of God more they are more against the Love and Grace and Favor of God than other mens sins are And the Lord doth see the sins of his own People yea so far he sees sin in them that he doth chastise and afflict them for it not only from their sin but for their sin and therefore saith the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.30 speaking of the unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper For this cause many are sick and weak among you And he doth not speak only of Saints in Appearance and in Church-Estate but of such also as were Saints indeed and therefore he saith We are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world He puts himself in We are judged that we may not be condemned with the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 3.19 Our Savior Christ saith Revel 3. As many aâ— I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent it seems then it was for sin committed else why should he say Repent and repent therefore Repentance is for sin committed already and these were such as he loved too whom he threatens thus to rebuke and chastise and doth any Father rebuke chastise or correct his Child only from sin and not for sin Was not Moses a gracious and an holy man and yet for his unbeleef and sin he lost the Land of Canaan Was not Sampson a good man and yet by his sin he lost his Eyes and his Life too Was not David a gracious and a holy man and yet for his sin the Lord said The Sword should never depart from his house and yet Christ had made satisfaction for his sin too as well then as for the Saints now But now though there be never so much evil in the sins of Gods People yet they have no reason no just cause or Scripture reason to be cast down and to be discouraged in that respect Quest But how may this appear That notwithstanding the sins of Gods own People do grieve the Spirit of God are a dishonor to Jesus Christ and do wound the Name of God and the Profession of Christ so much That yet the Saints have no reason to be discouraged or cast down Answ 1 First They know or they may know that they shall never be condemned for their sin whatever it be There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus saith the Apostle Christ was made sin for them and if Christ be made sin for me then my sin shall never hurt me Luther is bold here Fateor me peccasse sed peccatum meum damnatum in Christo est qui est peccatum damnans est autem peccatum illud damnans fortius peccato damnato Luther for saith he Christ is made sin damning our sin is sin damned I confess indeed said he that I have sinned but sin damning is stronger than sin damned and Christ was made sin damning for me The thing is true though the expression be strange Christ was made sin for Saints therefore their sin shall not hurt them It stands not with the Justice of God to exact the payment of one debt twice Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath not only been arrested but in Goal for the debt of the Saints and People of God and he hath paid it to the utmost farthing he hath paid it better than they could have paid it themselves if they had gone to Hell for if a Godly man had gone to Hell and been damned for ever he would have been alwaies paying but the debt would never have been paid Christ paid it all down for the present And if you look into Scripture you will find That the Lord doth not condemn a man no not a wicked man barely for the act of his former sin but because he wil not turn from it Psal 7.11 The Lord is angry with the wicked every day verse 12. If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath prepared for him the Instruments of death he ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutor The Lord hath prepared Instruments of Death against every wicked man but yet notwithstanding though a man be never so wicked if he turn unto the Lord God will not discharge those Instruments of Death upon him yea though his sins have been never so great but saith the Text If he turn not not because he hath sinned before only but because he turns not from his sin he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready Now there is alwaies in the Saints and People of God a turning disposition although they do sin against God there is alwaies I say a turning disposition in them and therefore the Lord will not discharge the Instruments of death upon them surely then they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Answ 2 Secondly As Godly men shall never be condemned for their sins so their sins shall never part God and them What is the sâ—eming Reason why some are so discouraged about their sins but because they think they shall not only lose the face and presence of God by their sins but that they shall lose God himself But now I say the sins of the Godly shall never part God and them their sins may hide Gods Face But as their sins did not hinder God and their coming together at first so their sins shall never part God and them their sins may cause a strangeness between God and them but shall never cause an Enmity their sins may hide Gods Face from them but shall never turn Gods back upon them those whom God Loves he loves unto the end I am the Lord that changeth not saith he And as the Prophet Isaiah speaks As the Covenant that the Lord made with Noah such is the Covenant that he makes with his People Now look into Genesis Chap. 8. and you shall see what the Covenant is that the Lord made there with Noah and with the World by Noah When Noah came out of the Ark he built an Altar and Sacrificed verse 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the Ground for mans sake Why For the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth You would think this were a reason why God should curse the Ground again for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth man is wicked therefore surely God will curse the Ground again nay saith the Lord but though you that are poor Creatures think so yet I that am the God of all Grace I make this Covenant with the World by Noah That I will not curse the Ground any more for mans sake Because the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth continually Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis c. Hierom. I confess indeed the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Quamvis Although as well as Quoniam
