Lev. 5.6 7 15. Joh. Hoornb Socin Confut. Vol. 2. l. 3. c. 1. p. 562. The words of the Learned Hoornbeeck cited in the margent shall suffice for clearing the text to Scholars and the true reading of the words of the text in our translation shall suffice the unlearned In a word or two if thou believest that this Chapter foretels the sufferings of thy Saviour if thou believest that this text speaketh of his death if thou believest that he is come so long ago and died so long since thou needest only read plain English He hath then in his Death made his soul an offering for sin and this was foretold by the Prophet not in this verse only but also in the 11th and 12th verses He shall bear their iniquity Ita in caput Hostiarum olim reatus offerentium quasi manibus imponebatur luendus caeremonialiter ibi in Christo vere Joh. Hoornb lib. 3. vol. 2. Socin Confut. c. 1. and he shall bear the sin of many So of old the guilt of those who brought the Sacrifices was as it were laid on the head of the Sacrifices by their hands that it might be punished Observe then how Sacrifices of old times did bear the iniquity and sin of those that brought the Sacrifices So did Christ dying bear our iniquity and our sin He did bear them truly they ceremonially as the learned Author noteth To these passages of Isaiah let us farther add those of David and Paul compared together and we shall there find David foretelling what Death Christ should die and Paul explaining what Death he did die Psal 40.6 7 8. with Heb. 10.5 6 7 8. When he i. e. Christ cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not c. putting the very words of the Psalmist and thereby assuring us that the place was to be understood of Christ who was hereafter to be born and die whenas David wrote this and who was now born and had died whenas Paul wrote this or rather interpreted these words of Dauâ—â— leading us from the Sacrifices under the Law to Christ our Sacrifice and from the Death of those ceremonial and inefficacious Sacrifices to this real and meritorious Sacrifice ver 10th and 12th Now the whole discourse of Christ's dying a Sacrifice for us had been mislaid on David's words if he had not prophesied that Christ should die a Sacrifice for us Either this kind of Dying must be in the Prophetick words of David which are the Apostle's premisses or it could not Logically be put into his Conclusion Sect. 3. Thirdly Christ to die for us a Sacrifice was promised to the Church and if it were promised it may well be concluded that it either shall be accomplished which is as little as an unbelieving Jew will gather from the promise but not so much as a believing Christian must gather who is verily perswaded that our Jesus the true Messiah is already come and hath died for us and died a Sacrifice fo us according to the promise which is made to Sion Zech. 9.11 As for thee by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the Pit wherein is no water In the words you have a relation of a double deliverance set forth in figurative expressions 1. First A relation of their deliverance out of the seventy years Captivity which God wrought for them for the Covenant sake he had made with them in Christ this was a temporal deliverance The 2. Second deliverance is spiritual and wrought by the Lord Jesus dying and sheding his blood for us Now it is plain This 1. Blood denoteth a death whoever it be that it is spoken of 2. Blood of a Covenant speaketh the Death of a Sacrifice in the blood whereof the Covenant was confirmed and ratified and it is therefore called the Blood of the Covenant this I will a little farther treat and clear It was a very ancient rite of making and confirming Covenants in the blood of Sacrifices offered up at the time when the Covenants and their terms or conditions were assented unto and approved Possibly the Feast we read of Gen. 26.30 made by Isaac was after a Sacrifice offered when he made a Covenant also with Abimelech and confirmed it by Oath However we are assured it was a rite among the Politer Nations of the Earth as in Homer who brings in his Graecians and Trojans making a covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad 3. Carm. 94. 105. and confirming it by Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but these are alien and forein we have surer testimony Exod. 24.7 where a Covenant is mentioned and this Covenant wrote in a Book and read to the people who therein heard the terms God proposed and to these the people answer All that the Lord hath said we will do and be obedient they give their assent to the Covenant on which Moses forthwith sprinkleth the people with the blood of the Sacrifices which were offered on the Altar mentioned ver 4. and were brought by young men of Israel ver 5. This blood is called eminently the blood of the Covenant ver 8. applied by St. Peter 1 Ep. 1 cap. 2 ver to Christ So then the Covenant confirmed in blood leadeth us to a Sacrifice dying and sheding its blood in which sprinkled according to the Rite or Custom the Covenant is confirmed So that to me there remaineth no farther scruple in this point If any would have it cleared that this blood is to be understood of the blood of Christ I shall refer them to the context viz. ver 9. and 10. and unto Isa 61.1 where the like delivering of the like prisoners is mentioned and unto the Heb. 13.20 where this blood of the Covenant is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant And let them who desire farther satisfaction consult Commentators on the place Sect. 4. Christ's Death was the Death of a Sacricrifice for so it is historically declared and asserted in the history of his Life and Death and in the writings of his Apostles penn'd on this subject since his Death and Resurrection They that have wrote the story and they who have improved it assert the same I do Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he i. e. Christ ver 24. appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself And again ver 28. Christ was offered to bear the sins of many places so full and clear that nothing needs be subjoyned for explication Christ expresly named and he is offered a Sacrifice and this an Expiatory Sacrifice and he that offered it up was the same with the Sacrifice He offered up himself a Sacrifice c. So again Heb. 7.27 this speaking of the Sacrifices offered up often underthe Law viz. offering for the peoples sins he did once when he offered up himself What the daily weekly monthly and yearly reiterated Sacrifices of the Levitical Priests could not effect though they were continually offered
