and please Him with Duties they will ingage Him to give them pardon and in this they have to speak so an under hand Covenant of Works They will do something to please the Mediator and wherein they come short they expect that he will make it up and this is very ordinary in practice If ye ask some what hope have ye of Justification They will answer through Christs Righteousnesse and that is good in so far but ask them again how they will get it they will answer that they will do what they dow or may and they hope that He will pity them ye would look in upon your own hearts and see whether it be not secretly making something of this kind the ground of your title to Christ and of your Justification And yet all this may be and often is in them that will not stoop to the way of Grace nor submit themselves to the Righteousnesse of God They will speak of Christs Righteousness and yet they will needs give Him some compensation and so come never really to renounce their own Righteousnesse and to flee unto His and to hold it up as their defence before God Take but an impartial view of these steps and many of you who suppose that ye are believers will not be found to be so nor Justified before God because ye lay nor claim to it by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law Use 3. There is here ground for all that neglect Christ and do not by Faith take hold of Him to look for a most dreadful Sentence and ground for others who seek Righteousnesse through Faith to look for a most comfortable Sentence 1. Then is this a Truth that Justification is through Faith in Christ then many of you are not Justified And if the Lord prevent it not ye will never be Justified If so then it must be a most dreadful thing not to believe If ye would know what is your condition ye may read it John 3.18 36. He that believeth not is condemned already and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse For it is written cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them If ye really believed this many of you would be under horror to hear what a sad condition ye are in even condemned already and having the Wrath and Curse of God abiding on you because the Word curseth and condemneth all that are not in Christ by Faith This I fear belongs to very many who are altogether secure and carelesse and yet are in reputation amongst us And is it not very sad to be professing fair to have the offer of life and to be treating with God about your peace and yet to be still in the State of enmity with Him So that if death were within twenty four hours march to you you could have nothing to expect but the ratifying of this Sentence of Gods curse upon you We are sure there is as much in this as might in reason put you by all means to study 1. To be Believers for without Faith ye are never over the borders of Gods curse which may lay a chase to you and put you to the necessity of fleeing to Christ for refuge 2. To take some pains to try whether ye be in the Faith as the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be reprobats His meaning is know ye not that this is a truth that ye are in a reprobat or unapproven condition except Christ be in you and Christ is in none but in the Believer If so ought ye not to try your selves if ye be in the Faith if ye be Believers There is no ordinary way to win to the sure and comfortable Knowledge of it but by tryal and if ye be not Believers is there not reason and is it not of your concernment to endeavour by tryall to come to the Knowledge of it As this is ground of terror to the unbeliever so it 's ground of notable consolation to the believer who if he were even put to the reckoning with Paul I was a blasphemer a persecuter injurious yet here is hope for him that he shall be found in Christ not having his own Righteousnesse but Christs believing in Christ will obtain Justification to such a person His Righteousnesse taken hold of and put on by Faith is as pleasing and acceptable to God as the unrighteousnesse of the Sinner is displeasing to him This was it that made David to sing sweetly Psal 32. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity to wit through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as the Apostle clears Rom. 4. As the first branch of the Use shew the necessity of Faith for Chasing Sinners to Christ so this branch is a sweet motive to draw them to Him and if there were moe sensible Sinners amongst us whose own Righteousness misgives them and who are brought to that pass that the Jaylor and Peters hearers were in crying out what shall we do to be saved This word believe in the Lord Jesus and ye shall be saved would make them come in cheerful as he did from the brink not only of Temporal but of Eternal Death It 's this Faith by which we have access to stand before God ye would therefore be earnestly intreated to betake your selves to it and to Jesus Christ by it for your pardon and peace even for your Justification before God 2dly Consider these Words as they hold out the Object of Justifying Faith which is the great thing in them even to discribe Justifying Faith as to it's Object and Effect and in it's concurring to produce this effect And here there are mistakes and errors both in the doctrinal and practical part of all these 1. The Object of it then is Him Jesus Christ the knowledge of him or the Faith of Him or Faith in Him as other Scriptures have it Or looking more nearly to the words it 's Faith in Him as Suffering as Satisfying for Sin as in Soul-travel bearing our iniquities Hence Observe That Christ Jesus His Rightnousnesse holden forth in Gods promise of free Grace is the native and proper Object that saving and justifying Faith takes hold of and rests upon or to the same purpose the saving Grace of Faith that Justifies is that Faith that does peculiarly apply and rest upon Christ Jesus holden forth in Gods promise in the Gospel as the Righteousnesse of a Sinner that believes on him hence the Prophet calleth it here Not Knowledge more generally taken but the knowledge of him and that as He is holden out in this Chapter to wit as surety for Sinners and suffering for
clear if we compare Gods purpose and decree with the event and eff ct for as a thing is in the event and â—ffâ—ct so God intended and purposed in his decree it should be thus the Lords final sentence at the day of Judgment is but the result of his eternal purpose the book of life containing the names of all the Elâ—ct was written to speak so before the Elect existed and as it 's said Acts 15. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning so in a special manner and peculiar way this great work of the Redemption was and they that were to be redeemed particularly knowen and written down in the book of God's decree of election hence it 's said Rom. 11.7 Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained and John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and John 10.28 I give my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish there is Rom 8.30 a concarination linking together of things from Gods purpose and decree of election â—ven to eternal glory which is the result of elâ—ctâ—on And it being very clear thaâ— some are admi ted and owned 〈◊〉 Christ in the great day and othâ—rs nor this is also cleaâ— that there was a differencing decree betwixt these so admitted and owned before the world was and others not so owned and admitted especially considering that this diffâ—â—encing aâ— the great day of Judgment is drawen from tâ—e decree of election Matth 25. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom pâ—epared for you before the foundation of the world was laid as if the Lord had said there was a purpose and design of bringing you to Heaven before the world was A 4th ground is taken from the nature of Gods Covenant of Râ—demption which holds clearly forth â—he truth of this Doctrine concerning election in all the steps of it As 1. In Gods making the offer and gift of some to the Mediator it 's only some that he gives and not all 2. In Christs acceptation of the offer and gift He prays for some he sanctifies himself for some and for some he compts and not for all 3. There is not a promise in all the Covenant of Redemption whether it be of Grace or of Glory but it is intended for the Elect only and not for all I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish John 10. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 Christs undertaking is for them only John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold them also I must bring in there is a necessity of the bringing in of them and of no others because he undertook for them and for no others We the rather take notice of and insist so much on this because it will much serve to clear the following Doctrine concerning the redemption of the Elect for if there be a differencing of them from others by the decree of election then there must be a differencing of them from others in Christs laying down of his life for them and not for any others Election is the key of all there is such a people and they are the object of the Covenant of Redemption whose good is sought after and agreed upon therein and not of any others Use 1. It serves for the confirmation of a weighty truth and we would have you not to think little of any piece of truth We shall not here follow the subtile cavillings of Advâ—rsaries against this truth only we would have you confirmed in the faith of it For 1. If ye be not clear and established in the faith of this truth ye will be in great hazard not only to make muddy but to obstruct and stop the whole current and tract of Grace so that Grace shall be a common thing Heaven and Happiness shall go by by guess Redemption shall be universal c. but let this truth be once well established that God hath a peculiar people for whom the Mediator transacted and these errors fall to the ground and evanish for it is the love of election from which all the rest of the benefits that come to the elect flow and this love is peculiar therefore there cannot be a common application of it it 's the peculiarness of Grace that commends it to the souls of Believers and makes it wonderful to them that God should have taken notice of them that were by nature separate from God as well as others that their case being common his love should be peculiar is indeed just and great matter of wonder hence comes in that song Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation not all of every nation people tongue and kindred are redeemed but some out of every one of these let this then be taken for a solid truth that the Lord in his eternal purpose hath made a difference and separation of some from others which is the great ground of the title that God hath to these some 2ly Clearness in this truth serves to keep the hearts of Gods people in awe of him to lift him up very high in their esteem as Soveraign over the Creature And if any should quarrel with God and say why did God so that of the Apostle comes well in for an answer Who art thou O man that replyest against God it's his soveraign pleasure who is supream Potter and hath power over the clay to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour when the Soul doth thus take up God as having all Mankind before him as a lump of Clay and choosing out of it and writing up one man and not another it must needs in a transport of admiration say O! what a great and soveraign God must he be who did determine and write down the eternal condition of men before ever the world was 3ly This to the people of God 1. Preacheth wonderful grace when they having gotten their calling and election made sure come in and read their names in Gods decree of election before they had a Being And 2. It is to them matter of exceeding great consolation 1. I say it preacheth wonderful grace that freely choosed them and that when thousands of great Men and Noblemen were passed by such a poor body that was half a fool in comparison with them should be chosen according to that 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble hath God called but he hath chosen the foolish things of the world weak and base and things that are not to make them kings and priests unto God and his Father 2. It 's matter of exceeding great consolation to them that it 's free and sure free even so free that it stops the mouth of boasting for what I pray hath an elect more to speak of as a ground of boasting than a Pagan in America or
