rather too great presumption for any under whatever specious pretences to extend this his peculiar love to these whom he disclaims A 5th ground is taken from the effect thus All for whom Christ died are justified and freed from the guilt of their sins in due time but Christ Jesus hath not purchased and actually procured freedom to all men from their sins all men be not justified therefore he laid not down his life for all For 1. It cannot be said that he laid down his life for purchasing and buying of such wares
and preferring a Robber to him But in all this they were fu fi ling what God had before determined to be done which we say is mâ—tter of great consolation both as to our own particular case as to God's general guiding of the World and especially of his Church therein There is nothing wherein the malice of men seems to be most prevalent but our Lord is still gaining his point upon and by them They are all the while executing God's determination though to their own ruine 2. See here an exact correspondency betwixt all the circumstances of our Lord's sufferings and God's determination and a concurrence of all of them for the promoving of it in the History of the Gospel A bone of him is not broken when the bones of the two Thieves crucified with him are broken a Spear is run at him and his side is pierced when they are not pierced And all this because it was prophesied of him that A bone of him shall not be broken and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and when it comes to his burial Pilate wots not what he is doing when yet he is fulfilling the Lords design in giving his body to a rich man Joseph of Arimathea when he asked it from him to be buried by him whereby the Prophesie of the Text is fulfilled The wickedness of some the contingent actions of others and the ignorance of many concurr all together to make out the same holy and unalterable design and purpose of God And therefore 3dly Let us stay our faith here that our Lord is yet still working in all these confusions and when matters return'd up-side down to humane appearance our blessed Lord is not non-plussed and at a stand when we are he knows well what he is doing and will make all things most certainly infallibly and infrustrably to work for his own glory and for the good of his people From its being said that He gave his grave with the wicked as holding forth Christ's willingness to be buried as he saith of his death John 10.17 No man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down and take it up again Observe That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption even in the lowest and most shameful steps of it our Lord was a most willing condescender He gave his grave with the wicked He was a most free and willing undertaker when as it were the Question was put Who will satisfie for Elect sinners He comes in and sayes as we hâ—ve it Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God I am here Father as if he had said I offer my self and accept of the terms heartsomly and delightsomly I rejoyced saith he Prov. 8.28 in the habitable parts of the earth before the foundation of the world was laid my delight was with the sons of men So it may be made evident that in all the parts of his sufferings and in every step thereof he did most exactly and also most willingly perform whatever was carved out to him He preached and wrought miracles and did all with delight as himself sayes John 4.32 It is my meat and my drink to do my Fathers will and to finish his work It refreshed him when his body was hungry and faint to be carrying on the work of Redemption in speaking to a poor straying sinner If we yet look a little forward we will find that he so longed for the saddest part of this exercise that he is pained till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 I have a bâ—ptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished His heart longed so much to be at it that he would approve nor admit of nothing that might stand in the way of it therefore he rejected Peters advice with holy detestation with a Get thee behind me Satan He knew well what was in Judas mind and yet would not divert him but bid him do what he was about quickly He went to the Garden where he was known to resort and gave his enemies opportunity to rake him and would not suffer his Disciples to draw a Sword to oppose them When he was before Pilate he would not open his mouth When he was buffetted he gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to him that plucked off the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting Because he knew what was aimed at in all this and accordingly saith Matth. 20.20 The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many When His Holy Humane Nature scarred at the Cup and when he was thereby put to pray Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me he sweetly subioyns but for this cause came I unto this hour And the nearer it came to his death he vented his desire after it the more With desire have I desired saith he or with special desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer Even when he was to eat the last Passover and to take his last good night and to be in readiness for what was coming What could have been the mean or motive to bring it about if he had not been willing It was this willingness that Jehovah was pleased with and that made his Sacrifice to smell sweetly to his Father who loveth a cheerful giver and it had never been satisfactory if it had not been willing but extorted and therefore saith he Joh. 10. No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down And I delight to do thy will Psal 40. Use 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator Behold what manner of love this is that when it was not required he should offer and freely give himself to death and to the grave this is the love of a friend and beyond it that he should have so loved his Church as to give himself for her to death and to the grave Well may he say as he doth John 15.15 Greater love hath no man then this c. 2dly It shews what great ground of consolation and encouragement a sinner hath that would fain be at Christ to believe on him and to expect Life and Salvation through him Our Lord was most willing to lay down his life and to come to the grave for that end and is it possible that he will refuse a sinner that comes unto him and that would fain share in the benefite of his sufferings which was his great end in suffering This one thing to wit the willingness that he had to suffâ—r and the delight that he had in suffering to purchase Redemption to sinners may be as a strong cordial to strengthen the heart of a swoâ—â—ing Sinner and a great motive and encouragement to come forward to him Thou wilt it may be say I wot not if Christ loves me O!
my self or separate my self to be a sacrifice 2. Christs satisfaction and his intercession being the two parts of his Priestly Office and his intercession being founded on his satisfaction as it is clearly v. 12. of this 53. of Isaiah yea â— very learned man affirms that Christs appearance in Heaven and his intercession are not properly Sacerdotal acts but in so far as they lean on the vertue of his perfected sacrifice What just relevant or cogent reason can there be to make a disjunction betwixt these parts of his Office and to extend the most difficult operous and costly part to all men and to narrow the other which is the more easie part as that whereby he only deals for the application of what he hath made a purchase of by his satisfaction which put him to much sad and sore soul-travel and to restrict it to the elect and gifted ones 3. Doth not the Scripture hold forth his death and the shedding of his blood as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people As is clear else-where so particularly Joh. 15.13 Greater love then this hath no man then that a man lay down his life for his friends Nay purchased reconciliation through the death of Christ is by the Holy Ghost made a greater evidence of divine love in some respect then the glorification of the reconciled according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life 4. All the other gifts of God to sinners even the greatest spiritual ones fall hugely below the giving of Jesus Christ himself that gift of God by way of eminency As the Apostle reasoneth irresragably for the comfort of believers Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Will he give the greatest gift and not give the lesser As Justification Adoption Sanctification and Glorification Which how great soever in themselves are yet lesser then the giving of Christ himself to the death And if it be undeniably certain that he giveth not these to all which are the lesser and lower gifts why should it be thought that he hath given the higher and greater 5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God be made common by extending it to all the world the greatest profligats and Atheists not excepted no not Pharaoh nor Ahab not Judas the traitor nor Julian the Apostat nay nor any of all the damned reprobates who were actually in Hell when he died and shed his blood 6. If he died thus for all it seems that the new Song of the redeemed Rev. 5. would have run and sounded better thus thou hast redeemed us all and every man of every kindred and tongue and people and nation to God by thy blood then as it there stands by inspiration of the Holy Ghost Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation But who may presume by such an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath so restricted and to make that common to all which God hath peculiarized to a few favourites But the Author having much to better purpose on this Head in these Sermons I need add no more here I shall only further say of these astonishing in a manner non-plussing and surpasing great sufferings of blessed Jesus that as they were equivalent to what all the elect deserved by their sins and should have suffered in their own persons throughout all eternity consistently with the innocency and excellency of his Person and with the dignity of his Mediatory Office Therefore it is said v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death or as it is in the Original In his deaths in the Plural Number as if he had died the death of every one of the Elect or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all their deaths in his one death And v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all or as the word is made the iniquity of us all to meet on him there having been a solemn tryst convocation and rendezvous as it were of all the iniquities of all the Elect more common and more peculiar in all their various aggravating circumstances not so much as one committed since Adams first transgression or to be committed to the day of Judgement being absent in the punishment of them upon his person no wonder that such a load of innumerable thousands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan and that the consideration thereof made great Luther say That Christ was the greatest sinner in all the world to wit by imputation of the guilt of all the sins of all the Elect to him and by his having had the punishment of them all laid upon his person So we may from them be instructed in these things First Concerning the hight of holy displicence and detestation that the Majesty of God hath at sin the only thing in the whole world that his soul hates and which in the vile and abominable nature of it hath an irreconciliable antipathy with and enmity against his infinitely pure holy and blessed nature and hath a tendency could it possibly be effected to seek after the destruction and annihilation of the very beeing of God and is interpretatively Deicide The Language of it being O that there were not a God That he cannot behold it in his own sinless innocent and dearly beloved Son though but by imputation for he was not made formally the sinner as Antinomians blasphemously averr but he will needs in so terrible a manner testify his great dislike of and deep displeasure at it and take such formidable vengeance on it even in his person Ah! the nature of sin which God who is of pure eyes cannot where-ever it be behold without perfect abhorrency of it is but little thorowly understood and pondered Would we otherwise dare to dally and sport with it or to take the latitudes in committing of it at the rate we do I have sometimes thought that it is an errour in the first concoction to say so of Religion in many Proffessors of it end pretenders to it that we have never framed suitable apprehensions of the most hateful vile and abominable nature of sin which hath a great influence on the superficiariness and overliness of all duties and practices of Religion and that many of us had need to be dealt with as skilful School-masters use to deal with their Schollars that are foundered in the first Principles of Learning lest they prove but smatters all their days to bring them back again to these even to be put to learn this first Lesson in Religion better and more thorowly to understand the jealousie of God as to
had it not been mightily supported by the power of the God-head united thereto in his person would have quite shrunk and succumbed under such an heavy burden and been utterly swallowed up by such a Gulf of Wrath What then will sinners even all the dyvour debtors not having seriously sought after nor being effectually reached by the benefite of his suretyship do when they come to grapple with this wrath of God when he will fall upon them as a giant breaking all their bones and as a roaring lion Psal 50.22 Ezek. 22.14 Isa 33.14 Rev. 6.16 17. tearing them to pieces when there will be none to deliver will their hands be strong or their hearts able to endure in the day that he shall deal with them then O! then they will be afraid and fearfulness will take hold of them and make them say who can stand before the devouring fire and who can dwell beside the everlasting burnings and to cry unto the hills and mountains to fall on them and to hide them from the face of the Lamb and of him that fits on the throne for the day of his fierce wrath is come and who is able to stand then it will be found in a special manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 All such man see in the great sufferings of Christ as in the clearest glass what they are to look for and most certainly to meet with for if it was thus done in the green tree Luk. 23.31 what shall be done in the dry O! it 's a sad even one of the saddest subjects of thoughts to think that a rational creature shall be eternally supported preserved and perpetuated in its beeing by the one hand of God's Omnipotency that it may be everlastingly capable of terrible vengeance to be inflicted by the other hand of his Justice Fifthly Concerning the very great obligation that lyeth on Believers to love Jesus Christ who hath thus commended his love to them by undergoing all these sad sufferings for their sakes even out of love to them to become a Curse to bleed out his precious life and to pour out his soul to death for them which to do he was under no necessity nor in the least obliged by them being infinitly removed from all possibility of being reached by any obligation from his creatures whom be loved and for whom he designed this grand expression of his love the laying down of his life for them before they or the world had any beeing nay being by their sins infinitly disobliged Ah! that most of these whom he loved so much should love him who is altogether lovely their duty his friends and interests for his sake so little Even so very little that if it were possible he could rue or repent of what he hath done and suffered to commend his love to them they would tempt him to it And indeed there is nothing that more speaks forth the freeness of his love then this that he should love them so fervently and continue thus to love them even to the end who are often so very cool in their love to him Sure such when in any measure at themselves cannot but love themselves the less and loath themselves the more that they love him so little and earnestly long for that desirable day wherein he shall be admired in and by all them that believe and when they shall get him loved as well as ever they desired to love him and as well as he shall will them to love him and when they shall be in an eternal extacy and transport of admiration at his love Sixthly Concerning the little reason that Believers have to think much of their small and petty sufferings undergone for him For what are they all even the greatest and most grievous of them being compared with his sufferings for them They are but as little chips of the Cross in comparison of the great and heavy end of it that lighted on him and not worthy to be named in one day with his All the sad and sorrowful dayes and nights that all the Saints on earth have had under their many and various and sadly circumstantiated crosses and sufferings do not by thousands of degrees come near unto let be to equal that one sad and sorrowful night which he had in Gethsemane beside all the sorrows and griefs he endured before that time where he was put to conflict with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice that did most fiercely lay at him without sparing him Which terrible Combat lasted all that nighe and the next day till three a clock in the afternoon when that sharpest Sword after many sore wounds given him killed him outright at last and left him dead upon the place who yet even then when seemingly vanquished and quite ruined was a great and glorious Conquerour having by death overcome and destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil and having spoiled principalities and powers Heb. 2.14 Col. 2.15 making a shew of them openly and triumphing over them in his cross the spoils of which glorious victory Believers now divide and shall enjoy to all eternity Ah! that ever the small and inconsiderable sufferings of the Saints should so much as once be made mention of by them where his strange and stupendious sufferings offer themselves to be noticed Seventhly Concerning the unspeakably great obligation that lyeth on Believers readily pleasantly and chearfully not only to do but also to suffer for Christ as he shall call them to it even to do all that lyeth in their power for him and to suffer all that is in the power of any others to do against them on his account who did willingly and with delight do and suffer so much for them they have doubtless good reason heartily to pledge him in the cup of his cross and to drink after him there being especially such difference betwixt the cup that he drunk and that which they are put to drink his cup was stirred thick with the wrath of God having had the dregs thereof in a manner wrung out to him therein so that it was no wonder that the very sight of it made him conditionally to supplicate for its departure from him and that the drinking of it put him in a most grievous agony and cast him in a top-sweat of blood yet saith he on the matter either they or I must drink it they are not able to drink it for the drinking of it will distract them and put them mad will poison and kill them eternally but I am able to drink it and to work out the poison and venom of it and though it shall kill me I can raise up and restore my self to life again therefore Father come away with it and I will drink it up and drink it out this to the everlasting welfare of these dear souls not my will but thine be done for thus it was agreed betwixt thee