this part of the life of Faith is so evidently maintained upon the Death of Christ as our Sacrifice making our peace with God confirming the promises of grace and glory ensuring to us the grand expectations of this and the other world that I think it needless to insist farther on this particular Christ dying our Sacrifice is the great reviving comfort of an awakened convinced fainting yet believing soul 3. The third thing in the present Actings of Faith while it on good and sure grounds waiteth for the great things which are to be revealed is the active diligence of Faith to do the whole work which is appointed for it to do Faith giveth not a discharge from any one degree of our required industry in good nor doth it release to us any one of the Moral Precepts of the Law no Faith maketh not the Law void Rom. 3.31 The Apostle assureth us that the Faith of a believer engageth him to walk and to labour so as to be accepted with God so 2 Cor. 57. 9. We walk by Faith not by sight saith S. Paul ver 7. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him ver 9. It is but the counterfeit of Faith which lieth unactive and regardless to do the will of God when once the soul can judg which carrieth in it both an act of discerning and an act of beliveing or assenting to the truth That one viz. Christ died for all it doth presently conclude that henceforth they who live should not live to themselves but to him that died for them 2. Cor. 5.14 15. It is the rational conclusion Faith draweth from the Grace of God toward us in Christ dying for us that our life which we have of mercy must be laid out in duty and the reward we expect should animate us to the service God expecteth Mark the Apostle St. Peter's manner of arguing 2 Pet. 3.12 Since saith he We look and hasten to the comming of the day of God and again ver 13. We according to his promise look for new Heavens and ver 14. seeing Beloved that ye look for such things For as much as we are verily persvaded of the truth of these future things and for as much as we do by Faith expect an assured fulfilling of them Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless so the Apostle intimateth to us nay presseth it upon us as the proper business of Faith as it 's whole imploy to be pure and without blame and to be diligent herein Now what can be thought will excite and animate a believer unto this if the great things purchased and ensured to him by the Death of Christ his Sacrifice do not The Apostle well knew the weight of the argument your labour you know shall not be in vain in the Lord therefore see that ye abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 When thou art backward or sluggish take thy heart and discover to it what a Kingdom what a glorious Reward thy Lord hath secured to thee and ask if it be not worth thy greatest diligence and thy most active industry 4. The fourth concern of Faith in its present deportment and the influence it now hath on the heart is to strengthen and support it under all kind of sufferings and afflictions be they common to us as men or peculiar to us as Christians Our Faith is our life in the midst of these deaths Hence we find Faith joined with patience Heb. 6.12 When Abraham had received the promises Heb. 6. ver 13. which God made to him when he believed God would do all that for him which God had promised to him he did patiently endure and so obtained v. 15. The Apostle recounteth his many and great sufferings which with others he suffered for Christ Troubled on every side 2 Cor. 4.8 Perplexed ver 8. Persecuted cast down ver 9. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus ver 10. Alway delivered unto Death for Jesus sake ver 11. These were their sufferings and troubles now see their support which was a spirit of Faith ver 13 14 c. Read over the 11th chapter of Hebrews see what afflictions those faithful ones did through Faith undergo and it will be past controversie with you that for the present Faith doth mightily sustain the spirit under the variety and sharpness of afflictions and sufferings which it doth among other helps principally by looking to the greatness of its expected reward and glory secured unto it by the most immutable Covenant and Oath of God ratified in the blood of Christ our Sacrifice So the Apostle directeth us to look to Jesus c. Heb. 12.2 3. enduring the Cross and despising the shame to Jesus who endured contradictions of sinners against himself ver 3. This will be a means to prevent the fainting of our minds under our troubles and sufferings The reconciliation between God and us his Promise to us his Covenant with us his Oath and Christ's Sacrifice all assure us he is faithful who hath promised us our pardon and absolution from guilt and punishment our adoption and right of children to a glorious Inheritance our solemn and publick investiture and admission into possession of a Crown and Kingdom He is faithful who hath by means of most sacred obligations assured us a reward for every duty active and passive therefore let us hold fast our Profession without wavering Heb. 10.23 And who will not hold his Profession fast when he is assured that the Sacrifice Christ hath offered hath reconciled us to God so that our sufferings are not expresses of his vengeance but necessary exercises of our graces and proofs of the Love of God to us who would be weary of bearing who is perswaded that his sufferings are but light and momentany and that they do infallibly work out a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory How do things infinitely less valuable and extremely uncertain prevail with men to undergo hardships to adventure through fire and water to bear watchings toil nakedness hunger and thirst How patiently doth the Husbandman Merchant Souldier and Courtier submit to utmost hazards at utmost uncertainties to obtain their hopes which often do make them ashamed But now who looketh to the establishing of the Promise and to the greatness of the things promised and vieweth them in the Death of Christ as a Sacrifice expecteth greatest joys rewards and glory on the surest ground and most infallible certainty and therefore resolveth neither to yield to fainting or to sit down under weariness he will look to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and see what he may expect after sufferings and will suffer that he may enjoy what he doth expect Thus Faith may be confirmed and improved as to each part wherein it is concerned by duly considering Christ's dying our Sacrifice ensureth on most inviosable bonds the most desirable good things
