Jesus Christ required and so much spoken of in Scripture I will content my self but with two Reasons at this time 1. Faith in Christ is most fitted for the acceptance of God's free Gift Faith and Grace do always go together and are put as opposite to Law and Works Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith that it may be of Grace Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace ye are saved through Faith and not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works left any Man should boast Faith establishes and keeps up the Interest and Honour of Grace for it is the free Grace and Favour of God to condescend to the Rebel World so far as he hath done in the new Covenant We present our selves before him as those that stand wholly to his Mercy have nothing to plead for our selves but the Righteousness and Merit of our Redeemer by virtue of which we humbly beg Pardon and Life to be begun in us by his Spirit and perfected in Glory 2. Why Faith in Christ Because the way of our Recovery is so strange and wonderful It can only be received by Faith Sense cannot convey it to us Reason will not and nothing is reserved for the entertainment of this glorious Mystery Pardon and Salvation by our Redeemer but Faith alone If I should deduce this Argument at large I would shew you nothing but Faith or the Belief of God's Testimony concerning his Son can support us in these Transactions with God The Comfort of the Promise is so rich and glorious Sense and Reason cannot inform us of it Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor can it enter into the Heart of Man to conceive 1 Cor. 2. 9. the things God hath prepared for them that love him It is not meant only of Heaven but of the whole Preparations and rich Provisions God hath made for us in the Gospel It is not a thing can come to us by Eye or Ear or the conceiving of Man's heart we only believe and entertain it by Faith And then the Persons upon whom it is bestowed are so unworthy that certainly it cannot enter into the Heart of Man that God will be so good and do so much good to such Adam when he had sinned grew shy of God and ran away from him Besides the way God hath taken for our deliverance is so supernatural God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life That God should become Man that he should submit to such an accursed Death for our Sakes is so high and glorious it can only be entertain'd by Faith Besides our chief Blessedness lies in another World He that lacketh Faith is blind and cannot see afar off Here in this lower World where our God is unseen and our great Hopes are to come where the Flesh is so importunate to be pleased where our Temptations and Trials are so many and Difficulties so great we are apt to question all and we can never keep waiting upon God were it not for Faith and a steady Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. For these Reasons if you look into the Scriptures it is why Faith is so much insisted upon that we may keep up the honour of God's Grace and because this Grace of the Redeemer is so mysterious and wonderful 4. The Use of these two Graces discover their Nature What is Faith and Repeatance Repentance towards God is a Turning from Sin to God The Terminus à quo of Repentance is our begun Recovery from Sin and therefore called Repentance from dead Works Heb. 6. 1. The Terminus ad quem to which we return is God and our being devoted to God in Obedience and Love God never hath our Hearts till he hath our Love and Delight till we return to a Love of his blessed Majesty and delight in his Ways This is called in Scripture sometimes a turning to God in many other places a seeking after God a giving up our selves to God 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave up themselves to the Lord. This is the Repentance by which we enter into the Gospel-State Now what is Faith Besides an Assent to the Gospel which is at the bottom of it It is a serious thankful broken-hearted Acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ that he may be to every one of us what God hath appointed him to be and do forevery one of us what God hath appointed him to do for poor Sinners It is serious and broken-hearted done by a Creature in misery and thankful for such a wonderful Benefit a trusting to this Redeemer that he may do the Work of a Redeemer in our Hearts to save us from the evil of and after Sin And thus I have briefly opened this necessary Doctrine as clearly laid down in the Scripture And this is your Entrance in the Evangelick State II. For our Continuance therein For we must not only mind our Entrance but our Continuance Our Lord Jesus tells us of a Gate and a Way the Gate signifies the Entrance and the Way our Continuance And we read of making and keeping Covenant with God we read of Union with Christ that is our first Entrance for this Faith is the closing Act and exprest sometimes by a being married to Christ. But there is not only an Union with Christ but an Abiding in him Abide in me and I will abide in you Now as for our Continuance I would shew you that the first Works are gone over and over again Faith and Repentance are still necessary For the Righteousness of God is revealed frm Faith to Faith And Repentance is still necessary But I shall only press two things First New Obedience Secondly Daily Prayer 1. New Obedience is required 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Holy Walking is necessary to the continuance of our being cleansed from Sin and therefore Mercy is promised to the forsaking of our Sins Prov. 18. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find Mercy Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Our Hearts were not sound with God in the first Covenanting if we undo what was done If we build again the things we have destroyed then we are found Transgressours Gal. 1. 18. Well then a Man that seeks after Pardon seeks after it with the ruine and destruction of Sin Sin was the greatest Burden that lay upon his Conscience the Greivance from whence he sought ease the Wound pain'd him at Heart the Disease his Soul was sick of And was all this Anguish real and shall a Man come to delight in his Sores again and take up the Burden he groaned under and tear open
the Propitiation for Sin and the Obedience of the Sacrificer as devoted to God Now the first Signification took place and had its effect upon them if they neglected the other two Meanings of the Sacrifices and therefore they were to be looked on as salted with Fire whereas the other who were accepted were salted with Salt The 3d Observation for the opening of this is the two References of these Saltings or the distinct and proper Application of them 1. To the wicked For every one shall be salted with Fire that is every one of them spoken of before who indulged their corrupt Affections who did not entirely and heartily keep the Covenant of God and renounce their beloved Lusts. 2. Here is the Application to the Godly Every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt that is Every one that is not a Sacrifice by constraint but voluntarily surrenders and gives up himself to God to be ordered and disposed of according to his Will he is salted not with Fire but with Salt which every one that is devoted to God is bound to have within himself So while some are destinated to the Wrath of God and salted with Fire to be consumed and destroyed others are salted with Salt preserved and kept savoury in the Profession and Practice of Godliness The Doctrine is this Doct. The Grace of Mortification is very necessary for all those who are devoted to God I shall prove three things I. That the true Notion of a Christian is that he is a Sacrifice or a Thank-offering to God II. That the Grace of Mortification is the true Salt whereby this Offering and Sacrifice should be seasoned III. I shall shew you the Necessity of this Salt that we may keep right with God in the Duties of the Covenant I. The true Notion of a Christian is that he is a Sacrifice to God This is evident by Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service that is the reasonable part which was figured by the Sacrifices and Oblations of the Law And so Isa. 66. 20. They shall bring your Brethren for an offering unto the Lord. Under the Law Beasts were offered to God but in the Gospel Men are offered to him not as Beasts were to be destroyed slain and burnt in the Fire but to be preserved for God's use and service In offering any thing to God two things were of consideration there was a Separation from a common and a Dedication to an holy use and they both take place in the present matter 1. There is a separation of our selves from a common use The Beast was separated from the Flock or Herd for this special purpose to be given to God Thus we are separated and set apart from the rest of the World that we may be a People to God We are no more our own 1 Cor. 6. 19. And we are no more to live to our selves but to him that dyed for us 2 Cor. 5. 15. We are not to live to the World to the Flesh or to such things as the natural Heart craves we have no right in our selves to dispose of our selves of our time of our interest of our strength but must wholly give up our selves to God to be disposed ordered governed by him at his own will and pleasure 2. There is a dedication of our selves to God to serve please honour and glorify him 1. The manner of dedicating our selves to God is to be considered 'T is usually done with grief shame and indignation at our selves that God hath been so long kept out of his right with a full purpose to restore it to him with advantage 1 Pet. 4. 3. The time past may suffice to have wrought the will of the flesh and of Man it is high time to give up our selves to the Will of God we have been long enough too long dishonouring God destroying our Souls pleasing the Flesh living according to the Flesh and the course of the World therefore they desire to make restitution Rom. 6. 19. For as ye have yeelded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity unto iniquity even so now yeeld your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness Their forepast neglects of God and duty to him fill their Hearts with shame therefore they resolve to double their diligence and to be as eminent in Holiness as before they were in Vanity and Sin 2. It is with a deep sence of the Lord's love in Christ for we give up our selves to God not as a Sin-offering but as a Thank-offering Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord. And 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again they are ravished with an admiration of God's goodness in Christ and so give up themselves to him 3. They do intirely give up themselves to God not to be his in a few things but in all to serve him with all their faculties You are not your own but are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. Therefore glorify God both with your Bodies and Souls which are Gods And to serve him in all conditions Rom. 14. 8. Whether we live we live unto God or whether we die we die unto God for living or dying we are the Lord 's They are willing to be used for his Glory not only as active Instruments but as passive Objects they give up themselves to obey his governing will and to submit to his disposing will to be what he would have them to be as well as to do what he would have them to do Phil. 1. 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death Thus with all their faculties in every condition of Life are they to be devoted to God in all actions It is said Zach. 14. 20 21. That Holiness to the Lord shall be written not only upon the Bowls of the Altar and the Pots of the Lord's House butalso upon all the Pots of Jerusalem not only upon the Vessels of the Temple but upon common utensils that is translate it into a Gospel Phrase that not only in our sacred but even in our common and civil actions c. we should live as a people that are offered up to God 4. The end why we give up our selves to God is to serve please and glorify him Act. 27. 23. His I am and him I serve to please him by the obedience of his will Rom. 12. 1 2. Ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service And