Wrath or that they will soon get it put by that a word will do that Hence it is that they think that an equivalent Price is not necessary for Satisfying the Justice of God and for prevâ—nâ—ing of His Wrath but if it be so easie a thing to pacify God and to satisfy His Justice Why did Our Lord undertake the Debt Why did He become so low and pay so dear a Price to procure a Discharge of it Why was His Soul put to such travel when no Shame nor Râ—proach nor Pain on His blessed Body could do it but Hâ—s Soul in the sore travel thereof behovâ—d to be made a Sacrifice for Sin Sinners grosly ignorant mistakes of the Justice of God appear palpably in this There was never a Person that was called to it and did undertake to remove God's Wrath from others but our Lord Jesus And ye see here what it cost Him And what do ye imagine will be the lot of others who shall lye under it eternally 3. See here the Worth and Weight of a Soul and the great moment of the Salvation of a Soul Immortal Souls are of much worth and though Men often sell them at an cheap and easie Rate yet our Lord Jesus bought Souls dear It 's true Souls considered in themselves are not worthy of the Price laid down for them But being considered with respect to the end for which they are designed to wit the glorifying of the Riches of the Grace and Mercy of God and their injoying of Him They are of much worth Ah! that men should sell that Soul so very cheap when our Lord bought Souls so very dear 4. See here the Solidity Fulness and Satisfactoriness of the Price that Jesus Christ gave to Justice for the Souls of His People It cannot sure but be a fully satisfying Price that such a Person should Suffer and Suffer so much Even to be put to Soul-travel for which there could be no Reason neither could it have any other End but the satisfying of Divine Justice for the Sins of the Elect And considering these His Sufferings in the Degrees of them which was so very high And in the use of them in Gods Purpose and Decree and in the End of them which was to satisfy the Justice of God and to make His Grace Glorious It cannot but be a most Solid Full and Satisfying Price So that a Soul may have here a sufficient ground to build its Salvation upon And the more low-that the Mediator was brought by His Sufferings the more solid and sicker is the ground of our Faith yea this is the End why He came so low 5. See here how greatly we are in Christ's Debt That when Justice was provoked and Sinners had losed themselves and when nothing else could be admitted but all other Sacrifices were rejected He was graciously pleased to yeeld Himself to be the Sacrifice by His extream and most exquisit Sufferings most pleasantly and heartsomly saying Lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God By the which will sayeth the Apostle Heb. 10. We are sanctified And by it we have access to Eternall Life It had been much if He had made a New World for Believers to dwell in nay it had been much if He had provided Angels to Mollify and Mitigat their Sufferings and to give them drops of water to cool their Tongues in Hell But that He His own blessed self should decline no Soul-travel beside Bodily Sufferings to redeem them from the Curse How much how unspeakably much are they oblidged to Jesus Christ If we were suitably sensible of our hazard and clear as to our Interest in these Sufferings it could not be but our Souls would leap someway within us as the Babe did in Elizabeths womb on this consideration that a Cautioner and Saviour hath come and payed the Price that was due by us to the Justice of God This is a greater obligation then His making of the World for an habitation to Sinners Nay a greater obligation then His giving of Heaven to us if abstracted from Christ O! So well as it would become us in reading of these Words to stand and pause and to say Is it so indeed that Christ gave Himself thus for Sinners and for me This is it which opens the door of Access to God and makes a Bridge over the Gulf that is betwixt God and Sinners He was smitten that by His Stroaks and Strips health might be brought to us He was content to undergo sore Soul-travel that thereby Life might be brought to us That which we mainly aim at in this Branch of the Use is That ye would look to the Mercy purchased by this Soul-travel as your great obligation And at what a Rate you have the Offer of Grace and access to Heaven When He made the World Heaven and Earth Sun Moon Stars c. He spake the Word and it was done their needed no more but let such a thing be and it was but the work of Redemption was of another sort and brought about at a high and dearer Rate Therefore among all the things which the Gospel holds out put a speciall Price on these things that are the fruits of Christs Soul-travel and consider what a flight it will be and what guilt it will involve you in that He should purchase Redemption so dear and make offer of it so freely and ye should care little or nothing for it 6. Be Instructed anent the absolute necessity of being in Christs Debt for the Use making and Application of His purchase is there any man that can merit it or render Him a recompence for it If not And if there be a necessity of making Hâ—aven and Salvation then sure there is a nâ—cessity of being in Christs Debt and of making use of His purchase for the attaining of that which He hath purchased And men are not hardly delt with nor ill come to when this blessed necessity is imposed upon them not to satisfie for themselves For what can they bring that will be an equivalent Price but to acquiesce in His Satisfaction made to Justice for them and the rather that they cannot bind Him to make application of it Folk are very readily given to one of these two either to misken and pass by the Mediator and so to presume to make a new bargain for their Peace by offering to drink themselves for themselves of that Cup which Christ drank of for that only was the Price of Souls Or if they esteem of Christs Satisfaction they think to oblidge Him and to procure from Him the Application of His Purchase by their Prayers and good Living But what is there in this more then is in the former What Price is there that can be given to Him that is equivalent to His Sufferings It must therefore of necessity come to this That as it was freely purchased so it is freely applyed and it were very
Promises without the including of the effect the giving of the new Heart is not only a perswading to Believe but the actual giving of the new Heart whereof Faith is a special part which Promise is peculiar to the Elect though the offer of it be more large and be further extended and what can that Promise of Gods writing the Law in the Heart be but an effectual inclining of the Heart to the Will of God or inward renovation contradistinguished to the external Ministry that can only hold out His Will in a Book and speak it to the Ear. 3. This may be cleared and confirmed from the nature of the work of Grace which is such a mighty work and so powerful as it is impossible it can be frustrated or disappointed unless we could say that Grace in God or the Grace of God is not so powerful as Corruption in us which were Blasphemy to this purpose the Apostle prayeth in behalf of the Christian Ephesians chap. 1.19 20. that they may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead he speaketh so in this high strain to set out both the exceeding stubbornness of our Nature that needs such a work and the exceeding great power of the Grace of God that worketh irresistably not only in the Conversion of the Elect at first but in all the after-acts of Believing so Eph. 3.7 the same Apostle hath it according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power and Col. 1.29 according to his working which worketh in me mightily The Power that worketh in Believers is Gods omnipotent Power which worketh effectually and mightily and if this Power be exercised in the continuing and promoving of Faith as is said before it must be much more exercised in the begetting of Faith yea and what need is there that He should exercise it if not for this end that where He exerciseth it it may also prevail A 4th ground of Confirmation may be drawen from the Lords great end which He hath before Him in this work and that is the gaining of glory to His Grace and to have the whole work of Conversion attributed to it and if this be His end He must and will prevail by His Grace in throughing the work in order to this end if it were left indifferent to Man to yield oâ— not to yield to God as he pleaseth the whole weight of the work of Conversion should not ly upon Grace Mans Mouth should not be stopped but when that question should be asked who hath made thee to differ and what hast thou O man but what thou hast received he should still have something to boast of and the work of his Conversion should at best be halfed betwixt Grace and his own Free-will this would necessarily follow if Grace did not through the work and so God should miss of His end A 5th ground of Confirmation is taken from the consideration of Gods Decree of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator and of the Power and Wisdom of God in carrying on this work which we put together for brevities cause From all which it will be clear that there is and must be a necessary connexion betwixt the work of Grace on Believers and the Effect and that it is not in the power of Mans Free-will to resist it which indeed is not freedom but bondage 1. Then We say That if we consider the Decree of Election we will find that where Grace is applied Faith and Conversion must follow otherwise if the work of Grace were not effectual to convert Gods Decree should be suspended on the Creatures Free-will and be effectual or not effectual according as it pleased and is that any little matter to make His Decree depend upon and be effectual or not according to Man's pleasure that which sickereth His Decree and makes it infrustrably to take effect is that He hath effectual Means to bring about His Decree 2 If we consider the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator we will find that upon the one side the Mediator particularly undertaketh for them that are given to Him that He shall loss none of them and upon the other side we have to speak with reverence of the Majesty of God after the manner of Men the Father's Obligation to make such Persons in due time Believers that Christ the Mediator may see of the travel of His Soul and be satisfied according to that Promise made to Him Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power thy people shal be willing and that other Isa 53.11 He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. and accordingly Himself saith John 6.37 All that the Father hath given to me shall come unto me where it is clear that these who are given must necessarily come and He also saith John 10.16 Other sheep have I which are not of this sold them also I must bring and it cannot be supposed without horrour and blasphemy that this determinate solid and sure transaction having all its midses included in it and being as to its end so peremptory shall as to these midses and that end and as to their throughing not be in Gods hand but in the hand of Mans Free-will if it were there O! how unsicker and loose would the bargain and God's design in begetting Faith and in bringing Souls through Grace to Glory be 3. If we consider the Lords Power in beginning and promoving and His Wisdom in carrying on of this work His Power whereby he raiseth the Dead and His Wisdom whereby He leads from Death to Life is it possible to conceive or imagine these to be applied by the Lord in the Conversion of a Sinner but this Doctrine must needs hold that the work of His Grace powerfully applied hath always Faith and Conversion following on it and that the Lord leaveth it not to the option of Elect Souls to believe or not to believe as they please He must not He cannot be frustrate of His end and design but He must bring them to a cordial closure with Christ by Faith in order to their Salvation Use 1. The first Use serves to fix you in the Faith of this great Truth and though we use not neither is it needful to trouble you with long Questions and Debates yet when the like of this Doctrine comes in our way especially in such a time wherein the pure Truths of God and this among the rest are troubled and called in question it is requisite that a word be spoken for your confirmation and establishment and we would hence have you fixed in the Faith of these two 1. Of the impotency of Nature in the beginning or promoving ought of the work of Grace which belongs to
them to wit Sin therefore to such as he cured he says very often Thy sins be forgiven thee he studied to remove that in most of them he did deal with and so looking on our Lord as taking on our Sins complexly with the cause and as having a right to remove all the effects of Sin evidencing it self in the removing of these Diseases whereof Sin was the cause these words may be thus fulfilled and so they are clear and the Doctrine also We have here no meer exempâ—ary Saviour that hath done no more but confirmed his Doctrine and given us a copy how to do and behave but he hath really and actually born our Sorrows and Griefs and removed our Debt by undergoing the punishment due to us for Sin Observe here 1. That Sin in no Flesh no not in the Elect themselves is without Sorrow and Grief Tribulation and Anguish are knit to it or it hath these following on it or take the Doctrine thus Wherever there is Sin there is the cause of much Sorrow and Grief no more can the native cause be without the effect then Sin can be without Sorrow and Grief it 's the plain assertion of Scripture Rom. 2.8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil which one place putting the four words together says 1. That there is Sorrow most certainly and inseparably on every Soul that hath sinned And 2. That this Sorrow is exceeding great which may also be the reason why this Sorrow is set out in two words in the Text therefore four words are used by the Apostle to express it It 's not our purpose here to dispute whether God in his Justice doth by necessity of Nature punish the Sinner These three things considered will make out the Doctrine which is That there is a necessary connexion betwixt Sâ—n and Sorrow and that this Sorrow must needs be very great 1. If we consider the exceeding unsuitableness of Sin to the holy Law of God and how it is a direct contrariety to that most pure and perfect Law 2. If we consider the perfectly holy Nature of God himself The righteous Lord saith the Pâ—almist Psal 11.7 loveth righteousness and the Prophet Hab. 1.13 says He is of purer eyes then that be can behold evil and he cannot look upon iniquity and though we need noâ— to dispute Gods Soveraignty yet it is clear that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 and he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 and thaâ— there is a greater suitableness in his inflicting Sorrow and Grief on a Sinner that walks contrary to him then there is in shewing him Mercy and there is a