The Death of Christ under the notion of the Death of a Sacrifice will improve the Believer's Faith which I hope will be manifested when we have viewed the grand concern of Faith in these three particulars 1. It 's Expectation or the things it waiteth for 2. The grounds of its Expectation and waiting 3. The present actings of Faith whilst it is assured there are such things to be expected and whilst it is perswaded and resolved to wait for them Of all which in order Sect. 1. 1. Faith hath its expectation and looketh for things that are not seen Things hoped for as Heb. 11.1 And these are great things As 1. A publck solemn full and clear absolution from the charge of sin and guilt which Satan Conscience or the Law might load us with Faith looks to that word John 5.24 He that believeth shall not come into condemnation Faith waits for that day 2 Thes 1. v. 10. When the Lord shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Faith hearkneth for that awakening voice Matth. 25.6 Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him The Believer expecteth a justification from all things from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.38 39. when he shall be declared blessed when he shall be accounted righteous and as such shall enter into the possession of a Kingdom of Righteousness Mat. 25.34 37. with 46. ver 2. The Believer expecteth Totus mundus expectat illud tempus quo illi qui sunt Filii Dei manifestabuntur and with Faith waiteth for a publick declaration or manifestation of his Adoption and Sonship Rom. 8.19 The whole world expecteth that time wherein they who are the children of God shall be made manifest as Vatablus noteth on the place And this I take to be the Apostle's meaning Col. 3.4 You shall appear with him i. e. you shall be publickly declared the children of God through Christ And though it do not appear what Believers shall be yet when the Lord appeareth they shall appear his Sons and daughters also 1 Joh. 3.2 3. The Believer looketh for a publick and glorious inauguration or coronation Come inherit the Kingdom Matth. 25.34 is the happy investiture which Faith expecteth Now there is a Crown laid up for us then it shall be set upon our heads 2 Tim. 4. ver 8. It is already intended and promised then it shall be given Faith expects that joyful day of rewarding the Spiritual Champions Here they run there they are crowned Now the Believer warreth then Faith triumpheth 1 Cor. 9.24.25 4. The Faith of a Believer looketh after a reward for all its obedience whether active conforming to the Precepts and Rule of Christ or passive bearing the Cross of Christ It is one of the excellencies of the Law of Faith that as it commands no more than it enableth us to do so it rewardeth no less than we have done The distribution grace doth make is first so much as we need to work and next so much as we have wrought the Believer receiveth according to his works Matth. 25.35 36. And when grace hath thus distributed to each then shall we find our labour was not in vain 1 Cor. 15. v. 58. That the Lord was not unrighteous to forget our labour Heb. 6.10 Then shall we fully understand that the Believer is blessed for that his works do follow him Rev. 14. v. 13. Faith expects that the light and momentany asslictions should work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 18. We expect a glory to be revealed with which these light afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared Rom. 8.17 Such are the expectations of Faith and may well be confirmed as rational and justifiable by the consideration of their being built upon the Death of Christ our Sacrifice For 1. Doth a Believer expect absolution why should he not Christ his Sacrifice hath born his guilt and punishment Or Secondly 2. Doth a Believer expect a declaration of his adoption to be a Child of God this is no more than the promise of the Covenant ratified in this Sacrifice God will be his Father 3. Doth the Believer expect an investiture into a Throne Kingdom and Crown why all these are by Christ our Sacrifice procured for us after they were forfeited by us 4. Doth the Believer expect a reward for all his obedience both active and passive well He may For all his obedience is advanced in it's worth by this blood sprinkled on it This Sacrifice hath merited it albeit our obedience could not this in the Apostle's words one Sacrifice hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Faith exceeds not its bounds when it expects consumate and full Perfection of happiuess These are the Grand expectations of faith let us view how justifiably faith may expect all these since that the foundation and ground of faith's expectation is secured and made good by the Death of Christ our Sacrifice Sect. 2. 2. The Foundation or ground of Faith's expectation is the promise and covenant of God upon this Faith builds it's hopes before God promiseth we may repose some kind of trust that he will do good for us but we cannot firmely and properly believe the Mariners Jonah 1.6 had some hope and trust that God would shew them mercy but this amounted not properly to a degree worthy the name of faith it rested still upon the Divine Goodness possibly God will think on us but it had no promise on which it might conclude God will think on us for good But now when once God hath promised and given out the word of Grace and Mercy the soul findeth a fit ground to build it's faith upon thus God spake to Abraham and gave him the promise so shall thy seed be Gen. 15.5 Then did Abraham believe God ver 6. And he believed in the Lord and he had no ground for faith