saying Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O God 3. It leads to a stayed look of Gods Holiness Justice and Goodness in exacting satisfaction of his own Son and in accepting of that satisfaction 4. It gives a right view of the way of grace and leads in to see it to be a most real thing God the offended Party accepting of the price and Christ paying it Thus the Believers Faith gets a sight of Christ satisfying as if he saw his own debt satisfied by himself It sees him undergoing the curse and justice inflicting it on him that the Believer may go free The Use is to shew the necessity of studying the well-grounded application of Christs sufferings as for us much of the reason why Christ is not more prâ—zed lies here that he is not looked on as paying our debt otherwise when challenges of the Law and of Justice take hold on the Soul if Christ were seen interposing and saying A body hast thou prepared unto me And if Justice were seen exacting Christ performing and God accepting his satisfaction and that in sign and token that Justice is satisfied he is raised from the dead justified in the Spirit and is entered in possession of Glory as Believers fore-runner in their name it would afford precious and lovely thoughts of Jesus Christ and humbling thoughts of our selves Therefore there is a necessity if we would consider his sufferings aright and prize and esteem him that we endeavour to make particular application of them to our selves on good grounds 2. Upon the other hand know ye who have no ground to make this application that ye cannot esteem aright of him or his sufferings nor of the grace that shined in them because ye have no title to nor can while such have any clearness of interest in them 3. For you that would fain have a high esteem of Christ and yet are all your days casting at this foundation never think nor expect to win rightly to esteem of him so long as ye scarr to make application of his purchase And therefore that ye may love and praise him and esteem rightly of him labour to come up to the making of this application on solid and approved grounds 4. More particularly from this part of the aggravation Yet we esteemed him stricken smitten of God and afflicted We have a fourfold confirmation of truth or four precious truths confirmed 1. That our Lord Jesus in his sufferings did really suffer and was really brought low in his sufferings so as on-lookers thought him a most despicable man and one that was stricken and smitten of God and â—fflicted Of this we spoke on the beginning of the 4. verse 2. We have here an evidence of the exceeding great freeness of grace and of the love of Christ in his sufferings in so far as he bare their sorrows and payed their debt that counted him smitten There was no good thing in us to deserve or procure his sufferings But most freely he under-went these sufferings and undertook our debt Rom. 5.8 God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And v. 10. While we were yet enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son Can there be a greater proof of infinite and free love then appears in our Lords sufferings There was not only no merit on our side but on the contrary despising rejâ—cting being ashamed of him reproaching him kicking against him and rubbing of affâ—onts on him Paul and others having their hands hot in his blood Use 1. Consider here behold and wonder at the free love of God and rich condescending love of Christ he stands not at the Barr and prays for them that were praying him to pray for them But as it is in the end of the Chapter it was for transgressours It was even for some of them that were seeking to take away the life of the Prince of Life and for other transgressours 2. Know that in them to whom the benefite of Christs death is applied there is no more worth then there is in others who do not share of the benefite of it It 's the opinion not only of Hereticks but some way of many ignorant Professors That these for whom Christ died were better then others But here we see a proof of the contrary He dies for them that accounted him smitten of God And this he doth for two reasons 1. To shew the riches and freedom of his grace that could overcome mans evil and malice and outreach the hight of the desperat wickedness that is in man and that that stands not to speak so on stepping-stones but comes over the greatest gulfs of sin and enmity in the creature 2. To comfort encourage his followers when engaged to him against and out over their grossest failings and greatest miscarriages He that loved them when they were despising and rejecting him and spitting in a manner in his very face Will he now give up with them when they have some love to him for this or that corrupâ—ion that stirreth or breaketh forth in them Thus the Apostle reasons Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life We were enemies when Christ gave himself for us but thorow grace we are somewhat better now Enmity and despite in us was then at an hight now it is weakned restrained and in some measure mortified And if while we were at the hâ—ght of enmity against him he died for us to reconcile us to God How much more now being reconciled may we expect peace and safetie and all the benefits of his purchase thorow him Thus there is a notable consolation from this bent of malice that was sometime in us compared with the victory that grace hath now gotten over it and the gradation is alwayes comfortable to wit that these lusts that once did reign and were without any gracious opposition made to them or any protestation entered against them prevailing it may be publickly are now opposed and protested against And if Christ stood not on the greater will he stand on the lesser And our Lord allows this sort of reasoning so much the more that he may thereby strongly engage the heart of the believer against sin and to the admiring of grace and withall to the serious study of holiness 3 It serves to let you know how much ye Believers are engaged and obliged to Grace and what thanks you owe to it 1. Look to what satisfies for your debt ye pay not one farthing of it our Lord Jesus payed all 2. Look to the moving cause it 's to be attributed to nothing in you but altogether to free grace Some poor Dyvour may by his pleading prevail with an able and pitiful-hearted man to pay his debt But there was no such externally moving cause in you
think we must report can we report any other way then it is with you Shall we or dare we say that such a Man was a fine civil Man and that therefore he will not be reckoned with though he believed not in Christ No no but this must be the report that such a Man and such a kind of Men though Christ was long wooing them would not embrace Him though He invited them to the Wedding yet they would not come nay they mocked and spurned at it they trode the Blood of the Covenant under Foot and counted God a Liar in all His Offers and said by their Practice that they should be happy though they took not this way many of you who would not take it well if we should speak this to you in particular will find it to be a Truth one day And if ye shall say What would we be at The answer is at hand Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved This is the End of the Gospel and the mean of your Happiness it 's the great and the main thing that we call for which if it be not obtained the ground of the Complaint will continue And do you think this any strange hard or uncouth thing that when we bring to you the Offer of Christ in the Gospel we bid you receive it and flee in to Him to hide you from the Wrath to come and yet this is all we seek of you it 's neither your Shame nor your Skaith that we seek but that ye may take with your Sin that ye may judge and condemn your selves that your Mouth may be stopped before God and that ye may flee to Jesus Christ in earnest and close with Him on His own Terms As therefore ye would prevent the greatly aggravated Sin to wit sinning against the Gospel and the Complaint of the Ministers thereof against you and the terrible Vengeance of the Mediator Kiss the Son cast open the everlasting Doors of your Hearts and let the Gospel and Christ the King of Glory have access We pray you stand not in the way of your own Happiness refuse not to do Him that much pleasure and satisfaction for all the travel of His Soul as to give Him your Souls to be saved Now God Himself keep you from this Folly and Soul-destroying madness SERMON X. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken somewhat these days past to sundry Doctrines from this part of the Verse and particularly of the sad Complaint which Isaiah hath in his own name and in the name of all the Ministers of the Gospel that the savoury Report concerning Jesus Christ is not received and that though Life and Salvation through Him be offered to many yet there are but few scarce here one and there one that do embrace it this is the sad result Lord who hath believed our report Words that being spoken by such a Prophet and so often mentioned in the New-Testament may and should as often as we speak hear or reâ—d them put both Ministers and People to a holy demur and to look what becomes of all our Preaching and Hearing when this was all the Fruit even of Isaiah's Preaching as to the greatest part of his Hearers Ere we leave this part of the Verse it will not be unmeet that we speak a little to these three First To what may be the Causes why when the Gospel is powerfully Preached there are so few Believers Secondly How it comes to pass seeing so few Believe that generally so many think they Believe and so few suspect their own Faith And Thirdly To the necessity that lyes on the Hearers of the Gospel to enquire at and try themselves concerning their Faith and to have some solid Satisfaction in it Although we mention no particular Doctrines now yet considering the Doctrines we spoke to before these things will not be unsuitable to them nor impertinent to you For the first The Causes why so few believe the Gospel we cleared to you already That generally the powerful Preaching of the Gospel hath been with little Fruit so that Isaiah hath this sad Complaint Lord who hath believed our report and our Lord Jesus hath it also on the matter Mat. 11.7 We have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented and in the same express words John 12.38 And when it is so with sweet Isaiah in the Old Testament and with our blessed Lord in the New that spoke with such Power and Authority ye may see there is reason for us to enquire into the Causes why it is that so few Believe In speaking to which 1. We intend not to touch on all the Reasons that may be gathered together of Peoples not profiting under the Gospel but of these that ye have most reason to look to and that are most obstructive of Faith in you 2. Though we might speak of Reasons on the side of them that speak to you for who is sufficient for these things and we shall not deny but we have culpable accession to your Unfruitfulness yet it were not much to your edifying to insist on these 3. Neither will we speak to these soveraign Causes on God's part who in His Holy Justice gives up People to Unfruitfulness when they receive not the Truth in Love Neither 4ly Shall we insist on these Causes that may arise from the Devil who waits on wherever the Word is preached to mar the Fruit of it as we may see Mat. 13.19 the evil Spirits like as many Crows when the Seed of the Word is sowen waiting on to pick it up and ye would know that ye never come to hear the Word but there are as it were Flocks of Devils attending you Hence it is that some are rocked and lulled asleep some have their Minds filled with worldly Thoughts some forget all that they Hear ere they go out of Doors thus it is with many Hearers of this Gospel their Hearts are trode upon as the Way-side by Devils and Foul-Spirits that never a word takes impression on them and though ye may think such expressions uncouth-like and strange yet they are sadly true Satan waited on when Christ preached and sure he will scar no more to do so at our Preaching than he did at His if he stood at Joshua's right Hand to resist him he will no doubt be at ours But we say we will not insist on these But 5ly We shall speak a little to these Causes that are common in you which ye your selves mâ—ght know if ye would observe them and we would exhort you to take notice of them when we tell you of them First Then we offer or rather assert this for a Cause The want of serious minding the great concernment of the work of your Salvation and that this preached Gospel is the Word of the Lord by which ye must be saved Alace
is the thing here mainly understood as following immediatly an the back of His Sufferings 2. Because they have Life from Him efficiently as He works it in them and by the Gospel begets them Therefore He is said 1. Tim. 1.10 To have brought life and immortality to light through the gospel which was not known in many parts of the World till Christ brought it forth In this respect Believers are Christ's Seed we are not born Believers of our Parents nor have the Faith which we have of the Ordinances nor of Ministers as efficient Causes thereof But it is from our Lord Jesus who is Believers Father Thus Believers have an Affinity and near Relation to Christ even to be His Children And any that would lay claim to Faith or Spiritual Life would see well that it be this way kindly and as we use to say leill come from Jesus Christ and that they be in His Debt and Common for it 2ly They are His Seed in respect of the likeness that is betwixt Him and them or in respect of the Qualifications that are in them as they are said 2 Pet. 1.4 By the exceeding great and precious promises to be made partakers of the divine nature They have of the same Spirit for the kind that He as Mediator hath in Him And it 's in this respect that Cant. 7.1 The Believer is called the Princess daughter which especially looks to the Spiritual Generous and Noble Qualifications that are deryved from Christ to the Believer Hence Believers are said to have the Spirit of Sons when all others though they be the greatest in the World have but the Spirit of Servants and their Generosity is nothing to that of Believers who are made partakers of the divine nature We have not sayes the Apostle received the spirit of fear but of faith and love and of a sound mind Ah! there are many that claime Kindred and Relation to Christ that are very unlike Him 3ly They are called Christ's Seed in respect of the care that He hath of them Never Mother was more tender of the Sucking Child then He is of His Believing Children Therefore sayeth the Lord Isa 49.15 A mother may forget her sucking child but I will not forget thee Hence is that Phrase even as to visible Professors in the Church who refuse to listen to the call of the Gospel which is much more eminently verified in Believers Matth. 23. How often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens under her wings So tender and respective is He to His Children as the Mother is tender to the Sucking Child or as the Hen is of her newly hatched and young Chickens for they are in some respect come out of His own Bowels His Blood was shed to Purchase them So it is said Isa 40.11 He gathered the lambs with his arm he carries them in his bosome And gently leads those that are with young And O! what Massie Consolation have such Words as these in them And what confidence may Believing Sinners have to come to this Mediator That is a Mother a Father a Brother and a Parent that hath begotten us out of His own Bowels and in some respect as we are Believers hath as a Mother conceived us in His own Womb. 4ly They are called His Seed in respect of the Portion which they get from Him The Apostle sayes that Parents provide for their Children It 's indeed eminently so here Believers come under His Care oversight and Tutory And as a Man provides for His Houshold His Children and Servants Meat in due season And the Apostle sayes he is worse then an infidel that provides not for them of his own house even so our Lord Jesus as He gives Believers their Spiritual Life so He entertains that Life provides for them and trains them up and on till he enter them in to the Possession of Eternal Life they are made by Him Princes Psal 45.16 Intituled to a Kingdom yea all His Children are Kings and sit with him on his throne Rev. 2. last Verse and are made partakers of His Glory and to speak so they Fair as He Fairs they Dwell as He Dwells and behold His Glory O! is not this much That the poor Dyvour that hath nor a Penny left him nor to leave to another should be thus Dignified as to have a claim to Christ's Kingdom to be an Heir and a joynt Heir with Him who is the Heir of all things For so we come to be Retoured to speak so and so be served Heirs to all things As it is Rev. 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things And it goes on this ground Heb. 1.2 That the Mediator is appointed heir of all things with whom being joint heirs we are Heirs too and are made to Inherit all things 5ly They are called His Seed because of the manner of their coming to the Possession of that which through Him they have a Claim to For they have Claim to nothing but by being Heirs to and with Him And by believing in Him They are Heirs of the promise in some respect as Isaac was So then briefly to recapitulat all these would ye know the way that Believers are Christ's Seed 1. He begets them and they have their Spiritual Life of Him 2. He is tender of them as of His own Children 3. They are furnished with Qualifications and Dispositions suitable to Him 4. They have a rich Portion from Him and are well provided for 5. What good they get is for His sake who is their Father Here we may allude to that Word Rom. 11. They are beloved for the Fathers sake by a Right and Title to Him they come to have a Good and Goodly Portion They claim not their Portion because of this or that thing in themselves but by their being served Heirs to Christ being come of Him they come to get a Right to what is His. Use As all Relations betwixt Christ and Bellevers speak out much Consolation So doth this if we were in Case to apply it This one Word hath in it and holds forth a good Condition and is a very broad Chartour See here then 1. What we are in Christ's Common and Debt who are Believers It 's much to be made a Friend to be fred from the Curse of God and to have all our Debt payed But this is more to be His Seed to be His own Children to have our Life of Him to have our Provision and Portion from Him It 's really a wonder that we wonder not more at this and other Relations that are betwixt Him and Believers as namely he is the Believers Father and takes them to be His Sons and Daughters He is the Believers Brother and is not ashamed to call them brethren He is the Believers Husband and they are His Spouse He is their Bridegrome and they are His Bride Such Relations as these are pitched upon and made choise of to fill If I may speak so the Faith of
