Spirituall and Heâ—â—â—â—â—â— Bl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So much we may learn from the Apostle Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with al spiritual and Heavenly blessings in heavenly places or things in Christ Being in Christ they are blessed with all spirituall blessings in him and through him God giving them unto his Son and his Son unto them he giveth all things that are in him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 All things necessary convenient More particularly The fatness of this Olive the Excellencies of Jesus Christ Particularly in his Merit his Spirit which here he communicateth to beleevers may be reduced to two heads His Merit and his Spirit both these Christ is full of Full of Merit and full of Spirit And both these he imparts and communicates unto beleevers His Merit unto their Justification Adoption His Spirit unto their sanctification Of each briefly 1. The first thing Christ communicates unto the beleever is his Merit And that 1. unto Justification 1. Merit Unto justification This Benefit the Gentiles receive from their ingrafting into the stock and Covenant of Abraham Thereby it cometh to passe that Righteousness is imputed unto them So the Apostle layeth it down Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of Circumcision c. that he might be the father all them that beleeve though they be not Circumcised that Righteousnesse might be imputed to them also This saith Grotius Idem hic figuratè indicat Paulus quod aperâ—iùs dixerat cap. 4. ver 11. Grotius in â—om 11.17 is the fatnesse of the Olive which the same Apostle speaketh of cap. 11. The one a covert and figurative the other a plain expression of the same thing And this benefit are all true believers made partakers of being made one with Christ now Christ is made unto them Righteousnesse So saith this Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse And how is Christ made Righteousnesse to the believer not by way of Infusion but Imputation not by putting a Righteousnesse into him but by putting a Righteousness upon him even his own Righteousness By the imputing his merit his Satisfaction his Obedience unto them thorow which they are accepted as righteous unto eternall life Thus is the Righteousnesse of Christ communicated unto all believers He is to them The Lord their Righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 2. The second Benefit issuing from hence is Adoption Thus in Ingrafting there is a kind of Adoption Ramum ramus adoptat 2. Adoption Venerit Insitio fac Ramum Ramus adoptet Ovid. as the Poet elegantly describeth Grafting The Stock as it were adopteth the Branch that is put into it For what is Adoption but the taking of anothers child and bringing it up as a mans own Thus ingrafting the Stock receiveth the branch of another tree and nourisheth it as its own And the like benefit are believers made partakers of by their engrafting into Christ Christ being the Son of God by nature he maketh them the Sons of God by grace the grace of Adoption To as many as received him he gave power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right Priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name John 1.12 This benefit Christ came to procure and purchase for his Elect. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.5 And this benefit upon their believing their receiving of Christ they are made actuall partakers of Being thereupon made Heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ Rom. 8.17 These benefits believers have from the merit of Christ Secondly As they are made partakers of his Merit so of his Spirit 2. Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord to Christ is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 i. e. like minded with Christ in as much as he is made partaker of the same spirit Because ye are Sonnes saith the Aposte God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4.6 And by this means Christ is made unto believers Sanctification Unto Sanctification So the Apostle goeth on in the place fore-named 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification So he is viz. by the communicating of his Spirit unto them which is a Spirit of Sanctification So called by the Apostle Rom. 1.4 where speaking of Christ he saith He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holinesse or sanctification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning the Divine Nature dwelling in Christ which being holy in it selfe sanctifieth others by the merit and vertue thereof according to that of the Authour to the Hebrews Heb. 2.11 where speaking of Christ he saith That both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one Christ and believers are one And being one with Christ they are sanctified through the Merit Mat. 23. â—â— 19. and Spirit of Christ Through the Merit of Christ imputed unto them Luke 1.35 as the Gold was sanctified by the Temple and the Gift by the Altar Through the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in them after a sort as it did in Christ in his Conception sanctifying and purifying their natures Of Sanctification there are two parts Mortification the one Vivification Of Sanctification Two parts Mortification Vivification the other the one a dying unto sin the other a rising to newnesse of life and of both these Christ is the cause and that not only the Exemplary Cause the Pattern Sampler of both Christ the cause of both of which God willing I shall speak in the Sequel of the Text which tels us that believers are ingrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his Death and Resurrection the one in their Mortification the other in their Vivification but also the Meritorious Cause having merited and procured these benefits for them by his Death Resurrection And withall the Efficient Cause working both these in them which he doth by the communication of his Spirit in them By this Spirit he worketh the mortification of sin in them If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 And by the same spirit he quickeneth them up to newnesse of life This the Apostle calleth the power and vertue of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that power whereby Christ himselfe was raised from the dead which was the power of his eternall Spirit dwelling in him Of this power the work of this spirit the Apostle desireth a further experimentall knowledge in himselfe in raising him
deadly wound and it begins to die It hath already lost much of that power and strength which it had And in this respect it may be said to be dead to him and he to it Even as a man that is in a consumption having lost his bodily strength and his radicall moisture being in great measure exhausted and spent such a one may be said to be a dead man dead whilest he liveth So though sin do still live in a regenerate person yet in as much as it is in a consumption the power and strength of it gone it may be said to be dead It lieth a dying Now we say of a man in that case a man that is drawing home that he is a dead man He hath begun to die 3. In respect of Assurance 3. In respect of Assurance Sin in a regenerate person having begun to die it shall certainly die it shall speedily die Certainly The wound which it hath received is incurable a deadly wound so as though it may live for a time yet it shall languish and decay more and more till it be utterly extinct which it shall be and that speedily The death of sin is not far off to such a one The story in the Gospel tels us of a certain Disciple who asked leave of his Master Christ that before such time as he followed him he might first go and bury his Father Mat. 8.21 Now here some move the question What was his Father dead that he would go bury him Most probably he was not onely he was very aged having one foot in the grave so as in course of nature he could not live long and in that regard he looketh upon him and speaketh of him as a dead man ready for the grave So is it with the body of sin in a regenerate person It is dying and cannot live long It is much infeebled already and by death which is not far off from any it shall utterly be extinguished and abolished Death separating the soul from the body shall separate sin from both He that is dead is freed from sin saith the Apostle ver 7. of this Chapter which is true as to the regenerate in a literall as well as a mysticall sense Thus you see the former of these Propositions briefly opened and cleared All that are Christs are dead to sin as he died for sin As briefly of the later Doct. 3. The Believer death to sin is from the death of Christ D. 3. This their death to sin is from the death of Christ for sin So much the Metaphor in the Text imports Believers are planted together with Christ in the likenesse of his death that is they are made conformable to Christ in his death and that by a vertue flowing from his death Thus the Graft dieth with the Stock it dieth in it and by it The death of the one is the cause of death in the other Thus is the believer said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death he dieth with Christ and the death of Christ is the cause of that death in him This is that which the Apostle saith of himselfe Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Paul was a mortified man dead to the world and dead to sin But how came he so to be why this he attributes to the Crosse of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom or by which it may be referred to either The death of Christ the cause of this death It was the Crosse of Christ the Death of Jesus Christ which was the cause of this death in him And so is it in all other believers The Cause of it And that not only Not onely 1. Meritorious 1. The Meritorious Cause True so it is This is one of the benefits which Jesus Christ merited and purchased for his Elect by his death that they might die unto sin He bare our sins in his own body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ by his death merited for his people not only a deliverance from the guilt but also from the power of sin But not only so 2. Nor yet onely the Exemplsry 2. Exemplary Cause of it as Pelagians of old and Socinians at this day would have it True it is so also Christ was a pattern and example to the Christian as in his life so in his death He suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 He died for us leaving us an example that we should die to sin as he died for sin But this is not all 3. In the third place then 3. But also Efficient