That the heart of Jesus Christ now he is in heaven is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth §. 1. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the influence all the three Persons have for ever into the heart of the Humane nature of Christ in heaven THe first sort of Demonstrations shall be fetcht from all the three Persons and their severall influence they have into Christs heart in heaven to encline it towards us The first shall be taken from God his Father who hath thus advanced him and it hath two parts 1. That God hath given a perpetuall command to Christ to love sinners 2. That therefore his heart continues the same for ever For the first God the Father hath given Iesus Christ a speciall command to love sinners and hath withall implanted a mercifull gracious disposition in his heart towards them This I mention to argue it because it is that which Christ alledgeth Iohn 6. 37. as the originall ground of this disposition of his not to cast out those that come to him For it is my Fathers will sayes he in the following verses that I should performe that which I came downe from heaven for ver 38. And this lyes now still upon him now he is in heaven as much as ever for his will also is sayes he ver 39 40. that I should raise them up at the last day so as it must needs continue the same till then And compare with this the 10. of Iohn from ver 15. to 18. where having discoursed before of his care and love to his sheep to give his life for them to know and owne them and to bring them into the fold c. he concludes at ver 18. This commandment have I received from my Father It is his will sayes the 6. of Iohn and if a good son knowes that a thing is his fathers mind and will it is enough to move him to doe it much more if it be his expresse command And in this 10. of Iohn he further sayes that it is the command which he had received from the Father A command is a mans will peremptorily expressed so as there must be a breach if it be not fulfilled and such a command hath God given Christ concerning us Out of both which places I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of Gods First that Christ should die for his sheep in respect to which command he continued so to love them whilst here as to lay downe his life for them so Iohn 10. 15. but then he tooke it up againe and is ascended into heaven Therefore those other two things commanded him doe concerne him when he is in glory namely to receive all that come to him which is the second and the third to looke that he lose none of those for whom he dyed but to raise them up And for these his Fathers command lyes as strictly on him now he is in Heaven as for dying for them whilst he was on earth This command have I received from my Father and this is his will And together with this command God did put into his heart as where he commands he ever useth to doe such an instinct of transcendent love towards them as shall so strongly encline him to performe it that he shall neede no more commands He hath put such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an especiall love into him as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their own children more then to all other mens children which they see besides although more beautifull and more witty then their own And both this commandement and this inclination of love towards them wee have at once expressed Psal 40. 8. where giving the reason why he became our Mediator and sacrificed himselfe he not onely sayes I come to doe thy will O God but also Thy law is in my bowels In which speech both these two are mentioned 1. That command I mentioned is there expressed for it is called a Law And 2. it was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart and therefore said to bee a Law in his heart or bowels You may easily conceive what Law it was by the subject of it his Bowels which are still put for the most tender affections Colos 3. 12. Bowels of mercie kindnesse c. It was no other then that law of love mercy and pity to poore sinners which God gave him in charge as he was to be Mediator It was that speciall law which lay on him as he was the second Adam like that which was given to the first Adam Non concedendi over and above the Morall Law not to eate the forbidden fruit such a Law was this he there speakes of It was the law of his being a Mediator and a sacrifice for of that he expresly speakes v. 6 7. over and besides the Morall Law which was common to him with us The word in the Originall is In the middest of my bowels to shew it was deeply engraven it had its seat in the center it sate neerest and was most inward in his heart Yea and as that speciall Law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam Praeceptum Symbolicum as Divines call it given over and besides all the ten Commandments to be a tryall a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest such was this Law given unto Christ the second Adam so as that God would judge of all his other obedience unto himselfe by this Yea it was laid on him vvith that earnestnesse by God and so commended by him as that if ever Christ vvould have him to love him he should be sure to love us Thus in that place fore-cited Iohn 10. 17 18. Christ comforts himselfe with this in his obedience Therefore doth my Father love me It is spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned and so withall imports as if God should love Christ the better for the love he should shew to us it pleased him so well to see Christ love us And so it is as if God when he gave Christ that Commandement ver 18. had said Sonne as you vvould have my love continue tovvards you let me see your love towards me shewne in being kinde to these I have given you whom I have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you as you have it Iohn 17. 23. As God vvould have us shevv love unto him by loving his children so he vvould have Christ also shevv his love towards him by loving of us Novv for the second Branch of this Demonstration namely that that love vvhich Christ vvhen on earth expressed to be in his heart and vvhich made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father that it doth certainly continue in his heart still novv that hee is in Heaven and that as quick and as tender as ever it was on earth even as vvhen he vvas on the Crosse
many threatnings gone out against them never so many presidents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins and in the like case yet Christ can prevaile against them all CHAP. IX The potencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated in that he intercedes with God who is Our Father How Gods heart is as much inclined to heare Christ for us as Christs is to intercede SEcondly Christ is an Advocate for us with Our Father You may perhaps think there is little in that but Christ puts much upon it yea so much as if that God would however grant all that Christ himselfe means to ask whether Christ asked it or no. This you have expresly in Iohn 16. 26 27. At that day sayes Christ you shall ask in my name and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you To open this place where he sayes at that day The day he meanes through this whole Chapter is that time vvhen the holy Ghost should be shed upon them for throughout his discourse he stil speaks of the fruits of his Ascension and of giving the Comforter vvhich vvas done upon his ascending and vvas the first fruits of his priestly office in Heaven Thus Peter informs us Act. 2. 33. He being sayes he exalted by the right hand of God and having received namely by asking Ask and I will give thee of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Now of that time vvhen he shall be in Heaven he sayes I say not that I will pray for you vvhich is not meant that Christ prays not for us in heaven but rather those very vvords are the highest intimation that he vvould and doth pray for us that can be When men vvould most strongly intimate their purpose of a kindnesse they mean to doe for one they use to say I doe not say that I love you or that I will doe this or that for you which is as much as to say I will surely doe it and doe it to purpose But Christs scope here is as in the highest manner to promise them that he would pray for them so withall further to tell them for their more abundant assurance and security that besides their having the benefit of his prayers God himselfe so loves them of himselfe that indeed that alone were enough to obtaine any thing at his hands which they shall but ask in his name so as he needs not pray for them and yet he will too But now in this case if he himselfe pray for them and they themselves in his name and both unto a Father who of himselfe loveth them and who hath purposed to grant all before either he or they should ask vvhat hope must there needs be then of a good successe this is both the meaning of this place and a great truth to be considered on by us to the purpose in hand That it is the meaning of the place the manner of Christs speech implies I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you It is such a speech as Christ used upon a cleane contrary occasion Iohn 5. 45. Doe not thinke sayes he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one who accuseth you even Moses c. He there threatens the obstinate and accursed Pharisees with condemnation Never stand thinking that it is I sayes he who am your onely enemie and accuser that will procure your condemnation and so prosecute the matter against you meerely for my own interest no I shall not neede to doe it though I should not accuse you your owne Moses in whom you trust he is enough to condemne you he will doe your errand sufficiently you would be sure to be damned by his words and sayings I shall not neede to trouble my selfe to come in and enter my action against you too Moses and his Law would follow the suit and be enough to condemne you to Hel. So as this Speech doth not implie that Christ will not at all accuse them no he meanes to bring in his action against them too for he after sayes If he had not spoke to them they had had no sinne and therefore he meant to bring the greatest accusation of all Now in an opposite though parallel speech here to comfort his Disciples he sayes I say not that I will pray for you that God may save you I who your selves shall see will dye for you I say not that I will pray for you not I. But though I speake this to insinuate in the highest manner that I will for if I spend my blood for you will I not spend my breath for you yet the truth is that the case so stands that but for Gods own ordination I should not neede to doe it for the Father himselfe loves you that is the Father of his own motion and proper good will taken up of himselfe towards you and not wrought in him by me doth love you and beares so much love to you as he can deny you nothing for he is your Father as well as mine How much more then shall you be saved when I shall strike in too and use all my interest in him for you Christ on purpose useth this speech so to dash out of their hearts that conceit which harboureth in many of ours who look upon God in the matter of Salvation as one who is hardly entreated to come off to save sinners and with whom Christ through the backwardnesse of his heart hath so much adoe and we are apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon he doth it only meerly at Christs entreaty and for his sake having otherwise no innate motion in himselfe sufficient to encline his heart to it but that it is in this transaction by Christ with him as a Favourite procures a Pardon for a Traitor whose person the King cares not for only at his Favourites suit and request he grants it which else he would never have done You are deceived sayes Christ it is otherwise my Fathers heart is as much towards you and for your salvations as mine is Himselfe of himselfe loveth you And the truth is that God took up as vast a love unto us of himselfe at first as ever he hath borne us since and all that Christ doth for us is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in Gods owne heart Thus we find that out of that love he gave Christ for us So Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world of elect that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to dye c. Yea Christs death was but a meanes to commend or set forth that love of his unto us So Rom. 5. 8. it was God also that did himselfe give the persons unto Christ and under-hand set him on work to mediate for them God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe He onely used
Christ as his instrument to bring it honourably about All the Blessings he means to give us he first purposed and intended in himselfe so Eph. 1. 3 5 9 11. compared out of the good pleasure of his will yet in Christ as it is added there as the means through which hee would convey them yea Christ adds not one drop of love to Gods heart onely he draws it out he brocheth it and makes it flow forth whose current had otherwise beene stopt The truth is that God suborned Christ to beg them on our behalf for an honourable way of carrying it and to make us prize this favour of it the more but so as his heart is as ready to give all to us as Christs is to ask and this out of his pure love to us The Intercession therefore of Christ must needs speed when Gods heart is thus of it selfe prepared to us In Esay 53. 10. it is said The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand If our salvation be in Christs hand it is in a good hand but if it be the pleasure of the Lord too it must needs prosper And it is said of our hearts and prayers that He prepareth the heart and heareth the prayer much more therefore when his owne heart is prepared to grant the suit will he easily heare it When one hath a mind to doe a thing then the least hint procures it of him So a father having a mind to spare his child he will take any excuse any ones mediation even of a servant a stranger or an enemie rather then of none Now when Christ shall speak for us and speak Gods owne heart how prevalent must those words needs be Davids soule longing to goe forth unto Absalom 2 Sam. 13. ult whom notwithstanding for the honour of a Father and a Kings State-policie and to satisfie the world he had banisht the Court for his Treason when Ioab perceived it that the Kings heart was towards Absalom Chap. 14. 1. and that the King onely needed one to speake a good word for him he subornes a woman a stranger no matter whom for it had beene all one for speeding with a made tale to come to the King and you know how easily it tooke and prevailed with him and how glad the Kings heart was of that occasion even so acceptable it was to him that Ioab could not have done him a greater kindnesse and that Ioab knew well enough Thus it is with Gods heart towards us Christ assures us of it and you may believe him in this case for Christ might have tooke all the Honour to himselfe and made us beholding to himselfe alone for all Gods kindnes to us but he deales plainly and tels us that his Father is as ready as himselfe and this for his Fathers honour and our comfort And therefore it is that Iohn 17. in that this prayer so operated on this discourse he pleads our election Iohn 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thou commendedst them unto me and badest me pray for them and I doe but commend the same to thee again In the High-priests breast-plate when he went into the Holy of Holies were set twelve stones on which were written the names of the twelve Tribes the mysterie of which is this Christ beares us and our names in his Heart when he goes to God and moreover we are Gods jewels precious in his own account and choise So God calls them Mal. 3. 17. Made precious to him out of his love So Isai 43. 4. So that God loves us as jewels chosen by him but much more when he beholds us set and presented unto him in the breast-plate of Christs heart and prayer To conclude therefore we have now made both ends of this Text to meet Gods love and Christs intercession The Apostle began with that Who shall accuse it is God that justifies and he being for us who can be against us The Father himself loves us as he is our Father And then he ends with this Christ intercedes namely with our Father and his Father Who then shall condemn Who or what can possibly condemne all these things being for us the least of which were alone enough to save us Let us now looke round about and take a full view and prospect at once of all those particulars that Christ hath done and doth for us and their severall and joynt influence which they have into our salvation 1. In that Christ dyed it assures us of a perfect price payed for and a right to eternall life thereby acquired 2. In that he rose again as a common person this assures us yet further that there is a formall legall and irrevocable act of Iustification of us passed and enrolled in that Court of Heaven between Christ and God and that in his being then justifyed we were also justified him so that thereby our justification is made past re-calling 3 Christs Ascension into Heaven is a further act of his taking possession of Heaven for us he then formally entring upon that our right in our stead and so is a further confirmation of our salvation to us But still we in our owne persons are not yet saved this being but done to us as we are representatively in Christ as our Head 4. Therefore he sits at Gods right hand vvhich imports his being armed and invested with all power in Heaven and Earth to give and apply eternall life to us 5. And last of all there remaines Intercession to finish and compleat our salvation to doe the thing even to save us And as Christs death Re-resurrection were to procure our Iustification so his sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession are to procure salvation and by faith we may see it done and behold our soules not onely sitting in heaven as in Christ a common person sitting there in our right as an evidence that we shall come thither but also through Christs Intercession begun vve may see our selves actually possessed of heaven And there I vvill leave all you that are believers by faith possessed of it and solacing your soules in it and doe you feare condemnation if you can CHAP. X. The use of all Containing some Encouragements for weake Beleevers from Christs Intercession out of HEB. 7. 25. NOw for a Conclusion of this Discourse I will adde a briefe Use of Encouragement and this suited to the lowest Faith of the weakest Beleever who cannot put forth any act of Assurance and is likewise discouraged from comming in unto Christ And I shall confine my selfe onely unto what those most comfortable words as any in the booke of God doe hold forth which the Apostle hath uttered concerning Christs Intercession the Point in hand Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them words which I have had the most recourse unto in this Doctrinall part of any other as most tending to the clearing