in His Justice and Mercy They do what they can that God should neither be Just nor Gracious but He shall be Just in condemning them whether they will or not though He be not glorified in His Grace as to them they setting themselves what they can to let it yet in His Justice He shall most certainly be glorified O! that Men and Women believed how deep their Guilt draws who are found standing in the way of the glorifying of Gods Grace It will be found in some respect to draw deeper then the Guilt of these abominable Sins of Adultery and Murder in the day of the Lord and yet many of you will be found to have done this and to have come short of Righteousness For the 3d. Thâ—t is the Meritorious Cause Take it in this Doctrine That the Meritorious Cause that procures our Justification and with respect to which God Jâ—stifiâ—s a Sinner is the alone Merit and Sâ—tisfaction of Christ Jesus And this arises from the Text on these two Considerations 1. Because this Justification is laid down as an effâ—ct of Christs Soul-travel and Suffering and if Justification be the proper and immediat effect of Christs Sufferings then His Soul-sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of it we cannot imagine another He purposeth by His Sufferings for the elect that they shall by His Knowledge be Justified therefore they must be Absolved and Justified by His Interposing to tâ—â—â— on their Debt and to His Sufferings must be the procuring Cause of it The 2. Consideration is taken from the words following He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities If Christs bearing of our iniquities be the ground of our Justification or that by which it is procured then His Sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of our Justification or that on account whereof we are Justified because His bearing of our iniquities can no other wayes be the cause of our Justification but by His interposing to Merit the same to us by His Sufferings Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christs Sufferings shall be the cause of our Justification Here it is He shall bear our iniquities and therefore our Justification flows therefrom the Lord by the Prophet hath so knit these two tâ—gether that His Sufferings both go before and are subjoyned to His Justifying of many that it may be put out of question that the Mediators Suffering is the alone Meritorious Cause of His pronouncing the Sentence of Justification and of accepting and accounting uâ— as righteous before Him This is no in so many words professedly controverted or denyed by the Papists with whom we here deal For they grant that Christ by His Sufferings procures Grace and Gods acceptation of our good Works in so far as they are rewarded beyond their condignitie But to make the difference betwixt them and us the more clear we shall put in Four Words in the Doctrine and speak a little to them We say then that Christs Satisfaction is not only the Meritorious Cause of Justification but also 1. It is the nearest and most immediat Cause 2. The alone Meritorious Cause 3. The Meritorious Cause as Contradistinguished from and opposed to our own Works and inherent Righteousnesse 4. It is the Meritorious Cause as inherent in Him and as imputed to us These Four are clear in the Text and may very well be put in the Doctrine 1. Then we say it 's not only the Meritoritorious Cause but the next Immediat Cause causa repinqua as we use to speak in the School of our Justification So that if it be asked what is the Cause or Ground on which God Absolves a Sinner or the next Immediat thing that He hath a respect to in His Justifying of him It 's Christs Merit His Soul-travel and Sufferinâ— Papists deny this and make the next Immediat Cause to be the Grace infused in us that which is called gratia gratum faciens But if ye ask the Prophet what is the Ground I mean the next Immediat Cause on which Justification is deryved to many He tells us that it 's not the inherent Righteousnesse of these who are Justified but that it 's Christ's Soul-travel and His bearing of our iniquities Hence 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is called our Righteousnesse He is saiâ—h the Apostle made of God unto us wisdom righteousness c. Not only by Christ have we a Righteousnesse that makes us acceptable to God but His Righteousnesse is ours and God respecting of us in or through it makes us acceptable 2dly Not only is His Righteousnesse the Meritorious Cause but it 's the only Meritorious or the alone Meritorious Cause and herein Papists and we differ They grant that Christ's Satisfaction is the Meritorious Cause but remotly only as it procures inward or inherent Grace by which we Merit but they will not have it to be the only Meritorious Cause but will needs have our own Works to merit also and that properly whereas the Prophet speaks of Justification as the effect of Christ's Soul-travel only and if so then there can be no other thing admitted for there cannot be two social or joynt Meritorious Causes Therefore throughout the Scripture when the Merit of Justification is attributed to Christ it excludes all other things and is opposed to our own works which is the Third thing 3ly Then we say That Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own inherent Righteousnesse or Works and herein also Papists and we differ They grant indeed a Meritorious Influence to Christ's Righteousnesse but that is say they as it makes our own Righteousnesse Meritorious Not as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own Righteousnesse but as having influence on it Now these are directly opposed in Scripture I shall only name that one clear place Phil. 3 9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousnesse which is of the law out that which is through the faith of Christ Where Paul consulting and resolving what he will betake himself to as his Defence at the bar of God We see 1. That it is His Scope and Design that in the day of Judgement he may be found in such a case and posture that he may be able to abide the tryal And 2. That he speaks of Two Righteousnesses the One is his own that is the inherent Grace which he hath gotten and the Works which he hath done The Other is the Righteousness of Christ without him which is by Faith Now when he layes his reckoning he is so far from joyning these two together as Con-causes or Social Causes of his Justification that he opposes them That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness in him without my own or not having my own c. in him as having given up with denyed and renunced my own Righteousnesse he will not admit of that on any terms in lesse or in more so clearly doth he as to his
though ye have immortal Souls and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart that your Souls are in hazard and that this Word must be it that ye must live by and live upon I appeal to your Consciences if ye think upon this seriously want of this Consideration fosters Security breeds Laziness and makes and keeps you Careless and Carnal I shall instance the want of it in three respects 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it How few are hungering and thirsting or preparing for benefite by it or preparing to meet with God in it In effect ye come not with a design to profite so that if it were known it would be wondred at wherefore ye come to hear the Word as Christ says of some They came not because they saw the miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so may we say of you that ye come not to profite by the Word but on some crooked carnal design 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come How many sleep a great part of the Sermon so that it 's a shame to look on the face of our Meetings when in every corner some are Sleeping whose Consciences God will waken ere long and the Timber and Stones of the House will bear witness against them Were you in any other Meeting about ordinary Business there would not be such Sleeping But when ye are Waking what is your Carriage for ye may be Waking and your Heart far away or fast asleep how seldom can ye give account of what is said though your Bodies be present your Hearts are wandering ye are like these spoken of Ezek. 33.31 who sat before the Prophet as God's people but their hearts went after their covetousness how often while ye are sitting here is your Heart away some in their Thoughts running after their Trade some after their Merchandice some after one thing some after another This is one sad instance of it that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years that can scarce tell one Note of it all and no wonder for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard What unedifying Discourse will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door how carnally and carelesly do many rush unto and go away from hearing of the Word and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Case do ye go to your Knees with it before God desiring Him to breath on it and to keep it warm or do ye meditate upon it Now put these three together your Carriage before in the time and after your Hearing the Word ye will find that there is just cause to say that the most part that hear this Gospel are not serious what wonder then that it do them no good In the end of that Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its said by the Lord Take heed how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given c. If ye improve well your Hearing ye will get yet more but so long as ye take no heed how ye hear ye cannot profite A second Ground or Cause is this That the most part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God they come never almost to have a Historical Faith of it it 's said Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently But when Folk do not really believe that God is what wonder they seek Him not that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell and that they study not Holiness they say in their Hearts they shall have Peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts and that the way to Heaven is not so narrow as Ministers say it is that God will not condemn poor christned Bodies this is the language of many Hearts and of some Mouths Need there any evidences of it be given if ye believed that the way to Heaven is so strait and that Holiness is so extensive could ye possibly with any seriousness reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted But the truth is this Word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God therefore sayeth our Lord to His Disciples Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink into your ears There are these things I fear ye do not Believe and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Consciences when there are so many that profess they know God but in works they deny Him as it is Tit. 1.16 when we see such things in your Carriage we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they spring 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be to wit Holy Just Powerful c. else ye durst not live at feed with Him The fool hath said in his heart there is not a God they are corrupt c. your practical Atheism and Prophanity say ye believe not there is a God 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature Do ye think as James bespeaks these he writes to chap. 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in you lusts to envy Ye do not think that your Heart is deceitful and desperatly wicked though we should Preach never so much on this Subject yet ye lay it not to Heart ye take it not to you in particular 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment and your particular and personal coming to it nay there are among you who are like to these Mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3 4. who say where is the promise of his coming And as there were in Paul's days some thâ—t denied the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. so there are still who do it on the matter at least Ye have the same corrupt Nature We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God Life to come and a Day of Judgment and if ye did so ye would be more serious in Duty and would come more Hungry and Thirsty to the Word 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed to wit That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jesus Christ and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holiness If all your thoughts were spoke out it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith and another way than that of Holiness And to make out this we need go no further then to your Practice we are sure many of you live in Prophanity and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven and what says this but
Grace of God exercised within Mens Hearts as well as the Word is preached outwardly to the Ear wherever Faith is begotten these two go together the Word without and the power of Grace within the one of which is distinct from the other 2. That this powerful internal and immediate work of Grace within is not common to all the Hearers of the Gospel but a rare and peculiar thing to some to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed it's but one or few of many to whom it 's revealed To these we have spoken already 3. The third is which indeed holds out the scope of all that there is an inseparable connexion betwixt these two the begetting of Faith in the Hearers of the Gospel and the application of this powerful work of the Grace of God for working of it so that where this powerful work of Grace is not there is never Faith nor Conversion wrought and where this powerful work of Grace is there is Faith and Conversion The Prophet makes them reciprocal and commensurable who is the Believer he to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed and who is the Unbeliever he to whom the Arm of the Lord is not revealed These two are so conjoyned and knit together as they are never separated and so they must stand or fall together That we may be the more clear we shall take up the Doctrine in two distinct Branches The first whereof is That except the powerful work of God's Grace concur the most powerful preaching of the Gospel will never beget Faith in the Hearts of the Hearers of it The second is That where-ever this powerful work of Grace goes along with the preaching of the Gospel or wherever the Lord applyes His Grace with the Word preached there Faith is begotten in the Heart and that Soul is effectually united to Christ and savingly changed The one of these Branches serves to shew the necessity of God's Grace from the consideration of our sinfulness and impotency or inability and of the emptiness and ineffectualness of all outward Means in themselves and so to stop all Mens Mouthes as being utterly unable to contribute any thing to their own spiritual Good or Conversion that being the product of the Grace of God The other Branch serves mightily to commend the Grace of God as being the powerful Arm of the Lord that brings to Believe that calls and converts such and such Persons according to a prior engagement and transaction betwixt the Father and the Son As for the first of these It will easily be believed among Men and Women that have any true sense and feeling of the Corruption of their Nature and find dayly somewhat of the Law of the Members warring against the Law of the Mind and we are perswaded if all that ever received Faith were brought to depone in this matter they would bear witness that there is no Mean that without the effectual Power of the Grace of God can bring a stranger Sinner to close with Christ and believe on Him and if all that are now before the Throne of God in Heaven were called to speak to this great Truth they would put their seal to it and say Not unto us but to thy Name be the glory of our believing we had never believed if it had been left to the power of our own Free-will and if the power of thy Grace had not wrought in us the very Will as well as the Deed or Act of believing Yet because this Doctrine as we said serves to discover the sinfulness and impotency of Nature and how little we are obliged to our selves in this great work and to hold forth the absolute necessity of the Grace of God and how much we are obliged to it in the work of Faith and Conversion and to hold forth withall the emptiness and ineffectualness of all outward Means without this Grace and because it wants not its own considerable opposition from the enemies of the Truth we shall give you some Grounds for confirmation of it The first whereof is drawen from these express instances of Scripture wherein it is clear That there hath been much powerful Preaching and by the most eminent Preachers and yet the generality of People have been fruitless under it and their fruitlesness hath been brought to this very Ground to wit that the work of God's Grace and His out-stretched Arm went not along with it The first instance is Deut. 29.4 That Moses was a skilled Preacher who will deny he being faithful in all the House of God yet says he after much and long Preaching and after many Signs and Wonders wrought the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day where he not only puts a difference betwixt the preaching of the Word without and the work of Grace within but shows the necessity of the concâ—rrence of the work of Grace and lays the great weight of the Peoples profiting or not profiting on the wanting or having of that A second instance is in this Prophet Isaiah were there any among all the Preachers before or since that preached in a more Evangelick strain then he did and yet when he hath complained of the paucity of Believers saying who hath believed our report he fixes and stays on this as the cause to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And Chap. 6.9 10. he gives an account of the sad Commission he had from the Lord who said to him Go and tell the people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people sat c. where there is also a clear distinction made betwixt the inward working of Grace and the outward Ministry A third instance and one that is beyond all exception is in our bless'd Lord Jesus who spake as never man spoke and preached with such power and life that even carnal Hearers wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth for he preached with Authority and not as the Scribes and yet Joh. 6.44 when they begin to murmure at Him what says He Murmure not at these things none can come to me except the Father draw him none can Believe except the powerful Grace of God work Faith in him there must be a higher hand then ought ye see or hear a more powerful work then any external Preaching of mine as Prophet of my Church ere a Soul can believe on me and though his Hearers were not free of the guilt of this their Unbelief but had their own sinful accession unto their continuing in it yet our Lord looks in on the soveraign way and work of Grace and holds there telling them that his external Ministry will not do the turn but there must be an inward powerful immediate work of Grace for the working of Faith We add a fourth instance and it is of that chosen Vessel Paul who laboured more abundantly then all the rest of
why Christ was rejected and despised as a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief and why Men should not stumble at him for all that because it was for them now if he had only removed Sorrows from them as he did Sicknesses it had not been a cause of his Sorrow and Grief nor of any Mans stumbling at him but had been rather a cause of his exaltation in Mens esteem But it s given here as a cause of that which went before in the first part of the 3. Verse and also as a reason why Men should not stumble at him and withall as an aggravation of their guilâ— who did stumble at him Now it 's clear that the ground of the Jews despising and mocking of him was nor his removing of Sicknesses and Diseases but his seeming to be given over unto Deaths power 2. Because that which is called here bearing of sorrows and griefs is in the words following called a being wounded for our transgressions which imports not only that hâ— was wounded but that our Iniquities were the cause of his being wounded and that the desert of them was laid on him 3. This wounding is holden forth to be the stripes whereby we are healed and all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all we did the wrong but he made the amends and it was such a wounding as proves a cure to us and makes way for our peace and reconciliation with God and such as without it there is no healing for us for by his stripes we are healed it 's by his swallowing up of the river and torrent of Wrath that was in our way and would have drowned us eternally had not he interposed for us that we escape 4. Consider the parallel places to this in the New Testament and we will find that this place holds our Christs reâ—l and actual bearing of our Sorrows and and Griefs I shall only name three The 1. Is that of the 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him which can be no other way exponed but of Christs being made an Offering and Sacrifice for our Sins he not being a Sinner himself but becoming our Cautioner and engaging to pay our Debt and to tell down the price for the satisfaction of Divine Justice he is reckoned to be the Sinner and our Sins are imputed to him and he is dealt with as a Sinner A 2d place is that of Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us as it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree The Sorrows and Griefs that Isaiah says here he should bear are there exponed by the Apostle to be his being made a Curse or his bearing of the Curse that we should have born it 's not meant simply of his removing the Curse from us but it also sets out the manner how he removed to wit by his own bearing of it himself being nailed to the Cross according to the threatning given out before The 3d. place is that of 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree where there is a direct reference to this place of Isaiah which is cited for confirmation of what the Apostle saith and every word is full and hath a special signification and emphasis in it He his own self bare the same word that is here and our sins and in his own body and on the tree intimating the lowest step of his Humiliation by whose stripes ye were healed for ye were as sheep going astray c. by his bearing of our Sins the burden of Sin was taken off us and we are set free I know that place of Matth. 8.17 hath its own difficulty and therefore I shall speak a word for clearing of it he hath spoken vers 16. of Christ's healing all that were sick and then subjoyns in the 17. vers That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet saying himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses whereupon these enemies of Christ would infer that this place of Scripture hath no other nor further meaning but of Christ's curing of some sick Folks and of the deputed or committed power which he hath to pardon sins but we suppose that the reasons which we have already given make it clear that this cannot be the meaning of the place to which we shall add first A Reason or two and secondly Give you the true meaning of it The Reasons why one cannot be the meaning of the place are 1. Because Acts 8.32 this Scripture is spoken of as being dayly a fulfilling by Christ and therefore it could not be fulfilled in these few days wherein he was in the Flesh upon Earth 2. Because this bearing of our Griefs and Sorrows is such a piece of Christs Humiliation as thereby he took on all the Griefs and Sorrows of all the Elect at once both of these who lived in Isaiah his time and of these who lived before and since his time and therefore cannot be restricted to the curing of Temporal Diseases in the days wherein he was on Earth nay not to the pardoning of the Sins of the Elect then living there being many Elâ—ct before and since comprehended in this his Satisfaction which was most certainly a Satisfaction for the Sins of the Elect that were dead and to be born as well as for the Sins of them that were then living 2. For the meaning of the place 1. We are not to look on Christ's curing of Sicknesses and Diseases Matth. 8 16. as a proper fulfilling of this place Isa 52.4 but as many Scriptures are spoken by way of allusion to other Scriprures so is this there is indeed some fulfilling of the one in the other and some resemblance betwixt the one and the other and the resemblance is this even to shew Christs tenderness to the outward condition of Folks bodies whereby he evidenced his tenderness and respect to the inward sad condition of their immortal Souls whereinto they were brought through their Sin the great thing aimed at by the Prophet 2. If we consider the Griefs and Sorrows that Christ bare and suffered complexly in their cause and effâ—cts he in healing of these Diseases and Sicknesses bare our Griefs and carried our Sorrows because when he took on our Debt he took it on with all the consequences of it and so though Christ took on no Disease in his own Person for we read not that he was ever sick yet in taking on the Debt in common of the Elect he virtually took on all Sicknesses and Diseases or what they suffered in all Diseases or should have suffered he took it on together and hereby he had a right to speak so to the carrying of all Diseases and in carrying of them he had respect to the cause of
