in generall If any man sin as if he had said there must something be done by Believers that goes beyond the being of sin before they can be excluded from having interest in the Advocateship of Christ Here the Apostle speaks expresly there is an Advocateship of Christ for Believers finning without exception I know it is too frequent among many that more grosse sins then ordinary in a Believeâ— do not only waste the conscience but do also interpose between such a person and Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak else-where For present there is a coâ—â—eit that if a Believer sine more then ordinarily presently there is just câ—use for him to suspect Christ will not sufficiently manage his office for him an least Christ hath not sufficiently managed it already so that there is juâ—t cause of feare But let me tell you to the everlasting consolation of Gods people that there is no sin which a Believer can commit which can exclude him from the benifit of this Advocateship or bring him beyond the bounds of this large grant If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And if it be any man you will say it extends to all men in the world as well as Believers if any man sin Nay there is a restraint in the words and you shall easily see it If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father If any of us that have fellowship with the Father and the Son it is not every one that hath Christ for an Advocate but those that are Believers Those that have right to fellowship with the Father and the Son are only spoken of in this place I speak this to the end that those who 〈…〉 fear of death are subject unto bondage all their lives long â—ay know that Christ is coâ—â—e to deliver them and reveales this truth on purpose to deliver them from the feare of death and bondage by being their Advocate for their sins He is an Advocate he is a propitiation for every sin of his The words run in the generall to the end If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins The Apostle doth not say he is not an Advocate for such and such but for such and such Believers that sin so and so if they commit sin so and so agravated and if their sins rise to such an height there is no propitiation for them But the Apostle speaks in the generall style If any man sin and he is the propitiation for our sins and yet beloved I must be bold to goe a little further in respect of the persons whose cause Christ doth plead and in whose behalf Christ is an Advocate I say it is for all sorts of Believers nay I go further it is for more then present Believers even for some who are not for the present Believers but remaine as yet in a state of unbelief In brief Christ is the Advocate of the cause of euery person in the world for whom he paid the price of redemption whether they be persons already called or persons not yet acquainted with the Grace of God for every Elect person as well unconverted as converted Christ doth equalty in respect of the substance of his plea interpose but when I say he plead as well for the unconverted as for the converted I mean for such unconverted persons as do belong unto the election of Grace and have their portion in the price of his blood Beloved for mine own part I cannot yet conceive any other considerable difference between the plea of Christ for the converted persons and the Elect unconverted but this circumstantiall difference namely that the value of his blood is equally of force to Believers and unbelievers being elected saving that the Belevers have this priviledge that the Lord Christ pleads for the manifestation of this discharge unto this converted person but pleads not for the present manifestation there of unto the unconverted elect person tell such time as he shall be called to the faith and by that faith that thing be made evident which before was hid I say the pardon of sin by the blood of Câ—rist is 〈◊〉 full for the unconverted elect person as fully passed over in grant I mean to that person as to the Believer himself God doth add never a tittle of pardon it self more to him that is a Believer then to that person not yet converted to the faith in regard of the substance of the pardon it self For the cleering of this to you I beseech you note what is the rise or ground-work of the pardon of sin Secondly note when this pardon of sin is compleat with God These two things considered you shal perceive that all the pardon in respect of the substance of it that God passeth over unto men he doth passe it over before their conversion Look I say upon the rise the true rise or originall of the pardon of sin is the gracious grant of God upon the blood of Christ shed This is the onely foundation of pardon I say Gods gracious grant upon the sheding of the blood of Christ there is no pardon appliable to any person in the world but what pardon is to be found in the word of Grace Thou that art a Believer at present thou hast the pardon of thy sins in thy spirit thou art assured of it Where hadst thou this pardon Didst thou not fetch it out of the word of Grace Then as soon as the word of Gods Grace was first published this Grace of the pardon of sin was held forth If thou foundest it not here thou found'st it some where else but tell me where will you have this Grant of God to build upon if you will not have it in the word of Grace You will say the Spirit of God will reveale it unto you It is true indeed but if the Spirit of the Lord doth reveal a grant to you of Grace it is according to his Word The Spirit speaking out of the word oâ— Grace to men speakes no otherwise but according to this word of Grace in men and if that there be a contradiction between the inward voyce and this word of Grace that is enough to give you cause of suspicion yea you may be confident that that voice within you in respect of such contradiction is a false voyce I say that the Lord Christ sends us unto his Word and from the word we take out the pardon of sin we have Now beloved I beseech you consider if all pardon to all the Elect to the end of the world be contained in this word of Grace there is no more pardon then what is written there then it must needs follow that God passed over his act of pardon of sin at that instant when he entred this pardon in the volume of his Book Is there no pardon till thou art converted and called then the pardon of all thy sins are not to be
is Jesus Christ the righteous we have therefore proposed to be considered First how cleer the Scripture is in this truth that it is his righteousnesse that carries the cause of a poor Believer when he hath sinned and gets the discharge for his sin after it is committed I say the plea lies in his righteousness I cannot insist upon the Scriptures mentioned they are very plentifull We came further to consider what this righteousnesse of his is that hath such a strength of plea in it the resolution of this I distributed into two heads First Negative Secondly Affirmative First the righteousnesse which carries away the cause and obtains the discharge of a Believers sin is no righteousnesse of our own no not so much as the righteousnesse of faith as it is our act of believing Here we left the last day I will give you a touch of the impossibility that faith should so plead for the discharge from sin in its own name or strength as to carry away the cause on the side of this person sinning It is true the Apostle speaks of the righteousnesse of faith in the 10. to the Romans about the 4. verse A righteousnesse of faith there is indeed but that righteousnesse which is here given and ascribed unto faith is afterwards appropriated to the Word that is unto the Gospel that is the righteousnesse of faith speaks on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend up into Heaven that is to bring Christ from thence or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee in thy heart in thy mouth That is in the word in the heart and in the mouth that is the word of Faith and so not the righteousnesse of a mans own act of believing I cannot dwell upon what I have delivered before There are some things briefly to be considered even about our believing as it hath a stroke in the discharge from sin or in the pardon of sin The truth is beloved some hand faith hath in this businesse but it is not any righteousnesse in the act of believing that carries any stroke in it If you will consider it well you shall easily see there is no more righteousnesse in our believing as we do act believing then there is in any other gracious act whatsoever we do there is no more righteousnesse in the act of our beleving then is in our love of God nay more there is as much sinfulnesse in our act of believing as in our acting of other gifts There is no man under Heaven hath attained unto that height of believing or that strength of faith but there is still something wanting some imperfection and sinfulnesse in it And as there is weaknesse and imperfection in believing so it is not possible that this believing should give forth such a righteousnesse as to constitute a person who is unrighteous in himself to be righteous before God That which cannot set it self compleat and righteous before God can never set another righteous before God Faith must be first just it self or else it is not possible it should be imagined it can ever by the righteousnesse of its own act justifie another Beloved what ever the Scriptures speak concerning faith justifying it must of necessity be understood objectively or declaratively one of these two wayes Either faith is said to be our righteousnesse in respect of Christ onely who is believed on and so it is not the righteousnesse of his own act of believing but the righteousnesse of him that is apprehended