speaks of them John 17. he opposeth them to and contradistinguisheth them from all others I pray for them I pray not for the world buy for them that thou hast given me out of the world to let us know that the things prayed for to the one are denied to the other according to the strain of the Covenâ—â—t Aâ— ad ground is drawen from the strain and frame of the Covenâ—nt of Redemption where we find two things clear 1. That as to the end and convey of it the Elect are the only Persons for â—hose good and behove it 's intended and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that Covenant theâ— the advantage good and benefite of the Elect must be eâ—ed in this main aâ—ticle of the Covenant which relates to Chriâ—'s death and sufferings For 1. In the Covenant of Redemption the good of the Elect is proposed and designed by the Father as is clear John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing and this is the Fathers will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life which will be the more clear if we consider the time when this is spoken it 's at such a time when many will not come to him and belâ—â—ve on him as vers 36 37. Ye also have seen me and believe not all that the Father hath given shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and then follows This is the will of him that sent me c. and vers 43 44. Murmure not saith he among your selves no man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him this ye heard of from John 17.2 at greater length 2. Look on the Son's side of the Covenant and it will also be clear for his undertaking must be according to the Fathers proposing if the Father did not propose all but some only to be redeemed then his undertaking must be for these some and not for all conform to the Fathers proposal Psal 40. Then said I lo I come to do thy will O my God now the Fathers will is that the should undertake for these given him and it 's not his will that he should undertake for others therefore he did not undertake for them 3. Christs sufferings and death are the execution of the Fathers will and therefore must be the execution of his undertaking according to his engagement for the Elect and given ones therefore these two are put together John 17.9 and 19. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me and for their sakes I sanctifie my self that is for their sakes whom thou hast given me and not for the world He sancrifies himself for them for whom he prays for them that are given him and no more 2ly This is clear in the Covenant that Christs death is intended thereâ—n as all other Mercies covenanted are that is to say to whom Faith Effectual Calling Justification c. are covenanted for these is Christ's death covenanted and for none others for the Covenant being mutual the repromâ—ssion on the Fathers part must be of equal extent with the Son's stipulation but all these are only peculiarly applicable to the Elect as benefites flowing from and following upon Christ's death which therefore must be peculiarly intended for them as being undergone for them hence when Christ speaks of Faith and Effectual Calling John 6. he says All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and none other will nor can come so Justification Pardon of Sin c. are bought to the Elect and to none others and when the smallest of blessings are covenanted and articled for none other but for the Elect shall Jesus Christ himself that gift of God or his death which is the chief thing articled in the Covenant be covenanted for or applyed to any others but to them A 3d. ground is drawen from Christs executing of his Offices for this piece or part of Christs executing of his Office must correspond and be of equal extent with all the other parts and pieces of his Offices such as his effectual teaching interceeding subduing to himself c. which are no broader then the Elect for he executes no part of any of his Offices for the behove and benefite of any but of the Electâ— he saâ—ingly enlightens no others he subâ—uts none others to the faith of the Gospel he interceeds for none others his intercession is not for the world therefore his death must be for none others all these being commenturâ—â—le and oâ— equal extent his intercession being grounded on his suffâ—ring therefore Joh. 17. he lays by the world expressly as theâ—e for whom he will not pray and looks back to the Covenant as the ground of his undertaking for the Elect given him out of the world and not for others and if he will not pray nor interceed for others what reason can be given of his dying for others when he will not do the less which is to pray for them it were absurd to think or say that he will do the greater which is to lay down his life for them A 4th ground is this Christ's death is one of the peculiar evidences of his deâ—rest love beyond which there is none greater and a main proof and fruitâ— thereof and therefore is not common to all but is intended for them only whom he peculiarly loves and designs to bring through to glory which is clear Eph. 5.26 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it c. Rom. 5.5 God commends his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his friends there is a world of Reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love and sure for these he did not die Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated saith the Lord Rom. 9.13 which the Apostle holdeth forth as a sort of copy of God's dealing in reprobation and election in reference to all Mankind and where the Lord himself hath set bounds betwixt them whom he loves and hates it 's too great liberality or rather too great presumption for any under whatever specious pretences to extend this his peculiar love to these whom he disclaims A 5th ground is taken from the effect thus All for whom Christ died are justified and freed from the guilt of their sins in due time but Christ Jesus hath not purchased and actually procured freedom to all men from their sins all men be not justified therefore he laid not down his life for all For 1. It cannot be said that he laid down his life for purchasing and buying of such wares
is pure would study soundnesse in Judgement as well as tendernesse in Practice And yet how many are readily mistaken in this Who if they meet with some that can speak a few good Words and make pretences to a holy Walk though the Second Command be baffâ—ed and disgraced by them and the Name of God torn And though the Fourth Command be made of none effect or price by them it 's thought but little of all is covered with this that they are good Folks and of a tender walk But Oh! can they be good who abuse that wherein the Name and Image of God are most tenderly concerned and will God account that to be Holinesse aggreeable to His Law that slights depreclars and vilifies the best part of His Law Let me therefore beseech you to take in and to close Error with other sins and to look upon unsoundnesse in the Truths of God as a Fruit of the Flesh and withall to look upon sound knowledge in the Mind and the form of sound words in the Mouth as being a Duty that is called for from you as well as other Duties We the rather take occasion to speak to this because the Devil is seeking to turn Men meer Athiests Gallio's as to the Truths of God to care for none of these things and as to weir out the esteem of Truth so to make People to look upon Error as if there were no hurt by it it 's sad that there is not more scarring at and keeping distance from the company of such if they can but give a parcel of good Words and make shewes of respect to Piety in this lukewarm time there is need to guard against this Temper or rather Distemper and to look well that we half not nor divide the Pattern and Copie which God in his Word hath cast to us and set before us we would studie Purity and Tenderneâ—â—e in our Walk and Growth in sound Knowledge and would walk humbly under the impression of our hazard It 's sad when Folks are ill girded and yet scarcely discern it It seems to be a winnowing time and some are already taken off their feet who thought not some Moneths or Years since to have carried in reference to the Truth as they have done It hath been Gods mercy to this place that he hath hedged us about hitherto at which the Devll hath raged not a little Be humbled and have an eye to Him thâ—t can keep his People and can establish them in the Truth and make them unbleamable in holiness till the coming of the Lord. We come now to the 10. verse and from the first part of it yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief These three things arise clearly 1. That though our Lord Jesus was most innocent in His own Person yet was He put to exceeding sore Tryalls and sharp Sufferings For 1 He was bruised to wit like Corn betwixt the upper and neither Milstones or lâ—ke Grapes in the Wine presse which respects not so much his outward sufferings though great for a bone of him was not broken as His inward Soul-sufferings and the inward pressures of Wrath that were on His Humane Soul 2. He was put to grief was sore straitned and punished and these expressions import so much my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death my soul is sore troubled and what shal I say and my God my God why hast thou forsaken me The particulars of this grief were spoken to before and we shew in what respect He was so humbled and that He was most sinless and wâ—thout any the least carnal mude or passion under these expressions in which the sense of grief vented it self most in Him Only if it be here asked what is the reason why the Prophet doth so much insist in pointing out Christ's Sufferings and the extremity of them that scarce almost is there one Verse but he hath in it some one or other new aggravation of them we conceive the reason of it is 1. Because there is nothing wherein the greatness of the Love of God and the kindlinesse of the Mediators condescending doth appear in this for the more He Suffered the more the Love of God shined and His condescendency kythed the more this being the great instance and demonstrative proof of the Love of God God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son As it is John 3.16 O! manifold and vastly comprehensive So what is unfolded in it Eternity will but suffice fully to unfold and this being the great instance of the Mediators condescendencie and of His commending His Love to sinners That while we were yet enemies he died for us As it is Rom. 5. The Lord loves to have this the subject of our thoughts that we may be led thereby in to the Soul-ravishing and satisfying contemplation of the Love whence it came 2. Because there is not any one thing that lyes nearer or that is readily of greater concern to Believers then to be well acquainted with Christ's Sufferings wherein the Lord would have his People spiritually perqueir and it is of their concernment in a twofold respect 1. As it is the ground of their peace Therefore He is called our Peace and a Propitiation for by being acquâ—inâ—ed with Christ's Sufferings Believers have a solid ground for their Faith whereby they discover access to peace with God to Pardon of sin and Justification the Mediator having undergone these sufferings for this end 2. As it is the ground of their Consolation considering that they have a suffering Mediator that hath payed the Price that was due by them even such an One that knows 〈◊〉 what it was to be bruised with Wrath and is therefor very tender of and compassionat towards Souls that are under challenges and apprehensions of Wrath These are sweet words which we have to this purpose 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins who was content to Suffer and Satisfie for them O! consider then what ye are doing when ye read of His sufferings for the very Marrow of the Gospel and the Life of the Consolation of the People of God lyes here 2. From these words Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Observe That the Lord Jehovah had the main and principal hand in all the Sufferings of this Innocent Mediator It was not the Jews nor the Scribes and Pharisees nor Pilat but it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief As is clear Act. 4.27 28. Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done In all that they did they were but doing that which was carved out before in the Eâ—ernal Counsel of God and therefore Peter sayes Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinat
Kindly Warmness in the Heart to Him again even till the Soul be put in a Holy Low or Flame of Love to Him more of this Love would make Christ and the Gospel much more Sweet and would make every one of these words that expresseth His Love in His Sufferings to be like Marrow and Fatness and would also make the Promises to be like Breasts full of Consolation It would withall cause that there would not be such mistakes of Christ nor such gaddings and whorings from Him and such preferrings of Idols to Him as alace there are Where this Love is not there can be no other thing that will be acceptable We shall say no more for the time but only this That we do appeal to your Consciences if there be not here an excellent and non-such Object of Love and if there be not here much reason to be in Love with that Object A very Heathen will return Love for Love and should not we much more do so in this case God Himself kindle this Love in us and make us know more the great advantages of it SERMON XLV ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Work of Redemption is a business that was very gravely and very seriously contrived and prosecuted in respect of God and of the Mediator there was much earnestness in it as to them and yet notwithstanding which is a wonder Men whom it concerns so much whose Salvation depends on it and to whom the benefit of it redounds are but very little serious in their thoughts of it Our Lord Jesus was in Travel Soul-travel sore Soul-travel to bring about this Work and that the Gospel might be Preached to Sinners that they might have thereby a ground to their Faith to expect Life and Remission of Sins through Him Is it not then sad that we should speak and hear of it and be in a manner like the stone in the wall no more or little more affected with it than if it were a matter that did not at all concern us The Reading and Hearing of these Words will doubtless be a great Conviction to secure Sinners that our Lord Jesus was at such pains and put to such sore Soul-travel and Suffering and that yet such Sinners were never stirred nor made serious to have the Application of this Purchased Redemption made to them The Scope of these Words is to shew the great inward Soul-travels Conflicts and Straits that our blessed Lord Jesus had and was put to in throughing of the Work of Redemption and in paying the Price due to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It 's a wonder that ever we should have it to speak of and that ye should hear of this Subject which is the very Text to say so and Sum of the Gospel And therefore before we leave it we shall speak a little more to the Use of it and truly if we make not use of this Doctrine we will make use of none though I confess it is a great practique how to draw it to Use and to conform ourselves in our practice to the Use of it We proposed somethings the last day which we could not then prosecute As 1. something for Exhortation 2. Something for Reproof and Expostulation which rising clearly from the Doctrine drawn from the Words we may now insist a little in them 1. For Exhortation Considering Christs Sufferings and the extremity of them and that they were undergone for Sinners we would exhort you to love Him as ye ought There is ground and warrand here to require it of you seing that Love in His bosome came to such an hight that He was content to lay down His Life yea seing He was in such a hot flame of Love that the Cup of Wrath did not quench it but His Love drank and dryed it up Greater love then this hath no man It is a most wonderfull Love considered with all the circumstances whereby it is hightened And there is ground here to excite and stir you up to give Him a kindly meeting and to welcome His Love with Love It will sure be a great shame if our Lords Love stood at nothing so that He might do the Fathers will and finish the Work committed to Him which was the perfyting of the Work of Sinners Redemption the Redeeming of His lost Sheep It every triffle or any triffle shall quench Love in our hearts to Him O! What a shame will it be in the Day of Judgement to many when this Man shall be brought forth loving this Idol and another Man loving that Idol more then Christ this Man loving his Lust that Man his Ease and another Man hâ—s Wealth or Honour and preferring them to Christ and when it shall be found that they would not quit nor part with their right Eye nor their right Hand which are not worth the name of Members being called so because they are Members of the Body of Death out of Love to Him Think Folks what they will that native impression of the obligation that lyes upon them to love Christ is wanting and that Divine and Soul-ravishing Influence that His Love should have on hearts It is true ye all think that ye love Him unless it be some of them who indeed love Him but if ye could reflect upon your selvâ—s ye would find that ye have little or no love at all to Him indeed And therefore for undeceiving of you beside what we said the last day take two or three Characters of kindly love to Christ 1. This Love is never satisfied with any degree or measure that it hath attained so as to sit down on it It hath these two things in it A desire to be further on in Love and a weightedness that it cannot win at growth in Him The loving Soul is disposed to think that it's Love to Christ is not worthy to be called Love and it breaths after it even to have it self warmed therewith to Him and to be brought to a further nearness to Him as we may see through the Song of Solomon And particularly Chap. 7. at the close There will I give thee my loves And Chap. 8. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother Kindly Love to Him puts the Soul to long for an opportunity to vent it's Love towards Him 2. Where this Love is the Soul will be as serious in praying for it that it may attain it as if it wanted it and it will be as much affected for the want of the lively exercise of it and will be as much challenged for coming short in it as it will be for any other Sin There is no benefit that it seeks more after then to have the heart circumcised to love Him and O! but it will be accounted a great benefit to get love to Christ And
War with his Corruption That is a sound Faith that makes the Sinner to make use of Christ in every thing he is called to that yoaks him I mean Christ to work on every occasion and particularly when it comes as it were to grapling and hand blows with this formidable Enemy the Body of Death this Monster whereof when one Hâ—aâ— is cut off another as it were starts up in its place For a close of this Purpose I beâ—eech and obtest such of you as are strangers to Saving Faith who are I fear far the greatest part to consider seriously all I have spoken of the nature and native evidences of it that you may be undeceived of your Soul-ruining Mistakes about it and let sincere and sound Believers from aâ—l be more cleared confirmed and comforted in their Faith SERMON XIII ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THere are many mistakes in the way of Religion wherewith the most part are possâ—ssed and amongst the rest there is one that generally the Hearers of the Gospel think it so easie to Believe that there is no difficulty in that by any thing they think it hard to Pray to keep the Sabâ—ath to be Holy but the most part think there is no difficulty in Believing and yet Unbelief is so rife and Faith so rare and difficult that the Prophet Isaiah here in his own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel crys out Lord who hath believed our report he complains that he could get but very few to take the Word off his hand and because it weighted him to find it so and because he would fain have it to take impression on his Hearers he doubles expressions to the same purpose and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed which in sum is there is much Preaching and many Hearers of the Gospel but little believing of it few in whose Heart the work of Faith is wrought It 's but here one and there one that this Gospel hath efficacy upon for uniting of them to Jesus Christ and for working a work of Saving Grace in them the effectual working of God's Grace reaches the Hearts but of a few For opening the words we shall speak a little to these three 1. To what is meant by the Arm of the Lord. 2. To what is meant by the revealing of the Arm of the Lord. 3. To the scope and dependance of these words on the former For the first In general know the Arm of the Lord is no to be understood properly the Lord being a Spirit hath no Arms Hands nor Feet as Men have But it 's to be understood figuratively as holding out some Property or Attribute of God By the Arm of the Lord then we understand in general the Power of God the Arm of Man being that whereby He exerceth His Power performeth Exploits or doth any Work So the Arm of the Lord is His Power whereby He produceth His Mighty Acts as it 's said in the Psalms The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly His hand and his arm hath got him the victory and because the Power of God is taken either more generally for that which is exerced in the Works of common Providence or more particulâ—rly for that which is put forth in the Work of Saving Grace We tâ—ke it here in short to be the Grace of God exercing its Power in and by the Gospel for the converting of Souls and causing them savingly to Believe so Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes not simply as it consists in speaking of good sweet and seasonable words but as it cometh backed by the irresistable Power of the Grace of God as the word is 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them who are called both Jews and Greeks the power of God and the wisdom of God and that it is so to be taken here the conâ—â—â—â—ion of these words with the former will make it clear for sure he is not speaking of the Power of God in the works of common Providence but of His Power in the conversion of Souls to Christ even of that Power which works Saving Faith in the Elect. For the second The revealing of the Arm of the Lord By this we do not understand the revealing of it objectively as it 's brought to light by the preaching of the Gospel for thus it 's revealed to all the Hearers of the Gospel it 's in this respect not keeped hid but brought forth clearly to them in the Word And therefore secondly The revealing of this Arm or Power of the Lord is to be understood of the subjective inward manifâ—sting of it with efficacy and life to the Heart by the effectual operation of the Spirit of the Lord as it 's said of the great things prepared for them that love God 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit it 's that which is called 1 Cor. 2. the demonstration of the spirit and of power which makes plain and powerful to the spirit of the Hearer inwardly that which the Word preacheth outwardly to the Ear which without this would strick only on the Ear and yet remain still an hidden Mystery This is the revealing of the Lord's Arm that is here spoken of because it is that on which Believing dependeth and of the want whereof the Prophet sadly complaineth even where there was much Preaching For the third to wit the Scope Dependance and connexion of these words with the former We conceive they come in both for Confirmation and for Explication of the former words 1. For Confirmation There are as hath been said but few that Believe for there are but few that have this saving and effectual work of God's Grace reâ—ching their Heart though they have the Word preached to them yet they have not the Arm of the Power of God's Grace manifested to them and so He confirms His former Doctrine concerning the paucity of Believers under the preaching of the Gospel First By asserting the fewness of them that are brought to Believe to be converted and effectually called by the Gospel which comes to pass through their own Unbelief And Secondly By asserting their fewness in respect of God's soveraign applying of His Grace in the Gospel which is but to few it 's but few that Believe for it 's but few that He makes effectual application of His Grace to 2. We say it comes in to clear and explicate the former words whether we take it by way of a Reason or of an answer to an Objection For if it be said how can it be that Isaiah Paul yea and our Lord Jesus Christ himself should preach so powerfully and yet that so few should Believe he answers it 's not to be marvelled at in respect of God as if he
sympathy from experience of these temptations vexations and sorrows as they are sinless as is clear from Heb. 2. and 4. at the close He knows what hunger thirst poverty contempt reproach and persecution are He knows what it is to be set upon with the violence of a temptation though there was no sin in him to comply with it 5. See here a most real Saviour since he is a suffering Saviour Why did our Lord become thus low But that he might come under the curse in the several degrees of it for the satisfying of Justice for our sins And see in every piece of Christs suffering a reality of the grace and love of God A reality in the Covenant and bargain of Redemption A reality in Christs satisfying of Justice and performing his ingagement according to the tenor of that transaction And seing there is a reality in this Saviour and in his suffering and satisfying of Divine Justice and in the price that he payed to the full Put not this Saviour again to open shame as the word is Heb. 6.6 Trode not the Son of God under foot neither account the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Do not despite to the Spirit of Grace as it is Heb. 10.29 He hath suffered enough already let him not be a sufferer again O! grieve him not by your unbelief but give him credit by adventuring your souls on him upon his own terms your selves will have the advantage and he the glory This is the pure simple truth of the Gospel Do not only receive it as a truth but receive him that it holds forth and let your hearts close with him and your Faith feed upon him wâ—o becâ—me poor that ye through his poverty migâ—t be made rich Happy they for evermore who are made rich through his poverty and miserable are they and mucâ— more miserable eternally will they be whose practice saith that they think they have another way to be happy then by his sufferings and satisfaction and so disdain and rejâ—ct both him and it SERMON XVIII ISAIAH LIII II III. Vers 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Vers 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IF our hearts were suitably tender the reading of these words knowing of whom they are spoken would some way prick and wound them It 's hard to determine though it may be we should not make the comparison whether there is more grace in our Lords condescendence or more wickedness and perversness in the unkind and evil meeting that he gets from sinners But surely there is much grace on the one side in his coming so low and much wickedness and perversness on the other side For what meets he with even blessed Jesus who is the glory and praise of all his Saints yea the brightness of his Fathers glory He is despised and rejected and we esteemed him not Even when he thus humbled himself and took on our nature and was and is prosecuting the work of our salvation and evidencing his grace in an inconceivable manner These are the two things that are spoken of here 1. His condescending to be a man and a mean man and which is yet more a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Which if we believed and knew really what he were that it was even he by whom all things were created who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every creature yea he for whom all things were created for whose glory the world and all things in it were made and continue He for whom all things are as their last end and through whom they are preserved in their beeing and governed in their operations and shall be seen to tend to his glory in the close we wold certainly wonder more at this his condescendence And yet alace it is he that is despised and rejected and that we hid as it were our faces from and would not give him our countenance It is he by whom the world was made that is despised and we esteemed him not And this is the second thing in the words which we are now to speak to even the abominably unsuitable meeting that men give to our Lord Jesus who hath so far condescended as to leave some way his Fathers Glory not to receive a Kingdom of this World but to be trode upon in it as a Worm He is despised and rejected and we will not intertain him nor make him welcome when he cometh We esteem him not Only take this advertisement for clearing of the words and for grounding of the Doctrine that this that is spoken of Christs Humiliation and mans stumbling at it is not precisely to be restricted to his Humiliation in his own person only and mens stumbling at that for it is given as the reason of men their stumbling and offending at Christ in all times But it is to be extended to Christ in his Gospel and Ordinances throughout all ages so it comes in as the reason why so few believe on him If ye ask the reason why men do not now believe and receive Christ in the offer of the Gospel Here it is for we esteemed him not for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant He shall be mean and contemptible-like to the men of the world and in an afflicted condition therefore he is not esteemed therefore he is not believed on These two are the main Doctrines to be spoken to here 1. That Jesus Christ who thus condescends and humbles himself for the salvation of lost sinners is not esteemed of but despised and undervalued which is implied in the words When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him and is more clearly holden out in the following words He was despised and we esteemed him not 2. That this undervaluing and little esteeming of Jesus Christ is the great ground of folks unbelief or the reason why men do not believe on him even because they think him not worthy the receiving two very clear truths in the words and in experience though as sad in their consequents As to the 1. which is this that our Lord Jesus Christ is usually and ordinarly exceedingly undervalued and little esteemed of by the men of the world to whom he is offered in the Gospel There are two things implied and supposed here in and about the Doctrine that will clear it and be as two reasons of it 1. That he hath no form nor comeliness and no beauty wherefore he should be desired which holdeth out this that men are ordinarily taken up with and seek after worldly grandour or greatness splendour and beauty that 's it that filleth mens eyes
