sincere desire and shall be the earnest Prayer of June 11th 1696. Your Grace's most humble Servant and Oratour Samuel Tomlyns Several SERMONS ON Jer. XXIII 6. In his Days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness IN the Fifth Verse of this Chapter we have a Prophecy and Promise of Christ God saith That he would raise up to David a Righteous Branch David had too many corrupt Children and degenerate Plants that did turn off from and walk contrary to his Piety but the Lord would raise up to David a Plant of Renown a Righteous Branch Of this Branch it is said That he should Reign and Prosper his Dominions should neither have Bounds or End his Kingdom should neither be kept down or beaten down in the World he should execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth Psal 2.4 He should rescue the Elect from bondage and slavery and break Satan the great Oppressor in Peices and destroy those that obstinately adhere to him 2ly He should do God right and execute his Law by writing it in the Hearts of Men by his Spirit The Law requires Love to be rendred to God and our Neighbour but our flesh is repugnant to both Self-Love eats us up and devours both what is due to God and what belongs to our Neighbour The Law makes its demand it calls for the Love we owe God and our Fellow-Creature but is still contradicted till Christ renews our Nature and kindles in us both fervent Love to God and sincere Love to our Neighbour Even thus the Messiah born after Moses and so may be said to be his Younger Brother raises up Seed to him directs mens Hearts into the Love of God and inflames their Souls to the Love of their Neighbour In the words of the Text we have another Promise concerning the sweet Effects and blessed Fruits of Christ's Kingdom In his Days Judah should be saved and Israel dwell safely Christ's Kingdom is for the salvation of men In Zech. 9.9 it is said Rejoice thou Daughter of Sion thy King comes But in Is 62.11 it is said Behold thy Salvation comes Christ is a saving King to enslaved and perishing sinners In the Text we may observe these several parts 1. Here is a great Benefit promised and that is salvation Judah shall be saved Mal. 2.3 2. We have the perfection and continuance of this salvation Israel shall dwell safely Rom. 16.20 Spiritual Enemies shall be so subdued trodden under foot and destroyed that they shall never recover and lift up themselves to enslave and oppress the people of God The uncircumcised and unclean shall no more as Conquerours pass through the Church of God Is 52.1 Her Walls shall be called Salvation and her Gates Praise Is 60.18 Saved and Redeemed Saints may serve without Fear Luke 1.74 75. They shall not be cast out by Christ John 6.37 They shall not by Satan or sinners be plucked out of Christ's hands John 10.27 28. They shall not by the mutability of their own Wills depart from God Jer. 32.40 So they have no ground to dread that Christ will divorce them that sin shall enslave them and that Satan shall ensnare and devour them 3. We have the Persons to whom this Promise is made Judah and Israel But doth the Sun of Righteousness shine only on Canaan Is the Salvation of the Messiah restrained to One Nation No Christ is the Saviour of the World John 4.42 We read of a common Faith Acts 1.9 and a common Salvation Jude v. 3. The Hedg is pluckt up Luke 14.23 The Wall of Partition is broken down Eph. 6.14 The Old Enclosures are thrown open and Christ is God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isa 49.6 But why then is Judah and Israel mentioned Answ 1. They were the Ancient and for some time the only people of God They were then in being to receive and embrace the Promises God did know esteem love deal better with them than with other Nations Amos 3.1 Psal 147. and the two last Verses 2. They were as it were the Representatives of and the Trustees for the Church Universal the Oracles of God were committed to them Rom. 3.2 the Covenant was made with them the Promises of God were given to them Rom. 9.4 3. Believers of the Gentiles are now grafted into this stock of the Jewish Church they are planted among the Natural Branches partakers of the Olive and its fatness c. Rom. 17.24 they are Fellow-Heirs of the same Body and Partakers of God's Promise in Christ Jesus Eph. 3.6 and this is both the meaning and the fulfilling of that Scripture Ezek. 47.22 You shall divide the Land by Lot for an Inheritance unto you and the Strangers that sojourn among you and that shall beget Children among you and they shall be unto you as born in the Country among the Children of Israel they shall have Inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel Canaan was not only a Type of the Eternal Inheritance but also a Shadow of a Spiritual Canaan of the Church of God and its Priviledges To sojourn among the Tribes of Israel seemeth to be the same as to be grafted in among the Branches and to have an Inheritance among the Tribes of Israel may well be expounded by the Gentiles being made Partakers of the Olive and its Fatness and that Provision that is made for the Children that Strangers should beget that they should have an Inheritance among the Tribes of Israel seemeth to me to point out the Church-Membership of