direct opposition to his having born our sins and appearing then with all our sins laid to his charge He appeared charged with them then but now he shall appeare as apparently and as manifestly to be without those sins for of our sins it must needs be meant and so to be discharged of them as fully as ever he appeared charged with them For it is said He shall appeare without sin and therefore to the judgements of all it shall be made manifest that that God that once charged him with them hath now fully discharged him of them The Apostle speaks of it as of a great alteration made in this respect betweene Christ as he was whilst on earth and Christ as he is to appeare the second time and is now in heaven And this alteration or discharge must necessarily be made by God for he is the Creditour vvho followed the Suit and therefore he alone can give the Acquitance Now secondly 2. There must be some season of time when this discharge from our sins was first made unto Christ from hence it will follow that there must be some time when this alteration was first made and discharge given when Christ from being sin as he was made should become without sinne through Gods acquiting of him and this say I was at his Resurrection It is not deferred as then to be first done when he is to appeare the second time though then it appeares indeed but it is really done before for hee comes then to judge others for sinne Now in reason when should this Acquitance or Justification from our sins be first given to Christ and legally pronounced on him but when he had paid the last farthing of the debt and made his satisfaction compleat which was then done when he began to rise for his lying in the grave was a part of his Humiliation and so of his Satisfaction as generally Orthodoxe Divines hold Now therefore when he began to rise then ended his Humiliation and that was the first moment of his Exaltation His Acquitance therefore bears Date from thence even from that very houre Hence thirdly 3. That this must needs be and was first made to him at his Resurrection we read as that Christ was condemned so that he was justified Thus 1 Tim. 3. 16. God is said to be manifest in the flesh and then that this God-man was justified in the spirit That is whereas God was manifest or appeared in flesh to condemne sinne in the flesh as Rom. 8. that same God-man was also justified in the spirit from all those sins and so received up to glory as it follows there And not to goe far the very words of this my Text It is God that justifies are taken out of Esay 50. 8 9. and as there they are first spoken by Christ of himselfe then when he gave his back to the smiters in his death as in the verses before and vvas put to death as a condemned man he comforts himselfe vvith this He is neere that justifies me who shall condemne And when was that done or to be done but at his Resurrection So the phrase in Timothy imports if you compare it with another in Peter 1 Pet. 3. 18. Being put to death in the flesh and quickned in or by the spirit Paul he sayes Iustified in the spirit Peter he sayes Quickned in the spirit both meane one and the same thing By Spirit is meant the power of his God-head and Divine nature whereby he was at once both raised from the grave and from under the guilt of sin together He was at once both quickned or raised and justified also And that by Spirit they mean his Divine nature the opposition in both places evidently implyes for it is opposed to his Flesh or humane nature Now because he was quickned or raised by the power of the God-head and at that raising him he was justifyed also by God and declared justifyed by that Resurrection as he had been declared condemned by his death Hence to be justified is put for his Resurrection for that was his justification or declaration to all the world that he was justified from all the sins laid to his charge And that other place I cited out of Isaiah hath the same meaning also for Christ there comforts himselfe against the Jews condemning him and putting him to death with the hopes of Gods justifying of him when he should have gone through that work And Christs meaning there is this God will raise me up and acquit me though you condemne and kill me In the other Prophets you shall find Christ still comforting himself against his condemnation at his death with the thoughts of his Resurrection which he fore-saw as shortly to follow after it as here in Esay he comforts himselfe with these hopes of his being justified after their condemnation of him For instance Psa 16. 9. My flesh shall rest in hope thou wilt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thy holy One to see corruption Which words you know Peter in the Acts doth twice interpret of Christs Resurrection In like manner here in Esay against his death and condemnation he comforts himself with the hopes of Gods justification of him at his Resurrection He is neere who justifies me and he shall help me who shall condemne And further His Resurrection therefore called his first begetting to confirm strengthen this notion because his Resurrection was the first moment of this his justification from our sins therefore it is that God cals it his first begetting of Christ This day have I begotten thee speaking manifestly of his Resurrection Acts 13. 35. And the reason of his so calling it is because all the while before he was covered with sin and the likenesse of sinfull flesh But now having flung it off he appears like Gods Son indeed as if newly begotten And thus also there commeth to be the fuller conformity betweene Christ justification ours For as our justification is at our first being born again And therein a conformity between our Regeneration and his Resurrection so was Christ also at this his first glorious begetting He was under an Attainder before here was the Act of Restitution first passed And as at our Conversion which is to us a Resurrection wee passe from death to life that is from an estate of death and condemnation unto justification of life so did Christ also at his Resurrection which to him was are begetting passe from an estate of death and guilt laid on him to an estate of Life Glory and justification from guilt and so shall appear as the word is Heb. 9. ult as he doth now in heaven without sin for he became to be without sin frō that very moment Thus I have shewn how Christ was justified at his Resurrection Now then in the 2. §. 2. place 2. That Beleevers were all justified in Christ his justification as a Common person representing them I am to
Christs blood cries us up into Heaven like to that voice Revel 11. 12. Come up hither So Iohn 17. 24. Where I am let them be for whom this blood was shed But though this speaking An explication in what sense Christs blood is said to cry this voice and intercession be attributed to his blood yet it is but in a Metaphoricall and improper though reall sense as also that this blood is in Heaven is spoken though in a reall yet not a proper sense Some Divines of all sides both Popish and Protestant would make the whole work of Intercession to be onely Metaphoricall It is true indeede the voice and intercession of his blood apart considered is but Metaphoricall I grant and yet reall such a voice as those groanes are that are attributed to the whole creation Rom. 8. 22. But Intercession as an act of Christ himselfe joyned with this voice of his blood is most properly and truly such Therefore in the second place 2. Consideration Christ himselfe living joyning with the cry of his bloud how prevalent it must needs be adde to this Christs own intercession also which was the second thing propounded That Christ by his own Prayers seconds this cry of his blood that not only the blood of Christ doth cry but that Christ himselfe being alive doth joyne with it how forcible and prevalent must all this be supposed to be The blood of a man slain doth cry though the man remain dead even as of Abel it is said though to another purpose that being dead he yet speaketh Heb. 11. but Christ liveth and appeareth Vivit in coelum coelorum venit He follows the suit pursues the Hue and cry of his blood himselfe His being alive puts a life into his death It is not in this as it was in that other the first Adams sinne and disobedience Adam although he himselfe had beene annihilated when he dyed yet he having set the stock of our nature a going in propagation of Children his sin would have defiled and condemned them to the end of the world and the force of it to condemne is neither furthered nor lessened by his subsisting being or his not being it receives no assistance from his personall life one way or other And the reason is because his sinne condemnes us in a na turall and necessary way But the death of Christ and his blood shed these saving us in a way of grace and favour unto Christ himselfe and for his sake that very being alive of Christ that shed this blood adds an infinite acceptation to it with God and moves him the more to hear the cry of it and to regard it In a matter of favour to be done for the sake of another man or in a suit or matter of justice that concerns another who is interested in it that mans being in vivis his being alive puts a life into the cause If David would have respect to Ionathan when dead in his children he would much more if himselfe had been alive God made a Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to remember their Seed after them And why They are alive and were to live for ever and though dead shall rise againe So Christ reasoneth from it Mat. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob God is the God of the living sayes he and not of the dead and so though Abraham be ignorant of his children as the prophet speakes and should not intercede for them yet because Abrahams soul lives and is not extinct as the Sadduces thought but shall live again at the Resurrection therefore God remembers and respects his covenant with them for he is a God of the living and so his Covenant holds with them whilst they live The old covenant of the first Testament ran in the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but this new covenant runs in the name of Christ The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ so Eph. 1. 3. and so he becomes our God and our Father in him And God being thus our Father because Christs Father and Christ in whose name the Covenant runs being alive and God by Covenant the God of a living not of a dead Christ This therefore works effectually with him to respect his blood and hear the cry of it and this though Christ were absent much more then when he is present also and on purpose appeareth in the presence of God for us as it is Heb. 9. 24. He is alive and so able to follow his owne suit and will be sure to see to it and to second the cry of his blood if it should not be heard To illustrate this by the helpe of the former comparison begun If as Abels blood cries so also it proves that Abels soul lives to cry that both his cause cries and himselfe lives to follow it So that the cry of Abels blood is seconded with the cry of Abels soule that lives how doubly forcible must this needs be And thus indeede you have it Revel 6. 9. where it is said that the soules of them which were slain for the testimony which they held cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood Yea see that not onely their bloud cryes but their soules live and live to cry And it is not spoken Metaphorically of their soules but what is truly done by them now in Heaven it being mentioned to shew how and by what God was moved to bring vengeance on the Heathenish Empire of Rome that had shed their blood Now not only Christs soule as theirs lives to cry but his whole person for he is risen againe and lives to intercede for ever In the Revel 1. ver 18. Christ appearing to Iohn when he would speake but one speech that should move all in him he sayes but this I am he that liveth and was dead and dyed for thee And whose heart doth it not move to reade it with faith and doth it not move his Father think you who was the chiefe cause and motioner of his death to think My Sonne that was dead and dyed at my request for sinners is now alive again and liveth to intercede and liveth to see the travaile of his soule fulfilled and satisfied God pronounceth this upon it in that 53. of Esay ver 10. By his knowledge or faith in him shall he justify many even as many as he dyed for Who then shall condemne Christ that was dead is alive and liveth to intercede CHAP. VIII Thirdly The prevalencie of Christs intercession and of his grace with his Father demonstrated from the greatnesse and absolutenesse of his power to doe what ever he asks A Third demonstration both of Christs greatnes with God 3. From the great power over all things that God the Father hath put into his hands and therefore will deny him nothing his power to prevail for us is
stories use to stir up a principle of humanity in men unto a compassionate love which Christ himselfe at his suffering found fault with as being not spirituall nor raised enough in those women who went weeping to see the Messiah so handled Weep not for me sayes he that is weep not so much for this thus to see me unworthily handled by those for whom I dye And therefore accordingly as these stirrings are but fruits of the flesh so humane inventions as Crucifixes and lively representations of the story of Christs Passion unto the sight of fancy doe exceedingly provoke men to such devotionall meditations and affections but they work a bare historicall faith only a historicall remembrance and an historicall love as I may so call them And no other then such doth the reading of the story of it in the Word work in many who yet are against such Crucifixes But saving justifying faith chiefly minds and is most taken up with the maine scope and drift of all Christs sufferings for it is that in them which answers to its owne aime and purpose which is to obtaine forgivenesse of sins in Christ crucified As God looks principally at the meaning of the Spirit in prayer Rom. 8. so doth faith look principally to the meaning of Christ in his sufferings As in all other Truths a Beleever is said to have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult so especially he minds what was the mind and heart of Christ in all his sufferings And therefore you may observe that the drift of all the Apostles Epistles is to shew the intent of Christs sufferings how he was therein set forth to be a prepitiation for sinne to beare our sinnes upon the tree to make our peace c. He was made sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him As in like manner the scope of the Euangelists is to set forth the story of them for that is necessary to be known also And thus did that Euangelicall Prophet Isaiah chiefly set forth the intent of Christs sufferings for justification Esay 53. throughout the Chap. as David before had done the story of his Passion Psal 22. And thus to shew the use and purpose of his sufferings was the scope of all the Apostles Sermons holding forth the intent of Christs passion to be the justification and salvation of sinners This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. and they still set forth what the plot was at which God by an ancient designment aimed at in the sufferings of Christ which was an end higher then men or Angels thought on when hee was put to death And thus faith takes it up and looks at it And upon this doth Peter in his Sermon Acts 2. pitch their faith where having first set forth the hainousnesse of their sin in murdering the Lord of life then to raise up their hearts againe that so seeing Gods end in it they might be drawne to beleeve he tellls them that All this was done by the determinate counsell of God ver 23. and that for a farther end then they imagined even for the remission of sins through his Name as in the closure of that Sermon he shews It was not the malice of the Jews the falsenesse of Iudas the fearfulnesse of Pilate or the iniquity of the times he fell into that wrought his death so much as God his Father complotting with Christ himselfe and aiming at a higher end then they did there was a farther matter in it it was the execution of an ancient contrivement and agreement whereby God made Christ Sinne and laid our sins upon him God was in Christ not imputing our sinnes to us but making him sinne 2 Cor. 5. 20. Which Covenant Christ came at his time into the world to fulfill Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldst not have Heb. 10. 5. Loe I come to doe thy will and that will was to take away sinnes ver 4 10 12 14 15 16. These words Christ spake when he took our nature and when he came into the world clothed with infirmities like unto us sinners Rom. 8. 3. God sent his Son in the likenes of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Mark that phrase for sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there put for propter as Iohn 10. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for a good work That is not because of a good work or for a good works sake So here For sinne that is because of sin sin was the occasion of his taking the likenesse of sinfull flesh what to encrease it no but to condemne it as it follows that is to cast and overthrow it in its power and plea against us that instead of sins condemning us he might condemne sin and that we might have the righteousnesse of the Law ver 5. This phrase for sinne is like unto that in Rom. 6. 10. He dyed unto sinne that is for sins cause for so the opposition that follows evinceth In that he liveth he liveth unto God that is for God and his glory So he dyed meerly for sin that sin might have its course in Justice and for its sake suffered death so putting to silence the clamour of it The death of Christ was the greatest and strangest design that ever God undertook and acted and therefore surely had an end proportionable unto it God that willeth not the death of a sinner would not for any inferiour end will the death of his Sonne whom he loved more then all creatures besides It must needs be some great matter for which God should contrive the death of his Sonne so holy so innocent and separate from sinners neither could it be any other matter then to destroy that which he most hated and that was Sin and to set forth that which he most delighted in and that was Mercy So Rom. 3. 25 26. And accordingly Christ demeaned himselfe in it not at all looking at the Jews or their malice but at his Fathers command and intent in it And therefore when he was to arise to goe unto that place where he should be taken As the Father gave me commandement sayes he so doe I Arise let us goe hence Iohn 14. 31. And when Iudas went out at Christs owne provocation of him What thou doest doe quickly sayes he the Sonne of man goeth as it was determined he lookt to his Fathers purpose in it When he went out to be taken it is said Iohn 18. 4. Iesus knowing all things that should befall him went forth And when he was in his Agony in the Garden whom doth he deale with but his Father Father sayes he if it be possible let this cup passe and God made his Passion of so great necessity that it was even impossible that that cup should passe Indeed had Christ stood in his owne stead it had been an easie request and justice to grant it yea so he tells