go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the
Lord give you a cleer understanding in al things CHRIST IN TRAVEL Wherein is shewed I. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel II. His Assurance of Issue III. The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. CHRIST IN TRAVEL Sermon I. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied IN this Chapter we have a ful Treatise of the Sufferings of Christ wherein the Prophet Isaiah speaks with such cleerness as if he rather were an Apostle after Christ than a Prophet before him Bernard tels us that there are three things which we are especially to mind and behold in the Sufferings of Christ the Work the Manner and the Cause thereof In the Cause he was Innocent in the Manner Patient and in the Work excellent saith he But the Prophet Isaiah doth insist on four things 1. The greatness of Christs Sufferings which he expresseth in many Words That he was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs that we hid our Faces from him despised and esteemed him not ver 3. that he was stâ—icken smitten and afflicted of God ver 4. Wounded and bruised ver 5. Oppressed afflicted and brought as a Sheep to the slaughter ver 7. Imprisoned and cut off from the Land of the Living ver 8. bruised by his Father and put to grief ver 10. In travel of Soul and numbred amongst Transgressors ver 11 12 2. The Cause of his Sufferings which aâ— the Prophet 〈◊〉 â—aâ— for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities verse â— 3. The Manner of his Sufferings He is brought aâ— a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so opened he not his mouth verse 7. 4. The Fruit Issue and Success of his Sufferings For he shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand verse 10. And he shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied verse 11. So that these words do plainly hold forth the fruit and issue of our Lords Sufferings and the certainty thereof The Sufferings were great for they are here called a Travel and the Travel of his Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a toylsom painful and wearisom Labor such a Labor say some as is used by those that grind in a Mil Mercerus such a Labor say others as Adam was to use in the sweat of his Brows after the Fal Avenarius as a Curse of sin unto which the Holy Ghost doth here relate because our Savior in these Sufferings was made a Curse for us Forerius Es 53. such a Labor say others so great so painful as women do endure in their sore Travel English Annotations and indeed the word signifies as much and so it 's used in Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief alluding to the pains of a Woman in Travel and so it may be wel translated in this place for the word Soul is a Feminine term as if the Holy Ghost would decipher the Sufferings of Christ by the pangs of a Woman in Travel Now this Travel is also said to be the Travel of his Soul not only because it was a great and sore Travel but because it did extend to his Soul The word Soul is indeed somtimes used for ones Life and somtimes for the Person of a Man But then it doth not exclude the Soul but include it rather So here he shal see the travel of his Soul that is that travel which is not only in his Body but his Soul too This he is promised to see He shall see the Travel that is the Fruit thereof So Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the Labor of thine hands that is the Fruit of thy Labor what thine hand hath labored for seeing doth note enjoyment and the enjoyment of the thing desired So Psal 54.7 Mine Eye hath seen its desire upon mine Enemy the word Desire is not in the Hebrew but the Original runs thus Mine Eye hath seen upon mine Enemies We ad Desires because that is the Sense thereof for Seeing notes enjoyment of ones desires and therefore in that the Prophet saith he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied the meaning is That Christ shal so enjoy the issue and fruit of his Sufferings as he shal have ful content and delight therein And so the Doctrine from the whol is this Doct. That Christ shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied He did not lay down his Life at a venture nor suffer so many things at uncertainties but he had assurance of success He shall see saith the Lord by way of Promise both to him and us the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied For the opening and cleering hereof three great Arguments wil fal under our Consideration 1. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel 2. His Assurance of Issue 3. The Contentment that he doth and shal find therein As for the Travel of Christ His Sufferings were very painful a Travel and an hard Labor Acts 2.24 it 's said that he was somtimes in the pains of Death some Books read it in the pains of Hell but the word rendred Pains signifies the Pains and Pangs of a Woman in Travel Haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et partum significat et dolorem parturientem Vict. Strigil Perk. Gal. 4. It is the same word that is used by Paul Gal. 4. My little Children with whom I travel in Birth and it signifies not only the Travel of the Woman at the Birth of the Child but the painful bearing thereof before the Birth these Pains and Pangs did as it were fal on Christ in his Sufferings So that in al the Sufferings of Christ ye may see Christ in Travel He was in Travel for us and this Travel was an hard Labor For It was A sore Travel A long and a tedious Travel And An helpless Travel First It was a Sore Travel both in regard of his Soul and Body First As for his Body His Sufferings were very painful For they were Universal Extream and Lingering They were Vniversal for he suffered from al hands Somthing he suffered from the Jews and somthing from the Gentiles somtimes from Men and somtimes from Women from and by the hand of Magistrates Kings and Princes from and by the hand of Priests from and by the hand of the Common People and the Soldiers Why do the Heathen rage and People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers took Counsel against the Lord and against his Christ Acts 4.25 26. He did not only suffer by the hand of strangers but from his own Friends and