intention towards him Upon the other side the more consolation be in this to Believers it speaks the greater ground of terrour to unbelievers because of the prejudice they sustain by the want of this And as many of you as make not Faith and Holiness your study ye ly out of the reach of this consolation that flows from Christs bearing the griefs and sorrows of his own And therefore let the prophane senâ—â—ess multitude that know not what it is to die to the Law or to live to Holiness as ye would not commit Sacriledge stand a-back and not dar to meddle with this redemption till ye stoop and come in at this door of Faith and Holiness And let as many as are in this way admit of the consolation for it 's the Lords allowance upon you But for others if ye presume to take hold of it the Lord will wring it from you and let you know to your cost that ye had nothing to do with it SERMON XXI ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed THese words and all this Chapter look liker a piece of the History of the Gospel then a Prophecy of the Old Testament The sufferings of the Messiah being so directly pointed at in them We shew that this first part of the 4. Verse holds forth the cause of his sufferings and it is applyed to our Lord Matth. 8.17 and 1 Pet. 2.24 As for the second part of the Verse in these words yet we esteemed him smitten of God stricken and afflicted any who are acquainted with the Gospel cannot but know that it was fulfilled in him and it is an aggravation of their sin who did so undervalue and despise him that though he condescended to come so low for us yet we slighted him even then when there was greatest love let out we abused it and made it the rise of greatest malice and for the 5. Verse it is applied by Peter 1 Pet. 21.24 This whole Chapter then being so Gospel like and having a direct fulfilling in Christ we may draw this general Doctrine from it That our Lord Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified died and was buried and rose again the third day is the very same Messiah that was prophesied of in the Old Testâ—ment and was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob whom the Fathers before his coming in the Flesh were waiting for And though this may be looked on as but a very common and useless Doctrine yet it is the main ground and foundâ—tion of our Faith we take many things for granted wherein if we were well tried and put to it we would be found unsicker and in this among the rest Now for confirmation of it this same one argument will make it out we shall not follow it at length but in the prosecuâ—ing of it shall astrict our selv s to this Chapter the argument runneth thus if in Christ Jesus that which was prophesied of the Messiah and promised to the Fathers have its fulfilling and accomplishment then he must be the same Messiah that was prophesied of and promised to them for these things spoken of the one and alone Messiah can agree to no other But whatever was prophesied and spoken or promised of the Messiah to the Fathers to the least circumstance of it was all fully accomplished and fulfiled in Christ therefore the conclusion laid down in the Doctrine follows to wit that our blessed Lord Jesus is the same Messiah that was prophesied of promised to the Fathers and whom they before his coming were looking for So that that question needs not now to be proposed art thou he that should come or do we look â—or another Go says Christ Mat. 11.4 5.6 and tell John the blind receive their sight the lame walk and the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear and the dead are raised and the poor have the Gospel preached to them and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me blessed is he who because of my Humiliation is not stumbled Now not to make a rehearsal of the general Prophesies in Scripture all of which have their exact fulfilling in Christ we shall only speak to two things here for makâ—ng out of the Argument proposed 1. That this Chapter speaks of the Messiah 2. That what is spoken in it is literally fulfilled in Christ 1. That this Chapter speaks of the Messiah Though of old the blinded Jâ—ws granted it yet now they say that it speaks of some other but that it speaks of him these things will make it evident 1. If we look to the 13. Verse of the former Chapter where it is said My servant shall deal prudentâ—y he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high there our Lord Jesus is spoken of as the Fathers Servant or great Lord-Deputy and the Jews themselves grant that this is mean'd of the Messiah and there is nothing more clear then that what is spoken in this Chapter relates to him who is called the Lords Servant in the former Chapter as we shew at our entering to speak of it 2 If we look to the description of his Person it can aggree to no other for it 's said There was no guile found in his mouth he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so he openâ—d not his mouth c. he had no sin of his oâ—n which can be said of no other therefore this Chapt r speaks of him 3. If we consider the end and effects of his Sufferings they do also clear it the end of his Sufferings for it 's for the transgressions of his People and as it is Dan. 9.26 He was to be cut off but not for himself the effects He shall see his feed and by his knowledge justifie many And the New Testament is full to this purpose there being no Scripture in all the Old Testament more made use of nor oftener applyed to Christ then this is 2. What is spoken in this Chapter is really and literally fulfilled in Christ and we may shortly draw what is in it to these five Heads all which we will find clearly fulfiâ—led in him 1. To his Suffâ—rings 2. To the ground of his Sufferings 3. To Mens account and estimation of him 4. To the Promises made to him 5. To the effects that followed on his Sufferings 1. For his Sufferings it 's said that he should be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief that he should be despised and rejâ—cted of men and not be esteemed that he should be looked on as stricken smitten of God and afflicted that he should bear ouâ— sorrows and griefs and be wounded for our transgressions
Christs satisfaction or suffering and it is by the way much to be regrated that such is the ignorance of some that if a question be proponed in divers words or expressions as if it should be asked wherefore are we pardoned wherefore are we justified which is one and the same they know not how to answer but here ye are called to remember that Christs being wounded and his bearing the chastisement due to you is the cause of your Pardon and Justification 2. Healing looks to Sanctification as we hinted in the exposition so that if it be asked How comes it to pass that a Sinner is made holy we have it here answered that though efficiently it comes by the Spirit and be his work yet meritoriously it comes by Christs suffâ—rings he bought it by his stripes we are healed And under these two Words peace and healing we take in all things needful or pertaiâ—ing to Life and Godlinâ—â—s for by peaâ—e the feud and enmiâ—y is taken â—way 〈…〉 â—e reconciled to God a Eph. 2.14 〈◊〉 â—â—d to be our peace and he who ca◠〈◊〉 speak peace to all that are afar off and neâ—â—and and also by peace we under stand all 〈◊〉 effects of peace 1. Pardon of Sin Justification Adoption Communion with God here and hereafter Peace with our own Conscience and with the Creatures eterâ—â—â— Peace and Glory and all these good things purchased by Christs death For the Hebrews under peace comprehended all good things And under healing we take in Sanctification as distinguished though not divided from those other things mentioned dying to sin and living to righteousness with the several degrees of their advance and progress and the making of us to be without spot and wrinkle or any such thing So that folk have much advantage by Christs purchase and much prejudice thorow the want of it By his death we are kept out of Hell and admitted to peace with God and every thing that is good We have liberty to pray for all that is good and are brought in his own way and time to the possession of it It 's by the blood of sprinkling that we have a new and living way made patent to us unto the most holy and holiness in the way whereof we enter in thither 6. To whom hath Christ procured all these good things The Text saith it 's our and we the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed to wit we Elect. Whence Observe 1. That the benefits of Christs purchase redounds only to the Elect there is a certain select number to whom they are applyed and not to all indifferently It 's only of as many as are healed whose chastisements he hath born It 's only they whom the Father hath given him to them he gives eternal life and they shall never perish John 6.45 They are Effectually Called Justifiâ—d and Sanctified 2. Observe That what Christ Jesus hath purchased and the benefits of his purchase redound and are extended to them that are guilty of hainous sins to them that are under transgressions and iniquities that are at feud with God and under many poâ—â—â—tionâ— and most loathsome spiritual Diseases to them who contemned and despised Christ and judged him smitten and plagued of God as is clear from the foregoing words and to them which have gone straying like lost sheep as is clear from the words following This points at these two or three things very useful 1. That the Elect are by nature and before Christ do them good no better than others 2. It shews the freedom of the Grace of God that comes over that and freely gives pardon peace and healing to them And 3ly It serves to strengthen a Sinners Faith who is sensible of his enmity and sinfulness and to be a ground of encouragement to him to step to and lay hold on Christs purchase because it was for such that he died he may humbly yet confidently say Christ died even for such as me for them that wounded and pierced him by their transgressions and iniquities for them that were at enmity with God c. and alace I am such and will therefore on the call of the Gospel come to him and on his own terms endeavour to cast my self on him 7. How are these benefites this Justification Pardon of Sin Peace and Healing and all that is comprehended under them derived from Christ to the Sinner that by Faith fleeth unto him for refuge Answer These two generals will clear it 1. They are derived to us justly and in a legal way Christ steps in in our room that we may come in his room 2. They are derived to us freely he was wounded and bruised that we might go free he endured stripes that we might be healed he got the buffets and bare the burden and we get the benefites there is not a grain weight of it laid on us as it is satisfactory to divine Justice To clear this a little more anent the deriving the benefits of Christs purchase to us there must be a respect had 1. To the Covenant of Redemption the ground of his suffering for us 2. To the Covenant of Grace and Reconciliation wherein the offer of these Sufferings and the benefits purchased by them to us and the terms of both is made 1. I say That respect most be had to the Covenant of Redemption wherein it 〈◊〉 acted in the Council of the God-head that the Son of God should become Man and suffer and condignly satisfie divine Justice by paying the price due by the Elect and that that price being laid down it should be made forthcoming for them for whom he payed it and be reckoned theirs and they set actually at liberty when having recourse thereto by Faith and here there is a legal ground for transferring Christs purchase to and upon us the Cautioner satisfying we the Debtors are on that account absolved in his own order and method and have a right to seek the application of the price and the benefits purchased by that price Christs stands in our room at the bar and sentence passed on him to pay our Debt he satisfied according to his undertaking for us And upon the other hand we are brought in and the sentence of Justification passed on us on that account He saith the Apostle who knew no sin is made sin for us that in him we may be accounted righteous and may be declared free as we are by vertue of his satisfaction But it may be objected here What are we then absolved from the very time of Christs death and forward For answer We would distinguish betwixt a right to the thing and a right in the thing as we use to speak betwixt jus ad rem and jus in re the Elect from Christs death forward and before too have a right to the thing but not in the thing as to the application of it to themselves an elect Person by vertue of Christs Satisfaction hath a legal right to
makes the offer on the terms of a satisfaction to Justice the Son as Mediator accepts the offer and undertakes for the Elect here am I to do thy will on the same terms that the offer is made and the Father accepts of the Sons engagement according to that word Matth. 3. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased he offers himself Surety for Sinners and the Father is content to accept of him as their Surety In the one respect it 's called the Fathers pleasure Vers 10. of this Chapter yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him c. because the terms were so proposed and in the other respect it 's called the Mediators pleasure or satisfaction Vers 11. because the condition proposed is satisfying to him The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He undertakes to pay and God accepts of his undertaking and obliges himself to absolve the Believer and the words following He shall see his seed and of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many are Promises made to him on supposition of his making satisfaction And in 2 Cor. 5. ult the first part of the Transaction is He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin and the other part of it is That we might be made the righteousness of God through him he accepting of the Bargain obtains a right to a justifying and absolving Sentence by vertue of his suffering for which cause these words are added in him or through him This shews the clearness of Gods Justice in proceeding with the Mediator the ground of Sinners Justification through him and gives Sinners a warrand to make use of Christs satisfaction as theirs because it was so agreed upon in the counsel of the God-head 5. We come now to speak a little to some properties of this Covenant and shall content our selves with three or four of them that make for the scope As 1. The justice and equity of it 2. The faithfulness of it 3. The freeness of it And 4. The wisdom that shines in this Bargain passing by the rest 1. The justice and equity of this Transaction may appear in these respects 1. That the Father should be satisfied that he that was wronged should have his honour restored that the threatning given out in his Law should light and take effect that the Soul that sins should in his own or in the Sureties person die and that a suitable recompence should be made to Justice before the Sinner be absolved 2. Justice appears in this respect That when the Son of God the Mediator offers to become Man and to endure and suffer all that the Elect should have suffered his sufferings should be accepted as a satisfaction because the justice of God yea the holiness power and greatness of God are as gloriously manifested in Christs satisfaction as if Man had suffered nay there would not have been such an amends and satisfaction made to Justice if all Creatures had suffered Justice by this means hath more satisfaction than it could have had otherways and hereby the holiness of God and the severity of his justice as well as the condescending love of God is the more manifested that he himself should condescend to satisfie therefore Rom. 3.26 it 's said That he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus God is just in that he will not only have satisfaction but an equivalent satisfaction for the restoring of his Justice to its declarative glory wherein it suffered by Mans fall 3. Justice appears in this respect That the Mediator satisfying Justice these for whom he suffered should be acquitted and have the sentence of absolution past in their favours which the rather we would take notiâ—e of that we may know the redemption purchased â—nd bestowed by the Mediator is by an exact satisfying of Justice and not by removing of our sins as he did remove diseases nor by pardoning of them by an authority committed to him but as I said by a real and actual satisfying of the Justice of God for them therefore Luke 24. it 's said He behoved to suffer these things and then to enter into his glory there was a necessity of it because of the justice of this Covenant for the Son not only to become Man and be in a low condition but to become a Curse and to die the cursed death of the Cross A second property is faithfulness on all sides Faithfulness on the Fathers side in his Word and Promise to the Son All that are given of the father are made to come to him and there is nothing lost John 6.37 44 45. Faithfulness on the Sons side performing all according to his undertaking fulfilling all righteousness Therefore when in the 〈◊〉 word he sayes Deliver me from this hour in the next word he sayes But for this cause came I unto this hour It was my errand into the World and now I am to go about it by and by And I lay down my life for my sheep of my self no man taketh my life from me but I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again His faithfulness also appears in keeping all that are committed to his trust None of them shall perish but he shall raise them up at the last day Therefore he is called the good or faithful shepherd 3. It 's a free Covenant it 's just as betwixt God and the Mediator but as to the Elect it 's most free By his wounds we have pardon and by his stripes we have healing The chastisement of our peace was on him There is not one grain weight or worth to be satisfied by us He was made sin for us he was made the curse even the wrath-pacifying-sacrifice and offering That we might be made the righteousness of God not through ought in our selves but through him 2 Cor. 5. ult 4. It 's a most wise contrivance for if the Son had not become Man and Mediator how could Justice have been satisfied or the Elect pardoned and healed They could not satisfie for themselves and no creature could satisfie for them therefore the only wise God finds out a wise mids for such an end as is the saving of the Elect in a way wherein Justice and Mercy or free Grace sweetly kiss each other and wherein they both shine forth conspicuously and radiantly That which we would say in short concerning this Covenant is this that Jesus Christ hath undertaken to pay the Elect's debt and hath stepped in into their room And God hath imputed unto him their sin and accepted of a satisfaction from him for them And all this in a legal and just way so as there is access before the Throne of God for them to plead for the application of his Righteousness by vertue of this Covenant That as really and faithfully as Christ performed his uâ—dertaking to God and his satisfaction wâ—â— accepâ—â—d for
