9.5 and this is a greater argument than the working any miracle true in a sense it is attributed also to the Apostles whose sins ye remit c. but this is but ministerially in the Court of the World or Church but in the Court of heaven none but God can forgive sin Now this shews the transcendent excellency of this grace The worth of Christs blood that it is the only remedy in the World for the disease of sin it is God only can cure us with the blood of Christ and this is the greatest miracle that ever was wrought for us that we read of in the Gospel 2 The great force of forgiveness appears by the price that was paid for the purchase of it It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worthy pretious blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. and it is expressed in the text in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own blood as Beza notes The blood of Jesus Christ his Son 1 Joh. 1.17 Assuredly God 's love was so great to his onely begotten Son that if any creature could have laid down a sufficient price he would not have sent his Son out of his own bosome to make satisfaction Or if any other excellency in Christ as the integrity of his nature or his active obedience could have procured the pardon of sin for his Elect Christ should not have dyed for that end but Christ must bee offered to take away the sins of many Heb. 9.27 28. It is as if a subject have a disease that can bee cured no other way than with the heart blood of the Prince for no other potion than such an one will heal sins diseases and wounds for the Lord himself who is the onely wise God would not lay down more than was necessary and hence hee spared not his own Son but delivered him up c. Rom. 8.32 3 The worth of it appears because this is a leading grace in the new Covenant And though there bee many other blessings in the Covenant of Gods grace purchased by Christs blood for it purgeth our consciences Heb. 9.14 nourisheth all grace and works the growth and increase of it Joh. 6.55 and gives us an entrance into the holy of holies Heb. 10.19 I say though all other spiritual blessings do flow from Christ yet remission of sins is the chiefest of them the first grace in communion and the first in 〈…〉 soul that is united unto Christ Rom. 5.1 When wee are justified by Faith then follows peace and joy and access to God c. As a King first receiving a Rebel into favour forgives him his treason and disloyalty then hee 〈…〉 or priviledge upon him So the Lord 〈◊〉 in this case wee are all rebells against God and wee can expect nothing at the hands of God till our guilt curse horror and expectation of vengeance bee removed Now this cannot bee removed till Faith All unbeleevers being under condemnation â— So that pardon belongs onely to beleevers Isa 33. last and such an one David pronounceth blessed Psal 32.12 for forgiveness brings a man into favour with God and our salvation stands in it Luke 1.77 Oh let these and many other considerations stir up men highly to prize forgiveness of sins Remarkable is the reproof by the Evangelical Prophet Isa 55.2 Wherefore do you spead your silver c. why are you so eager about baser inferiour things you do but lose your mony and labour after them Moreover consider that Remission is equally bestowed on all beleevers Though some have more sins forgiven them than others yet all beleevers have their sins equally forgiven them the weaker ones as well as Abraham Rom. 4.22 23. and therefore being attainable by the weakest beleever all should look after it as a matter of greatest importance If we felt but the weight of guilt once wee should know what forgiveness is Psal 38.4 Let the conscience bee once arrested by God and persued by Divine Justice it would bee then like the entangled surety Prov. 6.4 Hee would give no sleep to his eies c. but would deliver himself as a Roe from the hands of the Hunter and as a bird from the hands of the Fowler Now I beseech you brethren get and maintain this experience of a wounded spirit get a clearer understanding and sense of your own guiltiness together with the loathsomenesse of sin and then wee shall know how to value the mercy of forgiveness None can prize health but a sick and languishing person nor food but the hungry So that when your soul is truely pained with the horror of sin then you will know better what the remission of sin is as David Psal 32. Exh. â— The second branch of this Exhortation is to testify your true prizing of Remission by unwearied diligence in the use of means to obtain it as First Leave not your heart and Conscience till they are shiftless and past all carnal evasions in regard of the charge of sin It is most sure that every soul naturally is at emnity with Christ hee is one of the Citizens that hated him and will not come at him as long as wee can shift without him So it was with the Prodigal Luk. 15.14 17. that would not come to his Father till hee had spent all and was driven to feed Swine yea to feed with them and no man gave to him So that hee was put beyond all his shifts before hee would return So God deals with sinners as Rom. 11.32 God hath shut up all in unbeleef that hee might have mercy upon all Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath shut up all in sin c. Gods shutting up in both places seems to be by putting them beyond their shifts by the full convictions of his word that they have never a starting hole to escape by Oh beloved there is never a soul inlightned living under the means but is in a maze and runs from hole to hole from mountain to hill and being ferreted out of one hole runs into another There is no remission in this case whilst you are running like Adam to shift into a wood far away from God as you think but all your strong holds must bee pulled down 2 Cor. 10.4 2 Take a thorough survey of the free offers of Christ and him crucifyed to every soul that hears the Gospel preached and this is both by God the father and Christ himself Joh. 6.40 Rom. 5.8 Joh. 3. â—7 Isa 11.10 Act. 10.43 Rev. 3.20 Now in this case consider two things 1 What end the Lord hath or can have in offering himself thus to a vile sinner who shall bee the gainer if wee do receive him or the looser if wee receive him not what said John the Baptist to our Saviour though hee were more than a Prophet Mat. 3.14 I have need of being baptized of thee and comest thou to mee to bee sure wee have need of Christ but hee hath no need of us Yea what need hath Christ of a
part of the World have quite mistook it and where there is any discovery of it infinite errors have been broached with it And the heart of man turns and windes under it not being able to close with the way of it Bee cautelous therefore and know That there is no true Justification but what Centers in Christ Act. 4.12 There is no Salvation not a jot in any other for there is none other Name given under Heaven God the Father gave no other way nor Name Therefore no other Way nor Name can possibly bee found out Redemption was alone by Christs blood Eph. 1.7 Hee is made our redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Hee shall give his Life Matth. 20.28 This is the great Lesson to learn Christ your satisfaction to the Father Now then as a poor man asks his Friends how hee shall pay his debts fears the Creditor will come to clap him up in Gaol and there hee must lye and dye because hee cannot pay as that complaint is 2 King 4.1 so ask you what you shall do to bee saved where you shall find a Ransome your soules are deeply indebted and you have not to pay Mat. 18.25 and the Creditor is coming hastily upon you O bee not more careful to save your bodies out of Prison than your souls out of Hell Lay hold on Christ who alone is Current mony and full satisfaction Quest But how shall we compass this satisfaction of Christ and comfort by it Answ You must do as the poor bankrupt doth First to get him a surety to undertake the debt Secondly to gain to himself an Acquittance under hand and zeal Get Christ to bee thy surety and an Acquittance written with his blood Now an Acquittance is derived by the Lawyers from the word quietantia an old barbarous term but very significant which when once it is got the Debtor is then at rest No suits in Law nor brangling controversies can bee maintained any longer against him for hee hath his quietus est a free and full discharge Plead for this from God and that from the beginning of the world to this day For Adam left his posterity in debt This Acquittance is nought else but what Paul speaks of Rom. 5.1 Peace in Conscience arising from Christs satisfaction for our sins And that you may attain this surety and Acquittance 1 Consider the necessity and worth of Justification It is the Justification of Life yee are dead without it Rom. 5.18 And having obtained it you are fit for any thing for glory whom hee justified hee glorified Rom. 8.30 Enoch had this testimony that hee pleased God Heb. 11.5 then was hee fit for Heaven Fit to bee a teacher of others Isaiah cries now send mee when his sins were pardoned But without it you are fit for nothing If Death arrests you how will you scramble for Bail how will you wish you had pleased God how unfit to go off the world O leave not that to the last gaspe that should bee done first Thou mayest bee great and rich and honourable and yet not fit to live nor to dye but he that is justified is fit for both 2 Highly esteem the Ransome It was no less than the blood of God that ransomed you And if things are to bee esteemed by what they cost nothing is more precious than this Ransome And accordingly the Apostle valued it Phil. 3.8 9. hee accounted all the worlds glory but Dirt and dung in comparison And desired to abandon all