God to work all our works and undergoe all our punishments to pay our debts for us and to work in us all that God required should be done by us in the Covenant of Grace And thus to be a Surety is much more then simply to be an Intercessour or Mediatour as Pareus well observes God did as it were say to Christ What they owe me I require it all at your hands and Christ assented and from everlasting struck hands with God to doe all for us that God could require and undertook it under the penalty that lay upon us to have undergone Yea Christ became such a Surety in this for us as is not to be found among men A strange difference between Christs Suretiship and that of men for others on earth On earth Sureties are wont to enter into one and the same Bond with the Creditors so as the Creditour may seize on which of the two he will whether on the Debtour or on the Surety and so as usually on the Debtor first for him we call the Principal but in this covenant God would have Christs single Bond and hence Christ is not onely called the Surety of the Covenant for us but The Covenant God makes the Covenant of Grace principally with Christ for us Esay 49. 8. and elsewhere God making the Covenant of Grace primarily with him and with him as for us thereby his single Bond alone was taken for all that so God might be sure of satisfaction therefore he laid all upon Christ protesting that he would not deale with us nor so much as expect any payment from us such was his grace So Psal 89. 19. where the mercies of the Covenant made betweene Christ and God under the Type of Gods Covenant with David are set forth God requires payment of our debt from Christ first Thou spakest in vision to thy holy One and saidst I have laid help on one who is mighty As if God had said I know that these will faile me and break and never be able to satisfie me but you are a mighty and substantiall person able to pay me and I will look for my debt of you And to confirme this then which nothing can give stronger consolation or more advanceth Gods free grace when God went about the reconciling the world in and by Christ and dealt with Christ about it the manner of it is expressed to have been that God took off our sins from us and discharged us as it were meaning never to call us to an account for them unlesse Christ should not satisfie him and laid them all on Christ so as he would require an account of them all from him first and let him look to it and this he did to make the Covenant sure Thus 2 Cor. 5. 19. it is said the Apostle speaking of Gods transaction of this businesse with Christ that God was in Christ namely from everlasting reconciling the world of Elect Beleevers to himselfe not imputing their trespasses to them and made him sin who knew no sinne Observe that as he laid our sinnes on Christ so withall he discharged us in his compact betweene Christ and himselfe not imputing their trespasses to them So then all laid upon Christ and he was to look to it or else his soule was to have gone for it This is not the manner of other Creditours they use to charge the Debt on both the Surety and the Debtour but in this Covenant of Grace namely Christs single Bond is entred he alone is The Covenant so as God will have nought to say to us till Christ failes him He hath engaged himselfe first to require satisfactions at Christs hands who is our Surety Now then 2. 2. How the consideration of this is a strong evidence to faith of justification from Christs Resurrection for to make use of this notion for the clearing of the point in hand It might afford us matter of unspeakable cōfort onely to hear of Christs having been arrested by God for our debt cast into prison and his Bond sued and an Execution or Iudgement served on him as the phrases are Esay 53. 8. For thereby we should have seen how God had begun with our Surety as minded to let us alone and that it lay on him to discharge the debt who was so able to doe it And thereby we might also see how he was made sin for us and therefore we might very well have quieted our hearts from fearing any arrests or for Gods comming upon us till we should heare that our Surety were not sufficiently able to pay the debt as you have heard he is But yet our hearts would stil be inquisitive for all that to hear whether indeed he hath perfectly satisfied God or no and would be extreamly solicitous to know whether he hath satisfactorily performed what he undertook and how he got cleare of that engagement and of being made sinne for us And therefore the Apostle comforts Beleevers with this that Christ shall the next time appeare without sin * Heb. 9. 28. Vnto them that look for him he shall appeare the second time without sinne It declaring unto faith that Christ that was in this death nale sin for us hath now discharged all and is without sin unto salvation One would think it no great matter of comfort to us to hear that Christ should appeare without sinne for who would imagine that it could be otherwise with The holy One The Lord of Glory there is no wonder in that Ay but sayes the Apostle your very salvation is interested in this as neerly as is possible It is well for you that Christ is now without sinne for he having as your Surety undertooke to satisfie for sinne and having accordingly beene once made sinne when on earth and arrested for it by God at his death in that now he is got cleare of that engagement which could be no way but by satisfaction which he undertooke this doth plainly evince it and ascertain you that you shall never be condemned for it for by the Law if the Surety hath discharged the debt the Debtour is then free And therefore no news would or could be more welcome to sinners And so that God will never come upon the sinner then to have a certaine and infallible evidence given that their Surety were well come off and had quitted all to satisfaction Now then to evidence this serveth his Resurrection Christ is risen How strong an evidence Christs Resurrection is that the debt is paid and God satisfied Nothing so sure Therefore certainly the debt is discharged and he hath paid it to the full and so is now without our sinne and fully got cleare of it For God having once arrested Christ and cast him into prison and begun a tryall against him and had him to judgement he could not come forth till he had paid the very utmost farthing And there is the greatest reason for it to ascertaine us that
besides all this there is a personall or an actuall Iustification to be bestowed upon us that is an accounting and bestowing it upon us in our own persons which is done whē we beleeve and it is called Rom. 5. 1. a being justifyed by faith and ver 10. receiving the atonement now this depends upon Christs Intercession and it was typified out by Moses his sprinkling the people with blood mentioned Heb. 9. 19. which thing Jesus Christ as a Mediator and Priest doth now from Heaven For Heb. 12. 24. it is said You are come to Heaven and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and as it is next subjoyned to the blood of sprinkling he shed his blood on the Crosse on earth but he sprinkleth it now as a Priest from Heaven For it is upon Mount Sion to which he had said first in the former verse ye are come and so to Christ as a Mediator standing on that mount and sprinkling from thence his blood and so therein there is an allusion unto Moses Christs Type who sprinkled the people with the blood of that ceremoniall covenant the type of the covenant of grace Now in the 1 Pet. 1. 2. The sprinkling of Christ his blood as it is there made the more proper work of Christ himselfe in distinction from the other persons and therefore was done by Moses who was his type so is it also put for our first justification And this sprinkling as it is there mentioned is from the vertue of his intercession And therefore in that place of the Heb. forecited he attributes an intercession unto it as the phrase that follows which speaks better things c. doth imply of which more hereafter Yet concerning this first Head let me adde this by way of caution which I shall presently have occasion to observe that though this our first justification is to be ascribed to his Intercession yet more eminently Intercession is ordained for the accōplishing our salvation this other more rarely in the Scripture attributed thereunto Secondly 2. The continuance of our justification depends upon it The continuation of our Iustification depends upon it And as his Intercession is the virtuall continuation of his Sacrifice so is it the continuing cause of our justification which though it be an act done once as fully as ever yet is it done over every moment for it is continued by acts of free Grace so renewed actually every moment There is a standing in Grace by Christ spoken of Rom. 5. 2. as well as a first accesse by Christ and that standing in grace and continuing in it is afterwards ver 11. attributed to his life that is as it is interpreted Heb. 7. 25. his living ever to intercede We owe our standing in grace every moment to his sitting in Heaven and interceding every moment There is no fresh act of justification goes forth but there is a fresh act of intercession And as though God created the World once for all yet every moment he is said to create every new act of providence beeing a new creation so likewise to justifie continually through his continuing out free grace to justifie as at first and this Christ doth by continuing his Intercession he continues a Priest for ever and so we continue to be justifyed for ever 3. A full security of our justification given thereby forever There is hereby a full security given us of justification to be continued for ever The danger either must lie in old sins comming into remembrance or else from sins newly to be committed Now first God hereby takes order 1. Against the remembrance of sins past that no old sins shall come up into remembrance to trouble his thoughts as in the old Law after the Priests going into the Holy of holies their sins are said yet to have done Heb. 10. 3. and to that end it was that he placed Christ as his Remembrancer for us so neere him to take up his thoughts so with his obedience that our sinnes might not come into mind not that God needed this help to put himself in mind but onely for a formality sake that things being thus really carryed between God and Christ for us according to a way suiting with our apprehensions our faith might be strengthened against all suppositions and feares of after reviving our guilts Look therefore as God ordained the Rain-bow in the heavens that when he lookt on it he might remember his Covenant never to destroy the world againe by water so he hath set Christ as the Rain-bow about his Throne And look as the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper are appointed on earth to shew forth Christs death as a Remembrancer to us so is Christ himselfe appointed in heaven to shew forth his death really as a Remembrancer thereof to his Father and indeed the one is correspondent to the other Onely the Papists have perverted the use of the Lords Supper by making it on earth a commemorative sacrifice to God when as it is but a Remembrancer thereof to men and besides their Priests therein do take upon themselves this very office of presenting this sacrifice to God which is proper onely to Christ in Heaven But God when he would make sure not to be tempted to remember our sins any more nor trouble himselfe with them hath set his Christ by him to put him in minde of his so pleasing an offering So the High-Priests going into the Holy of holies was for a memoriall and therein the Type of Christ And this is plainly expresly made the use of this execution of his Priestly office in Heaven Heb. 8. where the Apostle having discoursed of that part of his office as the chiefe thing he aimed at in this Epistle ver 1. and of the necessity of it ver 3 4 and 5. and excellencie of it in this respect ver 6. he then shews how from thence the new Covenant of pardon came to be sure and stedfast that God will remember our sins no more ver 12. which he there brings in as the proper use of this Doctrine and of this part of his Priesthood 2. 2. To prevent the accusing condemning us by new sinne for times to come As by reason of intercession God remembers not old sins so likewise he is not provoked by new For though God when he justifies us should forgive all old sins past for ever so as never to remember them more yet new ones would break forth and he could not but take notice of them and so so long as sinne continues there is need of a continuing intercession Therefore for the securing us in this it is said Rom. 5. 10. That if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Where we see that his Death is in some more speciall manner said to procure reconciliation at first for sinnes of unregeneracie and to bring us to