before the promise And he gave no ground to unbelief after he received the Promise Hence the Apostle speaking of the greatness of Abraham's Faith tells us that it was against hope in hope Rom. 4.18 it was against all hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Natural and Second Causes but it was in hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to what was spoken to him by his God who could make good his word what ever he spake It is a blind and bold presumption not Faith which builds on other foundation than what God layeth Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a Tried stone c. Isa 28.16 On this we may build our faith and not be confounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 2.6 The word of promise is the word of faith Rom. 10.8 And when we hear that word we ought to believe it for it is the word of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of possibility of failure And it
a perpetual thanksgiveing to Christ but a Sacrament is the solemne day of Thanksgiving which Christ hath appointed He did find the Jews keeping the Passeover so he hath ordained the Christian Feast of his supper in the stead thereof and so to be kept the Apostle tells us that he received of the Lord what he delivered to his Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.16 and he delivered unto them this cup of Blessing this minds you of the greatest gift God could give and must not be lookt on without your heart in your eye Go too then think as you can of him who hath made you heirs by his will speak of it as you can Inusitatâ incognitâ quadam felicitate I mistake if you do not think say this came to pass by an unusual and wonderful happiness as the Historian said of that will which made the people of Rome heir to a Kingdome Be you as just to the Remembrance of your Lord and shew it in your thankfulness 4. Fourthly Another great End of the Sacrament and which Christ intended in appointing Coena in eum finem comparata est ut sit communioris charitatis Christianonum vinculum inter ipsos Th. Thalm. de usu coen Dom. dis 1. sect 42. it was that union and communion might be preserved and continued among Believers It doth therefore bear the name of a Communion and Christ hath prepared this Spiritual Feast to keep up spiritual friendship Christ would have but one Table for Believers that Believers might have but one heart for each other Christ hath put them all together at his table that they might keep all together in love and be but one Mark well with what text the Apostle urgeth this Union and Communion among Saints 1 Cor. 10.17 We being many are one body for we all partake of one bread But now alas that is made a cause of contention and separation which was appointed a means of union and Christian friendship of which I might justly complain were this fit time and place But I conclude this in the words of the Learned Professours Sacra Synaxis est dilectionis fidelium inter se contesseratio quaedam P P. Salmur de usu neces coen Dom. Disp 1. Sect. 42. The holy Communion is a certain signal mark of the love of the faithful one to another Now I say the last Will of Christ dying a Testator conduceth unto this and therefore the meditations of Christ dying a Testator will suit with the Sacrament and do well become a Communicant View but a while oh ye quarrelling Believers how you have all one common great friend ought you not be one in him Have you not all one title and may you overthrow your Brother's hope without overthrowing your own are all men careful to preserve unity whose welfare is endangered by discord and will you be less than men In one word Christ hath put you all into his own Will and made you Legatees Joint-heirs how well doth one Will become them who are thus one in the Will of Christ oh divide not in your wills and affections you are undivided in the Will of Christ suit your considerate thoughts to the blessed ends your Dear and Dying Lord intended to promote enlarge your thoughts on the particular considerations and respects in which he died draw down these respects unto the several graces and duties which they will awaken and strengthen and I hope in a Sacrament you shall find your Profession and Faith confirmed your Affections enlivened your Thankfulness enlarged your Union and Communion with Saints strengthened and secured by a due application of your meditations to the Death of Christ dying a Testator and so will find by experience what I have said that these thoughts well suit a Sacrament because they well suit the ends of the Sacrament CAP. III. Christ's Testament Influenceth our Graces I Am now to treat my Reader with the entertainment of his thoughts on the third proposal which pretends to make it appear that due considerations of Christ's dying a Testator making his will and comprising all his friends in it may improve the growth of grace such reflections on this kind of death do well comport to the communion they do also well advance the graces of the communicant they do befit the solemnity they benefit the solemnizer which I shall attempt to illustrate and prove in the genetal by these following arguments Sect. 1. 