hold of and close with Christ and to rest upon his satisfaction for his Justification and healing because he hath God and the Mediator Covenanting for this very end the Mediator engaging to satisfie and God engaging to receive the satisfaction and to justifie all these who shall accept of it and rest upon it 4. It s therefore a notable ground of encouragement and of exhortation to take hold of Jesus Christ and of his satisfaction Folk would not skar at him but lippen their Salvation to him and be sure the bargain will not fail As it is sure that the Mediator hath satisfied it is as sure that his satisfaction shall be made forth-coming to Believers in him 5. To reprove the neglecters and slighters of Jesus Christ and of this offered Salvation through him when he hath taken the threatning and curse of the Law on himself to make out the Promise to them it must be a great aggravation of folks guilt to slight him It serves also to comfort a poor sinner that hath may sins and challenges and knows not how to be quit of them The Covenant sayes our sins are translated on the Mediator that we might be set free Christ Jesus Covenanted on the terms of Justice to make way for us to Covenant on the terms of Mercy God Covenanted with him to pursue our sin in him and he Covenanted to impuâ—e that satisfaction freely to us Hence is that never enough noted saying 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself It 's Justice on his part he satisfies for pardon of sin and peace to them But on the Elects part it's grace God is reconciled to them not imputing their sin to them but it s for Christ's satisfaction that he freely forgives them their sin so that what cost him dear comes most freely to us and this is no small ground of comfort to a Conscience pressed with sin God fix these things in your Hearts SERMON XXIV ISAIAH LIII V Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF there were more deep conviction amongst us of our natural deadness in sin and of that fearful condition that naturally we ly under by our lyableness to the wrath and curse of God all Men and Women having by nature Gods curse as the sentence of the Law registrate against them the reading of such a Text wherein a way of remedy is holden forth would be more welcome to us and we are perswaded that such a thorow conviction would not only make the Word more lovely and delightsome to us but more plain and easie to be understood by us and would be sooner taken up by us and one Preaching would thus be more profitable and effectual than many are to you while in a secure condition when People are not under the deep and due conviction of their sin and misery they have no serious thoughts that the word of the Gospel concerns them in particular and that their souls stand in need of that which is spoken to them therein Ye may remember we spoke somewhat from these words for clearing the way of making Peace betwixt God and Sinners and for holding forth the way that God in his infinite wisdom hath laid down for setting of poor sinners that are lying under his Curse free for this end there was an eternal Transaction and Covenant entered into by the Father and the Son the Father demanding and the Son accepting and satisfying as Mediator and Sinners-Cautioner what was due to Justice for the sins of the Elect as was determined in the counsel of God from which bless'd Bargain all our Salvation flows as from the Fountain and runs down as a river to us That which now we are to speak a little to is some profitable Uses which are the scope of all and tend to lead you in to know the use of such Doctrine and not only to know it but to engage you to make suitable practical improvement of it There are several sorts of Uses that flow from this Verse whence the preceeding Doctrines have been drawen The first sort is for Information which ye who are more ignorant and have not so much light in â—ou as to discover the way to Heaven would especially take heed to though they be useful to all And 1. Ye would know and be informed in this that all Men and Women without exception are lying under Transgressions and Iniquities and lyable to be smitten and cursed of God till these be taken away But this having been spoke of in the Forenoon we need nor insist on it now but the truth is neither Law nor Gospel hath gained this much ground on the great part of you as to bring you really to know that naturally ye are dead in sins and trespasses and till this be drunk in and digested other Truths cannot to any purpose profite you 2. Ye would know and consider the necessity of a satisfaction to the justice of God before Sinners can be fred from sin and from the curse and wrath of God that they are under and liable to by reason of their original corruption and actual transgressions Do ye think that Jesus Christ did needlesly enter into the Covenant of Redemption and engage to satisfie and actually and really did suffer and satisfie Justice If men might come so easily to Heâ—ven as many suppose it had been needlesse Wouâ—d God think ye have wounded the Cautioner his own dear Son if those who ly under Sin and Wrath might have by another way satisfied his Justice and restored him to his Honour Nay Eâ—etheir Peace could be made this bâ—hoved to be and yet I must doubt if many do think that there is any such distance betwixt God and them which a word of Prayer or Confâ—ssion or some Pennance cannot remove This is alas the woful Ignorance of many that live under this Gospel but ye would know that a Satisfaction behoved to be and such a Satisfaction as was equivalent to the wrong done and suitable and satisfying to him that was wronged by sin and that among all the Creatures it could not be found Yea ye may read from this the dreadful effects of sin and what a horriblâ— thing it is to have your Transgressions to count for with God your selves If sin brought such heavy things on the Cauâ—ioner what will it bring on thee a Sinner who hath continued all his days in tops with God to speak so and would not make pâ—â—ce with him when he was earnestly iâ—vited to it Yea we may from this know what is that most horrible dreadful and confounding Sentence which is abiding all of you that stand it out and do not make your Peace with God through this Satisfaction of our blessed Lord Jesus When ye shall be made eternally to bear the wrath that Sin deserves which yet is intollerable 3. Ye would hence
of patience and obedience to them But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation as well as since And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants what influence or advantage can it have as to them Either they are not taken to Heaven at all or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither or if they be obliged to him it is certainly by vertue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people 4. It 's clear from this that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel all the benefits that come to Gods people as namely Justification and pardon of sin they are attributed to this as the cause of them as vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death there must necessarily be vertue in it that procured them and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof that he laid down in his dying 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption and in Christ's Sufferings which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon now by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified and he is seen to be just in executing his threatning against sin even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice though there might be some shew of shewing Mercy yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus by this God hath made it manifest that he is a just God that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity For Use and Application 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you as alace they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many and therefore they are tasteless to them and it 's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of and yet notwithstanding this same truth that we are now upon is a great ground of our faith for if we believe not this that Christ was a propitiation for sin we can have no ground of lippening to him or believing on him but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth we have cordially closing with him ground from it to expect God's favour and to be fred from the curse because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example is much yet if we had no more by it it would be but cold comfort except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us 1. These that securely sin on still and yet hope to get mercy and who will confess that they are sinners but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life and they will speak of a number of things but it may be not one word of Christ or of his purchase or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Saviour or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatned without a satisfaction so that Christs satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church and this is easily proven from this that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room and that Christ is the only Surety Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven or be more in Christs common and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ and without employing of him it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error A 2d sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin yet are as heartless hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him as if he had not satisfied what else does the doubting and despondency of such say but that there is not a compleat satisfaction in Christ's death and that therefore they dare not trust to it otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy and yet adventure to rest upon it seing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provocked him at all or had satisfied his Justice themselves 2ly It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt and how much we are obliged to the Mediator when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes this is our great ground of confidence and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son and at the Sons love that was so condescending and should make our souls warm towards him who when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit was content to enter himself as our Surety and to pay our Debt It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him knowing that where sin is there a satisfaction must be and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him and to give him the credit of its thorow-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine SERMON XXXII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the
we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way And the Lord turns it over to him and sayes that they have both known him and the way As also Believers may sometimes through want of clearnesse and distinctness in this what it is to make use of Christs Intercession or because they want that measure of distinctnesse they would be at think that they are doing nothing as to the use-making of his Intercession and yet the work of Gods Spirit though they know it not well may be leading them For it 's in this as it is in use-making of his Satisfaction a Believer may be making use of Christs Sa isfaction and be justified by it when he knows not that it is so or possibly cannot well tell what it is to make use of it which may quiet any risings and reasonings that may be in their mind about this matter 4. We answer that explicite thoughts of Christs Intercession are not alwayes necessary nor requisit for the use-making of it even as we are to design Gods Glory as our main end in all our undertakings so we are to pray in the name of Christ but as it is not requisit that there be alwayes and all along the action an actual minding of Gods Glory but that being laid as our principle which we walk by and the strain of our walk and conversation tending to that end it is and will be accepted before God although there be not in and along every thing we do explicit thoughts of His Glory So it it in our praying in Christs name and in improving of His Intercession there may be a virtual though not an actual and explicit resting on it the Soul having laid down that for a ground and principle that it 's not for any thing in me that I do expect a hearing but it 's through Christ and all the confidence that I have to be heard it 's through him 5. We answer That a poor Soul that wotes not well what to do in this case would eye Gods promise to be guided in the use-making of Christs Intercession without anxiety as it is John 16.26 In that day ye shal ask in my name As if he had said It hath been you fault that ye have not hitherto prayed in my name at least with that distinctness that ye ought but I give you my word for it ye shall pray in my name and when through confusion we are ready to faint we would eye this promise to be guided in the use-making of his Intercession 6. We would learn rather to hold us in our worshipping of God with that which is practical and serves to bring us under an awe and reverence of the Majesty of God then give our selves to that which doth indispose and disquiet us And I shall close all with this word that we would even admire how Souls are carried and brought to heaven that we should be suffered to pray and that God breaks not out upon us and we would study to be deeply humbled for our ignorance of God and of Christ and would think our selves to be much in his debt and common for teaching us to make right use of Him seing we are so ready to miscarry even when we desire and endeavour to make use of him SERMON LXXI ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours THe greatest priviledges that we have by the Gospel do often hold forth the greatest aggravations of our Sin as being against so great and excellent priviledges Now that the Lord hath given us a Mediator and that this one part of his Mediation to wit to make Intercession for Transgressours or Sinners is one of the great priviledges of the Gospel is beyond all doubt and therefore we had need to fear least by our abusing and not improving aright of this priviledge it prove an aggravation of our guilt And this is the last thing that we would speak a word to from these Words That seeing our Lord Jesus is invested with this Office to be an Intercessour then it must be a ground of expostulation with and reproof of these who shall be found slighters of His Intercession For if it be a Duty to improve his Intercession and if it be a Mercy that we have it and if many advantages be gotten by it then it must be a grievous Sin a matter of just challenge and great shame that Sinners should have such an Advocat and Intercessour provided for them to take and plead their cause so freely and to manage it so dexterously as He doth and yet to slight Him and not to put that trust in Him as to commit their cause to Him In prosecuting of this Use we shall 1. Shew that there is such a Sin as not improving of Christs Intercession and how it is fallen into 2. The causes of it or whence it comes that folks so much misken this part of Christs Office 3. The great inconveniences that follow on it and the prejudices that are sustained by it 4. We shall hint at some symptomes and evidences where this Sin is And 5. speak a word to the remedies in opposition thereunto For the First That there is such a Sin it may be clear from a few Considerations that may be obvious to every one of us 1. It may be clear from the effect what is the cause that so many come so little speed in prayer that they pray and yet get not a hearing so that in the day of Judgement it will be found that many prayed and that their prayers were cast back as dung upon their faces They sought to enter and were not able as it is Luke 13. And this will be found to be the reason of it that they went to God but misken'd or took not notice of him who is is the way the truth and the life For where Christs Intercession is improven there is an effect following For God hath laid it down for a solid ground that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish and Whatsoever ye ask in my name it shall be granted And therefore where there are many Petitions put up to God and no answer at all There is sure a crack and default in folks making use of Christ For God is faithful and will perform His promise 2. And more particularly all the Members of the visible Church may be reduced to these Three Ranks and we will find a defect as to the use-making of Christs Intercession in them all though not of the same degree or rather not of the same kind 1. Either they are profane and have not so much as a form of Religion and such do slight Christ and his Intercession altogether Or 2. They are Hypocrites that make a fashion of prayer but come not to God by Him but at the short cut proudly step forward and put up their suits upon the account of their own righteousnesse As they ground their Justification on it and not on Christs Satisfaction so
