says a sinner must dye but what saith Paul He loved me and give himself for me out of love he made his Soul an offering for sin and now who shall condemn by which it appears that the power of his love to work out Salvation is beyond the power of sin to Destroy 2. The love of Christ towards the vessels of Mercy did abound beyond self-self-love The Law is to love our Neighbour as our selves Christ did more When Peter said Master pity thy self he was so great an offence to him that he calls him Satan He pitied Souls to be saved more than his Body and loved their lives even to his own Death And if the Jews had ground to say when he wept over Lazarus behold how he loved him much greater cause is there to say when Christ dyed for sinners behold how he loved them If the sheding of tears was so great a demonstration of his love what was this that he yielded his Blood should be shed 3. It abounds beyond all the wants and weaknesses of Saints It is not exhausted by what he hath done for them or bestowed on them as he hath the Residue of the Spirit so the Residue of Love and Grace even the fullness of it so as he accounted no suffering too great to undergo for them so no good thing too great to give them Heaven a Kingdom the fullness of Joy Holyness Light and Grace is not too much for his love to bestow we cannot have less to make us happy and 't is not more then his love can make us partakers of 2. The love of Christ is an abiding love he loves with an everlasting love here 's a love not to be quench'd with many waters which no floods of either Human or Diabolical or Divine wrath could Drown Having loved his own he loved them to the end John 13.1 that is the finishing of that work he had to do for them in the World and will to the end of his Mediatory work till he hath brought up all the Saints to the measure of the stature of his own fullness and when his love shall have brought him to this glorious end of his work in perfecting all the Saints and presenting them to the Father who shall be all in all and he shall have thus loved them to the end then he shall love them without end The Saints have then ground to comfort themselves with the abiding love of Christ If the World pass away if Riches come to nought c. yet the love of Christ doth not pass away and when there is so constant a hatred from the World and such abiding malice against the followers of Christ in evil men and evil Angels there is an abiding love of Christ to comfort them 3. The love of Christ was once a love fulfilling the Law and now is a love fufilling the Gospel it was once a love fulfilling Precepts and now is a love fulfilling Promises Rom. 13.10 Love is the fulfilling of the Law such was the love of Christ love brought him that was Lord of the Law under the Law and carried him through it even to perfect obedience â—is love made him say it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness and by this there is Reconciliation and Peace with God and as it was once the fulfilling of the Law so now of the Gospel All the Promises are yea and Amen in Christ's love When Saints are unworthy of the good of the Promises the love of Christ will bestow it on them There are Promises of not remembring sin of giving Grace and Glory and every good thing of putting the Law in the mind of turning all to good of saving out of all troubles and love will fullfil them all the Gospel is the Testament and Will of Christ and there must be the Death of the Testator that the Will may be of force Now here we may take notice of this truth Christ dyed that his will may be of force and lives again to the Executor of his own will and his love is the fulfilling of it hence Christ promiseth to his Disciples I will not leave you Orphans I will come to you John 14.18 Christ being dead they were Orphans c. but happy were it for many poor Orphans if their Fatheâ—s could come again and set all things right and see that every Child should have his portion now although this cannot be yet it was so with Christ He arose from Death and will be the Executor of his own Will and hence he is called the everlasting Father having a Fatherly love and regard to all the Saints which is everlasting and which will perfect that which concerns them Saints are the travel of Christ's Soul and he must see the travel of his Soul Isa 53.11 Rachel said give me Children or else I dye Christ said let me dye that so I may have Children Rachel dyed in travel and did not live to see of her travel Christ dyed in his travel with the vessels of Mercy and lives again to see of the travel of his Soul Every Saint at first was a Benoni a Son of Christ's sorrow in that he dyed in bringing them forth but afterwards a Benjamin a Son of his right hand he being alive for ever more and is ever seeing them to his satisfaction and they shall see him for ever to their satisfaction and living again he will see that they be partakers