and wounded his soul and why should they be contentment to mine God forbid 3 Minde the desert of sin We must fear sin because it crushed Christ and the severe proceedings of God against it in Christ our surety Luke 23.31 If this be done in the green tree what will bee done in the dry Christ was the Green tree full of sap exceeding fruitful the true vine Joh. 15.1 the very embleme of fruitfulness yea the tree of life Rev. 2.7 yet this could not exempt him from his sharpest sufferings Christ was free from all sin in his nature the Devil himself could find nothing in him Joh. 8.46 but we have a World of wickedness in us Christ was full of righteousness Rom. 5.17 and wee full of wickedness yet God spared not his Son where shall wee ungodly and sinners appear Christ was the onely begotten and wee are in comparison strangers if hee had no tenderness to his Son what can his Slaves hope for Christ was both God and Man in personal Union strengthened by Angels yet what Agony what tears what conflicts did hee undergo wee are but stubble but a rotten stick fit fuel for everlasting burnings how shall wee stand in the day of tryal O it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 Oh that wee had hearts to apprehend the evil of sin before wee come to feel it Blessed are they that beleeve and fear and tremble and never experimentally know the vileness of sin God seeing the hardness of our hearts hath manifested the evil of sin by the sufferings of Christ a better argument then all the curses racks and torments of Hell it self could produce to demonstrate the dreadful nature of it This may convince the hardest hearts in the world and let the very godly themselves see that sin is more vile than ever they imagined it to bee 4 Know that sin will kill us as well as it killed Christ if wee prevent not the malignity of it Death is the proper wages of sin both the first and second death Object But a Childe of God is in no danger of sinning nor of eternal punishment Sol. Surely 't is true Doctrin that 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God Wee know how Churches have smarted for sin for little sins in the Worlds account The Jews cast off for unbeleef Saints corrected though not damned for sin the Church of Ephesus for forsaking her first love Laodicea for lukewarmness threatned to bee dis-Churched Add that Ezek. 9.6 the destroying Angel had a charge to begin at Gods sanctuary Yea many godly men smart for their boldness in sin here in this World Paul writes to Saints Rom. 8.13 and yet tells them If you live in the flesh yee shall dye and speaks not onely of a temporal but eternal death You will say 't is not possible for Saints to dye eternally I answer 't is as possible for Saints to dye eternally as to sin eternally Let all men look to it for sin continued in will certainly destroy all its practitioners Having therefore these considerations Let us dread to have any thing to do with sin This consideration is proposed to this very end Heb. 12.2 3. that the sight of what Christ endured by sin might make us constant and couragious in withstanding all the fiery darts of the Devil and declining every evil way striving against it unto blood vers 4. as Christ did to the very death not refusing the worst of sorrows The worst sorrow is better than the best sin to eschew the best of sins to part with your heart blood as well as your good names ease and profit if God call you to it Thus doth Peter argue 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh for us let us arm our selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that hee no longer should live the rest of his life in the flesh to the lusts of men c. The issue of the words is this The Faithful have Union and Communion with Christ and therefore they must bee conformable to Christ in Holinesse but must ceafe from sinne arguing thus That if wee have lost our head for sin it is not possible we should live in sin any longer but we have lost our head for sin Or thus All they dyed in Christ for sin for whose sin Christ dyed and they that dyed once for sin cannot sin any more If therefore thou continuest to sin how beleevest thou that Christ dyed for thee Let thy conscience bee the judge 3 Hath Christ loved us so dearly Christs death merits our love that merited heaven for us as to suffer such dreadful torments for us then what shall wee do for Christ O man return this day an Answer to the Lord what course thou wilt take to walk suitable to his kindness When David received a deliverance from God hee saies Psal 18.1 I will love thee dearly O Lord my strength God shewed him much love and hee intends to make a retaliation And indeed love is the Load-stone of love Never was such love shown as that of Christ Rev. 1.5 Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Eph. 5.2 Who gave himself for us his life and blood and all Yea hee parted with his fathers love which was a thousand times better than life for us Hee became accursed that might have been blessed Let us not bee scanty in our love to him but give him our heart both freely and liberally to the death his death well merits our love that merits heaven for us Where Christ hath laid such deep ingagements sleepy faint good wishes will not serve the turn Love in Christ was stronger than death 't is pitty that any cold velleities of love and service should bee our sacrifice All blessings of the World should endear us more and more to the Lord but oh what an Obligation should it bee that Christ became a Curse for us The very Master-piece of all mercies and blessings to the Elect yea it gives a sweet seasoning to all our blessings which have a Curse cleaving to them for all that are out of Christ turning all their sweet morsels into the poyson of Asps or into gravel Prov. 1.32 yea their prosperity is destructive Alas what are Riches and Accommodations and good fare when the Lord once charges Sin upon the conscience what is it to bee rich and reprobate to bee deliciously fed with the rich Glutton and a damned creature The World is a Prison and Riches are shakels Creatures are enemies all wee have is vanity and vexation of spirit all blessings turned into cursings Mercies are curses without Christs death yea and all Ordinances gifts parts duties c. without Christs blood are but carnal things You say how doth that appear why Eph. 1.3 those are alone spiritual
it may be cleared from the Spiritual businesse it ever puts the soul upon it is active like the vestuous woman which puts her hand to every â—â—rk â—rov 31. â—4 17. 2 Thess 1.11 Hence it is that the 〈…〉 by his faith Heb â— â— believers doe all i. e saith 〈…〉 the faithful of old were inabled to do so great works old were inabled to do so great works Heb. 11.33 Subdued kingdoms wrought righteousnesse c. but it is most especially busie in the use of Ordinances as the Word Prayer Seals though it will not bee 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 callings it works by love and is our victory over the 〈◊〉 1 Joâ— 5.4 So that a true faith is imploying it self on all hands for a beleevers good Now alas when 〈◊〉 faith is but a dead drugge in us or is but an underling in the heart and is at the command of every lust profit or pleasure truly it is not lively much lesse shall you live eternally by it 4 Clear up the way and fruits of forgivenesse of sins the way of bringing it home unto the soul is the Word Acts 26.18 the Word was preached to open mens eyes If ever wee come to the right knowledge of the pardon of our sins it must be by the Word preached working these particulars 1. Illumination discovering effectual your sin and misery to us with a through sense and feeling of it 2 The conversion of the soul and turning of it from darknesse to light Now when the league with Hell is disaâ—ulled then wee come to receive forgivenesse of sin Besides 〈◊〉 the fruit of forgivenesse there bee many 〈…〉 of this sappy root let mee name some First the 〈…〉 heart to love Christ with fervency Luke 7.47 〈…〉 were many were forgiven her for she loved much her love was the effect not the cause of her pardon So Psal 116.1 3 4 c. Quest What kind of love is this to God Ans Such a love as inlargeth the heart in duties to God as it did that poor woman and David and Peter Hence is in them a love to the Word and Ordinances and the Children of God it is not possible for a man to have great debts forgiven him and that out of pitty and bounty when hee hath nothing to pay but that his love should bee kindled and his heart in a light fire in zeal for God 2 A forgiving disposition in case of personal wrongs Ephes 4.32 Bee yee kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us and this note is given by our blessed Saviour with great earnestnesse and asseveration affirmatively and negatively If yee forgive men their trespasses then your heavenly Father will forgive you Matth. 6.12.14 15. and if yee from the heart forgive not every one his brother their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you Hee speaks indefinitely every one not excepting any it is a sad sentence for a malicious heart But a merciful heart that can forgive private wrongs and strive against motions of malice and revenge and be humbled for them and that from the heart how great soever the injuries are it is a sure fruit of Gods pardoning him and his freedom from guile and reigning Hypocrisie Psal 32.1 2. 1 Joh. 3.19 6 Maintain and improve the forgivenesse of sin cleared up unto thee and this will be by daily and diligent observation of our wayes by often reckonings with God and getting the Book still crossed by suing out a pardon of course and therefore Christ teacheth us to pray daily Forgive us our debts This was Davids practice as appears by Psal 119.58 59. and other places and this must bee joyned with a resolution and care to shun future sins and failings and hereby wee shall know we are of the truth i. e. sincere and shall assure our hearts before him 1 Joh. 3.19 Now this improvement is First by holy humble and thankful abasement of our selves before God continually Hos 3.5 Ezek. 16. ult so Ezek. 36.29 I will save you from all your uncleannesses then shall yee remember your own evil wayes c. Beware of pride covetousnesse carnal rejoycing shaking off sorrow for sin it is a bad symptom when a man doth so 2 Bee careful to improve your interest in the favour of God for others not only near relations but even for strangers especially for the publick as Noah Daniel Job Moses Samuel c. they were still standing in the gap 3 Bee ready to comfort other with the same comfort wherewith God hath comforted us 2 Cor. 1.4 4 Know and bear in mind your ingagement to the Lord. The Princes pardon is the condemned Malefactors life as Mephibosheth said 2 Sam. 19.28 All my fathers house were dead men before thee Pardon of sinne is the eternal life of the sinner and hee is passed from Death to Life by it Yea as the offending God by Sin is an infinite evil so the forgivenesse of the offence is an infinite good and wee may say What shall wee render to the Lord for all his benefits towards us Surely as Psalm 116.8 9. Hee hath delivered our souls from death our eyes from tears and our feet from falling that we should walk before the Lord in the land of the living Of the Righteousnesse of Christ THE NINETEENTH SERMON ON Romans 3.21 But now the righteousness of Christ c. IN the handling of the point of Justification I have spoken of the several causes thereof and the end thereof in regard of men viz. Remission of sins and thereupon immediately followes the accounting of the beleeving Sinner righteous unto Salvation that is by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ unto the Sinner and that being described in the context and same portion of Scripture I shall proceed unto it now where the handling of it may come in at the due place for our better understanding thereof In the two verses 19 20. the Apostle shewed before Negatively that Justification is not by the works of the Law now he shewes Affirmatively how we are justified and that is expressed 1 By the matter of it The righteousnesse of God amplified by way of opposition to the Law without the Law i. e. without the works of the Law any way Co-working or meriting our justification 2 This is set forth by the Adjunct of the approbation and testimony of the Law and the Prophets 3 By the instrument that is faith of Jesus Christ understand it not actively for the faith whereby Christ beleeved but passively the faith whereby Christ is beleeved on 4 The subject beleevers and those universally and emphatically set down unto all and upon all that beleeve Quest What is meant by the righteousnesse of God Ans It is not to be understood of that whereby God himself is righteous as Osiander said for that is essential to God and cannot be communicated to the Creature but this righteousnesse is elsewhere called the righteousnesse of Christ
us from the danger of our vain Conversation 1 Peter 1.19 from the wasting or mis-spending of our time It was a pretious Resolution of Joseph Genesis 39.9 How shall I do this great wickedness and sinne against my God hee speaketh it is true of Adultery which is a great wickednesse but his Argument to resist will as well hold to resist even the least sinne How shall I sin against God yea conclude certainly that though all sins are not equal yet they agree all in this that God hates them and cannot but in his justice punish them and there is abundance of evil in every sin Rom. 5.20 Where sin aboundeth grace doth super-abound he speaketh there of all the sins of the Elect. Every sin abounds with wickednesse Oh Beloved suffer the word of Exhortation Heb. 12.5 Resist sin unto blood much more to shame or disgrace or poverty c. 2 Hate that which hates God Psa 139.21 22. Do not I hate them that hate thee 3 Get the love of God into your hearts then yee will hate sin indeed Psal 97.10 All yee that love the Lord hate evil 4 Labour to know God to bee your God and then you will know what it is to sin against him Psal 143.10 Teach mee to do thy will for thou art my God if ye look upon God as a stranger as one in whom you have no interest then you will not bee careful how to avoid sinning against him Justice concurres to a Sinner Justification THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH SERMON ON Romans 3.25.26 That hee might bee just and to declare at this time his righteousness Doct. NOt only the exact Truth of God or the abundance of his Grace but also his strict Justice doth concurre to the justification of a Sinner Vse 3. Satisfied justice the strongest comfort to beleevers It may serve for an invincible ground of comfort to every true beleever every soul that is in Christ Jesus that hee is justified by the strictest justice of God And as for those that are not in Christ let them stand by and behold with lamentation their estrangement from these consolations yet let them admire and long for and desire these heavenly injoyments that belong unto the Saints though for the present poor souls they are in the condition of such as have no part or fellowship in this businesse It was a sad speech that was spoken by the Prophet Elisha to the unbeleeving Lord 2 King 7.2 about the great plenty in Samaria Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof I will not dare to speak this concerning any that hears this word but this is sure that for the present whilst men abide in the state of unbelief and impenitency it will bee extreme presumption and delusion for such an one to conceit any interest in this consolation The Comfort stands in these particulars Comf 1. In the blessednesse of that estate and the surenesse of the ground thereof the blessednesse of this estate stands in the pardon of sins Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose unrighteousness is forgiven c. It is commonly accounted an easie matter to obtain forgivenesse of sins and there is none so vile but hee will presently conceit that hee can get it when he is giving up the ghost but such persons know not what such a mercy costs nor what is requisite on their parts to the injoying of it nor what a mighty power of God is exercised in forgiving sin See how Moses prayed when the people had sinned Num. 14.16 19. Now let the power of my Lord be great as thou hast said the Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression and by no means clearing the guilty c. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Gods omnipotent power in all his Attributes is put forth in forgiving of sin and in special the greatnesse of his mercy and justice surely this must needs bee of great use and worth to beleevers in so much that it is so strongly built and that on a rock of eternity for it is built on the justice truth and mercy of God Righteousnesse and peace kisse each other mercy and truth meet together in the beleevers justification Psa 85.9 Comf 2. That which is the greatest terrour in the world to unbeleevers is the strongest ground of comfort to beleevers that is the Justice and the Wrath of God against sin Look how it was Matth. 28.4 5. when the Angel appeared at the Resurrection of our Saviour Christ The keepers were affrighted and became as dead men but it was said to the women Fear not yee for yee seek for Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified So it is much more in this case when Gods Justice is powerfully manifested the sinners of Sion and of the world are affraid and terrified but yee poor beleevers seek for Christ who was crucified yee need not fear any thing yea you may be wonderfully cheared at this and it is your greatest comfort that you have to deal with this just God who hath already received satisfaction for your sins for Revel 15.3 4. it is the substance of the Song of Moses and the Lamb wherein the Saints triumph in the justice and judgements of God that are most terrible to Gods enemies Luk. 21.26 28. where the Day of Judgement is described and that in it there shall bee distresse of Nations and mens hearts failing them for fear viz. of the Justice and Wrath of God Why so it is for looking after those things that are to come upon the earth for the powers of the earth shall bee shaken c. but when these things begin to come to passe then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth near This day is the most dreadful day that ever was in the world to all the ungodly but the just and the faithful then shall bee able to lift up their heads to see all the world on a light fire about them and all the Elements in terrible confusion But how dare a poor Creature lift up his head in such a case as this They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory here is enough to comfort the poor members of Christ to see Christ on whom they have beleeved and who hath satisfied Gods justice for them to appear to Judgement Isa 40.1 Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord speak yee comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received at the Lords hands double for her sins i. e. this conflict with the wrath of God is at an end the punishment of their iniquity is accepted they have received in their Head and Surety Christ Jesus double for their sins i. e. Justice hath past upon them in their Head Christ Jesus and they be sure the Judge of all the world will doe