for future and doth for present sufficiently influence our Faith to quiet revive quicken and support the soul under fears languishings dulnesses and sufferings Go then aside and take a view of the particulars and meditate on them in the certainty which Christ suffering and dying our Sacrifice hath given to us concerning them and when thou hast so done observe well whether thou art not perswaded to believe in hope against hope and whether thou art not enabled to believe the Promises without staggering and to say thou faintest not because thy afflictions are light and yet do work out for thee a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while thou art able to look to and see both him that is and the things that are invisible such a Faith will be our victory by it we shall more than conquer Having discoursed somewhat on the Improvement of our Divine sorrow and our Faith in the Commemoration of Christ Dying our Sacrifice I have made way for the Improvement of our Peace and Quiet of soul likewise 3d. Grace improved viz. Peace of Soul for this is a sweet fruit of our sound Repentance and sincere faith and carry's a proportioned dimension with the increase of those Graces But I purpose to attempt a more particular discovery of the influence Christ's Death our Sacrifice hath upon the Tranquillity and Peace of the soul of a Communicant who discerneth this Death as it was a Sacrifice and under that notion improveth his Redeemer's love to him Now if I can shew my Reader that there is in this Sacrifice somwhat sufficient to remove all that disquieteth the soul I need take no further care to perswade an opinion that Peace will follow Let the storm cease and a calm will follow if the Earthquake end the old Foundations will stand firm and well setled Let that be removed which alarmed the soul and all will be in Peace Amongst other lesser which I pass over there are four grand disquietudes of the soul 1. Danger of divine displeasure and wrath in condemnation for our sin The drawn sword of Divine vengeance hanging over the head is enough to affright all peace out of the heart and to fill it with amazing horrour and overwhelming terrours How did Adam's fears seize him when his sin had laid him open to that threat Thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 then his guilty conscience did chase Ea conscientia est quae filgat terret accusat damnat Parentes nostros Certissimum testimonium Deum tandem ultorem futurum omnis mali Fagius in cap. 3. Gen. 8. affright accuse condem him forebode a severer Judge and Avenger whom he could not escape or shun whom he could not stand before whom he feareth and flieth The Apostle elegantly expresseth the disquietude of a self-condemning heart by the trouble of bondage Heb. 2.15 The fear of death kept them in bondage all their life the expectation of death was death to them or ere they died and they scarce lived because they continually tortured themselves with the preapprehensions of a hastening death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot which to secure nature is the greatest of terrours though ignorance of what is consequent to death did hide the most dreadful part of death from the eyes of nature Psal 55.4 Psal 116.3 yet in David's phrase terrours of death will make the heart sigh under pain and fill it with trouble and sorrow too unless the heart be assured of the the removal of guilt the freedom from condemnation Joh. 8.21 24. Rev. 2.11 that the man dieth not in his sins nor shall be hurt of the second death No man's heart was strong under the apprehensions of the wrath of an Almighty and Eternal God nor can the greatest cheats of the world I mean hypocrites who can counterfeit almost every thing put on the counterfeit of boldness Isa 33.15 when they see the everlasting burnings and the devouring fire they are then surprized with fearfulness 2. Loss of the wonted sweetness of Divine favour and the refreshing expresses which God by his spirit did formerly give to the soul When once the soul hath been favoured with an acquaintance and knowledg of a Heaven upon earth it cannot without disquietude live on earth without it's Heaven Darkness cannot but greatly afflict the soul which enlightned once did rejoice in the light of God's Countenance shining on it What is said of the great darkness which fell on Abraham in his sleep Gen. 15.12 may be verified of all the desertions which fall upon the children of Abraham they are attended with horrour and trouble When God hid his face from David he was troubled Psal 30.5 and his soul refused to be comforted Psal 77.2 his spirit was overwhelmed ver 3. so troubled he could not speak ver 4. All which proceeded from the spiritual desertion he then lay under God hath cast off and he feared it was for ever ver 7. that he would be favourable no more c. verse 8 and 9. So that when David had lost the sense of God's love he could find peace or joy in nothing about him An Idolater once expostulated with a great deal of trouble you have taken away my Gods and do you ask what aileth me But whilst we deride or pity his blindness we should resent the real troubles of the soul which hath lost the sense of the Love of his God and Father and indulge him in a more than usual trouble for the suspence or intermission of his desired rest and peace wherein he found though imperfect yet a growing happiness and in David's words expressed his felicity He heard the joyful sound and walked in the light of God's countenance Psal 89.15 but now feareth his misery will recall his former happiness only to prove him as much sunk in woes as he was exalted in joys above other men Miserrimum est fuisse felicem this disquieteth the soul that it hath been what now it is not blessed 3. Sense of sinful weakness and suspition of worse insincerity and want of uprightness in its duties and the exercises of its Devotion towards God are a trouble to the soul in its reflections on its services and examination of it self it seeth sin adhere to every one of its best workes and it seeth imperfection still dwelling in its perfectest graces so that when he findeth to will yet how to perform he findeth not as Rom. 7.18 On which observation of his defects he judgeth himself in a miserable perplexity and under apprehensions hereof crieth out wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. ver 24. This worthlesness of persons and performances is the subject of the Church's complaints Isa 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing And our iniquities as the wind have taken us away iniquities saith David in his complaint prevail against me Psal 65.3 And elsewhere prayeth God would search him and try him and see whether there be any