of that Grace and Glory that he bequeathed to them 4. The Love of Christ is such that when it finds not its Object lovely it can and doth make it lovely Christ found Mary Magdalen a sinful Woman and so not lovely but made her lovely in converting her Paul was an Enemy to Christ but he converted him his love made him lovely it made him a Believer a Saint a faithful Servant unto him This is set forth in Ezek. 16. Thou wast polluted in thy Blood I passed by thee and thy time was the time of love and love made them lovely I spread my skirts over thee I washed and clothed thee and decked thee with ornaments and thy beauty and renown was perfect through my comeliness put upon thee If we have cause to say as Isaiah wo is me a man of unclean lips If we abhor our selves and repent we may take comfort in this Christ doth not abhor but his love doth make us lovely 5. The love of Christ turns all evil things to good life death things present things to come all are yours the love of Christ makes them so and gives an advantagious and profitable propriety in them and makes even Reproaches for Christ's sake Riches and better then the Treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.26 Riches are things of worth so are Reproaches for Christ The Apostles rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ And better then Riches 1. In that God doth not esteem any man's wealth nor him for his wealth's sake will he esteem thy wealth Job 36.19
your hearts c. the refusing to hearken will harden your hearts against Christ there is no other name given whereby you may be saved neither is there Salvation in any other Act. 4.12 look whether you will there is no Salvation you may look to the World you may look to your Riches Lands c. but there 's no Salvation in them so then say to your selves that its vain for me to say to my Soul sit down here in Christ alone is Salvation to be had then look to him say that it 's good to be here here I will dwell this shall be my rest for ever I 'll commit my Soul to him who is able to keep what I shall commit to him against that day Christ in you the hope of Glory Christ formed in you Christ revealed to you Christ appearing with his Blood in the heart as well as in Heaven Christ sheding abroad his Love Christ believed on Christ judged worthy of Glory c. most worthy of Love and Obedience Christ esteemed as the chiefest of Ten Thousands as altogether lovely Christ being thus in the Heart is the hope of Glory in that Heart and assurance of Salvation in that Heart when the Sun of Righteousness thus shines into your Hearts then you shall see Salvation sure 'T is not the performance of Duties praying with fervency hearing with delight and abstaining from this or that Sin that is a sure ground of assurance of Salvation any Duty and Grace if there be a beam of Christ that you see derived from Christ the Sun of Righteousness coming from him and tending to him may afford some light towards assurance but then is full assurance when Christ the Sun of Righteousness shines in the Soul God shines in the Face of Christ and sheds abroad his Love in the Heart by Jesus Christ 2. Consider the properties of true assurance of Salvation and the concomitants c. 1. The more assurance of Salvation there is the more Purity true assurance is purifying The more you dwell in the love of God the more will you labour to be like unto God and the more will you abhor impurity and the more will you follow after holiness Assurance will not make licentious dwelling in love and walking in your Lusts hopes of Glory and conforming to the courses of the World a looking for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein Righteousness dwells and not a putting off the old Conversation these will not consist together He that hath this Hope purifies himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Seeing we look for such things be diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2. It makes fruitful in good works the abounding of the Love of God in the heart will cause an abounding in the work of the Lord it will constrain you to serve the Lord and to live to him 3. The more Assurance the more heavenly mindedness our conversation is in Heaven whence we look for a Saviour when Heaven is sure the mind will be most in Heaven If there is your hope there will be your hearts This will make you willing to leave all these things here below this will make you sojourners here in the World By Faith Abâ—aham sojourned â—n the Land of Promise as in a strange Land If you look for a City that hath Foundations then will you be strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth 4. An earnest desire of Christ's appearing Where there is true Assurance a Man shall say to be with Christ is much better Let my beloved be like a Roe on the Mountains of Spices let him make haste to come let him come quickly When there 's a taste of