a right of Conquest 297 By a right of Covenant 297 By a right of Communion 298 VVee may belong unto Christ by Externall profession 299 VVee may belong unto Christ by Reall Implantation 299 Christ bringeth selfe-evidencing properties into the soule 300 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his Caring for us 305 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his Purging of us 306 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his Sparing of us 307 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his Praying of us 307 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his Teaching of us 308 Christs proprietie to us the ground of his chastising us in mercy 308 Christs people militarie men 308 Satans wayes and Methodes of assaulting the Church 309 Christs people are willingly subject unto him 312 By nature men are utterly unwilling 312 Apt to charge the wayes of God as Grievous 313 Apt to charge the wayes of God as Vnprofitable  Apt to charge the wayes of God as Vnequall 314 The Spirit of Bondage compelleth many to unwilling services 314 The power of the word in naturall men worketh a velleitie or incomplete will 315 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Evidence and sense of their naturall estate 320 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Spirituall illumination of minde 321 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Comâ—union and adspiration of the Spirit 324 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Apprehension of Gods deare Love 324 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Beauty and pretiousnesse of heavenly promises 325 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Experiences of peace comfort and security in Gods wayes 326 Willingnesse in Christs people wrought by the Beauty of holinesse 327 Such as the will is such is the service Because the will is the first mover 328 Because God esteemeth himselfe most honoured thereby 330 Whether those who are truly Christs people may not have feares and unwillingnesse in his service 330 1 They may have a feare of Suffering Gods wrath 331 1 They may have a feare of Of medling with his service 331 2 They may have deadnesse wearinesse and a mixture of unwillingnesse in his service 332 From the Strength of corruptions 333-334 From the Weaknesse of graces 333-334 From the Importunitie of Temptations 333-334 From the Weight of some fresh sinne 333-334 From the Spirituall desertions 333-334 3 Yet still their wills are sincerely carried towards God 335 Christs people are made willing to obey him by an act of power 337 The ground hereof is the universall fleshlinesse and reluctancy of the will naturally against grace 344 The more earnest should wee bee to serve Christ when wee are his 347 Holinesse a glorious and beautifull thing 349 In regard of the Author of it 351 In regard of the Nature of it 352 Properties of it Rectitude 354 Properties of it Harmonie 354 Properties of it Maturitie 356 Properties of it Indeficiency 357 In regard of the Operations of it 357 All Christs people are Priests unto God 359 Holinesse the character of Christs subjects 359 None willing to come to Christ till they see beauty in his service 363 Multitudes borne unto Christ by the Gospell 365 Whether universality and visible pompe bee a note of the Church 369 All Christs subjects are withall his Children 374 And should expresse the affections of Children 376 The Birth of a Christian is a heavenly worke 377 Therefore the seed must bee received with heavenly affections 379 Therefore wee must looke unto God in his Ordinances 380 The Birth of a Christian a secret and undiscerned worke 380 The Birth of a Christian is a sudden Birth 381 How the Lord sweareth 384 VVhy the Lord confirmed the priesthood of Christ by an oath 385 Christs solemne Ordination unto the office of a Priest 387 Which is the foundation of all the Churches Comfort 388 in regard of Christs Fidelity 390 in regard of Christs Mercy 391 in regard of Christs Power ibid. in regard of Christs Propriety ibid. in regard of Christs Sympathy 393 in regard of Christs Consanguinity ibid. How God is said to repent 393 Whether God hath repented him of the law 395 Why the Covenant of Grace is immutable 398 What a priest is 402 Grounds tending to discover the necessity of a priest for man 403 A discovery of that necessity 408 With the Application thereof 411 Qualifications of the person which was to be our Priest 416 He was to bee all in the unity of one Person 420 a Mediator 417 a Surety 418 a Sacrifice ibid. an Altar 419 Wherein the Acts of Christs Priesthood consisted namely Oblation 424 Wherein the Acts of Christs Priesthood consisted namely Intercession 424 Christs will made his death a Sacrifice 425 Christs Intercession or Appearing in Heaven for us 428 Christs death did merit and his life conferre Redemption 429 Wherein Christs Intercession consisteth 431 No Mediators of Intercession 433 The great benefits which come to us by Christs Intercession 434 What is the fruit and vertue of Christs Priesthood namely Satisfaction for our debt 438 What is the fruit and vertue of Christs Priesthood namely Acquisition of our inheritance 438 An Explication of the Doctrine of justification by righteousnesse imputed 440 How Christ being innocent might justly suffer the punishment of our sinnes 444 1. God may cast paines upon an innocent person 445 2. It is not against generall equity for one to suffer anothers sinne 446 3. This Equity in the present case is that all parties are both Willing and 446 3. This Equity in the present case is that all parties are both Glorified 446 4. In the innocent person thus suffering as a sacrifice for the nocent is required 1. An intimate conjunction with him that is nocent 447 2. A full dominion over that from which in suffering he parteth 448 3. A strength to breake through the sufferings 449 How sinne thus punished may be said to be pardoned 449 A double use of the doctrine of Righteousnesse imputed Selfe-deniall 450 A double use of the doctrine of Righteousnesse imputed Confidence 452 Redundancie of Christs merit purchasing for us Immunity from evils 455 Redundancie of Christs merit purchasing for us Priviledge of Vnion with him whence our Vnction 456 Redundancie of Christs merit purchasing for us Priviledge of Vnion with him whence our Adoption 456 Redundancie of Christs merit purchasing for us Priviledge of Vnion with him whence our Exaltation 456 Duties growing out of the consideration of Christs priesthood 457 Of Melchisedek his Person Order Bread and VVine Benediction Tithes Genealogie 461 Christ is a King of Righteousnesse 465 Christ is a King of Canaanites 467 VVhere Christ is a King of Righteousnesse he is a King of Peace 469 Christs forwardnesse to meete and to blesse his people 471 Christ a Comforter and Refresher of his people 472 Christ a Receiver of Homage and Tribute 473 Liberall maintenance due unto the Ministers of the Gospell 475 Christs priesthood is everlasting 482 VVhy
the Law The Law was a glorious ministery as appeares by the thunderings and lightnings the shining of Moses his face and trembling at Gods presence the service of the Angels and sound of the trumpet the ascending of the smoke and the quaking of the mountaine but yet still the glory of the Gospell was farre more excellent a better Covenant a more excellent ministery The Law had weaknesse and unprofitablenesse in it both termes of diminution from the the glory thereof and therefore it could make nothing perfect But that which the Law could not doe in as much as it was weake through the flesh the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus which is a periphrasis of the Gospell as appeareth 2 Cor. 3.6 did doe for us namely make us free from the law of sin and death So then the Law was glorious but the Gospell in many respects did excell in glory 2 Cor. 3.10 To take a more particular view of the spirituall glory of the Gospell of Christ in those excellent ends and purposes for which it serveth First It is full of light to informe to comfort to guide those who sate in darknesse and the shadow of death into the way of peace Light was the first of all the creatures which were made and the Apostle magnifieth it for a glorious thing in those other luminaries which were after created 1 Cor. 15.41 How much more glorious was the light of the Gospell The Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A marvellous light and therefore the kingdome of the Gospell is exprest by light and glory together as termes of a promiscuous signification Esay 60.1 2 3. Of all other learning the knowledge of the Gospell doth infinitly excell in worth both in regard of the object thereof which is God manifested in the flesh and in regard of the end thereof which is flesh reconciled and brought unto God A knowledge which passeth knowledge a knowledge which bringeth fulnesse with it even all the fulnesse of God a knowledge so excellent that all other humane excellencies are but dung in comparison of it What Angell in heaven would trouble himselfe to busie his noble thoughts which have the glorious presence of God and the joyes of heaven to fill them with metaphysicall or mathematicall or philologicall contemplations which yet are the highest delicacies which humane reason doth fasten on to delight in And yet we finde the Angels in heaven with much greedinesse of speculation stoope downe and as it were turne away their eyes from that expressesse glory which is before them in heaven to gaze upon the wonderfull light and bottomlesse mysteries of the Gospell of Christ. In all other learning a Devill in hell the most cursed of all creatures doth wonderfully surpasse the greatest proficients amongst men but in the learning of the Gospell and in the spirituall revelations and evidences of the benefits of Christ to the soule from thence there is a knowledge which surpasseth the comprehension of any angell of darknesse for it is the Spirit of God onely which knoweth the things of God It was the devillish flout of Iulian the Apostate against Christian Religion that it was an illiterate rusticitie and a naked beliefe and that true polite learning did belong to him and his Ethnick faction and for that reason he interdicted Christians the use of Schooles and humane learning as things improper to their beleeving religion a persecution esteemed by the Ancients as cruel as the other bloudy massacres of his predecessors To which slander though the most learned Father might have justly returned the lye and given proofes both in the canonicall bookes of holy Scripture and in the professours of that religion of as profound learning as invincible argumentation and as forcible eloquence as in any Heathen Author for I dare challenge all the Pagan learning in the world to parallel the writings of Clemens of Alexandria Origen Iustin Tertullian Cyprian Minutius Augustine Theodoret Nazianzen and the other champions of Christian Religion against Gentilisme yet he rather chooseth thus to answer that that authoritie which the faith he so much derided was built upon came to the soule with more selfe-evidence and invincible demonstration than all the disputes of reason or learning of Philosophie could create Though therefore it were to the Iewes an offence as contrary to the honour of their Law and to the Greekes foolishnesse as contrary to the pride of their reason yet to those that were perfect it was an hidden and mysterious wisdome able to convince the gain-sayers to convert sinners to comfort mourners to give wisdome to the simple and to guide a man in all his wayes with spirituall prudence for what ever the prejudice of the world may be there is no man a wiser man nor more able to bring about those ends which his heart is justly set upon than hee who being acquainted with God in Christ by the Gospell hath the Father of wisedome the Treasurer of wisedome the Spirit of wisedome and the Law of wisedome to furnish him therewithall It is not for want of sufficiencie in the Gospell but for want of more intimate acquaintance and knowledge thereof in us that the children of this world are more wise in their generation than the children of light Secondly another glorious end and effect of the Gospell is to be a ministration of Righteousnesse a publication of a pardon to the world and that so generall that there is not one exception therein of any other sin than onely of the contempt of the pardon it selfe And in this respect likewise the Gospell exceeds in glory If the ministration of condemnation saith the Apostle bee glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3.9 It is the glory of a man to passe by an offence and the Lord proclaimeth his glory to Moses in that he would forgive iniquitie transgression and sinne that is multitudes of sinnes and sinnes of all degrees Exod. 34.7 And thus the Lord magnifies his mercie and thoughts towards sinners above all the wayes and thoughts of men even as the heavens are higher than the earth because he can abundantly pardon or multiply forgivenesses upon those who forsake their wayes and turne to him Esay 55.7 8 9. and therefore justifying faith whereby we rely upon the power of God to forgive and subdue our sinnes is said to give glory to God Abraham staggered not at the Promise through unbeleefe but being strong in faith hee gave glory to God namely the glory of his power and fidelity Rom. 4.20 21. Ye shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I have given them saith the Lord to Moses and Aaron because yee beleeved me not to sanctifie mee in the eyes of the children of Israel that is to give me the glory of my power and truth for to sanctifie the Lord of hoasts signifieth to glorifie his power by fearing him