the Children of the Gentiles and that they shall be put into the same Place and enjoy the same Priviledges that the Children of the Israelites had This sense seemeth at least very probable We never find that material Canaan was divided among the Israelites and Strangers and as this was not practised for the time past so it seems not possible or practicable for the time to come that the Gentiles should have a share in such a narrow and short Land as Canaan is and possess it together with the Jews 4. The Believing Gentiles are now the Israel of God and Spiritual Jews Gal. 6.16 Rom. 2.29 As there is a Spiritual Altar Temple Circumcision Spiritual Sacrifices so there is a Spiritual Israel and Judah True Believers are Israel for they wrestle with God to obtain an eternal Blessing Gen. 12.2 and they are Spiritual udah as they praise God for the obtaining of an everlasting Salvation c. Rev. 12.11 4thly We have the time when these Promises shall be most eminently perform'd and that in the Days of Christ in his Days Judah shall be saved 5thly We have an honourable and glorious Name given to and put on the Messiah this is the Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness There is something extraordinary imported and signified by this Name that Jehovah that requireth Righteousness of us should himself become Righteousness to
brings forth evil things Jer. 6.7 Matth. 12.35 All Mens doings is to undo themselves 3. Sinners owe God glory to be raised out of their shame and misery Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 Men by transgressing rob God of his Authority and Honour and are bound to make Restitution to him and God as a Righteous Judge owes Punishment unto them God is a Debter to his Threatning and Justice to take Vengeance on Transgressors therefore it is said He will repay Fury to his Adversaries Isa 59.18 He will render Anger to his Enemies Isa 66.15 God will not always forbear Sinners or be in Debt to them The Wages of sin is Death Rom. 6. last and it becomes the Just Judge of the World to pay the Servants of Sin their Wages Impiety shall not be joined with Impunity God will distribute a Portion of Sorrows and divide an inheritance of Torments and Misery to Satan's Children Job 31.23 God will be glorified in their everlasting shame Ezek. 28.22 Dan. 12.2 4. Sinners are in God's Prison they are in Satan's share they are under the curse of the Law 1. They are in God's Prison There would be no need for Christ to Preach the opening of the Prison to them that are bound Isa 61.1 if Men were not in God's Prison there were no need to call them forth into Liberty Isa 49.9 if they were not in Bondage There is an outer Prison of God from which Men may be brought Isa 42.7 but there is an inner Prison a deep Dungeon from whence there is no Redemption Though Transgressors now think themselves to have liberty and walk at large yet God's Eye is still over them the Chains of Guilt bind their Consciences They are Condemned Men both by the Law for their Disobedience and by the Gospel for their Unbelief God's Hand hath fast hold of them their Iniquities are before God's Eyes to provoke him to abhor them they clamour loud in his Ears to pluck down his Vengeance on them their Crimes are both Alledgers and Witnesses against them they cannot fly or escape from God If they run to the ends of the Earth they go but to the sides of their Prison The Jews were in danger of Death in all the Provinces of Abasuerus his Empire by virtue of the Edict given forth against them yet it was possible for them to Travel out of Ahasuerus's Empire where his Law would not reach them But Sinners cannot get out of the Bounds of God's Empire the whole World is his Dominion Psal 103. last If Men stay in God's Prison they shall be certainly brought forth to be condemned and executed in the Day of Wrath Job 21.30 2. Sinners are in Satan's Snare 2 Tim. 2. last every sweet beloved reigning sin is the Snare of the infernal Fowler of this cruel Hunter Wo be to those that continue in this Snare There is a time when a Snare is taken up as the Expression is Amos 3.5 Satan will visit his Snares and take the Prey catched in them into Hell In this Den the roaring Lion will devour what he hath taken in his Snare 3. Sinners are under the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 We needed not Christ to Redeem us from the curse of the Law if we were not under it and the curse of the Law is the curse of the Law-giver This is dreadful for God's Anger to be so kindled for his Spirit to be so imbittered as to curse his own Creature God that wisheth evil to and designs evil against his Creatures is able to execute his own Curse his Curse is not a causeless but a righteous Curse It is the Curse of him that is Omniscient that knows what Mens Offences are and where the Offenders are It is the Curse of him that fills Heaven and Earth there is no flying from him It is the Curse of him that is wise in Heart and therefore can devise the most dreadful Evils and that is mighty in strength Job 1.4 and therefore can execute them God lives for ever to execute this Curse to pour wrath into and blow eternal Flames over the Soul The meaning and dreadful effects of this Curse is expounded by Christ Matth. 