by that act of believing Or else you must understand it declaratively that is whereas all our righteousnesse and all our discharge from sin flowing only from the righteousness of Christ alone is an hidden thing that which in it self is hid to men doth become evident by believing And as faith doth make the righteousnesse of Christ evident to the Believer so it is said to justifie by its own act declaratively and no otherwise And whereas in the 5. Chapter to the Romans and the 1. verse the Apostle there saith being justified by faith we have peace with God In Rom. 8. vers 33. the Apostle saith It is God that justifieth Now I beseech you compare these Texts together then tell mee whether the act of believing except it hath reference to the object which is Christ of it self doth justifie whether or no these two places caÌ„possibly be reconciled without contradiction It is God that justifieth and it is Faith that justifieth Faith is not God neither is God Faith If therefore it be faith in justification in respect of its own act that justifieth it is not God that justifieth us and if it be God that justifieth then it is not Faith in respect of its own act How will you reconcile it When therefore the holy Ghost speaks of faith justifying it speaks of faith as laying hold upon God for our justification and therefore though faith doth here appeare as that which doth lay hold upon the righteousnesse of God yet faith here cannot be said to be that righteousnesse that doth justifie us Ob. But I know some will be ready to say it is not to be understood as if saith had any innate power of its owne to procure the discharge or pardon from sin but saith is to bee understood as the Instrumentall cause that laies hold upon that justification and so it goes before the justification of a person and it is to be understood no otherwise Answ I shall desire to keep in the plain path for the cleering up of this truth and so far as possible may be I abhor to walk in the clouds in a truth that so highly concerns the comfort and establishing the consciences and spirits of men and therefore I say that faith as it layes hold upon the righteousness of Christ it doth not bring this righteousnesse of Christ to the soul but only doth declare the presence of this righteousnesse in the 〈◊〉 that was there even before faith was I beseech you mark me wel I know beloved I have many very catching ears about me I speak it the rather that there may be the more warines because there are frequent mis-understandings misâ—â—â—ings of the things I deliver especially by those that come to catch I say again there is no pâ—â—son under Heaven reconciled unto God justified by God through â—he righteousnesse of Christ but this person is justified and reconciled unto God before hee doth believe And therefore faith is not the instrument radically to unite Christ and the soul together but rather is the fruit that follows flows from Christ the root being united before hand to the persons that doe believe so that the efficacy and power of believing is to be instrumentall for the declaration of an act that was done before only it was hid For the cleering up of this to you beloved consider that expression in the 12. Chapter to the Hebrews vers 1. Faith saith the Apostle
sons of men that they might have discharge from sin he doth make it manifest that all he doth aske of the Father he doth ask according unto justice nay Christ makes it to appear that justice is as much satisfied in discharging of Believere from their sins as it is in the damnation of the Reprobates in hell for their sins Justice 〈◊〉 no more right in their damnation then it hath in the others acquittance and discharge In the damnation of the Reprobates in Hell to satisfie justice there is no more but the wrath of God revealed from Heaven and executed upon them Now for those Believers that are the members of Christ and are discharged by Christ from their sins the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven and poured out upon his Son in their behalf who sustained in respect of the proportion of justce equivalently to all the torments the Repriobates in Hell do sustain So that Christ hath as fully satisfied the justice of God for his elect as it is satisfied in the damned in Hell who suffer in their own persons Surely there had been no need of Christs coming into the world if Believers might have been saved and justice violated without satisfaction But now justice had been violated had not a proportionable recompence been made before the sin had been discharged from off the person committing the same Therefore the Psalmist speake admirably when he saith Mâ—rey and Truth hath met together and Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other This place is appropriated unto Christ shewing that in managing the work of Redemption of the sons of men as he doth exâ—â— Mâ—â—cy so he doth not diminish Justice and Righteousnesse but carries the businesse so that they both of them have their due and both of them have so their due that they agree one with another nay they do imbrace and kisse each other they come to rejoyce and triumph in the satisfaction of each other And therefore it is but an ignorant imagination in the hearts of some men that God will grow more remisse in respect of the sins of his own people that God is not so much offended with the nature of sin after Christ died as before For God hath all the abhorring detesting thoughts of sin in the nature of it since Christ is dead as he had before he died It is altogether as abominable unto him as before it was Christ did not come to make sin lesse filâ—â—â— to the Lord or to make a person where sin is more lovely or lesse hatefull before God but rather declares and sets forth the wrath of God 〈◊〉 sin in the highest degree Where eveâ— thâ— Lord seeth sin and not Christ upon the persâ—n taking away that sin the Lord cannot but hate both the sin and the sinner All the pleasure the 〈◊〉 takes in the sons of men proceeds from a purity Christ put upon them and the taking away of that sinfulnesse from them which otherwise could not but stir up indignation and wrath in the Lord against the perâ—â—ns where he findes it I say this is the ground upon which Christ pleadâ— justice that so it might appear there is no violation of it but the Lord is as well satisfied as if the person transgressing had lain under the wrath deserved in his own person I could wish I were able to speak to you in so sull and clear language that not one dram of this glorious mysterie of this Gospel of Christ might be hid for the comforting and refreshing of your spirits The thing I drive at being that all the people of Christ might know wherein lies their strong consolation not in themselves as if they did not sin nor in themselves as if they could mâ—ke amends for their sins but in him who hath made perfect amends for them and in whom they are accepted with the Father as if they themselves in their own persons had made this amends who hath presented them so compleat in himself unto the Fathers eye that the Lord is pleased to looke upon them as upon his own innocent Son and to take pleasure in them with the same pleasure that he takes in his Beloved And if ever you mean to have your consciences and your consolations established and well grounded concerning the pardon of your sins you must see that Christ hath onely pleaded and doth plead out your acquittance and discharge and this your indemnity even to the sans◠〈◊〉 of justice it self For if justice be not yet 〈◊〉 if the Lord hath yet a plea against your â—ouis if Christ hath not fully answered it but lefâ—â— us plea with God who shall stand up before him Christ being silent to plead for you Gods jurâ—ce comes in and pleads terribly against you and will exact satisfaction of you therefore you must receive this principle if you will be established in consolation that as there is mercy in respect of us who bring nothing in consideration of our sins so there is righteousnesse and justice in forgiving of sin in respect of Christ our Advocate that doth manage his office and makes it known for this very end that in knowledge thereof we might have the stronger consolation SERMON V. 1 John 2. vers 1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins WE have formerly as some of you may remember entered upon these words wherein the Apostle makes the proposall of the Grace of God in Christ the encouragement unto people to forbear sin The first thing we noted therefore from hence was this That the knowledge of an Advocate that becomes a propitiation for sin even for such as do commit sin I say the knowledge of this Grace is so far from opening a gap unto a licentious life that indeed it is the best means and help in the world to keep us from sinning The last day we fell upon the matter of the Argument which the Apostle useth to disswade little children from sin If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Herein we proposed to be considered First what this Advocateship of Christ is and how Christ doth manage this office of Advocateship Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth here plead Thirdly how Christ is gifted and qualified for this office of Advocateship Lastly what the issue of this Advocateship of Christ is proposed in the last words of the Text He is the propitiation for our sins Concerning the first what this office of Advocateship is the summe is briefly this The office of an Advocate is to plead out the cause of a man as it is in justice and right so that the Advocateship of Christ consists in pleading forth the discharge of his people even from the principle of right and justice Whereas it is objected and indeed seems a thing unreconcilable namely that