Love is our Breast-plate that guards the vitals of Christianity and Hope is our Helmet that covers our Head that we may hold up our Head in the midst of all the troubles and sorrows of the present Life 1 Thess. 5. 8. Both Graces are necessary therefore it will not be unprofitable to insist upon them I begin now with the former The Lord direct your Hearts to the love of God Where note 1. The Grace prayed for the Love of God 2. The Efficiency which is necessary to produce it the Lord direct your Hearts The word direct notes sometimes conduct and guidance and sometimes bending or setting streight the thing that is crooked Conduct and Guidance as we guide Men that they may not go wrong Psal. 119. 5. Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ships that are best rigged need a Pilot and they that love God most need to have their love ordered and directed to the best advantage of his Glory and Service This for the first signification guidance and direction But at other times it signifies the bending inclining or making streight what is crooked and what bends and tends another way in this Sence I take it here Our Hearts are distorted and writhed and averse from God and all good naturally yea and after Grace received are apt to wander and return to their old bent and byas again therefore the Apostle prays that God would form and set their Hearts streight that they may be more indeclinably fixt towards God And this Prayer he makes for the Thessalonions whose work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope he had so much commended before and of whose sincerity he had such great confidence for those he prays that their Love might be directed and their Hearts more fixedly set towards God The Note then will be plain and easy Doct. That we cannot have or keep up any true Love to God unless the Lord set our Hearts streight and keep them bent towards himself I shall inquire here 1. What is Love to God Love is the complacency of the Soul in what is good Love to God is the complacency and well-pleasedness of the Soul in God as our all-sufficient Portion To open it to you I shall describe it I. By its Radical and Internal Acts. II. By its External Effects III. A little touch upon the Properties of it and then you will see what the Love of God is 1. The Radical and Internal Acts are two Desire and Delight Desire after him and Delight in him 1. Desire after him Love affects union with the thing Beloved and so love to God implies an earnest seeking after him in the highest way of enjoyment that we are capable of in this World This appears partly by the kind of Mercies that we affect and partly by the fervency of our endeavours after him 1. By the kind of Mercies that we affect There are some Mercies vouchsafed to the Creature that lie nearer to God than others do and do least detain us from him as his Image and Favour or his renewing and reconciling Grace When we love God these are sought in the first place As you shall see how the temper of the Saints is described and distinguished from the temper of the brutish Multitude Psal. 4. 6 7. The Many say Who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us and this will put gladness into our Hearts The Many the brutish Multitude seek an uncertain good and they seek it from an uncertain Author Who will shew us They do not acknowledg God in these common Mercies but the Children of God must have his Favour Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us As the Beams of the Sun do chear and refresh the Earth this is that that doth revive their Souls So Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Well then they that desire to be like God in Purity and Holiness and to recover his Favour lost by Sin do certainly more love him than those that only seek temporal Mercies from him God's sanctifying Spirit witnessing his love to us is the greatest gift can be bestowed in this Life and will more witness his love than any thing else can be given us This the Saints seek after that they may be like God that they may be accepted and well-pleasing unto God this is all their Ambition 2 Cor. 5. 9. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of the Lord. Other things may please the Flesh but that is not their design those things that bring them nearer to God take up their Mind and Heart Now as it appears by the Mercies we affect so it appears 2. By the fervency of our endeavours after these things For if the Image of God and Favour of God be sought superficially or as things that we may be well without and the Wealth Honours and Pleasures of the World be most earnestly sought after surely we do not love God Psal. 63. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee The whole Spiritual Life is but a pursuit of the Soul towards God and the more constantly and earnestly we seek him to enjoy more of his saving Graces and Benefits the more we have of the love of God in us Therefore David expresseth this desire as exceeding all other desires Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my Life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple He sought not the glory of the Kingdom Success in battel Victory over his Enemies in the first place or not so much as Converse with God and Attendance on his Worship in the Tabernacle all was nothing to this that he might have Communion with God Therefore this is the radical Act of Love this fervent burning desire that carries the Soul thorow all Duties Ordinances Services they are still making their way to a nearer access to God and larger participation of his Grace till they come eternally to enjoy him in Glory 2. There is another Internal Radical Act of Love that is a Delight in him Our full joy is reserved for the other World but delighting our selves in God is a great Duty now for Love being the complacence of the Soul in God as a apprehended to be good or a delightful adhesion to God as our all-sufficient Portion and Happiness it cannot be imagined Love can be without any delight in God even now Now in this Valley of Tears the hope of enjoying him hereafter is our Comfort and Solace in the midst of our Weaknesses and Afflictions that there is a time coming when we shall more perfectly see kim as he is and be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 2. the Apostle tells us We rejoyce now in the hope of the Glory of God that we have this in
The Scripture declares both the first This is love to keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous The second Psal. 97 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil When we are fearful of committing or omitting any thing may be a violation of his Law a grief to his Spirit or a dishonour to his Name then we are said to love God What ever lofty and luscious strains of devotion we may otherwise please our selves with here will our Trial rest He doth not love God that can most accurately discourse of his Attributes or soar aloft in the nice speculations of contemplative Divinity or pretences of Secrecy with God but he that is most awful serious and consciencious in his Duty 2. It is a Transcendental Love we owe to God we must love him above all other things For he must be loved as our Felicity and End He must have the chiefest place in our Hearts and our principal design must be to please serve and glorify him If we seek God in order to other things we do not love him but our own Lusts nay if all other things be not sought after in order to God we do not set him up as our chief good or last end He that loves Father and Mother more than me is not worthy of me Luke 14. 26. If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Many have a partial half-love to God but a greater love to other things then God's interest will be least minded For there is something nearer and dearer to us than God which will be soon preferred before the Conscience of our Duty to him No all must be subordinated to our supream Happiness and last end or else God is not loved as God But now the second thing propounded is the nature of that influence upon Love which is exprest here by the Apostle in the word direct The Lord direct your Hearts in the Love of God What doth this Imply 1. It implies that God works upon us as Rational Creatures He changeth the Heart indeed but he doth it by Direction he draws us to himself but it is with the Cords of a Man he teacheth while he draws Joh. 6. 44 45. None can come unto me but those whom the Father draws and he proves it by this because they shall be all taught of God God's drawing is teaching it is both by the attractive force of the Object and the internal Efficacy of his Grace the Spirits conduct is sweet yet powerfull accomplisheth the Effect but without offering violence to the liberty of Man We are not forced but directed There is not a violent compulsion but an inclination sweetly raised in us by victorious Grace or the overpouring sweetness of his Love For we love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. And this love is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost who by giving us an esteem and serious remembrance of his Benefits blows up this holy flame in our Hearts We do not love God we know not why or wherefore An account can be given of all the Spirits operations Look as in an impression there must be a Seal and Wax to the Seal and the hand that stamps it so all concurr here The Word doth its part that is the Seal and the Heart of Man receives the Impression but to make it effectual and durable the hand of God concurs or the power of his Spirit The Object is the Gospel wherein God commends his Love to us by the Incarnation Death and Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ as also by the new Covenant because he will work upon Man after the nature of Man by Love he will work upon Love Beside all this there is an internal powerful Agent the holy Spirit The external objective means cannot do it without the inward cause Though God's Love doth so gloriously and resplendently shine forth in the Gospel yet the Heart of Man is not affected with it till it be shed abroad by the illuminating sanctifying Spirit The Heart of Man is dark and dead to these things till changed by Grace and when that is once done that Impression is according to the Stamp 2. The Inclination to God as our Felicity and End which is the Fruit of this Grace is the inclination of a reasonable Creature so the Inclination is necessary but the Acts are voluntary therefore you must keep them up still There is an Inclination put by God into inanimate things as in light and airy Bodies to move upwards and in heavy Bodies to move downwards as a Stone falls to the Earth but Fire and Smoak ascend they cannot do otherwise because they have no choice But now in Man there is an Inclination to God and Heaven which is the Fruit of Grace The Inclination is necessary why because all those whom the Spirit sanctifies he sanctifies them not in vain he certainly begets this Tendency in them towards God therefore so often they are said in Scripture to be converted or turned to God Their Hearts were averse before but then they tend and bend towards him but the Acts are voluntary There is a Duty lying upon us to stir up the Gift of Grace that is in us the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 6. When this holy Fire is kindled in our Bosoms we must blow it up and keep it burning We must not be negligent and secure for we cannot reasonably imagine the idle and diligent should fare alike that the Holy Ghost will direct our Hearts into the Love of God whether we will or not therefore not only as we are rational Agents but as we are new Creatures we are obliged to use the Means and then expect his Help and Blessing What is a Prayer in the Text the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God to the patient waiting for Christ is an Exhortation Iud. 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto everlasting life There is both again you must look to your Love that your Hearts be kept streight and bent towards God and not distracted with worldly Vanities The Blessing is from God but you must use the Means this Direction is not to encourage Slothfulness but Industry We must charge it upon our selves as our main Work and Duty the Spirit stirs and quickens we must rouse up our selves 3. It implies there are many things would writhe and crook and turn our Hearts another way the Devil the World and the Flesh. The Devil seeks to draw us off from God to abate the Fervor of our Love towards him therefore we are bidden to flee youthful Lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. that we may not be taken captive by him at his will and pleasure Some tamely yeeld to his Temptations and he doth unto them as he listeth but there is more tugging
