as it is set up by Satan with a terrible visage as it were to spit fire in the faces of the godly and faithfull seems very threatning and dreadfull But they are to know for certaine it is but a made thing there is no feare from the sins of Believers all the terror and fearfulnesse of sin Christ himselfe hath drunk it and in the drinking of it Christ himselfe our life was crucified and in that regard I say all the terror and gastlinesse and hideousnesse of sin as it is represented by Satan is spent and â—n it self is dead It is true indeed a living roaring Lion is a terrible creature but in a dead Lion there is no more feare then is in a stick or a stone to him that knows he is dead While sin is alive it is fearfull and corrible and deadly but when sin it self is dead then there is no more terror in it then is in a dead Lion Thus I speak concerning sin not as it smiles upon a man with a promiâ—ing countenance before it be committed for so it is most dreadfull and odious to the faithfull as that which crucified their sweetest Lord but as committed and lying upon the conscience of a Believer indeavouring to drive him to deny the love and free Grace of God to him and the all sufficiency of Christ For in this regard it is crucified by Christ and so a Believer need not be affraid of sin Indeed terrible it maâ— seem to be at first but there is no just cause of terriblenesse in it for it can doe no hurt Therefore the Apostle telling us of the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and contrary to us saith that Christ hath nailed them to his Crosse So that the sins of Believers are crucified with Christ they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof We commonly understand this as if our mortification and denying of sin were the crucifying of the flesh but the Apostle speaks otherwise there and you may see he intends that they that are Christ are crucified with him as much as to say Christs dying upon the crosse for Beleevers his death became the death that is the expiation of sin for them that it should be no more terrible unto them nor affright the people of God I have inâ—isted the more upon this because indeed it is the root from whence all other feares spring For from crosses and afflictions which come upon persons of which we shall speake presently they run immediately to their sins and conceive that it is their sins that have put stings into them and makes them so bitter still therefore they are perplexed with fears as long as sin is upon them Certainly some fearfull thing wil come upon them Why they have committed such and such sins these be the cause of their fear But beloved either deny plainly that Christ dyed for your sins and that he hath borne the whole wrath of God that sin hath deserved or sit down by this truth that sin did hurt Christ so much that it cannot hurt the Believer for whom Christ did die Secondly as we should not fear our own sins being Believers and members of Christ so neither ought we to fear the sins of others Object You will say supposing there be no sins of our own to pull downe judgement yet the world is full of iniquity and abundance of sins there are upon the times that bring downe wrath from Heaven Answ Though it be true that Nationall sins bring downe Nationall judgements and wrath yet all the sins of the times cannot do a member of Christ a lot of hurt And therefore as they cannot do him any hurt so he need not be affraid of them I will make it appeare that the sins of the world the crying sins of the times can do a Believer no hurt at all Marke the plea of the Lord often mentioned in Ezekiel against the people that hit him in the teeth as if he were unjust The fathers say they have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge He pleads his owne innocency in it and directly answers that the soule that sinneth shall dye As much as to say he that doth commit the fault shall bear the burthen of it thou that art not the committer of the fault thou shalt not bear the burthen of it Therefore the sins of the times that are committed by the wicked they cannot do Gods people any hurt The childrens teeth shall not be set on edge Object I but some will say I have had some hand in these sins I did not reprove these sins or I did not seperate my selfe from them Answ I answer suppose that the members of Christ are in some sort accessary to these sins yet so far as you in your owne persons have been actors or partakers of these transgressions Christ hath borne these transgressions and suffered for them It is not some sins that Christ bears and leaves some sins for Believers to bear and so also leaves some punishment for Believers to suffer for it is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world and that he doth take them all away appeareth 1 John 1.7 The blood of Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sins Whether then you consider every elect person as he sinneth by himselfe or as he shareth with others all these sinnes the blood of Christ cleanseth him from and therefore I say the sins of other people they shall not they cannot be imputed to him that is a Believer Object But you will say surely the Lord doth send crosses and afflictions upon his owne people as well as upon the people of the world many times and should we not therefore bee affraid of them Answ Therefore in the third place let mee tell you as there is no occasion nor need nay as people ought not to be affraid for the sins of others so ought not they to be affraid for the chastisements of the Lord upon them Consider but the true nature of feare looke upon things as they are in themselves If there bee occasion of feare in any thing that may come there must be evill in these afflictions or else there need not be feare now there is no evill in them but all are exceeding good and they work for good and that that works for good is not evill every agent produceth effects answerable to its owne nature an evill tree brings forth no good fruit no more doth a good tree bring forth evill fruit so then if there be nothing but good in all the afflictions of the people of God then there is no cause of feare there is an apprehension of evill in a thing if there be feare but there is not a just apprehension of evill in a thing that is good be assured of this there is no feare to be had of afflictions let them be never so tart let them be never so great or many Oh saith