his first step to his glory and therefore this a certaine Demonstration 25 1. From the first gracious message which Christ after his Resurrection sent his Disciples who yet had forsaken him 26 2. From his carriage and speech at his first meeting with them 25 §. III. Demonstrations from passages at and after Christs Ascension into heaven 1. At his Ascension his blessing his Disciples 32 2. After he was come to heaven 1. Pouring out his Spirit on them as in his last Sermon he had promised which Spirit is to this day in our Preaching and an Argument of the fulfilling of this 33 2. All those works of Miracles and conversions of soules that accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel doe argue this as also the New Testament written since 34 3. Christs owne words spoken to Paul since himselfe was in heaven doe confirme it 35 4. The last words uttered in Scripture in the Book of the Revelation which was more immediately given unto John by Christ 37 Part II. Demonstrations Intrinsecall §. I. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the Influence which all the three Persons have into the Heart of the Humane nature of Christ in Heaven 48 1. From God the Father Which Demonstration is made forth by two things 1. God hath given Christ a perpetuall command to love his Elect on earth and hath written a Law of love in his heart 49 2. This Law of love remaines for ever in his heart which is proved by two things 1. That it is a Law and that of Love 52 2. That by observing that Law it is that Christ continues in his Fathers love 53 2. From God the Sonne unto whom the Humane nature is united This disposition of grace is naturall to him as he is Gods naturall Sonne 54 Accordingly the Humane nature framed on purpose with dispositions of mercy and meeknesse above all other 55 3. From God the Holy Ghost who on earth filled him with meekenesse and grace above all other dispositions and now resteth upon him in Heaven more abundantly then ever 60 §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in Heaven 70 1. Engagement The continuance of all his Relations and Alliances to us which no glory of his doth any thing lessen or alter ibid. Which relations were made chiefely for the other world and so must needes continue there 72 The Ground of this Engagement 76 2. His love is engaged and encreased by what he did and suffered for us 77 What a great obligation this is 78 3. His office of Priesthood which continues in Heaven doth further require all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse in him towards us sinners This Demonstration hath two parts 83 The 1. Shewing that the office of Priesthood was erected on purpose for grace and mercie ibid. Which is argued 1. By the Ends of it 2. By the Qualifications required for it 85 The 2. Shewing that by reason of this office an eternall duty lyeth upon him to shew grace and mercy and Christ is a faithfull High-Priest to performe that duty 90 Christs advancement can make no alteration in his heart for his Priesthood is his highest advancement And Grace did both Found and now upholds his Throne of Grace 94 4. His own Interest puts him upon these Affections of heart towards us His own joy happinesse and glory are encreased by shewing mercie to and comforting his children upon earth and it is more for his glory then for our good 98 Christ hath a double fulnesse of joy 1. Personall in his Father 2. Mysticall in his Members 99 How Christ rejoiceth in Heaven at our well-doing here on earth 101 5. His having the nature of man the same for substance in Heaven that he had on earth obligeth him to be mercifull unto men 104 The end of his Assuming mans nature was to qualifie him for mercie 105 Though it adds not to the greatnesse of mercie in God yet it addes a new way of being mercifull even as a man 106 Part III. §. I. Some Generals to cleare 1. How this is to be understood That Christs Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities 2. The way how our Infirmities come to be feelingly let into his heart 109 1. How this affection in Christ is to be understood This explained by these degrees 1. This affection of compassion is not wholly to be understood in a Metaphoricall sense as when God is said to be afflicted c. that is not meerely after the similitude of men but in a true and reall sense 111 2. These affections in Christs humane nature are more like to ours then those which the Angells have who notwithstanding have affections analogicall to ours 113 3 Christ having taken fraile flesh ere he went to Heaven this fits him yet more for having affections of mercie like unto ours 115 3. For the way how our miseries are let into Christs heart so as to affect it This explained by two things 1 The Humane nature hath the knowledge and cognizance of all that can or doth befall us here 118 2 He remembers how himselfe was once affected when he was under the like 119 §. II. A more particular Disquisition what manner of affection this is The seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or in the whole humane nature Some Cautious added 121 This affection for our better conceiving it set forth three wayes 1. Negatively it is not in all things such as it was in the dayes of his flesh 2 Positively It is yet for substance the very same affection and the seat of it is his bodily heart as well as his soule 124 Foure Cautions or Positions about this 1. In what sense or so far as his Body is made spirituall so far are these Affections spiritualized as they are in his body 125 2. Hence though they move his Bowels yet they doe not perturbe or hurt him in the least 126 3. All naturall humane affections may be still in him that are not unbecomming his state glory And how much the having such affections are suteable to that state and relation wherein he is 128 4. Though a passionate suffering be cut off yet these affections are now more large and strong for the substance of them then they were on earth 130 3. Privatively If his heart suffers not with us under our Infirmities yet he hath lesse joy then his heart shall have when we are freed from all 131 How the Scripture attributes some kinde of Imperfection to some affection in him and in what sense §. III. This Scruple satisfied How Christs heart can bee feelingly touched with our sins our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne 133 Foure answers given thereunto for our comfort Vses of all 137 FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth I. PART HAving set forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all those great and most solemne actions of his his Obedience unto
heaven and earth was his so soone as he should set footing in heaven then in the midst of these thoughts he tells us he went and washed his Disciples feet after he had first considered whither he was to goe and there what he was to be But secondly what was Christs Heart most upon in the midst of all these elevated meditations Not upon his own glory so much though it is told us that he considered that thereby the more to set out his love unto us but upon these thoughts his Heart ran out in love towards and was set upon his owne Having loved his owne sayes the 1. ver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne a word denoting the greatest nearnesse dearnesse and intimatenesse founded upon propriety The Elect are Christs owne a piece of himself not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as goods Iohn 1. 11. He came unto his owne and his own received him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word shews that he reckon them his owne but as goods not as persons but he cals these here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own by a nearer propriety that is his owne children his owne members his owne wife his owne flesh and he considers that though he was to goe out of the world yet they were to be in the world and therefore it is on purpose added which were in the world that is to remaine in this world Hee had others of his own who were in that world unto which he was going even the spirits of just men made perfect whom as yet he had never seene One would think that when he was meditating upon his going out of this world his heart should be all upon Abraham his Isaacs and his Iacobs whom he was going to no hee takes more care for his own who vvere to remain here in this vvorld a world wherein there is much evil as himselfe sayes Iohn 17. 15. both of sinne and miserie and vvith which themselves vvhilst in it could not but be defiled and vexed This is it vvhich draws out his bowels towards them even at that time vvhen his heart was full of the thoughts of his own glory Having loved his own he loved them unto the end Which is spoken to shew the constancie of his love and vvhat it vvould be when Christ should be in his glory To the end that is to the perfection of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostome having begun to love them he vvill perfect and consummate his love to them And to the end that is forever So in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used and so by the Euangelist the phrase is here used in a sutablenesse to the Scripture phrase Psal 103. 9. He will not alwayes chide nor reserve anger for ever so we translate it but in the Originall He reserves not anger unto the end So that the scope of this speech is to shew how Christs heart and love vvould be towards them even for ever when he should be gone unto his Father as well as it vvas to shew how it had beene here on earth they being his owne and hee having loved them he alters he changes not and therefore vvill love them for ever And then thirdly to testifie thus much by a reall testimony what his love would be when in heaven to them the Euangelist shews that when he was in the middest of all those great thoughts of his approaching glory and of the soveraigne estate which he was to be in he then tooke water and a towell and washed his Disciples feete This to have bin his scope will appeare if you observe but the coherence in the second verse it is said that Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands then ver 4. he riseth from supper and layes aside his garments and tooke a towel and girded himselfe ver 5. after that he powred water into a bason and began to wash his Disciples feete c. where it is evident that the Euangelists scope is to hold forth this unto us that then when Christs thoughts were full of his glorie when he tooke in the consideration of it unto the utmost even then and upon that occasion and in the midst of those thoughts he washt his Disciples feete And what was Christs meaning in this but that whereas when he should be in heaven he could not make such outward visible demonstrations of his heart by doing such meane services for them therefore by doing this in the middest of such thoughts of his glory hee would shew what hee could be content as it were to doe for them when hee should bee in full possession of it so great is his love unto them There is another expression of Christs like unto this in Luke 12. 36 37. which confirms this to be his meaning here and to be his very heart in heaven At ver 36. he compares himselfe to a Bridegroome who is to go to heaven unto a wedding-feast who hath servants on earth that stand all that while here below as without waiting for him at which because they wait so long they may think much Christ adds Verily I say unto you that when the Bridegroome returnes refreshed with wine and gladnesse he shall gird himselfe and make them sit downe to meate and will come forth and serve them The meaning is not as if that Christ served at the latter day or now in heaven those that sit downe there but onely it is an abundant expression in words as here in a real instance to set forth the over-flowing love that is in his heart and the transcendent happinesse that we shal then enjoy even beyond what can be expected by us he utters himselfe therefore by an unwonted thing not heard of that the Lord should serve his servants and wait on them that waited for him And it is to shew his heart to them and vvhat he could be contented to doe for them So that you see what his heart was before he went to Heaven even amidst the thoughts of all his glory and you see vvhat it is after he hath beene in heaven and greatned vvith all his glory even content to wash poore sinners feete and to serve them that come to him and wait for him Now fourthly what was the mystery of this his washing their feete It was as to give them an example of mutuall love and humility so to signify his washing away their sins thus ver 8. and 10. himselfe interprets it It is true indeede that now he is in heaven he cannot come to wash the feete of their bodies but he would signifie thus much thereby that those sinners that will come to him when in his glory he will wash away all their sins He loved his Church gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. This specimen
hast set my heart upon them and hast loved them thy selfe as thou hast loved me and thou hast ordained them to be one in us even as we are one and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them I have thy company but I must have theirs too I will that they be where I am ver 24. If I have any glory they must have part of it So it follows in the fore-named verse That they may behold the glory which thou hast given me he speakes all this as if he had beene then in Heaven and in possession of all that glory and therefore it is an expression of his heart in Heaven which you have very good ground to build upon §. 2. Demonstrations from passages and expressions after his Resurrection THese Demonstrations have beene taken from his carriage and Sermon before his death even at his first breaking of his mind unto his Disciples concerning his departure from them Let us now take a view of our Saviour in his behaviour after his Resurrection whence a further Indicium of his heart how it would stand towards sinners when he should be in Heaven may be taken and his love demonstrated For his Resurrection was the first step unto his Glory and indeede an entrance into it when hee laid downe his bodie he laid downe all earthly weaknesses and passions of flesh and blood It was sown as ours is in weaknesse but with raising of it up again he took on him the dispositions and qualifications of an immortal and glorious body It was raised in power And The dayes of his flesh or frail estate as the Author to the Hebrews by way of distinction speaks were past and over at his Resurrection and the garment of his body was new dyed and endowed with new qualities and thereby it was made of a stuffe fit to beare and sustain Heavens Glory and therefore what now his heart upon his first rising shall appeare to be towards us will be a certain demonstration what it will continue to be in heaven And to illustrate this the more consider that if ever there were a tryall taken whether his love to sinners would continue or no it was then at his Resurrection for all his Disciples especially Peter had carryed themselves the most unworthily towards him in that interim that could be and this then when he was performing the greatest act of love towards them namely dying for them that ever was shewne by any And by the way so God often orders it that when hee is in hand with the greatest mercies for us and bringing about our greatest good then we are most of all sinning against him which he doth to magnifie his love the more You know how they all forsook him and in the midst of his Agonie in the Garden in which he desired their company meerly for a reliefe unto his sadded spirit they slept and lay like so many blocks utterly senslesse of his dolours which had they had any friendly sympathie of they could never have done Could you not watch with me one houre Then you know how foulely Peter denyed him with oathes and curses and after that when he was laid in the grave they are giving up all their faith in him We trusted it should have been he say two of them that should have redeemed Israel They question whether he was the Messiah or no Luke 24. 21. Now when Christ came first out of the other world from the dead cloathed with that heart and body which he was to weare in heaven what message sends he first to them we would all think that as they would not know him in his sufferings so he would now be as strange to them in his Glory or at least his first words shall be to rate them for their faithlesnesse and false-hood but here is no such matter for Iohn 20. 17. his first word concerning them is Goe tell my Brethren c. You reade elsewhere how that it is made a great point of love and condescending in Christ so to entitle them Heb. 2. 11. He is not ashamed to call them Brethren surely his brethren had beene ashamed of him Now for him to call them so when he was first entering into his glory argues the more love in him towards them He caries it as Ioseph did in the height of his advancement when hee first brake his minde to his brethren I am Joseph your brother sayes he Gen. 45. 4. So Christ sayes here Tell them you have seene Iesus their Brother I own them as brethen still This was his first compellation but what was the message that he would first have delivered unto them that I sayes he ascend to my Father and your Father A more friendly speech by far and arguing infinite more love then that of Iosephs did though that was full of bowels for Ioseph after he had told them he was their brother adds whom you sold into Egypt he minds them of their unkindnesse but not so Christ not a word of that hee minds them not of what they had done against him Poore sinners who are full of the thoughts of their own sinnes know not how they shall be able at the latter day to looke Christ in the face when they shall first meet with him But they may relieve their spirits against their care and feare by Christs carriage now towards his Disciples who had so sinned against him Be not afraid your sins will he remember no more Yea further you may observe that he minds them not so much of what he had been doing for them He sayes not Tell them I have been dying for them or That they little think what I have suffered for them not a word of that neither but still his heart and his care is upon doing more he looks not backward to what is past but forgets his sufferings as a woman her travaile for joy that a man-child is borne Having now dispatcht that great work on earth for them he hastens to heaven as fast as he can to doe another And though he knew he had businesse yet to doe upon earth that would hold him forty dayes longer yet to shew that his heart was longing and eagerly desirous to be at work for them in heaven hee speakes in the present tense and tels them I ascend and he expresseth his joy to be not onely that he goes to his Father but also that he goes to their Father to be an advocate with him for them of which I spake afore And is indeed Jesus our Brother alive and doth he call us Brethren and doth he talk thus lovingly of us whose heart would not this over come But this was but a message sent his Disciples before he met them let us next observe his carriage and speech at first meeting together When he came first amongst them this was his salutation Peace be to you ver 19. which he reiterates ver 21. and it is all one with that former speech of his used in that his