the Love of God the Soul would have it fully When God shines into the hearts in some beams of his Glory the heart would know him perfectly and enjoy him fully That heart that enjoys Assurance of everlasting Love would have an everlasting and uninterrupted sense of that Love That Soul that sees its self above danger of wrath and loss of Love would be above danger of the with-drawings of Love That Soul that is Assured of Eternity of Love would be in such a condition as not to be subject to any moments displeasure in regard of the hidings of God's face 3. Take heed you give not the Right Hand of fellowship to the Enemies of Assurance As 1. Do not love darkness and hate light there 's no greater Enemy to the Assurance of your Salvation then this This is thâ— most direct way you can take to make your reprobation your damnation sure This is the condemnation this makes condemnation sure that light is come into the World and men love darkness rather than light John 2.19 Do not shut your Eyes from beholding the things of your Peâ—ce How should you be assured of your Salvation if you now shut your eyes from Salvation that is spoken to you c. or if you refuse him in whom Salvation is to be found and no other Rom. 1.28 Because they liked not to retain God in their Knowledge God gave them up to a reprobate mind c. 2. Be not enslaved to the World to the Riches and to the Pleasures of it this will hinder you from desiring or seeking Salvation to be made sure The Love of Money is the Root of all Evil which while some have coveted after have erred concerning the Faith to deny the Faith to keep Richeâ— this is a great cause of Mens erring so dangerously concerning their Souls that they do not provide better for them that they study not the good of them because their Hearts are so much glued to the World 3. Let not Sin reign in your Mortal Bodies that you should obey it in the Lusts thereof so long as Sin â—â—igns you are in danger of Death for Sin reigned unto Death and you cannot say you are under Grace for that Spirit that speaks peace to a Sinner proclaims war against his Sin that Spirit that sheds abroad the love of God in the Heart will lust against the Flesh that Spirit that brings Chyist into the Heart as the hope of Glory will write the Law of Christ in the heart and cause a walking in newness of Life 4. Take heed of grieving and quenching the Spirit the Spirit strives in the preaching of the Gospel as with the men of the Old World Noah was a Preacher of the Righteousness of Faith Assurance is a Grace of the Spirit a Gift of the Spirit and if you resist the Spirit the Spirit will not witness with you that you are the Children of God but against you that you are Enemies to God 2. Be not Enemies to the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ's Kingdom of Light Assurance is a Priviledge of his Kingdom and of those that belong to it When you can see your selves translated out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Christ then happy are you then you are past all danger of
SEVERAL DISCOURSES ON The Unsearchable Riches of Christ The Knowledge of Christ Crucified The Authority and Efficacy of the word Working out our Salvation The Observation of the Christian-Sabbath Christ 's coming to Judge the World Being Some REMAINS OF WILLIAM ALLEIN M. A. Sometime Minister of the Gospel in Blanford Carefully copy'd from his own Notes and publish'd at the Request of his Hearers Remember them which had the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Heb. xiij vij BRISTOL Printed by Will. Bonny for I. Allein at his House in Bristol 1697. TO THE READERS Those especially who once were Hearers of the late Mr. W. A. and now desired this Service YOur justly Honoured-Teacher tho' ceased from his Labours near Twenty Years ago now once more speaks to you some great things of the Gospel to the same ends as St. Peter wrote to his dispersed Countrymen 2 Pet. 1.12 13. To stir you up by the way of Remembrance and to establish you in present Truth The World is indeed full of Books and Preachers yet seems to want more or at least that surviving Elisha might receive a double Portion of Elija's Spirit we are not allowed to wish that ascended Elijah's might be sent back to our dark impure World Divine Wisdom has chosen other ways to amend it but the Mantle they dropt we may take up to divide the Jordan in our way I cannot tell as perhaps you may at what times these Sermons were delivered it appears in some of them they were in in the time of the Authors publick Ministry Many yet remember what Excellent Piety Learning Modesty and Meekness enrich'd and adorn'd him and his Doctrine and have noted that when in his former Book which himself designed for the P ess and to have added somewhat to it he pleads more judiciously and strenuouslâ— for a dubious notion than most others did yet makes no such confident boast as they Somewhere that