For Continuance in the new Covenant and delightful Obedience unto God The Remedy is not only suted to the Disease but the Duty to the Reward Our Duty is to know God and to love Him and our Reward is to see Him and be like Him 1 Ioh. 3. 2. There is a marvellous Sutableness between the End and Means Holiness and Happiness Conformity to God and our Communion with Him the Holiness required of us now and the Happiness we expect hereafter perfect Conformity and uninterrupted Communion And they differ only but as the Bud and the Flower the River and the Ocean Here it is begun hereafter perfected III. In the Application of his Grace to particular Believers he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence 1. In the Way God taketh to convert Souls to Himself there is a sweet Contemperation and Mixture of Wisdom and Power There is a Proposal of Truth and Good to the Understanding and the Will and by the secret Power of his Grace it is made effectual We are taught and drawn Ioh. 6. 44 45. No Man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the 45th vers And they shall be all taught of God Every Man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me There is opening of blind Eyes and the turning of an hard Heart Acts 26. 18. To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light c. Eph. 1. 18. The Eyes of the Understanding being opened c. Col. 3. 10. Renewed in Knowledg Turning the Heart Acts 16. 29. God opened the Heart of Lydia Acts 11. 21. The Hand of the Lord was with him and a great Number believed and turned to the Lord. His Hand implieth his Power Thus God worketh strongly like Himself sweetly with respect to us that he may not oppress the Liberty of our Faculties Christ comes into the Heart not by Force but by Consent We are transformed but so as we prove what the Will of God is Rom. 12. 2. He draweth we run Cant. 1. 4. The Power of God and Liberty of Man do sweetly consist together As God is said to create in us a new Heart he is also said to give us a free Spirit Psal. 51. 10 12. Eph. 2. 10. We are said to be his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them So he puts a new Heart and we are said to walk in his Ways Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new Heart will I also give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Iudgments and do them Thus God sheweth forth the powerful Efficacy of his Grace and doth also win the Consent and good Liking of the Sinner he obtaineth his Effect and yet doth preserve the Liberty of Man's Nature and the Principles thereof It is not only Voluntas mota but mutata the Nature is changed and renewed 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2. In the perswasive and moral Way the Wisdom of God is seen as taking the most likely Course to gain the Heart of Man discovering Himself to us as a God of Love Kindness and Mercy Guilty Creatures stand aloof from a condemning God our Fear of his Justice maketh us run from him Gen. 3. 7 10. Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord. So all his Posterity forsake God and hate him But God though the Superior though the wronged Party maketh Offers of Peace and sheweth how willing he is to be reconciled to us Having first laid the Foundation in the highest Demonstration of Goodness that ever could come to the Ears of Man to hear of or enter into the Heart of Man to conceive namely in giving his Son to die for a sinful World 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. What more apt to make Man relent And then because Man had fallen from the Love of God to the Creature Ier. 2. 3. What Wisdom doth God shew not only in the Offers of Pardon but Eternal Life and Blessedness infinitely beyond the false Happiness which carnal Self-Love inclineth us to that it is a Shame and Disgrace to our Reason to think these things are worthy to be compared together What are all the Pleasures Profits and Honours we dote upon to the Pleasures at God's right-Hand the Riches of the Inheritance of the Saints and the Glory which cometh from God And therefore what more powerful Motive can be produced than this Blessed Immortality Indeed God is invisible and the Glory is to come and sensual Pleasures are at hand ready to be enjoyed But Faith checketh Sense Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Evidence of Things not seen O the Wisdom of God in the Frame of the Gospel 2. In the Effect it self the new Creature which is the wisest Creature on this side Heaven To evidence this to you I shall shew you that all Wisdom and Prudence consisteth in three things 1. In fixing a right End 2. In the choice of apt and proper Means 3. In a dextrous effectual Prosecution of the End by those Means 1. In fixing and propounding to ourselves a right End A wise Man doth not mind Trifles but is conversant about Things of the greatest Reality Necessity and Excellency such are God and Heaven All other Wisdom will prove but Folly in the end Others disquiet themselves about a vain Show Psal. 59. 6. Poor silly Creatures cark and labour and turmoil to get together a few poor transitory Enjoyments where there is neither durable possession nor solid Satisfaction The Honours Pleasures and Riches of the World are but Pictures and Shadows of the true Honours the true Riches and Fulness of Joy at God's right Hand Surely he is a wise Man that chooseth God for his Portion and Heaven for his Home Prov. 15. 24. The Way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid Hell beneath He is wise and hath chosen the true Sort of living which mindeth the Salvation of his Soul and looketh after Eternal Life Surely this is above and beyond any Wisdom Man can pretend unto to be happy not for a while but for ever 2. In the Choice of apt and proper Means A Man is wise enough if he knows his Duty and the Way to Happiness God hath appointed us the Way wherein to walk to fear him and love him and keep his Commandments Deut. 4. 6. Keep these Statutes for this is your Wisdom Job 28. 28. The Fear of God that is Wisdom and to depart from Evil that is Understanding There is an Excellency in this sort of Life Prov. 12.
his Justice in reference to Men and to appear to them still as a Righteous God Gen. 18. 25. Shall not the Iudge of all the Earth do right And Rom. 3. 5 6. Is God unrighteous to take Vengeance how then shall he judge the World These Scriptures imply that if there were the least Blemish if you could suppose he should fail in point of Righteousness this were to be denyed that God should be the Judge of the World Therefore God's Righteousness and Justice which gives to every one their due must shine in its proper place he will give Vengeance to whom Vengeance is due and Blessing to whom Blessing belongs In our Case Punishment belongs to us and what can we expect from this God but Wrath and eternal Destruction Therefore if all this be so if a Conscience suppose a Law a Law a Sanction a Sanction a Judge a Judge some time when his Justice must have a Solemn Tryal and this will necessarily infer Condemnation to a fallen Creature What then shall we do 7. From this Condemnation there is no Escape unless God set up another Court and Chancery of the Gospel where condemned Sinners may be taken to Mercy and their Sins forgiven and they justified and accepted unto Grace and Life upon Terms that may salve God's Honour and Government over Mankind There is a great deal of Difference between the forgiving private Wrongs and Injuries and the pardoning of publick Offences between the Pardon of a Magistrate and the Pardon of a private Person When Equals fall out among themselves they may end their Differences in Charity and in such ways as best please themselves by a meer forgiving by acquitting the sense of the Wrong done or a bare Submission of the Party offending But the Case is different here God is not reconciled to us meerly as the Party offended but as the Governour of the World the Case lies between the Judge of the World and sinning Mankind therefore it must not be ended by meer Comprimise and Agreement but by Satisfaction that his Law may be satisfied and the Honour of his Justice secured Therefore to make the Pardon of Man a thing convenient to the Righteous and Holy Judge to bestow without any Impeachment to the Honour of his Justice and Authority of his Law the Lord finds out this great Mystery God manifested in our Flesh Iesus Christ is made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4. 5. And is become a Propitiation to satisfy God's Iustice Rom. 3. 25 26. And so God shews Mercy to his Creatures and yet the Awe of his Government is kept up and a full Demonstration of his Righteousness is given to the World 8. This being done conveniently to God's Honour we must sue out our Pardon with respect to both the Covenants both that which we have broken the Law of Nature and that which is made in Christ and is to be accepted by us as our Sanctuary and sure Refuge 1. We must have a broken-hearted Sense of Sin and of the Curse due to the first Covenant for it is the Disease brings us to the Physician the Curse drives us to the Promise and the Tribunal of Justice to the Throne of Grace and the Avenger of Blood at our Heels that causeth us to fly to our proper City of Refuge and to take Sanctuary at the Lord's Grace Heb. 6. 18. So that if you mince and extenuate Sin you seem to hold to the first Covenant and had rather plead innocent than guilty no if you would have this favour you must confess your Sins 1 Iohn 1. 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and vo cleanse us from all Unrighteousness You must confess your Sins and with that remorse that will become Offences done to so great a God And there must not only be a Sense of Sin but of the Curse and Merit of Sin also for we must not only accuse but judge our selves that God may not judge and condemn us 1 Cor. 11. 31. Self-accusing respects Sin and is acted in Confession Self-judging respects the Curse or Punishment that is due to us for Sin and it is a Persons pronouncing upon himself according to the tenor of the Law what is his due acknowledging his Guilt and this with much brokenness of Heart before God when he hath involved himself in God's eternal Wrath and Displeasure I observe that the Law-Covenant is in the Scripture compared to a Prison wherein God hath shut up guilty Souls Rom. 11. 32. He hath concluded or shut them up that he may have Mercy upon them Gal. 3. 22. He hath shut them up under Sin The Law is God's Prison and no Offenders can get out of it till they have God's leave and from him they have none till they are sensible of the Justice and Righteousness of that first Dispensation confess their Sins with brokenness of heart and that it may be just with God to condemn them for ever 2. We must thankfully accept the Lord's Grace that offers Pardon to us For since God is pleased to try us a second time and set us up with a new stock of Grace and that brought about in such a wonderful way that he may recover the lost Creation to himself surely if we shall despise our Remedy after we have rendred our selves uncapable of our Duty no Condemnation is bad enough for us Ioh. 3. 18 19. Therefore we should admire the Mercy of God in Christ and have such a deep sence of it that it may check our sinful self-love which hath been our bane and ruine And since God shewed himself willing to be reconciled we must enter into his Peace not look upon our selves in a hopeless and desperate condition but depend upon the Merit Sacrifice and Intercession of Christ and be encouraged by his gracious Promise and Covenant to come with boldness that we may find Grace and Mercy to help in a time of need Heb. 4. 16. Thus you see the Need we have to look after this Pardon of Sin 2dly I must shew our Misery without this And this will be best done by considering the Notions here in the Text. Here is Filth to be covered a Burden of which we must be eased and here is a Debt that must be cancelled and unless this be what a miserable Condition are we in 1. What a heavy Burden is Sin where it is not pardoned Carnal Men feel it not for the present Elements are not burdensom in their own place but how soon may they feel it Two sorts of Consciences feel the burden of Sin a tender Conscience and a wounded Conscience It is greivous to a tender Heart that values the Love of God to lie under the Guilt of Sin and to be obnoxious to his Wrath and Displeasure Psal. 38. 4. Mine Iniquities are gone over mine Head as a Burden too heavy for me Broken Bones are sensible of the least Weight certainly a