Christ but then his life and Intercession or living to intercede is said to keep God and us friends that we may never fall out more What Christ did on earth doth more especially procure reconciliation for sinnes which we doe in the state of nature so as notwithstanding them God resolves to turne us from that state Intercession principally intended for sins after conversion and draw us to Christ But sins which we commit after conversion though pardoned also by his death yet the pardon of them is more especially attributed to his life and intercession as a daily preservative a continuall plaister as some call it to heale such sinnes So that it would seeme that God out of his eternall love doth bring us to Christ and draws us to him through the beholding the reconciliation wrought by his death and so gives us at first conversion unto Christ and we being brought to him he sprinkles us with his bloud and then God sayes to him Now doe you look to them that they and I fall out no more And to that end Christ takes our cause in hand by that eternall Priesthood of his and from that time begins more especially to intercede for us And thus sinnes after the state of grace may be said more eminently to be taken away by that part of his Priesthood which he now in heaven performes That place also 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. seems to make this the great end of Intercession If any man sinne that is if any of the company of Beleevers to whom alone he wrote we have an Advocate wich the Father so as Intercession principally serves for sins to come or committed after grace received Thus also in his prayer Ioh. 17. which was left as a patterne of his Intercession in heaven he prayes for his Elect as Beleevers I pray for them that shall beleeve through their word Not but that sinnes after conversion are taken away by his death In what sense his Death doth more eminently prevaile for the pardon of sins afore conversion and his Intercession for sins after and sinnes before it by his Intercession also for Christ interceded for those who crucified him and by vertue of that Intercession those three thousand were converted as was observed But the meaning only is that yet more eminently the work of reconciliation for sins before conversion is attributed to his death for sins after conversion to his Intercession Even as the Persons of the Trinity though they have all a like hand in all the works of our salvation yet we see that one part is attributed more to one Person and another to another A third sort of reasons why God ordained this work of Intercession to accomplish our salvation by 3. Sort of Reasons from Christ doe respect Christ himselfe whose honour and glory and the perpetuation of it in our hearts God had as well in his eye in the ordering all the workings of our salvation as much as his owne That all might honour the Sonne as well as the Father as Christ himselfe speaks Now therefore for the maintaining and upholding his glory and the commings in thereof did God ordaine after all that he had done for us here below this work of Intercession in heaven to be added to all the rest for the perfecting of our salvation As First 1. That none of Christs offices should lye vacant it became him and was for his honour that none of his offices should be vacant or lye idle and he want employment in them All offices have work to accompanie them and all work hath honour as its reward to arise out of it And therefore when he had done all that was to be done on earth as appertaining unto the merit of our salvation he appoints this full and perpetuall work in heaven for the applying and possessing us of salvation and that as a Priest by praying and interceding in the merit of that one oblation of himselfe God would have Christ never to be out of office nor out of work And this very reason is more then intimated Heb. 7. 24 25. This man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood or as ver 21. expounds it for ever And the work of his Priesthood is interpreted ver 25. to be ever to make intercession The meaning is that God would not have him continue to be a Priest in title onely or in respect onely of a service past and so to have onely the honour of Priesthood perpetuated to him out of the remembrance of what he once had done as great Generals have even in time of peace the glory of some great battail fought continued to them in their titles or rewards for ever But God would have him have as the renowne of the old so a perpetuall spring of honour by new work and employment in that office which he is continually a doing so to preserve the verdure of his glory ever fresh and greene and therefore ordained a continuall work for him And the summe of the Apostles reasoning is this That seeing himselfe was to be for ever so should his work and Priesthood be that so his honour might be for ever So ver 28. concludes it Consecrated or perfected for evermore Secondly 2. That Christ might have a continual hand in each and every work of our salvation to the last for the same reason also it became him that the whole worke of our salvation first and last and every part of it every step and degree of accomplishment of it should be so ordered as he should continue still to have as great and continuall a hand in every part even to the laying of the top stone thereof as he had in laying the first foundation and corner stone thereof And this you have expressed Heb. 12. 2. Looking to Iesus the beginner and perfecter of our faith Two things had been said of him as two causes of two effects and we must looke to him in both 1. He is to be looked at as Dying enduring the Crosse as there he is set forth 2. As sitting at Gods right hand and interceding as that whole Epistle had represented him We are to look at these two as causes of a double effect to looke at his dying as that which is the beginning of our faith so according to the Greeke and the margent of our translation and at his sitting at Gods right hand as an intercessor for the finishing of our faith thereby and so of our finall salvation For as Christs worke began in his life and death which is put for all his obedience here below so our first believing as was said begins by vertue of his death at first and as his worke ends in his intercession and sitting at God his right hand so answerably is our faith and salvation perfected by it that thus he might be left out in nothing but be the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending to whom be glory for ever So that wee
that latter namely the use of such a skill is not so directly the drift of this Treatise I having reserved that part if God assist me and give leisure and this find acceptance unto another about the acts of justifying Faith wherein this art now mentioned is to be the maine scope That which I have here endeavoured is to set forth to all sorts of beleevers whether they have assurance or not Christ as he is the Object of our faith as justifying and as the cause of justification to us and so I send forth this as a premise and preparatory to that other And to that purpose I have run over some few Articles of our Faith or Creede as I found them put together in one bundle by the great Apostle namely Christ in his Death Resurrection Ascension Sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession and have handled these no further then as in all these he is made Justification unto us therin having punctually kept unto the Apostles scope By all which you may in the mean time see what abundant provision God hath laid up in Christ in the point of Justification for all sorts of beleevers to live upon Every thing in Christ whatsoever he was or whatsoever he did with a joynt voice speaking justification unto us You may see also that God hath in Christ justified us over and over and thereby come to discerne what little reason you have to suffer your hearts to be carried aside to other comforters and so be spoiled and bereft of these more immediately prepared and laid up for us in Christ himselfe To have handled all those considerations which his obedience unto death affords unto the justification of a beleever and his comfort therein in this small tractate would have made that part too disproportioned to the rest it alone deserves will require a distinct Tract which therefore I have cast into another method and so in this Treatise have toucht only upon what may for the present be sufficient to furnish that part to keep company with its fellows Onely when I had thus presented Christ along from his Death Resurrection and Ascension unto his Sitting in Heaven and there performing that great part of his Priesthood the worke of Intercession I judged it both homogeneall to all these and conducing to the greater encouragement of beleevers in the exercise of their faith to subjoyne that other Treatise How Christs Heart now he is in Heaven stands affected to us sinners here below And a better token take the Arument it selfe if I could have fully represented it how to present unto his Spouse I know not then a true character of her Husbands heart now he is in glory And but for methods sake I would have placed it first it being more suited to vulgar capacities whose benefit I aime at Now in that discourse I confesse I have not aimed to keepe so strictly unto the matter of justification only as in the other I have done But have more generally discussed it and shewne how his heart stands towards us under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever either of Sin or misery yet so as it wil serve for the matter of justification also The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant us according to the riches of his glory that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that we may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Amen THO. GOODVVIN THE TABLE OR Series of all the Materials in this TREATISE SECT I. A generall Introduction to the whole Christ the Object of Justifying Faith CHAP. I. The scope of the words of the Text That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence Pag. 1 Christ an example of Faith explained by two things 2 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe 3 2. A faith for the justifying of us 4 Use To draw us on to faith and encourage us therein 5 Especially against the greatnesse of sins 6 CHAP. II. The scope and argument of this whole Discourse 1. A Direction unto Christ as the Object of faith 2. Encouragements to Beleevers in their faith from these particulars in the Text. 9 Christs 1. Death 2. Resurrection 3. Being at Gods right hand 4. Intercession CHAP. III. DIRECTIONS to Christ as the object of Faith How in a three-fold consideration Christ is the Object of Justifying faith 12 1. As in joynt commission with God the Father Faith is to eye both God and Christ in seeking Iustification 12 Yet God the ultimate object of it ibid. Yet Christ under the New Testament the more immediate Object 13 2. Christ the object of faith in opposition to all things in our selves 15 As 1. To Humiliation Wee are not to rest therein ibid. 2. To Dutyes and Graces We are not to rest in them 16 3. Christs Person is the object of Faith in distinction from the Promises ibid. How the Promises are the Object of Faith and how Christ in the Promises 18 Three sorts of promises and how Christs person is the object of faith in applying them all 20 SECT II. Christ in his DEATH the Object and support of Faith for Justification Chap. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as Dying is the object of faith as Iustifying 22 Explained 1. By two Directions 1. That in seeking forgivenesse Christ as dying Christ as crucifyed is to be eyed by faith 23 How not Christs Person singly considered in the excellencies thereof but as dying is the object of justifying faith as such 24 Chap. II 2. Direct That faith is principally to look unto the end and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings namely that sinners might have forgivenesse 28 Without this the meditation of the story of Christs Passion is unprofitable ibid. Cap. III 2. By shewing the ENCOURAGEMENTS or matter of triumph that Christs death affordeth unto faith in point of justification 34 The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction in his DEATH 35 How Christs satisfaction may be opposed to the guilt of any sins whatever 36 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall 37 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins As ibid. 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sinne 38 2. Against the corruption or of the heart in sinning ibid. 3. Against delight and greedinesse in sinning ibid. 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning 39 5. Against presumption in sinning ibid. 6. Against the aggravating circumstances of Time Place Persons c. ibid. The conclusion of this Section 40 SECT III. Christ in his RESURRECTION the object and support of faith in point of Justification CHAP. I. Two generall Heads propounded That Christs Is an EVIDENCE of Hath an INFLUENCE into Iustification Resurrection 42 1. An Evidence Christs Resurrection a a visible signe that God is satisfied by his death 44 2. Hath an Influence Though the matter of our justification be the price of Christs Death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on Christs
Personall excellencies cannot properly be called the object of it But the Formalis ratio the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the object of faith as justifying must necessarily be that in Christ which doth indeed justifie a sinner which is his obedience unto death For the act and object of every habit or facultie are alwayes suited and similar each to other and therefore Christ justifying must needs be the object of Faith justifying It is true that there is nothing in Christ with which some answerable act of faith in us doth not close and from the differing considerations under which faith looks at Christ have those severall acts of faith various denominations As faith that is carryed forth to Christ and his personall excellencies may be called uniting faith and faith that goes forth to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sinne may answerably to its object be called sanctifying faith and faith as it goes forth to Christ as dying c. for justification may be called justifying faith For faith in that act looks at what in Christ doth justifie a sinner and therefore Christ considered as dying rising c. doth in this respect become the most pleasing and gratefull object to a soule that is humbled for this makes Christ suitable to him as he is a sinner under which consideration he reflects upon himselfe when he is first humbled And therefore thus to represent Christ to Beleevers under the Law was the maine scope of all the Sacrifices and Types therein All things being purged with bloud and without bloud there being no remission Heb. 9. Thus did the Apostles also in their Sermons So Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his Sermon to have known nothing but Christ and him as crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. as Christ above all so Christ as crucified above all in Christ as suiting their condition best whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith on him Thus in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls his preaching among them the preaching of faith Chap. 3. 2. And what was the maine scope of it but the picturing out as the word is of Christ crucified before their eyes ver 1. so he preached him and so they received him and so they began in the spirit ver 3. And thus also doe the seals of the Promises the Sacraments present Christ to a Beleevers eye as they hold forth Christ as was in the former direction observed so Christ as crucified their scope being to shew forth his death till be come 1 Cor. 11. 26. the Bread signifying Christs body broken in the sufferings of it and the cup signifying the sufferings of his soule and the pouring of it forth unto death And hence likewise as faith it selfe is called Faith on Christ as was before observed so it is called Faith on his bloud Rom. 3. 24 25. because Christ as shedding his bloud for the remission of sinnes is the object of it So the words there are Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the Promises under that picture of him doth faith at first close with him And one reason similar to the former may be grounded on the 24. ver of that 3. to the Rom. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And as I shewed before in the reason of the former direction that all Promises hold of his Person as being Heire of all the Promises so the speciall Tenure upon which forgivenesse of sins doth hold of him is by purchase and by the redemption that is in him So that as the promise of forgivenesse refers to his person so also to this redemption that is in him Thus both in Eph. 1. and Col. 1. In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes His person gives us title to all the promises and his bloud shews the tenure they hold on a purchase and a full price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate price 1 Tim. 2. 6. And as sin is the strength of the Law and of the threatnings thereof so Christs satisfaction is the strength of all the Promises in the Gospel In a word an humbled soule is to have recourse to that Christ who is now alive and glorified in heaven yet to him as once crucified and made sinne He is to goe to Christ now glorified as the Person from whom he is to receive forgivenesse c. but withall to him as crucified as through whom considered in that condition he then was in he is to receive all CHAP. II. What in Christs death faith seeking justification is especially to eye and look at NOw then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying Direction 2 is Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end Faith is especially to look at Christs end and mind in dying meaning and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings and not simply at the Tragicall story of his death and sufferings It is the heart and mind and intent of Christ in suffering which faith chiefly eyeth and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified When a Beleever sees that Christs aime in suffering for poore sinners agrees and answers to the aime and desires of his heart and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgivenesse Namely that sinners might have forgivenesse and that Christs heart was as full in it to procure it as the sinners heart can be to desire it this draws his heart in to Christ to rest upon him And without this Without this the meditation of the story of his Passion unprofitable the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings and of the greatnesse of them will be altogether unprofitable And yet all or the chiefe use which the Papists and many carnall Protestants make of Christs sufferings is to meditate upon and set out to themselves the grievousnesse of them so to move their hearts to a relenting and compassion to him and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him with an admiring of his noble and heroicall love herein and if they can but get their hearts thus affected they judge and account this to be grace when as it is no more then what the like tragicall story of some great noble personage ful of heroicall vertues and ingenuity yet inhumanely and ungratefully used will work and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits who read or heare of it yea and this oft-times though it be but in the way of a fiction Which when it reacheth no higher is so far from being faith that it is but a carnall and fleshly devotion springing from fancie which is pleased with such a storie and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit and yet abused Such