esteemed him not even because of his lowness In the words now read and forward the Prophet sets himself to remove the offence that men took at our Lords Humiliation by shewing them that although he became so low yet he was not to be the less esteemed of for that And the ground which he layes down to remove the offence is in the first words of the Text which in sum is this that there was nothing in himself wherefore he should have been brought so low there was no sin in him neither was there any guile found in his mouth but he was graciously pleased to take on him that which we should have born and therefore men ought not to stumble and offend at his stooping to bear that which would with its weight have crushed them eternally and thereby to make their peace with God in the 6. vers he shews how it came to pass that he stooped so low All we saith he like sheep have gone astray and turned every one of us to our own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all We had lost our selves and God in the depth of his eternal wisdom love and good-will found out the way to save us wherein to speak so a Covenant was transacted betwixt God and the Mediator who becomes Cautioner for our sins which are transferred on him From the 7. vers to the 10. vers he goes on in shewing the execution of this transaction and how the Cautioner performed all according to his engagement And from the 10. vers to the close we have the promises made to him for his satisfaction The scope is as to remove the scandal of the Cross so to hold out our Lords pursuing the work of satisfaction to the Justice of God for elect sinners and the good success he had in it In the 4 and 5. verses we have three things 1. This ground asserted Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows 2. Mens enmity aggreged from this yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted In the very mean time that he condescended to stoop so low for us and to bear that which we should have born we esteemed but little of him we looked on him as a plagued man 3. This is more fully explained vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He was so handled for our sins and the chastisement of our peace was on him that which made our peace with God was on him By his stripes we are healed the stripes that wounded and killed him cured us We have here then rather as it were a sad narration then a Prophesie of the Gospel holding out a part of our Lords sufferings yet a clear foundation of the consolation of the people of God it being the ground of all our Faith of the pardon of sin of our peace with God and of our confident appearing before him that our Lord was content to be thus dealt with and to give his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair We shall clear the words in the assertion which will serve to clear the words of the whole Chapter and also of the Doctrines to be drawn from it 1. The thing that Christ bare is called griefs and sorrows by which we understand the effects that sin brings on men in the world for its the same that in the 5. vers is called his being wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity It 's a wounding that iniquity causeth and meritoriously procureth It 's not sin it self but the effect of sin to wit the punishment the sorrow and grief that sin brings with it called griefs and sorrows Partly because grief and sorrow is necessarily joyned with sin partly to shew the extremity and exceeding greatness of this grief and sorrow and the bitter fruits that sin hath with it 2. How is it said that Christ hath born and carried their griefs and sorrows By this we understand not only Christs removing of them as he removed sickness and diseases as it is said Matth. 8.16 17. But also and mainly his actual and real enduring of them as the phrase is frequently used in Scripture That man shall bear his iniquity or he shall bear his sin Levit. 5. and many other places It sees out a real inflicting of the punishment that sin deserves on him 3. That it is said our griefs and our sorrows it is not needlesly or superfluously set down but to meet with the offence that men take at Christs humbling himself so low As if he had said What aileth you to stumble at Christs coming so low and being so afflicted It was not for his own sins but for ours that he was so handled And they are called our griefs and sorrows 1. Because we by our sins procured them they were our deserving and due to us the debt was ours though he as our Cautioner took it on himself 2. Because though the Elect have distinct reckonings and peculiar sins some moe some fewer some greater some lesser yet they are all put on Christs account there is a combination of them a gathering of them all on him as the word is vers 6. He hath laid on him or made to meet on him the iniquities of us all The meaning then of the assertion is this Surely this is the cause of Christs Humiliation and this makes him not only to become Man but to be a mean poor Man and to have a comfortless and afflicted life in the World that he hath taken on him that Punishment Curse and Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and therefore he ought not to be offended and stumbled at Now because Socinians the great Enemies of Christs satisfaction and of the comfort of his People labour to elude this place and to make Christ only an exemplary Saviour and deny that he really and actually did undergo these Griefs and Sorrows for the Sins of his Elect We shall a little clear and confirm the exposition we have given the question is not about the taking away of Sin but about the manner of removing it They say that it is by Gods pardoning of it without a Satisfaction We say it is by Christs Satisfaction So the difficulty in expounding the words is whether to expound them of Christs removing our Sorrows and Griefs from us or of his bearing of them for our Sin and so really taking it away And that this Scripture means not of a simple removing of them as he did remove Sickness Matth 8.17 but by a real taking them on himself and bearing of of them in order to the satisfaction of the Justice of God for our Sins We shall give these Reasons to confirm it 1. Because these words are to be understood of such a bearing of Sorrows and Griefs as made Christ to be contemptible and despised before others This is clear from the scope for they are given as a reason
saying Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O God 3. It leads to a stayed look of Gods Holiness Justice and Goodness in exacting satisfaction of his own Son and in accepting of that satisfaction 4. It gives a right view of the way of grace and leads in to see it to be a most real thing God the offended Party accepting of the price and Christ paying it Thus the Believers Faith gets a sight of Christ satisfying as if he saw his own debt satisfied by himself It sees him undergoing the curse and justice inflicting it on him that the Believer may go free The Use is to shew the necessity of studying the well-grounded application of Christs sufferings as for us much of the reason why Christ is not more prâ—zed lies here that he is not looked on as paying our debt otherwise when challenges of the Law and of Justice take hold on the Soul if Christ were seen interposing and saying A body hast thou prepared unto me And if Justice were seen exacting Christ performing and God accepting his satisfaction and that in sign and token that Justice is satisfied he is raised from the dead justified in the Spirit and is entered in possession of Glory as Believers fore-runner in their name it would afford precious and lovely thoughts of Jesus Christ and humbling thoughts of our selves Therefore there is a necessity if we would consider his sufferings aright and prize and esteem him that we endeavour to make particular application of them to our selves on good grounds 2. Upon the other hand know ye who have no ground to make this application that ye cannot esteem aright of him or his sufferings nor of the grace that shined in them because ye have no title to nor can while such have any clearness of interest in them 3. For you that would fain have a high esteem of Christ and yet are all your days casting at this foundation never think nor expect to win rightly to esteem of him so long as ye scarr to make application of his purchase And therefore that ye may love and praise him and esteem rightly of him labour to come up to the making of this application on solid and approved grounds 4. More particularly from this part of the aggravation Yet we esteemed him stricken smitten of God and afflicted We have a fourfold confirmation of truth or four precious truths confirmed 1. That our Lord Jesus in his sufferings did really suffer and was really brought low in his sufferings so as on-lookers thought him a most despicable man and one that was stricken and smitten of God and â—fflicted Of this we spoke on the beginning of the 4. verse 2. We have here an evidence of the exceeding great freeness of grace and of the love of Christ in his sufferings in so far as he bare their sorrows and payed their debt that counted him smitten There was no good thing in us to deserve or procure his sufferings But most freely he under-went these sufferings and undertook our debt Rom. 5.8 God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And v. 10. While we were yet enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son Can there be a greater proof of infinite and free love then appears in our Lords sufferings There was not only no merit on our side but on the contrary despising rejâ—cting being ashamed of him reproaching him kicking against him and rubbing of affâ—onts on him Paul and others having their hands hot in his blood Use 1. Consider here behold and wonder at the free love of God and rich condescending love of Christ he stands not at the Barr and prays for them that were praying him to pray for them But as it is in the end of the Chapter it was for transgressours It was even for some of them that were seeking to take away the life of the Prince of Life and for other transgressours 2. Know that in them to whom the benefite of Christs death is applied there is no more worth then there is in others who do not share of the benefite of it It 's the opinion not only of Hereticks but some way of many ignorant Professors That these for whom Christ died were better then others But here we see a proof of the contrary He dies for them that accounted him smitten of God And this he doth for two reasons 1. To shew the riches and freedom of his grace that could overcome mans evil and malice and outreach the hight of the desperat wickedness that is in man and that that stands not to speak so on stepping-stones but comes over the greatest gulfs of sin and enmity in the creature 2. To comfort encourage his followers when engaged to him against and out over their grossest failings and greatest miscarriages He that loved them when they were despising and rejecting him and spitting in a manner in his very face Will he now give up with them when they have some love to him for this or that corrupâ—ion that stirreth or breaketh forth in them Thus the Apostle reasons Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life We were enemies when Christ gave himself for us but thorow grace we are somewhat better now Enmity and despite in us was then at an hight now it is weakned restrained and in some measure mortified And if while we were at the hâ—ght of enmity against him he died for us to reconcile us to God How much more now being reconciled may we expect peace and safetie and all the benefits of his purchase thorow him Thus there is a notable consolation from this bent of malice that was sometime in us compared with the victory that grace hath now gotten over it and the gradation is alwayes comfortable to wit that these lusts that once did reign and were without any gracious opposition made to them or any protestation entered against them prevailing it may be publickly are now opposed and protested against And if Christ stood not on the greater will he stand on the lesser And our Lord allows this sort of reasoning so much the more that he may thereby strongly engage the heart of the believer against sin and to the admiring of grace and withall to the serious study of holiness 3 It serves to let you know how much ye Believers are engaged and obliged to Grace and what thanks you owe to it 1. Look to what satisfies for your debt ye pay not one farthing of it our Lord Jesus payed all 2. Look to the moving cause it 's to be attributed to nothing in you but altogether to free grace Some poor Dyvour may by his pleading prevail with an able and pitiful-hearted man to pay his debt But there was no such externally moving cause in you
truth and that Paul lived in the faith and feeling of it then judge if there be not just ground to expostulate with most part of you as being yet without the faith and feeling of this moâ— concerning thing The 3â— Use of it serves wonderfully to set forth the glory of the free and rich Grace of God that all this business is made and this transaction entered into that Christ comes to satisfie and doth actually satisfie Justice for a number of such wretches that had gone astray like lost sheep This comes in as he scope we have strayed done the wrong but he hath payed the debt satisfied for the wrong done and from comparing this v. with the foregoing we may take these five Considerations that serve to heighten the glory of Gods Grace and Free-love and to shame Believers that are so little in wondring at it 1. Who is smitten his own Son we sinned and he was smitten even he who was and is the Fathers fellow the Sword awakes against him and we go free 2. What did our Lord suffer He was wounded and bruised the chastisement of our peace was on him he laid on him the iniquity of us all It was not a complemental or fashional suffering but he was arraigned before the Tribunal of Justice and did really pay our Debt and satisfie Justice for our Sins 3. Who exâ—ctâ—d this Satisfaction who did smite him It 's the Lord Jehovah it 's the Father which makes the glory of Grace shine the more It 's God the Father whose Heart was tender to the Son of his love that exâ—cts the full price of him so that as he said of Abraham By this I know that thou lovest me because thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only son Isaac from me we may say by this we know God's love to the Elect when he hath not withheld nor spared his own Son from them but hath laid on him the iniquities of them all 4. For whom did he smite him for Sinners for straying Sheep for Covenant-breakers for such as had gone a whoring from God and were bent to sin against him I mean the Elect. 