glory or the glorious Gospell Christ the prince of life yea the Word of life and the Gospell the Word of life too Christ a Iudge and the Word of Christ a Iudge too The word which I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day Christ a Saviour and Salvation unto men Mine eyes have seene thy Salvation And the Gospell of Christ a Salvation too wee know saith Christ to the woman of Samaria what we worship for salvation is of the Iewes The force of the reason leads us to understand by Salvation the Oracles of God which were committed unto that people for out of them only it is that we know what and how to worship and this is not unusuall in holy Scriptures If the Word saith the Apostle spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord c Where we finde Salvation set in opposition to the Word spoken by Angels which was the Law of God or the ministerie of condemnation and therefore it must needes signifie the Gospell of Christ. Be it knowne unto you saith the Apostle to the unbeleeving Iewes that the salvation of God that is the Gospell of God as appeareth plainely by the like paralell speech in another place is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will heare it So the Apostle saith that the engraffed Word is able to save the soules of men All which and many other the like particulars note unto us That as Christ is the Power and Image of his Father so the Gospell is in some sort of Christ For which reason the Apostle as I conceive calleth the Gospel the Face of Iesus Christ God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Where is it that wee behold the glorie of God but in a glasse and what is that glasse but the word of God as S. Iames cals it Iam. 1.23 Christ is not pleased any other wayes ordinarily to exercise his power or to reveale his glory but in these ordinances of his which wee dispense Therefore hee walketh in his Church with a sword is his mouth and with a Rod in his mouth to note that hee giveth no greater testification of his strength than in the Ministery of his Gospell which is therefore sometimes called a sword a hammer a fire sometimes onely a savor of life and death to note the mighty working thereof that can kill as well by a sent as by a wound as well by a breath as by a blow To consider this point a little more distinctly This Power of the Gospell of Christ appeares in both those regards as it is a savor of life unto life and as it is a savor of death unto death Towards his Church who shall bee saved and towards his enemies who shall perish Many wayes is the Gospell of Christ and his Spirit a Rod of strength unto his Church First in their Calling and conversion from the power of Satan unto God Satan is a strong man and hee is armed hath a whole panoply and full provision of militarie instruments and which is a great advantage hath both the first possession and the full love of the hearts of men before Christ attempts any thing upon them And therefore that which pulleth a man from under the paw of such a Lion and forceth him away from his owne palace must needs bee much stronger than hee And therefore the Apostle commendeth the power of the word by this argument that it is a sword fit to overcome principalities and powers and rulers of the darknesse of this world and spirituall wickednesses in heavenly places Againe the old Man in our nature is a strong man too a Raigning King which setteth himselfe mightily against the word and will of Christ and cherisheth the disease against the remedie And by that likewise the Apostle commendeth the power of the Gospell that it is mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds and imaginations or fleshly reasonings When Christ still'd the windes and the Sea with but two words Peace bee still they were exceedingly amazed at his power and said one to another what manner of man is this that even the windes and the Sea obey him The conversion of a man is a farre greater worke than the stilling of the Sea that will bee sometimes calme of it selfe when the furie of the winde ceaseth The wicked indeed are like the Sea but not at any time but like a troubled Sea when it cannot rest The Sea wee know is subject unto severall motions An inward boyling and unquietnesse from it selfe its ordinary fluxes and refluxes from the influence of the moone many casuall agitations from the violence of the windes and from its owne waves one wave precipitating impelling and repelling another So are the hearts of wicked men by the foaming estuations and excesses of naturall concupiscence by the provisions and materials of sinfull pleasures by the courses of the world by the solicitations and impulsions of Satan by a world of hourely casualties and provocations so tempestuous that they alwayes cast out upon the words and actions of men mire and dirt Now in the dispensation of the word by the ministery of a weake man Christ stilleth the raging of this Sea quels the lusts correcteth the distempeâ—s scattereth the temptations worketh a smoothnesse and tranquillity of Spirit in the soule of a man Surely when this is done the soule cannot but stand amazed at its owne recovery and admire that wonderfull and invisible power which could so suddenly rebuke such raging affections and reduce them unto calmenesse and beauty againe What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest and thou Iordan that thou wert driven back yee mountaines that yee skipped like Rams and yee little hils like Lambes It is an expression of Gods power towards his people in their triumphall entrance into the Land of Canaan Wee may apply it to the conquest and possession which the word takes of the soules of men What ailed a man that hee was driven back from his owne channell and made suddenly to forget his wonted course what ailed those strong and mountainous lusts which were as immoveably setled upon the soule as a hill upon his base to fly away at the voice of a man like a frighted sheepe what ailed those smaller corruptions and intemperancies which haply had before lost their names and were rather customes and infirmities than sinnes to flie away like lambes from the word of Christ A man went into the Church with a full tide and streame of lusts every thicket in his heart every reasoning and imagination of his
moment of time upon the abuse or right improvement whereof dependeth the severall issues of their eternall condition though the Lord say expresly Bee not conformed to this world they that walke according to the course of the world walke according to the Prince of the power of the aire The Lord will punish all such as are clothed with strange apparell who take up the fashions of idolaters or other nations or other sexes as that place is differently expounded Nature it selfe teacheth that it is a shame for a man to weare long haire nay Nature it selfe taught that honest Heathen to stand at defiance with the sinnes of his age and not comply with the course of the world upon that slight apologie as if the commonnesse had taken away the illnesse that which committed by one would have been a sin being imitated after a multitude were but a fashion To conclude this particular The Apostle is peremptory Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor covetous nor theeves nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God and the consciences of many men who yet will never yeeld to the conclusion cannot choose but subsume as the Apostle goes on such are some of we nay and such we will be too But now if we should bespeake these men in the word of the Prophet Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob they should finde at the last their reasons to be like themselves vanity and lighter than nothing that the Word of the Lord will at last prevaile and sweepe away all their refuge of lyes Secondly the power of the Word towards wicked men is seene in Affrighting of them there is a spirit of bondage and a savour of death aswell as a spirit of life and libertie which goeth along with the Word Guilt is an inseparable consequent of sinne and feare of the manifestation of guilt If the heart be once convinced of this it will presently faint and tremble even at the shaking of a leafe at the wagging of a mans owne conscience how much more at the voice of the Lord which shaketh mountaines and maketh the strong foundations of the earth to tremble If I should see a prisoner at the barre passe sentence upon his Judge and the Judge thereupon surpriz'd with trembling and forced to subscribe and acknowledge the doome I could not but stand amaz'd at so inverted a proceeding yet in the Scripture wee finde presidents for it Micatah a prisoner pronouncing death unto Ahab a King Ieremie a prisoner pronouncing captivitie unto Zedekiah a King Paul in his chain preaching of judgment unto Felix in his robes and making his owne Judge to tremble It is not for want of strength in the Word or because there is stoutnesse in the hearts of men to stand out against it that all the wicked of the world do not tremble at it but meerly their ignorance of the power evidence thereof The Devils are stronger and more stubborne creatures than any man can be yet because of their full illumination and that invincible conviction of their consciences from the power of the Word they beleeve and tremble at it Though men were as hard as rocks the Word is a hammer which can breake them though as sharp as thornes and briars the Word is a fire which can devour and torment them though as strong as kingdomes and nations the Word is able to root them up and to pull them downe though as fierce as Dragons and Lions the Word is able to trample upon them and to chaine them up Thirdly the power of the Word is seene towards wicked men in that it doth judge them Sonne of man wilt thou judge wilt thou judge the bloudy Citie saith the Lord yea thou shalt shew them their abominations To note that when wicked men are made to see their filthinesse in the Word they have therby the wrath of God as it were seal'd upon them He that rejecteth mee the Word which I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day saith our Saviour And if all prophecie saith the Apostle and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all hee is judged of all and the secrets of his heart are made manifest Nay the Word doth in some sort execute death and judgement upon wicked men Therefore it is said that the Lord would smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips would slay the wicked And againe I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slaine them by the words of my mouth And therefore the Word of the Lord is called fury by the Prophet to note that when wrath fury is powred out upon a land they are the effects of Gods Word If a pestilence devoure a city and a sword come and gleane after it it is the Word only which flayes they are but the instruments which are as it were actuated and applied by the Word of God to their severall services Therefore it is that the Prophet saith that wise men see the voice of God and heare his rod. A rod is properly to be seene and a voice to bee heard but here is a transposition and as it were a communication of properties betweene the Word of God and his punishments to note that towards wicked men there is a judging and tormenting vertue in the Word For judgement saith our Saviour am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde If it be here objected that Christ saith of himselfe The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them and that he came not to condemne the world but that the world through him might bee saved I answer that there are two events of Christs comming and by consequence of his Gospell The one principall and by him intended the other accidentall and occasionall growing out of the ill disposition of the subject unto whom he was sent The maine and essentiall businesse of the Gospell is to declare salvation and to set open unto men a doore of escape from the wrath to come but when men wilfully stand out and neglect so great salvation then secondarily doth Christ prove unto those men a stone of offence and the Gospell a savour of death unto death as that potion which was intended for a cure by the Physitian may upon occasion of the indisposednesse of the body and stubborne radication of the disease hasten a mans end sooner than the disease it selfe would have done So that to the wicked the Word of God is a two-edged sword indeed an edge in the Law and an edge in the Gospell they are on every side beset with condemnation if they goe to the Law that cannot save them because they have broken it