of this and that particular act of sin will not so affâ—ct this but when a sinner remembers that such a sin hath been his own way that humbles and stops his mouth exceedingly 2. This adds a peculiarness to the Grace of God in the Believers esteem and maketh it so much the more amiable and admirable to him as it is with Paul when he saith 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious nevertheless I obtained mercy and the grace of God was exceeding aboundant towards me This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came in the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me he might shew forth all long suffering for a patern to them that should hereafter believe on him I was as if he had said singular in sinning but Grace was eminent and singular in shewing Mercy and hath cast a Copy thereof in me that is singularly eminent The peculiarness of Believers sin as it makes them know the aggravations of it beyond others so it makes them exalt Grace the more 3. It serves someway to discriminat a sound Believer from a Hypocrite and a right sight of Sin from that which is not so It is not so much to know that we are sinners for the light of a Natural Conscience will tell men that especially when their Lives are so bad but it s more to know and rightly to take up the peculiarness that is in our own way of sinning to take up the many windings and turnings of the deceitful heart in following of such a sin that it is addicted to This makes a Believer think that there is no bodies heart like his We see ordinarily that but very few if any natural men will take kindlâ— with the peculiarness of their way of sinning and even when they will take with this that they are sinners in general yet they shun to take with it that they are given to such a sinful way of their own and with the particular turnings windings and traversings of their own hearts to that way But few will grant that they are given to despising or slighting of Christ to Hypocrisie Self seeking Lying c. I will not be peremptory here to say that every body must know what is their own one peculiar sinful way For some see so many predominant sins in themselves that hardly can they pitch upon one by another nor upon the other side will I positively say that they are all gracious that see one sin by another to carry sway in them But this I say that this contributes much for the humbling of the sinner and for the exalting of free Grace And that the Believer will see many windings and turnings in and to their own way that others who are not Believers will not see and will see one predominant after another Whereas a natural man though he complementingly call himself the chief of sinners yet he doth not really think himself to be such But rather if he be given to Drunkenness to Filthiness or the like he will readily cast up David and Lot or some others of the Saints to excuse or extenuat it but the Believer can get none to compare himself with in the point of sinfulness Iniquities prevail over me saith David in the Singular Number but when he speaks of the pardoning and purging away of sin he speaks in the Plural associating others with himself As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Psal 65. vers 3. 4. Considering our sinful way as the occasion of this transaction and of the laying of our iniquities upon Christ as the result of it we have this sweet Observation that the Elect are considered in the Covenant of Redemption as foully and vilely sinful and with all the aggravations of their sins and sinful ways so that they cannot be fouller and more vile in time then they were considered to be when they were given to Christ to be satisfied for by him How were â—hey then considered The Text tells us even as straying sheep But that is not all they are considered as such who have had their own peculiar way of straying from God and have turned aside to and run on in their own sinful way Thus the Lord considered the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption thus Jesus Christ considered them in the undertaking for them even with all the several aggravations of their sinfulness so that they are not nor cannot be worse in time then they were considered to be before time This is so ordered by the Lord for these ends 1. That Justice might be distinctly exactly and fully satisfied and that it might be known that it is so he would needs be restored to his honour to his declarative or manifested honour and glory which suffered by man's fall and by the many great and variously aggravated sins of the Elect and would have his Justice as I said fully satisfied And therefore as there is a Volumn of a Book wherein all the Elect are written for whom Christ should satisfie so there is a Volumn of what and for what he should satisfie that there may be a proportional satisfaction and price told down to Justice 2. Believers may have a more full view of the way of Grace and of Christs undertaking for them When Jesus Christ undertook our debt he had a full view of the sum he was to pay he knew what he had to pay to the least farthing and what his peoples sins would cost him and yet he skâ—rred not to ingage to satisfie but did satisfie according to his ingagement to the full 3. It 's also ordered so for this end even to confirm the Believers Faith when he cometh to take hold of Christ and of the Covenant and when this Oâ—jection mutters within him dare such a sinful wretch as I take hold of Christ who have been thus and thus polluted with sin Yes saith the Text for these sins so and so aggravated were not unknown to the Father nor to the Mediator when thou wast bargained about Nay these sins with their aggravations were expresly considered in the Covenant of Redemption and there is no sin already committed or to be committed by thee in time that was not considered before time What was your posture Believers when God passed by and cast the lap or skirt of his love over you Were you not cast out in the open field wallowing in your own blood with your navels uncut having no eye to pity you c. As it is Ezek. 16. And wherefore I pray is this set down But as to let you know that ye are no worse in time then ye were considered to be before ye had a beeing So to aggrege the Love and Grace of God in Christ and to draw you in to him that since God and Christ the Mediator in the transaction about your Redemption stood not on your sinfulness ye may not
to the curse of God for the transgressing of His Law which had said The soul that sins shall die and cursâ—d is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elects Cautioner and to satisfie for their Debt whereby he steps into their room takes on their Debt And as the word is 2 Cor. 5. ult Becomes sin for them Is content to be lyable to and to be pursued by Justice for their Debt and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the Persons of the Elect for whom the Cautioner stands good yet in respect of the Curse and Death due to them there is no relaxation but the same thing due to them is laid on Him as it is Gal. 3. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us In every thing He was put to pay the equivalent for making up the Satisfaction due to Justice and these two being put together that Elect Sinners were obnoxious to Wrath and that our Lord came in their Room He behoved to be put to sad and sore Soul-suffering 3. Consider God's end in the Work of Redemption which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending Grace and Mercy in exacting of satisfaction from the Cautioner and in setting the Sinner free that His Grace may be so Glorified as their shall be a proof given of His Justice and Soveraignity going along with it and Infinit Wisdom being set on Work to glorifiâ— infinit Grace and Justice there is a necâ—ssity for the promoving of this end that the Mediator shall thus satisfie and the more full the Satisfaction be the more conspicuously do the Grace and Justice of God shine forth and are Glorified according to that word Rom 3.26 To declare his righteousnâ—ss that he might be just and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus This is the end of Christ's being made a Propitiation that God may be manifested to be Spotlesse and Pure in His Justice as well as Free and Rich in His Mercy and Grace who having given a Law to Man will not acquite the transgression thereof without a condigne Satisfaction 4 Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfie Justice for Sin that it 's more to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of one Person which all the Angells in Heaven and Men on Earth cannot do and therefore the punishment of the Damned in Hell is drawn out to Eternities length and yet there is never a Compleat Equivalent Satisfaction made to Justice but it is most of all to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of all the Elect who though they be few in comparison of the Reprobat World yet simply considered they are many yea even innumerable And our Lord having taken all their Sins on Him He is peremptorly required to satisfie for them all And if this withall be added that He is to satisfie for all the Sins of all the Elect at once in a very short time and hath the Curse and Wrath of God due to them Mustered and Marshaled in Batallie against Him and as it were in a great Body in a most formidable manner marching up towards Him and seriously charging Him and all the Wrath which they should have drunken through all Eternity which yet would never have been drunk out nor made the less put in one Cup and propined to Him as the Word is Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way The Wrath of God running like an impetuous River must be drunk up at once and made dry by Him These being put together do clearly and convincingly shew that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable Soul-travell and Suffering that our Lord Jesus was put to The Use of this Doctrine is large and the 1. Use is this Tâ—at ye would take it for a most certain Truth which the Scriptures doth so Frequently and Significantly hold forth That our Lord Jesus in performing the Work of Redemption had much sad Soul-travell and sorrow The Faith of this is very usefull to demonstrat the great love of God and of the Mediator For doubtless the more Suffering be undergone by the Mediator the more love Kythes therein to the Elâ—ct 2. It serves to hold out the Soveraignity and Justice of God and the horribleness of Sin 3. In respect of God's People it 's usefull that they may be through and clear in the Reality and Worth of Christ's Satisfaction He having no other End in it but to satisfie Justice for their Sin 4. It 's usefull to shew the Vanity and Emptinesse of Mens Supposed and Fancied Merits and of any thing that can be alleadged to be in Mans Suffering or doing for the satisfying of Divine Justice seing it drew so deep on Christ the Cautioner And here two gross Errours come to be Refuted and Reprobated One of the Socinians who seek quite to overturn Christ's Satisfaction And another of the Papists that minish His Satisfaction and Extenuat and Derogat from the great Priviledge of the Pardon of Sin as if any thing could procure it but this Satisfaction of Christ by His Soul-travell both which are aboundantly refuted by this Text. But to speak a word more particularly to the First For clearing of which ye will ask What could there be to affect the Holy Humane Soul of our Lord Or what was that wherein His Soul-sufferings did consist But before we speak to this we would premit this Word of Advertisement in the entry That there are two sorts of Punishments or Penal Effects of Sin The 1. Sort are such as are simply Penal and Satisfying as proceeding from some extrinsick cause The 2d sort are sinfull One Sin in the Righteous Judgement of God drawing on another And this proceeds not simply from the nature of Justice but from the nature of a meer sinfull Creature and so from an intrinsick cause of a Sinful Principle in the Creature Now when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Christ which He was put to in Satisfying for the Sins of the Elect We mean of the former that is Sufferings that are simply Penall For there was no intrinsick Principle of Corrupt Nature nor ground of Chalâ—enge in Him as there is in Sinfull Creatures And therefore we are to conceive of His Soul-sufferings as of some thing inflicted from without and are not to conceive of them as we do of Sinfull Creatures or that have Sin in them whereof he was altogether free Having premitted this we shall speak a little to these two 1. To that wherein this Soul-suffering did not consist 2. To that wherein it did consist For the former wherein it was not 1. We are not to suppose or imagine any actuall separation betwixt His God-head and His Man-head as if there had been an interruption of the Personall Union not so for the Union of the
the Gospel The heads judge for a reward and the priests teach for hire and the prophets divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us It is not for real Believing that they are charged but for their confident asserting their Believing when there was no ground for it So it is with many they will say they hope to escape Hell and to get their Sin pardoned and to win to Heaven and they believe it will be so when in the mean time there is no ground for it but clear ground to the contrary A fifth Ground is Folks spiritual and practical Ignorance of the Righteousness of God whereof the Apostle speaking Rom. 10.3 sayeth Being ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about to establish their own c. that which I mean is Folks being ignorant of their Natural Condition of the Spiritualness of God's Law what it requires and of the way of Faith and of the command of Believing and the nature of it It 's from the ignorance of these three to wit of the Mischief that is in them by Nature of the Spiritualness of the Law and of the Spiritualness of Faith and of the Exercise of it that they sleep on in Security and think they have Faith when they have it not And though sometimes they will say their Faith is weak yet they cannot be beaten from it but that they Believe and their Faith is up and down as their Security stands or falls This the Apostle makes clear from his own experience Rom. 7.9 where before his Conversion he says he was a living Man but after his Conversion he begins to think himself nothing but a dead and gone Man the reason is because before Conversion he knew not himself he knew not the Law nor the nature of the Covenant of Grace Before the Law came saith he I was alive he knew not the spiritual meaning of it and therefore he thought he observed it and so thought himself sure of Heaven and had no doubts nor disputings concerning his Interest in God But saith he when the commandment came sin revived and I died I saw my self then to be lost and gone and in every thing guilty that which I thought had been Humility I saw it to be Pride that which I took for Faith I found it to be Presumption anâ— Unbelief and my Holiness I found to be Hypocrisie not that his Sin grew more upon his hand but the Sin that before was vailed was now discovered and staired him in the face This is a sad truth yet a most real truth The good Believing as many of you call it and the Faith that ye have is a surer ground of your strangeness to God and of your Unbelief then any other thing ye have can be a ground whereupon to conclude ye have Faith and are good Friends with God ye are yet alive Strangers to God Strangers to your Selves Strangers to the spiritual meaning of the Law and to the exercise of Faith If ye would set your selves to ponder seriously this one Consideration I think ye might be somewhat convinced of it Do ye not see many that understand more of God then ye do and that are more tender in their Walk then ye are who yet are loather more difficuâ—ted and affraid to assert their Faith and Confidence in God then ye are and they are oftener brangled and put to question their Faith will ye then consider what can be the reason that ye have so strong a Faith that ye never doubted and they are troubled with doubting sometimes yea often though they Pray more and are more diligent in the use of all the Means and holier in their Conversation then ye are and ye wilâ— it may be say well's them that are like such a Person this is the reason of it they see their Sin and the spiritualness of the Law and the nature of Faith and are dead to the Law but ye are yet alive in your conceit Do ye or can ye think that much Praying Reading Meditation and Tenderness in Folks Walk will weaken Faith and occasion Doubting or is it not rather like that Faith will be more confirmed by these then by the neglect of them how is it then that ye are so strong in your Faith when they find themselves so weak and doubting or have ye an infused Faith without the Means or doeth God deal with you in a more indulgent way then He uses to deal with His People how is it then that these of whom ye cannot say but they are more tender then ye are cannot almost name Faith or assert their confidâ—nce in God without trembling and fear that they presume and yet ye dare very confidently take a mouthful of it without any hiâ—k or â—esitation and yet live carnally and without fear Do not many of you wonder whâ—t ails some Folks what need they to be so much troubled and why do they stand in need of some to Pray for them and with them and to answer their Doubts and ye mean while need no such thing and all your remedy is that ye assure your selves ye Believe and think the questioning of your Security is the very undoing of your Faith God help ye are in a woful taking A sixth Reason is That Folk drink in some Carnal Principles that have no warrand in the Word of God and accordingly square every thing that comes in their way 1. They lay it for a Ground that Folk should never doubt of God's Mercy we do not say that Folk should doubt of God's being most real in His offer of Mercy to Sinners in the Gospel but from that it will not follow that never one should doubt of God's love to them or of their coming to Heaven whether they close with the Offer or not Are there not many whom God curseth and should not these doubt A second Carnal Principle is That there is no such reality in the Threatnings of God as there is in His Promises as if He were utterly averse from executing a Threaâ—ning and as if it were a rare thing to Him to condemn any and is there any thing more opposite to Scripture then this Principle is Hath He not said in the same place to wit Ex. 34. where He proclaims Himself to be gracious merciful long-suffering c. That He is a God that will not clear the guilty And hath not the Scripture said that it 's but a remnant that are saved but as it were here one and there one and that there are many damned for one that is saved But know it of a certain that He will make you one day vomit up these Principles with exquisite torment when out of your own Mouth He will convince you of your Mistake and Delusion 3. When Folks want many things they supply all with an honest Mind This supplies your want of Knowledge your want of Faith and of Repentance and of