knowledge that hee might know Christ and him crucified How highly doth hee prize 1 Cor. 2.2 Christ not glorified but Crucified mainly intending to preach that Hence the whole work of the Ministery is called Preaching the Cross 1 Cor. 1.18 In a word the greatest love that God ever shewed to man and the greatest blessing man ever attained to it is this satisfaction of Christ Love with an affix 1 Joh. 4.10 3 Consider the lenity and difficulty of the satisfaction God would not have sent his Son if all the world could have made satisfaction Isa 53.10 11. Hee shall see of the travel of his soul and bee satisfied Hee saw the pay was current the travel of his soul to wit all the sufferings of Christ gave him satisfaction What need Christ take such pains if any else could do it It cost not Christ half so much pains to make the world Psal 33.9 10. Hee spake the word and it was done c. This work of satisfaction made him sweat drops of blood 4 Receive an unlimited Christ and entertain him in all his Offices Receive his person first and then his benefits Joh. 1.12 as many as received him c. Receive him and then his adoption and satisfaction Let him bee King as well as Priest Luke 19.27 Take him as a sanctifier as well as a Saviour Accept his Majesty as well as his Mercy Take Holiness as well as Happiness from him Let the water of regeneration bee welcome with the blood of Justification And that with speed for Luke 14.24 if you come not when invited you may never bee welcome The Israelites that denied to enter Canaan when God offered it Heb. 4.1 had never after an opportunity Francis Spira under dreadful torture pittifully lamented that now God would not give him one motion of his blessed Spirit more many of which he slighted before If therefore you minde eternity and have any care of your souls or any respect to Christ or fear of God if heaven bee worth having give Christ entertainment in all his Offices Use 4. Comfort to all that are in Christ Comfort to sincere Christians that your ransome is paid Lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draws nigh 1 Consider your sins are satisfied to the full Poor bankrupt souls have all Bills and bonds and hand-writings that are against them cancelled Col. 2.14 Davids prayer is answered all his Transgressions are blotted out Psal 51.12 Oh what joy what contentation should display its triumph in the heart The discharge of sin is another gates thing than all other discharges The Debt is greater the Creditor more dreadful the Gaol more horrible the Gaoler more cruel and the satisfaction fuller then men ever felt or found Your Moralists say It is the hardest of all satisfactions for an Inferiour to satisfy a Superiour in point of honour If hee had injured him in his goods satisfaction might have been made but what will hee do here will hee submit to him that hee ought alwaies to do Will hee do it by his goods no a good name is better than Riches Prov. 22.1 Sin violated Gods Justice and affronted his God-head For every sin is a kinde of Dei cidium a murthering of God Hence men are called God-haters Rom. 1.30 but hee that hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 Joh. 3.15 so is hee that hateth God And indeed hee doth kill God as to himself for as the Sun though it cannot lose its light yet is utterly eclipsed as to
So was it with the Church Cant. 3.4 I found him whom my soul loveth c. 2 The Lord intends to make us more watchful for future times that wee may more rigidly separate and bee divorced from the Creature Adulterous hearts have their stoln waters which God hates and therefore imbitters them and shews us thereby our carelessness about the main As the Mother hides her self behind some tree or wall to make the Childe watchful and to cry after her and search and hang upon her armes so doth God 3 The Lord intends by it to make Christians ransack the right ground of Faith and Hope to dive into the Scriptures and to search the experiences of other Christians Psa 77.56 saying have you any word of comfort for such a soul as mine It will make him to regard a gracious man as one of thousand It will make him Catechise himself whether hee hath any evidence of Gods love or whether hee lives not in some sin or other or whether hee bee willing to part with all for Christ or whether hee maintains any Communion with God which are quickning questions Now then if any man be under this calamity to think himself forsaken of God 1 Let him consider That the extream sufferings of Christ were to reconcile God and man to bring God back again to man and man to his God 1 Pet. 3.18 19. which hee must wait for 2 Let him not pass the sentence of reprobation upon himself or say hee is an Hypocrite because for the present he is under trouble of Spirit It had been a dreadful Conclusion for Christ to have questioned whether hee was the Son of God because of his desertion Say rather wee may have the presence of his Grace and Spirit when wee want the presence of his comfort As a man in a swoon may have a living soul though hee wants the operation of it and a man may injoy some light of the Sun in the firmament though the Sun be eclipsed So may a Saint have life and direction from God when hee finds not its comfortable actings 3 Let him take Christs course to set faith and praise awork When Christ was in his agony he prayed the more earnestly Luk. 22.41 and used his faith eminently crying My God my God c. Joh. 12.27 Now is my soul troubled here is your case Father save mee from this hour here is your duty of faith crying Father of prayer save mee from this hour 4 Plead for the Fruit of Christs desertion which was that thou maiest not bee utterly forsaken ply him hard and thou wilt find him nighter thee than thou wast aware of 3 And be upheld in death it self Thou shalt bee upheld in death it self for Christ hath triumphed over death Hell and the Devil in the cross Col. 2.15 And not only triumphed over them as overcome but hath taken great spoiles even all their armour deaths sting is plucked out the bonds of the Grave are broken Death is vanquished by Christs death Heb. 2.14 which resolves Sampsons knotty riddle Judg. 14.14 Out of the eater commeth forth meat and out of the strong comes sweetness Paul keeps the thanksgiving day for that happy victory 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks bee to God c. For the whole Conquest is perfected Heb. 10.14 and that for ever And the Testament is for ever confirmed Heb. 9.17 by the death of the Testator Nothing is wanting to carry us happily to glory through death it self There needs no more sacrifices nor no second offering for sin All is finished Quest This is good news but how shall I know that I have a right to this comfort Answ It s a weighty Question and needs a solid resolution which wee shall hereafter more fully give At present take that rule Heb. 10.14 Hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified So Heb. 5.9 Hee became the Author of Salvation unto them that obey him No Prophane no nor unsanctified man however civilized hath any part or portion in this consolation Such therefore as think there cannot bee a Saint on Earth or think it too soon to be holy or make a mock at a precise Gospel-Conversation may in no wise apply this comfort to themselves It is not enough to bee Church-members or visible Saints but wee must bee sanctified in truth and reallity Christ should lose a great part of the effects of his sufferings if wee should not bee sanctified Eph. 5.25 26. Christ gave himself for his Church that hee might sanctify it and cleanse it and can any man think hee will lose his end and miss his main intent surely no. There is none but the Church mystical who are truely sanctified and cleansed that have any fellowship in this businesse Let the upright in heart therefore take this Consolation as a dish prepared for none other but their refreshing Psalm 32. ult Deut. 33.1 Use 4. Of Refutation of that ignorant discourse of foolish People who affirm That the least drop of Christs blood is sufficient to save the world The least drop of Christs blood will not save Why say they so because of the dignity of the person of Christ If this were true then the Circumcision of Christ was enough for there was a drop of blood shed or his Crown of thornes was enough for t is like they drew blood Then all Christs sufferings besides were superfluous and vain Then God were unjust to take more than was his due Then Christ was foolish and imprudent to pay more than hee needed But Christ himself saies these many things were necessary Mark 8.3 The Son of man must suffer many things Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his Glory There was a Necessity of suffering and of suffering these things There was a necessity in respect of the end that the Elect might have the blessing and therefore Christ is made a Curse that hee might bear the Curse due to their sin Gal. 3.13 The Exactness of Christs sufferings THE EIGHTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.24 25. Through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ WEE have already in part applyed this Doctrin That the Redemption of sinners was wrought by Christs suffering the utmost and full punishment due to sin Wee are yet farther to proceed in our application Use 5. Exhortation and direction The refuge of greatest sinners And first to the vilest sinners For this Doctrin darts forth a little light to those poor souls in the dark dungeon of their natural yea most sinful estate It shews a possibility of escape from the wrath to come 'T is true none but a sanctified man can have any comfort in Christs death or conclude his salvation by the death and sufferings of Christ Yet there is hope of salvation a far off Psal 89.19 There is help laid upon one that is mighty Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him all fulness dwells Eph. 2.13 You that were a far off Psal 119.155 Salvation is far