1. First 1 Argument That which awakens the soul to a diligent search and enquiry into the word and into its own state will advance the growth of grace Grace is of such a nature it growes best when most searcht as health by medicines which penetrate the secretest places of the disease and expel the most hidden hurtful humours our spiritual Balm healeth best when self-examination openeth our wounds and maketh way that the Balm may sink and soak to the bottom Now the consideration of Christ dying a Testator and making his Will or Testament will awaken us to such a search enquiry It is almost natural to us when our rich friends dye to enquire what Will they made and who are remembred and what they are remembred in especialy when they hear that all the kindred and all the friends are remembered in the Will and have somewhat given them upon this the considerate Christian begins his search of these two things at least 1. The last Will of Christ which is contained in and to be gathered out of his word And next He 2. Searcheth his own Pretences to the Friendship and Kindred of Christ for the word assures him that the Lord Christ hath bequeath'd all to his Brethern and Friends Hence 3. A Third thing is concluded by the considerate Christian viz. The strengthning his alliance to Christ and making it more firm and sure which is most effectually and only done by adding grace to grace and bringing forth fruits of grace thus will this search occasioned by this Death of Christ improve grace Sect. 2. 2. That which answers the doubts and which removes the disquieting fears of the gracious soul doth improve grace in the soul Doubts are the souls earth-quakes which shake the foundations and weaken the superstructure these doubts once well removed and these fears once well blown over the soul resteth on a good strong solid foundation and all that is laid upon it standeth the faster and steadier These disquieting fears are Languores animae The consumptive decaies of weak grace let these be taken away and grace recovers to a healthful vigorous and strong habit they are part of that spirit of bondage which attends a weaker and less grown grace and as these fears are dispelled and the prevalence of the spirit of bondage abateth so the Pharrhesia that boldness and child-like confidence of grown grace increaseth with an increasing measure of the spirit of Adoption from which springeth an universal increase of grace Atque
Sacrifice for so were Covenants of old made confirmed as hath been observed a very pregnant place to our present purpose we met with in Psa 89.30 seq If his children forsake my Law Psal 89.30 31 32. â—â— and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a Rod and their iniquity with stripes 2 Sam. 7.14 Virgâ hominum i.e. moderatâ correctione in eorum commodum Poli Synops Crit. This Rod 2 Sam. 7.14 is the Rod of men that is with moderate correction and for their good But or Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Here 's a rich Cordial to the drooping soul which smarteth under the didivine corrections God hath not nor will he take away his loving kindness nor suffer his faithfulness to fail ver 33. My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Now then when thy sin whether of folly or frowardness is corrected and thou mournest under sense of divine displeasure call to mind the Covenant made in Christ thy Sacrifice and be comforted sense of thy peace may but the Covenant of thy peace shall not be broken 4. Under the apprehension of divine displeasure and present dereliction yet this Sacrifice may soon quiet and sufficiently support the soul in that it will be its present refuge against the violence of this trial still the soul may interpose the Propitiatory vertue of this Sacrifice between it self on the one part and God's displeasure with its own fears on the other part hitherto this Altar may the troubled and the trembling soul fly as Joab to the horns of the Altar and certainly when the blood of this Sacrifice is found sprinkled on the soul God will speak a present peace or support with a secret infused hope of life and at least seasonably let the Believer know he will never take him from the Altar that he may die but yet as a Father he may correct his offences without violating the priviledge of sanctuary And indeed this is the utmost God intends in the exercise of his Sons and Daughters who are reconciled to him through Christ their Sacrifice In vertue whereof all Believers might and I believe the most of them do one time or other in this life after such spiritual troubles recover some degree of spiritual peace and joy in the favour of God however seldom go off the stage without the joy of good old Simeon departing in peace because they have seen the salvation of God But they never fail to see and rejoyce in God through Christ when they receive the peace which after death is to be obtained with God by vertue of this Expiatory Sacrifice the truth hereof they firmly believe and hope for it also Rom. 5.11 We may then joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the atonement Joy in God is a fruit of atonement and this an effect of the Sacrifice of Christ So near alliance there is between our Joy in the Divine Favour and Christ procuring and maintaining it for us in the vertue of his Sacrifice Much to the same purpose is that of the Apostle Heb. 10. v. 19. Having boldness to enter by the blood of Christ Now at least this boldness is a fruit or consequent of our perswasion and hope that God beareth a gracious respect to us And ver 21. and 22. Having an High Priest and consequently a Sacrifice let us draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. If any complain notwithstanding all this I must assure them their own inability to improve the vertue of Christ our Sacrifice is the reason why they draw not out the excellent Oil which would make their face to shine it is not want of excellency in him or in his death our Sacrifice Sect. 3. 