suffering and of his suffering for sinners that he was wounded and bruised c. In this Verse the Prophet proceeds to clear how this came to pass that Christ Jesus was made to suffer for the Elect the Seed that God had given him which he doth by laying down the Occasion and Fountain-cause whence it proceeded 1. The Occasion of it in these words All we like sheep have gone astray All the Elect as well as others had wandered and every one of us had turned to our own way We had denuded our selves of all right and title to eternal life and had made our selves liable to Gods curse and wrath through our sinning 2. The fountain-Fountain-cause is The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all When we had all strayed Jehovah took our Lord Jesus as the Sacrifices under the Law were taken and put him in our room and laid on him the punishment due to us for our sins and actually pursued him for our debt So the words are an answer to that question How comes it to pass that our Lord Jesus suffered thus for sinners It 's answered The Elect had made themselves lyable to the wrath and curse of God through their straying and to keep them from that wrath God designed and provided his Son Jesus Christ to be the Redeemer and according to the Covenant of Redemption laid on him the punishment due to them for their iniquities In a word their sin and God's appointing him to be Cautioner made him liable to satisfie for all their debt The first part of the words holds out our natural disease The 2. part holds out Gods gracious cure and remedy In the first part we have these three 1. The natural state and condition of all Men and Women even of the Elect themselves who are mainly to be look'd on here All we have gone astray 2. This is illustrat by a similitude We have gone astray like sheep 3. It is amplified Every one of us hath turned to his own way Several words being put together to set out the desperat sinful condition whereinto the Elect as well as others had brought themselves 1. Our natural state and condition is set down in this word straying To stray is to wander out of the way to go wrong to be be wildered For God hath set a rule to men to walk by in the way to life the rule and way of holiness and whoever walk not in that way do go astray and wander out of the right way 2. This is as I said illustrat by a similitude of sheep The comparing of the Elect to sheep here is not at all to extenuat the sinfulness of their straying though sometimes the innocency of that Creature in some other comparisons is insinuated But it is to hold out the witlessness spiritual silliness ad bruitishness of their straying the Scripture usually pointing out that Beast to be disposed and given to wandering And both Nature and Experience tells us that in a Wilderness where there is greatest hazard they are readiest to run on the hazard such is their silly and to speak so foolish inclination Just so are the Elect by Nature 3. It 's amplified by this That every one hath turned to his own way Before it was collectively set down Aâ—l we have gone astray But now lest any should exeem himself it is distributively set down Every one even Isaiah Jeremiah and others such not one excepted This turning to our own way holds out two things 1. It 's called our own way to distinguish it from Gods way as it is Psal 81.11 He gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels That is in their own inventions or according to their own will humour and inclination 2. While it is said that every one turns to his own way it 's to shew this that beside the common way that all sinners have to turn away from God distinguished from God's way every sinner hath his own particular and peculiar way whereby in his way he is distinguished from another sinner There is but one way to Heaven but many ways to Hell and every one hath his different way some have one predominant lust some another But they all meet here that every one turns from God's way and every one takes a wrong way of his own Considering the scope we shall shortly and passingly point at two general Observations whereof the 1. is this that it contributes much for folks conceiving and considering of Christs sufferings aright to be well acquainted with their own sinful nature and disposition Men will never look rightly on Christs sufferings nor suitably esteem of him nor make him and the Doctrine that holds him and his sufferings forth cordially welcome except they have some sense of their sinful nature and diâ—position Hence it was that many of the Pharisees and Hypocrites of that time wherein the Lord exercised his Ministry amongst the Jews never welcomed him nor prized his sufferings whereas among the Publicans and Sinners many were brought to get good of him Not to insist in the Use of this only in a word see here a main reason why Jesus Christ is so meanly thought of and the respect of his sufferings is so little welcomed and esteemed even because so few walk under the due sense of this that like lost sheep they have gone astray The 2d general Observation from the scope putting both parts of the Verse together is this that we should never look on Christ's sufferings but with respect to the Covenant of Redemption and God's transacting with him as our Cautioner Therefore the last part comes in The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all For albeit we know that Christ hath suffered much yet if there be not an eye to and some acquaintance with the Covenant the rise of his sufferings and God's hand and end in his sufferings it will be to no purpose Therefore when Peter is to speak of his sufferings Acts 2.23 He premits these words Him being delivered by the determinat counsel and fore-knowledge of God and then subjoyns his being crucified Looking on Christ's sufferings with respect to the Covenant 1. It lets us know that Christ's sufferings come not by guess but by the eternal counsel oâ— God and by vertue of that transaction betwixt the Father and the Son and this takes away the scandal off them which the Prophet sets himself here to remove 2. It gives Faith access to make use of his sufferings when we look on him as purposely designed for this end 3. It holds out the love of God Father Son and Spirit towards Elect Sinners That howsoever God looked angry like on the Mediator as personating them and sustaining their room yet that Jehovah had the devising and designing of these sufferings and that he sent his Son to suffer thus it holds out wonderful love 3. And more particularly from the first part of the words which is the main
love ye wouldflee to Jesus Christ and give him employment for making your peace with God and taking away your sin and sanctifying of you O but this be suitable to Sinners and if ye think your selves Sinners prejudge not your selves of the benefite of a Saviour This should be a distinct Sermon EVery expression that the Ptophet useth to set forth the grace of God in Jesus Christ to sinners by is more wonderful then another because indeed every thing that he expresseth is more wonderful then another And there is so much grace and infinite love in the way of the Gospel that it 's hard to know where there is most of it whether in its rise or in its execution whether in the decree of God or in Christs satisfaction whether in the benefits that we enjoy or in the way by which we are brought to enjoy them Sure all together make a wonder passing-great a most wonderful wonder even a world of wonders It is a wonder that as it is vers 5. he should be wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace should be on him and that by his stripes we should be healed And when here he comes to explain this and to shew how it came to pass that Jesus Christ suffered so much he holds out another new wonder All we like sheep have gone astray c. As if he had said would ye know how it came to pass that the Mediator behoved to suffer and suffer so much All we the Elect People of God had gone astray like so many wandring sheep as well as others not one excepted And there was not another way to recover and reclaim us but this The Lord Jehovah laid on him the iniquity of us all To recover us when we were lost Jesus Christ was substituted in our room by the eternal Decree of God and the iniquities of all of us who are his Elect people as to their punishment were laid upon him This then is the scope to shew the rise of Christs sufferings and how it came to pass that our Lord suffered and suffered so much the occasion of it was the Elects sin and the Fountain cause the Fathers laying of their sin on him by an eternal Decree and making him to answer for it according to that Decree with his undertaking which was the Covenant of Redemption whereof Christ's suffering was the execution Thus we have the Fountain whence our Lord's sufferings flowed He is in the Covenant of Redemption substitute judicially enacted the Elects Cautioner and takes on their debt and being substitute in their room Justice pursues the Claim and Sentence passes against him for making him answerable and liable to the debt of their sins Which sets out as it were a Judge on the Throne Jehovah and two Parties at the Bar We and Him We the Principal Debtors and Him the Cautioner Jesus Christ in our room and place The Law by which the Judge proceeds is the Covenant of Redemption And we the Principal Debtors not being Law-biding he is made liable to the Debt and on this ground the Sentence passes against him for satisfying what we were owing and hereupon followed his sufferings So then the rise of his sufferings is that it was so transacted by the Wise Just and Gracious God and thus this vers comes well in to explain and further to clear what he asserted in the former vers Though the words be few yet they are a great compend and sum of the Gospel How therefore to speak of them so as to unfold them aright is not easie And because the Devil who seeks by all means to marr the beauty of the Gospel doth more fiercely assault where most of its beauty shines and hath therefore stirred up several sorts of enemies to wrest these words and to obscure the beauty of grace that may be clearly seen in them We shall a little open the few words that are in this last part of the verse And the Lord hath laid on hIm the iniquity of us all Having spoken to the former part of it the last day In these few words then we have 1. something spoken of iniquity which three Parties have some acts about to wit 1. The Elect us all 2. Him to wit the Mediator 3. The Lord to wit Jehovah Then we have the express act of the Lord to wit his laying on Him the Mediator the iniquity of us all 1. As for this word iniquity by it is meant sometimes 1. Sin formally taken as it hath a disconformity to the Law of God and supposeth a spot and defect and so it is commonly taken when we pray for pardon of sin And when David says Psal 51. My sin is ever before me And Psal 38. My iniquity is gone over my head And so it is the transgression of the Law of God 2. It is sometimes taken for the effect that sin procureth and so it 's in effect the punishment of sin as Levit. 7. the 18 and 20. verses being compared together vers 18. it 's said He shall bear his iniquity which vers 20. is He shall be cut off and so it is clearly meant of the punishment of iniquity For to bear his iniquity and to be cut off are the same thing there And that word of Cain Gen. 4.14 My iniquity or punishment is greater then I can bear hath a manifest respect to Gods curse inflicted on him for his sin and is as if he had sald I will not get lived under the punishment that is inflicted upon me for every one that finds me will cut my throat and sometimes it is translated punishment as in that of Gen. 4.13 The Question then is Which of these two is understood here in this Text whether iniquity or sin formally taken or iniquity taken for the punishment thereof These who are called Antinomians plead that it is to be understood of sin formally taken But though it be hard so much as to mention this it being so blasphemous-like to assert that our blessed Lord Jesus should be formally a sinner and have the spots and defilementt of sin on him which we wonder that any Christian should dare to assert or presume to maintain Yet because this Scripture is alleadg'd for it we shall clear that iniquity is not here to be taken for sin formally but for sin in the punishment of it And the 1. reason that we give shall be drawn from the plain scope of the words the Prophet having in the 5. vers said that he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities The scope of this vers is to shew how it came to pâ—ss that Christ suffered and suffered so much which he doth by declaring that it could not be otherwise because the punishment of all the sins of the Elect was laid upon him And that which was called wounding and bruising in the former vers is here called on the matter a bearing of their iniquities for if they
it down for either the Elect behoved to die or he himself and since it is so as if he said then behold here is my life take it and I will lay it down that they poor things may go free and therefore does my Father love me says he because I lay down my life for my sheep not because it 's taken from me against my will but because I wiâ—lingly and of my self lay it down and when he is brought before Pilate and Herod and they lay many things to his charge Mat. 26.63 and Mark 15. He held his peace so that it 's said that Pilate marvelled Mark 15. he knew that he could not but have much to say for himself as all men in such a case use to have but he answered nothing or as it 's in the Text yet he opened not his mouth the reason was because he would not divert the course of Justice nor mar the Lords design in the work of the Elects Redemption through his death and sufferings He came not into the world to accuse Pilate or the Jews and to justifie himself though now and then for the conviction of enemies and for his own necessary clearing he did let a word fall but being engaged for the Elect he wil needs perform all that Justice called for And in this willingness he hath a respect to two things 1. To the Fathers satisfaction for his willing suffering is that which makes it a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to him 2. To the Elects consolation that they may know thâ—y had a willing Saviour that had no necessity laid on him to satisfie but satisfiâ—d willingly And from these two arises a third even the glory of the Mediators satisfaction for herein his love to the Elect shines brightly I lay down my life for my sheep this is the heart-waâ—ming commendation of his sufferings that with delight and pleasure he underwent them as if he had been purchasing a kingdom to himself Now to come to the Use of all these Doctrines when they with the things contained in them are laid together we profess we cannot tell you what excellent Uses they yield Would to God we were all in such a frame as the Eunuch was in when he read this Scripture as tâ—e divine History gives us an account Acts 8. ver 32. and forward who when Philip had begun to preacâ— to him on this excellent suâ—ject was so taken that before the Sermon or Discourse was at an end be ng holily impatient at any longer delay he says to Philip Here is water what hinders me to be baptized I say again would to God we were all in such a frame and that this were the fruit of such a Doctrine as this to many of you nay to all of you Use 1. Wonder Believers at the extensiveness and infinitness of the Grace of God and at the heart-affecting and soul-ravishing love of the Mediator at Grace in God that spared the Debtor and exacted payment from the Cautioner the Son of his love at love in the Mediator that payed so much and so willingly and cheerfully If any subject of thoughts be pertinent for us while we are about to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper certainly this were pertinent concerning a crucified Christ in stating himself in our room to pay our Debt and doing this of his own accord without the solicitation or interposing of any Creature and doing it withall so frankly and cheerfully Was ever the like of this love heard tell of for one and more especially for such a one to suffer so much and so cheerfully unrequired we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this great and sweet Truth that he had never better will nay never so good will to eat his Dinner then and as he had to suffer and satisfie Justice for you though at a dear rate He says John 4. It was his meat to do the fathers will that sent him and to finish his work Have ye suitable thoughts of his love when ye read the Gospel have ye in the Word seen him standing before Pilate in your room not answering when he is accused and Pilate marvelling at his silence and did Pilate marvel knowing and being convinced of his innocency and have ye never marvelled or marvelled but very little sure your little marvelling at his silence is the more sadly marvellous that the cause of his silence when he was charged with your iniquities with such and such a piece of your miscarriage with such a vain and roaving heart with such a wanton look with such a profane or idle word of yours with the horrid sin of your having so abused slighted and neglected him c. that the cause I say of his silence at such a terrible accusation and charge and not vindicating of himself or saying these faults miscarriages and transgressions are not mine as he might have done was pure love to you O! is not this strange and yet most true wonder then more at it Use 2. Here is strong consolation to Believers and wonderful wisdom in the rise and convey of it in uniting Justice and Love out of which the consolation springs Justice exacting upon and distressing the Son of God and he satisfying Justice so fully that though all the Elect had satisfied eternally in Hell it had not been made to shine so splendidly and gloriously Justice also on the Mediators side in yielding and giving satisfaction though it should oppress and break Soul and Body And yet love both on the Father and Mediators side on the Fathers side love in finding out this way of satisfaction to his own Justice when there was no cure but by wounding of his own Son and yet he was content rather to wound him than that the Elect should suffer and be wounded eternally and love on the Mediators side who willingly yields and undergoes their Debt and will not hide his face from shame and spitting what may not the Believer expect from God when he spared not his own Son for him and what may he expect from Christ who spared not himself for his sake and who is that good Shepherd that laid down his life for the Sheep and held his tongue and quarrelled not with those that smote him will he quarrel with a poor Sinner coming to him and pleading for the benefite of satisfaction no certainly but as the word is Zeph. 3.17 He will rest in his love or as the word signifies He will be silent or dumb in his love he will not upbraid thee nor cast up thy former miscarriages he will not say reproachfully to thee where wast thou so long playing the Prodigal he is better content with thy recovery than ever he was discontent or ill-pleased with all the wrong thou didst unto him Use 3. This word of Doctrine lays down the ground whereupon a sinner sensible of sin may build his expectation of peace with God The transaction concluded and agreed upon is the ground of his coming
Covenant He hath not promised to justifie all nor to make all believe but some only He as it were saith to the Mediator these I give thee to be redeemed by thee and on the laying down of thy life and satisfying for them I promise to make them believe and that through faith in thee they shall be justified therefore saith Christ John 6.44 Murmure not among your selves no man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him And who are they that shall believe on him See v. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast him out but will make him dearly welcome And vers 45. Every one that hath heard and learned of the Fâ—ther cometh unto me And John 17.2 That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Thus ye see what we mean when we call this a differencing Decree 2. We say that it is a definite Decree both in respect of tho number numbered that is about so many and no moe and not all and in respect of the number that numbers such a man and such a woman in particular in such a place and not such an other person They are all particularly designed and are therefore said to be written in the Lambs Book of Life It is not all who are foreseen to believe who are elected as if election did follow believing as the cause of the Decree But it 's such a number whom the Lord ingageth to the Mediator to draw to teach and make them believers 3. We say it is a Decree that is free as to all merit in them whom it reacheth and it 's free in these three respects 1. In respect of any thing in the person or persons elected who are supposed to be lying as the rest of the World therefore it 's said of Jacob and Esau Rom. 9 11. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand c. That is God respected not the doing good or evil in his electing of the one and passing by of the other 2. In respect of Christ's satisfaction and redemption which presupposeth this Decree to be and is the mids by which it is accomplished so that we are redeemed because we are electâ—d The Elect were Gods people when Christ did undertake and engage for them and in this respect election is a Founâ—ain-grace and Christ's death is not the cause of Election though it be the cause of all the benefits that follow upon it 3. It 's free in respect of God's absolute Soveraignty who acts herein according to the purpose of his own will having no reason without himself as it is clear Matth. 11. Evâ—n so Father because it seemed good in thy sight And Eph. 1.11 Being predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will As the Potter hath power over the Clay and makes of the same lump on Vessel to honour and another to dishonour as he pleaseth So the Lord acts most Soveraignly in the Decree of Election 4. We say that this Decree is absolute and peremptory Which is not so to be understood as if it admitted of no midses in the execution of it But this is the meaning that the performing and bringing about thereof depends on nothing without God neither can it be possibly frustrated These sheep can never be plucked out of his hand neither can they ever perish but must needs all and every one of them actually enjoy that which is decreed for them by this Decree else they could not be called God's people if they might not be his Thus ye see whâ—t is the meaning of these words my people â—hat is his Elect people in or by the Decree of Election I shall shortly give you some few grounds from Scripture to clear and confirm this truth The 1. whereof is taken from the names that the people of God get and from the expressions that are used in making mention of them in Scripture which will infer all that hath been said as namely they are called my sheep John 10. his Sheep that he knows as it were by head-mark by name and sirnâ—me which cannot but be his they are call d the election of Grace Rom. 11.5 at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace and vers 7. the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded it 's impossible but the Elect must obtain there being an inseparable connexion betwixt the decree and the end thereof they are said to be written in the Lambs book of life before the foundation of the world before there was any mention of themselves or consideration of ought in themselves they are said to be loved and beloved and ordained to eternal life Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed where believing is made a fruit and effect of this decree of election it s so far from being a cause thereof they are called blessed of the Father Matth. 25. and these whom he blesseth cannot but be blessed they are called such as are given to Christ holding forth a peculiar differencing of them from others they are called the people whom he foreknew and predestinated Rom. 8.29 whom he did foreknow them he did p eaâ—stinate c. and Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew every one was not so foreknown for Christ will sâ—y to many at the great day depart from me I never knew you Titles and names of this kind are frequent in the Scripture whereby God differenceth some from others which hath its rise from Gods purpose and decree of election A 2d ground is taken from the opposition which the Scripture maketh betwixt the Elect and others who are not elected which shews clearly that election cannot be understood of all as if there were a general and conditioâ—al election hence it 's said Jacob have â—â—loved and Esau have I hated the electing of the one is laid foregainst the râ—jecting of the other so John 10 the Lord sayâ— of some that they are his sheep and of others they are not my sheep and Rom. 9. the Apostle speaks of some vessels of mercy which are before prepared for glory and of somâ— vessels of wrath fitted for destruction and 2 Tim. 2.21 some are said to be vessels of honour some of dishonour some are ordained to eternal life Acts 13. and some are ordained of old to that destruction as Jude speaketh some are written in the Lambs book of life and some not Revel 20. and wherefore is all this spoken but to let us know that God hath freely and soveraignly in his decree put a difference betwixt some and others which as it began to speak so in God's eternal purpose so it will continue in the event Which is a 3d. ground of confirmation and it will be
