says a sinner must dye but what saith Paul He loved me and give himself for me out of love he made his Soul an offering for sin and now who shall condemn by which it appears that the power of his love to work out Salvation is beyond the power of sin to Destroy 2. The love of Christ towards the vessels of Mercy did abound beyond self-self-love The Law is to love our Neighbour as our selves Christ did more When Peter said Master pity thy self he was so great an offence to him that he calls him Satan He pitied Souls to be saved more than his Body and loved their lives even to his own Death And if the Jews had ground to say when he wept over Lazarus behold how he loved him much greater cause is there to say when Christ dyed for sinners behold how he loved them If the sheding of tears was so great a demonstration of his love what was this that he yielded his Blood should be shed 3. It abounds beyond all the wants and weaknesses of Saints It is not exhausted by what he hath done for them or bestowed on them as he hath the Residue of the Spirit so the Residue of Love and Grace even the fullness of it so as he accounted no suffering too great to undergo for them so no good thing too great to give them Heaven a Kingdom the fullness of Joy Holyness Light and Grace is not too much for his love to bestow we cannot have less to make us happy and 't is not more then his love can make us partakers of 2. The love of Christ is an abiding love he loves with an everlasting love here 's a love not to be quench'd with many waters which no floods of either Human or Diabolical or Divine wrath could Drown Having loved his own he loved them to the end John 13.1 that is the finishing of that work he had to do for them in the World and will to the end of his Mediatory work till he hath brought up all the Saints to the measure of the stature of his own fullness and when his love shall have brought him to this glorious end of his work in perfecting all the Saints and presenting them to the Father who shall be all in all and he shall have thus loved them to the end then he shall love them without end The Saints have then ground to comfort themselves with the abiding love of Christ If the World pass away if Riches come to nought c. yet the love of Christ doth not pass away and when there is so constant a hatred from the World and such abiding malice against the followers of Christ in evil men and evil Angels there is an abiding love of Christ to comfort them 3. The love of Christ was once a love fulfilling the Law and now is a love fufilling the Gospel it was once a love fulfilling Precepts and now is a love fulfilling Promises Rom. 13.10 Love is the fulfilling of the Law such was the love of Christ love brought him that was Lord of the Law under the Law and carried him through it even to perfect obedience â—is love made him say it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness and by this there is Reconciliation and Peace with God and as it was once the fulfilling of the Law so now of the Gospel All the Promises are yea and Amen in Christ's love When Saints are unworthy of the good of the Promises the love of Christ will bestow it on them There are Promises of not remembring sin of giving Grace and Glory and every good thing of putting the Law in the mind of turning all to good of saving out of all troubles and love will fullfil them all the Gospel is the Testament and Will of Christ and there must be the Death of the Testator that the Will may be of force Now here we may take notice of this truth Christ dyed that his will may be of force and lives again to the Executor of his own will and his love is the fulfilling of it hence Christ promiseth to his Disciples I will not leave you Orphans I will come to you John 14.18 Christ being dead they were Orphans c. but happy were it for many poor Orphans if their Fatheâ—s could come again and set all things right and see that every Child should have his portion now although this cannot be yet it was so with Christ He arose from Death and will be the Executor of his own Will and hence he is called the everlasting Father having a Fatherly love and regard to all the Saints which is everlasting and which will perfect that which concerns them Saints are the travel of Christ's Soul and he must see the travel of his Soul Isa 53.11 Rachel said give me Children or else I dye Christ said let me dye that so I may have Children Rachel dyed in travel and did not live to see of her travel Christ dyed in his travel with the vessels of Mercy and lives again to see of the travel of his Soul Every Saint at first was a Benoni a Son of Christ's sorrow in that he dyed in bringing them forth but afterwards a Benjamin a Son of his right hand he being alive for ever more and is ever seeing them to his satisfaction and they shall see him for ever to their satisfaction and living again he will see that they be partakers of that Grace and Glory that he bequeathed to them 4. The Love of Christ is such that when it finds not its Object lovely it can and doth make it lovely Christ found Mary Magdalen a sinful Woman and so not lovely