broken Heart cannot make light of Sin What kind of Hearts are those that sin securely and without Remorse and are never troubled Go to wounded Consciences and ask of them what Sin is Gen. 4. 13. Mine Iniquity is greater than I can bear Prov. 18. 14. A wounded Spirit who can bear As long as the Evil lies without us it is tolerable the natural Courage of a Man may bear up under it but when the Spirit it self is wounded with the sense of Sin who can bear it If a Spark of God's Wrath light upon the Conscience how soon do Men become a Burden to themselves and some have chosen Strangling rather than Life Ask Cain ask Iudas what it is to feel the burden of Sin Sinners are all their life time subject to this Bondage it is not always felt but soon awakened it may be done by a pressing Exhortation at a Sermon it may be done by some notable Misery that befalls us in the World it may be done by a scandalous Sin it may be done by a grievous Sickness or worldly Disappointment All these things and many more may easily revive it in us There needs not much ado to put a Sinner in the Stocks of Conscience Therefore do but consider to be eased of this Burden O the Blessedness of it 2. It is Filth to be covered which renders us odious in the sight of God It is said Prov. 13. 5. That a Sinner is loathsom To whom to God certainly he is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity To good Men the wicked is an Abomination to the Righteous the new Nature hath an aversation to it Lot's righteous Soul was vexed from day to day with the Conversation of the Wicked A wicked Man hates a godly Man with an hatred of Enmity and Abomination but a godly Man doth not hate a wicked Man with a Hatred of Enmity that is opposite to good Will but with that of Abomination which is opposite to Complacence It is loathsom to an indifferent Man for Holiness darts an Awe and Reverence into the Conscience The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour and a wicked Person is a vile Person in the common esteem of the World horrible Profaneness will not easily down nay it is loathsom to other wicked Men. I do not know whether I expound that Scripture rightly but it looks somewhat so hateful and hating one another We hate Sin in another though we will not take notice of it in our selves The Sensuality and Pride and Vanity of one wicked Man is hated by another Nay he is loathsom to himself why because he cannot endure to look into himself We cannot endure our selves when we are serious They will not come to the Light lest their Deeds should be reproved And we are shy of God's Presence we are sensible we have something makes us offensive to him and we hang off from him when we have sinned against him As it was David's experience Psal. 32. 3. That was the Cause of his Silence he kept off from God having sinned against him and had not a Heart to go home and sue out his Pardon O what a Mercy is it then to have this Filth covered that we may be freed from this bashful Inconfidence and not be ashamed to look God in the Face and may come with a holy Boldness into the Presence of the blessed God O the Blessedness of the Man whose Sin is covered 3. It is a Debt that binds the Soul to everlasting Punishment and if it be not pardoned the Judge will give us over to the Jaylor and the Jaylor cast us into Prison till we have paid the uttermost farthing Luk. 12. 59. To have so vast a Debt lying upon us what a Misery is that Augustus bought that Mans Bed who could sleep soundly when he was in debt so many hundred of Sesterties Certainly it is a strange Security that possesseth the Hearts of Men when we are obliged to suffer the Vengeance of the Wrath of the Eternal God by our many Sins and yet can sleep quietly Body and Soul will be taken away in Execution the Day of Payment is set and may come much sooner than you think for you must get a Discharge or else you are undone for ever Our Debt comes to Millions of Millions Well if the Lord will forgive so great a Debt O the Blessedness of that Man c. Put altogether now certainly if you have ever been in Bondage if you have felt the Sting of Death and Curse of the Law or been scorched by the Wrath of God or knew the horrour of those upon whom God hath exacted this Debt in Hell certainly you would be more and more affected with this wonderful Grace O the Blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not his Transgressions 3dly The Consequent Benefits I will name three 1. It restores the Creature to God and puts us in Joint again in a capacity to serve and please and glorify God Psal. 130. 4. There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feaared Forgiveness invites us to return to God obliges us to return to God and take it as God dispenseth it it inclines us to return to God and encourages us to live in a state of Amity and holy Friendship with God pleasing and serving him in Righteousness and Holiness all our days Certainly it invites us to return to God Man stands aloof from a condemning God but may be induced to submit to a pardoning God And it obligeth us to return to God to serve and love and please him who will forgive so great a Debt and discharge us from all our Sins for she loved much to whom much was forgiven It inclines us to serve and please God for where God pardons he renews he puts a new Life into us that inclines us to God Col. 2. 13. He hath quickned you together with Christ having forgiven all your Trespasses And it encourages us to serve and please God Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ cleanse your Consciences from dead Works that ye may serve the Living God and that in a sutable manner that you may serve God in a lively chearful manner A poor Creature bound to his Law and conscious of his own Disobedience and obnoxious to Wrath and Punishment is mightily clogg'd and drives on heavily but when the Conscience is purged from dead Works we serve the living God in a lively manner and this begets a holy Chearfulness in the Soul and we are freed from that Bondage that otherwise would clogg us in our Duty to God 2. It lays the Foundation for solid Comfort and Peace in our own Souls For till Sin be pardoned you have no true Comfort because the Justice of the Supreme Governour of the World will still be dreadful to us whose Laws we have broken whose Wrath we have justly deserved and whom we still apprehend as offended with us and provoked by us We may lull the Soul asleep
with carnal Delights but the virtue of that Opium will be soon spent All those Joys are but stollen Waters and Bread eaten in secret a poor sorry Peace that dares not come to the Light and endure the Trial a sorry Peace that is soon disturbed by a few serious and sober thoughts of God and the World to come but when once Sin is pardoned then you have true Joy indeed Be of good Cheer thy Sins be forgiven thee Mat. 9. 2. Then Misery is pluckt up by the Roots Comfort ye comfort ye my People Why Her Iniquity is forgiven Isa. 40. 1 2. And we joy in God Rom. 5. 11. as those that have received the Atonement The Lord Jesus hath made the Atonement but when we have received the Atonement then we joy in God then there is matter for abundant Delight when the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy-Ghost given unto us 3. When we are pardoned then we are capable of Eternal Happiness Pardon of Sin is Gratia removens prohibens that Grace that removes the Impediment that takes the Make-bate out of the way removes that that hinders our Entrance into Heaven Sanctification is the beginning but till we are pardoned there can be no Entrance into Heaven now this removes the Incapacity I observe Remission of Sins is put for all the Priviledge-Part as Repentance for the Duties Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins There are two Initial Benefits Repentance as the Foundation of the new Life and Remission of Sins as the Foundation of all our future Mercies There are two chief Blessings offered in the New Covenant Pardon and Life Reconciliation with God and the everlasting Fruition of Him in Glory and the one makes way for the other Acts 26. 28. To open their Eyes and to turn them from Satan to God that they may receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among the Saints When we are pardoned then we are capable to look for the blessed Inheritance the Impediment is taken out of the way that excludes from it And thus you see the Blessedness of the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Filth is covered and unto whom the Lord will not impute his Sin A Word of Application 1. Let us bless God for the Christian Religion Where this Priviledge is discovered to us in all its Glory and that upon very commodious terms fit to gain the Heart of Man and to reduce him to God Mic. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee among all the Gods pardoning the Transgressions of thine Heritage The Business of Religion is to provide sufficiently for two things which have much troubled the considering Part of the World a suitable Happiness for Mankind and suitable means for the expiation of Sin Happiness is our great desire and Sin is our great burden and trouble Now these are fully made known and discovered to us by the Christian Faith The last is that we are upon The Way how the grand Scruple of the World may be satisfied and their guilty Fears appeased And that we may see the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all Religions in the World it offers Pardon upon such terms as are most commodious to the Honour of God and most satisfactory to our Souls that is upon the account of Christ's Satisfaction and our own Repentance without which our Case is not compassionable The first I will chiefly insist on The Heathens were mightily perplexed about the way how God could dispense with the Honour of his Justice in the Pardon of Sin That Man is God's Creature and therefore his Subject that he hath exceedingly failed and faulted in his Duty and Subjection to him and is therefore obnoxious to God's just Wrath and Vengeance are Truths evident in the light of Nature and common Experience And therefore the Heathens had some Convictions of this and saw a need that God should be atoned and propitiated by some Sacrifices of Expiation and the nearer they lived to the Original of this Tradition and Institution the more burdened and pressing were their Conceits and Apprehensions thereof But in all their cruel Superstitions there was no rest of Soul they knew not the true God nor the proper Ransom nor had any sure way to convey Pardon to them but were still left to the Puzzle and Distraction of their own Thoughts and could not make God merciful without some diminution of his Holiness and Justice nor make him just without some diminution of his Mercy Somewhat they conceived of the Goodness of God by his continuing forfeited Benefits so long God left them not without a Witness But yet they could not reconcile it to his Justice or Will to punish Sinners And all their Apprehensions of the Pardon of Sin were but Probabilities and what was wrought to procure Merit was ridiculous or else barbarous and unnatural giving their First-born for the Sin of their Soul Mic. 6. 7. And all those Notions they had about this apprehended Expiation were too weak to change the Heart or Life of Man or to reduce him to God Come we now to the Iews The Iews had many Sacrifices of God's own Institution but such as did not make the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9. 9. And the Ransom that was to be given to provoked Justice was known but to a few They saw much of the Patience and Forbearance of God but little of the Righteousness of God and which was the great Propitiation Till God set forth Iesus Christ to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the Forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Iustifier of him that believes in Iesus Rom. 3. 25 26. Their Ordinances and Sacrifices were rather a Bond acknowledging the Debt or presignifying the Ransom that was to be paid and their Sacrifices did rather breed Bondage and their Ordinances were called an Hand-writing of Ordinances that were against them The Redemption of Souls was then-spoken of as a great Mystery but sparingly reveal'd Psal. 49. 3 7. My Mouth shall speak of Wisdom and the Meditation of my Heart shall be of Understanding I will incline mine Ear to a Parable I will open my dark Sayings upon the Harp What was that Wisdom What was that dark Saying The Redemption of Souls is precious it ceaseth for ever As it lies upon meer Man's hand none can give a Ransom for his Brother Eternal Redemption by Christ was a dark Saying in those days only they knew no meer Man could do it And in more early times in Iob's time he was an Interpreter One of a Thousand that could bring this Message to a distressed Sinner that God had found out a Ransom This Atonement then that lies at the bottom of Pardon of Sin was a rare thing in those days Let us bless