3. 3. The third and last concern of Faith is its present actings or fruit which it doth in some measure sustain the soul by whilst it waiteth for those great things to come for Faith is not all taken up with expectation it doth now possess much though it expect more all is not in reversion though the most though the best be Faith looks unto things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt igitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat aliquando sisto sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significare potest actum habitumve fiducialem habentem vim non tantum statuminandi sperantem sed sistendi rem speratum Capellus in Heb. 11.1 yet in some sort gives them subsistence not only confirmeth the person who hopeth but sets before him as a thing present that good he hopeth for as the learned and judicious Divine Jacobus Capellus observeth on the word the Apostle useth Heb. 11.1 Indeed it seeth what is far off yet brings that which it seeth so near that it embraceth what it seeth Heb. 11.14 Faith is of very great and present advantage to the soul and exerts its power and vertue on the soul in these four particulars 1. Faith doth by the improvement of the Promises ratified in the blood of Christ our Sacrifice quiet and settle the soul in some good measure of peace and assurance This is one of the sweet and first-fruits of Faith that it quieteth the heart and pacifieth it whereas unbelief doth fill the heart with fears And a convinced soul under doubts is as restless as fears can make it for it is full of them Where there is little Faith there are usually on every awakening alarm as in Peter's case great fears Let not your hearts be troubled saith Christ cast out disquieting thoughts for saith he Ye believe in God Joh. 14.1 And indeed the Believer may well be quiet for he believeth on Christ of whom the God of Truth hath said That whoso believeth on him shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2.6 Now this greatly pacifieth the soul it knows it shall not be confounded it hath received the earnest of a glorious inheritance and is sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise upon its believing Ephes 1.13 14. Amidst the many and great troubles the Apostle met with for the Gospel his Faith kept his heart in a very quiet and pacate frame I know saith he whom I have trusted 2 Tim. 1.12 He speaketh of himself as of one whom no troubles could much disquiet for he did both know that he believed and he knew whom he believed Hence it is that when he prayed for Peace and Joy to fill the believing Romans cap. 15.13 He makes express mention of their Faith as the means of their Peace Pax acquiritur fide Vatablus in loc Now the God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing c. Peace and sedateness of mind is one of the first-born of Faith as on the contrary disquietude of mind is the first-born of despondency and unbelief So David's experience assureth us who found his quiet of mind decrease and the disquiet thereof to increase as his trust in God did decrease therefore he rowseth up himself to trust in God that he might recover the calm of his spirit Why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal 42.11 This then is one of the present great businesses of Faith to quiet the heart and bring it into a peaceable state Now what can give the heart rest if such glorious things expected and secured to us do not The Believer may see all his hopes most inviolably and under the most sacred seals confirmed to him in the Death of Christ by Sacrifice and certainly if greatness of hopes accompanied with immutable assurance of a future enjoying them do not satisfie and quiet for present nothing ever will be able in this world to compose the spirit of any man How quietly doth an expectant about Court wait for his preferment and advance upon the promise of his Friend and Patron who possibly may fail How well will it become us to wait quietly for our great advancement on the Promise Covenant and Oath of our God in which it is impossible he should fail us 2. Faith doth at present revive and refresh the soul it administreth cordials to it I had fainted if I had not believed saith David Psal 27.13 And he prescribeth waiting or believing as an excellent preservative against such faintness and despondence of spirit v. 14. on which he resolveth at what time he is afraid he will trust in God Psal 56.3 No support no reviving comparable to that Faith doth aford That Peace and that Joy which the Apostle Rom. 5.2 hath annexed unto Faith is a Peace with God and a Rejoycing in hope of the glory of God viz. That God will make us glorious in that glory which he hath prepared for all that believe Now they that expect on unfailing promises such Glory may justifiably say that their inward man is renewed not in strength only but in comfort also day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 We faint not ver 16. though our outward man perish why what kept up their spirit did any thing but Faith The Apostle mentioneth nothing else For our inward man is renewed day by day while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen v. 18. While we look i. e. with an eye of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Grotius paralleleth it with Heb. c. 11. v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. Laetari c. if from Arab. it is either amicum se praebuit or else quievit quietavit So Grotius paralleleth the place with Heb. 11.1 And the Syriack whether it use a native or a forein word in its translation doth use a word which implieth an eminent act of Faith When the heavy burthen of guilt overloadeth the heart when the violence strangeness and frequency of temptations sadneth the soul when fierce long and wasting persecutions make havock of the Church when spiritual dulness and deadness of soul afflicteth a Believer what but his Faith can or doth comfort and revive him Faith carrieth him to his Sacrifice in the blood whereof he seeth his God atoned and reconciled who then shall condemn A Covenant of grace and mercy what grace then can he want In this Sacrifice he seeth Christ hath perfected all that are sanctified and done all that which Legal Sacrifices shadowed out but could not work out viz. Perfect Reconciliation to God and full pacification of Conscience This revives the heart God speaks peace and Conscience speaks peace and Faith doth at present employ it self in ensuring and improving both these for the comfort of the Believer And