greater suitableness in his shewing Mercy to a humbled Sinner that is aiming to walk holily before him 3. If we consider the revealed will of God in the Threatning who hath said the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die we may say there is as they speak in the Schools a hypothetick necessity of grief and sorrow to follow on Sin and that there is a necessary connexion betwixt them and this may very well stand with the Mediator his coming in and interposing to take that Grief and Sorrow from off us and to lay it on himself but it was once ours because of our Sin If it be askâ—d wâ—at Grief and Sorrow this is We said it's very great and there is reason for it for though our act of Sin 1. As to the Subject that Sins Man And 2. As to the act of â—in it self a sinful thought word or deed that is soon gone be finit yet if we consider Sin 1. In respect of the object â—gainst whom the infinite God 2. In respect of the absolute purity of Gods Law a rule that bears ouâ— Gâ—ds Image set down by infinite Wisdom and that may be some way called infinitely pure and Sin as being against this pure rule that infinite Wisdom hath set down And 3. If we consider it in no respect of its nature every sin being of this nature that though it cannot properly wrong the Majesty of God yet as to the intention of the thing and even of the Sinner it wrongs him Sin in these respects may be called infinite and the wrong done to the Majesty of God thereby may be called infinite as these who built Babel their intention in that work breathed forth infinite wrong to God as having a direct tendency to bring them off from dependance on him and so every Sin if it had its will and intent would put God in subordination to it and set it self in his room and therefore Sin in some respect as to the wrong against God is infinite 2. Observe That the real and very great Sorrow that the Sins of the Elect deserved our Lord Jesus did realty and actually bear and suffer as we have exponed the words and confirmed the exposition given of them ye have a clear confirmation of the Doctrine from them 1. Griefs and Sorrows in the plural Number shew intensness of Sorrow and Grief 2. That they are called ours it shews our propriety in them And 3. That it 's said Christ bare them These concur to prove the Doctrine that the same Sorrow which the Sins of the Elect deserved Christ bare It not only says that our Lord bare Sorrows but the same Sorrows that by the Sins of the Elect were due to them and so there was a proportionableness betwixt the Sorrows that he bare and the Sorrows they should have endured he took up the cup of Wrath that was filled for us and that we would have been put to drink and drank it out himself suppose that our Lord had never died as blessed be his Name there is no ground to make the supposiâ—ion the cup of Sâ—rrow that the Elect would have drunken eternally was the same cup that he drank our for them It is true we would distinguish betwixt these things that are essentially due to Sin as the punishment of it and these things that are only accidentally due to it the former Christ bare but not the latter To clear both in a word or two 1. These things essentially due to Sin as necessarly included in the Threatning The day thou eatest thou shalt surely die and in the curse of the Law according to that Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them are Death and the Curse these are essentially the desert of Sin in which respect it was not only necessary that Christ should become Man and â—â—ffer but that he should suffer to death or shâ—uld die and not only so but that he should die the cursed death of the Cross as the Threatning and Curse put together hold out and as to all these things that he underwent and met with before and at his death they were the accomplishment of the Threatning due to us and fulfilled in and by him in our room
saying Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O God 3. It leads to a stayed look of Gods Holiness Justice and Goodness in exacting satisfaction of his own Son and in accepting of that satisfaction 4. It gives a right view of the way of grace and leads in to see it to be a most real thing God the offended Party accepting of the price and Christ paying it Thus the Believers Faith gets a sight of Christ satisfying as if he saw his own debt satisfied by himself It sees him undergoing the curse and justice inflicting it on him that the Believer may go free The Use is to shew the necessity of studying the well-grounded application of Christs sufferings as for us much of the reason why Christ is not more prâ—zed lies here that he is not looked on as paying our debt otherwise when challenges of the Law and of Justice take hold on the Soul if Christ were seen interposing and saying A body hast thou prepared unto me And if Justice were seen exacting Christ performing and God accepting his satisfaction and that in sign and token that Justice is satisfied he is raised from the dead justified in the Spirit and is entered in possession of Glory as Believers fore-runner in their name it would afford precious and lovely thoughts of Jesus Christ and humbling thoughts of our selves Therefore there is a necessity if we would consider his sufferings aright and prize and esteem him that we endeavour to make particular application of them to our selves on good grounds 2. Upon the other hand know ye who have no ground to make this application that ye cannot esteem aright of him or his sufferings nor of the grace that shined in them because ye have no title to nor can while such have any clearness of interest in them 3. For you that would fain have a high esteem of Christ and yet are all your days casting at this foundation never think nor expect to win rightly to esteem of him so long as ye scarr to make application of his purchase And therefore that ye may love and praise him and esteem rightly of him labour to come up to the making of this application on solid and approved grounds 4. More particularly from this part of the aggravation Yet we esteemed him stricken smitten of God and afflicted We have a fourfold confirmation of truth or four precious truths confirmed 1. That our Lord Jesus in his sufferings did really suffer and was really brought low in his sufferings so as on-lookers thought him a most despicable man and one that was stricken and smitten of God and â—fflicted Of this we spoke on the beginning of the 4. verse 2. We have here an evidence of the exceeding great freeness of grace and of the love of Christ in his sufferings in so far as he bare their sorrows and payed their debt that counted him smitten There was no good thing in us to deserve or procure his sufferings But most freely he under-went these sufferings and undertook our debt Rom. 5.8 God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And v. 10. While we were yet enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son Can there be a greater proof of infinite and free love then appears in our Lords sufferings There was not only no merit on our side but on the contrary despising rejâ—cting being ashamed of him reproaching him kicking against him and rubbing of affâ—onts on him Paul and others having their hands hot in his blood Use 1. Consider here behold and wonder at the free love of God and rich condescending love of Christ he stands not at the Barr and prays for them that were praying him to pray for them But as it is in the end of the Chapter it was for transgressours It was even for some of them that were seeking to take away the life of the Prince of Life and for other transgressours 2. Know that in them to whom the benefite of Christs death is applied there is no more worth then there is in others who do not share of the benefite of it It 's the opinion not only of Hereticks but some way of many ignorant Professors That these for whom Christ died were better then others But here we see a proof of the contrary He dies for them that accounted him smitten of God And this he doth for two reasons 1. To shew the riches and freedom of his grace that could overcome mans evil and malice and outreach the hight of the desperat wickedness that is in man and that that stands not to speak so on stepping-stones but comes over the greatest gulfs of sin and enmity in the creature 2. To comfort encourage his followers when engaged to him against and out over their grossest failings and greatest miscarriages He that loved them when they were despising and rejecting him and spitting in a manner in his very face Will he now give up with them when they have some love to him for this or that corrupâ—ion that stirreth or breaketh forth in them Thus the Apostle reasons Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life We were enemies when Christ gave himself for us but thorow grace we are somewhat better now Enmity and despite in us was then at an hight now it is weakned restrained and in some measure mortified And if while we were at the hâ—ght of enmity against him he died for us to reconcile us to God How much more now being reconciled may we expect peace and safetie and all the benefits of his purchase thorow him Thus there is a notable consolation from this bent of malice that was sometime in us compared with the victory that grace hath now gotten over it and the gradation is alwayes comfortable to wit that these lusts that once did reign and were without any gracious opposition made to them or any protestation entered against them prevailing it may be publickly are now opposed and protested against And if Christ stood not on the greater will he stand on the lesser And our Lord allows this sort of reasoning so much the more that he may thereby strongly engage the heart of the believer against sin and to the admiring of grace and withall to the serious study of holiness 3 It serves to let you know how much ye Believers are engaged and obliged to Grace and what thanks you owe to it 1. Look to what satisfies for your debt ye pay not one farthing of it our Lord Jesus payed all 2. Look to the moving cause it 's to be attributed to nothing in you but altogether to free grace Some poor Dyvour may by his pleading prevail with an able and pitiful-hearted man to pay his debt But there was no such externally moving cause in you
neither Penance Performances nor any other thing will do it but it 's Lo I come in the volum of thy book it s written of me I delight to do thy will O my God Take this then as another ground of Saving Knowledge that it is our blessed Lord Jesus that satisfies Justice even he who being God was content to become Man and is God and Man in one Person He and he only undertaking the Debt satisfies Justice 4. How does he satisfie Justice Ans He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed In which words observe these three things 1. In Christs satisfaction for us there is an actual undertaking he becomes Cautioner and enters himself in our room when all other things are casten Angels Men with their Sacrifices thousands of Rams ten thousand rivers of Oil and the fruit of the Body then our Lord Jesus comes in and undertakes Psal 40.7 Lo I come he satisfies for our Transgressions which supposes that Justice could not have sought our Debt of him if he had not undertaken it therefore Heb. 7.24 He is called the surety of a better testament for he comes in our room and place and undertakes to pay our Debt even as if a man under Debt were a carrying to Prison and another able rich man should undertake to pay the Debt although the Debt should ly over for a while unpayed yet the Creditor will get a Decreet on the Cautioner for payment of the Debt when he pleases to put at him so Jesus Christ enters Cautioner for our Debt and becomes lyable to the payment of it 2. Christs performance and payment of the Debt according to his undertaking implys a Covenant and Transaction on which the application is founded which we shew was also implyed in the foregoing words ver 4. He hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows God the Father Son and Holy Spirit are the Party wronged by Sin Jesus Christ considered personally and as Mediator is the Party undertaking The terms are that he shall suffer and satisfie Justice for us and that we shall go free that his paying shall be our freedom that the Debt which he pays for us shall not be exacted off us our selves 2 Cor. 5. ult He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him and here the chastisement of our peace was on him it was transferred from us to him that by his stripes we might be healed by his stripes and blanes health was procured and brought to us 3. Our Lord Jesus in fulfilling the Bargain and satisfying Justice payed a dear price it was at a very dear rate that he bought our freedom He was wounded bruised suffered stripes and punishment So that ye may take the answer to the question in sum to be this our Lord Jesus performed and satisfied for all that was due by us by undertaking our Debt and paying a dear price for Sinners according to the Covenant of Redemption He came under the Law and the Law struck at him as Cautioner and he answered the Laws demands and fully and condiguly satisfied the Justice of God for us As for that Question Whether Christ might not by one drop of his blood have satisfied and such like we think them very needless too curious and little or not at all edifying But if it be asked why Christ payed so much we answer 1. It behoved Christ to pay a condign price to give a condign satisfaction to Justice 2. It was meet that he should pay all that he payed First We say it behoved to be a condign satisfaction For 1. It behoved to be a price equivalent to all that the Elect should have suffered had not he interposed 2. It behoved to be proportionable to the Justice of God for God having laid down such