upon the trespasse but bail takes men off till judgement be given or perfect satisfaction be made As wee have sinned so in legality wee ought to lie by it presently but Christ comes before hand even the Advocate and passeth his word for these persons that there shall be currant payment in due time binding himself body for body that there shall be appearance at the day but that is not all when the day is come though most witnesses prove point-blanck the crime objected and the Law pleads the just desert of the punishment provided in that behalf yet this Advocate steps in and payes all the Law can demand I my self have satisfied the Law on their behalf saith he therefore there can be no more asked of them This you know that if a man have borrowed an hundred pounds and he be sued never so violently and witnesses come in and prove the debt never so cleerly yet if a surety comes in and enters bond for him yea and payes the debt for him if he hath been discharged hath an acknowledgement of satisfaction made on the behalf of that person then there is no judgement comes out against that person that borrowed the mony though the thing be proved This is the case with our Advocate he is the Surety of a better Testament and pleading when matter of fact is proved and the Law speakes directly against it and justice pleads for such a penalty to be inflicted yet then is the Saviour produced that makes currant and full payment There could not be expected any stopping of the sentence for the client by pleading for them but there must first be a satisfying of all This is the Saviours office and as a Saviour so he is the satisfier Thirdly this Advocate is Jesus Christ the righteous and this title imports two things to us and they are very considerable and they have either respect unto us or they have respect unto God and both of them shew how admirably Christ is gifted how sufficiently he is qualified For this office of Advocateship as it hath reference unto us he is Christ Jesus the righteous as much as to say the true and faithfull Faithfulness and righteousness are taken for one and the same thing for dealing truly with persons Many a one loseth a goodcause for the unfaithfulnesse of his Counsel they make against their clients for bribes and play on both sides they deal not honestly with men they carry the business in a dilative way they will not dispatch the suit they have all the arguments of delay But this your Advocate and our Advocate is the righteous Advocate the faithfull and true witness he dealeth ingenuously and uprightly this one you may trust and put all things into his hand Many times men put their whole business into their Counsels hands to sink or swim But here is an Advocate that is faithfull here is no danger of sinking you may put all into his hands you need not fear at all he is the righteous and faithful Christ the faithfull Advocate But the principal thing I intended in this righteousness is that wherein the strength of his argument lieth that he doth plead in the behalf of his client that is the Advocate Christ is so righteous that this very righteousness of his shall carry the cause on your side even to a full dicharge even from all sins whatsoever Beloved the whole security of persons from wrath and Hell from sin and death hangs upon this one hinge of his righteousnesse As there is force enough in his righteousnesse so the cause prospers on the clients side if that should fail nothing in the world can uphold the cause It will be therefore of mighty concernment to consider First how cleere the Scripture is that layes all the burthen of the task in pleading upon his righteousnesse and further to consider what kind of righteousnesse of Christ that is that carries such a strength in Christs pleading for his people Both of them need to be cleered especially the latter passage For the first the Scriptures will be cleer of themselves only the latter passage what kinde of righteousnes it is that hath that prevalency is to be made apparent A righteousnesse and his righteousnesse most grant but some mistake there is in the mindes of some people that reach not the height of the Gospel what that righteousness is that hath such a prevalency The present time will not give me leave to handle it fully and I will not doe it by halves and therefore I will leave it to another time SERMON IV. 1 John 2. verse 1 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins c. IN these words you have the Apostles conclusion and his Argument to inforce it his conclusion is that he would not have them to sin his argument is If any man doe sin c. The first thing that we have observed out of these words is this That it is a powerfull argument to prevaile with persons such as John writes unto not to sin to let them know that though they do sin yet they have an Advocate with the Father We are fallen upon the consideration of the Argument it self First in the matter of it Secondly in the forâ—e of it Every Argument hath some firmnesse in it self from whence is produced some good inference That which hath not a power in it self is not able to make good another thing Concerning the matter of this Argument you have First the Apostles Supposition Secondly a Provision against that which this Suppesition might doe or against that which he doth suppose a man might do First I say here is a Supposition You may sin though you be little children The Provision against the evill that sin might doe is in the following words Though we do sin yet we have an Advocate with the Father ' And concerning this matter of the Argument we have these things proposed considerable First what the office is that is here ascribed unto Christ in that he is called Advocate We have an Advocate and how Christ in Heaven doth exercise this office Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth plead by verâ—â—e of this his office Thirdly how this Advocate is qualified unto this office Lastly the issue and the event of the execution of this office Concerning the first this Advocateship oâ— Christ is a plea founded or grounded upon Justice Christ doth not appeal in his plea to meere mercy but his client shall stand or fall as Justice it self shall pronounce a sentence And concerning the second clause of this first part Christ doth exercise this his office in Heaven rather virtually then vocally He speaks as his blood doth speak We are come to the blood of sprinkling saith the Apostle in the 12th Chapter to the Hebrews that speaks better things then the blood of Abel We came further to consider whose cause it is that
righteousness And among all the Aâ—â—stles and Dâ—â—cipies that conversed with Christ his Dâ—â—ciple John had the priviledge which Daniel had among the Propâ—ets to be called The beloved of the Lord the beloved Disciple And as an argument of that he is admitted 〈◊〉 in the bosome of Christ And of all the Apostles that conversed with Christ you shall finde none of them hit so upon the great Gâ—â—ce of God to the sons of men as this Apostle doth compare the Gospel which he wrote with other Evâ—â—gelists writings you shall finde a vast difference between the manifestation of the free grace of God to them and to this 〈…〉 also writing this Epistle follows the same strain therein in â—he former Chapter he delivers notâ— us two admirable passâ—ges the one is The blâ—ud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins and the other is He is faithfull and just to fo give us one sins two great manifestions of the â—hsolute freenesse of the Grace of Gâ—d to the sons of men Now this Apostle in the 4. verse of the first Chapter declares one main end for which he doth publish this free grace of God I write these things saith he that your joy may be full implying that there is fulnesse of joy in the Grace here revealed and it is fit that little children that have fellowship with the Father and the Son should have the knowledge of this excellent Grace of God that their joyâ— mâ—y he full Now whereas he speaks of Gods forgiving freely he would not have people mistake as if his revealing of pardon of sin did intimate that people did not sin any more And therefore he anticipates it in the 8. verse If any man say he hath no sin he deceiveth himselfe and there is no truth in him Sâ—n we do but the grace of God stands in this that when wee sin sin is forgiven and it is an act of justice for God to forgive these sins that are committed Beloved I â—â—â—ceive the world clamouâ—s extremely against that in consideration of the fearfull fruits as they conceive of such publishing the Grace of God to men Tell men their sins are forgiven tell them whatsoever sins they do commit being Believers their siâ—s shall do them no hurt This is the way say they to all manner of licentiousnesse this brings Libertinisme into the world this opens the floud gates for flouds of sins to overflow the Church But the Apostle prevents this great objection and he doth not only prevent it but he establishes the direct contrary to the infrence men make from the free Grace of God And this he doth in the words of my Text. And observe it well were it not an Apostle of Christ that spake these words there are many Zelots in the Church would condemnit not only for Heresie but for the greatest absurdity in the world This appears plain for there are two things the Apostle drives at in these two verses First an inforcement of something that he would work upon little children as he calls them that have fellowship with the Father and the Son Secondly the great argument the Apostle useth to prevaile with them to entertain and imbrace that which hee would fasten upon them The thing that the Apostle would fasten upon believers was that they would not sin