of his workes of mediation on earth and that he is now in the execution of those other offices which remaine to bee fulfilled by him in heaven for the application of his Sacrifice unto us for having in the resurrection justified himselfe hee thereby rose for our justification likewise Rom. 4.25 For if the debt had not been taken quite off by the suretie it would have lien upon the principall still And therefore the Apostle proveth the resurrection by this that Gods mercies are sure Act. 13.34 Whereas if Christ were not risen from the dead wee should bee yet in our sinnes and so by consequence the mercies of David should have failed us 1 Cor. 15.17 18. And for this reason it is as I conceive that the Lord sent an Angell to remove the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher not to supply any want of power in him who could himselfe have roled away the stone with one of his fingers but as a Iudge when the Law is satisfied sendeth an officer to open the prison-doores to him who hath made that satisfaction so the Father to testifie that his Iustice was fully satisfied with the price which his Sonne had paid sent an officer of heaven to open the doores of the grave and as it were to hold away the hangings while his Lord came forth of his bed-chamber Secondly it assureth us of our resurrection for as the head must rise before the members so the members are sure to follow the Head The wicked shall rise by his Iudiciary power but not by the vertue and fellowship of his Resurrection as the faithfull who are therefore called Children of the Resurrection Luk. 20.36 1 Cor. 15 20-23 Thirdly it doth by a secret and spirituall vertue renew and sanctifie our Nature Rom. 6.4 For the acts of Christs mediation in his sufferings and victories are spiritually appliable and effectuall in us unto answerable effects His death to the mortification of sinne Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 1.7 And his resurrection to the quickning of us in holinesse Eph. 2.5 Col. 2.12 Fourthly it comforteth us in all other calamities of life which may befall us hee that raised up himselfe from the dead hath compassion and power to deliver us from all evill and to keepe us from falling This is the summe of Iobs argument God will raise me up at the last day therefore undoubtedly hee is able if it stand with my good and his owne glory to lift me up from this dunghill againe Iob 19.27 And this is Gods argument to comfort his people in patient waiting upon him in their afflictions because their dead bodies shall live and they that dwell in the dust shall awake and sing Esai 26.19 Lastly it serveth to draw our thoughts and affections from earth unto heaven Because things of a nature should move unto one another Now saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for a Saviour even the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body and make it like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things unto himselfe To him with the Father and the Holy Ghost three persons and one God bee all honor glory Majesty and thanksgiving for ever Amen FINIS Errata PAge 16. line 2. for rejoyceth reade rejoycest p. 31. l. 30. for That r. The. p. 43. l. 7. for that r. the. p. 49. l. 6. dele Our p. 52. l. 23. for world r. word p. 64. l. 25. for to give r. not to give p. 65. l. 2. dele At. p. 82. l. 35. for wrested r. rested p. 148. l. 3. for deliberation r. deliberating p. 154. l. 21. for stones r. stones p. â—59 l. 22. for acquit r. acquaint p. 191. l. 11. for exhaleth r. extracteth p. 195. l. 21. dele onely p. 197. l. 18. for Heralds r. Harbingers p. 221. lines 21.25 for matter r. master p. 225. l. 28. for And r. An. p. 261. l. 15. for world r. word p. 327. l. 24. for frequenting r. frequent p. 387. l. 28. for us r. it p. 388. l. 29. for he r. heed p. 399. l. 1. for reconciliation r. revocation l. 12. r. leaveth it not p. 444. l. 2. for because r. but because A Table of such places of Scripture as are by the way briefly opened or paraphrased in this Exposition and the former three Treatises T noteth the Treatise and P the Psalme GEn. 3.15 T. 439 Gen. 6.5 6. T. 274 Gen. 8.21 T. 274 Exod. 15.3 P. 493 Numb 14.17 T. 274 Numb 20.12 P. 190 Numb 23.21 P. 450 Deut 4.19 T. 284 Deut. 6.5 T. 202 2 Sam. 3.25 P. 400 1 King 21.20 T. 278.279 2 Chron. 6.41 P. 163 Iob 21.16 T. 51 Psal. 2.9 10. P. 12 13. Psal. 37.16 T. 77.369 Psal. 37.25 T. 26 Psal. 62.10 T. 98 Psal. 78.37 T. 110 Psal. 87.4 P. 372 Psal. 89 27. P. 17 Psal. 89.35 P. 80 Psal. 109.6 P. 486 Psal. 119.18 19. T. 435 Psa. 119 64-125 P. 308 Psal. 126.1 P. 209 Psal. 132.8 P. 163 Psal. 144.11 P. 23 Eccles. 1.15 T. 68 Eccles. 5.10 17. T. 72. Eccle. 6 1-3.7-10 T. 73. Eccles. 7.29 P. 354 Eccles. 10.2 P. 484 Esay 13.7 8. P. 498 Esay 28.16 T. 484 Esay 33.22 P 94 Esay 53.10 P. 31 Esay 57.20 P. 138 Ier. 1.11 12. T. 49 Ier. 2.13 T. 16 Ier. 3.19 P. 233 Ier. 8.8 P. 215 Lam. 3.39 40. T. 176 Ezek. 3.3 P. 162 Ezek. 18.20 P. 444 445 Ezek. 33.31.32 P. 68 Hos. 5.11 P. 59 Hos. 5.12 T. 42 Hos. 7.14 T. 311 Hos. 7.16 T. 302 Hos. 8.7 T. 302 Hos. 8.14 T. 426 Hos. 9.8 P. 251 Hos. 9.11 T. 43 Hos. 10.11 T. 422 Ioel 3.17 T. 50 Amos 8.2 T. 49 Mic. 7.19 20. P. 122 Nahum 1.10 P. 493 Habak 3.9 P. 387 Zeph. 1.8 P. 149 Hag. 2.7 T. 389 Hag. 2.14 T. 307 Zech. 5 6-11 T. 49 Mal. 4.2 P. 51 Matth. 4.4 P. 6 Matth. 6.24 P. 21 Matth. 9 15-17 P. 43 Matth. 11.11 P. 178 Matth. 13.22 T. 59 Matth. 15.28 T. 489 Matth. 23.29 P. 56 Matth. 26.5 P. 316 Matth. 26.39 P. 426 Matth. 10.21 T. 413 Luke 1.36 P. 384 Luke 2 40-52 T. 423 Luke 22.32 T. 351 Luke 24.46 P. 30 Iohn 1.16 T. 400 Iohn 1.17 P. 183 Iohn 1.18 P. 169 Iohn 3.18 T. 131 Iohn 4.22 P. 136 Iohn 6.44 P. 12 Iohn 7.38 P. 40 178 Iohn 7.39 P. 37 Iohn 8.56 T. 57 Iohn 10.4 P. 257 Iohn 11 48-50 T. 219 Iohn 13.27 T. 267 Iohn 14 20-23 T. 487 Iohn 15 1-5 T. 464 Iohn 16.7 P. 236 Iohn 16.10 P. 30 Iohn 16.21 P. 50 Iohn 17.4 T. 420 Iohn 17.13 P. 437 491 Iohn 17.15 P. 434 435 Act. 9.7 P. 381 Act. 28 28. P. 136 Rom. 5.10 P. 430 Rom. 5.13 T. 370 Ro. 5.14 T. 136 137 370 Rom. 6.3 T. 144 Rom. 6.11 T. 144.275 Rom. 7.8 T. 131 Rom. 7.12 T. 133 Rom. 7.14 15. T. 278 Rom. 8.29 30. T. 447 Rom. 8.32 T. 485 Rom. 13.9 T. 414 Rom. 13.10 P. 328 1 Cor. 2.14 T. 118 1 Cor. 3.21
in the grave and he that ascended was the same that descended into the lower part of the earth Matt. 28.6 Eph. 4.10 and shall we then defile this nature by wantonnesse intemperance and vile affections which is taken into so indissoluble an unitie with the Sonne of God Christ tooke it to advance it and it is still by his Spirit in us so much the more advanced by how much the neerer it comes to that holinesse which it hath in him We should therefore labour to walke as becommeth those that have so glorious a head to walke worthy of such a Lord unto all well pleasing in fruitfulnesse and knowledge to walke as those that have received Christ and expect his appearing againe Phil. 1.27 Col. 1.10.2.6.3.4 5. Secondly the sitting of Christ on the right hand of God notes unto us the Consummation of all those Offices which hee was to performe here on the earth for our redemption For till they were all finished hee was not to returne to his glorie againe Hee that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne workes saith the Apostle Heb. 4.10 first he was to execute his Office before hee was to enter into his rest Though he were a Sonne and so Iure naturali the inheritance were his owne before yet he was to learne Obedience by the things which hee was to suffer before hee was made perfect againe Heb. 5.8 9. After hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes for ever that is after he had made such a compleat expiation as should never need bee repeated but was able for ever to perfect those that are sanctified hee then sate downe on the right hand of God expecting till his enemies bee made his footstoole Heb. 10.12 13 14. This is the argument our Savior useth when hee prayeth to be glorified againe with his Father I have glorified thee on earth or revealed the glorie of thy truth and mercy to thy Church I have finished the worke which thou gavest mee to doe and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine owne selfe c. Ioh. 17.4 5. Hee humbled himselfe saith the Apostle and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse wherefore God hath highly exalted him c. Phil. 2.8 9. Noting unto us the Order of the Dispensation of Christs Offices some were workes of Ministrie and service in the Office of Obedience and suffering for his Church Others were workes of power and Majestie in the protection and exaltation of his Church and those necessarily to precede these He ought to suffer and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.26 46. Necessarily I say First by a Necessity of Gods Decree who had so fore-appointed it Act. 2.23 24. Secondly by the Necessity of Gods Iustice which must first be satisfied by obedience before it could bee appeased with man or in the person of their head and advocate exalt them to his glory againe Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.10 Rom. 6.6 11. Eph. 2.5 6. Thirdly by the Necessity of Gods Word and will signified in the predictions of the Prophets Luk. 24.46 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. Fourthly by the Necessity of Christs infinite Person which being equall with God could not possibly be exalted without some preceding descent and humiliation That hee ascended saith the Apostle what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth Eph. 4.9 Therefore it is that our Savior saith The Spirit should convince the World of Righteousnesse because hee was to goe to the Father and should bee seen here no more Ioh. 16.10 The meaning of it is that the Spirit shall in the Ministery of the Word reveale unto those who are fully convinced of their sinfull condition and humbled in the sense thereof a treasure of full and sufficient Righteousnesse by my obedience wrought for sinners And the reason which is given of it stands thus Our Righteousnesse consists in our being able to stand in Gods presence Now Christ having done all as our suretie here went up unto glory as our head and advocate as the first fruits the Captaine the Prince of life the author of salvation and the forerunner of his people so that his going thither is an argument of our justification by him First because it is a signe that hee hath finished the worke of our redemption on earth a signe that hee overcame death and was justified by the Spirit from the wrongs of men and from the curse of the Law Therefore hee said to Mary after his resurrection Goe tell my Disciples I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Ioh. 20.17 that is by my death and victory over it you are made my brethren and reconciled unto God againe Secondly because hee hath Offices in heaven to fulfill at the right hand of his Father in our behalfe to intercede and to prepare a place for us to apply unto us the vertue of his death and merits If hee had ascended without fulfilling all Righteousnesse for the Church hee should have been sent downe and seen againe but now saith he you see me no more for by once dying and by once appearing in the end of the world I have put away sin by the Sacrifice of my selfe Heb. 9.26.7.27 Rom. 6.9 10. He was taken saith the Prophet from Prison and judgment to note that the whole debt was payed and now who shall declare his generation That is hee now liveth unto numberlesse generations he prolongeth his dayes and hath already fulfilled Righteousnesse enough to justifie all those that know him or beleeve in him Esai 53.8 10. Thus wee see that Christs deliverance out of prison and exaltation at the right hand of God is an evident argument that he is fully exonerated of the guilt of sinne and curse of the Law and hath accomplished all those workes which he had undertaken for our Righteousnesse And this likewise affords abundant matter both to humble and to comfort the Church of Christ. To humble us in the evidence of our disabilities for if we could have finished the workes which were given us to doe there would have been no neede of Christ. It was weaknesse which made way for Christ. Our weaknesse to fulfill obedience and that weaknesse of the Law to justifie sinners Rom. 5.6 Rom. 8.3 Heb. 7.18 19. All the strength we have is by the power of his might and by his grace Eph. 6.10 2 Tim. 2.1 and even this God dispenceth unto us in measure and by degrees driving out our Corruptions as he did the Canaanites before his people by little and little Exo. 23.30 because while we are here he wil have us live by faith and fetch our strength as we use it from Christ and waite in hope of a better condition and glorifie the patience and forbearance of God who is provoked every day To comfort us likewise First against all our unavoidable and invincible infirmities every good Christian desires to serve the Lord with all his strength desires to be