but made her lovely in converting her Paul was an Enemy to Christ but he converted him his love made him lovely it made him a Believer a Saint a faithful Servant unto him This is set forth in Ezek. 16. Thou wast polluted in thy Blood I passed by thee and thy time was the time of love and love made them lovely I spread my skirts over thee I washed and clothed thee and decked thee with ornaments and thy beauty and renown was perfect through my comeliness put upon thee If we have cause to say as Isaiah wo is me a man of unclean lips If we abhor our selves and repent we may take comfort in this Christ doth not abhor but his love doth make us lovely 5. The love of Christ turns all evil things to good life death things present things to come all are yours the love of Christ makes them so and gives an advantagious and profitable propriety in them and makes even Reproaches for Christ's sake Riches and better then the Treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.26 Riches are things of worth so are Reproaches for Christ The Apostles rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ And better then Riches 1. In that God doth not esteem any man's wealth nor him for his wealth's sake will he esteem thy wealth Job 36.19
by the blood of Christ and by the word that is of promise of free Justification by Christ and Sanctification to be received by Faith This is more plainly exprest Heb. 13.12 Jesus also that he might sanctify the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate Here is Love indeed Christ passing by and seeing us weltring in Blood cast out to the loathing our Persons having no loveliness nothing but Spots from the Crown of the Head c. and our defeâ—t being to be cast into Hell then Christ gave himself to redeem us by his own Blood to sanctify us by his Blood Thus you see here is a Mystery of Infinite Love of Divine Grace God herein appears to be rich in Mercy and that great Love wherewith he loved us Eph. 2.4 is made manifest 3. Herein is a Mystery of Vertue There is an Infinite Vertue in the Blood of Christ which in general is set forth by the Apostle 1 John 1.7 The Blood of Christ cleanseth from all Sin particularly there is a Vertue going upward expiating guilt and a Vertue going downwards taking away the guilt with the Power and Pollution of Sin out of our Nature 1. There is a Vertue going upward to the Father taking away the Guilt of Sin Quest. How could there be such an Infinite Power in the Blood of Christ Answ Because it was the Blood of him that was God the infiniteness and worth of the Person did derive an infinite worth and value to the Blood of Christ thereby his Blood became an infinite price proportionable to the guilt of Sin which was Infinite As Sin becomes of Infinite guilt from the infiniteness of the Object against whom it is committed so Sin is an Infinite Evil because committed against God an Infinite Good on the otherside satisfaction for an Offence hath its efficacy and worth from the dignity of the Person satisfying so satisfaction made by Christ the price of his Blood becomes of infinite value adequate to the guilt of Sin because the Person whose Blood was shed was Infinite You see how the Blood of Christ hath such an Infinite Vertue For the proof of it that there is such a Vertue see it Zach. 9.11 By the Blood of the Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners that is by the Blood of Christ who is called the Covenant Isa 42.6 that is as the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 as the following words a Light to the People seems to confirm from the Pit wherein is no water that is I have redeemed from under the Babylonish Captivity which was a Type of Spiritual Redemption and deliverance from that cursed estate a man is in by Sin Now how is this but by satisfying the Justice of God paying the price of Redemption unto God by whom a Sinner was cast into Prison Luk. 22.20 This Cup that is the Wine in this Cup is the New Testament or New Covenant that is a Seal of the Covenant in my Blood that is which is established in my Blood because thereby is the Remission of Sins and so a Person comes to have part in that Covenant In this see the Vertue of the Blood of Christ. In the Covenant lies all a Christians Happiness therein God is engaged to be his God not to remember Sin any more but to be his God All sufficient Now this is a Covenant in Blood that is that is established and confirmed in the Blood of Christ the Blood of Christ that satisfied Justice therein was a repairing of all that Injury which was done to God by the Sins of the Faithful so Justice hath nothing to plead against them and the Riches of Grace which are contained in the New Covenant are revealed to them and of right do belong to them So they come to lay claim to the Love of God and to that Eternal Inheritance prepared by Christ The Vertue of Christ's Blood as looking upwards is double 1. Satisfying Justice 2. Purchasing and Meriting Everlasting Life There is Redemption from Misery and the Purchasing an Inheritance both these are called Redemption Eph. 1.1 In whom we have Redemption that is the