his heart is at rest and he is fully satisfied And thereby also he obtains the ends of his Sufferings as it is a dis-satisfaction to a man to miss his ends so it is satisfaction to a man to obtain the end of his Labor Now the effects of Christs Travel are the ends which he aimed at in his Travel and therefore when he sees the Travel of his Soul in the Effects thereof he must needs be at rest in his heart and be fully satisfied Quest But how may it appear that Christ shall certainly obtain all those Ends which he travelled for and aimed at Answ 1 This hath been cleered already yet further thus The Will of Christ and the Wil of the Father are one I and my Father saith he are one they are one in Nature and therefore there is but one wil between them Finis à Deo destinatus semper attingitur Now God the Father cannot be frustrated of his Ends for he is a simple being and a pure Act nothing can come between his Executive Power and his Wil. The Soul of Man is a compounded Being Dr. Preston on the Attrib the simplicity of God his Faculties differing from his Essence and his Acts differing from his Faculties and therefore somth ng can come between his Wil and the Execution of it but the Executive Power and the Wil of God being one and his Wil and Act being one nothing can come between his Wil and his Act and therefore look whatever he wils he shal certainly obtain and cannot be frustrated of his Ends. Answ 2 If you look inâ—o the Scripture you shal find that the same things which are the Effects of Christs Death were the Ends of his dying and the same things which were the eâ—ds â—hat he aiâ— ed at in his Death are the effects of his Death For example Did he aim at the Remission of our sins by his Death Matth. 26.28 Remission of sin is the effect of his Dâ—ath Ephes 1.7 Did he aim at the washiâ—g and sanctifying of the Church by his Death Ephes 5.25 26. This clensing washing and sanctifying as the Effect of his Death 1 Cor. 6.11 The Ends and Effects of his Death are the same why so but to shew that he shal certainly obtain al those gracious ends which he travelled for Answ 3 If there be nothing thaâ— can keep our Lord and Savior Christ from the obtainment of his Ends then he must needs see the same Now the Ends of his Death and Sufferings are many he did not only die and suffer to deliver us from the Wrath to come and to reconcile us to God but he diâ—d and suffered to bring us to God and to deliver us from this present evil World 1 Gal. 4 he died to sanctifie wash and clense those that he died for Ephes 5.25 to destroy him that had the power of death the Dâ—vil Heb. 2. and to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 Now what can hâ—nder him from the obtainment of theâ—e his Ends Can the Devil he came to destroy him Can the World He came to deliver us from this present evil World Can our Sin or Unbelief hinder him he came to clense us and wash us and to redeem us from al Iniquity why then are not those redeemed from al Iniquity that he died for Wil ye say because they wil not or because they do not beleeve he came to redeem us from those unbeleeving won'ts for that Unbeleef and that won't is a Sin and Iniquity and he came to redeem us from al not from some but from all Iniquity Surely therefore if he did die for al particular men he should redeem them al from al Iniquity and so from their Unbelief Object But when the Apostle saith that Christ came to redeem us from all Iniquity by that US we are to understand Beleevers only and not all the particular men in the World Answ Very true But if he came to redeem Beleevers only from all Iniquity and not others then he did not die equally for al men for he died to redeem some from all Iniquity and not others But those that say Christ died for al say also that he died equally with equal Intentions of Love and Mercy for al and if he did die to redeem al particular men from al Iniquity why are not al particular men redeemed from al Iniquity Wil it yet be said because they wil not why that wil not is an Iniquity Wil it be said Because of their Unbelief why that Unbelief is an Iniquity and a Soul-disease Now if a Physitian come to cure al Diseases and he doth not cure the most because they have Diseases is this a good reason why he doth not cure them You send a Servant to wash and clense a pot from its filthiness and he returns with it unwashed unclensed and he tels you that he did not wash it because there was filth in it wil you take this for a good reason from him Surely no. Now Christ came to wash us and clense us from al Iniquities and wil he not do it because of our Iniquity Surely this can be no reason and seeing these are the Ends of his Death and Sufferings there is nothing that can hinder him from the obtainment of them Therefore he shal certainly see the Travel of his Soul in the obtainment of al those Ends which he suffered for Delectatio oritur ex adeptione boni convenientis et cognitione hujusmodi adeptionis Aquin. Now two things there are which do give ful contentment and satisfaction to the Soul The obtainment of ones End and The knowledg of that obtainment for though I have obtained my End yet if I do not know that I have obtained it I have not satisfaction but where fruition and knowledg of that fruition do meet there is ful contentment and satisfaction Now Christ shal not only obtain his Ends but he shal know and set the Travel of his Soul and therefore he shal have ful delight contentment and satisfaction therein And so the main Doctrine is now cleered in al the three Parts thereof Vse 1 If Christ shal thus see the Travel of his Soul Applicat and be satisfied then here you may see the Reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Quare cum talis fuerit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuerit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuerit conditionem fidei sequitur quandoquidem salva justitia per eam Dei voluntatem fidei ad salutem necessitus ponitur eorum respectum pro quibus Christus satisfecit eandem justitiam non lâ—di cum damnantur increduli licet pro ipsorum peccatis sit satisfactum Corvin contra Molin cap. 23. pag. 442. How can we be satisfied with that which is dis-satisfying to the heart of Christ Now according to that Doctrine Christ shal see men damned for