them Now in the serious exercises of faith we ought to attend this we ought to consider how that all the great things of our salvation were transacted by our Head in a part of our nature for us what Christ suffered our nature suffered in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas It is a good speech of Athanasius It was not our Lord himself so much as we that suffered in him The third Direction is We should behold our nature in Christ suffering and undergoing the same things which we deserved and do lye under the fear of As it is a great relief to faith to behold our nature suffering in Christ so that which makes this relief compleat is to see our nature in Christ suffering the very same things which we deserved and are under the fear of The Apostle tells us Rom. 4.5 The law worketh wrath The Law works the fear of wrath in the conscience the Law begets the sense of Gods wrath in the conscience How so The reason is Because by the law is the knowledge of sin sin is the transgression of the law by the Law I know my self to be a sinner because I see I have transgressed such a Law now the breach of this Law worketh wrath that is it works the fear of wrath as that which is due for sin Hence also is that expression of conscience of sin Heb. 10.2 The worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin By conscience of sin here in this place I take it that we must understand a conscience burdened and laden with the guilt of sin The meaning is not certainly that those who are once purged by the virtue of Christs Sacrifice should make no more conscience of sin that would be an impious opinion nay the contrary thereunto is most true a conscience purged from the guilt of sin by the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ such a person makes more conscience of sin that is of committing sin Shall we sin because grace abounds God forbid The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts But the meaning of the place is that those who have their consciences once purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ they ought to have no more conscience of sin as to guilt that is they ought to look upon their consciences exonerated and discharged from guilt by the Sacrifice of Christ But that which I quoted this Text for was to shew that sin brings a conscience of guilt When sin lyeth upon the conscience it fills the conscience with the fear and horrour of Gods wrath now the great relief to conscience in this case must be for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ in our nature suffer that which we deserve and that which we are afraid of We are afraid of Gods wrath and Christ that was true man our Head and Surety felt and suffered the wrath of God we fear lest God should forsake us lest God should cast us off for ever now we ought to turn our eyes upon Christ and see our nature forsaken and deserted in Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Do you fear the torments of Hell Christ hath born these very pains and torments This is certain there is no such relief or remedy to an afflicted conscience as for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ who was most innocent in himself suffering all that for us which we deserve and fear Deseritur cum desertis pro natura quam assumpserat tributum solvit Christ was deserted with them who were deserted and paid the tribute for that nature which he assumed as we heard heretofore And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to the same purpose God saith he in his righteous judgment exacted all those things from us which are written in the Law which when we our selves were not able to pay our Lord hath paid them for us Christ hath assumed and volunt arily taken upon himself the curse and condemnation which we were obnoxious unto Quae pati debueramus illa ipse pertulit those things which we ought to have suffered he himself hath born for us This is a great support to faith to consider that the things we deserved and feared those are the things which Christ hath suffered and born for us The fourth Direction is this Let us behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer this also is a great relief to faith As it is a relief to faith to behold our nature suffering and suffering the same things that we ought to have suffered so this is another great relief to faith to behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer As we who are the sinful sons of men have sinned voluntarily so one of our kin one of our stock and linage one that was true man hath voluntarily offered himself to suffer for us poor sinful men So that satisfaction is voluntarily tendered up to God in our room and stead by one who was true man and in all points like unto us sin only excepted Our sin and disobedience was not more voluntary than Christs obedience and offering himself to suffer for us was free and voluntary Christ our Head and Surety when the Justice of God was coming forth armed against us hath most voluntarily run to meet it and to expose himself to those strokes which should have lighted on us Lo I come to do thy will thy law is in my heart Heb. 10. The Justice of God was not more desirous of satisfaction to be made to it than Christ our Head and Surety was willing to tender it Now if a Creditor hath never so great a sum of money owing to him and the Surety undertake the payment of the whole debt and be most free and ready as to the payment of it as free to pay the debt as the Creditor is to demand it what can he desire more Christ our Surety undertook the payment of our debt and was as ready to tender the satisfaction as God was to require it The fifth Direction is Let us direct the eye of our faith to the person of the Son of God acting in our nature and sanctifying all his sufferings by the dignity of his own person To illustrate this let us consider that Scripture Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens and then it follows in vers 28. The Law maketh High Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore The scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew that he who is our High Priest is more than a man he is the Son of God The word of the oath makes the Son which is consecrated for evermore He opposeth the Son of God to the Priests under the Law Now