For which cause he writes these things to them The argument by which he would prevail with them to do this he calls upon them for is a strange one in the opinion of most men Observe the argument If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father c. Put them together and it amounts to this I would have you not to sin Now the only way and the best way to prevail with you not to sin is this I will acquaint you with this truth that if you do commit sin there is an advocate with the Father that shal take order that the sin you commit shal do you no hurt at all Though you do sin he is become the propitiation for your sins therefore feare not though you doe sin of any hurt that can come to you by these sins So that this is the argument by which he would prevail with them and us against the commission of sin Now what an absurd argument seems this to be not only to the world but even to zealous professors also to prevail with men to the forbearance of sin to tell them before hand that if they sin there is an advocate for them and he is the propitiation for their sins That this is an argument for men to forbeare sin is such a Paradox not only to the world but even to professors themselves that for ought I see in matters of Religion at this day there is nothing so vilely calumniated as the publishing of this free grace of God to men in this way as being the high way to break out into all manner of sinfulness whatsoever This say men is that which lets go the reins into the neck of Libertisme this is that which makes men take liberty without controule freely to commit any sin in the world Who ever is of this mind I must tell him before I go on he doth directly crosse the wisdome of God and directly give the lie to the Apostle here that expresseth with much infallibility to the world how little hurt the knowledge of the pardon of sin can do do to persons in Jesus Christ in that he passeth it as an argument to prevail from sin I shall beseech you beloved not to have any regard to any words I shall say of my selfe to you but as I shal speak the full mind of the Holy Ghost And I shall give you one point first in generall which is the main scope of the Apostle here and afterwards handle the severall branches of it particularly First I say take the generall scope of the Apostle here and then as the Scripture will evince the truth so for the truths sake receive that which shall be delivered though for the present it may seem otherwise then ordinary The point that ariseth out of the words is this observe how naturally it â—riseth out of the words For a person who hath fellowship with the Father and the Sonne one of the little children which the Apostle speaks of here for such a person to know before hand before he doth commit sin that there is an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the prâ—pitiation for sin to know this I say iâ— so far from being a spur to provoke him to the commission of sin that it is one of the strongest arguments and the best motives toprevail with such persons to refrain from the commission f sin First see how naturally it lieth in the Text that you may see the Doctrine is no fancâ— not opinion of men but the cleer truth It appears plainly that the Apostles business here is to take men off from sinning that appears in the beginning of the tex
simply and abstractively there is an Advocate but he speaks relatively we have an Advocate that is our Advocate c. Thirdly this Advocate is set forth not only in his relation to men as he is their advocate but he is declared also and set forth as he hath relation unto God Hee doth not say simply we have an Advocate but I say the Apostle doth declare the excellency of this office of advocateship in respect of this circumstance With the Father we have an Advocate and that with the Father we have an Advocate he is ours and not only so but he is an Advocate of ours which the Father which notes unto us that the plea of Christ for indemnity from sin is not in any inferiour Court where if there bee a sentence of acquittance procured there may be a charge from an higher Court But the Advocateship of Christ is managed for our good in the highest Court of all with the highest Judge that when hee gets a sentence it is definitive and determinative and there is no other Court that can take upon it the determination of the case or call in question the triall of that which hath been determined there Lastly the provision in respect of the office assigned is excellently illustrated by the circumstance of time when the office is on foot or when the officer doth manage it The Text doth not say we had an Advocate or we shall have one hereafter but he speaks in the Present Tense We have an Advocate that now is to agitate it It is but a cold comfort for a man to say being now a begger he had abundance of wealth neither doth it give him fulnesse of comfort to say that he shall have abundance of wealth hereafter but herein lyes his comfort and happinesse that he can say in truth I am rich I have abundance of all things It is but cold comfort for a man to say I had a friend in Court once but he is dead now If he had been alive now it had been better with me then it is I should have sped well I had then carried the cause on my side hee would have done so and so for me I but here lies a mans comfort that he hath a friend at Court that will doe him a good office at his need The Apostle saith here we have an Advocate As therefore I said of the present being of sin committed so I say of the present being of our Advocate It must not be understood to be a transient but a permanent sentence it was in force in the Apostles time it is as full in force in our time and we may as well and truly say Wee have an Advocate and in after ages the Church of God shall say to the end of the world in their times as truly as we now and the Apostle in his time said We have an Advocate with the Father Secondly consider here the person managing this office of Advocateship who is described unto us by three admirable and notable titles that are proper and full for the comfort and incouragement of those whose Advocate he is He is Jesus Christ the righteous saith the Text this is our Advocate First he is Jesus and that is a word that imports a Saviour as the Angel expounded it Luke 1. And they shall call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sins An admirable encouragement to lift up the heads of dejected and drooping spirits when the Advocate comes to plead this Advocate is their Saviour that is his plea is of such force and prevalency that he saves his client Object But some may say many times in suits of Law men have skilfull Lawyers to plead for them which are able to save them who are not admitted to plead for them because they are not called to the Bar. Answ Yea but this Jesus is Christ too this Advocate doth not rush into this office of his own head without warrant but is called to it For as you shall heare afterwards the word Christ imports anointing to the office Many a good Lawyer indeed may not be admitted to come to the bar of Common pleas although he can plead the cause of his client the best of all he must be authorized and called unto the bar or else he may not speak But the Advocate provided for the indemnity against sin is Christ he is called to it Thirdly it is Jesus Christ the righteus and that imports the strength of the plea hee hath by which he becomes a propitiation for sin it is his righteousnesse that prevails in heaven to get the sentence to go on the side of his client Lastly you may observe here the issue what will become of this Advocateship what effect it will have at the last Many men who have causes in suit are restlesse to know how their cause will goe when they come to triall fain they would know on which side the verdict will be given and it is a great refreshing to persons to know before-hand that the cause will goe on their side Now the Apostle doth here intimate unto us what will become of the cause before it is tried He is such an Advocate with the Father saith hee that hee is become the propitiation for all the sins of Gods people and what that is we shall shew hereafter Beloved this is a large field of excellent variety of sweetnesse and fatnesse we must take the particulars into consideration that wee may discusse them the more orderly and I hope it will be no difficulty to gather some of the flowers in this garden and the Spirit of the Lord assisting there may be sucking yea sucking so that persons may be satisfied that they may suck and bee satisfied at the brests of consolation That wee may the better lay our mouthes to this breast and draw more easily the milke thereof let us briefly consider these particulars First concerning the office here spoken of we are first to consider what it is to be an Advocate and how Christ doth manage this office being in heaven I say first what it is to be an Advocate with the Father and how Christ doth manage it Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth undertake to be an Advocate for Thirdly how Christ is gifted and qualified for the comfortable managing of this office of Advocateship Fourthly what it is to have Christ to be the propitiation for the sinnes of his people this I conceive contains the sum of the whole drift of the Apostle in these words To begin with the first what the office of Advocateship is and what it is for Christ to be an Advocate and how hee doth now manage it in heaven for his elect First this office to bee an Advocate as it is appropriated unto Christ I doe not finde that it is once more mentioned in all the Scripture besides this place Of an Intercessor and Redeemer and the atonement we reade frequently in Scripture that Christ is
