and resolvedly that they would serve the Lord Jos 24.19 And Joshua said unto the people ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins that is unless you forsake your corruptions you cannot except you detest and cast off your idols you cannot whilst you are in confederacy with sin and before you have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty you cannot be the Lord's servants He is an holy being who will have no communion with the workers of iniquity Perhaps you will walk in sin and hope to make amends for all by crying to God for forgiveness you will swear and curse and ly and defraud and commit adultery and profane the Sabbath and cry God forgive me But Sirs be is a jealous God and will not forgive you as long as you go on in a course of impenitence he will never pardon your transgressions Possibly you will walk as the generality do in the vanity of your minds and wallow in all sorts of uncleanness and filthiness and then call upon God to have mercy on you Alas poor souls be not deceived He will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59.5 So that whilst you serve sin you cannot serve the Lord. That 's the third thing to be noted 4. Remember this withal That the state of all persons by nature as they are in themselves and as they came into the world is an accursed estate a state of utter estrangedness from God and of liableness to the indignation of the Almighty Mark I say this is the condition of all persons whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free learned or unlearned whatever priviledges they enjoy and wheresoever their lot is cast this is their state by nature to be under sin Rom. 3.9 What then are we better then they No in no wise for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin q.d. Is this the sad condition of the heathen and of the infidel world only to be under the guilt of sin and the curse of the Law No it is the condition of every Son and daughter of Adam Are the Jews we that are visible members of the Church in a better state than others in this respect No we are all involved in the same wretched condition There is not a person amongst us but may lay his hand upon his heart and appropriate it to himself and say this was my condition and if I have nothing to plead for my exemption besides my birth priviledge the name of Jew or Christian and the like this is my condition to be under sin Not only to betainted with sin but under sin i. e. under the guilt of it and under the condemnation due to it All the posterity of mankind are by nature condemned persons in a damnable estate and if God should take them away in that condition they would be actually damned and perish for ever Sin would lie upon them and they would fall under it and so it would sink them irremediably into destruction O my brethren how infinitely doth it concern us to prove that we are renewed and born again for as we came into the world this is the estate of all of us to be under the curse both of my soul who speak and of thy soul that hearest or readest these things Certainly if any man upon earth could have freed himself from being involved herein it might have been Paul who had as much to plead as any Phil. 3.5 6. He was circumcised the eighth day that is according to the ordinance of God he was solemnly admitted into the visible Church Of the stock of Israel to whom pertained the adoption and the Covenant and the giving of the Law and the promises He was of the tribe of Benjamin not of one of the ten tribes who fell away so grosly to idolatry but of them who retained the true worship of God when the others apostatized An Hebrew of the Hebrews that is both his parents were Israelites he was not descended of Proselytes on either side but of native Jews without any mixture of Gentiles in his linage * He that was born of a Proselyte either by Father or Mothers side was termed Ben-ger the Son of an He-proselyte or Ben-gera the Son of a Shâ—proselyte But he who had both parents Israelites was an Hebrew of the Hebrews Godwin Moses and Aaron Touching his profession He was a Pharisee he was of the strictest Sect amongst the people of those who held fast many of the great truth of Religion which the Sadduces and other Sects rejected he was more Orthodox than some others Lastly for his practise he was blameless touching the righteousness of the Law that is in the sight of men they could lay nothing to his charge they could not say black was his eye And yet he includeth himself as wrapped up amongst others in this cursed estate he acknowledgeth himself to be a child of the devil and led captive by him till he got into Christ Eph. 2.1 2 3. Amongst whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath even as others This is the fourth thing to be noted That the state of all men by nature is a state of wrath 5. For the conducting of a sinner to everlasting life and glory in the prefence of God and to make him for ever blessed in the enjoyment of God this state must be changed They must be taken out of this condition and put into another namely into the state of grace As there must be a physical change wrought upon the heart so there must be a relative change in the state For indeed Sirs it will be the principal matter of Christ's enquiry at the day of accounts in what state men are He will divide the persons that come before him into companies according to the state they are in â— and pass sentence upon them answerably thereto Mat. 25.31 32 33. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left Mark it here is the great matter of enquiry whether they are sheep or goats righteous or wicked in the state of grace or still abiding in the state of nature It is true the Lord Christ will make an exact scrutiny into mens ways and carriage he will bring every work in to judgment and render to every one according to his deeds But those works will be lookt into as an evidence of their state and the nature and quality of the actions do much depend upon
