a rare piece of Self-denyal for you to submit as to your own personal interest to be a loser if others may be gainers thereby Assure your self many do earnestly beg of God the prolongation of your Days You pray for your Death but they for your Life I hope in this God will hear them and not you Your gracious Father hath given you a title to Heaven hath in a great measure fitted you for Heaven and will in due time take you up into Heaven it being thus as to the ordering of your passage thither and the timing of your entrance into it all that good Madam you should wholly refer to his good pleasure Madam The Dedication of Book I very well know signifies but little to your Ladyship Prayer is the thing which you desire and value wherein should I be wanting it being the only requital I can make you for all your Favours I should certainly be unworthy and ingrateful beyond all expressions As God shall enable me according to the many obligations which I lie under I shall never cease to pray for You and Yours If hath pleased the soveraign and all-disposing God to cut off many Branches which grew from your Stock yet One and the principal One too is hitherto spared God grant he may be so long and that all Heavenly Blessings as well as Earthly may be multiplied upon him And blessed be the Lord you live to see Others who are of You though not immediately yet but at one remove whom God begins to bless with an hopeful Issue the best of his Blessings be upon them also That Honourable Family to which you are so nearly related when so many Great and Ancient Families are melted away like Snow before the Sun yet keeps up in its pristine Greatness and Splendor and may it so continue from generation to generation till the World shall be no more And for your Self Madam the God of Heaven bless you and recompence into your bosome sevenfold all that kindness that ever you have shown to any of his He grant that you may bring forth fruit in your old age and be fat and flourishing that you may come to your grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in its season that as your outward man decays your inward man may be renewed day by day that you may never want the light of his countenance that you may at the last arrive at that Peace Comfort Assurance which you have so long been praying for that you may yet be a shining light in that more publick Orb wherein you are fix'd a pattern of Humility and Condescension of all Graces and Vertues and good Works to all who behold you and finally that when you have fought the good fight and shall have finished your course and kept the faith you may receive that crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give you at that day These are have been and ever shall be the daily and ardent Prayers of Madam YOUR HONOURS Most humble and ever obliged Servant and Chaplain THO. JACOMB SEPT 18. 1672. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Christian Reader § 1. THat I may not be defective either in civility to thee or in common prudence and justice to my self 't is necessary that I pre-advertise thee of some things convenient to be known about the ensuing Work the doing of which therefore is the design and business of this Preface § 2. That which was the first rise and occasion of it was this I having in my Ministry gone over several of the most weighty Points in Divinity relating both to Faith and Practice and finding my self too often divided in my thoughts what Text or Subject next to insist upon upon this twofold Consideration I resolv'd to fix upon some continued Discourse in Holy Writ where I might have my work cut out for me by the Spirit of God from time to time by which being determined I might be freed from self-perplexing and time-wasting distractions No sooner was I come to this resolution but immediately it pleased God to bring to my thoughts the Eighth Chapter to the Romans which when I had a little survay'd in my mind and taken a short view of the fulness and preciousness of its matter without any further demur or hesitancy I resolved also that that should be the Chapter which I would lay out my pains upon Accordingly I entred upon it and for which I heartily bless the Lord he who directed me to that Undertaking was graciously pleased to assist me in it and to carry me through it § 3. The Excellency of this Chapter being my great inducement to pitch upon it it would have been requisite that I should here have endeavoured to have set forth that excellency had I not in my first entrance upon the work it self said enough upon that account To compare Scripture with Scripture that one place may give light to another is a thing very safe and good but to compare Scripture before Scripture is a thing that must be done with much tenderness and caution I adore every part and parcel of Sacred Writ * 2 Tim. 3.16 all being given by inspiration of God and admirably useful to that end for which it was appointed and would be very careful how I prefer one before another Therefore I do not say that Pauls Epistles are the most excellent of all the New Testament Writings or that this Epistle to the Romans is the most excellent of all the other Epistles or that this Chapter therein is the most excellent of all the other Chapters in which gradation some please themselves Yet this I may safely say that this Epistle and this Chapter for sublimity of Matter variety of Evangelical Truths admirable Support and Comfort to Believers are not inferiour to any part whatsoever of the Holy Scriptures Which if so I have then pitch'd upon a Subject very well worthy of my best Endeavours and none will blame me for attempting to open so rich a Cabinet § 4. In digging into this Mine I found it to be so full that it was a long time before I could get to the bottom of it for I was two years and something more in preaching over this Chapter In which time I preached very many Sermons upon it but the precise Number I will not mention because Some from thence might take occasion to fasten that censure upon me which I hope I do not deserve and Others seeing here but Eighteen of so many published might think I shall never come to the end of all Well! though the work was long yet it pleased God to spare me till I had finished it I have now entred upon a work of another nature whether he will also let me see the finishing of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 5. Wherein it fares with me much as it sometimes doth with Seamen who after a long and tedious Voyage are no sooner arriv'd at shore but presently they are seiz'd
do you think of this are you able to bear it Alas * Is 33.14 who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings this made the Sinners in Zion afraid and filled Hypocrites with fearfulness and will it not sooner or later have the same effect upon you who are out of Christ If this Condemnation or eternal Death was total abolition or annihilation as some * See Calov Socin proflig de morte aeternà Contr. tertia p. 11 13. Cloppenb Compend Socinian cap. 8 p. 134. c. With many others Socinians make it to be it would not be so bad this would be a great allay to it for surely whatever some learned men may say to the contrary no being would be more desirable than such a being but 't is not so 3. The Condemnatory Sentence being once past it will be irreversible and irresistible When 't is once out of the Judges mouth there 's no reversing of it as the Penalty is intolerable so the Sentence is irreversible The poor condemned Sinner will presently fall upon his knees and most earnestly beg mercy but all in vain all his intreaties beseechings tears wringing of hands will avail nothing time was when he would not hear Christ and now Christ will not hear him Now to be sure the season of Grace is over once condemned and ever condemned there 's neither appealing from the Judge nor repealing of the Sentence And then too I say 't is irresistible as soon as 't is past Christ will have his Officers by him who shall see it put into execution his Guard and retinue of Angels shall be ready for this service these * Matth. 