grave and buried as if death had gotten the victory over him And so he dies a most shameful death after he had lived a most mean and abject life 2. For his afflicted condition it is clear if we consider what troubles did accompany him in his life and at his death No sooner was he born but as I said he is persecuted by Herod so that himself and his parents must needs flee down to Egypt and they being but poor folks behoved in so long a journey to meet with many difficulties That they were but poor may be seen by Maries offering after her Purification And when he came forth in his Publick Ministry at his very entry to it he was most terribly tempted of the Devil taking occasion of his hunger after long fasting And all along the exercise of it what contradiction did he meet with from the Scribes and Pharisees How did he travel on his feet from place to place Often suâ—ject to weariness and fainting sometimes men will not so much as give him lodging which he suffers patiently and rebukes his Disciples for their impatience and preposterous zeal Luke 9. Many calumnies and reproaches were cast upon him He was called Beelzebub a Deceiver a friend of Publicans and Sinners How did some of his frâ—ends according to the flesh snarl at him and offer to bind him as a mad man What plots and conspiracies were laid and made to take away his life And when it came to the upshot of all Peter shamefully denied him and all the other Disciples forsook him and fled Many other things befell him as may be seen in the History of his Sufferings written by the Evangelists We read that he wept thrice to let us know that it was his frequent and familiar exercise And a little before his death we read that he was in a great agony and did therein sweat blood and offered prayers with strong cryes and tears but we read not that he did laugh or that ever any worldly mirth was found in him which clearly makes out this truth That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief For Use It would take the tongues of Men and Angels to speak of it it being the most remarkable and soul-refreshing Subject that ever the world heard of even that of which the Angels sing Luke 2.10 11. Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people that unto you is born in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shall be a sign to you ye shall find the babe wraped in swadling-cloaths lying in a manger Sure we should not sing less but more then Angels Men being more concerned then Angels in these things And therefore 1. Behold believe and wonder that he that was rich became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich that he that was Lord of all became servant to all that he that was the infinite God the express image of his Fathers person and thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet humbled himself and became of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant c. Behold we say believe and wonder at this 1. In respect of the cause it came from to wit everlasting love He did and suffered all this most willingly there was no constraint on him But as it is Psal 40. He delighted to do his Fathers will He had power to lay down his life and to take it up again 2. In respect of the end it was not to add to his own glory for as God his Glory being infinit it was not neither was capable of diminution or addition but he became poor that we might be made rich He was a man of sorrows that we might be made to rejoice he wept that we might laugh he wanted that we might have Is not this love stooping thus loâ— to be wondered at Was there ever the like heard of That God the great Party offended should come so low to recover the despicable Parties offending and that even while they were rank enemies to him God commendeth his love to us saith the Apostle Rom. 5.8 that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And saith himself John 15. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends But when we were enemies Christ died for us Were it then an unsuitable use of this Doctrine to be beholding believing and wondering at his love and to be often thinking and saying What is man that God should be so mindful of him as to send the Heir of all things his own Son into the world as his great Ambassadour and Commissioner to negotiat a peace betwixt himself and rebel-sinners which he was to purchase by becoming so very low and by suffering so very much 2. See in this the great evil and hurt of sin and the difficulty of making peace betwixt God and a sinner who hath provoked God Is it a little matter that made our Lord condescend and stoop so low O! if folk knew the evil of sin And that ere Justice could be satisfied the Son of God behoved to become Man and a deeply humbled Man The Sword of his avenging Justice behoved to awake against him and smite the man that was his fellow rather then that sin should go unpunished and Justice should want satisfaction Beware lightly to boast and brag of mercy or to think it easie to make your peace with God And remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. See in this much condescending in our blessed Lord Jesus and a motive as well as a copy of patience in him who is content to be made of a woman made under the Law who submits himself unto the Law and takes on a mean and afflicted state of life in the world It 's a wonder that Christs members should take so ill with a mean suffering and hard lot seing their lot is far very far from the contempt reproaches sorrows weights and griefs that accompanied their Head and Lord And it 's a shame that believers minds and hearts should be set so much on these things that he who was and is their Lord and Master and the Heir of all things possessed so little of or that they should place their happiness in whole or in part in the injoyment of these things or their misery in the want of them More patience under the Cross under watchings weariness reproaches c. would become us much better our blessed Lord Jesus had a great many moe 4. See this to be not only a motivâ— to patience in respect of outward things but a stâ—pping stoâ—e and ground of encouragement to go forward to Christ with every want spiritual and temporal It 's much that our Lord became Man but it 's more that he became a man under griefs afflictions sorrows and temptations and was subject to death it self And that he hath bowels of
God which should come into the world The 5th place is that of John 20.28 where when Christ bids Thomas reach hither his hand and put it into his side his glory shines so full in his face that he cryes out My Lord and my God and his faith is summed up and compended in that The last place that we shall name is that of Acts 8.37 and it s the Eunuchs confession I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God which is the sum of his faith The 4th and last way of confirmation of this great truth is drawen from the worship which is due unto him and hath been given unto him He is the object of Faith John 14.11 ye believe in God believe also in me He is the object of Prayer Acts 7.59 They stoned Stephen calling upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit and frequently else-where in Scripture he is prayed unto though these two are not too curiously to be separated Use 1. The first Use serves to strengthen your Faith in this that our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for sinners and is made offer of to them in the Gospel is God equal with the Father and so he is to be closed with and rested on as the brightness of the Fathers glory the reason why we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this is not small for its a most necessary thing and without the faith of it all the work of our salvation will hang louse neither can we have any claim to Eternal Life and therefore we desire you particularly who are ignorant Hearers and who have the name of Christ often in your mouths and yet know not what he is to know remember and believe that he that is the son of Mary is also the eternal son of God being God before he was incarnate and before the World was made and the Maker of all that was made Use 2. The second Use serves to let you know That though it be a most necessary thing to be confirmed in the faith of this Truth that Christ is God yet it 's a greater difficulty to believe and be perswaded of it then the most part take it to be many sad proofs whereof we have in Folks words and moe in their practice Flesh and blood saith Christ Matth. 16. hath not revealed this unto thee It 's a wonder whence many Folks faith comes who never found any the least difficulty in this and it 's a wonder that so few are through in the faith of it so that if they were called and put to it they durst not swear that he is God yea if we would look in a little further we would find that the faith of this is but scarce amongst us not to speak of the gross ignorance of many who will say when asked that he is not equal with the Father or that he was made God and other such like expressions will they have that are abominable to be once named amongst Christians Folks through their ignorance falling into damnable Heresies on the matter and yet not knowing that they do so As if our blessed Lord were a made god and not the same God with the Father For the proving of him to be God proves him to be the same God there being but one God Ye would consider for convincing you that it is thus with many of you 1. The little fear that is in men and women of the Majesty of Christ as God they durst not walk with so little fear of him if they believed indeed that he were God What made the Jews with the Scribes and Pharisees to spit upon him and despise him But because they wanted the Faith of his Godhead And have not ye the same nature in you Ye live in a place where the Faith of Christs Godhead is professed and is not questioned but your practice sayes to beholders that ye believe it not because ye fear him not 2. That your souls do so little welcome the offer of the Gospel that tells that ye believe him not to be God 3. That ye do not place your happiness in Believing on him and in the way of holiness ye say in effect wherefore serves Christ ye care not for him Hence it is that so many live contentedly without him and are not sollicitous about the enjoying of him 4. Even in Believers there is much unbelief of this truth which is sadly evidenced by this that they do not so bless themselves in him and that they do not so reckon themselves to have come well to and to be made up in him as David doth Psal 16. Where he saith and holily glorieth The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place c. And by the frequent discouragement that is incident to Believers as if Christ had not the guiding of them and of what concerns them or could not guide all well enough for their good If he were believed to be God it would quash temptations banish discouragement comfort under crosses sweeten every condition induce to holiness restrain from sin And in a word it cannot be told what is in the bosome of this one truth when solidly believed For what can possibly be wanting to the Believer in him that is God He hath the fulness of the Godhead to supply what ever they want and sustains the relation of a Husband to the Believer to make it forth-coming And he is furnished with suitable qualifications to make the application thereof What then could be wanting if this were thorowly believed that he is God Let me say it to you the Faith of this would provoke to more holiness and to study more the power then the profession of Religion and would help to live a more comfortable life in every condition SERMON XXX ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken THese words are a proof of that which we discoursed in the Lecture concerning Christs wonderful love to his pâ—ople Then which no man hath greater that a man should lay down his life for his friend But he hath commedned his love to us in that while we were yet enemies he died for us This is the great commendation of Christ's love and what will he refuse to his people who in his love hath come this length to them In the former part of this verse we shew that there was a hint given of Christ's Exaltation of the Exaltation and Glory of the Mediator following on the back of his lowest sufferings An ineffable and inexpressible Glory which the Prophet rather passeth with a sort of non-plussing silence then insisteth in the declaration of it Who shall declare his generation We come now to the last part of the words For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken They are added
and it pleads much for them that never heard the Gospel yea possibly for all if they be not obliged to believe the Gospel as it 's hard to say they are who never heard of it 4. There are many in hell this day who know and feel this to be an untruth being condemned for sins against the Covenant of Works therefore he undertook not their debt nor payed for them And when the Books shall be cast open there will be many other sins sound to be reckoned for then sins against the Gospel Are not Whoremongers Adulterers Murtherers Thieves c to to reckon for these sins It 's very sad that such things should take place with men otherwayes useful but is in other things so in this hurtful â—hich we should not speak of were it not that they are spread abroad in Books wherewith many may be leavened A 3d. Branch of this errour which this Doctrine refutes is that Christ died conditionally for all hearers of the Gospel to whom he is conditionally offered and this is also vented by the same Authors who say that though he hath not bought all men absolutely nor died to procure life absolutely to them yet that he did so conditionally and upon supposition that they should afterward believe on him But there can be no conditional satisfaction intended here for 1. If respect be had only to the sins of the Elect in Christs undertaking then none is had to the sins of all 2. If the Fathers acceptation of the price be absolute then there is no conditional buying 3. If it be conditional then he suspended the effect of his death the satisfaction for his Soul-travel on mans will And if this condition could not be fulfilled by man then it is an unwise bargain and nothing of it may fall to be fulfilled and then believing is no fruit of grace Again he hath either bought Faith to them as he hath done to the Elect or not If he hath then they reject it and so grace is not efficacious If not he hath bought the end without the midses leading to it Or thus if it be conditional it 's either on a condition which they can fulfil or on a condition that they cannot fulfil If it be on a condition which they can fulfil then it hangs Grace on mens free-will and suâ—pends the Decree of Election on their receiving of Christ If it be a condition that is not in their power to fulfil then either Christ hath bought that condition to them or not to say that he hath not bought the condition of Faith it will infer a strange assertion that he hath bought life and not the condition the end and not the midses And if it be said that he hath bought it it cannot be said that he hath done so absolutely because they never get it Or if absolutely then to the Elect only in whom it must be and is in due time fulfilled And so in effect it resolves in this that Christ's purpose is to be bounded and confined to say so to the Elect only There are some difficulties and objections that will readily here be moved which we will not enter upon only for preventing of mistakes It stands in the way of some to hinder their believing as they suppose that Christ hath died for some and not for all aad they know not if they be of that small number If we were to speak to such we would say 1. God hath not elected all and so who knows if he hath elected them I And he will not save all and who knows if he will save them And so the doubt will stick still If folks will thus break in upon Gods secret will and purpose which belongs not to them 2. Christs death for you is not the formal ground not warrand of your Faith not yet of the offer of the Gospel but the Lords will warranding you to believe and calling for it from you and his commanding you to rest upon Christ for the attaining of righteousness as he is offered in the Gospel We are invited by his command and promise and we are not first called to believe that Christ died for us but we are called â—â—â—st to believe in him that is offered to us in the Gospel that is our duty And folks are not condemned because Christ died not for them but because when he offered the benefit of his death and sufferings to them they slighted and rejected it We are to look first to what Christ calleth to and not to meddle with the other to wit whom Christ minded in his death till we have done the first The Word bids all believe that they may be saved and such as neglect this command will be found disobedient 3. Though Christ hath not died for all yet all that flee unto him by Faith shall be partakers of his death and from this ye should reason and not from his intention in dying If ye come not to him ye cannot have ground to think that he died for you but if ye go to him by Faith ye may expect that he will pray for you and own you for Believers Christ casts in that word John 17. They have believed thy word as well as that other Thine they were and thou gavest them me And if we put these two together the one will be found as sure a ground of consolation as the other But it were but a poor comfort to say that Christ died for all and yet that they may all or most or many of them perish for all that The 2d Use serves to stir them up to thankfulness for whom Christ hath satisfied and who are fled for refuge to him If there be any here to whom Christ hath manifested such love that they can say he hath loved me and given himself for me O! How are ye obliged to wonder and bless him Greater love than this cannot be and it should warm your hearts with love to him the more when ye reflect on God's design upon you in particular in the Covenant of Redemption Use 3d. If Christ intended his Death and Sufferings only for behove of the Elect Then as because few come to Heaven all should be the more diligent so because Christ died not for all every one should aim in Gods own way to have it made sure to himself that Christ died for him and should be the more watchful and diligent to make his Calling and Election sure because as it s not all that are elected so it s not all that are purchased by Christs death Redemption is sure in it self and free Grace kithes conspicuously in it yet Wisdom and Soveraignity do also appear in this that it s not of all therefore study ye to make it sure by fleeing to Christ by Faith and by the study of Holineâ—s and Mortification in his Strength and through the power of his Death which will be a proof of your Interest in it This were much more suitable than to be quarreling with God's