it is the Efficient Cause working this death in the believer by a secret vertue issuing from it Thus are Christians here said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death Non tantùm imitatione Beza Gr. Annot in Text. sed virtute as Beza rightly not only by way of Imitation conforming themselves unto his death as the pattern of their Mortification but also by way of Efficacy being conformed thereunto by a vertue flowing from Christ and his death And so much the word in the Text as Beza notes upon it doth here insinuate which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. a word saith he of passive signification importing not barely a conformity Conformatione mortis ejus Beza but a conformation as he renders it not only a being like but being made like and that by a power and vertue out of themselves viz. the power and vertue of Christ and his death working an answerable death in them And so much that word used by the Apostle to the same purpose Phil. 3.10 implies Being made conformable unto his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conformis factus or configuratus not conforming my selfe viz. by way of Imitation but being made conformable viz. by a power out of my selfe the power and vertue of Christ's death And this is that which the Authour to the Hebrews plainely asserts Heb. 9.14 where he layeth down this as one of the fruits of Christ's death The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Dead works So he calleth sinfull lusts not formally as if they had no life no activity in them but effectively because they are deadly works bringing death upon the sinner that liveth in them Now from these saith the Apostle the Blood of Christ cleanseth the conscience of the sinner and so it doth not only in respect of the guilt of sin in Justification but also the power of it in Sanctification from which it so freeth the sinner as that he may now serve the living God The former of these is done by the merit the later by the vertue of
by those sacrifices Though God properly received nothing for it yet it was accepted of him But I shal no longer dwell upon this evidence neither shall I over-do the work in hand by alledging many more yet I must remember that Foundations cannot be too surely laid especially where Earthquakes are frequent as they are in the Church amongst us at this day And therefore let me yet subjoyn two or three In the next place what shall we say to those Texts of the Apostle Arg. 3. where he holdeth forth the death of Christ Christ the meritorious cause of our Reconciliation as the meritorious and procuring cause of our Reconciliation with God The places are wel known let them be seriously weighed and considered Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son Ephes 2.16 That he might reconcile both viz. Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body by the Crosse Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things to himselfe In all which places the Apostle clearly holdeth forth the death of Jesus Christ as the proper meanes of procuring our Reconciliation with God Allegat Socinian Evasion Allegat To this the adversary answers as before True by this meanes wee are Reconciled unto God but not God to us As for God he was not an enemy to us but wee are enemies unto him He was ready to receive and imbrace us upon our returning to him by repentance Only wee were averse to him Enemies in our mindes through wicked workes Now this indeed Christ by his death effecteth say they reconciling us unto God Col. 1.21 by bringing us unto him in the waies aforesaid by repenting and believing To be reconciled to God the phrase cleared and vindicated Idem valet nos Deo conciliari Deum nobis Grot. de satisf cap. 7. Grot. ibid. ex Sophocle Repl. But hereunto we have returned answer already that for us to be reconciled to God and God to be reconciled to us imports one and the same thing This we have evidenced by shewing the use of the phrase in Scripture language To which might be added the consent of profane writers with whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be Reconciled to the Gods is as much as for the Gods to be reconciled to them who had offended them that so they might escape their anger and revenge But we shall not need to go down to the Philistines to sharpen this Goad In those very places alledged upon a serious review of of them we shall finde that the Reconciliation there spoken of is a reconciling of God to Man That to the Romans is cleare When we were Enemies wee were reconciled unto God How reconciled to him why so as to have peace with him ver 1. So as to have a standing in his grace ver 2. So as to be saved from his wrath ver 9. Such is the Reconciliation there spoken of by the Apostle which hee further maketh to be the proper and immediate fruit and effect of the death of Christ Reconciled by his death And consequently it must import not properly the Reconciling of our Natures unto God which is done in Sanctification and is an immediate fruit of the Spirit of Christ but the reconciling of our persons unto him by Justification which is the immediate fruit of his death In like manner in that place of the Ephesians chap. 2.16 Christ is said to have reconciled Jews and Gentiles unto God that by reconciling them first unto him he might reconcile them betwixt themselves Reconcile them to God in one Body And this he is said to have done by the Crosse Not by the Doctrine of the Crosse as Grotius in his later time going about to destroy what before he had built Cum crucem dicit simul intelligit doctrinam cruce sanoitam Grot. Comm. ad Eph. 2.16 Grotius de satisfact cap. 7. blancheth that Text the doctrine of the Gospel confirmed by his suffering upon the Crosse but by the merit of the Crosse as the same Authour in his first and better thoughts orthodoxly expounds it per vim scilicet placatricem by that pacifying appeasing vertue which is in his blood which he shed upon the Crosse By this meanes it was that he reconciled God to them and them to God And after the same manner in that other place Col. 1.20 God is said by Christ to reconcile all things to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hîc sumendum ut suprà ver 16 sub ipso five ità ut ipsi pareant Grot. ad Col. 1.20 not In unum into one as Socinus would have it for then as Grotius noteth upon it it should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No nor yet as Grotius himself in his declining time expounds it sub ipso under him viz. under Christ or to him viz. that they might obey him but to him viz. to God the Father So that other place of the same Apostle explains it 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this he hath done by Christ viz. by and through his death So that Parenthesis there Col. 1.20 explains it Having made peace through the blood of his Crosse not the Doctrine of his Crosse but the blood of his Crosse viz. that bloody oblation made and offered upon the Crosse Sanguinis hîc fit mentio quîa per sanguinem foedera sancire solebant Idem ibid. wherby not only the Covenant was sealed as Grotius again there blancheth it but wherby the Justice of God was satisfied and so his wrath appeased Thus you see the adversary put by that muse also which being put to his shifts he made for and withall this evidence made out To which in the next place I shall subjoyn another near a kin to it Argu. 4 And that I take from Saint John who speaking of Christ calleth him the Propitiation Christ called the propitiation 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins And againe chap. 4.10 God sent his Son to be a Propitiation for our sins the word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Placamen somewhat wherby an other being offended is pacified That is the meaning of the Latine word made English Propitiation it imports somewhat whereby the anger of another is appeased and he is induced to be propitious mercifull favourable So much we may learn out of the Publicans Petition Luke 18.13 where hee prayeth God be mercifull to me a sinner The word is the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Placator or Propitius esto Be thou appeased towards me be thou propitious to me This is Propitiation From whence the Mercie-seat or lid which covered the Ark was called the Propitiatory Exod. 25.17 So the Apostle following the translation of the Septuagint calls it Hebrews 9.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
this way gloriously manifested 1. In that God was pleased thus to dispence with his own Law In dispencing with his Law The Law was peremptory The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 under that one particular menacing every transgression with death Now with this Law God being the supream Law-giver and so having power to dispence with his own positive and penall Lawes he dispenceth being content to accept that satisfaction which the Law required from the person of another This dispensation was an act of grace free grace God was no waies bound to admit of such a satisfaction by a Surety which the rigour of the Law exacted from the person of the offender 2. That God was pleased to indulge such a dispensation unto Men not to Angels For men not Angels God spared not the Angels which fell saith Saint Peter but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chaines of darknesse to be reserved unto Judgment 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. Here is no relaxation but a strict execution of Justice upon them Not the like upon man To him God grants a dispensation a gracious dispensation moderating Justice with Mercy admitting such a Satisfaction for him not for the Angels 3. That God did not only admit this way of Satisfaction but himselfe finde it out In finding out this way This was his Act an act of his Wisdome God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 When men and Angels were at a losse neither of them could find out a way of satisfaction unto the Justice of God but by an eternity of punishment now God himself findeth out a way This was an act of Grace of speciall and singular Grace there being nothing else that could move God to it but his Grace Yet further 4. That God should put his own Son upon this Work 4. In putting his Son upon the work His Son his Naturall Son his own Image his onely Son his dear and welbeloved Son his second selfe that he should give him here was grace here was love unparalell'd love So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son John 3.16 So how So as cannot be