13.30 Reapers shall gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them and who shall be able to resist The Judge amongst the Jews was to see the Offender punished before his face Deut. 25.2 Christ will not only pass sentence but he himself will see execution done Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me And as there will be no turning of him so neither will there be either flying from him or making resistance to him When man condemns God can save but who can save when God condemns If the Three Children be thrown into the fire God can take them out but when the Unbeliever is thrown into Hell-fire or to be thrown into Hell-fire who then can either hinder or deliver O come to Christ and get into Christ betimes if you defer till the Sentence be past you must suffer it and there is no remedy As God says * Is 43.13 I will work and who shall lett So when he condemns and will have his Sentence executed who shall lett what can man do to defend himself or to hinder God! Job 31.14 What shall I then do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him 4. The Vnbeliever and Christless person will not only be condemned by God but he will also be condemned by himself Self-condemnation will accompany Gods condemnation and that is very miserable Next to being condemned by God nothing so sad as to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by ones self When the poor Sinner shall be upon his Trial Conscience will accuse as well as the Law and condemn as well as the Judge And as soon as ever the Judge shall have passed Sentence Conscience will fall upon the guilty condemned person and say is not this just and righteous hast not thou * Jer. 2.17 procured this to thy self must not such a course have such an end is not this the fruit of thy sin This will highly justifie God for the more the Sinner condemns himself the more he acquits God but greatly heighten his own misery You read how at the great day there shall be * Per apertionem librorum significatur ut unicuique conscientia sua nec enim opus erit testibus externis suggestura sit omnem suam vitam Voss de Extr. Judicio the opening of the books Rev. 20.12 these books are mainly two the book of Scripture and the book of Conscience As to the latter men keep it shut here but God will open it to some purpose then and Sinners shall be forced to look into it and read over the sins of their lives written there in very legible characters And what a sad time will it then be when as God condemns without and above so Conscience shall condemn below and within Such as are out of Christ will feel all this to be true to their inexpressible grief and torment if it be not prevented by timely repentance 5. I might add which indeed will be but a more particular explication of the former Head this condemnation will be the sadder especially to such who live under the Gospel because they will lye under the sense and conviction of this that they have foolishly and wilfully brought all this misery upon themselves For and their hearts will tell them of it Christ offered himself to them from time to time but they refused to close with him he tendered pardon to them but they slighted it and who will pitty the Traitor that dyes for his Treason when his Prince offered him a pardon and he scorned to accept of it they might have been saved as well as others would they but have hearkened to the free gracious hearty often repeated invitations which in the Gospel were made to them how often would Christ * Matth. 23.37 have gathered them as the Hen gathers her Chickens but they would not and therefore now their Souls are lost forever O Sinner * Hos 13.9 thy destruction is of thy self and the consideration of this will sadly gnaw upon thy Conscience forever this is the worm that never dyes The Jews when they had adjudged a Malefactor to dye the Judge and the Witnesses used to lay their hands upon him and to say thy blood be upon thy own head in imitation of which the Murderers of our Saviour said * Matth. 27.25 His blood be on us and our children Thus Christ when he shall have pass'd the dreadful Sentence of eternal Death upon the impenitent and unbelieving he 'll say Your blood be upon your own heads Now is not here enough if the Lord would please to set it home upon the Conscience to awaken and terrifie secure Christless Sinners You who are out of Christ pray believe me as sure as God is and is a just and righteous God as sure as his Word is true so sure are you if you go out of the world before you have got into Christ to be condemned forever And will you not lay this to heart before it be too late is it not high time for you to think of these things will nothing awaken you but only the feeling of everlasting flames will you not mind the damned state till you
with respect to the Non-condemnation and also to the Being in Christ This Clause is descriptive of the persons who have an interest or share in that which goes before and so 't is an evidence or description either with respect to the No-condemnation or to the being in Christ There is therefore now no condemnation to whom why to them who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Wherever there is an holy conversation in this life there shall be no condemnation in the life to come and so vice versâ Or it refers to the other branch immediately foregoing to them that are in Christ Jesus who are they or how may they be known the Apostle thus characterizeth them they are such who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit An holy spiritual course is an infallible evidence and inseparable concomitant of Vnion with Christ These two may reciprocally be predicated each of the other thus they who are in Christ walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and They who thus walk are in Christ You may take the Words in which of these two references you please but their immediate conjunction seems to carry it for the latter they being link'd and coupled with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that are in Christ Jesus but both may very well be taken in Which way soever we take it certainly there is as to both a restriction and limitation in the Words the Non-condemnation and the Vnion belong onely to those who walk not after the Flesh c. Yea they are conditional as to the priviledge even to them who are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation to such provided or upon this condition that they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so the * Non est igitur ulla damnatio eis qui sunt in fide Jesu Christi dummodò se exerceant non in his quae propria sunt carnis sed in his quae propria sunt Spiritus Vers Arab. Arabick Version paraphraseth upon them Why the Apostle singles out this Character The Apostle designing to describe such who are freed from condemnation or such who are in Christ he pitches upon that evidence and character which is plain and obvious and not upon that which might have been more dark obscure and hard to be understood He grounds it upon the course of a man's life and conversation and what may better be known than that He does not lay it upon Election or the secret Decree of God and say there is no condemnation to them whom God hath * Eph. 1.4 chosen before the foundation of the world to them whom God hath * Act. 13.48 ordained to eternal life whose names are * Rev. 13.8 written in the book of life though that be a very great truth but because persons possibly herein might not be so well able to judge of themselves therefore he saith there is no condemnation to them who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit This walking is a thing that is manifest and easie to be known I cannot so easily find out my Election for that lies deep and hid as I can my Conversation which in a great measure is expos'd to the view of others much more to my own And whereas the Apostle had been speaking of Vnion with Christ that being a great mystery and men might not so well know how to judge of themselves concerning it therefore he comes to that which would fully and plainly open it to them He saith whoever they be who are in Christ this is the course they take they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit They that can find which upon faithful searching may easily be found that they do not live the carnal and sensual life but the holy and spiritual life though this being in Christ be a great mystery in it self yet this walking will clear it up to them so far as their interest in it is concern'd that they are indeed in Christ What Walking imports Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit 'T is a very usual Metaphor in Scripture to set forth the course of life by walking * Gen. 5.24 Enoch walked with God c. i. e. the course of his life was holy * Gen. 17.1 I am God Allfufficient walk before me and be perfect * Luk. 1.6 Zachary and Elizabeth were righteous walking in all the commandements and ordinances of God blameless with very many such places That which in this Verse is called walking after the flesh in the 12 and 13 Verses 't is called living after the flesh I might in several particulars shew you the aptness of this Metaphor how proper it is to set forth the course of life but I will not stay upon that This branch of the Text leads me to that Second Observation which I raised from the whole Verse at my entrance upon it namely That such who are in Christ and thereby freed from Condemnation 2 Observ this is their property or course they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit In the discussing of which my main work will be to open the twofold Walking here mentioned Yet before I fall upon that let me take notice of Seven or Eight things which lie very plainly before us in the Words Eight things premisâ—d for the clearing up of the Words and of the Observation 1. The Apostle does not say There is therefore now no condemnation to them in whom there is no Flesh or to them who have no Flesh in them but he saith to them who walk not after the Flesh Alas if the Former should be the description and character of justified persons and of such who are in Christ then none would be justified or in Christ there would not be so much as any one person in the world exempted from condemnation or united to Christ for there 's not a man upon the earth I except not * Rom. 3.10 one in whom there is not more or less of this Flesh The very best of Saints in their lower state are not wholly freed from it the most spiritual whilst here below are but mixt imperfect creatures made up partly of Flesh and partly of Spirit so 't is in the natural and so 't is in the moral notion also Paul himself lay under a sad sense of this as you see Rom. 7.14 25 'T is most truly said by (a) Elton upon the Text. One upon the words Perfect sanctification is the rule that is to be laid to the Saints in heaven not to those that are upon the face of the earth And 't is a saying of Bernard Velis nolis intra fines tuos habitabit Jebusaeus the poor burdened Christian whether he will or no shall have the Jebusite the Flesh dwelling in him Men before conversion are entirely Flesh but they are not after conversion entirely Spirit The Apostle here saith There is now
alicui persuaderi potuisse valdè mirum esset nisi homines vivi capti dementati essent à Sathanâ c. Dogma tremendum Id. Hom. 8. in 1. cap. Joh. p. 87. Smalcius a very Fable yea Dogma in Christianâ religione ferè monstrosissimum with many other such vile expressions which I either dread or disdain to mention only there 's ‖ Credimus etiamsi non semel atque iterum sed satis crebrò apertissimè scriptum extaret Deum esse hominem factum multo satius esse quia haec res sit absurda fánae rationi planè contraria in Deum blasphema modum aliquem dicendi comminisci quo ista de Deo dici possint quam ista simplicitèr ita ut verba sonant intelligere c. Smalcius Homil 8. in Joh. p. 89. one from this last named Author which out-strips all the rest 't is this We believe saith he that though it should be written not once or twice but very often and that too very plainly that God was made man yet it would be much better this being a thing very absurd contrary to sound reason blasphemous against God to find out some other sense of it which might suite with the Nature of God rather than to take it literally according to what such words do hold forth thereby to expose Religion to scorn O the boldness and even blasphemy of the man 't is a vain thing to argue with these persons either in this or any other Point from the holy Scriptures for let God say there what he will if their Reason as the Supream Judge of what is to be believ'd or not to be believed doth not like it the Divine Revelation let it be never so plain signifies nothing Lord whither will the pride of Reason and the wickedness of the Heart carry men who are given up to themselves But if Scripture-revelation must be thus subjected to humane Reason let 's bid adieu to all Religion saving what is Natural I thought this had been the highest Reason in the world that Creatures should believe what God reveals because he reveals it though they with their poor dimme and shallow reason cannot comprehend what is so revealed by him but I am faln upon another Controversie I hope I speak to those who bear a greater reverence to the sacred Scriptures and surely if these may be believed what can be more clear than this that Christ is not only man but that he who was before the Son of God was afterwards in time made the Son of man Mark the Text God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh where Christ is suppos'd antecedently to be God's Son then as such he was sent and then incarnate So Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh 't is not only he that is Christ the Personal Word was Flesh but he was made Flesh so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred * Joh. 1.12 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 7.13 Gal. 3.13 Rom. 1.3 Gal. 4.4 else-where and the subject matter determines it to be so rendred here also But how was Christ made Flesh was this spoken of him only in respect of his mean afflicted calamitous state and condition here was that all that was meant by it surely no! that was so far from being all that the Evangelist had it not at all in his eye when he uttered these words for he adds and we saw his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father he joyns his being made flesh with the glory of his Person not with the meanness of his condition and further the Substance must antecede the Adjunct the truth of the humane Nature must go before the abasement and miseries of it So that when 't is said the Word was made Flesh it can carry no other sense than that Christ took the very Nature and Substance of man upon him I say Christ for 't is very evident where men do not wilfully shut their eyes that he is all along set forth by the Word he being the personal essential and substantial Word now observe he was the Word before he assum'd Flesh and he who was so praeexisting he assumed Flesh for 't is the Word was made Flesh plainly implying the antecedency of his being in that notion to this his incarnation SOCINVS is shrewdly pinch'd with this Text insomuch that he is fain to fall upon every word in it with his usual Criticisms and forc'd senses thereby to evade and elude the strength of it but all his attempts are in vain So also for the Word is not sparing in the revealing of this Truth though our * Socin de Nat. Christi p. 7. Smalc Hom. 8. in 1. c. Joh. p. 88. Adversaries are pleas'd to assert the contrary Heb. 2.14 16. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham here the Apostle lays it down over and over by taking he took part of the same he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham thereby to note Christ's assuming of the humane Nature and joyning of it to that other Nature which he had before 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh c. a Person here must be spoken of and the Lord Jesus must be that Person for the following matter justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory is only applicable to a Person and to Christ as that Person by the way * Erasmus Grotius c. they who alter the reading of the Text putting out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and putting in ὠand so carrying it from the Person of Christ to the Gospel have done no good service either to the truth in general or in special to that particular Truth which I am upon now 't is not here said only that Christ was manifested in the Flesh but God was c. to shew that he who was incarnate for that 's the manifestation in the flesh here intended was first God or God before and then he was incarnate 'T is a mighty Scripture that in Phil. 2.6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God here 's Christ's praeexisting in the Nature of the Godhead and then after this comes his Manhood But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men 'T would be a long work to draw out the full strength of these and
Adam's loins too for his genealogie is carried up to Adam Luk. 3. yet he not descending from him in the ordinary fleshly way his Person was exempted from the guilt of his sin and his Nature from the general depravation 3. Christ was actually Holy there was nothing but holiness in whatever he did all his actings inward and outward did exactly correspond with the Nature and Will of his Father he never was guilty of the least sin in thought word or deed sin was neither contracted nor * Eandem assumsit Naturam Chriâ—tus sed in ea non peccaviâ— Ambros committed by him Grace and Holiness were advanced in him to the highest pitch according to the utmost capacity of the Humane Nature without the least mixture of what is contrary thereunto in a word he liv'd in his whole course a most holy innocent spotless sinless life as the Scriptures which have been alledged do abundantly testifie The Grounds of Christ's Holiness and Sanctity This sanctity and sinlessness of Christ's Humane Nature was necessary upon a double account 1. To fit it for the personal union with his Divine Nature Can it be imagin'd that ever the Lord Jesus would take a Nature tainted with sin and so nearly unite it to himself when the Divine Nature stood at so great a distance from sin can we without blasphemy think that it would assume the Humane Nature had it been sinful into so close an union as that both should make but one person O such a thing was not possible God can take a sinning if repenting Creature into his bosom but he cannot take a sinning Nature into his Person Christ might condescend to take flesh yet be God but he could not have taken sinful flesh and yet be God the humane nature simply considered was not inconsistent with his Godhead but that Nature if sinful was 2. This was necessary in respect of Christ's Office and undertaking for our good In order to which as he must be man so he must be man perfectly holy and righteous for he that is a sinner himself cannot be a Saviour to other sinners then 't would be Physician heal thy self or Saviour save thy self all that such a one could do would be little enough for himself Christ was both Priest and Sacrifice with respect to both he must be without sin as Priest for if sin had been chargeable upon him he must then have offer'd for himself and so have been in the same condition with the Priests under the Law which the Apostle shews he was not Heb. 7.26 27. As Sacrifice too for whatever was offer'd up to God it was to have no blemish in it In allusion to which the Apostle calls him a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 answerably to the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12.5 and to the two Lambs in the fire-offering Numb 28.3 and he 's said to offer himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 How could Christ have taken off guilt from us had he had it lying upon himself or how could he have made us righteous had he not been righteous himself therefore 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many mark it Christ being a righteous Person himself so he comes to justifie and make others righteous so 1 Joh. 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin the connexion is observeable * Si esset in illo peccatum auferendum esset illi non ipse auferret August he that will take away sin from others must have no sin in himself Christ coming for that end therefore in him there was no sin Three things as †one observes from the words were requisite to him that should be the Mediator he must be God he must be Man * Piscat he he must be perfectly and unmixtly holy all these three qualifications you have in the Text Christ was God's own Son there 's his Godhead he was sent in flesh there 's his Manhood he was sent but in the likeness of sinful flesh there 's his purity and holiness Having done with the Explicatory part Use 1. Information I come now to what is Applicatory Where in the first place passing by other things these two we are mainly informed of 1. Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 2. Of the excellency of Christ's Flesh or Manhood Of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion 1. First that great Truth which I have been upon informs us of the excellency of the Gospel and Christian Religion The more raised and mysterious the things are which the one reveals and the other believes the more excellent must both of them needs be for this is a Principle grounded upon Reason and strengthned by the Consent of all who pretend to Religion whether it be true or false What more common amongst men when they would argue for the excellency either of that from which they fetch their Religion or of their Religion it self than to cry up the mysteries and to tell us what high sublime mysterious things are contained in them These make a great impression upon mens minds and strongly induce them to believe that whatever hath in it such mysteries must certainly be of God and have a divine Original therefore Heathens themselves as well as Christians have much pleas'd themselves with this and have been great pretenders to such and such mysteries thereby to gain credit and reputation to their way Now let us apply this Principle or common test to the Gospel-revelation and the Christian Religion and then I 'm sure their excellency above all other pretended Revelations and Religions will be evident For look into all those admired and rare Secrets those high and raised mysteries which they who know not the Gospel did so much cry up and magnifie and do but compare them with this one mystery God 's own Son sent in flesh alas what trifles what shallow contemptible ridiculous things are they in comparison of it A God incarnate shames all the little mysteries of the Pagan Religion if so good a title may be given to so bad a thing they all vanish before this and are not able to stand in competition with it Now where is this profound mystery revealed but in the Gospel and where is that revelation believed but in the Christian Religion therefore how excellent must both needs be upon this account The Heathens knew nothing at all of this they dreamt of Men being made Gods but that he who was truly God should be made truly Man this they were altogether ignorant of in all their Religion there was no such mystery The Apostle cryes out 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. his design in these
by communication from any other in which respect he is in Scripture more frequently stiled God than either the Son or the Holy Ghost 3. You have the Person sent our Lord Jesus Christ And he is set forth 1. by his neer Relation to God God sending his Son In order to the Sinners Redemption God did not imploy an ordinary Person a meer Servant a Creature that stood at a great distance from him but so great was his Love he imploy'd a Son 2. by the speciality and peculiarity of this Relation God sending his own Son In the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of himself In Vers 32. 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper Son or his own Son There is that in this expression which very much heightens Christ's Sonship he was not barely a Son but God's own Son a Son in a special extraordinary incommunicable manner 4. Here 's the further explication of this Sending with respect to the way and manner of it how did God send his Son why in the likeness of sinful flesh If you go further into the Words than that Branch of them which I have now read there are two Generals more to be observed in them but they will be taken notice of in their proper place Three Observations raised There are three great Doctrinal Truths here to be handled 1. That Christ was sent 1. Obs and sent by God the Father 2. That Christ thus sent was God's own Son 2. Obs 3. That Christ God's own Son was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh 3. Obs The First handled I begin with the first That Christ was sent and sent by God the Father Here are two things to be spoken to Christ's being sent and his being sent by the Father but they may very well be put together Before I fall upon the close handling of this Sending of Christ there are three things which it presents to our Consideration his Praâ—xistence his Personality his Personal Distinction from the Father let me therefore a little touch upon each of these of Christ's Praeecistence before his Innation 1. This Sending of Christ strongly imply's his Praeecistence before his Incarnation For if he had not had a Being before how could the Father send him that which is not cannot be sent 'T is not said here * Non de novo creans vel faciens sed quasi praeexistentem misit Aquin Misit non creavit aut condidit sed qui secum erat ceaeternus eundem ad nos 〈◊〉 â—egavit non ut eâ—â—et ubi non fuer at c. Sed up appareret ubi in visibili modo erat Soro The whole body of the Socinian Authors agree in this except Erasmus Johannis who fell in with the Arrianâ— See Socinus his Disp with him De Filii Dei existeâ—â—â— that God now created him or made him as if he did not exist before but he sent him which must as I said strongly imply that he did exist before this Sending This the †Socinians fiercely oppose and therefore in this matter they are worse than the Arrians For these though they deny'd that Christ was from all Eternity and made him to be only first created by God upon the misunderstanding and perverting of his being called the first born of every Creature Col. 1.13 the beginning of the creation of God Rev. 3.14 yet they asserted Christ's existence long before his Incarnation But the Socinians following Photinus deny that he had any Being or Existence before he was conâ—â—â—ed and brought forth by the Virgin Mary So that their Opinion about the Person of Christ is somewhat worse than that of the Old Arrians for which they are admonished and dealt with a little sharply by a late * Sandius in Nucleus Histor Eccles who p. 229. L. 1 concerning the Praeexistence of Christ thus expresses himself Licet dogma de Praeexistentiâ Christi antesaeculaâ—i in Symbolo dicto non contineatur c. nihilo minus praestat tutiorem viam sequi Christi praeexistentiam non denegando Nam si Christus praeextitit quanti res plena periculi Christo id nolle concedere quod ei jure comperit quà m mitem judicem habituri sunt qui ita sentiunt Hâ—si Christus non fuit ante Mariam periculo tamen vacat confessio praeexistentiae Nam Christus non succensebit illis qui ei nimium honoris attribuerint Nec est quod timeant se eo ipso detrabere Majestati Patris Nam ut taceam non esse contrarationem vel impossibile Fillum fuisse primogenitum ante òmnes creaturas certe Majestati Patris magis convenit quòd â—alem Filium anto saecula genuerit Deâ—â—de nec habent quod vereantur sâ— per praeexistentiam tollere veri Christ hamanitatem potest enim virtute Divinâ quilibet Angelus incarnari uniri cum came in unitatem Personae sic ut ille unitus simul dici possit Homo Angelus Plato non negavit animas praeexistentes post incarnationem fieri homines Arrian Writer himself The Orthodox fully prove the Eternity of Christ against the One and consequently the Praexistence of Christ before his Incarnation against the Other And One would think the Scriptures are so clear in this that there should not be the least Controversie about it For they tell us that Christ was in Jacobs time Gen. 48.16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil c. it might easily be proved that this * Vide Franzii Disput Theolog Disp 14. The. 40. p. 436. Angel was Christ That he was in Job's time for he said Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth meaning Christ That he was in the Prophets time under the Old Testament for the Spirit of Christ was in them 1 Pet. 1.11 That he was in Abrahams time yea long before it Joh. 8.56 c. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and was glad Then said the Jews unto him thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am That he was in the Israelites time for 1 Cor. 10.9 't is said Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him is added in some Translations however the Sense will so carry it That he was in the Prophet Isaih's time for Joh. 12.41 you read These things said Isaias when he saw his glory and spake of him that is of Christ Now were not these Periods of time before long before Christ's being born of the Virgin therefore he had an existence before that How fully and plainly is this asserted in the Gospel Joh. 1.1 2 3 10. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made He was in the world
heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man which is in heaven So that in Christ's Sending there was no * Missio Divinae Personae convenire potest secundum quod importat ex unâ parte processionem originis à mittente secundum quod importat ex aliâ parte novum modum existendi in alio Sicut Filius dicitur esse missus à Patre in mundum secundum quod incepit in mundo esse per carnem assumptam tamen ante in mundo erat ut dicitur Joh. 1. Aquin. 1. part Qu. 43. Art 1. in corp Art Et in Resp ad 2. Illud quod sic mittitur ut incipiat esse ubi prius nullo modo erat suâ missione localitèr movetur Sed hoc non accidit in missione Divinae Personae quia Persona divina missa sicut non incipit esse ubi prius non suerat ita nec desinit esse ubi suerat mutation of place only upon that he assumed the humane nature and so became visible whereas before as God he was invisible He was but where he was only he was more than what he was for he was now God-man and he was here in a different manner for now he was visible You see what the sending of Christ was not 2. Secondly to open it Affirmatively this Sending of Christ lies in Five things 1. In God's chusing appointing ordaining of Christ from everlasting to the Office and Work of the Mediatour this I confess is somewhat remote from that strict notion of his sending in which the Scripture usually speaks of it however I take it in it being the foundation of his being sent in time God the Father from all Eternity did choose decree ordain that his Son should take flesh and in that flesh redeem man therefore he calls him his Elect Isa 42.1 Mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth And Rom. 3.25 't is said Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it relates to God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or purpose and it notes not only God's setting forth and revealing of Christ in the Gospel which was done in time but also and chiefly his decreeing fore-ordaining of Christ in his secret purpose from all eternity to the work and office of a Redeemer so the Word is used Eph. 1.9 and therefore the marginal rendring of it whom God fore-ordained is better than that in the text it self whom God hath set forth The Apostle Peter speaks expresly of it * 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you You read of a decree concerning Christ Psal 2.7 I will declare the decree c. but that which I am upon was not the matter of the decree there spoken of 2dly Christ's Sending I take it passively lies in God's qualifying and fitting of him for his great Work this also is more remote from the close intendment of the sending yet it also may be taken in The wise God first fits and then sends he never puts a person upon any special service but first he qualifies and fits him for that service you have it exemplified in Moses and in several Others Now the restauration of Man to God's image and favour the redeeming and reconciling of the Sinner to God was the greatest work that ever was undertaken and therefore if God will imploy Christ about such a work his Wisdom engag'd him first to fit him for it Which accordingly he did for in order thereunto whereas Christ must have a Body to fit him for dying and suffering that God provided for him * Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared or fitted me And whereas he must also have the Spirit in a large proportion and plentiful effusion thereof that too the Father doth furnish him with Isa 42.1 I have put my Spirit upon him Joh. 3.34 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Our blessed Saviour could need nothing more than a Body and the Spirit to qualifie and fit him for his work and both you see were given to him Joh. 10.36 Say ye of him whom the Father hath Sanctified and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God what was the Father's Sanctifying of Christ I answer 't was partly his setting of Christ apart to and partly his gifting and qualifying of Christ for his Office and undertaking the latter of which the Father did for him as well as the former and so he sanctified him And observe 't was first Sanctifying and then Sending whom the Father hath sanctified and sent c. 3. Thirdly It lies in God's authorizing and commissionating of Christ to what he was to be and to do The Father sent him that is gave him authority to engage as the Redeemer of the world Christ had a Commission from God under hand and seal as it were before he medled in his great negotiation Joh. 6.27 Him hath God the Father sealed or authorized by special commission for though that be not all which is intended in the sealing yet that is a great part of it As Princes when they send abroad their Embassadours or appoint their Officers at home they give them their Commissions sealed to be their warrant for what they shall do so God the Father did with Christ He did not intrude or thrust himself upon what he undertook no but though he had in himself a strong inclination thereunto yet first his Father must call him to it he did not run before he was sent as those Prophets did Jer. 23.21 So the Apostle tells us Heb. 5.4 5. No man taketh this honour to himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Joh. 8.42 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me You see how his Sending is opened by this the due consideration of which doth administer matter of great support and encouragement to Faith as you will hear in the applying of the Truth in hand 4. Fourthly This Sending of Christ consists in the Fathers authoritative willing of him to take mans nature upon him and in that nature so to do and so to suffer This is higher than the former God did not only authorize Christ to engage so as that he might if he so pleas'd undertake to redeem Sinners without any intrusion or usurpation but he made this known to him as his Will and to speak according to our conceptions he laid his command upon him to act accordingly So as that Christ was under an obligation which yet did not in the least destroy or lessen his Liberty or his Merit or his
would much embolden you in your addresses to God Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. Having therefore boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an High Priest over the house of God Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Had Joseph's Brethren known that their own brother had been so near to Pharaoh with what confidence would they have addressed themselves to him Believers Christ your Brother who is flesh of your flesh is at God's right hand as the great Master of Requests the great Dispenser of Mercies why do you not more improve this for the emboldening of your Spirits when in Prayer you go to God 'T is a great thing for the Saints Comfort to consider how things were formerly under the Law and how they are now under the Gospel Then God carried it in a way of greater state and majesty then he kept a greater distance and was more hardly accessible see how the Apostle sets it forth Heb. 9.1 c. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the Candlestick c. and after the second vail the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all Which had the golden Censer c. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the Service of God But into the second went the high Priest alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people The Apostle here takes notice of the partition or division of the Tabernacle for the * Of this and of the whole Tabernacle see Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. 3. c. 5. Atrium or outer Court where the people used to be that he speaks not of only he meddles with the first and second Tabernacle where the ordinary Priests and the high Priest did officiate Now he saith the first of these were to go no further than the first Tabernacle the People might not go so far the high Priest might go into the second Tabernacle the Sanctum Sanctorum but how with great restrictions he must go alone but * Austine whom Sigonius follows differs in his interpretation of this Quod autem scriptum est Pontificem sèmel in Anno solum Sancta esse ingressum S. Augustinus interpretatur eum quotidie quidem ingressum esse propter incensum ac semel in Anno propter expiationem cum sanguine purificationis Verùm possumus etiam dicere eum quotidiè quidem Sanctuarium esse ingressum sed Sacerdotum comitatu stipatum semel autem in Anno solum i.e. sine Sacerdotibus in die expiationum Sigon de Rep. Hebrae l. 5. c. 2. For this Opinion he is severely taken up by P. Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. l. 1. c. 4. once a year and that too not without blood see Exod. 30.10 Levit. 16. and God was so strict about this that it was as much as his life was worth even for him at any other time to venture into the Holy of Holy's Levit. 16.2 The Lord said unto Moses speak unto Aaron thy brother that he come not at all times into the Holy place within the vail before the Mercy-seat which is upon the Ark that he die not for I will appear in the cloud upon the Mercy-seat Well! not to instance in the restraints laid upon the Priests Levites c. which the Word also mentions what might God's meaning be in this see Vers 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing as if the Apostle had said let not any wonder that God then would keep men at such a distance here was the reason of it or the mystery which was at the bottom of it Christ was not yet come the true Tabernacle was not as yet erected the first Tabernacle was only then standing Christ had not assum'd the Nature of Man thereby to make way for man freely to go to God therefore the way to the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest But now under the Gospel Christ being incarnate and gone to heaven in our flesh now all may go to God freely the way to him is open every believer in the world may now enter into the Holy of Holy's all former restraints and distances are now taken away Mark the Scripture cited already Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh By this flesh Christ's Humane Nature or Christ in the Humane Nature is unquestionably meant which he calls the vail in allusion to that in the Tabernacle wherein there was a twofold vail one that covered the Ark Exod. 40.3 And cover the Ark with the vail the other which separated betwixt the Atrium and the first Tabernacle as also betwixt the first Tabernacle and the second Exod. 26.33 And the vail shall divide unto you between the Holy place and the most Holy so Heb. 9.3 And after the second vail the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all to which he also alludes Heb. 6.19 which entreth into that which is within the vail Now with respect to these vails Christ's Flesh or Manhood is set forth by the vail 1. as his Godhead for a time was hid and covered under it 2. as believers through this do go to God as it is the way into the Holiest And so 't is here brought in for he saith by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh You see what these Texts drive at and what the Apostle draws from them viz. that Saints now upon the Manhood of Christ should with boldness enter into the Holiest and draw neer to God with full assurance of Faith this is their unspeakable priviledge under the Gospel which they should improve and rejoyce in This is the fourth thing for Comfort God is now knowable and accessible The Humane Nature is by Christ's Incarnation highly dignify'd and advanc'd 5. Fifthly This cannot but be exceedingly delightful to us to consider the advancement and dignity
that died yea rather that is risen again He is said to be delivered for our offences and to be raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 the Sinners justification was merited by his death but it was manifested by his resurrection thence therefore Faith in its being assured of that priviledge must fetch its main encouragement so that this cannot be the only thing aimed at in his death since it more properly belongs to another Head 3. The old-Testament Saints were high in their assurance and yet they liv'd before the death of Christ 4. His death simply considered gives no such encouragement to faith or ground of assurance consider it indeed as we state it that is as he dy'd in our stead to satisfie God's Justice appease his Father's wrath expiate our sin c. and so 't is highly strengthning to Faith but if you take it in it-self and as our Adversaries state it so there 's but little in it for Faith's advantage What inducement or encouragement would this be to Sinners to believe to set before them the death of Christ unless those Ends and Considerations about it be taken in which our Antagonists oppose without which it would rather draw out mens fear than their faith rather drive them from God than to God for so more of his justice and severity would therein appear to deterre them than of his Mercy to allure and encourage them O did God deal so with his own Son who too was innocent and blameless what then will he do to such vile wretched guilty creatures as we are must Christ so die would not God spare him in the least what then will become of such as we Upon the whole matter the Soc. say Christ's death was not at all intended to be satisfactory to God I 'me sure according to their stating of it 't is not at all consolatory to Sinners 4. They say Christ dy'd for this end that he might have a right and power after his death when he should be in heaven to forgive sin Answ Whilst he was here on earth before his death he had that right or power therefore that could not be any end thereof Matth. 9.2 Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee and when some murmured at this see how he stood upon the asserting of it Vers 6. That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins c. 5. 