S. Paul stiles a being justified This is expressed elsewhere by not remembring transgressions any more Heb. 8.12 And there are three wayes how they shall not be remembred any more 1. God will not remember them so as to upbraid his people with their miscarriages He will never hit them in the teeth with their sins When the wicked seek unto him in affliction and howl for deliverance God doth upbraid them with their wickedness Jer. 2.27 28. Where are thy Gods which thou hast made thee Let them arise if they can save thee in the time of trouble q. d. Why do ye come to me seeing you hate me and cast me off and set up idols in your hearts Get you to them for deliverance for you are none of my servants But when persons are justified their sins shall be as if they had not been God will welcom them into his house and embrace them in his arms and never throw it in their dish how unkind or unthankful or stubborn they have been formerly See it in the return of the Prodigal Luke 15.20 21 22. When he was a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him And the son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son But the father said unto his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring upon his hand and shoes upon his feet One would have thought he would have fallen foul upon him and said You are well enough served to depart out of my family you see what it is to think your self wiser than your father What account can you give me of the patrimony you received Do you think I will give you entertainment now you have spent your substance with riotous living and amongst harlots Go to your sinful companions that have made a prey of you and see what relief they will afford now in the day of your distress But here is not a word of such language But welcome my dear son he is a pleasant child my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him Jer. 31.20 2. Their sins shall not be remembred so as to stop the current of God's bounty or to with-hold good things from them When God would have healed Israel their sins came to remembrance and put a stop to the progress of his mercy Hos 7.1 2. But now by the grace of pardon this obstacle is removed out of the way that his compassions may flow down freely upon them * â—et in peccati reatu est luerum cessans damnum emergens Ita condonatio peccati non est tantum ablativa mali sed collativaâ—oni Mic. 7.19 20. 3. He will not remember them so as to condemn them for sin iniquity shall not prove their ruine * Peccata sis velantur ut in judicio non revelentur Joh. 5.24 That is the first part of justification namely the pardon of sin 2. There is the acceptation of the person as righteous in God's sight pronouncing him such and dealing with him accordingly restoring him into that favour again which he had lost by his transgressions Rom. 5. v. 16. compared with v. 19. This is the first thing I would note to shew you the force of this argument That justification for the â—ature of it is the gracious pardon of the sinners transgressions and acceptance of his person as righteous in God's sight 2. In order to our partaking of this grace of the forgiveness of sin and accep ation of our persons we must be able to produce a perfect righteousness before the Lord and to present and tender it unto God And the reason is evident from the very nature of God himself He is infinitely immutably inexorably just as well as incomprehensibly gracious And in the justification of a sinner he doth act as a God of justice as well as of compassion He doth forgive iniquity in a way of righteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness God doth not pronounce men righteous when they are not but first he maketh them righteous and then receiveth them as such and pronounceth them to be such * Non igitur docemus credentes sine justitiâ justificari qualem justificationem impii Deus pronunciat esse abominationem Prov. 17. Isa 5. Sed dicimus necesse esse ut in justificatione intercedat interveniat justitia Et quidem non qualiscanque-justitia sed talis quae in judicio Dei sufficiens digna sit ut justa pronuncietur ad vitam aeternam Chemn exam Conâ— Trid. So that if a man will be justified he must be able to produce such a compleat righteousness as wherewith he may stand before the justice of God This is a matter very seriously to be weighed because multitudes deceive themselves herein They hope God will forgive them because he is a God of mercy and of unspeakable compassions but they never consider what entertainment the justice of God will give them nor how they shall stand before his righteousness Why man remember The Lord is infinitely just as well as merciful and if ever thy sins be pardoned it must be by an admirable contemperament or mixture of mercy and justice together I will not enter upon the debate of that question which some have ventilated whether God in his absolute soveraignty could not have forgiven sin meerly as an act of grace without the sinners producing any satisfaction to justice Suffice it us to be assured That God will not and supposing his word and purpose he cannot for he is a God that cannot lie that cannot change or vary in his determinations It was one of the great ends of the Gospel dispensation that God might exalt his justice in the justification of a sinner Rom. 3.26 3. The only matter of mans righteousness since the fall of Adam wherein he can appear with comfort before the justice of God and consequently whereby alone he can be justified in his sight is the obedience and sufferings of Jesus Christ the righteousness of the Mediator There is not any other way imaginable how the justice of God may be satisfied and we may have our sins pardoned in a way of justice but by the righteousness of the Son of God And therefore this is his name Jehovah Tzidkennu The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 This is his name that is this is the prerogative of the Lord Jesus a matter that appertains to him alone to be able to bring in everlasting righteousness and to make reconciliation for iniquity Dan. 9.24 All our obedience to the Law and the good works we can perform throughout the whole course of our lives can never be a sufficient righteousness for us Alas what are they even all out righteousnesses put together but as a