them to wit Sin therefore to such as he cured he says very often Thy sins be forgiven thee he studied to remove that in most of them he did deal with and so looking on our Lord as taking on our Sins complexly with the cause and as having a right to remove all the effects of Sin evidencing it self in the removing of these Diseases whereof Sin was the cause these words may be thus fulfilled and so they are clear and the Doctrine also We have here no meer exempâ—ary Saviour that hath done no more but confirmed his Doctrine and given us a copy how to do and behave but he hath really and actually born our Sorrows and Griefs and removed our Debt by undergoing the punishment due to us for Sin Observe here 1. That Sin in no Flesh no not in the Elect themselves is without Sorrow and Grief Tribulation and Anguish are knit to it or it hath these following on it or take the Doctrine thus Wherever there is Sin there is the cause of much Sorrow and Grief no more can the native cause be without the effect then Sin can be without Sorrow and Grief it 's the plain assertion of Scripture Rom. 2.8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil which one place putting the four words together says 1. That there is Sorrow most certainly and inseparably on every Soul that hath sinned And 2. That this Sorrow is exceeding great which may also be the reason why this Sorrow is set out in two words in the Text therefore four words are used by the Apostle to express it It 's not our purpose here to dispute whether God in his Justice doth by necessity of Nature punish the Sinner These three things considered will make out the Doctrine which is That there is a necessary connexion betwixt Sâ—n and Sorrow and that this Sorrow must needs be very great 1. If we consider the exceeding unsuitableness of Sin to the holy Law of God and how it is a direct contrariety to that most pure and perfect Law 2. If we consider the perfectly holy Nature of God himself The righteous Lord saith the Pâ—almist Psal 11.7 loveth righteousness and the Prophet Hab. 1.13 says He is of purer eyes then that be can behold evil and he cannot look upon iniquity and though we need noâ— to dispute Gods Soveraignty yet it is clear that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 and he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 and thaâ— there is a greater suitableness in his inflicting Sorrow and Grief on a Sinner that walks contrary to him then there is in shewing him Mercy and there is a greater suitableness in his shewing Mercy to a humbled Sinner that is aiming to walk holily before him 3. If we consider the revealed will of God in the Threatning who hath said the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die we may say there is as they speak in the Schools a hypothetick necessity of grief and sorrow to follow on Sin and that there is a necessary connexion betwixt them and this may very well stand with the Mediator his coming in and interposing to take that Grief and Sorrow from off us and to lay it on himself but it was once ours because of our Sin If it be askâ—d wâ—at Grief and Sorrow this is We said it's very great and there is reason for it for though our act of Sin 1. As to the Subject that Sins Man And 2. As to the act of â—in it self a sinful thought word or deed that is soon gone be finit yet if we consider Sin 1. In respect of the object â—gainst whom the infinite God 2. In respect of the absolute purity of Gods Law a rule that bears ouâ— Gâ—ds Image set down by infinite Wisdom and that may be some way called infinitely pure and Sin as being against this pure rule that infinite Wisdom hath set down And 3. If we consider it in no respect of its nature every sin being of this nature that though it cannot properly wrong the Majesty of God yet as to the intention of the thing and even of the Sinner it wrongs him Sin in these respects may be called infinite and the wrong done to the Majesty of God thereby may be called infinite as these who built Babel their intention in that work breathed forth infinite wrong to God as having a direct tendency to bring them off from dependance on him and so every Sin if it had its will and intent would put God in subordination to it and set it self in his room and therefore Sin in some respect as to the wrong against God is infinite 2. Observe That the real and very great Sorrow that the Sins of the Elect deserved our Lord Jesus did realty and actually bear and suffer as we have exponed the words and confirmed the exposition given of them ye have a clear confirmation of the Doctrine from them 1. Griefs and Sorrows in the plural Number shew intensness of Sorrow and Grief 2. That they are called ours it shews our propriety in them And 3. That it 's said Christ bare them These concur to prove the Doctrine that the same Sorrow which the Sins of the Elect deserved Christ bare It not only says that our Lord bare Sorrows but the same Sorrows that by the Sins of the Elect were due to them and so there was a proportionableness betwixt the Sorrows that he bare and the Sorrows they should have endured he took up the cup of Wrath that was filled for us and that we would have been put to drink and drank it out himself suppose that our Lord had never died as blessed be his Name there is no ground to make the supposiâ—ion the cup of Sâ—rrow that the Elect would have drunken eternally was the same cup that he drank our for them It is true we would distinguish betwixt these things that are essentially due to Sin as the punishment of it and these things that are only accidentally due to it the former Christ bare but not the latter To clear both in a word or two 1. These things essentially due to Sin as necessarly included in the Threatning The day thou eatest thou shalt surely die and in the curse of the Law according to that Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them are Death and the Curse these are essentially the desert of Sin in which respect it was not only necessary that Christ should become Man and â—â—ffer but that he should suffer to death or shâ—uld die and not only so but that he should die the cursed death of the Cross as the Threatning and Curse put together hold out and as to all these things that he underwent and met with before and at his death they were the accomplishment of the Threatning due to us and fulfilled in and by him in our room
Christ Jesus It 's Gods great mercy that he hath given a Mediator and that the Mediator is come and that he hath taken on our debt What had been our eternal perishing and wallowing in Hells torments with Devils to his sufferings Alwayes this Doctrine saith that there is a necessity of making use of him and receiving of him And therefore either resolve to meet with this sorrow in your own persons or betake you to him that by his interposing it may be kept off you Weigh these two that sorrow death and the curse necessarily follow sin And that Jesus Christ hâ—th died and undergone that curse for elect sinners and then ye will see a necessity of being found in him that ye may be free of the curse Which made Paul make that choise Philip. 3 8 9 I count all things dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Oft-times the allurements of the Gospel prevail not to bring sinners to Chriâ—t but if it's allurements do not prevail will not the consideration of the vengeance of God perswade you However in these two Doctrines ye have in sum this the curse of God following sin and a free and full Saviour holden out to you by whom ye may eviâ—e the curse ye are invited â—o make him welcome Choose you death and life are set before you whereby you are put to it whether ye will adventure to meet with the curse or to make him welcome Now God himself make you wise to make the right choise SERMON XX. ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF we had the Faith of that which the Prophet speaks here and the through conviction who it is of whom he speaks we would be in a holy transport of admiration and astonishment at the hearing of it That it 's he who is the Prince of life that was bruised and wounded and that these bruises wounds and stripes are ours were for us and the price and satisfaction for our iniquities to Divine Justice And yet that even he in the performing of all this is vilipended and despised by these whose good he is thus pursuing and seeking after O! how should it be wondered at These words as we shew hold forth these three 1. The cause or end of Christs suffering Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows which is to remove and take away the scandal that might arise from Christs Humiliation described in the foregoing words He was low indeed but there was no guilt found in his mouth It was for no quarrel that God had at himself but he undertook our debt and therefore carried our sorrows 2. The aggravation of mens enmity and desperat wickedness that yet notwithstanding of all this We esteemed him smitten of God and a flicted 3. We have the Exposition of the first part more clearly set down But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. Where more fully he expounds what in the beginning of the 4. vers he asserted We expounded the first part of the words and shew that these griefs and sorrows held forth the due desert of sin called ours because they are the due and particular desert of our sins and that which they procured and that Christ's bearing of them was not only meant of his taking away or removing from us of sorrows and griefs as he did diseases but of his real undergoing of that which we should have undergone even such a bearing as made others think him smitten and plagued of God and such as wounded and bruised him even such as made him become a curse for us and such as procured healing to us All which proves that it was a reâ—l undergoing of sorrow and grief We spoke to two Doctrines from this part 1. That sin hath sorrow necessarily knit to it and never wanteth sorrow following on it 2. That Christ Jesus undertook these same sorrows and really bare these same griefs that sin procured to the Elect or that by sin were due to them That we may proceed to observe somewhat more and for clearer access to the Doctrine we shall speak a word to a Question that may be moved here What is meant by these words our we and us He hath born our griefs the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all by his stripes we are healed And the rather I would speak to this because throughout the Chapter we will find these Pronouns very frequent We know in Scripture our and us are sometimes extended to all mankind so we are all lost in Adam and sin hath a dominion over us all And that part of the worâ—s vers 6. All we like sheep have gone astray may well be extended to all mankind Sometimes it is to be restrictâ—d to God's Elect and so all comprehends only such and all such And in this respect our us and we and all are contradistinguished from many others in the World and take not in all men as Gal. 4.26 Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Which is spoken in opposition to thâ— bond woman and her children spoken of before So that this our us and we are not to be extended to all individual men in the Wâ—rld as if Christ had satisfied the Justice of God for all but it is to be applied to Gods Elect separat in his purpose from others and in Gods design appointed to be redeemed and satisfied for by Christ And the words being thus expounded they lead us to this Doctrine that Jesus Christ in bearing the punishment of sin had a particular and distinct respect to some definite sinners for confirmation of it we shall not go out of the Chapâ—er the scope whereof we would clear a little And if we look thorow the Chapter we will find five grounds to clear these words are to be thus restricted For 1. We are to expound this universal with respect to Gods purpose and Covenant the contrivance of the Elects Redemption and to the death of Christ the execution of it and so these words our us we all are and must be restricted to these and in them we are to find out who they are Now who these are we find clear John 6.37 39. In the 37. v. where he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And v. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing It 's in a word these whom the Father hath given to Christ and as many as are given will believe And certainly these that are given to Christ to be redeemed by him are the same whose iniquities the Father makes to meet on
Peace with God in the first three expressions the second in this last expression looks to our Sanctification and purging from the dominion and pollution of Sin By Christs becoming Sin for us there is a way made to wash us from all the guilt of Sin and from all the foul spots and stains that were on us by Sin and he hath thus procured Holiness to us we come easily by it but it cost Christ dear yea very dear These very sad but most sweet and Soul-solacing words hold out a short sum of the substance and marrow of the Gospel and because they do so we shall speak of them summarily together and ye would the more seriously attend especially such as are more ignorant that by the reading and opening up of this Verse ye may be brought and kept in mind of the sum of the heads of the Gospel and to make the matter the more clear I shall endeavour to make the Doctrines drawen from it as so many answers to six or seven questions As 1. What is Mans condition naturally and what is the condition of all them that get not benefite by Christs death 2. How is Man redeemed and fred from that condition 3. By whom is he fred or who makes the Satisfaction 4. How doth he perform that Satisfaction 5. What are the benefites that flow from and come to us by the Satisfaction performed 6. Who are the Persons for whom Christ hath performed the Satisfaction and to whom he hath procured these Benefites 7. What is the way how these Benefites are transferred or derived to these Persons And putting these seven together we may have a short Catechism in one Verse 1. Then What is Mans condition by Nature 1. He is under Transgressions 2. Under Iniquities 3. At feud with God And 4ly Under wounds and most loathsome Diseases of a sinful Nature In a word Man by Nature is a Sinner guilty greatly guilty under Gods Wrath and Curse and at Feud with God of a most sinful and abominable nature even sick of and loathsome because of Sin The first is implyed in this word He was wounded for our transgressions that is our common Sins The second is holden out in the next word He was bruised for our iniquities or Rebellions which holds out great guilt The third in that word The chastisement of our peace was on him which suppons that we were once without Peace with God The last word By his stripes we are healed supposeth that we continue in that condition filthy and polluted and polluting our selves more and more greedy to drink in Sin and wounding and sickning our selves by Sin Now lay these four words together they clear this truth to our Judgment and serve to point out to us the necessity of a Mediator Again Consider them in a second notion and they tell us that even the Elect themselves are by Nature in the same sinful and rebellious condition wiâ—h others at feud with and under the Curse of God and abominably polluted before they be washed and healed as the Apostle asserts Ephes 2. We are by nature children of wrath even as others and here it is plainly declared He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. Some are ready to think as was hinted before that the Elect by nature were better than others or that God foresaw they would be better and therefore he elected them This piece of Arminianism is in all nâ—turally but this Text in down-right contradiction to such a groundless conceit answers and asserts that by nature they are even like others as the Apostle saith Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded them all under unbelief that he might have mercy on all All the Elect as well as others are concluded under Sin and Wrath that the way of obtaining any Spiritual Good might be by Mercy and Free-Grace alone 2. How are Folks fred from this sinful and miserable condition Answer 1. In general Before the quarrel can be taken away and their peace can be made there must be a Satisfaction which is implyed in these words the chastisement of our peace was on him which suppons the necessity of a Satisfaction made or to be made in respect of Gods decree and commination who said the day thou sins thou shalt die and cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law to do them 2. And more particularly There must be a Satisfaction because there is 1. The Justice of God that hath a claim by a standing law 2. The Holiness of God that must be vindicate And 3 The Faithfulness of God that must cause be performed and come to pass what it hath impledged it self for as well in reference to the Threatning as to the Promise for these words Hath he said and will he not do it relate to the one as well as to the other there is a great mistake in many while they leap immediatly to Mercy without minding the necessity of a Satisfaction to provoked Justice and on this ground that God is merciful which if it were an argument good enough it would say that all even the Reprobate may get Mercy but we would consider the way that God hath laid down for Sinners coming to Mercy and how that before peace can be made he will needs have satisfaction to his Justice 3. Who maketh the Satisfaction The Text says it 's He and Him He was wounded for our trangressions the chastisement of our peace was on Him and who is this He and Him it's in general the Messiah who was then to come he who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary who suffered and was crucified who died and was buried and rose the third day even he who having the nature of God and our nature united in one Person He his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree as is said 1 Pet. 2.24 and He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him as it is 2 Cor. 5 ult even he of whom the Apostle hath been speaking here while he says We as ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconcealed unto God And when we say it 's Christ that is mean'd of we are to understand it as well negatively and exclusively excluding all others as positively including him when we make him to be the only Saviour we exclude all that Men can do with their Penance Prayers Good-Works and all that Angels can do neither Man nor Angel could satisfie divine Justice and make our Peace with God and therefore it 's said Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus where it 's clear that all others are excluded as it is Psal 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not c.