and say with him 1 Tim. 1.13 I have been thus and thus vile but I obtained mercy and the grace of God was exceeding abundant c. Now to the King immortal c. v. 17. Secondly remember that Luk. 7.41 42. there was a certain Creditor that had two Debtors the one ought him five hundred pence the other fifty and when they had nothing to pay hee frankly forgave them all tell mee which of them will love him most So hath the Lord truely freely and frankly forgiven thee and that much more than many others Oh love the Lord so much the more count it a shame to bee sparing or nigardly in thy love or the expressions of it in thy duty and obedience towards him as vers 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her for shee loved much Where for is taken not for a Cause of forgiveness but for a sign as thus surely such a Bankrupt hath a great debt forgiven him for see how loving and serviceable hee is to his Creditor 3 Freely you have received freely give Matth. 10.8 and freely forgive Redemption by Christ sufficient THE THIRD SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Justified through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ HAving spoken before of the Efficient Cause of the justification of a Sinner as also of the inward impulsive Cause that is the free grace of God Come we now to the meritorious cause of Justification through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ which redemption hath the nature of the Meritorious or impetrating cause or Procatarctical Cause of a sinners justification 1 Because it was the means which Gods justice did require before grace could actually justify 2 It hath the nature of the formal cause so far forth as it is accepted for us that it being imputed and applyed to us God pronounces the sentence of our absolution Now to open the words first inquire Quest 1 What is meant by Redemption here Answ 1 Redemption is taken in Scripture two waies first improperly and generally and so it signifies any deliverance from evil or danger or enemies as it is used Exod. 15.13 Thou in thy mercy hast lead forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed The deliverance out of Egypt is called a Redemption There were of old three waies of redemption first by Manumission when a King doth let his vassal voluntarily go out free thus we could not be redeemed for the devil never meant to let us go free and especially it could not stand with Gods blessed nature Holiness Justice Truth Hatred of sin thus to set us at liberty Secondly by Permutation thus we could not be redeemed for recompence could not be made to God by exchange of any creature for that infinite wrong done to him by mans sin Matth. 16.26 Thirdly By violent oblation or conquest as Abraham redeemed Lot by rescuing him but mankind might not bee redeemed by this alone for though Christ might justly spoil Satan of his prey which hee by subtile wiles methods and falshoods had gotten yet mankind being guilty of high treason against God and therefore locked up under his wrath and curse no power was strong enough to redeem us out of his hands but these are all improper waies of redemption and too low to reach the thraldome mankind was faln into 2 Properly in a more speciall way of Redemption by giving a price or ransome for a poor Captive or Slave this is plainly signified by the word used in the Text which hints redemption by way of Ransome there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it 1 Tim. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2.6 Christ gave his life a Ransome for all The ordinary word used for redemption is the buying of any thing again by paying a Price Object Some Hereticks object Sin and Satan to whom sinners are Captive receive no price for Ransome Sol. Wee are primarily Gods Captives who is the Judge against whom wee have sinned to whose Wrath Curse judgement and vengeance wee are in bondage the ransome therefore is paid to God as the Judge Satan is but the Goaler sin the bonds and chains the World and Death as the Prison and Torments Wee are indeed when the ransome is paid to the justice of God set at liberty from those other in a way of power and lawful conquest So Christ is said to lead Captivity Captive Eph. 4.8 that is all those enemies that had lead us Captive but the price is paid to God himself to whom wee do therefore pray for the forgiveness of our sins and that in regard of the ransome paid by Jesus Christ Heb. 2.14 Luke 11.21 Christ may bee in some sort called the strong man armed that is stronger than Satan and spoils him of his goods c. Quest 2 What is meant by the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Answ Christ is prefixt with three several Prepositions in the Scripture phrase 1 For Christ Phil. 1.29 To you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve but also to suffer 2 In Christ Eph. 1.3 Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ 3 Through Christ Rom. 7.24 Blessed bee God who hath given us victory through Christ The reason of them is 1 Wee have redemption in Christ because in Christ as a common store-house every blessing is first laid up and then imparted to his members As our death and condemnation was in the first Adam before it was applyed or actually received by us 2 Wee have redemption through Christ because Christ doth by his obedience purchase it which in due time is communited to us as from the first Adams desert came condemnation 3 For Christ seems to bee used in regard Christ is as well the Mediatour of application as impetration obtaining grace for us and working grace in us Hence Faith and Patience are said to bee wrought in the Elect. The words thus opened afford two points 1 That the justification of every sinner is through the redemption and satisfaction wrought by Christ 2 That there is a singular and plentiful redemption wrought by Christ sufficient to make satisfaction to God for the vilest sinners Of which in the first place Doct. 1 That there is a singular and plentiful redemption Redemption by Christ sufficient for the vilest sinners wrought by Christ sufficient to make satisfaction to God for the vilest Sinners The Text is emphatical it is That redemption that is in Jesus Christ such as was never heard of before nor matched in the worlds voluminous Histories or Records T is described Matth. 20.28 Christ came to give his life a Ransome for many that must needs bee a plentiful redemption that was wrought by the death of the Son of God So 1 Tim. 2.6 Hee gave his life a ransome for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a ransom paid for Captives and Christ himself must needs bee a great Price and for the sufficiency of it 1 It is spiritual of the soul as well as body Psal 49.15 God will redeem my
have destroyed Christ had not the sins of the elect met on him 2 The killing Christ is a farre fouler bloud-guiltinesse than ever David incurred than to kill an only Son or to murther a Josiah a King a godly King for this is the crucifying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 and may therefore well be lamented 3 The love we owe and bear to Christ for his unparallel'd condescentions to make us heirs of glory should engage our hearts to weep for his death as he did for Lazarus's death Joh. 11.35 56. which the Jewes took notice of to be the probate of his love Behold how he loved him Thus Christ imputes the repenting tears of that sinful woman Luke 7.47 to love Christs great graciousnesse makes the most stony heart to lament its provocations 4 The sense of our dreadful and undone estate that needed the death of Christ to establish a Covenant of Grace with us should provoke us to bee in bitternesse as God expects Ezeck 16.62 63. And I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. 5 The Spirit of grace and supplication is now poured forth into the soul and that Spirit is a spirit of Lamentation and works and continues a broken and contrite spirit in all that receive it as it did in those Converts Acts 2.37 Pricking them to the heart for all their wrongs and injuries put upon Christ for embruing their hands in his precious bloud Look back therefore upon thy pleasure that thou hast taken in sin and with what greedinesse thou hast committed it and compare them with Christs sufferings and what hee deserved at thy hands that it may break thy heart as it did Davids 2 Sam. 12.7 8. when hee had long lain in a slumbering condition and God told him how much he had done for him wondring that after so much love he should despise his Commandements and make so wretched a requital How doth he cry out upon his sins vers 13. and loathes himself Obj. But a Christian should rejoyce in the Crosse of Christ how then comes it to be the object of sorrow Sure Paul thought otherwise Gal. 6.14 Sol. How the Crosse is a ground of rejoycing as well as of mourning It is true Christs Crosse is a ground of rejoycing as well as a ground of sorrow Of sorrow in respect of that hand we had in his death the wounds which our sins gave him the hard dealing and unkind requital he hath received for all his love Of joy in respect of the benefits and good we receive by his death Let us therefore maintain a spring of godly sorrow for our sins and streams of joy for the blessings we receive by him which is the true eating the Passeover with bitter Herbs Exod. 12.8 Also making confession of their sins Levit. 16.21 The Papists have a seeming practice of this duty keeping Good-friday in penance and lamentation setting up a Crucifix before them and zealously hating the Jewes for putting Christ to death but think not of their own sins that they had a hand in it To whom Christ might justly say as to the Women weeping at his Crosse Luk. 23 28. O yee daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves for your sins whereby you have wounded me which is the duty of every Christian 2 Upon the consideration of Christs extream sufferings for Sin the Members of Christ are pressed hard Christs members should hate sin to hate every evil way and to shun all sin for ever 1 Because it was one end of Christs crucifying To hate sin is the end of Christs death that sin and the flesh should be crucified Gal. 5.24 that They that are Christs have crucified the flesh understanding by the flesh the corruption of Nature with the affections and lusts of it Christs members should pluck up the very roots of sin the very inward lusts that grow in the heart Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might bee destroyed that is the whole corruption of Nature may be killed by the death of Christ yet not so farre as to free us from all sin but that we might not serve sin or obey it in the lusts thereof For this cause did Christ bear our sin upon the Crosse That we being dead unto sin might live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 That is that we should behave our selves like dead men not to be moved nor inticed to sin For first this was the end which God propounded to himself in his Sons death to destroy sin Wee must be very careful how we frustrate the end of God in our giving way to sin Secondly Christ hath by his death merited the death of sin and so we are said to dye with Christ and so bee freed from sin Rom. 6.7 Thirdly adde to this the efficacy of Christs death which works the ruine of sin in all his members Hence Phil. 3.10 wee read of a power and force in the death of Christ to make us conformable to his death while his Spirit is killing sin in us So that Christs death hath no comfort for them that hate not sin 2 Our sin killed Christ We must hate sin because it killed Christ if then wee have any love to Christ wee must needs kill sin Psal 97.10 Yee that l ve the Lord hate evil The Love of Christ constraineth us to it 2 Cor. 5.14 The law of Nature makes a man that hee cannot indure the sight of one that hath killed his father or his dear Friend but his very heart will rise against him and hee cannot choose but follow the Law upon him to the utmost to hang him if all the law in the World will do it And can wee bee so unnatural that sin should destroy our dearest Saviour and we not be avenged upon it How should wee bee transported with Indignation at sin that brought on our Redeemer the pains both of the first and second death Then let us pursue our sins with all possible detestations if wee let them go wee are no Friends to Christ Let us stab them to the heart till they bleed their last that drew the blood of Christ Let them never come to any Sanctuary or City of refuge but as Avengers of that precious blood let us leave sin no shift no way to escape Let us say to them as David to the young man that told him hee had slain Saul 2 Sam. 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to stretch out thy hand to destroy the Lords annointed and David commanded him strait to bee slain do thou likewise Reason thus also against all temptations these sins were the death of my Saviour and why should they bee my delight They pierced his hands and feet