either paralell'd or expressed That he should give him and that not only to declare the way and means of Reconciliation by his Doctrine in his Life and to confirm it with his Blood in his Death which is the highest pitch that the Socinian reacheth but also to make Reconciliation as the Authour to the Hebrews hath it cap. 2. ver 17. And that by making satisfaction unto the Justice of God by giving his life a Ransome for us Surely never such an act of Grace as this Herein God commendeth his love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us saith Saint Paul Rom. 5.8 Herein is love saith Saint John not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins 1 John 4.10 This act of God in giving Christ unto death for us how ever it was an act of Justice towards Christ yet it was an act of Grace towards us So the Apostle expresly holdeth it forth Heb. 2.9 That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man the grace of God towards the universality of his Elect for whose sake Christ was offered Henceforth then let the mouth of the Adversary be for ever stopped Christ's Satisfaction exalteth God's Grace Let not Socinians charge this upon us as they do that whilest we assert the Satisfaction of Christ we derogate and detract from the Grace of God Nay therein we advance and exalt it and that far above what ever they by their doctrine do or can do To give Christ to be a Surety for us is a greater act of grace then to give him to be a Teacher to us To give him to die for us in our room and stead is greater grace then to give him onely for a Guid to direct and lead us by his Doctrine and Example Yet further 5. In the fifth place Behold the Grace of God further exercised in the Application of this Satisfaction 5. In the free Application of this Satisfaction to some not others Where is it that God applyeth the death of Christ maketh it effectuall to one and not to another Surely this is no other but an act of Grace free Grace Let it then go for a most unjust and groundlesse imputation that Christ's Satisfaction cannot stand with the grace of God when as the one shineth forth so clearly so gloriously in the other Justification an act of grace notwithstanding this Satisfaction Alleg. But yet it will be said If such a Satisfaction hath been made and received how can Justification then be said to be an act of Grace free-grace So we find it held forth in Scripture Isai 43.25 I even I am he saith the Lord that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Being justified freely by his grace saith the Apostle Rom. 3.24 Now how can this be if such a Satisfaction be made Ans To this it is answered Still both these will stand well together God blotteth out our sins for his own sake and yet for Christ's sake The phrase excludes our merits not his merits No it is with his Blood that these sins are blotted out 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Again well may God be said to forgive sins for his own sake whilest he forgives them for his Son's sake in as much as Father and Son are both one One as in essence so in will and worke only differing in order of working Thus are they one in this act of Justification And thence is it that forgivenesse of sins is attributed sometimes to Christ Col. 3.13 Even as Christ forgave you And thus may we be said to be justified freely by Grace and yet through the merits of Christ So much we may learn from the Apostle in that place alledged Rom. 3.34 where he putteth them both together Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus The like again Ephes 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his Grace And well may these stand together as being causes subordinate the one to the other God's grace the supreme and first moving cause Christ's Redemption the meritorious and procuring cause Thus are we said to be justified not onely by Grace but freely by Grace viz. in reference to us our merits not so to the merits of Jesus Christ Alleg. But it may be further said How Forgivenesse of sin standeth with this Satisfaction Supposing such a Satisfaction how then can sins be said to be forgiven That is the word in frequent use in Scripture In the Lords Prayer we pray Forgive us our Debts And so we finde Justification frequently called the forgivenesse of sins one part of it being by a Synecdoche put
be cruell towards another when he putteth him to torment or pain without a cause or putteth him to great torment for a small cause The Chyrurgian that puts his patient to great pain for the saving of life or limb when there is no other way of Cure he is not therein to be accounted cruell Thus standeth the case here It was not without cause and great cause that God thus delivered his Son to the death This he did not only for those ends assigned by the Socinian that he might seal his doctrine with his blood and shew himselfe a pattern of Obedience but for a greater end then these viz. for the Redemption of a world as I showed you that when there was no other Remedy Grotius de satisfact cap. 6. Now as Grotius well presseth it against them this End being added to those by them alledged it cannot make Christs sufferings greater then they were which they themselves acknowledg were inflicted by God his Father and that without any Cruelty Nay by how much the ends propounded were more and greater so much the further were those sufferings from all appearance of cruelty So as our doctrine in this regard freeth the Majesty of God from such an Imputation far more then theirs Christ able to undergo and overcome them 2. Besides what is also considerable Though the sufferings of Christ were great yet was there no such Cruelty in inflicting them upon him who was able both to undergoe and overcome them This was Jesus Christ able to do As he had power to lay down his life so also to take it up again John 10.18 That burden which would crush a child a strong man will go lightly away with as Samson being inclosed within the walls of Gaza did with the Gates thereof which he took upon his shoulders and carried up to the top of the mountain Judg. 16.3 Thus did the Lord Jesus being inclosed in the Grave he carried away the gates of death which would have crushed all the sons of Men into the pit of Hell So as those sufferings though great in themselves yet to him they were not so great His dying was but a Tasting of Death as the Apostle calleth it Hebrews 2.9 but I will follow the Adversary no further You now see these his supposed strong-holdes in a good sense slighted Those locks wherein he conceived his strength to ly cut off the Arguments and Allegations producible in this cause with the severall improvements of them clearly answered and satisfied Quest Onely a Query or two is yet behind Whether God could not have pardoned sin without any such satisfaction which I shall send away with their Resolutions briefly and so dismisse this point Q. 1. Could not God have pardoned sin freely without any such Satisfaction And might he not have done it Answer 1 A. 1. To this it is answered From Power to Will no good Consequence 1. A posse ad esse or velle c. From Power to Act or from Power to Will the Consequence wil not hold Because a man can do or may do such or such a thing it cannot thence be concluded that he hath done it or wil do it Suppose that God might have pardoned sin in such a way yet it will not thence follow that he hath done it Answer 2 A. 2. But 2ly without any derogation from the perfection and absolutenesse of his Power How it may be said that God could not do this it may be said with a reverence that this was a thing which God could not do Onely let it be rightly understood Not that it is so in it self absolutely considered but ex supposito upon the supposition of his Decree Gods decree was that sin should be punished with death that the one should be the wages of the other And that decree was gone forth the sentence was past upon man to that purpose The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Genesis 2.17 Now this being presupposed it may with reverence be said that God could not pardon sin without some such satisfaction as the Law required Neither is this to be attributed to any defect of Power in him but to the perfection of his nature Upon this account it is that wee say that God cannot do this or that which man can do He cannot sin he cannot Lye Tit. 1.2 It is Impossible he should do so Heb. 6.18 And why so The Apostle renders a reason for it 2 Tim 2.13 He cannot deny himself Gods Truth and Justice they are himselfe And being so he cannot go against them And thus is it in this case To pardon sin without any satisfaction supposing the foresaid decree and sentence it cannot stand with the Truth and Justice of God and therefore he cannot do it This is Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle cals it Rom. 1. last The Judgement of God Jus Dei saith Beza Gods right Justitia Dei saith Erasmus and the Vulgar Gods Justice that they which do such things are worthy of death This is not only a Positive Law but Lex naturae the very Law of nature a Law Originally ingraven in the nature of God himself and by him as a Counterpane from that Originall imprinted upon the nature of man And being so God could not go against it so as to let sin go alogether unpunshed This he could not do without wrong and injury to himself Repl. No may some say May not men without any wrong or injurie remit what they please of their owne right Whether men may alwayes remit what they please of their own right Answer To this it is answered 1. This is not universally true Some cases there are wherein men may not part with their owne right Parents may not remit that honour and Obedience which of right is due to them from their children Husbands must not part with their Headship which they have over their Wives And why because this were against the Law of God and the Laws of nature It is a good limitation which is given by Casuists to that vulgar Maxime A man may part with as much of his own right as he will to another but it must be Salvo jure tertii saving the right of a third Saving the right of God of the Law of the Magistrate of a mans Neighbour Where any of these are wronged or injured by the Concession a man may not part with his owne right Now thus standeth it here should God passe by sin without any satisfaction it would bee a wrong to his Law as well as to his Truth and Justice And therefore it cannot bee 2. But 2ly Suppose man might do this yet God cannot This may seem a Paradox but we shall find it a Truth Though man may part with his owne right yet God cannot How so Because Gods right is himselfe Deus ipse est jus suum Marke it Gods right is himselfe and therefore he cannot part with it Upon this
