the world to save sinners Eph. 5.2 This is the high Priest of the New Testament who hath given himself for our sins an offering and a sacrifice unto God for a sweet smelling savour Mat. 26.28 1 Pet. 2.24 Isai 53.5 Christ it was who shed his own blood for the remission of sins who bore our sins in his own body on the tree who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the Lord laid on him and caused to rush upon him as an Army the iniquities of us all 2 Cor. 5.21 God made him sin for us who knew no sin that is he imputed our sins to him he laid the punishment of our sins upon him he made him a sacrifice for our sins Nor did Christ resist this counsel and decree of his heavenly father Psal 40.9 but obeyed his will with the readiest mind that might be Gal. 1.4.2.20 and gave himself for our sins he loved us and gave himself for us There is a Baptism I will be baptized withal saith he Luk. 12.50 and how am I straitned until it be accomplished This was the Baptism of his Cross and the distress wherewith that our most bountiful Saviour was wholly overwhelmed from no other motive than from his immense and unspeakable Love towards us this was it that so straitned and put him forward How great soever his outward pain was in his passion yet his inward love towards us was still greater and more ardent by which he was prepared to suffer more for our sins if that price of our redemption which he paid had not seemed sufficient But there is no reason we should doubt of the sufficiency of the price there is the fullest redemption with him Bern. Ser. 22. in Cant. col 554. for not a drop but a stream of blood flowed plentifully from five parts of his body he cryed out that all things were finished on the cross and by the cross and therefore he fully and perfectly * Heb. 1.3 by himself purged our sins †10.14 by one offering of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified * Rev. 1.5 he hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Believe therefore so clear so manifest so express words of the holy Spirit and firmly resolve that by Christ's death and passion there was made a sufficient satisfaction for thy sins The remembrance of actual sins Tempted May be Christ only took upon him original sin so that I my self must either make satisfaction for my actual sins or burn Therefore though I firmly believe that Christ hath washed away original guilt yet I am troubled and oppressed with those actual sins which through the whole course of my life I have committed in number very many in weight most heavy in desert damnable Adam is opposed to Christ Rom. 5.18 therefore the benefit by Christ will not extend further than the guilt which is derived upon us from Adam Anothers fault may be made up by anothers satisfaction but a mans own fault requires his own satisfaction Comforter No 1 Joh. 1.7 but the blood of Christ cleanseth thee from all manner of sins not only from that contracted from Adam but also those which have been added thereto by thy self Rom. 3.25 God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood we may come thereto by true faith and obtaining remission of our sins be reconciled to God as often as the weight of our sins oppresseth us Heb. 4.16 We may come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need And what redemption or what reconciliation would this be if Christ had only satisfied for one sort of sin we being still bound and engaged to make satisfaction for all the rest which are greater and more numerous Christ's redemption is not so maim imperfect and by halves Heb. 10.12 14. but offering one sacrifice for sins by that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and he hath obtained such remission of sins that no more offering for sin is necessary v. 18. 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 2. He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world Therefore if when we have faln into sin through the infirmity of the flesh we heartily repent we have a refuge in Christ's intercession the foundation whereof consists in his merit and satisfaction for therefore is Christ's Intercession effectual for us because he hath made a full and perfect satisfaction for our sins thence and therefore the stroke of divine justice and severe judgement due to our sins falls not on us because Christ hides our sins with the cloak of mercy obtained and merited by the price of redemption paid by him Aug. 4. de Trin. c. 13. Let this therefore be held for certain that Christ by his death having offered one true sacrifice for us hath purged abolished and put out whatever sins there were whereby Principalities and Powers did justly hold us to suffer punishment Therefore in him and by him we obtain the remission not only of original sin De merit remis pecca t◠c. 13. but of all the other we have added thereto For * Tit. 2.14 he which I pray remember gave himself for us that he might redeem as from all iniquity He is an infinite person who hath satisfied and how shall not his suffering be also of infinite merit What so deadly that could not be healed by the death of the Son of God who is life it self What so bloody and defiled that could not be cleansed with the precious blood of God A doubt concerning the application of the benefits of Christ Tempted But how can I be partaker of that most precious treasure Christ indeed died for all but the fruit of Christ's death redoundeth not to all from whence therefore shall I be certain that the benefits of Christ belong to me also Whence can it be manifest that I am indeed and certainly partaker actually of all those things that Christ by his passion and death hath merited for us Comforter God offereth to thee the word of the Gospel and in it all the benefits of his son Esay 65.2 He stretcheth forth his hand all the day long he calleth all inviteth all therefore he also calls invites and wooeth thee What therefore God offereth thee with the hand of his mercy that receive with the hand of a firm affiance Bern. Serm. 31. in Cant. col 597. Bern. Serm. 3. in Annunc col 113. As far as thou puttest forth thy foot into the good things of the Lord so far thou shalt possess them God putteth not the oil of his mercy save in the vessel of trust Thou shalt possess so much of the good things
that Christ thy Lord obtaineth it on a double account both by being the heir of the Father and by the merit of his passion he is content with the first the latter he bestoweth on thee from whose gift challenge it for thy self and thou shalt not be confounded The temptation of despair Tempted The Devil solicits me to despair Comforter I would have thee despair namely of thy self and in thy self because thou art a sinner but despair not in God whose grace aboundeth over thy sin Rom. 5.21 Chrysost hom 3. de poenit For no more is the malice of man to the clemency of God than a spark of fire is to the sea The sea although it be great yet it admits of measure but the mercy of God is unmeasurable Neither despair of Christ and in Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 who came into the world to save sinners whose blood avails more to reconcile God than the sins of all the world to offend him Although thy sins be great and diverse and often repeated yet they are not greater nor more grievous than thou maist obtain pardon and forgiveness for in that the goodness of God is greater than the iniquity of all men Sins as it were set with the sun but the grace of God riseth with it Sins are the works of the Devil and of man To have pity to spare and to forgive are the works of God By how much therefore God is more powerful than the Devil and man by so much is his mercy above our malice The Lord is merciful and gracious Ps 103.8 slow to anger and plenteous in mercy v. 9. He doth not always chide neither doth he keep his anger for ever v. 10. He dealeth not with us after our sins nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities v. 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him v. 12. As far as the East is from the West so far removeth he our transgressions Heaven is incomparably greater than the earth which is but like a very little point in comparison with heaven but so is the mercy of the heavenly Father incomparably greater than all sins Bern. Serm. 11. in Cant. col 518. Be far then from saying Mine iniquity is greater than the pity of a merciful God Thou shalt find God more bountiful than thou art faulty Gerson de remed contra pusillan So great is God's mercy that if thou hadst all the sins of the world upon thee and wert sorry that thou hadst proudly offended so good a God by thy sins and didst firmly purpose for the future to refrain therefrom God would never condemn thee Dost thou so forget the satisfaction made by Christ that thou wilt prefer thy sins before the merit of Christ that is thy self before God Thou seest the greatness of the disease Aug. in Psal 55. and seest thou not the power of the physician Thy sins are great Christ is far greater that satisfied for thy sins Thy sins are diverse but Christ also suffered diverse things for thee God is an infinite good whom thou hast offended by thy sins but Christ is an infinite person who hath reconciled thee to God Sigh therefore unto the heavenly Father and pray in the name of the Son thy Saviour If thou O eternal God Ansh de redempt gen hum fol. 96. despisest me for mine iniquity as I deserve however for the dearness of thy beloved Son look upon me with pity Observe in thy Son what thou maist atone in thy servant Behold the Sacrament of his flesh and remit the guilt of my flesh remember what â—â—y good Son has suffered and forget what thy bad servant hath done The Temptation of Blasphemy Tempted I must needs confess I am not only solicited to despair but am also sometimes tempted with the spirit of Blasphemy for there arise such thoughts in my heart as are injurious against God himself my Creator and my Saviour I would choose to die a thousand times to be freed from this temptation Comforter These thoughts are not the actions of thine heart but rather its bitter passions seeing thou art not delighted with them but thy grief from them is more bitter than death it self They are the scourges of Satan whereby he afflicts and torments thee they will not be reckoned for sin unto thee by the Lord. And though thou have the greatest impatience of spirit from the infirmity of thy flesh yet the Lord knows thy groans and thy sighs The weight of temptations did force hard words even from Job and Jeremy which yet the most bountiful God did fatherly forgive them Thou seest by them how altogether no strength unto good thou hast from thy self that thou maist cleave unto God alone with full trust of heart This is the top and highest degree of thy fight against Satan see that thou despond not here the greatest champion will be with thee and will not leave thee destitute of his help Wait patiently and humbly till thou art freed of these fiery darts of Satan Eph. 6.16 in the mean time let the grace of God be sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 It is the flesh which so striveth against the spirit and is so ready and obedient to receive the darts of Satan the sin that dwells in thy flesh shall not be imputed unto thee if through the spirit thou mortifie the deeds of the flesh and consent not to those blasphemous thoughts Those fiery darts of Satan shall be quenched in the blood of Christ turn towards him the shield of faith and as soon as thou perceivest any blasphemous thought to arise betake thy self to prayer and so thou maist kill it as it were in the bud The particularness of the premises Tempted I perceive some comfort of the Spirit in my heart I observe some trust in my mind that keeps me from despair when I behold the mercy of God abounding over my sins and the merit of Christ which is of infinite price and value But I doubt whether the Evangelical promises of the mercy of God and merit of Christ belong to me For God is not only merciful but he is also a most just and severe punisher of sins and alas experience sheweth that all are not partakers of the benefits of Christ Comforter But look thou give not way to those seducing thoughts of the particularness of the Evangelical promises God calleth all to him desireth all will come unto him he offereth the word of the Gospel and in it the benefits of Christ unto all and that not feignedly but sincerely not hypocritically but with a mind to bestow Ezek. 18.31 32. ch 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should turn and live Here thou hast the solemn oath of Divine truth thou seest their conversion is expected and desired by God that by their own fault die in their sins