Sermon after Acts 2. 33. he then received it and visibly powred him out So Ephes 4. 8. it is said He ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery ver 15 and for the joynting in of the Saints to the encrease of the body of Christ ver 16. that is for the converting of elect sinners and making them Saints And the gifts there mentioned some of them remain unto this day in Pastors and Teachers c. And this spirit is still in our preaching and in your hearts in hearing in praying c and perswades you of Christs love to this very day and is in all these the pledge of the continuance of Christs love still in Heaven unto sinners All our Sermons and your Prayers are evidences to you that Christs heart is still the same towards sinners that ever it was for the Spirit that assists in all these comes in his name and in his stead and works all by commission from him And doe none of you feele your hearts moved in the preaching of these things at this and other times and who is it that moves you it is the Spirit who speakes in Christs name from heaven even as himselfe is said to speake from heaven Heb. 12. 25. And when you pray it is the Spirit that endites your prayers and that makes intercession for you in your own hearts Rom. 8. 26. which Intercession of his is but the evidence and eccho of Christs Intercession in heaven The Spirit prayes in you because Christ prays for you he is an Intercessor on earth because Christ is an Intercessor in Heaven As he did take off Christs words and used the same that he before had uttered vvhen he spake in and to the Disciples the vvords of life so he takes off Christs prayers also when he prayes in us hee takes but the vvords as it were out of Christs mouth or heart rather and directs our hearts to offer them up to God He also follovvs us to the Sacrament and in that Glasse shews us Christs face smiling on us and through his face his heart and thus helping of us to a sight of him vve goe away rejoycing that we savv our Saviour that day Then secondly all those vvorks both of miracles and conversion of sinners in answer to the Apostles prayers are a demonstration of this What a handsell had Peters first Sermon after Christs Ascension when three thousand soules were converted by it The Apostles you know went on to preach forgivenesse through Christ and in his Name and to invite men to him and what signes and wonders did accompany them to confirme that their preaching and all were the fruits of Christs Intercession in heaven So that what he promised Iohn 14. 12. as an evidence of his minding them in heaven was abundantly fulfilled They upon their asking did greater works then he so Acts 4. 29 30. at the prayers of Peter And Heb. 2. 3 4. the Apostle makes an argument of it How shall we escape sayes he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles c. Yea let me adde this that take all the New Testament and all the Promises in it and expressions of Christs love it was written all since Christs being in heaven by his Spirit and that by commission from Christ and therefore all that you find therein you may build on as his very heart and therein see that what he once said on earth he repealeth not a word now he is in heaven his mind continues the same And the consideration hereof may adde a great confirmation to our faith herein Thirdly some of the Apostles spake with him since even many yeeres after his Ascension Thus Iohn and Paul of which the last was in heaven with him and they both doe give out the same thing of him Paul heard not one Sermon of Christs that we know of whilst on earth and received the Gospel from no man Apostle or other but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven as he speaks Gal. 1. 11 12. But he was converted by Christ himselfe from heaven by immediate speech and conference of Christ himselfe with him and this long after his Ascension And in that one instance Christ abundantly shewed his heart and purpose to continue to all sorts of sinners to the end of the world Thus in two places that great Apostle telleth us the first is 1 Timoth. 1. 13. I was a persecuter a blasphemer sayes he but I obtained mercie and the grace of our Lord namely Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant and upon this he declares with open mouth as it were from Christs own selfe who spake to him from Heaven that this is the faithfullest saying that ever was uttered that Christ came into the World to save sinners whereof I am chiefe sayes he ver 15. And to testifie that this was the very scope of Christ in thus converting of Paul himselfe and Pauls scope also in that place to Timothy to shew so much appears by what follows v. 16. For this cause I obtained this mercie that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to all them that should hereafter beleeve on him unto life everlasting It is expresse you see to assure all sinners unto the end of the world of Christ heart towards them this was his drift For this very cause sayes Paul The second place I alledge in proofe of this is the story of Pauls conversion where he diligently inserts the very words that Christ spake to him from heaven Acts 26. 16. which were these I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse to send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Brethren these are Christs words since he went to Heaven and he tels Paul hee appeared unto him to testifie thus much This for Pauls conference with him Then againe sixty yeares after his Ascension did the Apostle Iohn receive a Revelation from him even when all the Apostles were dead for after all their deaths was that book written and that Revelation is said to be in a more immediate manner the Revelation of Iesus Christ so Chap. 1. 1. then any other of the Apostles writings and you read that Christ made an Apparition of himselfe to him and said I am he that was dead and am alive and live for evermore Chap. 1. 18. Now let us but consider Christs last words in that his last book the last that Christ hath spoken since he went to Heaven or that hee is to utter till the day of Judgement
types and shadows of Christ marriage to his Church Herein I speak sayes he concerning Christ and the Church and this is a great mystery First a mystery that is this marriage of Adam was ordained hiddenly to represent and signifie Christs marriage with his Church And secondly it is a great mystery because the thing thereby signified is in it self so great that this is but a shadow of it And therefore all those relations and the affections of them and the effects of those affections which you see and read to have been in men are all and were ordained to be as all things else in this world are but shadows of what is in Christ who alone is the truth and substance of all similitudes in nature as well as of the Ceremoniall types If therefore no advancement doth or ought to alter such relations in men then not in Christ He is not ashamed to call us brethren as Heb. 2. 11. And yet the Apostle had just before said of him v. 9. We see Iesus crowned with glory honour Yea as when one member suffers the rest are touched with a sympathie so is it with Christ Paul persecuted the Saints the members and why persecutest thou me cries the Head in heaven the foot was trodden on but the Head felt it though crowned with glory and honour We are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Ephes 5. 30. therefore as Esther said so sayes Christ How can I endure to see the evill that befalls my people If a husband hath a wife that is meane and he become a King it were his glory and not his shame to advance her yea it were his shame to neglect her especially if when the betrothment was first made she was then rich and glorious and a Kings daughter but since that falne into poverty and misery Now Christs Spouse though now she be falne into sin and misery yet when she was first given to Christ by God the Father who from all eternity made the match she was lookt upon as all glorious For in election at first both Christ and we were by God considered in that glorie which he meanes to bring him and us unto at last that being first in Gods intention which is last in execution For God at the beginning doth look at the end of his works and at what he meanes to make them And so he then primitively intending to make us thus glorious as we shall be he brought and presented us to his Sonne in that glasse of his Decrees under that face of glory wherewith at last he meant to endow us He shewed us to him as apparelled with all those jewels of grace and glory which we shall weare in heaven he did this then even as he brought Eve unto Adam whose marriage was in all the type of this so that as this was the first Idea that God tooke us up in and that we appeared in before him so also wherein he presented us then to Christ and as it were said such a wife will I give thee And as such did the second Person marry us and undertooke to bring us to that estate And that God ordained us thus to fall into sinne miserie was but to illustrate the story of Christs love thereby to render this our Lover and Husband the more glorious in his love to us and to make this primitive condition whereunto God meant againe to bring us the more eminently illustrious And therefore we being marryed unto him when we were thus glorious in Gods first intention although in his decrees about the execution of this or the bringing us to this glory we fall into meannesse and miserie before we attaine to it yet the marriage still holds Christ took us to run the same fortune with us and that we should do the like with him And hence it was that we being falne into sinne and so our flesh become fraile and subject to infirmities that he therefore took part of the same as Heb. 2. 13. And answerably on the other side he being now advanced to the glory ordained for him he can never rest till he hath restored us to that beauty wherein at first we were presented to him til he hath purged and cleansed us that so he may present us to himselfe a glorious Church as you have it Eph. 5. 26 27. even such as in Gods first intention we were shewne to him to become having that native and originall beauty and possessing that estate wherein he looked upon us when he first tooke liking to us and married us This is argued there from this very relation of his being our husband ver 25. 26. And therefore though Christ be now in glorie yet let not that discourage you for he hath the heart of a husband towards you being betrothed unto you for ever in faithfulnesse and in loving kindnesse as Hos 2. and the idea of that beauty is so imprinted on his heart which from everlasting was ordained you that he will never cease to sanctifie and to cleanse you till he hath restored you to that beauty which once he tooke such a liking of A second engagement This love of his unto us is yet further encreased by what he both did and suffered for us here on earth before he went to heaven Having loved his own so far as to dye for them he will certainly love them unto the end even to eternity We shall finde in all sorts of relations both spirituall and naturall that the having done much for any beloved of us doth beget a further care and love towards them And the like effect those eminent sufferings of Christ for us have certainly produced in him we may see this in parents for besides that naturall affection planted in mothers towards their children as they are theirs the very pains hard labour and travail they were at in bringing them forth encreaseth their affections towards them and that in a greater degree them fathers beare And therefore the eminencie of affection is attributed unto that of the mother towards her child and put upon this that it is the sonne of her wombe Isai 49. 15. And then the performing of that office and worke of nursing them themselves which yet is done with much trouble and disquietment doth in experience yet more endeare those their children unto them which they so nurse to an apparent difference of bowels and love in comparison of that which they put forth to others of their owne children which they nursed not And therefore in the same place of Esay as the mothers affection to the sonne of her wombe so to her sucking child is mentioned as being the highest instance of such love And as thus in paternall affection so also in conjugall In such mutuall loves in the pursuing of which there have any difficulties or hardships been encountred and the more those lovers have suffered the one for the other the more is the edge of their desires whetted and
their love encreased and the party for whom they suffered is thereby rendred the more deere unto them And as it is thus in these naturall relations so also in spirituall we may see it in holy men as in Moses who was a mediator for the Jewes as Christ is for us Moses therein being but Christs Type and shadow and therefore I the rather instance in him He under God had beene the deliverer of the people of Israel out of Egypt with the hazard of his own life had led them in the wildernesse and given them that good Law that was their wisdome in the sight of all the Nations and by his prayers kept off Gods wrath from them And who ever of all those Heroes we read of did so much for any Nation who yet were continually murmuring at him and had like once to have stoned him and yet what he had done for them did so mightily engage his heart and so immoveably point and fixe it unto their good that although God in his wrath against them offered to make of him alone a greater and mightier Nation then they were yet Moses refused that offer the greatest that ever any Sonne of Adam was tempted with and still went on to intercede for them and among other used this very argument to God even the consideration of what he had already done for them as with what great might and power he had brought them out of AEgypt c. thereby to move God to continue his goodnesse unto them so Exod. 32. 11. and elsewhere And this overcame God as you may read in the 14. ver of the fore-named Chap. Yea so set was Moses his heart upon them that he not only refused that former offer which God made him but he made an offer unto God of himselfe to sacrifice his portion in life for their good Rather sayes he blot me out of the book of life So ver 32. And we may observe the like zealous love in holy Paul towards all those converts of his whom in his Epistles he wrote unto towards whom that which so much endeared his affections was the paines the cost the travail the care and the sufferings that hee had had in bringing them unto Christ Thus towards the Galatians how solicitous was he how afraid to lose his labour on them I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain so hee expresseth himselfe Galat. 4. 11. and ver 19. he utters himselfe yet more deepely My little children sayes he of whom I again travaile in birth untill Christ be formed in you He professeth himselfe content to be in travail again for them rather then lose that about which he had beene in travail for them once before Now from both these examples whereof the one was Christs Type and the other the very copy and patern of Christs heart we may raise up our hearts to the perswasion of that love and affection which must needs be in the heart of Christ from that which he hath done and suffered for us First For Moses did Moses ever doe that for that people which Christ hath done and suffered for you He acknowledged that he had not borne that people in his wombe but Christ bare us all and we were the travaile of his soule and for us he endured the birth-throws of death as Peter calls them Acts 2. 