on this Satisfaction even such a way as procures Justificatâ—on and Healing to them And for your confirmation consider in general if it be possible that this Covenant of Redemption the Sufferings of the Mediator and the Promises made to Believing can be for nought did the Father pursue the Cautioner so hotly for nothing or did the Cautioner pay such a Ransom for nothing no certainly if it had not been to communicate Pardon and Peace with Healing by his Wounds anâ— Stripes to them who were lyâ—â—le to Condemnation and under the dominion of Sin neither of these would have been And therâ—fore for grounds of your Faith more particularly see here 1. A full Satisfaction God hath made way to Sinners Peace with himself by satisfying himself fully in Christ the Mediator for the sins of elect Believers so that a sinner that in the sense of sin betakes himself to him needs not to fear any back-accompts because what ever might make for our Peace was fully said on him so that we may with holy and humble boldness say that we are not come to the mount that might not be touched nor to blackness and darkness tempest and the sound of a trumpet but we are come unto mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling Our invitation therefore to you is not to bid you come and compt for your own Debt your selves but to come and accept of Christs payment of it and of his Satisfaction whereby Justice is compleatly satisfied 2. See here as another ground of Faith the Justice of God not with respect to us but to the Bargain betwixt the Father and the Son who are the principal Parties and we to speak so but Parties accidentally in this Covenant the Covenant being primarly and mainly betwixt God and the Mediator the Justice of it appears in this that it hath respect to a Covenant which is fulfilled on all sides and therefore the Elects believing and taking hold of the Mediators Satisfaction cannot but be accepted as if he had payed the the Debt himself the Father to speak so had the carving of the Bargain and what satisfaction his Justice was to receive to his own mind and as it was Justice on the Sons side to satisfie according to his undertaking so it 's Justice on the Fathers side to pardon and be at peace with the Sinner that by Faith flies unto Jesus Christ 3. See in this Bargain not only Justice but Mercy as its just so it s a graciously free Bargain which is wonderful and may seem somewhat strange if not paradoxal yet it s nothing inconsistent with the way of Grace it 's just that the Cautioner should pay the Debt and yet that Debt is most freely and frankly pardoned as to us it 's Justice in the height as to the Mediator but free Grace as to us in the height we come to it freely and without price though it cost him dear And that is one of the Mediators Undertakings that it should be free to his Seed Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that he who seeth the Son and believeth on him should have eternal life 4. Consider the reality and sureness of the Bargain it is such as it cannot fail having such Pillars to lean on the Faithfulness of God engaged on just and equal terms and the glory of God as the end and having a most necessary and câ—rtain effect to wit Healing to all to whom this soveraign Medicine is applyed This stability and sureness of the Covenant flows from Gods engaging to the Mediator and the Mediators engaging to God from the Mediators satisfying and the Fathers accepting of his Satisfaction which being confirmed by the Blood of the Testator it becomes a Testament which cannot be annulled nor altered or changed And if all this be so let me put the question is there not good ground here to exhort the Hearers of the Gospel to believe in Christ and on Believing to look for Life through him and a most solid ground laid down whereupon to build the hopes of Eternal Life and therefore seing this is the up-shot of all that Life is to be gotten freely by Faith in Jesus Christ improve this way of Salvation for making your Peace under no less certification than this even as ye would eshew reckoning with Divine Justice in your own Persons for the least Farthing of your Debt If it be objected here by any 1. We are at enmity with God and cannot satisfie I answer This Text tells you that satisfaction is not sought from you but from the Mediator who hath already given it and the Father hath accepted it for all such as shall by Faith plead the benefit of it 2. If ye shall say we know not how to win at God we are such as cannot step on foot forward and so very sinful and miserable that we know no such Transgressors and Wretches I answer Was it not for such that the Mediator transacted even for such as we Transgressors Rebels Despisers of him and such as judged him to be smitten and plagued of God If he had been Caution only for righteous Folks there had been some reason for such an objection but it is for Sinners for most hainous Sinners Nay this way of reasoning and pleading says on the matter that Christ needed not have laid down his life 3. If it be said We are so sinful and backsliding so filthy and polluâ—ed that we think we are not within the reach of healing I answer This reasoning would if it held turn in effect to this that ye are not within the reach of Gods Grace and for Christs Satisfaction which is not only injurious but even blasphemous to the Grace of God and to the Satisfaction of the Mediator if your sin be ugly and horrible he suffered horrible Wraâ—h he was wounded bruised chastised c. 4. If it be said further We can do nothing for our selves we cannot come to Christ we know not what it is to Bâ—lieve or if we win to do any thing alace all our Goodness is as the morning Cloud and early Dew that soon passeth away I answer The Covenant is not transacted betwixt God and you but betwixt God and the Mediator and the ground of your Peace as to the procuring cause depends on the Mediators performing his part of the Covenant in your name And further as for your Believing it is a piece of the Fathers engagement to the Mediator and must certainly be made as effectual as the Father must keep his word to the Son according to these Promises of the Covenant I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their minds they shall all know me and they shall be all taught of God And thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the like All these Promises were in the Covenant betwixt the Father
undergoing the Curse and Suffering that which the Elect should h ve suffered for It is not the work of a Court to pass a sentence but also to see to the execution of the sentence not only are orders given to the sword to awake and smite but the sword falls on and smites him actually and though from the apprehension of the anger of God as Man and without the sensible and comforting manifestation of his Fathers love and his seemingly forsaking him for a time He prayed Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me yet it will not be and he submits most sweetly to it and not only is the cup put in his hand but the dregs of wrath are as it were wrung out into it and he must needs drink it up all which manifestly kythes in his agony in the garden when he is made to sweat blood and in his complaint if we may so call it My soul is exceeding sorrowful and what shall I say and in these strange words uttered by him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me all which tell us plainly that not only was he enacted Sureâ—y and had the sentence past on him but that really he satisfied and had the sentence executed on him that in his Soul he was really pierced and wounded and that with far deeper wounds then these were which the Souldiers by the spear and nails made in his Body before the Elects discharge of their Debt could be procured and obtained What it was more particularly that he suffered the following words hold out But here it 's clear that he suffered really and suffered much that not only he undertook to pay but that he was actually pursued and made to lay down to the least Farthing whatever was due to Justice by the Elect And this is the cause why these words are brought in as the reason why he suffered so much even because so many and so great sins with all their aggravations were laid upon him and if his sufferings were not great and undergone for this end to satisfy for the Elects Debt that they might be set free the Prophets scope would not be reached neither would there be a suitable connexion betwixt the latter and the foregoing words As for the 2d To wit some Reasons of the Doctrine we shall shortly give you these three why the Elects sins were laid on Christ and put on his account and why he was made to underly the compleat punishment of them by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption 1. Because it did much contribute to the glory of God for he had designed in his eternal Council that his Grace should be glorified in the salvation of the Elect and that his Justice should also be glorified in punishing of sin either in themselves or in their Cautioner and as free Grace and Mercy must be glorious in saving the Elect and Justice in being satisfied for their sins so it 's to that end that since the Elect cannot pay their own Debt that their Cautioner pay it and pay it fully that the Lord in exacting satisfaction from him in their name may be known to be just 2. This way makes much for the confirmation of the Faith of the believing Elect and for their consolation for the confirmation of their Faith for what can Justice demand that it hath not gotten it is fully satisfied and then for their consolation seing the Father put his own Son to suffer and to so great suffering for them what is it that they may not confidently expect from such a Fountain 3. This serves to hold out the wonderful great obligation of the Elect to God and to the Mediator for the greater their sin was the more he suffered the greater their Debt was the more he payed and they are the more in his common and the greater Debters to him and ought the more to love him and their duty for his sake as it is said of the woman Luk. 7. She loved much for much was forgiven her so this way of paying the Elects Debt calls and strongly pleads and also makes way for much warm and tender love in them to Jesus Christ In the 3d. place We come to the Uses of the Doctrine To which I shall premit this word of desire to you That ye would not look on these things as tasteless or unsavoury for had we not had these precious truths to open up to you we should have had no meetings to this purpose no ground to speak of life to you nor any the least hope or expectation of life And indeed it may be sadly regrated that amongst a multitude of professing People these substantial truths of the Gospel are so wersh and little relishing to the most part which too evidently appears in the unconcerned wearying and gazing posture of some in the slumbering sleeping of others in our publick Assemblies If our hearts were in a right frame half a word to say so to this purpose would be a wakening and allaruming to us However this is a great priviledge in it self Heathens may and do know something of moral duties but it 's a priviledge which we have and they want that the fundamental truths of the Gospel are amongst us and not amongst them The 1. Use serves to let us see the brightness of the Glory of Grace and Truth of Mercy and Justice shining clearly here Can there be any greater mercy and more pure mercy than this that the Lord should be gracious to sinners and to great sinners rhat had turned every one of them to their own way in providing a Mediator and such a Mediator in providing such a help for them and laying that help upon one that is mighty and that he should have done this of his own head so to speak with reverence when the Elect were in their sins and when thâ—re was nothing to be the impulsive or meritorious cause of it And that the Father should have laid this weight of punishment on Christ the Son of his love and pursued him at this rate of holy severity for sinners debt O! what grace and mercy shines here And 2. The spotless Justice of God doth also here wonderfully manifest it self O! How exact is Justice when it will not quite a farthing even to the second Person of the Godhead when he became Man and man's Surety But since he hath put himself in the room of sinners The Lâ—ed maketh all their iniquities to meet on him This is matter of admiration to Men and Angels to consider how Justice and Mercy run in one Channel and shine in one Covenant the one of them not incroaching upon the other Use 2. We may gather from this same insight and clearness in the very great sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ For these things are here put together 1. That he suffered for all the Elect Us all 2. For all the sins of all the Elect and for all the sins of all
often cited 40. Psalm in the volum of thy book it is wretten of me I delight do thy will Consider 4ly The effects of his bringing to Judgment A sentence passes 1 Tim. 3. ult Great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit not before Pilate but in Gods Court having satisfied for the Elects Debt according to his undertaking he gets an absolviture which reaches not only to himself but to all them whose persons he sustained as is clear 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and the Elects obtaining eternal Redemption and Absolution by his death with the accrescing of his satisfaction to their justification clears that he stood there judicially at the Bar of God in their name to answer for them And there are three steps of this his judicial answering 1. He gets the Libel of the Elects Debt put in his hand though there was no guile in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he laid on him the iniquity of us all and for the iniquity of my people was he stricken these are the persons that he undertook for and for their Debt he answers the verity of the fact is clear for they are under guilt the Laws claim is clear for it 's broken and upon this the Libel is put in his hand hence it 's said He died for us He was made sin for us and he died for our sins 2. As the Libel is put in his hand so a sentence passes accordingly he is found lyable to the Elects Debt and must answer for it as the former word is it was exacted on him and 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us and Gal. 3.13 He was made a curse for us that is by the sentence of Justice he is decerned to bear the curse 3. The sentence is executed as it was past the cup is put in his hand and not only is he decerned and doomed to the curse but actually he is made a curse and all this as judicially sustaining the persons of the Elect and as their Cautioner and Surety Here we have some sweet and profitable Uses 1. See here and take up the way of Redemption contrived so as it runs on Mercy and Justice Mercy to the Elect and Justice to the Cautioner their Debt being fully exacted of him 2. It learns us how to establish our Faith and also gives us a ground of Believing To make it distinct Justice behoved to be satisfied without which no Mercy could be shewed to the Sinner and God hath laid down the way by the Cautioners interposing even as it is among men the Cautioners being imprisoned and satisfying is the Debtors liberation and as God hath condescended to deal with us by way of Covenant so he condescended in the Covenant of Redemption to proceed legally and judicially with Christ that we might have the clearer way to make application of it 3. Are there any here that look for Redemption thorow Christ and hope that their sins were in the Libel given to him O! how warming would this be to your hearts and how should it make them to melt in love and godly sorrow to behold Christ standing at Justice-bar and that for you O! what an aspect would his sufferings have on us if we were clear about our interest in him and could hear him in our name saying Father here am I if thou take me let these go thy will be done for this cause came I here to answer for my peoples debt to take with the challenges given in against them and to undergo thy sentence for them then says Justice thou must pay their Debt Content says he Here am I and so he gives his back to the smiter and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting If we were clear that our share was there and that our iniquities came in among the rest to make up the Libel and if we could aright discern him so pinshed and straitned in satisfying for us would we not think our selves eternally obliged to him to hate sin and to glorifie him in our bodies and spirits which are his as it it 1 Cor. 6. ult If indeed ye be Christs as ye are all ready to profess your selves to be he pays dear for you and if so will not this ly upon you as a just Debt to him to glorifie him in your bodies and in your spirits for both in body and spirit he payed for you 4. It 's a notable ground of consolation to Believers against dispondency and fear to appear before the Throne of Godâ— because our Lord Jesus Christ hath been before us and in our name and hath answered for us to the full and hath satisfied all that Justice could crave of us What wakens terror at Death and makes the thoughts of Christ's appearing to be dreadful but our looking on our appearing at the Bar of God but it is a comfort against it that Christ as our Cautioner was brought to Prison to Judgment and was also brought from both yea which is more and without which the consolation is but halved he was brought to both for us and he was also brought from both as our Surety as Surety for all them that betake themselves by Fâ—ith to him He was carried to Prison and to Judgment as Cautioner for the Elect and he was pursued as their Cautioner and therefore his payment of the Debt as Cautioner must be accepted in name of them for whom he payed the Debt Our Lord Jesus not only died and was laid in the Grave but he went further in to speak so he was even at the Bar of Justice libelled exacted upon and sentenced and the sentence executed upon him else wo had been unto us on this ground is that triumph Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it's God that justifies who shall condemn it's Christ that died year rather who is risen again c. and it 's said Rom. 7. That we are delivered from the law being dead to that wherein we were held the Law had us in Prison and a lock on the door and had us under irons but our Lord came and as Sampson did in another case carried the ports and bars to the hill top He spoiled principalities and powers and triumphed openly over them on the cross so that now the prince of this world is judged These are the true and faithful sayings of God We have through Christ access and may with boldness come to the throne of Grace having him as high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and was in all things tempted like as we are he knew not only what it was to be hungry and thirsty and weary to be pained and to die but what it was to come before the terrible Tribunal of God and to