know that his sin was forgiven him Lev. 4.31 The Priest shall make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him Now the Faithful having such an express promise in the time of the Law that if they came and brought their Sacrifice to the Priest after the due order and did exercise faith on Christ in that Sacrifice that their sins should be pardoned in this way they might conclude that when they had offered their Sacrifice according to the due order that their sins were pardoned and forgiven to them for they had the promise and the Word of God to shew for it All saith is grounded upon the World Now having a promise that when they had brought their Sacrifice according to Gods appointment they had the Word of God for it that their sins should be pardoned Now when Christ the true Sacrifice and the end of all the other Sacrifices hath come and offered himself a Sacrifice for sin if Believers applying themselves to the virtue of his Sacrifice should not have pardon and might not know that they are pardoned then it would follow that the priviledges of Believers under the Gospel were less than the priviledges of the Faithful under the Law for they might know when they had brought their Sacrifice that their sins were pardoned and if we may not know when we apply our selves to the Sacrifice of Christ that our sins are pardoned our priviledges would be less than theirs were If the blood of bulls and goats have such efficacy if the legal Sacrifices be able to cleanse the conscience how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse our consciences from dead works The Apostle doth here oppose the blood of Christ to the blood of bulls and goats The blood of bulls and goats and those Sacrifices that were offered under the Law had their effect as to cleansing persons in a typical way much more shall the blood of Christ who was the true Sacrifice and unto whom all the other Sacrifices were referred have this effect to cleanse mens consciences really the legal Sacrifices have their effect in a typical way therefore the blood of Christ shall purge our consciences really Christ was God as well as man therefore his Sacrifice doth excel all their Sacrifices therefore doth the Apostle add this How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse our consciences from dead works As much as if he should say Christ offered himself up to God in the virtue of his Deity in the virtue and power of his Divinity the Godhead was conjunct with his flesh in suffering not that the Godhead suffered but the Godhead was united to the humane nature when he suffered therefore he that had the virtue of his Divinity to sanctifie his Sacrifice his sufferings must needs be effectual to take away sin therefore not to expect pardon and atonement in the virtue of Christs Sacrifice and Satisfaction when we have in an humble manner applied our selves to it is to forget the dignity of the person who offered the Sacrifice who was God as well as man and did contribute the virtue of his Deity to make his Sacrifice meritorious The Apostle puts a mighty weight upon this If the Sacrifices under the Law were effectual to take away sin much more shall the blood of Christ who was God as well as man be able to purge away the guilt of sin from the consciences of those that apply themselves to him 2. Not to have an humble confidence of pardon and acceptance after we have applied our selves to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ is derogatory to many of the Attributes of God 1. It is derogatory to the Wisdom of God as if he had not appointed a sufficient Sacrifice 2. To the Goodness of God as if God had not mercy and goodness enough in him to receive and pardon sinners after he had received a sull satisfaction for their sins 3. It is derogatory to the Truth and Faithfulness of God as if God would not be true and faithful to his own word and to the provision which he hath made The Sacrifice of Christ is the provision which God hath made for the taking away of sin Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 This also is his own word Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 There is a Divine sanction and appointment upon it that the blood of Jesus Christ should be the means of atonement therefore if we should not have atonement when we fly for refuge to the grace that is set before us the appointment and ordination of God would be in vain we should make God not to be true to his own word Therefore after we have applied our selves by humble faith to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ for pardon and acceptance it is our duty to expect in an humble manner pardon and acceptance by virtue of it I come now to another Use of the Doctrine Vse 4 Learn from what hath been opened concerning the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction the dignity and excellency of Christs Satisfaction Christs Satisfaction is the most excellent satisfaction yea there is no other satisfaction besides it Many inventions have been in the hearts of men to make satisfaction to God man would fain make God some amends when he hath sinned if he knew how there is an impress upon every mans heart by nature when he hath sinned to make God amends it is natural to man to think of some such thing but all the projects and contrivances of men in this kind and to this end have been in vain and frustrate whatever men have invented thinking by it to pacifie God and make fatisfaction to him for the sins they have committed hath been to no purpose There are many ways which the sons of men have thought upon to make satisfaction to God by 1. Sometimes by afflicting the body exercising severities upon it the Papists think to make satisfaction to God this way by macerating the body punishing the flesh injoyning Penances Pilgrimages and Tortures upon themselves thinking to satisfie God hereby 2. Sometimes men think to satisfie God by costly Sacrifices thus the Heathens thought to satisfie their Gods by their Hecatombs the multitude of their Sacrifices and those most pompous costly rich magnificent Sacrifices 3. Men have thought to make satisfaction to God by some reformation of their conversations by living a more strict and austere life than they did formerly A strict life is good in it self and none can be saved without it but yet it is too short to satisfie God However this is the course some have taken when conscience hath been awakened and they see the hainousness of their sins they think to satisfie