entred those lists But there is a fatal yet Providential necessitie in it There must be Heresies 1 Cor. 11.16 such is Satan's malice and Man's corruption that in an ordinary way it cannot be expected that God's Field should be free from these tares And such is Gods just and wise dispensation to permit it to be so knowing how to extract good out of evill And seeing it must be so there is a like necessity incumbent upon the Ministers of God servants of that great Husbandman that they should have John 15.1 1 Cor. 3.9 an eye to them that they do not over-grow the good corn Upon this account it is that I have as occasion hath been offered underta-that work which our great Apostle the Dr. of the Gentiles reckons amongst those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those good works 2 Tim. 3.17 unto which the man of God should be throughly furnished Applying my self sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Reproof Engl. new Annot ver 16. viz. of Errors and false Doctrines which the Verse foregoing reckoneth as one of those four Cardinal uses for which the Scripture is profitable yet so as I have ever mainly intended those other Ministeriall services there mentioned of Doctrine Correction Instruction in Righteousnesse And to that end I have made choice of such portions of Scripture as I apprehended properly usefull for those purposes Among other I have singled out and now through a divine manuduction almost passed thorow this Chapter wherof the Text is a part with that fore-going Rom. 5. 6. The one of which professedly handles the Doctrine of Justification the other of Sanctification two main Pillars in the House of the Lord not unlike those in the Temple of Dagon Judg. 19.26 whereon the whole building stands The sum of the later of these you meet with in the Text held forth under a familiar but apt and elegant Metaphor serving as a vehiculum to convey this divine Mystery into the soul with greater both facility perspicuity In prosecuting of this Allegory I have endeavoured to follow it home to the head yet so as not willing to do what in like cases too often done viz. to overdo by extorting that from the Metaphor which it would not genuinely and naturally yeeld My service which I have herein desired to do to God and his Church as I wish it may so I hope it shall be accepted of the Saints and of You in speciall over whom God hath made me though most unworthy an Overseeer To his grace and blessing I coÌ„mend it and you resting Yours in the service of Christ desirous to be found faithful JOHN BRINSLEY Yarmouth Sept. 8. 1651. An Alphabetical Table of the chiefe Points handled in this TREATISE A AArons Rod blossoming miraculous p. 26 Adoption a benefit flowing from mysticall Insition 37. Agonies in the Christians death to sin both before conversion and after 111 The least Agony in true conversion 116. Apostates to be suspected their condition dangerous 55. 240. Why men are called upon to Arise from the Dead 158. Augmentation a benefit flowing from union with Christ 51. Augmentation an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 54. B BArren Christians no true Mysticall Branches 74 The same body shall be raised again 181. 182 Bodies glorified spirituall Bodies 184. Mysticall Branches Beleevers 15. C CAll of God not to be put off 121 Cessation from sin evidencing true Mortification 137 Christ Mysticall 33. Communion Mysticall betwixt Christ and the Beleever 35 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Death 90 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Resurrection 146 In the first act of Conversion man a meer Patient 28 Conversion more then a morall swasion 158 D BEleevers Dead unto sin three wayes 125. 127 Death of Christ a violent death 99 Death of Christ a painfull death 108 Death of Christ a lingring death 118 Death unto sin a dying a continued act 121 Death unto sin what 126 Death of Christ the cause of the Christians death unto sin 130 Death unto sin how evidenced 135 E ETernall life a spirituall life 184 Eternal life a glorious life 186 F FAith without works dead 73 Christ a Foundation how 82 Fructification a benefit issuing from union with Christ 68. 72 Gospel Fruits good works 70 Fruitfulness an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 75 Fruitfulnesse in good works why requisite 76 Directions for Fruitfulnesse 78 Fulnesse of Christ the beleevers 40 G. GOspel preached the meanes of Mysticall Insition 24 Grafting naturall and mysticall unlike in three particulars 18 Grafting naturall and mysticall alike in ten particulars 22 Growth a property of all mysticall branches 52 Growth in grace to be endeavoured after 57 Growth in grace the honour of Christ and glory of Christianity 59 Growth in the Christian continuall ibid. Doubts about spirituall growth cleered 60 Hinderances of spirituall growth six 63 Means of growth 67 I. THe Christian an immortall creature 175 Insition mysticall what 13 Insition mysticrll how tryed 24 Joseph's brethren coming to him a pattern of the Christians coming to Christ 47 Judas never given to Christ as the other Apostles 85 Justification a benefit flowing from union with Christ 36 L. THe Law a Grafting knife 23 The beleever living and dying with Christ 12 No spiritual life out of Christ 25 The Christians life a new life in four particulars 165 Life of the Regenerate a spiritual life 171 An immortal life 173 Life of Saints in heaven spirituall glorious eternall 184 186 Beleevers live the life of Christ 209 Life of Christ after his Resurrection a pattern for Christians to live by 236 Lusts being dead alone what to do to them 102 Reprieving of lusts dangerous 107 M. MOrtification resembleth the death of Christ in five particulars 91 Mortification counterfeit discovered 93 Mortification a voluntary act 97 Mortification a violent death 100 Mortification a painful work 110 Mortification a lingring death 118 Mortification how the beleevers work 133 Mortification twofold Habituall Actuall 134 Mortification in what way to be sought and endeavoured 140 N Name of Christ put upon Christians 33. Nourishment beleevers receive from Christ 11. Christ perfect Nourishment to the beleever 44. Nourishment how conveyed to the soul from Christ 45. Nourishment to be drawn from Christ 47 Nutrition a benefit flowing from Vnion with Christ 43. O OLd age the unfittest time for the work of Regeneration 219. Old age renders conversion difficult and suspicious 220. Repentance in Olde age difficult to man not to God 224. P Pelagian doctrine confuted 29 Beleevers planted together in Christ 3 Beleevers planted together with Christ 5. Plantation mystycall by way of Adhesion and Insition 6. Mysticall Implantation how effected 16. â—â—â—ll Implantation the work of free grace 31. 〈◊〉 spiritvall Pride 7 Q 〈…〉 a Quickning spirit 200 〈…〉 discerned 202 R CHrist Raised to the glory of God his father how 176. Beleevers raised to the glory of God Actively and Passively 177 Resurrection Corporall and Spiritual 146
it Christ did not intrude himselfe into this office He glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest a Mediatour Heb. 5.5 He did not run before he was sent So much we may learn from those Titles given to him that of an Angel or Messenger Mal. 3.1 The Messenger of the Covenant That other of an Apostle Heb. 3.1 The Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Each importing a Mission a Sending Christ did not undertake this office without the warrant of a lawfull Calling Let it be taken notice of by all those who shall undertake any publick Office or Service in the Church of God Note Let them also see that they do not herein glorifie themselves that they have a calling a lawfull and warrantable calling to it not running before they are sent This would not Jesus Christ do He would not undertake the Work of Reconciliation but upon a lawfull Call Let not any without the like warrant undertake the Ministery of Reconciliation Such is the publick preaching of the Gospel the dispensing of the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Concerning which the Apostle propounds this Question Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent A Question which my selfe not being able I shall leave to them to answer who stand guilty of that presumption I pass on Jesus Christ was called to this Office But By whom was he called How was he called When was he called to it A threefold Enquiry the Resolving whereof will contribute not a little to the clearing and illustrating of this Branch of the point in hand touching the Calling of Question 1 Christ to this Office of Mediatorship By whom was he called Quest 1. By whom was he called Ans I answer By God himselfe Answer By God himselfe No man taketh this Honour unto himselfe saith the Apostle speaking of the Priestly Office but he that is called of God as Aaron was Heb. 5.4 This he speaketh de jure shewing not what men sometimes do but what they ought to do viz. Not take upon them a Ministeriall Office to deal betwixt God and his People unlesse they be called of God either Immediately or Mediately This did not Jesus Christ do His Office of Mediatorship he received it immediately from God himselfe He was called of God as High Priest after the Order of Melchizedech Heb. 5.10 And from what other hand should he receive it None could appoint a Mediator but God Who should appoint a Mediatour to deal betwixt God and man but God himself As for man as he was the person offending so he was far from seeking of Reconciliation having sinned against his God he flieth from his presence to hide himselfe Nay such was the corruption of depraved nature Gen. 35.3 8. that it was ready bent to stand it out against God to hold out the quarrel to maintain this enmity so far was man from seeking Reconciliation But had he sought it what Mediator should he have sought for This was that which Job in his passion complaineth of Job 9.33 Neither is there any Days-man or Umpire betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both None to judge betwixt him his God Amongst the creatures there was none in Earth or Heaven that durst have undertaken this cause to interpose and come betwixt the Creature and the Creatour If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge it but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2.25 This was God's own work first to find out a way