is pure would study soundnesse in Judgement as well as tendernesse in Practice And yet how many are readily mistaken in this Who if they meet with some that can speak a few good Words and make pretences to a holy Walk though the Second Command be baffâ—ed and disgraced by them and the Name of God torn And though the Fourth Command be made of none effect or price by them it 's thought but little of all is covered with this that they are good Folks and of a tender walk But Oh! can they be good who abuse that wherein the Name and Image of God are most tenderly concerned and will God account that to be Holinesse aggreeable to His Law that slights depreclars and vilifies the best part of His Law Let me therefore beseech you to take in and to close Error with other sins and to look upon unsoundnesse in the Truths of God as a Fruit of the Flesh and withall to look upon sound knowledge in the Mind and the form of sound words in the Mouth as being a Duty that is called for from you as well as other Duties We the rather take occasion to speak to this because the Devil is seeking to turn Men meer Athiests Gallio's as to the Truths of God to care for none of these things and as to weir out the esteem of Truth so to make People to look upon Error as if there were no hurt by it it 's sad that there is not more scarring at and keeping distance from the company of such if they can but give a parcel of good Words and make shewes of respect to Piety in this lukewarm time there is need to guard against this Temper or rather Distemper and to look well that we half not nor divide the Pattern and Copie which God in his Word hath cast to us and set before us we would studie Purity and Tenderneâ—â—e in our Walk and Growth in sound Knowledge and would walk humbly under the impression of our hazard It 's sad when Folks are ill girded and yet scarcely discern it It seems to be a winnowing time and some are already taken off their feet who thought not some Moneths or Years since to have carried in reference to the Truth as they have done It hath been Gods mercy to this place that he hath hedged us about hitherto at which the Devll hath raged not a little Be humbled and have an eye to Him thâ—t can keep his People and can establish them in the Truth and make them unbleamable in holiness till the coming of the Lord. We come now to the 10. verse and from the first part of it yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief These three things arise clearly 1. That though our Lord Jesus was most innocent in His own Person yet was He put to exceeding sore Tryalls and sharp Sufferings For 1 He was bruised to wit like Corn betwixt the upper and neither Milstones or lâ—ke Grapes in the Wine presse which respects not so much his outward sufferings though great for a bone of him was not broken as His inward Soul-sufferings and the inward pressures of Wrath that were on His Humane Soul 2. He was put to grief was sore straitned and punished and these expressions import so much my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death my soul is sore troubled and what shal I say and my God my God why hast thou forsaken me The particulars of this grief were spoken to before and we shew in what respect He was so humbled and that He was most sinless and wâ—thout any the least carnal mude or passion under these expressions in which the sense of grief vented it self most in Him Only if it be here asked what is the reason why the Prophet doth so much insist in pointing out Christ's Sufferings and the extremity of them that scarce almost is there one Verse but he hath in it some one or other new aggravation of them we conceive the reason of it is 1. Because there is nothing wherein the greatness of the Love of God and the kindlinesse of the Mediators condescending doth appear in this for the more He Suffered the more the Love of God shined and His condescendency kythed the more this being the great instance and demonstrative proof of the Love of God God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son As it is John 3.16 O! manifold and vastly comprehensive So what is unfolded in it Eternity will but suffice fully to unfold and this being the great instance of the Mediators condescendencie and of His commending His Love to sinners That while we were yet enemies he died for us As it is Rom. 5. The Lord loves to have this the subject of our thoughts that we may be led thereby in to the Soul-ravishing and satisfying contemplation of the Love whence it came 2. Because there is not any one thing that lyes nearer or that is readily of greater concern to Believers then to be well acquainted with Christ's Sufferings wherein the Lord would have his People spiritually perqueir and it is of their concernment in a twofold respect 1. As it is the ground of their peace Therefore He is called our Peace and a Propitiation for by being acquâ—inâ—ed with Christ's Sufferings Believers have a solid ground for their Faith whereby they discover access to peace with God to Pardon of sin and Justification the Mediator having undergone these sufferings for this end 2. As it is the ground of their Consolation considering that they have a suffering Mediator that hath payed the Price that was due by them even such an One that knows 〈◊〉 what it was to be bruised with Wrath and is therefor very tender of and compassionat towards Souls that are under challenges and apprehensions of Wrath These are sweet words which we have to this purpose 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins who was content to Suffer and Satisfie for them O! consider then what ye are doing when ye read of His sufferings for the very Marrow of the Gospel and the Life of the Consolation of the People of God lyes here 2. From these words Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Observe That the Lord Jehovah had the main and principal hand in all the Sufferings of this Innocent Mediator It was not the Jews nor the Scribes and Pharisees nor Pilat but it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief As is clear Act. 4.27 28. Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done In all that they did they were but doing that which was carved out before in the Eâ—ernal Counsel of God and therefore Peter sayes Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinat
suitable for Sinners to carry the Faith of this along with them in their bosome If He procured Heaven to us by His Soul-suffering and Travel we cannot procure it to our selves and therefore a necessity lyes on all that would be at Heaven to be in Christ's common for it And this is the up-shot of all that Dyvour Sinners may know that they are in His common As for His Purchase so for the Applicâ—tion of it Use 2. This Doctrine yeelds much Consolation and it is the Fountain and Rise of it His Soul travel bought it all and makes way to the bringing of us to the possession of it And in many respects our Consolation depends on it We shall look upon it as the rise thereof more generally in these respects 1. That to a poor Sinner lying under the Curse there is a possibility of getting it put by and kept off that Heaven is not desperat and that the fear of coming before the Tribunal of Justice is not absolute for our Lord hath satisfied Justice the Price that He laid down was not for nought but levelled at this very Scope as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we Sinners might be made the righteousness of God in or through him and what strong Consolation is this for a Sinner under the Curse of God to have this word spoken to him though thou cannot satisfy Justice for thy self yet there is a way laid down to satisfy it for thee the Mediator having the Price that was required proposed to Him did not stick at the Terms but held the Bargain and hath accordingly actually performed it 2. It is a Consolation in this respect That not only is there a Compleat Satisfaction given to Justice but a willing Saviour ready to make that Satisfaction forthcoming and to make it forthcoming freely can there be a greater proof of our Lord Jesus His Love to Sinners then this That when they were considered with all their Debt lying on their heads He undertook this Soul-travel for them to procure them Salvation from Wrath and Justice This is more then His giving them His Word for it though that had been enough it 's more then the giving them His Oath thus to commend His Love As it is John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his fâ—iend but sayes the Apostle Rom. 5.8.10 God commends his love to us that while we were yea sinners yea enemies Christ died for us This good Shepherd laid down His Life for His Sheep 3. It 's a Consolation in this respect That there is also a willingness to the Lord Jehovah the provoked Party to accept of this Satisfaction and to absolve the Elect on account of this Satisfaction For what I pray was all this Soul-travel that the Lord underwent But Jehovah His transferring of the Debt of the Elect on Him according to the transaction that had past in the Covenant of Redemption He would never have made the Sword of His Justice to awake against the man that was His Fellow if He had not been content to accept of His Satisfaction for them that should make use of it for we have not only the Mediator and His Satisfaction to look upon in this Soul-travel but also the contrivance of the Covenant called in the former words The pleasure of the Lord who while we were enemies gave His Son and was content to want Him for a time to speak so and to be a distinct party to pursue Him Is not this then a good Bargain when we have a willing Mediator and Merchant content to give the Price and Satisfaction and a gracious and willing God content to accept of this Satisfaction and both of them content to make the Application of it to us freely As it is Revel 3.18 Here is matter of strong Consolation the ground whereof will not fall to wit The mediators Soul-travel and the Lord Jehovah will not cast the Bargain When the poor Sinner sayes I have nothing to pay but there is a Price in Christ's Satisfaction offered in the Gospel and the Judge sayes admits it for the Sinner that lays claim to it as if the Sinner had never Sinned or had actually payed the Price himself But 4. Look a little further and we will find more Consolation though this be much consider a Sinner in a tempted condition and under Sad-soul-exercise that wots not what to do with Unbelief with the Devil and with the Wrath of God all which are like to overwhelm and swallow them up and the heart is like to sink here is the native and kindly Fountain for such a Soul to drink at That our Lord Jesus suffered more and that it was another sort of Cup that He drank of and drank out And for these Ends 1. To take away the Sting and Bitterness of thy Cup. 2. To procure and Meritoriously to Purchase a Freedom and Out-gate from these Temptations to thee 3. Also that He might be made a Sympathizing High-Priest and the more compassionat towards the Person that should be so Tempted according to that Heb 2. ult For that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able also to succour these that are tempted He was Tempted that He might have kindly sympathy with Tempted Souls and therefore when such are ready to fall a swoon He dates and dandles them as it were on His Knee and when they are in hazard to turn their backs in the Conflict He comes up with fresh strength and recruits them So Heb. 4.15 We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin We have such an High Priest as was not only mocked and scorned of Men and some way deserted of God but who was tempted though not from Sin within for He was without Sin yet to Sin for He was assaulted by the Devil and tempted to unbelief and other gross Sins As is clear Matth. 4. though as He sayeth Himself The prince of this world had nothing in him And He was not only tempted to Sin but as if He had actually Sinned He met with Wrath from all there is a sweet and strong Sympathy flowing from such bowels as one Brother hath towards another yea inconceivablie beyond the tenderest bowels that the most warmly loving Brethren in all the World have one towards another And therefore he knows well what Apprehensions Temptations riding thick to speak so will attempt to beat in upon poor Souls and can from experience Sympathy with them It is not so to be understood as if there were any additionall degree made to His Kindnesse Skill and Grace as He is God These being infinit in Him as so confedred yet He being Man as well as God or having a humane Nature He hath from His Personal experience a Sympathy and that in a humane way
Kindly Warmness in the Heart to Him again even till the Soul be put in a Holy Low or Flame of Love to Him more of this Love would make Christ and the Gospel much more Sweet and would make every one of these words that expresseth His Love in His Sufferings to be like Marrow and Fatness and would also make the Promises to be like Breasts full of Consolation It would withall cause that there would not be such mistakes of Christ nor such gaddings and whorings from Him and such preferrings of Idols to Him as alace there are Where this Love is not there can be no other thing that will be acceptable We shall say no more for the time but only this That we do appeal to your Consciences if there be not here an excellent and non-such Object of Love and if there be not here much reason to be in Love with that Object A very Heathen will return Love for Love and should not we much more do so in this case God Himself kindle this Love in us and make us know more the great advantages of it SERMON XLV ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Work of Redemption is a business that was very gravely and very seriously contrived and prosecuted in respect of God and of the Mediator there was much earnestness in it as to them and yet notwithstanding which is a wonder Men whom it concerns so much whose Salvation depends on it and to whom the benefit of it redounds are but very little serious in their thoughts of it Our Lord Jesus was in Travel Soul-travel sore Soul-travel to bring about this Work and that the Gospel might be Preached to Sinners that they might have thereby a ground to their Faith to expect Life and Remission of Sins through Him Is it not then sad that we should speak and hear of it and be in a manner like the stone in the wall no more or little more affected with it than if it were a matter that did not at all concern us The Reading and Hearing of these Words will doubtless be a great Conviction to secure Sinners that our Lord Jesus was at such pains and put to such sore Soul-travel and Suffering and that yet such Sinners were never stirred nor made serious to have the Application of this Purchased Redemption made to them The Scope of these Words is to shew the great inward Soul-travels Conflicts and Straits that our blessed Lord Jesus had and was put to in throughing of the Work of Redemption and in paying the Price due to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It 's a wonder that ever we should have it to speak of and that ye should hear of this Subject which is the very Text to say so and Sum of the Gospel And therefore before we leave it we shall speak a little more to the Use of it and truly if we make not use of this Doctrine we will make use of none though I confess it is a great practique how to draw it to Use and to conform ourselves in our practice to the Use of it We proposed somethings the last day which we could not then prosecute As 1. something for Exhortation 2. Something for Reproof and Expostulation which rising clearly from the Doctrine drawn from the Words we may now insist a little in them 1. For Exhortation Considering Christs Sufferings and the extremity of them and that they were undergone for Sinners we would exhort you to love Him as ye ought There is ground and warrand here to require it of you seing that Love in His bosome came to such an hight that He was content to lay down His Life yea seing He was in such a hot flame of Love that the Cup of Wrath did not quench it but His Love drank and dryed it up Greater love then this hath no man It is a most wonderfull Love considered with all the circumstances whereby it is hightened And there is ground here to excite and stir you up to give Him a kindly meeting and to welcome His Love with Love It will sure be a great shame if our Lords Love stood at nothing so that He might do the Fathers will and finish the Work committed to Him which was the perfyting of the Work of Sinners Redemption the Redeeming of His lost Sheep It every triffle or any triffle shall quench Love in our hearts to Him O! What a shame will it be in the Day of Judgement to many when this Man shall be brought forth loving this Idol and another Man loving that Idol more then Christ this Man loving his Lust that Man his Ease and another Man hâ—s Wealth or Honour and preferring them to Christ and when it shall be found that they would not quit nor part with their right Eye nor their right Hand which are not worth the name of Members being called so because they are Members of the Body of Death out of Love to Him Think Folks what they will that native impression of the obligation that lyes upon them to love Christ is wanting and that Divine and Soul-ravishing Influence that His Love should have on hearts It is true ye all think that ye love Him unless it be some of them who indeed love Him but if ye could reflect upon your selvâ—s ye would find that ye have little or no love at all to Him indeed And therefore for undeceiving of you beside what we said the last day take two or three Characters of kindly love to Christ 1. This Love is never satisfied with any degree or measure that it hath attained so as to sit down on it It hath these two things in it A desire to be further on in Love and a weightedness that it cannot win at growth in Him The loving Soul is disposed to think that it's Love to Christ is not worthy to be called Love and it breaths after it even to have it self warmed therewith to Him and to be brought to a further nearness to Him as we may see through the Song of Solomon And particularly Chap. 7. at the close There will I give thee my loves And Chap. 8. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother Kindly Love to Him puts the Soul to long for an opportunity to vent it's Love towards Him 2. Where this Love is the Soul will be as serious in praying for it that it may attain it as if it wanted it and it will be as much affected for the want of the lively exercise of it and will be as much challenged for coming short in it as it will be for any other Sin There is no benefit that it seeks more after then to have the heart circumcised to love Him and O! but it will be accounted a great benefit to get love to Christ And
your soul thus My soul wait thou only upon God Psal 62.5 for my expectation is from him O blessed confinement of desires and expectations of happiness and satisfaction to the Soul where it is as impossible to meet with disappointment as it is impossible not to meet with it from every other Airth whence it is looked for alace it is the scattering of our expectations and desires of happiness among other objects beside him that breeds us all the disquiet anxiety and vexation whereas if we kept our selves through Grace under a more closs and constant confinement to him when this and that and the other Creature-comfort whether Person or Thing were taken from us there would be no deduction made from nor any diminution made of our true Happiness none of these how dear and desirable soever being essentially constitutive of it nor so much as trenching thereupon and he in whom only all our Happiness lyes being the same yesterday to day and for ever without any variableness or shadow of turning There are some whom he loveth so well that he cannot to speak so find in his heart to see them thus to parcel out their Affections and to dote upon any painted imaginary Happiness in Creature-comforts and therefore on design he doth either very much blast them as to the expected satisfaction from them or quite remove them that by making such a vacuity he may make way for himself to fill it and happily to necessitate the person humbly prayerfully and believingly to put him to the filling of it and it is a great vacuity that he who fills heaven and earth cannot fill a little of whose gracious presence and manifested special love can go very far to fill up the room that is made void by the removal of the choisest and most desireable of all Earthly-comforts and Enjoyments Happy they who when they lose a near and dear Relation or Friend or any Idol they are found of are helped of God to make Jesus Christ as it were succeed to the same as its heir by taking that loss as a summonds to transfer and settle their whole love on him the object incomparably most worthy of it as being altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 or all desires there is no Earthly-comfort Person or Thing but hath somewhat in it that is not desirable and that it would be the better to want but there is nothing in him that is not truly desirable nor any thing out of him that is worthy to be desired I am my Noble Lord the more easily prevailed with and encouraged to address the Dedication of these Sermons to your Lordship more particularly when I remember the unfeigned faith that first dwelt in your Grand mother as an other Lois and in your Mother as an other Eunice and more lately in your own choice Lady who as an other beloved Persâ— laboured much in the Lord and though she had but a very short Christian race in which she was much encouraged by coming into your Noble Fathers Family and her beholding how hard your blest Mother did run and press toward the Mark even when in the last stage and turning in a manner the last stoop of her Christian course yet it was a very swift one wherein she did quite out-run many that were in Christ long before her all three Ladies of Honour almost if I need to say almost without paralels in their times in the serious and diligent exercise of Godliness and Paterns worthy to be imitated by others and I trust in your Lordships self also yea and in several others of your elder and younger Noble Relations for Grace hath had such a draught of Souls amongst you as it useth not often to have in Societies of so Noble Extract for not many noble are called which as it deservedly draweth respect to such of you as are thus priviledged from the observers of it so it layeth a mighty strong obligation upon you to be much for God and in service to your Generation according to his will Further when I observe your Lordships Christian and Examplary Carriage under such a conjunction and combination of so very cross and almost crushing calamitous Providences choosing rather contentedly and satisfiedly to be if it so please the Lord and O! that it may not the last of that Ancient and Honourable Family then to be found endeavouring to keep it from sinking by any sinful and unwarrantable course particularly by defrauding just Creditors though the Debt was not of your Lordships own contracting under whatever specious pretexts and advantages of Law whereof many make no bones who if they may keep up their superfluities care not to ruine their Friends ingaged in Suretyship for their Debt and to live on the Substance of others Moreover when with great satisfaction I notice how much your Lordship makes it your business to follow your Noble Ancestors in so far as they were followers of Christ Which many great Men even in the Christian World alace do not much mind Not considering that it is true Nobility where God is the Chief and Top of the Kin and where Religion is at the Bottom And what renowned Rauleigh saith Hinc dictus Nobilis quaesi prae aliis virtute notabilis And what another saith Qui ab illustrium majorum splendida virtute degenerarunt Nobilia pertenta sunt And finally when I consider that in your Lordships retirement and abstraction from wonted converse and dealing in business you will have access at leasure to read them whereby you may through God's blessing be sweetly diverted from pensive and not so profitable poring on your affliction and be much instructed convinced reproved directed edified strengthened and comforted Read them then my Lord carefully as I take it for granted you will ponder and digest them well and I am hopeful that they shall through Grace prove contributive to the bringing upon you a considerable growth of holiness and to the making of your wayes and doings more then ever such that others of his people observing the same shall be comforted and made to think and say verily God hath not done in vain all that he hath done to yonder Noble-man That these Substantial and Marrowy Gospel-Sermons may come along to you all nay to all the Readers of them and to your Lordship more particularly with showers of Gospel-blessings is the earnest desire of Dearly beloved and afflicted Christians And my very Noble Lord in particular Your Companion in Tribulation desirous also to be in the Kingdome and Patience of Jesus Christ And your Servant in the Gospel for his sake J. C. November 15th 1682. Unto the Readers and more particularly unto the Inhabitants of the City of Glasgow of all Ranks THough the whole Field of the Sacred and infallibly inspired Scriptures be very pleasant and beautiful a spiritually cool and cleansing a fructifying fresh refreshful and wholsome air breathing continually there yet if we may compare some parts thereof with others those wherein
every thing whereof ye are said to be shorâ— Though ye live and should die Carnal and Unrenewed yet ye think stil ye have an honest Mind or Heart for all that and what I pray is your honest Mind but a rotten and prophane Heart that vails your Hypocrisie with a pretext of Honesty Would ye think that Man honest spoke of Isa 44.19 who with one part of the Tree warmed himself and with another part made a god and fell down and prayed to it and yet in your Sense he hath an honest Mind for he followeth his light which is but darkness and the deceit of his Heart carrying him away from God though he cannot see it he discerns not because he considers not that there is a lie in his hand and that a deceived heart hath led him aside so it is with you and if many of you saw what is latent under that honest Mind and Heart there would be nothing that would make you loath your selves more a little time will convince you that that which ye looked for most good from was your greatest and most traiterous Enemy He that trusts in his own heart is a fool saith Solomon Prov. 28.26 it supposes that Folks are ready to lippen to their Heart and to hearken to the language of it concerning their Spiritual Estate but it says also that they are Fools that do so for it betrayes them and there is no folly comparable to that whereby a Man betrayes his own immortal Soul and that he doth who trusts in his own Heart A seventh Reason is from the deceitfulness of our Heart and the natural Corruption that sticks to us There is naturally in us Pride and Self-conceit we are disposed and given to think any thing that is our own though it be but a shew is as good as others reality to think our own Light and Knowledge our own other Parts and Gifts to be as good as those of any others whosoever they be And with Pride there is joined self-Self-love we dow not abide to think evil of our selves or to suspect our selves Though this self-Self-love be indeed Self-hatred and is but love to our Corruptions and makes us that when we live in hatred of God to think that we love Him so that we cannot be induced to think that we love Him not for we know that love to God is good and we love our selves so well that we cannot endure to think that we want it hence it 's said of some in the last Times 2 Tim. 3.2 3. That they shall he covetous proud boasters blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers c. having a form of godliness and denying the power of it and the founâ—ain of all is Self-love for saith he men shall be lovers of their own selves And as Self-love is the fountain of much Evil so it 's the fountain of Self-deceit and keeps out any thing that may make Men question their own Condition so that if a word come in and say thou hast no ground for thy Faith the Heart will be ready to answer and say it cannot be that I am a Self-deceiver and Self-love as a partial Judge will offer to vindicate the Man and so makes him shift the Challenge Now when all these are put together you may see how many Grounds Folks have to go wrong upon and Men having Hearts disposing and inclining them to go wrong and little pains being taken to discover the deceit of them is it any wonder that they think they Believe when indeed they Believe not and be empty and toom-handed having little or nothing to rest upon while they think they are Rich and want nothing These are not fancied and far fetched things but obvious and at Hand and may easily be gathered from your daily Practice In all which it 's our design and scope to bring you to try your long unquestioned Peace do not therefore think that it is impossible to be thus perswaded as many of you are and yet to be mistaken which is another Ground of Folks deceit for Laodicea was very confident in thinking her self to be rich and encreased in goods and to stand in need of nothing when she was in the mean time poor blind miserable wretched and naked and the Galatians as we may see chap. 5.8 had a perswasion which was not of God As there may be a perswasion of a point of Doctrine as being right which yet is an errour so there may be a perswasion of a Man's Spiritual State as being right and which he will stoutly maintain to be so while in the mean time that perswasion is not of God that calleth him but a strong Delusion If all that be Faith that ye call Faith then certainly the way to Heaven is much broader then the Scripture hath chalked it out and Ministers needed not say Who believes our report for all should thus believe it It will then and must then turn to this that your perswasion is not of Him that calleth you and if a deceit may ly and lurk under this perswasion of yours ye have certainly so much the more need to put the business to tryal And this is the last Use which we cannot now insist on That seeing so many think they Believe who Believe not and that there are but few that believe the Report and indeed rest on Christ for their Salvation as He is offered to them in the Gospel it is of your concernment to endeavour to put your selves without the reach of this Complaint and to make it sure that ye have believed and received the Report Is there any thing of concernment if this be not even to makâ— your Calling and Election sure and that cannot be made sure as to you till your Faith be made sure If we could prevail this far with you we would count it a blessed Fruit of this and of many other Preachings even that some of you who have never quâ—stioned your Faith might be engaged first seriously to close with Christ and then to put your selves to the tryal that on distinct grounds ye might be able to say I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day There are many of you that talk of Faith and yet cannot only not assert your Interest in Christ distinctly but cannot so much as give any solid grounds of your Believing and should not this think ye put you to try it Is there not a Day coming wherein ye will all be tried whether your alledged Faith was true Faith or but Presumption and wherein the Conscience which is now quiet and which it may be never keeped you from an hours Sleep shall awake and put forth its Sting and shall bite and gnaw and ye who shall continue under the power of this Delusion will be put to gnaw your Tongues for pain and horrour under the gnawings of your Conscience Ye that