is gracious and merciful and full of compassion and therefore they hope he will spare them notwithstanding Nay but O vain man If thine heart still goeth after thy detestable things the God of incomprehensible mercy will not shew thee one drop of mercy He that is unspeakable in his compassions will not have one dram of pity or compassion upon thy soul It is true He is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him 2 Chron. 30.9 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68.21 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting unto everlasting upon them that fear him and unto such as keep his Covenant Psal 103.17 18. But he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59.5 Why Sirs do not you know that he is a God abundant in truth as well as rich in mercy And he will shew no mercy to sinners in a way derogating from his truth Exod. 34.6 It is he that hath said The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9.17 and the Word of the Lord will certainly have its accomplishment When thou presumest of mercy Remember withal that he is a God of truth and as sure as God is true if thou goest on in sin and remainest ununited unto Christ thou wilt perish for ever notwithstanding that God is merciful For all the wayes of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Psal 25.10 Alas poor deluded wretch dost thou hope for mercy to keep thee from hell whilst thou art in a course of ungodliness Why man The mercy of God will come up in judgment against thee and sink thee deeper into hell * Quos diu ut convertantur tolerat non conversos durius damnat Hier. Tarditatem vindictae compensat gravitate supplicii for by despising the goodness of God thou art treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath Rom 2.4 5. Dost thou presume of mercy in thy state of impenitence Why man This very presumption will add load upon thy back and degrees unto thy torments Read over that Text deliberately and the Lord awaken thy conscience in the perusal of it Deut. 29.19 20 21. And it come to pass that when he heareth the words of this curse he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is to this effect as if the carnal wretch had said God is gracious and merciful and though I have no interest in Christ but take my pleasure in sin and am not so forward in godliness as these precise Ministers would perswade me yet I trust in God that he will shew pity upon me he will not be so severe as these hot-spirited men would bear us in hand God is a God of mercy and delighteth in it and I hope to taste of his compassion and that he will not send me to hell whatever he hath said Well But will such a person find mercy because he hopeth for it Will he meet with peace because he saith in his heart He shall have peace Nothing less This very presumption of mercy whilst in his sins will be a means to bar and bolt the door of mercy against him * Quo diutius expectat eo districtius judicabit For mark what followeth v. 20 21. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law c. This is the fourth respect in which a Christless estate is a state of death viz. In point of condemnation or obnoxiousness to eternal death 5. Lastly Unconverted sinners are in a state of death in respect of the abundant evils incident to that condition They are in a perfectly wretched and miserable estate For death comprizeth all sorts of evils As when life is promised to the godly it is a comprehensive term that containeth all sorts of blessings and mercies whatsoever Psal 30.5 Prov. 3.18 So when the wicked on the other hand are said to be dead that is a big-bellyed word that carrieth all kinds of evils in the bowels of it troubles and vexations and perplexities here and at last eternal ruine and desolation Deut. 30.15 19. Now in this sense they are all dead who are not in Christ Destruction and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known Rom. 3.16 17. To work this upon your hearts study seriously these three Texts of Scripture Job 15. from v. 20. to the 30. Job 18. from v. 5. to the 21. Job 20. from v. 5. to the end of the Chapter And withal observe these four subsequent notes 1. Christless persons are under the guilt of all the sins and transgressions that ever were committed by them since they had a being And God will one day reckon them up in order and lay them in full load upon their shoulders Possibly sinners themselves have forgotten multitudes of them but the God of infinite knowledge hath written them down exactly in his book and at length he will bring them forth into judgment And truly Sirs One would think there needed no more to make them miserable enough One sin if laid to our charge would sink us irrecoverably into perdition Alas How will the sinner stand when all his iniquities shall meet together and be sealed up as in a bag and bound fast upon him If a wicked man should sit down and make a catalogue of the sins of one month or week what a vast heap would they amount to Vain thoughts proud and earthly and unbelieving thoughts inordinate passions and affections unsavoury and rotten communication evil actions done and duties left undone and slightness and superficialness in the discharge of duty and the like Yea but when all the sins of his whole life and the native pravity and wickedness of his heart shall be gathered together into one bundle what a numberless number would they amount to What unconceivable torments would be the wages of them if considered as clothed with all the aggravating circumstances thereof Why Sirs when God enters into judgment with the unregenerate he will not abate them one sin Psal 10.15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man Seek out his wickedness till thou find none That is set them down in order till they are all set down Let not one of them remain untaken-notice of Let them be searched out so exactly till there be no more to be found We are