Abednigo there was a hot fiery furnace prepared for them seven times hotter than ordinary the King proclaimes that what ever he be that will not fall down and worship his Image should presently be cast into this furnace This was enough to startle a person and make him tremble But how is the temper of the three children expressed there We are not say they carefull to answer thee in this matter These threatnings though very fearfull in the eyes of others seemed but a matter of nothing to them they made a tush at it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Even so people are then free from feare who when evill is comming care not for it a man when he cares not for any thing that assailes him hee rusheth in upon it and although it seeme to threaten unto him some mischief yet he is confident it cannot hurt him So far forth as youâ— can overlook evills drawing on upon you more or lesse not regarding them in respect of any hurt they can doe you so far forth are you free from feare Object You will say none in the world can have such a temper of spirit when dangers are growing especially great and thick upon them Answ No What say you of these three children I speak of men now they were carelesse Object You will say it may be that was an extraordinary case Answ Nay you shall finde that the very ground of the undauntednesse of their spirits was the same which the Lord proposeth in this Text to put us out of feare We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter Why Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us The carelesnesse of their spirits was grounded upon a common principle of the whole Church and upon the same the Lord proposeth to all the rest of his people as well as to them they being confident God was their God neither the greatnesse of the King nor the violence of his threatnings could stir them a jot they were all nothing to God who was their God who was able to deliver them and would deliver them Their confidence in this was that which made them break forth into this bold expression We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter But now let us consider what the people of God should not feare Object What to be affraid of nothing doth not the Lord himselfe commend feare to men Nay is not God himselfe called the fear of Isaac and yet would you make us to believe that we should have no fear Answ I answer there is a threefold feare here is a naturall feare a religious feare and here is a turbulent feare A naturall feare is â—othing else but such an affection as is in men â—y nature that they cannot be freed from such feare was in Christ himselfe without sinne There is a religious and godly feare and that is nothing but an awfull reverence whereby people keepe a fit distance between the gloriouâ— Majesty of God and the meannesse of a creature and it is opposed to saucinesse And theâ— there is a turbulent feare and that is a feare 〈◊〉 disquietnesse now all disquieting feare is thaâ— which the Lord endeavours to take off froâ— his people Well but what are the things you will say we should not bee affraid nor dismayed atâ— Perhaps I shall pitch upon things people are much affraid of and will thinke strange theâ— should not be affraid of them First I must tell you the people of Goâ— his owne people they need not be affraid 〈◊〉 their sins And yet let me not be mistaken 〈◊〉 doe not say we must not be affraid to sinne bâ— they need not be affraid of their sins they thâ— have God for their God there is no sin thâ— ever they commit can possibly doe them anâ— hurt Therefore as their sins cannot huâ— them so there is no cause of feare in their sinâ— they have committed Object Some will be ready to say This 〈◊〉 strange All the evils in the world that comâ— they grow up from the sinfulnesse of men If man be affraid of any thing he should bee aâ—fraid of sin from whence all evils do flow Answ I answer beloved it is true sin natâ—rally is a root bringing forth all manner of evill fruit The wages of sinne is death but yet I say what ever sin in its owne nature brings forth yet the sins of Gods peculiar people they that have God for their owne God their sins can doe them no hurt at all and in that regard there is no cause of feare from any of their sins that ever they have committed Beloved I conceive this may seeme somewhat harsh to some spirits touching the truth of it especially to such as misconceive the drift at which I aim which is not to incourage any one unto sin but to ease the consciences of the distressed I desire you to resolve with your selves this one thing so far forth as the Lord reveals it so far you will sit downe contented with the minde of the Lord revealed to you and I beseech you kicke not against the truth There is not one sin not all the sins together of â—ny one believer that can possibly do that belieâ—er any hurt real hurt I mean and therefore he â—ught not to â—e affraid of them How will that â—e made good you will say I will make it apâ—eare out of the seventh to the Romans from â—he midst of the Chapter to the end you see â—ow the Apostle carries it along especially â—bout the 15. and 19. verses where it is true the â—postle expresseth himself in heavy complaints â—gainst such sins as befall believers The good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill thâ— I would not do that doe I insomuch that in tâ— last verse but one the Apostle with much vehâ— mency puts the question thus O wretâ—hed mâ— that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ— death Some will be ready presently to saâ— here you see plainly is a fear of sin or ought 〈◊〉 be here is a body of death in men to be affraâ— of But give me leave to tell you that thâ— Apostle in this Chapter as I conceive doâ— personate a scrupulous spirit and doth nâ— speak out his owne present case as it was at thâ— time when he speaks it but speaks in the persâ— of another yet a Believer and my reason 〈◊〉 this Because the Apostle in respect of hâ— owne person what was become of sins wâ— already resolved therefore I conceive he doâ— act the part of a troubled spirit that in respeâ— of the multitude and prevalency of corruption was ready to cry out O wretched man who shâ— deliver mee from the body of this death But maâ—â— how the Apostle answers this question whâ—ther it bee his owne case or anothers foâ— will not stand upon that and you shall plainâ— see the Apostle concludes though there 〈◊〉 such marvellous filthinesse and prevalency 〈◊〉
one I shall be undone as others are that are plundered here the heart is disturbed and distracted But beloved suppose you lose all that you have even the wife out of your bosomes and your children out of your arms so you be deprived of all yet there is no evill in them and therefore you ought not to be affraid There is nothing but good a them the Apostle in the 12. Hebr. tells us that it is true for the present no affliction seems joyous but grievous yet he takes away all occasions of feare though for the present they seem evill yet afterwards saith he they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to those that are exercised therewith What hurt is in them when they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse In afflictions they are refined as Silver and as Gold What hurt is there to Silver in the fire when nothing is intended but the seperation of the drosse from the Silver When the Lord afflicts his people he sits as a Refiner to take away the drosse The afflictions of Gods people are nothing but the refinings of God to take away the rust What hurt is there in Physick especially in good physick when the body is distempered They that know the benefit of it will they be affraid of it though it make them sicke for a time It is true ignorance and suspition of the operation will make men affraid but the Lord hath made it known to us that all his chastisements are the fruits of his love and this is the end of all to take away their sins It is true men need not feare that the sins they commit shall do them hurt but the Lord makes use of afflictions to purge out sin