3. A third thing a soul is disquieted at is the sinful imperfections of duties weakness of graces and unworthiness of his person all which concurring do oftentimes occasion a doubt whether such shall be accepted with a God of infinite holiness and glorious Majesty Can God indeed take pleasure in such will such persons be accepted such graces allowed such duties approved and if not where shall the troubled soul seek rest For removal of this Disquietude from the soul there is sufficient in Christ dying our Sacrifice For 1. It is that which procureth an acceptation of our persons it restoreth us to the Favour of God who delighteth in every one who hath by faith a real interess in this Sacrifice The Grace of God through Christ looketh to our persons Quâ gratos nos sibi reddidit per illum dilectum Vatab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. So that he maketh us accepted Ephes 1.6 He hath respect to our persons and this through Christ our Sacrifice as ver 7. By whom we have redemption through his blood Expounding the material cause how we are made acceptable to God in Christ for it is he only whose Sacrifice by the mercy of God is imputed to us for forgiveness of sin as some note on these words It is the order observed in the New Covenant Semper igitur sentiendum est nos consequi remissionem peccatorum Et personam pronunciari justum i. e. gratis acceptari propter Christum per fidem postea vero placere etiam obedientiam erga legem reputari quandam justitiam c. Augustan Confess Ar. 6. confirmed in the death of this Sacrifice to look to the person first through the precious blood of his Sacrifice and next to the performance of his duties subsequent As God is said to have had respect to Abel first and then to his Sacrifice So here the person of the Believer is through Christ accepted with God thus the fears lest our unworthy persons be rejected are removed God valueth them not as in themselves but in the superadded favour which for Christ's sake he beareth to them 2. Secondly The excellency of this Sacrifice removeth the fears which arise from the weaknesses and perfections of our gracious works too For the excellency of this Sacrifice ennobleth every spiritual Sacrifice we offer unto God by faith Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the Saints upon the golden Altar which is before the Throne On which words Junius hath this passage among others This is that Great Emperour the Lord Jesus Christ our King and Saviour who maketh intercession to God the Father for the Saints filling the heavenly Sanctuary with most sweet odours and offering up their prayers c. in such sort as every one of them so powerful is that sweet savour of Christ and the efficacy of his Sacrifice are held in reconcilement with God c. You
which lyeth a Curse indeed Now this duly considered will promote the increase of our graces The Communicant who can meditate on Christ dying a Curse for us may thereby excite his graces and exercise them to an improvement of them such meditations will be as lesser streams to a River which they greaten whilst they run in the same chanel A brief specimen of this will satisfie I hope and set the soul on work wherein for his help I shall shew him an Essay in a rude draught of this in eight following particular Graces which well become a Communicant 1. Humility and Self-abasement is unquestionably a Sacramental grace 1. Sacramental grace improved a grace we should Bring to exercise at and improve by the Sacrament of our Lord dying for us And the consideration of his death represented under the circumstances of a Curse is a very suitable and a likely means to effect this For it doth represent to our thoughts not only the sufferings of our dearest Lord and friend but convinceth us that it was our sin which procur'd this to him and that we must have been miserable for ever if he had not thus died Thus our sin and misery is set before us and these will humble a soul these will bow the generous courage and stoutness of the noblest and highest mind Misery alone cannot break the courage of a virtuous and innocent mind Nil conscire sibi c. A soul clear and approv'd to its self is an impregnable fortress And the spirit of a man will bear these infirmities Indeed a base and degenerous mind breaks into shivers under a load of crosses But the soul under sorrows or in danger of deserv'd misery reflecting on its own guilt and looking through the vileness of sin on the greatness of its sorrows is the more humble because more refined and excellent in it's temper principles and aims True lowliness of spirit or humility that is genuine may possibly first gush out in a tear from pain But it 's constant running is in tears for sin Misery may broach the vessel but it is sin that keeps it running Misery may make the best despised in others eyes sin makes him despised in his own Men will tread on a distressed fortune but the humble soul will tread on its sinful self And now serious Reader cast thine eye upon Christ made a Curse and suppose for thy self and then tell me what is first reflected on is not thy misery the title page of that great Volume of sorrows which Christ did bear for thee when he was made a Curse and underwent it in thy stead wa st not thou in danger of that Curse didst thou not dwell on the borders of an eternal infinite misery and wast thou not every moment in danger to be haled and thrust headlong into a prison of wofullest darkness and unspeakable sorrows Did not the Curse laid on Christ hang over thy head It was thy sin thy misery that Christ lay under and this will humble thee if thou hast any spark of spititual ingenuity if there dwell any generous dispositions within thy breast 1. For what is it to be cursed but to lye under the transgression of a righteous Law and what will abase an ingenuous spirit if the baseness of sin will not Humility is the judgement or opinion of its little worth arising from due sense of sin Humility what Thus did Moses instruct Irsael to be humble Deut. 9.7 12 22. 