means of Reconciliation then to find out a fitting person to undertake that Work then to put him upon that undertaking This was the Lord's own doing And well may it be marvellous in our eyes Never such a Demonstration of Love A Demonstration of Divine Love as this That when man had offended his God broke Covenant with him and turned enemie to him standing out in actual rebellion against him that God should then seek peace with him offer conditions of peace unto him And for that purpose should appoint a Mediatour and call his own Son to that Office to undertake the work of Reconciliation what a gracious condescention was this Herein let us both admire and adore this matchlesse and unparalell'd love that God was thus in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe A clear Intimation so let us conceive of it of a gracious purpose An Intimation of a gracious purpose in God towards all those whose hearts he inclineth to accept of this Reconciliation Surely had not he had a good will towards them he would never have called forth his Son to this Service And withall giving a full assurance to them of a gracious acceptance Assurance of a gracious acceptance of whatever this Mediatour hath done and performed on their behalfs in as much as he was thereunto called by God himselfe But I do but glance at these not unusefull Meditations by the way Thus you see By whom Christ was called to this Office viz. By God By God his Father Christ was called by God his Father So the Spirit of God in Scripture more peculiarly attributes this work unto him to the first Person in the blessed Trinity Him hath God the Father sealed John 6.27 It pleased the Father c. By him to reconcile all things to himselfe Col. 1.19 where though the word Father be not expressed in the Originall yet it may not unfitly be supplied So in those places where it is said God gave his Son John 3.16 God sent forth his Son Gal. 4.4 The word God is to be understood Relatively and Personally as pointing at God the Father not that the two other Persons are thereby excluded from any concurrence in this work not so as it is in all other Actions and Operations ad extrà as they are called works done out of themselves they are Indivisa Common to all the three Persons so is it here The calling of Christ to this office of Mediatorship it was the concurrent Act of all the three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost Onely it is Attributed to the Father for Orders sake in as much as he being the first is the beginning as of every operation so of this But to go on Christ was called to this office by God his Father Quest 2. But How was he called to it There Question 2 is the second Question How Christ was called to be a Mediator Answer To which I Answer 1. He was Designed to it 2ly He was Furnished for it 3ly He was invested in it In these three consists the manner of this his Ans 1 calling Hee was designed to it 1. He was designed elected ordained by God his Father unto this office Thence called his Elect one Isaiah 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth It is spoken of Christ as Mediator who was Elected and designed by God his Father unto that
undertaking to answer and make satisfaction unto the Justice of God for them And in this respect it is chiefly and principally as Bellarmine and others rightly observe upon the Text that he is here called by our Apostle a Mediator In this respect principally called a Mediatour in the Text. Neque apud ineruditos tantùm sed apud eos qui elegantiùs loquuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur is qui placat aliquem Grot ' de Satisfact cap. 8. Object Here is no mention of Gods wrath or displeasure A Mediator betwixt God and men id est One that interposeth himselfe betwixt the wrath of God and them undertaking to satisfie their debts and so to reconcile them unto God Thus the word in the Text as Grotius noteth may fitly be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plaactor One that pacifieth and appeaseth another by giving satisfaction and contentment to him And in this sense it is here applyed unto Christ Obj. Not so saith Socinus and his followers The word here signifieth no more then what it doth elsewhere Interpres Internuncius an Interpreter an Intermessenger betwixt God and Man Not a Peace-maker No here is not a word saith he concerning any wrath or displeasure of God against sin or sinners that might induce us to make such a construction of the Apostles meaning Ans But to this Pareus Answ Pareus in Heb. 8.6 returns him an Answer It is not to be conceived that what ever belongs to such or such a subject should be mentioned where-ever that subject is touched upon True the Apostle maketh no mention of Gods wrath against sin and sinners in this place This we finde elsewhere But elsewhere he doth sufficiently abundantly Romans 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse of men Cap. 5.9 Being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Such is the state and condition of all men by nature They are all alike Children of wrath Ephes 2.2 Being out of Christ not beleeving on him the wrath of God abideth on them John 3. last A truth so sufficiently known so frequently inculcated by himself and others as that there was no need why the Apostle should here make any mention of it before he call Christ a Mediator But if this satisfie not look but a little after and there shall we finde what is by the Adversarie desired Who gave himselfe a Ransome for us In which words as Bellarmine well noteth upon it the Apostle assigneth the cause and Reason of what he had said plainly shewing in what respect it was principally that he called Christ a Mediatour viz. In as much as hee gave himselfe a Ransome unto God his Father making satisfaction for the sinnes of his people Objection Satisfaction But Object No mention of Christs satisfaction in Scripture Christoph Ostorodius contra Purgationem peccatorum Ar gum 1. Answer Pareus ad Rō 9. Dubio 12. Though not the word yet the thing is Grot. de Satisf cap. 7. in initio where doe wee meet with this word in Scripture thus applyed unto Christ and his Mediatorship So some demand of us Answ To whom Pareus and others soon return Answer that though the word be not found yet the thing is being set forth in other expressions which are equipollent and equivalent And this it is that our Adversaries contend against as Socinus acknowledgeth it not the word but the thing And this it is that we must with earnestnesse contend for against them for this truth of God is a part of that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints and a principall part of it a foundation-stone a principle of Christian Religion the maine hinge upon which the whole worke of our salvation turneth Take away this the satisfaction of Christ and what sure foundation shall our faith rest upon If this foundation bee destroyed then what shall the righteous doe They must then goe seeke for another way of Justification then by faith in the merits of Christ And so seek for a new way to heaven which none of their forefathers ever yet found Let me therefore take up a little time for the asserting and vindicating of this truth of God against the Adversaries and Opposers of it Wherein my aime shall be to deal as little as may be in a Polemicall controversall way in arguing and disputing the case with them but rather in demonstrating it against them by laying this foundation as sure as I can that so you may with more assured confidence adventure your soules upon it Christ is said to be a Mediator as a Surety undertaking and making satisfaction unto God for the sins of his people That he is so Christs Satisfaction evinced by Scripture Testimonies Scripture is clear to those who will but look upon it without prejudice To go about to call in all those Texts that speak to this purpose would prove a long if not a tedious work I shal single out some of them which I conceive to give in the clearest and most convincing evidence And here I shall begin with the old Testament Old Testament where I shall in the first place have recourse unto that clear Prophecie concerning Christ then which all the old Testament affords not a clearer which wee meet with Isaiah 53. Isa 53. Arg. 1. There shall we finde a mutuall compact and agreement betwixt the Father and the Sonne about this way of Reconciliation viz. by way of satisfaction This the Father imposeth And this the Sonne submits to The Father imposeth it by charging the sinns of his Elect upon him So you have it verse 6. Ver. 6. The LORD laid on him the iniquities of us all Not the sinns themselves not the evill in them or fault of them but the guilt and penalty belonging to them This GOD laid upon his Son charging it upon him as a Creditor chargeth a debt upon the surety requiring satisfaction from him Or as the margin readeth it according to the Originall He shall make the iniquity of us all to meet on him Even as many debts of severall persons are charged upon one common surety and so all meet together upon his head Thus did the sins of all God's Elect or all true believers for of such and onely such he there speaks as Diodate expounds it such as having union with Christ have a true spirituall Communion amongst themselves they all meet together upon the head of their common surety the Lord Christ Even as the sins of Priests and people met together upon the head of the Sacrifice being layed upon it by the Priests who to that end laid their hands upon the head of it as you may read Exod. 29.10 15 19. by that Ceremony putting and laying their own sins and the sins of the people upon the head of that Sacrifice which was to be offered up for them Even thus saith the Prophet did God the Father lay the sins of his