from the conversation where it is a trouble and burthen both to the faithfull and Brethren though hee doth not revenge himselfe of any before committed Thirdly as wee ought not to be affraid of sin and afflictions in generall so for the present we should take notice that they that have Goâ— for their God must not be affraid of men The enemies of God they that fight against God there needs no feare either of their wrath oâ— of their policy nor of their meances nor oâ— their cruelty There is no cause of feare of anâ— of these It is true there is doubtlesse an implacablenesse of rage and an unchangeable resolution of revenge if possibly they could eveâ— to bring fire from Heaven to devour the servants of the living God But if their rage were more desperate then it is there is no cause at all to feare in as much as God is the God of such a people In the 120. Psalme you shall see that there is no cause to feare though there bee never so much evill approaching This Psalme was made of purpose to set forth this thing that the godly need not feare the fury of the oppressor If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us they had swalloweâ— us up when their fierce wrath was kindled against us but blessed be the Lord saith the Psalmist that hath not given us as a prey to their teeth ouâ— soule escaped as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and wee are delivered Here is fierce wrath but yet here is escaping as a Bird out of the snare of a Fowler and how comes this to passe the Lord is their help and hee is on their side If the Lord had not been on their side they had been swallowed up quick and if so be the Lord be on our side what need of fear is there at all of their wrath The Psalmist tells us that surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain Psal 76.10 See what little cause there is of fear from the wrath and rage of men there shall nothing but matter of praise come forth to the Lord out of it Wilt thou be afraid of that by which the Lord shall bee praised The Lord is praised by the wrath of men and all the superfluity of wrath all that is over and above more then is for the glory of God the Lord will restraine that The wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restraine The wrath that is more then for his praise the Lord will be sure to keep it in and the wrath that is for the glory of God wilt thou be afraid of it Moreover as you ought not to feare the wrath of men so you ought not to fear the policy of the enemies of God Though hell it self combine with them to lay snares to entrap the people of God there is no cause of fear of them â—et there be Achitephels among them whose counsell is as an Oracle of God yet the Lord will turn their counsell into foolishnesse The Lord of such a people he confounds the wisdome of the wise and brings to nought the counsell of the prudent where is the Wiseman where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world He hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise as well as the weak things of the world to confound the strong Now if the Lord choose foolish things to confound the wise or the wise things of the world to confound themselves why oughtess thou to be affraid Thirdly there is no occasion of fear to them that have God for their God of the instruments of cruelty Let them have all the instruments that cruelty it selfe can invent fear theâ— not fear not their swords fear not their guns fear not their engines of war No weapons formed against the Church of Christ shall prosper What need we to be affraid of that which shall not prosper Now the Lord saith plainly that no weapon formed against the Church shall prosper You know indeed that unto a naked breast a sword is terrible but where then is a coat of male to sence off a sword he thaâ— hath on this coat is or need be no more affraid of the thrust of a sword then when theâ— is no sword at all thrust against him especially when he knowes his coat of male is sword proof that a sword cannot pierce it Armoâ—â— of proofe you know will keep out a bullet when a man knowes his armour is of proof indeed he cares not whether he hath a dagger thrust at it or a pistoll shot against it or no he fears not he cares not The armour of believers is pistoll-proof it cannot be shot through Object But you will say many are slaine will you condemne all that are killed by their enemy as not Believers Answ Mistake me not I doe not say they are sword-proof so that the same thing may not befall unto them as unto others but only so that nothing that befalls them can be truly evill unto them and in respect of the soule all that the enemy can do cannot destroy the souls of Believers
dismayednesse is prejudiciall to all religious duties first it is a damper of prayer Beloved you know that the life of prayer lies in faith If any man pray let him aske in faith saith St. James Faith is the wing of prayer and carries it up to heaven clip the wings of prayer and the motions of it must be slow Beloved you that are afraid doth feal and dismayednesse take hold of your spirits marke in such a fit what hearts you have to pray In brief there is this great prejudice in fear it makes all the duties that persons perform meerly selfish You know that a servant is very diligent for his master when no danger cometh but let the servant be in fear of any danger he will leave his masters businesse to shift for himselfe and seek for his own safety So consider it well whether your hearts are not for your selves in your services when there is a strong passion of feare in your spirits when a man is in prayer against some evill he fears is approaching unto him what prayer is it He is altogether for himselfe that he may be delivered from his present feare there is not a thought so far as this fear prevails that God may be glorified all the while but only of the evill that is upon him or that is like to fall upon him whereas the Believer should serve with sincerity and singlenesse of spirit he should do that which he doth as unto the Lord saith the Apostle Do not mistake it is not the spiritualnesse nor the fervency in the performance of duties that carries it duties are not expiatory helpers with Christ But I say when duties are performed as to the Lord and for the Lord and not to and for himself then are they right as services But all our hope that we must have in any condition must be only from the grace of God and all our performances that we do act must be to the Lord for what he hath done for us Therefore seeing it is the Lord himself that calls upon you and claps you on the back and bids you be not affraid take courage from the Lord and quit your selves like men In danger be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might There is this difference between Gods call and mans call to do any thing men call men to services and employments but cannot give them power ability to perform that which they are called unto but God calls and gives influence of his owne to make men doe such things as he calls them unto The Lord saith Feare not and in the voyce of the Lord there is life to frame the same temper in your hearts Christ he shall stand over your dead hearts as he did over the dead body of Lazarus saying