as thirst after them The remainders of the light of nature are enough to leave a sinner inexcusable in his condemnation when he doth not live up to that light but they can proceed no further they can make no discoveries of the path of salvation But now persons in the visible Church have these things revealed before their eyes they have Christ set forth that they may know him and his excellencies displayed that they may love him So that it is a merciful priviledge in this respect Nay if the fault be not in themselves it may bring them to Christ in a saving way Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. q. d. Here is matter of praise and abundant thanksgiving See also Rom. 9.4 and Ezek. 20.11 12. 2. Hereby persons do enjoy communion with such as are real Saints and servants of Christ in sincerity which may be of excellent use to provoke them to emulation and so to save their souls They have the benefit of the society of the godly to be an incouragement unto them to serve the Lord indeed and the advantage of their example as a copy for imitation Multum resert quibuscum vixeris They are under their counsel for admonition and many times partakers of their provoking conferences to incite and stir them up to become such as they are They have a share in their inspection and watchfulness over them whereby oftentimes they are restrained and kept in due bounds And so it is a signal mercy in this respect As by fellowship with the wicked and contracting friendship with them men learn their wayes and get a snare unto their souls so by communion with the Saints persons are in a capacity of learning their ways and saving their souls Psal 141.4 5. Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head Nihil tutius amico monitore that is by an usual Meiâ—sis it will abundantly tend to my spiritual good and to the promoting and carrying on my eternal welfare As coals are kindled by other burning coals so are the ungodly many times by hearty counsel and holy walking and the like made instrumental to quicken and inflame such as have fellowship with them Jam. 5.19 3. From hence it is that they do in a sort partake of that special care which God taketh of his Church and receive some drops of those blessings which Christ doth showr down upon his Church You know that although God by a general providence doth mind and govern the whole creation he feeds the ravens when they cry and gives meat to the beasts of the field yet he hath a special inspection into the affairs of his Church he maketh peculiar provision for them reserving his dainties in store for them Now by this external adhaesion unto Christ and being in the visible Church a person may have a share in those mercies and the out-skirts of those blessings may fall down upon their heads As one that is but a sojourner in a family and no stated fixed member of it may taste of many good things which the good man of the house prepared for his own children And therefore a people are said upon this kind of neerness to have God himself nigh unto them that is to be under his special care even the body of the people though multitudes of them went no further than profession Psal 148.14 The children of Israel a people neer unto him Deut. 4.7 For what Nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all that we call upon him for And it seemeth to be mentioned as a priviledge of the whole visible Church Isa 4.5 That the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies upon the Church of Christ whereof Zion was a type and upon all the particular Congregations thereof a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night The meaning is this God will in a special manner be a guide unto them and undertake for their safeguard and protection He will lead them and preserve them as he did the children of Israel in their travels out of Egypt when he went before them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night So Isa 31.5 As birds flying so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem defending also he will deliver it and passing over he will preserve it As birds flying that is swiftly and speedily at the cry of his people he will come as in an instant before the adversaries are aware Or as a bird doth hover over the nest to preserve her young ones so will the Lord watch over his people to secure and deliver them These and such promises are made to the Church in general and even carnal Professors by vertue of their station in the Church may have a share in this security these deliverances As when the godly joyn in confederacy with the wicked they may be made to smart under the judgments that are sent upon the wicked so Professors by their fellowship with the godly may taste of the blessings imparted unto them 4. It is a great priviledge because hereby men are often restrained from venting many corruptions that otherwise would have prevailed from turning aside into such sins and abominations wherein others wallow And so they are prevented and kept from contracting much guilt which otherwise would be contracted by them And this is no small advantage Restraining grace is a mercy though sanctifying grace is an higher And God doth make use of this neerness to Christ as a restraint or bridle to stop sinners in their carier hereby they are purged from their old sins 2 Pet. 1.9 That 's the second Position 3. Position 3. When men and women are only thus united unto Christ by way of visible profession or external adhaesion though they may abide with him for a time and seemingly cleave unto him yet at last there will be made a separation betwixt them and this union will be dissolved and broken asunder As it is a dissoluble Union for the nature of it Quomodo ergo Zizania sunt in regno Dei Putres pisces in reti Evangelico carena veste nuptiali in nuptiis Christi ita in Chricto est qui non sert fructum nomine tenus stilicer secundam externam 〈◊〉 tantum non antem verâ— fiâ—e Quare telluntur isti tandem velut resecti arefactique pelunites gebennae addiciottur Bucer so in the event it will actually be dissolved sooner or later by one means or another When a soul is in Christ by a spiritual implantation he shall never be parted from Christ but this common union will be
