not the light of his word and his Law written in the Scriptures to many Nations yet he giveth to them all the light and Law of Nature and therefore the transgressions of the Law of Nature are sins against God The Apostle saith until the Law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no Law nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after tbe similitude of Adams transgression Sin was in the world before the Law was given on mount Sinai But how can it be just to charge sin upon them who had no Law against which to sin Nevertheless death raigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Who are they Some seem to understand Infants only who sinned not actually in their own persons as Adam did yet dying in their infancy were guilty of original sin Others take it for all that lived between the time of Adam and Moses who sinned not after the similitude of Adams transgression because they sinned not against an express Law given by revelation from Heaven as Adam did who sinned against that express prohibition of God forbidding him to eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil under the pain of certain death and destruction I conceive this latter sense more probable because of that special limitation of time from Adam to Moses for the case of those that dye in their Infancy for ought I know is the same whether before or after the time of Moses before and after the Law written but the condition of those that lived between Adams time and that of Moses differed from those that lived after Now the Apostle sheweth that death the punishment of sin fell upon them so did many other judgements the flood destroying the old world the showr of fire and brimstone upon Sodom fell within the compass of that time and therefore certainly they were guilty of sin and justly punished because these calamities were the just judgements of God who is the righteous judge of all the world and therefore although these sinned not against any positive Law of God delivered to them either by word or writing yet they sinned against the light and Law of Nature which God had given them Secondly This may shew us the reason and the justice of those severe executions of God upon Heathen Nations who had no Scripture nor written Law to sin against They sinned against the Light and Law of Nature for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them c. The Judgements and Calamities publick national private personal brought upon any of mankind in several ages are evidences of Gods wrath and displeasure against them and therefore proofs of their sin and guiltiness against God otherwise the Lord who is perfectly righteous would not bring these evils upon them and among the rest the death of the body is a universal declaration of the wrath of God against mankind for sin If any should be free from all other evils yet this alone would be a sufficient proof of their sinfulness and therefore the Lord said unto Adam and in him to each particular person of his posterity soon after he had sinned and they had sinned in him Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Euery dead Corps every Funeral that ye see or hear of all the persons that have died from the beginning of the world unto this day have by their death manifested the wrath of God against sin and mens guiltiness before the Lord for though through the grace and mercy of God in Christ the death of a true believer is turned into a blessing and made an inlet or entrance into everlasting life yet in its own Nature it is a consequent of sin and sin was the original of it In special the Heathens who had not the mind of God so fully revealed to them as those within the Church yet had the Light and Law of Nature and in sinning against that Light and Law were justly punished for they held the Truth in unrighteousness This common Light and Law of Nature was the Truth of God und they by opposing their wills and lusts against it and so not following the guidance of it were found guilty of fighting against God and crossing that Light which the Lord had given them and therefore the Lord dealt with them as Enemies So the Lord punished Sodom and the Cities adjoynning with fire and brimstone So the Canaanites and Amorites were destroyed for their sins against the Light and Law of Nature and Israel was planted in their Land The Lord told Abraham that his seed should possess it but not until after four hundred years Why Because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full so that it was the fullness of their iniquity which was the cause of their destruction it was because their sin was come to its full height that they were rooted out So the Lord having forbidden Israel the practice of divers great sins saith Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these things the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out the Inhabitants The Lord threatned divers grievous Judgements by the Prophet Amos against many Heathen Nations Syria the Philistines Tyrus Edom Ammon Moab All the miseries of war brought upon Heathen Nations what were they but revelations and reall demonstrations of the wrath of God from Heaven for their sins against the Law and Light of Nature The ruining of the Babylonish Monarchy by the Medes and Persians of the Persian by the Macedonians and Grecians the Macedonians by the Romans of the Roman by the Saracens and Turks on the one side and divers Northern Nations on the other these and the like were just Judgements of God upon Heathens for sins against the Light and Law of Nature So I conceive the cruel Spaniards were unjust executioners of the righteous Judgements of God upon the poor Indians or Americans for their sins against the same common Light and Law of Nature for the Lord executeth just Judgements by wicked men yea by Divels who aime not at all at the Lords end but either delight to exercise their malice and cruelty or act thus to make a ful conquest and utterly disable a people to make head again Thirdly This may clearly convince us that the sins of Christians are far more heinous then the sins of Infidels and Heathens because they sin against the same Law