forgiveness of Sins ver 14. until the Redemption that is buying again and putting into actual Possession of that Inheritance The Blood of Christ redeems out of Misery inflicted by reason of Sin and redeems the Inheritance of Eternal Life which was lost by Sin Heb. 10.19 We have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus that is by the Blood of Jesus the way to Heaven is opened for us 2. There is a Vertue going downwards taking away the Power and Pollution of Sin out of the Nature and the Guilt out of the Conscience 1. The Guilt of Sin out of the Conscience God Condemns a Sinner the Law condemns and so his own Conscience when convinced of Sin condemns also Now by the Blood of Christ God and the Law are satisfied and so a Sinner is acquitted in his own Conscience he is freed from a eondemning Heart 1 Joh. 3.21 If our Heart condemns us not c. 'T is the Application of the Blood of Christ that frees from this condemning Heart Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart c. having our Hearts sprinkled from an Evil Conscience that is with the blood of Christ an Evil Conscience is an Accusing Conscience The sprinkling of the Blood of Christ that is a fiducial Application of it to a Convicted Conscience acquits it from all Accusations Horrors Fears c. 2. The Power and Pollution of Sin Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Which as it notes the purging of the Conscience in regard of the guilt of dead works that is dead Services dead Duties performed by Men dead in Sin so also it implies a purging of the Heart from the power of Sin as appears by that which follows to serve the Living God From the Blood of Christ applied to the Conscience a Vertue goes forth to the abating of the strength of Corruption and enabling it to serve the living God This see farther Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein That is by Vertue of Christ's Death having therein a Fellowship with him the strength of Corruption comes to be abated ver 6. Our old Man is crucified with Christ c. Quest How is it that there is such a Vertue in Christ's Death and comes to be conveyed to us Answ 1. The proper and principal cause to which this work of mortification of Sin is attributed is the Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit c. and ver 2. The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free c. That is the power and efficatious operation of the Spirit in me c. 2. The formal cause is our union with Christ and planting into him For hereby the Spirit of Christ the Righteousness Grace Merit Life of Christ
suffer Death for them the Spirit works to will and to do to consent to be saved by Christ to take Christ for Saviour and Lord and to believe in him as the Author of and to follow him as the Câ—â—tain of Salvation 2. There 's a most glorious manifestation of God in this work All God's works are God's manifestations they are his visible appearances and out-goings The Creation was the first manifestation of God The Heavens declare his Glory and ths Firmament shew his handy work Psa 19 1. Rom. 1. His eternal Power and Godhead is seen by the things that are made as 't is said of Christ Joh. 2.11 This beginning of Miracles he did and manifested forth his Glory The most glorious manifestation of God is in Christ the Word being made Flesh the fulness of the Godhead in him being made Flesh made Lord and King He has Love Power and Wisdom to set up his Kingdom and to make his Enemies his Foot-stool This is the greatness of Gods works Godman being made by this work that is the Union of God and Man in one Person the effect of this work The second Glorious Manifestation next to this is in saving Sinners by Christ He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that bâ—lieve A Manifestation of Power exceeding greatness of Power As great a work to save a Sinner as to raise Christ from the dead Of Wisdom in finding out a way to save Sinners so as that Justice might be satisfied and love be abundantly discovered an infinite Satisfaction an infinite Obedience and an infinite price to be paid Where should such be found Men were not able to give it Angels could not bring it The Son of God became Man and Mediator an infinite Person undertakes to lay â—down his Life and to yield Obedience and so an infinite Price is paid and infinite Obedience is yielded c. Here the Wisdom of God is most clearly seen And Lastly Here 's a most glorious discovery of Mercy and Grace he makes known the Riches of his Grace on the Vessels of Mercy When Sinners aâ—e Enemies and nothing lovely God loves the Elect so as to give Christ to taste Death for them and Christ loves not his Life to Death He that was in the form of God humbles himself and puts himself into the miserable condition of Sinners that he might translate them into his own Glorious Estate whom he will make like to himself and partakers with him of the Divine Nature and of all his Glorious Priviledges 3. This Glorious manifestation of God in the Soul cannot but work fear and trembling in it Fear will be the effect of the discoveries of God to the Creature There is so much Majesty