rule to besiege heaven with armies of united Prayers to be mutually serviceable to the City of God and to one another as fellow members Therefore hath the Lord given unto men severall gifts and to no one man all that thereby wee might bee enabled to and induced to worke together unto one end and by Love to unite our severall graces for the edification of the body of Christ Ephes. 4.11 13. Now for the manner of producing or procuring these multitudes it is set forth unto us in two Metaphors A wombe and Dew of the morning Now the birth of Dew is first generatio caelestis That which is exhal'd is an earthly vapor but the heavenly operation changeth it into Dew no art of man is able to doe it It is also undiscerned and secret when it is fallen you may see it but how it is made you cannot see Lastly it is a sudden Birth in a night or morning it is both begotten conceived and brought forth Here then wee have foure notes First that all Christs subjects are withall his Children They are borne unto him Christianity is a Birth except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God There is a Father Christ our Father by generation Behold I and the Children whom thou hast given mee as wee are his brethren by adoption Hee is not ashamed to call us brethren There is a Mother Ierusalem which is above is the Mother of us all And there are subordinate instruments both of one and other the holy Apostles Evangelists Doctors and Pastors who therefore are sometimes called Fathers begetting us in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospell and sometimes Mothers bearing and bringing forth of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you There is a holy seed out of which these Children of Christ are formed namely the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever For the heart of a man new borne unto Christ cometh from the word as a paper from the presse or as a garment from a perfume transformed into that quality of spiritualnesse and holinesse which is in the word There is a Vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or formative vertue which is the energie and concurrence of the Spirit of grace with the word for the truth is not obeyed but by the Spirit except a man bee borne of water and the Spirit water as the seed and the Spirit as the formative vertue quickning and actuating that seed hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God There are Throwes and paines both in the Mother and in the Childe much trouble and care in the ministery of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom I travell in paine againe I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares As a woman with Childe by reason of the feare and danger of miscarriages doth abridge her selfe of many liberties in meates physick violent exercise and the like so those who travell in birth with the Children of Christ are put to denie themselves many things and to suffer many things for the successe of their service I will eate no flesh while the world standeth rather than make my brother to offend I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle a teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things I endure all things for the elects sake that they may obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus And there is paine in the Childe too a sinner doth not leave the warmth and pleasure of his former condition without paine Christ comes not without shaking unto the soule There is a New being or nature a corruption of our old man and a formation of the new Old things are done away behold all things are become new the same holy nature the same minde judgement will affections motions desires dispositions spirit wrought in us which was in him Hee that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure as hee is so are wee in this world patient as hee is patient Heb. 12.2 Holy as hee is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 Humble as hee is humble Ioh. 13.14 Compassionate as he is compassionate Col. 3.13 Loving as hee is loving Ephes. 5.2 in all things labouring to shew Christ fashioned in our nature and in our affections There is a new conversation answerable to our new nature that as God is good in himselfe and doth good in his workes Psal. 119.68 so we both are as Christ was 1 Ioh. 4.17 and walke as hee walketh 1 Ioh. 2.6 There is new food and appetites thereunto sutable A desire of the sincere immediate untempered uncorrupted milke of the word as it comes with all the spirits and life in it that wee may grow thereby New Priviledges and Relations the Sonnes of God the brethren of Christ the citizens of heaven the houshold of the Saints New Communion and society the fellowship of the Father and the Sonne by the Spirit fellowship with the Holy Angels we have their love their ministery their protection followship with the spirits of just men made perfect by the seeds and beginnings of the same perfection by the participation of the same Spirit of holinesse by expectance of the same glorie and finall redemption In the meane time then wee should walke as Children of the light or as it is here as Children of the morning The Day is given us to worke in and therefore in the morning as soone as wee have our Day before us wee should endevour to walke honestly Night-workes are commonly workes of uncleanesse violence dishonor and therefore want a cover of darknesse to hide them Theeves use to come in the night 1 Thes. 5.2 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twylight saying no eye shaâ—l see mee and disguiseth himselfe Iob 24.15 In the twylight in the evening in the black and darke night hee goeth to the house of the strange woman Prov. 7.9 The oppressor diggeth through houses in the darke For the morning is to them as the shaddow of death Iob 24.16 17. They that are drunken are drunken in the night 1 Thes. 5.7 Sinnes are of the nature of some sullen weeds which will grow no where but in the side of wells and of darke places But workes of Christianity are neither uncleane nor dishonorable they are beautifull and roiall workes they are exemplary and therefore publike workes they are themselves light let your light shine before men and therefore they ought to bee done in the light If wee bee Children wee should expresse the affections of Children The innocencie humility and Dove-like simplicity of little Children as the Sonnes of God blamelesse pure and without rebuke Children in malice though men in understanding The Appetite of little Children As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby In all impatiencie the breast will pacifie a little infant in all other delights the breast will entice it
goodnesse who when wee were desperately and incurably gone had found out a way of escape and deliverance for us God stood not in need of us or any service of ours he could have glorified himselfe in our just destruction Who then can enough expresse either the mercy of God or the dutie of man when hee considers that God should call together all the depths of his owne wisdome and counsell to save a company of desperate fugitives who had joyned in combinations with his greatest enemies to resist and dishonour him It would have posed all the wisdome of the world though misery be commonly very witty to shape and fashion to it selfe images of deliverance to have found out a way to heaven betweene the wrath of God and the sinne of man It would have posed all the heavenly intelligences and the united consultations of the blessed Angels to have reconciled Gods mercy in the salvation of man and his justice in the condemnation of sinne to have powred out hell upon the sinne and yet to have bestowed heaven upon the sinner If God should have instructed us thus farre you are miserable creatures but I am a mercifull God the demands of my justice I must not deny neither will I deny the entreaties of my mercy finde me out a sacrifice answerable to my justice and it shall be accepted for you all O where could man have found out a creature of capacitie enough to hold or of strength enough to beare the sinnes of the world or the wrath of God Where could he have found out in heaven or earth amongst men or Angels a Priest that durst accompany such a sacrifice into the presence of so consuming a fire Or where could he have found out an Altar whereon to offer and whereby to sanctifie so great a sacrifice No no the misery of man was too deepe and inextricable for all the created counsell in the world to invent a deliverance Now then if God himselfe did studie to save me how great reason is there that I should studie to serve him How ought all my wisdome and counsell and thoughts and desires be directed to this one resolution to live acceptably and thankfully unto him who when hee might have produced glory to himselfe out of my confusion chose rather to humble and as it were for a while to unglorifie himselfe for my salvation Certainly that man did never rightly understand the horrour of sinne the infinite hatred of God against it the heavinesse of his wrath the malediction of the Law the mystery and vast dimensions of Gods love in Christ the preciousnesse of his sacrifice the end purpose or merit of his death any of those unsearchable riches of God manifested in the flesh who will not crucifie a vanitie a lust a pleasure an earthly member unto him againe who findes more content and satisfaction in his owne wayes of sinne and death more wisdome in the temptations and deceits of Satan and his owne fleshly minde than in those deepe mysteries of grace and contrivances of mercie which the Angels desire to prie into Therefore in the last place wee should labour to feele this necessitie we have of such a Priest This is the only reason why so few make use of so pretious a fountaine because they trust in their owne muddie and broken cisternes at home and are never sensibly and throughly touched with the sense of their owne wants for it is not the saying and confessing ore tenus that I have nothing nor the knowing in speculation only that I have nothing but the feeling and smâ—rting by reason of my want which will drive me to seeke for reliefe abroad If a man did seriously consider and lay together such thoughts as these I am very busie for the affaires and passages of this present life which will quickely vanish and passe away like a Weavers shuttle or a tale that is told I have another and an abiding life to live after this is over All that I toile for here is but for the backe the belly the bagge and the posterity And am I not neerer to my selfe than I am to my money Am I not neerer to my soule than I am to my carkasse or to my seed Must I not have a being in that when neither I nor my posterity have either backe to be clothed or belly to bee fed or name to be supported O why am I not as sadly imployed why spend I not some at least as serious and inquisitive thoughts about this as about the other Doe I not know that I must one day stand before him who is a consuming fire that I must one day be weighed in the ballance and woe be unto me if I am found too light Appeare before him I dare not of my selfe alone without a Priest to mediate for me to cover and protect me from his fury and to reconcile me unto him againe My person wants a Priest it is clogg'd with infinite Guilt which without him cannot bee covered My nature wants a Priest it is overspred with a deepe and universall corruption which without him cannot be cured My sinnes want a Priest they are in number and in quality above measure sinfull which without him cannot bee pardoned My services want a Priest they are blemished and poisoned with many failings and corruptions without him they cannot be accepted I say if men did seriously lay together such thoughts as these it could not be that rationall and sad men men of deepe thoughts in other matters who love to boult out things to the bran and to be very solicitous for evidence and certainty in them should suffer such a businesse as this their interest in that Priest who must alone clothe their persons with his righteousnesse and cleanse their nature with his Spirit and wash away their sinnes with his bloud and sanctifie their prayers and almes and all religious devotions with his incense and intercession or else all of them must passe thorow the triall of such a fire as will consume them all to be slubber'd over with loose and slender thoughts and to bee rested in and resolv'd upon rather by the lying presumptions of a deceitfull heart than by the evidences and testimony of Gods holy Spirit Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things The second thing proposed to bee considered in the Priesthood of Christ was the qualification of that person who was to be a fit High-Priest for us Legall sacrifices would not serve the turne to purge away sin because of their basenesse They were not expiations of sin Heb. 9.9.12 but were onely remembrances and commemorations of sinne Heb. 10.3 necessary it was that heavenly things themselves should be purified with better sacrifices Heb. 9.23 for they of themselves without that typicall relation which they had unto Christ Gal. 3.23 and that Instrumentall vertue which in that relation they had from him Heb. 9.13 were utterly weake and unprofitable Heb. 7.18 as the