5. When was it that he suffered for them even when they were straying rejecting despising nodding the head at him spitting in his face and saying away with him even then he is praying and dying for them Now put all these together that such a price shall be exacted of such a Cautioner and for such Sinners and at such a time behold see therein how God commends his love to us as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.8 In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us when we were in our sin not praying to him nor in capacity to pray or give him thanks for any thing that he did or suffered he then died for us Is there any thing here but freedom of Grace and does not this exceeding highly commend the love of God that he exacts the Debt due by us of his Son and the wonderful love of the Mediator and Cautioner that at such a time and for such transgressions he should pay such a price Use 4. Seing this was our state that we were Sinners and that yet herein was the love of God commended that he laid oâ— his Son the iniquity of us all then is there not good ground to take with Sin and to make use of the Remedy to take with Sin and to close with Christ We might take occasion here to exhort 1. To Watchfulness and to walking soberly and humbly from this ground that we have such a Nature 2. To exhort every one to Repentance because by Nature ye are all in such a sinful state and condition â—t may be ground of exercising Repentance even long after your justification and peace made with God who are justified with whom it should be as we see it was with David But 3ly Seing by Nature ye are under God's Wrath and Curse and in a state of enmity with him it mainly serves to exhort you to flee unto Jesus Christ and not to rest till ye gâ—t the quarrel taken away It might be in reason thought that Folks would be soon and easily induced to this even to run unto Jesus Christ and to welcome the Gospel with good will for preventing the Curse and Wrath due to them for sin and for subduing of this sinful nature and inclination to stray from God and his Way Therefore seing there is a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness since there is a satisfaction given to Justice for removing the guilt of sin since the Spirit is purchased for mortifying of sin making holy let as many as think that they have gone astray and have turned to their own way as they would not be found still at this distance with God make use of Christ for making their friendship with God it 's the word that Peter useth 1 Pet. 2. ult All we like sheep have gone astray but we are now turned unto the shepherd and bishop of our souls hold O hold you near this Shepherd and make use of his Righteousness for making your Peace If we could rightly understand the words we would see in them 1. A Motive to put us on to believing in Christ and can there be a greater motive then necessity We have sinned and gone astray he is the only Saviour there is no other name given under Heaven whereby Sinners can be saved 2. There is also in them an Encouragement to Believing It was for Sinners such as we are that Jesus Christ suffered all that he suffered which may be ground of hope and encouragement to step forward and if neither our need nor Christ's being a Saviour willing to make Sinners welcome will prevail we know not what will do it It will turn to this and ye will be put to it Whether are ye Sinners and if Sinners whether is it not a desperate thing to ly under Sin and Wrath If ye be not Sinners we have no warrand to propose this Doctrine to you to invite or make you welcome to a Saviour but if ye grant that ye are Sinners will ye contentedly ly under Sin will ye be able to bear it out against God or think ye that ye will be well enough for all that and if ye dare not resolve to ly under Sin I would ask what way will ye win from it think ye it easie to win from under it must not the Justice of God be satisfied some of you think that ye can pray your selves out of Sin but what need was there of Christs sufferings if a satisfaction might have been made to Justice another way and if none but Christ can satisfie it turns to this that by all means ye would make use of him else ye will most certainly drown and die in your sins And this is the thing that we would commend to you that under the sense of sin and in the faith of Gods condescending
it down for either the Elect behoved to die or he himself and since it is so as if he said then behold here is my life take it and I will lay it down that they poor things may go free and therefore does my Father love me says he because I lay down my life for my sheep not because it 's taken from me against my will but because I wiâ—lingly and of my self lay it down and when he is brought before Pilate and Herod and they lay many things to his charge Mat. 26.63 and Mark 15. He held his peace so that it 's said that Pilate marvelled Mark 15. he knew that he could not but have much to say for himself as all men in such a case use to have but he answered nothing or as it 's in the Text yet he opened not his mouth the reason was because he would not divert the course of Justice nor mar the Lords design in the work of the Elects Redemption through his death and sufferings He came not into the world to accuse Pilate or the Jews and to justifie himself though now and then for the conviction of enemies and for his own necessary clearing he did let a word fall but being engaged for the Elect he wil needs perform all that Justice called for And in this willingness he hath a respect to two things 1. To the Fathers satisfaction for his willing suffering is that which makes it a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to him 2. To the Elects consolation that they may know thâ—y had a willing Saviour that had no necessity laid on him to satisfie but satisfiâ—d willingly And from these two arises a third even the glory of the Mediators satisfaction for herein his love to the Elect shines brightly I lay down my life for my sheep this is the heart-waâ—ming commendation of his sufferings that with delight and pleasure he underwent them as if he had been purchasing a kingdom to himself Now to come to the Use of all these Doctrines when they with the things contained in them are laid together we profess we cannot tell you what excellent Uses they yield Would to God we were all in such a frame as the Eunuch was in when he read this Scripture as tâ—e divine History gives us an account Acts 8. ver 32. and forward who when Philip had begun to preacâ— to him on this excellent suâ—ject was so taken that before the Sermon or Discourse was at an end be ng holily impatient at any longer delay he says to Philip Here is water what hinders me to be baptized I say again would to God we were all in such a frame and that this were the fruit of such a Doctrine as this to many of you nay to all of you Use 1. Wonder Believers at the extensiveness and infinitness of the Grace of God and at the heart-affecting and soul-ravishing love of the Mediator at Grace in God that spared the Debtor and exacted payment from the Cautioner the Son of his love at love in the Mediator that payed so much and so willingly and cheerfully If any subject of thoughts be pertinent for us while we are about to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper certainly this were pertinent concerning a crucified Christ in stating himself in our room to pay our Debt and doing this of his own accord without the solicitation or interposing of any Creature and doing it withall so frankly and cheerfully Was ever the like of this love heard tell of for one and more especially for such a one to suffer so much and so cheerfully unrequired we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this great and sweet Truth that he had never better will nay never so good will to eat his Dinner then and as he had to suffer and satisfie Justice for you though at a dear rate He says John 4. It was his meat to do the fathers will that sent him and to finish his work Have ye suitable thoughts of his love when ye read the Gospel have ye in the Word seen him standing before Pilate in your room not answering when he is accused and Pilate marvelling at his silence and did Pilate marvel knowing and being convinced of his innocency and have ye never marvelled or marvelled but very little sure your little marvelling at his silence is the more sadly marvellous that the cause of his silence when he was charged with your iniquities with such and such a piece of your miscarriage with such a vain and roaving heart with such a wanton look with such a profane or idle word of yours with the horrid sin of your having so abused slighted and neglected him c. that the cause I say of his silence at such a terrible accusation and charge and not vindicating of himself or saying these faults miscarriages and transgressions are not mine as he might have done was pure love to you O! is not this strange and yet most true wonder then more at it Use 2. Here is strong consolation to Believers and wonderful wisdom in the rise and convey of it in uniting Justice and Love out of which the consolation springs Justice exacting upon and distressing the Son of God and he satisfying Justice so fully that though all the Elect had satisfied eternally in Hell it had not been made to shine so splendidly and gloriously Justice also on the Mediators side in yielding and giving satisfaction though it should oppress and break Soul and Body And yet love both on the Father and Mediators side on the Fathers side love in finding out this way of satisfaction to his own Justice when there was no cure but by wounding of his own Son and yet he was content rather to wound him than that the Elect should suffer and be wounded eternally and love on the Mediators side who willingly yields and undergoes their Debt and will not hide his face from shame and spitting what may not the Believer expect from God when he spared not his own Son for him and what may he expect from Christ who spared not himself for his sake and who is that good Shepherd that laid down his life for the Sheep and held his tongue and quarrelled not with those that smote him will he quarrel with a poor Sinner coming to him and pleading for the benefite of satisfaction no certainly but as the word is Zeph. 3.17 He will rest in his love or as the word signifies He will be silent or dumb in his love he will not upbraid thee nor cast up thy former miscarriages he will not say reproachfully to thee where wast thou so long playing the Prodigal he is better content with thy recovery than ever he was discontent or ill-pleased with all the wrong thou didst unto him Use 3. This word of Doctrine lays down the ground whereupon a sinner sensible of sin may build his expectation of peace with God The transaction concluded and agreed upon is the ground of his coming
Consider these sweet words Rom. 5.10 If he died for us while we werâ— yet enemies how much more shall we be saved by his life I shall close this discourse with these two words the 1. whereof is for encouragement If there be any body here that would fain have Christs love and partake of his death Take courage seing our Lord out of the great desire he had to promove the Salvation of sinners Gave him self to death and to the grave will he not willingly make application of his purchase to them when they seek it That he was willing to undergo all this is a far greater matter then to welcome a sinner coming home to him And if he did all that he did for this very end will he stand on it when it comes to the application The 2d word is that this is and will be a ground of conviction to all who think little of our blessed Lord Jesus and of his love and who will not part with a base lust for him and who will not make choise of him but will refuse reject undervalue and despise him with all that he hath done and suffered it will exceedingly aggravat your condemnation that when he was so willing to die for the good of sinners ye were not willing to live for his satisfaction Think on it O! think seriously on it These things are the truths of God and the main truths of the Gospel that ly very near the ingaging of hearts to Christ And if such truths do you no good none other readily will God give us the Faith of them SERMON XXXIV ISAIAH LIII IX Vers 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had doâ—e no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth THis is a most wonderful Sujâ—ct that we have to think and sâ—eak of which concerns the â—uffâ—rings that our blessed Lord was pleased to undergo for sinnâ—rs And this makes it to be the more wonderful â—hen we consider what he was made and what his carriage was He was numbered with the transgressours and gave his grave with the wiâ—ked And yet he hath this teâ—â—imony that there was no violence in his hands nor any deceit in his mouth He was a sinless Mediator not only before men but before God These words considered in themselvâ—s hold out a little sum and short compend of an holy walk most perfectly and exactly fulfilled in the conversation of Jesus Christ He had done no violence or there wâ—s no violence in his hands that is there was no sinful deed contrary to the Law of God in all his practice and walk And there was no deceit or no guile in his mouth that is no sinful or deceiâ—ful expression Ioâ—um neither in deed nor in word was there sin in him He did wrong to none by his deeds and he deceived no body by his words This guile or deceit as it looks to the first Table of the Law imports th t there was no falshood nor corrupt Doctrine in his Ministry He did not beguile nor seâ—uce the souls of any in leading them wrong And as it looks to the second Table of â—he Law more immediatly it imports that he was sincere and upright that there was no deceit no violence or disâ—embling in his carriage so that whether we look to him â—s God's publick Servant in the Ministry or to him in his privat walk he was compleatly innocent and without all sin as the word is 1 Pet 2 22 Who did no sin neither was guile â—ound in his mouth However men accounted of him he was an innocent and sinless Saviour If we look on them as they depend on the former words they are a reason of that diffâ—rence which in his death and buriaâ— God did put betwixt him and others Though he was by wicked men put to death as a wicked person yet God in his providence so ordered the matter that he was honourably buried with the rich Why so Tâ—is is the reason of it because though they esteemed him a false Prophet and a Decâ—iver a Wine-bibber c. Yet he had done no wrong to any neither by word nor by deed and therefore God would have that respect puâ— on him after his death in his burial and so a remarkable difference to be made betwixt him and others Observe hence 1. That our Lord Jesus the High Priest of our profession that laid down his life for sinners is compleatly and perfectly holy He hath thâ—t testimony from the Prophet here that He did no violence neither was there any deceit in his mouth He hath this testimony from the Apostles from Peter 1 â—et 2.22 He did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth From John 1. John 3 5 He was manifested to take away sin and in him is no sin And from Paul Heb. 7.27 He was holy and harmless and undefiled separate fâ—om sinners In this respect there is a difference betwixt him and all men in the world And iâ— wâ—s necessary and requisite for Believers consolation that it should be so It became us saith the Apostle to have such an High Priest 1. If we consider the excellency of his person he could not be otherwise being God and Man in one Person and having the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily 2. It was necessary if we consider the end of his Offices he being to offer up an acceptable Sacrifice to God behoved to be holy and harmless otherwise neither the Priest nor the Sacrifice could have been acceptable 3. It was necessary if we consider the dignity of his Office It behoved him to differ from the former Priests under the Law And if he had not been without sin he should not have so differed from them 4. It was necessary for the persons for whom he undertook these Offices Such a High Priest became them and another could not have done their turn All these we will find to be put together Heb. 7.26 27. Where the Apostle having said vers 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God through him subjoyns For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher then the heavens who needeth not daily as these high Priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sin of the people The most holy of all the Priests had sins for which they behoved to offer Sacrifices and so had the holiest of the pople but Christ was holy and blameless and had no sin and it behoved him to be so As I said just now his sacrifice could never have been accepted for others if he had needed to offer up sacrifices for himself The Uses are these Not to speak how it vindicats our Lord Jesus Christ from all these aspersions cast upon him by wicked men who called him a Glutton a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners a Deceiver c. He