this discharge from sin goes all along under the notion of Grace and free Grace and pardon how can this be if it be meerly an act of justice for God to forgive sins This may easily be reconciled with a distinction discharge from sin in respect of us or what we can bring by way of recompence for the sin committed is meerly free Grace Wee can bring nothing at all Also in respect of Christ as he is allowed to stand in the room of us it is Grace too But thirdly Christ being allowed and admitted and the Lord having taken the full payment he could ask at the hands of Christ and acknowledging satisfaction upon such payment this act of Christ makes it an act of justice and right that God should forgive sins and therefore the Apostle in the first Chapter of this Epistle of John tells us That the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all our sins And therefore he concludes that he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins But I cannot insist upon what I have formerly delivered Now peradventure some though I confesse a little over-curious desire to understand how Christ being now in Heaven doth execute this office of Advocateship or in what sense he is said to plead the cause of his people I call it a curious querie because the Scriptures are very sparing in declaring the manner of Christs managing this office That he is an Advocate is cleer enough how he doth deale with God in the execution of it is more obscure Frequent mention is made indeed of Christs intercession in Heaven be ever liveth to make intercession for us as the Apostle testifieth he doth intercede for the Saints saith the holy Gost yet though this be so frequently mentioned and the comfort of Gods people much laid upon this nâ—â—ely this intercession yet the Scriptures are very sparing what kind of intercession he makes whether he prays to his Father in heaven as he did upon earth or no The like I say oâ— this businesse of Advocateship Some few passages of Scripture there are that will give some â—int at least to have some glimmerings of the very manner of Christs Advocateship and the exâ—cution of it In Heb. 11.4 there is something that wil give us some light Bâ— faith saith the Apostle Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain whereby he received or obtained witnesse of God that he was righteous by which he being dead et speaketh that is by which sacrifice he being dead yet speaketh The sacrifices you know they were Christ in the Antitype for all the life of sacrifices from which persons obtain testimony of God that they are righteous is Christ himself And it is Christ in sacrifice that speaks even when the sacrifice it selfe is offered I conceive therefore beloved as sacrifices speak in respect of a prevailing power they have with God when he sits in judgement we are to conceive likewise of the Advocateship of Christ which iâ— nothing else but the speaking of Christ is in such a kinde managed after such a manner Christ speaks as sacrifice speaks for indeed Christ as Advocate pleads only as a sacrifice form an In the 12th Chapter of the same Epistle and the 14. verse you have another expression having a little more cleernesse in it We are come saith the Apostle to Mount Sion the City of the living God to an innumerable company of Angels and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Here you see whereas the Apostl in the former Chapter imports a voyce or a plea in the mouth of sacrifices in this Chapter and verse he speaks more plainly and puts a voyce or plea to that which is the life of sacrifices namely the blood of sprinkling the blood of Jesus Christ Wee are come unto the blood of sprinking And this blood is that which speaks better things then the blood of Abel You know that there was a strong plea in the blood of Abel which cryed from earth to heaven till it brought vengance upon the head of Cain The blood of Christ hath a stronger plea and hath a stronger cry and is for better purposes So that under favour for in this I shall not contend much so far as I can see the value and working and desert and preciousnesse of the bloodshed of Christ that is the plea that Christ makes as Advocate in heaven that when a Believer doth commit sin the efficacy of this blood-shed is fresh in the pretence of the Lord in the behalfe of that poore wretch that hath thus sinned I say the blood is present and the whole efficacy power and vertue of that blood is fresh in the thoughts of the Lord. And as it is thus effectuall and powerfull it procures the discharge and brings the discharge and acknowledgement of the Lord to his thoughts too if I may so speak whereby he is pacified towards them and pleased with them This is alwayes before him and present with him yea present before him when the sins that a Believer commits are present and the counterplea of the value of the blood of Christ overcomes the naturall plea of the sin it selfe But I will not dwell upon this but rather hasten to a second thing very considerable which is Whose cause it is that Christ doth plead with the Father or for whom the value and vertue of his blood doth plead I remember the Disciples when Christ spake generally concerning his betraving were very inquisitive Is it I saith one Is it I saith another I doubt not but in regard of the prevalency of the plea of the blood of Christ many persons present will fal upon this inquiry Is it I that he means is he my Advocate Am I his client to plead my cause I shall endeavour to make it cleer and to resolve it is the Apostle doth here propose it The plea that Christ puts up for the persons whose câ—use he doth undertake are first all sorts of Believers whatsoever high or low rich or poor â—ay strong or weak Christ I say pleads their cause he is the Advocate of the weakest Believer iâ— the world Nay more he is the Advocate of the weakest Believer when he is the greatest sinner I mean when he falls foulely when he falls it may be through the weaknesse of his faith making him suspect that Christ will be silent in his cause in regard of such failings and sinfulnesse I say he is then as properly the Advocate of such a person a Believer who peradventure falls into some scandalous evill at that very time when this person that is a Believer falls thus Mark but the Apostle If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father he makes no exception neither in respect of persons nor in respect of sins If any man sin he doth not say if any man sin meerly of infirmity and common frailty but
found in this word of Grace because this word of Grace was written before thy conversion So that either you must deny the pardon that is properly and truly revealed in the word of Grace and must seek out some newer then is revealed or you must acknowledge the pardon that is granted unto men is in regard of the substance of it as I said as soon as he had left it in the volume of his Book So that it is plain that as Believers coming to believe fetch out of this word of Grace their pardon so unconverted persons elected have their Grace equally in this word only the Lord hides the publication of it to them till such time as he is pleased to call them and give them faith to read their portion here as other Believers have read theirs before It s true indeed though the pardon of every unconverted elect person be equally passed over by the Lord yet till the conversion of such persons he gives no more hint of it to such persons than he gives to the Reprobates themselves This is that wil take away the suspected inconveniencies that may follow upon the pardon already granted before conversion For whereas men may think this will make unconverted men presume to know their pardon before conversion I say it is true there is such a pardon for him but he knowes it not nor ever shall he know it till he be brought out of darknesse to the glorious light of the Lord Jesus Christ Otherwise how can it be true that all the sins of Gods people past present and to come are all of them at once pardoned as the godly learned Protestants say I say how can this be true except there be pardon passed before conversion Whence shall a Believer coming to believe fetch all his comfort that all his sins while he was in rebellion were pardoned if there were not a grant of this pardon extant before upon which as upon a â—â—e foundation his believing might stay it self How comes it to passe that persons are not cut off before they are called if their sins are not pardoned which stand between the wrath of God and them Nothing else but the blood of Christ stands between them even between the destroying wrath of God and Gods people that do commit sin even before conversion In a word where will you finde a new act of God since the grants that are registered here in the Book of God Certain I am that the persons pardoned were not converted when this was made And if there be or come after this was first made a new grant either it must be entred a new here or it must be in a new book by it self If therefore all the pardons are as ancient as this record is then all pardons whatsoever are ancienter then the present believing of any person that now liveth Hence we may let persons know that it is but a rash expression to say that such and such a person is in the state of damnation if it be meant he is so before God while he remains in the state of unconversion and the wrath of God abides upon that person though elected till he be called Beloved let me tell you the state of the unconverted elected person is as sure from danger of finall miscarriages as the estate of a Saint in glory Saints in glory stands in glory by the blood of Christ alone the same blood hath purchased the pardon of sin for the unconverted