a way of shewing Mercy that his Justice should be salved there behoved to be condign satisfaction for the vindication of Justice which was done by Christs suffering to the full undoubtedly if we consider 1. The excellency of the Person that suffered God and Man in one Person 2. If we consider the nature of his Sufferings that they were exceeding great heavy and pressing And 3. If withall we consider the manner of his Sufferings that it was with much readiness and chearfulness of obedience to the Fathers will That such and so excellent a Person should suffer and suffer so much and suffer in such a way this sure makes a condign Satisfaction and so Justice is fully thereby satisfied and made as glorious as if all the Elect had suffered eternally therefore we say that his sufferings were a condign and proportionable satisfaction to Justice for them whose Debt he payed by this Justice is compleatly and gloriously satisfied Secondly We said that it was meet that he should pay all that he payed and so it is if we consider 1. The excellency of immortal Souls a little price as all that Men or Angels could have payed would have been the finest Gold Silver and precious Stones could not have done it the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever to wit amongst all the Creatures Psal 49.8 2. The severity of Justice on the just account of Sin called for such a price 3. Gods end which was to make both his Grace and Justice glorious required and made it meet that our Lord should suffer condignly and in his Sufferings suffer much even all that he did suffer And in this ye have an answer to this question why Christ suffered so much as the loss to speak so of his declarative glory for a time outward sufferings and inward sufferings even the bâ—â—isiâ—g and squeezing that hiâ— Soul was under which made him to say that it was heavy unto death and exceeding sorrowful Let not sinners then think it a little or a light thing to get a Soul saved the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever as to us or any Creature Behold herein the glory of Grace eminently shineth forth when there is such a price payed for that which in some respect is of so little worth and also the glory of Justice when so great a price is demanded and payed down for its satisfaction by so worthy and excellent a Person and let none think little of Sin the guilt whereof could not be otherwise expiaâ—â—d the chastisement of our peace behoved to be on him 5. What are the benefits that come by these Sufferings Answer 1. The benefits are such that if he had not suffered for us we should have suffered all that he suffered our selves 2. More particularly we have 1. Peace and Pardon of Sin 2. Healing by his Sufferings so that if it be asked what procured pardon of Sin and peace with God We answer it 's Christs Sufferings Or if it be asked what is the cause of Gods justifying Sinners We answer it 's
may the sinner apply it Answer Not only because it 's free and freely offered but by gripping to it by Faith as the Prophet doth here It 's not only to apply it simply but to step in and rest upon it in the terms it is made offer of so that as on the one part Jesus Christ became really lyable to suffering and satisfied for our sins when he said Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will So upon the other part the believing sinner comes to apply the price payed by imbracing the price and acquiescing in the satisfaction and gripping to it as his own and by his being brought to say in Faith Let his wounding be my pardon let his chastisement be my peace and let his stripes be my healing By this means as the Law had a right to Christ for his paying the Elects debt so they by believing get a right to the promise of pardon and healing For if the bargain was ficker on the one side to procure wounding to Christ as if he had been the sinner himself so on the other side the bargain is as sure The Believer is set free and may be as really comforted as if he had a righteousness of his own or had never had sinned Use 2. Therefore there is here wonderful matter of consolation to Believers that what was Justice to Christ is Grace and Mercy to us that which was pain to him is pleasure to us His sorrow our comfort his wounding our pardon his stripes our healing c. Use 3. As ye would not prejudge your selves of these benefites which Christ hath purchased make your peace with God through Christ If your pardon and peace be not obtained this way ye will never get it but ye shall be made to pay your own debt and be lyable to wrath eternally because of inability to pay your debt to the full Therefore step to and make the offer welcome how sinful and undone soever ye be The more sensible ye be ye are the more welcome This is the particular use of the Doctrine O! Let these things sink in your hearts that ye are sinners great sinners under wrath and at feud with God that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners and that there is no way to pardon and peace but by closing with him and saying hold on his satisfaction That ye may be drawn to cast your selves over on this everlasting Covenant for obtaining the benefits that Christ hath purchased 〈◊〉 â—d himself bless what hath been spâ—ken for this end and use SERMON XXIII ISAIAH LIII V Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IT were no small progress in Christianity to know and believe the truths that are implyed and contained in this same verse The Lord by the Prophet is giving a little compend of the work of Redemption by his saving of sinners from death through and by the wounding of the Mediator We did a little open the meaning of the words and gave a sum of the Doctrines contained in them at least of some of them which do contribute to this scope The Prophet is here speaking of Christ's sufferings with a respect to the cause of them and the effect that followed them and shews how this was indeed the mistake and blasphemous imputation that we had of and were ready to put on him even to judge him smitten and plagued of God for his own sins whereas God hath another design He was altogether without sin but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities We were at feud with God and he took on him the chastisement of our peace And this is the effect to procure healing to us We shall now speak a word to three Doctrines further beside what we spoke to the last day which are these 1. That there was an eternal design plot and transaction betwixt God and the Mediator as to Christs suffering for the redeeming of elect sinners before he actually suffered This the Prophet speaks of as a thing concluded For the cause of his sufferings was condescended on and the end and fruit of them was determined which implyes an antecedamus transaction betwixt the Father and him for putting him in the room of sinners And by this transaction Justice hath access to exact the payment of this price He interposed and the Father exacts of him the payment of their debt and seeks satisfaction from him for all that he bargained for 2. That this transaction or design concerning the Redemption of elect sinners is in respect of Christs suffering and satisfying of Justice fully and actually performed he undertook to be wounded and bruised and he was accordingly actually wounded and bruised The transaction as to the engagement in it and efficacy of it took place in Isaiah's time and before his time but as to the actual performance of what the Mediator engaged himself to suffer it is spoken of prophetically by him as a thing done because to be done and now it is done and indeed long ago 3. That the satisfying of Justice by the Mediators Sufferings according to his engagement proves as effectual to absolve justifie and heal these even the grossest Sinners that come under this Bargain and Transaction as if they had actually suffered and payed and satisfied their own Debt themselves these Sins are pardoned through his Sufferings their deadly Wounds are healed by his Stripes as if they had never had a wound their Compt is dashed and scored as clean out as if they had never had any Debt they are acquitted and set free as if they had never been guilty These three Doctrines ly very near the life of the Gospel and the Prophet in this Chapter and particularly in this Verse is often on them Our purpose is only shortly to explicate them to you as a short sum and compend of the tract of the Covenant of Redemption The first of them shews the rise of the work of Redemption The second shews the mids by which it is executed The third holds out the effect and consequence and the end of all For the first then There is we say an eternal transaction betwixt God and Jesus Christ the Mediator concerning the Redemption of Sinners his actual redeeming by being wounded and bruised supposeth this for the Son is no more lyable to suffering not to speak of his suitableness then any other of the Persons of the blessed God-head had there not been an antecedent transaction there was no obligation nor ty on him to be wounded and to enter into the room of Sinners as their Cautioner for payment of their Debt if there had not been a prior engagement neither could his wounding and bruising have proven useful or have brought healing to us if this prior engagement had not been And this is it which
we call the Covenant of Redemption which we would not extend so as in all things to stretch it to the properties of these Covenants and Bargains that are amongst Men it being in some respect an expression used to make Grace more discernable to us that can conceive so little of Graces way This Transaction or Covenant of Redemption is sometimes called the Fathers will and his law as Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart and John 6.38 It is called so I came from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me so also John 17.14 it is called the Fathers work in one respect and the Sons work in another respect I have finished the work thou gavest me to do which is the prosecution of the same contrivance usually called a Covenant because as to the essentials it hath the nature of a Covenant to wit two Parties agreeing and terms whereupon they agree and it well ordered in all things for prosecuting and carrying on the design of saving lost Sinners called Act. 2.23 the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God there was a plot and design in Gods counsel concerning Christs sufferings whereof his sufferings were the excution To clear it a little we would consider these five things in it 1. The Parties 2. The matter about which it is 3. The rise and occasion of it 4. The terms wherein the form of it stands or the midâ—â—â— whereupon it is undertaken 5. Some pâ—â—perties of this Covenant 1. For the Parties Upon the one side as God essentially considered or all the three Persons of the glorious God-head Father Son and Holy Ghost who are all concurring in this Covenant it being the act of the determinate counsel of God and in this respect God is the Party to whom the satisfaction for lost Sinners is made and he is also the Party condescending to accept of the satisfaction And upon the other side the Party engaging to make satisfaction is Jesus Christ the second Person of the blessed dreadful and adorable Trinity personally considered now becoming the head of the Elect that he may have them all with himself to be one mâ—â—â—ical body in the first respect all the three Persons that same one blessed God give the command or require a satisfaction as God and concur as the infinitely wise orderers of the Decree and in the second respect Jesus Christ as Mediator undertakes to make the satisfaction Psal 40.6 7. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire God as it were making the offer what can or shall be given to me for the redemption of Sinners Sacrifice and Offerings will not please nor are accepted by me then follows the Mediators part Lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God for though in the first respect all the Persons of the Trinity be on the one side being of one will yet in the other respect Christ Jesus as Mediator comes in on the other side to do that will 2. As to the matter about which this Covenant is It 's about the satisfying of Justice and making of peace between God and lost Sinners it 's that we might be pardoned justified have peace with God and be healed it is true there is an end above and beyond this even the glory of Gods rich Grace and condescending love that stoups so low to save Sinners but Sinners pardon and peace with God and their healing is the immediate end Or if we come nearer the matter about which it is is the redeeming of the Elect for these words in the Text We and Us are of equal extent with them that are justified and reconciled and whom he actually healeth by his wounds and stripes so that whoever they be who are never justified and healed they are not comprehended in this Bargain 3. The rise and occasion of this Covenant may be gathered from these three 1. There is the supposing of Mans sin and fall for whatever Election doth Redemption doth most certainly suppose Man to to be lost and under sin 2. There is Gods decree not to pardon sin without a Satisfaction 3. There is Gods election preceeding or his purpose to save some for the glory of his Grace which are the Elect who are said to be given to Christ These three are the rise anâ— occasion of the Covenant of Redemption Man hath sinned the threatning must be executed and Justice satisfied and yet God hath for the glory of his Grace elected a certain number to Life and that must needs stand firm and these three seeming to thwart one of them with another gives the occasion and rise to the excellent and admirable contrivance of this way how the lost Sinner shall be saved yet so as Justice shall be satisfied and not wronged in the least and Justice so satisfied that yet the decree of election by Grace shall stand 4. As for the terms wherein the form of the Covenant stands and the midses by which these ends may be brought about to wit how the Redemption of lost Sinners may be attained Justice may be satisfied and the glory of Grace made to shine and how any thing that makes these seem to justle and thwart might be guarded against and that was it which to speak so with reverence put God to the consultation about it which shews the excellency of the Covenant of Redemption and the deep draughts that are about it for otherways and properly God needs not consult or advice They are shortly these 1. Gods offer to redeem Man if his Justice may be satisfied and if any responsal Person will become Cautioner and undertake to pay the Elects Debt 2. The Sons accepting of the Offer and undertaking or engaging to pay their Debt upon condition that his payment and satisfaction shall be accounted the Elects and accepted for them 3. The Fathers acceptation of this engagement and undertaking according to his offer and the Mediators accepting of it and acquiescing in it he holds the Bargain to speak so and so it is a closed Covenant The first is comprehended in these words Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire Psal 40. insinuating that God did desire something The second in these words Mine ears thou hast opened then said I Lo I come in the volum of thy book it 's written of me I delight to do thy will which implys the Fathers acceptation as well as Christs undertaking and it also points at the way how the satisfaction is made effectual especially if we compare these words of the Psalm with Heb. 10.5 6. we will find that they relate to Christs Humiliation in general for it is in the Psalm Mine ears hast thou opened but in Heb. 10.5 it is A body hast thou prepared me and where it is said in the Psalm I delight to do thy will the Apostle says By the which will we are sanctified The Father