Peter that he could command millions of Angels to his rescue but he meerly submits unto his Father Not my will but thy will be done sayes he for God had laid upon him the iniquities of us all Esay 53. Let our faith therefore look mainly to this designe and plot of God and of Christ in his suffering to satisfie for our sins and to justifie us sinners When we consider him as borne flesh and bloud and laid in a manger think we withall that his meaning was to condemne sin in our flesh Rom. 8. 4. So when we read of him fulfilling all or any part of righteousnes take we his mind in withall to be that the Law might be fulfilled in us as it follows there who were then represented in him and so the fulfilling of it is accounted ours Behold we him in his life time as Iohn the Baptist did even as the Lamb of God bearing and taking away the sins of the world and when upon the Crosse let our faith behold the iniquities of us all met in him Surely he hath borne our sorrowes bearing our sinnes in his body on the tree and thereby once offered to beare the sinnes of many 1 Pet. 3. Heb. 9. c. This intent of Christ in all that he did and suffered is that welcome newes and the very spirit of the Gospel which faith preys and seiseth on CHAP. III. What support or matter of triumph Christs death affords to faith for Justification NOw having thus directed your Faith to the right object Christ and Christ as dying let us secondly see what matter of support and encouragement faith may fetch from Christs death for Justification And surely that which hath long agoe satisfied God himselfe for the sins of many thousand soules now in heaven The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction may very well serve to satisfie the heart and conscience of any sinner now upon earth in any doubts in respect of the guilt of any sins that can arise We see that the Apostle here after that large discourse of Justification by Christs righteousnes in the former part of this Epistle to the Rom. and having shewed how every way it abounds Chap. 5. he now in this 8. Chap. doth as it were sit down like a man over-convinced as ver 31. What then shall we say to these things He speaks as one satisfied and even astonished with abundance of evidence having nothing to say but onely to admire God and Christ in this work and therefore presently throws downe the Gauntlet and challengeth a dispute in this point with all commers Let Conscience and carnall reason Law and Sinne Hell and Devils bring in all their strength Who is he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect who shall condemne Paul dares to answer them all and carry it with these few words It is God that justifies It is Christ that dyed And as in ver 37. We are more then conquerours in all these It was this that brought in the Prodigall that in his Fathers house there was bread enough And so likewise he who ever he was who was the Author of the 130. Psal when his soul was in deep distresse by reason of his sins ver 1 2. yet this was it that setled his heart to wait upon God that there was plenteous redemption with him Christs redemption is not meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price or ransome aquivalent or making due satisfaction according to the just demerit of sinne but it is plenteous redemption there is an abundance of the gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5. 17. and unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. Yea 1 Tim. 1. 14. the grace of our Lord that is of Christ as ver 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate it was abundant but the word reacheth farther it was over-full redundant more then enough And yet sayes Paul ver 13. I had sins enough to pardon as one would think that might exhaust it I was a blasphemer c. But I found so much grace in Christ even more then I knew what to doe withall I shall not insist so largely on this first Head of Christs dying as upon those three following because it is the main subject of another Discourse which through Gods grace I intend to publish though in another method Onely for a taste to instance in some few particulars How Christs satisfaction may be set against the guilt of any sins and so made use of by faith shewing how Christs satisfaction may be opposed and set against the guilt of a poore sinners offences What is there that can be said to aggravate sin in the generall or any mans particular sins that may not be answered out of this Christ hath dyed and something not be considered in it which the conscience may oppose thereto So that what ever evill which according to the rules of spirituall reason which the righteous Law proceedeth by and containeth as the foundation of its righteousnesse in condemning or aggravating sinne a mans conscience may suggest to be in sinne oppositely hereunto may a mans faith according to the like rules of true spirituall reason shew a more transcendent goodnesse to have been in Christs death which the Gospel reveales and so may oppose the one to the other and have as good reason to shew why sinne should not condemne from CHRISTS death as Conscience can have that the Law may condemne As first 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall Is sinne the transgression of the Law Christ dying the Law-maker was subjected to the Law and will not that make amends Is sin the debasement of Gods glory manifested in his Word and Works Christs dying was the debasement and emptying of the brightnesse of his glory in the highest measure being personally manifested in the flesh The one of them is but as the darkning the shine or lustre of the Sun upon a wall but the other is as the obscuring of the Sun it selfe Sins highest evill lies in offending God but Christs righteousnesse is oppositely the righteousnesse of God himselfe or Iehovah made our righteousnesse So that God in our sinne is considered but as the object against whom but God in this our righteousnesse is the subject from whom and in whom this righteousnesse comes and is feated And so his God-head answerably gives a higher worth to it by how much the alliance which the subject hath to an action of its owne that proceeds from it is nearer then that which an object hath against which the action is committed Or secondly 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins what peculiar aggravations or circumstances are there in thy sinnes to weigh down with which some circumstances in Christs obedience and death may not be paralleld to lift thee up againe As first 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sin what ever Is it the greatnesse of thy sinne in the substance of the fact committed hath there been
lewdnesse in thy wickednesse as the Prophet speaks Consider what guilt of how hainous crimes God suffered to be laid to Christs charge by profane men when he was made an offering for sinne He dyed as a Traitor to his Prince and a blasphemer of God in the highest kind of blasphemy as making himself equall with God an Impostor a Seducer yea a Devill yea a Prince of Devils then whom a murderer was esteemed more worthy to live Which imputations though by men unjustly charged on him yet by God were so ordered as just in respect of his bearing our sins For him who was holines it self to be made the greatest of sinners yea to be made sin and the worst of sins and accordingly to suffer frō God men what greater satisfaction for the taking of sins away can be desired or imagined Or secondly 2. Against the badnesse of the heart in sinning dost thou aggravate thy sins by the naughtinesse of thy heart in sinning and sayst that the inward carriage thereof hath been much worse then the outward Look thou into the heart of Jesus Christ dying and behold him struggling with his Fathers wrath thou wilt find the sufferings of his soule more then those of his body and in them to lie the soul of his sufferings Thirdly 3. Against the delight and greedinesse in sinning may thy sin be aggravated in that thou didst commit it with so great delight and greedinesse and pouredst out thy heart unto it Consider that Christ offered himselfe more willingly then ever thou didst sin Loe I come sayes he Psal 40. I delight to do thy will and how am I straintned till it be accomplisht Luk. 12. 56. And though to shew how great an evill and misery it was in it selfe he shewed an aversenesse to it yet as it was his Fathers will for our salvation hee heartily embraced and drank off that cup unto the bottome Fourthly 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning didst thou sin with much deliberation when thou mightst have avoided it There was this circumstance in Christs sufferings to answer that that he knew all he was to suffer and yet yeelded up himselfe as Iohn 18. 4. Fiftly 5. Against presumption in sinning Hast thou sinned presumptuously and made a covenant with death and hell Christ in like manner offered up himselfe by a covenant and complot with his Father so to doe Sixtly 6. Against aggravating circumstances of person time place c. Are there any especiall circumstances of time and place c. that aggravate thy sins As first that so great a person in the Church should scandalize the Name of God in sinning Why how great a Person was Christ even equall with God the Father and yet how greatly humbled even to the death his offices of King Priest and Prophet being debased with him how great a name had he as Heb. 1. 4. which notwithstanding was dishonoured more then ever any mans Or 2. that thou sinnedst at such a time or in such a company which sometimes serve to make a sin the more hainous Consider how God contrived to have the shame and affliction of his Sons death aggravated by all these circumstances It was of deaths the most accursed At a time most solemne In a place most infamous With company most wretched Thus might we find out that in Christs sufferings and satisfaction made that would fitly answer to any thing in our sins and so thereby we should be the more relieved And though the whole body of his sufferings doe stand and answer for the whole bulk of our sinnings yet the consideration of such particulars will much conduce to the satisfying of an humbled and dejected soule about the particulars of its sinnings Therefore to conclude get your hearts and consciences distinctly and particularly satisfied in the all-sufficiencie of worth and merit which is in the satisfaction that Christ hath made As it is a fault and defect in humiliation that men content themselves with a generall apprehension and notion that they are sinners and so never become throughly humbled so is it a defect in their faith that they content themselves with a superficiall and generall conceit that Christ dyed for sinners their hearts not being particularly satisfied about the transcendent all-sufficiencie of his death And thence it is that in time of tentation when their abounding sinfulnesse comes distinctly to be discovered to them and charged upon them they are then amazed and their faith non-plust as not seeing that in Christ which might answer to all that sinfulnesse But as God saw that in Christs death which satisfied him so you should endeavour by faith to see that worth in it which may satisfie God and then your faith will sit down as satisfied also If a man were to dispute for his life some hard and difficult controversie wherein are many great and strong objections to be taken away he would be sure to view and study and ponder all that might be said on that other part which he were to hold in way of answer to them and to get such a clear and convincing light as might make the truth of his Position apparent and manifest through those clouds of objections that hang in the way Now you will all be thus called one day to dispute for your soules sooner or later and therefore such skill you should endeavour to get in Christs righteousnesse how in its fulnesse and perfection it answereth to all your sinfulnesse that your hearts may be able to oppose it against all that may be said of any particular in or about your sins that in all the conflicts of your spirits you may see that in it which could cleare your whole score and that if God would but be pleased to impute it to you you might say I durst presently come to an account with him and cut scores with his Law and Justice Thus much of the first thing made the object of faith namely Christ as dying SECT III. FAITH supported by Christs RESURRECTION ROM 8. 34. Yea rather that is risen againe CHAP. I. Christs Resurrection supporteth faith two wayes 1. By being an evidence of 2. By having an influence into our Iustification The necessity of Christs Resurrection for the procuring our Iustification THe next thing to be lookt at in Christ as he is the object of justifying faith and from whence our faith may seek and fetch support and comfort in the matter of Justification is Christs Resurrection upon which we see here the Apostle putteth a rather Yea rather that is risen againe Some speciall thing in Christs Resurrection for our Justification There must therefore be some speciall thing in the Resurrection of Christ which it contributes to our faith and justification for which it should have a rather put upon it and that comparatively to his death Now to shew wherein this should lie consider how the Resurrection of Christ serveth to a double use and end in the matter of
Justification First It serveth to a double use to support our faith as an evidence to our faith that God is fully satisfied by Christs death his Resurrection may give us full assurance of it Secondly it had and hath an influence into our Justification it selfe yea and as great an influence as his Death had In both these respects it deserves a rather to be put upon it and Paul had them both in his eye when he writ these words So as first if you ask an account of his faith and a reason of his so triumphant assurance hee alledgeth his Resurrection to confirme it Christ is risen Or Secondly if you would have a reason of the thing how it comes to passe that we who are Beleevers cannot be condemned Christ is risen sayes he He alledgeth it as a cause that hath such an influence into Justification it selfe as it makes all sure about it 1. 1. By way of Evidence By way of Evidence Although Christs obedience in his life and his death past do alone afford the whole matter of our Justification and make up the summe of that price paid for us as hath been shewn so as faith may see a fulnesse of worth and merit therein to discharge the debt yet faith hath a comfortable signe and evidence to confirme it selfe in the beliefe of this from Christs Resurrection after his death It may fully satisfie our faith Faith hath a visible signe of it that God is satisfied that God himselfe is satisfied and that he reckons the debt as paid So that our faith may boldly come to God and call for the Bond in as having Christs Resurrection to shew for it that the Debt is discharged And hence the Apostle cryes Victoria over Sin Hell and Death upon occasion of and as the Coronis and conclusion of that his large Discourse about Christs Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O death where is thy sting that is Sinne and the power of it for so it followes The sting of death is sinne and O grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God who hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord namely as risen againe for of his Resurrection and of that chiefly had he spoken throughout that Chapter 2. 2. By way of Influence But surely this is not all that it should onely argue our Justification by way of Evidence This alone would not have deserved such a rather to be put upon it if Christs Resurrection had not had some farther reall causall influence into Justification it selfe and been more then simply an evidence of it to our apprehensions Therefore secondly in Justification although the materiale or matter of it be wholly the obedience and death of Christ Though the matter of our Justification be the price of Christs death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on the Resurrection yet the act of pronouncing us righteous by that his obedience which is the formale of Justification doth depend upon Christs Resurrection Ordinarily there hath been no more expressed concerning this dependance then that the Resurrection of Christ justifies by working actuall faith to lay hold upon what Christ hath done in his life and death which is called the applying of it of which more anon But that speech of Paul 1 Cor. 15. 