Lazarus arise who immediatly arose the word of his mouth carried life into it and with it So it saith Fear not and immediately it takes away all feare from the spirit of that man he speaks inwardly unto other men may speak and speak their hearts out and never the better but when God calls upon you not to be afraid he is present in his Ordinances meerly for his owne sake to hold out this undauntednesse of spirit to you it is now with you if you imbrace it it is at your dores he wil make you of a strong and undaunted spirit he shal strengthen you as that Leviathan the Lord speakes of in the 41. of Job which esteemed Iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood because his scales were so strong know this that Believers are the Leviathans of God hee will so steel their spirits that they shall cut Iron as straw and Brasse as rotten wood The Lord is able to put such a spirit into you and he will make good his promise wherein he hath ingaged himselfe that his strength shall be made perfect in weaknesse therefore though you have said My strength faileth me 〈◊〉 yet the Lord shall be the strength of your heaâ—ts and your portion for ever thus you shall give that to the Lord that fearfull men rob him of that is the glory of his power of his faithfulnesse of the freenes and riches of his grace and care of his peoples welfare and Christ of his sufficiency wherein he hath promised plentifully to supply you with all spirituall strength and vigor that you shall run and not be weary that you shall walk and not be faint In a word there are a few civill respects that I will mention as motives against this fear I will but touch them First know fear especially dismayednesse puts a man besides his wits that while he is in such a passion he is to seek for common wayes of safety so that whereas men thinke that fear will hâ—lpe them to avoid danger commonly in amazednesse you shall have people stand still not able to stir or slip aside to save themselves Besides this fear is such a rack and torment that commonly those evills so much feared prove not so hurtfull nor evill to a person as the present fears and besides this feare many times it doth not only daunt the spirit of a man in himself but proves very dangerous to others you already have had sufficient experience not long since of the evill and mischiese this fear had like to have occasioned in the Army a thousand to one it was that the fear of some had not made all the rest to flye and it was a miracle of mercy that there should be so great a feare in the Army and the Army yet stand so to it feare at such a time is of a wonderfull spreading and dangerous nature fearfulnesse in one kindles fearfulnesse in many and so not only mens persons but also the Cause it selfe is hazarded but these are but low things in respect of the prejudice God himselfe sustains in the feare of men therefore for your encouragement consider what the Lord hath in store for you nothing he hath nothing he is or can give doth he think too good for you but he is willing to part with it to make you happy he parts not with his goods but with his Son for you nay beloved he parts with that which is more if any thing can be more then his Son that is himselfe Will you now deprive your selves of the sweet enjoyment of all these by your base and unbelieving and fearfull hearts Nay rather let us freely receive let us thankfully acknowledge and confidently rest upon our Fathers abundant mercy expressed in so many blessings but especially in the gift of his only Son given unto us that we might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Luke 1.74 75. SERMON II. Isaiah 41. vers 10. Feare thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse VPon the like occasion that
enemies seeing the delivering up of his Christ was for the good of his people will he now detaine small things in comparison of him in consideration of weaknesses in us Marke the Apostles words he that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up to death for us how will he not with him give us all things that are good for us as if he had said Thou poore wretch wantest such and such spirituality thou seekest them and thou canst not find them and by and by thou cryest out that such and such sins hinder God that he will not give thee such grace as thou needest and at last thou questionest whether God did give thee Christ or no Nay when thou wert viler then now thou art thy vilenesse then did not hinder but that hee freely gave his Son for thee thy vilenesse much lesse shall hinder thee now to bar from thee those spirituall gifts that God intends to give to thee Here objections start up this is the way to make persons slack duties and to bee carelesse but if we would preach that God will not give till we mend our selves and leave our sins were not this a far better way to put men upon it then thus to preach let me tel you we must not be more wise then God that all that the creature hath might appear to be from the grace of God and so he have the praise of the glory of his owne grace I say again it is no sinfulnesse in the creature shall hinder Gods communicating so much of his Spirit as hee seeth usefull to creatures and he will take order that they shall not take a licentious liberty to go on in sin or neglect seeking God because they know it is not their seeking makes God answer for what they want for it is not your amending nor reforming that gets God to communicate more to you but that he doth it is meerly for his own sake from his meer motion out of his meer compassion the riches of which was purchased by the blood of Christ this is the only spring and fountain that brings forth to you the fulnesse of God in such measure as you have as he is yours so whatsoever in him is fit for you in season he shall cease to be his owne when he ceases to be yours and therefore beloved I shall beseech you that you will not stumble at God himselfe as if he were so humourous and peevish that every little thing not that any sin is in its owne nature little but comparatively every infirmity and failing should make him pull his hands into his bosome and refuse to give his grace the Lord from all eternity determined what to give to every Saint and had every act of every Believer before his eyes so that if they would have been provocations to him to keep his gifts he should never have bestowed any upon him But I must tell you it is the foundation of all our comfort in all our failings in this life that there is nothing that we enjoy from God but what was appointed us before and no sin 〈◊〉 committed but what was from eternity before God and if any sin should have hindered God he would never have set down so fully and graciously what he would do so that if the Lord hath already manifested the greatnesse of his purpose and love by communicating himselfe to you assure your selfe this being established nothing in the world shall hinder the communication of any thing whatsoever that may make for your good Well let us go a little further and counder how God doth become the God of people I must tell you that for lack of cleer distinguishing between these two things how he doth become theirs and how he is to be theirs the confounding of these that are so