to his command should learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart and be content to be conformed to him in sufferings taking up his Cross and following him They should be useful and serviceable as Christ was who was figured by such creatures offered in Sacrifice 2. Ye may note in general that an offering presented to the Lord was called in the Hebrew Korban of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to draw near This may teach us that none was fit to offer an offering to the Lord but only the Lord Jesus Christ and those that come to God by him for all mankind since the fall were a far off at a great distance from God but the Lord Iesus Christ being God and Man is nigh unto the Father In regard of his Godhead he is the only begotten Son of God in the bosom of the Father as he is man personally united to the Son of God he is one person with the Son of God and being without spot of sin he came near to God to present himself an offering and a Sacrifice unto him Secondly none can come nigh unto the Lord to offer any spiritual Sacrifice to him or to have any inward communion with him but in and by the Lord Jesus Christ But now in Christ Iesus Ye who sometime were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Christ being nigh to God drew nigh unto him actually with the sacrifice and offering of himself and so made way for sinners who were afar off from God by their sin and guilt to draw nigh to God by virtue of his blood that applying his blood satisfaction and righteousness to themselves they might be made nigh unto God in regard of their estate being taken into Covenant with him as his confederates and so into Communion and that they might draw nigh unto him from time to time in offering spiritual services and sacrifices to him by Jesus Christ. Let us all see our great need of Christ there is no coming nigh unto God but by him neither in respect of our estate nor of our services but in Christ there is access to be had in both respects But more especially First The burntoffering This was called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth ascending or ascension because all the flesh of the beast being burned upon the Altar was to ascend or go up towards heaven in fire so the Lord Jesus Christ when he was here on earth in the flesh offered up himself to his father in heaven the infinite virtue of his Sacrifice ascending to the Throne of God for the appeasing of his wrath and satisfying of his justice for sin This may teach us also that we should present our whole selves souls and bodies sacrifices living holy acceptable to God and that they which will thus present themselves to the Lord must be heavenly minded their souls and hearts must be raised and ascend upward How many carnal outward dead hearted services are dropped down before the Lord that never ascend upward having nothing of heaven nor of Christ his spirit in them Secondly He that offered the burntoffering was to lay his hand upon the head of the creature that was to be slain so he that will have benefit by the sacrifice of Christ must lay hold of him by the hand of faith Thirdly The Bullock for the burntoffering was to be killed the blood of it to be poured out this 1. was fulfilled in Christ according as it was Prophesied of him He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter He was cut off out of the land of the living ver 9. His grave and death are expresly mentioned thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin ver 12. He hath poured out his soul unto death And Daniel Prophesied that Messiah or Christ should be cut off or slain and without shedding of blood there is no remission 1. This may move Christians to pitty and earnestly pray for the poor blinded Israelites that the Lord would be pleased to take the vail from their hearts Is it not lamentable to consider that they should make the Cross and death of Christ a stumbling block whereas his death and sufferings are so clearly foretold in the Law and the Prophets which themselves acknowledge to be the word of God Yea all those millions of sacrificâ—s slain and offered according to the Lord his appointment did clearly foreshew the death of Christ and the shedding of his most pretious blood for the sins of the world But how is man left to the darkness of his own mind and blinded by Satan Secondly See here how odious sin is in the sight of God which nothing could wash away but the blood of Christ figured by the death and blood of these legal Sacrifices for it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins these did signifie the blood of the Son of God infinitely more pretious of sufficient virtue to wash away the greatest and foulest sins How should we tremble at sin Should we not look upon every sin as bloody as murtherous either as slaying the sinner himself or as killing his Saviour either thy sin must be washed away with the blood of Christ or it will cost thee more then thy best blood is worth Thirdly This is for comfort to souls burdened and oppressed with the guilt of sin that that one sacrifice even Christ himself figured by so many millions oâ— sacrifices is offered to satisfie for sin that that blood figured by the blood of so many offerings is shed to take away sin and that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood it is the blood of God because of him who is God and man in one person though not the blood of the God-head The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin it is of infinite value it is of more virtue then all the bloody sacrifices of the Law 4. Woe unto those wretches that dare to swear prophanely by this pretious blood or by those bleeding wounds of the Son of God Is not this to trample under foor the blood of the Covenant 4. The death of these sacrifices may teach us 〈◊〉 kill our dearest sins to slay our lusts to mortifie our corruptions Christ did not dye for sin that thou mightest live in sin but that thou mightest dye to sin and live to him ye righteousness and holiness I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that 〈◊〉 present your bodyes a Sacrifice living holy and acceptable to God a Sacrifice and therefore slain and yet a living Sacrifice Present your selves a sacrifice dying to sin and a sacrifice living quickned with grace living in the spirit Again among all the burnt offerings ye may take particular note of the continual burnt offerings sacrificed to the Lord every day one Lamb in the morning and another in the evening