I will have Payment of you or else ye must Die they brought the Sacrifice to the Priest to please God Typically with an Eye to Christ Typifyed thereby Even so for Sinners to make use of Christ's Sufferings is in the thorow Conviction of Sin and of deserved Wrath to flie unto Jesus Christ and to put Him in their Room being Content and Desirous that He be their Cautioner and undertake for them and Satisfie for their Debt yea puting Him Actually to it to pay their Debt So that they have no other Answer to any Challenge for Sin but this the Cautioner that I have betaken my self to and put in my Room will pay this Debt and answer for it The 2. Act of Faith is this when they have betaken themselves to Him and to His Sacrifice they Acquiâ—sce in and Rest upon it alone for obtaining of the Sentence of Absolution which was also implyed in the People their laying their Hands by the Priest on the Head of the Sacrifice For as it implyed their acknowledging that they could not Please nor Satisfie Goâ— of themselves nor by any other Way or Mean so it Implyed that according to God's Covenant they expected His Absolving of them because of that Sacrifice and that though they were Desperat by themselves to Satisfie yet that they had Faith in God's Covenant that the Sacrifice they Offered would Typically Satisfie Him Even so the Believer draws the Conclusion from Christ's Sacrifice according to the Terms of the Covenant that He hath Absolution and rests on and acquiesces in it and this is called Trusting or Confiding in Christ when not only he casteth himself on Him but hath Confidence that the Bill which He hath drawn on him will be Answered by Him which is founded on the Covenant In which it 's said of all that come unto me I will put none away As it is John 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wayes cast out and Zach. 13. There is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness On which ground Believers expect the benefit of Washing on their performing of the Condition of the Covenant And when David Psal 51.7 Prayes purge me wash me It holds out the Act of Faith drawing the Bill on Christ And when he sayes I shall be clean and white as snow It holds out his Confident Resting on and acquiescing in Christ for Cleansing And this is the reason why some expresse â—aith by cleaving to Christ others by confident resting on him or by assurance and there may be a Truth in both because the one looks on Faith according to the first Act of cleaving to Him And the other takes up Faith according to the other Act of assured resting on him or confiding in him and on or in His Sacrifice offered up once for all In a Word to make Use of this once Offering for Sin is so to make Use of Him as to put Him in our Room and our selves some way in His Room Nâ—t to dare to Compt and Reckon with Justice nay not to dare as it were to Compt with Christ but leaving Christ in the stour to speak so and running away from Reckoning with Justice to hide our selves under Him who can count to the utmost Farthing Even as when God commanded Abraham to offer up his Son Isaac and and when he was lifting his hand to slay him there came a Voice from Heaven Abraham hold thy hand and a Ram is provided â—nd Isaac is loosed and taken down from off the Altar and the Ram is put in his stead and place So there is here a changing of Rooms with Christ according to that sweetest Word 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we who had no Righteousnesse might be made the righteousness of God in him 3. If it be so very difficult and yet so absolutly necessary to make Use of Christ and especially in His Offering up of Himself for the Sin of His People there is ground here for Warning and Advertisement to walk tenderly in this Matter that this Sacrifice be not flighted that this One Offering be not Neglected as we would not have Sin lying at our Door And here we shall point at three sorts of Persons who may be counted slighters and neglecters of this Offering The 1. Sort are these who think to make their Peace with God without minding the necessity of the interveening of any thing betwixt Him and them and these go on severall Grounds or are of several Sorts 1. Some are utterly carelesse how their Peace be made or whether it be made or not they hope for it and think to come at it but cannot give an account whether they will come at it or not and they are careless to know the way 2. Others go upon their presumption They think God loves them because they love themselves and though they know they have Sin yet they think God will not be so ill as to Reckon with them They think they are sure that God loves them but they cannot give a ground for it 3. Others think God is mercifull and therefore they conclude that they will be Pardoned They cannot conceive God to be like Man in His Mercy but to be far beyond Him as indeed He is infinitely in some respect and therefore because when Man is mercifull he sometime seeks no Satisfaction So neither will God think they Not considering that though God be merciful That yet He will not shew mercie to the prejudice of His Justice but will needs have it Satisfied Such think on the Matter at least that they would have gotten mercy though Christ had never died It is true if God had not been mercifull never a Sinner had gotten mercy yet that is not the ground of His shewing mercy Otherwayes all the World might expect mercy For He is and ever was Gracious and mercifull in Himself and therefore there must be some other Ground and Way for obtaining of Pardon else it cannot be expected because of the alone Simple and Abstract consideration of His Mercy And yet many will needs expect it on this Ground without respect to the Mediators Purchase A 2. Sort are they that take a Legall way for making of their Peace with God Not as if they thought to appear before God without Sin and Holy as the Covenant of Works requireth but if they Sin they will make a mends and it 's either something Negative that they have not done or something Positive that they have done or some Internal Qualification that they rest upon 1. Something Negative they have not been so ill as other Folks and if they go to Hell they think few will go to Heaven They have done wrong to none and if they were about to Die they think and it may be say that they will leave a good Name behind them on the account of their harmless Walk like that Pharisee they can say Lord I thank thee
by the Elect And to be avenged on Him for their wrongs and His being to step in into their Room and to be smitten with that awaked and furbished Sword and to Offer Himself the Sacrifice as He had long before ingadged Here O! here was the heat and strength of the Battel Use This shews 1. What a Dear Price Christ payed for Sinners 2. The severity of the Justice of God in exacting the Elects Debt of the Cautioner 3. How much we are oblidged to the Cautioner who so willingly undertook the Debt and was so ready to pay it though it cost Him not only External and Bodily Sufferings but Soul-suffering and put Him to encounter with Gods Curse and Wrath We are perswaded could we conceive and speak aright of these Sufferings that there is a great Mystery here And really it is a wonder that we are not more affected wiâ—h it even to consider that such miserable Creatures should be pursued by Justice that can do nothing to avert the Stroak of it And that such a great and gâ—orious Person as the Son of God should Interpose Himself And that the Father should spare the poor sinfull Enemies and make a way for them to escape by the Diverting of His Justice from pursuing them and by making it take hold of the Son of His Bosom Exacting the Debt severely from Him O! what a wonder is this That the Lord should passe by the Enemy and satisfie Himself of His own Son Yea that God should take on Himself the place of a Mid-man and Satisfie Himself That God should be in Christ reconciling the world to himself This this is the Wonder Herein Infinit Wisdom Pure and Spotless Justice Holiness and Faithfulness Grace and Mercy to the Admiration of Men and Angels appear and shine forth most Radiantly It can hardly be known in which of these the Glory of God shines most in this Great and Glorious Work of Redemption But of them all we may say to you Elect and believing Sinners what could our Lord Jesus do more for your Salvation I say what could He do more then to Offer up Himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice for your Sins In the Gospel He calleth upon you to make use of it that by Vertue of His Sacrifice your Peace may be made with God as it is 1 John 2.1 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and then follows He is the propitiation for our sins This may give abundant ground to Sinners to go upon in their Application to God for Pardon and Peace even this that He hath made Himself a Sacrifice for seting of them free For whom He Offered Himself a Sacrifice O! Sinners admire Him employ and make use of His Moyen and Court in Heaven Improve and Welcome these glad Tydings and let it never be said nor heard of that He was Offered up a Sacrifice and that ye would not admit of the benefit of it that ye would not accept of Him to be a Days-man and Tryster betwixt God and you to remove all grounds of quarrel O! for Christ's sake and as ye love your Souls step to and seek Grace to make the right of use His Sacrifice in order to the obtaining of the Pardon of your Sin and the making of your Peace with God Let Himself powerfully perswade you to and prevail with you in this incomparably greatness of all concerns SERMON XXXIX ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleâ—sure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHere there is any Light and Knowledge of a God-head amongst Men There is this impression on them that it is a dreadful thing to have a Contraversie lying over betwixt God and them unremoved And upon this ground it is that as naturally the Conscience doth challenge for the provoking of God so Men according to the Light they have are set on to seek after this and that and the other Mean and Way to get God appeased and the Conscience quieted and it 's like that this hath descended to Men from Noah that the most part of them have thought on the Mean of Sacrifices by them to make their Peace with God So the Lord taught the Family of Adam after the Fail and Noah renewed it after his coming out of the Ark and it is probable as I said somewhat of this hath abiden with and stuck to Men even when they Degenerated and Apostatized from God and offered Sacrifices to Devils though not intentionally but unto God in their account And indeed it is no marvel that Flesh and Blood be here at a stand and made to say wherewithal shal we come before God But we have this advantage by the Gospel That in it the Lord hath shewed to us what it is that satisfieth Justice and takes away Sin and the Curse and that it is even this in the Text Thou shalt make his foul an offering for sin There is no other thing that a Sinner can bring with him that can be accepted or that can make him to be accepted of God We have hinted at some things from the Words already and shew that Christ's Sacrifice is called an offering for sin as excluding all others and as expressing the Nature and Ends of it We shall now speak to one thing more which is the 4th implyed in this expression And it is this That though Atonement and Satisfaction to God can be made by no other Sacrifice or Offering yet there is an Atonement and Satisfaction that may be made by Christ's Offering Hence He is called an offering for sin not only because it excluds all others but also because he is accepted for that very end as a Propitiation for the Sins of them for whom He Suffered and Offered Himself in a Sacrifice as this is denyed to all other things as we just now said so it is Applyed and Appropriated to Him and His Offering as Heb. 10. v. 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all v. 12. This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God And v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified This is the great thing that the Apostle aims at in that Dispute not only to cast the Leviticall Offerings as to the removing of Sin and the Curse and making of Sinners Peace with God but to commend this one offering as able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through it And according to this we have that great Question answered to poor Sinners wherewithall shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most high God He hath shewed O! man what is meet and what the Lord requireth of thee That there is nothing but this one Sacrifice of Christ that
Wrath or that they will soon get it put by that a word will do that Hence it is that they think that an equivalent Price is not necessary for Satisfying the Justice of God and for prevâ—nâ—ing of His Wrath but if it be so easie a thing to pacify God and to satisfy His Justice Why did Our Lord undertake the Debt Why did He become so low and pay so dear a Price to procure a Discharge of it Why was His Soul put to such travel when no Shame nor Râ—proach nor Pain on His blessed Body could do it but Hâ—s Soul in the sore travel thereof behovâ—d to be made a Sacrifice for Sin Sinners grosly ignorant mistakes of the Justice of God appear palpably in this There was never a Person that was called to it and did undertake to remove God's Wrath from others but our Lord Jesus And ye see here what it cost Him And what do ye imagine will be the lot of others who shall lye under it eternally 3. See here the Worth and Weight of a Soul and the great moment of the Salvation of a Soul Immortal Souls are of much worth and though Men often sell them at an cheap and easie Rate yet our Lord Jesus bought Souls dear It 's true Souls considered in themselves are not worthy of the Price laid down for them But being considered with respect to the end for which they are designed to wit the glorifying of the Riches of the Grace and Mercy of God and their injoying of Him They are of much worth Ah! that men should sell that Soul so very cheap when our Lord bought Souls so very dear 4. See here the Solidity Fulness and Satisfactoriness of the Price that Jesus Christ gave to Justice for the Souls of His People It cannot sure but be a fully satisfying Price that such a Person should Suffer and Suffer so much Even to be put to Soul-travel for which there could be no Reason neither could it have any other End but the satisfying of Divine Justice for the Sins of the Elect And considering these His Sufferings in the Degrees of them which was so very high And in the use of them in Gods Purpose and Decree and in the End of them which was to satisfy the Justice of God and to make His Grace Glorious It cannot but be a most Solid Full and Satisfying Price So that a Soul may have here a sufficient ground to build its Salvation upon And the more low-that the Mediator was brought by His Sufferings the more solid and sicker is the ground of our Faith yea this is the End why He came so low 5. See here how greatly we are in Christ's Debt That when Justice was provoked and Sinners had losed themselves and when nothing else could be admitted but all other Sacrifices were rejected He was graciously pleased to yeeld Himself to be the Sacrifice by His extream and most exquisit Sufferings most pleasantly and heartsomly saying Lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God By the which will sayeth the Apostle Heb. 10. We are sanctified And by it we have access to Eternall Life It had been much if He had made a New World for Believers to dwell in nay it had been much if He had provided Angels to Mollify and Mitigat their Sufferings and to give them drops of water to cool their Tongues in Hell But that He His own blessed self should decline no Soul-travel beside Bodily Sufferings to redeem them from the Curse How much how unspeakably much are they oblidged to Jesus Christ If we were suitably sensible of our hazard and clear as to our Interest in these Sufferings it could not be but our Souls would leap someway within us as the Babe did in Elizabeths womb on this consideration that a Cautioner and Saviour hath come and payed the Price that was due by us to the Justice of God This is a greater obligation then His making of the World for an habitation to Sinners Nay a greater obligation then His giving of Heaven to us if abstracted from Christ O! So well as it would become us in reading of these Words to stand and pause and to say Is it so indeed that Christ gave Himself thus for Sinners and for me This is it which opens the door of Access to God and makes a Bridge over the Gulf that is betwixt God and Sinners He was smitten that by His Stroaks and Strips health might be brought to us He was content to undergo sore Soul-travel that thereby Life might be brought to us That which we mainly aim at in this Branch of the Use is That ye would look to the Mercy purchased by this Soul-travel as your great obligation And at what a Rate you have the Offer of Grace and access to Heaven When He made the World Heaven and Earth Sun Moon Stars c. He spake the Word and it was done their needed no more but let such a thing be and it was but the work of Redemption was of another sort and brought about at a high and dearer Rate Therefore among all the things which the Gospel holds out put a speciall Price on these things that are the fruits of Christs Soul-travel and consider what a flight it will be and what guilt it will involve you in that He should purchase Redemption so dear and make offer of it so freely and ye should care little or nothing for it 6. Be Instructed anent the absolute necessity of being in Christs Debt for the Use making and Application of His purchase is there any man that can merit it or render Him a recompence for it If not And if there be a necessity of making Hâ—aven and Salvation then sure there is a nâ—cessity of being in Christs Debt and of making use of His purchase for the attaining of that which He hath purchased And men are not hardly delt with nor ill come to when this blessed necessity is imposed upon them not to satisfie for themselves For what can they bring that will be an equivalent Price but to acquiesce in His Satisfaction made to Justice for them and the rather that they cannot bind Him to make application of it Folk are very readily given to one of these two either to misken and pass by the Mediator and so to presume to make a new bargain for their Peace by offering to drink themselves for themselves of that Cup which Christ drank of for that only was the Price of Souls Or if they esteem of Christs Satisfaction they think to oblidge Him and to procure from Him the Application of His Purchase by their Prayers and good Living But what is there in this more then is in the former What Price is there that can be given to Him that is equivalent to His Sufferings It must therefore of necessity come to this That as it was freely purchased so it is freely applyed and it were very