had forfeited all and all estreated unto God the King and Soveraign of Man In sum Christ had time enough wherein to do this he had good will enough to move him to it he had estate enough to furnish and enrich them and his poor kindred had need enough And what then think we could hinder him from making his Will or what should disswade us from believing it from his humiliation unto death He humbled himself and became obedient unto death c. Wherefore God hath given him a name c. that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Christ who died and because he died hath this title given him He is Lord and this title is given to him of God himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath exalted him and given to him a glorious Title Now this is not a swelling Title without power or riches to befriend and help his people such vain Titles are sometimes given by man to man but never unto any by God himself for he ever invests power with the Title he conferreth and such a power or Authority as became both the greatness of the giver and the greatness of the receiver could not be less then a full uncontrolled and lawfull power of making a Will or Testament giving out legacies to his indigent kindred and friends suitable to all this is that of John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life c. Note well how Christ's laying down his life i. e. Dying for his sheep is is set down as one cause why the Father did so love him Now because the Father loved him he hath given or put all things into his hand John 3.35 Left them all to his disposal These two places of St. John do in effect speak this very language That the voluntary Death of Christ should procure his Father's love to him and this love of his Father should bestow a power and right on Christ to dispose of all things All which was exactly and punctually performed to Christ after his Death as well as largely promised and contracted for upon condition that he should die the promise was made on condition he would die and the right to all contained in the promise was conferred upon him because he died and this right is expressed by St. John thus he hath put all things into his hand because he loved him and he loved him because he laid down his life Thus Christ acquired a right over all by his Death and at his Death disposed of it for the good and benefit of his people whom he made his Heir by Will or Testament which is yet farther confirmed by these two places viz. Luk. 22.29 I appoint unto you a Kingdom I appoint so we read it at large but the Greek doth point out an appointing by Will or Testament on which passage the Learned Beza hath this Note beside what is cited in the Margent These words being the words of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vulg dispono alii Lego Ex illa formula d◠Lego in Testamentis usitatâ Nomen enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculiariter de Testamento dicitur Beza in loc Haec Christi ad mortem proporantis verba speciem habent Testamentariae cujusdam dispositionis quo allusit Apostolus Heb. 9.17 approaching now to his Death do carry the form and shew of a certain Testamentary Disposition to which the Apostle alludeth Heb. 9.17 More might be added to clucidate and clear the word in this its most proper and native signification but I forbear that now Vox Testamenti Latina Graecam vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 restringit ad Foederis gratiae oecononiam Testamentariam c. Joh. Cloppenb de V.T. Disput 1. sect 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notat declarationem voluntatis ultimae c. Joh. Cocceius de Foeb c. 13. sect 470. Let it suffice that Christ useth a word in this place which naturally imports the making of a Will and so leadeth us to consider him as a Testator as one before his each appointing and ordaining his ast-Testament The second place is that of St. Paul Latinis auribus nota erat Vox Testamentum significare in rebus oivilibus extremam voluntatem de rebus quas post mortem quis fieri velit c. Bened. Aretius in prologum ad Nov. Test Heb. 9.16 17. For where there is a Testament there must of necessiity be the Death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth In which words the Apostle doth argue the certainty and perfection of the Covenant or Promises in Christ and proveth it by this known Argument They are the Testament or last Will of Christ which Christ the Testator hath by his death confirmed beyond possibility of a change Est Oeconomia Testamentaria cui confirmandae mors intercedit Testatoris Heb. 9.16 17. Joh. Cloppenb de Test Vet. disp 1. sect 2. That look how sure and firm the last Will is when he who made it is dead so sure and firm are the Promises to us Voluit Foedas suum babere rationem Testamenti propriè dicti Jacob. Cappellus in soc for they are the Testament of our Lord confirmed to us by his Death For Christ would have his Covenant cast into the mould of a Testament or last Will properly so called On these places I conclude this first point Christ did not die intestate but did ordain his last Will ere he died and so his Death may be considered by us as the Death of a Testator who being our friend made his last Will for our good and benefit for by Will he hath bequeathed very great things to us CAP. II Christ a Testator proper Object to mediditate on at the Sacrament HAving in the Former Chap. Proved what I undertook or at least done so much that we may without errour in our meditation consider Christ Dying a Testator I am in this Chapter to shew that the meditations of Christ's Death as it was the Death of a Testator do very well suit with the Sacrament Sect. 1. 1. First such thoughts are suggested to us by Christ himself in those expressions which he used in the first appointing and administring of this Ordinance when he chose to speak of it at a Testament Among many names wch might have been used and which are gotten into use since none so much pleased our Lord as this Mat. 26.28 Mark 14.24 Luk. 22.20 It is the blood of the New Testament and it is The New Testament in my Blood Now a Testament leadeth our thoughts to the Testator and indeed primarily or in the first place though secondarily it signify a Covenant And though now the frequent use of it in the notion of a Covenant makes us the labour to prove this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament to signify a Testamentary Disposition or Will yet we can