of this and that particular act of sin will not so affâ—ct this but when a sinner remembers that such a sin hath been his own way that humbles and stops his mouth exceedingly 2. This adds a peculiarness to the Grace of God in the Believers esteem and maketh it so much the more amiable and admirable to him as it is with Paul when he saith 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious nevertheless I obtained mercy and the grace of God was exceeding aboundant towards me This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came in the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me he might shew forth all long suffering for a patern to them that should hereafter believe on him I was as if he had said singular in sinning but Grace was eminent and singular in shewing Mercy and hath cast a Copy thereof in me that is singularly eminent The peculiarness of Believers sin as it makes them know the aggravations of it beyond others so it makes them exalt Grace the more 3. It serves someway to discriminat a sound Believer from a Hypocrite and a right sight of Sin from that which is not so It is not so much to know that we are sinners for the light of a Natural Conscience will tell men that especially when their Lives are so bad but it s more to know and rightly to take up the peculiarness that is in our own way of sinning to take up the many windings and turnings of the deceitful heart in following of such a sin that it is addicted to This makes a Believer think that there is no bodies heart like his We see ordinarily that but very few if any natural men will take kindlâ— with the peculiarness of their way of sinning and even when they will take with this that they are sinners in general yet they shun to take with it that they are given to such a sinful way of their own and with the particular turnings windings and traversings of their own hearts to that way But few will grant that they are given to despising or slighting of Christ to Hypocrisie Self seeking Lying c. I will not be peremptory here to say that every body must know what is their own one peculiar sinful way For some see so many predominant sins in themselves that hardly can they pitch upon one by another nor upon the other side will I positively say that they are all gracious that see one sin by another to carry sway in them But this I say that this contributes much for the humbling of the sinner and for the exalting of free Grace And that the Believer will see many windings and turnings in and to their own way that others who are not Believers will not see and will see one predominant after another Whereas a natural man though he complementingly call himself the chief of sinners yet he doth not really think himself to be such But rather if he be given to Drunkenness to Filthiness or the like he will readily cast up David and Lot or some others of the Saints to excuse or extenuat it but the Believer can get none to compare himself with in the point of sinfulness Iniquities prevail over me saith David in the Singular Number but when he speaks of the pardoning and purging away of sin he speaks in the Plural associating others with himself As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Psal 65. vers 3. 4. Considering our sinful way as the occasion of this transaction and of the laying of our iniquities upon Christ as the result of it we have this sweet Observation that the Elect are considered in the Covenant of Redemption as foully and vilely sinful and with all the aggravations of their sins and sinful ways so that they cannot be fouller and more vile in time then they were considered to be when they were given to Christ to be satisfied for by him How were â—hey then considered The Text tells us even as straying sheep But that is not all they are considered as such who have had their own peculiar way of straying from God and have turned aside to and run on in their own sinful way Thus the Lord considered the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption thus Jesus Christ considered them in the undertaking for them even with all the several aggravations of their sinfulness so that they are not nor cannot be worse in time then they were considered to be before time This is so ordered by the Lord for these ends 1. That Justice might be distinctly exactly and fully satisfied and that it might be known that it is so he would needs be restored to his honour to his declarative or manifested honour and glory which suffered by man's fall and by the many great and variously aggravated sins of the Elect and would have his Justice as I said fully satisfied And therefore as there is a Volumn of a Book wherein all the Elect are written for whom Christ should satisfie so there is a Volumn of what and for what he should satisfie that there may be a proportional satisfaction and price told down to Justice 2. Believers may have a more full view of the way of Grace and of Christs undertaking for them When Jesus Christ undertook our debt he had a full view of the sum he was to pay he knew what he had to pay to the least farthing and what his peoples sins would cost him and yet he skâ—rred not to ingage to satisfie but did satisfie according to his ingagement to the full 3. It 's also ordered so for this end even to confirm the Believers Faith when he cometh to take hold of Christ and of the Covenant and when this Oâ—jection mutters within him dare such a sinful wretch as I take hold of Christ who have been thus and thus polluted with sin Yes saith the Text for these sins so and so aggravated were not unknown to the Father nor to the Mediator when thou wast bargained about Nay these sins with their aggravations were expresly considered in the Covenant of Redemption and there is no sin already committed or to be committed by thee in time that was not considered before time What was your posture Believers when God passed by and cast the lap or skirt of his love over you Were you not cast out in the open field wallowing in your own blood with your navels uncut having no eye to pity you c. As it is Ezek. 16. And wherefore I pray is this set down But as to let you know that ye are no worse in time then ye were considered to be before ye had a beeing So to aggrege the Love and Grace of God in Christ and to draw you in to him that since God and Christ the Mediator in the transaction about your Redemption stood not on your sinfulness ye may not
judged He that created Heaven and Earth hath not whereon to lay his head Though all the kings of the Earth hold their Treasures of him yet he was so poor that he lives upon the alms of others for women ministred unto him 2. Not only hath he a Being that is mean and low but he is exceedingly afflicted he suffered hunger he is pursued as if he had been a thief or a robber a band of men comes and apprehends him in the night as if he had been a Malefactor or Evil-doer and drags him away to the civil Judge his back is smitten his face is spitted on his head ratted and pricked with thorns sentence is passed upon him he is condemned and scourged and when he dow not bear his own cross his body being a true humane body is so fainted and infeeblâ—d it 's accounted a favour that he gets one Simon to help him to bear it or to bear it afteâ— him which is not markâ—d to shew that they did him any kindness or courtesie beyond others but to hold out the low and weak condition he was brought into that he was not able to bear it himseâ—f and not only so but he must come to death and to the shameful and cursed death of the Cross and he dies very quickly further to point out his lowness which was such that death overcame him sooner than the others because he had other things to wrestle with 3. In his name he suffered he was repâ—oached nodded at with the head reviled mocked sent about as a spectacle from Pilate to Herod back again from Herod to Pilate He had a scarlet rob put on him in derision the high Priests also deride him the Jews wag the head at him and count him not at all worthy to live and therefore prefer a Robber and Murderer to him 4. Consider his inward sufferings O! these were far more piercing Justice laid claim to his soul the sorrows of hell compassed him his soul is heavy unto the death he sweats blood and crys if it be possible that that wrathful cup might pass from him and on the Cross with a pitiful voice my God my God why hast thou forsaken me which by the way is not an expression of any quarrelling complaint or discouragement but of sinless nature when he is arraigned and made to stand before the Tribunal of God affected with the horrour of divine Wrath and cannot easily endure that there should be a Cloud betwixt God and him But these Soul-sufferings of his will fall in to be spoken to afterwards only we see here that he was afflicted and in suffering was greatly humbled and brought very low And indeed considering that all the Elects sins were laid upon him and that Justice was exacting all their Debt of him he could not be otherways but behoved to be exceedingly afflicted and sore distressed 4ly Observe That forasmuch as our Lord suffered yet he did most willingly and chearfully undergo it all He thwarted not with it he repented not he grudged not he flinshed not nor drew aback or which is to the same purpose our Lord Jesus in his lowest humiliation and affliction and all â—longst his deepest suffering shewed exceeding great willingness desirousness and heartsomness That word was always true of him I delight to do thy will O my God and the Prophet holds out this as a great wonder that though he was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth We shall for clearing of this propose these Considerationâ— 1. In his undertaking of the Bargain his willingness appears when burnt Offerings and Sacrifices would not do it and when there was no obligation on him to do what he did then comes in his free offer and consent and that with delight Psal 40. Then said I Lo I come in the volum of thy book it 's written of me I delight to do thy will O my God where we see that there was no extorting or throwing of a consent from the Mediator against his will but a delightsome offering of it and that word of his Prov. 8. is very remarkable to this purpose Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and my delight was with the sons of men The contemplation and foresight of his Incarnation and Suffering for the Elect was to speak so refreshing to him and made him leap as it were for joy ere the World was made and before they had a Being 2. Consider the great things that he undertook not only to be Man but a poor mean man It had been much for him to have humbled himself to be Monarch of the whole World as his vain and prophane pretended Vicar the Pope of Rome claims to be yet he not only will not be so but emptied himself and became a worm in a manner and no man an out-cast of the people O such a proof of his love And when he took the Cup that bitter Cup and said Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me lest it should seem a thwarting with the work of Redemption and with his Fathers will therein He says let it come Father not my will but thine be done 3. Consider the manner of his Suffering and we will see a further proof of his willingness How little pains takes he to escape them yea when Peter labours to diswade him Mat. 16. from suffering he disdains and rejects the suggestion with a severe check Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence unto me thou savourest not the things that be of God but of men and when his Disciples said to him resolving to go up again to Judea John 11.8 Master the Jews of late sought to stone thee and wilt thou go thither again He will needs go up notwithstanding and when they were going up to Jerusalem Mark 10 32. He went before all the rest to wit at a swift pace and Luk. 12.50 he says I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Never did men long so much for their Marriage-day and for the day of their triumph as our Lord Jesus did to get the Elects Debt payed and their Discharge extracted and drawen out 4. Consider his easiness and willingness to be taken He goes forth John 18. to meet the band of Souldiers that came with the Traitor to apprehend him and asks them again and again whom seek ye and says as often I am he he will not suffer his Disciples to draw a sword in his defence Matth. 26. but when Peter drew his sword he bade him put it up again for he could have commanded more then twelve legions of angels but it behoveth him now to suffer he came for another end than to oppose his sufferings and hence he says John 10. No man takes my life from me but I lay it down of my self and I have power to take it up again it was neither Judas nor Pilate that took his life against his will but he willingâ—y laid