punishment because he was able to satisfie the Justice of God by his sufferings without suffering to Eternity 2. As for that which we call the Worm of Conscience which is one thing in the punishment of the Damned Christ could not undergo that and the reason is because that which is called the worm of conscience is an inseparable adjunct of sin inhering in the person in whom it is now Christ was most free from sin in his own person it is true he had sin imputed to him the guilt of our sins was imputed to him but he had no guilt of his own and therefore he could not have this worm of conscience for that which we call the worm of conscience is nothing else but conscience reflecting upon a mans actions and tormenting him upon the account of the obliquity and deformity that hath appeared in them Now Christ having done nothing that was contrary to the Law He had done no violence neither was guile found in his mouth as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. it was not possible he should undergo the worm of conscience because this supposeth sin in the person that underwent it which Christ was most free from 3. As for that of Despair some Divines are of opinion that despair is not properly in the Damned and the reason they give is this As hope in the godly after the last Judgment shall cease because hope shall then be swallowed up in fruition so they suppose that despair shall cease in the wicked because that perdition and destruction is then actually come upon them which before they feared But it may be said Do not the Damned see that they are miserable and that they shall be miserable for ever and doth not this cause them to despair To this they answer It is true the Damned see themselves in that misery from which they shall never be delivered but yet it may still be doubted whether this may be called Despair yea or no and the reason is say they because despair supposeth a sense of some future time but now in Eternity there is no time The Damned have a certain knowledge of misery that they are under they feel it at the present and therefore say they that which they do already feel they need not fear Hence is that speech of one of the Ancients Grief hath no fear in it because fear doth no longer torment the mind when a man begins already to suffer what he did fear But I know not whether it be worth the while to dispute whether despair be properly in the Damned yea or no. This I am sure of that the Damned know that they are miserable and they know that this misery shall continue always they know that it shall not be otherwise with them than now it is and this is equivalent unto despair but this is rather an adjunct of their torment and punishment than the substance of it therefore it was not necessary Christ should undergo it 2. We say That despair as it is opposite to the grace of hope so it could not be in Christ because despair at it is opposite to hope speaks a deordination and it would suppose some sin which Christ was most free from and therefore Christ when he was in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and height of all his sufferings when he had lost the sense and feeling of Gods love yet he manifested the highest faith when he saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though he had not the sense and feeling of Gods love but complains that he was forsaken yet he calls God his God and that manifested his faith and where there is faith there will be hope for hope is the daughter of faith therefore despair was not in Christ But though Christ did not suffer some circumstances and adjuncts of punishment that the Damned suffer yet Christ suffered the substance of what we were to suffer and this is that which I must now begin to speak unto And here I am to shew how it was that Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to have suffered 1. Christ made himself passible and mortal for our sakes that is he made himself subject to suffering and death for our sakes Sin is the inlet of suffering and death had there been no sin there had been no suffering or death It was sin that brought in both suffering and death when man had sinned God first said to the woman I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children Gen. 3.16 To the man he saith Cursed be the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life Gen. 3.17 Here we see sin brought in sorrow and suffering so also sin brought in death Gen. 2. In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Now Christ our Surety that he might bear the punishment that was due to us he put himself into a state of suffering and death for us sin having brought in suffering and death into the world as the just demerit of it and the curse that was due to it Christ I say being our Surety put himself into a state of suffering and death for us To understand this we must know that although the Son of God had assumed our nature yet he needed not unless he had pleased to have subjected himself unto suffering and unto death For Christ assuming our nature without sin was in respect of the innocency of his Humanity and also in respect of the personal Union exempted both from the Law of suffering and of death but Christ becoming our Surety and being to bear the whole punishment that was due to us by reason of sin and it being the nature of the Curse 1. That we should be liable to suffering and death And 2. That we should actually undergo suffering and death therefore Christ did voluntarily undergo both these 1. He did subject himself to a passible and mortal state And 2. He did actually undergo suffering and death for us 1. Christ did subject himself to a passible estate he that was above all suffering made himself subject to suffering for our sake Hence is it said that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isa 53.3 Hence also is it said He was tempted in all points like unto us sin only excepted Heb. 4.15 Christ was exposed to all manner of sufferings and temptations whatsoever excepting sin 2. Christ did subject himself to a mortal estate for our sakes The flesh of Christ as it was united to the second Person in Trinity who was God had been immortal had he not voluntarily subjected himself to death for our sakes but that being part of the Curse that man should become mortal and subject to death by reason of sin Christ was willing to subject himself to that part of the Curse Dust thou art and to dust