hast First All the common inducements of a firm perswasion which are as much in this as in any No man's last Testament can have more grounds for the ensuring us it is firm and stable than his last VVill of Christ He was in strictest propriety a Person who might optimo jure in best right make his VVill. He had wealth and riches spiritual Riches fulness of Grace and merit Testes suntin primis discipuli ejus Apostoli sancti man tyres quoque testes sunt -Testes etiam bom ministri omnes Testes etiam Angeli omnesque Pii Ben. Aretius in Prolegem ad Matth. he had large demeasnes was heir of all things he could sua legare bequeath his own he did also make his VVill by his death he confirmed all the promises and made them the Legacy of every Believer He did condere Testamentum ordain his Testament To which he added sufficient VVitnesses to him give all the Prophets and Apostles witness that whosoever believeth in him hath good title and right to eternal Life he bequeathed it by VVill and adhibuit testes * call'd in Witnesses And farther he publish'd his Will sent out his Apostles who declared Christs death and the Believers life Every Minister of Christ is one by whom Christ still publisheth this Will of his Now if thou who readest this hadst such a Ground of Plea for an inheritance wouldst thou not say thou hadst a good Title wouldst thou fear to claim thy Legacy wouldst thou not sue the Executor rather than lose thine inheritance when thou shouldest read what thy dying Friend commanded to be written what witnesses are to it how plain and full he made every thing be written publisht would not thy perswasion grow as thou readest So then it is in this case every promise is reduced into the form of a will and the more thou readest and considerest the more wilt thou discern the stability and the certainty of the promises The words which thou believest on which thou may'st claim and make good thy claim to any promise it is the Legacy thy dying Lord hath bequeathed thee Say then before thou goest to the Lords Table I am now preparing to renew the memorial of Christs death and what thoughts am I to entertain ought they not to be thoughts of the precious promises which are comprised in the Lord Jesus in whom they are all yea and amen made to us in him before he died made most sure to us by him when he died And who dares go about to reverse what he hath so consirmed who shall presume to annul and make void his will I see others believe their interest in the last will of their Friends I know I am the Friend of Christ and in his Will what then should make me doubt Nay I will endeavour to have as inviolatam fidem inviolate and unshaken Faith as I have inviolate and Sacred ground of Faith in the last Will of my Lord. Secondly The Believer hath yet more to increase his faith and to confirm him in the perswasion that there shall be a performance of all that is promised For it is all made sure by the last Testament of him who could not exceed his own treasures he hath not given larger Legacies than his estate will bear though his Gifts are great yet his Estate will make them good He is heir of both Worlds with all that is in both he is heir of the world to come and he is proprietary of all grace which fits for Glory and he is also Proprietary of all Glory fitted unto Grace that is prepared and apportioned unto Grace He is Lord of this present world although we do not yet see all things put under him yet he is the man of whom David spake Psal 8. witness the Apostle Heb. 2. He shall inherit all Nations he is a King whose dominion is over all In one word the greatest wants the largest desires the highest expectations of his kindred could not be too much for his Treasures Though none ever gave as he hath given yet none ever did or ever shall be put to abate or to forgo any part of his Gift This oh believing soul is peculiar to thy Lord his Riches will pay all his Legacies Say then to thine unbelief what is it thou stickest at where lieth the difficulty are the promises so rich they exceed the Estates and Treasures of this world do they amount to more than all the world can make up why still they are not greater than the Riches of both worlds and remember thy self he hath both this and that world which is to come at his disposal and his Bequests are to be disbursed and paid out of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Arab. reads Quicquid est in ea will both be enough cannot the fulness of the Earth fill thy emptiness why the Earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof the World is his and they that dwell therein Banish thine unbelief which ordinarily stumbles most at the wants and streights of Christians in this life and look to the last Will of Christ which is unto Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He bequeaths all the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come Oh now where is thy faith what forbids thee to be perswaded of the truth of the promise of Christ 1 Tim. 4.8 he hath not laid it on an uncertainty much less on an untruth he hath not given so much if his Goods will amount to it He hath not as that beggarly Cardinal given much but his Legatees must find it out No but he had enough to give what he hath given and every one shall in due time have all that Christ hath given there are Assets to pay these debts believe than that thou may'st receive See how much greater cause thou hast to believe than any man can have to expect from the Testamentary disposition of a mortal friend who may possibly out give his Estate but Christ thy Friend did not could not out-give his 3. Next consider as he had wealth both spiritual eternal and temporal sufficient to discharge his leagacies so he had wisdom which could not and love in sincerity which would not err in the ordaining of his Will that so any Legatee should lose through the ambiguity or defect of his last Will. He needed none to direct him how to make a will which should hold good and be valid to all the intents and purposes of his love towards his poor Friends He is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that one Law-giver whose wisdom directeth to the making Laws good profitable and seasonable for his Church He is that Lawgiver whose soveraign authority gives validity and warranteth his word for a law to his Church He is the King of his Church and his Church knows not a law beside the word of his mouth And the words of his mouth are right there is nothing forward or