land of the living fâ—r the transgression of my people was he stricken THere is nothing that concerns us more than to be well acquainted with the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his Sufferings The Prophet hath therefore been much in shewing what Christ suffered in the former words and hath largely described his Humiliation to Judgment and Death for saith he he was cut off out of the land of the living In the words read he answers two important questions concerning his sufferings 1. To what end were all these sufferings he answers that they were for transgressions even to be a satisfaction to Justice for them The 2. Question is For whose sins were the sufferings of Christ to be a satisfaction It is answered expresly in the words for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was upon him it was for the sins of the Elect and of the Elect only for this is the Prophets scope who having spoken of Christs sufferings and death holds forth the meritorious and procuring cause and end thereof and this is the result design and sum of all even to be a satisfaction for Gods elect People for as we shew by Gods People are not meaned all men in the world nor the Jews only for Christ hath many sheep beside them but it 's Gods peculiar People in opposition to the multitude who are not his People The Doctrine or rather the branch of the Doctrine we left at was this and it 's exclusive that Christ's death is only intended to be a price for the sins of God's elect People and was laid down with respect to them his death and sufferings are to be looked upon and considered only as a price and satisfaction for their sins and for the sins of none other or thus Jesus Christ in his suffering and in the laying down of his life had a respect to the elect and intended the removing of the sins and transgressions of God's elect people only and of none other we know nothing that we can make of these words nor of the Prophets scope in them but this who as he hath been describing Christs sufferings in all other respects so doth he in this to wit in respect of the persons for whom he suffered and of the meritorious cause and end of his sufferings for says the Text for the transgressions of my people that is of Gods elect people was he stricken This branch of the Doctrine is of great weight and concernment in the whole strain of Grace for if this march-stone be lifted and removed Grace becomes common and as some call it universal and so to be in effect no grace at all for Grace hath a peculiar channel of its own wherein it runs towards a certain select number and not towards all I do not mean of grace taken in a large sense for so all men as they are partakers of any mercy or of common favours may be said to have grace extended to them but I mean God's special grace favour and good will which is extended only to the Elect for whose sins Christ suffered the right bounding of which Doctrine shews forth both God's soveraignty in the dispensing of grace and the freeness thereof in communicating and manifesting of it to whom he will and which thus considered is especially engaging of the hearts of them on whom he pleaseth to manifest it Ere I come to confirm this branch of the Doctrine take a word or two of advertisement in the entry 1. That Christ's death may be considered two ways 1. In respect of it self and as abstracting from the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is contrived as to all the circumstances of it in which sense as his death and sufferings are of infinite value worth so they are as Divines use to speak of value to redeem the whole world if God in his design and decree had so ordered and thought meet to extend it 2. We are to consider his sufferings and death as a price agreed upon in the Covenant or Bargain of Redemption wherein these two or three things concur 1. God's proposal 2. Christ's acceptation and design in laying down his life 3. The Fathers acquiescing therein and declaring himself well pleased therewith we speak not here of Christ's death in the first respect that is as abstracting from the Covenant for in that respect he might have laid down his life for few or moe for some or for all if it had been so intended but we speak of it in the second respect as it 's a price agreed upon in God's purpose and Christ's design and in God's acceptation and thus we say that his death is only intended as a satisfaction and recompence for the sins of the Elect and was laid down for them only 2ly We may consider Christ's sufferings and death in the fruits of it either as they respect common favours and mercies common gifts and means of grace which are not peculiar and saving but common to Believers with others being bestowed upon professors in the visible Church or as they are peculiar and saving such as Faith Justification Adoption c. Now when we say that Christ's sufferings and death are a price for the sins of his People we exclude not the Reprobate simply from temporal and common favours and mercies that come by his death they may have and actually have common gifts and works of the Spirit the means of Grace which are some way effects and fruits of the same Covenant but we say that the Reprobate partake not of saving Mercy and that Christs death is a satisfaction only for the Elect and that none others get pardon of Sin Faith Repentance c. by it but they only it was intended for none others and this we clear and confirm from and by these following grounds and arguments which we shall shortly hint at The 1. Argument is drawen from this same assertion of the Prophet thus If Christs death be only a satisfaction for the sins of Gods People then it is not a satisfaction for the sins of all but it 's a satisfaction only for the sins of Gods People therefore not for all for his People are not all men or all men are not his People but his People are a peculiar People separate from others in God's purpose and decree as we cleared before from John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and the Text says expresly for the transgressions of my people was he stricken he respected the sins of God's People in accepting of the Bargain and in laying down his Life and for their sins only God accepted him yea the very mentioning of them thus here secludes all others and we must expone them exclusively as taking in none others and must look upon the things spoken of them as agreeing to no other even as it 's said Heb. 4. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God which is certainly exclusive of all others and hence when our Lord
in this Doctrine to be by Christ's being made an Offering for us It 's not by our praying to Him as God nor by our Holy Living nor by His working Holiness in us though these ought and will be in some measure where He is made use of aright but by His Offering up Himself in a Sacrifice for us and by Gods imputing it to us and considering that Christ Jesus in the Offering in our Room And that thereby God is pacified and Sin and Wrath removed There can no other way be conceived how we are made partakers of it but by imputation This will be the more clear if we consider that the same way that our Sins became Christ's the same way His Righteousnesse becomes ours or the same way that Justice laid Clame to Him for our Debt the same way lay we Claime to His Righteousnesse Now it is Blasphemous to think that our Sin became His any other way but that Legally he entering Himself as our Cautioner our Sin was reckoned on His Score even so His Righteousness becomes ours by being imputed to us So the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And have His Righteousnesse derived to us It were good that we would learn how to win to this Righteousnesse even by presenting Him to Justice as Cautioner for our Debt and by taking hold of His Righteousnesse to ground our plea upon when we come to reckon with God for our Sins And we think that there is here a clear ground for refuting of that way of Justification by any thing inherent in our selves For if it be by His Offering that we are Justified then it is by nothing in our selves Now this Name that Christ's Sufferings get bears out that it 's that which satisfies God and absolves us as the alone Meritorious and Procuring Cause And therefore there is no other thing that we can derive our Justification from but His Righteousness only Use 3. Seing by Christ's Offering there is a Ransome and Atonement to be had And seing it is offered in the Gospel we pray you in the Name of the Lord take hold of and improve this Offering let every Body that hears tell that Christ is the Sin-offering endeavour to get Him to be their Sin-offering There are none that know and find that they have Sinned but they would think of an amends and here it is and there is ground to exhort you to make use of it and to encourage you in it because this is the very End of His Suffering and He is fully furnished compleatly to accomplish it If there were no access to Life by this Offering He would not be called a Sin-offering in opposition to all other Offerings There is ground therefore to declare this to you that by Christ Jesus Life and Reconciliation is attainable and that it is actually attained by accepting of this Offering Such as accept of it and rest upon it shall find Acceptation with God and Freedome from Sin and Wrath by vertue thereof It 's a common Question What shall we do we do all we dow or may but if we were studying a long time to tell you This is it even to make use of Christ's Offering This and this only will do your turn compleatly and no other thing will do it The 4th Use Is of strong Consolation to all who betake themselves to Christ He is the Sin-offering that procures the taking away of Sin and Wrath and that procures Friendship with God and there is no imputation of Sin nor condemnation to them who are in him Rom. 8.1 And hence is that triumph v. 34. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that will condemne It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. If Justice were coming to execute the Sentence what can it say to the Believer Jesus Christ hath stepped in betwixt Wrath and Him and as to Gods acceptation He alone is accounted the Sin-offering and as these who under the Law Offered the Typical Sacrifices had access to the Ordinances and were Sanctified as to the purifying of the Flesh So much more is this Offering able to purifie the Conscience and to purge it from dead works and to give fair access to the Promises of Life and to the Favour of God to all them who make use of it as if they had never Sinned I know much of the weight of this Consolation will lye on this whether Christ's Offering be made use of And some will say How shall we make use of Christ's Offering And others will ask how shall we know if we have made right use of it And would to God that Souls were beatten off from their Pride and Security and brought under the conviction of a necessity of use making of Christ He would discover both to them But before we answer the Question there are two things we would presuppose 1. We presuppose that the Soul is made sensible of it's need of Christ's Sacrifice from the apprehension it hath of a Quarrel bebetwixt God and it and from the fear of His Wrath because of Sin else the asking of such a Question is to no purpose For as we hinted before the Offering of a Sacrifice implyes the Confession of Guilt So the making use of Christ's Sacrifice presupposes sense of Sin Err a Soul can make use of His Offering it must know it 's due was utter Consumption 2. We presuppose That the Soul is desirous to be at God and to have peace with Him To which End Christ is the Midse and there will be no respect had to the Midse except there be a respect had to the End as it is Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently where there is implyed in the Comer a desire to be at God and an expectation of some Benefit to be had from Him or as the Word is Heb. 7.27 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Which implyes the Sinners being sensible of his lost condition his desire to be at God and then Christ's Offering comes in as the Mids to bring about and to come by that End But these being presupposed The great thing wherein the Answer of the Question lyes How to make use of Christ's Offering for the attaining of that End of Pardon of Sin and Peace with God seemâ— to be holden out in that Word Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him And therein we may consider Sinners desire to be at God and the use making of Christ in reference to that End in these Three 1. To have the Breach made up with God in respect of their State 2. For quieting the Conscience in respect of Particular Challenges 3. For the
trust in Him SERMON XLIV ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shalâ— my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished unto all good works and that His People may be made wise unto salvation Yet these Scriptures wherein our Lord Jesus is holden forth more clearly are eminently usefull He being the Foundation and Ground of all To whom the Law and the Prophets bear witness and they are only profitable to us in the Estate wherein we are in so far as they relate to to Him and point Him out to us And we may further say that these Scriptures wherein His Sufferings and Death are holden forth in the Richness and Fruitfulness of them are singularly so that being the very Life of the Covenant and the very Door by and through which we step from Death to Life And whatever they be to others sure they have a speciall Sweetnesse in them to sensible Sinners And therefore the Sum of the Gospel and of Saving Knowledge is by the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.2 Compended in the knowledge of Christ and of him crucified which unfolds His very Heart and Bowells to us The Prophet hath been pointing out this in severall Verses and hath hinted at the effects of His Sufferings in the former verse And now in these Words he puts a new Title on them calling them the travel of Christ's soul Not only to set out the exceeding greatness of them but with respect to thâ— foregoing Words wherein it 's said He shall see his seed Which is repeated here when it 's said He shall be satisfied So that as a Mother is in Travell for bringing forth of a Child So sayes he shall Christ be put to Soul-travell for bringing Life and Immortality to the Seed given to Him to be saved by Him And seing He is put to Travell He must needs bring forth and see his seed Here we may allude that of Isaiah 66.9 Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God We have spoken of the Nature and Greatness of these Sufferings Now ere we proceed to any moe Observations we would speak a Word further to the Use of this It being indeed an Eater out of which comes Meat and a Strong out of which comes Sweet These pangs having calmed and quieted the Pangs and Showres to speak so of many Travelling Souls and brought forth a Birth at last And therefore beside what I spake to in the Use the last day I would add this That we would endeavour to have the solid Faith not only of His Sufferings but of the Greatness of His Sufferings imprinted deeply on our hearts That I say the Sufferings of a Dying Blood-sweating Christ Wrestling and Strugling even to His being in an Agony with the Wrath of God and puting up strong Cryes with Tears may be born in on our hearts and that we may throughly be perswaded of the greatness of the Work of Redemption and that it was a most Dear and Coastly Bargain to Christ For it was not Gold nor Silver it was not Kingdoms nor visible Worlds nor Angells that were given as a Price for Elect Sinners but it was the precious Blood of the Son of God Nay it was the bitter and sharp Soul-travell Sâ—dness Sorrow and Agony of our Lord Jesus which to speak comparatively was beyond the shedding of His Blood And what a Price do ye think this to be That He that made all and preserved all in their Being and was before all things should come thus low as to be a Man and a mâ—an sorrowfull suffering and dying Man yea to be a cursed Man and to go out of â—his Life as being under a Curse yet being alwayes the beloved Son of the Father And being even then when at His lowest the Prince of the kings of the earth and shining forth gloriously in the Powâ—r and Riches and Freeness of His Love and Grace sure this wonderfull low stooping and humbling of Himself Preaches out the Love that straitned and constrained Him to run upon that which was His own Death there being no hands that could have taken away His Life had He not willingly laid it down which He did with delight Could we make use of this there is much here to be said for our use We shall draw what we would say on it to these four heads 1. To something for Instruction 2. To something for Consolation 3. To something for Exhortation 4. To something for Reproof and Expostulation I say 1. It serves for Instruction and ye would from it be Instructed in several things 1. How to think aright of the great Severity of the Justice of God and of the Horrour of Wrath and of the dreadfull Consequ nts of Sin which it will most certainly have following on it May it not make your Souls to tremble to think upon and consider that our Lord Jesus was brought to such a pass as to be in such an Agony to be so exceeding sorrowfull and even amazed To be so troubled in Soul that he was thereby made to sweat great drops of blood and to be wrestling with somewhat that His holy Humane Nature had a scarring at O! the desert and wages of Sin is dreadfull when the Law pursues its Controversie and when Justice exacts what a broken Covenant deserves Alace The most of men believe not this but it s here that may convince us whâ—â— an evil thing Sin is and what a dreadfull thing it is to fall into the hands of an angry God O! that ye would think upon it that ye may beware of Sin by all means and may alwayes be minding that Word which our Saviour hath If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry If it was so done with Him who in the Action if I may so call it was performing His Fathers will and giving an admirable proof of His respect to the Honour of God What wiâ—l He do to the dry Sticks the Damned Reprobat who have slighted the offer of His Grace despised the Sufferings of a Mediator and disdained to be reclaimed Hear it and tremble and be perswaded that the Horror that Sin shall bring upon the Sinner when God comes to reckon with him is inexpressible 2. Be Instructed and see here how great the difficultie is of making peace with God when once His Law is broken A thing that is little believed by most who are disposed to think that they will get God sooner pleased and pacifiâ—d thâ—n they will get their Neigâ—bour or Master pacified and pleased which sayes That either they they think nothing or but very little of His
be necessarily performed and fulfilled 5. See here how the Salvation of Elect Sinners depends on the ingadgement betwixt God and the Mâ—diator Their Redemption depends on Hâ—s paying of the Price and their attaining the benefit of it depends on God's ingadgement to the Mediator Therefore we are said 1 Pet. 1. To be keeped by the power of God through faith unto salvation It serves withall to clear the Soveraignity of God and the Freenesse of His Grace when Sinners cannot pretend to have any hand in the Work to mar the Beauty and Efficacy of Grace that shine therein Use 2. There is here 1. something for the incouragement of such as would fain believe in Christ And 2. Somewhat for Comfort to and for Confirmation of them who have betaken themselves by Faith to Christ 3. It serves withall to incourage them who would be at believing and find difficulty in the way while they are breathing after Him It 's certainly promised that He shall have a seed and shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul such therefore may expect that they shall come speed who would fain be at that which is the fulfilling of Gods ingadgement to the Mediator for it was Transacted in the Covenant of Redemption that His Suffering should be for the good of Elect Sinners and that the Father should make Application of His Purchase made thereby to them I say 2dly It serves to Comfort Incourage and Confirm such as are fled to Christ and find their own difficulty how to win through for they haye a good Cautioner to make out their Faith and what concerns their Salvation Gods Promise to the Mediator shall not be for nought nor in vain but shall have it's accomplishment if poor sinners were leâ—t to their own guiding the bargain should never take effect nor be made out but it may incourage and comfort the poor Believer though it should also humble him that the business is put in another and better hand then his own This hath strengthened the wavering hearts of many Believers before that both sides of the Covenant as to their forth-coming and performance depend on the Father and on the Mediator the Mediator undertaking the payment of their Debt and the Lord Jehovah undertaking to draw them in to the Mediator and by His Power to bear them through till they get all that the Mediator hath Purchased for them conferred on them 2dly Observe That all the benefits and advantages that any have ever gotten or shall get that lead to Life Eternal and which concurr to promove the Work of their Salvation are the Fruits of Christ's Purchâ—se by His Soul travel is a Sinner brought to Bâ—lieve I 's a Fruit of His Suffering iâ— a Siâ—neâ— Glorified It 's the Fruit of the same And therefore when in the one woâ—d it is said He shall see his seed It 's â—aid in the next word He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul To shew that a Souls ingadging to Christ by Faith wherebâ— the Person becomes one of His Seed flows from His Suffering and is a Fâ—uâ—t of the Travel of His Soul As it is 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God thâ—ough him or in Him Where our righâ—eousness and what conduces to our Juâ—â—ification is derived from His being made Sin or a Sin-offâ—ring for us And Gal. 3.13 It ' said that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us gentiles Whatever is comprehended under that Bâ—essing as taking in both the l nd aâ—d Meâ—ns by which we come by it flows from His being a curse for us and from His being brought under sad Suffering and sore Soul-travel for us In this Doctrine ye would consider something for clearing of it or rather take the Doctrine it self several wayes and it will help to clear it elf 1. Then when we speak of the Fruit of Ch ists Sufferings we mean not only tâ—at our Justification the Pardon of ouâ— Sins and our entry into Heâ—ven are Fruâ—ts of it But that our Believing Repenâ—ance Holâ—ness and every thing that leads thereunto are Fruits of it also Therefore it 's promised to Christ Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power And that these that are given to Christ shall come is a Promise â—s well as it 's a Promise that these that come shall be Justified and the one foâ—lows upon Christs Ingaging and performing of the Ingagement as well as the other 2. If we take the Doctrine thus That there is nothing thaâ— a Sinner gets that leads to Life and Salvâ—tion but it 's a Fâ—uit of Christ's Purchase We get neither Repentance nor Faith nor Holiness nor any other such thing but on the account of Christs Satisfaction Or 3dly Take it thus Whatever is needfull for compleating of them that are Châ—ists Seed whom He hath Purchased whatever they want or stand in need of whether Righteousness Holiness Repentance Faith Hâ—pe c. All are purchased by Him and are the Fruits of His Death and Souâ—-travel This riseth clearly from the Words He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul That is He shall see Sinners believing on Him and repenting for sin as well as Hâ— shaâ—l see them Glorified which will be clear if we consider these two Reasons 1. The nature of the Covenant wherein all the Promises concerning Sinners Salvation are comprehended there being but one Covenant of Redemption and that being a Promise of this Covenant to circumcise the heart to love God and to writ his law in it as well as to pardon Sin and all the Promises of the Covenant depending on Christs Sâ—ipulation and these things in the Promises flowing from the Covenant betwixt God and the Mediator Sinners can have no Right to any thing that is Promised but by a. Covenant neither can they have any access to them but through Christs Suffering 2. It 's clear from the End of the Covenant that whatever Sinners have need of they must be in Christs common for it now if we had Faith or Repentance or any other Grace from our selves or on our own account we should not be in His Debt and Common for all that we need as indeed we are according to that 1 Cor. 30 31. He is made of God unto us wisdom to be our Guide and Teacher righteousness to be our Justifier and the meritorious Cause of it sanctification To be the Worker and the Procurer of it and in a Word compleat Redemption and this is subjoyned as the Reason of all That he that glories or rejoyces may glorie or rejoyce in the Lord that is Whether there be a looking to Faith or Repentance or any other Grace there may be no cause to be Vain or Proud of it but that knowing these to be from Christ and