account of his Ministry Acts 20. 21. Testifying both to the Iews and also to the Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ. Here in short Repentance respects God to whom we return and Faith Jesus Christ by whom we return From God we fell to God we must return we fell from him as we withdrew our Allegiance and sought our Happiness elsewhere and we return to him as our rightful Lord and our proper Happiness And then Faith in Christ is necessary because the Lord Jesus is the only Remedy for our Misery who opened the way to God by his Merit and Satisfaction and doth also bring us to walk in his Ways by his renewing first and then reconciling Grace and Faith is that that respects him Who will take Physick of a Physician whose Art he does not trust or go to Sea with a Pilot whose Skill he questions Who will venture his Eternal Interest in Christ's Hands if he be not perswaded of his Ability and Fidelity as one that is able to make our Peace with God and bring us to the Enjoyment of him But I would not lightly mention it but bring it to a distinct Issue 1. I will shew you It is for the Glory of God and Comfort of the Creature that there should be a stated Course of entring into God's Peace or applying the Gospel for we must not so look to the Impetration or Merit and Righteousness of Christ as not to consider the Application and how we come to have a Title to these things 2. I will shew that these two Graces and Duties are Faith and Repentance which do in many things agree and in other respects differ 3. I will shew you that they differing in their Use are required for distinct Reasons and Ends. 4. The Use of these Graces will plainly discover their Nature to you so that a poor Christian that would settle his Soul upon Christ's Terms and this blessed Gospel made known to us need not any longer debate what is Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. It is for the Glory of God and the Comfort of the Creature that there should be a stated Course of applying the Priviledges of the Gospel or of entring into God's Peace 1 It is certainly for the Glory of God It is not meet that Pardon and Life should be prostituted to every one that will hastily challenge these Priviledges Pardon we are upon our Case is not compassionable till we relent and submit to God's terms I would appeal to your own Consciences surely it is more suitable to the Wisdom of God that a penitent Sinner should have Pardon rather than an impenitent or one that securely continues in his Sins and despiseth both the Curse of the Law and the Grace of the Gospel It is not agreable to the Honour of God and the Wisdom of his Transactions with Man that such should have benefit by him Again for Faith it is not meet we should have benefit by one we know not and trust not What ever be God's Mercy to Infants who are not in a Capacity to know and trust him yet in adult and grown Persons it is necessary we should not have such great Priviledges setled upon us without our knowledge or besides and against our Wills God will have our Consent in an humble and solemn way that we may come and thankfully accept what he hath provided for us So this is very much for the Glory of God 2. And then for our Comfort that we may make our Claim that we may state our Interest with the greater Certainty and Assurance for when great Priviledges are conditionally propounded as they are in the new Covenant our Right is suspended till the Conditions be performed and certainly our Comfort is suspended till we know they be performed till we know our selves to be such as have an Interest in the Promises of the Gospel I have told you Blessed are they whose Sins are pardoned but saith the Soul If I knew my Sins were pardoned I should think my self a blessed Creature indeed What would you reply to this anxious and serious Soul God hath made a Promise an Offer of Pardon by Christ the Offer of Pardon is the Invitation to use the means that we may be possessed of it But then the serious anxious Soul replies still To whom is this Promise made How shall I come to know that I am thus blessed and accepted by God and that my Sins are pardoned What is to be replied here Look to whom the Promise is made Certainly it is made to some or to all if you say the Promise is to all you deceive the most if to some you must say from Scripture to them that repent and believe to the penitent Believer Here is the shortest way to bring the Debate to an Issue wherein our Comfort is so much concern'd to see we be penitent Believers For thus the Application is stated and the fixing these Conditions is more for the Glory of God and the Comfort of the Creature 2. The two Graces or Duties upon which it is fixt Faith and Repentance do in many things agree in other respects differ 1. They both agree in this that they are both necessary to the fallen Creature and do concern our Recovery to God and so are proper to the Gospel which is provided for the restauration of lapsed Mankind The Gospel is an healing Remedy and therefore is Christ so often set forth by the term of a Physician The Law was a Stranger to both these Duties it knew no such thing as Repentance and Faith in Christ for according to the tenour of it once a Sinner and for ever miserable But the Gospel is a Plank cast out after Shipwrack whereby we may scape and come safe to Shore Again they both agree in this that they concern our Entrance and first Recovery out of the Defection and Apostacy of Mankind for afterwards there are other things required but as to our first Entrance into the Evangelick State both these Graces are required and the Acts of them so interwoven that we can hardly distinguish them Again They both agree in this that they have a continual Influence upon our whole new Obedience For the secondary Conditions of the Covenant do grow out of the first and these two Graces run throughout our whole Life Repentance mortifying Sin is not a Work of a Day but of our whole Lives and the like is Faith Again They agree in that both are effected and wrought in us by the holy Spirit that God who requires these things gives them Lastly They agree in this that the one cannot be without the other neither Repentance without Faith nor Faith without Repentance partly because there is no Use of Faith without Repentance Christ as Mediatour is the means now the means are of no use without respect to the end Now Christ and the whole Gospel-Grace is the means to come to God Besides
2. In that he gave notice and did especially direct and send him to them Hath sent his Son 3. Why he came among them in his Word It was to bless them 1. In designing the Person who should do them good God hath raised up his Son Iesus It may seem to be meant of his Resurrection from the dead but I think rather to raise up is to exalt to call to authorize to appoint to some notable Work and it is used for installing consecrating as in this very Chapter v. 22. He shall raise up a Prophet from among you Acts 13. 23. Of this Man's Seed hath God raised up to Israel a Saviour that is hath put Authority upon him given him Commission to save Sinners raised up designed him to this Work But then 2. The special Direction of his Providenc God having raised up his Son IESUS hath sent him to bless you Sometimes the Word is said to be sent to us Acts 13. 26. To you is this Word of Salvation sent He doth not say we have brought this Salvation to you but to you it is sent God hath a great Hand in directing the Course of the Gospel And sometimes Christ is said to be sent as here in the Text for where the Gospel is preached to a People Christ is sent to them as a Token from Heaven if he be neglected you despise the Riches and Bounty of God and the best and choicest Gift that ever could be bestowed upon the Sons of Men. Therefore he saith God having raised his Son hath sent him Where the Gospel goes there Christ is sent there he comes that he may have work to do 3. Here is the End and Purport of his Coming not to take vengeance of the Affronts and Contumelies they had put upon him but he comes to bless For the opening of this Word you must look to the preceding Verse He speaks of the Covenant made with Abraham In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Now Jesus was sent unto them to assure this Blessing The Blessing is any Good that accrues and results to us from the Covenant of Grace but chiefly those special Blessings we have by Christ Reconciliation with God and Life Eternal those things which he minded to purchase for us and hath dispensed to us by his gracious Covenant This is the Blessing intended All Nations are to be blessed in the Seed of Abraham now God having raised Christ of this Man's Seed hath sent him to bless you III. Here is the Blessing interpreted and restrained and that is Conversion from Sin In turning every one of you from his Sins They expected a pompous Messiah that should make them an opulent and potent Nation But Christ came upon another Errand to convert Souls unto God Only mark when the Apostle speaks this he speaks it not of the Intention of God but the Offer of his Grace otherwise every particular Iew must be converted or God missed his End God may send him to bless and yet some may contemn the Offer others God prevents by the special efficacy of his Grace or else all would contemn it They that do contemn it are justly passed by and they that receive it own it to his Grace and not to themselves It was the secret Purpose of his Grace to bring in many and this brought in three thousand Men there were others refused this Blessing offered from the Mediatour and they justly perish for their Unbelief The Point though there be many that I shall insist on is Doct. That a main Blessing we have by Christ is to be turned from our Iniquities 1. Here I shall enquire What it is to be turned from Sin 2. I shall shew you That certainly this is a very blessed thing 3. That this is the great Blessing of the Mediator that we have by Christ in the Gospel 4. In what manner Christ turneth us from our Iniquities I. What it is to be turned from Sin Take these Considerations 1. Man fallen lay under the power and guilt of Sin He was dead in Trespasses and Sins and liable to the Wrath of God Eph. 2. 1 2 3. So Man was both unholy and guilty 2. Christ came to free us from both these The Guilt Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the Remission of Sins And the Power Tit. 3. 5. He hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy-Ghost To be freed from Guilt and delivered from Hell and Wrath to come is a Blessing for which we can never be sufficiently thankfull But to be freed from Sin that is the greater Mercy and therefore he hath sent his Son to bless you in turning every one of you from your Sins 3. To be turned from Sin implies our whole Conversion Though one part only be mentioned the term from which yet the term to which is implied that we are turned to God as well as turned from Sin To God as our Happiness and our Supreme Lord that we may love him and be happy in being beloved by him Act. 26. 18. 4. That Remission of Sins is included in our Conversion to God the meaning is that he may turn you from your unbelief and impenitency and so make you capable of his Pardon and Mercy for so it is explained v. 19. Repent and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out c. Without sound Repentance the Mediatour's Blessing will not be had and when Christ came to save us from Wrath his way was to turn us from Sin These two must not be severed God hath exalted him to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins Acts 5. 31. You see then what is meant by the Blessing the Mediatour offers To be turned from our Sins II. It is a blessed thing to be made Partakers of this Benefit Blessedness imports two things Negatively a Removal of Evil and Positively a Fruition or Enjoyment of some great Good When we are turned from our Sins there is both 1. An Immunity from or a Removal of the great Evil and that is Sin 1. The great Cause of Offence between God and us is taken out of the way Isa. 59. 2. Your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and have hidden his Face from you Sin makes the Distance between you and God that you cannot delight in God nor God in you You cannot delight in God for your Hearts are alienated from him You are become Enemies in your Mind by wicked Works Where Sin reigns Man is an Enemy to God Partly through Carnal Prepossession there is something takes up his Heart and diverts it from God 1 Iohn 2. 15. If any Man love the World how dwelleth the Love of the Father in him His Heart is taken up with another Love And partly through Carnal Liberty we cannot enjoy our Lusts with that freedom and security by reason of the Restraints of his Law that would curb us and cut us short