notion occurs too in these Papers which needs not offend any who are not of his mind in that Many great Men of different Names in our Age espouse most tâ—at he argues for viz. that a day aâ—d state of the Christian Church on Earth shall be when the impure mouths of Blasphemy now opened so wide against our blessed Lord Jesus his perfect Wisdom sacred Truth omnipotent Grace and vital Headship to his Body shall be stopped Satan the seducer being chain'd up and the whole Mystery of Godliness more clearly understood more unanimously â—elieved and the purifâ—ing nature of divine Truth irresistably demonstrated in the holy lives and loving Commerces of very numerous Converts to Christ Now who can forbear to wish at least this may prove true To promote such a Kingdom of Christ among Men as that in Rom 14.17 was the scope of the worthy Author's Life Study and Labours as witness these broken Remains he never design'd them for the Press as appears by many abreviatures and c's in his notes even in alledging Texts of Scripture which I think the Transcriber should have filled up but hath not a desire to serve true Religion peaceably in his private Station induced his consent to the motion of thus reviving his Honoured Father's Memory It cost him not a little pains tho' best acquainted with the Author 's very small Hand What assistance I could give in comparing his Copy with the Originals was due upon his request but after all our diligence the work requires the Readers Candour for we would not assume to correct the Atuhor's words tho' here and there may be a Phrase ungrateful to some Ears till they read on where our Author delivers his sense as plain and sound as needs be desired Once indeed I alter'd one Sentence to give the meaning of it in terms inoffensive but when the same recurr'd I chose to late it pâ—ss These Discourses were chose out of many because the notes of these were most legible the transcript has often fail'd in one little word viz. in putting so for ergo or therefore which the Authour commonly wrote in a character like So otherlike defects in the work claim excuse by Common Law Many have writ well on these same Subjects which as they can never be exhausted so must be alwayâ— inculcated that Men may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. ult It 's not to be doubted but from a Man of God so well read in Holy Scripture you 'l receive what is worthy of your time and pains and will never be disrelished by any that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity but pleasant as bread eaten in Secret He was a true patient Labourer and most succesful Comforter of many dejected and wounded Spirits by skilful affectionate application of Gospel-Cordials a Man modestly zealous for Truth and Peace and mightily was his Spirit and Conversation influenced by the pure Heavenly Doctrine he believed and taught Like Remains of two other excellent Allein's Richard the geuvine Brother and Joseph the Kinsman of our Author have been judged worthy of such Publication And we have later Examples of Printing the Notes of great Men which in some parts are not more compleat than these Impartial Readers will allow that this Author was Baptized into the same excellent Spirit as they In the Sixty third year of his Age he was called into hiâ— Lords rest and joy when he had newly cut out for himself fome painful work wherein he hoped to do greater Service to the Church in divers places as he had every where good acceptance when his Friends told him they thought his Siskness would be unto death he answered well I know no cause I have to be sorry for that for I know in whom I have believed and am perswaded he 's able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day As 2 Tim. 1.2 but it 's some trouble to me that during my day I have not more improv'd my Time and Talent as I might Suitable Counsels he added to those about him to redeem the time and hasten all the work of their Generation and notwithstanding his penitent Reflections as excellent Arch-Bishop Usher on his death bed regretted his Sins of omission the Lord was pleased to chear him in his last Conflicts by ravishing prospects of Glory set before him even Eternal Life as the Gift of God through Jesus Christ To supply what was lacking in his design'd Service is one reason of publishing these imperfect Papers Some that saw his amiable walking in all good Conscience towards God and Man will more reverence and love that Truth whereâ—y he was sanctified the Faith and Footsteps of such guides St. Paul bids us follow and such remains may put us in mind that England's Churches once had burning and shining Lights Survivors sadly confess a greater scarcity of such now and may we not do well to enquire 1. How and wâ—y tâ—is is come