17. seems to import more If Christ be not risen again ye are yet in your sins and your faith is in vaine That is although you could suppose faith to be wrought in you upon the merit of Christs dying yet it would be in vain if Christ were not risen again for your title to Justification it self would be void You were yet in your sins Which is said because his Resurrection was it wherby sins though satisfied for in his death were taken off and they acquited from them Which I take to be the meaning also of that Rom. 4. ult He was delivered for our sins and rose again for our Iustification When the Apostle sayes for our sins he was delivered he means his laying down that which was the price for them a satisfaction for them which his death was And in that sense He dyed for our sins that is his death stands in stead of our death and so satisfies for sin But yet still that upon which the act of Gods justifying us his discharge given us from our sins and whereby he reckoneth us justified that depends upon his Resurrection He rose again for our justification Note that Justification there imports the act of imputation and reckoning us just which he had spoken of in the verses immediately fore-going ver 22 23 24. In a word to the full discharge of a Debt and freeing the Debtour two things are requisite 1. The payment of the debt 2. The tearing or cancelling the Bond or receiving an Acquitance for the freeing of the Debtor Now the Payment was wrought by Christs death and the Acquitance to free from the debt was at and by his Resurrection CHAP. II. For the explanation of both these is shewne how Christ sustained a double relation First of a Surety for us Secondly of a Common person in our stead The difference of these two and the usefulnesse of these two considerations for the explaining all the rest that follows in this whole Discourse NOw the better to explicate both these you must consider how that Christ in almost all that he did for us as the phrase is here and is to be annexed to each particular did stand in a double relation for us unto God 1. Of a Surety bound to pay the debt for us and to save our soules 2. Of a Common person or as an Attorney at Law in our stead And both these as they have a distinct and differing consideration in themselves so those severall considerations of them will conduce to the understanding of those two things fore-mentioned as wayes and arguments to shew how the Resurrection of Christ may support our faith both by way of evidence that the debt is paid and by way of influence that we are thereby acquited and cannot be condemned The notion of his being risen who is our Surety clears the first and that of his rising as a Common person illustrates the other And I shall here a little the largelyer insist upon the explication of these two relations because their consideration will be of use through all the rest that follows to illustrate thereby the influence that his Ascension and Sitting at Gods right hand c. have into our Justification and so I shall carry them along throughout this Discourse 1. 1. To be a Surety what A Surety is one that undertakes and is bound to doe a thing for another As to pay a debt for him or to bring him safe to such or such a place or the like so as when he hath discharged what he undertook and was bound for then the party for whom he undertook is discharged also 2. 2. A Common person what A
can be For he was under those bonds and bolts which if it had been possible would have detained him in the grave as Act. 2. 24. The strength of sin and Gods wrath and the curse against sin Thou shalt die the death did as cords hold him as the Psalmists phrase is Other debtours may possibly breake their prisons but Christ could not have broke through this for the wrath of the All-powerfull God was this prison from which there was no escaping no baile nothing would be taken to let him goe out but full satisfaction And therefore to hear that Christ is risen so is come out of prison is an evidence that God is satisfied and that Christ is discharged by God himself and so is now without sin he walking abroad again at liberty And therefore the Apostle proclaimes a mighty victory obtained by Christs Resurrection over Death the Grave the strength of sinne the Law 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. and cryes out Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through Iesus Christ our Lord ver 57. You may now rest secure indeede Christ is risen who therefore shall condemne CHAP. IV. The second Head propounded the INFLUENCE CHRISTS Resurrection hath into Iustification Two Branches of the Demonstration of this First that Christ was a Common person representing us in all he was or did or suffered handled at large More especially a Common person in his Resurrection NOw secondly to come to that other Head propounded the Influence Christs resurrection hath into our justification The demonstration or making out of which depends on two things put together The first how Christ was appointed by God and himselfe acted the part of a Common person representing us in what he did more particularly in his Resurrection Of this in this Chapter The second is how from that consideration ariseth not onely an evidence to our faith but a reall influence into our justification and non-condemnation So as Who shall condemne because CHRIST is risen againe as a Common person representing us therein For the first of these §. I. to illustrate and prove it in the generall That Christ was a Common person proved that instance of Adam serves most fitly and is indeed made use of in the Scripture to that end Adam as you all know was reckoned as a common publique person 1. In generall by a parallel with Adam not standing singly or alone for himselfe but as representing all Man-kind to come of him So as by a just Law what he did was reckoned to his posterity whom he represented And what was by that Law threatned or done to him for what he did is threatned against his posterity also Now this man was herein a lively type of our Lord Christ the Type of Christ herein as you have it Rom. 5. 14. Who was the type of him who was to come Unto which purpose the titles which the Apostle gives these two Christ and Adam 1 Cor. 15. 47. are exceeding observable he calls Adam The first man and Christ our Lord The second man and both for that very purpose and respect which we have in hand For first he speaks of them as if there had never been any more men in the world nor were ever to be for time to come except these two and why but because these two betweene them had all the rest of the sons of men hanging at their girdle because they were both Common persons that had the rest in like though opposite considerations included and involved in them Adam had all the sons of Men borne into this world included in himself who are therefore called earthly men ver 48. in a conformity to him the earthly man ver 47. and Christ the second man had all his Elect who are the first-borne and whose names are written in heaven and therefore in the same ver are oppositely called heavenly men included in him You see how he summes up the number of all men in two and reckons but two men in all these two in Gods account standing for all the rest And farther observe that because Adam was in this his being a common person unto his the shadow and the lively Type of Christ who was to come after him that therefore he is called The first man of these two and Christ The second man as typified out by him Now if you aske Particularly In what things Christ was a Common person wherein Christ was a Common person representing us and standing in our stead I answer If in anything then in all those conditions and states wherein he was in what he did Especially in what he was or did upon earth or befell him whilst here on earth especially For he had no other end to come downe into this world but to sustaine our persons and to act our parts and to have what was to have been done to us acted upon him Thus first §. 2. in their two severall conditions qualifications 1. Adam and Christ Common persons in their conditions and qualifications and states and states they both were Common persons That is look what state or condition the one or the other was made in is by a just Law to be put upon those whom they represented So the Apostle reasons from it ver 48. As is the earthly man namely the first man Adam such are the earthly namely to be earthly men as well as he because he who was a Common person representing them was in his condition but an earthly man And oppositely by the same Law it follows As is the heavenly man namely the second man Christ such are and must be the heavenly who pertaine to him because he also is a Common person ordained to personate them and Adam who came after him was therein but his Type And as thus in this place to the Corinths the Apostle argues Christ to be a Common person in respect of his condition and state by an argument of parallels taken from his Type Adam So secondly in that 5. to the Romanes he argues Christ to have been a Common person 2. Christ a Common person in respect of what he did or what he suffered illustrated by the parallel of Adam in his actions which he did on earth and this also from the similitude of Adam whom ver 14. he therein makes to have been Christs Type And he speaks of Adam there as a Common person both in respect of what he did namely his Sinne and also in respect of what befell him for his sin namely Death and condemnation And because he was in all these not to be considered as a single Man but as one that was All men by way of representation Hence both what he did they are said to doe in him and what condemnation or death was deserved by his sin fell upon them all by this Law of his being a publique person for them 1. For what he did He sinned 1. Adam a Common person in what he did
you know and ver 12. All are said to have sinned namely in his sinne Yea and according to those words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are added there you may render that sentence and the Originall bears it and it is also varied in the Margent thus In whom all have sinned namely in Adam as in a publique person Their act was included in his because their persons were included in his And 2. 2. Adam a Common person in what beell him for what he did as in death and his condemnation threatned for what befell him for sin that befell them also by the same Law of his being a person representing them Hence ver 12. Death is said to passe upon all men namely for this that Adams sin was considered as theirs as it there follows It is said to passe even as a sentence of death passeth upon a condemned Malefactor And ver 18. Iudgment is said to come by that one mans offence upon all men to condemnation Now in Gen. 2. 17. the threatning was spoken only to Adam as but one man In the day that thou eatest therof thou shalt surely die And Gen. 3. 19. that sentence seems onely to passe upon him alone Vnto dust thou shalt return Yet in threatning Adam God threatned us all and in sentencing Adam to death he sentenced us also The curse reacheth us too Death passed upon all men then and therefore by a just Law Death raigns over all as ver 14. and 17. because Adam was in all this Rom. 5. a Common person representing us and so in our stead and so all this concerns us as truely and as neerly as it did him I say by a just Law for indeed the Scripture upon the equity of this Rule pronounceth a Statute out against all men that they should die Heb. 9. 27. Statutum st It is appointed by a Statute Law that all should die Now if you search for this Statute when and where enacted you will find that the Originall Record and Roll is that in Gen. 3. 9. spoken onely of Adam but holding true of us To dust thou shalt returne Just thus the matter stands in the point of our §. 2. justification and salvation Answerably Christ ordained a Common person both in what he did or was done to him betweene Christ and Elect Beleevers for Adam was herein his Type Christ was considered and appointed of God as a Common person both in what he did and in what was done to him So as by the same Law what he did for us is reckoned or imputed to us as if we our selves had done it and what was done to him tending to our justification and salvation is reckoned as done to us Thus when Christ dyed he dyed as a Common person and God reckoneth that we dyed also When Christ arose he rose as our Head and as a Common person and so then God accounts that we rose also with him And by vertue of that communion which we had with him in all those actions of his it is that now when we are born againe we do all rise both from the guilt of sin and from the power of it even as by vertue of the like communion we had with or being one in Adam we come to be made sinfull when we begin first to exist as men and to be first borne Thus in his death he was considered as a Common person Exemplified by one instance in his dying and God reckoned us dying then and would have us reckon so also So Rom. 6. 10. the Apostle speaking of Christ saith In that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Then ver 11. speaking of us he sayes Likewise reckon you your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The meaning whereof is plainly this that whereas regenerate men are for the present in the reality but imperfectly mortified and dead to sinne as considered in themselves and in respect of the work of it as wrought in them yet that being considered in Christ as their Head and a Common person representing them they may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may truly by a way of faith reason or reckon themselves wholly dead in and through Jesus Christ our Lord in that he once dyed perfectly unto sin as a Common person representing them So as what yet is wanting in the work of Mortification in their sense and experience of it they may supply by faith from the consideration of Christ their Head even themselves to have dyed when he dyed The Apostle I say would have them by reason conclude or inferre for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as Chap. 3. 28. therefore we conclude c. it is the same word from Christs death that they are dead which Conclusion cannot be made unlesse this be one of the Propositions in this Argument That we dyed in Christ when hee dyed and so though in our selves we are not yet wholly dead to sin nor perfectly alive to God yet through Iesus Christ your Lord and Head sayes he reckon your selves so in that as ver 10. he dyed and now lives and you were included in him And indeed this Consideration the Apostle suggests unto our faith both as the greatest encouragement against imperfect mortification begun that yet we may comfort our selves by faith as reckoning our selves wholly dead in Christs death and so may assure our selves we shall one day be perfectly dead in our selves by vertue of it and withall as the strongest argument also motive unto Mortification to endeavour to attain to the highest degree of it which therefore he carryes along in his Discourse throughout that whole Chapter He would have them by faith or spirituall reasoning take in and apprehend themselves long since dead to sin in Christ when he dyed and so should think it the greatest absurdity in the world to sin even the least sinne we being dead long since and that wholly when Christ our Head dyed And how shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein And ver 7. He that is dead is free from sinne and how then shall we doe the least service to it Now all this he puts upon Christs dying and our dying then with him ver 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him even when he was crucified that it might be destroyed one day in us fully and perfectly Christs Body representing therein as a publique person the Elect and their body of sin conjunct with them So as thus by faith they are to reason themselves wholly dead to sin in Christ and to use it as a reason and motive to stir up themselves not to yeeld to the least sin I use this expression of being wholly dead because if he had spoken meerly of that imperfect mortification begun in us the argument would not have been a perfect motive against the least sinnes