not hasty in concluding that thou hast it And for the discovery of this whether thou art in the faith consider these trials 1 more general 2 more particular 1 More general Consider First Tryals of faith whether thou hast a lower work of faith which although it doth not justify yet it is a step unto the other viz. to beleeve the truth of all the things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 24.14 It thou hast not a dogmatical faith of these thou art worse than the Devils and if thou beleevest them but as the Devils thou shalt have no more benefit by thy saith than the Devils have But if this faith have a tendency to justifying Faith it is of pretious use to thee and causeth thee as it did Paul to exercise thy self to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and man ver 16. This is known very much by your beleeving the Commandements as well as the Promises but see do you beleeve the Commandements hee that beleeves them will set upon the obeying of them Heb. 11.8 yea he will have respect to every Commandement do you beleeve the threatnings Sure then you will tremble at them So David did Psal 119.120 Isa 66.2 5. As when wee see a Childe shooting at us wee fear not his arrows not will stir for him because we beleeve not that hee can or will hurt us But if we see a skilful archer to level at us wee will not dare to stand within bow-shot because wee beleeve hee will hit us So 't is in apprehending Gods threatnings against our sins When he shoots his arrows at us Ps 45.5 certainly if a man beleeves not Commands and Threatnings hee beleeves not with justifying faith Yea see how thou likest the faithful application of the word to thy conscience especially when it is impartial A naughty unbeleeving heart will turn from it 2 Tim. 4.3 at the least hee doth not love to apply it to himself for his profit Heb. 4.2 and such a hearer may sit under the means all his life time and never bee the better 2 See whether thy faith bee a working faith By this thou shalt know whether it bee the work of God if it act vigorously against the allowance of any sin that Faith which lyeth dead and idle is like a dead and unsavory carcass in Gods accompt Jam. 2.22 24. that Faith that works not by repentance Mark 1.15 that works not by love Gal. 5.6 that brings not forth good fruits that bauks any duty and imboldens to any Sin Col. 1.10 Psal 119.1 2. it is not hard for him that shall descend into his own conscience to discern what manner of faith hee hath attained unto 3 See whether your faith bee any other than what you have by natural power and abilities attained unto hee that hath no other hath not this saving faith wrought in him for this is wrought by a divine supernatural power Matth. 16.17 flesh and blood hath not revealed it Col. 2.12 Faith of the operation of God Eph. 1.19 It is true a carnal man may do many duties required of him in the moral Law for the outward performance because hee hath the seeds of the Law left in him but saving faith must bee created and wrought onely by the power of God which shews that the faith of some is but a meer fancy seeing they have no more than meer nature in them there was never any difficulty in the attainment of it 4 It is a grace that is not wrought in the heart unless soundly humbled Neither will ever abide in a proud heart how can you beleeve c. Joh. 5.44 Heb. 2.4 See how the Lord brought down Paul and the Jaylor and those Act. 2. So that until Pride and Self conceitedness and Vain-glory and Contempt of others bee removed yea all glorying in and boasting of our own righteousnesse And unlesse the heart bee brought to some constant frame of humility it neither will or can beleeve And the want of this is the cause why so many Professors turn to errours and prophaneness and a loose kinde of life it comes from the unbrokenness and untamedness of their hearts Now Faith of all other graces is a heart-breaking and soul-humbling grace More particularly There are divers degrees and measures of faith And wee must take heed that wee do not lay stumbling blocks before the eies of weak beleevers by setting down such trials of faith as belong onely to strong beleevers Such as Abraham Moses Job c. When as weak ones cannot finde them in themselves they disquiet themselves without just cause For clearing of which consider some signs of the weakest faith out of Mark. 9.24 where you shall find an example in the poor man that brought his Son to our Saviour Christ to bee healed and made profession of his Faith in which wee may observe these particulars Signs of the weakest faith 1 There is a sound Conviction of his unbeleef hee perceives what an unbeleeving heart hee had and this is the first work of the Spirit of God Joh. 16.8 and a work perceiveable by the weakest beleever now none can convince the soul of its unbeleef but the Spirit of God and this is such a conviction as causeth the sinner not onely to see but to mourn for his unbeleef before the Lord to pray and strive earnestly against it He said with Tears Lord help my unbeleef hee therefore that is not sensible of this sin on the like manner hath not so much as a weak faith wrought in his heart 2 There is a strong desire after faith and grace and Christ So there was in this poor beleever It is ordinary in the Scripture to expresse the nature of the weakest faith by hunger and thirst as Joh. 7.37 38. now that signifies a restless desire after Christ and Grace accompanied alwaies with strong indeavours in the use of the means to attain unto the things desired It is not a lazy and listless desire such as the Sluggard hath which kills him but such as sets the heart and outward man on work to attend diligently on the means of grace to attain unto faith in Christ and that in a greater measure Wherefore let lubberly and lazy Professors take notice of this that they have no true faith in their hearts 3 In this beleever there was a holy jealousy that hee might not bee deceived about his grace that made him so to complain A weak beleever deals like a wise man that is but a young beginner and newly set up in his trade hee fears exceedingly lest hee should bee deceived with counterfeit wares or copper mony so it is with a provident Christian hee is very circumspect and wary lest hee should bee deceived with Copper and Alchymy faith Therefore hee loves a faithful and searching Ministry that will gage his heart and discover the unsoundness of it Joh. 3.21 Hee comes to the light that his deeds may bee made manifest
c. whereas a false heart is ever joyned with a great deal of Carnal confidence will not bee beaten off but that all is well and sound with him hee will not indure the weight of a faithful Ministry nor abide the light of it it dazles his eyes It breeds much peace to him to say That Preaching is for mony and Gods Ministers are deceivers and so despiseth the Ministry and Word too 4 The poor beleever offers himself to the good will and pleasure of Christ inquiring into it with resolution to do whatsoever the Lord requires of him So it was wont to bee in young converts as in Paul Act. 9.6 who said Lord what wouldest thou have mee to do He means that he would do any thing that the Lord should appoint him So it was Act. 12.37 and Act. 16.30 where there are the like Examples as they are not afraid to shame themselves for sins past so their hearts are fixed for the future to imbrace in judgement and practice every duty commanded Let the false heart come to this touchstone and hee will appear counterfeit Oh! how will hee cavil against any strickt truth hee will never be perswaded that men are bound to such precisenesse to sanctify the Sabbath to dayly family-duties and secret prayer or to restitution in case of theft or couzenage and doth wittingly and willingly reject all the word that agrees not with his own judgement and fancies 5 The weakest faith purgeth the heart from the love and allowance of every known sin Act. 15.9 and works inward sanctification in the beginnings of it Act. 26.18 Indeed there are some common gifts of sanctification in Temporaries and such as after become Apostates Heb. 5.7 but their hearts were never truely broken off from Sin Comfort Use 3. It is comfort to every true beleever that justification is by faith and unspeakeable ground of rejoycing to him that there is so great a blessednesse bestowed upon a poor sinner Such an one as comes absolutely from Election and tendes undoubtedly to Salvation Rom. 4.6 2 Thess 2.13 Rom. 18.1 2 3. yea what a removal is there of the great fears and terrours of the Almighties wrath and displeasure Know therefore all you poor beleevers that your persons are justified and your services accepted in Christ Jesus and nothing for condemnation can be ever charged upon you So that I may say with the Psalmist Bee glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye just and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.11 Object What need we to comfort beleevers cannot they take their comforts easily enough home to themselves Answ Presumption wants no comfort it will soon catch at that which doth not belong to it but beleevers indeed especially weakones have great need of comfort Comfort ye comfort ye my people c. Isa 4.01 he means that his people have great need of consolation in this point Remember how it was with Job himself Job 9.16 though hee had called and God had answered him yet he would not beleeve that God had hearkened to his voice And David too though Nathan had told him that the Lord had put away his sin that hee should not dye yet how earnest was he Ps 51. for pardon which state befals beleevers not only upon their relapses but even upon their upright walking before God and God will make them to know that not onely Faith and Justification but also the comfort of a justified estate is the free gift of God 2 Cor. 1.3 and they shall finde it true that although it bee easy for nature to consent to justification by works yet it is hard to close with mercy in a way of free grace The consolation therefore will be very great to them in these two particulars 1 It is a Comfort in the poor services they do Comforts and the weakness of their duties And this is one of Satans strong Temptations whereby hee seeks to trouble their peace hee first tempts to set light by Christ and his righteousnesse and to seek justification by our own works and then hee will trouble us with the many fallings of our duties and performances Thou hearest so unprofitably and prayest so deadly and poorly and art so pinching in good works that thou canst not be justified But beloved Beware that you hang not your comforts upon your duties but on Christ reneived by faith as the Publican Luke 18.14 Rom. 9.3 yea the Gentiles that followed not after righteousness viz. of their own have attained unto righteousness even that which is of Faith This therefore is a beleevers comfort in all his imperfect and weak performances that these are not his righteousnesse wherby he expects to be justified but the righteousness of Christ most spotless and perfect is that which hee builds upon Object But are not good works required of justified persons Answ Yes as the fruits of faith and justification but not as the merit of it Gal. 3.6 Tit. 3.7 8. when hee saith wee are justified by Grace hee moreover addes That it is a faithful saying and these things I will that ye affirm constantly that they who have beleeved in God might bee careful to maintain good works Neither is that obedience that is required of Beleevers a strict and exact conformity to the Law as it doth in it self require and demand as Legal obedience but Evangelical obedience which stands in the desire resolution and indeavour to obey Gods revealed will 2 If wee were justified by Faith then it is not the strength of faith that justifieth the Beleever or assurance but it is simply his faith if it bee true though it bee weak that which troubles many a beleever is that hee wants assurance and some evident feeling of Gods mercy or sight of it now faith is opposed to so a clear a sight 2 Cor. 5.7 and is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Excellent is that Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent c. where faith is compared to the Israelites eye now it was not the strong sight of the Brass that healed them but the weakest would do it So it is with Faith and therfore though Christians should labour for strong Faith yet let them not bee discouraged at the weakness of their faith Vse 4. Exhortation and Direction to all sorts of persons to attain unto and maintain this grace of faith 1 To unjustifyed persons those that have not faith to make it their main-task and daily business and to imploy the strength of all their indeavours to obtain Faith and Justification thereby Reconciliation is of wonderful worth It is true wee ought to incourage poor sinners when they begin to reform their lives and leave their base courses Drunkennesse Scorning c. when these become like hot Iron and scalding Lead in their fingers it is some beginning of mercy to such a soul and it is a farther degree when they come to do justly and to love mercy and live peaceably
so prosperous as a pardoned estate And this right use of pardon stands in deep humility and abasement of our selves Ezek. 16.63 That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord. 2 Another use of it is in vigilancy and watchfulnesse at all times and in all places against sin Psal 85.8 3 In a resolved care and conscience of obedience for the time to come Jerem. 31.33 38. 4 To love God so much the more as the poor woman Luke 7.47 Now I come to shew you how farre a Christian ought to goe in comforting his soul about the forgivenesse of his sin 1 A beleever holding his integrity should never conceive How farre a beleever ought not to charge his soul with sin or let his heart be perswaded that any of all his sins shall ever bring guilt upon him so as to cause Gods revenging justice to bind him over to wrath If any one shall doe so hee sins and bears false witnesse against God and his own Soul It is one thing to say we are worthy to bee condemned and another thing to say or think we shall be condemned indeed For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. Rom. 8.1 because Christ hath condemned their sin sins guilt is on them as the Viper on Pauls hand which he soon shook off without any hurt Or like the Lions in the Den where Daniel was cast who though they were hungry God shut their mouthes and they had no power on Daniel Dan. 6.22 25. but when they who caused Darius to make the Decree were cast in the Lions tare them suddenly in pieces before they came to the ground Just so it is with the sins of the faithful and the sins of wicked men and unbeleevers the sins of the faithful though they are of a killing and Lion-like nature for the wages of every sin in it self is death yet the Lord Jesus in the behalf of beleevers stops the Lions mouthes and takes away the guilt and the condemning power of it so that it cannot hurt them But when it meets with an unbeleever it soon slayes him Psal 34.21 Evil shall slay the wicked yea sin shall lye at his door Gen. 4.7 the filthinesse of the unclean person shall devoure him the disobedience of the stubborn shall plague him the pride of the haughty and scorner shall rend the very caul of his heart one day c. but so it is not with poor beleevers though their sin hath teeth and jaws and power to make them worthy of condemnation yet it shall never be able to fasten condemnation on them 2 Every faithful soul is bound to perswade his heart that God doth not nor ever will charge any one sin upon him He will never follow the Law upon him here for his hurt curse or mischief in this life God may indeed hide his face from him and write bitter things against him and deal with him as an angry Father with a disobedient Childe but will never prosecute him at his Law as an enemy or Judge but a beleever may say with holy Job chap. 13.15 Though hee stay me I will put my trust in him because he sees no iniquity in Jacob Numb 23.22 What is that Not to trouble you with the delusions of the Familists the meaning is that the Lord takes no notice of the sins of his Israel to impute them or to punish them but only to pardon cover and cure them Isa 53.6 all the sins of beleevers meet in Christ as in the center like so many Diameters of a Circle or as all the Rivers meet in the Sea so all the Sins of beleevers on Christ in the full punishment and curse of them Therefore let every beleever make conscience to consider what God hath revealed in the Promise and take heed that you make not God a Lyar and be sure that you are discharged from all your sins by Christ but let not any unbeleever or prophane person meddle with this priviledge for he hath no part or fellowship with it they shall bear their own drunkennesse scorning Sabbath-breaking and all manner of prophanenesse the Devil is let loose iniquity is upon them and the flying roul of Curses and Divine vengeance is gone forth against them They have sinned and be sure their sin will find them out Num. 32.23 as a Bloud-hound findes out a Thief But you that are beleevers glorifie the name of Christ and his Death and I charge you take heed what you say or think in this case as though God would avenge himself on you or deal with you as an enemy 3 Every true beleever should exempt his soul from any fear of the charge of any sin upon it by any accuser in this world so as to break off the love of God in Christ from him Famous is that bold challenge of Paul Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect be it Devil or World or Conscience there is nothing can be of such force and power as to affright us as though wee might fall from the love of God whereby hee hath loved us in Christ Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace c. 4 A beleever should take heed of speaking or thinking that God is so displeased with him as to neglect him reject him or forget him for his sins Isa 40.27 28. Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord c. Isa 49.14 Sion said God hath forsaken mee c. yea though he should fall into some foul sin yet hee should not conceive his condition hopelesse and helplesse 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Psal 130.3 though he must see that he repent and bee suitably humbled for such falls but this is his comfort when hee falls he shall arise not perish-through hardnesse and impenitency but be raised by true remorse hearty sorrow and humiliation for his sins or any one in particular that he hath fallen by Vse 4. It is exhortation to the performance of several duties about or concerning the pardon of our sins 1 Wee should learn from hence highly to esteem the pardon and forgivenesse of our sins for these grounds 1 Because it is a peculiar property of God A property of God to forgive sin belonging to the Lord alone to forgive sin that is expressed in the text in these words through the forbearance of God forbearance and remission belong only to the Lord as his Prerogatives royal Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Isa 47.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions c. Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity c. Oh! there is an infinite evil in sin and therefore requires an infinite power to remove it Hence it is made an argument of the God-head of Christ to forgive sin Matth.