lowest and meanest Prudence orders the way and means foâ— bringing about that which Wisdom judgeth best to bâ— dâ—ne Prudence is the Guide of Action and s conversant in doing Wisdom counsels and consider Prudence puts upon working that which counsel determines He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Eph. 1.11 Wisdom is conversant in counsel Prudence in working after that counsel Many men have a great measure of Wisdom and knowledge but they rest in knowing and content themselves in Speculation there is mention of a Servant who knew his Master's will and did it not His Wisdom did not dwell with Prudence he that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin 't is not so with Christ his Wisdom dwells with Prudence nay he is Wisdom c. Prov. 8.14 As he knows how to do good so he doth it He knows how to convince gain-sayers he knows how to Justifie Sanctifie and Save and how to subdue and destroy his Enemies The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Thus Wisdom dwells with Prudence and finds out knowledge of witty Inventions The Scripture discovers many of the witty Inventions of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence foretelling and promising more 1. What a wise Invention was the World the Heavens the Earth and all the Host of them These Works of the Lord are great and to be sought out when we consider the Heavens the work of God's hand the Moon and the Stars which he hath created the Earth and variety of Creatures therein but especially man in the frame of his Body but chiefly his Soul There will be abundant cause of admiring the witty inventions of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence and we may say of all they are fearfully and wonderfully made 2. When man was fallen by the subtil inventions of Satan what a witty Invention came forth of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence to recover man fallen The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 3. When the World was to be destroyed by a Flood what a witty invention was there of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence to save Noah and his Family and a stock of all living creatures in the Ark 1 Pet. 3.20 4. When Joseph's Brethren had their witty inventions to make void his Dreams then wisdom dwelling with Prudence had its witty inventions to accomplish them and herein to be admired that their wicked inventions intended by them to frustrate were made the means to further the fulfilling of them Gen. 50 2â— 5. When Pharaoh thought he saw an advantage against the Israelites they are intangled in the Land the Wilderness hath shut them in and now he resolves to pursue and overtake c. But what a witty invention was there of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence for the Salvation of Israel and utter destruction of Pharaoh and his Host at once by the same invention Exod. 14. 6. When Haman had a mischievous invention to destroy the Jews Wisdom dwelling with Prudence had a witty invention to save them and to cut off Haman Esther 6.7 7. There was a witty invention to cut off those three Shadrach Meshach and Abednego by setting up an Image and commanding them to worship it and because they would not worship it they were cast into the fiery Furnace but then Wisdom dwelling with Prudence that is the Son of God appeared in the Furnace and walked with them in the midst of the Fire restraining it that it had not power upon their Bodies or Garments only as we may conceive it did burn up their Bonds for they were cast in in Bonds but walked loose which is worthy of our Observation in that it hints to us God's great design in the fiery Trial at any time happening to the Saints which is to burn up their bonds Lusts within are Bonds these will the Lord consume by the fiery Trial and too often outward things as Riches Glory Prosperity are like the hands of the whorish Woman that is bonds to the Soul which sometimes are loosed by the fiery Trial and what is Death to Saints but the loosing of the bonds of the mortal body that so the Soul may go to its rest Hence Paul â—ays Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissâ—lved to be unbound to be let loose and to be with Christ which is much better And the design of destâ—oying Daniel in the Dâ—n of Lions was frustrated and ended in the destruction of the contrivers Here we may see 1. That there are Inventions within Inventions of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence within Satans and wicked men's inventions 2. The inventions within that is of Christ are the standing inventions Many are the devices of men's hearts saith Solomon but the counsel of the L rd shall stand Christ's inventions do oveâ—-rule and over come all Satan's and wicked men's inâ—entions As 1. Sometimes making them prove abortive destroying the Wisdom of the Wife and bringing to nothing the understanding of the Prudent 2 Setting them their bounds thus far shâ—ll â—hey come and no farther and here shall theiâ— pâ—oud waves be stayed c. 3. Giving them