Prov. 14.20 Both these Motives to love the Believer seeth in every Believer Grace doth very much sweeten Nature and Grace doth very much enrich the person These Motives of love may be found in every Legatee who hath share in the choice Legacies of Christ he giveth an excellency of spirit which sweetneth their disposition they are meek lowly faithful and without guile He also giveth an Inheritance a heavenly a glorious Inheritance these win with the considerate Christian and either thou knowest not what Christ hath bestowed on Believers or thou must confess they are well worthy of thy love and brotherly affection 2. Another Inducement to Brotherly Love contained in this consideration of Christ Dying a Testator may be this Every Believer having interess in this Will was near to Christ's heart as art thou or I or any other who pretendeth title and interess in Christ's Last Testament Now should it not move us to love with hearty love every Christian for so much as every one of them was equally near to the hearty love of Christ Let our hearts be toward them Joh. 15.12 as Christ's was toward us and them It is a maxim in Love and Friendship that it extend it self to all our friends friends Hence the advice of Solomon that thy Father's friend be not forsaken Prov. 27.10 carries sound reason in it for he that is the Father's friend and heartily loved him that begot will be a friend to the Son and love him that was begotten too as the Apostle argueth in a like case 1 John 5.1 The Apostle urgeth this Love of Christ to us as argument to perswade us to love one another Rom. 15.5 with vers 7. to be of the same mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide 2 Cor. 13.11 Idem velle idem nolle ea demum est firma amicitia that so ye may live in Peace and Love which is the fruit of that Union the Apostle perswades us to 2 Cor. 13.11 and Phil. 2.2 where he explaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The being of one mind by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having the same Love The Love we should have for the Brethren of right should be so strong as death because that Love which Christ had for them equally and indifferently was even unto death This is the Apostle's Argument 1 John 3.16 And there is strength in it whether we apprehend it or no. In the last Will of Christ thou mayest discern a Love equally embracing all that believe that seek their portion in Christ There we may find Christ a friend to the poor as to the rich Believer to the unlearned as to the learned Believer to the despised as to the honourable Believer As the Apostle speaketh of Righteousness I may speak and you must understand of all the blessings of the Covenant and Testament The whole is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Rom. 3.22 Now where Christ hath made no difference in his Love darest thou make so great a difference in thine as to withhold thy love from some Wilt thou not love those who are dear friends to thy dearest Lord thy best friend I do not press an equality of love to all Believers I know our brethren by nature our kindred by alliances our acquaintance and intimate friends have a right to our love and affections both Natural and Civil and where such a Right is doubled by our Relation to each other in Christ our affections may be allowed to double themselves also Whilst Grace and common Hopes do increase our love to each other they do allow for the respects which Nature calleth for of us We must love all with an unfeigned love though we may love some with a more fervent love whom Christ hath equally loved we must unfeignedly love and what reneweth the remembrance of such love to us should renew our love to others 3. In the last Will of Christ is to be seen That it is the express desire of our Dying Lord we should love one another heartily and unfeignedly He hath therefore put them all into one Will and into the same capacity every one by his Will made an heir The Saints do inherit the Riches of Glory Ephes 1.18 Their title is a joint-tenancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are coheirs Heb. 11.9 And this title is by gift of Christ in his last Testament Joh. 17.24 Who desired they should all be where he was that they might behold his glory And read we John 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you This is that Commandment that is so mine as if all others were to yield place to this This is the New Commandment Joh. 13.34 and 35. When Christ attended with Angels gave the Law to Israel the First Great Commandment was Love the Lord c. The Second was Love thy Neighbour c. When he was to die he renewed the Commandment of loving our Brethren Yea so resolvedly doth our Lord require this Brotherly Love that whosoever he is pretends to Christ must make good his pretensions to Christ by his affections to all that are Brethren in Christ Joh. 13.35 Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love for one another Add hereto 1 John 4.20 He loves not God who loveth not the Children of God For how shall he love God whom he hath not seen who loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen In a word read the last words of Christ's Intercession John 17.26 which do breathe out the earnest desire of Christ that such love may be among the Brethren one to another as was in the Father and in the Son to them all Now after all this vehemency of desire in Christ that we who are heirs by his Will should love one another Shall any of us dare to hate undervalue reject or despise the other Will you read the last Testament of Love with a heart of enmity Dare you come to the Ordinance which renews the remembrance of Christ's Love to us of his desire we should love each other and not labour to renew your love to them Renewed meditations on Christ's love to us will certainly renew our love to him and to all his renewed thoughts of his last desire of his earnest commending mutual love will renew mutuall love in us if any degree of ingenuity remain in us 4. In the Testament and Last Will of our Dying Lord we have this inducement to renew our love to the Brethren He hath by will designed one onely place in which with most perfect love to enjoy as all the blessed Legacies of our Lord so to enjoy all our fellow Legatees Whether I shall perswade now I know not whether my arguings be powerful enough to suppress envyings and jealousies to remove animosities and quarrels from amongst saints I cannot tell But this I know and this I will tell you when you who