25.41 Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Men curse when they are weak and not able to punish us when David was weak and the Sons of Zerviah were too hard for him 1 Sam. 3.39 and so he could not punish Joah and Abishai for the Murder of Abner yet he curseth them 1 Sam. 3.28 29. But God that curseth not without a cause hath an Almighty Arm to execute his own Curse 5. There is a black dismal Storm that hangs over the Heads of Sinners in the Clouds of God's Threatnings Psal 11.6 On the Wicked the Lord will rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an Horrible Tempest this shall be the Portion of their Cup. They that drink in Iniquity now Job 5.16 shall drink in Wrath at last Joh 21.20 Sinners shall not be able to fly from this Storm God will rain Snares to take hold of them and to hold them fast God's Ax is at the Root of Sinners Matth. 3.10 his Arrows are levell'd at their Hearts all the Sufferings they feel now are but the first-fruits of Wo earnest of a more grievous Vengeance Harbingers and Forerunners of an Everlasting Destruction It is terrible when the Sins of Men are yet with them Isa 59.12 when the Breach is open to let in a Deluge of Misery on them and the Sentence of Death stands in full force against them O should not this affect and affright the Souls of Sinners that God is ready to arrest them and tear them in pieces to set them up as his Mark to pierce their Hearts and cleave their Reins with his Arrows and to consume them with the Fire of his Anger Though Gods Judgments are now far above out of their sight Psal 10.5 yet the Wicked shall see their Destruction Job 21.20 6. Christ will come to execute the Vengeance that the Law denounces and that Christ threatens 2 Thes 1.8.9 He that came at first with Beams of Love will come a second time in Flames of Wrath to avenge the Quarrel of despised Grace and of abused Mercy Then Sinners shall feel the truth of God's Threatnings that there will be a Day of Vengenance Isa 63.5 a Day of Wrath Rom. 2.5 a Day of Destruction Job 21.30 Though Christ will appear for Salvation to those that look for him yet he will also be revealed to remember and punish those that forget God Psal 50.22 to burn Adulterous Souls and to destroy Obstinate and impenitent Rebels 7. You can have no true solid or lasting joy except you partake of this Salvation Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation This Prayer of David is observable it was not his Palace his Crown or his Throne that would afford Joy when God's Heart did burn with wrath and his Face was clouded with Anger He
is Ascended to Heaven sits at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for us that we may see and share with him in his Glory and be with him for ever John 17.24 The Apostle Paul hath as it were pointed at all the Rongs of this Spiritual Ladder and shews us it is compleat Rom. 8.33 34. Though Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us for our Sins as he did Joshua for his Filthy Garments Zech. 3.3 yet Jesus Christ is at God's Right Hand to Plead and Interceed for us Our Sins Cry and Satan Accuses but the Blood of Jesus the Mediator Speaks for us Heb. 12.24 God that is infinitely Wise Holy and Just saw our need of this Ladder else he would not have provided it by the wonderful abasement and grievous Sufferings of his Son we cannot get up to Heaven by our own Righteousness Many of the Elect continue several years in an Unconverted Estate all these years are lost and so the Ladder is too short to reach Heaven their Righteousness doth not begin soon and early enough when they are Converted there are many stops and Interruptions of their Obedience The Ladder when it is begun it is much broken many Rongs or Rounds of the Ladder are wanting Who can possibly climb or ascend up to a high place where there are many Rongs or Rounds of a Ladder broken This will put a stop to them much more are we then unable to Ascend to a Heavenly Habitation and Glory by the Ladder of a broken Righteousness and by Duties or Works so interrupted blemished and Defective 10. We do not purchase a Heavenly Kingdom or Inheritance by our Works of Righteousness but we as Heires possess it by the Testament and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.15 We are Heires not by our Doing but by Christ's Dying Job complaines that God made him to possess the Iniquites of his Youth Broughton Renders the Hebrew word Thou makest me to Heir the Iniquities of my Youth Job puts this Construction on all his Afflictions and Sufferings that God made him in them to Heir the fruits of all his youthful sins If God should deal with us according to our deservings by bitter and sharp Afflictions we might Heir the Sins of Youth and riper years and not only Heir them in Temporal Evils but in Eternal Punishments How much therefore do we need to be made Heires of Glory by Christ's Testament This is very observable that Isaac the Son of the Free-woman a Type of the Children of the Covenant of Grace is declared Heir while he was but an Infant and had done no Works of Obedience or Service to oblige Abraham his Father Gen. 21.8.10 Sarah speakes of Isaac as the Heir yea the Sole Heir of Abraham while he was but an Infant