elect person so that the same dicharging of them by the blood of Christ concerns the one as much as it doth another But I say still the unconverted person cannot make any conclusions from all this because he cannot know his portion till he come to believe The third thing I proposed is to know how Christ is qualified and gifted to such a vocation as this is His office is of admirable use to men To be a propitiation for the sins of men and to get the discharge of God manifested to a person for whom he doth plead it is of great consolation So then it must needs be that the Counsel or Advocate that is to plead the cause be wel gifted for that imployment It is too wel known that a righteous cause many a time miscarries in the world through the deceitfulnesse or simplicity of the Counsel When mon come upon life and death it concerns them much to have a skilfull Lawyer to plead for them or else for lack of urging that which is most necessary to be pleaded the men miscarry and perish The Holy Ghost therefore beloved is pleased to import unto us not onely that Christ is an Advocate and whose cause it is that Christ doth plead but also doth communicate unto us the largenesse of the gifts of Christ for the managing of this â—ffice I will not go beyond the Text it selfe to communicate to you the fulnesse of the gifts of Christ to manage this Advocateship of his even to that effect and issue that is heart can desire that is more then thy heart can desire There are three titles appropriated in this place unto Christ all of them very aptly and sweetly manifesting the excellent gifts of Christ as Mediator or as advocate for or on the behalf of poore believers to wit Christ Jesus the righteous We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous every title shews how he is gifted First the title Christ contains much in it to strengthen our confidence in this our counsell that is to plead our cause Christ is a word that properly signifies anointed and is derived from a word which hath the same signification in it Now anointing if you remember well carries two things along with it The first is the separation or calling of such a person anointed to some speciall office The second thing imported by it is the abilities and gifts of the person for the office he is called unto So that our Advocate being Christ and called Christ here this imports unto us first the lawfull authorizing and calling of Christ unto it by him that doth indeed authorize him Secondly the full and large abilities Christ hath to manage it First I say the title Christ doth import unto us Christs lawfull call to plead You know what the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Hebrews No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Where he further cleers up how Christ was called and lawfully called unto it The Lord hath sworn saith the same Apostle and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Here is his calling Oâ— what moment is this will you say I answer of great moment Let Christ be never so able to plead except the Lord admit him to plead he must hold his tongue You know in the common Law it self there are Students in the Law and there are Counsellors then Sergeants at Law the Students in the Law it may
Apostle saith there expresly To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not I delight in the Law of God in the inner man but in the mean while there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captive to the law of sin out of all which principles observe I beseech you these particulars First the Apostle though he did see he fell through infirmitie yet he cleerly perceived his heart was upright towards God so that he said To will is present with me the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill that I would not doe that do I. Though the Apostle was overtaken yet his heart was towards God still when he did evill his heart said plainly It is not with my consent when he could not do good his heart told him it was for lack of power and not because he did not desire it Now come to persons that walk exactly as the Apostle did they are overtaken with a sin what is there comfort when they do sin though I be overtaken the frame of my heart is right still my heart is sincere towards God my heart is right it is directly contrary to my disposition I do not do that evill I do with a full bent of my spirit and in regard my heart is thus right there is comfort to me though I have sinned Suppose your spirits were in that frame the Apostles was in at that time I ask but this Do you not draw comfort still from the plea of this disposition your spirits do make When you have committed a sin do you not fetch comfort from thence Ask your hearts and they will answer yea we have done so and we may do so I beseech you consider it well when the Apostle had argued the case thus what was the finall conclusion and the sole refuge that he doth flie unto or the plea that he would trust unto for his deliverance and comfort He doth not say in the conclusion I thank God to will is present with me I thank God my heart is in a good frame and temper though I was overtaken I say Paul doth not make use of this plea but he betakes himself to this I thank Gâ—d through Jesus Christ and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and it is the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death So that the whole refuge of the Apostle was not any inward disposition as if he could plead out comfort unto himselfe there-from but the plea was without himselfe even in Christ and therefore he gives thanks unto Christ for deliverance So in the 2. Chapter to the Philippians you shall heare the Apostle towards the beginning of the Chapter pleading the same thing there as he did here namely that it is not any righteousnesse that he can reach unto that he dare venture the plea upon or his own comfort upon First he tells us that touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse This was before his conversion you will say It is true but after his conversion he tells us also of a righteousness he had then But beloved doth Paul put out his own righteousnesse to plead for him Doth he expect his comfort or the Answer of Heaven for discharge upon the plea of that righteousnesse of his Nothing last for saith the Apostle there I account all things but losse and dung that I may be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ Surely beloved if the Apostle had reckoned that his righteousness could have had any force in plea he would never have rejected it as dung That man that thinketh he hath strength in an argument will not fling that argument away and not make mention of it for the triall of his cause if he thought there were any power in it But this the Apostle did hee accounted his righteousnesse dung even the righteousnesse of his after he was converted and in that regard he durst not be found in that but only in the righteousnes of God which is by faith in Christ He doth not simply say he would not be found in the righteousness of the Law but exclusively also he would not be found in his own righteousnesse so that he bâ—â—s out his own righteousnesse quite there shall no plea at all go along through his own righteousnesse The righteousness of Christ shall speak for his plea or else he would look for no good issue at all this beloved is the way Let me give one touch by way of application you may easily perceive how mightily people are mistaken and therefore no marvell they do live so uncomfortably no marvell they are in fear of death and thereby in bondage all their life long while they run for the refreshment of their spirits to their own righteousnesse to the plea of their own works and will have their hearts eased upon that righteousnesse that they themselves do whereas nothing gets a gracious discharge from their Father but only Christ and his righteousnesse Therefore beloved how ever it may go with some for a harsh thing to take men off from their own righteousnesse in respect of speaking comfort unto them and to lead them to the righteousnesse of Christ revealed in the Gospel as that from which they may draw all their comfort though this may found harsh to some people that have not been trained up in the way of the grace of God and in the freenesse of it revealed in the Gospel yet I doubt not but in time the Lord will be pleased to reveale to us that running to Christ out of our selves and disclaiming of our owne righteousnesse and seeking of comfort from it that leaving our own actions and all that can be imagined to be in us or can be done by us will be the thing that in the end will establish our hearts and spirits yea and fill them with joy and peace in believeing It remains that we should further confâ—ler one thing that I know startles some persons or at least lays blocks in their way before I can possibly come unto the righteousnesse of Christ it self that makes up the strength of plea with God for poor creatures Object Some will object Though all that we do of our own will not hold plea yet there is a righteousnesse of faith will some say and that pleads with the Father and that gets the discharge of sin from the Father Beloved there is some dispute about this point and I shall not desire to enter into it I shall onely in a few things endeavour to cleer up the truth as cleer as possibly I may that I may goe on Answ I answer in generall so far forth as the righteousness of faith is the righteousness of Christ there is strength in the plea of that