present purpose is to shew how a guilty Sinner may be Justified And therefore we shall 1. Give you a general view of the Truth of the Doctrine by confirming it from Scripture in all the parts of it 2. We shall â—peak more paticularly to the severall branches of it And 3ly To the way of attaining Justification in the severall Causes of it as it is here holden forth For Confirmation of the General Doctrine ye shall 1. Look upon some Scriptures And 2. To some Grounds of Reason As for the Confirmation of it by Scripture If we look through the Gospel it is Our Lord Jesus Christ His own Doctrine which He preached and the way which He laid down therein for Justifying and saving a Sinner So John 3. Where it is three or four times repeated As v. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life v. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God v. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And v. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life And that is all one as to say he that believes shall be Justified Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned These are the terms on which the Apostles are by Christ warranded to preach the Gospel and to make the offer of Life to every Creature And therefore if we look forward to their Preaching we will find it to run in the same sâ—rain A Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Where while Paul is summing up the whole Message that he had to deliver he goes upon the same ground And wherein we have these three clearly holden forth 1. That all Mâ—n are lyable as in their Natural Estate to God's Curse and by the Law cannot be Justified 2. That there is a way laid down through Jesus Christ to come by Justification and Remission of Sins 3. That the way how Sinners came by this is Faith in Christ All that believe are justified Look to the Epistles especially these written to the Romans and Galatians Where this question about Justification is exprâ—sly and of purpose handled and we will find that it is the sum of both As Rom. 3. Where having said v. 23 That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so that all are lyable to Gods Judgement he subjoyns v. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Where is the great mean of our Justification and then he adds v. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Where we have the mean of Application to wit Faith and Chap. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Which place demonstrats this That an ungodly Person taking hold by Faith of Christs Righteousnesse may be and is Justified and Absolved and fred from the guilt of Sin as if he had never Sinned So Gal. 2.15 16. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles or not without the Covenant as they are Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Which place shews not only this that through Faith in Christ is Justification and Life to be had but it also excludes all other wayes of Justificâ—tion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith But that which we are now speaking to is only the positive part of the Doctrine To shew that a Guilty Sinner obnoxious to the Curse May by Faith come to be Justified and made free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never Sinned nor been under the Curse For further Confirmation of the Doctrine ye would consider these Four Grounds and ye will see from them good reason for it Only remember this That Justification looks alway to a Judicial Procedour as we hinted before Wherein the Lord is as it were on the Throne and the Guilty Sinner at the Bar pleading through Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction to be Absolved which is even as if a Debtor were arrested for Debt should plead for a Liberation not because he is not owing the Debt neither because he hath payed the Debt but because his Cautioner hath payed it for him This being supposed and remembred ye would we say consider these Grounds or Reasons for confirming the Doctrine 1. The Sufferings that Christ hath endured and the Satisfaction that He hath made in the Room of Sinners as the next Words hold out For he shall bear their iniquities And v. ult He bare the sin of many Nay this is the great scope of the Chapter Therefore it 's said That he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows and that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all This makes a Ground of Confirmation 2. Consider How that there is not only a sufficient price payed but there is a Covenant of Redemption warranding Him to pay it and accepting it off His hand as compleat Payment and Satisfaction for the Elects Debt And except there be a look had to this Covenant Faith hath not a sufficient Ground to rest on for Justification through Jesus His Satisfaction because otherwayes we see not a Reason why His Sufferings can be accepted for us For suppose if such a supposition may warrantably be made Christ to have Suffered yet it was free for God to have accepted that as a Satisfaction for our Debt or not But the consideration of the Covenant of Redemption removes that Doubt and gives Faith a Ground to lay hold on Christ's Sufferings as Satisfactory to the Justice of God because in the Covenant of Redemption it 's so transacted and agreed upon betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Apostle speaking Heb. 10.8 9. and forward from Psal 40. of this Covenant shews That when Sacrifices and Offerings will not do the turn Christ comes in Saying Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy
Doctrine that ever ye heard it had been in some respect better that ye had heard that it was but two or three that will come to Heaven because the hearing of many's coming thither will greatly aggravat your guilt who neglect so great a Salvation Therefore take two or three Caveats of this Doctrine And 1. Beware of being secure because there are many that shall be Justified There are many moe that will perish compare these that perish with these that will be saved and it will be found that they are but an handful that will be saved and that Swarms and Multitudes will go to Hell Therefore when ye hear that the door is opened to many let it encourage you to enter in but remember this that moe will be excluded and perish then will enter in and be saved The Scripture sayes Many are called but few are chosen even in respect of the called within the visible Church 2. Consider that Graces inlarging of this benefit to take in many will be your greatest challenge and aggravation that shall miss and come short of it Therefore let us as it is Hâ—b 4. fear least having a promise left unto us of entring into his rest any of as should seem to come short of it When this door is opened to us we would by all means fear coming short or not entring through unbelief for it will be worse with us then if the door had never been opened Folk ordinarily think not so much to miss or come short of a Priviledge which but one or two have accesse to but when it is such a priviledge as is made attainable by many the missing of it galleth and tormenteth the more and when many shall come from the East West South and North and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven what weeping and gnashing of teeth will it cause to them who shall be secluded And therefore 3ly Beware of thinking that there is the less diligence or fear required because we say that many will be Justified for though there be many that are Redeemed and many that shall be Justified yet all these come to be Justified through Christ's knowledge And therefore such as are ignorant and prophane can but take little or no comfort hence while they continue to be such Though there be many that are Justified yet none but Believers are Justified and none can warrantably look on themselves to be Believers but such as are sincere students of Holinesse I would not therefore have you laying weight either on many or few's being Justified except by way of Motive but on the way that ye take to come by the end Though a great many moe were saved then will be if ye take not the way of Faith and Holinesse to come to Salvation ye will not get your selves shrouded in the croud but though there were never so few damned ye shall make up the number In a word it 's ground of encouragement to a poor Sinner that would fain be Justified in God's own way it is also ground of shame and confusion of Face to the unbeliever that restrains the benefit of Christ's Purchase and shuts himself out when Grace doth make use of such expressions to bring him in and it will be ground of conviction to all that have so wide a door opened to them and do not strive to enter in It may be many of you think little of this now but in that day when many shal be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven and others shut out it will be known to be a matter of greatest concerment if once we could be induced to be in earnest in this one thing there were a great point gained on the hearers of the Gospel and till it be seriously minded there is nothing that we can do in Religion that will be to any purpose SERMON LV. ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. IT 's a great matter to have the solid impression of Christ's fulness on our Spirits and to be throughly perswaded that there is a Rigteousness to be had in Him yet the Consolation is not full unless there be clearness in the way how this Righteousnesse is applyed and come by and a kindly yeelding to follow that way For though we know that Christ died and that there is a Righteousnesse Purchased yet there are many that are never Justified and that shall never be saved by it And therefore it would not be so much to know that there is such a thing if he had not laid down a way how we may be partakers of it which way can no more fail and misgive then Christ's Righteousnesse can and these Words hold out the way By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many That is through Faith in Christ many shall be made Righteous His Satisfaction shall be accounted the Believers whereby it shall come to passe that they shall be as really Justified as if they had born their own iniquities because His bearing of them shall be accounted theirs We spake 1. of this general that there is such a thing as Justification or God's Absâ—lving of a Sinner who by His own iniquity is lyable to the Curse 2. That this Justification is the proper effect of Christ's Death 3. From the Object of it That they are many yet not all who are Justified many being put as a mids betwixt two extreams neither including all nor only taking in a very few having put by these more general Doctrines we would now speak a little to this great benefit of Justification in reference to the particular Causes that concur to the attaining of it which will lead us to a more distinct uptaking of it there is ground for them all in the Text and therefore we shall put them together that ye may have a short view of this great benefit complexly There are commonly six causes assigned to or made necessary to concur in Justification though we know not well how to expresse them so as ye may take them up because of the ignorance of many of you 1. There is the efficient cause and that is God the party that doth Justifie 2. The end or final Cause and that is His own Glory 3. The Meritorious Cause or that which procures it or the ground on which God Justifies And that is Christ's Merit 4. The inward instrumental Cause by which we get a tittle to and an interest in Christ's Merit and that is Faith 5. The Formal Cause or that wherein Justification consists and that is Imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse to the Sinner upon His acceptation of it and the Absolving of the Sinner by vertue of His Righteousnesse 6. The External Instrumental Cause and that is the Word of God by which this Justification is revealed and wherein God declares and passes the Sentence For the First ye would for clearing of it remember what we spake in our entring on this Doctrine
Justification before God seclude his own Righteousnesse and betake himself to Christ's Righteousnesse alone as Contra-distinguished to his own 4ly We say That Christ's Righteousness is in Him and imputed to us or made ours by imputation is the alone Meritoritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation so as that which He hath purchased is reckoned and accounted the Sinners as if it were His own inherently and personally This I also gather from the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christ is the Meritorious Cause of Justification Thus it is because He shall bear their iniquities if He hath taken on the burden of their Sins and had their Sins imputed to Him then it will follow by proportion that they are Justified by the imputation of His Righteousnesse to them and there is nothing that the Scripture doth more inculcat then this That we are Justified by the Righteousnesse of Christ without us and imputed to us or reckoned ours we by Faith laying hold upon it and Gods accepting of it for us mak s it become ours and yet there is nothing that we do more particularâ—y erre in and which Papists do more scoâ—n and flout at wholly enervating the way and contrivance of Grace by excluding and shouldering out the Righteousnesse of Christ calling it in derision a Putative or meerly fancied and â—maginary Righteousnesse as if there were â—o reality in it and by bringing in and establishing their own Righteousnesse though it be very clear from this and many other Scriptures that Christs Righteousnesse must be ours by imputation because He â—are our iniquities He became our Righteousnesse by paying of our Dâ—bt as our Cautioner and no otherwayes the Scripture never speaks of His being our Righteousnesse by procuring ability to us to pay our own Debt I shall clear this 4th Branch a little further because it will serve to clear the rest That is thâ—t Christ's Righteousnesse as it is in Him and imputed to us is he only Meritorious Cause of our Justification And if we consider 1 The way of Justification that is used among men this will be the more plain There being two Covenants by the one of which Life was once attainable and by the other of which it is only now attainable 1. The Covenant of Works which absolves a man that never brake it which is as when one among men or before mens Court is declared to be free because he was never oâ—ing the Debt 2. The Covenant of Grace that provides a Cautioner to pay the Sinners Debt upon whose payment thereof had recourse to by Faith there is access in Law to the Sinner to call for absolution even as it is in mens Courts though the principal Debter hath nothing to pay yet if the Cautioner pay the Debt it is the principal Debtors clâ—aring and if he should be again charged to pay the Debt his immediat deâ—ence would be that the Cautioner had payed it already So is it here the Lord hath borrowed and made use of this way that is used among men to make the Mystery of Justification which passeth in the Court of God the more clear to us it is as if one should alleadge that such a Person is owing so much and he should say I cannot be charged with it and upon what ground Not because I was not owing the Debt but because such anone has payed it for me So sayeth the Apostle Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies who shall condemne it is Christ that died c. The defence proposed before the Tribunal of God is Chritis dying and that is as much as he hath payed the Price or Debt who then can charge it on the principal Debtor And the frame and contexture of the words shews that it is a judicial precedour for they suppose a charge or lybel and a sentence and the Meritorious Cause of the Sentence of Absolution is that Christ hath died 2ly If we consider the nature of the two Covenants and compare them together it will be clear the Papists confound the two Covenants For works to them is the condition of both Covenants making use of that place Matth 19.17 2â— Keep the commands if thou will be perfect sell all thou hast and give to the poor quite contrary to the scope of it for therein Christ is putting the man to a thing impossible to himself to bring him to see the necessity of a Mediator and discover his unsoundnesse when he will not forgoe his great Possâ—ssions for him But the Scâ—ipture doth so clearly difâ—ereâ—ce the Covenant of Grace and â—he Covenant of works that they are opposed For the Covenant of works sayeth do this and live and the Covenant of Grace sayeth If thou shall believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and conâ—â—sse with thy mouth thou shalt or saved And therefore the account of ones being Juâ—â—ified in tâ—e Covenant of Grace must be different from the account whereon one is Justified in the Covenant of Wâ—rks otherwayes they would not be opposit The Covenant of Works respects inhâ—rent Righteousnesse as the condition The Covenant of Grace respects Faith taking hold of the Righteousnesse of Christ and therefore H s Righteousnesse must Justifie as being in Him without us and as imputed to us it cannot be our Righteousnesse within that Justifies for so it should be the same with the Covenant of Works for though Christ did procure inherent Righteousnesse to us it makes no difference in the condition it self which is works 3ly It will be clear if we consider how the Scripture speaks of Christ's Righteousnesse becoming ours even as our Sins became Christ's and was the cause if we may so speak of His condemnation that is as He became lyable to the Curse that as He stood a Legal Person in our Room He became guilty and lyable to the payment of our Debt For otherwayes it is abominable once to speak of His condemnation and if His Righteousnesse become ours as our Sin became His then certainly His Righteousnesse is the cause of our Justification as it is in Him inherently and in us by imputation only The blasphemy of Antinomians is most detestable and not at all pleaded for even by Papists and therefore we stand not on it here Now our Sin became Christ's by imputation therefore His Righteousnesse must be ours the same way If it then were asked How we are Justified The Text answers He shall justifie many because he shall bear their iniquities The Prophet makes his Sufferings to be the antecedent whereof our Justification is the consequent for His bearing of our iniquities is given as the reason of our Justification this is also clear 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In which words the Spirit of