and Hagar and Ismael after many years service were turned out and cast off and that with a very poor pittance a little Bread and a Bottle of Water Gen. 21.10 14. Hagar and Ismael were utterly cut off from any hope of Enjoying Abraham's Rich Estate So many that do live Civilly Morally and add some Tincture and Sprinkling of Religion will yet come short of Heaven for as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse Gal. 3.10 That is those that mainly cleave to and Build on the Works of the Law for Justification are under the Curse by reason of the defects that are in their Works Rom. 9.30 31 32. Israel that followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 1. They sought it by Works that had but the shadow shew and appearance of Works but were not Solid and Substantial Isa 1.13 Bring no more vain oblations or empty Sacrifices that had only bodily service but there was no Spiritual Worship in them no Faith in the Messiah to come no Mortification of the Old Man did attend them Revel 3.1.3 Thou hast a name to live but I have not found thy Works perfect before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were not filled up with Spiritual Worship and gracious acts of the Soul they were Specious and Glorious before Men but vile and Contemptible before God they might be Pretious as to the Matter of them but were vile and base as to the Form of them as the Present and Offering that the Philistines made to the God of Israel even Golden Mice They were Pretious as to the Matter of them being of Gold but contemptible as to the Form of them for they were but Mice Sam. 1.6.4 So the acts of Natural men may be good as to the matter of them as Praying doing Justly with all yet may be vile as to the Form of them because all doth flow from a Mercenary Spirit and is designed for their own Honour and applause or 2. Men may be said as the Jews to seek Justification as it were by the Works of the Law because though they may Complement God and pretend they are beholding to God's Grace for what they are and do as the Pharisee said God I thank thee that I am not as other men Luke 18.11 yet they put the greatest weight and stress upon their own Works and Righteousness for their Justification before God So the Pharisee did make an Inventory of his Spiritual Riches and drew up a Catalogue of his Good Works I am no Extortioner not Unjust or an Adulterer or as this Publican I Fast twice a week I give Tithes of all that I Possess This was the Foundation that he did build upon for his acceptance before God this was his plea at his Bar and Tribunal so that indeed they seek Justification as it were by the Works of the Law they give little to Grace and most to Works these are the Foundation of their Confidence and carry the main stroke with them but Christ Teacheth us other things he tells us that when we have done all that is commanded us we should say we are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 There is a double sense that may be given of this Phrase 1. We are unprofitable servants that is to our selves we have laid no obligation on God we have earned no wages no reward from him 2. We are unprofitable servants that is if God would deal with us according to the defects and Sin that cleaves to our best services he might deal with us as with unprofitable servants Math. 25.30 Cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore Men must not trust to their own best Works for the obtaining of the Heavenly Inheritance God doth freely give the Kingdom to his Children Fear not little Flock it is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 And Jesus Christ doth freely bequeath it Luke 22.28 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I bequeath to you a
mortifies our Lusts writes his Laws in our Hearts but these things relate to our Sanctification not to our Justification Christ as Priest only hath a proper influence on our Justification as such he was made under the Command and endured the Curse of the Law The taking of Christ for our Lord the choosing and accepting of him as our King is the root spring and begining of our new Obedience Our very Subjection to Christ is an imperfect and a defective act of Obedience we do not fully Submit to Christ There is a Negative vote there is a Rebellious party there is a Law of Sin in our Flesh And can we look on a weak imperfect act of our Obedience as giving us right and title to the perfect Obedience and compleat Righteousness of Christ Choosing and taking Christ for King is certainly a work of ours and if we are Justified by it as a condition Are we not Justified by a Work of our own Is not this to bring in our Works in the root and principle of them into Justification And must we not beware that though we have Works in our Superstructure yet we have them not in our Foundation 3. Some set up that which they call an Evangelical Righteousness of our own consisting in the fulfilling the conditions of the new Law or Covenant and that it is this that entitles us to the Righteousness of Christ which they call our Legal Righteousness Our Brethren I hope do not mean that our own Evangelical Righteousness is our immediate Righteousness and the Righteousness of Christ our remote Righteousness