'T is said Christ dy'd for this end that he might procure for himself such and such power dignity and glory But to this we say it was so far from being the main end that it was indeed no end at all it being but the Coâ—â—â—â—â—ent not the End of his death see Phil. 2.8 9. These defective Causes and Ends being remov'd it remains that I set down those which were the chief and principal And they were such as these Christ dy'd to be a Sacrifice for Sin Heb. 9.26 10.12 a Ransom 1 Tim. 2.6 Matth. 20.28 a Propitiation 1 Joh. 2.2 to reconcile God to us and us to God Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 Eph. 2.13 14. Col. 1.20 c. to deliver us from the curse of the Law by his being made a curse for us Gal. 3 13. to save from wrath to come 2 Thes 1.10 to justifie and make righteous 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 5.9 to procure remission of sin by his blood 1 Joh. 1.7 Eph. 1.7 Matth. 26.28 to overcome death by death Heb. 2.14 to purchase eternal life Joh. 6.51 Heb. 9.12 As he dy'd in our place and stead taking our guilt and bearing our punishment so he died for these ends that he might restore us to God's love and favour and expiate all our sins by his making satisfaction for them these were not only Ends but the supream and primary ends of his Death I do not exclude the former provided that 1. they be taken in conjunction with these nay 2. in subordination to them Christ in his dying might intend this and that as his bearing witness c. but his main and principal intendments were satisfaction reconciliation forgiveness of sin c. in the revealing of which the Holy Scriptures are so express and plain that to me 't is very strange that any opposition much more that so vehement opposition should be made against it Good Lord how are Opposers faine to strain their wit to summon in all their invention subtilty for the finding out of some forc'd and pitiful interpretations of the Texts alledged thereby to evade the true sense and meaning of them how do they set these Scriptures and themselves too upon the rack that they may seem to reconcile them with their hypotheses's but all in vain as is abundantly prov'd The vanity falshood of humane Satisfactions 3. Thirdly from hence I infer the vanity and falshood of all humane Satisfactions Was the Lord Jesus himself a Sacrifice for sin and did he thereby condemn abolish expiate all sin for his members then what needs to be done or can be done further by any Creatures in the way of Satisfactions * Eccles 2.12 What can the man do that cometh after the King I cannot but take notice how whoever will engage in these weighty Points he must tread upon thorns and bryars every step he takes no sooner shall he have got off from one Enemy but there will be some other at hand with whom he must encounter also I find it I 'me sure to be so for no sooner have I quit my self of the SOCINIANS but the PAPISTS in a full body make head against me The former would wholly take away Christ's Satisfaction the latter would add Mans to it the One denies the verity the Other the perfection of it For they tell us 't is very true that Christ did fully satisfie the Justice of God by his being a Sacrifice for sin and fully expiate the sins of Believers in respect of their guilt and of the eternal punishment due thereupon but not in respect of temporal punishments these they say they are yet lyable unto notwithstanding all that Christ hath done and suffered and that too not only in the present but for some time in the future state for the preventing or removing of which satisfaction must be made to God either by themselves or by others this is the ROMISH-Doctrine In which so far as I have gone we have falsities enough but should we go farther to their particular explication and stating of the latter branch mens satisfying by themselves or by others what a mass and heap of ungrounded unscriptural absur'd Opinions should we there meet with for there come in their penances fastings pilgrimages corporal punishments voluntary poverty masses and prayers for them who are in Purgatory Indulgences c. O what a big-bellied Error is this of humane Satisfactions what a numerous train of falsities is it attended with Contrary to this we hold that * See the 31 Article of our Church Christ by the once
so it was sufficient but besides this the preceptive part of the Law was to be fulfilled the condition of life was to be performed the Sinner was to be made positively righteous Heaven was to be merited now as to these abstractly from the active obedience of Christ the passive was not sufficient Upon his dying Believers shall not die or be damned or be look'd upon as guilty but for their being righteous and entitled to eternal life Christ must actively fulfil the Law for the promise of life is annexed to doing Do this and live Levit. 18.5 Rom. 10.5 There needs no more saith * Blake on the Covenant c. 12. p. 77. a Reverend Person than innocency not to die and when guilt is taken away we stand as innocent no crime then can be charged upon us But to reign in life as the Apostle speaks to inherit a crown there further is expected which we not reaching Christ's active obedience supplied to us not adding to ours but being in it-self compleat is accounted ours and imputed to us Obj. But 't is said 4. Object the Law requires no more than either doing or suffering if one of these be done 't is enough both of them the Law neither doth nor can demand Wherefore if we suffered in Christ and that be reckoned to us it is not required that we should also obey in Christ Answ The truth of the Antecedent is not only questioned but flatly deny'd Answ and the contrary thereunto is proved viz. * See Advers inter Piscat Lucium p. 1. sect 4. Polan in Dan. p. 191 c. Turret de Sat. par 8. pag. 271 c. Bodius in Eph. p. 805. That in statu lapso the Laws obligation is not disjunctive ad alterutrum either to do or suffer but 't is conjunctive or copulative ad utrumque both to do and suffer Indeed say they of this Opinion if man had continued in the state of innocency one of these had been enough namely the active obeying of the Law for he being then without sin could not lie under any obligation to suffer But he being faln stands oblig'd to both to obey as he is a Creature to suffer as he is an Offender So that it was not enough for Christ in suffering to answer the one obligation but he must also by doing answer the other also In the Laws of men one of these is enough but in the Laws of God there being a vast disparity 'twixt the Creatures subjection to him and to men it is not so And as I apprehend it they who differ in this point do too much run themselves upon that absurdity which they would fasten upon those from whom they differ for whereas they charge the Opinion of these that it acquits us from all obeying on our part this principle which they maintain seems to do it much more for it either obeying or suffering be as much as the Law requires then Christ having suffered the utmost of the Laws penalty we are not under any obligation to obey too Obj. It having been said 5. Object that Christ's passive Obedience was necessary to free from guilt and eternal death and his active necessary for righteousness and eternal life against this 't is objected that it supposes a medium betwixt being freed from guilt and being made righteous and so betwixt being freed from eternal death and the having of eternal life which is a great mistake For these are such Contraries as do admit of no meâ—â—â—m between them and therefore upon the negation of the one the affirmation of the other in a fit Subject must needs follow and so vice versâ As if it be not night it is day if it be not darkness it is light if it be not crookedness it is streightness c. So here if it be not guilt it is righteousness and if it be not eternal death it is eternal life these being Contraries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore they who grant freedom from guilt and Hell upon Christ's death and yet assert the necessity of the obedience of his life for righteousness and Heaven build upon a false hypothesis Answ To this 't is answered Answ what is here alledged holds true in Natural and Physical Contraries but not in Moral or Law-contraries The Malefactor upon his Princes or the Judges Pardon is acquitted from his guilt and with respect to that he is innocent but yet he cannot upon this be look'd upon as being righteous or as having done what the Law required of him so 't