their own as to the removal of temporal plagues and the taking them out of Purgatory and if they grant that there may be an imputation of the Merits of Saints why deny they the imputation of the Merits of Christ as to the removal of eternal Wrath is there any probability that there can be any imputation of the one and not an imputation of the other 3. They allow an imputation of Christs Merits as to the procuring of the first Grace without all Faith apprehending Him and if by their own Doctrine it be not absurd to speak of Christ's Merit as to the infusing of Grace at first why shall it be thought absurd to speak of Christ's Merit as to the procuring of Glory 4. They grant that there is an imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as to the procuring of Glory in a higher degree though they say that it is a far better Life which comes by our own works and why not as to the procu ing of Glory in a lower degree yea both of Grace and Glory and of every good Thing We have insisted on this the more 1. Because it 's the main foundation of our Faith and the end of it and the great scope of the Gospel 2. Because there are so many mistakes about this and a grosse mistake in this is remedilesse when we come before God Even before the Tribunal of men if we make a wrong defence it hazards our cause So is it here for to have a hiding place in Christ and under the covert of His Righteousnesse is our only defence before the dreadful Tribunal of God 3. Because it serves much to clear this Truth for we would have you knowing that it 's not enough to speak of Christ's Merit as the cause of our friendship with God a Papist will do that who yet leaneth not to Christs Merits alone but to his own at least in part and in conjunction with Christ's and therefore we would now and then speak of this because there is such horrible ignorance of it though a fundamental Truth How many gay honest folks as they are called and accounted are there among us that cannot tell how they came to be Justified or what is the ground which they have to rest on if they were going to die Is it not absurd that men should be called Protestants and live so long under the clear light of the Gospel and yâ—t be iâ—norant of this main point of the Protestant Religion Therefore 1. make this Use of it to inform your selves in the causes of your Justification and to turn them over into Questions and Answers to your selves â—o that if ye ask what is the efficient cause of Justification It 's God the party offended What is the final cause of it It is Hâ—s Glory what is the Mâ—ritorious Cause It is Christ's Merits or His Righteousnesse impuâ—â—d to us what is the inward instrumental Cause It 's Faith c. According to the solid answer given in our Chatechisme to that Question what is Justification It is an Act of Gods free grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight only for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Where the efficient cause is Gods free Grace Christ's Righteousness the only Meritorious Cause and the only inward instrumental Cause Faith alone The formal Cause Gods pardoning our Sin and accepting of us as Righteous Remember well that it is not Christ's Righteousnesse as having a Merit in it to procure inherent Righteousnesse but as it is imputed unto us and accounted ours that Justifies us Thus ye will remember the difference betwixt Christ's Rightâ—ousnesse and our own and as for the external instrumental Cause it is holden out in these Words of our Catechisme in the discription of Faith as he is offered to us in the Gospel All these Causes must in ordinary dispensation concur to our Justification and the pardoning of our Sins The 2d Use Serves to teach us to be on our guard against the Popish Error of Justification by Works though we here are mercifully keeped free yet the Land is tempted in several corners of it to shuffle by Christs Righteousnesse and to bring in mens own Righteousnesse or holinesse as the ground of their acceptation before God There are some spottings of it with in a few myles to this place and since this Error draws Souls away from that which is their right and only defence before God that is Christ's Righteousnesse it cannot but ruine them which should make you all to look well about you and upon this account to abhor it It as one of the great Delusions of the man of Sin which being once admitted will with your own consent bring you again in bondage to a Covenant of Works Use 3. Follow this way in your practice in your seeking after Justification renunce your own Righteousnesse and lean to Christ's Righteousnesse alone What better are many of us in our Practice then Papists If ye ask many what is it that satisfies the Justice of God Some will answer 1. Their good Prayers or their good Works and if they have done a fault they shall make amends 2. Others will say that they have a good heart to God and they mind well though it 's but little they dow do 3. Others will thank God that they have â—eâ—n keeped from grosse evils and that he hath helped them to pray and to wait on ordinances and though they have no Righteousnesse of their own yet God hath helped them to do many good things and thus all that they lean to is still within theâ— 4. Others will say we warrand you we can merit nothing but we hope through Christ's R ghteousnesse our Holiâ—esse and Prayers will be accepted not as Duties or Fruits of Faith but they think to make these two concur as the ground of their Justification to wit Christ's Righteousnesse and their own performances together And what is all this but black and abominable Popery And yet if we go through the generality of Professors great Folk and mean Folk we will find few but by one or other of these wayes they delude themselves and that but very few have Christs Righteousnesse as the immediat ground of their Justification and Defence before God Be ashamed therefore that ye are so ignorant of this Point and be exhorted to study it as the main thing if ever ye think to stand before God's Tribunal and to carrie your cause be exhorted I say to be clear in this Defence which only will be found relevant before God and nothing but this to wit the Satisfaction of Christ taken hold of and rested on by Faith The 4th Use Serves for notable Consolation to a poor Sinner that hath no Righteousnesse of His own and who without this would never have peace what would any of you think or say if ye had your Prayers and good Works to hold up to God for the ground of your
the Jews miscarriage in the point of Justification but being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God they went about to establish their own righteousness That is being ignorant oâ— that which God would accept for Righteousnesse they thought to patch up one of their own and so is it still For some hope to come speed by their Prayers others think to come speed by their good Heart to God a third sort puts in their good Works if not in express Words yet practically all which may let us see the necessity of Knowledge to Justification 4. Consider that there must be Repentence ere a Sinner can be Justified which supposeth Knowledge For he must needs know his Sin and that his own Righteousnesse will not do his rurn and so long as he is ignorant he cannot Repent nor renunce his own Righteousnesse For while he is so he cannot know what is Sin and what is not Sin what is Faith and what is presumption unlesse it be by guess and folk will never be suitably affected with Sin by guesâ— The Apostle Paul as it is Rom. 7 9. Before the law came I was alive that is before it came to him in the knowledge of it's spiritual meaning and broad extent of it while he was a Pharisee he was alive in his own esteem But when the commandment came sin revived and he died He then saw need of another Righteousnesse then his own We preach to you sometimes the necessity of Repentance and of your being humbled and that ye should deny your own Righteousnesse and betake you to Christs but except there be knowledge of your unrighteousnesse It 's as if we should bid you wash where there is no spot seen 5. Look so reward to the Duties of Holinesse which are necessary though not to Justifie you yet that ye may live as it becomes Justified Persons though not to make your peace yet to glorifie God and to keep up friendship with Him Now can any know or do duties who are ignorant Hence it comes to passe that some hazard on Sin taking it to be Dutie and scar sometimes at Duty as if it were Sin 6ly Consider your own peace and in order to it there is a necessity of Knowledge else there will be still a doubting whether ye are right or wrong hence it 's said Rom. 14. He that doubteth or doth doubtingly is damned For he hath a Sentence in his own Conscience against himself though he may be doing that which on the matter is Right 7ly In a Word Ignorance puts us out of case to make use of many notable opportunities and priviledges we know not what use to make of the Word of the Sacraments or of Christ How many have lived a considerable number of years strangers to the advantages that are to be gotten by him through their want of Knowledge Therefore John 4. Christ sayes to the Samaritan Woman If thou hadest known who it is that asked it of thee thou wouldest have given him drink and he should have given thee living water where He insinuats that her Ignorance was a great cause why she keeped at such a distance from Him It 's hardly possible that so many poor Souls would abide at such a distance from Christ if they knew Him There is no desire after that which is unknown and therefore many do live at such a distance from Christ because they have not so much as the literal Knowledge or Historical Faith of His Worth The Uses are Three 1. Take it for granted if ever ye would see the face of God that there is a necessity of Knowledge For Knowledge is a piece of God's Image as well as Holinesse and Knowledge is commanded as well as Holinesse Knowledge was placed in the first Man Adam as well as Holiness and when we are renewed after the Image of God in conformity to the second Adam we are renewed in knowledge And not only so but Knowledge is a mean of the exercise of Faith of Repentance and of Holiness and if such a thing be needful by the necessity of a mids in order to an end if obedience to a command or if the thing it self that is to be known be needful then Knowledge must be needful It 's true we would beware of extremities here as either to say on the one hand that their must be such a high degree of Knowledge For in the speculative part of Knowledge to speak so Reprobats may go beyond Believers Or upon the other hand to think that Knowledge is enough and that there needs no more but Knowledge as alace many do rest upon their Knowledge and therefore we would beware of seperating these two Knowledge and Faith If it be asked here what Knowledge is requisite to Justification I would speak a Word to this Question not so much for satisfying of curiosity but for your Instruction who are more Ignorant and to shew the necessity of the thing and to give you a short view of these things that are necessary to be known about this matter and therefore 1. Ye must know God that Justifies you ere ye can be Justified as it is John 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ If ever ye be absolved before such a Judicatory ye must know your Judge That there is one God that He is one in His Essence and that there are three Persons yet so as the Trinity of Persons doth not hinder or obstruct the Unity or Onness of the Godhead John 5.7 There are three that bear record in heaven the father the word and the holy ghost and these three are one Study then to know God who is your Judge not so much out of curiosity seeking to know how the Persons differ as to their manner of subsisting as how to be fixed in the Faith of the thing 2. Ye would know your selves and what may be charged on you before God Can men carry rightly before a Judge or before a Judicatory if they know not how it stands with them And this will lead you to know the State and Case wherein ye were made at first And the Covenant of Works which God made with Man at the beginning when He gave to Him the promise of Life upon condition of Obedience and that ye are lyable to the Curse due for the breach of that Law and Covenant else ye will never know your hazard and knowing the breach of the Law and Covenant of Works it will make you through God's blessing to seek after Justification which otherwayes ye will never do And so ye are to know that the first Covenant was broken by Adam and that this made him and all his posterity lyable to the Curse as being guilty of his transgression and this takes in the knowledge of Originall Sin even of the sinfull Estate wherein ye were born and of your Actual Sins 3. Ye must know how a Sinner lying in such a State and Case under
Sin and Wrath may come to be absolved And this leads you in to know that there is a New Covenant made through a Mediator in which there is a Promise of Life and Salvation through believing in Him which Rom. 10. is called the law of faith which gives a Sinner ground of hope to be Justified by the Righteousnesse of a Cautioner and leads him in to know the Defence that he may and ought to plead upon before God And there is here presupposed as a necessity of knowing your selves so a necessity of knowing the Law and Covenant of Works for if we plead innocent in any one Sin whereof we are guilty it may hazard our eternal ruine And a necessity of knowing Jesus Christ who is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification that He became man and did take to Himself a true Humane Body and a reasonable Soul that by the Union of His two Natures He might be God and Man in one Person in reference to which He must needs be known for if we know Him not to be Man we cannot understand how Divine Justice is Satisfied and if we know Him not to be God we cannot understand how the Humane Nature can be sustained and supported and carried through in Satisfying the Justice of God and withal a necessity of knowing how the Mediator procures this Justification and this leads us in to know His Office how He was a Priest and interposed betwixt God and Sinners and made Himself an Offering for our Sin and maketh intercession for us how He was a Prophet and how when the thing was unknown to wit how a Sinner might have peace with God He revealed it of Old by His Prophets in the Old Testament and by His Apostles and Ministers in the New Testament and doth by His Spirit ellighten the Soul to take up the difference betwixt Justification by Faith and Justification by Works how He is a King to subdue Sin in us to mortifie our Corrupt Nature that will still boast till it be subdued to guide us in His way to fight our Spiritual Battels in us and for us and to take course with all His and our Enemies Otherwayes if we know not this though we were justified just now we would be led captive by Sin and Satan to our ruine within an hour but knowing Him to be King it gives Faith footing to expect Through-beating and Victory 4. As we must know what Christ is so we must know what is in Christ and what is communicated and applyed to Sinners by Him and so the condition of the Covenant of Grace which is Faith whereby we come to be united to Christ and that this Faith is not a bare assenting to the Truth but a closing with and a resting on Him for we can never believe except we know what Faith is 5. It is needful that we know what Dutie is called for from a Justified Person to wit Repentance and Holiness because though He Justifies none for Repentance yet He Justifies none but Penitents and He requires Repentance from all whom He Jusâ—ifies Except ye repent saith Christ ye shall all likewise perish For the Curse lyes at the door and we are so to Repent as that with grief and hatred of Sin we turn from it unto God with full purpose of heart and endeavour after new Obedience 6. There is also a necessity of the Knowledge of Christs Ordinance though non absoluâ—ely in order to Justification to know the Sacraments and how thâ—y represent Christ and the benefits that come by Him and how they do Ratifie and Confirm the Believers Right to Him and these good things promised through Him Let me intreat you Believers and as many as look for Justification to â—â—ndy throughly to know that these things are necessary to be known even to know God and your selves and what ye may be justly charged with before Him that your mouths may be stoped to know Jesus Christ and His Offices For ye can never upon ground expect Justification except ye know who hath procured it to know what God requires of these who are Justified in a Word study so much as may bring you to know your lost estate and the remedy thereof and how to found your Defence when ye come before God c. And if ye would study thus to know God and know your selves and your Natural Condition and Jesus Christ and the way how ye come to be Justified through Him and your Duty to Him and so make a Catechisme to your selves out of these few heads it were a short and sure way to come to knowledge The 2d Use Serves for Reproof and Conviction to them that lye still in ignorance which is a most Sinful and Dangerous Condition for if Knowledge be a Duty and if Ignorance be a Sin and such a Sin as hazards the Soul then what a woful case are many of you in who now hear me Lay aside all other Sins I would be ashamed to speak of the great Ignorance that is among you How many of you are there that cannot give any tollerable account of your Catechism who know not your natural State and Condition nor the way how to come at peace with God nor any ground for your Faith to rest upon nor Christ nor His Offices and alace if it be so what better are ye then Heathens Sure ye are much worse because ye have dispised Knowledge Can the Gospel give you Faith to whom it never gave Knowledge There are several sorts of Persons to whom I would here speak a Word 1 There are some that never lay the necessity of Knowledge to heart betwixt whom and Turks and Pagans there is in this respâ—ct but little difference and yet such will be ready to say we live and do as well as we may that there may not be a quarrel or contraversie betwixt God and us But is it possible but there must be a quarrel if it were but on this alone account that ye think there is none O! that ye would consider what a Sin Ignorance is when the Devil appeared in the World he made it a great part of his first Work to extinguish and put out the light of Knowledge and by this means he labours still to keep Folk in Ignorance hence the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 3. If our gospel he hid it is hid to them who are lost whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Prophanity and Error are great Baits and Snares but Ignorance carries moe to hell then both these do for Ignorance fostereth and cheerisheth if it do not also beget Prophanity and Error as the Apostle Peter insinuats when he sayes that the Ignorant or Unlearned Wrest or pervert the Scriptures unto their own destruction much Ignorance and Conceit of Knowledge will soon and easily shake people loose and make them a Prey to Error and also to Prophanity must not Ignorance then be an evil thing when it leads the way to so many other Sins and at
in against us else what needed we to have an Advocat and Intercessâ—ur if our Plea were just and good as from our selves we needed not one to undertake for us the Judge would absolve us but the defects that are in us give access to this part of his Office which supposes us to have infirmities else we needed not an high Priest if we were like Adam in his innocency for he needed not an Intercessour and therefore in the Text it is for the transgressâ—urs that he makes Intercession and 1 John 2.2 If any man sin we have an advocat c. 2. All the weight of Christs Intercession and the grounds whereon he pleads are in himself and therefore none need to stand a back because there is nothing in themselves We have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation Christ hath in him a fulnesse to pay the Debt himself and he pleads on that and on nothing in the creature He sayes not let them be pardoned because they have not sin nor because they have such and such qualifications but because I have been a propitiation for them I have payed their Debt Therefore he is called the righteous because he hath reason for that which he seeks He hath payed for what he seeks and therefore it cannot but be granted 3. There is a freedom in the application of all the application is free Grace every way and that is clear from the parable of the barren fig-tree what could the tree say when Justice pleaded it should be cut down There is nothing in it to procure a delay but the Gardner stands up and bids spare it and he will take pains on it and apply what is needful causes are not here cast back because the partie is poor nor because he hath much Debt on his score No If any man sin he hath an advocat the thing is obtained without money and without price would ye then have a Priest that suits you well ye shall have him and have him freely if ye imploy him to undertake for you he will do it freely and it 's his honour so to do 4. It 's free and effectuall It cannot misgive for who pleads is it not the Son before whom pleads he It 's before his own Father who heareth him alwayes for whom doth he plead It 's for them who are the Fathers own Elect and his also Thine they were and thou gavest them me and all mine are thine and thine are mine It 's for them whom the Father loves as well as he whaâ— does he seek and plead for for that which is covenanted and he pleads for it according to the terms of the Covenant Therefore it 's sure that though heaven and earth may be mixed and overturned yet none can louse a link here It 's impossible but what he interceeds for he must obtain and for whom he interceeds he prevails and that 's for all that imploy him 4ly For Advertisement or caveat It may be asked here may all comfort themselves in Christs Intercession Some will think that were good but in truth it would make the consolation of all unsure Therefore there are Four qualifications of a person that may and only may warrantably take the consolation whereof we have spoken 1. It 's a Person that hath betaken himself to Christs satisfaction for there are two parts of the Priestly Office His Satisfaction and his Intercession and there is no dividing of them nor making use of them but in the right order First he satisfies and then he iâ—terceeds and he must be taken and mâ—â—e use of in this order 1. In his Satisfaction to divine Justice and it 's on this ground that we must found our righteousnesse and plead for absolution and whoâ—ver haâ—e 〈◊〉 thi◠〈◊〉 of his â—â—â—faction may 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—selves in his 〈…〉 â—â—â—ed on his Satisfaction 1 John 〈…〉 he interceeds for these he is a 〈◊〉 and he is a propitiation for all who by 〈◊〉 have betaken themselves to him This is the very hinge of our Consolation 〈◊〉 to take with our Debt and to betake 〈◊〉 selves to him according to the 〈◊〉 lippening for salvation on that ground 〈◊〉 It 's these who are essaying and practising themselves in the duties of holinesse wrestling with a body of death and exercising themselves to Godlinesse that they may warrantably comfort themselves in Christs Intercession as Paul who Rom. 7. being put to it in the conflict with his corruption comforts himself thus I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Though they be sorly harassed with a corrupt nature yet they may expect an outgate through vertue of his Intercession Therefore Revel 8. Christs incense as I have often said and the Saints Prayers go and go up together Lazinesse and security hath not this consolation but if a person be praying and be serious though weak in it he hath an Advocat who when it comes to he asked what shall be thought of such an ones Sacrifice pleads that it may be accepted 3. It 's the person that not only is aiming and minting to do dutie but is denyed to it laying no weight on it disparing ever to get victory over corruption in his own strength or to come by the hearing of his prayers through any worth that is in them and not daring to step forward his alone but leaving all he does at Christs feet to make it acceptable which leads to the 4th thing requisit viz. when persons whether their doing and duties be of worth or not Jesus Christ is made by them the upshot of all they lay weight on him to get them done and to get them accepted when they are done and without him all would be desperat in their esteem this was typified in the peoples giving the Sacrifices to the Priest to be offered and though it were but two Turtle doves or two young Pigions they were brought to the Priest as well as other Sacrifices But such as consider not the enimity and sinfulnesse that is in themselves and adventure to step into God without him cannot lay claim to this consolation which runs alwayes on this ground Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him Seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Is there not then ground of Consolation here and such as there is reason to bestow a preaching upon it to teach us how to clear our selves in it and make use of it and how to chear our selves in it Ye that seclude your selves from this Consolation O! but ye spil and mar a good life to your selves and hazard your own cause that will most certainly go against you because ye put it not in the right hand which the Lord give you wisdom to amend and give us all the right use of this through Jesus Christ SERMON LXVIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And made intercession for the transgressours IT were a very great Consolation and a