23. 24. shews them how great their sin had been and leaves then to say how little their opinion of themselves ought to be tells them how near they were to utter ruine when nothing but a Moses and his prayer was between them and the execution of that word Deut. 9.6 14. I will blot out their name from under Heaven Let thy soul renew the memory of thy sin when thou renewest thy thoughts of Christ's dying a Curse Remember thy sins and do as they Ezek. 20.43 Gen. 41.9 Loath thy self for all thy sins The remembrance of a fault made a Courtier blush In a Sacrament thou seest Christ dying an accursed death in his Curse thou dost or shouldest see thy own sin and with Ezra in another case Ezra 9.6 Thou shouldest be ashamed and blush to look up to Heaven For 2. Thou most righteous and just hast condemned me and judged what my fault is how great how vile it is in the Curse my Saviour did bear for me It was not a rash hasty and inconsiderate passion of a man that cursed the sinner but it was the just deliberate sentence of a wise and holy God who never curseth one that deserves to be blessed who never curseth before the creature hath sinned and deserved it How inquisitive is a good disposition if he be cursed as David by a Shimei 2 Kings 2.23 or as the Prophet reproached by the Boyes of Bethel or by a contemptible beggar How ready are best natures to enquire into the cause Have I given an occasion to this reproach Have I deserved it And how is he abashed and ashamed that any reason is pretended for unreasonable railing Now much more abashed is the ingenuous spirit when a sober man when a judicious observer of his own words as well as of other mens carriages shall condemn and adjudge him worthy of a Curse But here it is the Lord who adjudged thee to a Curse and canst thou remember this and not be humble and not reflect upon thy sin which provoked so just a Wisdom and such deliberate Justice to execrate thee David was humble when Shimei cursed because it might be God had said to him Curse David When thou receivest the Sacrament thou remembrest Christ whom God made a Curse for thee there God tells thee Thou hadst been forever cursed if Christ had non been once cursed There thou mayest see a holy wise just and infinitely excellent person displeased with thee and provoked against thee and surely such a sight will I am certain it should make thee abhor thy self and be humble 3. Farther thou hadst a fair and open tryal of thy Cause and it now stands in the greatest Court of Record in the world It is there registred that thou art the son or daughter of a tainted blood a child of an accursed stock In the first Adam God tryed and cast thee and told thee what thou must expect in the second Adam he shewed thee this Record stood firm the sentence unrepealed and if the blood of Christ dying and bearing the Curse for thee had not washt out the stain thou hadst remained still under a curse and stain It is accounted a glory in an Antient Family that the blood is not stained with any treasonable practices against the Soveriagn and it is a disparagement and diminution of their glory and greatness that the blood is embased by disloyal designs and attempts When thou receivest the Sacrament and seest Christ dying an accursed death
Lord give me a heart knowing how to turn this kind of my Lord's Death into what Joy is hidden in it and I know my heart will need no other will desire none but this Again in the sixth place A peaceable 6th Sacramental grace peaceable disposition to the Brethren compassionate and tender affection toward our Brethren our fellow Christians is a Sacramental Grace a disposition of mind which is never out of season and is most in season at a Sacrament Christians should ever live in charity but they should feast with their Lord and with their Brethren in highest measures of charity When they thus feast they should embrace each other when they walk together it should be hand in hand This Love-feast must not be allayed with any mixture of sowre murmurings bitter envyings or unsavoury grudges of discontent The Apostle doth give us a most excellent Rule for this 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Purge out the old leaven c. Let us therefore keep the feast not in the old leaven nor with the leaven of malice c. In malice we should ever be children but especially at the Lord's Supper I will not urge reasons why we must be thus affected each to other when we come to the Table of the Lord for it is so universally known by all and it is so necessary among many other graces that too many think this alone sufficient to prepare men for the Lord's Supper It is true who hath all other but hath not this preparatory is unfit Whosoever wants this alone is not fit though this alone will not fit him for the Lord's Table The want of this must keep him back from this Supper until he hath a mind full of sincere and true love to all men especially to all the invited guests of the Lord. Supposing therefore that it is nothing doubted peaceable affections and compassionate tender love or charity to the Brethren is a Sacramental Quality I shal insist a little on the manner how this may be improved and advanced by the Death of Christ dying an accursed Death for us