We who are dead how shall we live in sinne or yeeld unto the least sinne For it might be said Alas we are but imperfectly dead and from an imperfect death could but an imperfect argument have been drawn But the Scripture elsewhere tels us that Christ by his death hath perfected for ever all that are sanctified so Heb. 10. So as in his death they may reckon themselves perfectly dead by faith and perfectly sanctified though yet the work be not actually and fully perfected And all this communion with Christ as a Common person representing them in his death he there instructs them to be represented and sealed up to them by their Baptisme so ver 3 4. How I shall shew afterwards Now as this place holds forth Christ as a Common person in his Death representing us §. 2. so other places hold forth the like of his Resurrection More particularly how Christ was a Common person in his Resurrection and therein representing us In the 1 Cor. 15. 20. the Apostle argues that Elect Beleevers must and shall rise because Now Christ is risen from the dead and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep See the force of this Argument founded upon this notion and consideration that Christ was a Common person representing all the rest and this strongly presented in that expression of his being the first-fruits in allusion to the Rite in the Leviticall Law All the sheaves in a field being unholy of themselves there was some one sheafe in the name and room of all the rest which was called the first-fruit which was lift up and waved before the Lord and so all the sheaves abroad in the field by that act done to this one sheafe were consecrated unto God Levi. 23. 10. c. by vertue of that law The meaning of which Rite the Apostle expounding alledgeth Rom. 11. 16. If the first-fruits be holy all the lump is holy also Thus when we were all dead Christ as the First-fruits riseth and this in our name and stead and so we all rise with him and in him And although the Saints departed are not it their owne persons as yet risen as wee all who are now alive are not in our own persons yet dead yet in the meane time because thus they are risen in Christ as their First-fruits hence in the very words following hee faith they are but asleep He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep because they remaine alive in Christ their Head and shall rise one day because in him they virtually are already risen and this in Gods account in as true and just a sense as we though personally alive are yet all reckoned dead in Adam because in as a Common person had the sentence of death pronounced on him by vertue of which we must dye and this by the force of the same Law even of that which wee have inclucated of being a Common person representing us And indeed so it followes which argues this to be the Apostles meaning ver 21. For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive His argument lies thus Adam was the first-fruits of them that dyed Christ of them that rise Hence therefore we are elsewhere said though in respect to another life to be rise with Christ Ephes 2. 5 6. which is yet more to sit together with him in heaven because he as a Common person representing us sits there in our name and stead as you shall heare when I come to in the Text in the next Section CHAP. V. The second branch How Christs representing us as a Common Person in his Resurrection hath an Influence into our Justification made forth by two things 1. How Christ at his Resurrection was justified from our sin 2. That we were all then justified in him as a Common person NOw then to come to the other branch of the Demonstration namely how this relation to us as a Common Person representing us in his Resurrection hath a reall influence into our Justification And this is the point I drive at and for the clearing of which that large and general discourse by way of digression in the former Chapter was but to make way for I shall absolve and dispatch this Branch by shewing two things 1. That Christ himselfe was justified and that at his Resurrection 2. That he was justified then as a Common person representing us therein as well as that he rose as a Common person and so that we were then justified in him and with him and by this meanes it is that by that Act then done to him our Justification is made irrepealable for ever For the explicating of the first §. 1. As Christ was in his death made sinne for us 1. That Christ himselfe was justified at his Resurrection and so sustained our persons in his satisfying for sin by his death which is the matter of our righteousnesse so in and upon his Resurrection he was justified and acquited from our sins by God Made forth by three things laid together as having now fully in his Death satisfied for them which I make forthby these three things put together First in reason 1. There must have been some Act passe from God when Christ was acquited and justified from our sins by God if that Christ were made sinne for us and satisfied for it there must then some Act passe whereby Christ should be pronounced acquit of our sinnes and fully cleare of them and so be himselfe formally justified in respect of those sins for which he undertook to satisfie For according to the course of all Proceedings if a charge of guilt be formally laid there must be as formall an Act of acquiting and of giving a Quietus est There is no man but for his owne discharge and security would desire it Nor is there any wise man that payes a debt for which he is legally sued that wil not have upon the payment of it as legall an Acquitance Paul when he was cast into prison by a publique Act of Authority he stood upon it to have a publique Act of Release from the same Magistrates and would not goe forth of prison privily though themselves sent to him so to goe out Acts 36. 37. Now God himselfe did lay the iniquities of us all upon Christ Esay 53. 6. and had him to prison and to Iudgement for them ver 8. There must therefore some Act passe from God legally to take them off from him and declaring him discharged to deliver him from Prison and Judgement And De facto it is evident That there was such an Act passed that there was some such Act passed from God for as we read that Christ vvhile he lived and also in his Death was made sin and did beare the sin of many as the phrase is Heb. 9. 28. So we read in the very next words that he shall appeare the second time without sinne which must needs be spoken in a
meaning whereof is that was justifyed at his Resurrection Iustified in the Spirit and Quickned in the Spirit being all one and we in him Yea and a rather is put upon this rather then upon his death for this act was a solemne discharge from all sin and condemnation it was a legall Acquitance given to Christ for all our sins and so to us also considered as in him His Death was but the satisfaction and payment but this is the first Act of Absolution Yea and this is the Originall Act which is upon Record between God and Christ and our Justification and Atonement when we are justified by faith in Christ is but a Copie fetcht from this Roll and Court sentence then pronounced And such a way and course to ratifie and make Acts good legall even to have them done by another representing ones person is common among men as those instances I formerly gave do shew An Attorney at Law receives a debt or an Acquitance for a debt paid or given for another man and it is as legall as if the man himselfe or Creditour had done it and the Debtour had received the Acquitance himselfe Yea Acts of the greatest and highest concernment are oft-times no otherwise transacted as the marriages of Princes are by Proxy solemized their Embassadours representing their persons and contracting and marrying their wives in their stead which acts are thereby made as irrevocable and irrepealable as if themselves had in person done them And so if we were justified when Christ did rise and was justified our justification then cannot be reversed but stands as legall and warrantable as any act that God or man ever ratified or confirmed And Who then shall condemne Onely A Caution for farther explication sake lest there be a mistake let me adde this That it is necessary that we be justifyed in our owne persons by faith notwithstanding this former Act thus legally passed whereby we lay hold upon what God did thus before for us in Christ to the end that God upon our beleeving may according to his owne rules justifie his justifying of us unto all the world which untill vve doe beleeve hee could not doe For according to the revealed Rules of his Word vvhich he professeth to proceed by at the latter day there is a curse and a sentence of condemnation pronounced against us under which we stand til he shall take it off by giving us faith unto which he hath in the same Word made the promise of justifying us in our own persons as before he had done in Christ Yet still notwithstanding so as although when we first beleeve then only Justification is actually and personally applyed to us yet at Christs Resurrection and in his being then justified this act and sentence was virtually pronounced upon us and so doth necessarily require and exact at Gods hands the bestowing faith upon us that so by vertue of this former act passed we come to be actually justified in our owne consciences and before all the world And so our Justification which was but secretly wrought passed upon us in Christ is never made void but stands irrepealable and so ratified that our personall justification by faith doth alwayes infallibly second and succeed it And to illustrate it a little our condemnation in Adam and this our justification in Christ doe in this hold parallel together That as in Adam we were all virtually condemned In Adam all dye and that legally enough too for thereupon came out that Statute-Law Statutum est It is appointed that all should dye and yet we are not actually in our owne persons condemned till we are borne of him nor doe we personally dye untill we lay downe our flesh Even so is it in the matter of our Justification it was done virtually in Christ and afterwards when we beleeve is actually passed in and upon our selves Now I call this former but a virtuall Iustification even as by the sentence of condemnation passed upon a Malefactor he is called a dead man that is he is so virtually and in Law as we say though naturally he dye not many dayes after but in that respect may be still alive so by Christs being justifyed we are all virtually and in Law justifyed through a secret yet irrepealable Covenant betweene God and Christ who onely did then know who were his And for a confirmation even of this also That God accounts all the Elect justifyed in his justifying of Christ we shall not need to goe any farther then the words of this Text if we doe but diligently compare their standing here with that of theirs in that place out of which they are taken and where we find them first recorded and spoken namely in that 50. of Esay 7 8. He is neere that justifies me who is he that shall condemne Now there as Interpreters agree and as the Context shews those words are spoken by Christ himselfe for ver 5. he speaks of Gods boring his eare to doe his will the same expression that is used of Christ Psal 40. 6. and farther sayes I gave my bâ—… to the smiters and my cheeks to them that pulled off the haire and I hid not my face from shame and spitting all which you may read in Christs sufferings Mat. 26. 27. and 27. 26. And he spake before in ver 4. of Gods having given him the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary which you may read done by Christ Mat. 11. 28. Now those words were spoken by Christ to comfort himselfe against the Jews condemning him as considering that God would justifie him as at his Resurrection you have heard he did Now mark it those very words which Isaiah brings in Christ speaking as of himselfe alone those very words Paul here boldly applyes in the like triumph to all the Elect of Christ Who shall condemne It is God that justifies and this because Christ is dead risen and acquited by God Christ spake those words as a publique person in the name of all his Elect whom he in his death and in his justification represented and for that very respect Paul speaks the like words over again of all Elect Beleevers as being as truly and really intended of them when spoken by Christ as of himself and his owne person He is neere that justifies me sayes Christ who shall condemne namely Me or mine Elect whose persons I sustaine And Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect sayes Paul It is God that justifies who shall condemne for Christ hath dyed and been condemned for them and Christ was justifyed from that condemnation and they in him And because the justification of himselfe which Christ spake of as lookt for from God was to be made at his Resurrection as hath been said therefore Paul here puts a rather upon his Resurrection And farther to establish this as you heard before out of Rom. 6. 10. that in respect of Sanctification
the present but imperfectly mortified in our selves yet when corruptions arise the Apostle bids us help our selves against them by faith reasoning our selves to stand wholly dead to sin when Christ dyed and so to conclude from thence that we shall one day be fully dead to sin because we then did perfectly dye in Christ unto it which kinde of reasoning also God would have us use as a motive and of all motives that are in the Gospell it is the strongest against any corruption when as it ariseth Shall I that am dead to sin in Christ and so am freed from it shall I live any longer therein Ver. 2. Now as God would have our faith make this use of our Communion with Christ in his death in point of sanctification just so when guilt of sin ariseth in thy conscience to accuse or threaten condemnation reason thou thy selfe as the Apostles word is in that other case or reckon thy selfe as our translation hath it justified in Christ in his Justification which was done at his Resurrection Yea and seeing God would have thee use thy Communion with Christ in his Death as an argument to move thee to mortifie sin bidding thee to reckon thy self dead to sin in Christ doe thou desire him in like manner to reckon thee as justified at Christs Resurrection for the ground of both is the same and return that as an argument to him to move him to justifie thee And this is that answer of a good conscience which Peter speaks of this is the meaning of Pauls challenge Who shall condemne Christ is risen And should thy heart object and say But I know not whether I was one of those that God reckoned justified with Christ when he arose Then go thou to God and aske him boldly whether he did not doe this for thee and whether thou wert not one of them intended by him put God to it and God will by vertue of Christs Resurrection for thee even himselfe Answer thy faith this question ere thou art aware He will not deny it And to secure thee the more know that however Christ will bee sure to look to that for thee so as that thou having been then intended as if thy heart be drawne to give it self up to Christ thou wert shalt never be condmned SECT IV. FAITH supported by Christs ASCENSION AND Sitting at Gods right hand ROM 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ who is even at the right hand of God CHAP. I. A Connexion of this third Head with the two former Shewing how it affords a farther degree of Triumph Two things involved in it 1. Christs Ascension 2. Christs power and authority in heaven I Come next to this third great Pillar and support of Faith Christs Being at Gods right hand and to shew how the view and consideration hereof may strengthen faith seeking justification and pardon of sinne Who is he that condemneth Christ is even at Gods right hand In the opening of which I shall keep to the begun method both by shewing how Iustification it selfe depends upon this and the evidence thereof to us both which the Apostle had here in his eye and from both which our faith may derive comfort and assurance And I meane to keep punctually to the matter of Iustification onely as in the former These two latter that remain here in the Text Christs sitting at Gods right hand and his interceding for us are brought in here by the Apostle as those which have a redundant force and prevalencie in them for the non-condemnation of the Elect that although the two former abundantly served to secure it yet these two added to the former do make the triumph of faith more compleat and full and us more then Conquerours as it after follows Nor doth this place alone make mention of Christs sitting at Gods right hand which I now am first to handle in this its relation and influence into our Iustification the assurance of faith about it but you have it to the same end use and purpose alleadged by that other great Apostle 1. Pet. 3. from the 18. to the 22. And if the scopes of these two Apostles in both places be compared they are the same Here the Resurrection of Christ and his sitting at Gods right hand are brought in as the ground of this bold challenge triumph of faith and there is Peter is mentioned the Answer or Plea of a good conscience in a beleever justified which it puts into the Court and opposeth against all condemning guilts so it is called ver 21. The Apostle alleadging the Resurrection of Iesus Christ as one ground of it the answer of a good conscience by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ And then further to back and strengthen this Plea or Answer of a good conscience the Apostle puts his Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand into the Bill as further grounds confirming it so it follows who is gone into Heaven and is at the right hand of God Angells and Authorities and Powers being made subject to him All which the Apostle here expresseth in one word as enough to carrie it that Christ is even at Gods right hand The soule hath a sufficient answer against condemnation in Christs death and Resurrection full enough though it should stop there yea therein can faith triumph though it went no further for it can shew a full satisfaction given in his death and that accepted by God for us and Christ acquited and we in him Therefore faith you see comes to a rather there But then let it go on to consider Jesus sitting at Gods right hand and making intercession for us and then faith will triumph and insult over all accusers be more then a Conqueror then it comes not to a rather onely as here but to a much more shall we be saved by his life thus Rom. 5. 10. And the meaning thereof is that if his death had power to pay all our debts and justifie us at first then much more hath his life this power So that his death is but the ground and foundation of our faith herein and the lowest step of this ladder but these other are the top full triumph of faith therein And our spirits should rise as the Apostle herein riseth Faith upon these wings may not onely fly above the Gun-shot of all accusations and condemners but even cleane out of their sight and so far above all such thoughts fears as it may reach to a security that sins are forgotten and shall be remembred no more What joy was there in the Disciples when they saw Christ risen Ioh. 20. Therefore in the Primitive times it was used as a voice of joy and to this day the Grecian Christians s entertain each other at that time of the year with these words The Lord is risen your Surety is out of Prison fear not But as Christ said in another case so say I what will you say if you see your Surety ascended