the Conscience and the Conscience against all But where the Heart is framed to the obedience of God's Will there is Peace Pax est tranquillitas ordinis when all things keep their place as in an accurate orderly Life they do Gal. 6. As many as walk according to this Rule Peace and Mercy be upon them and the whole Israel of God There is Peace for there is an harmonious Accord between God and them and between them and themselves Psal. 119. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law not only Peace but great Peace a Peace that passeth all understanding Whilst we are in our Sins there is ever a fear of the War which is between God and us and there is a War in our selves Conscience disallowing our practices and our practices disliking the conduct of Conscience so that there is no peace to the Wicked But when the Lord Jesus hath taken us in hand and begun to cure us and frame us aright and shew us his wonderful Grace in turning us from our Sins here is matter provided for Serenity and Peace 2. It is the pledg of our eternal Felicity hereafter For Heaven is the perfection of Holiness or the full fruition of God in glory Now when the Mediator begins to take away Sin he blesses you for the Life is then begun which shall be perfected in Heaven Unless it be begun here it will never be perfected there For without Holiness no Man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. But if it be begun it will surely be perfected there for blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The vision and fruition of God is begun here the Spirit of Holiness is the earnest of our Inheritance Eph. 1. 13 14. O what Blessedness is it then to have the new heart planted into us by Christ and to live the new Life It is the Beast about you that delights in the momentany base dreggy Pleasures of Sin But when Christ hath turned you from your Sins you are blessed indeed you are in the way to Blessedness and you shall be blessed for ever he gives Peace as a Pledge of Happiness and Eternal Glory III. I shall prove that this is the Mediator's Blessing 1. Let me lay down this that those Blessings that are most proper to the Mediator are spiritual Blessings We forfeited all by Sin but especially the Grace of the Spirit whereby we might be made serviceable to God Other Mercies run in the Channel of common Providence but spiritual Blessings are the discriminating Graces and Favours that are given us by the Mediator Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly Places Christ came not to distribute Honours and Greatness and worldly Riches to his Followers but to turn away every one of us from our Sins to reduce us to God that we may love him and be beloved of him He came as a spiritual Saviour to give us Grace rather than temporal Happiness Most Men have a Carnal Iewish Notion of Christ they would have a temporal Safety and Happiness they would have Deliverance from Affliction rather than Deliverance from Sin To be delivered from every evil Work is more than to be delivered from the Mouth of the Lion This is most proper to the Mediator 2 Tim. 4. 18. A sanctified Use of Troubles is more than an Exemption from them a carnal Man may have Exemption from them but not a sanctified Use of them Poverty Lameness Blindness are not as bad as Ignorance unruly Lusts and Want of Grace Moral Evils are worse than Natural Daniel was cast into a Lion's Den you would think that was a Misery but it was a greater Misery when Nebuchadnezzar was thrust out among the Beasts being given up to a brutish Heart Exemption from Trouble may be hurtful to us but Deliverance from Sin is never hurtful to us Among the spiritual Blessings we have by the Mediator Conversion from Sin to God is the chiefest we have on this side Heaven That it was the main Part of Christ's Undertaking I shall prove by Scripture and Reason For Scripture the Text is clear for it for thus the Apostle interprets the Covenant-Blessing In thy Seed shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed viz. God hath sent him to bless you wherein in turning every one of you from your Sins He shall be called Iesus Mat. 1. 21. for he shall save his People from their sins not only from the Guilt but the Power of Sin not only from the Evil after Sin but the Evil of Sin it self Denominatio est à majori the Name is taken from what is chiefest And so when he is promised to the Iews The Redcemer shall come out of Sion and he shall turn away Ungodliness from Iacob There is his principal Work 1 John 3. 5. Christ came to take away Sin and in him is no Sin He means not only the condemning Power but the Power of it in the Heart for he is pleading Arguments for Holiness why Believers should not run into Sin which is a Transgression of the Law One is from the Undertaking of Christ he came to take away Sin and from the Example of Christ In him is no Sin he plainly means the Power of Sin 2. Now to give you some Reasons why this is the chief Benefit most eyed by Christ and should be most regarded by us 1. Christ's Undertaking was principally for the Glory of God All the Promises are in him Yea and Amen to the Glory of God And it should not be a Question which should have the precedence the Glory of God or our Good Christ came to promote God's Glory and that must have the precedence of our Benefit Now then the abolishing the Guilt of Sin doth more directly respect our Interest and Good but the abolishing the Power of Sin or the turning and cleansing the Heart from it doth more immediately respect the Glory of God and our Subjection to God Therefore Christ would not only pacify the Wrath of God but his chief Work that doth mostly concern the Glory of God was to heal our evil Natures and prevent Sin for the time to come 2. To be turned from Sin is to be freed from the greatest Evil. For Pardon gives us an Exemption from Punishment which is a natural Evil but Conversion gives us freedom from our naughty Hearts which is a moral Evil and certainly Vice is worse than Pain and Sin than Misery Besides Sin is the Cause of all Evil and the taking away the Cause is more than ceasing the Effect 3. This hath nearer Connection with the Life of Glory Pardon only removes the Impediment but the sanctifying and healing of our Natures is the beginning of the Life of Glory and Introduction into it Pardon removes our Guilt which hinders our Happiness therefore Divines say Justification is Gratia removens prohibens that that removes the Impediment but the sanctifying
like him that is like him in Holiness and like him in Happiness Our Vision will make a Transformation The desire of Union which is so intrinsick to Love is never satisfied till then Here we have a little of God in the midst of Sin and Misery Sin straitens our capacity from receiving more and God sees fit to exercise us with Misery only affording us an intermixture of heavenly Comfort But our full Joy is reserved to the Day of Christ's appearing 2. They that love God desire also that God may be glorified that his Truth may be vindicated his Love and Justice demonstrated His Truth is vindicated because his Threatnings and Promises are all accomplished Sin will no more be had in Honour nor Pride and Sensuality bear sway Love to the Saints will be seen in their full reward and his Justice demonstrated on the wicked in their full Punishment All matters of Faith shall then become matters of Sence and what is now propounded to be believed shall be felt and God shall be glorified in all 2. The Saints love Christ as Mediator we love him now though we see him not 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen we love and believing in him rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory But desire to see him as our surest and best Friend We have heard much of him felt much of him and tasted much of him but we desire to see him especially when he shall appear in all his Glory Mat. 25. 31. The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all his Angels with him All Clouds about his Person shall vanish he shall appear to be what he is the Saviour and Judg of the World 3. They have a love for the Church for the Church in general shall at that day be adorned as a Bride for her Husband and fully freed from all Sin and trouble 'T is no more eclipsed by its lamentable Imperfections corruption of Worship division of Sects or the persecutions of the World nor polluted by the Distempers of its diseased Members all is then Holy and Glorious Christ will present it as a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle Eph. 2. 7. 4. They love themselves in God and their own Happiness is then fully to be perfected All the desires and hopes of Believers are then satisfied They that are now scorned and persecuted shall have the reward of their love to God be perfectly loved by him A gladsom day it will be with God's people 2 Thess. 1. 10. It is said Christ shall be admired in the Saints and glorified in all them that believe Glorified not actively but objectively Poor Creatures that are newly crept out of the Dust and Rottenness shall have so much Glory put upon them that the Angels themselves shall stand wondring what Christ means to do for them And then for all their labour they shall have rest they shall rest from their labours that is all their troublesom work shall be over for their pain and sorrow they shall have delight 1 Pet. 4. 12. For their shame they shall have Glory put upon them both in Body and Soul Our Lord Christ despised the Shame for the Glory set before him Heb. 12. 2. III. It hath a great Influence upon the Spiritual Life and keeps Religion alive in our Souls That will appear if you take either word in the Text Waiting or Patience 1. If you take the first Notion Waiting or Looking as it draws off the Mind from things present to things to come 1. Looking to the end of things giveth Wisdom Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise that they would consider their latter end It is not so much to be stood upon who is happy now but who shall be happy at last If Men would frequently consider this it would much rectify all the mistakes in the World If we would inure our Minds not to look to things as they seem at present or relish to the Flesh or appear now to such short-sighted Creatures as we are but as they will be judged of at the last day at Christ's appearing How soon would this vain shew be over and the Face of things changed and what is Rich and Pleasant and Honourable now appear base and contemptible at the latter end Then shall we see that there is an excellency in oppressed Godliness that exalted Wickedness and Folly is but shame and ruine Do but translate the Scene from the World's Judgment to Christ's Tribunal and you will soon alter your opinions concerning Wisdom and Folly Misery and Happiness Liberty and Bondage Shame and Glory the mistaking of which Notions pervert all mankind and there is no rectifying the mistake but by carrying of our Mind seriously to the last review of all things For then we shall judge things not by what they seem now but by what they will be hereafter Solomon tells us Prov. 19. 20. Hear Counsel and receive Instruction that thou mayst be wise in thy latter end That is true Wisdom to be found wise at last Time will come when we shall wish and say in vain Oh that we had laid up treasure in Heaven that we had laboured for the Meat that perisheth not that we had esteemed despised Holiness that we had set less by all the vanities of the World that we had imitated the strictest and most mortified Believer for those are only esteemed and have honour in that Day More particularly 1. It would much quicken us to Repentance Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the day of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All things shall be reviewed at Christ's coming and some Mens Sins remain and others are blotted out None but those that are converted and turned to God can expect that Benefit Unless we be recovered from the Devil the World and the Flesh and brought back again in Heart and Life to God there will be no escape Now those that wait for this day should prepare for it that they may stand in the Judgment with comfort The wicked shall have Judgment without Mercy but the Believer shall be accepted upon terms of Grace Days of torment shall come to the one from the presence of the Lord and days of refreshing shall come to the other The state in the World of believing Penitents is a time of Conflict Labour and Sorrow but this trouble and toil is then over and they shall enjoy their rest Consider these things Where would you have your refreshment and in what Many seek their refreshing now either in brutish pleasures and sit down under the shadow of some earthly Gourd which soon withers but those that seek their refreshment in the enjoyment of God shall then be satisfied Nothing certainly makes us so sollicitous about a serious Reconciliation with God as the Consideration of this Day 2. It engageth us to Holiness and puts Life into our Obedience We that look for such things what manner of Persons ought