24. And then for Paul was Paul crucified for you sayes Paul likewise of himselfe but Christ was and he speakes it the more to enhaunce the love of Christ Or if Paul had beene crucified would or could it have profited us no If therefore Paul was contented to have been in travail again for the Galatians when he feared their falling away then how doth Christs heart worke much more towards sinners he having put in so infinite a stock of sufferings for us already which he is loath to lose and hath so much love to us besides that if we could suppose that otherwise we could not be saved he could be content to be in travail again and to suffer for us afresh But he needed to doe this but once as the Apostle to the Hebrews speaks so perfect was his Priesthood Be assured then that his love was not spent or worne out at his death but encreased by it His love it was that caused him to die and to lay downe his life for his sheep and greater love then this hath no man said himselfe before he did it But now having dyed this must needs cause him from his soul to cleave the more unto them A cause or a person that a man hath suffered much for according to the proportion of his sufferings is ones love and zeale thereunto for these doe lay a strong engagement upon a man because otherwise he loseth the thanks and the honour of all that is already done and past by him Have you suffered so many things in vaine sayes the Apostle to the Galathians Chap. 3. 4. where he makes a motive and an incitement of it that seeing they had endured so much for Christ and the profession of him they would not now lose all for want of doing a little more And doth not the same disposition remaine in Christ especially seeing the hard work is over and dispatcht which he was to doe on earth and that which now remaines for him to doe in heaven is farre more sweet and full of glory and as the reaping in joy of what he had here sowne in teares If his love was so great as to hold out the enduring so much then now when that brunt is over and his love is become a tryed love will it not continue If when tryed in adversity and that is the surest and strongest love and in the greatest adversity that ever was if it then held will it not still doe so in his prosperity much more Did his heart stick to us and by us in the greatest temptation that ever was and will his glorious and prosperous estate take it off or abate his love unto us Certainly no Iesus the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 8. When he was in the midst of his paines one for whom he was then a suffering said unto him Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome and could Christ mind him then as you know he did telling him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise then surely when Christ came to Paradise he would doe it much more and remember him too by the surest token that ever was and which he can never forget namely the paines which he was then enduring for him He remembers both them and us still as the Prophet speaks of God And if he would have us remember his death till hee comes so to cause our hearts to love him then certainly himselfe doth it in heaven much more No question but he remembers us as he promised to doe that good thiefe now he is in his Kingdome And so much for this second
that latter namely the use of such a skill is not so directly the drift of this Treatise I having reserved that part if God assist me and give leisure and this find acceptance unto another about the acts of justifying Faith wherein this art now mentioned is to be the maine scope That which I have here endeavoured is to set forth to all sorts of beleevers whether they have assurance or not Christ as he is the Object of our faith as justifying and as the cause of justification to us and so I send forth this as a premise and preparatory to that other And to that purpose I have run over some few Articles of our Faith or Creede as I found them put together in one bundle by the great Apostle namely Christ in his Death Resurrection Ascension Sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession and have handled these no further then as in all these he is made Justification unto us therin having punctually kept unto the Apostles scope By all which you may in the mean time see what abundant provision God hath laid up in Christ in the point of Justification for all sorts of beleevers to live upon Every thing in Christ whatsoever he was or whatsoever he did with a joynt voice speaking justification unto us You may see also that God hath in Christ justified us over and over and thereby come to discerne what little reason you have to suffer your hearts to be carried aside to other comforters and so be spoiled and bereft of these more immediately prepared and laid up for us in Christ himselfe To have handled all those considerations which his obedience unto death affords unto the justification of a beleever and his comfort therein in this small tractate would have made that part too disproportioned to the rest it alone deserves will require a distinct Tract which therefore I have cast into another method and so in this Treatise have toucht only upon what may for the present be sufficient to furnish that part to keep company with its fellows Onely when I had thus presented Christ along from his Death Resurrection and Ascension unto his Sitting in Heaven and there performing that great part of his Priesthood the worke of Intercession I judged it both homogeneall to all these and conducing to the greater encouragement of beleevers in the exercise of their faith to subjoyne that other Treatise How Christs Heart now he is in Heaven stands affected to us sinners here below And a better token take the Arument it selfe if I could have fully represented it how to present unto his Spouse I know not then a true character of her Husbands heart now he is in glory And but for methods sake I would have placed it first it being more suited to vulgar capacities whose benefit I aime at Now in that discourse I confesse I have not aimed to keepe so strictly unto the matter of justification only as in the other I have done But have more generally discussed it and shewne how his heart stands towards us under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever either of Sin or misery yet so as it wil serve for the matter of justification also The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant us according to the riches of his glory that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that we may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Amen THO. GOODVVIN THE TABLE OR Series of all the Materials in this TREATISE SECT I. A generall Introduction to the whole Christ the Object of Justifying Faith CHAP. I. The scope of the words of the Text That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence Pag. 1 Christ an example of Faith explained by two things 2 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe 3 2. A faith for the justifying of us 4 Use To draw us on to faith and encourage us therein 5 Especially against the greatnesse of sins 6 CHAP. II. The scope and argument of this whole Discourse 1. A Direction unto Christ as the Object of faith 2. Encouragements to Beleevers in their faith from these particulars in the Text. 9 Christs 1. Death 2. Resurrection 3. Being at Gods right hand 4. Intercession CHAP. III. DIRECTIONS to Christ as the object of Faith How in a three-fold consideration Christ is the Object of Justifying faith 12 1. As in joynt commission with God the Father Faith is to eye both God and Christ in seeking Iustification 12 Yet God the ultimate object of it ibid. Yet Christ under the New Testament the more immediate Object 13 2. Christ the object of faith in opposition to all things in our selves 15 As 1. To Humiliation Wee are not to rest therein ibid. 2. To Dutyes and Graces We are not to rest in them 16 3. Christs Person is the object of Faith in distinction from the Promises ibid. How the Promises are the Object of Faith and how Christ in the Promises 18 Three sorts of promises and how Christs person is the object of faith in applying them all 20 SECT II. Christ in his DEATH the Object and support of Faith for Justification Chap. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as Dying is the object of faith as Iustifying 22 Explained 1. By two Directions 1. That in seeking forgivenesse Christ as dying Christ as crucifyed is to be eyed by faith 23 How not Christs Person singly considered in the excellencies thereof but as dying is the object of justifying faith as such 24 Chap. II 2. Direct That faith is principally to look unto the end and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings namely that sinners might have forgivenesse 28 Without this the meditation of the story of Christs Passion is unprofitable ibid. Cap. III 2. By shewing the ENCOURAGEMENTS or matter of triumph that Christs death affordeth unto faith in point of justification 34 The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction in his DEATH 35 How Christs satisfaction may be opposed to the guilt of any sins whatever 36 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall 37 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins As ibid. 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sinne 38 2. Against the corruption or of the heart in sinning ibid. 3. Against delight and greedinesse in sinning ibid. 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning 39 5. Against presumption in sinning ibid. 6. Against the aggravating circumstances of Time Place Persons c. ibid. The conclusion of this Section 40 SECT III. Christ in his RESURRECTION the object and support of faith in point of Justification CHAP. I. Two generall Heads propounded That Christs Is an EVIDENCE of Hath an INFLUENCE into Iustification Resurrection 42 1. An Evidence Christs Resurrection a a visible signe that God is satisfied by his death 44 2. Hath an Influence Though the matter of our justification be the price of Christs Death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on Christs
Personall excellencies cannot properly be called the object of it But the Formalis ratio the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the object of faith as justifying must necessarily be that in Christ which doth indeed justifie a sinner which is his obedience unto death For the act and object of every habit or facultie are alwayes suited and similar each to other and therefore Christ justifying must needs be the object of Faith justifying It is true that there is nothing in Christ with which some answerable act of faith in us doth not close and from the differing considerations under which faith looks at Christ have those severall acts of faith various denominations As faith that is carryed forth to Christ and his personall excellencies may be called uniting faith and faith that goes forth to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sinne may answerably to its object be called sanctifying faith and faith as it goes forth to Christ as dying c. for justification may be called justifying faith For faith in that act looks at what in Christ doth justifie a sinner and therefore Christ considered as dying rising c. doth in this respect become the most pleasing and gratefull object to a soule that is humbled for this makes Christ suitable to him as he is a sinner under which consideration he reflects upon himselfe when he is first humbled And therefore thus to represent Christ to Beleevers under the Law was the maine scope of all the Sacrifices and Types therein All things being purged with bloud and without bloud there being no remission Heb. 9. Thus did the Apostles also in their Sermons So Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his Sermon to have known nothing but Christ and him as crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. as Christ above all so Christ as crucified above all in Christ as suiting their condition best whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith on him Thus in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls his preaching among them the preaching of faith Chap. 3. 2. And what was the maine scope of it but the picturing out as the word is of Christ crucified before their eyes ver 1. so he preached him and so they received him and so they began in the spirit ver 3. And thus also doe the seals of the Promises the Sacraments present Christ to a Beleevers eye as they hold forth Christ as was in the former direction observed so Christ as crucified their scope being to shew forth his death till be come 1 Cor. 11. 26. the Bread signifying Christs body broken in the sufferings of it and the cup signifying the sufferings of his soule and the pouring of it forth unto death And hence likewise as faith it selfe is called Faith on Christ as was before observed so it is called Faith on his bloud Rom. 3. 24 25. because Christ as shedding his bloud for the remission of sinnes is the object of it So the words there are Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the Promises under that picture of him doth faith at first close with him And one reason similar to the former may be grounded on the 24. ver of that 3. to the Rom. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And as I shewed before in the reason of the former direction that all Promises hold of his Person as being Heire of all the Promises so the speciall Tenure upon which forgivenesse of sins doth hold of him is by purchase and by the redemption that is in him So that as the promise of forgivenesse refers to his person so also to this redemption that is in him Thus both in Eph. 1. and Col. 1. In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes His person gives us title to all the promises and his bloud shews the tenure they hold on a purchase and a full price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate price 1 Tim. 2. 6. And as sin is the strength of the Law and of the threatnings thereof so Christs satisfaction is the strength of all the Promises in the Gospel In a word an humbled soule is to have recourse to that Christ who is now alive and glorified in heaven yet to him as once crucified and made sinne He is to goe to Christ now glorified as the Person from whom he is to receive forgivenesse c. but withall to him as crucified as through whom considered in that condition he then was in he is to receive all CHAP. II. What in Christs death faith seeking justification is especially to eye and look at NOw then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying Direction 2 is Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end Faith is especially to look at Christs end and mind in dying meaning and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings and not simply at the Tragicall story of his death and sufferings It is the heart and mind and intent of Christ in suffering which faith chiefly eyeth and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified When a Beleever sees that Christs aime in suffering for poore sinners agrees and answers to the aime and desires of his heart and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgivenesse Namely that sinners might have forgivenesse and that Christs heart was as full in it to procure it as the sinners heart can be to desire it this draws his heart in to Christ to rest upon him And without this Without this the meditation of the story of his Passion unprofitable the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings and of the greatnesse of them will be altogether unprofitable And yet all or the chiefe use which the Papists and many carnall Protestants make of Christs sufferings is to meditate upon and set out to themselves the grievousnesse of them so to move their hearts to a relenting and compassion to him and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him with an admiring of his noble and heroicall love herein and if they can but get their hearts thus affected they judge and account this to be grace when as it is no more then what the like tragicall story of some great noble personage ful of heroicall vertues and ingenuity yet inhumanely and ungratefully used will work and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits who read or heare of it yea and this oft-times though it be but in the way of a fiction Which when it reacheth no higher is so far from being faith that it is but a carnall and fleshly devotion springing from fancie which is pleased with such a storie and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit and yet abused Such