another place which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience or a covenant towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ Be baptized Acts 22.16 and wash away thy sins saith Ananias Gal. 3.27 As many of ye as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and by faith ye are all the children of God For Christ sanctifieth his Church Eph. 5.27 cleansing it with the laver of water in the word From all which thou maist strongly conclude that Baptism is a ransom for captives Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tom 1. p. 446. Cyrill Hieros in praefat Catech. a remission of debts a death of sin a being born again a bright garment of the soul an inviolable seal a chariot to heaven the Inn of the kingdom the gift of adoption * Naziaâ—z orat in S. Bapt. p. 615. It is the brightness of souls the change of life the answer of the conscience towards God an help of our weakness It is a putting away of the flesh a following of the Spirit a communion of the word It is an amendment of the creature a deluge to sin a partaking of light a dissolution of darkness It is a chariot unto God anaccompanying of Christ the prop of faith the perfection of the mind the glory of the kingdom of heaven a change of life a taking away of servitude a loosing of bands a changing of apparel Tertul. 4. adver Marc. p. 231. Aug. 2. cont Crescon c. 18. Paulin. epist 12. ad Sever. It is the spring of true life and true righteousness an abridged laver the Sacrament of life and eternal salvation The holy Ghost into this pool descends Whose waters by an heavenly spring are fed Which influenc'd by th' Deity forth sends An holy offspring from eternal seed For in the Baptism of Christ it was demonstrated by visible signs what the divine grace worketh invisibly in our Baptism Chemnit in cap. 17. Harm The water of Baptism was sanctified by the touch of our Lords body for whatsoever Christ promerited and obtained in the body of his flesh he deposited as it were in his Baptism He received Baptism with us sinners to testifie that we by Baptism are made his members As the eternal Father in the Baptism of Christ said This is my beloved son so at this day he adopts for sons all that believe and are baptized As in the Baptism of Christ heaven was opened so to this day by the sacrament of Baptism the gate of the heavenly paradise is opened to us As the holy Ghost in Christ's Baptism descended upon him in the form of a dove so in our Baptism the holy Ghost is present and therein doth effectually work our regeneration and renovation so that thus in Baptism concurr the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Son cleansing and the efficacy of the holy Spirit regenerating If therefore thou art baptized thou canst not doubt of the grace of God the remission of sins and the promise of eternal life Baptism is the laver of regeneration where there is regeneration there is remission of sins there is the grace of God there is perfect righteousness there is renewing there is the gift of the holy Ghost there is adoption and there is the inheritance of eternal life Falling from the Covenant of Baptism Tempted I believe indeed that I was received into the covenant of grace by the sacrament of Baptism that I thereby obtained remission of sins and was writ in the book of life but I have faln from the grace of this covenant again by my sins by repeating my transgressions I have made void the aforegoing remission and have often deserved to be blotted out of the book of life Comforter No but the covenant of God is an everlasting covenant to which thou maist always return by true and hearty repentance For as God declares concerning the sacrament of Circumcision Gen. 17.13 that it is an everlasting covenant so let us not doubt but that in Baptism which succeeded in the place of Circumcision Col. 2.11 God enters into and establisheth an everlasting covenant with us I will betroth thee to me for ever saith he by the Prophet Hos 2.19 yea I will betroth thee in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercies I will betroth thee to me in faithfulness Isai 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Rom. 3.3 God forbid we should say the faith of God is made without effect by our unbelief If we give never so little belief to his words or depart from him 1 Tim. 2.13 yet he abideth faithful always the same true and constant he cannot deny himself Therefore by the sins of thy natural infirmity thou fallest not from the free covenant of God By sins committed against thy conscience thou fallest indeed from the grace of God and the covenant of grace but thou maist return to the everlasting covenant of God by true repentance The ship of Baptism splits not though we leap out of it into the sea of sins therefore by repentance which in this sence may be called secunda post naufragium tabula Hier. in c. 3. Isa v. 9. we may return again to the same ship of Baptism that we may in it be wasted to the port of eternal salvation Tertul. lib. de poenit p. 479. Therefore embrace repentance as a shipwrackt person catches hold of a plank this will lift thee up when ready to be drowned in the waves of thy sins and will carry thee into the haven of Gods mercy Peter had denied his Master but being converted he notwithstanding seeks the promise of salvation in Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 The Galatians and the Corinthians had faln foully yet when they were renewed again by repentance the Apostle offers them comfort drawn from Baptism declaring that as many of them as had been baptized Gal. 3.27 had put on Christ and clearly affirming that they were washed 1 Cor. 6.11 12 13. and by one spirit were baptized into one body namely mystical whence it clearly appears that the efficacy of the Baptismal covenant is extended to the future and is not quite enervated and abolished by mans fall but on God's part remains continually a firm and established covenant When Paul therefore says Aug. 1. de nup. concup c. 33. that Christ cleanseth the Church in the laver of water in the word it is thus to be understood that in the same laver of regeneration and word of sanctification all the sins of regenerate men are cleansed healed not only those by-past all which are remitted in Baptism but also those which are contracted afterwards by humane ignorance and frailty Not that Baptism should be