the intensnesse and strength of it that it was stronger than death and all this to wash us from our sins 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive wee the love of God because he laid down his life c. sustaining the pains of death Of what death the First and Second Death He washed us in his bloud from all the filthinesse of Hell and Death All the dunghills in the world cannot defile us as sin doth and it was the filth of sin that Christ's bloud washed us from Sin defiles the soul yea the whole man Matth. 15.19 You then that are beloved ones and washed can yee content your selves with a slight consideration of this What manner of love is this Qualis Quantus 1 Joh. 3.1 Ephes 3.18 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. Mark here is a thing that concerns all Saints and wee should labour for such might and strength as not only to apprehend in our minds but comprehend and lay hold upon all the measures of this love in our hearts and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge i. e. either all other knowledge or else all the knowledge of carnal persons or all the knowledge of the Saints in the perfection of it that is it is the most desirable blessing in the world to understand the love of Christ aright Wee can never know too much of this love What should this love work upon our hearts truly wee should bee rooted and grounded in love not only have some leaves of profession but be rooted and grounded in it and it may lye deep in our hearts as roots and foundations use to doe yea this love of the Lord Jesus must bear up all the bulke and wait of our Christian trials yea as a root feed and nourish other graces and holy indeavours in us Oh it is much to be lamented that so many have left their first love They are but few sure that have ever had any rooted or grounded love to Christ at all that is suitable to Gospel measure or rule Luk. 7.47 What is the Gospel measure of love A. Matth. 10.37 Hee that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me i. e. our love to Christ should exceed all other loves and affections in our hearts yea in comparison of Christ we should hate father and mother c. Luk. 14.26.33 wee should hate all forsake all so farre as they stand in competition with Christ or the things of Christ else we cannot be the Disciples of Christ Instr 4. Redeemed ones have great boldnesse towards God This may work in all redeemed ones a marvellous boldnesse towards God that which the Scripture often expresses Ephes 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse of accesse with confidence Heb. 10.19 Having boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus It is sweet and precious that we have Heb. 4.16 Let us goe with boldnesse to the Throne of grace c. i. e. to Christ our High Priest hee hath set up a Mercy-seat for us And is that all Nay but saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Wee are come to God the Judge of all and we are come to the Seat of Justice and wee may in an humble boldnesse plead the justice of God and say Lord who art the Judge of all doe mee justice thou art just and therefore the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Oh ponder and take again upon thy heart the meaning of this it is not only that hee may bee merciful and gracious and the Justifier of beleevers though that bee a sweet and precious truth too to be beleeved and rejoyced in but it is that hee may bee just Oh beloved this is the very quintessence of faith when as the beleever by faith shall present unto God the Father the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for satisfaction for sins and goe to him with a full price in his hand and current pay and to say as they doe in dealing here is one and there is t'other and this is not bare distributive but commutative justice between God and man where there is not only Geometrical but Arithmetical proportion that is weight for weight and measure for measure is observed Oh then tender all the pay together all the obedience of Christ active and passive tender we to the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of Christ it is such a jewel as exceeds our sins infinitely though they have been very many and great Gods justice shall be no loser by us at all and let poor beleevers incourage and embolden their hearts with this Luther was bold when he prayed thus not only Fiat voluntas tua but Fiat voluntas mea not only let thy will be done but let my will be done and it was but the confidence of faith upon this ground we are speaking of Oh beloved the world will account this malepertnesse to come thus before God that they are more bold than welcome but they are strangers to these things and to all that liberty we have in Christ Gal. 2.4 It would be sauciness indeed for those that are out of Christ to approach at any time on this manner to God but let the Children take this as the daily portion of the Childrens bread and it is no wrong to that text 1 Joh. 1.9 to take it in this sense If we confess our sins he is just for Christs sake to forgive us our sins nor to that 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse Inst Adore the righteousnesse of God in all his wayes 5. If God be thus just exactly just in the justification of a Sinner let us learn to acknowledge and adore the righteousness of God in all his wayes Psal 145.17 If his mercy doth not pardon one sin but in a course of justice through the death of Christ then doubtlesse the Justice of God will not be bafled or turned aside in the managing other matters in the world The light of Nature sees nothing but mercy in this case but the light of Grace sees Gods justice also So that though God deals otherwise many times in many things than we could have expected or can see a reason of yet he is always just and holy in his proceedings and it is not enough for us to acknowledge the righteousnesse and holinesse of God in some of his ways and works or in his ways towards others and not towards our selves and in his dealing with some persons and not with all but wee must justifie the Lord in our hearts and words always in all things toward all in all the ways of his providences in his afflicting the godly as well as punishing the wicked Ezra 9.13 yea in the prosperity of the wicked In his great Counsels of Election and Reprobation in the rejection of the Jews c. of which when Paul had spoken Rom. 11. he
determination of the work to Christ our head to dye and rise again from the dead Rom. 4. ult So it was free grace 3 In the effectual application of Christs merits and in our actual vocation when true faith is wrought in the heart Eph. 2.7 8. so free grace is apparent 4 In the sealing of it up to the heart when as the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 all which are implyed or expressed in the Text. Proofs for the Confirmation of this point abound as Tit. 3.4 5. After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared c. kindness and love of God are asserted as the moving or impulsive Cause of our Salvation but not a tittle of the works of righteousness in our selves taken notice of and vers 7. Justified by his Grace wee should bee made Heirs Eph. 1.6 7. To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein hee hath made us accepted in his Beloved in whom wee have Redemption c. Which grace farther appears 1 That God prosecutes not his Cause against us according to the rigour of the Law and his vindictive justice but leaves any place space and probability for Reconciliation 2 That being the Party offended hee should yet appoint the manner and means of our Reconciliation 3 That hee spared not his beloved Son nor any care to effect this Reconciliation 4 That hee without any dignity of ours ingrafts us into his Son and makes us partakers of his righteousness Quest Why is a sinner so freely justified Reas 1 Because it was impossible for the Law or any legal Righteousness to justify sinners Rom. 8.3 That which was impossible for the Law in that it was weak through the flesh the Lord sending his Son c. Exact righteousness free from Spot the Law required or it could not justify But sinful man through the flesh that is corruption of his heart and inclination to evil could not so observe the Law as to attain to such perfect righteousness because Eccl. 7.20 There is not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not much less can any natural man do it Reas 2 To remove two inconveniences 1 To exclude boasting 2 Those terrors of Conscience which otherwise sinners must needs bee subject to whilst they live in the world 1 Boasting is excluded Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then it is excluded By what Law by the Law of Works No but by the Law of Faith Justification by works puffs up the proud heart of man with a Conceit of ability to justify himself as the Doctrin of the Pelagians Papists Arminians doth They can answer that question 1 Cor. 4.7 Who hath made thee to differ I have made my self to differ this breeds pride but justification through free grace laies low having nothing of our own but all of free gift 2 Terrors of Conscience are excluded which Legal righteousnesse exposeth to 2 Thess 2.16 God hath loved us and given us everlasting Consolation through Grace but without grace our Case is desperate Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath Hence intelligent Papists are driven to horrid extremities even to desperation it self oftentimes Hence those large allowances which in their Cases of Conscience their Casuists use to give men about the breach of the Law Hence their Doctrin of venial sin And they use to renounce their Principles at their death and fly to free Grace living in one Religion dying in another Reas 3 Because those things that are conferred in justification cannot bee deserved but must bee granted by free favour as Remissions of sins and imputation of divine righteousness for so it is call'd Rom. 3.22 The Righteousnesse of GOD without the Law Now nothing in a finite Creature can deserve or procure that which is of infinite worth and eternal duration Use 1. Of refutation of that Popish Doctrin of Merit Popish merit of Congruity and condignity refuted and first of their merit of Congruity as a necessary and acceptable Preparative to justification which is a meer Dream 1 Because without faith 't is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 but this merit is before faith is infused 2 The tree must needs bee good before the fruit can bee good Matth. 7.18 but yet the man is not sanctified 3 God accepts not the offerer for the gift but the gift for the offerer Gen. 4.4 4 When the Conscience is defiled all things are defiled Tit. 4.15 Now for their merit of Condignity wherein their righteous works done by a righteous man make God a Debtor to them and he in Justice is bound to justify them consider only Rom. 11.6 If by grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no grace but if it bee of works it is no more of grace otherwise work is no more work Papists are Martyres Diaboli i. e. grace and works are flatly opposite to each other Gal. 5.4 Yee are faln from grace that is saith Luther as hee that falls out of a ship is drowned c. and hee calls such Martyrs Diaboli that undergo much and perish at last as your Popish Justiciaries Use 2. To shew the inexcusable condition of all the World before God that slight this admirable free grace of God If Christ holds forth this free grace daily to prophane wretches what will become of them what will they say for themselves at the day of judgement that despise it or turn it into wantonness what Paul pressed upon the Jews at Antioch Act. 13.38 is at this day commended to unbeleevers and prophane ones of this age The Embassadors cry Be it known unto you Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sins And by him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which you could not bee justified by the Law of Moses Hearken unto this all you that remain unjustified you that have followed lewd courses uncleanness pride wantonness company keeping despising of the word bee it known unto you that through Christ is preached unto you the free remission of your sins If any that lived civilly could be justified by the works of the Law yet your hearts can tell you you cannot but behold here is free Justification tendred you by Gods rich Grace How long will you stand out and despise this Grace As you love your own souls accept of the mercy offered Say yee wee like our sins and our profits better then hear what follows vers 40. Beware least that come upon you which was spoken of by the Prophets Behold yee despisers and wonder and perish c. that is as your rebellion and contempt is intollerable so the Lord shall bring his dreadful and unsupportable destruction upon you and this shall bee your misery that you shall not beleeve it until it seizes upon you more than ordinary judgements both here and hereafter follow the neglect of such great salvation Beware then in the fear of God least this
of Christs redemption who though by his redemption hee freed us from sin and Satans power yet never doth free us from their molestations till the Resurrection when Redemption shall bee fully accomplished For Canaanites are in the Land still Tentations Fears and Doubts molest the Conscience still Remainders of corruption make Paul cry out O miserable man that I am Rom. 7.24 and to still his conscience hee looks at Christ again vers 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. God will have us continually beholding to his Son and therefore hath made him Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 to us 3 To be Servants of God Be Gods Servants that hath bought us at so dear a rate As the redeemed Gally-slave should look upon himself as his Servant that redeemed him Thus Paul argues 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Yee are not your own for you are bought with a price c. You owe your Life and Liberty to the Lord Jesus You are his by right of purchase be therefore wholly at his disposing Never was a dearer rate paid in the world Your utmost service though vessels fit for your Masters use will never recompence the charge laid out upon you You are his by Creation and his by Redemption Hee purchased your souls bodies and spirits and justly then may he challenge all This was the end of our deliverance Luke 1.74 75. delivered from our enemies to serve him 4 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free Stand fast in Christian liberty Gal. 5.1 All sorts of enemies of our salvation seek to pluck some of our liberty from us The Devil would have us abuse it as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5.13 to turn our liberty into licentiousnesse as doe the Libertines Papists would bring us in bondage to the Law by looking for righteousnesse from thence Some would bring our Consciences in subjection to mens inventions but Paul adviseth us 1 Cor. 2.23 that being bought with a price we should not bee the servants of men nor subject our consciences to mens traditions 5 You that are at liberty remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 as if you were bound with them Remember them that are in Spiritual bonds See how many in your Families Towns and Neighbour-hood goe clattering up and down in the bonds of iniquity in the fetters and chains of the Devil Pitty these poor prisoners Give them a lift to help them out Admonish the unruly pray for them that have not sinned unto death that they may bee set at liberty This is eminent charity 6 Bee thankful and seriously acknowledge the grace of God for the redemption that is in Christ Ezra 9.8 acknowledges a little reviving in their bondage Acts 12.5 how much more should wee eternal life It is an earnest prayer Psal 107.1 2. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so c. who ever is silent Let the redeemed say so So Psal 136.24 This is meant by the Song of Moses and the Lamb Revel 13.3 Moses and Israel praised God for deliverance from Aegypt the red Sea c. how much more should the Saints break forth into praises for deliverance from the nethermost Hell Spiritual bondage is the worst bondage And soul-redemption is the greatest redemption Isa 44.23 Senslesse creatures rejoyce only at the redemption of Gods people from Babylon But what is Babylon in comparison of our redemption by Christ Hear the Apostle Col. 1.12 13. Giving thanks unto God who hath delivered us from the powers of darknesse and translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Son in whom wee have redemption c. No love like that of Christ not no love of Christ like that manifested in our redemption Let thankfulnesse also exceed Vse last Of consolation unspeakable to all beleevers Comfort against Sin and Satan that Redemption is wrought in Christ Sin hath begun to fall and must utterly fall before him that is the chief Captain of our Salvation Satan hath been foyled oft yea vanquished and at last shall be cast bound in chains to eternal torments while the Saints shall triumph with their Redeemer for ever and ever The Satisfaction of Christ THE FIFTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ THe first Doctrine being unfolded and improved we now come to the second Doct. The justification of a Sinner is through the redemption of Christ 2. That the justification of a Sinner is through the redemption and satisfaction wrought by Christ. This truth the Holy Ghost bears witnesse to Ephes 2.7 In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of our sins Col. 1.14 hath the same words expresly Tit. 2.14 wee are said to bee redeemed from all iniquity That implies iniquity cannot be taken away as it is in the justification of a Sinner but in a way of redemption and satisfaction Quest 1. What is the nature of this satisfaction for the word is rarely found in Scripture Ans As it referres to men the word is found Mark 15.15 Pilate willing to satisfie the people released Barrabbas the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to satisfie is to doe as much as is surficient to him that expostulates or is wronged or to fulfill ones desires either by words or deeds But as satisfaction hath reference to a debt so it signifies full pay or to give a full price But as satisfaction hath reference to our debt unto God the word is not found expresly in Scripture but there are equipollent terms of the same signification as redemption here in the text paying a price and ransome c. which cannot be interpreted in any other good sense but as intending satisfaction Of which nature are these phrases Isa 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions And again vers 8. For the transgressions of my people was hee smitten 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ dyed for our sins Heb. 10.12 Hee offered a Sacrifice for sins The word for there signifies the impulsive outward or meritorious cause respecting the punishment due to our sins Which is manifest 1 In that sin in Scripture is called a debt Matth. 6.12 Forgive us our debts Not that wee owe sin to God but that it makes us liable to Gods justice as Debts of mony make us liable to our Creditors and to any just course in Law for their recovery This debt of sin cannot possibly bee satisfied for by man for Matth. 18.24 it is a debt of ten thousand talents And the Spirits in prison 1 Pet. 3.21 can for ever suffer but not at all satisfie 2 Seeing all Mankind must otherwise eternally perish God the Father appointed of his rich grace and God the Son in infinite compassion condescends to bee our Surety and to take the debt upon himself Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and vers 6. The Lord hath laid on him