shadow hath neither being in it selfe nor can give refreshment unto another but dependently on the body to which it belongeth And this appeareth first by their reiteration where the conscience is once purged and there is remission of sin there is no more offring Heb. 10 2-18 for the repeating of the sacrifice shews that the person for whose sake it is repeated is in statu quo prius in the same condition now as hee was in at the time of the former oblation Secondly by their Variety there were both Gifts and sacrifices for sins Heb. 5.1.8.3 buls and goats and calves and lambes Heb. 9.9.12.13 and that shewes that no one thing was fit to typifie the full expiation wrought by Christ whereas he offered but One Sacrifice and by that perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.12.14 And if legall sacrifices would not serve the turne then neither would legall Priests be fit for so great a worke for all the good which the Priest doth is in the vertue of the sacrifice which he brings and this likewise the Apostle proves by many arguments First because of their sinfulnes for they themselves wanted an expiation and therefore could not be mediatours for the sinnes of others Heb. 5.3.7.27 Secondly because of the carnalnesse of their institution They were made after the Law of a carnall commandement that is of a temporary perishable and meerely externall ordinance Heb. 7.16 which prescribed onely the examples and shadowes of heavenly things Thirdly because of their mortality they were not suffered to continue by reason of death wheras our Priest must live to make intercession Fourthly because of their ministery and the revolution of their services which never came to a period or perfection in which the Priest might give over and Sit downe They Stood daily ministring and oftentimes offering their service did daily returne upon them againe whereas Christ after he had offered One sacrifice for sinne for ever sate downe on the right hand of God Heb. 10.11 12. To shew you then the qualifications of this Priest A Priest in general is ordained for men in things pertaining to God to offer sacrifice for the obtaining of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes First then Christ being a Priest must of necessity be a Mediator and a Surety betweene parties that he might have one unto whom and others for whom in whose behalfe to offer a sacrifice Every Priest must be a mediator to stand betweene God and the people and to intercept and beare the iniquity even of their holy things And unto this mediation there must concur the consent of the parties between whom it is negotiated for a mediator is not a mediator of one Now God giveth his consent by laying on him our iniquities and making his soule an offering for sin and thereby declaring himselfe to be One with us And man gives his consent when by faith hee receiveth Christ and so becommeth not only the friend but the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Secondly but every Mediator is not presently a Priest for there is a mediation onely by way of intreaty prayer and request wherein men doe obtaine but not deserve or purchase remission for others such mediators were Ioab and the Widdow of Tekoah in the behalfe of Absalom 2 Sam. 14. and there are mediators by way of satisfaction as Sureties are between the creditor and the debtor and such a mediator was Christ not onely a Mediator but also a surety of a better covenant Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 he was not to procure remission of our sinnes by way of favor and request but hee was set forth to declare the Righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.25 and such a mediator betweene God and us must needs bee a Priest too for the debt which we owed unto God was bloud Without shedding of bloud there is no remission Heb. ◠22 Thirdly being such a Priest he must have a Sacrifice answerable to the debt which was owed to his Father The debt wee owed was the forfeiture and subjection of our Soules and Bodies to the wrath of God and the curse of the Law God is able to destroy both Soule and Body in Hell Matth. 10.28 It is not to bee understood onely of his Absolute power but of that power which as our Iudge hee hath over us per modum Iustitiae as we are his Prisoners and so obnoxious to the Curses of his Law Therefore our Priest also was to have a Soule and a Body to pay as a surety for our Soules and Bodies Thou shalt make his Soule an offering for sinne Esai 53.10 My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto Death Matth. 26.38 And againe A Body hast thou prepared mee we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Iesus Christ once for all Heb. 10.5.10 His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 So hee was to bee Man that he might have a fit and answerable Sacrifice to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast fitted or prepared a Body for mee that my Sacrifice might bee proportionable to that in the place whereof it stood And thereby as hee is fit for passion so also for Compassion hee was to bee our Kinsman and of our bloud that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Heb. 2.11.14.17 Deut. 18.15 And fit for derivation of his Righteousnesse and transfusion of his Spirit upon us for hee that Sanctifieth and they that are Sanctified are both of one And as it must bee thus fitted to the sinner that it may bee a proper and suteable Sacrifice for his sinne So must it bee perfect likewise First Without blemish or sinne Such an High Priest became us who is Holy Harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 That so hee might offer himselfe without spot unto God and have no need of a Sacrifice for himselfe Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.19 Secondly without any manner of Defect which should stand in need of supplement and contribution from some thing else that of it selfe alone it might bee sufficient and available to bring perfection and salvation unto men and to leave no more conscience of sinne behinde it Heb. 7.19.10.14 Fourthly as there was to bee such a Sacrifice perfect in it selfe and fit for the use and occasion for which it was appointed so there must bee an Altar upon which to offer it unto the Father for it is the Altar which Sanctifieth the offering that is which in regard of God giveth it acceptance and which in regard of Man giveth it vertue merit and value answerable to his occasions This Sacrifice was to be sufficient for the satisfaction of God and for the justification and reparation of Man and both these by meanes of the Altar on which it was offered which was the Divine Nature Through the Eternall Spirit hee offered himselfe without spot unto God and so by his bloud purgeth our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 For Christ as God sanctified himselfe as man
and victorie to encourage him none of which shall be allowed the wicked in hell who shall not onely bee the vessels of his vengeance but which will bee as grievous as that the everlasting objects of his hatred and detestation which made I say even the Sonne of God himselfe notwithstanding all these abatements to pray with strong Cries and bloudy drops and woefull conflicts of soule against the Cup of his Fathers wrath and to shrink and decline that very worke for which onely hee came into the world Thirdly to praise God for that great honour which hee hath conferred upon our nature in the flesh of his Sonne which in him is anointed with more grace and glory and filled with more vast and unmatchable perfections than all the Angels in heaven are together capable of for though for a little while hee was made lower than the Angels for the purpose of his suffering yet hee is now sat downe on the right hand of the Majesty on high Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him Heb. 2 6-9 1 Pet. 3.22 Heb. 1 4-13 And for the infinite mercy which hee hath shewed to our soules bodies and persons in the sacrifice of his Sonne in our reconciliation and favour with him in the justification of our persons from the guilt of sinne in the sanctification of our nature from the corruption of sinne in the inheritance reserved in heaven for us in the Communion and fellowship wee have with Christ in his merits power Priviledges and heavenly likenesse Now saith the Apostle wee are Sonnes and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee â—ike him for wee shall see him as hee is 1 Ioh. 3.2 From these things which have been spoken of the Personall Qualifications of our High Priest it will bee easie to finde out the third particular inquired into touching the Acts or Offices of Christs Priesthood or rather touching the parts of the same Action for it is all but one Two Acts there are wherein the execution of this office doth consist The first an Act of Oblation of himselfe once for all as an adequate sacrifice and full compensation for the sinnes of the whole world Heb. 9.14.26 Our Debt unto God was Twofold As we were his Creatures so wee owed unto him a Debt of Active Obedience in doing the Duties of the whole Law and as wee are his prisoners so wee owed unto him a Debt of passive obedience in suffering willingly and throughly the Curses of the Law And under this Law Christ was made to redeeme us by his fulfilling all that righteousnesse who were under the precepts and penalties of the Law our selves Therefore the Apostle saith hee was sinne for us that is a Sacrifice for sinne to meete and intercept that wrath which was breaking out upon us 2 Cor. 5.21 Herein was the great mercy of God seen to us that hee would not punish Sinners though he would not spare Sinne. If hee should have resolved to have judged Sinners wee must have perished in our owne persons but being pleased to deale with sinne onely in abstracto and to spare the sinner hee was contented to accept of a Sacrifice which under the Relation and Title of a Sacrifice stood in his sight like the body of sinne alone by it selfe in which respect hee is likewise said to bee made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Now that which together with these things giveth the complete and ultimate formality of a Sacrifice unto the death of Christ was his owne willingnesse thereunto in that hee offered himselfe And therefore hee is called the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world because hee was dumbe and opened not his mouth but was obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 Christs death in regard of God the Father was a necessary death for hee had before determined that it should bee done Act. 4.28 Thus it is written and thus it behov'd Christ to suffer Luk. 24.46 The Sonne of Man must bee lifted up Ioh. 3.14 And therefore hee is said to bee a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world in regard of Gods Decree and preordination But this gave it not the formality of a Sacrifice for God the Father was not the Priest and it is the Action of the Priest which giveth the being of a Sacrifice to that which is offered Againe Christs death in regard of men was violent They slew him with wicked hands and killed the Prince of life Act. 2. â—3 3.15 And in this sense it was no Sacrifice neither for they werâ—â—ot Priests but butchers of Christ. Thirdly his death in regard of himselfe was voluntarie I lay down my life no man taketh it from mee but I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it againe Ioh. 10.17 18. And this oblation and willing obedience or rendring himselfe to God is that which gives being to a Sacrifice Hee was delivered by God Act. 2.23 Hee was delivered by Iudas and the Iewes Matth. 27.2 Act. 3.13 and hee was yeelded and given up by himselfe Gal. 2.20 Eph. 5.25 In regard of God it was Iustice and mercy Ioh. 3.16 17. Rom. 3.25 In regard of man it was murther and crueltie Act. 7.52 In regard of Christ it was obedience and humility Phil. 2.8 And that voluntary act of his was that which made it a Sacrifice Hee gave himselfe for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling savor Eph. 5.2 His death did not grow out of the condition of his nature neither was it inflicted on him by reason of an excesse of strength in those that executed it for he was the Lord of glory but onely out of mercy towards men out of obedience towards God and out of power in himselfe For omnis Christi infirmitas fuit ex potestate By his power hee assumed those infirmities which the oeconomic and dispensation of his Priesthood on the earth required and by the same power hee laid them aside againe when that service was ended And this I say was that which made it a Sacrifice As martyrdome when men lay down their lives for the profession of the truth and the service of the Church is called a Sacrifice Phil. 2.17 If it bee here objected that Christs death was against his owne will for hee exceedingly feared it Heb. 5.7 and prayed earnestly against it as a thing contrary to his will Matth. 26.39 To this I answer that all this doth not hinder but commend his willingnesse and obedience Consider him in private as a Man of the same naturall affections desires and abhorâ—encies with other men and consider the cup as it was calix amarituâ—â—â—â—s a very bitter cup and so hee most justly feared and declined it as knowing that it would bee a most woefull and a heavy combate which hee was entring upon but consider