their tendency which is many times directly contrary to what men aim at making them serve to the Author's destruction men have perished and will perish by their own inventions and fall by their own counsel the Lord will be known by his Judgments herein and his Wisdom must triumph over all the Wisdom of Hell and the World But 1. Of all the witty inventions of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence the most Glorious is that of the Word being made Flesh and so made sin that sinners may be made the Righteousness of God in him Satan had a Subtile invention to destroy the the Lord a more witty invention to save men what an invention was here that one Person should be God-man Creator and Creature Off-spring of David and Root of David his Son and yet his Lord The Salvation of Sinners seemed utterly impossible God had said a sinner must dye There was an invention of fulfilling this Law upon a Surety which undertook for man As an Infinite Person was offended so there must be an infinite satisfaction and price of an infinite value without which man could not be reconciled to God what a glorious invention was here The Surety undertaking this was an infinite Person equal with the Father he gave a life of an Infinite Value he had in the humane nature united to him A Body hast thou prepared me It was the Body of the Son of God and so a Sacrifice of Infinite Value the Priest offering the Sacrifice was infinite the Son of God the Altar Sanctifying the Gift was the Divine Nature What an invention was it for the redeeming of lost man The Incarnation of Christ the Hypostatical union was the chief of the witty inventions of Wisdom dwelling with Prudence 2. The next is the mystical union betwixt Christ and the Vessels of Mercy who are joyned to the Lord and become one Spirit with him being
to the Cross of Christ. 4. And lastly Those that do in some sort prize the Blood of Christ but not according to its full value that come not up to account it precious in all its excellent Effects .. As such as prize it as crucifying wrath taking away guilt overcoming Death and Hell but not as purifying the Conscience not as washing from the Pollution of Sin not as destroying the reigning power of Sin You must know that if you prize it not according to its full value you do absolutely undervalue it you are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and if so I must declare what the Scripture says 1 Cor. 1.18 The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness If it be foolishness to you it will be your destruction You perish that do not prize it So for those that are Enemies to the Cross of Christ in practice of you the same Apostle says Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction Use 2. Exhort 1. Be not ashamed of Christ Crucified 1. To Believe in him This should be no stumbling to your Faith to hinder your believing but the greatest motive to believe This is the Formalis Ratio of justfying Faith Faith could not be justifying if it did not look on Christ as dying therefore be not ashamed of the Cross of Christ If Christ had not humbled himself and became obedient unto Death we could not have been exalted 't was by his Death alone that we could be freed from Death 2. Be not ashamed to profess Christ Crucified to fall down and worship Christ crucified The four Beasts and twenty four Elders Rev. 5.8 fell down before the Lamb they consider him as a Lamb that is as he was crucified and for this they account him worthy to receive Power Honour c. and ver 9 12. 3. And do you really manifest this by not being ashamed to suffer for Christ and to bear his Cross with him if Christ call you to suffer rejoyce with the Apostle Paul to fill up that which is behind of the Sufferings of Christ Col. 1 24. That is those Sufferings of Christ which he is to suffer in Corpâ—re Mystico not in Corpore proprio As there was a most glorious design which the Father had laid to bring to pass by Christ's Death so there is a most gracious Design which God hath to bring to pass by your Suffering for Christ Hereby Christ shall be magnified by a glorious Testimony that you shall give to him sealing the Dignity Honour Truth and Worth of Christ by your Suffering hereby others shall be won to Christ and incouraged to believe in him and to profess him your Sufferings will be a support to others Faith hereby your Selves shall be much benefited you have Fellowship with Christ in regard of the cause you suffer in an honourable cause as he did and in regard of the end c And to stir you up to suffer there can be no greater motive than love and the love of Christ is the greatest Love Paul Preached Christ Crucified among the Gentiles Chap. 3.1 which wrought so much upon them that their Hearts were extraordinarily inflamed with love to Paul Gal. 4.14 15. That they receive him as an Angel and were ready to have plucked out their Eyes c. how much more should our hearts be inflamed with love to Christ who was crucified who laid down his Life Be content to lay aside your Honour for Christ's sake he emptied himself Be contented to part with Riches he became poor c. Be content to lay down your lives he was that good Shepherd that laid down his Life c. and in washing his Disciples Feet he sa d I have given you an Example c. so we may say of his Death he gave an Example c. 