distinct occasions a great deal of confusion in the minds of men for these two go al for one but you shall see the difference of them and the different principle from whence they flow First how doth God come to bee the God of people You will say this is of great use it is worth the hearing let it cost what it will to have God for my owne but I say there is no more treasure in God to be for our use then it is free to I say the gift of God for our own God is as cheap as it is rich God rever looks the creature should bring any thing that he might procure of God to be his God but we do partake of this mearly and properly from the pleasure of his own will I say there is originally and efficiently no other motive nor nothing concurring to make him our God but only the good pleasure of his owne will he would do and he would do it simply for his own sake and therefore it is so Beloved look but upon the creatures God communicates and gives his Image only to the sons of men Let us make man after our own Image How doth man thus become partaker of the Image of God more then the rest of the creatures You may plainly see there is nothing in man himself nor in any other creature that procures this priviledge to him Man was made but of one common lump with other creatures he was made of the same materials even that Toads and Spiders were Now that which was the cause why man had the Image of God and no other creature the same is the cause why Believers have God given up and God given up to bee their God and the reason of both is from the good pleasure of God It is true there is a propriety of land many times made over unto persons in respect of amiablenes or desert conceived to be in these persons so it is conferred unto them but in Gods conferring himselfe to the sons of men there could not be such motives in these creatures The ground is this if any thing could be a motive to the Lord it must be the most excellent thing the creature hath since the fall their fasting and prayer and mourning and weeping and self-deniall and mortification and cleansing of themselves and amending and the like but it was impossible beloved there should be any motive out of any of all these things for God to communicate himself and to give himselfe over to people for all these performances and what ever else are in man they are but branches that issue from this main root Gods being their God If they be spirituall gifts they issue out of this principle God is our God there is no man that believeth that fasteth that prayeth that mourneth in a truly gracious manner but God is first his God and being his God doth communicate these things to him How can that then be a motive to God to communicate himself to men that is not in man till he hath communicated himselfe And indeed is but the issue of that communion that he hath afforded unto men So then I say it is impossible that
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
act of justice and righteousnesse that the Father should justifie and acquit these persons for whom he hath received of Christ this satisfaction and accordingly hath acknowledged satisfaction under his own hand and acquitted them You know though it bee in a mans power and liberty whether hee will take a surety or the principall for his money yet when he hath taken a surety and he hath made payment it is an act of unrighteousnesse in the creditor after the acknowledgement of full satisfaction to come upon the principall again and to make him pay the money And it is a plea grounded in Law that if that cause come in triall again the Judge ought to acquit the principall if it bee proved that the debt is paid by the surety Now Christ hath paid all that the Father could ask and God hath acknowledged full satisfaction for all He beheld the travell of his soule and was satisfied Now being satisfied it is an act of justice and righteousnesse that the Father should acquit a person in this kind Suppose a person should bee brought before a Judge in a cause wherein hee oweth the Judge himself such a summe of moneyes and borrowed it of the Judge himself an Advocate comes and pleads the cause before the Judge that it is true there was so much money lent and borrowed but saith the Advocate I my selfe became the surety for that man I paid every farthing there is the acquittance you gave under your own hand Now I ask this question the Judge being convinced and a righteous Judge too of the truth of the plea whether in judgement he ought not to acquit that person whose cause is pleaded before him He tooke saits faction he acknowledged satisfaction he could have but satisfaction of him therefore in justice he must discharge him The same case is betweene God and us it is true indeed Beleevers doe commit those things that are in their own nature debts Forgive us our debts as the word is but when this cause came to be agitated and pleaded before God the Judge himselfe to whom the debt was owing Christ the Advocate came and stood up and pleaded that he himselfe being become the surety of a better testament upon it he came and paid the whole debt and hee having satisfied his Father hee received under his Fathers hand that he had paid every farthing and that he was satisfied and that upon that satisfaction his people should be discharged Now this plea is grounded upon iustice it selfe Observe but how fully and clearly the Apostle speakes the same things in the 1. of John 1.7 the Apostle tels us expresly that the blood of Christ his Son cleanseth from all sins and here If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and againe in the former Chapter If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins Mark well that the Apostle grounds himself upon Christs satisfaction namely his blood that doth cleanse us from all sin Upon this ground hee doth conclude that it is an act of faithfulnesse and justice in God to forgive sinne I dare say none are so ignorant in these daies of light as to thinke there is such a proportion between confession of sin and forgivenesse of sinne that confession can ballance forgivenesse and so consequently make it an act of justice No the Apostle doth ground the force of justice upon the blood of Christ that is shed Therfore if you do observe it well you shall find that the Apostle speakes of confession by way of anticipation or prevention of fear you know the common Proverb in the world concerning a Malefactor apprehended is Let him confesse say wee and he shall be hanged Why so because if it be disclosed the Law lays hold upon him and hee shall be sure to die for it and therefore in naturall policy his safety lies in concealing of it But now if satisfaction hath beene made by a friend of his to the Law and accordingly a pardon sued out for him there is no danger in his confession at all Now the Apostle in this place having before said that the blood of Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all our sinnes from hence he gathers incouragement unto the people of Christ that they should not fear so as to conceal their sins lest being known they should do them a mischief But saith he lay all open before the Lord there is nodanger to be supected now For God is faithfull and just to forgive them therefore the hiding of them should prevent no evill because no evill should come upon them for them though they were laid open never so naked Therefore was this spoken by the Apostle to take away fear and this is the â—rue meaning of the Holy Ghost therein I say to take away fear from the damage that would ensue if we should confesse our sins what they are Paul writing to Timothy mark what he ascribes to participating of the excellencies of Christ even of righteousnesse and justice I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse Marke a crown of righteousnesse is laid up in which is included the discharge from sin and participating of glory and a crown of righteousnesse prepared and laid up But mark the foundation of his confidence that he shall partake of it It is a righteous Judge that shall give it he shall give it out of righteousnesse it self justice shall prevail with him to do this thing for him Whence it is that Christ is called so frequently Righteousnesse The Lord our righteousnesse as you have it in the 33. of Jeremiah a Prophesie concerning the righteous Branch and his name shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse that is the Lord that is righteous makes us one with God and doth communicate his own righteousnesse unto us that we may be the delight of the Father Give me leave to tell you beloved that God is so unchangeable in all his Attributes that even Christ himself is not able to obtain any thing of the Father that may be any wayes prejudiciall to the nullifying of any attribute whatsoever I say Christ himself can get nothing of the Father whereby his justice may suffer or be violated Christ must make it clear that justice shall have its full due and God shall not need to bate one grain of what justice doth expect or else Christ himselfe can have nothing of the Father For Christ came not to destroy the Law and so he saith himself much lesse did Christ come to destroy that which is essentiall unto God Gods justice is essentiall unto him If Christ violate justice he should destroy the very being of God himselfe Therefore without giving justice satisfaction this would be a derogation to the Father therfore when Christ doth plead with the Father for the
Christ doth maintain and plead First I say of all Believers he calls them little children as well as strong men even the cause of little children even when they have sinned without limitation of this sin they shall commit For he doth expresse himself in generall terms it is the cause of those that do sin If any man sin Secondly the cause not only of present Believers but also the cause of all the Elect Believers or unbelievers if they be elected It is true they shall believe in time but yet I say Christ is an Advocate of them while unbelievers if they be elected There is not a sin in the world but as it is damnable in its own nature in the rigour of justice so it doth not allow of any forbearance it is only Christ that makes the forbearance evun untill they are called Then we came to consider how Christ our Advocate is qualified to manage this office with that efficaciousness and successe to the comfort of those whose cause he doth maintain The qualifications of Christ are expressed in three things in the Text. First for the title he is anointed to be an Advocate he hath a lawfull call to the Bar nay he is priviledged there is none to plead but himself Secondly it is Christ anointed that is gifted and made an able Minister in the 42. of Isaiah and the beginning of the Chapter in the 1. v. the Lord tells us how he shall not be dismayed he will hold him up and saith the Text There the Isles shall wait for his Law we must understand it two wayes The Isles shall wait for his Law that is the Isles shall now be directed and guided by him as their Law-giver or we may understand it thus he shall be so good a Lawyer that the Isles shall waite for his Law as much as to say If a man have a cause to be tried he heares of a good Counsell and a Lawyer very expert in the Law such a man waits for such a mans Law he waits for the Law out of his mouth he hopes he will plead his cause so well that it shal go well with him God makes Christ so good a Lawyer that when he comes to plead his Law he shall carry the sentence on his clients 〈◊〉 Secondly he is Jesus 〈◊〉 the Text and in that is imported 〈…〉 equalification of Christ to exercise his â—ffice of Advocateship Jesus as much as a Saviour and it shews the efficacie of his pleâ— he pleads the cause of his clients so strongly that he sayes Thirdly the qualifications of Christ unto his Advocateship sâ—mported in the third title he is Jesus Christ the righteous saith the Text He is Jesus Christ the righteous in a double sense and in both of them is declared the excellent qualifications of Christ to Advocate for us First he is Jesus Christ the righteous that is the raithfull a Conâ—sellor that will deal truly with his client A Counsell that will deal uprightly a Couâ—eâ— that will not fall Secondly this Advocate is Jesus Christ the righteous 〈◊〉 Christ who hath such a righteousnessâ— as â—â—at the whole strength of his plea the force â—f his Argumenâ— that he doth â—â—â—e in his 〈…〉 together in his righteousnesse The 〈◊〉 expression imports what Christ himseâ—â— is this imports what his Argument is I say the only argument that hath the carrying power to leade the cause to state the conclusion for the client the only force of the argument lies in the righteousnesse of Christ this is that 〈…〉 is that 〈…〉 this is that which makes 〈…〉 thing with God to so give and to 〈…〉 I say his righteousnes this is 〈…〉 which the whole 〈…〉 which all our 〈…〉 that keeps us from 〈…〉 nothing else could be 〈…〉 of all things in the world 〈…〉 be more searched into and 〈…〉 then this one truth namâ—ly that it is the righteousnesse of Christ that prevailes in plea with God for a person that dâ—th sin and this righteousnesse of Christ only I shall therefore endeavour for the cleering up of this thing that the strength of Christs 〈…〉 God doth lie in his righteousnesse Here 〈◊〉 I shall endeavour to shew you First evidently onâ— of Scripture that it is this righteousnesse of his and only this righteousnesse of his that prevails with God for the discharge of a member of Christ when he doth sin Secondly we shall consider what this righteousness is that doth so prâ—vail with him First I say the Scripture or rather the Holy Ghost in the word of Grace holds forth this truth frequently unto us that all the strength of the plea with God and consequently all the ground of solid comfort unto us doth wholy depend upon the righteousnes of Christ and nothing else Look into Psal 50.5 6. verses for David even in his time was marvellous cleer in this truth Gather my Saints saith the Lord in that Psalm such as have made a covenant with me by sacrifice and the heavens shall declare his righteousnesse Gather them together that is bring them to judgement such as have made a covenant with me by sacrifice and then when they stand in Judgement The heavens shall declare his righteousnesse The Text doth not say the heavens shall declare my righteousnesse though that also is a truth that the heavens do declare both Gods and Christs righteousnesse Gods in passing sentence of absolution Christs pleading so for this sentence that God in justice cannot but passe the sentence The heavens shall declare his righteousnes saith the Text. Either understand it thus the righteousnesse that shall be pleaded is the righteousness that comes down from heaven of which wee shall speak more hereafter or thus the righteousnesse which Christ shall plead shall be so cleer and evident in the prevalency of it that the Sun in the Firmament the Sun in Heaven hath not a cleerer brightnesse in it then this righteousnesse shall have to cleer up the business Gather my Saints together that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice saith the Text. What sacrifice will you say or what is there in sacrifice that the Lord should be in covenant with his people Look into the 51. Psalme and verse 19. you shall there see what there is in sacrifice that makes a covenant between God and his people Then shalt thou be pleased saith David with the sacrifice of righteousnesse righteousnesse in the sacrifice is that which doth procure a pleasedness in God unto those persons unto whom sacrifice doth belong or for whose use sacrifice doth serve I say righteousnesse in the sacrifice not an inherent righteousnesse in the typicall sacrifice it self For saith the Apostle it is impossible that the blood of Buls and Goats should take away sin But there is a righteousnesse that is declared from Heaven and annexed to the sacrifice the righteousness of Christ this is that which puts an end to the quarrel this is that which makes an agreement between those that are at
say this sealing up follows after the bringing in of everlasting righteousnesse and this everlasting righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of Christ Therefore in the 4. of Malachi and the 2. verse you shall find there is heath apprepâ—â—ated unto Christ and there you shall finde where the â—â—tue lies that Christ hath such a bealing Vnto them saith the Text that feare my name shall the Sun of righteousuesse arise with healing in his wings therefore a healing Sun because he is the Sun of righteousnesse and the vâ—tue in the wing of Christ to heale is the righteousnesse of Christ I have been more copiou in these passages of Scripture before the coming of Christ that people may not think that to depend only and 〈◊〉 upon the righteousnes of Christ for security and comfort is a new thing but was knows and was a refuge from the beginning The Apostle Paul speaks more clearly then any of the rest I shall instance but in two passages for the truth is all the Epistles of the Apostles are full of the thing The strength of the plea of Christ in the behalf of his people sinning doth stand in his righteousnesse For this purpose look into the 3. Chapter to the Remans in the begioning of which Chap. you shall see how mightily the Spostl pleads to the convincing of all the world of sin and the fruit of that sinfulnesse you shall finde from the 13. verse forwards a description of the sins of men In the 20. verse he makes a conclusion Therefore by the deeds of ehe Law shal no flesh be justified in his sight Now after he had taken off all that might possibly be in man towards his remedy and refuge all that possible might be in the Law for the people to rest in he begins to establish the foundation upon which the safety deliverance and security of Gods people doth indeed depend But now saith the Apostle in v. 21. The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifest being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that doe believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins to declare his righteousnesse at this time that he might be just and the justifier of those that doe believe in Iesus You see here is an inculcating again and again that it is a righteousnesse namely his righteousnesse which God hath set forth to be a propitiation that is the righteousnesse of Christ to declare his righteousnesse saith the Apostl upon all imports unto us the sole refuge for the remission of sins is only the righteousnesse of Christ Look also into the 5. of the Romans 18. 19. verses As by one mans disobedience manywere made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Our transgressions are the issue which Adams disobedience brought forth that obedience of one man is our security and deliverance from Hell and death which one mans disobedience brought into the world all of it is frustrated and evacuated by the obedience of one and by the righteousnesse of that one Nothing but the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ setting persons free from the fruits of unrighteousnesse and disobedience in Adam is able to make them righteous I hope by this time the truth is cleered enough that there is nothing to be mentioned but only his righteousness nothing can hold water nothing can hold plea but this righteousnesse of Christ You shall therefore consider out of all these passages what that righteousnesse is that hath efficacy and prevalency with the Father for the discharge of a member of Christ when he sins First you shall see this negatively Secondly positively and therein we shall endeavour to declare what righteousnesse of Christ that is that doth relieve us First negatively there is not any righteonsnesse of a Believer which he acts which can possibly have any force in plea with the Father for the discharge of a person that hath committed a sin I say no righteousness of a Believer which he acts and I mention that righteousnesse which he doth act because the very righteousnesse of Christ it self is indeed the righteousnesse of a Believer For he is our righteousnesse The Lord our righteousnesse as you have heard As he was made sin for us and became our sin by impuration so we are made the righteousnesse of God in him that is Christs righteousnesse is as much become our own righteousnesse as our sins became Christs sins And as Christ bare the whole fruit of our sins by being made sin for us so we enjoy the whole fruit of Christs righteousness by being made righteous in him therefore I say not simply no righteousnesse of a Believer but no righteousness of a Believer which himself doth act hath the least force in plea to prevaile for the discharge of 〈◊〉 I must â—ell you there is no divine Rethoricke there is no omnipotent excellency in any righteousnesse whatsoever which a Believer can put up unto God It is not your turning from your evill wayes it is not your repentance though never so cordiall and large it is not your departing from iniquity it is not your doing good hath the least force or power of plea with the Father to prevail with him for your righteousnesse for your discharge or to move him to give the sentence upon you that you are discharged No righteousnesse I say whatsoever you can doe For the best righteousnesse that ever man did performe Christ only excepted hath more in it to make against the person that did it then it hath to make for him to obtain a sentence of discharge and my reason is this In the best righteousnesse of man in turning from sin or in repenting or mourning or what ever else there is to be thought of there is abundance of sin even in the very best actions that are performed And where there is sinfulnesse there is a plea against the person so that if you bring that righteousnesse to plead with God to prevail with him you bring that which may be objected against you and may prove a strong plea to mar the cause that is in hand I beseech you beloved observe the Apostle in the 7th Chapter to the Romans where I think I shall meet with these things which most people in ignorance do most commonly make their chiefest plea whereon they build their own comforts and their whole comforts as if all were well between God and them thereby yet you shall their finde how the Apostle though qualified in that manner as he was doth both renounce any such plea and also doth betake himself to that plea we are now in hand with The
