Son in reference to man-kind before the world was The covenant now being between the Father and the Son and the Father requiring in this Covenant satisfaction to infinite divine justice Christ he yeilds to this And therefore in the second place Christ he actually comes to be the way of conveyance by taking our nature upon him and so makes us reconcilable to God by taking humane nature into such a neer union to the divine nature to the second person in the Trinity so as that there should be but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one person in them both that there should be a personall union which is the great mystery of the Gospell There are two great mysteries in the Gospell the one that there should be divers persons in one nature and this is the mystery of the Trinity the other that there should be divers natures in one person and this is the mystery of the hypostaticall union of our nature with Christ So that Christ taking mans nature into such a neer union to himselfe it was a mighty preparative for God to have thoughts of peace toward humane nature rather then to the Angels and it was one part of his humility and therefore hath a meritorious efficiency in this worke of reconciling God to man But this was not sufficient Therefore in the third place Christ was content now to come into the world and be made the head of a second covenant between God and mankinde to performe what ever God the Father should require for the satisfaction of divine Justice so that look as Adam by being the head of the first covenant was the meanes of conveying all evill to us so Christ by being the head of the second covenant is the meanes of conveying all good to us by his subjecting to this we come to receive all grace and mercy from God And it could not have been otherwise for though God would have thought of a second covenant yet if he had left it to us to have performed the termes of it we should assoon have broken that as we did the first but Christ undertaking to be the head of the second covenant and performing whatever the Father required in it by his perfect obedience to the law and satisfaction to divine Justice divine Justice had nothing to lay to the charge of those that Christ undertook to satisfie for This was a mighty way of Gods letting out his grace and mercy to the souls of believers for what is it that stops the current of his mercy 't is the curse of the law and cryes of divine Justice but now Christ undertaking to undergoe that curse and to satisfie divine Justice God hath as much honour now by his suffering as he had dishonour by mans sinning so that mans sinne is made up in this and that is it Justice requires I have had dishonour by sinne sayes Justice I must have this dishonour made up by suffering and so much suffering as in which I must have as much honour as I had before dishonour in sinning These are the conditions upon which God will be reconciled to man and upon no other I beseech you consider this and herein you will see an infinite necessity of Christ God is with us upon these termes sayes God you have sinned against me and dishonoured me how doe you think to be delivered why Lord thou art mercifull I sayes God but I am resolved upon this I will have as much honour by suffering as I had dishonour by sinning And Lord what would have become of us if we had been left to make up this breach This is the very reason why the damned in hell are there eternally because they are there upon these termes sayes God I am infinite and I am dishonoured and there they must lye till I have as much honour by their suffering as I had dishonour by their sinning Now after they have been there thousands of thousands of yeares still the honour of God calls for more and therefore they must lye there for ever But now Christ who is the great Saviour he comes and entering into covenant with God and fulfilling that covenant he layes downe God such a price that God shall have as much honour in his suffering for sinne as he had dishonour before in the committing of sinne Now this being done the current of mercy being unstopt and the passages of it opened and God being infinite in grace and mercy in himselfe what a glorious way is made for the streames of his mercy to issue and flow forth to the children of men And take in this one particular more and then we shall have done with this head In this we may see that God in forgiving of sinne and shewing mercy to sinfull creatures is just and goes in a way of Justice as well as in a way of mercy therefore that Text Rom. 3. 25. 26. is very observable a Text that Luther for a while was exceedingly troubled about the meaning of it Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus This was that which troubled Luther so much that God should declare his righteousnesse in the remission of sinnes that God declares his mercy every one knowes but that God declares his righteousnesse and that Christ is set to be a propitiation that God might declare his righteousnesse this may seem strange and then the Holy Ghost repeats it To declare I say his righteousnesse as if he should say consider that God in the pardoning of sinne doth not onely manifest his grace and mercy but declares his righteousnesse That he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Not mercifull but just thus wee see what way Christ takes to be the meanes of conveying Gods goodnesse to us by performing the covenant and so satisfying divine Justice Lastly he is the way of conveying good to us as by his satisfaction so by his intercession for he is now and shall for ever be at the right hand of the Father in glory making intercession for his people that is continually presenting before his Father the worke of his mediation his merits what he hath done and suffered and as it were pleading with his Father for the conveyance of all needfull mercy and good unto the souls and bodies of his people whom he hath redeemed As if he should every moment eternally speake thus to the Father Father behold here is my bloud my merits my death all my sufferings the worke of my humiliation it is for these yea for this poor soul and for that poor soul particularly for know that Christ thinks not only of the lumpe of believers in the generall but particularly of every believer and is continually presenting before the