the other necessarily along with it never love that Faith that leaves the Heart as a Swines-sty to Lusts that leaves it swarming with unclean and vain Thoughts or that leaves the Heart just as it was before or that Faith that only cleanseth the outside and does no more such a Faith however esteemed by the Man will never be accounted for true Saving Faith before God I do not I dare not say that Believers will always discern this heart-purity or cleanness but this I say that true Faith will set the Man a work to purify the Heart and will be making use of Christ for that end not only to have the arm of the dominion of Sin broken but to have the Soul more and more delivered from the indwelling power of it and this will the design that he will sincerely drive to get the Heart purified within as well as the outward Man inward Heart-abominations will be grievous and burdensome to him as well as scandalous out-breakings A second place is Gal. 2.20 21. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life c If ye would know a Companion of true Faith here is one it hath a life of Faith with it There is one life killed and another life is quickened the life that is killed is that whereby the Man sometime lived to the Law I am dead to the Law says the Apostle a Man's good conceit of himself that once he had is killed and taken away he wonders how it came that he thought himself Holy or a Believer or how he could promise to himself Heaven in the condition he was in There is another life comes in the place of that and it 's a life that is quickened and maintained by and from nothing in the Man himself but it 's wholly from and by Christ The Believer hath his holiness and strength for doing all called for Duties and his comfort also from Christ and he holds withall his very Natural Life his present Being in the World from Christ his all is in Christ his stock of life strength and furniture is not in himself but he lives by a continual Traffick as it were on Bills of Exchange betwixt Christ and him when he wants he sends a Bill to Christ and it 's answered in every thing that he stands in need of and that is good for him He is a dead Man and he is a living Man and where-ever true Faith is there the Man is dead and there the Man is living Do not I pray mistake it by thinking that true Faith is but vented puts forth it self only in reference to this or that particular or at this or that particular time only for Fâ—ith must be exercised not only at starts as when when we are under Challenges for Sin or at Prayer but we must design and endeavour to exercise Faith thorow all our Life that is we must by Faith look for every thing that is useful and needful for us from Christ and be always endeavouring to drive on a common Trade of living this way we must be habituating our selves to seek after Peace Strength and Consolation and what else we need out of the fulness that is in Him This Life of Faith is to see the want of all things in our selves and yet to have all things by making use of Christ in all things contenting and comforting our selves that there is Strength in Him though we be weak in our selves and that He hath gotten the victory over all His and our Enemies and that we shall at last through Him be victorious in our own Persons contenting and satisfying our selves that He hath compleat Righteousness though we be Bankrupt and have none of our own and betaking our selves allenarly to that Righteousness for our Justification before God Thus making a Life to our selves in Him He living in us by His Spirit and we living in Him by Faith O sweet and desirable but mysteriouâ— Life The third place is Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither circumsion availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love He doth not simply say Faith but faith that works by love for Faith is an operative Grace and this is the main vent of it the thing by which it works it works by Love Faith is the hand of the new Creature whereby every thing is wrought it having Life from Christ and we may say that Love is in a manner the hand of Faith or rather like the fingers upon the hand of Faith whereby it handleth every thing tenderly even out of love to God in Christ and to others for His sake Faith works and it works by Love that 's a sound and good Faith that warms the Heart with love to Christ and the nearer that Faith brings the Believer to Him it warms the Heart with more love to others And therefore love to the People of God is given as an evidence of one that is born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 because wherever true Faith is there cannot but be love to the Children of God flowing from love to Him that begets them That Faith that 's not affected with God's dishonour out of love to Him and that can endure to look upon the Difficulties Sufferings and Afflictions of the Children of God without sympathizing and being kindly affected therewith is not to be taken for a sound Faith but to be suspected for a Counterfeit The fourth place is James 2 14. Shew me thy saith by thy works c. True Faith hath always sound Holiness with it in all manner of Conversation in the design and endeavour of the Believer which is withall through Grace in some measure attained What avails it for a Man to say that he loves another when being naked or destitute he bidâ— him depart in Peace be warmed be filled and yet in the mean time gives him nothing that he stands in need of would not such a poor Man think himself but mocked Even so will not God reckon you to be but Mock-believers or Mockers of Faith when ye profess your selves to be Believers in Christ while in the mean time ye have neither indeed Heart-purity nor Holiness in your outside Conversation that is but such a Faith as Devils may have that will never do you good Ye would believe this for a truth that there will never a Faith pass for Faith in God's account and so there should never a Faith pass for Faith in your account but that Faith that sets the Man a work to the study of Holiness that Faith that works by Love that Faith that purifies the Heart and that Faith that puts the Person in whom it is to study to have Christ living in him and himself living in Christ I promised to name a few Scriptures that speak out some more condescending Characters of Faith And 1. I would think it a good token of Faith to have Folk feared for missing and falling short of the Promises
and is that which Christ wanted This we say is one reason why Christ is so little thought of even because he cometh not with external pomp observation and grandour nor with great temporal gifts to his followers That which mainly is desirable to natural men is that which hath earthly beauty in it a very deceitful consideration and ground though such an one as men are often carried away with and therefore they despise and reject the Saviour 2. Which is another reason of the Doctrine and also clearly implyed that our Lord Jesus Christs Humiliation and coming so low for mans sake his very condescending and stooping for their good is the great ground of their stumbling at him and because of that he is the less thought of Even the very hight of his grace and that great streach thereof that the Son of God became thus low as to become Man a mean Man and a Man of sorrows is a greater ground of stumbling to men then if he had never become thus low Now these two being supposed and thus explained the Doctrine is clear to wit that Jesus Christ that became Man and performed the satisfaction due to the Justice of God for our sins is usually and ordinarily disesteemed and undervalued by them to whom he is offered in the Gospel 1. It was so under the Old Testament and is so likewise under the New What is almost all the Gospel spent on But to hold out Christ upon the one side to be a man of sorrows and upon the other side to shew that men esteemed him not How was he undervalued at his birth when his Mother was thrust out to a Stable and he laid in a Manger And no sooner doth he appear in the exercise of his publick Ministry but his friends offend at him and look on him as a distracted man Mark 3. His Countrey-men contemn him and were offended at him Mark 6. Is not this say they the Carpenter the Son of Mary the brother of James and Joses And how was he esteemed or rather disesteemed and undervalued at his death So that it is said Acts 3.14 They denyed the holy and just one and desired that a murtherer should be granted unto them They rejected the Prince of Life and choosed Barabbas And judging him not worthy to live they cry away with him Hence our Lord saith Matth. 11. Blessed is he that is not offended in me which insinuats that there were but very few to whom his Humiliation proved not a Stumbling-block 2. If we consult experience we will find this to be true how little is he thought of among Turks amongst whom his precious Name is blasphemed though they pretend more respect to him then meer Heathens do How little is he thought of among the Jews who call him a Deceiver And if we come nearer even to the Christian Church and to such as profess their Faith of his being the Eternal Son of God equal with the Father that he is Judge of quick and dead and that they look for Salvation through him yet if it be put to a tryal how few are they that will be found to esteem of him aright since there are but few that believe the report that is made of him but few that receive him as he is offered in the Gospel few that have but such respect to him as to prefer him to their Idols and that give him the first and chief seat in their hearts And if we consider how little eager pursuing there is after him that he may be enjoyed and how indifferent folks are whether they have or want him How many things men dote upon and prefer to Jesus Christ as the Lord complains Jer. 2.13 My people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and have digged to themselves cisterns even broken cisterns that can hold no water the thing will be clear beyond all debate We may take in another Branch of the Doctrine here when he saith We esteemed him not and it is this that even Believers are in so far as unrenewed inclined and not without culpable accession to this same sin of undervaluing of Jesus Christ It 's indeed true that the Apostle Peter saith in his 1 Epist Chap. 2. Vers 7. To you that believe he is precious Which place though it confirm the first part of the Doctrine that to them that believe not he is not precious but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence albeit that Believers being compared with Unbelievers have some precious esteem of Jesus Christ yet if we consider the corrupt nature that in part cleaves to them and the degree of their estimation of him that it 's but very little and low in respect of what it should be and the many peevish fits too 's and fro's up's and down's that they are subject to with the many suspicions and jealousies they have of him so that though they were just now fresh and lively in the exercise of their Faith and of their estimation of Christ yet within a little even by and by they give way again to their jealousies the Doctrine will also hold true of them we esteemed him not We shall give the second Doctrine and then speak to the use of both jointly which is this That there is nothing more culpably accessory to the abounding of Unbelief then the poor thoughts and little estimation that Men have of Jesus Christ the undervaluing of him is the great ground and reason why they believe not on him and on the contrary if the Hearers of the Gospel had higher thoughts and a more precious esteem of Christ and valued him according to his unvaluable worth there would be more believing in him then there is When the Gospel comes to invite Men to the Wedding Matth. 22. when Christ is roosed and commended as to what he is what he hath purchased and what he freely offereth to Sinners it 's said that those who were bidden made light of it and went away one to his farm another to his merchandice c. when Christ was spoken of and the offer of Life through him they undervalued and despised it and made light of the offer and therefore turned their backs for they thought more of the House of the Oxen of the Farm and of the married Wife then they thought of him And Acts 17. when Paul is preaching Christ at Athens the Philosophers and Orators these learned Heads despise and disdain him as a setter forth of some strange and uncouth god If we compare this with its contrary it will be further clear to wit wherever there is estimation of Christ it proves a help to Faith and a ground of it so where-ever Christ is lightlied disesteemed and undervalued it breeds in Folk and is a ground to them of these three 1. It cools or rather keeps cool their love and affection to him where he is disesteemed and undervalued he cannot be loved and People in that case become
removing a main obstruction that hinders your Faith and that is the undervaluing of him For if undervaluing of him be the great cause of unbelief and that which mainly obstructs Faith then the esteeming of him from a due impression of his worth must be a great mean of and help to Faith and the more he be esteemed of the more will he be believed on It hath an attractive vertue to draw sinners to love him a screwing vertue to screw up the affections towards him and withal a fixing and establishing vertue to settle and stay the Soul upon him by believing the soul that from the right impression of his worth esteems of him knows that it may lippen to him for he is holy and true And hence it is that the great thing that believers take to ground their prayers upon is some excellency in God some one or other of his Titles and Attributes upon which they fix to bear them up under and against any difficulty that presseth hard upon them This fixes also their hope and expectation of attaining of any good thing that they want through him And therefore upon the one side we would commend to you the study of Christ's worth and upon the other an high estimation of him as that which will fix your Faith and Love and Hope on him This we see to be in a high degree in Paul Philip. 3. I account all things saith he to be but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of him and his transcendent worth ye would not think it lost labour to read and study these places of Scripture that shew what our Lord Jesus is in his Person Nature and Offices that ye may have the Faith of his God-head fixed and may be clear as to the excelling fulness that is in him as namely that of Isai 9.6 To us a Child is born to us a Son is given the government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no end And to study his excellent Properties his Eternity Omnipotency Faithfulness Mercy c. common to him with the Father and Holy Ghost and the excellent qualifications that as Mediator he is replenished with being full of grace and truth and in all things having the preheminency See Col. 1. John 1.14 and Heb. 1.2 3. c. The reason why we press you to this is not only that ye may have more clear Theory and Contemplation But also and mainly that your affections may be delighted in him and that your Faith may without hink or hesitation come to give him credit Ignorance of Christ breeds disestimation and disestimation makes you not to give him credit and thus ye are kept at a distance from him There is no study more pleasant more precious and more profitable There is here then a task for you that ask what ye shall do even to read and study the excellency of Jesus Christ and to labour to have it well fixed in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts It will give you notable direction what to do even that which is well-pleasing to God and may be very profitable to you through his blessing Use 5. See here the great necessity and conveniency of studying the disestimation of Christ that is in us as well as of studying the worth that is in him and what he hath out of love suffered for us These two are put together in the Text it being needful for us to be as well acquainted with the one as with the other We shall give you this use in two short Doctrines The 1. whereof is That it is a necessary duty for the hearers of the Gospel to study throughly and to be convinced of and clear in their disestimation of Christ as well as of his worth and excellency because it maketh up repentance and maketh it flow and thorowly humbleth the sinner when he findeth this desperat wickedness and perversness to be in himself and maketh him kindly to loath and abhor himself and unless this desperat wickedness be seen and felt that great and bitter mourning spoken of Zech. 12.10 will never flow forth The 2. is That where folk have any just estimation of Christ and of his worth and are sensible of the evil of unbelief there will also be some sense of the sin of undervaluing of him and the more sense they have of the evil of unbelief they will be the more sensible of their undervaluing of him And will with the Prophet here cry out He was despised and we esteemed him not And from both these ye may see the necessity of studying to find out this corruption the search and discovery whereof will in-sight you in the evil and perversness of your nature and so deeply humble you and also serve highly to commend Christ and his Grace to you and without the discovery of this corruption it 's impossible ever to be humble thorowly or to have right thoughts of Christ and of his Grace Use 6. It serves to let us see the necessity of believing in Christ and of the imploying of him because there is no other way to be free of the challenges of misprising and not esteeming of him but by receiving of him and believing on him A 7th Use may be added and it 's this That the moe there be that despise Christ and the greater difficulty there be in believing on him the more reason have they to be thankful that he graciously works any suitable estimation of himself in and brings them to believe on him These who have gotten any glimpse of his Glory which hath lifted him high in their estimation to the drawing forth of their faith and love after him would praise him for it It 's he and only he that opened your eyes to see him and gave you that estimation of him and circumcised your hearts to love him let him therefore have all the praise and glory of it This is the Word of God and himself bless it to you through Jesus Christ SERMON XIX ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed THis is a most wonderful Subject that the Prophet is here discoursing of even that which concerneth the sufferings of our blessed Lord Jesus by way of prediction several hundreds of years before his Incarnation It was much that he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief But this was more that he was despised and we esteemed him not There is wonderful grace upon the one side that our Lord became so very low and wonderful contempt and enmity on the other side that we despised him and