fundamental blessings that have dependance thereon 5. THe next question to be handled is concerning the necessity of this Union Qu. How doth it appear that it is a matter of such absolute and indispensable necessity that if we will have life from the Son we must have the Son or must be thus made one with our Lord Jesus For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Answ For answer hereunto I will shew you the necessity of this Union by recounting the blessings which are conveyed hereby and that have a necessary dependance hereupon which cannot be received by us except we are in Christ 1. First then in the general A Believers union with Christ or being in him is the foundation of all his communion with him or communications of grace out of his fulness in whatsoever doth appertain either to the quickning and comfort of our hearts here or making us meet to partake of the inheritance of the Saints hereafter In our Lord Jesus is stored up plentiful provision of all things needful to conduct a sinner to glory but it is dealt forth to them alone who are knit unto Jesus It is imparted unto them by vertue of their being in him Except the branch be and abide in the vine it cannot partake of the sâ—p and fatness of the vine so except you be implanted into Christ you cannot be made partakers of his grace or of the treasures of mercy and blessings that are hid in him It is in Christ we are compleat Col. 2.10 that is we have all things derived upon us to make us compleatly happy from the fulness that is in Christ and by vertue of our oneness with Christ The Apostle had laid down this assertion v. 9. That in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily i.e. essentially and substantially Yea but might believers say what is that unto us Yes saith he it is all for your comfort and benefit If you are in him you shall thereby attain from him whatsoever is requisite to make you perfectly blessed So that you need nothing else to each up any defect therein Thus only in the general 2. To descend unto particulars I shall enter upon the enumeration of the several covenant-blessings which flow from our union with the Lord Jesus And I find there are especially 11. fundamental mercies or blessings which are communicated unto the Saints by vertue of their being in Christ and which have a necessary dependance thereupon 1. The grace of justification in the sight of God through the righteousness of Christ imputed to us 2. The grace of adoption or our inrollment amongst the number of the children of God 3. The participation of the supplies of the Spirit to guide us in our journey to the kingdom of heaven 4. The gracious acceptation of our duties and performances 5. A title to the promises of the Gospel which concern this life or that which is to come 6. Vnion with the Father and an intimate acquaintance with him 7. That peace and joy in the holy Ghost which puts life and sweetness into every condition 8. Deliverance from the sting of death and consequently from the fear of that king of terrors 9. A glorious resurrection out of the dust of the earth 10. Boldness and comfort in our appearance at the bar of judgment 11. The actual possession and enjoyment of a crown of glory So that whatsoever grace or mercy is prepared for the Saints it is dealt out unto them in this way from their first entrance into the state of grace to their sitting down upon the throne of glory I will mainly enlarge upon the first and third of these glancing only upon the rest 1. The first blessing that I shall mention as depending upon Union with Jesus Christ is the justification of a sinner in the sight of God upon the account of Christ's righteousness imputed to him whereby the guilt of sin is removed and the person of the sinner is accepted as righteous with the God of heaven Here lieth one argument of the necessity of being thus ingraffed into Christ Because without union with him there can be no justification through his blood nor clothing with his righteousness for acceptance with the Lord. Our righteousness for pardon and justification is in the Lord and we our selves must be in him that we may partake of his righteousness For it will signifie nothing to us except we are in him Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the beloved And v. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace This is a fundamental leading mercy which maketh way for the conferring of other mercies * Doctrina justificationis est articulus stantis aut cadentis Heclesiae Luth. For till sin be pardoned the curse of the Law cannot be removed from the sinner and this pardon is given forth upon the account of Christ's righteousness imputed to us in order whereunto we must of necessity be in him For in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins I will open to you the force of this argument by taking it asunder into six branches and speaking distinctly to each of them 1. Observe That the grace of justification in the sight of God is made up of two parts 1. There is forgiveness of the offences committed against the Lord. 2. Acceptation of the person offending pronouncing him a righteous person and receiving him into favour again as if he had never offended This is clear from the Scriptures of truth 1. There is an act of absolution and acquital from the guilt of sin and freedom from the condemnation dedeserved by sin The desert of sin is an inseparable accident or concomitant of it * Reatus vel 1. Simplex 2. Redundans 〈◊〉 personam that can never be removed It may be said of the sins of a justified person that they deserve everlasting destruction But justification is the freeing a sinner from the guilt of his iniquity whereby he was actually bound over to condemnation so that the person justified may say Who is he that condemneth He may read over the most dreadful passages of the Law without being terrified as knowing the curse is removed from over his head his fins that brought him under the curse are forgiven and are in point of condemnation as if they had never been This is to be justified to have sin thus forgiven and the penalty remitted Rom. 4.5 6 7 8. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Mark it what David calleth forgiveness of sin and not imputing of iniquity