Surely Christ's Righteousness is our immediate only perfect Righteousness for Justification By a new Law I hope they do not mean a Law that requires less duty than the Moral Law or makes those imperfactions to be no Sins that the Moral Law doth condemn as Transgressions All our new Obedience cannot be any proper condition of the Covenant because the performance of it is the Fruit of God's performing his promise to us Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit into them and cause them to walk in my Statutes and to keep my Judgements and Commandments Our Obedience is defective and imperfect And can this be the condition of our Title to Christ's Righteousness Persons must beware that they do not Legalize the Covenant of Grace yea set up an easier Covenant of works 2. Vse If Jehovah be our Righteousness then we may be informed of three things 1. Of the wonderful wisdom 2. Of the exact Righteousness 3. Of the admirable Grace of God 1. We may learn the wonderful wisdom of God that he hath Reconciled two things that seemed contrary and utterly inconsistent That the Just should be Condemned and the Wicked Justified Prov. 17.15 yet both these God hath accomplished without any stain to his Holiness reflexion on or reproach to his Justice Jesus Christ that knew no sin yet was made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that Just one died for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 What was more remote from the thoughts and hid from the minds of Natural Men than that the Son of God should stoop from Heaven to Earth be not only clothed with our Flesh but also be burthened with our Sins and the weight of our Curse That he should come under our Iniquities that we might come into his Righteousness The very finding out a Surety and the constituting of a Mediator is a deep design of Infinite Wisdom That another should expiate our sins and pay a Ransom for our Souls 2. We may be informed of the exact Righteousness and inexorable Justice of God How just is God that he would not be appeased without an Atoning Sacrifice that he would not dismiss Prisoners or release Captives without a Ransom or Justifie without an Obedience Rom. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.19 The Debt must be exacted of Christ the Storm must fall the Curse must be executed on him else he could not be our Righteousness Christ was set forth for a Propitiation that God might be just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. God's Sword did awake against Christ else it could never have been laid asleep towards us Zech. 13.7 Our Sins were laid on Christ our Iniquities took hold of him our Reproaches whereby we reproached God did fall on Christ Rom. 15.3 he could not be spared the Cup could not pass from him God could not release or exempt his own Son from Sufferings The Lord Jesus was so bound by his own undertaking as a Surety that he could not use his own Tongue to plead for and vindicate himself he could not exert or exercise his own power to restrain his Enemies or to rescue himself from them It was just that God should bruise Christ as he became our Surety it is now just that God should Pardon those that fly to Christ 1 John 1.9 There was a Redemption of Transgressions by the Death of Christ Heb. 9.15 Some think this Phrase the Redemption of Transgressions is borrowed from that Hebrew Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goel hadam the Redeemer or Avenger of Blood Our Transgressions were Redeemed by being avenged in the Death of Christ Sin would have for ever laid on us if it had not been bought off by the Blood of Christ God is said to Justifie the Ungodly Rom. 4.6 but it is because Jesus Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 God would not have been at peace with us if the Chastisement of our peace had not fallen on Christ Isa 53.5 3. We may be informed of the admirable and astonishing Grace of God that Jehovah the Son should become our Righteousness This Righteousness of Christ is not derived to us doth not descend upon us as Adam's sin doth Adam was a Natural Head we were nearly related to him as the Father of our Flesh as the Root and Fountain of our Nature and so we must needs be involved in his Guilt and wrapt up in his Transgression it is our Patrimony and Inheritance for we are by Nature Children of Wrath Ephes 2.3 But Christ is a Supernatural Head a Second Adam constituted by meer Grace We were wholly strangers and no way Related to him but by pure Mercy His Righteousness is wholy a Gift Rom. 5.17 We were born under Adam's sin but it is by Faith that we come into Christ's Righteousness Guilt is spoken of as that which is past By the Disobedience of one many have been made sinners but Justification is spoken of as Future By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.19 that is when they fly to him and are found in him O what Grace is this that sinners should be cut out of their Natural Stock and be grafted into a Supernatural Stock that we should not be condemned for our own sins but be justified by the Righteousness of another That God should Rain Vengeance on him and Righteousness on us That Jesus Christ should be cast into Prison himself Isa 53.8 that he might call us