wee should then finde the comfort of this Office of Christ to be a propitiation for us Now if you will know what this reconciliation is which is indeed an interpretation of propitiation observe I pray you beloved how the Apostle doth illustrate it in the 2. chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians and the 13. verse You that were sometimes afar off hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ Reconciliation is making nigh those persons who were sometimes afarre off and that you may the better understand this being afarre off look into the 1. chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians the 21 and 22. verses the Apostle there will tell you in what respect the members of Christ the elect are said to be afarre off You who were sometimes alienated strangers enemies in your minds by wicked works hath he now reconciled So then to be afarre off and of afarre off to be made nigh is as much as to say that persons who were alienated in respect of enmitie in their mindes in regard of wicked works these persons notwithstanding all that enmity in respect of wicked works they are made nigh they are reconciled You know well in respect of the persons of men who are elected persons they are from all eternity in the purpose of God made nigh by the vertue of the blood of Christ that in time should be shed which vertue of that blood is effectuall in the eyes and thoughts of God from all eternity so that although in respect of the nature of wicked works there be a separating and an alienating nature and quality yet in regard of the efficacy of the blood of Christ being in force with God the persons who are elected in the thoughts of God are nigh to him in purpose from eternity So that alienation and estrangement in respect of eternity against God is not to be understood as if elect persons were in very deed and properly at any time decreed to be separated absolutely from God no God had them in his thoughts as the objects of his love from eternity and these thoughts of being nigh were intended to be executed through that blood that was continually in his eye But saith the Apostle you that were alienated in your mindes through wicked works that is you who so far forth as you wrought wicked works had that in you which in its own nature was the cause of alienation and could not admit of your being neer and being in the thoughts of Gods love till there were reconciliation made by Christ hath he made nigh that is whereas these wicked works were those things that did in their own nature actually and for the present make you walk at a distance from God and so in respect of wicked works you were afarre off you are now made nigh by the blood of Christ that is Christ hath taken away sin the cause of that distance between God and you and also hath revealed himself unto you being Believers and in revealing himself to you he hath made known to you the eternall counsel of God concerning your reconciliation and that now you are actually and really in the very bowels of God and also he doth in some measure subdue and destroy the power of Satan in those wicked works so that there is now a neernesse I say there is a more neernesse even in conversation with God after calling and believing then there was before calling and the blood of Christ is that that make persons who were far off nigh again to God And this is the reconciliation namely where as there was a distance before there is now a neernesse and this neernes is by the blood of Christ as by a sacrifice of propitiation That you may the better understand the nature of reconciliation with God you must know that reconciliation properly imports thus much that whereas there is variance â—â—â—angement and a controversie between person and person a person is then said to bee reconciled when the breach is made up and the controversie is ended and the quarrell is done and the persons at variance are become friends again You know as long as there is hitting in the teeth as long as there is secret grudges as long as there is objectings one against another and prosecuting one another in respect of injuries done so long there is not reconciliation When men are reconciled they lay down the bucklers they quarrell no more they fight no more but walk as friends together And if they should walk as friends in outward semblance and yet should bear rancor in their spirits one against another this were but an hypocriticall reconciliation Inâ—cconciliation the very heart it self is made friends with persons reconciled All this imports unto us this much Christ is become to beleevers the atonement one that makes a peace with God he is he that ends the controversie and the quarrell between God and them whereas God was injured and might have prosecuted the Law with violence upon us Christ doth bring to passe that the Lord layes down the buckler to have no more to say against a person but to become friends with him You know that reconciliation is such a thing as is not only a making friends to day but a making friends so that there may be a continuation of this amity You cannot call this reconciliation when men are brought together and their controversies are ended now to day but upon the same controversie they will fall out again to morrow here is not reconciliation for in reconciliation there must be a burying of all that which was the subject matter of the quarrel So Christ being our reconciliation he making our peace with God doth not bring God to be friends with us to day so as to fall out with us to morrow again but to be friends with us for ever Therefore by the way know that every person reconciled unto God by Christ is not only a person becoming a friend of God now but a friend of God for ever And as Christ doth take away the present anger of God against him to day so he takes away all quarrels and controversies for ever So that a person reconciled shall never have God at controversie any more with him Some it may be do conceive Christ doth reconcile God and us in respect of sins that are past but if I sin anew say they God must have new controversies and new quarrels But beloved remember this he did bear all the iniquitie at once upon him and when he made the reconciliation with God he brought in all the trangressions of men from first to last and so ended the quarrel with God in respect of every transgression even for sins future as well as for those that are past He dealt so with God that he did reconcile him to you in respect of them So that Christ must either leave out those sins you think breaks the peace with God in the agreement he made or if he did
not leave them out then that reconciliation doth as much concern those sins as other transgressions already committed Now think whether of these be true doctrine either that Christ should leave some sins out that are brought now again into controversie and so God be again at controversie and begin to fall out with persons for them or whether he make agreement for all and all comes into reconciliation Therefore I say suppose two men are at variance they have a hundred actions one against another a friend comes in and agitates to make up the businesse between them he brings in every one of these hundred actions to this agreement he dealeth so with them that all the controversie between them in respect of these actions shall die and so he makes them friends Now I ask when all the trespasses and actions are brought into the agreement may these men fall to quarrelling and suits of Law for any of these particulars brought into the agreement They cannot do it beloved if Christ brought in all the transgressions of his people into the agreement and they were all satisfied for by him every one of them His blood cleanseth from all sin as saith the Apostle I say if all were brought into agreement at once how cometh it to passe that God should again fall out and be at controversie with men for any of these sins that were in the agreement before in that reconciliation made Therefore know for certain for your everlasting and eternall consolation that there is nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ nothing shall make a breach between God and you who are the people of God Every sin which in its own nature indeed makes a breach is taken into the agreement that Christ makes with the Father and if there should be such an objection rising in your hearts when you haue committed a sin now God is at controversie with me for this Aâ—k your he arts this question Was this sin brought into the agreement of reconciliation or was it left out Did God accept of the reconciliation when this transgression was in the agreement how can he then fall out again for this that was in his thoughts when reconciliation was made But this may seem to be but discourse only and therefore take a view of some passages of Scripture whereby you shall see as cleer as the light that Gods reconciliation to men is one entire and simple act This reconciliation being once made there is no more quarrell and controversie that God should prosecute these persons reconciled Look into the 9. Chapter of Daniel and the 24. verse there is a time mentioned of making reconciliation if you look into the Prophesie you shall therein see the effects that do accompany the reconciliation made I have heretofore recited other effects unto you but not this Seventy weeks saith he shall be determined upon thy people and holy City for what for the finishing of transgression for the making an end of sin and making reconciliation for iniquity and bringing in of everlasting righteousnes Observe it well when reconciliation is made then there is an end of the matter that did breed and feed the controversie and quarrell When there is a controversie of God against a person the controversie must spring from the sins of that person but when there is reconciliation made there is a finishing of transgression and a putting an end to sin Take away the