and wounded his soul and why should they be contentment to mine God forbid 3 Minde the desert of sin We must fear sin because it crushed Christ and the severe proceedings of God against it in Christ our surety Luke 23.31 If this be done in the green tree what will bee done in the dry Christ was the Green tree full of sap exceeding fruitful the true vine Joh. 15.1 the very embleme of fruitfulness yea the tree of life Rev. 2.7 yet this could not exempt him from his sharpest sufferings Christ was free from all sin in his nature the Devil himself could find nothing in him Joh. 8.46 but we have a World of wickedness in us Christ was full of righteousness Rom. 5.17 and wee full of wickedness yet God spared not his Son where shall wee ungodly and sinners appear Christ was the onely begotten and wee are in comparison strangers if hee had no tenderness to his Son what can his Slaves hope for Christ was both God and Man in personal Union strengthened by Angels yet what Agony what tears what conflicts did hee undergo wee are but stubble but a rotten stick fit fuel for everlasting burnings how shall wee stand in the day of tryal O it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 Oh that wee had hearts to apprehend the evil of sin before wee come to feel it Blessed are they that beleeve and fear and tremble and never experimentally know the vileness of sin God seeing the hardness of our hearts hath manifested the evil of sin by the sufferings of Christ a better argument then all the curses racks and torments of Hell it self could produce to demonstrate the dreadful nature of it This may convince the hardest hearts in the world and let the very godly themselves see that sin is more vile than ever they imagined it to bee 4 Know that sin will kill us as well as it killed Christ if wee prevent not the malignity of it Death is the proper wages of sin both the first and second death Object But a Childe of God is in no danger of sinning nor of eternal punishment Sol. Surely 't is true Doctrin that 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God Wee know how Churches have smarted for sin for little sins in the Worlds account The Jews cast off for unbeleef Saints corrected though not damned for sin the Church of Ephesus for forsaking her first love Laodicea for lukewarmness threatned to bee dis-Churched Add that Ezek. 9.6 the destroying Angel had a charge to begin at Gods sanctuary Yea many godly men smart for their boldness in sin here in this World Paul writes to Saints Rom. 8.13 and yet tells them If you live in the flesh yee shall dye and speaks not onely of a temporal but eternal death You will say 't is not possible for Saints to dye eternally I answer 't is as possible for Saints to dye eternally as to sin eternally Let all men look to it for sin continued in will certainly destroy all its practitioners Having therefore these considerations Let us dread to have any thing to do with sin This consideration is proposed to this very end Heb. 12.2 3. that the sight of what Christ endured by sin might make us constant and couragious in withstanding all the fiery darts of the Devil and declining every evil way striving against it unto blood vers 4. as Christ did to the very death not refusing the worst of sorrows The worst sorrow is better than the best sin to eschew the best of sins to part with your heart blood as well as your good names ease and profit if God call you to it Thus doth Peter argue 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh for us let us arm our selves likewise with the same minde for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that hee no longer should live the rest of his life in the flesh to the lusts of men c. The issue of the words is this The Faithful have Union and Communion with Christ and therefore they must bee conformable to Christ in Holinesse but must ceafe from sinne arguing thus That if wee have lost our head for sin it is not possible we should live in sin any longer but we have lost our head for sin Or thus All they dyed in Christ for sin for whose sin Christ dyed and they that dyed once for sin cannot sin any more If therefore thou continuest to sin how beleevest thou that Christ dyed for thee Let thy conscience bee the judge 3 Hath Christ loved us so dearly Christs death merits our love that merited heaven for us as to suffer such dreadful torments for us then what shall wee do for Christ O man return this day an Answer to the Lord what course thou wilt take to walk suitable to his kindness When David received a deliverance from God hee saies Psal 18.1 I will love thee dearly O Lord my strength God shewed him much love and hee intends to make a retaliation And indeed love is the Load-stone of love Never was such love shown as that of Christ Rev. 1.5 Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Eph. 5.2 Who gave himself for us his life and blood and all Yea hee parted with his fathers love which was a thousand times better than life for us Hee became accursed that might have been blessed Let us not bee scanty in our love to him but give him our heart both freely and liberally to the death his death well merits our love that merits heaven for us Where Christ hath laid such deep ingagements sleepy faint good wishes will not serve the turn Love in Christ was stronger than death 't is pitty that any cold velleities of love and service should bee our sacrifice All blessings of the World should endear us more and more to the Lord but oh what an Obligation should it bee that Christ became a Curse for us The very Master-piece of all mercies and blessings to the Elect yea it gives a sweet seasoning to all our blessings which have a Curse cleaving to them for all that are out of Christ turning all their sweet morsels into the poyson of Asps or into gravel Prov. 1.32 yea their prosperity is destructive Alas what are Riches and Accommodations and good fare when the Lord once charges Sin upon the conscience what is it to bee rich and reprobate to bee deliciously fed with the rich Glutton and a damned creature The World is a Prison and Riches are shakels Creatures are enemies all wee have is vanity and vexation of spirit all blessings turned into cursings Mercies are curses without Christs death yea and all Ordinances gifts parts duties c. without Christs blood are but carnal things You say how doth that appear why Eph. 1.3 those are alone spiritual
they come in at the Ministry of the Word It is not the will of the Father that one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18.14 All these do mightily help to confirm our faith 2 It should teach us highly to prize this propitiation of Jesus Christ It was pretious to God the Father and so ought it to bee to us 1 Pet. 2.6 7. God the Father gave Christ the preheminence in all and above all Hee preached him with his own voice and bade all men to hear him He set him forth with mighty signes and wonders and gifts of the Holy Ghost and the ministration of his Angels and acclamations of his Saints c. How highly then should he be prized by us 3 It should teach men to set a high price upon their own fouls You see that when they are in Captivity and slavery to Satan and in a lost estate there is nothing in the World no not all the World with all its worth can redeem them but only the propitiation of Jesus Christ Mat. 16.26 When God gave Egypt for his peoples ransome and Aethiopia and Seba for them hee shewed that hee prized them at a high rate Isa 42.3 4. But all the Kingdomes of the world are base and vile if compared with the foul of man God set that at the price of his Sons blood and Christ did so esteem it that hee gave his life for it Should it not then bee highly valued of us 4 As God the father set forth this Christ to us so let us set forth this Christ as a propitiation to God the father When wee apprehend God to bee displeased and angry with us wee may humbly go to him and say Lord thou hast before all time set a part and ever since time began set forth thy Son Jesus Christ to bee a propitiation for sinners Now thus thou hast imboldened us to set forth the same Jesus Christ to be our Propitiation to thee Thou hast sealed him to bee such and now thou canst not deny thy own hand and seal Joh. 6.27 Wee are fure that Christ is an offering and sacrifice of sweet smelling savour unto God Eph. 5.2 How unsavory so ere that wee are or have been And if wee pay God in his own coin that will bee current with him Lastly Set forth Christs propitiation to others every one to your respective relations As the Spouse Cant. 5. last He is altogether lovely Loe this is my beloved and this my Friend c. Inform the ignorant convince the erroneous ashame the voluptuous and contemners of Christ out of that foolish choice which they have made of other lovers instead of him Draw all that you may that they may forsake all other besides that they may go and seek him with you as chap. 6.1 Justification by Faith THE FOURTEENTH SERMON ON Romans 3.25 Through Faith in his blood HAving spoken concerning the satisfaction of Christ and the excellent fruit and effect thereof i. e. a propitiation I shall now proceed to that which is called the Instrumental cause of Justification Laid down in those words faith in his blood whence I shall note two observations 1 That the satisfaction of Christ is effectual to our justification through faith 2 That Faith as it justifieth doth especially apprehend the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ Doct. 1. That the Satisfaction of Christ is effectual to the Justification of a Sinner through Faith Christs blood justifieth through faith Or That it is through the grace of Faith that the blessing of Justification is attained and conveyed This the Text holds forth plainly to us viz. That although wee are justified freely through Christs purchase and redemption yet Gods constituted way of applying this free grace of God and Merit of Christ to Sinners is through Faith and this is that which Paul makes his solemn conclusion vers 28. and a mighty ground of Christian Religion viz. Our justification by Faith without the works of the Law Which hee proves by the impossibility of justification by works by the Testimony of Habakkuk and by the Example of Abraham Rom. 4.9 11. Gal. 2.16 c. in diverse places plentifully insisted on Now for the better understanding of this truth it will bee needful to Answer a few questions 1 In what sense it is that through Faith a Sinner is justified 2 How Paul and James are reconciled 3 Why is it rather through faith than any other graces Quest In what sense is it that through Faith a Sinner is justified Answ For Answer In what sense faith justifieth I shall shew first in what sense it doth not justify then how it doth 1 A Sinner is not justified by Faith as it is a vertue or work in us because the Apostle doth exclude all works as such from Justification and Faith and works are opposed Rom. 3.28 Besides if it hath its place in justification as a work it cannot stand with the free grace of God Rom. 4.16 for grace and works are still opposed Rom. 11.5 6. Further that righteousness by which a sinner is justified must be exact and perfect but our faith is imperfect 1 Thess 3.10 2 Faith doth not justify as if the very act of beleeving were the matter of righteousnesse or any part thereof by which wee stand righteous before God This appears in that the righteousness by which wee are justified is not our own Phil. 3.9 but our faith is our own though wrought in us by the Spirit of God Hab. 2.4 and by these two Answers wee oppose two errours viz. of the Papists and Arminians who wickedly rob Jesus Christ of his honour and make an Idol of faith whereas wee are justified by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.9 vers 19. by the obedience of one c. 3 Faith doth onely justify us relatively or as it hath reference to its object Jesus Christ and his righteousness As the hand of a beggar receiving a bag of Gold bestowed upon him inriches him Now it s not the hand properly but it is the bag of gold freely bestowed that makes a beggar rich So the hand of the woman that touched our Saviour Christ healed her not as it was a hand but as it conveyed the vertue that came out of Jesus Christ So a mans faith is said to justify him because it receiveth Christ or the righteousness of Christ and indeed whatsoever is done by faith is done by Christ and therefore our being said to bee justified by faith Rom. 3.28 Eph. 2.8 is our being justified by Christ But here is a great Question How can it bee said that Faith can justify so much as instrumentally seeing that an Instrument is a cause how then can wee have any hand as causes in our Justification Answ Justification taken actively and passively Wee are to know that Justification is taken two waies 1 Actively 2 Passively The active Justification is that whereby God the Father justifies a sinner and pronounceth him just for the
power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings and this was that he might undoubtedly conclude his communion with Christ in his death how should be conclude that hee addes being made conformable to his death and what conformity to Christ's death can there be without mortification of sin I might adde also those places that speak of the cleansing vertue of the death of Christ Heb. 9.14 1 Joh. 1.7 Tri. 4. The true knowledge of Christ crucified doth crucifie us to the world and the world to us Gal. 6.14 Paul looked at the world as a dead thing a carrion which hee loathed so hee looked at the honours riches delights and lusts that the world dotes upon hee looked at it as a dead Carcase yea a crucified i. e. an accursed thing to set his heart upon and though Paul was eminent this way and above the ordinary sort of beleevers yet you shall find all the faithful even the weakest have some measure of this disposition in them as Zacheus when salvation came to his house Luke 19. and Phil. 3.18 19. they that minde earthly things are enemies to the Crosse of Christ but our conversation is in heaven hee speaks of all the faithful there is our trading and dealing Briefly the Apostle makes covetousnesse not only enmity against God Jam. 4.4 but intollerable in a Church of Christ 1 Cor. 5.11 If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous c. Oh then what exceeding cause is there to inquire into our knowledge of Christ to see what it is if it cannot stand with a covetous or worldly frame of heart Vse 3. Instruction to beleevers where to cast anchor in whatever storms or tempests that wee meet withall in this present life that is that we pitch our faith and exercise it in Christ crucified O beloved in the Lord I beseech you not to content your selves with Spiritual things in the lump or the Mystery of Christ in a heap though they may give some sweet savour yet they are in comparison like a bundle of Spices that are whole or a Box of Oyntment shut up and not poured out If the Spices be bruised and the Oyntment poured out oh then how sweet and fragrant is the smell and so let us break as it were this Mystery of Christ in pieces and labour for a distinct understanding and beleeving in Christ this will make these things farre more savoury behold the several beauties of Christ as the Church did Cant. 5.10 see the beauty of every part of Christ Remember what himself said Where the Carcasse is c. this is the crucified Saviour and who are Eagles but beleevers to whom the Crosse of Christ is savoury and they will sent it a great way and flock together from farre to feed upon it Mot. 1. Consider we what it is to bee a Christian truly it is to sprout and spring up out of the grave of Christ Isa 53.10 When he shall make his soul an offering for sin hee shall see his seed i. e. his posterity and Joh. 12.24 Verily verily I say unto you except a grain of wheat fall to the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit fruit which springs forth from Christs death Heb. 2.10 who by suffering death brought many sons to glory i. e. the children of God and Christ the whole Catholick Church are but the seeds that sprout out from a Crucified and dying Redeemer Mot. 2. There is all sufficiency to be had for justification in a crucified Saviour Luke 14.17 Come for all things are ready and such an one that comes shall never hunger nor thirst Joh. 6.35 The soul is compleat in Christ Col. 2.10 and though there is nothing but emptinesse in other things and those that feed upon them feed on ashes Isa 44.20 and labour in the fire Hab. 2.13 follow the East wind Hos 12.1 and spend their labour for that that is not bread Isa 55.1 2. yet there is fulnesse enough in Christ crurified there is bread eough as the Prodigal saith in our Fathers house Luke 15.17 â—â— Alas quoth he I follow after those things that will not satisfie and am ready to famish for want of bread amongst the husks of the profits and pleasures of this world but in Christ crucified is bread enough full satisfaction and supply of all my wants then whither shall I goe but unto him and beleeve on him Mot. 3. Consider whose bloud it is the bloud of himself i. e. of the person that is God that must needs have infinite worth and value in it Mot. 4. The Lord Jesus himself takes contentment and satisfaction in beleevers betaking themselves to him and his crosse Hee is satisfied in seeing the travel of his soul Isa 53.10 11. The woman that hath had sore travel in Child-bearing when she beholds the fruit of her body forgets her pains and is comforted So it is with our blessed Saviour who takes great contentment when such sinful Creatures doe fly unto his precious bloud for refuge and sanctuary Dir. 1. Above all things take pains to know Jesus Christ and him crucified and that experimentally this was Pauls setled resolution and determination 1 Cor. 2.2 and he picks out above all other this sweet flower or jewel The phrase is not ordinary but it is used to signifie that Paul made it his end that he proposed to himself in Christ let me tell you there is enough in Christ crucified to busie your meditations upon Dir. 2. Labour to see the daily necessity of Christ crucified every day as long as thou livest consider that every day not only in regard of sins but the best duties you have need of this bloud of sprinkling Heb. 9.19 20. He sprinkled with bloud both the tabernacle and the people and the book and the vessels of the ministry almost all things were purged with bloud and when the destroyers are abroad Heb. 11.28 there is nothing in the world can keep off the destroyer but the bloud of the Paschal Lamb Heb. 13.20 21. Dir. 3. O have a singular care to take heed of sinning against the bloud of Christ how ever held forth to thee It is held forth in the ministry of the Gospel Gal. 3.1 2. and in the Sacraments and there is a dreadful wrong done to the bloud of Christ by unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.27 such an one is guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ i. e. he commits such a sin as Judas or the Jewes in murthering Christ Oh! how loud doth the bloud of Christ cry against such sinners that so prophane the Lords Table either by ignorance or mean preparation to it and so Apostacy from the faith is called trampling under foot the bloud of Christ c. Heb. 10.26 27. Dir. 4. Doe as the faithful of old in offering up their sacrifices for propitiation or sin-offerings for they were all types of our Propitiation and Christs