is in that which I am upon 'T is one thing for the Sinner not to be unjust and another thing for him to be just upon the non-imputation of Sin he is the former but the latter he cannot be without a positive righteousness Not to be judg'd as a transgressor of the Law and to be judg'd as a fulfiller of the Law are two distinct things And so as to the other although there be no medium 'twixt natural life and death so that upon the negation of the one there is alwayes the position of the other yet between eternal life and eternal death there is a medium For we may suppose a person to be freed from the one and yet not presently admitted into the other he may be saved from Hell and yet not be taken up to Heaven for he may be annihilated or continued in some state of happiness here below this notwithstanding I only speak of the possibility of the thing not asserting that ever de facto it is so The Traytor may be freed from death and yet not restored to all those high dignities and priviledges which he had before and why not so here 'T is true whoever is freed from Hell is admitted into Heaven but this is not necessary from the nature of the thing as though there might not be a status intermedius but only from the will and ordination of God The necessity therefore of the imputation of Christ's active obedience for righteousness and life is not weakened or null'd by this objection Obj. To put more strength into it 't is further urg'd 6. Object that the Opinion argued against makes Justification to consist of different parts viz. remission of Sin and imputation of righteousness also it makes these different parts to proceed from different Causes as the remission of Sin from Christ's bearing the penalty of the Law and the imputation of righteousness from his fulfilling the precepts of the Law Whereas say some the whole nature of Justification lies in the remission of sin to be pardoned and to be made righteous are in Scripture terms equipollent and synonimous And say others all in Justification is but one act proceeding from one and the same cause that very act which makes the Sinner not guilty makes him also at the same time to be righteous as that which takes away crookedness at the same time makes streight that which expels darkness at the same
his own Son in the likeness c. O the infinite Love Mercy Compassion of God! The weaker was Gods Law the stronger and higher was Gods love O that he should not let us all perish under the Laws impotency that he should imploy One for our recovery who was every way able to do what the Law could not how should we adore his mercy in this But this leads me to the following words in the Text God sent c. where I shall have occasion more fully to press this duty upon you So much therefore for this First Branch of the Words What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh ROM 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh c. CHAP. X. Of Christ's Mission and of God's sending him Man being utterly lost upon the terms of the Law it pleased God to find out and to pitch upon another Way which he knew would be effectual That was the sending of his own Son c. Four things observed in the Words All reduced to three Observations Of Christs Mission How be was sent and sent by God It notes his Praeexistence before his Mission and Incarnation his Personality his being distinct from the Father 'T is opened First Negatively 1. 'T was not Christ's ineffable and eternal Generation 2. 'T was not any local Secession from his Father Secondly Affirmatively 'T was 1. Gods preordaining of him to the Office and Work of a Mediator 2. His qualifying and fitting of him for that Office and Work 3. His authorizing and commissionating of him to engage therein 4. His authoritative willing of him to assume mans Nature and therein so to do and so to suffer 5. His trusting of him with his great designs How was this Sending of Christ consistent with his equality with the Father this answered Two wayes Why was Christ sent answered first more Generally then more Particularly in Four things Use 1. To stir up persons 1. To admire God 2. To admire in special the Love of the Father 3. To love Christ 4. To imitate Christ with respect to his Sending 5. Not to rest in the external Sending of Christ 6. To believe on him whom God hath sent Use 2. This is improved for the Comfort of Believers The Law being weak God pitch'd upon another Course He Sent his Son THe Laws impotency and weakness nay utter inability to recover justifie and save the lost Sinner hath been spoken to I go on to that which thereupon the Wise and Gracious God was pleas'd to do And what was that why to the praise of his glorious grace he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh The Great God is never at a loss if one Means fails he hath another if all Means fail which fall within the view of the Creature yet God hath his secret reserves and that under the deck which shall no the work Upon Adams Sin all Mankind was lost plung'd into a woful abysse of misery obnoxious to eternal wrath and accordingly God might have dealt with them in the utmost severity of his Justice What is there now to prevent this to give any relief to man in this deplorable State Alas the Sinner cannot help himself the Law stands with a withered arm and can do nothing there 's no Creature in heaven or earth to interpose as to all of these the case was desperate Therefore God * Deus Solus in hâc intricatâ causâ poterat prospicere remedium Streso himself engages to let the world see what He could do * Isa 63.3 He looked and there was none to help therefore his own arm brought Salvation Here indeed was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God helping at a dead lift in the greatest streights and in the most admirable manner If ever with reverence be it spoken infinite Wisdom was put to it now was the time yet even in this intricate and perplexed State of things That found out a Way which would do the business a Way which none could have thought of but God alone he sent his own Son c None could cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this but God himself this was his alone invention and contrivance The restoring of fal'n man was impossible to the Law yet it shall be done God will take * Noluit proptereà quod Lex imbecillis erat per praritatem humanae naturae opus salutis humanae abjicere quasi non posset per aliam quod ista Legis via non succedebat efficere Musc another strange and wonderful Course which shall do it effectually what his own Law cannot do his own Son can therefore him hee 'll send A very high and costly Way yet rather than all mankind shall perish God will make use of it here 's the very mirror of the Wisdom Love Grace Pity of the blessed God God sending his own Son c. Of the Reading of the words To make the Sense run more smoothly Some turn the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reading the Words thus God sent his c if the following Conjunctive particle And be kept in this Reading is not much amiss Some render it in the * Dictio interpretata Mittens Participium est c. et propterea ad servandum Participium Tempus aliqui Interpretes verterunt rectè Activum in Passivum legendo sic Deus filio suo misso in Carne Cajet Passive form Deus misso Filio suo c. * Duplex est Hebraismus unus est óportet supplere Latine Ideò Alter quia Participium Mittens ponitur loco Verbi Misit Tolet. Some would put in the word Ideò therefore Since the Law was weak through the flesh therefore God sent his own Son and for sin c. but as to these things there 's no great difficulty In the whole Paragraph you have Their Division into Four Parts 1. The Act or the Thing done namely the Sending of Christ 2. The Person whose Act this was or the Person sending viz. God the Father God sent c. 'T is a known Rule when the Name or Title of God is set in contradistinction to the Son 't is then taken not Essentially but Personally for the First Person God the Father instances of which are very common 'T is here said God sent his own Son therefore it must be understood of God the Father Christ being his Son and upon that consideration he being stiled the Father And * Mr. Perkins on Galat. 4.4 p. 271. this Person is called God not because he partakes more of the Godhead than the Other Persons Son and holy Ghost do but because he is the first in the Order of the Three Divine Persons and because he is the beginning of the Son and of the Holy Ghost but hath no beginning of his own Person for he doth not receive the Godhead in the Personal consideration of it