up to Heaven and that as far above Angels and Principalities as the Apostle speaks Eph. 1. as the Heavens are above the Earth will you not in your faiths hopes proportionably ascend and climb up also have thoughts of pardon as far exceeding your ordinary thoughts as the heavens are above the earth Therefore first view him as ascending into Heaven ere ever hee comes to be at Gods right hand and see what matter of triumph that will afford you for that you must first suppose ere you can see him at Gods right hand and so is necessarily included thought not expressed here But that place fore-quoted out of Peter 1 Pet. 3. gives us both these two particulars included in it 1. His Ascension Who is gone into Heaven And 2. his power and authority there Is at Gods right hand and hath all power and authority subject to him and prompts both these as fit matter to be put into a good conscience its Answer and Apologie why it should not be condemned therfore both may here as well come in into faiths triumph and that as being intended also by the Apostle and included in this one expression He speaks with the least to shew what cause faith had to triumph for the least expression of it his purpose being but to give a hint to faith of that which cōprehensively contains many things in it which he would have us distinctly to consider for our comfort CHAP. II. Shewing first what evidence for our justification Christs Ascension into Heaven affords unto our Faith upon that first forementioned consideration of his being a Surety for us FIrst then to see what triumph his ascending into Heaven will add unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation And herein 1. By considering what was the last action he did when he was to Ascend Blessing his Disciples first there is not nothing in it to consider what he then did and what was his last Act when he was to take his rise to fly up to Heaven He blessed his Disciples and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them for all his elect to the end of the World The true reason and minde of which blessing them was that he being now to go to execute the eternall office of his Priest-hood in Heaven of which God had sworn Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec As Melehisedec in the Type blessed Abraham and in him all the faithfull as in his loins therefore the Apostle said that Levi paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abrahams loines therefore he was blessed in his loines so did Christ begin this new and second part of his Priest-hood with blessing the Apostles and in them all the elect to the end of the World This was the last thing that Christ did on earth yea this he did whilst ascending he was taken up whilst he did it So Luke 24. 50. 51. And thus solemnly he now did this to shew that the curse was gone and that sin was gone and that action speakes thus much as if Christ himselfe had said To shew the curse was removed and their sins pardoned O my brethren for so he styled his Disciples after his Resurrection I have been dead and in dying made a curse for you now that curse I have fully removed and my Father hath aquited me and you for it and now I can be bold to blesse you and pronounce all your sins forgiven and your persons justified For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them which he reserved thus as his last Act to shew how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the Law now going to Heaven was able to blesse them with all the spirituall blessings that are there and which Heaven can afford for Heavenly they are called in that respect And in blessing his Apostles thus he blessed all that should believe in him Ephes 1. 4. And as in Abraham blessed by Melchisedec all the faithfull were blessed so in these Apostles all the elect to come are blessed As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve at the first Creation yet he in them blessed all that were for ever to come of them so Christ in blessing them blessed us and all that shall beleeve through their word to the end of the World And that they were thus then to be considered as common persons receiving this blessing for us all appeareth by Christs words then uttered I am with you to the end of the World i. e. with you and all your successors both Ministers other believers Mat. 28. ult And Christ herein did as God did before him When God had done his worke of creation He looked upon all he had done and saw that it was good and he blessed it Thus did Jesus Christ now that he had by that one offering perfected for ever all the elect he comfortably vieweth and pronounceth it perfect and them blessed and so goes to Heaven to keepe and enjoy the Sabbath of all there Now Secondly let us see him Ascending A second support from the very Act of Ascending and see what comfort that will also afford our faith towards the perswasion of Iustification The Apostles stood gazing on him and so doe you lift up your hearts to gaze on him by faith and view him in that act as he is passing along into Heaven as leading sin hell death and devill in triumph at his Chariot wheeles And therewith let your faith triumph in a further evidence of justification Thus Ephesians 4. 8. out of the 68. Psalme ver 18. the Apostle saith How it was an act of Triumph over death hel sin c. When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive to which Hebraisme the Latine phrase vincere victoriam to win a victory doth answer then He led captive all our spirituall enemies that would have captived us they being now captived Now leading of captives is alwaies after a perfect victory And therefore whereas at his Death he had conquered them at his Rising scattered them now at his Ascension he leades them captive And so that Psal in the Type begins ver 1. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them flee before him so at his Resurrection they did And then he ascends in triumph ashere in token of victory he is ascended up on high ver 18. he ascends as David after his victory up to Mount Sion for the celebrating of which that Psal seemes to have beene made by David whereof this was the intended Type Two Acts of Triumph in it And two Actus triumphales triumphing Acts there were here mentioned 1. Leading the captives bound to his Chariot wheeles as the manner of the Roman triumphs was when the Conqueror went up to the Capitol and other Heathens in Davids time As Achilles led Hector captive who
this worke of Intercession for us and that in heaven to be added to all the former For the first I will proceede therein by degrees First It is one part of his Priest-hood You must know that Christ is not entred into heaven simply as a fore-runner which hath been explained to take up places for you but as a Priest also Made a Priest after the order of Melchisedec which is more then simply a Forerunner Yea his sitting at Gods right hand is not onely as a King armed with power and authority to save us but he sits there as a Priest too Thus Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High Priest who is set downe at the right hand of the Majesty on high In the old Leviticall Priest-hood Two parts of the High-Priests office the High-Priests office had two parts both which concurred to make them High-Priests First Oblation or offering the Sacrifice Secondly Presentation of it in the Holy of Holies with Prayer and Intercession unto God to accept it for the sinnes of the people The one was done without the other within the Holy of Holies This you may see in many places especially Levit. 16. 11 15 16. where you have the Law about the High Priests entring into the Holy of Holies he was not to come into the holy place till first he had offered a Sacrifice for himselfe and the people ver 11. and 15. and this without Then secondly when he had killed it he was to enter with the bloud of it into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the Mercie-seat therein with it ver 14 17. and to go with Incense and cause a cloud to arise over the Mercie-seat And this you have also Heb. 13. 11. it is said that The bloud of those beasts that were burnt without the Camp was brought into the Sanctuary by the High-Priest And in that 16. of Levit. you shall finde the Atonement made as well by the bloud when brought into the Holy place ver 16. as by the killing of the beast ver 11. Both these were acts of the High-priesthood for Atonement And this was done in a Type of the Priestly office of Christ and the parts thereof So Heb. 9. 23. he cals all those transactions under the Ceremoniall Law the patterns of things heavenly instancing in this part of Christs office ver 24. For Christ sayes he is not entred into the Holy places made without hands as that was which are the figures of the true but into heaven it selfe to appear in the presence of God for us Now then in answer to this Type there are two distinct parts of Christs Priesthood First 1. Christs offering up himselfe the offering himselfe a Sacrifice up to death as Heb. 9. 26. which answers to the killing of the Sacrifice without the Holy of Holies for answerably he was crucified without the City Heb. 13. 12. Secondly 2. Entring into the Heavens to Intercede he carryed this his bloud into the Holy of Holies namely the Heavens Heb. 9. 12. where he appeares ver 24. and there also prayes in the force of that bloud And the Type of those prayers was that cloud of Incense made by the High-Priest so it is expresly interpreted Rev. 8. 3. c. The Angel Christ is said to have had much Incense to offer it with the prayers of all the Saints Which Incense is his owne prayers in heaven which he continually puts up when the Saints pray on earth and so perfumes all their prayers and procures all blessings for them Both these parts of his Prist-hood the Apostle Iohn mentions in his first Epistle Both proved Chap. 2. ver 2. where as he cals Jesus Christ a propitiation for our sins that is an Oblation or Sacrifice offered up for us So likewise he cals him our Advocate both going to make up this his office And indeed this latter of Intercession and bringing his bloud into the Holy of Holies or heaven is but the same action continued That bloud which he offered with tears and strong cryes on the Crosse where he likewise interceded the same bloud he continues virtually to offer up with prayers in the heavens and makes Atonement by both onely with this difference On earth though he interceded yet he more eminently offered up himselfe In heaven he more eminently intercedes and doth but present that Offering Secondly this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood that without it he had not been a compleat Priest Without Intercession he had not been a perfect Priest Thus Heb. 8. 4. If he were on earth he should not be a Priest That is If he should have abode on earth he should not have been a compleat Priest Paul saith not that if he had offered that his sacrifice on earth he had not been a Priest for that was necessary but that if he had staid still on earth after he had offered it he had not been a Priest that is a perfect Priest for he had then left his office imperfect and had done it but by halves seeing this other part of it the work of Intercession lay still upon him to be acted in heaven Thus the High-priest his Type if he had only offered Sacrifice without the Holy of holies had not been a perfect High-Priest For to enter into the Holy of holies and to act the part of a Priest there This the peculiar work of the High-Priest who was in this Christs Type was the proper peculiar work of the High-Priest as such Which shews that Christ had not been an High-Priest if he had not gone to heaven and Priested it there too as I may so speak as well as upon earth Yea if Christ had not gone to heaven and were not now become a Priest there then the Leviticall Priest-hood were still in force and should share the honour with him and the High-priest must continue still to goe into the Holy of holies To this purpose you may observe that so long as Christ was on earth though risen the Types of the Law held in force and were not to give way till all the truth signified by their Ministery was fully accomplisht and so not untill Christ was gone into heaven as a Priest and there had begun to doe all that which the High-priest had done in the Holy of holies and as his Type fore-signified And this is plainly the meaning of what follows in that Heb. 8. ver 4. as the reason or demonstration why that Christ should not have been a Priest if he had not gone to heaven not onely as a King but as a Priest too as he had affirmed ver 1. Seeing sayes he that there are Priests upon earth that doe offer gifts according to the Law The force of the Reason lyes thus There are already Priests and that of a Tribe he was not of that offer gifts on earth before he came into the world And therefore if that had beene all his Priest-hood to be a Priest on earth