see the helplesnesse of such persons who though there be but one way in the world to be saved Acts. 4.12 yet they set at nought this way There is but one Ark to save them from eternal destruction and that they make a mock of as the Old world did and now it is in vain to look for salvation any where else Jer. 3.22 Nay this refusal is your condemnation Joh. 3.19 Joh. 10.26 Luke 12.46 Joh. 12.39 and though by common providence you are saved from the miseries of your outward man yet know this that it is another businesse to bee saved from your sins and Christ came not to save us from our afflictions but from our sins Matth. 1.21 and these are by farre the greatest calamities and evils that we are subject to Briefly there you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity and must bear your own iniquities your selves and in your unbelief are bound to keep the whole Law Rom. 11.32 and bound to the curse of the Law Gal. 5.3 Quest How shall I know whether the bond of my iniquity bee broken or no Ans You may know by what Christ tells you Joh. 8.34 Verily verily I say unto you he that committeth sin is a servant of sin Now to commit sin in his sense is to practise iniquity or to live in the commission of any known sin be it Pride Covetousnesse Uncleannesse Malice or whatsoever evil way it is thou art still then a slave of sin and Christ hath not set you free from the bondage of it Rom. 7.5 When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death and so long as these motions are at work say not I have Abraham to my father and God to my Father for there is another father whose lusts yee doe and you see how peremptory the Lord Jesus is in affirming it because he knowes the world will not easily beleeve it Vse 2. Comfort to beleevers in regard of this effectual satisfaction of Christ and the comfort stands in the blessednesse of their estate which is 1 That they are discharged from all their sins without exception Be of good chear your sins are forgiven you Matth. 9.2 though there be some sins which yee have committed are more hainous than the rest as David and Paul have done yet the grace of God is exceedingly abundant 1 Tim. 1.13 and there is no sin that can bring or plead any accusation against you Rom. 8.3 God sending his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh i.e. all our sin is condemned in the flesh of Jesus Christ he hath undertook to answer and hath answered all the pleas and accusations of sin that are made against a beleever so that the righteousnesse of God is fulfilled in us and sin being pardoned God thinks no worse of us than if we had never sinned 2 Consider what manner of discharge from sin this is it is perfect and it is everlasting It is perfect and leaves the soul all fait Cant. 4.10 and he gave himself for his Church that he might make it without spot or blemish to present it to himself a glorious Church Ephes 6.26 27. and Ezek. 16.9 I washed thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy bloud c. Besides it is everlasting Jer. 31.33 34. I will remember thy sins no more Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions c. as our of a debt-book So Heb. 10.16 And though wee can remember them to charge them upon our selves that were such and such yet God will not charge them on us and if he doe not who is the Judge what hath any caviler to doe with us Quest But how can this bee that God should be so forgetful of our sins Ans He saith I will not remember your iniquities that is as yours I have put them upon another account 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Q. Why but suppose I should fall again and again into the same sins c. Ans First look that your faith and interest in Christ be sound and if it bee sound this doctrin will not embolden you to sin for we write these things that you sin not 1 Joh. 2.1 and then your new folly shall not be charged upon you for you have the same Advocate with the Father as ever you had and God doth not play fast and loose with his servants but his promises are all Yea and Amen and his Covenant that shall stand inviolable maugre the gates of Hell it is to remember thy sins no more It may be the world judges hardly of thee and layes these and those Inditements against thee but it is no matter the Judge of all the world will acquit thee and will not mention them against thee either in the day of Death or Judgement 1 Cor. 4.3 It is a small thing for me to be judged of you he that judgeth me is the Lord. He that hath said it will stand to it he will never remember thine iniquities though they have been never so many never so great and though corruptions still remain in thee yet God sees them not so as to impute them but to pardon and heal them He sees no iniquity in Jacob c. Numb 23.21 Suppose the rod of God be upon thee and thou smartest and sayest Now God calleth my sins to remembrance yet beleeve it God is true when he speaks of the future time that hee will remember thy sins no more It may be when God afflicts you hee would have you call your sins to remembrance but hee will not doe it 3 Consider that this was Gods end in giving his Son and Christs end in giving himself to be a Propitiation it was for the remission of sins i. e. for all the sins of beleevers and can we think that God will lose his end Paul saith that his grace was not in vain 1 Cor. 15.10 for if it bee then it is either because he cannot attain his end or because he will not if he cannot obtain his end he should not be Omnipotent or something should hinder him and be stronger than he if he will not hee would derogate from his wisdome to bee so changeable and from his truth that he fails not of his word and promise yea that absurdity would follow that Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2.21 which is the greatest absurdity in the world 4 The bloud of Christ alone dischargeth us from our sins it needs no addition to be made to it Heb. 10.14 By one offering c. that now which is perfected by one offering is spoyled by any addition whatsoever if any thing should bee required to be performed by us in way of addition to it then we were undone and could never bee able to attain to this discharge So that
God in such a way as to overthrow his truth his truth of his promises Tit. 1.4 Grace Mercy and Peace are from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ There is no Mercy to bee expected from God but through Jesus Christ Luk. 1.50 His mercy is on them that fear him they that do not fear God have no title to his mercy so there is the truth of his threatnings that hee will not bee merciful to any wicked transgressour Psal 59.5 to any one that loves his sin and lives in it and refuses to bee reformed Gods mercy is as it were the bridge over the pit to carry the soul to heaven but a man that hath his eies will bee careful that he tread not beside as upon the shadow of the bridge instead of the bridge Yea it is railed as it were with his truth beware of going without the rail lest you drop into the pit now those that we speak of go with out the rail and the promises and threatnings are against them so they do evidently trust in a lye saying They shall have Peace Mercy walking in the stubbornness of their own hearts Deut. 29.19 20. but the Lord saith hee will not bee merciful to such but besides the great delusion is that they do look for pardon of sin by meer mercy with the wrong or denial of the justice of God 3 There cannot possibly bee any remission of sin unlesse that God can pardon in Justice as well as Mercy There can bee no dispensation for this If God could have pardoned sin without the price of redemption then certainly Christ dyed altogether in vain For what did the father send forth Christ to bee the Propitiation for sin to shew his justice how can they beleeve that if Gods justice did not exact the price If the price might have been omitted without any prejudice to his justice could God bee eternally just if hee had not punished sin at all Prov. 17.15 To justify the wicked without satisfaction to justice is an abomination to the Lord and will the Lord do that which is abominable to him will any King put his own Son to death to save a traitours life when hee can freely pardon the traitour if hee will surely that were an unnatural and a cruel part and can wee think that God the Father will give up his onely begotten Son to death to save sinners when hee may out of meer grace and mercy pardon them without such a sacrifice certainly God would never do it Briefly the sinner must necessarily satisfy justice either by himself or by his surety or else it is utterly impossible that his sin should bee forgiven Heb. 10.26 27. Without a sacrifice for sin there remains nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation that shall devour the adversaries Doth any soul expect pardon without Christ then hee expects peace without any sacrifice for him but the Text saith that without this there remains nothing but a fearful expectation c. Briefly such a hope of pardon is interpretatively no better than Atheism and denial of God For it denies the justice of God it denies his purity and holinesse it denies his Soveraignty yea it denies Christ if the Lord bee God hee is just and holy and Judge of all the World and if hee bee just hee cannot pardon sin but in a way of justice and that sealed by Christs blood I pray consider that Psal 89.13 14. Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand consider what a God you have to deal withall hee is a mighty strong God no creature is able to withstand him if hee bee displeased Object I but he is merciful too Answ 1. Psalm 89.14 Justice and judgement are the habitation of his Throne mercy and truth shall go before his face justice and judgement are the basis and supporter of his Throne take away justice and you pull down his royal Throne you make him no longer King or Judge mercy and truth are his harbingers 2 They are offered first and when refused Justice doth execution So a like place Psal 36.5 6. Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy faithfulnesse reacheth unto the Clouds that is there is a vastnesse and immensity in both they are very great but whence is his Justice so great his righteousnesse is like the strong mountains c. as if hee had said the righteousnesse of God is as unsupportable and unmoveable as the strong mountains and his judgements they do not swim aloft but they are an infinite and unsearchable depth You cannot bear them nor remove Gods righteousness nor measure or fathom his judgements and thou that art a sinner hast these mountains ready to fall upon thee and art sinking into this great deep What is it that makes the Devils eternally miserable but that they have no Christ to satisfy the justice of God and if a sinner on earth live and dye without Christ he is as uncapable of salvation as those in the 2 of the Ephes 12. Object 2. The Justice of God is answered in Christ for mee Answ True indeed there is no other Name under heaven given amongst men whereby wee shall be saved and happy is that soul that can groundedly plead this and most miserable is he or shee that is deceived herein it is an errour in the foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay Beloved let us take heed of an errour in this which is very common 1 Joh. 3.6 7. Consider whether there bee not Gods Writ sent out against you frequently signed in an open Court as Micaiah said to Ahab 2 Chron. 18 2â— hath not the Lord pronounced against thee in the threatnings in his Word yea hath not the Arrest been served upon thee in the secret accusation of thy conscience when thou hast shifted it off as Felix did Pauls Sermon Act. 24.25 Consider how thy heart is affected with the doctrin of Gods justice and the judgements to come Is it not with thee as it was with that unhappy Felix doth not thy heart I say not onely tremble but swell against the truth of God doth it not secretly wish there were no Assizes yea art thou not still in the Jailours custody as a malefactor Beware of that which Elihu speaks Job 36.17 18. thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee that is they are seizing upon thee Because there is wrath beware lest hee take thee away with his stroak then a great ransome cannot deliver thee will hee esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Gods Justice in a Sinners Justification THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH SERMON ON Rom. 3.25 26. That he might be just and the Justifier c. NOT onely the exact Truth of God Doct. 1 or the abundance of his Grace but also his strict justice do concur and act in the justification of a sinner in
and clear when thou judgest David was now all for justifying of God in whatsoever hee said and did and so should wee Let us take heed of entertaining such thoughts as do rise up against the justice of God 't is a great sin to fly out against the Justice of civil Courts as is the practice of some The Prophet Isaiah speaks of a sad time wherein hee lived Chap. 59.4 None calls for justice nor any pleads for the truth Amos 5.10 They hate him that rebuketh in the Gate this is a horrid crime to bee against the Justice of the Magistrate but wee speak now of a higher matter which is the justice of God himself and to be against this is to bee against God himself for Gods Justice is his very Name and being It were well if they would consider this who do so vehemently decry the preaching of the Law whereas every wise and sober Christian knows 't is his duty to love the strictest commands of God and that they are very useful to keep him from sinning against God Psal 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee and so in another place By the words of thy mouth saith David I have kept mee from the paths of the destroyer And as some are against the strictnesse of the Commands so others are offended at the severity of Gods threatnings Amos 7.10 The Prophet there denounced the judgements of God against Jeroboam and Amaziah said The Land was not able to bear his words and hee must bee gone from Bethel vers 12.13 How harshly did the chief Priests and Pharisees resent those threanings of Christ Luk. 20.16 when Christ there told them that the Lord of the vineyard should destroy the cruel Husbandmen and give the vineyard to others they said God forbid and as it was with them so it is with the people with whom wee have to do in our ministry God forbid say they that there should bee so much severity in God as Ministers speak of but beloved is not preventing justice pretious justice and preventing Physick the best doth it not argue much tenderness in a father to threaten the Rod to his Childe if hee shall adventure to come near to a pit where hee may bee drowned So I say of the judgements of God as they are all righteous and just when they are executed upon Gods Enemies so they are for the prevention of sin in his Children wherefore instead of slandering the Justice of God or repining at it let us justify his waies Lam. 3.39 40. Why doth the living man complain a man that suffereth for his sin Let us search and try our waies and turn again unto the Lord. The drowning of the Old World the burning of Sodome with fire and brimstone the destruction of Jerusalem seems harsh to flesh and blood and some there are that quarrel against and are not afraid to deny the eternity of Hell torments and yet wee are not displeased with a man that kills a brood of Serpents or a kennel of wolves and why Because there is an antipathy in our natures against such harmeful Creatures Now thus it is in Case of sinning against God sin is contrary to Gods nature and Gods nature is contrary to sin if fire burns fuell who blames it or wonders at it and why it is the nature of fire so to do and it is the nature of the holy God to hate sin Psal 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright in thy judgements Conclusi 3. If there bee so much evil in sin Wonder at Gods patience in forbearing sin then wonder at the patience of God in forbearing of thee thus long and grow to a self-abhorring and see what an indispensible necessity lies upon every soul for to bee deeply humbled for sin and turned universally from it even whilst it is called to day take notice of that Jerem. 8.8 No man repenteth of his wickedness saying what have I done and let that place bee verified in us Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have peirced and mourn Mr. Calvin interprets that place of God the Father and there may be a truth in it that each person is pierced by our sins Oh! Therefore Mourn as for an onely Sonne and let us bee ashamed that wee can mourn for every petty loss or cross Yea suppose it were the loss of an only Son but cannot mourn at our peircing of Jehovah If a man had brought confusion or destruction upon the whole Creation yet this were infinitely short of the evil of sinne that is a wearinesse to God himselfe Isaiah 1.14 The Lord there complaines of the sinnes of his people though they did so many costly duties that hee was weary to bear them what cannot the infinite God bear them and can a sinful heart bear them Yea how dare a poor wretch live wilfully one hour in sin when as hee knows that God will not pardon it without great Repentance But here perhaps hee will shift or pervert some Scripture or another to palliat his Conscience But now if wee thorowly understand and consider the Argument I am upon wee can finde out no way to escape punishment for our sinnes If this bee true that God cannot in justice pardon sin without punishment God will punish all our sinnes either in our own Persons or in our Surety When I say God cannot let sin pass unpunished the Reason is because God cannot do that which is contrary to his Nature nor change his Nature it were a contradiction to conceit this It is said in the second of Timothy 2.13 God cannot deny himself c. And shall a Sinner then dare to live one hour in such an estate that if God do not or cannot deny himself if hee dye in it hee shall infallibly bee damned Doe not go away now and say as the people did of Ezekiel Chapt. 20. verse the last Do they not say of mee O Lord God doth not this man speak Parables But Friends this is no parable that I Preach but a plain Truth and undeniable and therefore if you are rational you must needs yeeld to the strength of these things 4 If there bee so much evil in sin then let us set our strength against it and all the temptations of Satan whereby by hee labours to draw us into it I might here tell you of the danger of sinne how that death is the wages therof and that eternal fire shall bee the portion of all impenitent sinners But Brethren it is a stronger Argument when I tell you that it is contrary to God and this is true not only of great sinnes but also of small as it is sin those little sinnes as wee term them even vain thoughts Jer. 4.14 and Idle words Matth. 12.36 do expose you to Eternal Wrath not onely a prophane Conversation but also a vain Conversation will prove thy destruction without a Redeemer and therefore Christ dyed for this end to redeem