His death did obtaine his life did conferre redemption upon us And therefore in the Scriptures our justification and salvation are attributed to the Life of Christ. Hee was delivered for our offences and Rose againe for our justification Rom. 4.25 If Christ bee not raised your faith is vaine you are yet in your sinnes 1 Cor. 15.17 Hee shall convince the world of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father Ioh. 16.10 Because I live you shall live also Ioh. 14.19 If wee bee dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Rom. 6.8 Being made perfect or consecrated for ever he became the Author of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.8.7.28 Hee is able perfectly to save because hee ever liveth Heb. 7.25 Wee were reconciled in his death but had he there rested we could never have been acquitted nor entred in for hee was to bee our forerunner And therefore the Apostle addeth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a much more to the Life of Christ. Much more being reconciled shall wee bee saved by his life Rom. 5.10 Not in point of merit but onely of efficacy for us as in buying Land the laying downe of the price giveth a man a meritorious interest but the delivering of the deeds the resigning of the propertie the yeelding up of the possession giveth a man an actuall interest in that which hee hath purchased so the death of Christ deserveth but the intercession and life of Christ applieth salvation unto us It was not barely Christs dying but his Dying victoriously so that it was impossible for death to hold him Act. 2.24 which was the ground of our salvation Hee could not justifie us till hee was declared to bee justified himselfe therefore the Apostle saith that he was Iustified by the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 Namely by that Spirit which quickned him Rom. 1.4.8.11 1 Pet. 3.18 When Christ offered himselfe a Sacrifice for sinne hee was numbred amongst transgressors Mark 15.28 Hee bare our sinnes along with him on the tree and so died under the wrongs of men and under the wrath of God in both respects as a guilty person but when hee was quickned by the Spirit of holinesse he then threw off the sinnes of the world from his shoulder and made it appeare that hee was a righteous person and that his righteousnesse was the righteousnesse of the world So then our faith and hope was begun in Christs death but was finished in his life he was the Author of it by enduring the crosse and hee was the finisher of it by sitting downe on the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12.2 The Apostle summes up all together It is God that justifieth who is hee that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33 34. Now then to shew more distinctly the nature and excellencie of Christs Intercession It consisteth in these particulars First his appearance or the presenting of his person in our nature and in his owne as a publick person a mediator a sponsor and a pledge for us as Iuda was both a mediator to request and a suretie to engage himselfe to beare the blame for ever with his Father for his brother Benjamin Gen. 43.8 9. And Paul for Onesimus a Mediator I beseech thee for my Sonne Onesimus Phil. v. 9 10. And a sponsor If hee hath wronged thee or oweth the ought put that on mine account I will repay it v. 18 19. So Christ is both a mediator and surety for us Heb. 7.22.8.6 Secondly the presenting of his merits as a publike satisfaction for the debt of sinne and as a publike price for the purchase of Gloâ—y for the Iustice of God was not to be intreated or pacified without a satisfaction and therefore where Christ is called an Advocate hee is called a Propitiation too 1 Ioh. 2.2 Because hee doth not intercede for us but in the right and vertue of the price which hee payed For the Lord spared not his Sonne but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8.32 Hee dealt in the full rigour of his Iustice with him Thirdly in the name of his person and for the vigour and vertue of his merits there is a presenting of his Desires his will his request and interpellation for us and so applying both unto us Father I will that they also whom thou hast given mee be with me where I am c. Ioh. 17.24 Fourthly to all this doth answere the consent of the Father in whose bosome hee is who heareth him alwayes Ioh. 11.42 And in whom he is well pleased Math. 17.5 Who called him to this office of being as it were Master of Requests in the behalfe of his Church and promised to heare him in his petitions Ask of mee and I will give thee c. Psal. 2.8 Thus as once when Aeschylus the Tragedian was accused in Arâ—opago for impiety his brother Amynias stood out as his Advocate using no other plea but this hee opened his garments and shewed them cubitum sine manu how hee had lost his hand in the service of the state and so vindicated his brother or as Zaleucus when hee put out one of his owne eyes for his Sonne who had been deprehended in adulterie delivered him from halfe the punishment which himselfe had decreed against that sinne or to come neerer as when the hand steales if the back bee scourged the tongue may in matters that are not capitall intercede for a dismission so Christ when hee suffered for us which hee might more justly doe than any one man can for another because hee was by divine preordination and command and by his owne power more Lord of his owne life than any other man is of his Ioh. 10.18 1 Cor. 6.19 may justly in the vertue of those his sufferings intercede in our behalfe for all that which those his sufferings did deserve either for the expiation of sinne or for the purchase of salvation In which sense the Apostle saith that the bloud of Christ is a speaking or interceding Bloud Heb. 12.24 By all which wee may observe the impiety of the Popish Doctrine which distinguisheth between Mediators of Redemption and Mediatores of Intercession affirming that though the Saints are not redeemers of the world yet they are as the courtiers of heaven Mediators of Intercession for us and so may bee sought unto by us To which I answer that wee must distinguish of interceding or praying for another There is one private and another publike which some learned men have observed in Christs owne Prayers or praying out of Charitie and out of Iustice or Office or thirdly praying out of Humilitie with feare and trembling or out of Authoritie which is not properly Prayer for Prayer in its strictest sense is a proposing of requests for things unmerited which wee expect ex vi promissi out of Gods gratious promise and not
worke as servants to the same Master are unto us sanctified and to the Father made acceptable by the intercession of his Sonne who hath made us Priests to offer all our sacrifices with acceptance upon this Altar Revel 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 Esayâ—56 â—56 7 Seventhly the Inward interpellation of the soule it selfe for it selfe which is as it were the eccho of Christs intercession in our hearts The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanes which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 The same Spirit groaneth in us and more fully and distinctly by Christ prayeth for us These things I speake in the world saith our Saviour that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves Ioh. 17.13 that is as I conceive I have made this prayer in the world and left a record and patterne of it in the Church that they feeling the same heavenly desires kindled in their owne hearts may bee comforted in the workings of that Spirit of prayer in them which testifieth to their soules the qualitie of that intercession which I shall make for them in heaven Eighthly Patience and unweariednesse in Gods service Let us runne with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is sate downe at the right hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12.1 2 3. Lastly Confidence in our approches to the throne of Grace Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession and come boldly unto the throne of Grace Heb. 4.14 16. And againe This man after hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God from hence-forth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stoole from whence the Apostle inferreth Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus and having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Heb. 10.12 23. And all these things are certaine to us in the vertue of this Intercession of Christ First because the Father heareth him and answereth him Ioh. 11.42.12.28 and appointed him to this office Heb. 5.4 5. Secondly because the Father loveth us I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you because you have loved me c. Ioh. 16.26 27. Thirdly because as Christ hath a Prayer to intercede for us so hath hee also a Power to conferre that upon us for which he intercedeth I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Ioh. 14.16 If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Ioh. 16.7 That which Christ by his prayer obtained for us by his power hee conferreth upon us and therefore in the Psalme he is said to Receive gifts for men noting the fruit of his intercession Psal. 68.18 and in the Apostle to give gifts unto men noting the power and fulnesse of his person Ephes. 4.8 Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Act. 2.33 Thus great and thus certaine are the benefits which come unto the Church from the Intercession of Christ. The fourth thing inquired into about the Priesthood of Christ was what is the Vertue and fruits thereof and they may be all comprized in two general words there is Solutio deâ—its the paiment of our debt and Redundantia meriti an overplus and redundancie of merit Satisfaction whereby we are redeemed from under the Law and an Acquisition or purchase of an inheritance and priviledges for us The obedience of Christ hath a double relation in it there is first Ratio legalis justitiae the relation of a legall righteousnesse as it beares exact and compleat conformitie to the Law will and decree of his Father Secondly there is ratio superlegalis meriti the relation of a merit over and beyond the Law for though it were nostrum debitum that which we did necessarily owe yet it was suâ—m indebitum that which of himselfe he was not bound unto but by voluntary susception and covenant with his Father for it was the bloud and obedience of God himselfe Here then first is to be considered his payment of that debt which we did owe unto God in which respect he is said to Beare our sinnes To beare sinne is to have the burden of the guilt of sin and malediction of the Law to lye upon a man so it is said he that troubleth you shall beare his judgement Gal. 5.10 The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father neither shal the father beare the iniquity of the sonne the wickednesse of the wicked shal be upon him Ezek. 18.20 So wrath is said to Abide on a man Ioh. 3.36 and sin is said to be retained or held in its place Ioh. 20.23 So Christ is said to beare our sinnes in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Esay 53.4.6 and by so bearing them hee tooke them off from us cancel'd the obligations of the Law against us and did all whatsoever was requisite to satisfie an offended Justice for hee fulfilled the Law which was our debt of service It becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 and he endured the Crosse and curse the bloudy agonie and ignominie of that death which was the debt of suffering Heb. 12.2 and the covenant betweene him and his Father was that all that should be done by him as our Head and surety and so he was to taste death for every man Heb. 2.9 Rom. 5.8 So there is a Commutation allowed that he should be in our stead as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule a sacrifice and his life a price and his death a conquest of ours and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 A price or ransome for all those in whose place he was made sin and a curse 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Though he had not any Demerit or proper guilt of sinne upon him which is a Deserving of punishment for that ever growes out of sin either personally inherent or at least naturally imputed by reason that he to whom it is accounted was seminally and naturally contained in the loines of him from whom it is on him derived yet he had the guilt of sin so far as it notes an obligation and subjection unto punishment as hee was our surety and so in sensu forensi in the sight of Gods court of justice one with us who had deserved punishment imputed unto him The fruit which redounds to us hereby is the expiation or remission of our sinnes by the imputing of his righteousnesse unto us This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of