with that which they had bought He sayes to them I have meat to eat that ye know not of And when they begin to wonder what that could be He sayes further to them It is my meat to do my Fathers will and to finish his work And what was that a poor whotish Woman is spoken to by Him and brought by His speaking to acknowledge Him to be the Messiah and to accept of Him as such And by that blessed Work His Hunger and Thirst were Satisfied So Luke 22.15 He saith to His Disciples with desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer And Luke 12.50 I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Though he drinking of that Cup was terrible to Him and though mockings and reproaches were not pleasant in themselves yet the love that He had to Sinners good mastered all the bitterness that was in these and made them sweet 3. There is nothing that He more complains of nothing angers and grieves Him more then when He is not made use of Ye will not saith He John 5. come to me that ye may have life To shew that the best interâ—ainment that they could give Him was to come and get Life from Him And it 's told us that He was angry and grieved for the peoples unbelief and hardness of heart Yea He weeps over them because of this Luke 19. All which prove the great delight that He had and hath still in Sinners getting good of Him And frequently in the Song as Chap. 2 and 6. He is said to feed among the lillies There is all His intertainment that He gets in the World He feasts only on the Fruits of His own Spirit in them that welcome Him I shall name but one place more and that is Psal 147.10.11 He delights not in the strength of a horse nor in the legs of a man but in them that fear him The following Words clear it more what it is that delights Him In them that hope in his mercy that is in them that draw into Him by believing He delights in these Beyond all the World Use 1. It were a desirable thing to be believing this Are there any so prophane but are ready to think that if they knew what would please God or Christ they would do it The Question is here answered that this is pleasing and only pleasing to Him If this be wanting there is nothing that will please Him even that ye make use of Christs Sufferings and imploy Him in His Offices for getting the good that may be had by them This is it that ye are câ—lled to and which delighteth Him and if this be not though ye would give Him thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of oyl yea the first born of your body for the sin of your souls it will not satisfy Him nor be accepted because this alone is the Satisfaction that He will have for His Soul-travel I shall a liâ—tle explain this and then prosecute the Use of it Ye will ask then What is the Fruit of Christ's Soul-travel that satisfies Him I answer That we take in under it not only 1. That ye should aim to be at Heaven neiâ—her 2. â—his That ye be serious in the Duties of Holiness as if these were Well-pleasing to God without respect to Christ's Sufferings but it is the Use-making and improving of Christ's Sufferings for attaining of these When Folk by this midse by this New and Living Way step forward to Heaven and seek to be Seriâ—us in the study of Holiness when they that could not walk in the way of Holinesse do now walk in it leaning on their beloved and study to live by Faith in Him Tâ—is is it mainly wherein His Delight and Satisfaction doth lye even when a poor Sinner is brought to make Use of Him for Peace and Reconciliation with God for through bearing in all called for Duties for his Consolation and for his Admission to Heaven in the close And therefore they do not only fail here who are Prophane living securely never minding Heaven their Peace with God nor the study of Holiness Neither only these who cast the Law and its Reproofs behind their backs thâ—se are loathsome to God and to Jesus Christ but by this These are also reproved that do not improve the Sufferings of Christ for Peace and Reconciliation with God for Righteousnesse and for Strength for Comfort and encouragement and who hope not in Hâ—â— Mercy The Reason is because though it were possible they could make progresse in Hâ—liness and attain to Comfort and Peace â—hat â—ay yet it would not be thus The Fruit of the Travâ—l of Christs Soul He being paâ—â— by and â—o could not be Satisfaction to Him Buâ— where a poor Sinner sees that he caâ—noâ— câ—me to God of himself cannot make his Peace nor can He walk in the way of Holiness so as to please God and so flies to Christ for refuge and make use of His Purchase there lyeth Christs delight to see such a Sinner come and hide himself under the shâ—ddow of His Sufferings and in this respect the more hardly a Sinner is put at it is the more satisfaction to Him that He in His Death and Sufferings be made use of because this way the Sinners Life is more intirely the benefit of His Sufferings and that such a Person hath any Strength Comfort or Peace and is admitted to Heaven It is allenarly through the Travel of His Soul which is His great Satisfaction And therefore we would 2dly commend to you That as you would do Christ a favour to speak so with reverence And O! what a motive is this for vile Sinners the dust of His Feet to be put in a capacity to do Him a pleasure Endeavour this especially that as to you Christ may see the Fruit of the Travel of His Soul and be satisfied and that all His kindness offered to you may not be Fruitlesse This is the great hing of the Gospel as to that which is pressed upon you and this is the wonderfull motive that is given to presse it That it 's delightsome to Christ and therefore ye should believe on Him It were incouragement enough that it's profitable to your selves But if ye had hearts of stone this should move you to it That Our Lord Jesus seeks no more Satisfaction from you for all His Soul-travel but that ye make use of His Sufferings that ye do not receive this Offer of His Grace in vain nor be Fruitless under it In a word we have here laid before us and think upon it the most Wonderfull Inconceivable and Inexpressible Sute and Request of Him who is the Creator to us poor sinfull creatures and what is it I have been sayes He on the matter in sore Travel and Pain for you now I pray you let it not be for nought let me see the Fruit of it And to speak it with reverence of
lay down their Arms and come in and if one of them were challenged and called to a Reckoning after his coming in for his Rebellion The ground of his Plea would not be that he never was out in Rebellion but that such an offer was made and that he did hazard his life on it So is it here A Sinner is a Rebel against God by Nature and being in Rebellion hath the Offer of Pardon and Life made to him on condition that he close by Faith with Christs Righteousness and the Sinner doth by Faith give God credit and hazards his Soul on that Whereas unbelief to follow the similitude is as if a Rebell hearing of such a Pardon offered would not think that a sure way to come off but would either plead innocent or take him to some other shift This then is the Faith that I mean of which actually closes with and makes use of Gods Offer of Christs Righteousness for Absolution 3dly Consider the Causes of Justification And there are Three in the Words 1. The Meritorious Cause that hath procured and bought this Benefit is Christs Satisfaction His bearing of our iniquites He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities 2. The Instrumental Cause Condition or Mean or Way how that Benefit is derived to us is Faith called here His knowledge It 's the Faith we spoke of just now Faith taking hold of such a Promise and resting on Gods Faithfulness for the making out of it It 's this which gives the Soul a Title to Christs Righteousness which formerly it had not and makes Christ's Purchase of due to belong to it by vertue of Gods Offer and consequently the benefit of Justification is derived to it by it's taking hold of the Offer which otherwayes it could not partake of 3. The formal Cause wherein Justification properly consists is this even God's Absolving or Judicial pronouncing of the Sinner to be Free and His accounting of Him as righteous on account of Christs Righteousness imputed to Him and taken hold of by His Faith where the Sentence is past we need not curiously inquire It 's like as the Sentence of Condemnation stands in the Word while the Sinner is in unbelief So by believing in Christ He hath Absolution in the Word as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned And this Sentence of the Word is as effectuall for Absolving of the Sinner as if the Sentence were pronunced in an immediat way or with an audible voice from Heaven by God with the Sinners name and sirname in it And therefore let me commend this with the other places I named before to you that from them ye may learn to take up the way how a Sinner is Absolved and Justified It 's Christ's Satisfaction that makes the amends and is the Meritorious Cause It is Gods Word that makes Offer of that Satisfaction and it 's our Faith begotten and quickned by Gods Spirit that taketh hold of it and Justification it self it Gods Absolving and Accepting of the Person as Righteous in His sight who is fled to Christ's Righteousness And thus though Gods Grace and Mercy be the Efficient Cause that admits of the Ransome yet neither is Grace in us the Formal Cause nor is Grace in God the Meritorious Cause but it 's that which layes down the way how a Satisfaction shall be provided and accepts of it when provided and of the Sinner on account of it when by Faith he betakes himself to it Use 2. Seing there is such a way of Justification provided and by the Gospel brought to light revealled and made manifest as the Word is Rom. 1.17 and 3.21 Since I say that Mystery which before was hid is disclosed and Life and Immortality brought to Light by the Gospel let me earnestly intreat you that ye would make use of this Mean and way of Justification for the obtaining of Absolution before God The end of Preaching as we said is to reveal this Righteousness and the end of the revealling of it is to ingage Sinners to make use of it Of which though we should Preach to you from the one end of the year to the other if ye do not betake your selves to it so as to close with it and heartily to submit unto it it will all be to no purpose For pressing of this Use a little further consider the great concern and moment of this Application and what may induce you seriously to mind it And to this purpose 1. I would pose and put you to it if ye believe that by Nature ye are lyable to Gods Curse and that ye must compear before His Judgement-seat and if ye be found in Nature when ye compear that it will be a Woful and Dreadful Sentence that ye will meet with from God and if withal ye believe this that by Justification ye may have Sin Pardoned be Reconciled to God and have the Curse removed from you and be put in such a State as if ye had never Sinned If I say ye believe these things to be the Truths of God is not this of your Concernment whether ye be made Friends with God and have your Sins Pardoned or not whether ye shall be Eternally Happy or Eternally Miserable whether ye shall get Gods blessing or lye for ever under His Curse If this I say be of your concernment then surely Obedience to this Exhortation is of your Concernment because there is no other way to win to Absolution but this 2. Consider That it 's the very design of the Gospel and of this benefit that is made Offer of to you therein which all the Nations that have not the Gospel want The priviledge being denyed to them God makes Offer of a way to you how ye may be Justified and ye professe your desire to learn it and to get it practically made use of and Improved and as Paul hath it Philip. 3.8 9 10. That ye may know Christ that ye may win Him and be found in Him And it is the Sum of the Gospel as we have it Act. 13.38 Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you remession of sins and by him all that believe are justified This is even the time that the Lord is making this Proclamation that was before Prophesied of and Published by Isaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many This is it that is even now Revealed Declared and made Manifest to you that by Christ Jesus alone Righteousnesse is to be attained And if it be of such concernment that for this very end God hath sent His Sone to die and hath sent this Gospel to declare and make offer of this benefit of His Death unto you It 's no doubt greatly of your concernment to make use of it when it comes to you 3. Consider That if the Lords Proclamation of it have not that effect to ingage you to Christ Jesus for the obtaining of Righteousnesse through Him
yet can never quiet the Conscience nor Satisfie Gods Justice Yea our own Predecessours in this Nation were drowned in the same Errors And we were as foolishly and senslesly superstitious as the Inhabitants of any other Nations before the Light of the Gospel brake up among us accounting such and such Sins to be do Sins leaning to their Merits to the Merits of Saints to Indulgences Soul-masses Whippings and a nuâ—ber of things of that kind And now that God hath mercifully fred us of these foolries how much are we obliged to him Hath ever Scotland been thankfull as it becometh for this mercy We do by our unthankfulnesse darken and obscure the freedom of Grace that by this Gospel is preached unto us And there needs no other evidence of it but this That many are to this day as ignorant of the way of Justification of Sinners and as abstract from and as great strangers to the right way of making use of Christ's Righteousness as if it had never been revealed unto them or if they know and can speak any thing of it all the use that they make of it is to turn the Grace of God into wantonness And because Holiness is not the ground of making their Peace with God to take the more Liberty to Lousness These are not Fruits of the Gospel other Fruits must be brought forth or else ye will repent it when ye cannot mend it Let it therefore affect you that God is so ill requite for His goodness and study to be more thankfull to Him that we may speak of these Truths and discover their Errors and that we are not Judicially blinded as many other People and Nations are 4ly Pitie them that are lying under darkness of their Delusions and Errors and pray for them It 's a sore matter that the most part of the Christian World should have the Name of Christians and yet should maintain such Doctrine and lay down and hold such a way as keepeth from benefit by Christ Jesus yea as denyes on their matter that He is come For this is indeed the Spirit of Antichrist and of the Man of Sin that takes Souls off from Christ and yet how few make conscience to pray for these poor people and that God would pursue the whoore and brake up and skell that Market spoken of Revel 18. And would discover His Truth and make His Gospel to be purely preached to them that are fitting in the Region of Darkness and in the Shadow of Death ye would pity bound up and imprisoned Souls in this Error and pray for their reclaiming and that God would keep this Land from it It 's an old seated and rooted Error and the rest are but foolries in comparison of it This is the Devils great ingine and arme others are but vapourers to say so which may tell us that speaking and hearing of such a business is not altogether uselesse What if the day should come that all our Bibles and every English Book that serves to hold out Truth and to