the sins of the Elect are exprest in an applicatory way And that noâ—able place Gal. 2.20 Where as if it were not enough to say he loved us and gave himself for us he draws it nearer and more home and saith Who loved me and gave himself for me But that ye may not mistake the point my meaning is not that every body off hand should make application of Christs death O! the presumption and desperat security that destroyes thousands of souls here as if there were no such distinction as we held forth in the first Doctrine nor any Barr to be put in the way of that fancied universal application of Christs dying for all sinners whereas we shew that it was for his sheep and these given to him of the Father only that he died and for no moe But this is my meaning that as it is 2 Pet. 1.10 ye would give diligence to make your calling and election sure and â—â—â—t in an orderly way ye would sâ—cure and sicker your interest in Christs death Not to make this the first thing that ye apprehend for the foundation of your Faith that he died for you in particular for that were to come to the top of the Stairs before ye begin to set foot on the first step But the orderly way is to make sure your fleeing to Christ in the sense of sin and your closing with him on his own terms and your having the characters of his people ingraven on you And then from such premisses ye may draw this conclusion as the result thereof Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Then ye may be satisfiedly confirmed in this that when Christ transacted and bargained with the Father about the Elect when he prayed and took the Cup of his Fathers wrath and drank it out for them he minded your names and was made a curse in your room The reason is drawn from the advantage of such a Doctrine as having hanging on it the consolation of all the promises of God for we can never comfortaâ—ly apply nor be delighted in the promises till we coâ—e to make particular application of Christs purpose and purchase in the work of Redemption This is it that rids Marches and draws a Line betwixt us and reâ—robat ungodly men aâ—d that keeps from the fear of eternal death that pursues them And it gives some ground of hope to lay hold on and grip to as to our enjoying of Christs purchase I knâ—w there is nothâ—ng that fâ—â—k had more need to be sober and warry in the search of and in the securing themselves in then this yet by the same command that injoyneth us to make our Covenant-state our Calling and Elâ—ction sure we are bound to make our Redemption sure And having at some length spoken of the way of making sure our believing on the 1. vers We may insist the less on this of making sure our Redemption â—y Christ The 1. Use serves for Information To let you know 1. That there are many prosessing Christians that account this a curious nice and conceity thing to study to be sure and to make it sure that Christ in his death and sufferings minded them in particular Others may be think it impossible And all may think it a right hard and difficult thing and indeed so it is But yet we would have you to consider 1. That simply it is not impossible â—lse we should say that the comfort of the people oâ— God were impossible 2. That it is no curious thing for the Lord doth not lay the obligation to curiosity on any though we would wish that many had a holy curiosity to know God's mind towards them that they might not live in the dark about such a concerning business 3. That the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 And even this same secret concerning Redemption is with them and he will shew them his Covenant And indeed it were no small matter to have this manifested And therefore as a 2. Use of the point we would commend to you the study of making this sure for it hath many notable advantages attending it it would provoke to humility and to thankfulness to him that loved us and washed us from ouâ— sins in his own blood It would make a câ—mfortable and chearful Christian liâ—e It would warm the heart with love to God and to Jesus Christ who hath thus loved us as to give himself for us When we commend this to you it 's no uncouth nice needleslâ— curious or unattainable thing nor would we have you when ye cannot attain it to fit down discouraged neither would we have you take any extraordinary way to come by it nor waiting for any new light but that which is in the Bible nor would we have you resolving to do no other thing till ye attain to this But this we would have you to do even to make Faith in Christ sure by fleeing to him and casting your burden on him by cordial receiving of him and acquiescing in him and then ye make all sure The committing of your selves to him to be saved by his price payed to Divine Justice and resting on him as he is holden ouâ— in the Gospel is the way to read your interest in his Râ—demption And this is it that we have Gal. 3. and 2.19 Where it is disputed at length that we are Heirs of Abraham by believing and by the Law saith the Apostle I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucifiâ—d with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I live in the fl sh is by the Faith of the Son of God Hence he concludes Who loved me and gave himself for me And this he proves in the last words I do not frustrate the grace of God I do not disappoint it I marr it not in its end and design It is as if he had said seeking a lost sinner to save and I give it a lost sinner to be saved For though God's Decree be the first step to Salvation and the work of Redemption follows on it and then believing on both yet to come to the knowledge of Gods Decree of Election and of our concern in the Covenant of Redemption we look downward and seek first to know if we have right to make application of that which was thought upon long since concerning us and this we do by reflecting on the way we have come to believing If we have been convinced and made sensible of sin and of our lost condition by nature if we have not smothered that conviction but cherished it If we have not run to this or that duty for satisfying of Divine Justice and for making of our peace therâ—by but were necessitate to betake our selves to Jesus Christ made offer of in the Gospel for the salvation of sinners and if we have closed with him as he was offered And if we have done so
truth and that Paul lived in the faith and feeling of it then judge if there be not just ground to expostulate with most part of you as being yet without the faith and feeling of this moâ— concerning thing The 3â— Use of it serves wonderfully to set forth the glory of the free and rich Grace of God that all this business is made and this transaction entered into that Christ comes to satisfie and doth actually satisfie Justice for a number of such wretches that had gone astray like lost sheep This comes in as he scope we have strayed done the wrong but he hath payed the debt satisfied for the wrong done and from comparing this v. with the foregoing we may take these five Considerations that serve to heighten the glory of Gods Grace and Free-love and to shame Believers that are so little in wondring at it 1. Who is smitten his own Son we sinned and he was smitten even he who was and is the Fathers fellow the Sword awakes against him and we go free 2. What did our Lord suffer He was wounded and bruised the chastisement of our peace was on him he laid on him the iniquity of us all It was not a complemental or fashional suffering but he was arraigned before the Tribunal of Justice and did really pay our Debt and satisfie Justice for our Sins 3. Who exâ—ctâ—d this Satisfaction who did smite him It 's the Lord Jehovah it 's the Father which makes the glory of Grace shine the more It 's God the Father whose Heart was tender to the Son of his love that exâ—cts the full price of him so that as he said of Abraham By this I know that thou lovest me because thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only son Isaac from me we may say by this we know God's love to the Elect when he hath not withheld nor spared his own Son from them but hath laid on him the iniquities of them all 4. For whom did he smite him for Sinners for straying Sheep for Covenant-breakers for such as had gone a whoring from God and were bent to sin against him I mean the Elect. 5. When was it that he suffered for them even when they were straying rejecting despising nodding the head at him spitting in his face and saying away with him even then he is praying and dying for them Now put all these together that such a price shall be exacted of such a Cautioner and for such Sinners and at such a time behold see therein how God commends his love to us as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.8 In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us when we were in our sin not praying to him nor in capacity to pray or give him thanks for any thing that he did or suffered he then died for us Is there any thing here but freedom of Grace and does not this exceeding highly commend the love of God that he exacts the Debt due by us of his Son and the wonderful love of the Mediator and Cautioner that at such a time and for such transgressions he should pay such a price Use 4. Seing this was our state that we were Sinners and that yet herein was the love of God commended that he laid oâ— his Son the iniquity of us all then is there not good ground to take with Sin and to make use of the Remedy to take with Sin and to close with Christ We might take occasion here to exhort 1. To Watchfulness and to walking soberly and humbly from this ground that we have such a Nature 2. To exhort every one to Repentance because by Nature ye are all in such a sinful state and condition â—t may be ground of exercising Repentance even long after your justification and peace made with God who are justified with whom it should be as we see it was with David But 3ly Seing by Nature ye are under God's Wrath and Curse and in a state of enmity with him it mainly serves to exhort you to flee unto Jesus Christ and not to rest till ye gâ—t the quarrel taken away It might be in reason thought that Folks would be soon and easily induced to this even to run unto Jesus Christ and to welcome the Gospel with good will for preventing the Curse and Wrath due to them for sin and for subduing of this sinful nature and inclination to stray from God and his Way Therefore seing there is a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness since there is a satisfaction given to Justice for removing the guilt of sin since the Spirit is purchased for mortifying of sin making holy let as many as think that they have gone astray and have turned to their own way as they would not be found still at this distance with God make use of Christ for making their friendship with God it 's the word that Peter useth 1 Pet. 2. ult All we like sheep have gone astray but we are now turned unto the shepherd and bishop of our souls hold O hold you near this Shepherd and make use of his Righteousness for making your Peace If we could rightly understand the words we would see in them 1. A Motive to put us on to believing in Christ and can there be a greater motive then necessity We have sinned and gone astray he is the only Saviour there is no other name given under Heaven whereby Sinners can be saved 2. There is also in them an Encouragement to Believing It was for Sinners such as we are that Jesus Christ suffered all that he suffered which may be ground of hope and encouragement to step forward and if neither our need nor Christ's being a Saviour willing to make Sinners welcome will prevail we know not what will do it It will turn to this and ye will be put to it Whether are ye Sinners and if Sinners whether is it not a desperate thing to ly under Sin and Wrath If ye be not Sinners we have no warrand to propose this Doctrine to you to invite or make you welcome to a Saviour but if ye grant that ye are Sinners will ye contentedly ly under Sin will ye be able to bear it out against God or think ye that ye will be well enough for all that and if ye dare not resolve to ly under Sin I would ask what way will ye win from it think ye it easie to win from under it must not the Justice of God be satisfied some of you think that ye can pray your selves out of Sin but what need was there of Christs sufferings if a satisfaction might have been made to Justice another way and if none but Christ can satisfie it turns to this that by all means ye would make use of him else ye will most certainly drown and die in your sins And this is the thing that we would commend to you that under the sense of sin and in the faith of Gods condescending
it down for either the Elect behoved to die or he himself and since it is so as if he said then behold here is my life take it and I will lay it down that they poor things may go free and therefore does my Father love me says he because I lay down my life for my sheep not because it 's taken from me against my will but because I wiâ—lingly and of my self lay it down and when he is brought before Pilate and Herod and they lay many things to his charge Mat. 26.63 and Mark 15. He held his peace so that it 's said that Pilate marvelled Mark 15. he knew that he could not but have much to say for himself as all men in such a case use to have but he answered nothing or as it 's in the Text yet he opened not his mouth the reason was because he would not divert the course of Justice nor mar the Lords design in the work of the Elects Redemption through his death and sufferings He came not into the world to accuse Pilate or the Jews and to justifie himself though now and then for the conviction of enemies and for his own necessary clearing he did let a word fall but being engaged for the Elect he wil needs perform all that Justice called for And in this willingness he hath a respect to two things 1. To the Fathers satisfaction for his willing suffering is that which makes it a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to him 2. To the Elects consolation that they may know thâ—y had a willing Saviour that had no necessity laid on him to satisfie but satisfiâ—d willingly And from these two arises a third even the glory of the Mediators satisfaction for herein his love to the Elect shines brightly I lay down my life for my sheep this is the heart-waâ—ming commendation of his sufferings that with delight and pleasure he underwent them as if he had been purchasing a kingdom to himself Now to come to the Use of all these Doctrines when they with the things contained in them are laid together we profess we cannot tell you what excellent Uses they yield Would to God we were all in such a frame as the Eunuch was in when he read this Scripture as tâ—e divine History gives us an account Acts 8. ver 32. and forward who when Philip had begun to preacâ— to him on this excellent suâ—ject was so taken that before the Sermon or Discourse was at an end be ng holily impatient at any longer delay he says to Philip Here is water what hinders me to be baptized I say again would to God we were all in such a frame and that this were the fruit of such a Doctrine as this to many of you nay to all of you Use 1. Wonder Believers at the extensiveness and infinitness of the Grace of God and at the heart-affecting and soul-ravishing love of the Mediator at Grace in God that spared the Debtor and exacted payment from the Cautioner the Son of his love at love in the Mediator that payed so much and so willingly and cheerfully If any subject of thoughts be pertinent for us while we are about to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper certainly this were pertinent concerning a crucified Christ in stating himself in our room to pay our Debt and doing this of his own accord without the solicitation or interposing of any Creature and doing it withall so frankly and cheerfully Was ever the like of this love heard tell of for one and more especially for such a one to suffer so much and so cheerfully unrequired we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this great and sweet Truth that he had never better will nay never so good will to eat his Dinner then and as he had to suffer and satisfie Justice for you though at a dear rate He says John 4. It was his meat to do the fathers will that sent him and to finish his work Have ye suitable thoughts of his love when ye read the Gospel have ye in the Word seen him standing before Pilate in your room not answering when he is accused and Pilate marvelling at his silence and did Pilate marvel knowing and being convinced of his innocency and have ye never marvelled or marvelled but very little sure your little marvelling at his silence is the more sadly marvellous that the cause of his silence when he was charged with your iniquities with such and such a piece of your miscarriage with such a vain and roaving heart with such a wanton look with such a profane or idle word of yours with the horrid sin of your having so abused slighted and neglected him c. that the cause I say of his silence at such a terrible accusation and charge and not vindicating of himself or saying these faults miscarriages and transgressions are not mine as he might have done was pure love to you O! is not this strange and yet most true wonder then more at it Use 2. Here is strong consolation to Believers and wonderful wisdom in the rise and convey of it in uniting Justice and Love out of which the consolation springs Justice exacting upon and distressing the Son of God and he satisfying Justice so fully that though all the Elect had satisfied eternally in Hell it had not been made to shine so splendidly and gloriously Justice also on the Mediators side in yielding and giving satisfaction though it should oppress and break Soul and Body And yet love both on the Father and Mediators side on the Fathers side love in finding out this way of satisfaction to his own Justice when there was no cure but by wounding of his own Son and yet he was content rather to wound him than that the Elect should suffer and be wounded eternally and love on the Mediators side who willingly yields and undergoes their Debt and will not hide his face from shame and spitting what may not the Believer expect from God when he spared not his own Son for him and what may he expect from Christ who spared not himself for his sake and who is that good Shepherd that laid down his life for the Sheep and held his tongue and quarrelled not with those that smote him will he quarrel with a poor Sinner coming to him and pleading for the benefite of satisfaction no certainly but as the word is Zeph. 3.17 He will rest in his love or as the word signifies He will be silent or dumb in his love he will not upbraid thee nor cast up thy former miscarriages he will not say reproachfully to thee where wast thou so long playing the Prodigal he is better content with thy recovery than ever he was discontent or ill-pleased with all the wrong thou didst unto him Use 3. This word of Doctrine lays down the ground whereupon a sinner sensible of sin may build his expectation of peace with God The transaction concluded and agreed upon is the ground of his coming
of patience and obedience to them But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation as well as since And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants what influence or advantage can it have as to them Either they are not taken to Heaven at all or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither or if they be obliged to him it is certainly by vertue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people 4. It 's clear from this that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel all the benefits that come to Gods people as namely Justification and pardon of sin they are attributed to this as the cause of them as vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death there must necessarily be vertue in it that procured them and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof that he laid down in his dying 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption and in Christ's Sufferings which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon now by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified and he is seen to be just in executing his threatning against sin even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice though there might be some shew of shewing Mercy yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus by this God hath made it manifest that he is a just God that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity For Use and Application 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you as alace they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many and therefore they are tasteless to them and it 's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of and yet notwithstanding this same truth that we are now upon is a great ground of our faith for if we believe not this that Christ was a propitiation for sin we can have no ground of lippening to him or believing on him but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth we have cordially closing with him ground from it to expect God's favour and to be fred from the curse because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example is much yet if we had no more by it it would be but cold comfort except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us 1. These that securely sin on still and yet hope to get mercy and who will confess that they are sinners but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life and they will speak of a number of things but it may be not one word of Christ or of his purchase or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Saviour or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatned without a satisfaction so that Christs satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church and this is easily proven from this that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room and that Christ is the only Surety Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven or be more in Christs common and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ and without employing of him it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error A 2d sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin yet are as heartless hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him as if he had not satisfied what else does the doubting and despondency of such say but that there is not a compleat satisfaction in Christ's death and that therefore they dare not trust to it otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy and yet adventure to rest upon it seing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provocked him at all or had satisfied his Justice themselves 2ly It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt and how much we are obliged to the Mediator when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes this is our great ground of confidence and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son and at the Sons love that was so condescending and should make our souls warm towards him who when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit was content to enter himself as our Surety and to pay our Debt It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him knowing that where sin is there a satisfaction must be and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him and to give him the credit of its thorow-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine SERMON XXXII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the
was holy and harmless and ere long he will gloriously appear to be holy when these who pierced him shall see him and be confounded I say the Uses are these in reference to the Church and People of God It serves 1 To shew the condescendency of love and the contrivance of infinite wisdome for the behove of sinners Such a high Priest became us Love condescended and wisdome contrived that he should become man and suffer the just for the unjust Wisdom set on work by grace provided for sinners such a High Priest as they stood in need of And indeed sinners have no want here for they have a High Priest becoming them and this is an evidence of it that he is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners c. 2. It serves to be a great ground of encouragement to sinners to step to and make use of Christs Sacrifice our Lord had no sin and needed not to offer a Sacrifice for himself And if he offered Sacrifice for atonement wherefore did he so It was either for himself and that could not be for he was holy or for nothing or for no end and to say so were blasphemy or it must be for a real satisfaction for Elect sinners or such as should make use of him And thus Faith hath a sure ground to lay hold on and namely that his satisfaction was real And that it was for this end to be made forth-coming for the behove of such as should believe on him And therefore look upon Christ's suffering and upon his innocency who suffered and ye will find that ye have a suitable High Priest and atonement made for you O but that is a sweet word 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 3ly It 's ground of great consolation to them that betake themselves to Christ why our Lords Sacrifice cannot but be accepted for there was in him no guile nothing that might make his Sacrifice unsavoury and as it commends the way of Grace to a sinner so it is ground of encouragement to a sinner to look to be accepted through him for if the temptation should say thou art a sinner and such and such a great sinner that is nothing to purpose for God hath accepted of Christ and of his Sacrifice and if thou make use of his Sacrifice it cannot but be accepted for thee here then is the consolation that we have such an High-Priest as became us who needed not to offer for himself but only for the sins of the People and of his own People 4ly It serves notably for our imitation He was holy and in his holy walking hath left us a copy to write aâ—ter and to walk by and therefore in your speaking of Christs Holiness or in your reading of it consider that he is thereby casting a copy to you and bidding you purifie your selves as he is pure to 〈◊〉 holy as he who hath called you is holy learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart to be humble and heavenly-minded and in whateveâ— respect his life and walk is proposed to us as a patern set your selves in his own strength to imitate it and be ye followers of him as dear children whenever ye read oâ— his obedience to the death of his holiness in all mâ—nner of conversation and of his fulfilliâ—g all righteousness let it provoke you singly and seriously to design and endeavour conformity to him therein in your practice 2ly From the connexion of these two That he was accounted a sinner before and at his death and that after his death God did put that note of respect upon him that he was buried with the rich because he had done no violence c. but was holy and harmless in his life Observe That however Holiness may suffer as long as holy persons live yet at death and after death there is ever a testimony of the Lords respect put on it or thus holy walkers are always seperated and differenced from others as their deâ—th it 's ever otherwise with them than it is with others when death comes however it hath been with them in their life He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence c. This hath been confirmed in the experience of all that ever lived The rich glutton Luke 16. hath the better life as to externals and Lazarus had a poor â—fflâ—cted life but when death comes the rich glutton goes to Hell and Lazarus goes to the bosom of Abraham This is laid down as a certain truth Eccles 8.12 13. Thâ—ugh a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with him that fears God but it shall not be well with the wicked there shall be a change at death and it cannot be otherwise whether we look 1. To the holy Nature of God who hath a complacency in Holiness as it 's said Psal 11. ult The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Or whether 2. We look to the Word of God which Isa 3.10 11. bids say to the righteous It shall be well with them for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings for blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works do follow them but we unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him the same connexion that was betwixt Christ's life though a suffering life and his death shall be betwixt the life of all his Members and their death If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him The Uses are 1. To let us see what is the true wâ—y to eternal well-being when this short life shall be at an end and it is the way of Holiness and so it serves to answer a great question who shall be happy at their death even they that are holy in their life whose hands have done no violence and whose mouth hath had no guile to wit with the full bensil of their will and without all gracious reluctation for absolute freedom from these in this life was proper only to our Lord Jesus since Adams fall Such may expect the Lords countenance when death separats their soul and body therefore take this as a mark for tryal observe and see what is your carriage and judge accordingly and seing the Lord hath joyned Holiness and Happiness together inseparably presume not to separate them 2ly Is it so that Holiness hath a good and comfortable close of a man's life which is the substance of the Doctrine it would commend to us the study of Holiness as the most precious advantagious honourable sickâ—r and safe course that a man can follow Say to the righteous it shall be well with him it 's not say to the honourable man nâ—r say to the
it makes the Soul to say though I cannot satisfie for the Debt yet there is in Christ's Righteousnesse whereto I betake my self which can do it And if we look to that which intertains Tormenting Exercises that speak evil of the Grace of God for humbling Exercises are called for and are Profitable we will find it to be this to wit When Souls come to Dispute and Debate with Challenges and do not Interpose the Targe or Shield of Faith taking hold of Christ's Righteousness betwixt them and these Challenges for sometimes a Soul will betake it self to Christ's Righteousnesse for Peace at first and will look upon it self as bound to keep and maintain it 's own Peace and yet will on the matter think that it 's but a sort of Bâ—ffilling or Prophaning of Christ's Righteousnesse to say so to be making dayly use of it for answering of new Challenges And such will be ready to say should not a Believer be Holy And we say that he should and that it were to abuse the Spiritual Armour to take one Piece of it and not another yea or not all the rest but this we say likewise that when one makes use of the Sword of the Spirit he may warrantably make use of the Shield of Faith also Failling in this that is when Christ's Righteousness is not made use of in reference to particular Challenges mightily indisposeth many serious poor Souls for use making of the rest of the Weapons of their Spiritual Warefare And therefore as ye would exercise Faith in general for reconciiling you to God as to your State so ye would exercise Faith on Christ's Offering for doing away of particular Quarrells and for silencing of particular Challenges which is to be dayly washing at the Fountain In short as to the other Question This may be a mark of a Person that is making right use of Christ's Offering for his Peace if he be dayly making use of Christ's Offering for his Peace if he be dayly making use of His Offering for quenching and silencing of particular Challenges The 3d. Thing wherein this exercise of Faith in the use making of Christ's Sacrifice consists is in reference to the defects of our Grace we have indeed much need of Christ and He hath much forth-coming in Him for the helping of Grace for the amending of weak Faith and Love and other Graces as well as for obtaining Pardon of Sin and of Peace with God and for answering of Challenges And yet oftimes these who are making use of Christ in the former two respects are in hazard and ready to think that they should Believe more Love more and exercise other Graces more of themselves But we are to make use of Him for helping defects of Grace as well as for these other things By this I mean not only the use making of Christ meritoriously and so that we should look on Faith Love Repentance and every other Grace as purchased by Him as well as Peace with God and and that we should make use of Christ's Offering for attaining of these But I also mean that we should make use of Christ as a Priest to make His own Offering effectual for attaining all the Benefits of His Purchase Considering that he is able to save to the uttermost all these that come unto God by him The Apostle goeth on this ground Heb. 10.19 20. Seing we have such an high Priest and such an Offering Let us draw near with full assurance of faith c. And if ye ask what this is It is of largely extended use It is even to make use of Christ as a Priest not only as the object of Faith and as the Procurer and Worker of Faith but also for the confirming of weak Faith It 's a looking to Him to get the weak Faith that we dare scarcely lippen to made strong and a lippening or trusting of our weak Faith to Him to carry us through when we dare not well lean to it In the first respect we do by Faith lippen and trust to Christ's Righteousnesse in this last respect we lippen or trust our Faith to Him And look to Him not only for Pardon but we lippen to Him for making Faith to keep it's grips of Him and as it was with that poor man spoken of Mark 9. Who upon the one side betakes himself to Christ If thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us And on the other side being holily impatient finding his Faith like to fail and misgive when Christ sayes to him If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believes he cryes out in that his holy impatiencie Lord I believe help thou my unbelief he acknowledges his unbelief as well as his Faith and trusts Christ with the mending of his Faith and holding together the Sheards of it so to speak when it was like to crack and fall asunder Our doing thus evidenceth a more full denying of our selves when we dare not trust our own believing but as it is committed to Christ and when there is a Crediting of Him and Leaning to Him both for the Benefit we expect and for the Application of it That Word of the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Is apposit and excellent to this purpose That I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus As is also that of Pet. 1 Epist 1 Chap. v. 10. Who are keeped through faith by the power of God So then in answer to both the Questions 1. How to make use of Christ's Sacrifice And 2. How to know if we have made or do make use of it a right We say in short as to the First That there must First be a Leaning to His Merit for the Buying or Procuring of our Peace and a betaking of our selves to it for that end 2. When Tentations recure and when new Challenges arise there must be a constant dayly betaking of our selves to Faith in his Sacrifice as to a Shield or as to a Store-house which He Himself calleth an abyding in him John 15.3 There must be an use making of Christ as a Priest not only to remove dayly Contracted Guiltinesse but also to heall the Infirmity and Weaknesse of our Graces especially of Faith and Love giving Him Credit to bring our Faith and Love to perfection It is a sweet Word which we have Psal 103. He healeth all thy diseases As to the 2d Question we say that Person may look on himself as making right use of Christs Righteousnesse that is dayly making use of Him in these fore-named Respects who if he were to appear before God it is Christ's Righteousnesse only that he would build on He is also dayly making use of Him to answer Challenges as they recurre and dare not lippen to his own Faith but as it is committed to Him Considering that as Faith is in Himself it is dayly in hazard to be extinguished And we may add that he so makes use of Christ as that he dare not go
though infinitely above what we can conceive with His own under their Temptations and sad Soul-exercises And seing the Scripture holds out such a thing as this That our High Priest is a Man that hath bowels of Sympathy it may sufficiently warrand a Believer to expect much good this and other wayes from Christ He having Grace infinit in Him as God and a tender heart as Man to befriend them and to communicat and let out of that Grace unto them And this is great ground of Consolation to Believers under any Cross and piece of hard exercise to know that we have a Mediator who knows in experience though not the sinfulnesse that accompanies these hard exercises in us yet what these fears are of being shut out from God and how dreadfull a thing it is to be at controversie with Him and is like to these who having come thorow a sad Tryall and Piece of Exercise themselves are thereby the more ready to Sympathize with others under it 5. and lastly The consideration of this may comfort Believers even in their outward afflictions it had been another sort of Crosses that they would have been made to meet with if He had not taken this Cup of Wrath and dunken it for them and therefore they would be comforted and bless God who hath taken this Soul-travel from off them and made way for a Retreat and Shelter for them in Him and it should even shame Believers who are ready to think so much of any little Bit of inward Exercise or of outward Affliction seing our blessed Lord Jesus endured so much not only outwardly and Bodily Affliction but also so much inward Trouble and Soul-travel that thereby their Burden might be made light and their yoke easie Use 3. For Exhortation seing our Lord Jesus was put to such sore Soul-travel sure it layes a great obligation on them for whom he Suffered to endeavour to make some Suitable and Gratefull Return seing therefore we are so much in His Common and Debt we should give Him a friendly meeting in these Four which this calls for 1. It calleth for Love to Him that vented such Love to us 2. It calleth for Faith That seing He gave such a Price for us we should trust our Souls to Him 3. It calleth for Holiness and Obedience even living to Him and to the Glorifying of Him that hath bought us This Argument will sure weigh with you who on solid grounds lay claim to His Purchase 4. It calleth for Thankfulness and Praise in magnifying His Grace and Love that hath so Loved us And are not all these very suitable and becoming that Sinners should Love Him and that these who Love Him not should be Anathema Marenatha accursed to the coming of the Lord that Sinners should believe on Him and be obedient to Him and thankfull 1. If ye believe this Truth this Comfortable and Soul-ravishing Truth let me exhort you and be exhorted and prevailed with tâ— love Our Lord Jesus Christ and to give Him that answerable respect meeting and welcome that becomes If we may plead for any thing from you sure we may plead for this If it be true that He ingadged in such a Bargain in which if He had not ingadged Himself we had inevitably gone to the pit and if He hath actually payed the Pâ—â—e which He undertook to pay let your Consciences speak if it should not melt the hearts of such to whom the benefit of this is offered with Love to Him And if ye have the Faith of the Doctrine can ye deny but this obligation lyeth upon you Look in on your Consciences and Hearts and see if ye be able to shift it and if ye had suitable Palaces for intertaining Him in if ye be not bound to open to Him and give Him patent entry to them and if your Eyes were Fountains Tears if it would not become you to wash His Feet with them and to wipe them with the Hair of your Heads Would to God that you were under the suitable impression of this and that ye were by the Gospel and the Priviledges ye have by it constrained to love the Lord Jesus Christ It may be some of you think if this be all that is called for He shall not want it We assure you it is called for My Son sayeth He give me thine heart But we are afraid that though ye will confess that this is your duty and that ye should have Love to Him yet the most part of you want it For when we speak of Love to Châ—ist it is not a Pretext or Apprehension of Love that will be taken for Love but such Love as hath these Qualifications 1. If Christ be Loved He will be esteemed of as the most excellent Thing or Person the most excellent Bargain the most Kind Friend the most Loving Husband and as the most Full Compleat and absolute Sufficiency or Sufficient One As He is spoken of and esteemed of by the Spouse Can. 5. His countenance is like Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet he is altogether lovely The heart is brought to esteem of Him and to prefer Him beyond all that it can set the eye upon It were indeed somewhat if ye were brought under Conviction and through Perswasion of this that Jesus Christ is the incomparable best thing that a Sinner can have a Title to But alace He is dispised and rejected of Men though He be the chiefest of ten thousands And Men play the fool egregiously in preferring other things to Him who is infinitely worthy of the Preference uâ—â—â— and of the Preheminency above them all A 2d Evidence of Love is the hearts longing and panting after the injoyment of Him and after the injoyment of Him as the most excellent Object quite surpassing all other Objects And when the thirst and longing of the Soul is so carried out after Him as it cannot be satisfied without Him which is to be Sick of love for Him as it is Can. 2 5. and 5. v. 8. To be in a manner swooning and fâ—inting because of His absence and even greening to speak so for His presence to have the bent of the Souls Designes and Desires towards making â—f that Glorious Conquest whereof the Apostle speaks Philip. 3. Even to count all things to be but loss and dung and to cast all things as it were over Board to win to him and to be found in him To count of Him as the pearl of price and as the treasure hid in the field For the sake of which ye would strip your selves to the Skin and sell all that ye have to buy it 3. This Love to Christ Jesus hath in it a Satisfying Delight in Him and the Souls blessing of it self in Him it 's contenting it self with Him and it 's rejoycing in that Sweetness which it findeth to be in Him as being the only Attractive Object that hath such a Loveliness in it as breeds Satisfaction Which Satisfaction begets a
as it 's one of the things that it seeks in Prayer so it 's one of the things that it eyeth in Repentance It 's much affected with the want of it confesses it to Him and aggredges the Sin thereof against it self from this ground that it loves nor Christ as it should I know not if there be much of this among us many will be sorry if they fall in drunkenness or in any other gross Sin but O! how few repent of their want of Love to Christ and that He gets not His own room in the heart 3. Where this Love is it is ever Suâ—picious and Jealous lest the heart cliver anâ— cleave to some other thing and give it room to the prâ—judice of Christ It 's a sad thing when folks let their affections go our at random and are not afraid lest they out-shoot themselves in loving the World their Pleasures their Credit c. But rather they are like the whore in the Proverbs who sayes come and let us take our fill of loves Love to Christ hath a Weanedness from these things and a Jealousy least they usurp a room in the heart that is not due to them Because as John sayes There is not a consistency betwixt the love of God and the love of the world in the heart and therefore it 's the watchfull care of a poor Bâ—liever to keep out inordinat love of the World and of these things that the heart is given to go a whoreing after Hâ—nce David prayes Psal 1â—9 Incline my heart to thy law and not to covetousness and Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity There is in too many a sort of râ—oted confidence that they love Christ and they nâ—ver suspect themselves of the contâ—are when yet some other thing hath his room 2dly There is ground here to exhort you to believe on Him as the Prince of Life and a Saviour that is well fitted and qualified to give Repentance and Remission of Sins And this is the very native Use that flows from this Doctrine even to lay a solid ground of Faith to a Soul lying under the sense of Sin to step forward to Godâ— Bar with confidence Considering Jesus Christ Crucified and put to Soul-travel for Elect Sinners who should betake themselves to Him Which if it had not been there had not been any ground for Faith And the lower He came in His Sufferings we have the more native and broad ground of Faith and the stronger motive to draw us to take hold of Him and to found and fix our Faith on His Satisfaction To clear this Branch of the Use a little 1. Consider here a ground for Faith in a fourfold respect And 2. The force of the motives that arise from these grounds pressing a sensible Sinner to exercise Faith on them or on Him by them And 3. The necessity that we are under so to do For the First 1. In general There is ground here to bring the heart to be through in the Historicall Faith of what is spoken concerning the Truths of the Covenant For doth not this Soul-travel of Our Lord say That Men are lying Naturally in a sinfull Condition and obnoxious to Wrath That there is a Covenant past betwixt the Father and the Son for delivering of Elect Sinners out of that Condition and that by the Sufferings of the Mediator And that by our betaking of our selves to Him we may be fred from Sin and Wrath Otherwayes why did the Mediator come thus low except it had been true that man was under a Debt that he could not pâ—y And why â—id the Father send His Son except He had been really minded that He should offer Himself up a propitiatory Sacrifice to God for Mans Sin And His accepting of the Satisfaction tells plainly that He was content that the Cautioners Payment should stand for the Principal Debtors All this supposeth a Covenant which is as real as if we had seen and had been Ear-witnesses of the reading over of the Covenant in all the Articles of it we wish that many were come this length as to be confirmed in the Historicall Faith of the General Truths of the Gospel summed up in Christs Sufferingâ— And there cannot be any serious Râ—ading or Hearing of Christs Sufferings but theâ—e must also be some considering of their Riâ—e and End if it be otherwise we do but superficially run over them 2. As this shews the Lords Seriousness in pressing the offer of Redemption on Sinners so it calleth you to be Serious in accepting of it According to that in John 12. When I am lifted up I will draw all men after mâ— Where Christs lifting up is made an Attractive to draw lost Sinners after Him And can their be a greater ground of Faith or a stronger motive to perswade a Sinner to be reconciled to God and to rest upon Christs Satisfaction in order to that then this That Jesus Christ hath purposly laid down His Life and undergone Suffering even to such an extremity to bring it about 3. When we say that Christ's Soul-travel calls for Faith It requires this and gives ground for it That they that betake themselves to Christ for Justification before God may confidently commit themselves to His guiding in all other things For will He not be tender of them in these when out of respect to them when there was not a Covenant betwixt Him and them though they were mentioned in the Covenant of Redemption He laid down His Life and Suffered such things for them May we not from this Reason as the Apostle doeth Rom. 8. He that spared not his own son but gave him to the death for us how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Can there be a greater ground for Sinners that fear to give Him credit to trust Him with all things that concern them then this That He suffered so much for them 4. Having betaken our selves 〈◊〉 Him it serves to confirm our Faith and to bring us to the quieting of our selves in resting on Him and acquiescing in Him For what more could we require for ouâ— settlement and quieting then this That Hâ— hath come so low and condescended so faâ—â— for the behove of poor Sinners Therefore in all these respects let me exhort you and in His Name Who was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Obtest you not to keep at distance from Him but take with your Sin by Faith to fl e unto Him and to the efficacy of His Blood O! Yeeld your selves by Faith to Him for use making of Him for your Juâ—tification And a little more particularly let me here speak a word to two soâ—ts of Persons 1. To them that are yet strangers to God 2. To them that are looking towards Christ And 1. For you that are strangers to God whose hearts were never yet â—ffected with the Conviction of the necessity of believing who can lye down and rise up without
sayes the Apostle of our warefare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the bringing down of holds and leading every thought and imagination lifted up against God captive unto the obedience of Christ There is Christs Victory and Triumph What are the strong holds that He batters storms and takes in He makes some proud hearts to stoop and yeeld to Him and carries some that were Rebells to Him captive to His obedience O! happy Captivity It is not meant in respect of Thraldom and Bondage but in respect of Voluntary Subjection to Him This is a most noble notable and lovely Victory and Triumph and a Glorious Day indeed which is ours as well as His it being the redeeming of poor Captive-sinners and bringing in of many followers to the Lamb and therefore v. 11. It 's called Satisfaction for the travel of his soul and the justifying of many That 's the Spoil and the Prey verse 10. It 's called the pleasure of the Lord and in this v. His portion and spoil What doth our blessed Lord Jesus take to Himself what doth this David claim or take to Him as His Spoil who is alone the the Monarch of this great Universe It 's a number of poor Sinners Come to me says he ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you He hath no more He seeks no more but so many Souls as He minded to do good to When the Lord divided the Nations as it is Psal He choise Jacob for his portion If we consider a little more particularly we will find the Justification and Salvation of Sinners to be our Lord Jesus His Victory Triumph and Spoil because herein He is Victorious and Triumphs and gets the glory of His Obedience Faithfulnesse Grace Power and Love The Glory of the Mediator shines manifestly and conspicuously in all these here 1. The Glory of His Obedience when He hath it to say as it is John 18.9 Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none He gets so many Souls committed to Him of the Father to redeem and when He hath done and performed the Work and brought them in He hath the Glory of His Obedience to His Father who saith to Him Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2. The glory of His Faithfulnesse according as He did ingage and undertake to Jehovah He hath keeped His Word and there is a necessity lying on Him that it should be so that of all committed to Him He should losse none but present them without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Therefore He is called the Faithful shepherd because He losses none of the Sheep that are given Him 3. The glory of Grace and infinit love the moe that are saved the more Grace and Love shins forth in paying their Debt and Ransome and in bringing them in to be partakers of His Love Therefore John 17. He sayes That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them He would have the love communicated by the Father to Him to be in them that it may be known that He hath loved them as the Father hath loved Him There cannot be such a proof and demonstration of Love as this It is evidenced in His exaltation as their head and in their being brought where He is 4. The Glory of Power shines forth here that trampled upon and triumphs over all difficulties that are in the way of saving Elect Sinners And O! what difficulties there are in the way of saving Sinners He having the Devil and the World without and a deceitful heart and a tickle humour within themselves to encounter with So many Sins to mortifie and Snares to lead through yet none plucks His Sheep out of His hand Therefore 1 Pet. 1. They are said to be keeped by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation In a Word as it was the manner of old for Conquerors to ride in Triumph and all their Prisoners led after or before them at their back So our Lord for manifesting the Glory of His Grace Faithfulnesse and Power brings so manny Sinners through to Glory and hath so a greater train then ever any Conqueror had and He counts it His Glory and Triumph to get many lost Souls saved John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and I am glorified in them How is that I have given them thy word and they have received it He counts himself glorified in Sinners submitting to Him in their believing on Him and in their taking pardon from Him Now let me say that if we were wailling and making choise of a Doctrine to warn the heart of a sensible Sinner to shame unbelief out of the World and to give impregnable ground to hazard on Christ here it is That our Lord Jesus placeth His Victory Glory and Triumph and Spoil in this even in doing good to Sinners and in having Sinners getting good of Him It 's His Portion when to say so the World is dealt that He gets a number of lost Sinners to save as His share And though He be the Heir of all things and the first born yet He loves that better then a thousand Kingdoms When He hath His Spoil and Prey at the taking this is it and He choiseth no other O! Sinners do ye think this little Or do ye think little of this Had He placed His Glory in crushing under foot all the prisoners of the Earth or in bringing the World to nothing who could have said what doest thou But when He placeth His Glory and Triumph in this to overcome the Devil to cast him out of Souls to relieve poor Sinners and to bring them in to acknowledge Him as the Author of eternal salvation and as the author and finisher of their faith If ye would have something to wonder at is it not here He will burn the World into ashes and leave it and will cast many Kings and great Men into Hell and yet He gathers poor Elect Sinners out of that burnt heap as it were as the thing He hath designed for His Spoil He hath no more and He seeks no more as I said and yet He gets no gaâ—n of these poor Sinners for all this And therefore as the 1. Use of it wonder at this will it not be a glorious day when Christ is Crowned and hath all redeemed Sinners at His back with harps in their hands Singing Salvation Glory and Power to the Lamb O! wonder that there is not only a Saviour and Life and Salvation to be had through Him but that it 's such a Salvation as is wonderful in this respect that He counts it His Glory and Triumph to have many Sinners saved when He might have glorified Himself in sending us all to hell May we not wonder at this and yet we ought to believe it and the little Faith of it makes it be so little wondered at Ah! Sinners for most part believes not that Christ thinks