the Passeover and unleavened bread scil seven weeks the same that is called Pentecost it is called the feast of Harvest their Harvest being much earlier then ours in that hot Country This may teach Christians to stir up their hearts to sincere thankfulness unto the Lord for all his blessings particularly for the increase of the fruits of the earth that they may serve the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things At this Feast of Harvest of weeks or Pentecost the Lord Christ having ascended into Heaven about ten dayes before did in a more glorious manner send down the holy Ghost upon his Apostles that so he might furnish them abundantly with gifts graces abilities to gather in his Harvest to bring in the Nations of the earth into his barn into his Church which before were in the open field of ahe world being strangers to Christ and subject to Satan the God of the world and Prince of darkness He had said unto them Lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to Harvest And herein is that saying true One soweth and another reapeth I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour other men laboured and ye are entred into their labours The ancient Propâ—ets that foretold of Christ his coming death resurrection and ascension into Heaven and that great and glorious Harvest wherein the Nations of the world should be gathered into Christ were â—eedsmen that did not live to see this rich crop brought into the barn they died long before the Son of God was manifested in the flesh and the Gentiles converted but the Apostles were called to Harvest-work to reap what the Prophets had â—own to gather in the Nations of the earth unto Christ and here the Lord Christ told them it was Harvest-time the fields looked whiteâ— the fulness of time was come and they were the reapers that must bring in his Harvest which he had so dearly paid for even with the price of his most precious blood but it was needful that that they should be furnisht in an extraordinary measure and manner for such a work and therefore the Lord Christ said unto them Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Hierusalem until ye be endued with power from on high do not fall rashly upon the work until I have fitted you for it and so he told them Ye shall receive power after the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Hierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth after ye are thus fitted and enabled for so great a work ye shall go over the large field of the world to bring in mine Harvest and accordingly at this feast of Harvest the day of Pentecost the Lord Christ sent down his spirit upon them wonderfully enabling them for this service Thirdly There was a third feast scil the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year when they had gathered in their labours out of the field I conceive when the last of their fruits their vintage or Grapes c. were gathered in This I take to be the same which is called the feast of Tabernacles This was to begin on the fifteenth of the seventh month which seemeth to answer to our September and continued seven days and again it is said to be at the time when they had gathered in the fruit of the Land and they were commanded to take boughs of goodly trees branches of Palm-trees and the boughs of thick trees and willows of the Brook and to rejoyce before the Lord their God seven days they were also commanded to dwell in Boothes seven days that their Generations might know that the Lord made the Children of Israel to dwell in Booths when he brought them out of the land of Egypt This feast was solemnly kept after the peoples return from Captivity 1. This again may stir up Christians to thankfulness unto the Lord for all his blessings and particularly for the fruits of the earth as before 2. This dwelling in Booths and slight Tents or Tabernacles made of green boughs in memory of their condition when they came out of the Land of Egypt the house of bondage may teach Christians often to call to mind their afflictions and low condition out of which the Lord hath at any time delivered them especially they that are in Christ should often and seriously remember that woful bondage and misery under sin and satan and the danger of condemnation out of which the Lord Christ hath delivered them and labour to be exceedingly thankful for it 3. They were to go out of their dwelling houses to dwell in booths when they had gathered in their fruits least when their barns and store-houses were plentifully filled they might forget God who gave them all these things and set their hearts upon the Creatures resting in their outward enjoyments giving themselves up to voluptuousness like him spoken of Luk. 12. Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry but God said unto him thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Learn then in the midst of the greatest abundance to raise up your hearts above all earthly things to make God your portion to walk with him in the light of his Countenance 4. This dwelling in Booths or Tabernacles may teach Christians to be affected as strangers here on earth having no continuing City in this world their bodies being slight and weak frames easily dissolved like summer-houses made of green boughs that will suddenly wither labour then to make sure of a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens purchased by the blood of Christ for all those that are sound in him in as much as ye have no continuing City here seek one to come and labour for sound evidence to clear your title to it Fourthly Besides these three great feasts there was to be a memorial of blowing the Trumpets upon the first of the same seventh month and then upon the tenth day of that month a day of Atonement solemne humiliation repentance and afflicting the soul so the silver Trumpet being sounded in the preaching of the word summons the hearers to repentance to afflict their souls to abase and humble themselves to turn to the Lord with all their hearts Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sins This silver Trumpet was sounded by Iohn Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Iudea and saying Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand for this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all If the whole Congregation sinned they were to bring a young Bullock to be offered for their sin and before it was killed the Elders of the Congregation representing all the people under the Government were to lay their hands on the head of the Bullock before the Lord It seemeth bâ— this Ceremony they did as it were put off the sins of all the people from the guilty sinners upon the Sacrifice So the Lord Christ before he suffered for the sins of his people first took upon himself the guilt of all their sins for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him the guilt of mens sins was imputed unto him and put upon his account as his righteousness is imputed to Believers and accounted theirs 4. He subjected himself to the Curse of the Law due to men for their sins against the Law for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them then it followeth ver 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every on that hangeth on a tree Thus he exposed himself to the flames of divine wrath which would have been a consuming fire to a meer Creature but as the wood of the Altar for burnt offering was overlaid with Brass that it might not be devoured by the fire so his humane nature being united to the God-head was so fortified to endure the burning heat of the wrath and Curse of God that it was not consumed by it but although the God-head was inseparably united to the manhood and did not leave it for a moment yet it did so withhold its divine influence from the Manhood for a time that it suffered extream and unconceivable torments in body but especially in soul as appeareth in the holy story for though God the Father loved him infinitely as his Son and as one that was perfectly holy and righteous in his own person yet he executed his justice upon him to the full as he presented himself before him burdened with the guilt of mans sins against the Law It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Saith the Apostle He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us He spared not his own Son He found him engaged to satisfie the Law for the sins of men and therefore he executed the severity of the Law upon him and spared him not but delivered him up for us all saith the Text. He did as it were deliver him up with his own hand for sinners delivering him up by the hand of his love towards sinners to the hand of his justice to be punished for their sins so that I conceive it may be said that Christ had judgement without mercy that through him mercy might glory over judgment toward repenting and believing sinners Fifthly He actually suffered death He did shed his most precious blood He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. He poured out his soul unto death Iesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yeilded up the Ghost When they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his leggs but one of the Souldiers with his Spear pierced his side and forthwith came thereout blood and water Lastly That it might be manifest that the Prince of life was really dead for the satisfaction of the Law He suffered his body to be caried to Prison to be shut up in the grave and held under the power of death untill the third day Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the Garden a new Sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid there laid they Iesus Thus ye see the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the Law to the full endured the rigour and bare the penalty of it Secondly by satisfying the Law and endruing the severity of it he established the Law I suppose it is not necessary to speak much of this particular because the opening of the former giveth light unto it breifly thus 1. The Law required perfect obedience as ye heard the full performance of every branch and tittle of it 2. In case of disobedience transgression defect and failing in obedience the Law denounced a grievous penalty a Curse death and destruction as was noted also yea the Law given to mankind in Adam had the sentence of death annexed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 3. Hence it followeth that if neither the Law be fulfilled in a way of obedience nor satisfied by the inflicting of the punishment then it is made void and declared to be of no force to have lost its authority its vigour and to be frustrated of its end 4. Thereupon we may infer by the rule of contraries that the Lord Jesus Christ having in the nature of man born the full penalty severity and Curse of the Law due to the sins of men against the Law and by his God-head to which his humane nature wherein he suffered is personally united gave sufficient value and worth to his sufferings to make full satisfaction to the Law to the uttermost that the Law in its greatest rigour could require hence it clearly followeth that Christ established the Law This was a reall and full acknowledgement of the Authority of the Law the wonderful abasement the grievous sufferings of the Son of God were signal evidences infallible demonstrations of the force and authority of the Law the Lord of glory appearing in the form of a Servant to make way for satisfying the Law he that is the brightness of the Fathers glory enduring the shame of the Cross did abundantly witness to the world the Authority of the Law The Lord Jesus Christ spared not his most precious blood but freely poured it forth to satisfie the Law for the sins of his people and thereby ratified and sealed the Authority of the Law How should this be improved to stir up poor souls without delay to turn to the Lord and flee to Christ For in as much as the Lord Jesus did both perform perfect obedience to the Law and bear the full penalty and curse of the Law and by both these establish the Law it sheweth clearly that the Law standeth in full force against all that are out of Christ they being guilty of sin against the Law are subject to the Curse of the Law for being not found in Christ they have no part in his perfect righteousness and full satisfaction and therefore are every moment in danger of the sentence of condemnation denounced by the the Law It is true that Christ hath fully satisfied the Law But what doth this help them that remain in their natural estate