cause and the effect vanisheth of it self but observe the Text a little more yet to shew the unchangeablenesse of this reconciliation when reconciliation is made there is saith he in the next word brought in everlasting righteousnes Righteousnesse as you have heard before is that that doth both beget and feed and preserve peace and reconciliation with God So then this fountain of righteousnesse must bee drawn dry before the peace that is made by this fountain can be wasted How comes it to passe a Lamp goeth out but because the oyl is wastâ—d that feeds the Lamp so the righteousnesse of Christ is the oyâ— that feeds the reconciliation made Either this righteousnesse must be spent or the Lamp of peace cannot go out But saith the Holy Ghost there is brought in upon reconciliation everlasting righteousnesse So that it is cleer when God reconciles himself to persons they are reconciled for ever to him Consider also that excellent expression in 54. of Isa in the 9. and 10. verses This is to me saith the Lord as the waters of Noah For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shal no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I wil not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee any more the mountains shal depart and the hils shal be removed but my loving kindnes shal not depart from thee saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee The very expresse words shew the excellent qualities of that reconciliation that is produced by the bringing in oâ— a better covenant there spoken of Mark it well I beseech you for there are admirable expressions in it The thing God proclaims is this That he will not be wroth that he will not fall out any more with his people and this thing the Lord confirms by an oath as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall be no more upon the earth so have I sworn I will not he wroth with thee nor rebuke thee any more You see here the confirmation of it by an oath and what can be more binding then the oath of God Well secondly take notice of the continuance of this He hath sworn and will not be wroth nor rebuke but how long will not he be wroth nor rebuke Even so long as flouds shall cease to drown the world God hath sworn that till the world shall be drowned with water again God will not be wroth with his people so saith the Text As long as water shall not come upon the earth nay longer if longer may be The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my loving kindnes shall not depart from thee as much as to say the loving kindnesse of God shall remain stedfast to the people reconciled to him even longer then the mountains shall stand fast and the hills unremoved This I say is established by such a firm covenant by such an oath and out of the mouth of so glorious a Lord that the hearts of Gods people may be established and secure that God will not be wroth with them Object But where as some may say the Lord speaks in this place in the 17. verse In a little wrath have I hid my face for a moment therefore it seems it is not to be taken for such a perpetuall forbearance of wrath Answ Consider that all along this Chapter the Prophet speaks of the Church of God in a two-fold estate he speaks to it one while as it is a wife of youth and another while as her breasts are grown
of this will adde also to the exalting and magnifying of the exceeding riches of the grace of God in Christ to men to shew what a blessed condition this Spouseship is to those that are strangers unto both hearing the Love of the Church to be the chiefest of ten thousands may by the power of the Spirit of the Lord be won to seek after-him it was the very same case in the Canticles The daughters of the world say unto the Spouse of Christ hearing her so extoll her love What is thy beloved more then other beloveds that thou chargest us Oh saith the Church My Beloved is white and ruddy my beloved is the chiefest of ten thousands now when they had heard of the excellencies of Christ they began as last to have their affections taken too and to say Whiterh is thy Beloved gone that we may seek him with thee Even so it may pleave God when by my endeavour the excellencies of the priviledges of the Spouse of Christ are set forth and the gloriousnesse of the priviledges of the Gospel manifested I say when these appear and when Christ as the chief of ten thousands is declared some may seek after him yea and imbrace him with joy But I cannot stand now to speak of them but hereafter God willing if I shall have further opportunity SERMON XI COLOSSIANS 1.18 And he is the head of his body the Church the beginning THE Apostle after his supersciption and direction of his Epistle wherein he makes mention of his commission for the exercise of his Apostolicall office and after his Apostolicall benediction given unto them comes to give an account of the cause of the writing of this Epistle It was this namely he had received comfortable intelligence and information from Epaphroditus a Minister of the Gospel that had loboured among these Colossians of their receiving the faith and of their love to the brethren This was glad news to the Apostle and therefore he tells them that he was not unmindfull or backward to return thanks and praise to the Lord for so good a work begun in them and for the joy he had received by the work among them and also to pray for them making mention of many particulars he sought of God on their behalf namely That they may be filled with the knowledge of his wil in all wisdom and spirituall understanding closing up in thankfulness in remembrance and rehersall of the fountain and rise from whence all that grace and goodnesse received flowed and sprung and that is the dear Son of God in the 13. verse Having thus let himself into his own way namely the mentioning of the dear Son of God he takes the oppertunity from an apt connexion to go on according to the main discourse of this Epistle wherein the Apostle first sorts his materials and then he falls upon his businesse The two main matters he deals upon are first the foundation and that is the Sonne of God expressed in the 13. verse Secondly the structure raised upon this foundation and that is redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins Here is the distribution of his matter Now by and by having sorted his materialls he falls to work beginning first w th the foundation which he polisheth that he puts such a lustre upon it that it shines even like the Sun yea more glorious then the Sun in beauty He sets forth Christ the foundation in so many aimable considerations as to ravish the world And the Apostle at the 15. and 16. verses begins to shew his faculty and expertnesse in this gret work that Christ did entrust him withall namely to be a wooer in the behalf of Christ to win people to him as in a former discourse upon this place I have told you and therein I say the Apostle doth most Rhetorically hold forth every thing that is of a winning and desirable nature to draw forth the love of people unto Christ If people look for beauty and that catch men the Apostle tells us here that Christ is an admirable peece of beauty there is none like to him saith the Church in the Canticles He is the chief of ten thousands but behold the beauty the Apostle mentions here He is the Image of the invisible God In the Epistle to the Hebrews in the 1. chapter and the 3. verse he speaks more fully to the businesse He is the expresse Image of his person and the brightnes of his glory Here is a face for you if you be enamored with beauty there is none like him Yea but some they look for parentage one of Noble blood and of a great House As they would have beauty so they would marry into an honourable Family Well the Apostle will tell you here is a match for you with a witnesse Here is beauty and a good race too He is not only the expresse Image of God but he is the first born of God The first begotten of every creature nay the dear Son of God In the 15. verse of this chapter here is a stock for you of the highest kindred in the world hee is the heir of glory the heir apparant that if you will match for honour if you will match into a great House here is beauty and honour too Yea but you will vay it may be he may be in disgrace it may be he hath no authority and power and ability we would have one that hath authority and power and bears rule Christ he is called such a one too the whole soveraignty of the world is at his command and disposall as you would have it to be so you have it in the next verse In vers 16. All things were made by him saith the Apostle whether things in heaven or things in earth visible or invisible principalities and powers thrones or dominions all things were made by him for him as much as to say every thing is subject unto him every thing bows their knees to him And in 2 Philip. he hath a name given to him above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow whether things in heaven or things iâ— earth or things under the earth Tell me one that hath greater power and authority then this iâ— If you will therefore match with advantage to the purpose here is a match for you saith the Apostle I but some will say He may have honour enough himself but it may be he is a niggard I may be kept hard enough and poore enough Is he bountifull and free Beloved the Apostle tells us in Colos 2.10 First what he hath he is not only honourable but rich also In him dwelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodily saith he What is that to me some will say he may hoard it all up I may have little enough of it No saith the Apostle we are compleat in him Here is the fulness of the Godhead and ye are compleat in him he cannot abide to keep any thing to himself