with you either think on the right way which is by putting Christ in in your Room and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest or dream not of coming to Heaven A 2d Sort are they who are not altogether so prophane as the others but will condemn them as indeed the practice of many is loathsome they will it may be Pray in their Families and will not be Drunk neither will they Swear nor Lye and they will walk blamelesly and upon these grounds they promise Heaven to themselves very confidently and yet they come not through the sense of their sinfull and cursed State by Nature to close with Christ by Faith and to make use of His Sacrifice such err on the other hand Oh! when shall we be at this not to neglect the study of Holiness and yet not to rest on it to the prejudice of this one Offering This were a a practice suitable to and worthy of Professors of the Gospel to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God on the Sacrifice of Christ alone never coming to God without bring it along with them and looking through it to be accepted before Him there n eds no more and no other thing that we can bring will do our turn nor be taken off our hand if this be neglected The Lord Himself teach us this way SERMON XXXVII ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHat ever the Men of the World think of it it is not an easie matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men by Sin have drawn on themselves removed Offerings of Bullocks and Goats thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it the Redemption of the Soul is so precious that it ceaseth for ever that way and by all such Means Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended that His own dear Son His Fellow shall as a Lamb without Spot be a Sin-offering to take away the Sins of His Elect World and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ as making Himself therein an Offâ—ring for Sin and interposing Himself to satisfie Divine Justice that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to the last day was this That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin can be taken away and God so Satisfied as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner and to admit him to Peace and Friendship with Him If we would Enumerat all things imaginable and Invent Wayes and Means without number to remove Sin or to make a Sinners Peace with God there is no other Means but this that will do it As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself perfects for ever these who are sanctified and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved but the name of Jesus The Use is To Commend and to Demonstrat to us all the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ if He be the one Offering to take away Sin and if no other will be accepted then there is a necessity that He in His Offering of Himself be made use of If all be under Sin and if by the Law Sin and Death be knit inseperably together as it is said the wages of sin is death and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath and Peace with God be necessary then there is a necessity that Sinners be serious in this matter to get a Title to and Interest in this one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ In the prosecuting of the Use we shall speak a little to these four things 1. To some Grounds or Reasons to shew the Necessity of Sinners use making of Christ's Sacrifice or Offering 2. To this what it is to make use of this Offering 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement as to some mistakes that are about it 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters or Evidences of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering for obtaining of Pardon and for making of this Peace with God For the First That is the Reasons to evince the necessity of it The 1. of them is that which we hinted at just now If Men were not lying under Sin and obnoxious to Wrath and if there were any other Sin-offering or any other Way or Mean to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin there were no such necessity But seing that all Men are under Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath because of it and seing there is no other thing that can take away Sin then there is an absolute necessity seriously to make use of and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering 2. Consider that the great part of Men in the World and even of them that hears this Gospel do not indeed make use of this Offering though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin and we suppose if ye were all put to it ye could not deny but ye are Sinners and that nothing can take away Sin but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice Though some be that grosly ignorant that they will speak of some other thing yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel are under a Conviction that no other thing can take away Sin and yet even amongst these there are many that never make use of Christ and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins to remove Wrath and make their Peace with God There were many Jews who by the dayly Sacrifices which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ were taught that there was no other way to come by Pardon and Peace with God but there use making of it and yet the most part of them in going about these Sacrifices were slighters of this one Sacrifice Therefore the Apostle sayes of them Rom. â—0â— â—3 That being ignorant of Gods righteousness they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God It is as certain that many that hear this Gospel and professe Christ to be the only Sin-offering will be disowned of Him on this account Therefore many are brought in saylng Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence to whom He will say depart from me I never knew you ye workers of iniquity Because as if He had said what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God through
to be at Christ and yet wots not if He will hold out the Golden Scepter Behold this Text doth hold it out to such and bids them come in boldly for Christ makes them welcome yea the Lord Jehovah makes them welcome It 's the Fathers and Christ's delight that thou come foreward If there be a Doctrine in all the Scripture Sweet it 's this and without thâ—s no Preaching nor point of Truth would be Sweet I say without this to wit That God hath not only provided a Price and makes Offer of it but is well content that it be made use of yea and is delighted that a Sinner dead in himself Trust and Concredit himself to the Mediator for obtaining of Life through Him And can there be any Question of this For 1. If it had not been the Lord Jehovah His delight why then did He make such a Covenant Why did He as it were part and suâ—der with the Son of Hâ—s Love Why did He accept of a Cautioner And why Tansferred He on His own Son and exacted of Him the Debt that was due by â—lect Sinners and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him If He had not had a great delight in the Salvation of Sinners would He have taken that way to Smite the only Son of His Love to spare them And if it had not been the Sons Pleasure would He with such delight have undertaken and done the Fatâ—ers will in Reference to their Salvation Lo I come saith He I delight to do thy will O my God It was the Fathers will and He had a delight in it And it was the Sons will and delight and He came and according to His undertaking laid down His Life 2. Wherefore else are all the Promises and Encouragements that are given to Sinners to believe as that of Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy loaden c. And that 2 Cor. 5.20 Wâ—ere both are put together We are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Ministers press you you in the Name of God and by vertue of a warrand from Him to be Reconciled and they have Christ's warrand in a more peculiar manner as the great Prophet of His Church to tell you it 's a thing the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator have Pleasure in even in this that ye should be reconciled 3. Wherefore are the many expostulations with Sinners that they will not come unto Christ for Life That they will not be gathered that when he streatches out his hands all the day long they will not behold him c. Do not all these Confirm this Truth that there is nothing He is better pleased with then with a Sinners coming to Christ for Life Let me therefore beseech you by the Love that ye pretend to Jesus Christ and in His Name and in the Name of Jehovah obtest you be ye Reconciled to God in Christ let Him have Satisfaction Let this pleasure be done to the Lord even to receive Life from Him This is no hard nor hurtfull no unreasonable nor rigid Request I am sure all that He requires of you is that ye would come to Him and get Life O! if we could but suitably apprehend this to be that which the Lord aims at in this Preached Gospel that we might to speak so with Reverence put an Obligation on the Majesty of God in making sure in this His own way the Salvation of our own Souls and that we could not do Him a better turn But I pray take the Expressions Right for we cannot set forth His Love but in our own Language which comes infinitely far short of the thing we could not find in our hearts to refuse to grant such a loving and highly rational a requist As it is sure then upon the one side that we cannot do that which will please Him better So it 's as sure on the other side that we cannot do that which will displease Him more then to slight His Counsell in this Though we would give our Bodies to be burnt and all our Goods to the Poor He will not count it a pleasure done Him if this be not done We would look upon this as low Condescendencie and great Grace in the Lord that He seeks no more of us but the making sure Eternal Life to our selves as that which will be most pleasing to Him It 's even as if a Son should say to his Father Father what will please thee And as the Father should say to his Son Son have a care of thy self and that will please me Because by our so doing He reacheth His great End to wit the glorifying of His Grace and Love which Sinners by their unbelief do what in them lyeth to marr and obstruct If we could speak seriously to you in this matter it might be a Text to speak on every day Always seing He hath purchased Redemption to Sinners at a dear Rate And all that He requires of you is to close with Him and to seek after the Application of His Purchase We again earnestly pray you be ye reconciled to God and take heed that ye receive not this Grace in vain What can ye do that will be pleasing to God or profitable to your selves without this Or what Fruit of the Gospel can be brought forth when this Fruit is not brought forth If Jesus Christ in His Offices get not imployment and if His Offering be not fled to for making of your Peace We may in Consideration of this great and grave Subject go from the Congregation partly Refreshed that there is such a Doctrine to be spoken of though we cannot Alas speak of it suitably And partly afraid least we be found as far as we can thuarting with and running Crosse unto God's good Will and Designe in it notwithstanding all the Favour and Grace He hath made Offer of to us It were good that we carried serious Meditation on this Subject along with us SERMON XLIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THis is a great Work that the Mediator hath to do a great Price that He hath to lay down for the satisfying of Divine Justice and for redeeming of the lost Elect Now what shall He have for all the travell of His Soul Here it is answered and the Terms of the Covenant of Redemption again compended as for the Effects and Fruits of His Death spoken of in the close of the former Verse He shal prolong his days That being spoken to on the matter from Verse 8. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Being spoken to by another lately in your hearing and in part by us John 17.4 And from verse 10. Now read over again we shall forbear further speaking to them
to the curse of God for the transgressing of His Law which had said The soul that sins shall die and cursâ—d is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elects Cautioner and to satisfie for their Debt whereby he steps into their room takes on their Debt And as the word is 2 Cor. 5. ult Becomes sin for them Is content to be lyable to and to be pursued by Justice for their Debt and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the Persons of the Elect for whom the Cautioner stands good yet in respect of the Curse and Death due to them there is no relaxation but the same thing due to them is laid on Him as it is Gal. 3. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us In every thing He was put to pay the equivalent for making up the Satisfaction due to Justice and these two being put together that Elect Sinners were obnoxious to Wrath and that our Lord came in their Room He behoved to be put to sad and sore Soul-suffering 3. Consider God's end in the Work of Redemption which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending Grace and Mercy in exacting of satisfaction from the Cautioner and in setting the Sinner free that His Grace may be so Glorified as their shall be a proof given of His Justice and Soveraignity going along with it and Infinit Wisdom being set on Work to glorifiâ— infinit Grace and Justice there is a necâ—ssity for the promoving of this end that the Mediator shall thus satisfie and the more full the Satisfaction be the more conspicuously do the Grace and Justice of God shine forth and are Glorified according to that word Rom 3.26 To declare his righteousnâ—ss that he might be just and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus This is the end of Christ's being made a Propitiation that God may be manifested to be Spotlesse and Pure in His Justice as well as Free and Rich in His Mercy and Grace who having given a Law to Man will not acquite the transgression thereof without a condigne Satisfaction 4 Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfie Justice for Sin that it 's more to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of one Person which all the Angells in Heaven and Men on Earth cannot do and therefore the punishment of the Damned in Hell is drawn out to Eternities length and yet there is never a Compleat Equivalent Satisfaction made to Justice but it is most of all to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of all the Elect who though they be few in comparison of the Reprobat World yet simply considered they are many yea even innumerable And our Lord having taken all their Sins on Him He is peremptorly required to satisfie for them all And if this withall be added that He is to satisfie for all the Sins of all the Elect at once in a very short time and hath the Curse and Wrath of God due to them Mustered and Marshaled in Batallie against Him and as it were in a great Body in a most formidable manner marching up towards Him and seriously charging Him and all the Wrath which they should have drunken through all Eternity which yet would never have been drunk out nor made the less put in one Cup and propined to Him as the Word is Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way The Wrath of God running like an impetuous River must be drunk up at once and made dry by Him These being put together do clearly and convincingly shew that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable Soul-travell and Suffering that our Lord Jesus was put to The Use of this Doctrine is large and the 1. Use is this Tâ—at ye would take it for a most certain Truth which the Scriptures doth so Frequently and Significantly hold forth That our Lord Jesus in performing the Work of Redemption had much sad Soul-travell and sorrow The Faith of this is very usefull to demonstrat the great love of God and of the Mediator For doubtless the more Suffering be undergone by the Mediator the more love Kythes therein to the Elâ—ct 2. It serves to hold out the Soveraignity and Justice of God and the horribleness of Sin 3. In respect of God's People it 's usefull that they may be through and clear in the Reality and Worth of Christ's Satisfaction He having no other End in it but to satisfie Justice for their Sin 4. It 's usefull to shew the Vanity and Emptinesse of Mens Supposed and Fancied Merits and of any thing that can be alleadged to be in Mans Suffering or doing for the satisfying of Divine Justice seing it drew so deep on Christ the Cautioner And here two gross Errours come to be Refuted and Reprobated One of the Socinians who seek quite to overturn Christ's Satisfaction And another of the Papists that minish His Satisfaction and Extenuat and Derogat from the great Priviledge of the Pardon of Sin as if any thing could procure it but this Satisfaction of Christ by His Soul-travell both which are aboundantly refuted by this Text. But to speak a word more particularly to the First For clearing of which ye will ask What could there be to affect the Holy Humane Soul of our Lord Or what was that wherein His Soul-sufferings did consist But before we speak to this we would premit this Word of Advertisement in the entry That there are two sorts of Punishments or Penal Effects of Sin The 1. Sort are such as are simply Penal and Satisfying as proceeding from some extrinsick cause The 2d sort are sinfull One Sin in the Righteous Judgement of God drawing on another And this proceeds not simply from the nature of Justice but from the nature of a meer sinfull Creature and so from an intrinsick cause of a Sinful Principle in the Creature Now when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Christ which He was put to in Satisfying for the Sins of the Elect We mean of the former that is Sufferings that are simply Penall For there was no intrinsick Principle of Corrupt Nature nor ground of Chalâ—enge in Him as there is in Sinfull Creatures And therefore we are to conceive of His Soul-sufferings as of some thing inflicted from without and are not to conceive of them as we do of Sinfull Creatures or that have Sin in them whereof he was altogether free Having premitted this we shall speak a little to these two 1. To that wherein this Soul-suffering did not consist 2. To that wherein it did consist For the former wherein it was not 1. We are not to suppose or imagine any actuall separation betwixt His God-head and His Man-head as if there had been an interruption of the Personall Union not so for the Union of the
two Natures in one Person remains still He was God and Man still though as was hinted before there was a Suspension of such a Measure at least of the sensibly Comforting Influence of the Divine Nature from the Humane as had wont to be let out thereto And yet there was even then a sustaining Power flowing from the God-head that Supported Him so that He was not swallowed up of that which would have quite and for ever swallowed up all Creatures as is evident in this crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Which shewes that though the Union and Relation stood firm yet a comfortable Influence was much restrained 2. There was no sinfull Fretting no Impatiencie nor carnal Anxiety in our Lord all along His Sufferings for He did most willingly undergo them and hâ—d a kindly submission in them all As is evident by these Words But for this cause came I into this hour And not my will but thy will be done 3. There was not in H m any distrust of Gods Love nor any unbelief of His Approbation before God neither any the least Dâ—ffidence as to the Out-gate For in the Sadest and Sharpest of all His Conflicts He was clear about His Fathers Love to Him that the Relation stood firm and that there would be a Comfortable Out-gate as His Prayer before shews wherein He styles God Father And these hardest like Words uttered by Him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me do also shew wherein twice over He confidently asâ—â—rts His Interest My God my God Though He was most terribly Assaulted yet the Tentation did not prevaill over Him 4. Neither are we to conceive that there was any inward Confusion Challenge or Gnawing of Conscience in Him such as is in Desperat Sinners cast under the Wrath of God Because there was no inward cause of it nor any thing that could breed it yea even in that wherein He was Cautioner He was clear that He was doing the Fathers will and finishing the Work that was committed to Him and that even under the greatest Apprehensions of Wrath Therefore all such things are to be guarded against in our Thoughts least otherwayes we reflect upon our Innocent and Spotless Mediator But 2. To speak a Word to that wherein it doth consist 1. It did consist as we hinted before in the God-head's Suspending it's Comfortable Influence for a time from the Humane Nature Though our Lord had no Culpable Anxiety yet He had a Sinlesse Fear considering Him as Man and that the infinit God was Angry and Executing Angryly the Sentence of the Law against Him Though He was not angry at Him considered as in Himself but as He stood in the room of the Elect as their Cautioner of whom He was to exact the Payment of their Debt and could not but be in a wonderfull amazment as the Word is Mark 14.33 He was sore amazed And Heb. 5.7 It 's said when he had offeâ—ed up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears unto him that was able to save him from death he was heard in that which he feared Which looks to His wrestling in the Garden 2. He had an inexpressible sense of grief not only from the petty outward Afflictions that He was under which may be called petty comparatively though they were very great in themselves but also from the Torrent of Wrath flowing in on His Soul That Cup behoved to have a most bitter Relish and an inconceivable Anguish with it when He was a drinking of it as appeared in His Agony O! â—s He was Pained and Pinched in His Soul The Soul being especially sensible of the Wrath of Goâ— 3 It consisted in a sort of wonderfull Horrour which no question the marching up to say so of so many mighty Squadrons of the highly provoked Wrath of God and making so Furious and Formidable an Assault on the Innocent Humane Nature of Christ that considered simply in it's self was a finit Creature behoved necessarily to be attended with Hence He prayes Father if it be possible let this cup depart from me Intimating that there was a Sinless Loathness and a holy Abhorrence to middle with it and to adventure upon it Though we have not Hearts rightly to conceive nor Tongues suitable to express those most exquisite Sufferings yet these things shew that our Lord Jesus was exceedingly put to it in His Holy Humane Soul The 2 Use Serves to stir us up to wonder at the Love of God the Father that gave His own Son and exacted the Elect's Debt of Him and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him And to wonder at the Love of the Son that ingadged to be surety for them And humbled Himself so Low to lift them up It was wonderfull that He should stoup to become Mâ—n and to be a poor Man and to die but more that He should come this length as to be in an Agony of Soul and to be so tossed with a Tempest of Terrible Wrath though He was not capable of Tossing as meer Creatures are This being well considered would highten exceedingly the praise of Grace in the Church and very much warm the Hearts of Sinners to Him And for pressing this Use a little and for provocking to Holy Wondering at this Love consider these Four 1. Who it was that suffered tâ—us Even He that was without guile He that was Gods delight His Fatheâ—s Fellow the express image of his person He thâ—t made all things and who will one Day be Judge of all Iâ—'s even He that thus Suffered 2. Whâ—t He Suffered even the Wrath of God and the Wrath of God in such a Degree and Measure as was equivalent to all that the Elect should have Suffered Eternally in Hâ—ll which presseth forth from Him these expressions which we hinted at before 3. For whom all this was which makes it appear to be yet more wonderfull It was for a number of lost straying sheep That were turned every one to his own way as it is verse 6. For Dyvours and debauched Bankerupts that were Enemies to and in Tops with Him Some of them Spitting in His Face some of them upon the Consultation of taking away His Life as may be gatherâ—d from Acts 2. Yea take the best of them for whom He suffered even those whom He took to the Garden with Him to be Witnesses of His Agony and we will find them sleeping when He is in the hight of it and is thereby cast into a Top Sweat of Blood and out of Case to Watch and bear Burden with Hâ—m but for an hour It had been much for Him to have Suffered for Righteous Persons but as it is Rom. 5. God commends his love to us in this that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 5. The manner how He Suffered to wit most Willingly and Patiently though He easily could hâ—ve commanded more then twelve legions of Angels to rescue Him yet He would not but
suitable for Sinners to carry the Faith of this along with them in their bosome If He procured Heaven to us by His Soul-suffering and Travel we cannot procure it to our selves and therefore a necessity lyes on all that would be at Heaven to be in Christ's common for it And this is the up-shot of all that Dyvour Sinners may know that they are in His common As for His Purchase so for the Applicâ—tion of it Use 2. This Doctrine yeelds much Consolation and it is the Fountain and Rise of it His Soul travel bought it all and makes way to the bringing of us to the possession of it And in many respects our Consolation depends on it We shall look upon it as the rise thereof more generally in these respects 1. That to a poor Sinner lying under the Curse there is a possibility of getting it put by and kept off that Heaven is not desperat and that the fear of coming before the Tribunal of Justice is not absolute for our Lord hath satisfied Justice the Price that He laid down was not for nought but levelled at this very Scope as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we Sinners might be made the righteousness of God in or through him and what strong Consolation is this for a Sinner under the Curse of God to have this word spoken to him though thou cannot satisfy Justice for thy self yet there is a way laid down to satisfy it for thee the Mediator having the Price that was required proposed to Him did not stick at the Terms but held the Bargain and hath accordingly actually performed it 2. It is a Consolation in this respect That not only is there a Compleat Satisfaction given to Justice but a willing Saviour ready to make that Satisfaction forthcoming and to make it forthcoming freely can there be a greater proof of our Lord Jesus His Love to Sinners then this That when they were considered with all their Debt lying on their heads He undertook this Soul-travel for them to procure them Salvation from Wrath and Justice This is more then His giving them His Word for it though that had been enough it 's more then the giving them His Oath thus to commend His Love As it is John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his fâ—iend but sayes the Apostle Rom. 5.8.10 God commends his love to us that while we were yea sinners yea enemies Christ died for us This good Shepherd laid down His Life for His Sheep 3. It 's a Consolation in this respect That there is also a willingness to the Lord Jehovah the provoked Party to accept of this Satisfaction and to absolve the Elect on account of this Satisfaction For what I pray was all this Soul-travel that the Lord underwent But Jehovah His transferring of the Debt of the Elect on Him according to the transaction that had past in the Covenant of Redemption He would never have made the Sword of His Justice to awake against the man that was His Fellow if He had not been content to accept of His Satisfaction for them that should make use of it for we have not only the Mediator and His Satisfaction to look upon in this Soul-travel but also the contrivance of the Covenant called in the former words The pleasure of the Lord who while we were enemies gave His Son and was content to want Him for a time to speak so and to be a distinct party to pursue Him Is not this then a good Bargain when we have a willing Mediator and Merchant content to give the Price and Satisfaction and a gracious and willing God content to accept of this Satisfaction and both of them content to make the Application of it to us freely As it is Revel 3.18 Here is matter of strong Consolation the ground whereof will not fall to wit The mediators Soul-travel and the Lord Jehovah will not cast the Bargain When the poor Sinner sayes I have nothing to pay but there is a Price in Christ's Satisfaction offered in the Gospel and the Judge sayes admits it for the Sinner that lays claim to it as if the Sinner had never Sinned or had actually payed the Price himself But 4. Look a little further and we will find more Consolation though this be much consider a Sinner in a tempted condition and under Sad-soul-exercise that wots not what to do with Unbelief with the Devil and with the Wrath of God all which are like to overwhelm and swallow them up and the heart is like to sink here is the native and kindly Fountain for such a Soul to drink at That our Lord Jesus suffered more and that it was another sort of Cup that He drank of and drank out And for these Ends 1. To take away the Sting and Bitterness of thy Cup. 2. To procure and Meritoriously to Purchase a Freedom and Out-gate from these Temptations to thee 3. Also that He might be made a Sympathizing High-Priest and the more compassionat towards the Person that should be so Tempted according to that Heb 2. ult For that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able also to succour these that are tempted He was Tempted that He might have kindly sympathy with Tempted Souls and therefore when such are ready to fall a swoon He dates and dandles them as it were on His Knee and when they are in hazard to turn their backs in the Conflict He comes up with fresh strength and recruits them So Heb. 4.15 We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin We have such an High Priest as was not only mocked and scorned of Men and some way deserted of God but who was tempted though not from Sin within for He was without Sin yet to Sin for He was assaulted by the Devil and tempted to unbelief and other gross Sins As is clear Matth. 4. though as He sayeth Himself The prince of this world had nothing in him And He was not only tempted to Sin but as if He had actually Sinned He met with Wrath from all there is a sweet and strong Sympathy flowing from such bowels as one Brother hath towards another yea inconceivablie beyond the tenderest bowels that the most warmly loving Brethren in all the World have one towards another And therefore he knows well what Apprehensions Temptations riding thick to speak so will attempt to beat in upon poor Souls and can from experience Sympathy with them It is not so to be understood as if there were any additionall degree made to His Kindnesse Skill and Grace as He is God These being infinit in Him as so confedred yet He being Man as well as God or having a humane Nature He hath from His Personal experience a Sympathy and that in a humane way
serious thoughts of your Souls estate or of the necessity of making sure your Peace with God I beseech you lay to heart your Condition and bewar of trampling the Blood of the Covenant under your Feet let not the Grace that is offered to you in this Gospel be heard and received in vain but by the acknowledgement of Sin and of Gods Justice to which ye are lyable for the same timously betake your selves to Christ's Suffering for a shelter from the Wrath of God that will be as a Storm against the Wall Thus we press as the great Use of this Doctrine upon you that ye improve the Cup of Wrath that the Mediâ—tor hath Drunken for your exempting from the Curse that is due to you and that Cup that ye deserved to have Dâ—unken Eternally 2. For you who under the Conviction of Sin are looking towards Christ let me intreat you not to stay on this side of the City of refuge but step forward and improve this Soul-travel of the Lord for your Spiritual Ease Setlement Quiet and Comfort as well as from keeping you from Wrath otherwayes it will bring bitternesse in the End If ye make not use of Christ's Sufferings if ye betake not youâ— selves to Him and do not trust Him for Justification and Life ye will make your selves guilty oâ— His Blood and will be found traders of it under Foot And therefore let me here speak a Word to the Second thing proposed That is the Grounds or Reasons or Motives that should press you to make Use of these Sufferings and of the Grounds of Faith that they hold out unto you And 1. In General let me ask Is there not need that ye should do so Is there not Guilt and hazard of Wrath because of Guilt and if â—o Why stand ye at a distance â—rom the Saviour If it were Sinless Saints and Angels that were exhorted to make Use of H m it would be the leâ—s wonder that there were so little thinking of a Mediator but when it is Sinners that are called upon and Sinners in such eminent hazâ—rd it 's indeed a wonder that there iâ— not greater flocking unto Him and pressing on Him If there had noâ— been need would the Father have so pursued the Son or do ye think that it was for a Complement that He laid down His Life Which sure He would not have done if Salvation could have been had another way 2dly And more particularly As ye would consider the marvellous Grounds that He hath laid down for Faith to rest upon so ye would consider the many Motives that ye have to press you to rest on these Grounds which we shall draw to these Four 1. The Fulness and Sufficiency of the Ground that is given to Faith in Christs Sufferings which the deeper they draw on His Soul Faâ—th hath the Fuller and Better Ground to make Use of them 2. The Power and Ability that are Conspicuously in Him to make Application of His Purchase He hath encountered Wrath and hath overcome He is Absolved and Justified before God and is exalted to be a prince and a saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins And having Satisfied Justice and defeated the Devil and being thus exalted He can bring through and land fate such Sinners as betake themselves to Him And these two to wit A sufficient Price payed for the Debt of the Elect And a sufficient Prince and Saviour able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through Him and who is Exalted and sitteth at God's Right Hand to make Intercession for us as they are a solid Ground for Faith to rest on so a strong Motive to press believing 3. The great Faithfulnesse of God that Brightly Shines and Wonderfully appears here who according to the Covenant sends His Son and pursues the Quarrel against Him and in so doing keeps the Promise made to Abraham And the great Faithfulnesse of the Meadiator in coming and performâ—ng all that He undertook for the Elect Both of them are so faithfull in performing all that was Covenanted to the least ioâ—a thereof as is evidenâ— by what our Lord sayes I have finishâ—d the work which thou gavest me to do Seing therefore there is such exact Faithfulnesse in Keeping and Fulfilling of all that passed in the Covenant of Redemption and of all that was Promised to the Fathers And seing the Mediator hath said that of all that come unto him he will cast out none nor put thâ—m away is there not here a strong Motive to believing Will not the Lord Jesus be as Faithfull in keeping the Promise made to Comers unto Him as the Faâ—her and He have been in performing of what was Covenanted concerning their Redemption The 4th Is the great Love of God and of the Mediator that eminently shined here in their willingness to make the Application As He is Faithfull so is He willing to be imployed and what greater evidence of Love would we have then this That Our Lord Jesus hath delighted so much in the Salvation of Sinners that He laid down His Life and endured much more Soul travel for this very End We beheld sayes John Chap. 1.14 his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Fatherfull of grace and truth In His Humiliation He was G orious in both these Glorious in His Truth making His Faithfulnesse to shine in exact keeping of what was Aggreed upon and Promised Glorious in His Grace to poor Sinners in making Application of His Purchase Freely and Fully yea the more that He was obscured by His Humiliation the more did His Grace shâ—ne forth how much more Gloriâ—us will He be in these when He is now exalted 3dly If these two perswade you not to believe on Him To wit the Grounds that He hath given for belâ—eving and the powerfully pressing Moâ—ives to make Use of these Grounds consider the absolute necessity that ye lye under of making use of these Grounds without which ye will never be able to shift the Wrath of God Is there any that can give God a Recompence The redemption of the Soul is precious and ceases for ever as to you Or if any could have been able Why did the Mâ—diâ—tor come thus low And where should have been the Glory of Grace and Truth that hath shined so Radiantly in His Sufferings And therefore from all these be exâ—orted to give Him the Credit of your Sâ—lvation by making Use of His Righteousnesâ— and by founding your Plea before God on His Sufferings as ever ye would have your Souls saved Otherwayes ye can expect nothing but to fall under the Rigour of Justice and to be made to satisfy for your own Debt to the uttermost farthing and when will that be Darâ— the most innocent amongst you step in to satisfy Justice for themselves if not is there not a necessity to make Use of His Sufferings for that End Which He haâ—h made attainable by His Tearing of the Vail of His
choise in time of the Service of this Righteous Servant for your Justification and Salvation SERMON L. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. IF we had such thoughts of the Salvation of our own Souls as the Lord had and still hath of the Salvation of Souls we could not but be more seriously concerned about them and more taken up how to get them saved This Work of the Salvation of Sinners did before the World was to speak so with reverence take up the Persons of the Glorious Godhead and was singled out and made choise of as an imployment worthy of the Son of God who was chosen for this very Work that by Him many might be Justified and Saved For the accomplishment of which He became a Servant Must it not then be an excellent Work that none but He could be trusted with who is Heir of all things and by whom the World was made We shew you the meaning of these Words the last Day and Observed two things from this Designation that Our Lord gets here 1. That Our Lord Jesus in the Work of Mediation and of the Redemption of Sinners was Gods Servant not so much to denote His being inferiour as Mediator to the Father as to hold forth His being Commissionated for this Service and the Lord accepting of Him in it 2. That Our Lord Jesus did excellently discharge this Trust committed to Him Therefore He is not only called a Servant but my righteous servant as having most Faithfully acquitted Himself and as being fully approven and accepted in the Trust committed to Him When the Lord speaks so of Christ It ought mightily to ingage us to be much in love with God who hath given such a Faithfull Mediator aad Servant and with Jesus Christ that condescended to take the Trust of poor Sinners Salvation and that doth so kindly discharge it There are somethings here that may be passingly hinted at and then we shall come more closely and particularly to the Words 1. Then Observe That it is a Priviledge and Prerogative to be Gods Servant Therefore it 's mentioned here as a Piece of the Mediators Priviledge It is true He was Singularly and Eminently a Servanr even the Lords Choice Servant in whom His Soul delighted and does delight above what any others can be capable of yet to be a Servant to God to take direction from Him to do His Will to seek His Honour to give obedience to Him in what He calleth for is certainly a Priviledge and a great one yea it is spoken of as a Priviledge of Glorified Saints in Heaven Revel 22.3 His servants shall serve him And if it be a Priviledge in Heaven we would think it so here on Earth and yet if the Language of our hearts were known there would be found a secret disdaining of and repyning at service to God and a saying on the matter Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us But know ye what ye are doing Even disclaiming and despising that which is your great Priviledge all those that are in Heaven and all those who are in a right frame on Earth count it their Priviledge to be His Servants and we are commanded to pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven Or be thou served on Earth as thou art in Heaven Therefore it ought to be accounted of as a Priviledge as a great and glorious Priviledge to be His Servants 2. Observe That the Lord can tell exactly and infallibly how every Servant carries himself Who are ill and sloathfull and who are good and faithfull Servants Who are righteous Servants according to their measure and who not Will He take notice how Christ carries Himself in His Service and Trust and will He not take notice of others Most certainly He will and therefore Matth. 25. and Luke 19. He calls the Servants to a Reckoning to whom the Talents are given and as they have made use of them and improved them or not so doth He commend and reward them or not There are none of us but have gotten some one Talent and Trust or an other and no doubt there will be much to Reckon for I am afraid that when He calls us all to an accompt though there will be some to whom it will be said Well done good and faithfull servant There will be many to whom it will be said Thou evil and sloathfull servant and the Sloathful servant will be found to be the Ill Servant and amongst other Aggravations of his guilt this will be one that he was unlike to Christ the Righteous Servant 3. Observe That the right improvement and discharge of the Trust committed to us and of our service to God is a commendable and honourable thing It is Recorded here to Christs Commendation that He was a Righteous servant even Faithfull over the House of God in all things and Proportionably is the Commendation of the ordinary under-servants when they in their Places and Stations perform their Service honestly and faithfully so as they may be accepted of God on His account The day is coming when every mans work will be rewarded and as we Sow so shall we Reap In that Day if we had all the World we would give it to hear that Word from Christs mouth Well done thou good and faithfull servant But iew will get that Testimony ye think it much now to get a name of Fidelity amongst Men and to be esteemed such as keep your Word and will not break your Promise nor Parrol and it 's good in so far that it be so but many such will be found to have broken many a Word to God and falsified many a Promise think upon it and lay it to heart that it will be better to have a Word of Testimony from God in that Day and to have it said to you by Him Faithfull Servant thou improved wel the little that I gave thee it was laid out and expended not so much to buy and to put on brave Cloaths nor to buy or build fine houses as it was for Me and for My Honour Whatever Place Station Capacity or Imployment thou was in thou indeavoured to do good in it and when thou couldest not do for my Work for my People and for my Honour thou was Praying for them and when thou had an opportunity to hear my Word thou didst not slight nor let that slip This I say will be better than a great Name and Testimony from and amongst Men But alace we fear that it shall be said of many ye had many opportunities of getting and doing good but what use made ye of them It had been better that ye had never had them it had been better that ye had never had a Groat or two Pence then to have had all these Riches and to have had none rather then to have had such and such a Lucrative or Gainfull Place and Imployment which
Children who can help you make use of such Means and Persons and that would both help your Knowledge and evidence your Love when sincerely gone about to the Communion of Saints 4. Be about the use of the Means with an eye to God for His blessing on them pray to Him for opened eyes and that He would give you an understanding to know Him There is a stupidity in many of you that makes all that ye hear to go by you and as it were to slyde off you So that if it were known some would wonder how there could be such Ignorance amongst them that frequently hear the Gospel 5. Any light of Knowledge that ye have be tender of it in your practice God ordinarly refuseth to give more where that which He hath given is not used well where Men do not like toretain God in their knowledge or where the truth is detained in unrighteousness it provoketh God to give up to a reprobate mind as the Apostle tells us Rom. 1. If ye continue in my word sayes Christ John 8.31 32. then are ye my disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free And John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self He that goes conscientiously and constantly about the Duties of Holinesse that he knows For he must make conscience of all else he will thrive in none he shall increase in Knowledge There are also some things that more generally conduce to Knowledge as that Magistrats Ministers Elders Parents Masters of Schools and Masters of Families do their respective Duties 1. Then let me desire you to see to the Education of the youth I mean of the Children of the meanest and worst to bring them up at Schools Iâ—'s sad to consider how many young Ones of Graceless Carelesse and Ignorant Parents are brought up to the Devil it were no great business to help them that cannot entertain them at School O! that we were all willing to contribute for such a work It might help them to know somâ—thing of God or to be civil at least It would also remove the excuse that we frequently meet with from many to wit that they cannot read And if Parents will not be seriously concerned in this themselves God requires us to take some course to bring up their young Ones in the Knowledge of God and truely if this external easie mean be neglected we can expect little of other means if this were minded it might be an ornament to the City and the burden would not be so very great if it were once put to the tryal will ye that are Parents and able be induced to put your Children to the School if ye be not able make it known I know there are some who will drink more in one day sometimes then would keep their Children at the School for many dayes and I suppose that there are but few who can say that it is meer necessity that lets them are there any of you that can say ye would fain bring up your Children at School and ye spake to Magistrats or to Church-session for help and that it was refused you It 's your part to seek for help that are really unable And it lyeth on you to see to it your selves who are able And while ye neither do your selves nor seek help from others ye are utterly in-excusable 2. I would commend to you the necessity of using privat means and that ye would