the God of all Comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. And yet Christ's Soul was troubled and heavy unto Death The Godhead suspending its Virtue and Operation both might well consist for though the Presence of the Divinity be necessary with the Humanity of Christ yet the Effects are voluntary God worketh not out of necessity no not in the Human Nature of Christ all kind of Communications are given out according to his own pleasure The Divinity remained united to the Flesh and yet the Flesh might die so it remained united to the Soul and yet the Soul might want Comfort The Bond by which the two Natures were united in one Person remained firm and indissoluble but the Influx of Sweetness and Comfort was suspended Some Effect there is of the Union but not that which affords Comfort and Felicity and this was suspended but for a time There is a Desertion indeed which agreeth not with the dignity of Christ. There is a total and Eternal Desertion by which God so deserteth a Man both as to Grace and Glory that he is wholly cast out of God's Presence and adjudged to Eternal Torments which is the Case of the Reprobate in the last Judgment this is not compatible to Christ nor agreeing with the dignity of his Person There is a partial temporal Desertion when God for a moment hideth his Face from his People Isa. 54. 7. This is so far from being contrary to the dignity of Christ's Nature that it is necessary to his Office for many Reasons 2. That it is very grievous This was an incomparable Loss to Christ. 1. Partly because it was more natural to him to enjoy that Comfort and Solace than it can be to any Creature To put out a Candle is no great matter but to have the Sun eclipsed which is the Fountain of Light that sets the World a wondering For poor Creatures to lose their Comforts is no great wonder who though they live in God are so many degrees distant from him but for Christ who was God-Man in one Person that is a difficulty to our Thoughts and a wonder indeed for by this means he was so far deprived of some part of Himself 2. Partly because he had more to lose than we have The greater the Enjoyment the greater is the Loss or Want It was more for David to be driven from his Palace than a poor Israelite to be driven from his Cottage We lose Drops he an Ocean A poor Christian that hath some Heaven upon Earth in the fore-enjoyment of God and the first-fruits and earnest of the Spirit hath more to lose than another that hath had only some vanishing Tast in the Offer of Eternal Life and receiving the Word with Ioy. Proportionably judge of Christ who was Comprehensor while he was Viator had the beatifical Vision whiles on Earth 3. Partly because he knew how to value the Comfort of the Union having a pure Understanding and heavenly Affections God's Children count one Day in his Presence better than a thousand Psal. 84. 10. One Glimpse of his Love more than all the World Psal. 4. 7. If they have any thing of the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts they would not part with it for all the sensual Enjoyments which others prize and value so much and if they lose it they are touched to the quick they lose that which is the Life of their Lives which they account their chief Happiness Now Christ was best able to apprehend the Worth and Value of Communion with God having such a clear Understanding and tender Affections and therefore it must needs be grievous to him to have his wonted Conversations suspended 4. Partly because he had so near an Interest and Relation to God Prov. 8. 30. One bred up with him and daily his Delight Col. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look among the Children of God if they have any Interest in him how mournfully do they brook his Absence Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Luk. 24. 14. She sought a Christ and found a Grave Christ's words my God do not only express his Confidence but Affection when his God and Father hideth his Face from him 5. Partly from the Nature of Christ's Desertion It was Penal All Desertions may be reduced to these three Sorts for Trial for Correction or Punishment For Trial so God left Hezekiah to prove what was in his Heart 2 Chron. 32. 31. For fatherly Correction so God leaveth his People for a while to teach them Repentance Humility Hatred of Sin more entire Dependance on Himself Isa. 54. 7. I have left thee for a small moment but with everlasting Mercies will I love thee For Punishment so he left Saul 1 Sam. 28. 6. When he answered him neither by Dreams nor by Urim nor by Prophets So he leaveth the wicked to a reprobate Mind Now Christ's Desertion was not for a Trial. Fallible Creatures may be put upon Trial but the Son of God needs it not It would not agree with the Goodness and Wisdom of God to put his beloved Son on such a Trial. He was neither unknown to his Father nor did he vainly presume of his own Strength as to need to be confuted by Trial. Nor can it properly be called Fatherly Correction for there was no Sin in Christ that needed to be corrected Indeed the Chastisement of our Peace was upon his Shoulders Isa. 53. 5. Therefore it remains that this Desertion was penal and satisfactory such as came from the vindictive and revenging hand of God Our Sins met in him and he was forsaken in our stead There was no Cause in Christ himself wherefore he deserved to be forsaken of God but we had done the wrong and he maketh the amends There was nothing in Christ's Person to occasion a Desertion but much in his Office so he was to give Body for Body and Soul for Soul And this was a part of the Satisfaction He was beloved as a Son forsaken as our Mediator and Surety II. Why was Christ forsaken Answ. With respect to the Office which he had taken upon him to expiate our Sins and to recover us from the deserved Wrath and Punishment into the Love and Favour of God This Desertion of Christ carrieth a suitableness and respect to our Sin our Punishment and our Blessedness 1. Our Sin Christ is forsaken to satisfy and make amends for our wilful desertion of God When Adam sinned we all turned the back upon God who made us Yea all actual Sins are nothing but a forsaking of God for very trifles an Aversion from God and a Conversion to the Creature Ier. 2. 13. They have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewen out unto themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no Water Now we that forsook God deserved to be forsaken by God therefore what we had merited by our Sin Christ endured as our Mediator He himself
God and the everlasting Fruition of Him By a wonderful Exchange he taketh our evil things upon Himself that he might bestow his good things upon us and took from us Misery that he might convey to us Felicity Application First by way of Information 1. How different are they from the Spirit of Christ that can brook God's Absence without any remorse or complaint Christ cried with a loud voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me These go on securely never observe God's Accesses and Recesses when the Comforts of his Spirit and the Communications of his Grace are wholly suspended and with-holden from them they never lay it t Heart Stupid and insensible Creatures It is all one to them whether God go or come whether He manifest Himself propitious to them or his Face be hidden from them They take up with the vain delights of the present World Micah shewed more respect to his Idols than they do to God Iudg. 18. 24. Ye have taken away my Gods and what have I more And do you ask What aileth thee When God is gone they are not troubled The Christians wept when Paul said Ye shall see my Face no more Acts 20. 25. And will ye not mourn and lament your Loss when God hideth his Face and shutteth up Himself in a Vail and Cloud of Displeasure Much of serious Christianity lies in an Observation of God's coming and going and a sutable Carriage Mat. 9. 15. A serious Christian will be affected with the Loss of comfort and quickning and lament after a withdrawn God 2. It informeth us of the Grievousness of Sin It is no easy matter to reconcile Sinners to God It cost Christ a Life of Sorrows and afterwards a painful and an accursed Death and in that Death Loss of actual Comfort and an amazing Sense of the Wrath of God We make a Mock of Sin jest and sport away our Souls but Christ found it hard Work to save them and recover them to God When you make Sin a light matter you slight the Sufferings of Christ. O therefore take heed you do not break with God for every Trifle 3. The Greatness of our Obligation to Christ who omitted no kind of Sufferings which might conduce to the Expiation of Sin He exchanged his Heaven for a kind of Hell to do you good the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily and therefore he had a Heaven upon Earth If one could say Anima iusti Coelum est because Heaven is begun there in Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost How was it with Christ This Heaven he wanted for a while felt no Comfort yea he was amazed at the sence of God's Wrath due to Sinners therefore it was said in the Type of him The pains of Hell got hold upon me Psal. 116. 3. Oh let this excite us to love Christ that you may count nothing too dear for him 4. The Infiniteness of God's Mercy who appointed such a degree of Christ's Sufferings as in it he gives us the greatest ground of Hopes to invite us the more to submit to his Terms There is nothing standeth in the way but our own impenitence and unbelief Now God is so amply satisfied shall we deprive our selves of Eternal Blessedness This is the worst Cruelty and Hatred to our own Souls SERMON X. ROM 1. part of the 29th and 30th Verses Whisperers Backbiters THe Context sheweth how corrupt and miserable Man's Nature is without Christ his Heart was first withdrawn from God and then became a Sink of loathsom Sins and Vices Therefore the Apostle telleth us how after Men were false to God how little they were true to themselves whether considered singly and apart or as to Commerce and Society singly and apart defiling themselves with uncleanness of all sorts as to Commerce and Humane Society full of Malice and Contention which sometimes goeth as far as Blood at other times sheweth it self in falseness and baseness of Disposition generally in Self-Love and Detraction from others Of all Judgments Spiritual Judgments are the sorest When God leaveth Mankind to its own degeneracy and corruption and one great Branch of this corruption is Detraction which venteth it self either by Whispering or Backbiting So it is in the Text Whisperers Backbiters These two words agree that they both wound the Fame of our Neighbour and they both do it behind his Back or in his absence But they differ 1. In that whispering doth it secretly and closely but backbiting openly The one being privy the other open Defamation and are like Theft and Rapine what Theft and Robbing are to our Goods the same are Whispering and Backbiting to our good Names 2. Whispering tendeth to breed strife among our Friends or to disgrace us to some who are well conceited of us but backbiting to our general disgrace before all the World or amongst whomsoever The one seeketh to deprive us of the good will of our Friends the other to destroy our Service But however they agree and differ they are often conjoyned in Scripture 2 Cor. 12. 20. I fear lest when I come among you I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not lest there be Debates Envyings Wraths Strifes Backbitings Whisperings Swellings Tumults The Apostle foresaw it as too probable that neither of them would be much pleased with their meeting together nor he with the Corinthians when he should find them corrupted with Partialities and Divisions nor the Corinthians with him when he should be forced to inflict censures upon them for their Factions and Emulations too much bewrayed by their backbitings and whisperings against each other So here in the Text they are conjoyned Whisperers Backbiters when the Apostle speaketh of the reigning Sins among the Gentiles Doct. One great Sin wherein the corruption of Humane Nature bewrayeth it self is Detraction or depriving others of a good Repute Here I shall shew I. What is Detraction II. The Hainousness of the Sin I. What it is 1. The Nature of it 2. The Kinds of it First The Nature of it in general It is an unjust violation of an others Fame Reputation or that good Report which is due to him God that hath bidden me to love my Neighbour as my self doth therein bid me to be tender not only of his Person and Goods but of his good Name And indeed one Precept is a Guard and Fence to another I cannot be tender of his Person and Goods unless I be tender of his Fame For every Man liveth by his Credit and therefore certainly this is 1. A Sin against God 2. A wrong to Men. 3. It proceedeth from evil Causes 1. It is a Sin against God who hath forbidden us to bear false Witness against our Neighbour and to speak evil of others without a cause Eph. 4. 31. Let all evil speaking be far from you by evil speaking is meant there disgraceful and contumelious Speeches whereby we seek