stories use to stir up a principle of humanity in men unto a compassionate love which Christ himselfe at his suffering found fault with as being not spirituall nor raised enough in those women who went weeping to see the Messiah so handled Weep not for me sayes he that is weep not so much for this thus to see me unworthily handled by those for whom I dye And therefore accordingly as these stirrings are but fruits of the flesh so humane inventions as Crucifixes and lively representations of the story of Christs Passion unto the sight of fancy doe exceedingly provoke men to such devotionall meditations and affections but they work a bare historicall faith only a historicall remembrance and an historicall love as I may so call them And no other then such doth the reading of the story of it in the Word work in many who yet are against such Crucifixes But saving justifying faith chiefly minds and is most taken up with the maine scope and drift of all Christs sufferings for it is that in them which answers to its owne aime and purpose which is to obtaine forgivenesse of sins in Christ crucified As God looks principally at the meaning of the Spirit in prayer Rom. 8. so doth faith look principally to the meaning of Christ in his sufferings As in all other Truths a Beleever is said to have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult so especially he minds what was the mind and heart of Christ in all his sufferings And therefore you may observe that the drift of all the Apostles Epistles is to shew the intent of Christs sufferings how he was therein set forth to be a prepitiation for sinne to beare our sinnes upon the tree to make our peace c. He was made sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him As in like manner the scope of the Euangelists is to set forth the story of them for that is necessary to be known also And thus did that Euangelicall Prophet Isaiah chiefly set forth the intent of Christs sufferings for justification Esay 53. throughout the Chap. as David before had done the story of his Passion Psal 22. And thus to shew the use and purpose of his sufferings was the scope of all the Apostles Sermons holding forth the intent of Christs passion to be the justification and salvation of sinners This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. and they still set forth what the plot was at which God by an ancient designment aimed at in the sufferings of Christ which was an end higher then men or Angels thought on when hee was put to death And thus faith takes it up and looks at it And upon this doth Peter in his Sermon Acts 2. pitch their faith where having first set forth the hainousnesse of their sin in murdering the Lord of life then to raise up their hearts againe that so seeing Gods end in it they might be drawne to beleeve he tellls them that All this was done by the determinate counsell of God ver 23. and that for a farther end then they imagined even for the remission of sins through his Name as in the closure of that Sermon he shews It was not the malice of the Jews the falsenesse of Iudas the fearfulnesse of Pilate or the iniquity of the times he fell into that wrought his death so much as God his Father complotting with Christ himselfe and aiming at a higher end then they did there was a farther matter in it it was the execution of an ancient contrivement and agreement whereby God made Christ Sinne and laid our sins upon him God was in Christ not imputing our sinnes to us but making him sinne 2 Cor. 5. 20. Which Covenant Christ came at his time into the world to fulfill Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldst not have Heb. 10. 5. Loe I come to doe thy will and that will was to take away sinnes ver 4 10 12 14 15 16. These words Christ spake when he took our nature and when he came into the world clothed with infirmities like unto us sinners Rom. 8. 3. God sent his Son in the likenes of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Mark that phrase for sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there put for propter as Iohn 10. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for a good work That is not because of a good work or for a good works sake So here For sinne that is because of sin sin was the occasion of his taking the likenesse of sinfull flesh what to encrease it no but to condemne it as it follows that is to cast and overthrow it in its power and plea against us that instead of sins condemning us he might condemne sin and that we might have the righteousnesse of the Law ver 5. This phrase for sinne is like unto that in Rom. 6. 10. He dyed unto sinne that is for sins cause for so the opposition that follows evinceth In that he liveth he liveth unto God that is for God and his glory So he dyed meerly for sin that sin might have its course in Justice and for its sake suffered death so putting to silence the clamour of it The death of Christ was the greatest and strangest design that ever God undertook and acted and therefore surely had an end proportionable unto it God that willeth not the death of a sinner would not for any inferiour end will the death of his Sonne whom he loved more then all creatures besides It must needs be some great matter for which God should contrive the death of his Sonne so holy so innocent and separate from sinners neither could it be any other matter then to destroy that which he most hated and that was Sin and to set forth that which he most delighted in and that was Mercy So Rom. 3. 25 26. And accordingly Christ demeaned himselfe in it not at all looking at the Jews or their malice but at his Fathers command and intent in it And therefore when he was to arise to goe unto that place where he should be taken As the Father gave me commandement sayes he so doe I Arise let us goe hence Iohn 14. 31. And when Iudas went out at Christs owne provocation of him What thou doest doe quickly sayes he the Sonne of man goeth as it was determined he lookt to his Fathers purpose in it When he went out to be taken it is said Iohn 18. 4. Iesus knowing all things that should befall him went forth And when he was in his Agony in the Garden whom doth he deale with but his Father Father sayes he if it be possible let this cup passe and God made his Passion of so great necessity that it was even impossible that that cup should passe Indeed had Christ stood in his owne stead it had been an easie request and justice to grant it yea so he tells
ver 6. Otherwise as that woman said to Philip when she came to him for justice and he put her off Then cease sayes she to be a King So if Christ should deny any such soule to take its cause in hand he must then cease to be a Priest He lives to intercede He is a Priest called by God as was Aaron ver 6. Wherefore he ought to doe it in that it is his office 3. And if thy soule yet feareth the difficulty of its owne particular case in respect of the greatnesse of thy sinnes and the circumstances thereof or any consideration whatsoever which to thy view doth make thy salvation an hard suit to obtaine the Apostle therefore further addes He is able to save to the utmost what ever thy cause be and this through this his Intercession That same word to the utmost is a good word and vvell put in for our comfort Consider it therefore for it is a reaching vvord and extends it selfe so farre that thou canst not look beyond it Let thy soule be set upon the highest mount that ever any creature vvas yet set upon and that is enlarged to take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sinne and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poore humbled soule did cast within it selfe yea joyne to these all the objections and hinderances of thy Salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it selfe lift up thy eyes and looke to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his Intercession is able to save thee beyond the Horizon and furthest compasse of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of Man can suppose It is not thy having laine long in Sinne long under terrours and despairs or having sinned often after many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the utmost and then put in what exceptions thou wilt or canst lay all the barrs in thy way that are imaginable yet know thou that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee 4. Again consider but what it is that Christ who hath by his death done enough to save thee doth yet further for thee in Heaven If thou thoughtest thou hadst all the Saints in Heaven and Earth jointly concurring in promoving thy salvation and competitours unto God in instant and incessant requests and prayers to save thee how wouldest thou be encouraged shall I tell thee one word out of Christs mouth who is the King of Saints will do more then all in heaven and earth can doe and what is there then which we may not hope to obtain through his Intercession And wouldst thou know whether he hath undertaken thy cause and begun to intercede for thee In a word Hath he put his spirit into thy heart and set thy own heart on work to make incessant Intercessions for thy selfe with groans unutterable as the Apostle hath it Rom. 8. This is the Eccho of Christs Intercession for thee in Heaven 5. And lastly If such a soule shall further object But will he not give over suing for me may I not be cast out of his prayers through my unbeliefe Let it here be considered that he lives ever to intercede And therefore if he once undertake thy cause and getteth thee into his prayers he will never leave thee out night nor day He Intercedeth ever till he hath accomplisht and finished thy salvation Men have been cast out of good and holy mens prayers as Saul out of Samuels and the People of Israel out of Ieremies but never out of Christs prayers the smoak of his Incense ascends for ever and he will intercede to the utmost till he hath saved thee to the utmost He will never give over but will lye in the dust for thee or he will perfect and procure thy Salvation Onely whilst I am thus raising up your Faith to him upon the worke of his Intercession for us let me speak a word to you for him so to stir up your love to him upon the consideration of this his Intercession also You see you have the whole life of Christ first and last both here and in heaven laid out for you He had not come to earth but for you he had no other businesse here Vnto us a Son is born And to be sure he had not dyed but for you for us a Son was given and when he rose it was for your justification And now he is gone to heaven he lives but to intercede for you He makes your salvation his constant calling O therefore let us live wholly unto him for he hath and doth live wholly unto us You have his whole time among you and if he were your servant you could desire no more There was much of your time lost before you began to live to him but there hath beene no moment of his time which he hath not lived to and improved for you Nor are you able ever to live for him but onely in this life for hereafter you shall live with him and be glorified of him I conclude all with that of the Apostle The love of Christ it should constraine us because we cannot but judge this to be the most equall that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who dyed for them and rose again and out of the Text I also adde sits at Gods right hand yea and there lives for ever to make Intercession for us FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven Towards SINNERS on Earth OR A TREATISE DEMONSTRATING The gracious Disposition and tender Affection of Christ in his Humane Nature now in Glory unto his Members under all sorts of Infirmities either of Sin or Misery By THO GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN M DC XLII THE TABLE OF The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth 1. Demonstrations of the gracious disposition of his Heart towards us Extrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is so Part 1. Intrinsecall shewing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reasons why it must needs be so Part 2. 2. The Manner how his Heart is affected towards us and the way how it comes to passe that such affections are let into his heart Part 3. Part I. Containing Demonstrations Extrinsecall §. I. Demonstrations from Christs carriage at his last Farewell and his last Sermon John Chapters 13 c. and in his last prayer John 17. the scope of all which was to assure his Disciples of his being constant in his Affections towards them 5 1. From his carriage at his last Fare-well And this in foure things 6 2. From many passages in that his last Sermon in 5. things 13 3. From his last Prayer Joh. 17. which Prayer is a patterne of his Intercession in Heaven and so an expression of what his heart is there 22 §. II. Demonstrations from many passages and expressions after his Resurrection 24 This Resurrection
or declaration of his mind wee have from this his carriage at this his last farewell Let us next take a survey of the drift of that long Sermon which hee made at that his farewell and wee shall find the maine scope of it to be further to assure his Disciples of what his Heart would be unto them and that will make a second Demonstration It were too long a work to insist upon each particular 2. From many passages in that last Sermon But certainly no loving Husband ever endeavoured more to satisfie the heart of his Spouse during his absence then Christ doth his Disciples hearts and in them all Beleevers For take that along once for all that what Christ said unto them he sayes unto us as in that 17. of Iohn that speech implyes I pray not for them onely but for those also that shall beleeve through their word And as what he prayed for them was for all Beleevers also so what he then spake unto them First he lets them see what his heart would be unto them and how mindfull of them when in heaven by that businesse which he professeth hee vvent thither to performe for them concerning which observe first that he lovingly acquaints them with it afore-hand what it is which argued care and tendernesse as from an husband unto a vvife it doth And vvithall hovv plaine heartedly doth he speak as one that vvould not hide any thing from them Ioh. 16. 7. I tell you the truth of it sayes he it is expedient and expedient for you that I goe away And secondly he tels them it is wholly for them and their happinesse I goe to send you a Comforter whilst you are in this world to prepare a place for you Iohn 14. 2. when you shall goe out of this world There are many mansions in my Fathers house and I goe to take them up for you to keep your places for you till you come And there againe how openly and candidly doth he speak to them If it had beene otherwise sayes he I would have told you You may beleeve me I would not deceive you for all the glory in that place to which I am a going Whom would not this opennesse and nakednesse of heart perswade But then thirdly the businesse it selfe being such as is so much for us and our happinesse how much more doth that argue it And indeed Christ himselfe doth fetch from thence an argument of the continuance of his love to them So ver 3. If I goe to prepare a place for you if that be my errand then doubt not of my love when I am there All the glory of the place shall never make me forget my businesse When he was on earth he forgot none of the businesse for which he came into the World Shall I not doe my Fathers businesse sayd he when he was a child yes and he did it to the utmost by fulfilling all righteousnesse Surely therefore he will not forget any of that businesse which he is to do in heaven it being the more pleasant work by far And as I shewed in the former discourse out of Heb. 6. 20. He is entred as a Fore-runner an Harbinger to take up places there for us and if he could forget us yet our names are all written in heaven round about him are continually afore his eyes written there not onely by Gods election so Heb. 12. 23. Ye are come to mount Sion and to the heavenly Ierusalem and to the Church of the first-borne which are written in heaven and to Iesus and to the bloud of sprinkling c. but Christ himselfe scores them up anew with his bloud over every mansion there which he takes up for any Yea he carryeth their names written in his heart as the High-priest did the names of the ten Tribes on his breast when he entred into the Holy of Holies He sits in heaven to see to it that none other should take their roomes over their heads as we say And therefore 1. Pet. 1. 4. Salvation is said to be reserved in Heaven for them that is kept on purpose for them by Jesus Christ The evill Angels had places there once but they were disposed of unto others over their heads as the Land of Canaan vvas from the Canaanites the reason of vvhich vvas because they had not a Christ there to intercede for them as vve have Then secondly to manifest his mind fulnesse of them and of all beleevers else when he should be in his glory he tels them that when he hath dispatched that busines for them and made Heaven ready for them and all the elect that are to come that then he meanes to come again to them So Chap. 14. ver 3. If I goe and prepare a place for you I will come again vvhich is a meere expression of love for he if he had pleased he might have ordered it to have sent for them to him but he means to come for them himselfe and this vvhen he is warm as vve speake and in the height and midst of his glory in Heaven yet he vvill for a time leave it to come again unto his Spouse And what is it for 1. To see her I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce 2. To fetch her So Iohn 14. 3. I will come again and receive you to my selfe He condescends to the very laws of Bridegrooms for notwithstanding all his greatnesse no Lover shall put him down in any expression of true love It is the manner of Bridegrooms when they have made all ready in their Fathers house then to come themselves and fetch their Brides and not to send for them by others because it is a time of love Love descends better then ascends and so doth the love of Christ who indeed is Love it self therefore comes down to us himself I will come again and receive you unto my self sayes Christ that so where I am you may be also That last part of his speech gives the reason of it and withall bewrayes his entire affection It is as if he had said The truth is I cannot live without you I shall never be quiet till I have you where I am that so vve may never part againe that is the reason of it Heaven shall not hold me nor my Fathers company if I have not you with me my heart is so set upon you And if I have any glory you shall have part of it So ver 19. Because I live you shall live also It is a reason and it is halfe an oath besides As I live is Gods oath Because I live sayes Christ He pawnes his life upon it and desires to live upon no other tearmes He shall live to see his seed c. Esay 53. And yet further the more to expresse the workings and longings of his heart after them all that while he tels them it shall not be long neither ere he doth come againe to them So Iohn 16. 16.
Againe a little while and ye shall see me a little while and ye shall not see me sayes he Which not seeing him refers not to that small space of absence whilst dead and in the grave but of that after his last ascending forty dayes after his Resurrection when he should goe away not to be seene on earth againe untill the day of Judgement and yet from that Ascension but a little while sayes he and you shall see me againe namely at the day of Judgement It is said Heb. 10. 37. Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little little as may be Though long for the time in it selfe yet as little while as may be in respect of his desire without the least delaying to come He will stay not a moment longer then till he hath dispatcht all our businesse there for us And then the doubling of the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veniens veniet Comming he will come implyes vehemencie of desire to come and that his mind is alwayes upon it he is still a comming he can hardly be kept away Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgencie vehemencie and intensenesse of some act as Expecting I have expected Desiring I have desired so Comming he will come And as not content with these expressions of desire hee adds over and above all these And will not tarry and all to signifie the infinite ardencie of his mind towards his Elect below and to have all his Elect in heaven about him He will not stay a minute longer then needs must he tarryes onely till he hath throughout all Ages by his Intercession prepared every room for each Saint that he may entertaine them all at once together and have them all about him Thirdly what his heart would be towards them in his absence he expresseth by the carefull provision hee makes and the order hee takes for their comfort in his absence Ioh. 16. 18. I will not leave you as Orphanes so the word is I will not leave you like father-lesse and friendlesse children at sixes and sevens My Father and I have but one onely friend who lyes in the bosome of us both and proceedeth from us both the holy Ghost and in the meane time I will send him to you Doing herein as a loving Husband useth to doe in his absence even commit his Wife to the dearest friend he hath so doth Christ Ver. 16. I will pray the Father sayes he and he shall give you another Comforter And Chap. 16. 7. he saith I will send him to you Who First shall be a better Comforter unto you then I am to be in this kind of dispensation which whilst I am on earth I am bound up towards you in So in that 16. of Iohn ver 7. he intimates It is expedient sayes he that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come who by reason of his office will comfort you bettet then I should doe with my bodily presence And this Spirit as he is the earnest of heaven as the Apostle speaks so he is the greatest token pledge of Christs love that ever was and such a one as the world cannot receive And yet secondly all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while will be but from the expression of my heart towards you For as he comes not of himselfe but I must send him Ioh. 16. 7. so he will speake nothing of himselfe but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake ver 13. And ver 14. he sayes He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Him therefore I shall send on purpose to be in my roome and to execute my place to you my Bride Spouse and he shall tell you if you will listen to him and not grieve him nothing but stories of my love So it is there He shall glorifie me namely to you for I am in my selfe already glorified in heaven All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me and to greaten my worth and love unto you and it will be his delight to doe it And he can come from heaven in an instant when he will and bring you fresh tidings of my mind and tell you the thoughts I last had of you even at that very minute when I am thinking of them what they are at the very time wherein he tells you them And therefore in that 1 Cor. 2. by having the Spirit ver 12. we are said to have the mind of Christ ver ult For he dwelleth in Christs heart and also ours and lifts up from one hand to the other what Christs thoughts are to us and what our prayers and faith are to Christ So that you shall have my heart as surely and as speedily as if I were with you and he will continually be breaking your hearts either with my love to you or yours to me or both and if either you may be sure of my love thereby And whereas sayes he you have the Spirit now in your hearts so ver 17. of Chap. 14. He now dwels in you yet after my Ascension he shall be in a further measure in you as it follows there And at that day ver 20. you shall know namely by his Dictate that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you He will tell you when I am in Heaven that there is as true a conjunction between me and you and as true a dearnesse of affection in me towards you as is between my Father and me and that it is as impossible to breake this knot and to take off my heart from you as my Fathers from me or mine from my Father And then thirdly you shall be sure that what he sayes of my love to you is true for he is the Spirit of truth Chap. 16. ver 13. as also Chap. 1. ver 16 17. which Christ speaks of him as he is a Comforter And as you beleeve me when I tell you of my Father because I come from him so you may beleeve him in all that hee sayes of mee and of my love to you for hee comes from me Ay but might they say Will not hee also leave us for a time as you have done No sayes Christ Chap. 14. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter and he shall abide with you for ever Christ speakes it in opposition to himselfe He himselfe had beene a Comforter unto them but he was now to be absent but not so the Spirit He shall be with you for ever and as he is now with you so he shall be in you ver 17. In the fourth place if this be not enough to assure them how his heart would bee affected towards them he assures them he will give them daily experience of it Doe but try me sayes he vvhen I am gone and that by sending me vvord upon all occasions vvhat you
vvould have mee to doe for you and I have left my Spirit to be your Secretary and the Enditer of all your Petitions Hitherto you have asked nothing that is little in my name he blames them that they have asked him no more to doe for them but now ask and you shall receive And if otherwise you vvill not beleeve yet you shall beleeve your own eyes ask you shall see your selves answered presently and so Beleeve me sayes he for the very works sake Ioh. 14. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in answer to their prayers when hee was gone which should be as so many Epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs For it follows ver 12. Hee that beleeveth on me shall do greater works then I because I goe to my Father So that it is manifest he speakes of the works done after his Ascension And how vvere they to get and procure them to be done By Prayer so it follows ver 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I doe Hee speakes it of the time when he is gone And again he sayes in ver 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name I will doe it Let me but heare from you be it every weeke every day every houre you shall be sure of an answer Open your mouthes wide I will fill them And those your Prayers shall be as continuall tokens both of your hearts towards me and my answers shall be the like of mine to you And because Christ bids them direct their Letters their Prayers to the Father onely to send them in his name as Iohn 16. 23. and so they might perhaps not so cleerly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them but his Fathers hand onely therefore hee adds twice in the 14. of Iohn I will doe it I will doe it He speakes like one as forward to doe for them as his Father is or should be and as desirous to have them knovv and take notice of his hand in it And it is as if he had said Though you ask the Father in my name yet all comes through my hands and I will doe it there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done and my heart shall not be wanting In the fift place yet further to evidence his love he not onely bids them thus to pray to him and in his name upon all occasions but he assureth them that he himselfe will pray for them and observe but the manner of his telling them this it is in the most insinuating perswasive expressions to convey his heart in to them that men use to utter when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to doe a thing Chap. 16. 26. At that day namely after his Ascension ye shall ask c. sayes he and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you no not I. I mentioned it afore I wil but add this illustration to it It is such a speech as men use when they would expresse the greatest reason that another hath to rest confident and assured of their love I doe not love you no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary which is most emphaticall As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be You are shrewdly hurt It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians I converted your soules when you thought not of it I caught you with guile forgive mee this wrong So sayes Christ here I say not that I will pray for you when the truth is that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven He lives ever to intercede as he ever lives so to intercede ever and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved But the work of Christ in heaven is a subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse I wil therefore speak no more of it now neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his Sermon Reade but over those 3. Chapters the 14 15 and 16. for in them you have the longest Sermon of his that is recorded and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other because indeed his heart was more in it then in any point that he ever preached on Onely if any object and say He spake all this to his Disciples to quiet and pacifie them and so more in respect to their trouble then otherwise he would have spoken In the sixt place reade but the next Chapter the 17. and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father and speaks over all again unto him that which he had said unto them He sayes as much behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them Reade it and you will finde that he was the same absent that present with them He was therefore not onely hearty in what he had said but his heart was full of it That Chapter you know contains a Prayer put up just before his suffering and there he makes his Will his last request for in such a style it runs Father I will ver 24. which Will he is gone to see executed in Heaven And Arminius said true in that that this Prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in Heaven he spake as he meant to doe in Heaven and as one that had done his worke and was now come to demand his wages I have finished thy work sayes he ver 4 c. And whereas he speakes a word or two for himself in the first 5. verses he speaks five times as many for them for all the rest of the Chapter is a Prayer for them He useth all kind of Arguments to move his Father for his children I have finished the work which thou gavest me to doe sayes he and to save them is thy work which remains to be done for mee by thee and they are thine and thou gavest them me and I commend to thee but thine owne And all mine are thine and thine are mine He insinuates that he of himselfe had not added a man but useth all his interest onely for those that the Father had given him and what a motive is this and he professeth he wil not open his mouth for a man more I pray not for the world sayes he I will not open my lips for any one sonne of perdition but I employ all my Blood my Prayers and my whole interest with thee but for those thy selfe hast given me And sayes he though thou hast given me a personall glory which I had before the World was yet there is another glory which I account of almost as much and that is in their being saved I am glorifyed in them sayes he ver 10. and they are my joy ver 13. and therefore I must have them with mee where ever I am ver 24. Thou
that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
sayes Christ injuries and unkindnesses doe not so worke upon me as to make mee irreconcileable it is my nature to forgive I am meeke Yea but may we thinke he being the Sonne of God and Heire of Heaven and especially being now filled with glory and sitting at Gods right hand he may now despise the lowlinesse of us here below though not out of anger yet out of that heighth of his greatnesse and distance that he is advanced unto in that we are too meane for him to marry or bee familiar with Hee surely hath higher thoughts then to regard such poore low things as we are And so though indeed we conceive him meeke and not prejudiced with injuries yet he may bee too high and lofty to condescend so far as to regarde or take to heart the condition of poore creatures No sayes Christ I am lowly also willing to bestow my love and favour upon the poorest and meanest And further all this is not a semblance of such an affable disposition nor is it externally put on in the face and outward carriage onely as in many great ones that will seeme gentle and curteous but there is all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heart it is his temper his disposition his nature to be gracious which nature he can never lay aside And that his greatnesse when he comes to enjoy it in Heaven would not a whit alter his disposition in him appears by this that he at the very same time when he uttered these words tooke into consideration all his glory to come and utters both that and his meeknes with the same breath So ver 27. All things are delivered to mee by my Father and presently after for all this he sayes Come unto me all you that are heavie laden I am meeke and lowly ver 28 29. Looke therefore what lovely sweete and delightfull thoughts you use to have of a deere friend who is of an amiable nature or of some eminently holy or meeke Saint of whom you thinke with your selves I could put my soule into such a mans hands can comprimise my salvation to him as I have heard it spoken of some Or looke how we should have beene encouraged to have dealt with Moses in matter of forgivenesse who was the meekest man on earth or treated with Ioseph by what we reade of his bowels towards his brethren or what thoughts we have of the tender hearts of Paul or Timothy unto the soules of men in begetting and in nurturing and bringing them up to life being affectionately desirous of you we were willing sayes Paul to impart our own soules to you 1 Thes 2. 8. and this naturally as his word is 2 Phil. 20. even such and infinitely more raised apprehensions should wee have of that sweetenesse and candour that is in Jesus Christ as being much more naturall to him And therefore the same Apostle doth make Christs bowels the patterne of his Phil. 1. 8. Ge◠is my witnesse how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Iesus Christ This phrase in the bowels of Christ hath according to Interpreters two meanings and both serve to illustrate that which I intend First in the bowels of Christ is taken causally as if he meant to shew that those bowels or compassions were infused into him from Christ and so longed after them with such kind of bowels as Christ had wrought in him and if so that Christ put such bowels into him hath he not them in himselfe much more Paul had reason to say in the bowels of Christ for in this sense I am sure he once had scarce the heart and bowels of a man in him namely when he was out of Christ how furious and Lion-like a spirit had he against the Saints and what havock made he of them being ready even to pull out their bowels And how came Paul by such tender bowels now towards them who gave him now such tender affections Even Jesus Christ it was he that of a Lion made him a Lambe If therefore in Paul these bowels were not naturall but the contrary rather were naturall to him and yet they so abounded in him and that naturally as himselfe speakes how much more must they needs abound in Christ to whom they are native and in-bred Or else secondly In the bowels is put for Instar Like the bowels or After the bowels according to the analogie of the Hebrew phrase And so then the meaning were this Like as the bowels of Jesus Christ do yerne after you so doe mine Bowels are a Metaphor to signifie tender and motherly affections and mercies so Luke 1. 78. Through the tender mercies In the originall it is The bowels of mercie Thus Paul when he would signifie how tender his affections were he instances in the Bowels of Jesus Christ he making Christ his pattern in this in all Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Now how desirous was this great Apostle to beget men to Christ he cared not what else hee lost so he might winne some he counted not his life deare nay not his salvation deare but wisht himselfe accursed for his brethren who yet vvere the greatest enemies Christ then had on earth How glad was he when any soule came in how sorry when any fell off falling into a new travail he knew not how better to expresse the anxietie of his spirit for the Galatians till Christ was formed in them Hovv comforted vvas he vvhen he heard tidings of the constancie and encrease of any of their Faith 1. Thes 3. 6 7. and ver 8. he sayes for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. Reade all his Epistles and take the character of his spirit this vvay and vvhen you have done look up to Christs humane nature in Heaven and thinke vvith your selves Such a man is Christ Paul vvarbles out in all these high strains of affections but the soundings of Christs Bowels in Heaven in a lower key Esay 63. They are naturall to Christ they all and infinite more are eminent in him And this is the second Demonstration taken from his own naturall disposition as Sonne of God A third demonstration shall bee taken from the Third Person of the Trinity the holy Ghost If the same spirit that was upon him and in him when he was on earth doth but still rest upon him now he is in Heaven then these dispositions must needes still entirely remaine in him This Demonstration is made up of two Propositions put together 1. That the holy Ghost dwelling in him concurs to make his heart thus graciously affected to sinners And 2. that the same spirit dwels and continues in and upon him for ever in Heaven For the first It was the Spirit who over-shadowed his mother and in the meane while knit that indissoluble knot betweene our nature and the second Person and that also knit his heart unto us It was the Spirit who sanctified him in the vvombe It vvas the Spirit
stirs up in him bowels of mercie infinitely larger towards you then you can have unto your selves §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in heaven THere are a second sort of Demonstrations which may be drawn from many other severall engagements continuing and lying upon Christ now he is in heaven which must needs encline his heart towards us as much yea more then ever As 1. The continuance of all those neere and intimate Relations and allyances unto us of all sorts which no glory of his can make any alteration in and therefore not in his heart and love nor a declining any respects and offices of love which such relations do call for at his hands All relations that are naturall such as between father and child husband and wife brother and brother c. looke what world they are made for in that world they for ever hold and can never be dissolved These fleshly relations indeed do cease in that other world because they were made onely for this world as Rom. 7. 1. The wife is bound to her husband but so long as he lives But these relations of Christ unto us were made in order to the world to come as the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it and therefore are in their full vigour and strength and receive their compleatment therein Wherefore it is that Christ is said to be the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 8. To illustrate this by the constant indissoluble tie of those relations of this world whereto no differēce of condition whether of advancement or debasement can give any discharge We see in Ioseph when advanced how as his relations continued so his affections remained the same to his poore brethren who yet had injured him and also to his father So Genes 45. where in the same speech he mentioneth both his owne greatest dignities and advancement God hath made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt so ver 8. and yet withall he forgetteth not his relations I am Ioseph your brother ver 4. even the same man still And his affections appeared also to be the same for he wept over them and could not refraine himselfe as you have it ver 1 2. And the like he expresseth to his father ver 9. Goe to my father and say Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph God hath made me Lord over all Egypt and yet thy son Ioseph still Take another instance wherein there was but the relation of being of the same countrey and allyance in Esther when advanced to be Queene of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces who when she was in the armes of the greatest Monarch on earth and enjoyed highest favour with him yet then she cryes out How can I endure to see the evill that shall come unto my people or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred So Chap. 8. 6. She considered but her relation and how doth it work in her veyns by a sympathie of bloud Now much more doth this hold good of husband and wife for they are in a neerer relation yet Let the wife have beene one that was poore and meane fallen iuto sicknesse c. and let the husband be as great and glorious as Solomon in all his royaltie all man-kind would cry shame on such a man if he should not now owne his wife and be a husband in all love and respect to her still But beyond all these relations the relation of Head and Members as it is most naturall so it obligeth most No man ever yet hated his owne flesh sayes the Apostle though diseased and leprous but loveth and cherisheth it And it is the law of Nature that if one member be honoured all the members are to rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. and if one member suffer all the rest are to suffer with it Even so is Christ as ver 12. And these relations are they that doe move Christ to continue his love unto us Iesus knowing that he was to depart out of this world having loved his owne who were in the world he loved them unto the end Iohn 13. 1. And the reason thereof is put upon his relation to them they were his owne and his owne by vertue of all relations whatsoever his owne Brethren his owne Spouse his owne flesh and the very world will love its owne as himselfe speaks much more will he himselfe love his owne He that provides not for his owne family is worse then an Infidel sayes the Apostle Now though Christ be in heaven yet his people are his family still they are retainers to him though they be on earth and this as truly as those that stand about his person now he is in his glory So that speech evidently declares Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named they all together make up but one and the same family to him as their Lord. Christ is both the founder the subject and the most perfect exemplar and patterne to us of all the relations that are found on earth First he is the founder of all relations and affections that accompanie them both in nature and grace As therefore the Psalmist argues shall he not see who made the eye So doe I Shall not he who put all these affections into parents and brothers suitable to their relations shall not he have them much more in himselfe Though our Father Abraham being in heaven be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not yet O Lord thou art our Father our Redeemer c Isai 36. 16. the Prophet speakes it of Christ as appears by ver 1 and 2. and in a prophesie of the Jews Call he speaks it of Christ as supposed in Heaven for he adds Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and thy glory There are but two things that should make him to neglect sinners his holinesse as they are sinners and his glory as they are meane and low creatures Now he there mentions both to shew that notwithstanding either as they are sinners he rejects them not and as they are base and mean he despiseth them not 2. He is the Subject of all relations which no creature is If'a man be a husband yet not a father or a brother but Christ is all No one relation being sufficient to expresse his love where with he loveth and owneth us And therefore he calls his Church both Sister and Spouse Cantic 5. 1. 3. He is the patterne and exemplar of all these our relatious and they all are but the copies of his Thus in Ephes 5. Christ is made the pattern of the relation and love of husbands Husbands sayes the Apostle love your wives as Christ loved his Church so ver 25. Yea ver 31 32 33. the marriage of Adam the very words he then spake of cleaving to a wife are made but the
our soules and the comforting of our hearts unto Christ these are the purchase of Christs blood and whilst he is exercised in promoving these he doth good to his own child and Spouse c. which is in effect a doing good unto himselfe Yea to doe these bringeth in to himselfe more comfort and glory then it procures to them And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following Chapter namely Heb. 3. sayes that Christ is engaged to faithfulnesse in the execution of his office not as a meere servant onely who is betrusted by his Master but as an owner who hath an interest of possession in the things committed to his care and a revenue from these So ver 5. Moses verily sayes he was faithfull as a servant in Gods house but Christ as a Son over his owne house that is as an Heire of all Whose house or family are We sayes the Apostle ver 6. If a Physitian for his fee will be faithfull although he be a stranger much more will he be so if he be Father to the Patient so as his own life and comfort are bound up in that of the childs or when much of his estate and commings in are from the life of the party unto whom he ministers physick In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost and to lack no Cordials that will comfort them no means that will cure them and keep them healthfull and no fit diet that may nourish and strengthen them As the care of that Prince of the Eunuchs in the first of Daniel was to have those children committed to his charge to eat and drink of the best because that on their looks and good liking his place depended Now so God hath ordered it even for an everlasting obligation of Christs heart unto us that his giving grace mercy and comfort to us is one great part of his glory and of the revenue of his happinesse in heaven and of his inheritance there First to explaine how this may be consider That the Humane nature of Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory happinesse and delight One in that neere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other Persons through his personall union with the Godhead Which joy of his in this fellowship Christ himselfe speaks of Psal 16. ver ult as to be enjoyed by him In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And this is a constant and setled fulnesse of pleasure such as admits not any addition or diminution but is alwayes one and the same and absolute and entire in it selfe and of it selfe alone sufficient for the Sonne of God and Heyre of all things to live upon though he should have had no other commings in of joy and delight from any creature And this is his naturall inheritance But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory and a revenue of pleasure to come in another way and answerably another fulnesse namely from his Church and Spouse which is his Body Thus Ephes 1. when the Apostle had spoke the highest things of Christs personall advancement in heaven that could be uttered as of his sitting downe at Gods right hand far above all principalities and powers c. ver 20 21. yet ver 22. he addes this unto all And gave him to be an Head to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all So that although he of himselfe personally be so full the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him that he overflowes to the filling all things yet he is pleased to account and it is so in the reality his Church and the salvation of it to be another fulnesse unto him super-added unto the former As Sonne of God he is compleat and that of himselfe but as an Head he yet hath another additionall fulnesse of joy from the good and happinesse of his members And as all pleasure is the companion and the result of action so this ariseth unto him from his exercising acts of grace and from his continuall doing good unto and for those his members or as the Apostle expresseth it from his filling them with all mercy grace comfort and felicity Himselfe becomming yet more full by filling them and this is his inheritance also as that other was So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon One personall and due unto him as he is the Son of God the first moment of his Incarnation ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation Another acquired purchased and merited by his having performed that great service and obedience And certainly besides the glory of his person there is the glory of his office of Mediatorship and of Headship to his Church And though he is never so full of himselfe yet he despiseth not this part of his revenue that comes in from below Thus much for explication Now secondly for the confirmation and making up the demonstration in hand This superadded glory and happinesse of Christ is enlarged and encreased still as his members come to have the purchase of his death more and more laid forth upon them So as when their sins are pardoned their hearts more sanctified and their spirits comforted then comes Hee to see the fruit of his labour and is comforted thereby for he is the more glorified by it yea he is much more pleased and rejoyced in this then themselves can be And this must needs keep up in his heart his care and love unto his children here below to water and refresh them every moment as Isaiah speaks Chap. 37. 3. For in thus putting forth acts of grace and favour and in doing good unto them he doth but good unto himselfe which is the surest engagement in the world And therefore the Apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground that in so doing they love themselves Ephes 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe so strict and neere is that relation Now the same doth hold true of Christ in his loving his Church And therefore in the same place the love of Christ unto his Church is held forth as the patterne and exemplar of ours so ver 25. Even as Christ also loved the Church And so it may well be argued thence by comparing the one speech with the other that Christ in loving his Church doth but love himselfe and then the more love and grace he shews unto the Members of that his Body the more he shews love unto himselfe And accordingly it is further added there ver 27. that he daily washeth and cleanseth his Church that is both from the guilt and power of sinne that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Observe it is to himselfe So that all that he doth for his members is for himselfe as truly yea
more fully then for them and his share of glory out of theirs is greater then theirs by how much the glory of the cause is greater then that of the effect And thus indeed the Scripture speaks of it as whilst it calls the Saints the glory of Christ So 2 Cor. 8. 23. And Christ in Iohn 17. 13. and ver 22 23. sayes that he is glorified in them And Psal 45. where Christ is set forth as Solomon in all his royalty and majestie yet ver 11. hee is said greatly to desire or delight in the beauty of his Queene that is the graces of the Saints and that not with an ordinary delight but he greatly desires his desire is encreased as her beauty is For that is there brought in as a motive unto her to be more holy and conformed unto him to encline her care and forsake her Fathers house v. 10. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Christ hath a beauty that pleaseth him as well as we have though of another kind and therefore ceaseth not till he hath got out every spot wrinkle out of his Spouses face as we heard the Apostle speake even now so to present her glorious unto himselfe that is delightfull and pleasing in his eye And suitably unto this to confirme us yet more in it Christ in that Sermon which was his solemne fare-well before his going to heaven assures his Disciples that his heart would be so farre from being weaned from them that his joy would still be in them to see them prosper and bring forth fruit so JOHN 15. 9 10 11. where his scope is to assure them of the continuance of his love unto them when he should be gone so ver 9 10. As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue in my love c. As if he had said Feare not you my love nor the continuance of it in my absence but looke you to doe your duty c. And to give them assurance of this he further tels them that even when he is in heaven in the greatest fulnesse of pleasure at Gods right hand yet even then his joy will be in them and in their well doing so ver 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remaine in you and that your joy may be full He speakes just like a Father that is taking his leave of his children and comforting them at his departure and giving them good counsell to take good courses when he is gone from them to keepe his Commandements and to love one another so ver 10 12. and backs it with this motive so shall my joy remain in you it is as Fathers use to speake and it will be for your good too your joy will be also full To open which words a little the word remaine used concerning their abiding in his love and his joy abiding in them is used in reference to the continuing of both these towards them in heaven And when Christ sayes That my joy may remain in you it is as if he had said that I may even in heaven have cause to rejoice in you when I shall heare and know of you that you agree and are loving each to other and keepe my Commandements The joy which he there calls His joy My joy is not to be understood Objectivè of Their joy in Him as the object of it but Subjectiè of the joy that should bee in himselfe and which hee should have in them So Augustine long since interpreted it Quodnam sayes hee est illud gaudium Christi in nobis nisi quod ille dignatur gaudere de nobis what is Christs joy in us but that which hee vouchsafeth to have of and for us And it is evident by this that otherwise if it were their joy which hee meant in that first sentence then that other that follows And your joy shall be ful were a Tautologie He speakes therefore of his joy and theirs as of two distinct things and both together were the greatest motives that could be given to encourage and quicken his Disciples in obedience Now take an estimate of Christs heart herein from those two holy Apostles Paul and John who were smaller resemblances of this in Christ What next to immediate communion with Christ himselfe was the greatest joy they had to live upon in this world but onely the fruit of their Ministery appearing in the graces both of the lives and hearts of such as they had begotten unto Christ See how Paul utters himself 1 Thes 2. 19. What is our hope sayes hee or joy or crowne of rejoycing Ye are our glory and our joy ver 20. And in the 3. Epist of JOHN ver 3. John sayes the like that hee greatly rejoyced of that good testimony hee had heard of Gaius For sayes hee I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walk in the truth ver 4. Now what were Paul and John but instruments by whom they beleeved and were begotten and not on whom Neither of these were crucified for them nor were these children of theirs the travaile of their soules How much more then unto Christ whose interest in us and our welfare is so infinitely much greater must his members be his joy and his crown And to see them to come in to him for grace and mercy and to walke in truth rejoyceth him much more for he thereby sees of the travaile of his soule and so is satisfied Certainly what Solomon sayes of Parents Prov. 10. 1. that a wise son maketh a glad father c. is much more true of Christ Holinesse and fruitfulnesse and comfortablenesse in our spirits while we are here below doe make glad the heart of Christ our everlasting Father Himself hath said it I beseech you beleeve him and carry your selves accordingly And if part of his joy arise from hence that we thrive and doe well then doubt not of the continuance of his affections for love unto himselfe will continue them towards us and readinesse to embrace and receive them when they come for grace and mercy There is a fift Engagement which his very having our nature which he still weares in heaven and which the end or intention which God had in ordaining Christs assuming it doe put upon him for ever For one great end and project of that personall union of our nature unto the Godhead in the second Person for ever was that he might be a mercifull High-Priest So that as his office layes it as a duty upon him so his becomming a Man qualifies him for that office and the performance of it and so may afford a farther demonstration of the point in hand This we find both to have beene a requisite in our High-Priest to qualifie him the better for mercy and bowels and also one of those great ends which God had in that assumption of our nature First a requisite on purpose to make him the more mercifull So Heb. 5. 1. the place even