the Elect could have done their own business they needed not to have been so much in Christs common and debt nor to have given him thanks for his undertaking But this is brought in to hold forth the condescendency of his love that when no other thing could do it he interposed as Surety The abominableness of sin was so great that the Majesty of God his infinite Holiness and his spotless Justice being wronged and the finite Creature not being able to make amends for the wrong done did require this For all mankind yea all the Holy Angels could not satisfie for the wrong done by one man to the infinite God therefore he sayes I am the Saviour and there is none else He gives defiance to all Saviours beside himself None can redeem his brothers soul from death nor give a price sufficient for it the redemption of it ceaseth for ever among the Creatures Use Study then to be suitably sensible of this ye may possibly think it to be but a common Doctrine but alaee ye walk not under the due and deep conviction and sense of it hence it comes to pass that so few think themselves in Christs common and that so few make their address to him Ask the most part how they think they will win to Heaven They will readily name many things and wayes ere they light on Christ and Faith in him If they have done a fault they say they will make a-mends or they will pray for pardon and they think that will do the turn Such have this language in effect that either there is no need of satisfaction for sin or that they can satisfie for themselves 6. It is implyed here that though the Elect have sinned and cannot satisfie for themselves yet it is necessary that a satisfaction be provided for them I do not say simply that whoever hath sinned must have a satisfaction made for them For the Lord hath left Legions of Angels and many thousands of reprobat Men and Women without hope of a Saviour or of a satisfaction But considering God's purpose to bring many Sons to Glory and his Decree of Election which must needs stand and that the Elects names are written in the Book of life It is impossible that they can ly still under the curse but must be satisfied for and redeemed from it For the transgression of my people was he stricken My people have sinned and must be redeemed On supposition of the Decree of Election our Lord undertook that great work the Elect cannot perish sin cannot draw them utterly away from God Not only shall no externals such as Devils or Men Persecution Tribulation c. be able to come betwixt them and life but not sin it self that is within them His Decree being peremptory must stand as he sayes John 10. I have other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring in God's purpose cannot be frustrated nor altered therefore of necessity their sins must be satisfied for 7. It 's implyed here that for this end to wit that the Elect might be saved from sin and that Gods Decree of Election might stand sure Christ Jesus became Surety and did undertake to satisfie for their sins otherwise he could not have been lyable to be stricken for them if he had not become Surety for them That he was for the transgression of God's people stricken sayes plainly that he was ingaged for them as it is Heb. 7.22 He was made Surety of a better Testament And Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God These things being spoken after the manner of and borrowed from the bargainings or transactions that use to be amongst men we may conceive the business thus hinted before there is the Fathers refusing of somewhat Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desâ—re and his proposing of another thing and that is that the Mediator would engage for the Elect And upon the other side there is the Mediators offer to undertake and his actual undertaking and accepting of the Fathers proposal when Sacrifices and Offerings when thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it Lo I come saith he And then for a conclusion of the Bargain and Transaction there is the Fathers accepting of his undertaking he is content to take his sufferings as the price for the Elects debt Hence John 17. he saith Thine they were and thou gavest them me that is thine they were by Election and thou gavest them me to be redeemed by me And Heb. 10.10 it 's said that it is by this will that we are sanctified that is by the will of the Father that the Son should be Surety Use Look upon the work of Redemption as a great gracious and glorious work about the designing and contriving whereof the Father Son and Holy Ghost were occupied to speak so with reverence before the World was He might have made Worlds of Angels and of sinless Men and Women at a word and yet he hath graciously condescended to this way for redeeming of the poor Elect. We are alace sinfully disposed to think little of the Salvation and Redemption of a Soul but it is a great matter in God's account the deepest of whose consultation to say so is taken up about it and in the contrivance whereof the manifold wisdom of God conspicuously shineth forth and as in other things therein so in this that there was an ancient undertaking and ingaging by Jesus Christ in the room of the Elect as their Surety 8. While it is said For the transgression of my people was he cut off and stricken it implyâ—s that Christ in his undertaking for the Elect did oblidge himself to undergo all these sufferings that were due to them and even the suffering of a cursed death which was the curse threatned against man for sin The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And though Christ becoming Surety and Cautioner the Party is altered yet the price is still continued to be the same as is clear Gal. 3.13 He was made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles Whereby the Justice of God is vindicat and he hath access to shew mercy to the Elect without any the least imputation to it Nay this way is more for the vindicating of God's Justice and for the making of his faithfulness to shine that Christ became Man and died for the Elect than if the curse had lighted and lyen on all the Elect themselves and it is a greater aw-band on sinners against sin I say again that hereby the pure and spotless Justice of God is more vindicated and hIs faithfulness more demonstrated when he will needs so severely and with so much holy rigidity exact of the Cautioner the Elects debt to the least farthing then if they had suffered themselves eternally It shews forth also both the manifold wisdome and
and preferring a Robber to him But in all this they were fu fi ling what God had before determined to be done which we say is mâ—tter of great consolation both as to our own particular case as to God's general guiding of the World and especially of his Church therein There is nothing wherein the malice of men seems to be most prevalent but our Lord is still gaining his point upon and by them They are all the while executing God's determination though to their own ruine 2. See here an exact correspondency betwixt all the circumstances of our Lord's sufferings and God's determination and a concurrence of all of them for the promoving of it in the History of the Gospel A bone of him is not broken when the bones of the two Thieves crucified with him are broken a Spear is run at him and his side is pierced when they are not pierced And all this because it was prophesied of him that A bone of him shall not be broken and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and when it comes to his burial Pilate wots not what he is doing when yet he is fulfilling the Lords design in giving his body to a rich man Joseph of Arimathea when he asked it from him to be buried by him whereby the Prophesie of the Text is fulfilled The wickedness of some the contingent actions of others and the ignorance of many concurr all together to make out the same holy and unalterable design and purpose of God And therefore 3dly Let us stay our faith here that our Lord is yet still working in all these confusions and when matters return'd up-side down to humane appearance our blessed Lord is not non-plussed and at a stand when we are he knows well what he is doing and will make all things most certainly infallibly and infrustrably to work for his own glory and for the good of his people From its being said that He gave his grave with the wicked as holding forth Christ's willingness to be buried as he saith of his death John 10.17 No man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down and take it up again Observe That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption even in the lowest and most shameful steps of it our Lord was a most willing condescender He gave his grave with the wicked He was a most free and willing undertaker when as it were the Question was put Who will satisfie for Elect sinners He comes in and sayes as we hâ—ve it Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God I am here Father as if he had said I offer my self and accept of the terms heartsomly and delightsomly I rejoyced saith he Prov. 8.28 in the habitable parts of the earth before the foundation of the world was laid my delight was with the sons of men So it may be made evident that in all the parts of his sufferings and in every step thereof he did most exactly and also most willingly perform whatever was carved out to him He preached and wrought miracles and did all with delight as himself sayes John 4.32 It is my meat and my drink to do my Fathers will and to finish his work It refreshed him when his body was hungry and faint to be carrying on the work of Redemption in speaking to a poor straying sinner If we yet look a little forward we will find that he so longed for the saddest part of this exercise that he is pained till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 I have a bâ—ptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished His heart longed so much to be at it that he would approve nor admit of nothing that might stand in the way of it therefore he rejected Peters advice with holy detestation with a Get thee behind me Satan He knew well what was in Judas mind and yet would not divert him but bid him do what he was about quickly He went to the Garden where he was known to resort and gave his enemies opportunity to rake him and would not suffer his Disciples to draw a Sword to oppose them When he was before Pilate he would not open his mouth When he was buffetted he gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to him that plucked off the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting Because he knew what was aimed at in all this and accordingly saith Matth. 20.20 The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many When His Holy Humane Nature scarred at the Cup and when he was thereby put to pray Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me he sweetly subioyns but for this cause came I unto this hour And the nearer it came to his death he vented his desire after it the more With desire have I desired saith he or with special desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer Even when he was to eat the last Passover and to take his last good night and to be in readiness for what was coming What could have been the mean or motive to bring it about if he had not been willing It was this willingness that Jehovah was pleased with and that made his Sacrifice to smell sweetly to his Father who loveth a cheerful giver and it had never been satisfactory if it had not been willing but extorted and therefore saith he Joh. 10. No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down And I delight to do thy will Psal 40. Use 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator Behold what manner of love this is that when it was not required he should offer and freely give himself to death and to the grave this is the love of a friend and beyond it that he should have so loved his Church as to give himself for her to death and to the grave Well may he say as he doth John 15.15 Greater love hath no man then this c. 2dly It shews what great ground of consolation and encouragement a sinner hath that would fain be at Christ to believe on him and to expect Life and Salvation through him Our Lord was most willing to lay down his life and to come to the grave for that end and is it possible that he will refuse a sinner that comes unto him and that would fain share in the benefite of his sufferings which was his great end in suffering This one thing to wit the willingness that he had to suffâ—r and the delight that he had in suffering to purchase Redemption to sinners may be as a strong cordial to strengthen the heart of a swoâ—â—ing Sinner and a great motive and encouragement to come forward to him Thou wilt it may be say I wot not if Christ loves me O!