And so 1. First When thou art at the Lord's Supper and seest a few of thy Christian Brethren there to celebrate the Death of thine and their Lord dying a Curse this in all likelihood will be thy first reasoning upon it If Christ died a Curse for us then were we all under a Curse then were we all plunged in misery all were under the guilt of sin and under the wrath of God and what tongue can tell what this is or what heart can think of it and not be compassionately tender over such poor creatures Can your obdured hardened hearts hear the groans of men tormented with the Strangury or Gout or Stone Can you look upon the miseries of an Hospital without yearning bowels or can you look upon the tortures of one wracked and torn upon a wheel or between wild horses without a wish oh that I might deliver them what kind of hearts do you bear toward persecuted murthered and tormented Christians when you see the pictures of them or read the history of them do not your hearts drop into tender compassions toward them Why now look on Christ dying a Curse he is the lively picture of thine and their woful state it is to be seen in his Death read over the story of Christ accursed it is the story of thy most woful state and of the miserable state of them who are now communicating with thee they were with thee sinful guilty dying creatures which ere long must have been groaning sighing howling under the avenging wrath of the Almighty if Christ had not thus died for thee and them Look upon them say as indeed they were behold what was saved of my shipwrack These were tossed in the same vessel dashed on the same rock taken up helpless and lifeless c. with me Oh I never see them but it comes into my thoughts and my heart my heart weeps over our common danger We do so often renew our compassionate affections toward our companions in dangers as the sight of them renews the thoughts of our danger That which in a different case David said When I remember these things I pour out my soul within me The soul redeemed from the Curse will be able to say when I remember these things compassion and tenderness are poured out The remembrance of a common danger Nihil ad misericordiam sic inclinat atque proprii periculi cogitatio August Misericordia est vicina miseriae Seneca de Clem. is a most prevailing enducement to compassion The Philosopher could tell us That this Pity is a neighbour to misery Whence likely it was that the Lord did enjoyn the Israelites to shew a hearty compassion unto afflicted strangers for They know the heart of a stranger for they were strangers in Aegypt We must compassionately and tenderly love wish well and affect those whose hearts we know for so much as we were in like case Now this is one part of our brotherly love or charity here it begins though it doth not end here This tenderness of heart is like the pith or tender pulp which runneth through the whole body of the tree This indeed is the Root on which the delightful Tree grows and from which the beautiful fruits of love do blossome bud increase and ripen And so often you water the root of Love as you do soften and mollify the temper of your heart which is done when soakt in the thoughts of our common danger I shall close this particular with that piercing Question Matth. 18.33 Shouldest thou not have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee How shall we answer this Question if the consideration of our common danger do not stir up in us a love of compassion to others what bowels hast thou if they do not now yearn and move towards them We are apt to pity those whose tormenting diseases and sharp pains we have felt and if ever we felt the inward sorrow and trouble of an accursed state we shall pity such who are under it and with tender affection demean our selves towards those who were under it it will renew our sympathy and this will renew our love to them But Secondly In the remembrance of Christ's dying a Curse for us there is the renewing of a most self-abasing and humbling consideration Now the renewal of this will be a very likely means to improve our love which is a humble self abasing grace So that what increaseth our humility will increase our charity Solomon tells us that onely by pride cometh contention and our own experience proveth the proud man neither sit to be chosen for a loving friend nor to be trusted as one that will be constant in his friendship and love such an one will be ever breaking the laws of friendship of which the Apostle discoursing 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6. tells us that it neither vaunteth it self nor is puffed up
Indeed he can see no cause of vaunting himself who views himself in this cursed condition represented and confirmed to us by Christ's undergoing it for us Something or other there must be indeed or must be thought to be which shall exalt a man above his neighbour and brother Now when it appeareth that it was equal guilt and misery under which thou and I and every one did lye until Christ redeemed us this cuts off all vaunts and proud boasting of our selves above others and where pride is laid thus low and taken out of the way there meek and peaceable deportment outwardly and meek and peaceable temper inwardly do spring up and flourish This will prevent all increase and growth of malice and dislike for whatever thou canst find in thy Brother to dislike the same or as bad is found in thee for before grace appeared to you you were both accursed both rebels against God both condemned by the Law of God both alike miscreants and vile nor may dislike fester and ranckle into malice against thy Brother For if the Grace of God hath taken occasion from his vile miserable condition to be and appear grace indeed to him who art thou darest make it an occasion of wrath or malice I know the reasonings of a believer toward believers are of another nature and tendency they all savour of humility and peaceable dispositions and forbidding all proud quarrels and hushing them with some such reflection upon our selves and our condition such was I but I obtained mercy Alas how are we mistaken if we think we may boast our selves in the difference between us and others for who made us to differ There was much of reason in the penitent Thief when he took up and reproved the railings reproaches and blasphemies of the other Luk. 23.20 Doest thou not fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation This ought to have humbled him and kept him in a peaceable behaviour and mind towards those who were dying with him Oh let us manifest a humbled soul a mind abased and laid low with our guilt and vileness let us manifest such a mind by meek peaceable loving disposition towards our Brethren who were first our Brethren in a Curse but now are our Brethren in Christ Certainly nothing doth more become pardoned sinners than such a peaceable behaviour and disposition Nor do I know a more natural genuine fruit of our peace with God through Christ than this our peaceable mind and behaviour towards men when Angels shewed the glad tydings viz. Salvation through Christ they did also proclaim peace on earth so must we when God makes us glad with this salvation 3. Again thirdly In the remembrance of Christ dying a Curse for us there is renewed the remembrance of forgiveness and pardon granted of God to us The Believer communicating at the Lord's Table doth there see himself pardoned and the like pardon offered unto others also through Christ dying a Curse for them Now this doth mightily perswade with the Believer to lay aside all occasions and ground of quarrel and so doth much more promote this brotherly love increasing it both in the habit of charity disposing the mind to it and in the exercise and acts of it in our behaviour and converse among Christians That which God hath done for us teacheth us what we are to do for others when God might justly and righteously have cursed us and refused us peace he did for Christ's sake free us from the Curse and entred confirmed and still keeps peace with us Now saith the considerate Believer I must be like my Heavenly Father he hath accursed but one thing for which he hath not yet for which he never will have thoughts of peace and I must never make or keep a peace with that accursed thing with sin But since it hath been the good pleasure of my Heavenly Father to make peace for such who were cursed and seeing he hath made them blessed by this peace I must with better mind though I cannot in better words say with Balaam Num. 23.20 Behold I have received Commandment to bless and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it When any grudge envy or dislike would solicit thee to break the law of Brotherly Love ask but this question Is God at peace with this man with whom I am ready to break If God be his friend and at peace with him it is my best course and most advised to be at peace with him also and keep and make him my friend It is reported in the Life of Marius that cruel man that if he saluted not the man he met Plutarch in vit C. Marii his souldiers took it for the token that such a one must not live But if he saluted any one no hurt was done to him At this present I tell you no hurt must be done by you or me to such whom the Great God saluteth as he did Abraham and as he doth still salute Abraham 's seed calling them friends As then the renewed use of the Lord's Supper is a renewed testimony of God reconciled unto us and a renewed profession of our friendship unto God so it will be a renewing of our friendship with those who are so blessed and happy in their alliance unto the Lord who is also our God Moreover suppose flesh and blood could pretend an occasion of contention and quarrel with thy Christian Brethren summon them to put in their Bill and make their plea before Christ who once died a Curse for thee and them let the grievances be rightly stated and hearken what Christ would say to thee that contendest He would surely tell thee that he did not stand upon greater injuries done to him but did bear them and forbear thee in them witness thine own appearance at the Sacrament where thou professest to believe that Christ died an accursed death for thee and dost thou dare to retain the thoughts the remembrance of farthing dammages done to thee in that very place and at that time where thou renewest the remembrance of many talent-dammages by thee done to God all forgiven to thee by thy God who thereupon requireth thee to forgive others How silent and speechless will the merciless unpeaceable man be when God shall make him read over such places as these Shouldest thou not have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee And if ye from your heart forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses And he shall have judgment without mercy who showed no mercy Come then thou froward peevish unpeaceable soul look what Christ hath purchased and prepared for every Believer he hath purchased a peace for them he hath for them prepared a blessed peace through his bearing a Curse for them and he hath sealed and confirmed this peace taking away every thing that might break it and this peace made thus thou art now again confirming with God among