So was it with the Church Cant. 3.4 I found him whom my soul loveth c. 2 The Lord intends to make us more watchful for future times that wee may more rigidly separate and bee divorced from the Creature Adulterous hearts have their stoln waters which God hates and therefore imbitters them and shews us thereby our carelessness about the main As the Mother hides her self behind some tree or wall to make the Childe watchful and to cry after her and search and hang upon her armes so doth God 3 The Lord intends by it to make Christians ransack the right ground of Faith and Hope to dive into the Scriptures and to search the experiences of other Christians Psa 77.56 saying have you any word of comfort for such a soul as mine It will make him to regard a gracious man as one of thousand It will make him Catechise himself whether hee hath any evidence of Gods love or whether hee lives not in some sin or other or whether hee bee willing to part with all for Christ or whether hee maintains any Communion with God which are quickning questions Now then if any man be under this calamity to think himself forsaken of God 1 Let him consider That the extream sufferings of Christ were to reconcile God and man to bring God back again to man and man to his God 1 Pet. 3.18 19. which hee must wait for 2 Let him not pass the sentence of reprobation upon himself or say hee is an Hypocrite because for the present he is under trouble of Spirit It had been a dreadful Conclusion for Christ to have questioned whether hee was the Son of God because of his desertion Say rather wee may have the presence of his Grace and Spirit when wee want the presence of his comfort As a man in a swoon may have a living soul though hee wants the operation of it and a man may injoy some light of the Sun in the firmament though the Sun be eclipsed So may a Saint have life and direction from God when hee finds not its comfortable actings 3 Let him take Christs course to set faith and praise awork When Christ was in his agony he prayed the more earnestly Luk. 22.41 and used his faith eminently crying My God my God c. Joh. 12.27 Now is my soul troubled here is your case Father save mee from this hour here is your duty of faith crying Father of prayer save mee from this hour 4 Plead for the Fruit of Christs desertion which was that thou maiest not bee utterly forsaken ply him hard and thou wilt find him nighter thee than thou wast aware of 3 And be upheld in death it self Thou shalt bee upheld in death it self for Christ hath triumphed over death Hell and the Devil in the cross Col. 2.15 And not only triumphed over them as overcome but hath taken great spoiles even all their armour deaths sting is plucked out the bonds of the Grave are broken Death is vanquished by Christs death Heb. 2.14 which resolves Sampsons knotty riddle Judg. 14.14 Out of the eater commeth forth meat and out of the strong comes sweetness Paul keeps the thanksgiving day for that happy victory 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks bee to God c. For the whole Conquest is perfected Heb. 10.14 and that for ever And the Testament is for ever confirmed Heb. 9.17 by the death of the Testator Nothing is wanting to carry us happily to glory through death it self There needs no more sacrifices nor no second offering for sin All is finished Quest This is good news but how shall I know that I have a right to this comfort Answ It s a weighty Question and needs a solid resolution which wee shall hereafter more fully give At present take that rule Heb. 10.14 Hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified So Heb. 5.9 Hee became the Author of Salvation unto them that obey him No Prophane no nor unsanctified man however civilized hath any part or portion in this consolation Such therefore as think there cannot bee a Saint on Earth or think it too soon to be holy or make a mock at a precise Gospel-Conversation may in no wise apply this comfort to themselves It is not enough to bee Church-members or visible Saints but wee must bee sanctified in truth and reallity Christ should lose a great part of the effects of his sufferings if wee should not bee sanctified Eph. 5.25 26. Christ gave himself for his Church that hee might sanctify it and cleanse it and can any man think hee will lose his end and miss his main intent surely no. There is none but the Church mystical who are truely sanctified and cleansed that have any fellowship in this businesse Let the upright in heart therefore take this Consolation as a dish prepared for none other but their refreshing Psalm 32. ult Deut. 33.1 Use 4. Of Refutation of that ignorant discourse of foolish People who affirm That the least drop of Christs blood is sufficient to save the world The least drop of Christs blood will not save Why say they so because of the dignity of the person of Christ If this were true then the Circumcision of Christ was enough for there was a drop of blood shed or his Crown of thornes was enough for t is like they drew blood Then all Christs sufferings besides were superfluous and vain Then God were unjust to take more than was his due Then Christ was foolish and imprudent to pay more than hee needed But Christ himself saies these many things were necessary Mark 8.3 The Son of man must suffer many things Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his Glory There was a Necessity of suffering and of suffering these things There was a necessity in respect of the end that the Elect might have the blessing and therefore Christ is made a Curse that hee might bear the Curse due to their sin Gal. 3.13 The Exactness of Christs sufferings THE EIGHTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ WEE have already in part applyed this Doctrin That the Redemption of sinners was wrought by Christs suffering the utmost and full punishment due to sin Wee are yet farther to proceed in our application Use 5. Exhortation and direction The refuge of greatest sinners And first to the vilest sinners For this Doctrin darts forth a little light to those poor souls in the dark dungeon of their natural yea most sinful estate It shews a possibility of escape from the wrath to come 'T is true none but a sanctified man can have any comfort in Christs death or conclude his salvation by the death and sufferings of Christ Yet there is hope of salvation a far off Psal 89.19 There is help laid upon one that is mighty Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him all fulness dwells Eph. 2.13 You that were a far off Psal 119.155 Salvation is far
blessings that are given us in Christ Yea they are dead and deadly things without Christ for the letter killeth 'T is his Divine power that sets all a work 2 Pet. 1.3 Let us then fix our thoughts therefore on Christs sufferings not onely now and then giving them a slight glance or two as they come in our way Let us dwell on the Meditation of his infinite love till our hearts are warmed and inlarged by it till it kindles heavenly affections in us till his love constrains us to every good duty 2 Cor. 5.14 'T is that the greatest part of the World never knew God hath not shewed his love to all people Let Christs love therefore work love in thee out-biding all other loves Matth. 10.37 to hate the very best things in nature in comparison of Christ yea our love to Christ should make us bold to attempt anything commanded by him So it wrought in Paul Act. 21.13 I am ready to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus And if any man love him not saith Paul 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him bee accursed till the Lord come 4 Let this Argument inforce brotherly love 'T is the Holy Ghosts own inference We cannot bestow our love better than on them whom Christ loves 1 Joh. 4.11 If Christ so loved us wee ought to love one another For wee ought to love them best that Christ loved best Wee cannot bestow our affections better than where Christ hath bestowed his Now Christ hath bestowed his dearest bowels on the Saints so also ought we to bee tender of each other Far be it from any Christian to bee of the mind of Josephs brethren to hate him the more because their Father Jacob loved him or because the Saints have more grace or more infirmities than our selves They must bee loved for their Fathers sake though they should give us some cause to slight them Christs Propitiation THE TENTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Whom God hath set forth a Propitiation I Have spoken of the Redemption and Satisfaction of Christ and the fulness of that satisfaction Now of the efficacy thereof which is expressed in the word propitiation together with the efficient cause thereof i.e. God the Father and his manner of working in the word set forth Propitiation signifies the Lords Reconciliation to sinners by way of Sacrifice Heb. 2.17 Propitiation what it means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is said to bee a merciful High-Priest in things pertaining unto God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Where the Verb of which the word in the Text comes is used It belonged to the Priest when the people had sinned to make reconciliation for them to God by way of sacrifice as often in Levit. 5. 6. for which end God appointed certain expiatory sacrifices in the time of the Law the beast must dye instead of the sinner And this doth singularly set forth and express both the Priestly Office of Christ that it belongs to him and him onely to make an attonement and that by way of Sacrifice and oblation to God So Levit. 23.27 28. Propitiation is also often used for the Mercy Seat Heb. 9.5 referring to Exod. 25.17 18 21 22. which Mercy Seat covered the Ark of the Testimony wherein were put the two tables of the Law and there saith God I will meet thee I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from between the two Cherubims for all things that I will give thee in commandement unto the children af Israel Where wee may consider 1 That as the Mercy Seat covered the Tables of the Law from the face of God dwelling between the Clâ—â—ruâ—ims aboue the Ark So Christ doth cover the transgressions of both the Tables of the Law from the face of God that hee should not behold sin so as to impute it to the faithful Thus 1 Joh. 2.2 2 The Mercy Seat was the place where God used to meet his people and to shew himself reconciled to them 3 There they might consult with God in their straights 4 That over against the Mercy Seat the Priest went daily to offer sacrifice Heb. 9.6 So that in this word is contained both the means appointed for the attonement i.e. The Sacrifice of Christ and also the Lords reconcilement unto the persons of his people 5 The Mercy Seat contained the Law so doth Christ all our righteousnesse 6 It was interposed betwixt the Testimony and the Lord so is Christ betwixt God and our sins Doct. Through the sacrifice of Christs blood the Father is pacified That through the Sacrifice of Christ God is pacified and appeased with all those that have fellowship with Christ 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Christ is called our propitiation in the abstract Signifying that all which is requisite to pacify Gods anger against us is laid up in Christ and his Death there needeth nothing more but onely the pleading of his merit with the Father which also Christ himself doth as our Advocate 1 Joh. 4.10 God sent his Son to bee the propitation for our sins 1 Thess 1.10 Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him This was typified by all the Sacrifices from the beginning of the World All the vertue in them was by vertue of Christs death Heb. 10.4 The death of a beast could not suffice by way of Exchange for the death of a man If a subject should bee a Traytor to his Sovereign would the King take his Cattels life for his much less then can the wrath of God bee appeased with the blood of beasts It is onely by Christs death Rom. 5.1 Matth. 3.17 Eph. 1.6 Luk. 2.14 The Mercy Seat was called the Propitiatory as here Christ is called the Propitiation No propitiation was by the Mercy Seat without blood Heb. 9.7 thus sweetly prefiguring the satisfaction of Jesus Christ Quest Wherein stands this pacifying of Gods anger Answ There be three things implyed in it 1 The wrath of God before to bee kindled against sinners Rom. 3.5 2 That the effects of his anger in punishment and judgements are hanging over the sinners head 3 It doth mainly import the turning away of those judgements and the quenching of that wrath with the exemption and delivery of the sinner there-from All which wee finde Col. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated c. So Isa 59.2 compared with Eph. 2.13 Quest How God is pacified toward them whom he loved eternally How can God bee said to bee pacified towards them that have fellowship with Christ seeing that undoubtedly God loved them from all eternity Answ 1 Eph. 2.3 whatever wee are by grace yet by Nature wee are children of wrath Or as the Apostle Rom. 11.8 Concerning the Gospel they are enemies but as touching Election they are beloved for the Fathers-sake So indeed Gods chosen being yet in a natural estate they are enemies to God and God is an enemy to them in regard of
you goe to your rules of constructions and expound the dealings of God with you Yea it is well if a spirit of utter despair and horror and astonishment do not then seize upon thee As it is said of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37 38. Deut. 28.28 6 When that we doe make inquiry at the hearing of the Word God will take it well at our hands and when troublesome times doe come we shall have the lesse to doe and not find them troublesome So Hab. 2.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottennesse entred into my bones that I might rest in the day of trouble Thus Josiah 2 Chron. 34.21 22. with the following verses 7 It is a condition extreamly dangerous for a man to continue in sin with a senslesse spirit as Isa 42.24 25. Jer. 23.18 19 20. There is no such fire as the fire of Gods anger kindled against a Nation or person Joel 2.3 A fire devoureth before and behind a flame burneth the Land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate Wildernesse and nothing shall escape So Deut. 32.22 23. Obj. But I feel no such thing as this scorching heat and wee hope that though Ministers preach and Scriptures threaten yet I hope God will be better than his word Ans Yea then see Isa 31.2 Hee is wise and will bring evil and not call back his word but will arise against the house of evil doers and against the help of them that work iniquity The Lord hath forsaken the generation of his wrath Jer. 7.29 What though thou dost not yet feel it yet consider what Elihu saith to Job Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroak then a great ransome cannot deliver thee will he esteem thy riches or all the forces of strength The greatest calmes doe usually goe before the greatest stormes 1 Thess 5.3 4. doe not thou therefore rest secure upon vain hopes and thoughts without full inquiry what thy estate is whether this wrath doth not burn against thee The World is at peace with me and my Neighbours are at peace with me but is the living God at peace with me Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is a messenger of death but a wise man will pacifie it When but Ahasnerosh was angry against Haman what became of him Hest 7.7 What then would the wrath of the King of Kings be Who can cast body and soul into hell Mat. 12.28 How we may know that wee are delivered from the wrath of God Quest How shall we come to attain to this knowledge of our state Ans 1. Beware of judging love or hatred by all these outward things Eccles 9.1 2. The richnesse of the lading doth not shew the goodnesse of the Vessel the more weighty the lading is the more danger if it bee put into a rotten leakie ship So are this worlds goods when it is put into a rotten heart Prosperity is not a certain argument of Gods love neither on the other side is adversity a sure note thereof Thou mayest understand much by the dictate and verdict of thine own Conscience especially being inlightned and awakned 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God The Lord hath appointed the Conscience as his Vicegerent in every mans heart that keeps a register yea a diary of all that passes The Gentiles had this Rom. 2.14 15. now the conscience witnesseth not alone but together with God Rom. 9.1 Thus Shimei was privie to his own wickednesse 1 King 2.44 And Balshazzar Dan. 5.5 6. though that hee understood not the writing yet horror seized upon him his Conscience telling him that he was naught and God was angry with him You shall not need to climbe unto Heaven to know this but descend into your own hearts The Conscience of man is that candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 This discovers the works of darknesse as Lying Swearing Adultery Cousenage Drunkennesse c. Jer. 17.1 and to despise this is to despise God and his wrath kindled against the soul and if thou dost shuffle over matters now there is a day coming when thy Conscience will not be shuffled off This notary hath taken notice of thy most secret faults 1 Cor. 2.11 thus the Church confesses Isa 59.12 Our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them When Conscience doth therefore admonish of any sin doe not say to it as David to Joab 2 Sam. 11.25 Let not this trouble thee it is as the common chance of men This sin troubled David with a witnesse afterwards Now hee slighted it but afterwards he did sink under it and was troubled as Psal 38.4 to vers 9. so if thou doest not observe its admonitions now it will upbraid thee afterwards as Reuben Gen. 42.21 Did not I say unto you sin not 3 Come to the clearest light of the Word of God Joh. 3.21 He that doth the truth comes to the light c. Bee yee not as Batts and Owls that decline the light this will bee a lamp to thy feet and a lauthorn to thy paths Psal 119.105 that will keep thee from falling and discover thy filthinesse to thee and shew thee the way to purge it whatever thy estate bee it will doe thee good 4 Consider it is most certain that all that are children of men are children of wrath Ephes 2.3 This was thy condition from the Wombe and doe not stand to plead that thou art born in faederal holinesse for this doth not exempt any soul from being a childe of wrath Phil. 3.5 Paul had faederal holinesse he was circumsized the eighth day an Hebrew of the Hebrews yet born a childe of wrath Neither was it his state alone but every ones that hath the nature of man And if I be born so I still am so unlesse I can shew that I am delivered from it yea I have brought more wrath upon my soul by every sin I have committed Numb 32.14 Rom. 2.5 when it was told that there was but one Traytor among the Disciples they all enquired Lord is it I Matth. 26.22 But we are all under wrath Those that are disaffected to the word Rom. 8.7 Jer. 6.10 They that pray not nor regard God Jer. 10. ult Eph. 5.6 Scorners Prov. 3.24.19.29 therefore let not Satan put it away from us neither suffer wee our hearts to return and goe off this consideration until they have brought in a deliberate answer unto this 5 See whether you have ever had this propitiation or no. You see there is but one means to appease wrath it is the Wrath of God and therefore infinite and none but a sacrifice of infinite value can appease it And this being grounded in our very nature it is impossible that any meer creature can turn it away It is Christs peculiar Quest How may we know that Christ hath done it Ans See whether Christs propitiation hath changed thy nature yea or not and thou art a
prize the pardon more and to esteem the grace of God in Christ much more Hee that is throughly pained with sicknesse will highly esteem the Physician when Davids bones were broken hee praies for multitude of tender mercies Psal 51.1 7 8. and so it was with Paul Rom 7.24.25 Our spiritual conflicts in the trouble of our Consciences for sin make us to judge the better of the grace of Christ towards us in his grievous agonies when hee cries out My God my God c. and say with Paul The grace of God was exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1.14.18 3 Repentance is a grace that plows up and stirs the heart fitting of it for the seed of the Word to take better root in it Plow up the fallow ground Jer. 4.3 and when this is plowed and plowed deep the seed is not so likely to bee choaked with thornes Repentance will make a thriving and fruitful Christian under the means of grace and one that shall have a plentiful and joyful harvest They that sow in tears shall reap in joy hee that goeth forth with weeping bearing pretious seed shall come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Psal 126.5 6. 4 Repentance breeds a patient frame of heart under Gods afflicting hand Whereas otherwise at such a time the heart will be very unruly and outragious Take David in his saddest time that hee under passed after his great sins when his heart was kindly broken hee would justify God Psal 51.4 and this is because it makes us humble and laies the heart low in consideration of our great unworthinesse of the least mercy and desert of the greatest judgements from Gods hands and then what ever God threatens yea whatever he inflicts the heart is quiet silent and patient not in the least repining against but justifying of God in all his wayes 5 Repentance makes the heart charitable and pittiful to others that fall into sin and will keep us from rigour and pride in censuring of them too severely from the remembrance of our sinful failings and frame of spirit as Tit. 3.2 3. Shew meeknesse towards all men for we our selves were sometimes foolish c. 6 This repenting frame is a Sin-mortifying frame of spirit No grace carries on the work of mortification more in the heart than repentance seeing it is continually weeding out and plucking up the remainders of corruption in the heart Sin no sooner shews it self but a broken heart is repenting of it and mourning for it God hath placed this grace in a beleevers heart to bee continually cleansing out and throwing forth the filth and dreggs of corruption still adhearing to the heart in this life and hence it is that wee read after all the faylings of the most precious Servants of God the wheel of repentance was still turned over their sins though they were fully certified of pardon and forgivenesse Concl. 2. A beleever whatsoever his faith is had need be fervent and instant in prayer for the pardon of his sin This our Saviour taught his Disciples in the rule of prayer Matth. 6.12 and we are still to doe it in these respects 1 Because our sins are daily renewed and wee had need have pardon renewed and remission afresh applied unto us as our sins are renewed therefore we had need continually be praying for this that our sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come Act. 3.19 2 That we may get faith and assurance of pardon and forgivenesse Worldly men would not only have outward Estates Lands and Possessions but they seek to have assurance thereof Now this assurance of pardon is not gotten ordinarily without much contention in prayer Hab. 6.11 We desire that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance c. It is much to bee lamented that any Christian should content himself with an opinion or conjecture of forgivenesse and so become no other than James calls them chap. 1.3 Double-minded men unstable in all their wayes A double-minded man is such a one as is alwayes questioning Gods grace in Christ unto him and his interest in the Promises whereby he is very unstable and here he contents himself without indeavouring a stability of faith and assurance to say with Job I know my Redeemer liveth Wee have need of a great increase of faith and measure of assurance that our sins are pardoned that wee may bee able to undergoe great trials and strong temptations and to lay up like the rich man riches for many years and with Joseph store of provision against the years of famine For so the Thessalonians when they had much-assurance received the Word in great affliction with joy in the Holy Ghost 1. Thess 1.5 6. Oh then a daily course of prayer is needful that wee may get the sense and feeling of the mercy of God to our souls in the pardon of our sins Yea this is more than naked assurance when a man can feel the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 when a man is sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 and hath the earnest of his heavenly inheritance in his heart Many by the strength of their faith have trusted in Gods mercy even then when the Lord hath hid his face from them or shewed them an angry countenance but the feeling of the grace of God is more this is for the heart to find the warmth of his love and behold the gracious smiles of his countenance in the lowest condition and it is a very heaven upon earth or a lively fore-taste of the joyes of heaven 3 This is needful that the soul may have the pardon of frâ— in all the fruits and effects thereof in their further accomplishments and perfection though wee are freed from the damnation and dominion of sin yet wee are not freed from the remainders of it Wee know how Paul groaned under his unmortified corruptions Rom. 7.23 24. and the Church is taught to pray Take away all iniquity and Hos 14.2 wee must look sometimes to meet with terrours of Conscience and to bee in darknesse without any light wee must look for desertions and temptations by reason of the remainders of sin and therefore we are to pray for full redemption from sin in all the fruits and effects of it 4 It is needful to pray that we may make a right use of the pardon of sin having once obtained it For the heart is apt under such a favour to wax proud and wanton and carelesse as it is with many an ungodly childe when a father hath made over a great estate into his hands he will care no more for his father nor doe any duty belonging to a childe so the children of God would doe being left to themselves when God hath made known to them this blessed estate of the pardon of their sins they are ready in their prosperity to say they shall not bee moved Psal 30.6 and there is no state
hee must renounce his own righteousnesse Quest How should a man come to renounce his own righteousness Answ There are two sorts of Actions required to this end 1 In the Understanding 2 In the Will 1 Something must bee wrought in the understanding as appears Rev. 3.17 18. Laodicea knew not that shee was wretched and miserable and blinde c. I Counsel thee to annoint thine eies with eye-salve that thou mayest see i.e. her self to bee blind and miserable c. The soul must bee convinced of the inconceivable misery of its natural estate that every Childe of Adam hath lost all righteousnesse being dead in sin a Childe of wrath and under the power of the Devil Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing Mat. 7.18 A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God This eye-salve to bring this discovery by opening our eies must bee had of and derived from the Lord Jesus and it is called the Spirits conviction Joh. 16.8 The Spirit 's convincing the world of sin 2 The second thing is Conviction of the righteousness of God Joh. 16.9 For it is the ignorance of Gods righteousness that makes us trust in our own It is exceeding requisite to have a discovery of the righteousness of Christ made unto us this white raiment that we may buy it to cover our nakedness and that wee may see this raiment wee have need of Christ's eye-salve and this is not a general discovery only that Christs righteousness is provided for sinners and that it is to bee attained but it is particular and respecting our selves It is for a man to bee wise for himself and to bee convinced of the nature worth and excellency of the righteousness of Christ in relation to the naked and needy condition that hee himself is in And this will make a man desire as Paul that hee may be found in him It also breeds deliberate thoughts and serious projects for the supplying our wants Besides it is so strong and effectual that it will not suffer the soul to rest without it and concludes thus I must go unto Christ for his righteousness or else I perish This being backed with infallible and undeniable arguments taking such impressure in the knowledge and judgement must needs set the will and affections on work to go to choosing this so great bonum apparens or rather real good now appearing presented unto them 2 The next main duty concerns the will and its subjection to this righteousnesse and it is spoken of by Paul Rom. 10.3 That the Jews would not submit to it Now this submission is especially of the heart and will and stands 1 In a serious renouncing of all confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 it is the resolving to say no more to the works of our hands that they are our Gods Hos 14.3 It is a kinde of habitual despair of all help by any thing in us or done by us and that not only in our first conversion but afterwards when the soul is more acquainted with God and with its own self 2 In the subjecting our selves to Gods righteousnesse the bowing and abasing the soul before the Lord in a thorow sight of our misery and unworthinesse and this is called the receiving the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.10 to become an afflicted and poor people that will trust in the name of the Lord for it is nothing but pride that keeps up the heart above God and his righteousness 3 In the hastening of the soul unto Christ and his righteousness a labouring constantly to go beyond the means though a man shall use the means never so diligently As it is with the Mariner though his hand bee upon the Oar and Helm yet his heart is ever towards the Haven So it is with the Sinner that longs after the satisfaction of Christ though his hand bee on the means yet his heart is on the righteousness of Christ 1 To make the means powerful on the soul to bring it to Christ to bee as winde to his Sails For if a ship have never so good tackling and have no winde and be becalmed it makes no speed towards its haven 2 Hee sees the need of Christ to cover the weaknesses of his services and for this his heart is on Christs righteousnesse seeing that no sacrifice will bee accepted but what comes thorow the hands of this High Priest who is also the only Altar Heb. 13.10 3 As the substantial injoyment in all means and ordinances These hee looks at but as dishes to bring to him the bread of life in and dishes are onely for the meats sake Hee looks at them but as boats to bring him to Christ and therefore intends to dwell in them no longer than he is on his journey and therefore he often stirreth up himself to lay hold on Christ 4 In a considerate serious deliberate choice of Christ or the passing over the spiritual and everlasting estate to the Lord Jesus and this is the frequent casting the soul upon the righteousnesse of Christ Psal 91.16 and it is a work of faith and prayer Psal 62.8 Trust in the Lord at all times yee people c. Pour out your hearts before him or roule your hearts upon him and all this is the Lords working and he must be mightily intreated to do this great work for us Vse 5. It is a ground of everlasting Thank fulness unto God for all beleeving sinners That the God of all grace hath thus provided for their eternal peace What an Incomparable mercy is it that the Lord when hee findes his poor Church and People in their blood polluted and cast forth That hee should love them and spread his skirt over them Ezek. 16.8 c. That hee should cover their nakednesse annoint them with oyle cloath them with broidered work fine linnen c. the very description of the justification of a sinner What a wonderful love is it that makes a Great Monarch take a beggar in raggs and nastinesse and marry her to himself yet it is the King of Glory doth so with us Oh let us magnify the Lord for this great mercy and think often upon his love and take heed of the Sin of the Church of the Jews vers 15. They trusted in their own beauty and so went a whoring away from Christ But take heed of so much as speaking in thy heart for my righteousnesse the Lord hath done this Deut. 9.4 5. understand that it is not for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffe-necked people It is spoken of bringing of the people into the land of Canaan but apply it to the present point Ezek. 36.32 when the Lord had spoken of Justification c. hee addes not for your sakes do I do this saith the Lord God bee it known unto you bee ashamed and confounded c. still the Lord beats upon this in all the mercies
Sin is opposite to Gods nature which is proved divers ways and so is nothing in the world but sin of other things it is most true that is said Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and for him are all things but it cannot be said so of sin for hee is no cause of it neither hath he any influence into it Gal. 5.17 the Flesh and Spirit in a Child of God are contrary one to another that is the regenerate and unregenerate part but these are contraries remisse but contraries in the highest degrees can never bee reconciled together therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.14 15. What fellowship hath righteousnesse what communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial God is perfect righteousnesse and light and in him is no darknesse at all 1 Joh. 5. Sin is unrighteousnesse and darknesse that hath no light in it therefore what fellowship or communion can there be betwixt these hee means none at all it is against the nature and being of all things now if there can be no communion then no justification for justification is part of a sinners communion with God therefore justification doth necessarily require punishment and satisfaction for without this the Law remains in force and the Law is the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15.56 and sin in the full strength of it is strongly opposite to God And mark these places Jam. 1.13 Job 34 10-13 Deut. 32.3.4 Moses there calls for audience and so doe I and as he begins his speech so may I also say upon this occasion Give ear O heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth c. Hee summons the unreasonable Creatures to give attention to what he was about to speak and what was it I will publish the name of the Lord ascribe yee greatnesse to our God Hee is the rock his work is perfect all his ways are judgement a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he he proves God to be the Rock and God of truth or the true God because he is without iniquity and all his works are without sin whence it follows that if there were the least sin in God or done by God he could not then bee the Rock his wayes would not bee perfect nor could hee bee stiled just and right or the God of truth Hence it may bee thus reasoned That must needs bee extreamly evil which if it were in the least degree in God would instantly take away his being But such an evil is sin c. If there should be such a poyson saith a godly Divine that if one drop of it should fall into the Ocean Mr. Burroughs all the whole Ocean should be in one moment poysoned or if one drop of it should get into Heaven that then presently the Sun Moon and Starres should fall down and be annihilated you would say that this were a strong venemous poyson certainly if one drop of sin should get into God the infinite being of God would instantly cease to bee the Sea though large is not infinite the Heavens Sun Moon and Starres are not infinite but sin would disanul the infinite being of God Obj. But why then doth not Sin destroy the being of the Creature in which it is Ans One sin did destroy the Angels that sinned one sin destroyed all Mankind and though they are not quite annihilated yet they are worse than nothing having lost their first estate yea Psal 39. every man in his best estate is altogether vanity or rather all vanity sin destroys the life of God in men and the Image of God Hos 13.9 Prov. 6.32 Sin destroys the soul c. and it separates from God if you separate a branch from the root it dyes or if a Beam were separated from the Sun it would suddenly dis-appear and dye or come to nothing Quest How may it appear that sin is opposite to the nature of God This is a great matter to be cleared and if we beleeve that there is a God and such a God as the Scripture describes then wee may know him by the contrary Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt Ans 1. Sin is wholly evil and God is wholly good God is light in whom is no darknesse 1 Joh. 1.5 6. Gen. 6.7 Sin is darknesse without any light Ephes 5.8 the same Apostle saith Rom. 7.18 That in his flesh there dwells no good thing that is in his corrupt nature If wee doe consider other things such as affliction death and the like these have some good in them and are the works of God the Devil himself hath some good in him for the Angelical nature is the good Creature of God that therefore must needs bee extreamly bad that is worse than the Devil so for Hell we think it to be very bad but that is kindled by the breath of God Isa 30. last but we cannot speak so of sin 2 The workings of sin doe prove it to be opposite to God Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh i. e. The best thing that is in an unregenerate man c. it is not only an enemy but enmity whatsoever is in the nature of enmity is found in fleshly wisdome the fleshly wise ones are the greatest enemies to God and though such have goodly pretences oftentimes of the greatest love of God yet God accounts them to bee such as hate him hee looks upon sinners under no other notion but as his desperate enemies that bear a deadly hatred against him Thus you have it exprest in the second Commandement I will visit the sins of them that hate me you would account it a fearful accusation to charge you with hatred of God and yet it is so indeed if you are in your natural estate for the Lord terms you Haters of him and he calls things by their right names And the Apostle Paul speaking of the Gentiles Rom. 1.30 amongst other vile things which hee chargeth them with Hee saith they were haters of God and hence it is that the Scripture frequently ascribes that to wicked men which argues the greatest hatred Isa 3.8 Their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory all that a sinner speaks or doth is against the Lord Hee strives against God Isa 45.8 Woe bee to him that striveth against his Maker hee fights against God Job 15.25 hee stretcheth out his hand and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty 1 Sam. 15.23 One would think it had been a very small sin that Saul committed in sparing Agag when hee had gone so farre in putting so many of the Amalekits to death yet Samuel brands him to bee a Rebel in so doing Rebellion is as the sin of Witch-craft c. yea there is never a sinner but seeks to take away the being of God or at least to pull him out of his throne Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God the fool there
lye or the holy God should sin or Almighty God should be weak so it is that the most just God should pardon sin to them that are without Christ yea know how impossible it is that any thing should act contrary to its nature as our Saviour reasons Doe men gather grapes of thorns c. yet the Lord of Nature can and hath changed the nature of inferiour Agents because his is above them but it cannot be conceived without blasphemy concerning the unchangeable Nature of God he saith I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 He is that eternal being that is ever the same and if so then thou must bee a member of Christ and so answer justice even the justice of God by the Surety or else thou must certainly bee the everlasting object of Divine vengeance and observe examples and expressions of Scripture to this purpose 2 Pet. 2.4 5. If God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them unto chains of darknesse c. Mark the words the Angels before their fall were most glorious Creatures and had God pardoned restored one of them he might have done God more service than many millions of men but them hee spared not he abated nothing at all but cast them down to Hell and put them into everlasting chains But why did not God spare them why because they had no Christ to answer Gods justice for them Heb. 2.16 Christ took not on him the nature of Angels Again Rom. 11.21 If God spared not the natural branches the Jewes take heed lest he spare not also thee Suppose thou art in the number of them that profess the name of God as the Jewes did suppose thou art a member of the visible Church yet God will not spare thee no more than the Jewes Why should he not spare his own people that had so many priviledges Rom. 9.1 5. Oh beloved the reason is because they received not Christ they were broken off and though you think of your selves as well as of the greatest that ever sinned the just God except you get Christ will not cannot spare you Adde that Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son being a Surety for sin What was God without natural affection or was hee cruel No but Christ was now bound by an ingagement to his Fathers Justice and therefore God spared him not shall any close sinner hope then to be spared Now let me bring these things to the result of them and it is this That in some cases all deliberation is excluded as 1 Where there is but one possible means or way of safety deliberation is used when there are many wayes or means which is the best that wee may take 2 In case of imminent danger where without this means there is absolute impossibility of escaping destruction 3 In case of extreme present necessity as in case of violent storms the Mariner doth not deliberate whether he should throw out his Treasure or cut down his Masts for the saving of his life and the lives of all that are in the Vessel with him in these cases all deliberation is vain by the very light of nature and reason Now in the businesse in hand all these doe meet together to exclude all deliberation For 1 There is but one way to appease wrath and satisfie the Justice of God for sin Acts 4.12 and there had not been this way except that God of his grace had given it Besides it is utterly impossible for any to be saved without Christ Heb. 10.26 27. Without a sacrifice for sin there remains nothing but a certain fearful expectation of judgement And lastly it is a matter of extreme present necessity It is eternally necessary that God should be just and it is necessary the sinner should justifie the righteous God the Lord brought Pharaoh to it at last Exod. 9.27 when hee had poured forth all his Plagues upon his heart he confessed and said The Lord is righteous and there is no such prophane wretch but shall bee brought to confesse as much at last though hee bee never a whit the better for it but how much better is it to justifie God by flying to the only sanctuary even to Christ as the Publicans justified God Luk. 7.29 by flying to Christ in the use of the means but the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselvs rejected Christ and his Ordinances against themselves i.e. to their own destruction When Paul preached Christ it is said that he declared all the counsel of God Acts 20.27 so it is necessary we should receive all the Counsel of God which is revealed in the offer of Christ to us it is extremely necessary that every soul should fly from the wrath to come when Lot hath the rain of fire and brimstone about his ears shall hee linger Shall he not escape for his life and this is not Lots case only but the common case of all the wicked Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest and this is the portion of their cup. Me thinks upon this consideration troops of sinners should flock to Christ as the very Sadduces did to John Matth. 3.7 who saith to them Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come how comes it to passe that yee come in now that have stood out so long Why you will say wee have been warned and warned many a time and we would take no warning till now at last we see it necessary to flee from the wrath to come and who is it can deliver us from it The Apostle tells you 1 Thess 1.10 that it is Jesus that delivers us from the wrath to come Instruc Love Christ for his satisfaction 3. This may teach all the faithful to love the Lord Jesus most ardently see what an Argument you have for it that he stopped the hand of Divine justice from seizing on poor miserable Creatures putting his life in his hands Job 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my Sheep and sure his sheep should love him very much for this Christ laid down his life partly in love to the justice of God lest that the stream thereof should bee stopped and partly in love to our poor souls as Ephes 5.2 Who loved us and gave himself for us an offering c. But some will say What need that could not God have forgiven us without an Offering at least such an offering A. No it must be presupposed that the justice of God necessarily required it otherwise we cannot think such bloud should ever have been shed Now to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne bloud to him be glory and honour for ever Rev. 1.5 6. Eph. 5.25 26. the fountain of our salvation is in the love of Christ and the wonder of that love and the freenesse of it is that hee loved us such sinners together with
his grace wherein hee hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence It was such abundance of wisdome that no creature could reach unto or comprehend that this strange way should bee found out for a sinners attonement 2 The Glory and Riches of Gods grace are singularly manifested hereby it had been glorious grace if that God should or could of his good will alone towards men have pardoned their iniquities as Saul said to David 1 Sam. 24.19 If a man find his enemy will hee let him go well away but sinful men and women which of themselves are Gods enemies and cannot hide themselves any where but God will finde them hee not only lets them go well away and freely pardons them but freely forgives them in such a way that cost him so exceeding dear as the blood of his onely Son When there was no other sufficient remedy for the misery of man but this when as the pardon and redemption of souls is so exceeding costly and pretious this above measure exalts the riches of Gods grace as David said 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer of that that cost mee nothing This was Davids royal spirit So this is Gods royal love that hee saved not his people in a way that cost him nothing 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Herein is the love of God manifest to us that hee sent his Son into the World to dye that wee might live by him And again Herein is love that hee sent his Son to bee a Propitition for our sins they that do not understand this have too low and mean conceits of the love and grace of God 3 Here is a demonstration of the glory of the Holinesse of the Lord in his so hating and punishing of sin even to the uttermost though but imputed and that to such a Son he that breaks a pitcher because deadly poyson was in it or burieth a beggars coat because infected with the plague shews his hatred to them but hee that throws away a vessel of gold because poysoned or burneth or burieth some royal and rich robes for the leprosy cleaving to them hee is carried with greatest indignation against the corruptions of them now this is the case of Gods hatred of the sins of the Elect imputed to the Son of God here is the pearl of great price even the richest treasure so and so dealt withall this is mighty holiness and hatred of sin Psal 99.8 9 It is said Thou art a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions Whence hee inferres Exalt the Lord our God for hee is holy hee speaks of the Lords manner of forgiving of the sins of his people it was with vengeance for their inventions surely this is an holy God but this is incomparably more to pardon the sins of his Elect in such a way by laying the chastisement of their peace on his only Son Oh what an holy God is this 4 Adde to the rest the glory of Gods Kingdome Providence and Government This is that which the Saints do blesse the Lord for Psal 145.10 11. They speak of the glory of thy kingdome and talk of thy power now the glory of Gods kingdome appears in this that hee rectifies all the disorders that are in the world by sin there is no confusion in the World but that which is in sin or brought in by it which hath made the world like that woful land Job 10.21 22. A land of darknesse and of the shaddow of death without order now to bring all into order again was a busy work and this is a glorious work of the government and providence of the Lord. There are strange examples of Gods glory in holy Writ concerning this in the sin of Josephs brethren selling Joseph into Egypt to bee a bond-servant accused imprisoned and in great abasement many years what strange disorder was here how strangely did the Lord rectify and amend this by setting him at liberty making him Ruler over all the land of Egypt and making his brethren to stoop to him and be beholding to him for their sustenance afterwards Another Example I might tell you of of the great confusion among the Jews by Hamans sin in the daies of Ahasuerus yet how gloriously did the Lord work for his Church in the confusion of Haman and the deliverance of the Church and the destruction of their enemies Here was a great deal of disorder by sin but Gods providence set all in right order again yea and brought great good out of all this disorder that wee may say according to Sampsons riddle out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong sweetnesse but the matter in hand is a greater and deeper riddle Adams sin had brought a woful Ataxy and confusion into all the world and grievous dishonour to God then Providence findes out a way by the death and blood shed of the second Adam to bring all into a better order than ever they were before in the Lord makes a better and a surer covenant and ordered in all things 2 Sam. 23.5 and Christ is set up in his Kingdome to order and to establish it with justice and judgement for ever Isay 9.7 Ye may see by all this what abundance of glory redounds unto God by the death of Christ and the sinners justification thereby Vse 1. Refutation of Socinians Refutation of that damnable blasphemy of the Socinians in making the death of Christ onely exemplary and no wise satisfactory whereby they do rob God of his glory and would disappoint him of his principal end of the incarnation of his onely begotten Son yea and rob him of his glory which hee hath sworn that hee would not give unto another The Devil hath formerly done great mischief to Christian Religion by Heresies of Monstrous shapes but this is a blasphemy of a more bloody dye whereby hee induces down-right Paganism or as bad as Turcism again Oh that such a Godlesse Christlesse-villany should bee ever tollerated to harbour amongst Christians This is a lamentation and shall surely bee the saddest lamentation of these last perilous times Use 2. The Doctrin of Gods justice is sutable to the Gospel It may serve to discover and confute the general mistake and error about the Doctrin of the Gospel Truely the Lord hath dealt graciously with us in the times of the New Testament and especially with his people in these latter times wherein the Grace of God and the Riches therof are more abundantly sounded forth and magnified above former ages and most blessed is the estate of those vessels of Grace the persons that receive it in truth and are made partakers thereof but beloved I do very much fear lest that Satan get advantage by this means to make innumerable persons to miss their mark and Gods mark too causing them utterly to pervert the doctrine of the Gospel and the grace of God and his principal plot and purpose therein so as to cause many to forget
and disanul in their thoughts and apprehensions the Justice of God as though it were altogether Heterogeneal Heterodox and impertinent to the mystery of the Gospel Now I beseech you that yee would bee convinced of this whatsoever yee forget that there is more of the justice of God declared and demonstrated in the Gospel and Gospel mysteries thereof than there is in the Law I might tell you of those dreadful Threatnings against them that sin against the Gospel See Heb. 2.2 3. Heb. 10.26 27. Heb. 12.25 where there is a far heavier punishment denounced against the Gospel sins and sinners than there ever was against the transgressions or transgressors of the Law and if wee look into Examples it is true that there were heavy punishments inflicted in the times of the Old Testament as the drowning of the whole World the destruction of Sodome and Jerusalem yea take in the rejection of the evil Angels yet none of all these were comparative to the example in the text and Heb. 1. Christ is set above the Angels and hath a name above every name yet even upon him Divine Justice hath passed never any Justice was like this yet this must go for Gospel-justice yea this is the end of all that grace that the Lord hath shewed in the Gospel and in the death of Christ it is for the demonstration of the Justice of God yea the indispensable Justice of God The Lord would convince all the World in the Tenor of the Gospel how terrible his Justice and his Wrath is That is very remarkable Rom. 1.17 18. That in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Even since that in the same Gospel The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodliness of men c. why but was not Gods Wrath revealed in the Old Testament Truely the Text shews that it was never so cleared and demonstrated before Now let mee adde this that the Text holds forth in those words at this time what time was that time but the time of the Gospel whereby the Spirit of God intimates that there would bee mighty need and more than ever in the secure times of the Gospel that the Justice of God should bee manifested now many will think that since the death of Christ nothing but the Grace of God should bee heard of and that it would be accounted Legal Preaching to tell the people of the Justice of God but even at this time behold I say in these wanton times of the Gospel behold that God would have his justice declared more than ever in former times and say not that in the Gospel times this justice as executed onely upon Christ is declared for though that bee true in regard of the members of Christ yet doubtlesse as for others no doubt but the state of Chorazin and Bethsaida Tyre and Sidon is far worse than the state of unbeleevers and impenitent persons in the times of the Old Testament I do willingly receive and imbrace the difference betwixt the Law and Gospel held forth by the Protestant divines that free grace and remission of sins is promised and bestowed in the Gospel upon all beleevers Joh 3.16 which the Law strictly taken mentions not yet the contempt or neglect of this grace being a greater sin than any other must needs bring an heavier weight of justice upon them that are guilty thereof Let all this serve to rectify our judgement concerning the main Scope of the Gospel which is not onely to set forth Gods infinite grace in Christ but also to demonstrate his justice against sin Vse 3. The grounded security of the faithful Instruction It may shew us the impregnable and grounded security of the faithful and the strongest foundation of assurance that I know of in the whole book of God that is in short the infinite love of God in Christ that follows necessarily upon this demonstration of his justice in the death of Christ If that the Lord had forgiven sinners without any more adoe of his meer will and Grace without any price or ransome this easy way of forgiveness prated of by the Socinians and Carnal Gospellers would in no sort have so declared or demonstrated the infinite love of God to the Elect as this doth that when as God the Father without violence and wrong to his just and holy nature I may speak it with reverence could not pardon one sin by his grace yet in his admirable wisdome and grace hee hath been at that cost to give his Sons blood to bee a ransome for sin that justice may have its due course This is the meaning of that vers 24. wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ this is admirable grace and free grace indeed All the Angels in Heaven and men on earth may bee astonished at this Oh! how exceeding pretious were our sinful souls to the Lord our God that they should bee valued at such a price by the Lord himself when as the Son of God himself was valued but at thirty peeces of silver by sinful men there was never such a price as this given for any creature besides and never such a love as this that either would or could be at this cost Object It is prophanely and wickedly objected by Hereticks in this case that if Christ dyed for sinners then the Sons love to us far exceeded the Fathers love the Father deals rigorously with sinners but the Son laies down his life for them God the fathers love to the faithful in scripture expressions and divers effects so all the Love is in the Son and not in the father Answ In the general the love of all the Divine persons is infinite and the same and therefore cannot admit degrees let us therefore abhor all such odious comparisons More particularly to root out all such evil surmises see what course the Scripture takes to discover the Fathers love in this whole mystery which is by all means to bee acknowledged and adored 1 There is the Fathers eternal Purpose and Decree to save a certain number of faln man-kinde and to redeem them from destruction which is called his so loving of them Joh. 3.16 2 There is the Fathers love in sending of his Son to take flesh upon him 1 Joh. 4.9 10. herein is the love of God manifested that he sent his Son into the World c. 3 There is the Fathers commandement given to his Son to dye for his Elect thus the Son himself acknowledgeth Joh. 10.18 I have power to lay down my life and power to take it up This commandement have I received of my father 4 God the Father therefore loves his Son because hee laid down his life Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life 5 God the Father is pleased to reveal this grace in the Gospel and the ministry thereof 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation 6 There is the imputation of Christs propitiation to particular selected sinners this is also ascribed to the Father Rom. 4.6 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes righteousness without works 7 There is the infusion and gift of Faith to apprehend this and the comfort of it Eph. 2.8 Yee are saved by grace through faith not of your selves it is the gift of God c. Lastly The preservation of faith and grace unto glory is attributed to the Father Rom. 8.3 Whom he hath justified them also he hath glorified These things I mention not that any should conceit that the other persons are excluded from such intensness and wonderful acts of love to sinners for as Christ saith Joh. 14.11 Beleeve mee that I am in the Father and the Father in mee So that their love is one and Joh. 5.23 The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men may honour the Son as they honour the Father as they honour him not more nor less but therefore I speak these things to shew that a carnal heart hath no just cause from the Scripture to make or conceit any disparity in the divine subsistence To shut up this use The love of all the Divine persons equal Let us consider the infinite love of all the persons of the holy and undivided Trinity to poor sinners that hath devised and provided such an unspeakable way of Righteousness and Peace to kiss each other that poor sinners might bee justified and saved Eph. 2.7 That in ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his kindnesse towards us in Christ Jesus So here that at this time he might declare his righteousness And can wee imagine that all this cost and labour of Gods love in Christ should bee lost can wee possibly fear that God should lose his end in the shedding of his Sons blood as sure as hee is just hee is the justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus this the Text shews and wee cannot without Atheism question his justice therefore why should the beleever question the other so that wee may boldly say with Paul who shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.38 39. Use 4. Carnal and obdurate persons should consider this end of God Exhortation and it is 1 To carnal and unregenerate persons to remember and seriously consider the weight of this point Let mee propound this Meditation to all such as have benummed and obdurate hearts and consciences That the Lord would have his Justice declared and proved by such a manifest token thereof represented wheresoever the Gospel or Christ is Preached yea why is this reserved for the last times of the daies of the Son of man why truly the Lord hath a most wise and holy end therein surely that it may bee an awakening to Christlesse sinners in the times of the Gospel I beseech you to say to your own hearts why would the Lord have this Justice declared to mee and such exact Justice as this is can any reasonable Creature imagine that such justice should bee executed upon the Son of God that had no sin but by imputation and yet that a Christlesse sinner should escape the justice of God and his righteous judgement Surely Their judgement sleeps not neither doth their damnation slumber If any say that hee looks at Christ as answering the justice of God let such a one hear what Christ saies to such Mat. 7.23 Depart from mee yee workers of Iniquity I know you not Ah poor creature bethink thy self at the last that the Avenger of blood is pursuing of thee at the heeles yea sin lyeth at the door This was Preached in a sick time and thou hast yet no sanctuary or place of refuge to hide thy self in yea that Justice is riding circuit in the Country and goes from house to house yea from person to person yea this Gospel justice which is the most terrible which must stand at the bar to answer it in their own persons and let not any please themselves with their priviledges or profession call that to minde Zephan 3.5 which is spoken of Gods people of old The just God is in the midst of them every morning he brings his judgements to light but the unjust knows no shame Oh beloved this the Lord will do even still that judgement shall begin at the house of God Now take a few Considerations 1 That now in the times of the Gospel it is in vain for any man to plead ignorance of Gods justice Considerations and directions to hard-hearted sinners seeing that it is so solemnly published and declared 2 No man can now doubt of it seeing that in Christs death there is such a manifest token and demonstration of it yee may bee sure that Gods threatnings against sin are in good earnest when hee makes such execution 3 There bee very few that do know the justice of God even amongst Professors what means that heavenly Prayer Joh. 17.25 Righteous Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent mee hee speaks of God as a righteous Father even towards himself which none of the world knows and hee doth evidently intend or comprehend the Jews in that world though the people of God 4 If justice bee not satisfied and anger with-drawn all thy proud Helpers will stoop under him Job 4 1â— Mat. 3.17 conceive what helps the World can afford thee or the wit of men invent they will bee but broken reeds to succour or support thee God is not well pleased but in his Son Quest What course should a poor sinner take in this Condition Ans 1 Let him conclude undoubtedly with his own soul that there is abundance of unrighteousnesse in every sin committed by him much more in all his sins together seeing that Gods justice proceeds so severely against imputed sin Gods justice and judicial proceedings do clearly discover and are directly opposed to the unrighteousness of sin therefore labour by all means to see by the consideration of Gods righteousnesse what abundance of unrighteousnesse there is in sin Ponder that place well Rom. 5.20 Where sin abounds there grace abounds much more but the Law entred that sin might abound The Law shews that there is abundance of wickednesse in every sin do not think that it belongs onely to some kinde of sins of an hainous nature for it belongs to all sins whatsoever being transgressions of Gods Law as the Text is clear therefore do not sleight any sin 2 Bee sure that God is exceeding willing that his justice should bee satisfied in and by the Surety and hee would not have poor sinners to indure the brunt and the intollerable burthen of it thou maiest in the saddest thoughts of thy condition stay up thy heart with this that Christs death was as well
worth and due esteem 46. It s efficient cause 2. The impulsive 11. The meritorius cause 22. the instrumental cause 120. the end thereof pag. 163 Justification by men is of no value 7. How to discern that God justifies us 10 125 99. Justification how to be attained pag. 19 45 303 K. KIngdom of God set up through Christ pag. 296 How to know that a man is justified pag. 10 99 Knowledge of Christ crucified necessary and how discerned pag. 158 Knowledge of God is to be of him in all his Attributes pag. 291 L. THe Laws first work is the discovery of sin and wrath pag. 98 Spiritual liberty the best newes on earth 33. to be sought with diligence and resolution 34 and to be kept entire pag. 36 Love to Christ 86 276. and the degree thereof according to the Gospel pag. 277 Love to God for the pardon of sins of what sort it is pag. 191 19 Love to the Members of Christ pag. 88 Love of God the strongest ground of assurance pag. 300 M. THe matter of Justification passively taken is the person elected otherwise it s the redemption by Christ pag. 239 Mercy alone no sufficient ground for hope pag. 244 44 Mercies are Curses without Christ pag. 87 Popish Merit refelled pag. 15 Meritorious cause of redemption 22. amplified pag. 107 Ministry of the Word its use and efficacy 117 113. Christ generally and seriously offered therein 78. and diligently to be attended pag. 75 Misery of irregeneracy 42 92. and an unjustified estate pag. 200 Mourning for sin pag. 80 81 N. NAtural man is a bond-man 26. pitty to bee exercised towards such pag. 37 O. OBedience of Christ both active and passive our righteousnesse pag. 196 Obedience and homage to Christ perswaded pag. 50 General offer of Christ in the Gospel pag. 117 78 P. PAcification or attonement by Christ 91. Reasons of it 92. Means to get the benefit 103. When we should use it and how 105 106. Duties flowing from it pag. 118 119 Pardon of sin to bee still prayed for 180. how it may bee cleared to a mans self 189. it must bee sought so as may consist with Divine Justice 227. No sin so vile final impenitency excepted but may be pardoned pag. 72 Patience of God to sinners admirable pag. 265 Peace of Conscience how farre found in all the redeemed pag. 102 Perfect righteousnesse what it must be pag. 198 Possibility of salvation a sufficient ground to seek it pag. 103 Power of God to be dreaded by impenitent sinners 103. It is eminently manifested in the pardoning of sin pag. 269 Presumption reproved pag. 248 Prayer incessant to bee made for our redemption pag. 35 77 Price of our redemption paid only to God 22. The properties thereof pag. 24 Promises justifie as they exhibit Christ pag. 139 Propitiation what it signifies 89. when more especially to bee made use of and how to doe it pag. 105 Proposition of Christ for a propitiation in times of the Old Testament and of the New pag. 108 110 Punishment of Christ our redemption pag. 52 Punishments properly so called not inflicted on the Elect. pag. 61 62 63 R. TRyals whether we be redeemed 30 31 32. From what evils we are redeemed 29. The duties of redeemed ones pag. 35 36 37 Redemption what it is 21. It s excellency 23 29 33. It is by Christ and the reasons of it 22 23 24. how applied 32. and obtained pag. 34 Reformation for future no expiation for sins past pag. 260 Remission of sins what it is 164. highly to be prized 184. how gotten 187. It is equally bestowed on all beleevers 186. Remission of sins and imputation of righteousnesse goe together pag. 206 Renouncing our own righteousnesse wherein it stands pag. 224 Repentance to bee continually renewed and increased pag. 78 Righteousnesse of God in Justification what it is 196 240. why called the righteousnesse of God 195. wherefore requisite 197. This alone to bee trusted in 213. how it is evidenced in Justification 241. and witnessed to by the Law and Prophets 198. It is conveighed to us by imputation pag. 206 No righteousnesse of our own can justifie us 43. our ingagement at this time to be righteous S. SAlvation manifested as possible and probable by the redemption of Christ pag. 71 Sanctification required and an evidence of Justification 69. v. works Satans subtilty to hold men secure in sin pag. 98 261 Satisfaction what the matter and form of it is 39. The necessity of it in Justification 40 41 43 70. Directions to compasse it 46 74 to 79. Comforts by it 48 49 170. Duties it calls for 80 to 88. It was available before the death of Christ 166. It was made to the full 48. The manner of it pag. 51 The evils of security in sin pag. 98 99 Self-justifiers in a sad estate pag. 6 Sin is a debt and how 29. It is opposite to the nature of God 255. proved 257. A destroyer of the Creatures 256. In what respect it may be called infinite 259. It is to be striven against 266. shunned 83 86. and hated 267. Any sin allowed enough to condemn us 214 The disposition of a childe of God in regard of sin 31. How farre a beleever may charge his soul with it 176. and how farre take comfort about the forgiveness of it pag. 182 Socinians error manifested pag. 297 Godly sorrow to bee always kept alive and in exercise urged upon several considerations pag. 80 81 82 Souls of men much to be prized pag. 119 Sufferings of Christ 52 53 54. Objections about them answered 55 56. how they set forth the glory of Gods Justice 292. How necessary they were 70. They doe not at all exempt any Christlesse souls pag. 59 Sufferings of Saints are suited to their conditions pag. 63 T. TError to persons unjustified pag. 6 57 c. Terrors of Conscience excluded by free justification pag. 15 Thankfulness to God urged 227 37 All Persons of the sacred Trinity co-operate in our Justification pag. 3 115 301 V. UNbeleevers danger 124. and inexcusablenesse 110 168 Unbelief under the Gospel a token of Reprobation pag. 234 235 W. VVAY to Salvation but only one 110. even Christ pag. 111 Wisdom of God seen in a Sinners Justification pag. 295 The profit that accrueth to all by the Word pag. 101 Dreadful condition of them that contemn the Word of God pag. 42 Wee must work out our salvation with Gods working pag. 75 Works how said to justifie pag. 122. They are required in justified persons but not to their Justification 50 130 214. what use they are of pag. 216 Works of the Trinity ad extra undivided pag. 3 Wrath of God against Sinners intollerable 261. All men by nature are under it 101. What such ought to doe pag. 102 103 116 FINIS