of faith it self unto Christ and to nothing else in the world and that I may uphold these particular and glorious prerogatives that are proper to Christ that he may not be robbed of any of them To this end I deliver it to you that elect persons have a participation and share in Christ himself even before they do beleive let none conceive that this takes away or diminisheth from the prerogative of believing neither For there are glorious things done by faith unto believers God hath honoured it above all meer creaturs in the world he hath made it the conduit pipe for the conveyance of all that peace and comfort nay of al that strength which believers have all their lives no faith no comfort no faith no peace of conscience no faith no plesure to walk with God through faith Christ conveys himself in speaking peace to the foul in bidding the soul be of good cheer the soul lies in darknes while it lies in unbelief But still that which is proper peculiar to Christ alone is not to be ascribed unto believing I should now proceed having as well as I can taken away the rubs to that which I purpose to follow But the time is past SERMON IX 1 John 2. vers 1 2. If any man sin wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins c. WEe have considered already the Office of Christ here spoken of his Advocateship We have considered the cause he manages also the persons whose cause it is that he doth manage The cause he manageth is in behalfe of the sinnes of his people and the persons are not present Believers but all elected persons though yet unbelievers Wee further considered the indowments and qualifications of Christ unto this Office First he is Christ that is called of God unto it and furnished by God for it Secondly he is Jesus he takes no cause in hand but he saves his client Thirdly he is Christ Jesus the Righteous the efficacy of the plea of Christ lyeth in this righteousness of his that being the soule hinge upon which the doore turneth In the large opening of this righteousness unto you I spake first negatively The plea that prevails for the discharge of â—in is not our works no not our faith but it is the righteousness of Christ himself that onlyserves to make up the strength of this plea Secondly affirmatively There is First an active righteousness of Christ For by the obedience of one man many shall be made righteous Rom. 5.19 Secondly the passive righteousness of Christ The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 But it is the divine righteousness or dignity of the divine God-head that adds an efficacy and life and vertue making the active and passive righteousness of Christ a compleat righteousnesse that wee might be compleat in him and we gave a touch to you wherein the efficacy of the plea of this righteousness stands The efficacy of it stands in the satisfaction that righteousness hath made to the justice of God In judgment there are but two wayes to be acquitted either just proof that the person upon triall is not guilty or being guilty the Law is already satisfied The strength of the plea of the righteousnesse of Christ insists not upon the first way heâ— grants the persons whose cause he pleads had for matter of fact done the thing that is charged but the strength of his plea is that the Law on their behalf is satisfied already This latter plea being good hath the like force for acquittance and discharge as the former hath So that the sentence of judgement can no more passe upon the person for whom the Law is satisfied then it can upon persons that never transgressed the Law Now it remains to be considered by way of objection out of the premises how this can be that the justice of God should be satisfied seeing the satisfaction of justice is the bringing of a recompence to answer in proportion for the offence that is committed The ground of the objection is this all that Christ as man brings unto God comes short to make a full recompence I told you before that the divine righteousness is that that makes the righteousnesse compleat and that a meer humane righteousnesse is not able to effect till it be infinite or be made infinite by the divine righteousnesse Now when Christ brings a recompence to the Father for the transgressions of men that that he brings to him by way of recompence should not be that which was his own before Now what ever the divine righteousness is that iâ— Gods own the active and passive obedience of Christs human nature that is brought to him but the divine righteousness is not brought You will say this is just as one man oweth another an hundred pounds and he sueth this man for it now the debtor he cannot raise above ten pounds of this money but the creditor must make it up out of his own purse So then here is the ground of the objection and the truth is this matter contains in it the depth of the mysterie of the Gospel that justice should be satisfied by bringing a recompence for transgression and yet the recompence as it is brought is not so much as will answer the injury that is done of it self It is true there is enough in the divine Righteousnesse to make the satisfaction for the injury done But how is this divine Righteousnesse brought It is most certainly true therefore even where there is satisfaction of justice in this case there is also mercy too For although God be just to forgive sin yet observe the phrase well you shall finde that where the Apostle speaks of justice in this act of forgiveness of sinz he speaks of mercy too You know to forgive a thing is an act of grace and mercy yet even while there is forgivenes there is manifested the act of justice Justice it selfe takes its course even while there is forgivness But this you will say doth not resolve the question Where can there be a satisfaction of justice seeing there is not brought by way of recompence that which might be proportionable to the injury done Answ 1. First of all justice is satisfied in the strictest sense when there is such a plenary and equivalent recompence given that the person injured thereby is in as good estate every way as he was before the injury done When a man is trespassed against and doth sue the man for this trespasse and when the man doth make up and bring in as much recompence as the injury commeth to so that the party trespassed is worth as much as he was before here is a plenary satisfaction of justice Now comes in the objection and sayes that the justice of God cannot be said to be so satisfied because the active and passive obedience of Christ as humane bring not in so much