you God had been glorious in this but now there is infinitely more mercy shewed when God shall say You miserable creatures have sinned against me and such is your condition that except the Son of my bosome be made a curse for you there can be no mercy for you well I am content that he shall not be spared but shall be given to be a curse to prepare mercy for you here is glory indeed Therefore when Christ was borne the Angels sung glory to God in the highest Luke 2. 14. As if they had said this is the highest pitch of the glory of God in providing such a way of reconciliation with the children of men and God was so set upon this work of shewing mercy to mankinde that though it cost the death of his Son he would have it and that shews it to be infinite mercy and love indeed when it breakes through such mighty difficulties there is the glory of his mercy And then secondly there is the glory of his Justice God sets out the glory of his Justice here more then if all mankind had been eternally damned Gods Justice would not have been honoured so much in that as in this way of Gods reconciling man unto himself and that in these two regards First because in Christ Gods Justice is glorified actively whereas if all men had eternally perished it should have been glorified but passively and t is more to have it glorified actively then passively and as God delights more in active obedience then in passive so he delights more in the active glory of his Justice then in the passive though there is a kinde of activenesse in suffering and so in Christs suffering therefore that distinction of active and passive is needlesse for his active obedience was passive and his passive obedience had activenesse in it But Secondly Gods Justice is now glorified perfectly the debt is fully paid whereas if all mankinde had been damned the debt should have been but a paying and not have been paid to all eternity As suppose a poor man oweth a thousand pounds and he payeth two pence a week he may be paying of it but cannot pay it in all his life but now if a rich man shall come and at once lay down the money for him the debt then is paid and this is a great deal more then if it should have been alwayes paying So I say if all mankinde had been damned eternally God should have had his debt but paying but the debt would never have been paid but now Christ comes and layes down the payment at once upon the borde and asketh Justice whether it hath enough or no so that Justice is more glorified this way And Thirdly the infinite glory of his wisdome appeares in reconciling Justice and Mercy together that God should be infinitely merciful and just both in one thing this is that that no Angell in Heaven could ever have imagined suppose God should have said thus to all the Angels in Heaven Mankinde is in a lost and undone condition yet I am willing to save him but so as that I will have infinite mercy and Justice reconciled if all of them should have gone and consulted together they could not possibly have told how this should be Now the infinite wisdom of God and nothing but infinite wisdom could finde out such a way as that God should be infinitely mercifull and infinitely just too And Fourthly the infinitenesse of Gods holinesse is hereby manifested if God in a generall way should have thrown his mercy as it were up and down in the world without any more adoe Gods holinesse and hatred of sinne would not have appeared as now it doth when nothing can expiate sinne but the death of his Son if God should carry any of you to the brinke of hell and there let you see all the miseries of the damned and heare all their yellings under the fruits of divine wrath O you would say how doth God hate sinne but be it known to you in the sufferings of Christ there is a greater manifestation of Gods hatred of sinne then in all the torments of hell You that would know how infinitely hatefull sinne is to God come and behold Christ God and man sweltering under the wrath of his Father look upon him in the garden sweating drops of blood come and follow him to the Crosse and heare him cry out in the bitternesse of his soule that dolefull cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me behold Jesus Christ God man who was God blessed for ever made a curse for sinne and for thy sinne look upon sinne in this glasse and here see Gods hatred of sinne There are two glasses wherein we see the evill of sinne the bright christall glasse of the law and the red glasse of the sufferings of Christ and this latter doth more fully more sensibly I am sure set out the nature of sinne and Gods hatred of it and by this you may see the meaning of 2 Cor. 3. 18. where the Apostle speaking of the mystery of the Gospell sayes But we all with open face marke beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. We behold but Gods back parts in his works as God sayes to Moses we behold but the footsteps of God in his workes but when we behold him in Christ we behold him with open face Now look what difference there is in knowing a man when we only see the print of his foot upon sand and when we look him in the face so much difference there is between the knowing of God and his glory as it shines in the workes of creation and as it shines in the face of Christ that God therefore might manifest his glory he would not pardon sinne so freely as to say you have sinned but yet I will pity you and pardon you and there is an end no though he would pardon sinne yet he would doe it this way A Third reason why God would bring things about this way is this because God saw there could be no such way to draw poor sinners to himself as this When God shall reveal to a sinner that he is not only a mercifull God but that he hath provided such a strange way to convey his mercy this hath a mighty efficacy to draw the soul to God for the poor soule apprehending its own guiltinesse and Gods hatred of sin and understanding withall that the heart of God is set upon such a way of mercy is by this as by a mighty argument prevailed with to draw neer to God in a way of dependance upon him for thus will the soul argue Well I heare that God to the end he might let out mercy to poor sinners hath of his own infinite wisdome provided such a strange way of conveyance as this is and when God hath made it appeare by revealing to me the mystery of the Gospell how his heart is set upon this way of shewing mercy to sinners