discover Error should be taken from you and ordered to be burned and that Books stuffed with their Errors should come in their room Many of you think little or nothing now of the Light and Liberty of the Gospel which ye enjoy but if Heaven be of so much worth this Gospel is of much worth to you and this Truth of it in particular 5ly Let not this Gospel be preached for nought O! receive not this Grace in vain that is this Grace offered to you in the Gospel and the clearing of such Truths to you O! What a challenge and aggravation of our Guilt will it be when we come before the Throne when many other Nations will be condemned because they leanned to their own Merits and made not use of Christ and many of us shall be condemned because though we professed an indignation at these Errors yet we made no more use of Christ than these who by their Doctrine excluded Him If our Predecessors could speak what could they say Would it not be this it is just that ye perish for ye had Christ and His Righteousness clearly preached to you which we had not and yet ye slighted Him Therefore take hold of and improve the opportunity God hath clearly revealed this Truth to the Land and to this Place walk in the Light while ye have it else your condemnation will be the greater as it is John 3.19 6ly Seing God hath given us this a singular mercy even the clear Revelation of the way of Justification by Christs Righteousness and Merits Let us not through our evil conversation make the Truth of God to be evil spoken of turn not the Grace of God into wantonness It was an evil that soon arose in the Primitive Church and which the Apostle disputs against Rom. 2.3 and 6. Because He preached Justification by Grace and not by the Works of the Law some were ready to abuse that sweet Doctrine and to say Let us sin that grace may abound and let us do evil that good may come of it whose damnation sâ—yes he is just And he follows out these Objections and insists in answering of them And O! but this is damnable from the abounding of Gods grace to take the more liberty to Sin and yet what other Language have the Lives of mâ—ny but this Because Justification and Hâ—ppiness are not builded on our Works â—herefore we may live as we list dispitfully and presuâ—ptuously reflecting on the way of Justification by Faith and on God who hath contrived it But if any of you will abuse Gods grace and Sin the more God shall charge it on your own heads this Gospel shall never do you good God will require it of you your Sins are multiplied and your Plagues shall be multiplied above any that have lived under black Popery I dar say many of you would probably have had a greater restraint on you from Sin and would have been more Charitable and Foreward in many external good Works if ye had been profest Papists than now ye are being profest Protestants a judicial stroak on you for the abusing of Grace And is this the Fruit of the Gospel No certainly Grace was never preached that Men should grow cold and indifferent in the practice of good Works but that through the laying hold on Christs Righteousnesse they might have peace with God and that thâ—ough the study of Holinesse God might be glorified Therefore study the exercise of Faith so as ye seclude not Holiness and study Holiness so as ye mar not the freedom o Grace and put these two together which are the Compend of the Gospel when suitably practised SERMON LIV. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many THis blessed Death and Soul-travel of Our Lord Jesus hath been good news to many and it is the ground of all the hope of Life that ariseth from the Word to a Sinner It should never be tastlesse nor dis-relishing
That this Word Justification is a Legal Forensick or Judicial Word and we are to conceive of God who is the party offended as the Judge and of the Sinner Arraigned and brought before His Tribunal to be Judged as a delinquent the Law gives in the Lybel or Inditement founds the Challenge or Accusation the Sinners Conscience and Actions are as so many Witnesses proving the breaking of the Law and him to be obnoxious to the Curse on that account In this we say that God is the efficient Cause and so we may take the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Actively and efficiently to look to Christ as having this Power as He is God which is proper to God alone as is clear Rom. 8.34 It is God that justifies 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord And this is a reason of the former to wit that no other can Absolve but God the party offended who is Judge We mark it for this practical Use which the Apostle makes of it which is to bid us lay less weight upon others thinking well of us or absolving us and on our own absolving of our selves the Lord chargeth some thus Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knows your hearts Paul will not justifie himself for that is Gods place and prerogative How many are there who take another persons testimony for Gods and think that since others love respect and commend them they are in a good condition and well enough but alace is that Person God Except mens testimony be founded on the grounds that are held forth in the Word and if so then it 's Gods Testimony it will not do the businesse nor avail you any thing except there be â— Sentence of Absolution pronounced and â—ast by Him their Sentence or your own will be recalled Though many of you do not down right professe this yet many of you practically fall into it alwayes remember that it is God that Justifies and that His Absolution is different from mens and from your own many may have good thoughts of you and so may ye of your selves when God may have none For the 2d To wit The final Cause it is clear here also by comparing the former verse with the Words going before in this same verse and ye may take it in this Observation That the Glory of God and of the Media or is the end that God hath before Him in the Justifying of Sinners Therefore it is called the Lords pleasure or delight and the Mediators satisfaction because He hath proposed to Himself therein the Glory of His Grace especially and also of others of His Attributs as His end and so hath a kind of longing desire and thirst after it for the Lord being Absolutely Glorious cannot but love His own Glory and being the infinitly Pure Alsufficient Good He cannot but love Himself and His own Glory and therefore for attaining of this end He Justifies and Absolves poor Sinners Now God is glorified here two wayes 1. He gets the Glory of His Grace that is exceedingly magnified thereby as is clear Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace It 's the Lords pleasure to glorifie His Grace and this proves to be to the Glory of His Grace when a Sinner lyable to Wrath is fully Justifyed and Intitled to Heaven 2. He gets thereby the Glory of His Justice and Righteousness which takes in the Glorifying of God's Holiness and Wisdom He is seen here to be a Holy God who will needs testifie His dislike at Sin where ever it is a just God that will needs punish it a gracious God that will pardon and such a wise God as finds out the way how both to punish and pardon without any the least Imputation either to His Justice or to His Mercy and Grace and so He shews Himself to be Infinitly Just Gracious Wise and Holy in the Justification of Sinners These we may see Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ There Justice and Grace shine clearly Justification is free yet there is a Price laid down and a Satisfaction made to Justice and the 26. verse shews the end to wit To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of them who believe in Jesus He hath indeed taken a way how to pardon Sin but so as it is through a Redemption or by the exacting of a Price that He may be seen to be Just who will not pardon Sin without a Satisfaction Justice kythes in this that Christ is put to pay a great Price and that He may be seen to be Gracious He hath laid down a way how the Price that was to be payed by Christ might be imputed to or reckoned on the account of the guilty Sinner and that He might thereby be Absolved And thus Justice and Grace kiss each other in this admirable contrivance And although none almost except Socinians deny the Justice of God in the Justification of Sinners yet as they do Doctrinally in Substance deny it So many of us who professe to abhore their Doctrine do practically deny it also And therefore as the 1. Use of it let me speak a little to unbelievers and ask you what think you will become of you ye must either betake your selves to Christs Satisfaction or ye must resolve to Satisfie for your selves Secure Hypocrits think of nothing but of Grace and that God will alwayes be Gracious and never suffer themselves think of the necessity of a Satisfaction to be made to His Justice and thus they slight and on the matter deny His Justice as if He were not to be Glorified in that Attribute as well as in His Grace and Mercy whereas there is no other way to declare God to be Just in the Justification of them that believe but this which brings them to Christs Satisfaction Use 2. It 's ground of notable Consolation and Encouragement to a poor exercised Soul sensible of Sin whereupon to expect Justification It 's Gods end in Justifying Sinners to set out the Glory of His Grace and is it not much that God should contrive such a way for glorifying of Himself as should carrie along in it good to us yea such a way as should resolve in our good which comes in as a subordinat end to the glorifying of His Grace as the ultimat end may not this be an encouragement to them to seek after Justification on these terms and for this end Use 3. It shews that as many as submit not to the way of this Righteousness and of Justification by Grace are thwarting with God's End they set themselves to hinder and obstruct it even that He should not be glorified
main furtherance in all Religion to get this solidly believed That Christ Jesus who is the express image of his Fathers person and the brightness of his glory is now in heaven in our nature and hath it for his work to be interceeding and interceeding for transgressours we are every day reaping the good of this Intercession in reference to many evils that are keeped off us and in reference to many mercies bestowed on us that we pray not all or but little for and we come never to hear a preaching but we are beholden to it it being a peculiar fruit of his intercession that gifts are given to men and that the Gospel is sent through the earth and if ever any get good of a Sermon it is by vertue of this Intercession seing he hath said that he will pray the Father and that he will send the comforter and when ever we come to hear a preaching there would be to say so a revising of the thoughts of Christs Intercession and a stirring up of our selves to get the faith of it lively in it's exercise That which we spake to the last day was concerning the comfort that flows from this and indeed if any Doctrine be comfortable this must be comfortable that we have such a friend in the Court of Heaven invested in this office of an Advocat and Intercessour for us Use 3. Of exhortation seing there is such an Office wherewith Jesus Christ is invested and such an Officer that bears this Office to be an Advocat for sinners then sinners would be exhorted to learn to improve and to make use of this Advocat and of his Office since he hath this Office of an Intercessour O! do not dispise such a mercy neglect not such an advantage but learn to make use of him and in your worship applications to God to approach by and through him The ground of this Use of exhortation is clear in the Words and from the nature of the thing For if Christ Jesus bear these Offices and if he bear them for us then sure we should improve them If he be a King we should make use of him for subduing sin in us If a Prophet we should improve that Office for attaining of Light and saving Knowledge from him And if he be a Priest to satiâ—fie divine Justice and to make intercession we should improve both parts of that Office The necessity of our improving Christs Intercession appears from this if we consider in what terms we stand with God have we any boldnesse or access of our selves is not the door shut on us and is there not a stated controversie standing betwixt God and us And have we any access but by his moyen The necessity of it is further clear from the order that God hath laid down in the way of his Administration of grace why I pray hath he appointed a Mediator and Intercessour is it not for good reason even for the consolation and encouragement of sinners to draw near who if they be in earnest cannot but be affected with fear to approach unto God and is it possible to come unto God and not by this door and were it not ingratitude to neglect it seing he hath contrived this new and living way of access unto him But to descend to more particular discoursing of this matter which is as difficult a thing to speak of a right and to practice suitably as any part of Religion if especially he himself teach us not for sometimes we will make use of his Sacrifice and Satisfaction when we know not how to make use of his Intercession For either we do all our alone and misken the Intercessour or we will do nothing and give it over as desperat as if our businesse were quite broken and hopelesse and as if it were needlesse or useless to lay any weight on Christ's Intercession And thus whether we apprehend our selves to be in better or in worse case he is much miskent and neglected That therefore we may the better know how to make use of Christs Intercession We shall 1. in the general shew what it is to improve it 2 Speak to some particular cases wherein it in a special manner is to be improven 3. Satisfy and remove some objections or answer some questions that may be moved about it 4. We shall give some characters of one that is serious and tender in improving of his Intercession For the First It is indeed a thing so difficult to improve Christs Intercession aright that we cannot easily tell how to conceive of it being a considerable part of the mistery of Faith to go to God by a Mediator and Intercessour However we shall 1. shew some mistakes that are to be eshewed 2. We shall shew wherein it more properly consists which is in the exercise of Faith in him with respect to his Intercession And 3. We shall illustrat it by some similitudes for the further making out of it 1. Then when we spake of improving Christs Intercession and of going to God by him we would have these mistakes eshewed 1. Beware of thinking that there is a going to the Mediator in a distinct or in a different manner from what is in going to God for he is God or that we may go to God at one time and to the Mediator at another time as if we would first speak a while to the Mediator and then speak to God or would first make our moan to the Mediator to pacifie God and when God were calmed to speak to him as if he were to make moyen with God for us as a Courtiâ—r makes moyen with the King the offended partie for a Rebel we would beware of this For it divides in our apprehension the God-head that is indivisible for if we consider the Mediator as the object of our worship he is to be considered as God though we may and are also joyntly to consider him as Mediator and on that account make use of him And if we consider him as God we must consider him as the same God with the Father and the holy Ghost But to have this imagination of him that we are to speak to him as to another Partie or not as God is to make him another thing which is unbecoming that apprehension and estimation that we ought to have of the unity of the blessed God-head 2. Beware of thinking that there is a greater facility or easiness to have access to the Mediator then to have access to God or that it is more easie to have access to the Second Person of the Trinity then to the First or Third Person we are afraid that there be mistakes here also as if the Mediator were more easie to be dealt with then the Majesty of God or as if there were more easie access unto him whereas he being the same God and so considered there are the same grounds whereon sinners may have access to the Father as to the Son For if we look on a sinner