Believer is to beware least he be stollen off his feet and misken Christs Intercession for then he is ready to think that he cannot but be well and his prayers cannot but be heard because he gets liberty to put them up and it 's then often that there is hazard to lay least weight on Christs Intercession To improve Christs Intercession aright in such cases these Two are to be adverted to 1. That his Intercession be acknowledged as the fountain and procuring cause of that liberty and liveliness and so we are to carry a stoped mouth before God and not to boast of it For as we shew the pouring out of the Spirit is a special fruit of Christs Intercession It being by vertue thereof that gifts are given and grace to worship God in a spiritual manner 2. That we beware of thinking that our prayers are in a fitness or that they put us in a fitness of access to God because of that liberty except by vertue of Christs Intercession more then if we had not a word to say There is in our unbelief and presumption a secret inclination to lay the weight of our acceptance on our own liberty Whereas Revel 8. the prayers of all Saints must come up before God having the smoak of his incense to make them acceptable In which respect in a case of liberty Christs Intercession is made use of and improven when we are denyed to our own liberty and it is not made the ground of our confident application to God but Christs Intercession onâ—y Again 2. when the Believer is in bonds in some eminent manner so that he cannot pray he scarce hath a word to speak to God he goes it 's true about the duty but he comes not speed his prayer relishes not to himself he is like one speaking but not praying his heart is not warmed neither is there at least to his own apprehension any connexion betwixt his words whereupon he is ready to think that his prayer is as good as no prayer because of that inclination that is in all of us to rest on our own praying without making use of thâ— Intercession of Christ The reasons why in this case we would presse the use-making of his Intercession are these 1. Lâ—aâ—t we faint and grow wear in prayer which cannot but befal us if his Intercession be not made use of 2. Least we loss the estimation of the excellent worth of Christs Intercession which is exceeding derogatory to him that is mighty to save and on whom help is laid and it is especially for such a time and case that he is holden forth for an Intercessour Now there is a twofold improvement of Christs Intercession called for in this case when the Believer is in bonds and cannot so much as sigh but it 's called in question whether it be accepted though yet the man is serious 1. There is an improving of it for obtaining of that which we have been aiming at though we cannot tell our own teal to speak so nor open our cause nor make known our requests to God yet to expect what we have been aiming at and seeking after by vertue of Christs Intercession for as ill set together as our prayer hath been because it is founded upon the Intercession of the Mediator and we expect a hearing on that account alaâ—erly it being his Intercession that makes our prayers acceptable it can make such a poor prayer acceptable also whereupon the Soul rests quiet and expects a hearing on this ground because as was said the prayers of all Saints go up from his Censer and with his Incense and none are cast back that are put up through him and by vertue of his Intercession Hence sometimes looks sometimes thoughts sometimes broken words and groans come up before God are acceptable and get a return The reason is because through the Intercession of the Mediator the prayers of all Saints are acceptable This is even as if a man should credit his able Advocat with the managing of his Cause although he cannot to speak so â—outh-band his own teal nor expresse himself satisfyingly to himself in it Hâ—nce we have these words often John 14. and 16. Whatever ye ask in my name believing ye shall receive and whatever ye ask in my name I will do it that is when ye ground the expectation of your hearing and speed-coming in prayer on me and my mediation when folks because of their short-comings in prayer give over the expectation of a hearing and a return they give over in so far the laying of due weight on his Intercession only ye would remember the terms on which a person is warranted to make use of his Intercession for when we follow not his way in the improving of it we cannot expect to come speed or get good by it 2. A Believer in his bonds would expect a lousing through the vertue of his Intercession And this is another way how we would improve it in this case when we are bound up and to speak so langled that we cannot stir in prayer then we would have an eye to the efficacy of Christs Intercession that is of continual vigour and efficacy even when we are very dead indisposed and lifelesse for the attaining of liberty and liveliness This is indeed to cast a look to him and singly to improve the efficacy of his mediation when we cannot speak on word to work up our selves to a disposition for that work And these two go well together to be improving his Intercession for obtaining what we need for the time present and for the time to come and when we are in bonds to be improving it for liberty and freedom 2dly There is an use-making of Christs Intercession called for both when we aim to obtain any thing and when we have obtained that which we would be at 1. In our aiming to have or obtain we would improve it that our addresses to God may be in his name and our Faith of obtaining may be founded on Christs Intercession and not on our own and that our Faith may be stayed and fixed in expectation of the thing The improving of Christs Intercession in his respect leads us 1. To the right way of prosecuting our suits to God and 2. It quiets and fixâ—s us in expecting of an answer and when this is wanting Christians are either discouraged and know not how to pursue their cause or else they are carnally secure and presumptuous which is very ordinary for either as I have said we are under an anxious fear so that we know not how to go about dutie with any hope of success or else we grow secure and slack and careless in dutie 2ly There is an use-making of Christs Intercession when we have obtained any benefit which keeps the Soul in his common and debt and in acknowledging it self to be his Debtor This makes Christians when they have gotten any thing to be humble and helps them to a sanctified use of
the thing received whereas when this is forgotten though Persons may be seemingly humble when they are praying for a thing in his name yet when they have gotten it they grow carnal and some way wanton and he is forgotten as if the benefit had never come from him But on the other hand when there is an acknowledgement of Christs Intercession when any thing is obtained it keeps as I said the Person humble and holily afraâ—d when it hath gotten as well as when it was seeking and it makes warrie in using and fearful to abuse any benefit received least it be found a wrong and indignity done to Christ and his Intercession 3dly We may instance the improving of Christs Intercession both in a most sad and in a most cheerful condition In reference to both which we should make use of Christs Intercession and it being readily one of these conditions that we are in either a more sad or more cheerful one we would think our selves defective and faulty as to our duty when we suit and conform not our way to our condition 1. If it be a more sad condition whether we be spiritually sad the Soul being heavy and refusing to be comforted or whether we be under a temporal outward diâ—consolat condition there is an use-making of Christs Intercession called for in both For a Believer cannot be in any so disconsolat a condition but he may draw refreshing from this Fountain in reference thereto and when we make not use of his Intercession in each as it occurs either anxiety and discouragement grows or we turn to some unwarrantable and crooked mean or way for an out-gate from such a disconsolat condition Now to make use of and to improve Christs Intercession aright in such a disconsolat condition and case 1. The Soul would gather and compose it self to search and see what is useful in Christs Intercession for it's case seing that sad case cannot be imagined but Christs Intercession is a cordial for it upon which as a solid ground the Soul may be quiet that it cannot miscarry in that for which it is now in so much bitterness seing Christ Jesus hath the managing of it's case and cause Hence it may reason thus although I was unwatchful and this condition came on me unawars and I was surprised with it yet it 's not any surprise to him He was not sleeping though I was he knew what was coming though I knew not therefore this will not hurt nor prejudge my main cause because it comes through his hand 2. There is an improvement of his Intercession in this case when the out-gate though desperat as to us is yet hopeful by vertue thereof and when this is made the only or main ground of our hope to wit That there is a friend at the court of heaven who can order our cause and make such a thing work for our good It puts spirits in us to pray and actively to go about the use of the means whereas when we use not the means or use them without due respect to Christs Intercession the businesse becomes heartlesse hoplesse and desperat 2. If our condition be or seem to be more solacious and cheerful there would be an improving of Christs Intercession least our cheerfulnesse grow carnal which it cannot otherwayes be but when he is acknowledged to be the author of our solace and cheerfulnesse when he is depended upon for the continuance of it and when the praise of it is returned to him it bounds the heart that there is no acceâ—â— to grow carnal in which respect these things wherein others grow carnal such as health strength meat drink apparel commodious dwelling the recovery of themselves of their children or of other neer relations or dear friends from sickness c. Aâ—e thus spiritualâ—zed and made spiritually refreshing to the peopâ—e of God because there is an up taking of them as coming through Christs Intercession and a returning of thanks to him for for them Hence Heb. 13.15 It 's said By him therefore let us offer the sacrifices of praise to God There being the same access to praise in our spiritual cheerfulnesse that there is to pray in our heavinesse and difficulties He that is the ground on which we ought to found our prayers is also the ground on which we ought to buiâ—d our praise And it 's he that puts life in and value upon the one and the other 4ly We may instance it in this case when the Believer is under challenges it 's then a special season to make use of Christs Intercession and to put the Lybel in his hand to answer it which is done by Faith's resting on him as a Priest for the obtaining of an absolution from that charge although we cannot answer it our selves yet expecting an answer through him according to that famous place Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Who will lybel them among other reasons of the interrogation which hath the force of a negation this is one It is Christ who died yea rather who is risen again who is at the right hand of God making intercession for us This furnisheth an Answer to the Charge put in their hand Or when the Believer is under calmnesse and tranquility his Intercession would be improven for there cannot be a sanctified calmnesse without depending on him by vertue of whose Satisâ—action and Procurement we have it and by vertue of whose Intercession it 's continued The Reasoâ—s why we have hinted at these things are 1. To hold out to you the concernment of Christs Intercession for we cannoâ— be in that case but the Believer hath therein to do with it 2. To shew our great obligation to God who hath given us such an Intercâ—ssour for all these cases In this one word there is stored up a treasure of consolation for all cases that a Christian can be in 3. That we may be helped to our duty of improving and making use of him according to the several cases we are or may be in For though his Intercession be mainly to be made use of when we come to pray yet not only then but at other times and in other cases as when we fear any hazard when we need any good thing when we expect it or would be cheerful on the receipt of it and when we are in any difficulty and know not what to do we will find something called for from us in reference to his Offices and to this in particuâ—ar 4. Because this use making of Christs Intercession commends Christ and makes him lovely to us And indeed that which makes Believers think so little of him is in part at least the little improving of â—is Intercession which shâ—uld be made use of in the least things if it were when we need any thing in our thought to look up to God through him and to found the hope of our getting it on this ground be-because there is an Intercessour If this
them to wit Sin therefore to such as he cured he says very often Thy sins be forgiven thee he studied to remove that in most of them he did deal with and so looking on our Lord as taking on our Sins complexly with the cause and as having a right to remove all the effects of Sin evidencing it self in the removing of these Diseases whereof Sin was the cause these words may be thus fulfilled and so they are clear and the Doctrine also We have here no meer exempâ—ary Saviour that hath done no more but confirmed his Doctrine and given us a copy how to do and behave but he hath really and actually born our Sorrows and Griefs and removed our Debt by undergoing the punishment due to us for Sin Observe here 1. That Sin in no Flesh no not in the Elect themselves is without Sorrow and Grief Tribulation and Anguish are knit to it or it hath these following on it or take the Doctrine thus Wherever there is Sin there is the cause of much Sorrow and Grief no more can the native cause be without the effect then Sin can be without Sorrow and Grief it 's the plain assertion of Scripture Rom. 2.8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil which one place putting the four words together says 1. That there is Sorrow most certainly and inseparably on every Soul that hath sinned And 2. That this Sorrow is exceeding great which may also be the reason why this Sorrow is set out in two words in the Text therefore four words are used by the Apostle to express it It 's not our purpose here to dispute whether God in his Justice doth by necessity of Nature punish the Sinner These three things considered will make out the Doctrine which is That there is a necessary connexion betwixt Sâ—n and Sorrow and that this Sorrow must needs be very great 1. If we consider the exceeding unsuitableness of Sin to the holy Law of God and how it is a direct contrariety to that most pure and perfect Law 2. If we consider the perfectly holy Nature of God himself The righteous Lord saith the Pâ—almist Psal 11.7 loveth righteousness and the Prophet Hab. 1.13 says He is of purer eyes then that be can behold evil and he cannot look upon iniquity and though we need noâ— to dispute Gods Soveraignty yet it is clear that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 and he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 and thaâ— there is a greater suitableness in his inflicting Sorrow and Grief on a Sinner that walks contrary to him then there is in shewing him Mercy and there is a greater suitableness in his shewing Mercy to a humbled Sinner that is aiming to walk holily before him 3. If we consider the revealed will of God in the Threatning who hath said the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die we may say there is as they speak in the Schools a hypothetick necessity of grief and sorrow to follow on Sin and that there is a necessary connexion betwixt them and this may very well stand with the Mediator his coming in and interposing to take that Grief and Sorrow from off us and to lay it on himself but it was once ours because of our Sin If it be askâ—d wâ—at Grief and Sorrow this is We said it's very great and there is reason for it for though our act of Sin 1. As to the Subject that Sins Man And 2. As to the act of â—in it self a sinful thought word or deed that is soon gone be finit yet if we consider Sin 1. In respect of the object â—gainst whom the infinite God 2. In respect of the absolute purity of Gods Law a rule that bears ouâ— Gâ—ds Image set down by infinite Wisdom and that may be some way called infinitely pure and Sin as being against this pure rule that infinite Wisdom hath set down And 3. If we consider it in no respect of its nature every sin being of this nature that though it cannot properly wrong the Majesty of God yet as to the intention of the thing and even of the Sinner it wrongs him Sin in these respects may be called infinite and the wrong done to the Majesty of God thereby may be called infinite as these who built Babel their intention in that work breathed forth infinite wrong to God as having a direct tendency to bring them off from dependance on him and so every Sin if it had its will and intent would put God in subordination to it and set it self in his room and therefore Sin in some respect as to the wrong against God is infinite 2. Observe That the real and very great Sorrow that the Sins of the Elect deserved our Lord Jesus did realty and actually bear and suffer as we have exponed the words and confirmed the exposition given of them ye have a clear confirmation of the Doctrine from them 1. Griefs and Sorrows in the plural Number shew intensness of Sorrow and Grief 2. That they are called ours it shews our propriety in them And 3. That it 's said Christ bare them These concur to prove the Doctrine that the same Sorrow which the Sins of the Elect deserved Christ bare It not only says that our Lord bare Sorrows but the same Sorrows that by the Sins of the Elect were due to them and so there was a proportionableness betwixt the Sorrows that he bare and the Sorrows they should have endured he took up the cup of Wrath that was filled for us and that we would have been put to drink and drank it out himself suppose that our Lord had never died as blessed be his Name there is no ground to make the supposiâ—ion the cup of Sâ—rrow that the Elect would have drunken eternally was the same cup that he drank our for them It is true we would distinguish betwixt these things that are essentially due to Sin as the punishment of it and these things that are only accidentally due to it the former Christ bare but not the latter To clear both in a word or two 1. These things essentially due to Sin as necessarly included in the Threatning The day thou eatest thou shalt surely die and in the curse of the Law according to that Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them are Death and the Curse these are essentially the desert of Sin in which respect it was not only necessary that Christ should become Man and â—â—ffer but that he should suffer to death or shâ—uld die and not only so but that he should die the cursed death of the Cross as the Threatning and Curse put together hold out and as to all these things that he underwent and met with before and at his death they were the accomplishment of the Threatning due to us and fulfilled in and by him in our room