The consideration of Gods holiness should humble us and make us ashamed for the remainder of that unholiness that is in our hearts 28 7. If God be glorious in holiness then we have all need of Jesus Christ 29 SERMON II. THe words are briefly opened 31 Doctrine That Christ is the onely means of conveyance of all good that God the Father intends to communicate unto the children of men in order to eternall life he is all and in all 32 This truth is the great point of Divinity that is absolutely necessary to eternall life 33 T is the sum of the Gospel and the most supernaturall truth revealed in all the book of God ibid. A truth the Angels themselves desire to pry into ibid. T is that which requires the work of the Spirit beyond the ordinary works of the Spirit of God to reveale it 34 T is a truth that is the most profitable of all the truths contained in all the book of God ibid. There is no truth in Scripture whereby we honour God so much as by this 35 The Doctrine proved 36 How it comes to passe that there can be no good communicated unto us from God in order to eternall life but by Christ 1. Because of the breach of the first Covenant that God made with mankind 37 2. There is such an infinite distance between God and man that there can be no comming together but by Christ 38 3. There is the strength and curse of the law upon every soule naturally that keeps the soul from mercy ibid. 4. There are the cries of infinite justice against men which must have satisfaction ibid. How Christ is all in all to us in Gods communication of good to us 1. From the covenant that God the father made with his son from all eternity 39 2. Christ actually comes to be the way of conveyance of all good to us by taking our nature upon him and so making us reconcileable to God ibid. 3. Christ was content to come into the world to be made the head of a second covenant between God and mankinde to perform whatever God the Father should require for the satisfaction of divine justice 40 4. By this means God in forgiving of sin goes in a way of justice as well as in a way of meccy 41 5. And he is the way of conveying good to us as by his satisfaction so by his intercession 42 Some speciall great things we have from God instanced in and that Christ is all in all in those things 1. Christ is all in all in the point of Justification and pardon of sin and the acceptation of us as righteous 42 It is not all that we have done nor all that we can possibly doe that can be our justification 43 It is not what God enables us to doe that can be the formality of our justification ibid. It is not onely what we can doe or can be enabled to doe but t is not Gods mercy added if barely considered that can eeke out our justification 44 2. Christ is all in all in point of Adoption 45 3. Christ is all in all in point of our reconciliation and peace with God 46 4. Christ is all in all in point of all our Sanctification that is Sanctification to life ibid. 5. Christ is all in all in the want of all things 47 6. Christ is all in all in the enjoyment of all ibid. And as Christ is all in all in the good we have from God so he is all in all in what ever we tender up to God 48 Reasons why God will have this way of communication of himselfe unto us through his Son 1. That hereby God might manifest to all the children of men what a dreadfull breach their sins had made between God and them 50 2. God takes this way because he sees it is the most advantageous for the manifestation of his glory 51 The glory of his mercy ibid. The glory of his justice ibid. The glory of his wisdom 52 The glory of his holiness ibid. 3. God saw there could be no such way to draw poor sinners to himselfe as this 53 4. God doth it to endeare his mercy to his Saints for ever 55 5. God delights to honour his Son and therefore makes him to be the means of conveyance of all good to those he intends it to ibid. Use 1. To admire the depths of the councell of God and the infinite glory of the riches of his grace unto mankind ibid. The work of Redemption greater then the work of Creation 56 2. We should blesse God that ever we knew Christ and that the mysterie of the Gospel hath been revealed to us 57 3. It shews how deare Jesus Christ should be unto us 59 4. If we have an interest in Christ it should satisfie and content us though we have nothing or be nothing in our selves 60 5. We should be willing to give up all to Christ ibid. 6. Christ should be the rule of our prizing all things ibid. 7. The heart should with mighty intention be carried forth toward Jesus Christ ibid. 8. In seeking after God we should be sure to take Christ along with us 61 SERMON III. THe words of the Text opened 63 There are great things that the Saints hope for they are men of hopes 64 Nine particulars instanced in that the Saints hope for ibid. The hopes of the Saints are raised up in their hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost 65 The different judgement of the Holy ghost and carnall hearts 1. About earthly things 66 2. About spirituall things 67 Spirituall and heavenly things that are the objects of faith are reall and substantiall things and faith gives them that substance 68 They are substantiall for 1. They have more in them then appears to be in them ibid. 2. They have much of God in them ibid. 3. They are the very centre of the thoughts and intentions of God himselfe and that which he aimes at in all his works towards his creatures 69 4. They have a reall and substantiall operation upon the soules of those that are acquainted with them ibid. 5. They have an eternall subsistency ibid. And faith gives them aubstantiall being for 1. It is faith that carries the son ocontemplate upon God himselfe 70 2. By faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in the glorious things of God ibid. 3. Faith converseth with the glorious counsels of God ibid. 4. Faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace ibid. 5. Faith receives the testimony of the Holy Ghost ibid. Faith makes the things of God that are absent and but hoped for yet to be present to the soul 71 Evils that are very nigh faith can make them at a mighty distance ibid. Good things that are absent and a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting ibid. Faith makes the things of God that are absent to be as present 1. Because it sees