â—and and be made perfectly blessed in the fuil enjoyment of him unto all eternity And this by vertue of their union with the Son of God and because they are so neerly related unto him Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Who are these of whom our Saviour speaketh Why such as are in Christ and in God the Father through Christ v. 21. And again v. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me So that all sorts of blessings are conveyed in this way from the leading mercy of forgiveness of sin to the very consummation of a believers happiness First God doth unite his people unto Christ and then he doth bless them with all subsequent blessings in Christ from the acceptance of their persons to the very crown of righteousness So much shall suffice to be spoken unto the fifth general head of enquiry touching the signal benefits that flow from our union with Christ and for evincing the necessity thereof CHAP. IX The special similitudes made use of in the Scriptures for illustration of this Mystery of Union with Christ. 6. THere is yet one question more to be answered before I come to the Application and practical improvement of the Point The question is this Qu. What are the special similitudes or resemblances which the holy Ghost is pleased to make use of for illustration of this mystery of a believers union with the Lord Jesus Christ Answ I answer There are principally four Which I shall not handle at large as if I designed to shew you in all particulars that might be reckoned up wherein the proportion holds Only I will select a few things under each of those similitudes which will be most obvious and apposite to our purpose and of greatest use for giving us light into this mystery and priviledge A Believers union with Christ is illustrated by comparisons taken from the 1. Natural 2. Corporal 3. Conjugal 4. Artificial Union that there is between the 1. Head and members of the natural body 2. Vine and branches graffed into the vine 3. Husband and Wife married together 4. Foundation and building erected thereupon 1. The first similitude which I shall open for the further illustration of the grace of union with Christ is taken from the head and members of the natural body The Lord Jesus the Mediator is the head of the Church and his people are his body and every individual Saint is a member of that body so they are compacted and knit together Thus the holy Ghost doth condescend in compliance with our weakness to shadow forth heavenly things under the figure of earthly Col. 1.18 And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence The Church here is compared to a vineyard that bringeth forth fruit unto God and the Lord himself hath undertaken the charge and custody of it So that if you get into Christ you need not be troubled at events what may befal you you may cast your care upon him who is the keeper of Israel and will take the care of you He will destroy the little foxes that spoil the vines as his care is set forth Cant. 2.15 He will root up the errors that endanger the faith of his people and pluck up the Schisms that tend to the destruction of their peace further than may be fit to exercise them for their good and to make manifest such as are approved He will weed up the corruptions out of the hearts of his people and in due time put a stop to the rage of persecutors and whatever is noxious and prejudicial shall be averted and taken out of the way 3. He is the head of the Church In respect of influence and vertue derived from him upon it As from the head are derived the animal spirits for motion and sensation in the body and by it vigour and activity is put into the body So Christ doth minister unto the supply of his Church and people on all occasions By him the Spirit is sent down from above and all their vacuities are filled up Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus That 's the third respect of his headship 4. In respect of his completion and perfecting by the Church The head is not compleat without the body Every part and member thereof doth help to the perfection of the whole Thus doth the Lord 〈…〉 himself imperfect till his body be filled up And therefore the Church which is his body is called The fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 In his person he is compleat without the least taint of an imperfection As to his Godhead he is infinite he filleth all in all But as he is the head of his Church he accounts himself to be defective till all his people are gathered unto him 5. Christ is the Head of the Church upon the account of their neer relation to him and intimate union with him They are as clesly knit together as the body is to the head And this is true not only of the Church in general but every particular Christian is united unto the head and partaketh of the influence of it 1 Cor. 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular That 's the first thing to be noted under this similitude 2. In pursuance of this comparison observe further That the way wherein a Believer is knit unto Christ it is by being quickned through the Spirit of Jesus Christ For wherein lieth the conjunction between the head the body Why principally in this that they are both animated with the same soul There is nothing properly and strictly a part of the body unless it partake of life with it So the Saints are quickned by the Spirit of the Son thereby he joyneth them to himself and inableth them to take hold of him and cleave unto him * Ut Christus similitudinem capitis naturalis gerit Ecclesia coporis naturalis ita elect orum tantum Rex caput Christus est quia in â—os tantum vi 〈…〉 electi seli sunt quia soli Christo tanquam à capite naturali spiritualiter vegetantur Parâ— de Pol. Eccles Christus non aliter caput est quam ut Ecclesiae vitam praebet Whitak Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in sins and trespasses he hath quickned us together with Christ with the same Spiâ—it wherewith 〈…〉 Ghost which is poured forth upon him And if we are alive unto God it is through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 3. According to the tenour of this resemblance If we are made one with our Lord Jesus we must of necessity give up our selves in subjection to him and be ready to follow his conduct The members of
of the Gospel Receive him for your Redeemer as he is tendred therein Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that you should believe on him whom he hath sent i. e. It is a work exceedingly acceptable unto God it is the great work that he requires to bring you unto his Son that you may have life through his bloud It is that work that makes up the conjunction betwixt him and your souls And therefore what is attributed in one place unto union with Christ is in another place ascribed unto faith Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Joh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned Why Because it is faith which makes up the union by believing on Christ we are implanted into him And therefore take the word of direction Jo. 12.36 Believe in the light that you may be the children of light betake your selves by faith unto Christ that you may be found in him And to that purpose be frequent in meditation upon those incouragements which God hath given unto sinners to quicken them to believe on the name of his Son and to help against the misgivings of their own hearts I will instance only in five 1. It is the command of God that which he hath left in special charge upon mens souls to come unto Christ that they may be saved And therefore it evidently followeth that he is willing you should believe for it is that which he mainly desireth that his will be done that his precepts be observed Can you imagine that God should give you a strict commandment backt with many arguments and motives to the observance of it and yet be loath you should obey that commandment This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 2. God sent his Son into the world upon this very errand and business that he might draw sinners unto him in order to their salvation And the Lord Jesus took our nature upon him and was obedient unto the death the accursed death of the cross to this very end and purpose that sinners might come unto him and obtain eternal redemption through his bloud And can it ever enter into your hearts to think that God is not willing to accomplish what he hath designed to bring about or that Christ is not willing to attain the end of his sufferings What was the Fathers design in sending Christ into the world Why that we might live through him and that he might be a propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Wherefore hath he published the Gospel of Christ and revealed the glad tydings of salvation through him Why These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name Joh. 20.31 To what end did our Saviour leave the bosom of his Father and sojourn amongst us and bear the weight of his fathers indignation Mark what account himself giveth of it Jo. 12.46 I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness And v 47. I came not to judge the world but to save the world And speaking of his death under the fimilitude of lifting up the brazen serpent in the wilderness v. 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me 3. God hath left upon record many precious promises on purpose to invite sinners unto Christâ— from which none are excluded but such as shut out themselves by refusal of the grace which is tendered in them And they are promises of such extent and comprehensiveness as may be sufficient to answer all the objections of a mans spirit against believing in Jesus Joh. 3.15 Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Act. 13.39 By him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses But will the sinner object I am altogether unworthy to come unto the Son of God Why Sirs It is the due sense of our unworthiness that doth fit us for the ready reception of him and addressing our selves unto him that we may by his righteousness be made worthy Art thou apprehensive of the necessity of being partaker of his death and the merit thereof Dost thou hunger and thirst after the enjoyment of him See then the promise or invitation Isa 55.1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money that hath no desert or worthiness of his own to commend him unto God or whereby to purchase the least dram of favour come ye buy and eat yea come and buy wine and milk without money and without price c. O but will the sinner reply I have long stood out against the calls of Christ and will he now receive me graciously if I come unto him Why Hear what he saith Isa 57.17 18 19. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart i. e. He withstood chastizement which is one of the loudest and most awakening calls in the time of his distress he sinned yet more against the Lord Instead of returning he held fast deceit and refused to return He went on frowardly that is perversly and stubbornly against all the dealings of God And yet what followeth v. 18 I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comfort to him and to his mourners One would have expected it thus rather I have seen his wayes and I will confound him I will never more have any pity or compassion upon him Nay but faith the gracious God at length he mourns for sin and is humbled for his iniquity and my bowels are turned within me my repentings are kindled together He is coming towards me and I will go forth to meet him I will surely have mercy upon him I will pardon him and guide him in the way of consolation and salvation But what doth this concern me will the heart of a sinner be apt to suggest Am I comprized in this word of comfort Yes if thou mournest for sin and desirest to give up thy self unto Christ and to God by him For it is a promise made without limitation these words are intended for the henefit both of Jews and Gentiles v. 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace i. e. My word shall be the means to convey great peace spiritual peace perfect peace lasting yea everlasting peace to him that is afar off and to him that is neer i. e. to the Jews who were a people nigh unto God and to the Gentiles when they shall be gathered to the Church though at that time they were afar off and I will heal him saith the Lord. But will the sinner
say I have backsliden from Christ I have made many promises and faultered in the performance of them I have deeply revolted after frequent vows and protestations of obedience and shall such a wretch as I am find favour Observe the words of invitation and promise Jer. 3.12 Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity c. Hos 14.4 I will heal their backslidings I will love them freely I might be very copious upon this particular but must forbear Get a catalogue of these rich and gracious promises often read them and study them pray them over to God and have them alwayes in readiness to produce in answer to all the suggestions of Satan and the fears and despondencies of your own unbelieving hearts 4. There are sundry examples in the Scripture of the most heinous transgressors who upon their believing on the Son of God and returning by repentance unto the most high have found grace in his sight and they are recorded unto this purpose that they may be incouragements for us to be believe also Our first parents were the most wilful offenders that sinned against the greatest light and the clearest manifestation of the will of God who by one sinful act were guilty of the murder of all the generations to come The sin of our first parents and our sin in them Rom. 5.12 was not one single act of disobedience but a twisted complicated or compounded sin that carried many horrid offences in the bowels of it There was cursed blasphemy and unbelief a giving God the lye and not crediting his word monstrous idolatry in believing the suggestions of the devil and hearkening to the instigations of the Prince of darkness devilish pride and discontent with that blessed condition wherein the Lord had placed man upon the earth and affecting to be equal unto God himself unparallel'd cruelty as before venturing upon the insupportable wrath of God to the destruction of themselves and all their off-spring It was a sin committed in a most presumptuous manner and had abundance of ingratitude wrapt up in the nature of it And yet the Lord was pleased to preach the Gospel unto them and it is charitably supposed that they found grace and forgiveness upon the terms of the Gospel However it is plain in the case of the woman who was first in the transgression so much may be collected from the enmity put in her heart against the devil Gen. 3.15 Take the example of Manasseth King of Israel who was a gross Idolater and a witch and a conjurer and shed innocent bloud without measure till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other and his wickedness was not confined to his own person but he made Judah to sin 2 King 21.3 6 16. And yet when he humbled himself and sought the Lord and prayed he was intreated of him and heard his supplication 2 Chron. 33.12 13. The Apostle Peter directed the offers of salvation upon repentance unto the crucifiers of the Lord Christ who denied the holy one and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto them and killed the Prince of life Act. 3.14 15 16 19 26. Not to multiply instances of this nature Take only further that of Saul who was a persecutor and a blasphemer and injurious who compelled others to blaspheme and was exceedingly mad against the Church and yet upon his application to Christ he obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1.13 But what are these things to me will the drooping soul say How shall I be assured to find the like grace and compassion Why mind it These examples are recorded for thy sake and to this very intent that thou mayest take incouragement to cast thy burden upon the Lord and expect to find the same abundant grace as others have found before thee See what the Apostle saith of himself 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting q. d. It was the design of Christ in shewing mercy upon me to make it appear that he is ready to save others also even the greatest sinners if they will come unto him that they may be saved * Significat statim ab initio Deum proposuisse tale exemplar quod tanquam ex illustri excelsoque theatro conspici posset ne quis diffideret paratam sibi fore venâ—am modo fide accederet ad Christum Et certe praevenitur nostra omnium diffidentia dum ejus quam quâ—remus grattae typum in Paulo sic videmus expressum Calv. in loc To prove that we are thus to make use of these examples of mercy consult that passage of David Psal 32.5 Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin And then it followeth ver 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee c. See also Psal 34.6 8. 5. The last incouragement to faith which I shall mention to be considered is this That God is more eminently and more abundantly glorified in the salvation of such as believe in the Lord Jesus than in the condemnation of the impenitent and unbelievers And therefore without dispute he is willing that sinners should come unto the Son that they may have life through his bloud for it tends to the eminent advancement of his glory which is the principal end which he aimeth at in all his dispensations and undertakings Can you be so sottish as to entertain a thought in your hearts that God is not willing to have his name glorified Why this is specially brought to pass by our believing in Christ and salvation upon his account above what is wrought in the destruction of the wicked God is really glorified in the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction but he doth make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy which he before prepareth unto glory Rom. 9 22 23. A little to make it appear that it is so in very deed because it is a comfortable point and may be improved as a wonderful incouragement to strengthen the hands of faith in taking hold of Christ I will open it in three particulars God is glorified in the salvation of such as believe above what he is in the condemnation of unbelievers 1. More wayes 2. In more of his attributes and excellencies 3. In some of his attributes more transcendently 1. He is glorified more wayes that is both actively and passively passively on Christ their surety and actively in themselves and him God is glorified upon the ungodly in their eternal desolation and ruine i. e. they are subjects upon whom he doth shew forth his power justice and severity and the like out of whom he doth fetch glory to his name Ezek. 28.22 But believers are active instruments to render glory unto