not lay all the weight of your profiting on your being in the Church and on your coming to be Catechised or to hear others Catechised but give diligence in privat to come to Knowledge else it will be long ere ye thrive and profit ye that are in one Family when ye come home from Sermon confer together now and then and be speaking of what ye hear on the Sabbath betwixt Sabbath-dayes and when ye can get any to answer a Doubt or Question to you make use of the opportunity though we could go through you all twice a year in Examination and Catechising it will not do your turn if this be neglected But as ye would be careful to keep your Children at School so ye would be busie in your Families at all Familie Duties This was wont to be the old way of Gods People and it would make hearing of Sermons profitable 3. I would commend to you careful attendance on and conscientious use making of the Ministry of the Word the great ordinary mean of Knowledge and that ye who are most concerned would be thinking of the great conveniency if not necessity of moe Labourers If it were known how numerous a People we are how many hundereds every one who Labours among you hath under his charge how little time we have to go through you all particularly and what abounding Ignorance there is in the greatest part of the People I suppose it would be thought that the charge of any one of us might require two to discharge it suitably which we do not preâ—â—e to spare our own Labour and Pains but to stir you up to a necessary Dutie the effecting of the thing is not impossibly and it is a Work and Dutie well becoming you and worthy of you The Lord Himself perswade you to mind it I shall close up all with a Caveat or two 1. Beware of placing over much Religion in Knowledge or of being puft up with your Knowledge when ye attain to any measure of it 2. Beware of counting meer Knowledge to be Faith but when ye come to know and discern the Object be sure that ye take hold of and rest upon that which the eye of Faith discerns the Land is to say so afar off and within the Vail cast therefore the Anchor of Hope there 3. Beware of thinking that ye meerly of your selves can acquire any sound and saving Knowledge or pumpe it out of your selves we bid you not study the Knowledge of God as ye study other common things There are here requisit Humility Fear Reverence Love to the Truth dependence on God Prayer to Him and acknowledgement of Him Let me again seriously commend this study to you and through it let me commend Christ unto you whom to know is life eternal To Him be praise for ever SERMON LVII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many For he shall bear their iniquities IF any thing should be studied with diligence sure this should be even to be clear how we may come to be at peace with God how we may be Absolved and Justified when we come to reckon before Him It is no curiosity singly and diligently to make inquity here although the unfaithfulness and pride of some unhappy men have made the study of it unpleasant by corrupting and making crooked Gods plain and straight way of making of our peace with Him and of our being Justified
sayes the Apostle of our warefare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the bringing down of holds and leading every thought and imagination lifted up against God captive unto the obedience of Christ There is Christs Victory and Triumph What are the strong holds that He batters storms and takes in He makes some proud hearts to stoop and yeeld to Him and carries some that were Rebells to Him captive to His obedience O! happy Captivity It is not meant in respect of Thraldom and Bondage but in respect of Voluntary Subjection to Him This is a most noble notable and lovely Victory and Triumph and a Glorious Day indeed which is ours as well as His it being the redeeming of poor Captive-sinners and bringing in of many followers to the Lamb and therefore v. 11. It 's called Satisfaction for the travel of his soul and the justifying of many That 's the Spoil and the Prey verse 10. It 's called the pleasure of the Lord and in this v. His portion and spoil What doth our blessed Lord Jesus take to Himself what doth this David claim or take to Him as His Spoil who is alone the the Monarch of this great Universe It 's a number of poor Sinners Come to me says he ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you He hath no more He seeks no more but so many Souls as He minded to do good to When the Lord divided the Nations as it is Psal He choise Jacob for his portion If we consider a little more particularly we will find the Justification and Salvation of Sinners to be our Lord Jesus His Victory Triumph and Spoil because herein He is Victorious and Triumphs and gets the glory of His Obedience Faithfulnesse Grace Power and Love The Glory of the Mediator shines manifestly and conspicuously in all these here 1. The Glory of His Obedience when He hath it to say as it is John 18.9 Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none He gets so many Souls committed to Him of the Father to redeem and when He hath done and performed the Work and brought them in He hath the Glory of His Obedience to His Father who saith to Him Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2. The glory of His Faithfulnesse according as He did ingage and undertake to Jehovah He hath keeped His Word and there is a necessity lying on Him that it should be so that of all committed to Him He should losse none but present them without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Therefore He is called the Faithful shepherd because He losses none of the Sheep that are given Him 3. The glory of Grace and infinit love the moe that are saved the more Grace and Love shins forth in paying their Debt and Ransome and in bringing them in to be partakers of His Love Therefore John 17. He sayes That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them He would have the love communicated by the Father to Him to be in them that it may be known that He hath loved them as the Father hath loved Him There cannot be such a proof and demonstration of Love as this It is evidenced in His exaltation as their head and in their being brought where He is 4. The Glory of Power shines forth here that trampled upon and triumphs over all difficulties that are in the way of saving Elect Sinners And O! what difficulties there are in the way of saving Sinners He having the Devil and the World without and a deceitful heart and a tickle humour within themselves to encounter with So many Sins to mortifie and Snares to lead through yet none plucks His Sheep out of His hand Therefore 1 Pet. 1. They are said to be keeped by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation In a Word as it was the manner of old for Conquerors to ride in Triumph and all their Prisoners led after or before them at their back So our Lord for manifesting the Glory of His Grace Faithfulnesse and Power brings so manny Sinners through to Glory and hath so a greater train then ever any Conqueror had and He counts it His Glory and Triumph to get many lost Souls saved John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and I am glorified in them How is that I have given them thy word and they have received it He counts himself glorified in Sinners submitting to Him in their believing on Him and in their taking pardon from Him Now let me say that if we were wailling and making choise of a Doctrine to warn the heart of a sensible Sinner to shame unbelief out of the World and to give impregnable ground to hazard on Christ here it is That our Lord Jesus placeth His Victory Glory and Triumph and Spoil in this even in doing good to Sinners and in having Sinners getting good of Him It 's His Portion when to say so the World is dealt that He gets a number of lost Sinners to save as His share And though He be the Heir of all things and the first born yet He loves that better then a thousand Kingdoms When He hath His Spoil and Prey at the taking this is it and He choiseth no other O! Sinners do ye think this little Or do ye think little of this Had He placed His Glory in crushing under foot all the prisoners of the Earth or in bringing the World to nothing who could have said what doest thou But when He placeth His Glory and Triumph in this to overcome the Devil to cast him out of Souls to relieve poor Sinners and to bring them in to acknowledge Him as the Author of eternal salvation and as the author and finisher of their faith If ye would have something to wonder at is it not here He will burn the World into ashes and leave it and will cast many Kings and great Men into Hell and yet He gathers poor Elect Sinners out of that burnt heap as it were as the thing He hath designed for His Spoil He hath no more and He seeks no more as I said and yet He gets no gaâ—n of these poor Sinners for all this And therefore as the 1. Use of it wonder at this will it not be a glorious day when Christ is Crowned and hath all redeemed Sinners at His back with harps in their hands Singing Salvation Glory and Power to the Lamb O! wonder that there is not only a Saviour and Life and Salvation to be had through Him but that it 's such a Salvation as is wonderful in this respect that He counts it His Glory and Triumph to have many Sinners saved when He might have glorified Himself in sending us all to hell May we not wonder at this and yet we ought to believe it and the little Faith of it makes it be so little wondered at Ah! Sinners for most part believes not that Christ thinks
when it came to be accomplished though He gave evidences of His power in making them fall backward who came to apprehend Him yet He raises them again and goes with them And when they mock Him and buffet Him and nod the head at Him and bring Him to the Bar and question Him and when they said If thou be the king of Israel come down from the cross and we will believe on thee which we may think He could have done though they were but tempting Him yet in all these He is silent and never opens His mouth till He come to that It is finished He never spake a repyning word It was wonderfully much to suffer and to die so cheerfully but to pour out His Soul unto Death to take His Life in His own hand and to be so holily prodigal of it as to pour it out there having never been such a precious Life and so precious Blood poured out this was much more Use It shews what esteem ye should have of Souls and every one of you of your own Souls Our Lord Jesus poured out His Soul unto Death for Souls He values Souls so much that He gave His precious Life for them Therefore it 's said 1 Pet. 1.19 We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ If He esteemed so much of Soulâ— what will it be thought of when ye waste your Souls and ye know not whereon He bought Soulâ— dear and ye sel them cheap for a little Silver or Gold or for that which is worse and far lesse worth what an unsuitableness is here betwixt Christs estimation of Souls and yours betwixt His buying them at so dear a rate and your casting them away for that which is very vanity What do the most part of you get for your Souls Some a bit Land some a House some a fecklesse Pleasure some a Sport some the satisfaction of their Lust or a moments sinful mirth O! pitifully poor bargain what will become of that mirth or lust or pleasure of this house or of that land when Kings and great Men will lye crawling like so many wormes before the Lamb ye will not get your House or Land with you ye will not get leave to wear your brave cloathes ye will have no Silver nor Gold in your Purse in that day And suppose ye had it the Redemption of the Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever by any such Price It 's a wonderful thing that when Christ esteems so much of Souls that Sinners should esteem so little of them Is it not just that such Souls should go to hell when they esteemed them so little worth Use 2. It should teach you to love and heartily to welcome this Lord Jesus Christ what argument of Love and of Trust what motive to welcome Him can there be if this be not That He spared not His Life but poured it out unto death for Sinners How long shall we halt betwixt Christ and Belial We dow not endure to mortifie a Lust to want our Sport and Laughter or a bit of our credit or honour though it should cost us the want of Christ But O! ingrate fool is that a becoming requital to Him that took His innocent Soul in His hand and poured it out for Sinners and when it was some way melted like leid in the fire of Gods Wrath was content to yett it forth abundantly out of love to their Salvation Should it not rather call for love to Him for trusting and welcoming of Him and to Suffering for His sake if He call you to it Will ye skar to hazard your life for Him that poured out His Soul for Sinners It would do a Soul good to think how willingly and cheerfully He Suffered But Alace how reluctantly and unwillingly come we under Suffering for Him However let me commend these three Words to you 1. Love Him For even Publicans will love these that love them and give Christ love for love 2. Credit and Trust Him do not look for ill at His hand what ground is there to suspect Him It is His glory to do good to Sinners and He counts them His triumph and spoil and to make conquest of them He poured out His Soul unto Death or as the Word is Phil. 2. He emptied himself Which seems to look to this Word of the Prophet and is not that warrand sufficient for you to trust and credit Him and to lay the weight of what concerns you upon Him And 3. welcome Him which is a fruit of Faith and Love He is a sweet wooer He is that good shepherd that laid down his life for his sheep he gave himself for his church as it is Ephes 5. Therefore I say welcome Him This is the great thing the Gospel aims at such expressions are a great deepth and it would require time to read to ponder them and to wonder at them and we would be much in praying for a right uptaking of them 3dly From the connexion Because He hath poured out His Soul unto death Observe That our Lord Jesus His willing condescending to die is most acceptable to the Father Therefore He sayes I will give him a portion with the great and be shall divide the spoil with the strong because He hath done so and so and all the Promises made to Him confirm this That is a wonderful Word John 10.17 Therefore does my father love me because I lay down my life for the sheâ—p The only begotten and beloved Son of the Father cannot but be loved Yet He sayes Therefore or on this account does my father love me That is as I am Mediator the Fâ—tâ—ers Minister Steward or Deput in this Work of the Redemption of Sinners and because I so willingly and cheerfully lay down my self for them He hath given me this Victory and Glory So well pleasing to God is the willing and cheerful death of the Mediator that it should be admired by us and should have this weight laid on it by us that seing cheerfulness in obedience is so acceptable to God we would study it for He loves a cheerful giver and cheerfulnesse in any duty It 's much we have this word to speak of to you many Nations never heard it and ye would make some other Use of it then if ye had never heard it O! but it will be dreadful to such as have heard it and do slight it their Souls shall be poured out into Hell even squized and wrung eternally by the Wrath of God Therefore look not lightly on it do not think all this transaction of Grace to be for nought If we were serious we would wonder what it means Alace we think little or nothing to make our peace with God and yet all this business is ere the matter can be brought about It 's a great evidence of the stupidity senslessenesse and absurd unblief of many that they think nothing of Sin and Wrath and of the hazard