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Joh. 3.16 Quest But how must we Suffer that we may have fellowship with Christ and follow him as our Example Answ 1. There are some things in Christ's Sufferings wherein we must not imitate him As he suffered to make satisfaction to God for the Offences of Men his Death was a propitiatory Sacrifice whereby the wrath of God towards Sinners was appeased You must not think that your Suffering for standing in the Defence of Religion and the Honour of God shall be available for such an end To suffer Martyrdom for Christ cannot take away the guilt of the least Sin your own blood-shed in the cause of God cannot wash you from any Sin this cannot free you from Eternal Punishment As the Apostle says concerning Charity 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteh me nothing so it profiteth nothing as touching the taking away of Sin freeing from Condemnation for Sin appeasing Wrath or satisfying Divine Justice that you suffer the loss of all things even of Life it self in standing for the Honour of God You must not think that this doth merit the least degree of Glory If there be different degrees of Glory that those that suffer most and do most for God have most Glory yet this is not because 't is merited but because God freely bestows more on one then on another however the thing is not certain but controverted so that in this Chris t is not to be imitated we must not make our Sufferings our Saviours Christ's Death cuts off such a Fellowship and this were a great injury done to Christ to think our Sufferings available to satisfy for our Sin or merit favour 2. Some things there are in his Sufferings imitable for us wherein we must have Fellowship c. 1. The Cause 2. Mind c. his willingness before his Sufferings and patience under Suffering 1. The Cause therein have Fellowship with him and herein I mean the Cause why the Jews did put him to death and not the reason and cause why God did deliver him to death for in that we have not fellowship with him the reasons why God gave his natural Son to suffer and why he calls his adopted Son to suffer are not the same for the main As Christ was given to be a surety for Sin not the Adopted c. but for the exercise of their Graces for the trial of Faith and Love c. for the purging of the filth of Sin out of the Nature not the guilt of Sin from the Person yet Christ died to give testimony to that great Truth that he was the Son of God and the Saviour of the World so the sufferings of the Saints are to give testimony to the Truth but when I say we must have fellowship with Christ in the Cause I mean in respect of Men that were the Instruments of his Death 't was because he did all things well he made both the Deaf to hear c. because he came to destroy the works of the Devil and laboured to turn Men from their Vanities c. because he Preached himfelf to be the Son of God c. and
suffer Death for them the Spirit works to will and to do to consent to be saved by Christ to take Christ for Saviour and Lord and to believe in him as the Author of and to follow him as the Câ—â—tain of Salvation 2. There 's a most glorious manifestation of God in this work All God's works are God's manifestations they are his visible appearances and out-goings The Creation was the first manifestation of God The Heavens declare his Glory and ths Firmament shew his handy work Psa 19 1. Rom. 1. His eternal Power and Godhead is seen by the things that are made as 't is said of Christ Joh. 2.11 This beginning of Miracles he did and manifested forth his Glory The most glorious manifestation of God is in Christ the Word being made Flesh the fulness of the Godhead in him being made Flesh made Lord and King He has Love Power and Wisdom to set up his Kingdom and to make his Enemies his Foot-stool This is the greatness of Gods works Godman being made by this work that is the Union of God and Man in one Person the effect of this work The second Glorious Manifestation next to this is in saving Sinners by Christ He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that bâ—lieve A Manifestation of Power exceeding greatness of Power As great a work to save a Sinner as to raise Christ from the dead Of Wisdom in finding out a way to save Sinners so as that Justice might be satisfied and love be abundantly discovered an infinite Satisfaction an infinite Obedience and an infinite price to be paid Where should such be found Men were not able to give it Angels