acceptance through the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ After we have betaken our selves to the Satisfaction of Christ and made use of it in a due manner we ought to hope for pardon and acceptance in the virtue of it To take hold of pardon before we have betaken our selves to the remedy and before we have made use of the means which God hath appointed for obtaining pardon this were presumption therefore for any person to run away with this doctrine Christ hath made full satisfaction to the Justice of God for the sins of men Christ hath suffered as much as we deserve therefore we need not trouble our selves our sins shall never condemn us this is but presumption for any man to reason after this manner until there be a serious application of the soul by faith to the Satisfaction of Christ for the pardon of sin For although there be an infinite treasure of merit and virtue in the death and sufferings of Christ to all that come to him yet this treasure and store house of merit that is in the death and satisfaction of Christ is opened unto none but unto such who by humble faith apply themselves to Christ for the virtue of his death Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 There must be then hungering and thirsting after Christs righteousness before we shall be satisfied and there must be faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Him hath God ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood therefore it is but presumption for any man to say Christ hath dyed and satisfied Gods Justice therefore my sins shall never condemn me without any more ado without troubling himself with any more than saying so for what is presumption Presumption is to expect the end without using the means Though there be an alsufficiency in the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ to save as many as come to him yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are available and effectual to none but to such as by humble saith do apply themselves to him He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 There must be a coming then otherwise there is no salvation to be expected We must first see the necessity of the Mediation and Satiffaction of Christ and in an humble manner address our selves to God by faith before we can expect benefit by his satisfaction therefore unless thou have seen thy perishing condition without Christ unless thou art sensible of the infinite need of his satisfaction to make thy peace with God and dost in an humble manner with holy desire apply thy self to Christ for the virtue and benefit of his satisfaction thou canst expect no benefit by him It is the hungring thirsting humble soul which seeth his perishing condition without the satisfaction of Christ and thereupon applies himself to it that only can expect benefit by it But now on the other hand after a person in due manner hath applied himself to the satisfaction of Christ and made use of it by faith as the remedy which God hath appointed it is so far from being presumption in such a person to lay hold of pardon as that it is his duty to take hold of pardon and acceptance and with humble confidence to expect it There is an express Text for this Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith The Apostle is here speaking of the Priesthood of Christ and of the use we should make of his eternal Sacrifice Now saith he having pitcht our faith upon Christ as our Priest and upon the merit and virtue of his Sacrifice Let us draw near in full assurance of faith or with full certainty of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is having made use of Christ as our Priest having pitcht our faith upon his Sacrifice let us not doubt of pardon and acceptance let us bear up our selves with a full confidence upon the merit of Christs Satisfaction This full assurance of faith is says a Judicious Divine a setled and full perswasion to be accepted through Jesus Christ When we have laid the stress of our faith upon the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ we ought to bear up our selves with an humble confidence that we shall be pardoned and accepted upon the account of the virtue and merit of Christs Satisfaction and not to do this not to have a humble confidence of pardon and acceptance after we have applied our selves to the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ would be greatly derogatory to the honour of Christs Satisfaction and also derogatory to the honour of many of Gods Attributes 1. If we might not have an humble confidence of pardon and acceptance through the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ after we have applied our selves to it this would be greatly derogatory to the honour of Christs Satisfaction Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flosh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead work to serve the living God That which the Apostle asserts here is That the blood of Christ is able to purge tho conscience from dead works so as to serve the living God To perge the conscience from dead works is to purge the conscience from the guilt of sin to clear the conscience to absolve the guilt of sin in the eye of conscience so that the conscience shall have no more fear of guilt Now consider the Apostles argument If the blood of bulls and goats and the like were able to cleanse as to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God The force of the Apostles argument comes to this If the Levitical Rites if those Purifications that were used under the Law were sufficient to cleanse a person after a legal manner much more is the blood of Christ which is the blood of that person who is God as well as man be able to cleanse their conscience who do apply themselves by saith to him The Apostle argues thus They that lived under the Law had some purifying and cleansing yea some help as to their consciences by the Sacrifices that were then offered therefore much more they that apply themselves to the blood of Christ shall have benefit by virtue of his Sacrifice which was the true Sacrifice Under the Law when a person had committed a sin and brought his Offering to the Priest and had laid his hand on the head of the Sacrifice and when the beast that was brought to be sacrificed was slain and the blood was put upon the Altar there was atonement made for him and he might