without a Mediator and withall an approbation of Gods way who hath appointed a Mediator for that end and a loving to keep up communion with him by a Mediator So that suppose we were clear that our sins are pardoned yet we would know that this coviction and impression is necessary to put us to make dayly use of this part of the Mediators Office for we may have conviction of the First part that is that we cannot make our peace without Christs Satisfaction and yet we may be defective as to our walking under the due conviction of the Second that is of a necessity of keeping up of our communion with God by vertue of his Intercession which is as if a Rebel being reconciled and made a friend by the procurement of some great Person yet having to do with the King should not dare to go unto him without the man that was instrumental in making his peace or we may allude to Absaloms coming home by Joabs procurement who was three years thereafter at Jerusalem ere he saw his Fathers face and had a new dealling with Joab for that end So it 's very suitable to the way of grace and shews that our being and standing in grace is free not to dare to go in to God even when our peace is made without the Mediator 4. Upon the back of all this there is a necessity of the Faith of the Mediator or Intercessor his being at the right hand of God ready to agent our cause through whom we may have access when there is reason enough in our selves why we should be keeped at the door and though we dar not go our selves alone yet to adventure to go through him to God And though this be but the doctrinal Faith of the thing in general yet it 's necessarily presupposed as well as the rest That whâ—n a challenge rises and the Conscience sayes how â—aâ— thou go to God Faith may answer Because there is a friend there in our nature when the sinner is convinced of sin the Conscience challengeth and the Law condemns and there is some sad expectation of the drawing forth of the Sentence Theâ—e is an act of Faith that convinces of a Saviour whose satisfaction if it be made use of and improven all will be well This we say is necessarily presupposed to the use making of Christs Intercession 2dly These 4. being presupposed it follows that we shew what properly it is to make use of Christs Intercession or wherein it consists And 1. when Faith hath laid hold on Christs Satisfaction for peace with God in the improving of his Intercession there is an act of Faith whereby we actually bestir our selves to approach unto God upon the weight we lay on his Intercession that when the Soul sees it self secluded considered in it self yet it will go forward lippening to that so that if a challenge come in its way and say what ground hast thou to look that thou wilt be welcome to God the Soul sayes none in my sâ—lâ— but there is a friend before me with whose satisfaction I have closed for my peace and I lay this weight on his Office and on Gods call to make use of him that on the ground of his moyen with God I dar h zard to go forward even as if a Rebel after his peace were made had some business to do with the Prince and hearing that there is a friend at Court yea the same friend that made his peace he thinks that a good time and fit season to go in and present his suit expecting to come speed through his moyen And this keeps alwayes the weight and honour of our obtaining any thing we seek as a prerogative to Christ and stops the persons own mouth from looking to any thing in it self to boast of even as the Rebel hath no cause to boast of his getting a hearing from the Prince but gives the thanks to him who as he made his peace so also procured him a hearing and it is according to that word Heb. 10.21 Having an high-Priest over the house of God let us draw near with full assurance of faith expecting a hearing and that Heb. 4.15 16. Seeing we have an high Priest who was tempted in all things like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtâ—in mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the First step of improving Christs Intercession when the juâ—â—ified sinner is at a stand on some new challenge for guilt and dar not go forward nor adventure to approach unto God on this account and ground that there is a Mediator and Advocat at his right hand to hazard if we may speak so or rather with confidence to go forward and present his suit to God 2. There is an act of Faith as in undertaking so in expecting and on-waiting upon God for obtaining a hearing of our suit on this account that Jesus Christ is an intercessour in heaven for such as imploy him And this guards against both the faillings before mentioned to wit against anxiety on the one hand 〈◊〉 presumption on the other against anxâ—â—ty and fainting when as there is not only a proposing of our desire but an on-waiting for and expectation of a hearing from God against presumption and turning carnal when the expectation of a hearing is not founded on our own righteousnesse but on the Intercession of Christ This is it which we have Dan. 9.17 compared with Jonah 2.4 In the 2. of Jonah 4. v. He sayes Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet will I look again toward thy holy temple The which look was in effect a looking toward the intercession of Christ the Messiah The Temple with it's Sacrifice having been typical of him and the Mercy-seat that was there being typical of his intercession It is as if unbelief had suggested to Jonah now Jonah what will become of thee thou art a gone man and needs not pray any more yet sayes he I will look again towards thy holy temple and though he knew not wel now being in the belly of the Whale where the Temple stood yet his Faith having an suitable exercise on the Messiah signified by the Temple and his looking being an act of Faith carried in his suit to God which was accepted and Indeed this is a main thing by which a poor Believer cast down wins to his feet again The other place is Dan. 9.16 17. Where when he is serious and doubling his petition he hath these words Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolat for the Lords sake and to let it be known what he meaned by saying for the Lords sake which looks to him who was to be intercessour in our nature he expones it in the following words O! my God incline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desâ—lations For we do not present our supplications bâ—fore thee
He will let him see as much as is meet and Chap. 34. When he gives him his answer It is not any glorious visible brightness he lets him see but he proclaims his name to him The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. And comparing the words with the scope It sayes that there can be no saving uptaking of God but as he is revealed in the word and that way we are to be fixed in the Faith of the excellency that is in him and in going to him by prayer through the Mediator we would guard against any representation and fix our Faith on clear Promises and attributs as Scripture holds him forth 5. We would endeavour rather to have a composed frame of Spirit with holy reverence in the exercise of fear faith and love and of other spiritual graces then to fill our understanding with things meerly speculative and lesse practical and profitable And supposing that we are in some measure clear in what is revealed of God and of his attributs and promises in the Word in as far as may found our Faith and warrand us to put up such and such suits to God through the Mediator and that we come to him in holy reverence we are rather to exercise our graces and have an â—ve downward in reflecting on our selves â—â—eking to be clear in what is called for in a worshipper of God then to be curiously poring and prying into the Object of our worship himself And therefore let this be well studied even to be up at that wherein we are clear and which we do not question not make any doubt of as namely that we should be in a composed frame of Spirit in holy reverence and under the due impression of the Mâ—jesty of God and then there will be the less hazard if any at all of going wrong whereas if we divert from this and seek to satisfie our selves in the how or manner of up-taking of God we will but myre our selves and maâ— the frame of our own Spirits and bring our selves under an incapacity of going about duty rightly This much we have spoken on the Third part of the Use of Exhortation wherein we allow a sober and solid up-taking of the things of God and in as far as may be profitable for founding of our Faith and for guiding of our practice but not to satisfie curiosity For if we once go to chase and follow question upon question in what concerns the Doctrinal and speculative part of this Doctrine we will run our selves a ground and therefore God having made these things wherein our duty necessarily lyes clear that there is no hazard to go wrong in single following of it we would study these things that are clear which might be another direction and hold us with and at what we are clear in and not suffer our minds to run out on either groundless or unprofitable speculations God himself help to the suitable practice of these things and to him be 〈◊〉 SERMON LXX ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours IT 's a great mercy that God hath bestowed such a Mediator on Sinners that He hath given such an high Priest that can be touched with the feeling of Sinners infirmities so as to make Intercession for them And O! but it 's a great mercy to be helped to make right use of him When these two go together to wit a Saviour offered furnished with all these Offices of King Priest and Prophet and a Soul sanctified and guided by the Spirit of God in making use of him according to these Offices It 's a wonderfully and inconceivably gracious dispensation And it 's no doubt a very valuable mercy to be hepled to make use of this part of Christs Office to wit his Intercession This is that whereof we have begun some few dayes since to speak to you and for the better clearing of it we endeavoured to answer some doubts or questions that it may be have arisen and been tossed in the minds of some while we have been discoursing of and opening up this matter That which we would now speak a little to is a subject of that nature that considering our shallowness in uptaking of these things we cannot easily tell whether it be better to speak of or to forbear the speaking of any doubt or question least one occasion â—n another And therefore most certainly there would be much sobriety here and an abandoning of all sinful curiosity least unseasonable and intemperat desiring to know either what is not to be known or what we cannot know mar and obstruct our improvement of what we do or may know several things doubted of may be moved and objected here but we shall only speak a word to the clearing of these Four 1 Some thing concerning the Object of worship and particularly of prayer in general 2. We shall consider how the Mediator is the object of our prayer or how he may be prayed unto 3. A word more particularly in reference to the form of some particular petitions and to what seems most warrantable from the word in these 4. We shall answer some practical doubts that have or may have some puzling influence on the consciences of some Christians But as I said we had need in speaking and hearing of these things to be awed with some deep impression of the Majesty of God on our hearts least we medle carnally with matters of a most sublimely spiritual and holy nature For clearing of the First then we lay down these assertions The 1. whereof is That as there is one worship so there is no formal Object of worship but God This is clear because the worshipping of any with divine worship as namely with believing in them or praying to them supposes them to have such Attributs of Omni-science Omni-potency Supremacy c. As are only agreeable to the Mâ—jesty of God For we cannot pray to one but we must believe that he hears us and so that he is Omni-scient that he is able to help us and so Omni-poâ—entâ— that he is above all and so Supream as it is Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed There can be no divine Object of worship to settle the Soul upon but where the essential attributs of the God-head are and it 's on this ground that we reject invocation of Saints and Angels Adorability being the essentiall property of the Majesty of God as well as Eternity and Immutability are There can be no Adoring or Worshipping of any but where there is Adorability in the Object that is worshipped by that worship and there is none capable of worship but God Supremacy being due and Essential to him only 2. That though there be three Persons in the glorious and blessed God-head distinct yet there are not three distinct Objects of Worship but one Object of Worship only The Father is not one Object of Worship the Son another and the holy Ghost a
and make use of his Intercession For the Third To wit the inconveniencies and prejudices of this evil they are very many we shall only hint at them for they are dierectly opposit to the good that comes by the improving of Christs Intercession 1. It makes many prayers to be fruitless and frustranious though folks should weary themselves in prayer yet it is all but lost labour and the Lord will say as it is Isaiah 1. Though ye make many prayers yet I will not heaâ— them if Christs Intercession be neglected but one word put up in Christs name hath a gracicious hearing 2. It makes many prayers and other duties also to be lifelesse No duty goes with folks neither can it go with them when Christ is slighted Seing it is by Faith in Him that we have Life derived to us whereby we are made lively in every thing 3. It hath much anxiety following on it To be praying and to have no expectation nor ground of expectation of a hearing For if we look no further than to something in our selves it is but a poor foundation of quietnesse and peace 4. It hath this prejudice that it inures habituats and accustomes us to a low esteem of Christ and makes us want many sweet experiences that we might have of his usefulnesse and worth and it fosters a disrespect to Christ whereas the use making of his Intercession keeps alwayes up an esteem of him and mâ—kes the thoughts of him fresh and it is ever well with the Soul while he is esteemed of and it is impossible it can be well when he is not in request Now ye may easily gather what all this aims at even that ye may not satisfie your selves wiâ—h the form of Dutie but that ye may look that it be rightly discharged so as Christ in his Offices and particularly in His Priestly Office and more particularly in this part of it be made use of It may be there are some here that have been called Christians these 20 30 or 40. years But I would inquire at you what use have ye made all the while of Christs Intercession The neglect of this is a Sin against mercy a Sin against your own Souls and the cause of many other Sins therefore take it among your reproofes that not only ye have neglected prayer lived in ignorance and taken his name in vain but that ye have also long professed Faith in Christ and yet have not made use of Christs Intercession This will be amongst your saddest challenges when ye come to sickness and to your death-beds and ye will have it heavily charged on you That there hath been great slighting and miskening of Christ even when ye thought what ye were praying to him In the 4. place To clear it yet further we shall 1. Hint at some symptomes or evidences of neglecting of Christs Intercession 2. At some Characters of a Person that is making use of Christs Intercession aright 3. At some Directions that may help to the suitable performance of this duty And 4. At some Motives and Incouragements to it First For the Symptomes or Evidences of miskening and slighting of Christs Intercession 1. This is one when there is little walking under the impression of the need of His Sacrifice when folks walk whole-heartedly to speak so and without due conviction of the distance that is betwixt God and them For Christs Intercession flows from His Satisfaction and the improving of His Satisfact on flows from the conviction of our natural distance from God when folks are not sensible of their enmity and of their vileness and see not their need of washing when they have a heal heart few challenges little exercise of repentnce and of self-loathing it 's a great evidence that there is little or no use made of Christs Intercession The 2d Symptome is deep security and much self-confidence where these are Christs Intercession is little or not at all made use of When a Soul makes no question of nor nor hath any doubt about it's own peace or about it's praying or getting a hearing This is indeed self-confidence and does flow from the former to wit Ignorance of our distance from God which is clear both from experience and from Scripture They that make least use of Christs Intercession and have most carnal confidence have readily fewest challenges Thus the Pharisee stands Luke 18. and prayes saying Lord I thank thee c. The greatest part of such folks prayers is thanksgiving on carnal grounds Whereas the poor Publican dare not come near but when the Pharisee comes boldly forward He stands a far off and sayes Lord be merciful to me a sinner Who as if he had said have a respect to the Covenant of Grace and so to the improving of Christs Intercession It 's certainly an ill token when folks sit down with confidence to their prayers and rise up from them without all fear of being denyed and said nay A 3d. Symptome of not making use of Christs Intercession is when folk have too much anxiety which is a fault that a Believer may easily fall in when he hath no ground from himself to propose to God for a hearing and when he cannot answer his own challenges and is therefore discouraged which sayes that he lippens not much to Christ and to His Intercession A 4th Symptome is When duties of worship become burdensome when it wearieth folk to pray to sanctifie the Lords Day c. when these are fashions and cumbursome to them The reason wherof is because they take the burden wholly or mostly on themselves and lay it not over on Christ Whereas were he rightly made use of it would be found to be a truth That His yoke is easie and his burden light as himself saith Matth. 11.30 A 5th Symptome is When folks are not thankful for any mercy they receive and are not wondring how it comes that they get such mercies as they have when they think little of their dayly bread of Ordinances of access to Pray c. Souls that are improving Christs Intercession think much of any mercy because the least mercy is quite without the reach of the merit of ought they can do and must come to them by the Mediation of another Thus every mercy becomes a double mercy as it is considered in it self and as it comes to them by vertue of Christs Intercession therefore the Believer Improving Christs Intercession wonders at every thing he meets with from God that he is admitted to pray or to praise for he knows that it 's from free-grace thus admitting Sinners through and by a Mediator As to the 2d To wit The Characters or evidences of a persons making use of Christs Intercession The 1. may be this A constant use-making of Christs Satisfaction when the Soul is never quiet but when it hath a respect to that And this use-making of Christs Satisfaction hath in it always either more implicity or more expresly an use-making of his Intercession