the intensnesse and strength of it that it was stronger than death and all this to wash us from our sins 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive wee the love of God because he laid down his life c. sustaining the pains of death Of what death the First and Second Death He washed us in his bloud from all the filthinesse of Hell and Death All the dunghills in the world cannot defile us as sin doth and it was the filth of sin that Christ's bloud washed us from Sin defiles the soul yea the whole man Matth. 15.19 You then that are beloved ones and washed can yee content your selves with a slight consideration of this What manner of love is this Qualis Quantus 1 Joh. 3.1 Ephes 3.18 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. Mark here is a thing that concerns all Saints and wee should labour for such might and strength as not only to apprehend in our minds but comprehend and lay hold upon all the measures of this love in our hearts and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge i. e. either all other knowledge or else all the knowledge of carnal persons or all the knowledge of the Saints in the perfection of it that is it is the most desirable blessing in the world to understand the love of Christ aright Wee can never know too much of this love What should this love work upon our hearts truly wee should bee rooted and grounded in love not only have some leaves of profession but be rooted and grounded in it and it may lye deep in our hearts as roots and foundations use to doe yea this love of the Lord Jesus must bear up all the bulke and wait of our Christian trials yea as a root feed and nourish other graces and holy indeavours in us Oh it is much to be lamented that so many have left their first love They are but few sure that have ever had any rooted or grounded love to Christ at all that is suitable to Gospel measure or rule Luk. 7.47 What is the Gospel measure of love A. Matth. 10.37 Hee that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me i. e. our love to Christ should exceed all other loves and affections in our hearts yea in comparison of Christ we should hate father and mother c. Luk. 14.26.33 wee should hate all forsake all so farre as they stand in competition with Christ or the things of Christ else we cannot be the Disciples of Christ Instr 4. Redeemed ones have great boldnesse towards God This may work in all redeemed ones a marvellous boldnesse towards God that which the Scripture often expresses Ephes 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse of accesse with confidence Heb. 10.19 Having boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus It is sweet and precious that we have Heb. 4.16 Let us goe with boldnesse to the Throne of grace c. i. e. to Christ our High Priest hee hath set up a Mercy-seat for us And is that all Nay but saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Wee are come to God the Judge of all and we are come to the Seat of Justice and wee may in an humble boldnesse plead the justice of God and say Lord who art the Judge of all doe mee justice thou art just and therefore the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Oh ponder and take again upon thy heart the meaning of this it is not only that hee may bee merciful and gracious and the Justifier of beleevers though that bee a sweet and precious truth too to be beleeved and rejoyced in but it is that hee may bee just Oh beloved this is the very quintessence of faith when as the beleever by faith shall present unto God the Father the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for satisfaction for sins and goe to him with a full price in his hand and current pay and to say as they doe in dealing here is one and there is t'other and this is not bare distributive but commutative justice between God and man where there is not only Geometrical but Arithmetical proportion that is weight for weight and measure for measure is observed Oh then tender all the pay together all the obedience of Christ active and passive tender we to the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of Christ it is such a jewel as exceeds our sins infinitely though they have been very many and great Gods justice shall be no loser by us at all and let poor beleevers incourage and embolden their hearts with this Luther was bold when he prayed thus not only Fiat voluntas tua but Fiat voluntas mea not only let thy will be done but let my will be done and it was but the confidence of faith upon this ground we are speaking of Oh beloved the world will account this malepertnesse to come thus before God that they are more bold than welcome but they are strangers to these things and to all that liberty we have in Christ Gal. 2.4 It would be sauciness indeed for those that are out of Christ to approach at any time on this manner to God but let the Children take this as the daily portion of the Childrens bread and it is no wrong to that text 1 Joh. 1.9 to take it in this sense If we confess our sins he is just for Christs sake to forgive us our sins nor to that 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse Inst Adore the righteousnesse of God in all his wayes 5. If God be thus just exactly just in the justification of a Sinner let us learn to acknowledge and adore the righteousness of God in all his wayes Psal 145.17 If his mercy doth not pardon one sin but in a course of justice through the death of Christ then doubtlesse the Justice of God will not be bafled or turned aside in the managing other matters in the world The light of Nature sees nothing but mercy in this case but the light of Grace sees Gods justice also So that though God deals otherwise many times in many things than we could have expected or can see a reason of yet he is always just and holy in his proceedings and it is not enough for us to acknowledge the righteousnesse and holinesse of God in some of his ways and works or in his ways towards others and not towards our selves and in his dealing with some persons and not with all but wee must justifie the Lord in our hearts and words always in all things toward all in all the ways of his providences in his afflicting the godly as well as punishing the wicked Ezra 9.13 yea in the prosperity of the wicked In his great Counsels of Election and Reprobation in the rejection of the Jews c. of which when Paul had spoken Rom. 11. he
was besides since the foundation of the world 2 In respect of the severity and universality of the execution of justice Sea Joseph de bello Jud. upon all sin and sinners that receive not but reject Christ crucified There was never such justice executed upon any people as there was upon the Jews for this sin Mark 13.19 So I may say in regard of others that now set at nought the grace of God in Christ their judgement sleeps not Mat. 11.20 c. It shall bee more tollerable for Sodome and Gomorrah at the day of judgement than for such and dreadful is that Mal. 4.1 2. Behold the day comes that shall burn as an oven and all the Proud and all that do wickedly shall bee stubble and the day comes that shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts and leave them neither root nor branch but to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousnesse appear which healing in his wings these daies of Christ to them that fear God are refreshing Sun-shining daies but for the rest the oven the fiery furnace is heating for them yea seven times hotter than ordinarily it uses what shall now become of proud ruffian-like Professors and carnal Gospellers there will bee bundles of such stubble thrown into the Oven now in the daies of the Gospel Quest 2. Why was the demonstration of the glory of Gods justice the main end of the shedding of Christs blood Rom. 9.22 23. Wee have indeed in the general that the glory of Gods mercy is aimed at in the decree of Election of the vessels of mercy and the glory of Gods justice in the vessels of wrath but how can this concern our Saviour Christ Answ All the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 but the glory of God is divided in some sort in respect of men and women Elect and Reprobate but all the glory of God is united together in Christ so to give you the reasons of the point Reas 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. It is taken from the exceeding glorious excellency of the justice of God that as it is said of true justice though but humane that neither the morning nor the evening star is so admirable as justice is It may bee much more said of the justice of God which is infinitely brighter than the Sun in the firmament that dazles the eies of the brightest Angels in Heaven that they are fain to cover their faces from the beholding of it When the Spirit of God describes the Lord in his glorious Majesty it sets him forth with the clothing of righteousnesse See Isa 59.17 Hee put on righteousnesse as a breast-plate and the helmet of salvation upon his head hee put on the garments of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeal as a Cloak c. Psal 94.1 2. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self Lift up thy self thou judge of the earth render a reward to the proud Gods lifts up himself exceedingly when hee sits on his judgement Seat and exercises justice in exactnesse in those famous Visions of Dan. 7.9 10. Rev. 4.2.3 the Lord is described as sitting upon his Throne of Majesty and Justice in a glorious manner and in his Royalty Yea moreover for the necessity and usefulnesse of Gods justice the World cannot bee without it hence the Lord is described with his plumb-line in his hand Amos 7.7 8. So Isa 28.17 the plumb-line is the embleme of Divine Justice look how necessary the plumb-line is to the rearing of a building and the repairing of it such is the use and necessity of Divine Justice hee takes away the unevennesse and inequality of persons and things by reason of sin hee tries them by this level were it not for this the whole frame of the world would totter and tumble down so that the demonstration of the glory of Gods Justice is a glorious end Reas 2. It was necessary that the Justice of Gods proceedings should bee cleared above all things in the death of Christ It was liable in the judgement of flesh and blood to grievous exceptions and cavils as appears both by Scripture and experience Isa 53.3 4 The Jews say Wee thought him smitten of God and afflicted So 1 Cor. 1.23 Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Learned Greeks foolishnesse the Jews thought it enough excuse for them to reject Christ because hee was hanged on a tree and the Greeks thought it folly to look for salvation from him that could not save himself from such an ignominious death yea it was a cunning plot of the Devil to suggest this to the Heathen of old Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem It is rank folly to hope for salvation by anothers death And it is the hellish reasoning of blasphemers in these times how can it stand with the Justice of God that the just should suffer for the unjust should not the righteous rather be delivered and the unrighteous be punished Therfore the Lord here would stop every mouth and cut off all objections when hee saith that the death of Christ was to that end to demonstrate to all the World the glory of his Justice there cannot any thing in the World bee mentioned like unto this to clear up the Justice of God when as the Lord would not spare his onely Son having no more but sin imputed Thus of the second Reason Reas 3. Is taken from the glory of other attributes God hath the glory of other Attributes with the Glory of his Justice that redounds to God together with the glory of his justice as especially of his Wisdome Grace Holinesse and providential Government First The Glory of the Wisdome of God appears herein that hee hath devised a way in that desperate extremity that sin hath cast all mankinde into that a remnant might be saved I will not say as some do weakly if not dangerously to reconcile Justice and Mercy together for they are not to bee opposed or dis-agree in God but are one and the same pure and simple being in him but to glorify his infinite excellencies * The Scripture speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the language of men in the reconciliation of his chosen ones that sinne might bee punished and condemned and the sinner escape the Law might bee made up and accomplished Justice might have its course and the Supream Majesty offended might be reconciled Hence it is said Col. 2.3 That in Christ Jesus all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge are hidden The meaning whereof is not only that Jesus Christ hath all Wisdome and Knowledge in him but that also the Wisdome of the Father in all the abundance thereof shines most clearly in the sending and whole mystery of Christ And more plainly Eph. 1.7 In Christ wee have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sins according to the riches of
his grace wherein hee hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence It was such abundance of wisdome that no creature could reach unto or comprehend that this strange way should bee found out for a sinners attonement 2 The Glory and Riches of Gods grace are singularly manifested hereby it had been glorious grace if that God should or could of his good will alone towards men have pardoned their iniquities as Saul said to David 1 Sam. 24.19 If a man find his enemy will hee let him go well away but sinful men and women which of themselves are Gods enemies and cannot hide themselves any where but God will finde them hee not only lets them go well away and freely pardons them but freely forgives them in such a way that cost him so exceeding dear as the blood of his onely Son When there was no other sufficient remedy for the misery of man but this when as the pardon and redemption of souls is so exceeding costly and pretious this above measure exalts the riches of Gods grace as David said 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer of that that cost mee nothing This was Davids royal spirit So this is Gods royal love that hee saved not his people in a way that cost him nothing 1 Joh. 4.9 10. Herein is the love of God manifest to us that hee sent his Son into the World to dye that wee might live by him And again Herein is love that hee sent his Son to bee a Propitition for our sins they that do not understand this have too low and mean conceits of the love and grace of God 3 Here is a demonstration of the glory of the Holinesse of the Lord in his so hating and punishing of sin even to the uttermost though but imputed and that to such a Son he that breaks a pitcher because deadly poyson was in it or burieth a beggars coat because infected with the plague shews his hatred to them but hee that throws away a vessel of gold because poysoned or burneth or burieth some royal and rich robes for the leprosy cleaving to them hee is carried with greatest indignation against the corruptions of them now this is the case of Gods hatred of the sins of the Elect imputed to the Son of God here is the pearl of great price even the richest treasure so and so dealt withall this is mighty holiness and hatred of sin Psal 99.8 9 It is said Thou art a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions Whence hee inferres Exalt the Lord our God for hee is holy hee speaks of the Lords manner of forgiving of the sins of his people it was with vengeance for their inventions surely this is an holy God but this is incomparably more to pardon the sins of his Elect in such a way by laying the chastisement of their peace on his only Son Oh what an holy God is this 4 Adde to the rest the glory of Gods Kingdome Providence and Government This is that which the Saints do blesse the Lord for Psal 145.10 11. They speak of the glory of thy kingdome and talk of thy power now the glory of Gods kingdome appears in this that hee rectifies all the disorders that are in the world by sin there is no confusion in the World but that which is in sin or brought in by it which hath made the world like that woful land Job 10.21 22. A land of darknesse and of the shaddow of death without order now to bring all into order again was a busy work and this is a glorious work of the government and providence of the Lord. There are strange examples of Gods glory in holy Writ concerning this in the sin of Josephs brethren selling Joseph into Egypt to bee a bond-servant accused imprisoned and in great abasement many years what strange disorder was here how strangely did the Lord rectify and amend this by setting him at liberty making him Ruler over all the land of Egypt and making his brethren to stoop to him and be beholding to him for their sustenance afterwards Another Example I might tell you of of the great confusion among the Jews by Hamans sin in the daies of Ahasuerus yet how gloriously did the Lord work for his Church in the confusion of Haman and the deliverance of the Church and the destruction of their enemies Here was a great deal of disorder by sin but Gods providence set all in right order again yea and brought great good out of all this disorder that wee may say according to Sampsons riddle out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong sweetnesse but the matter in hand is a greater and deeper riddle Adams sin had brought a woful Ataxy and confusion into all the world and grievous dishonour to God then Providence findes out a way by the death and blood shed of the second Adam to bring all into a better order than ever they were before in the Lord makes a better and a surer covenant and ordered in all things 2 Sam. 23.5 and Christ is set up in his Kingdome to order and to establish it with justice and judgement for ever Isay 9.7 Ye may see by all this what abundance of glory redounds unto God by the death of Christ and the sinners justification thereby Vse 1. Refutation of Socinians Refutation of that damnable blasphemy of the Socinians in making the death of Christ onely exemplary and no wise satisfactory whereby they do rob God of his glory and would disappoint him of his principal end of the incarnation of his onely begotten Son yea and rob him of his glory which hee hath sworn that hee would not give unto another The Devil hath formerly done great mischief to Christian Religion by Heresies of Monstrous shapes but this is a blasphemy of a more bloody dye whereby hee induces down-right Paganism or as bad as Turcism again Oh that such a Godlesse Christlesse-villany should bee ever tollerated to harbour amongst Christians This is a lamentation and shall surely bee the saddest lamentation of these last perilous times Use 2. The Doctrin of Gods justice is sutable to the Gospel It may serve to discover and confute the general mistake and error about the Doctrin of the Gospel Truely the Lord hath dealt graciously with us in the times of the New Testament and especially with his people in these latter times wherein the Grace of God and the Riches therof are more abundantly sounded forth and magnified above former ages and most blessed is the estate of those vessels of Grace the persons that receive it in truth and are made partakers thereof but beloved I do very much fear lest that Satan get advantage by this means to make innumerable persons to miss their mark and Gods mark too causing them utterly to pervert the doctrine of the Gospel and the grace of God and his principal plot and purpose therein so as to cause many to forget