Glory and Greatness in it that will awe the Heart of the Creature When God appears in the Glory of his Justice and Almighty Power Then the wicked shall fear The Kings and Captains c. shall cry to the Mountains to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. And the discovery of the infinite goodness of God will work fear in the Hearts of the Saints they shall fear the Lord and his Goodness because his goodness is the goodness of God that is infinite and exceeding great goodness to sinful nothing Creatures The apprehension of this should work fear Hos 3.5 Section 12. Now this fear consists 1. In admiration of this Glory reveal'd Such Wisdom and Grace that if it be apprehended will raise the Soul in holy admiration of God David said he was fearfully and wonderfully made Psa 139.14 In respect of the excellent frame of the Body such variety of parts and so fitly composed therein may be seen so much of the Wisdom and Power of God as may make the Heart wonder and fear that God that made him so Persons that are sav'd are fearfully and wonderfully sav'd if it be reveal'd in the Soul how this work is undertaken and carried by the Trinity The Father loving from Eternity Christ dying in the fulness of time and the Spirit living and acting in the Soul making it his own Habitation Sinners become the Apple of God's Eye precious c. Christ's Members Joynt Heirs with Christ Sinners having access to God and are partakers of the Divine Nature What a fearful and wonderful thing is this So much favour shewn by God to a Sinner when there is so vast a disproportion betwixt him and God may well beget admiration When Saul said he would give David his Daughter to Wife 1 Sam. 18.18 He replys What am I What is my Life or my Father's Family in Israel that I should be Son in Law to the King The apprehension of the great disproportion betwixt him and Saul was the cause of his so much admiring at the favour that was shewn him so there is the greatest disproportion betwixt God and Sinners As Men and as Sinners As Men they are not so much as a drop to the Ocean And as Sinners as great as is between Light and Darkness c. That such Creatures should be comprehended in love and brought near to God c. What am I and what is my Life that I should be brought hitherto Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear this great and dreadful name the Lord thy God God that is Infinite Thy God that art a poor and inconsiderable Creature God that is so holy thy God that art so unholy God that is Just and will not clear the Guilty thy God that hasâ— so much abounded with Sin clearing thee of Guilt that hast so much abounded with Guilt This Name This is dreadful this is a wonderful and dreadful Manifestation of God As the Psalmist says They that know thy Name they will put their trust in thee So they that know this Name The Lord thy God will fear and tremble They cannot but admire at such Infinite Grace when the Son of God was made Man the Word made Flesh and Crown'd c. This was a dreadful Manifestation of God! There 's cause to admire at the Grace that was shewn to the humane Nature of Christ whence as the Apostle says Heb. 2.6 One testifies What is Man that thou art mindful of him c. Thou Crownest him with Glory and Honour And Christ himself is said to fear as Man So as Man he is most deeply sensible of and affected with the Grace shewn to the humane nature So a Believer may say What am I that God should be so mindful of me That he should visit me with Salvation-love That I that am the lowest and worst of Creatures fit for Hell and to be a Companion for Devils should be Co-Heir with Christ and partaker with him of all his Glory 2. In Humility The discovery of such Grace and Goodness will bring down high Imaginations and beget lowliness of Mind it will convince the Creature of its own emptiness and nothingness This hath been the effect of the appearance of God both to Men and Angels Isa 6.2 The
grace offered unto them they out of hardnesâ— and unbelief in refusing are made the more inexcusable their Mouths are stopped not only by the Law but the Gospel and the Justice of God is more glorified in their Condemnation This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World c. Objeâ—tion Why is unbelief and not laying hold on Grace charged on Men as their Sin if they have not free will and power of themselves to consent to the taking of Christ Answer Unbelief is never the less sin for that a Man hath not power to believe As transgressing the Law is never less sin because a Man hath not power to keep the Law because Man had once power given him 't was given him in Adam and lost in Adam who was the Head of all Men and representatively every Man There is the more of Divine Grace seen in giving Faith to any and nevertheless of sin in any to refuse it As 't is Man's sin that he doth not believe so 't is Man's sin that he cannot believe Sin caused the Impotency and Impossibility of believing so Impotency and Impossibility doth not make unbelief no sin Sect. 20. Use 1. Of Instruction God works to will and to do the will of the Creature is determined by God to this