Justified through thy Death And this is so acceptable to the Mediator That He sayes Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God And Heb. 10. the Apostle saâ—es By â—his will we are sanctified He sought no more but this for all His Sufferings and Soul travel and that it is no less acceptable to Jehovah that makes the Promise is as clear Therefore in the last part of the verse It is said The pleasure the Will or the Delight of the Lord shall prosper in his hand That is the ingadgeing of Souls to believe which is Gods delight as well as the Mediators shall Thrive Succeed and Prosper Well It 's this that John 17. Christ callâ— the finishing of the work which the Fatheâ— gave him to aâ— What is that Thine they were and thou gavest them me It 's even His sâ—epping in betwixt Justice and them to make way for their Reconciliation through His Blood And this is very delightsome and well pleasing to Jehovah It is true this delightsomenesse is not to be so understood as if there were such Affections and Passions in the Lord as there are in us But it is Attributed to Him in these Respects 1. It 's called Pleasing and Delightsome to Him as it agrees with His Revealed Will and Command And so it câ—nnot be conceived but to be pleasing to God as that which He commandeth calleth for and approveth in which respect the Holinesse of them that will never be Holy and the Faith of them that will never bâ—lieve is or may be called Pleasing to God 2. It is called Pleasing to the Lord in respect of the End and as it is a Midse to the Glorifying of His Grace and the performance of His Promise to the Mediator For by this His Grace comes to be Glorified and He hath access to perform what He hath Promised to the Mediator 3. It 's pleasant to Him Because in this the Lord hath a speciall Complacency And hath Evidenced in His Word Comparatively a greater delight in Sinners cloâ—ing with Christ and in their accepting of Life through Him then in many other things Therefore it is that He calleth for this so pressingly And when Christ is not thus made use of He declares Himself to be grieved and that there is a sort of dispit done to Him whereas upon the other side He takes it dare I â—p ak it with reverence as a courtisie and honour put upon Him when a Soul gives up it self to Christ and dare hazarâ— the weight of it's Immortal Soul on His Word in this respect Abraham is said Rom. 4. To give glorie to God When he Trusted himself his Soul and all his Concerns to Him And we will find that believing is accounted to be an honouring of the â—ather and of the Son if we compare the 24. and 25. Verses of John 5. together The 1. Use Serves To let you see That not only do the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ call Sinners to believe do warrand them to believe and lay down grounds whereupon they may found their Faith But they also declare that it is well pleasing to them And that they shal be very welcome that come The carriage of the Father of the Prodigal Luke 15. Is but a little shadow of that welcome that a Sinner in returning to God by Faith in Jesus Christ may expect though indeed that Parable shewes plainly how hâ—arty a welcome returning Sinners may expect It was meet saith he that we should makâ— merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive and was loâ—â— but is found again Use 2. It serves to banâ—sh away that unworthy apprehension that is in the minds of too many that there is greater Rigidiâ—y and Austerity in God the Father then there is in the Mediator towards poor Sinners If we look to God as God His Grace abounds in the Person of the F ther as it doth in the Person of the Son And if we look to the Son as God He is the same Just God that will not acquit the Guilty more then the Father will do So that there is no ground for this apprehension which Fosters a sort of Blasphemous Conception of the blessed Trini y as if they were of different Natures and Dispositions most unbecoming Christians Hâ—nce is iâ— that many who are ignorant of God wâ—â—â— speak of Christ as bâ—ing easier to be dealt withall then the Father is a most Derogatory Conceit to the Divine Majesty and unâ—orthy of Christians Indeed if we abstract God from the Mediator there is no dealling with Him but if we look on God and come to Him in the Mediator there we find Him easie to be dealt with Therefore that which is called the Satisfaction of the Mediator Verse 11. Is called here the pleasure of the Lord Because He delights in the performing of His Promise to the Mediator in reference to His having of a Seed It is from this also that some Folks will pray to Christ as if He were a different Thing or Being from God And they would first make their Peace with Christ and then by His Moyon bring themselves in good Terms with God The Mediator indeed considered as Mediator is different from God who without Him or out of Him is a Consuming Fire But considered as God He hath the same Properties and gives Pardon on the same Terms And in this Respect we are to make use of His own Righteousnesse for obtaining of Pardon from Himself there being but one God There is occasion too frequently to meet with this Error And I know not how many inconveniences it hath following upon it Some think that they are alwayes sure of Christ's Friendship but they doubt of Gods As if the Father had not the same delight to save Sinners that Christ the Son hath And another abuse follows on the formâ—r that there is no more use made of Christ but by a Word of Prayer to Him without exercising Faith on His God-head If there ere no more to Rectifie this gross misâ—ake This one Text might do it If ye make use of Christ's Righteousnesse ye may expect Friendship from the Father and from the Son And if ye do it not ye have no ground to expect Friendship from either of them Use 3. There is here Ground of Glad Tydings to Sinners And that which makes the Covenant of Redemption to be diservedly called the Gospel and that made the Angels to Sing Glory be to God in the highest peace on earth and good will to men That there is such a Covenant laid down for bringing Life to Dead Sinners And that the Father and the Mediator are Delighted Comforted to say so Satisfied and well pleased with Sinners making Use of the Mediator for Life Is there then any Sinner here whose Conscience layes open to Him His hazard applyes the Curse to Him and passes Sentence on himself and hath some desire
to the curse of God for the transgressing of His Law which had said The soul that sins shall die and cursâ—d is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elects Cautioner and to satisfie for their Debt whereby he steps into their room takes on their Debt And as the word is 2 Cor. 5. ult Becomes sin for them Is content to be lyable to and to be pursued by Justice for their Debt and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the Persons of the Elect for whom the Cautioner stands good yet in respect of the Curse and Death due to them there is no relaxation but the same thing due to them is laid on Him as it is Gal. 3. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us In every thing He was put to pay the equivalent for making up the Satisfaction due to Justice and these two being put together that Elect Sinners were obnoxious to Wrath and that our Lord came in their Room He behoved to be put to sad and sore Soul-suffering 3. Consider God's end in the Work of Redemption which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending Grace and Mercy in exacting of satisfaction from the Cautioner and in setting the Sinner free that His Grace may be so Glorified as their shall be a proof given of His Justice and Soveraignity going along with it and Infinit Wisdom being set on Work to glorifiâ— infinit Grace and Justice there is a necâ—ssity for the promoving of this end that the Mediator shall thus satisfie and the more full the Satisfaction be the more conspicuously do the Grace and Justice of God shine forth and are Glorified according to that word Rom 3.26 To declare his righteousnâ—ss that he might be just and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus This is the end of Christ's being made a Propitiation that God may be manifested to be Spotlesse and Pure in His Justice as well as Free and Rich in His Mercy and Grace who having given a Law to Man will not acquite the transgression thereof without a condigne Satisfaction 4 Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfie Justice for Sin that it 's more to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of one Person which all the Angells in Heaven and Men on Earth cannot do and therefore the punishment of the Damned in Hell is drawn out to Eternities length and yet there is never a Compleat Equivalent Satisfaction made to Justice but it is most of all to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of all the Elect who though they be few in comparison of the Reprobat World yet simply considered they are many yea even innumerable And our Lord having taken all their Sins on Him He is peremptorly required to satisfie for them all And if this withall be added that He is to satisfie for all the Sins of all the Elect at once in a very short time and hath the Curse and Wrath of God due to them Mustered and Marshaled in Batallie against Him and as it were in a great Body in a most formidable manner marching up towards Him and seriously charging Him and all the Wrath which they should have drunken through all Eternity which yet would never have been drunk out nor made the less put in one Cup and propined to Him as the Word is Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way The Wrath of God running like an impetuous River must be drunk up at once and made dry by Him These being put together do clearly and convincingly shew that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable Soul-travell and Suffering that our Lord Jesus was put to The Use of this Doctrine is large and the 1. Use is this Tâ—at ye would take it for a most certain Truth which the Scriptures doth so Frequently and Significantly hold forth That our Lord Jesus in performing the Work of Redemption had much sad Soul-travell and sorrow The Faith of this is very usefull to demonstrat the great love of God and of the Mediator For doubtless the more Suffering be undergone by the Mediator the more love Kythes therein to the Elâ—ct 2. It serves to hold out the Soveraignity and Justice of God and the horribleness of Sin 3. In respect of God's People it 's usefull that they may be through and clear in the Reality and Worth of Christ's Satisfaction He having no other End in it but to satisfie Justice for their Sin 4. It 's usefull to shew the Vanity and Emptinesse of Mens Supposed and Fancied Merits and of any thing that can be alleadged to be in Mans Suffering or doing for the satisfying of Divine Justice seing it drew so deep on Christ the Cautioner And here two gross Errours come to be Refuted and Reprobated One of the Socinians who seek quite to overturn Christ's Satisfaction And another of the Papists that minish His Satisfaction and Extenuat and Derogat from the great Priviledge of the Pardon of Sin as if any thing could procure it but this Satisfaction of Christ by His Soul-travell both which are aboundantly refuted by this Text. But to speak a word more particularly to the First For clearing of which ye will ask What could there be to affect the Holy Humane Soul of our Lord Or what was that wherein His Soul-sufferings did consist But before we speak to this we would premit this Word of Advertisement in the entry That there are two sorts of Punishments or Penal Effects of Sin The 1. Sort are such as are simply Penal and Satisfying as proceeding from some extrinsick cause The 2d sort are sinfull One Sin in the Righteous Judgement of God drawing on another And this proceeds not simply from the nature of Justice but from the nature of a meer sinfull Creature and so from an intrinsick cause of a Sinful Principle in the Creature Now when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Christ which He was put to in Satisfying for the Sins of the Elect We mean of the former that is Sufferings that are simply Penall For there was no intrinsick Principle of Corrupt Nature nor ground of Chalâ—enge in Him as there is in Sinfull Creatures And therefore we are to conceive of His Soul-sufferings as of some thing inflicted from without and are not to conceive of them as we do of Sinfull Creatures or that have Sin in them whereof he was altogether free Having premitted this we shall speak a little to these two 1. To that wherein this Soul-suffering did not consist 2. To that wherein it did consist For the former wherein it was not 1. We are not to suppose or imagine any actuall separation betwixt His God-head and His Man-head as if there had been an interruption of the Personall Union not so for the Union of the
present purpose is to shew how a guilty Sinner may be Justified And therefore we shall 1. Give you a general view of the Truth of the Doctrine by confirming it from Scripture in all the parts of it 2. We shall â—peak more paticularly to the severall branches of it And 3ly To the way of attaining Justification in the severall Causes of it as it is here holden forth For Confirmation of the General Doctrine ye shall 1. Look upon some Scriptures And 2. To some Grounds of Reason As for the Confirmation of it by Scripture If we look through the Gospel it is Our Lord Jesus Christ His own Doctrine which He preached and the way which He laid down therein for Justifying and saving a Sinner So John 3. Where it is three or four times repeated As v. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life v. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God v. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And v. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life And that is all one as to say he that believes shall be Justified Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned These are the terms on which the Apostles are by Christ warranded to preach the Gospel and to make the offer of Life to every Creature And therefore if we look forward to their Preaching we will find it to run in the same sâ—rain A Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Where while Paul is summing up the whole Message that he had to deliver he goes upon the same ground And wherein we have these three clearly holden forth 1. That all Mâ—n are lyable as in their Natural Estate to God's Curse and by the Law cannot be Justified 2. That there is a way laid down through Jesus Christ to come by Justification and Remission of Sins 3. That the way how Sinners came by this is Faith in Christ All that believe are justified Look to the Epistles especially these written to the Romans and Galatians Where this question about Justification is exprâ—sly and of purpose handled and we will find that it is the sum of both As Rom. 3. Where having said v. 23 That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so that all are lyable to Gods Judgement he subjoyns v. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Where is the great mean of our Justification and then he adds v. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Where we have the mean of Application to wit Faith and Chap. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Which place demonstrats this That an ungodly Person taking hold by Faith of Christs Righteousnesse may be and is Justified and Absolved and fred from the guilt of Sin as if he had never Sinned So Gal. 2.15 16. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles or not without the Covenant as they are Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Which place shews not only this that through Faith in Christ is Justification and Life to be had but it also excludes all other wayes of Justificâ—tion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith But that which we are now speaking to is only the positive part of the Doctrine To shew that a Guilty Sinner obnoxious to the Curse May by Faith come to be Justified and made free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never Sinned nor been under the Curse For further Confirmation of the Doctrine ye would consider these Four Grounds and ye will see from them good reason for it Only remember this That Justification looks alway to a Judicial Procedour as we hinted before Wherein the Lord is as it were on the Throne and the Guilty Sinner at the Bar pleading through Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction to be Absolved which is even as if a Debtor were arrested for Debt should plead for a Liberation not because he is not owing the Debt neither because he hath payed the Debt but because his Cautioner hath payed it for him This being supposed and remembred ye would we say consider these Grounds or Reasons for confirming the Doctrine 1. The Sufferings that Christ hath endured and the Satisfaction that He hath made in the Room of Sinners as the next Words hold out For he shall bear their iniquities And v. ult He bare the sin of many Nay this is the great scope of the Chapter Therefore it 's said That he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows and that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all This makes a Ground of Confirmation 2. Consider How that there is not only a sufficient price payed but there is a Covenant of Redemption warranding Him to pay it and accepting it off His hand as compleat Payment and Satisfaction for the Elects Debt And except there be a look had to this Covenant Faith hath not a sufficient Ground to rest on for Justification through Jesus His Satisfaction because otherwayes we see not a Reason why His Sufferings can be accepted for us For suppose if such a supposition may warrantably be made Christ to have Suffered yet it was free for God to have accepted that as a Satisfaction for our Debt or not But the consideration of the Covenant of Redemption removes that Doubt and gives Faith a Ground to lay hold on Christ's Sufferings as Satisfactory to the Justice of God because in the Covenant of Redemption it 's so transacted and agreed upon betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Apostle speaking Heb. 10.8 9. and forward from Psal 40. of this Covenant shews That when Sacrifices and Offerings will not do the turn Christ comes in Saying Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy
that 's the Righteousnesse of Christ by Faith taken hold of by me which Fâ—ith shuts up as it were Paul in that Râ—ghteousnesse and hids him so as he is past over as if there were no unrighteousnesse at all in him The Effâ—ct of this Faith follows when a Person â—s chased and hath fled into and laid hold on Christ the effect I say is he shall be Justified we may consider this several ways and for explication's sake I shall shortly put by some of them 1. Then according to the exposition of the words take this observation That there is such a thing as Justification distinct from Sanctâ—fication That benefit of Justification follows on Faith's taking hold of Christ because it's such a benefit as follows Christ taking on our Sin By his knowledge shall he juâ—tifie many for he shall beâ—â— their iniquities Now Sanctification is not that but the infusing of Holâ—nesse in us and is the work of Gods Spirit inwardly working a change in the man we did some way clear and confirm this in the exposition of the Words and shew you how Sanctification differeth from Justification Now ye are justified now ye are sanctified Sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. Making them distinct benefits To clear it a little further Two things are to be considered in Sin both which are to be removed by Christ but differently 1. Something that defils and polluts us and makes at disconform to Gods Image hence Sin is in the Scripture compared to Boills and Sores and menstruous Cloaths and is called filthiness 2. There is a guiltinesse that follows on this whereby we are not only presupposed unclean but are made lyable to the Laws Certification wherein it 's said Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing written in the book of the law to do it Now if we speak of the removing of these two Justification takes away the guilt of Sin when the Sinner is pursued before God's Tribunal he is discharged by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to which he is fled for refuge The Law absolves him not because he wants Sin but because the Mediator hath saâ—isfied for his Sin and that Satisfaction is by Faith laid hold of Sanctification takes away the pollution and blot of Sin the Person that had these Boills and Sores is cleansed or healled or is a healling and under cure for there is no compleat healling while on this side of Heaven As suppone a man by transgressing the Law had wounded himself in wounding or hurting another there is here both a guilt and a deformity a guilt in transgressing the Law by hurting his neighbour and a deformity in wounding himself Justification is as if the penalty of the breach of such a Law were not exacted by the interposing of a Cautioner and Sanctification is like the healling of the Wound in a mans self by taking or application of some Physick or Plaister So is it here Justification sets us free from the guilt and Sanctification cures us of the wound of Sin mans fall was a guilt and by that fall he wounded himself and by Christ boâ—h are removed from the Believer by His Satisfaction He j stifies and by His Grace and Spirit He Sanctifies him Use We observe it only in passing because it serves to clear all that concerns Justification and therefore when we speak of Justification by Christs Righteousâ—esse 1. It 's not as if we had a Righteousnesse communicat to us and were made actuâ—lly holy but it 's the iâ—putation of Christ's Righteousnesse to us the confounding of these two does ill and is very prejudicial not only to Papists but to others who think they are Justified when they think they have some good frame which being wanting they suspect their Justificat on 2. The meaning is not as if Christs Righteousnesse were our Sanctification which is the Error of the Antinomians who make all Sanctification to be Justification even as the Papists make all Justification to be Sanctification therefore we would learn to distinguish these two yet not so as to separat them 2dly Observe That this effect Justification is not only nor mainly the sense of being pardoned and absolved but it 's real absolution and pardon it self because this Justification that follows Faith is that which Christ hath purchased by His Soul-travel and bearing of our iniquities and intitles the Justified Person to Him and makes him to be of His Seed and that is not to have the sense that we are Justified but actually to be Justified And here there is another mistake to be adverted to to think Justification to be the evidence of that which is past before we were born yea from Eternity The Justification here spoken of is that which makes us stand before God is opposit to Works and to the Curse and frees us from it But the sense of Justification is not that whereby we stand before God and is opposit to Works and the Curse and therefore take this Advertisement that Justification is not to be sensible of our Justification but it is really to be so whether we know and be sensible of it or not and that by vertue of Christs Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith The Third and main thiâ—g in this effect is That laying hold on Chrâ—st by Faith as He is offered in the Gospel does before God serve to the Justifying of a Sinner and the absolving of him from the guilt of Sin That is when a Sinner sensible of Sin is brought to lay hold on Christ's Righteousnesse then follows Gods absolving of him as if he had never had Sin or had satisfied for his own Sin which is not only holden out here but is frequently spoken of through the Epistles and is the Justification that stands in opposition to the way of Works to wit when a poor Sinner sensible of Sin is perswaded by Gods Spirit to flee unto and rest upon Christs Righteousnesse offered in the Gospel upon which follows Gods absolving of him This Doctrine takes in the substance of the Text By the knowledge of my righteous servant shall many be justified There are several things that will fall to be cleared in the prosecuting of this which we shall speak to shortly for clearing of that Question of the Catechism what is Justification because this Doctrine holds out the Form of it and deduceth it in this order 1. A Sinner is here supposed to be lying under Gods curse according to that Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law This is mans condition by nature 2. It is supposed that Christ becomes Cautioner for elect Sinners and takes on their Debt and satisfies for them on condition that if they shall believe on Him they shall be Justified and have His satisfaction imputed to them and that the Lord Jehovah accepts of the Mediators Satisfaction and ingageth to make out the condition 3. The Lord in the Word of the Gospel hath revealed this and hath
And considering the nature of the Mediators death that it was a violent and cursed death that which had extream anguish and sorrow going before and alongst with it It shews that the Lord hath purposly taken that way to make it known how bitter a thing Sin is how terrible a thing His Wrath is and how holily severe His Law is and to let all know that it is a dreadful thing to come in topes with Him who did so put His own Son to it Use 1. This Doctrine though it hath been spoken to before is a soveraign Doctrine yea the Soveraign Doctrine and the corner stone of all Religion That Christ hath died for the Sins of His People It gives us accesse to preach the Gospel which is therefore called the preaching of Christ crucified know therefore and believe that the Mediator died and that it behoved Him to die For it was required as a condition of the Covenant of Redemption to be performed by Him to which He yeelded and consented O! what love is here to article such a thiâ—g before Sinners had any Being It was more then to be hungry and thirsty and weary He behoved to die and to be made a curse when Sacrifices and burnt Offerings will not do He sayes Lo I come in the volumne of the book it 's written of me I delight to do will O! my God I hearitily accept of the bargain Use 2. It speaks an sadly alarming Word to all you who are secure Athiests and care not for the Wrath of God O! what will become of you when the Wrath of God and you shall meet If Sin brought the Cautioner to death O! what Wrath shal ye come under when ye shall be put to reckon for your own Sins The smitting of the Sheperd was more then if all the Sheep had been smitten and though now ye think little of Sin yet the day comes wherein ye shall know to your cost that it is an evil and bitter thing to depart from God and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Use 3. See here the necessity of making use of Christs Death either ye must do it or die and come under the Curse of God your selves there is not a midse If ye have Sin how will it be gotten put by and satisfied for not by your Prayers let be by a laughter or smile nor by your living of an honest life as ye call it Christ had infinitly more of this then any of you and yet He got not Sin so put by we may here allude to that Eccles 8.8 There is no discharge in tbat war neither shall wickedness deliver these that are given to it Death when it hath a commission and Gods Terrour backing it O! how will it handle the secure stubborn Sinner when the hand of God shall pursue him eternally Alace what are many doing that never fear the Wrath of God that suspend put of and delay the closing of their accompts and all endeavours to die to Sin and to live to Righteousnesse and either passe over their dayes as Athiests or as formal Hypocrites and such are some of you that hear me this day who never seek to be found in Christ nor to improve His death to the mortifying of Sin What will ye do in the day when ye shall be called to a reckoning ye will curse the day that ever ye heard the Gospel and that this was concluded that Christ should die it will be the savour of death to you through all eternity and will be the most Soul-searching and tormenting Word that ever ye heard and ye will wish that the Work of Redemption had never been heard of nor resolved upon Use 4. It 's a comfortable and encourraging Word to sensible Sinners such betaking themselves to Christ may be sure to get good of Him for He hath payed the Price already and hath given His Word for it That such as believe in him shall never perish but that he will raise them up at the last day Ye would not think that it will be displeasing or dissatisfying to the Father or to the Son that ye come to Him and take hold of Him for it was for that end that God sent Him and that He laid down His Life and died but He dies no more It will be no trouble to Him but satisfaction to His Soul for all the travel of it to make application of His purchase to you And seing it will not displease but be most acceptable to Him that ye believe on Him and be saved by Him and since not believing rubes shame in a manner upon Him why do ye not betake your selves unto Him by Faith for His satisfaction and your own Salvation 2dly He not only died but it 's said He poured out his soul unto death which implyes two things 1. The intensness of it it was an uncouth and strange Death not only was His Body afflicted but His Soul was poured out 2. It looks to His good will readiness and cheerfulnesse in dying Father as if He had said must I die and wilt thou have my Soul sorrowful and heavy I am content to be so thou shalt have my Life He comes not prigging to die to speak so but casts down His blessed Life at His Fathers feet and plentifully gives it out to the uttermost so that He will not as it were leave one drop of His Blood but will needs pour and yett it out in aboundance even all of it Hence Observe That our blessed Lord Jesus was most hearty in laying down His Life for Sinners was most cheerful in undertaking and most willing and cheerful in executing what He did undertake He makes not two Words of the bargain to speak so but when Sacrifice and Offering will not do it as it is Psal 40. Then sayes He Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God There is no standing nor disputing here on the Mediators side but a present willing and heartsome undertaking Therefore Prov. 8. He sayes Though he was continually with the father even from everlasting yet his delights were with the sons of men rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth Ere ever the World was made ere there was a Sinner in beeing to be redeemed He rejoyced before hand thinking there would be such an opportunity to manifest His good will grace and mercy And if we look through the Gospel how often will we find this made good No man taketh my life from me but saith He I lay it down of my self and I take it up again and when they came to take Him and Peter drew his sword he said Could not I command twelve legions of Angels but all that is written of me must be fulfilled I have bargained to lay down my Life and it must be and I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished and