must needs be precious which hath such precious props and pillars to uphold it God Christ and a sure word of promise all the wisdome and power of the Father and the Sonne and the Spirit all that they can doe to establish and confirme their own word and that is more then enough Lastly The preciousnesse of faith appeares from the nature from the effects and workings of it The nature of it is piously to know and to affect the things of God to cleave unto God in Christ to rest upon him for the obtaining of the promises Faith joynes us to God who is our life in whom the lives of our soules are bound up as Jacobs life was bound up in his darling Benjamins Faith filleth the soule with solace unspeakable with peace passing all understanding and with joy everlasting As bloud is in the veines dispersing it selfe into all parts of the body so giving life and heate and continuall nourishment thereunto such is faith in the soule it works upon all the affections it diffuseth and sheddeth abroad in our hearts the love of God in Christ it attracts and draws our spirits to delight in nothing more then in Christ it entertaineth the soule with feasts of fatted things and of wines refined it leadeth it into the wine-cellar it invites us unto those apples and flâ—ggons of pleasure which Christ hath prepared it sweetens the crosse it makes us to rejoyce in tribulation and that with joy unspeakable and glorious it workes in us a childe-like confidence toward God whereby wee approach boldly to him crying Abba Father it carrieth the soule up to heaven and giveth ravishing sights of God and Christ and the joys of eternitie it brings us into communion with God whereby we have most intimate and familiar conference with him it brings us into his bed-chamber into his galleries of love In a word it enlightens justifies sanctifies and saves us for ever because it lays hold on Jesus Christ who is made 1 Cor. 1. 30. unto us of God wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption as the Apostle saith O how precious is faith that hath such wonderfull vertues and operations as these how precious also are those graces that flow from it as love and the feare of God and humilitie and patience and the like But above all the rest how precious is Jesus Christ and how highly to be esteemed of who hath bestowed upon us such precious such royall and such rich gifts as these Thirdly Consider likewise the promises Mot. of Christ these are also exceeding great and precious as they be called 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises saith the Apostle I confesse that by promises he meanes the effect of the promises or the things themselves that are promised which are of no small value and worth and therfore the promises themselves are of no little weight and moment This will easily appeare if wee consider The nature of the promiser The antiquity of the promises And the precious things which they containe First God who hath promised is by nature wise and powerfull true and unchangeable God is infinitely wise he hath a profound reach his counsells are very deepe even his foolishnesse is wiser then men as the Apostle saith and he knows wayes beyond our imagination and capacity how to bring about his owne ends and to accomplish his promises He is also almighty to effect and bring to passe his designes he can doe above all that wee can either aske or thinke And againe he is true and cannot lie and therefore he is called the God of Amen by the Prophet Esa 65. 16. And lastly he is unchangeable he cannot repent there is no variablenesse or shadow of turning with him all these are the fulera the props and supporters of the promises on which they stand firme and sure and cannot fall to the ground The saying is Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest Every man can be rich in his promises even a beggar may be as rich as a King in promises but all the question and doubt is about the performance of them Among men it is frequently thus they are facile and forward in making of promises but they are ignorant of the meanes how to fulfill them or if they know the way yet they want power and abilitie or if they be both knowing and able yet they want a will they have a heart and a heart as the Scripture speakes they pretend what they never intend The children of men are deceitfull upon the ballances or lastly though they know how to be as good as their word though they can doe it yea though for the present they doe really intend what they promise yet Multa cadunt inter ealicem supremaque labra many things fall out between the pot and the lip as the proverb is they are fickle and inconstant well instructed how to play fast and loose unstable as water like Reuben and so their promises prove to be nothing worth perhaps the fault may be in their intellect and understanding though they be wise to day yet after a while they may grow sots and fooles and so know not how to steere their course and to wheele about their purposes or perchance the default is in their hands though they be in possibility of performing their promises to day yet to morrow their armes may be cut off and they are left shiftlesse or if not so yet it may be worse the fault may lie in their affections they may be honest now and after a while dishonest and so say and unsay promise and change their mindes Thus it is with men oftentimes but with God it is not so he knows how to performe his promises he is able to make them good and he is most true and faithfull in all his proâ—essions yea he is ever wise ever powerfull ever true ever the same never altred or changed in the lest measure how precious then and sweet are his promises and how lovely also ought Christ to be by whom we enjoy them Thus much of the nature of the Promiser Secondly Consider the antiquity of the promises The maine and chiefe promise of God is that which concerneth eternall life and this was made at the beginning of the world unto Adam when God said that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head yea it was made before the world began Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternall life saith the Apostle which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Here by the way we learne that the promise being before all time it must needs be absolute and without all condition But let that passe The question is to whom that so ancient a promise was made when there was yet no world nor any men created to receive it to whom did God make it I answer that it was made to him that even then was ordained to be our head and Mâ—diatour even the Lord
Apostle Galat. 3. 20. so did Christ indifferently partake of both natures Godhead and Manhood that so he might be fit to stand in the gap between his Father and us We must beleeve therefore that whole Christ offred up himselfe unto God even the Manhood as well as the Godhead did offer it selfe Christ is a Priest according to both natures And whereas it is said that hee offred himselfe through the eternall Spirit without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. that doth not put the manhood from its share in priesthood but onely it shewes how the Sacrifice came to be without spot or blemish namely by the hypostaticall union of the two natures the eternall Spirit that is the Godhead of Christ assuming the flesh into one person with it selfe Secondly Christ was the Tabernacle or Temple most properly according to his God-head for he saith himselfe in the Gospel that the Gold of the Temple is sanctified by the Temple it selfe so is the manhood sanctified and made noble by the God-head Neverthelesse in some respects his humane body was the Temple also Destroy this Temple saith he and I will build it againe in three dayes he speakes it of his body which is called a Temple not onely because the holy Spirit dwelt in it after a singular and peculiar way conceiving it at the first and sanctifying it perfectly but also because in the offring of it up God found in it an acceptable sacrifice and smelt in it a sweet favour as in a Temple But yet further to this purpose the flesh of Christ is called a vaile Heb. 10. 20. in which the Apostle alludes to the opertory or vaile in the Tabernacle of old and in the Temple by which alone there was entrance into the holiest place of all so by the vaile of his flesh rent and torne upon the Crosse hath Christ opened a new and a living way for us to passe to God and to Heaven Thus is he the Tabernacle or Temple according to both natures too Thirdly Christ is the Altar most properly according to his Divinity for he saith himselfe that the Altar doth sanctifie the Gift Matth. 23. 19. And thus doth the God-head like an Altar sanctifie the Manhood as a gift or sacrifice making it of infinite merit and and worth with God the Father the Altar ought to be of greater dignity then the oblation But now although the God-head of Christ alone be the sanctifying and dignifying thing in respect of the offering of himselfe that is of his flesh unto God yet in respect of his presenting us blamelesse and a sacrifice as it were without spot and blemish unto his father so whole Christ God and man in one person is the sanctifying Altar that makes us accepted with God The Scripture it selfe speaketh thus Isaiah 56. 6 7. God promiseth that he will bring even the sonnes of the stranger that is the Gentiles to his holy Mountaine and make them joyfull in his house of Prayer and their burnt offrings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon his Altar for saith he mine house shall be called an house of Prayer for all people in which place by the Altar we are to understand whole Christ God and man the blessed Mediatour upon whom as upon an Altar all Nations promiscuously both Jewes and Gentils were an offering acceptable to God And a like place there is in Isaiah 60. 7. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee the Rammes of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance on mine Altar and I will glorifie the house of my glory Here also whole Christ is the Altar that makes the Gentiles to be as I may say a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour unto God To this also tends that in Isaiah 6. 7. where a coale from the Altar touching the Prophets lips his iniquity is taken away and his sinne purged now what is it that taketh away iniquity but the Lamb what is it that purgeth sinne but the bloud of Christ although I grant as before that if wee respect the offring of himselfe the body and bloud of Christ was most properly the sacrifice I will adde a few words more touching this matter out of Mr. Brightman upon Revel 6. 9. he saith that the soules under the Altar are most eminently the Martyrs whose salvation is placed onely in the death of Christ under which those holy Champions lying hid as under a Buckler they might safely and without terrour appeare before God now it is true that this death of Christ in respect of himselfe was the sacrifice but to the Martyrs and to all the Saints it is together with his God-head as an Altar under which and not under their own perpessions and suffrings as any whit meritorious they lie safe and secure Lastly Christ according to his manhood is most properly the sacrifice Heb. 10. 10. yet for as much as whole Christ presents himselfe now in the sight of God for us wee are to judge that whole Christ God and man was after a sort the oblation or offring and hence the bloud thereof is said to be the bloud of God Acts 20 28. Neverthelesse though in respect of us who are reconciled justifyed sanctifyed and eternally saved thereby whole Christ is offred up yet let us be wise unto sobriety Let us as I may say give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods that is let us give unto each nature of Christ it s owne properties and offices both his Deity and his humanity did distinctly act their parts his humanity by suffring the punishment due to us and by fulfilling all righteousnesse and his Deity by conferring upon those suffering infinite and saving vertue The humane soule and flesh of Christ was the holocausto or whole burnt-offring rosted it the fire of his Fathers wrath his God head was the Temple in which and the Altar upon which this sacrifice was offred and lastly Christ both God and man was the Priest most willingly and cheerefully officiating in this service Thus I have shewed you that Chrisunlike unto all other Priests was himself both the Priest and the Sacrifice and the Temple and the Altar all in one person and in some respects also all according to both natures so that wel may he be called wonderfull as we read of him Isaiah 9. 6. and well also may the Apostle say that the Mystery of Godlinesse is without controversie a great Mistery Now then to conclude this discourse of Christs Priesthood if he were a Priest alone an everlasting Priest a Priest offering but once and yet sufficiently for ever the substance and verity of all those Priests which went before him gone into heaven which never any did as Priests but he onely not needing to offer for himselfe but onely for us a most mercifull and pitifull high Priest and lastly sacrifice Temple Altar and Priest all in one if Christ I say be such an high Priest then
is also an argument of a faithlesse and unbeleeving soule Phil. 2. 20 21. the Apostle opposes Timothy whom elsewhere he commends for his unfained faith unto such carelesse ones I have no man like minded saith he who will naturally care for your state for all seeke their own and not the things which are Jesus Christs But how doth he meane it did Timothy care for the Philippians as a naturall man No but as one that was by faith implanted into Jesus Christ and so had a new nature and by the motions and inclinations of that new nature he did as indearedly and affectionately tender the good state of the Philippians as parents do naturally care for their children By this Antithesis then or opposition it appeares that those who sought their own privacies and not the things of Jesus Christ had no faith They might perhaps and did in all likelihood make profession of the faith but not regarding the community and publick good of the Saints it is evident that all their Religion was but a vaine empty flourish a meere shukke or shadow without heart without life without truth and substance of grace had they been truly of the body of Christ they would have had more publique spirits and considered others as well as themselves So writes the Apostle The members have the same care one for another 1 Cor. 12. 25. And this was his own practice I please all men in all things saith he not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10. last And in the very same Chapter he gives in precept that no man should seeke his own but every man anothers wealth I confesse that both these sayings of his doe offer some hold for cavill and exception as where he saith that he pleased all men in all things it may seeme that he was then a flatterer and a time-server but yet wee must not so understand it for he intends it no question of his care not to give offence to any as appeares by the context And againe whereas he saith Let no man seeke his owne but every man anothers wealth wee must not conceive that he doth enjoyne selfe-neglect but onely he gives a charge against self-love to wit that no man should so seeke his owne as wholly to neglect the benefit of others and especially their spirituall benefit yet thus it is with many in the world who notwithstanding make a glorious shew of better things let the cause of Christ let his Church and people sinke or swimme t is all one to them like Gallio they care for no such matters Eli's heart trembled when he heard that the Arke of God was taken but let newes of the ill successe of the Saints come to these and it never troubles them they will make some shew of sorrow with their tongues but there is not a whit in their hearts Now certainly here can be no faith T is the right guise of Infidells to call the Church an outcast and to say This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30. 17. Josephus * Antiqu lib. 8. c. 2. writes that Solomon was not so intent and earnest in building of his own pallace as he was in the structure of the Temple because the one was for God but the other for Kings Cleane contrary to which was the practise of those that dwelt in their seeled houses and let the house of God lie wast Hag. 1. 4. Doubtlesse where there is such slighting of God and of his people and such intensive care of private concernments there can be no faith As a man beleeves so he cares for the things of Christ Fiftly When men procrastinate and delay their seeking of Christ putting off this great and necessary work from day to day giving the prime the morning and the virginity of their affections as I may say to the world prostituting their precious soules to such base vile and worthlesse thinge this is also a signe of a faithlesse heart and consequently that Christ is little set by Yee cannot serve God and Mammon saith our Saviour Mat. 6. 24. Mammon is a rabinicall word signifying plenty of riches and worldly wealth some say it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a multitude now as Beleevers dilating upon the copious theame of the love of Christ doe as it were lose their hearts and affections in the bottomlesse depth of his unsearchable riches and grace so worldlings doe in like manner ingurgitate and drowne their spirits in the endlesse and unsatiable desire of worldly riches and pleasures and when they thus serve Mammon how can they doe the worke of God to beleeve on him whom he hath seat The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that is the inordinate desire of earthly pleasures and riches and honours these are of the world as the Apostle saith and we all know that the world and the Elect are ê regione as wee say diametrically opposite and contrary one to the other and if so then certainly where there are those lusts and inordinate desires there can be no faith for faith is proper to the Elect and therefore it is called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. Neither will it serve the turne for men to say within themselves as many doe that there will be time enough to seeke Christ hereafter for the present it will be best to follow after pleasures and to pursue the world when gray haires and old age comes then 't will be rathe enough to look after God after Christ after grace certainly this is a most desperate resolution for know assuredly that though many seeme to seeke Christ in the twilight as I may say and evening of their lives yet in the upshot and close of all he is not found though men seeme to leave their sinnes when they be old yet for the most part it is not so but rather sinne leaves them for were they young and lusty as they have been they would be as forward to act it as ever Now where there is no seeking nor receiving of Christ there cannot be any faith at all Sixtly When men can sit down contented and satisfied without Christ never misse him never feele the want of him this doth also argue a state of unbeliefe Every true Beleever makes Christ the center and rest of his soule All things tend naturally to their proper place as light things upward and heavie things downward so the nature of faith is to flie up unto Christ who is as I may say the bosome of perfect rest and repose Those that have been most eminent for faith could never endure the absence of Christ they have still borne it very impatiently very eagerly and discontentedly The Church professes her selfe to be sicke of love for him Cantic 2. 5. Davids soule panted after him as the hunted or chased Hart doth after the water-brookes And the people of God say The desire of our
drops of bloud which hee did sweat in his agony had nothing availed without death Death is the summe of the curse due to us in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Christ then dying for us here was the accomplishment of all his sufferings and the height of his love towards us Surely that bloud must needs be very precious which could not be let out but the vitall spirits must follow after it Those that professe skill in words doe derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloud from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burne or to kindle whether this be a true etymologie or not I will not dispute the heate that is in the bloud of a living creature if at leastwise in good temper speakes for it sure I am that the bloud of Jesus Christ shed for our sinnes both testifies his ardent and burning love toward us and requires a like affection in us the kindling and fiering of our love toward him Fourthly the preciousnesse of Christs bloud appeares likewise from the personall union of his manhood with his God-head The Divine and humane natures of Christ subsisting together in one and the same person is called an hypostaticall union properly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a placing or standing under when the Godhead stands under the manhood and the manhood is taken into the same person with the God-head this is hypostaticall Now from this marvellous and wonderfull union floweth though not a reall communication of properties yet a promiscuous predication of them as if they were all alike common and naturall to both natures Hence the manhood is said to be in heaven even while it was circumscribed compassed with a place on earth John 3. 13. and on the other side the bloud of the humane nature is called the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. and else where by reason of this union God himselfe is said to be crucified Oh how precious was the bloud of Christ then doubtlesse it had more worth in it then all the creatures in Heaven and earth Angels and men and all the world beside The uniting and consequently the cooperation and compliance of the impassible Deity in the same person with that soule and body which suffered must needs put infinite dignity and preciousnesse beyond all account upon the bloud of Christ yet this was not thought too deare for his Saints Fiftly and lastly the blessed effects of Christs bloud is another strong Argument of the inestimable value and price of it It justifies our persons in the sight of God It frees us from the guilt from the punishment and from the power of all sinne It saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that wrath that is to come 1 Thessalonians 1. 10. Wicked people are Light and merry-hearted and never dreame of an after recoming but there is a thunder shower of Gods wrath to come which will light heavily upon the heads of unbeleeving ones Wee are all of us by nature obnoxious to and involved in this danger therefore the Apostle useth the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snatching or pulling us out from the wrath to come even wee of the children of God wee of the Corporation and society of the Saints we Beleevers as well as others were liable to this wrath but Christ hath dâ—livered us this is his tender loving kindnesse and good will to his Elect. Againe the bloud of Christ obtaines eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. whence it is that the Apostle opposes it to Gold and Silver though these be among the most precious things that the Earth affords yet being corruptible and transitory they cannot purchase incorruption and eternity for us The bloud of Christ is the price of our Redemption yee are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 23. and a like phrase he uses in the end of the precedent chapter yet there is neither a pleonasme in the words that is to say a fulnesse of speech though that sometimes be rhetoricall enough nor impropriety or unfitnesse of Language as if a thing could be bought without a price though I confesse the Scripture in some respects doth sometimes speake so neither is there an hebraisme whereby words of the same signification are itterated and repeated ob vehementiam to set the matter on with the greater vehemency and force but the word price is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew the superlative excellency and dignity of the price wherewith the Saints are bought so that ye are bought with a price is as much as to say yee are dearely bought 't was a price with a witnesse that was given for you a price of inestimable value a price past the number of a man it cannot be calculated or summed up it is so infinite such a rich and exceeding price is the bloud of Jesus Christ costly and chargeable were our soules that required such a ransome This is the price wherewith wee are bought from the earth bought out of Hell and bought into Heaven and everlasting glory This is the price that redeemeth us from condemnation and this is it that cleanseth us from the filth and staine of sinne This is it that purgeth our Consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb 9. 14. The Apostle in that place draweth an Argument â— minori ad majus as the Logician speakes If typicall rites and sacrifices as the bloud of Bulls and goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinckled upon the uncleane availed for externall Sanctification namely for the purifying of the flesh legally and ceremonially how much more shall the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon our Consciences purge away the guilt of sinne and avayle to the internall spirituall and everlasting sanctifying of our persons Againe by this bloud it was that Christ as the high Priest of our profession that is of Christians entred into Heaven so saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 12. Christ entred â—y his owne bloud into the holy place hee did not enter into the presence of God as the high-priest of old did with the bloud of Goates and Calves what should those slender things doe in the Tabernacle made without hands there are no such meane and poore offerings there Neither did Christ enter to offer for himselfe as well as for his Family as Aaron did Levit. 16. 6. he had no need of expiation himselfe but he went into the holiest to offer for his people only whom he hath for ever washed justified and sanctified not with bloud of others as the Apostle speakes but with his owne bloud Lastly from the precious bloud of Christ we also that are so cleansed and purged have boldnesse to enter into the holiest Heb. 10. 19. 20. The bloud of Christ breeds us and begets us this confidence The Apostle in that place doth covertly oppose the liberty of Christians unto the restraint of them that lived under the Law The Jewes of old might not presse into the Holy of Holies it