follow thee whithersoever thou leadest mee But these are but emptie velleities the wishings and wouldings of an evill heart Lord to me belongeth the shame of my failings but to thee belongeth the glory of thy mercy and forgivenesse Too true it is that I doe not all I should but doe I allow my selfe in any thing that I should not doe I make use of mine infirmities to justifie my selfe by them or shelter my selfe under them or dispence with my selfe in them though I doe not the things I should yet I love them and delight in them my heart and Spirit and all the desires of my soule are towards them I hate abhorre and fight with my selfe for not doing them I am ashamed of mine infirmities as the blemishes of my profession I am weary of them and groane under them as the burdens of my soule I have no lust but I am willing to know it and when I know to crucifie it I heare of no further measure of grace but I admire it and hunger after it and presse on to it I can take Christ and affliction Christ and persecution together I can take Christ without the world I can take Christ without my selfe I have no unjust gaine but I am ready to restore it No time have I lost by earthly businesse from Gods service but I am ready to redeeme it I have followed no sinfull pleasure but I am ready to abandon it no evill company but I mightily abhorre it I never sware an oath but I can remember it with a bleeding conscience I never neglected a duty but I can recount it with revenge and indignation I doe not in any man see the Image of Christ but I love him the more dearly for it and abhorre my selfe for being so much unlike it I know Satan I shall speed never the worse with God because I have thee for mine enemie I know I shall speed much the better because I have my selfe for mine enemie Certainly hee that can take Christ offer'd that can in all points admit him as well to purifie as to justifie as well to rule as save as well his grace as his mercie neede not feare all the powers of darknesse nor all the armies of the foulest sinnes which Satan can charge his conscience withall The second great vertue and fruit of the Priesthood of Christ was ex redundantia meriti from the redundancy and overflowing of his merit First hee doth merit to have a Church for the very being of the Church is the effect of that great price which he payed therefore the Church is called a purchased people 1 Pet. 2.9 Ask of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal. 2.8 when hee made his soule an offering for sinne hee did by that meanes see his seed and divide a portion with the great Esai 53.10 11 12. The delivering and selecting of the Saints out of this present evill world was the end of Christs Sacrifice Gal. 1.4 Secondly hee did merit all such good things for the Church as the great love of himselfe and his Father towards the Church did resolve to conferre upon it They may I conceive be reduced to two heads First Immunitie from evill whatsoever is left to bee removed after the payment of our debt or taking off from us the guilt and obligation unto punishment Such are the Dominion of Sinne. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of Sinne and of Death Rom. 8.2 He that committeth sinne is the servant of sinne but if the Sonne shall make you free you shall bee free indeed Ioh. 8 34-36 Hee that is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1 Ioh. 3.9 That is he is not an artificer of sinne one that maketh it his trade and profession and therefore bringeth it to any perfection Hee hath received a Spirit of Iudgement that chaineth up his lusts and a Spirit of burning which worketh out his drosse Esai 4.4 Mal. 3.2 3. Matth. 3.2 Such is The Vanity of our Minde whereby wee are naturally unable to thinke or to cherish a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Eph. 4.17 The Ignorance and hardnesse of our hearts unable to perceive or delight in any spirituall thing Eph. 4.18 Ioh. 1.5 Luk. 24 25.45 The Spirit of disobedience and habituall strangenesse and aversenesse from God Eph. 4.18 Iob 20.14 Such are also all those slavish affrightfull and contumacious effects of the Law in terrifying the conscience irritating the concupiscence and compelling the froward heart to an unwilling and unwelcome conformitie The Law is now made our counseller a delight to the inner man that which was a lion before hath now food and sweetnesse in it Secondly Many Priviledges and dignities in the vertue of that principall and generall one which is our unitie unto Christ from whence by the fellowship of his holy and quickning Spirit wee have an unction which teacheth us his wayes and his voyce which sanctifieth our nature by the participation of the divine nature that is by the renewing of Gods most holy and righteous Image in us Which sanctifieth our Persons that they may bee spirituall Kings and Priests Kings to order our owne thoughts affections desires studies towards him to fight with principalities powers corruptions and spirituall enemies Priests to offer up our bodies soules prayers thanksgivings almes spirituall services upon that Altar which is before his mercy-seate and to slay and mortifie our lusts and earthly members which sanctifieth all our actions that they may bee services to him and his Church acceptable to him and profitable to others Secondly from this unity with him growes our adoption which is another fruit of his Sacrifice Hee was made of a woman made under the Law that wee might receive The Adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.5 By which wee have free accesse to call upon God in the vertue of his Sacrifice sure supplies in all our wants because our heavenly Father knoweth all our needs a most certaine inheritance and salvation in hope for we are already saved by hope Rom. 8.24 and Christ is to us the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 Lastly there is from hence our exaltation in our finall victory and resurrection by the fellowship and vertue of his victory over death as the first fruits of ours 1 Cor. 15.20.49 Phil. 3.21 And in our complete salvation being carried in our soules and bodies to be presented to himselfe without spot and blamelesse Eph. 5.26 27. and to bee brought unto God 1 Pet. 3.18 Now to take all in one view what a summe of mercy is here together Remission of all sinnes discharge of all debts deliverance from all curses joy peace triumph security exaltation above all evils enemies or feares a peculiar purchased roiall seed the gift of God the Father to his Sonne deliverance from the dominion and service of all sinne vanity ignorance hardnesse disobedience bondage coaction terror sanctification
of our persons natures lives actions adoption hope victory resurrection salvation glory O what a price was that which procured it O what manner of persons ought we to bee for whom it was procured The fifth thing to be spoken of about the Priesthood of Christ I shall dispatch in one word which is the Duty wee owe upon all this First then wee should not receive so great a grace in vaine but by faith lay hold upon it and make use of it Let us feare saith the Apostle lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to come short of it for unto us was the Gospell preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.1 2. God in Christ is but reconcileable unto us One with us in his good will and in his proclamation of peace When two parties are at variance there is no actuall peace without the mutuall consent of both againe till wee by faith give our consent and actually turne unto God and seeke his favor and lay hold on the mercy which is set before us though God be one in that hee sendeth a mediator and maketh tender of reconcilement with us yet this grace of his is to us in vaine because wee continue his enemies still The Sunne is set in the heavens for a publike light yet it benefiteth none but those who open their eyes to admit and make use of its light A court of justice or equity is a publike sanctuary yet it actually relieveth none but those that seek unto it Christ is a publike and universall salvation set up for all comers and appliable to all particulars Ioh. 3.16 Hee is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 Hee tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 But all this is not beneficiall unto life but onely to those that receive him Onely those that receive him are by these mercies of his made the Sonnes of God Ioh. 1.12 without faith they abide his enemies still God in Christ publisheth himselfe a God of peace and unity towards us Gal. 3.20 And setteth forth Christ as an all-sufficient treasure of mercy to all that in the sense of their owne misery will fly unto him Revel 22.17 But till men beleeve and are thus willing to yeeld their owne consents and to meete his reconciliation towards them with theirs towards him his wrath abideth upon them still for by beleeving onely he will have his sonnes death actually effectuall though it were sufficient before O therefore let us not venture to beare the wrath of God the curse of sinne the weight of the Law upon our owne shoulders when wee have so present a remedie and so willing a friend at hand to ease us Secondly we should labour to feele the vertue of the Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ working in us purging our consciences from dead workes renewing our nature cleansing us from the power and pollution of sinne for when by the hand of faith and the sweete operation of the Spirit wee are therewithall sprinkled wee shall then make it all our study to hate and to forbeare sinne which squeezed out so pretious bloud and wrung such bitter cries from so mercifull a high Priest to live no longer to our selves that is secundum hominem as men 1 Cor. 3.3 Hos. 6.7 After our owne lusts and wayes but as men that are not their owne but his that bought them to live in his service and to his glory 1 Cor. 6.19 20 2 Cor. 5.14 1 Pet. 4.2 All that wee can doe is too little to answere so great love Love to emptie himselfe to humble himselfe to bee God in the flesh to bee God on a Crosse to take off from us the hatred fury and vengeance of his Father to restore us to our primitive purity condition againe Why should it be esteemed a needlesse thing to bee most rigorously conscionable exactly circumspect in such a service as unto which wee are engaged with so infinite and unsearchable bounty Hee payed our debt to the uttermost farthing drunk every drop of our bitter Cup and saved us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 throughly why should not wee labour to performe his service and to fulfill every one of his most sweete commands to the uttermost too Thirdly wee should learne to walke before him with all reverence and feare as men that have received a Kingdome which cannot bee moved Heb. 12.28 And with frequent consideration of the high Priest of our profession that we may not in presumption of his mercy harden our hearts or depart from God Heb. 3.1.8 But in due remembrance of the end of his Sacrifice which was to purchase to himselfe a peculiar people be zealous of all good workes Tit. 2.14 Fourthly we should learne confidence and boldnesse towards him who is a great a faithfull and a mercifull high Priest this use the Apostle makes of it Seeing we have a great high Priest-let us hold fast our profession-and come with boldnesse unto the throne of grace Heb. 4.14 15 16. And againe Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Iesus-and having an high Priest over the house of God let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Heb. 10 19-22 Fifthly wee learne perseverance and stedfastnesse in our profession because he is able to carry u◠through and save us to the uttermost This is that which indeed makes us partakers of Christ. Wee are made partakers of him if wee hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end Heb. 3.14 The considering of him of his perseverance in finishing his owne worke and our faith and his power and ability to save us to the uttermost will keepe us from fainting in our service and the profession we have taken Heb. 12.2 3.10.23 Sixthly we have hereby accesse to present our prayers and all our spirituall Sacrifices upon this Altar sprinkled with the bloud of that great Sacrifice and liberty to come unto God by him who liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 In him wee have accesse with confidence by faith Eph. 3.12 Therefore the Lord is said to have his eyes open to our Prayers to hearken unto them 1 Kings 8.52 Because hee first looketh upon our Persons in Christ before hee receiveth or admitteth any of our services Lastly wee ought frequently to celebrate the memorie and to commemorate the Benefits of this Sacrifice wherein God hath been so much glorified and wee so wonderfully saved Therefore the Lord hath of purpose instituted a sacred ordinance in his Church in the roome of the Paschall Lambe that as that was a prefiguration of Christs death expected so this should to all ages of the Church bee a resemblance and commemoration of the same exhibited So often as yee eate this Bread and drinke this Cup yee shew forth the
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie
they burnt the cursed things at the brooke Kidron and cast them thereinto 2 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 29.16.30.14 2 King 23.6 To note unto us that that brooke was the sinke as it were of the Temple that into which al the purgamenta and uncleannesses of Gods house all the cursed things were to bee cast with relation whereunto it is not improbable that the Prophet David by a propheticall spirit might notifie the sufferings of Christ by drinking of that cursed brooke over which hee was to passe to signifie that on him all the faithfull might lay and powre ut their sins who is therefore said to be made sinne and a curse for us 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 As the people when they laid their hands on the head of the sacrifice did thereby as it were unload all their sinnes upon it Now as waters signifie Afflictions so there are two words with relation thereunto which signifie suffering of afflictions and they are both applied unto Christ Matth. 20.22 Are yee able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of or be baptized with that Baptisme that I am baptized with He that drinketh hath the water in him he that is dipped or plunged hath the water about him So it notes the universalitie of the wrath which Christ suffered it was within him My soule is heavie unto death and it was all about him betrayed by Iudas accused by Iewes forsaken by Disciples mocked by Herod condemned by Pilate buffeted by the servants nailed by the souldiers reviled by the theeves and standers by and which was all in all forsaken by his Father So then by drinking of the brooke is meant suffering of the curses and it is frequently so used Ier. 25.27.49.12 Ezek. 23.32.34 Hab. 2.16 Revel 14.9.10 By The way we must understand either the life of Christ on earth his passage betweene his assumed voluntary humility and his exaltation againe or The way between mankind and heaven which by that should of wrath and torrent of curses which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.14 was made utterly unpassable till Christ by his sufferings made a path thorow it for the ransomed of the Lord to passe over Therefore shall be lift up the head It noteth in the Scripture phrase victory electation and breaking thorow those evils which did urge and presse a man before Psal. 27.6 and also boldnesse confidence and securitie to the whole body Luke 21.28 And further it is not He shall be lifted up but He shall doe it himselfe He hath the power of life and the fountaine of life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 10.18 So that following this sense of the words the meaning is He shall suffer and remove all those curses which were in the way between mankinde and heaven and then he shall lift up his head in the Resurrection and breake thorow all those sufferings into glory againe which sense is most punctually and expresly unfolded in those parallel places Luk. 24.26.46 Phil. 2.8 9. 1 Pet. 1.11 He shall drinke of the brooke in the way From hence we may note First that betweene mankinde and heaven there is a torrent of wrath and curses which doth everlastingly separate betweene us and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great and fixed gulfe which all the world can neither wade thorow nor remove The Law at first was an easie and smooth way to righteousnesse and from thence to salvation but now every step thereof sinkes as low as hell It is written within and without with curses which way soever a man stirres he findes nothing but death before him one mans way by the civility of his education the ingenuitie of his disposition the engagement of other ends or relations may seeme more smooth and plausible than anothers but by nature they all runne into hell as all rivers though never so different in other circumstances runne into the sea It is as impossible for a naturall man of himselfe to escape damnation as it is to make himselfe no childe of the old Adam or not to have beene begotten by fleshly parents The Gulfe of sin in our nature cannot be cleansed and therefore the Guilt thereof cannot be removed The Image we have lost is by us unrepairable the Law we have violated inoxorable the Iustice we have injured unsatisfiable the concupiscence of our nature insatiable sinne an aversion from an infinite good and a conversion to the creature infinitely and therefore the Guilt thereof infinite and unremoveable too We should learne often to meditate on this point to finde our selves reduced unto these straits and impossibilities that we cannot see which way to turne or to helpe our selves for that is the onely way to draw us unto Christ. Every man naturally loves to be in the first place beholding to himselfe in any extremity if his owne wits purse projects or endevours will helpe him out hee lookes no further but when all his owne succours have forsaken him then hee seekes abroad It is much more true in the matter of salvation no man ever did begin at Christ but went unto him upon meere necessitie when he had experience of the emptinesse of all his other succours and dependencies we all by nature are offended at him and will not have him to reigne over us till thereunto we be forced by the evidence of that infinite and unpreventable misery under which without him we must sinke for ever This is of all other the most urging argument unto men at first to consider that there is a torrent of curses a sea of death a raigne of condemnation a hell of sinne within and a hell of torments without betweene them and their salvation and there is no drop of that sea no scruple of that curse no title of that Law which must not all be either fulfilled or endured Suppose that God should summon thy guilty soule to a sudden apparance before his tribunall of Justice and should there begin to deale with thee even at thy mothers wombe Alas thou wouldest be utterly gone there even there a seed of evill doers the spawne of viperous and serpentine parents a cursed childe a childe of wrath an exact image of the old Adam and of the bloud of Satan But then here is after this produced a catalogue and history of sinnes of forty fiftie or three score yeeres long And in them every inordinate motion of the will every sudden stirring and secret working of inward lust every idle word every uncleane aspect every impertinencie and irregularity of life scored up against thy poore soule and each of them to be produced at the last and either answered or revenged O where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare if they have not right in Christ And how should men labour to be secured in that right Who would suffer so many millions of obligations and indictments to lye betweene him and God uncancelled and not labour to have them taken out of the way Now the onely way to be brought hereunto
inchoate as all those penall defects of our nature which neither were sinnes nor grounded upon the inherence of sinnes for hee tooke not our personall but onely our naturall defects And these were either corporeall as hunger thirst wearinesse and the like or spirituall as feare griefe sorrow temptations c. consummate were those which he suffered at last And these likewise were either corporeall as shame mockings buffets trials scourgings condemnation an ignominious and a cursed death Or spirituall and those were principally two First a punishment of Dereliction My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Matth. 27.46 There was some kinde of separation betweene God and Christ during the time of his sufferings for sinne in that cursed manner For understanding wherof we must note that he had a fourfold Vnion unto God First In his humane Nature which was so fast united in his person to the divine that death it selfe did not separate it either from the person or from the deitie It was the Lord that lay in the grave Secondly In Love and so there was never any separation neither but when hee hanged on the Crosse hee was still the beloved Sonne of his Father in whom hee was well pleased Thirdly In the Communion of his Spirit and Holinesse and in that regard likewise there was no disunion for hee was offered up as a lambe without spot or blemish Lastly In the fruition of the light of his countenance and of his glory and favor and in this respect there was for the time of his sufferings a dereliction subtractione visionis non dissolutione unionis by the withdrawing of his countenance not by the dissolving of his union Hee looked upon Christ as a God armed against the sinnes of the world which were then upon him Secondly There was a punishment of malediction Hee did undergoe the curse of the Law hee did graple with the wrath of God and with the powers of darknesse hee felt the scourges due unto our sinnes in his humane nature which squeezed and wrung from him those strong cries those deepe and woefull complaints that bloudy and bitter sweate which drew compassion from the very rocks And surely it is no derogation to the dignity of Christs person but on the other side a great magnifying of the Iustice of God against sinne of the power of Christ against the Law and of the mercy of them both towards sinners to affirme that the sufferings of Christ what-ever they were in specie in the kinde of them were yet in pondere in their weight and pressure equally grievous with those which we should have suffered for being in all things save sinne like unto us and most of all in his liablenesse to the curse of the Law so farre as it did not necessarily denotate either sinne inherent or weaknesse to breake through in the person suffering why hee should not bee obnoxious to as great extremities of paine I see no reason for no degree of meere anguish and dolor can bee unbefitting the person of him who was to bee knowne by that Title A man of sorrowes And surely farre more indignity it was to him to suffer a violent death of body from the hands of base men than to suffer with patience obedience and victorie farre sorer stripes from the hand of God his Father who was pleased upon him to lay the iniquity of us all For the second thing proposed Why Christ suffered these things The Scripture giveth principally these five reasons First to execute the decrees of his Father Act. 4.27 28. Secondly to fulfill the prophesies prefigurations and predictions of Holy Scriptures Luk. 24.46 Thirdly to magnifie his mercy and free love to sinners and most impotent enemies Rom. 5.8 Fourthly to declare the Righteousnesse and truth of God against sinne who would not bee reconciled with sinners but upon a legall expiation Rom. 3.25 For although wee may not limit the unsearchable wisedome and wayes of God as if hee could no other way have saved man yet wee are bound to adore this meanes as being by him selected out of that infinite treasure of his owne counsell as most convenient to set forth his wonderfull hate of sinne his inexorable Iustice and severity against it his unsearchable riches of love and mercy towards sinners and in all things to make way to the manifestation of his glory Lastly To shew forth his owne power which had strength to stand under all this punishment of sinne and at last to shake it off and to declare himselfe to bee the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 For though Christ did exceedingly feare and for that seeme to decline and pray against these his passions yet none of that was out of jealousie or suspicion that hee should not breake through them But hee feared them as being paines unavoidable which hee was most certainly to suffer and as paines very heavie and grievous which hee should not overcome without much bitternesse and very woefull conflict Now for a word of the last Clause Therefore shall hee lift up the Head Wee may hence observe that Christ hath conquered all his sufferings by his owne power As in his passion when hee suffered hee Bowed downe his head before-hand and gave up the ghost with a loud voice to note that his sufferings were voluntary Ioh. 19.30 So in his resurrection hee is said to lift up his head himselfe to note that hee had life in himselfe that hee was the Prince of Life that it was impossible for him to be held under by death as we were by the Law Rom. 7.6 And that his exaltation was voluntary likewise and from his owne power for he was not to have any assistant in the worke of our redemption but to doe all alone Ioh. 2.19.5.26.10.17 Act. 3.15 If it bee objected that Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of his Father and that hee raised him up Rom. 6.4 Act. 13.33 To this I answer that this was not by way of supplement and succor to make up any defect of power in Christ but onely by way of consent to Christs owne power and action that so men might joyntly honour the Sonne and the Father Ioh. 5 19-26 Or by the Glorie of the Father wee may understand that glorious power which the Father gave unto his Sonne in the flesh to have life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 annexing thereunto a command to exercise the same Power Ioh. 10.18 Or hee is said to bee raised by himselfe and his Father both because that Holy Spirit which immediatly quickned him Rom. 1.4 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 3.18 was both his and his Fathers It was not any personall thing wherein the Sonne differ'd from the Father which raised Iesus from the dead but that Spirit which was common to them both To conclude then with the consideration of those great benefits and that excellent use which this resurrection of Christ doth serve for unto us First it assureth us of the accomplishment