This sheweth that he is fuller of Mercy and Goodness than the Sun is of Light or the Sea of Water So great an Effect shews the greatness of the Cause Wherefore did he express his Love in such a wonderful astonishing way but that we might have higher and larger thoughts of his Goodness and Mercy By other Effects we easily collect the Perfection of his Attributes that his Power is Omnipotent Rom. 1. 20. That his Knowledge is Omniscient Heb. 4. 12 13. And by this Effect it is easy to conceive that his Love is infinite or that God is Love Use 2. Is to quicken us to admire the Love of God in Christ. There are three things which commend any Favour done unto us 1. The good Will of him that giveth 2. The Greatness of the Gift 3. The Unworthiness of him that receiveth All concur here 1. The good Will of him that giveth Nothing moved God to do this but his own Love It was from the free Motion of his own Heart without our thought and asking No other Reason is given or can be given We made not suit for any such thing it could not enter into our Minds and Hearts into our Minds to conceive or into our Hearts to desire such a Remedy to recover the lapsed Estate of Mankind Not into our Minds for it is a great Mystery 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without Controversy great is the Mystery of Godliness c. Not into our Hearts to ask or desire for it would have seemed a strange Request that we should ask that the Eternal Son of God should assume our Flesh and be made Sin and a Curse for us But Grace hath wrought exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think Eph. 3. 20. Above what we can imagine and above what we can pray for to him 2. The Greatness of the Gift Great things do even force their way into our Minds whether we will or no. The Gift of Jesus Christ is so great that the Love of God is gone to the uttermost in it He hath not a better Christ nor a more worthy Redeemer nor another Son to die for us nor could the Son of God suffer greater Indignites than he hath suffered for our sakes God said to Abraham Gen. 22. 12. Now I know that thou fearest God since thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son from me God was not ignorant before but the Meaning is this is an apparent Proof and Instance of it So now we may know God loveth us here is the manifest Token and Sign of it 3. The Unworthiness of him that receiveth This is also in the Case We were altogether unworthy that the Son of God should be incarnate and die for our sakes This is notably improved by the Apostle Rom. 5. 7 8. For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die but for a good Man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his Love to us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us The Apostle alludeth to the Distinction familiar among the Iews they had their good Men or bountiful their righteous Men zealous for the Law and their wicked Men obnoxious to Judgment Peradventure one would venture his Life for a very merciful Person but you shall hardly find any to be so liberal and friendly as to venture his Life for a righteous and just Man or a Man of rigid Innocence But mark there are abating Terms Scarcely and perhaps the Case is rare that one should die for another be he never so good and righteous But God's Expression of Mercy was infinitely above the proportion of any the most friendly Man ever shewed There was nothing in the Object to move him to it when we were neither good nor just but wicked without respect to any Worth in us for we were all in a damnable estate he sent his Son to die for us to rescue and free us from Eternal Death and to make us Partakers of Eternal Life God so loved the World when we had so sinned and wilfully plunged our selves into an estate of Damnation But you will say If this Mercy be so great why are Men no more affected with it I answer 1. Because of their stupid Carelesness they do not see the Need of this Mercy and therefore do not prize the Worth of it If they were sensible that there is an Avenger of Blood at their heels or God's Wrath making Inquisition for Sinners they would more earnestly run into the City of Refuge Heb. 6. 18. 2. They do not truly believe this Mystery of Grace but speak of it by rote and hear-say after others All Affections follow Faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious 3. They do not seriously consider the Importance of it therefore the weightiest Objects do not stir us Our Minds are taken up about Toys and Trifles 4. They have not the lively Light of the Spirit Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us It is not our dry Thoughts and doctrinal Knowledge that will affect and change our Heart till the Spirit turneth our Light into Love and our Knowledge into Taste Use 3. Is to exhort us 1. To improve this Love It is an Invitation to seek after God for see what Preparations his Love hath made to recover you to Himself and will not you be recovered God doth not hate you and therefore you need not flee from him as a revenging God He so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son In that capacious Expression you are not excluded therefore exclude not your selves And such a broad Foundation of his Mercy being laid what may you not expect from it 2 Cor. 5. 19. He hath procured a Remedy and Ransom as soon as you repent and believe you shall have the Comfort of it 2. It exhorteth us also to answer it with a fervent Love to him that hath given such a signal Demonstration of his Love to us 1 Ioh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Men always expect to be loved there where they love and think it hard dealing if it be not so 3. Let your Love to God be like his Love to you Love was at the bottom of all this Grace let it be at the bottom of all your Duties Let all your things be done in Love 1 Cor. 16. 14. Let your Carriage apparently be a Life of Love 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again I come now to the second Branch of the Text the Way God took to express his Love to us He gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ is so called to distinguish him from the adopted Children and to shew
saved 4. Necessitate Signi as Evidences of our Right to Salvation both to others and our selves Works or external Acts are more sensible and visible and also liable to the notice of our own Consciences and it is more hard to judg of the internal Grace than the external Fruits 1. As to others God seeth what is in our Hearts but Men see it not till the Effects manifest it When Iohn suspected the Pharisees he said to them Mat. 3. 8. Bring ye forth therefore Fruits meet for Repentance The Fear of God is more known by the external Act than by the internal Habit therefore that Description is given Prov. 8. 13. The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil Pride and Arrogancy and the evil Way and the froward Mouth do I hate And Iob 28. 28. The Fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from Evil is Understanding The Current of a Mans Life and Actions doth best expound and interpret his Heart Thus the Psalmist discovered the wicked Psal. 36. 1. The Transgression of the Wicked saith within my Heart that there is no Fear of God before his Eyes 2. To our selves holy Conversation and Godliness is the surest note of our Regeneration We judg others by external Works alone For the Tree is known by its Fruit Mat. 7. 16. Charity forbids us to pry any further but we judg our selves by internal and external Works together If within we have Faith in Christ a love to God and hatred of Evil a delight in Holiness a deep sense of the World to come all which Graces make up the new Nature then these things issue out into an holy Conversation this breedeth Joy and Peace of Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World 1 John 3. 18 19. Let us not love in Word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth and hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our Hearts before him 3. That good Works must not be opposed to God's Mercy and free Grace or Christ's Satisfaction Merit and Righteousness either in the matter of Justification or Salvation but kept in a due subordination to God's Grace and Christ's Merits This is the business of this Context to reconcile the Grace of God with the necessity of good Works è contrà and very well it may be for they are part of the Grace obtained He is most beholden to God and indebted to Grace who is enabled to do most good for all is from him Phil. 2. 13. He worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure So that our very doing is receiving But because there are a sort of Men that may be called Justiciaries who trust and teach others to trust to their own Vertues and Works without a Saviour or ascribe the part of a Saviour to them and on the other side the Libertines who teach Men not to look at any thing in themselves at all not as an Evidence Condition or Means but to trust to Christ's Blood to be instead of Faith Repentance and Obedience which is their Duty to be performed by them therefore it will be necessary to be well acquainted with what is truly the Part and Office of Christ what is truly the Office of Faith and Repentance what of Works that you may be sure to give every thing its due and may wholly trust Christ for his part and not joyn Faith or any of your Works and Duties in the least degree of that Trust and Honour which belongeth to our Saviour but regard them according to that use for which they are commanded in the Gospel 1. Our Works whatever they are either Duties to God or Man are not the first moving cause or inducement to incline God to shew us Favour or to bring about our Salvation No this Honour must be reserved for the Grace of God which moveth and stirreth all in the business of our Salvation It was his Grace to provide us a Saviour John 3. 16. God so loveth the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life And the giving of Faith or converting Grace to some before others is the meer Effect of his Mercy and good Pleasure Eph. 2. 4 5. God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he hath loved us when we were dead in Trespasses and Sins hath quickned us together with Christ by Grace ye are saved Then the Benefits consequent upon Conversion are from God's Love and Mercy As Justification Rom. 3. 24. Iustified freely by his Grace Not only by his Grace but freely that is not excited by our Works but acting freely of its own accord Then for Eternal Life we have it from the Grace of God and the Mercy of our Redeemer Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life So that Grace is the first Mover and Principle in the whole Business of our Salvation it is originally from Grace and all along by Grace 2. Our Works before or after Conversion are not that Righteousness not any part of that meritorious Righteousness by virtue of which Sins are expiated the Wrath of God appeased all Blessings of Heaven purchased and we reconciled to God For this is only to be ascribed to the Merit and Satisfaction of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we were Enemies we were reconciled by his Death and are saved by his Life Rom. 5. 10. He is our Propitiation we live by him 1 John 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins It is Christ's Office and Honour to be a Sacrifice for Sin and a Propitiation for us and a perfect Saviour and Intercessor to obtain the Spirit to fit us for our present Duty and future Happiness We are his Workmanship in Christ. 3. Our Works or Duties which we perform in Obedience to God are not the first means to apply the Grace of the Redeemer or the Condition of our first entrance into the Evangelical Estate No that is proper to Repentance and Faith Rom. 3. 22. The Righteousness of God is by Faith unto all and upon all them that believe And Repentance is frequently required also to receive Pardon and the Gift of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out It is the penitent believing Sinner that is