are to looke upon our Mediator CHRIST as doing as much worke for us in Heaven at this instant as ever hee did on Earth here suffering but there praying and presenting his sufferings All his worke was not done when he had done here that worke here was indeede the harder piece of the two yet soone dispatched but his work in heaven though sweeter far yet lyes on his hands for ever therefore let us leave out none of these in our believing on him CHAP. IV. The second Head The great security the consideration of Christs Intercession affords to faith for our Justification shewed 1. By way of evidence By two things ANd so I come as in the former I have done to shew what strong grounds of security and triumph our faith may raise frō this last act namely Christs Intercession for us in the point of justification Who shall condemne it is Christ that intercedes And this was the second generall propounded and therein to proceed also according to the Method taken up in the former 1. What assurance by way of evidence this doth afford unto faith of non-condemnation 2. What powerfull efficacy and influence this must be of that Christ intercedes First §. 1. to handle it by way of evidence That Christ intercedes To evidence these two demonstrations is a strong evidence to our faith by two demonstrations 1. From the very intent and scope of the worke of intercession it selfe and what it is ordained by God to effect 2. From the end of Jesus Christ himself who lives in Heaven on purpose to intercede for us Our salvation it is both Finis operis the end of the work and finis ipsius operantis in some respect the end of Christ himselfe the interceder and both these doe lay the greatest engagement that can be upon Christ to accomplish our salvation through his intercession 1. For the work it self Intercession you have seen is a part of the office of Christs Priesthood as well as his dying and offering himselfe now all the works of Christ are must be perfect in their kind even as Gods are of which sayes Moses Deut. 32. 4. His work is perfect for otherwise he should not be a perfect Priest Now the perfection of every work lies in order to its end for which it is ordained so as that work is perfect that attains to such an end as it is ordained for and that imperfect which doth not Now the immediate direct end of Christs Intercession is the actuall salvation of Beleevers Elect and persons whom he dyed for The end of his death is Adoptio juris purchasing a right unto salvation but of Intercession procuratio ipsius salutis the very saving us actually and putting us in possession of Heaven To this purpose observe how the Scripture speaks concerning Christs death Heb. 9. 12. He entred into heaven having obtained Redemption or found redemption that is by way of right by procuring full title to it But of his Intercession it sayes Heb. 7. 25. that by it Christ is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him that is actually to save and put them in possession of happinesse that is made the end and scope of Intercession there and that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the utmost notes out a saving indeed a doing it not by halves but wholly and throughly and compleatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to save altogether to give our salvation its last act and complement that is the true force of the phrase even to effect it to the last of it all that is to be done about it Thus also Rom. 5. 9 and 10. We are justified by his death but saved namely compleatly by his life that is his living to intercede So that the very salvation of Beleevers is it that is the work the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christs Intercession Now what security doth this afford What security this affords for to be saved is more then to be justified for it is the actual possessing us of heaven So then do but grant that Christs Intercession is as perfect a work in its kind as Christs death is in its kind and you must needs be saved The perfection of Christs death and the work thereof wherein lay it as on Christs part to be performed but in this that he should lay downe a Ransome sufficient to purchase salvation for such and such persons as God would save and so the perfection of it lies in the worth and sufficiencie of it to that end it was ordained for it being a perfect sacrifice in it self able to purchase eternall redemption for us and to make us salvable against all sins and the demerits of them and to give us right to Heaven and had it wanted a graine of this it had then been imperfect Now then answerably for intercession the comfort of our souls is that the proper work that lies upon Christ therein is the compleat saving those very persons and the possessing them of Heaven this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper worke thereof To out-vie the demerits of our sins was the perfection of his death but to save our soules is the end and perfection of his Intercession Our sins are the object of the one and our soules of the other To that end was intercession added to his death that we might not have a right to Heaven in vaine of which we might be dispossessed Now therefore upon this ground if Christ should faile of our souls salvation yea but of any one degree of glory purchased by his death to any soule which that soule should want this work of his would then want and fal short so much of its perfection That place in Heb. 7. sayes not only that Christ will doe his utmost to save but save to the utmost You may say Object My infidelitie and obstinacy may hinder it though Christ doth what in him lies Well Resp but intercession undertakes the worke absolutely For Christ prays not conditionally in Heaven If men shall believe c. as we doe here on earth nor for propositions only but for persons and therefore he prays to cure that very infidelity Now as if a Physitian undertakes to cure a mad man if he knowes what he doth he considers the madnesse of his Patient and how he will teare off what is applyed and refuse all Physick hee therefore resolves to deal with him accordingly and so to order him as he shall not hinder that help which he is about to afford him and so upon those tearms he undertakes the cure even so doth Christ when by intercession hee undertakes to save us sinners he considers us what we are and how it is with us For Christ otherwise should not be as perfect a Priest in interceding as he was in dying what unbeliefe is in us yet undertakes the matter and so to save us is the scope and end of this his work which if he
Sermon after Acts 2. 33. he then received it and visibly powred him out So Ephes 4. 8. it is said He ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery ver 15 and for the joynting in of the Saints to the encrease of the body of Christ ver 16. that is for the converting of elect sinners and making them Saints And the gifts there mentioned some of them remain unto this day in Pastors and Teachers c. And this spirit is still in our preaching and in your hearts in hearing in praying c and perswades you of Christs love to this very day and is in all these the pledge of the continuance of Christs love still in Heaven unto sinners All our Sermons and your Prayers are evidences to you that Christs heart is still the same towards sinners that ever it was for the Spirit that assists in all these comes in his name and in his stead and works all by commission from him And doe none of you feele your hearts moved in the preaching of these things at this and other times and who is it that moves you it is the Spirit who speakes in Christs name from heaven even as himselfe is said to speake from heaven Heb. 12. 25. And when you pray it is the Spirit that endites your prayers and that makes intercession for you in your own hearts Rom. 8. 26. which Intercession of his is but the evidence and eccho of Christs Intercession in heaven The Spirit prayes in you because Christ prays for you he is an Intercessor on earth because Christ is an Intercessor in Heaven As he did take off Christs words and used the same that he before had uttered vvhen he spake in and to the Disciples the vvords of life so he takes off Christs prayers also when he prayes in us hee takes but the vvords as it were out of Christs mouth or heart rather and directs our hearts to offer them up to God He also follovvs us to the Sacrament and in that Glasse shews us Christs face smiling on us and through his face his heart and thus helping of us to a sight of him vve goe away rejoycing that we savv our Saviour that day Then secondly all those vvorks both of miracles and conversion of sinners in answer to the Apostles prayers are a demonstration of this What a handsell had Peters first Sermon after Christs Ascension when three thousand soules were converted by it The Apostles you know went on to preach forgivenesse through Christ and in his Name and to invite men to him and what signes and wonders did accompany them to confirme that their preaching and all were the fruits of Christs Intercession in heaven So that what he promised Iohn 14. 12. as an evidence of his minding them in heaven was abundantly fulfilled They upon their asking did greater works then he so Acts 4. 29 30. at the prayers of Peter And Heb. 2. 3 4. the Apostle makes an argument of it How shall we escape sayes he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles c. Yea let me adde this that take all the New Testament and all the Promises in it and expressions of Christs love it was written all since Christs being in heaven by his Spirit and that by commission from Christ and therefore all that you find therein you may build on as his very heart and therein see that what he once said on earth he repealeth not a word now he is in heaven his mind continues the same And the consideration hereof may adde a great confirmation to our faith herein Thirdly some of the Apostles spake with him since even many yeeres after his Ascension Thus Iohn and Paul of which the last was in heaven with him and they both doe give out the same thing of him Paul heard not one Sermon of Christs that we know of whilst on earth and received the Gospel from no man Apostle or other but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven as he speaks Gal. 1. 11 12. But he was converted by Christ himselfe from heaven by immediate speech and conference of Christ himselfe with him and this long after his Ascension And in that one instance Christ abundantly shewed his heart and purpose to continue to all sorts of sinners to the end of the world Thus in two places that great Apostle telleth us the first is 1 Timoth. 1. 13. I was a persecuter a blasphemer sayes he but I obtained mercie and the grace of our Lord namely Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant and upon this he declares with open mouth as it were from Christs own selfe who spake to him from Heaven that this is the faithfullest saying that ever was uttered that Christ came into the World to save sinners whereof I am chiefe sayes he ver 15. And to testifie that this was the very scope of Christ in thus converting of Paul himselfe and Pauls scope also in that place to Timothy to shew so much appears by what follows v. 16. For this cause I obtained this mercie that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to all them that should hereafter beleeve on him unto life everlasting It is expresse you see to assure all sinners unto the end of the world of Christ heart towards them this was his drift For this very cause sayes Paul The second place I alledge in proofe of this is the story of Pauls conversion where he diligently inserts the very words that Christ spake to him from heaven Acts 26. 16. which were these I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse to send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Brethren these are Christs words since he went to Heaven and he tels Paul hee appeared unto him to testifie thus much This for Pauls conference with him Then againe sixty yeares after his Ascension did the Apostle Iohn receive a Revelation from him even when all the Apostles were dead for after all their deaths was that book written and that Revelation is said to be in a more immediate manner the Revelation of Iesus Christ so Chap. 1. 1. then any other of the Apostles writings and you read that Christ made an Apparition of himselfe to him and said I am he that was dead and am alive and live for evermore Chap. 1. 18. Now let us but consider Christs last words in that his last book the last that Christ hath spoken since he went to Heaven or that hee is to utter till the day of Judgement
our soules and the comforting of our hearts unto Christ these are the purchase of Christs blood and whilst he is exercised in promoving these he doth good to his own child and Spouse c. which is in effect a doing good unto himselfe Yea to doe these bringeth in to himselfe more comfort and glory then it procures to them And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following Chapter namely Heb. 3. sayes that Christ is engaged to faithfulnesse in the execution of his office not as a meere servant onely who is betrusted by his Master but as an owner who hath an interest of possession in the things committed to his care and a revenue from these So ver 5. Moses verily sayes he was faithfull as a servant in Gods house but Christ as a Son over his owne house that is as an Heire of all Whose house or family are We sayes the Apostle ver 6. If a Physitian for his fee will be faithfull although he be a stranger much more will he be so if he be Father to the Patient so as his own life and comfort are bound up in that of the childs or when much of his estate and commings in are from the life of the party unto whom he ministers physick In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost and to lack no Cordials that will comfort them no means that will cure them and keep them healthfull and no fit diet that may nourish and strengthen them As the care of that Prince of the Eunuchs in the first of Daniel was to have those children committed to his charge to eat and drink of the best because that on their looks and good liking his place depended Now so God hath ordered it even for an everlasting obligation of Christs heart unto us that his giving grace mercy and comfort to us is one great part of his glory and of the revenue of his happinesse in heaven and of his inheritance there First to explaine how this may be consider That the Humane nature of Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory happinesse and delight One in that neere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other Persons through his personall union with the Godhead Which joy of his in this fellowship Christ himselfe speaks of Psal 16. ver ult as to be enjoyed by him In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And this is a constant and setled fulnesse of pleasure such as admits not any addition or diminution but is alwayes one and the same and absolute and entire in it selfe and of it selfe alone sufficient for the Sonne of God and Heyre of all things to live upon though he should have had no other commings in of joy and delight from any creature And this is his naturall inheritance But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory and a revenue of pleasure to come in another way and answerably another fulnesse namely from his Church and Spouse which is his Body Thus Ephes 1. when the Apostle had spoke the highest things of Christs personall advancement in heaven that could be uttered as of his sitting downe at Gods right hand far above all principalities and powers c. ver 20 21. yet ver 22. he addes this unto all And gave him to be an Head to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all So that although he of himselfe personally be so full the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him that he overflowes to the filling all things yet he is pleased to account and it is so in the reality his Church and the salvation of it to be another fulnesse unto him super-added unto the former As Sonne of God he is compleat and that of himselfe but as an Head he yet hath another additionall fulnesse of joy from the good and happinesse of his members And as all pleasure is the companion and the result of action so this ariseth unto him from his exercising acts of grace and from his continuall doing good unto and for those his members or as the Apostle expresseth it from his filling them with all mercy grace comfort and felicity Himselfe becomming yet more full by filling them and this is his inheritance also as that other was So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon One personall and due unto him as he is the Son of God the first moment of his Incarnation ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation Another acquired purchased and merited by his having performed that great service and obedience And certainly besides the glory of his person there is the glory of his office of Mediatorship and of Headship to his Church And though he is never so full of himselfe yet he despiseth not this part of his revenue that comes in from below Thus much for explication Now secondly for the confirmation and making up the demonstration in hand This superadded glory and happinesse of Christ is enlarged and encreased still as his members come to have the purchase of his death more and more laid forth upon them So as when their sins are pardoned their hearts more sanctified and their spirits comforted then comes Hee to see the fruit of his labour and is comforted thereby for he is the more glorified by it yea he is much more pleased and rejoyced in this then themselves can be And this must needs keep up in his heart his care and love unto his children here below to water and refresh them every moment as Isaiah speaks Chap. 37. 3. For in thus putting forth acts of grace and favour and in doing good unto them he doth but good unto himselfe which is the surest engagement in the world And therefore the Apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground that in so doing they love themselves Ephes 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe so strict and neere is that relation Now the same doth hold true of Christ in his loving his Church And therefore in the same place the love of Christ unto his Church is held forth as the patterne and exemplar of ours so ver 25. Even as Christ also loved the Church And so it may well be argued thence by comparing the one speech with the other that Christ in loving his Church doth but love himselfe and then the more love and grace he shews unto the Members of that his Body the more he shews love unto himselfe And accordingly it is further added there ver 27. that he daily washeth and cleanseth his Church that is both from the guilt and power of sinne that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Observe it is to himselfe So that all that he doth for his members is for himselfe as truly yea