bearing his sin its curse and punishment that Justice may not lay any sentence of condemnation upon it but absolve and acquit justifie and save it Where can the soul better rest and congratulate its happiness in its rest than in a pacified propitious God Tell me who ere thou art reading or hearing these lines canst thou desire more than happiness Is any thing greater and better in thy wishes Certainly either thou knowest not what thou answerest or else dost answer it is thy greatest dailyest hourly desire and that the man or woman who would assure thee of this would fill thy heart with raptures of joy Now behold these desires answered in the Lord Jesus dying to remove that Curse which kept thee from thy happiness If Joy be the enlarging of the heart to entertain a desired good lo here a good worth the entertaining Christ bearing thy Curse lo here a good so great that no heart but an enlarged heart can rightly entertain it Oh be perswaded to receive it and tell me then what affection it raiseth in thy soul Certainly he never feared because he never knew the danger of Hell who doth not greatly rejoyce in his deliverance and escape from it Open but thy heart to receive and thy Joy will as surely break out as the streams do when the springs and fountains are opened Secondly Christ dying a Curse for thee will heighten thy Joy For whatever thou canst approve a ground of Joy in other mens rejoycing without this thou mayest much more approve in thine own rejoycing in this without any other There is very much Joy in the world which is unseemly and there is some which is justifiable seemly and seasonable but whatever makes it so seemly that and much more is in the Death of Christ dying an accursed Death for us to justifie and warrant the Christian 's Joy I dare stand to plead the Christian's Joy to excel on this account as much as the Joy for recovery of a Crown and Kingdom doth excel the Joy of a wise man for the finding of a Pin. Could a Christian enlarge his Joy to the exceeding greatness of his cause of Joy it would incomparably excel all other mens Joy as much as the recovery from a mortal wound excels the healing of a scratcht finger Indeed all other Joy without this is the unseemly Joy of fools or madmen but this without all other is Joy of wise considerate and knowing men and might we enter the comparison it would appear what trifles men of the world how great soever and how wise soever in the account of the world do rejoice in It is reported of Francis the first recovering the French shore upon his delivery out of his Captivity Je suis le Roy. That he leapt and rejoyced with this I am a King And who that values liberty or safety or power or a Kingdom censureth him for it or doubts whether it were seemly But oh believing soul thou seest at a Sacrament a worse prison a more doleful Captivity crueller enemies and more deadly dangers left behind thee and thou set at liberty in a more blessed safety and entitled to a Crown and Kingdom as much better as Heaven is better than France was and this by Christ's Death as it was an accursed Death to free thee from the Curse The men of the world rejoice in their full harvests The victorious Conqueror rejoiceth in the dividing of the spoils The ambitious Courtier rejoiceth in his Court-preferment But what Joy will the Barns and Stores of the wealthy man be when he dies the accursed Death and with Dives is tormented in endless fires Will the Joy of the preferred Courtier continue to him under the disgrace which he shall fall into when God shall arrest imprison condemn and execute him as an accursed wretch What will become of the Joys of Victories and Triumphs when the Crowns shall wither before the hot displeasure of God and when the crowned Conqueror shall be delivered up an accursed wretched prisoner and captive in eternal chains In few words there are many daggers lifted up and striking at the Joy of every man who rejoiceth in any thing but the Cross of Christ and first or last some one or other of these daggers will reach the heart and let out the life of such Joys But the Believer's Joy in the Death of Christ dying a Curse for him is a Joy which is immortal and cannot be destroyed It is a Joy will most gloriously crown the Believer when other mens Joys do most shamefully forsake deceive and torture them If then any may rejoice the Believer may much more and this he may do at every remembrance of his Redeemer's dying a Curse for him And such renewed remembrance of our cause of Joy will undoubtedly renew our Joy he may rejoice still more than yet he hath rejoiced who seeth he hath more to rejoice in than all the jovial merry world ever shall have Thirdly Renewed Meditations of Christ's dying such a Death for us will renew our Joy appeareth from this That our Joy will be most full satisfactory and transporting to us when we come to the distinctest fullest and liveliest knowledge and apprehension of this Death of Christ They who most fully apprehend and who most particularly apply the Benefits of this Death to themselves who live upon it and know what life it is how excellent how happy c. These are fullest of purest Joy and truly as we abate in our ability and skill to meditate on this Death of Christ or as we abate in the exercise and actual meditation and thought of Christ's dying for us as a Curse the more our Joy will abate also The Saints in glory do now rejoice and will forever rejoice for they do ever behold the scars which this Curse hath left in Christ they ever remember that Christ dying a Curse hath given them that blessed Life in which they ever shall rejoice Now what it hath wrought on them and what it will work one day upon us proveth to us what it might work in us at the present It hath now all in it which it ever will have but we have not all in us which we shall have when this dying of our Lord shall fill us with a never-dying or abating love to him who did it and with Joy in the thing done for us The reason why the Believer rejoiceth more in the sight of Christ dying a Curse for him as his distinct knowledge of it groweth is not that his knowledge addeth any thing to it but because his knowledge of it now maketh more of that Death which appeared not so much then to his own eye so his Joy groweth with his knowledge But now it is not so with other Joys they lessen as our knowledge of them increaseth and those which at distance we flattering our selves hoped would be pure and deep sweet and lasting as a Crystal stream prove to us when we come nearer and