or that to will good to consent to embrace Christ and things that please him Now if the will of the Creature be determined by God Then 1. The will of God is not determined by the Creatures God works in a Creature a will and consent to be saved by Christ so the Creatures willing and embracing Salvation doth not work a will in God to save him as the Apostle says We love God because he first loved us 1. Joh. 4.10 The love of the Creature is not the cause of the love in God but the love of God is the cause of love in the Creature so Man wills because God wills and works to will God doth not so will the Salvation of Man because Man wills it There 's an Opinion abroad that advances the Creature and the power of Nature to embrace good offer'd and that makes the will of God in relation to Salvation wholy dependent on the will of Man and determin'd by it They say God wills Salvation to all alike and is not determined to this or that Man but by the right use of free will This day if Man's will consents to take Christ c. then God wills his Salvation To morrow if he be off from willing what he did before then God is off from willing his Salvation And thus God's will is not the first mover and cause of things but Man's will This is overthrown by this Text God determines the will of Man Iâ— it be determined by God to will the embracing of Christ this is of God God works Man to will so Man doth not work God to will because God wills it he makes the Creature to will it For further clearing it Consider Consid 1. God wills the Salvation of some but not of all the Gospel says 1 Tim. 2.4 God will have all to be saved But this is meant of some of all sorts not of all of all sorts and God wills it that is calls on all Men to receive the knowledge of the Truth invites all to come to Christ so he wills it with his offering will but not with his ordaining will That thus appears Esau was a Person God never did will to save For before they had done either good or evil that the purpose of God might stand God said the Elder shall serve the Younger Jacob have I chosen Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 There is Election of God What is that A chusing of one that implies a passing by of another If there be any such thing as Election from Eternity which the Scripture so often speaks off then God doth not will the Salvation of all Consideration 2. The will and decree of God in relation to Man's Salvation is absolute and peremptory 1. In respect of any cause without God no foresight of Faith or of what the Creature will do if it be placed in such a condition and Grace be offered to it Rom. 9.5 He saith to Moses I will shew Mercy to whom I will shew Mercy 'T is not of him that willeth but of God that sheweth Mercy Man's will is not the cause of God's will to shew Mercy 2. Absolute without alteration the foundation of the Lord standeth sure c. 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 8.30 Whom he predâ—stinated them he called and whom he â—alled them he justified c. The immutability of his Councel c. Heb. 6 18. Consid 3. Christ was given to dye for such as are ordain'd to life It 's true as in Adam all dye so in Christ all are made alive Rom. 5. It doth not follow that Christ died for every Man Hence if any will conclude that Christ died for every Man it may be as well concluded that every Man shall be actually saved but that 's clear against Scripture For 1. Christ shall save all that he died for For this is the will of him that sent me of all that he hath given me I should not loose nothing but raise it up at the last day Joh. 6.39 But all are not saved so Christ died not for all 2 Christ did not pray for all so did not die for all Joh. 17.9 19. For their sake I sanctify my self that is sacrifice my self For whose sake For the Men thou hast given me out of the World verse 6. Consid 4. God in due time works in their Hearts a consent and will to take Christ for a Saviour whom he did will to save by Christ As many as were ordain'd to Eternal Life believed Act. 13.48 God was willing to shew to the Heirs of Salvation c. Heb. 6.18 God makes Heirs of Salvation his will to save them makes them Heirs And God shews to them his will and counsel and the immutability of it and then God makes willing None can come except the Father draws and it follows they shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 All are drawn and made willing that are ordained to Eternal Life So that God's will is the cause of the Creatures will and not the Creatures the cause of God's God's free will is the cause of Salvation and not Man's free will Use 2. Of Consolation To such as do will to be saved by Christ and to take him as he is offered in the Gospel herein you may see a saving work of God on their Souls or God in their Hearts working them to will 1. If your will he to embrace Christ and close in fully with the Gospel Promises then you may reâ—d the will of God to save you the will of God in giving Christ for you this is an evidence of God's will for good God by this writes a Book of Life in your Hearts in which you may read your Names read the Eteâ—nal