will Thus are all men by nature enemies to God No wonder then that they cannot please him as it followeth in the next verse ver 8. that he should be an enemy to them Be we convinced of this Enmity whereof this word Mediatour putteth us in mind 2. In the second place Is Jesus Christ Mediatour betwixt God and men 2. Admire and adore God's unparalell'd love declared in this Mediatour Here stand we still observing admiring adoring the matchlesse and unparalell'd love mercy and goodnesse of God towards poor lost mankind in finding out a way and means of Reconciliation for them appointing an Arbitratour a Peace-maker ordaining and sending a Mediatour such a Mediatour Herein there are divers particulars which do exceedingly commend this love of God to us as 1. That he being the Person offended 1. In seeking Reconciliation with man should seek Reconciliation This we take to be great condescention in men especially in Superiours to do this to Inferiours What is it in the great God That he should appoint an Agent to negotiate with and for man a Mediatour to compremize and take up the difference betwixt him and them and to reconcile man to himselfe Behold here an act of Grace free grace rich grace meer grace What was there in man that God should thus regard his Enmity or seek his Amity Had God any need of man nothing lesse He was absolutely and infinitely happy and blessed from all eternity He needed neither man nor Angel He was as happy before their Creation as after It was all one to him whether men or no men and those whether enemies or friends Their amity could add nothing to nor their enmity detract any thing from his felicity He should have been no gainer by the one and he could have been no loser by the other Hee knew which way to glorifie himselfe as well upon man an enemy as upon man reconciled What was it then that moved him to seek this Reconciliation and to send a Mediatour about this work Surely nothing but his grace that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that grace bringing salvation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that kindnesse and love of God towards mankind of which the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3.11 and 3.4 Behold an act of meer and rich grace Which is further commended to us 2. Appointing a Mediatour for man not for Angels Secondly In that this Mediatour is appointed betwixt God and men not betwixt God and Angels As for the Angels some of them as I shewed you stood in as much need of a Mediatour as mankind They being fallen from God were plunged into a depth of misery and so were as proper objects of Pity and Mercy as apt to move compassion as mankind yet God overlooketh them passeth them by leaving them in that forelorne estate to bee confirmed and hardned in that their Enmity against him that so he might have an occasion for the declaring and exercising the riches of his Justice upon them In the mean time he appointeth a Mediatour in the behalfe of Mankinde one that might take hold of them to reconcile them to save them 3. And 3ly take notice of the person 3 Designing his Son to this office who it was whom he designed and appointed unto this office whom he putteth upon this work even the Man Christ Jesus no other but his owne and onely Son God was in Christ Reconciling the world to himselfe Now lay these together and see whether this Grace of God manifested towards us in and through this our Mediatour do not deserve to be looked upon with a gratefull Admiration I have done with the first Head Passe we to the second Is Jesus Christ Mediatour betwixt God and Men in the way aforesaid Vse 2 Consolation here is an over-flowing spring of abundant Consolation Not unlike that Spring which issued out of the Rock in the wildernesse Exodus 17.6 which followed the Israelites went along with them in their passage to the Earthly Canaan That Rock saith the Apostle was Christ viz. Sacramentally 1 Cor. 10.4 Even this Mediator betwixt God and Men In whom it pleased the Father that all fulnesse both Repletive and Diffusive should dwell And behold out of this Spirituall Rock a Spring of heavenly Consolation breaking forth which followeth and goeth along with the Elect people of God in their journey through this wildernesse to their heavenly Canaan This Spring as it is supposed that also did divides it selfe into divers severall streames and Rivulets 1 To such as desire Reconciliation Here is comfort for all poor penitent siinners such as being convinced of that Enm ty which is betwixt God and them by reason of sin do unfeignedly desire Reconciliation Let them looke up and behold this great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Blessed Peace-maker this Mediator the Lord Jesus whose office it is to make peace betwixt God and Men to reconcile the one to the other This office being imposed upon him by God his Father he undertook And undertaking he hath discharged it Performing what ever was required from him by his Father in order to this Reconciliation making a full satisfaction unto his Justice by giving himselfe a Ransome for all men all that shall beleeve on him shedding his blood in the sense of his Fathers wrath that so he might appease it And hereby hath he slain this Enmity as the Apostle hath it Ephes 2.16 Not onely Enmity betwixt Men and Men Jews and Gentiles which he did by breaking down that Intergerinum parietem that middle wall of partition spoken of ver 14. abolishing the Legall worship and Ceremonies which being peculiar to the Jewes divided them from the Gentiles but also betwixt God and Men. This he slew by taking away the ground and cause of it viz. Sin This it was as I have showen you which first brought this Enmity into the world And this it is that continueth it in the world Now this Jesus Christ hath taken away by his death Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 viz. the Elect world Even of all that are given to him and shall beleeve on him Their sin he hath taken away by way of Expiation having made satisfaction unto the Justice of God for it so as it shall not be charged upon them unto condemnation it shall not separate betwixt God and them This he hath merited by his death and this he hath declared and published So the Apostle there goeth on Ephes 2.17 Having slain the Enmity by his Crosse he came and preached peace This he did in his own person in the dayes of his flesh being then himself a Messenger of peace And this being himself gone off from the stage of the world he caused to be done by others sending his Apostles his Ministers upon the same errand to preach peace even that peace which is revealed in the Gospel peace betwixt God and Men whose feet in that regard are said
rather asleep then dead But this construction Beza looketh upon not only as forced Beza Gr. Annot in Text. and making nothing to the Apostles purpose in the Text but also dangerous 2. Basil in the second place conceives the Apostle in this expression to point at the Instrumentall Cause of our spirituall Insition and engrafting into Christ which is Baptisme This saith he is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Similitude of the death of Christ in as much as it carrieth a representation and resemblance of his death And so by engrafting in the similitude of his death should be no more but to be incorporated into Christ by Baptisme which is a similitude of his death But this Interpretation though pious and safe yet here it cannot be admitted Beza's reason is convincing Beza ibid. Baptisme carrieth a representation not only of the Death of Christ but also of his Resurrection and so not only of the Christian's Mortification but also of his Vivification Which two the Apostle here plainly distinguisheth the one from the other 3. Chrysostome in the third place conceives that there is no Emphasis at all in the phrase The Similitude of Christ's death saith he is the same with the death of Christ And so indeed the phrase is to be understood in that 2d of Philip. 7. where it is said of Christ that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made in the likenesse of men that is Heb. 4.5 he was made a true man like unto others in all things sin onely excepted But here we shall finde the phrase importing somewhat more 4. Not to hold you any longer in suspence Conclude we it with Calvin Beza Martyr C. Lapide and others Believers are said to be engrafted with Christ in the likenesse of his death in a two-fold respect The phrase imports two things The phrase imports two things 1. A conformity of the one to the other 2. The ground and rise and cause of that conformity The Christian's conformity with Christ in his death He is engrafted in the similitude thereof made like unto Christ in his death dying though not the same kind of death yet a death like it The ground and cause of his conformity is Christ himself and his death from whence the believer receiveth that power that vertue to do what he doth as the Graft doth from the Stock He is grafted together with Christ in the likenesse of his death Put these together and they give us the full force and Emphasis of this elegant and comprehensive expression I shall handle them severally At this time of the former The believers conformity to Christ in his death 1. The Christian's conformity to Christ in his death He is engrafted in the likenesse of Christ's death that is he is made conformable to Christ in his death This is that which Paul wisheth for himselfe Phil. 3.10 That I may know him viz. Christ c being made conformable unto his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this all true believers are in their measure made partakers of They are conformed unto Christ in his death carrying a representation and resemblance of his death Quod in Christo factum est per naturam P. Martyr ad loc id in nobis fit per Analogiam proportionem as Martyr borrows it from Chrysostome What was done in Christ in a naturall way is done and performed in the believer by way of Analogy proportion resemblance Christ died and so the believer dieth the one a naturall the other a spirituall death the one carrying a similitude of the other Christ's and the Christian's death a death unto sin Quest But what Death is this Ans Why in one word A death unto sin So the Apostle himself explaines his own meaning ver 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein So again ver 10 11. where first speaking of Christ he saith In that he died he died unto sin and then speaking of Christians in the next verse he biddeth them Reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Christ died and the believer dieth both unto sin the one by way of Expiation The one by way of Expiation the other of Mortification suffering and satisfying for the sins of others the other by way of Mortification killing and crucifying his own sins This is the death which carrieth with it a resemblance of the death of Christ. And of this death all true believers are made partakers in their measure Thus this main Proposition again subdivides and branches it selfe into two distinct Doctrinall Conclusions which I shall insist upon severally beginning with the former which informes us that The Christian's death unto sin Doct. 1. True Mortification carrieth a Resemblance of the death of Christ in five particulars carrieth a Representation of the death of Christ. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the similitude of his death carrying a lively resemblance of it That it doth so will clearly appear if we bring them together and compare the one with the other For the Death of Christ we know or may know what kind of death it was Divers particulars are observable and considerable about it To let passe others Take we notice of these five which are usefull to our present purpose The Death of Christ was 1. A true death 2. A voluntary death 3. A violent death 4. A painfull death 5. A lingring death Such was his naturall death and such is the Christian 's spirituall death His death for sin and the Christian's death to sin Touch upon the particulars 1. Resemb A true Death 1. A true Death Such was the death of Jesus Christ his naturall death not a putative seeming death as those old Hereticks the Marcionites and Manichees imagined but a true reall death A true separation of his soul from his body He powred out his soul unto death saith the Prophet Isai 53.12 He gave up the Ghost saith the Evangelist Mark 15.37 And such is this spirituall death in the believer his death unto sin A Separation of the soul from the body of sin a true death a true separation of the soul from the body of sin Such is the work of true conversion in the soul which is a turning of the soul from all sin unto God Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions Ezek. 18.30 Not only from one sin but from all As in death the soule is separated not only from one member of the body as it is in a Paralysis a numbe Palsie where one part is dead being deprived of sense and motion but from all So is it in true conversion The soul is separated from the whole body of sin and every member of it So separated from it that it hates and abhors it Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 I hate every false way Psal 119.104 What I hate that I do saith Saint Paul Rom. 7.15 Such is the work of
suppose it be directed to others men dead in trespasses and sins Such exhortations not uselesse to others yet such Exhortations are not uselesse unto them In as much as through those channels God is pleased to convey his grace and spirit wherby he enables them to do what hee requireth from them Thus in raising Jairus his daughter from the death-Bed our Saviour cals to her Talitha Cumi Damosell arise Mark 5.41 And in raising Lazarus from the grave he cries unto him Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 not that either the one or the other had power of themselves to do what was commanded but there was a power went forth together with the word like that which went forth with that Creating word at the first God said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. There was a power went forth with the word giving a being to that which was not Thus doth God cal things which are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 By his word making things to be what they were not And thus doth be call upon dead souls to awake and arise by and through his word conveying that spirit and power unto his Elect wherby they are inabled to do what of themselves they cannot The first Resurrection is a work of no lesse power no lesse difficulty then the second 5. To these adde in the fifth place Resemb 5. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the Indisposition of the Subject In the indisposition of the Subject A dead Corps lying in the grave it hath no disposition no aptitude no inclination to rise again As it cannot raise it selfe so neither can it do any thing in a way of tendency towards its own resurrection It can no wayes fit or prepare it self for it Nay it cannot so much as will or desire it Even such an indisposition is there in a dead soul to this first Resurrection A soul dead in sin as it cannot raise it selfe to the life of grace so neither can it do any thing which tendeth that way Such an Impotency is there in man since the fall All are now by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without power When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Rom. 5.6 Not able to contribute ought towards this blessed change Not able to do any thing by way of preparation to fit themselves for the receiving of the grace of God no nor yet so much as will and desire it when the grace of God first meeteth with man it findeth him a meer patient like a dead body lying in the grave having only a passive capacity rendring him a subject capable of receiving the impressions of grace and so of having a new life put into him Man hath not only an outward but an inward Impediment to this Resurrection So indisposed is man naturally to the work of God's grace not only having an outward Impediment as Papists and Arminians would have it like a Prisoner as some of them frame the similitude who having fetters upon his legs cannot walk but yet he hath an inward power in himselfe so to do if that outward impediment were removed Not onely so but man hath also an inward impediment Being like a dead carkass lying in the grave which though all the grave-clothes be taken from it yet it cannot move nor stir untill a new life be put into it Until God doth breathe the breath of a new life into the soul the man is whole indisposed unto this blessed change I might go a step further Man not only indisposed but averse to this Resurrection and shew you how he is not onely indisposed to this life but averse to it In which respect the first Resurrection goeth beyond the second The second Resurrection meeteth with a Body which though of it selfe it be indisposed to live again yet it maketh no resistance no opposition against its own resurrection But in the first Resurrection when God cometh to raise up a dead soul from the grave of sin he findeth it not only indisposed but opposite to it making resistance against the work of his grace Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost As your fathers did so do ye saith Saint Stephen to the Jewes Acts 7.51 To these I might yet add one more 6. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the efficient causes of it Resemb 6. The Efficient Causes of it and that both Principall and Ministeriall and Instrumentall In the second Resurrection the Resurrection of the body the Principall Efficient is God himselfe the Ministeriall the Angels the Instrumentall the sound of a Trumpet You have them all together 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise Now see a resemblance of all these in the first Resurrection The same Principall Efficient God God quickneth the dead Rom. 4.17 as dead bodies so dead souls The like Ministeriall and Instrumentall Cause Herein God maketh use of his Angels Revel 2. 3. and of his Trumpet His Angels the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospell whom he now sendeth forth to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24.31 His Trumpet is his word in the mouth of his Ministers A spirituall Trumpet shadowed out by those silver Trumpets under the Law by the sounding whereof the Priests called the people to the publick Assemblies on earth Numb 10.2 Thus do the Ministers of the Gospel by lifting up their voice like a Trumpet as it is given in charge to the Prophet Isaiah Isai 58.1 by preaching and publishing the Gospell they call men to the Kingdom of God Hereby awakening and raising them up The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they which hear it shall live John 5.25 Men dead in sin hear the voice of Christ in the Ministery of his Word and thereby the Spirit concurring with the Ordinance and giving efficacy to it they are quickned and raised up to a new spirituall and heavenly life Even as dead bodies shall be at the last day raised from their graves by the voice of an Arch-angel and sound of a Trumpet Thus then you see this Generall made out How that the first resurrection the resurrection of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse carries with it the resemblance of a Resurrection resembling it in the Order in the Nature in the Integrity in the Difficulty of the work in the Indisposition of the Subject in the Efficient Causes of it both Principall Ministeriall and Instrumentall Now come we in the second place to see how it resembleth the Resurrection of Christ 2. The spirituall Resurrection resembles the Resurrection of Christ So it doth
him to all his Elect quickning whom he pleaseth As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom hee will so you have it ver 21. of that 5th chap. And hence is it that he is called a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ being the Head and Stock of all his Elect is appointed by God to be the author and procurer and conveyer of spirituall and eternall life to all his off-spring by the communication of his spirit to them which both restoreth life unto the dead and preserveth it in them perpetually Neither of which the first Adam could do He indeed lived a naturall life himself and did in a naturall way by way of propagation convey a naturall life to his Posterity but he could not preserve that life much lesse restore it to himself or them He was onely a living soul But Christ is a quickning spirit quickning dead souls and quickning dead bodies the Author both of the first and second resurrection Christ the author of the first Resurrection 1. Of the first resurrection the resurrection of the Soul This beleevers obtain from by and through Jesus Christ So much our Apostle willeth them to take notice of and acknowledg ver 11 of this Rom. 6. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That beleevers are alive unto God that they live a spirituall life this they owe unto Jesus Christ and are to attribute to him as being the root of their life So much the phrase in the Originall there imports which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Jesus Christ Even as the Graft liveth in the Stock so is the beleever alive unto God in Jesus Christ receiving from him that vertue whereby this life is begun maintained perfected in him This it is to be quickned with Christ Col. 2.13 and to be risen with Christ Col. 3.1 viz. not onely to be quickned and raised as Christ was but to be quickned and raised by a power and vertue flowing from him and his resurrection This is that vertue which Paul so earnestly desired to be made partaker of Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that power and vertue whereby Christ himself was raised from the dead or a power and vertue flowing from his resurrection working the like effect in himself in raising him to the life of grace here and glory hereafter This spiritual life is the fruit of Christs resurrection so may we understand that place of the Apostle Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1.4 where he saith of beleevers that They are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ So they are not onely in respect of assurance of their Resurrection unto eternal life whereof the Resurrection of Christ is the pledge but also in regard of their New-birth it self which is a fruit of Christ's Resurrection wrought in them by a vertue flowing from Christ being risen from the dead Of the second Resurrection 2. And as their first so their second Resurrection Hereof the Resurrection of Christ is not only the Pattern and Pledge but also the Cause So the Apostle sets it forth 1 Cor. 15.21 Since by man came death by man also came the Resurrection of the dead Adam being the Head and Root of all mankind he transmitted his sin and death unto all his Off-spring all that were in him when he so sinned and died Even so Christ the Head and Root of all his Elect he communicates his righteousnesse and life to all that are in him This he merited for them by his death and this he applieth and conveyeth to them through his Resurrection As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive so the Apostle goeth on ver 22. All viz. that are in Christ As for others it is true they shall be raised again and that by Christ viz. by the power of Christ as a Judge The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shal hear his voice and shal come forth John 5.28 29. But those which are Christs shall all be raised up in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being in him they shall be raised up in him by a vertue flowing from him as from the Head to the members as from the root to the branches Hereby shall their dead bodies be quickned raised changed He shal change our vile body saith the Apostle Phil. 3. last This is the work of Jesus Christ which he shall effect According to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that efficacious working of a mighty power A power not unlike that which the story tells us went forth from him upon the womans touching his garment Mark 5.30 Jesus knowing that vertue had gone out of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an Adventitious vertue such as God was pleased to put forth at the request of his Prophets but it was a power residing in Christ and so issuing from him in an efficacious way for the healing of her infirmity Even such a power such a vertue shall go forth from Jesus Christ at the last day for the quickning and raising up all those who have here touched him by a true and lively faith Such as are buried with him shall be raised up by him Even as the story tels us of that dead man who was cast into the Prophet Elisha's Sepulchre 2 King 13.21 upon the touch of his bones he revived and stood upon his feet Even so shall all those who are here buried with Christ by mortification they shall be raised up unto a spiritual life here and to an eternal life hereafter and all this by a vertue flowing from him Being engrafted in the likenesse of his death they shal be also in the likenesse of his resurrection And thus I passed through the Doctrinal Part of these two Propositions or Conclusions The Practical Part is yet behind wherein I shall desire you to go along with me with your best attentions lending me not onely your ears but your hearts Applic. Enquire whether we be made partakers of this Resurrection Vse 1. What hath been spoken in the first place I shall bring it home by way of Enquiry We have heard what ones all true believers all that have union with Jesus Christ all that are truely engrafted into him are How they are made conformable to him as in his death so in his resurrection As in the one by mortification dying unto sin so in the other by vivification rising to newnesse of life Now every of us put the question to our selves Numnam ego talis Am I such a one Am I thus engrafted with Christ in the
part to make use of in the working of this first Resurrection Not that hee is tyed to an uniformity in his way of working alwaies to work after the same manner No his dispensations as in other of his works so in this are various But ordinarily so it is Before dead soules arise and come out of the grave of sin there is a shaking and an Earthquake and a rending of the Rocks God prepares the hearts of his people for this blessed work by some degree of a Legall contrition and compunction giving the soul to feel somewhat of the spirit of Bondage letting into it some sense and apprehension of sin and the wrath of God due unto sin After this cometh the still voice In the Gospel As it was in Eliahs vision at Mount Horeb 1 Kin. 19.11 12. After the whirlewind and the Earthquake and the fire came the still small voyce Thus fareth it ordinarily in the work of Conversion After the Whirlewind and the Earthquake and the fire of the Law cometh the still voyce of the Gospell quieting the soul with the offers of grace and mercy letting into it some comfortable apprehension of Reconciliation with God through Christ withall exciting it to lay hold upon that mercy and to indeavour to walk answerably to it in newnesse of life Now have we heard this voice of the Son of God Have we heard Christ thus speaking to our souls making his word effectuall unto us in this way If so here is an hopefull evidence that this blessed change is begun and that we have a part in this first Resurrection Whereas otherwise are we strangers to this voice never felt any such power in the word We may justly conclude our selves strangers to this blessed work surely we are as yet in our graves under the power of a spirituall death Enquiry 2. Have we received the spirit of Christ 2. Let a second enquiry be Have we received the spirit of Christ we know by what meanes it is that the dead body is raised by putting a spirit into it Thus we read of Jairus his daughter Luk. 8.55 After that Christ had called upon her saying Maid arise her spirit came again saith the Text and shee arose straightway By a like meanes doth Jeses Christ effect this Resurrection of the soule by putting his spirit into it By this meanes was his own Body raised Hee was put to death in the flesh but quickned by the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 viz. that divine and eternall spirit which dwelt in his humane nature And by the same meanes are dead soules quickned By this means were those dry bones made to live again Ezek. 37.5 Behold saith the Lord I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live Now what were those dry bones and what was this Breath you may see the Interpretation of both in the sequels These bones are the whole house of Israel ver 11. And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves and shall put my spirit in you and yee shall live ver 13 14. This is the Breath put into these dry bones even the spirit of God put upon his people being then in Babylon causing them to live again restoring them to a flourishing condition By the same meanes doth Christ cause dead soules being Captives unto sin to live by putting his Spirit into them Hence is it that he is called a Quickning spirit 1 Corin. 15.45 Because by this meanes hee shal quicken the dead Bodies of his Saints at the last day Hee shall quicken your mortall Bodies by his spirit which dwelleth in you Rom. 8.11 And by the same meanes hee now quickneth dead soules by communicating his Spirit unto them Which in this respect the Apostle calleth The Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Now then have we received this Spirit It was Pauls question to those new Converts Act. 19.2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost This he spake concerning the Extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which flourished in the Church at that time Let me propound the same question in a more ordinary sense Have we received the Holy Ghost Have we received the Spirit of Christ As it was Pauls question to his Galatians Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith Taking it for granted that they had received the Spirit And so have all those who have any true union with Jesus Christ If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Now have wee received this spirit by the hearing of faith Have we so heard the voice of Christ in the doctrine of faith the Gospell as that wee have received the spirit of Christ If so questionlesse this Spirit will have the same operation and effect in our soules that it had in the Body of Christ As it raised up the one so it will raise up the other Whereas otherwise being voyd and destitute of this Spirit of Christ we may like dreaming men fancy and imagine our selves to be risen but we are yet in the grave This Quickning spirit how discerned Question But the Question here will run on How shall we know whether we have received this Quickning Spirit or no. A Question that will be very usefull in the resolution of it The rather because there are so many who pretend to this spirit never more then at this day who yet are meere strangers to it By the fruits and effects of it Answer For your satisfaction know that this Quickning spirit where it is discovers it selfe by the fruits and effects of it Of these fruits and effects I might name many I shall only single out three of the Principall which will be properly usefull to our present purpose This Quickning Spirit where it dwelleth in the soul Which in working this Resurrection are three it is to it a Spirit of Illumination a Spirit of Faith a Spirit of sanctification A threefold work whereby the Spirit effecteth this first Resurrection in the soul being to it first a Spirit of Illumination secondly of Faith thirdly Of Holinesse 1. A Spirit of Illumination 1. It is a Spirit of Illumination Here is the beginning of this work it beginneth in Light Even as in the first Creation the first born of Gods works was Light God said Let there be Light Gen. 1.3 So is it in this new Creation the first work is Light The Light shineth in darknesse John 1.4 a new light shining into the soul of man which since the fall is become a dungeon of darkenesse As it was with Peter when God sent his Angell to fetch him out of Prison Acts 12.7 he caused a light to shine in the prison So is it with dead souls when God sendeth his Angells his Ministers to fetch them out of the prison the dungeon of the grave he causeth a light to shine forth unto them