could not bring it The Son of God became Man and Mediator an infinite Person undertakes to lay â—down his Life and to yield Obedience and so an infinite Price is paid and infinite Obedience is yielded c. Here the Wisdom of God is most clearly seen And Lastly Here 's a most glorious discovery of Mercy and Grace he makes known the Riches of his Grace on the Vessels of Mercy When Sinners aâ—e Enemies and nothing lovely God loves the Elect so as to give Christ to taste Death for them and Christ loves not his Life to Death He that was in the form of God humbles himself and puts himself into the miserable condition of Sinners that he might translate them into his own Glorious Estate whom he will make like to himself and partakers with him of the Divine Nature and of all his Glorious Priviledges 3. This Glorious manifestation of God in the Soul cannot but work fear and trembling in it Fear will be the effect of the discoveries of God to the Creature There is so much Majesty Glory and Greatness in it that will awe the Heart of the Creature When God appears in the Glory of his Justice and Almighty Power Then the wicked shall fear The Kings and Captains c. shall cry to the Mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. And the discovery of the infinite goodness of God will work fear in the Hearts of the Saints they shall fear the Lord and his Goodness because his goodness is the goodness of God that is infinite and exceeding great goodness to sinful nothing Creatures The apprehension of this should work fear Hos 3.5 Section 12. Now this fear consists 1. In admiration of this Glory reveal'd Such Wisdom and Grace that if it be apprehended will raise the Soul in holy admiration of God David said he was fearfully and wonderfully made Psa 139.14 In respect of the excellent frame of the Body such variety of parts and so fitly composed therein may be seen so much of the Wisdom and Power of God as may make the Heart wonder and fear that God that made him so Persons that are sav'd are fearfully and wonderfully sav'd if it be reveal'd in the Soul how this work is undertaken and carried by the Trinity The Father loving from Eternity Christ dying in the fulness of time and the Spirit living and acting in the Soul making it his own Habitation Sinners become the Apple of God's Eye precious c. Christ's Members Joynt Heirs with Christ Sinners having access to God and are partakers of the Divine Nature What a fearful and wonderful thing is this So much favour shewn by God to a Sinner when there is so vast a disproportion betwixt him and God may well beget admiration When Saul said he would give David his Daughter to Wife 1 Sam. 18.18 He replys What am I What is my Life or my Father's Family in Israel that I should be Son in Law to the King The apprehension of the great disproportion betwixt him and Saul was the cause of his so much admiring at the favour that was shewn him so there is the greatest disproportion betwixt God and Sinners As Men and as Sinners As Men they are not so much as a drop to the Ocean And as Sinners as great as is between Light and Darkness c. That such Creatures should be comprehended in love and brought near to God c. What am I and what is my Life that I should be brought hitherto Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear this great and dreadful name the Lord thy God God that is Infinite Thy God that art a poor and inconsiderable Creature God that is so holy thy God that art so unholy God that is Just and will not clear the Guilty thy God that hasâ— so much abounded with Sin clearing thee of Guilt that hast so much abounded with Guilt This Name This is dreadful this is a wonderful and dreadful Manifestation of God As the Psalmist says They that know thy Name they will put their trust in thee So they that know this Name The Lord thy God will fear and tremble They cannot but admire at such Infinite Grace when the Son of God was made Man the Word made Flesh and Crown'd c. This was a dreadful Manifestation of God! There 's cause to admire at the Grace that was shewn to the humane Nature of Christ whence as the Apostle says Heb. 2.6 One testifies What is Man that thou art mindful of him c. Thou Crownest him with Glory and Honour And Christ himself is said to fear as Man So as Man he is most deeply sensible of and affected with the Grace shewn to the humane nature So a Believer may say What am I that God should be so mindful of me That he should visit me with Salvation-love That I that am the lowest and worst of Creatures fit for Hell and to be a Companion for Devils should be Co-Heir with Christ and partaker with him of all his Glory 2. In Humility The discovery of such Grace and Goodness will bring down high Imaginations and beget lowliness of Mind it will convince the Creature of its own emptiness and nothingness This hath been the effect of the appearance of God both to Men and Angels Isa 6.2 The