more like to these of ours then those are which the Angels have So then by these two steps we have gained these two things That even in Christs humane nature though glorified affections of pity and compassion are true and reall and not metaphorically attributed to him as they are unto God and also more neere and like unto ours here then those in the Angels are even affections proper to mans nature and truly humane And these he should have had although this humane nature had from the very first assumption of it been as glorious as it is now in heaven But now thirdly adde this further that God so ordered it that before Christ should cloathe this his humane nature with that glory he hath in heaven and put this glory upon it he should first take it as cloathed with all our infirmities even the very same that doe cleave unto us and should live in this world as we doe for many yeeres And during that time God prepared for him all sorts of afflictions and miseries to run through which we our selves doe here meet withall and all that time he was acquainted with and inured unto all the like sorrowes that we are and God left him to that infirmity and tendernesse of spirit to take in all distresses as deeply as any of us without sin and to exercise the very same affections under all these distresses that we at any time doe find stirring in our hearts And this God thus ordered on purpose thereby to fit him and to frame his heart when he should be in glory unto such affections as these spoken of in the Text. And this both this Text suggests to be Gods end in it as also that fore-mentioned place Heb. 2. 13. For as much as we namely his members are partakers of flesh and bloud which phrase doth ever note out the frailties of mans nature as 1 Cor. 15. 50. c. he himselfe tooke part of the same that he might be a mercifull High-Priest c. ver 17. And then the Apostle gives this reason of it ver 18. For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able this Ability is as was before interpreted the having an heart fitted and enabled out of experience to pity and to succour them that are tempted The meaning of which is that it was not the bare taking of an humane nature if glorious from the first that would thus fully have fitted him to be affectionately pitifull out of experience though as was said the knowledge of our miseries taken in thereby would have made him truly and really affectionate towards us with affections humane and proper to a man and so much neerer and liker ours then what are in the Angels themselves or then are attributed to God when he is said to pity us but further his taking our nature at first cloathed with frailties and living in this world as we This hath for ever fitted his heart by experience to be in our very hearts and bosomes and not onely or barely to know the distresse and as a man to be affected with an humane affection to one of his kind but experimentally remembring the like in himselfe once And this likewise the Text suggests as the way whereby our distresses are let into his heart the more feelingly now he is in heaven We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne And the more to comfort us herein observe how fully and universally the Apostle speaks of Christs having beene tempted here below First for the matter of them or the severall sorts of temptations he sayes he was tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all points or things of any kind wherewith we are exereised Secondly for the manner he addes that too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as we are His heart having been just so affected so wounded pierced and distressed in all such tryals as ours use to be onely without sinne God on purpose left all his affections to their full tendernesse and quicknesse of sense of evill So that Christ took to heart all that befell him as deeply as might be he slighted no crosse either from God or men but had and felt the utmost load of it Yea his heart was made more tender in all sorts of affections then any of ours even as it was in love and pity and this made him a man of sorrows and that more then anyother man was or shall be Now therefore to explicate the way how our miseries are let into his heart come to stir up such kindly affections of pity and compassion in him it is not hard to conceive from what hath now been said and from what the Text doth further hint unto us 1. The understanding and knowledge of that humane nature hath notice and cognisance of all the occurrences that befall his members here And for this the Text is cleare For the Apostle speaks this for our encouragement That Christ is toucht with the feeling of our infirmities Which could not be a reliefe unto us if it supposed not this that he particularly and distinctly knew them And if not all as well as some we should want reliefe in all as not knowing which he knew and which not And the Apostle affirmes this of his humane nature as was said for he speaks of that nature that was tempted here below And therefore the Lambe that was slaine and so the man Christ Jesus is Revel 5. 6. said to have seven eyes as well as seven hornes which seven eyes are the seven spirits sent forth into all the earth His eyes of Providence through his annointing with the Holy Ghost are in all corners of the world and view all the things that are done under the sunne in like manner hee is there said to have seven hornes for power as seven eyes for knowledge and both are defined to be seven to shew the perfection of both in their extent reaching unto all things So that as all power in heaven and earth is committed unto Him as Son of man as the Scripture speakes so all knowledge is given him of all things done in heaven and earth and this as Son of man too his knowledge and power being of equall extent He is the Sunne as well in respect of knowledge as of Righteousnesse and there is nothing hid from his light and beames which doe pierce the darkest corners of the hearts of the sons of men He knowes the sores as Solomon expresseth it and distresses of their hearts Like as a looking-glasse made into the forme of a round globe and hung in the midst of a roome takes in all the species of things done or that are therein at once so doth the enlarged understanding of Christs humane nature take in the affairs of this world which hee is appointed to governe especially the miseries of his members and this at once 2. His humane nature thus knowing
Beatis nequaquam repugnare censendae sunt Those affections which are naturall to man and have no adhaesion of sinne or shame unto them but are wholly governed by reason and lastly are exempt from such effects as may any way hurt either the soule or the body there is no ground to thinke that such affections may not wel stand with the state of souls in blisse sayes Justinian upon this place Now if we consider it Christ his very state in glory is such as it becomes him to have such humane affections of pity and compassion in his whole man so far as to quicken and provoke him to our helpe and succour not such as to make him a man of sorrowes in himselfe again that were uncomely nay incompatible to him but such as should make him a man of succours unto us which is his office To this end it is to bee remembred that Christ in heaven is to be considered not personally only as in himselfe made happy in his Father but withall in his relations and in his offices as an Head unto us and in that relation hee now sits there as 1 Ephes 21. 22. and the head is the seat of all the senses for the good of the body and therefore most sensible of any other part Wherefore because his members unto whom he beares this relation are still under sinne and miserie therefore it is no way uncomely for him in that estate to have affections suitable to this his relation If his state of glory had been wholly ordained for his owne personall happinesse then indeede there had beene no use of such affections to remaine in him but his relation to us being one part and ingredient of his glory therfore they are most proper for him yea it were uncomely if he had them not Neither are they a weaknesse in him as so considered but rather part of his strength as the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And although such affections might in one respect be thought an imperfection yet in another respect namely his relation to us and office for us they are his perfection As he is our Head which he is as he is a man it is his glory to be truly and really even as a man sensible of all our miseries Yea it were his imperfection if he were not And 4. let me adde this for our comfort that though all such affections as are any way a burthen to his spirit or noxious to his body be not now compatible to him and though that passionate frailty and infirmity which did help him here to pity and relieve men in misery out of a suffering hurtfull to himselfe though these be cut off yet in those workings of affections and bowels which he hath now which for substance are the same there is instead of that passionate frailty a greater capaciousnesse vastnesse and also quicknesse in his affections now in heaven so to make up a compensation so no lesse effectually to stir and quicken him to relieve us then those former affections did For it is certaine that as his knowledge was enlarged upon his entring into glory so his humane affections of love pity are enlarged in solidity strength and reality as true conjugall love useth to be though more passionate haply at first They are not lesse now but are onely made more spirituall And as Solomons heart was as large in bounty and royalty as in knowledge so Christs affections of Love are as large as his Knowledge or his Power They are all of a like extent and measure So far as Gods intention to shew mercy doth reach and who knowes the end of those riches so farre doth Christs disposition to bestow it Ephes 3. 19. The Love of Christ God-man passeth knowledge It hath not lost or beene diminished by his going to heaven Though God in his nature be more mercifull then Christs humane nature yet the act and exercise of Christs affections is as large as Gods purposes and decrees of mercy are And all those large affections and mercies are become humane mercies the mercies of a Man unto men 3. Privatively If these affections of Christs heart be not suffering and afflicting affections yet we may be way of Privation expresse this of them that there is a lesse fulnesse of joy and comfort in Chriss heart wstilst he sees us in misery and under infirmities comparatively to what will be when we are presented to him free of them all To cleare this I must recall and I shall but recall that Distinction I made in the 4. Demonstration Sect. 2. Part 2. of a double capacity of Glory or a double fulnesse of Joy which Christ is ordained to have The one Naturall and so due unto his person as in himselfe alone considered The other Additionall and arising from the compleated happinesse and glory of his whole Church wherewith mystically he is one So in Ephes 1. ult although he by reason of his personall fulnesse is there said to fill all in all yet as he is an Head in relation to his Church as his body as in the verses before he is spoken of thus the perfection of this his bodies beatitude it is reciprocally called his fulnesse and therefore untill he hath filled them with all happinesse and delivered them from all miserie himselfe remaines under some kinde of imperfection and answerably his affections also which are suited to this his relation have some want of imperfection in them whilst theylie under miserie in comparison of what his heart shall have when they receive this fulnesse Wee may warrantably say Christ shall bee more gladde then and is now as his children are growne up from under their infirmities and as they doe become more obedient and comfortable in their spirits so John 15. 10 11. I shall adde some illustration to this by this similitude which though it hold not in all things yet it will hold forth some shadowe of it The spirits of just men departed are said to be perfect Heb. 12. yet because they have bodies unto which they have a relation and unto which they are ordained to bee united they in this respect may be said to be imperfect till these bodies be re-united and glorified with them which will adde a further fulnesse to them Thus in some analogie it stands between Christ Personall and Christ Mysticall considered Although Christ in his owne Person be compleat in happinesse yet in relation to his members he is imperfect and so accordingly hath affections suited unto this his relation which is no derogation from him at all The Scripture therefore attributes some affections to him which have an imperfection joyned with them and those to be in him untill the day of judgement Thus Expectation and Desire which are but imperfect affections in comparison to that joy which is in the full fruition of what was expected or desired are attributed to him as he is man untill the day of Judgement Thus Heb. 10. 12 13. He
and so is able experimentally to pittie a heart wounded with it and struggling under such temptations He knowes full well the heart of one in his owne sense forsaken by God seeing himselfe felt it when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Vses of all 1. Use 1 THus that which hath beene said may afford us the strongest consolations and encouragements against our sinnes of any other consideration whatsoever and may give us the greatest assurance of their being removed off from us that may be for First Christ himselfe suffers as it were at least is affected under them as his enemies which therefore he will be sure to remove for his owne quiet sake His heart would not be quiet but that he knowes they shall be removed As God sayes in the Prophet so may Christ say much more My Bowels are troubled for him I remember him still Jeremiah 31. 20. Secondly there is comfort concerning such infirmities in that your very sinnes move him to pittie more then to anger This text is plaine for it for he suffers with us under our infirmities and by infirmities are meant sinnes as well as other miseries as was proved whilst therefore you looke on them as infirmities as God here lookes upon them and speakes of them in his owne and as your disease and complaine to Christ of them and doe cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me so long feare not Christ he takes part with you and is so farre from being provoked against you as all his anger is turned upon your sinne to ruine it yea his pity is increased the more towards you even as the heart of a father is to a child that hath some loathsome disease or as one is to a member of his body that hath the leprosie hee hates not the member for it is his flesh but the disease and that provokes him to pittie the part affected the more What shall not make for us when our sinnes that are both against Christ and us shall be turned as motives to him to pitie us the more The object of pitty is one in miserie whom we love and the greater the misery is the more is the pity when the party is beloved Now of all miseries sinne is the greatest and whilst your selves look at it as such Christ will looke upon it as such only also in you And he loving your persons and hating only the sinne his hatred shall all fall and that only upon the sinne to free you of it by its ruine and destruction but his bowels shall be the more drawne out to you and this as much when you lie under sin as under any other affliction Therefore feare not What shall separate us from Christs love What ever tryall Use 2 or temptation or miserie we are under we may comfort ourselves with this that Christ was once under the same or some one like unto it which may comfort us in these three differing respects that follow by considering First that we are thereby but conformed to his example for he was tempted in all and this may bee no small comfort to us Secondly we may look to that particular instance of Christs being under the like as a meriting cause to procure and purchase succour for us under the same now and so in that respect may yet further comfort our selves And Thirdly his having once borne the like may relieve us in this that therefore he experimentally knowes the misery and distresse of such a condition and so is yet further moved quickned thereby to help us As the Doctrine delivered is a comfort Use 3 so the greatest motive against sinne and perswasive unto obedience to consider that Christs heart if it be not afflicted with and how far it may suffer with us we know not yet for certaine hath lesse joy in us as we are more or lesse sinfull or obedient You know not by sinning what blowes you give the heart of Christ If no more but that his joy is the lesse in you it should move you as it useth to doe those that are ingenuous And take this as one incentive to obedience that if he retaine the same heart and mind for mercy towards you which he had here on earth Then to answer his love endeavour you to have the same heart towards him onearth which you hope to have in heaven and as you daily pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven In all miseries and distresses you may be sure to know where to have a friend to help and pity you Use 4 even in heaven CHRIST one whose nature office interest relation all doe engage him to your succour you will finde men even friends to be oftentimes unto you unreasonable and their bowels in many cases shut up towards you Well say to them all If you will not pittie me Choose I know one that will one in heaven whose heart is touched with the feeling of all my infirmities and I will goe and bemoane my selfe to him Come boldly sayes the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even with open mouth to lay open your complaints and you shall finde grace and mercy to helpe in time of need Men love to see themselves pityed by friends though they cannot helpe them Christ can and will doe both FINIS