a working warring principle that shall rouse up a man dayly to take heed of it as the greatest evil and yet sin should be as powerful and as frequently and freely break out as it doth in others no where there is such an enmity hostility and irreconcileableness or to say in a word such an habitual aversation it cannot be 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that hath such a blessed change wrought in him by the operation of Gods Spirit as to be transformed in the Spirit of his mind it cannot be supposed but that Grace will have such Energy and efficacy upon him as to prevent the life and growth of sin and restrain the practice of it that the habits of Grace being cherished this must needs be famished and starved by degrees A man that hath a fixed root of ungodliness in him he is at sins beck the Devils Slave but a permanent habit of Grace doth produce a constant carefulness that God be not dishonoured or displeased The Apostle telleth us That Christ bore our sins in his Body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin may be alive unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24 Now certainly this effect is obtained in those that have benefit by his Death or have assured it by Faith before they were alive to sin being active and delighting in the Commission of it but dead to Righteousness impotent and indisposed for any spiritual act but afterwards their love to sin is weakened and their Hearts quicken'd to spiritual Life Once more That there is a decay of the evil Principle appeareth by that of Gal. 5.16 17. This I say then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would This place sheweth that the lusts of the flesh though they be not wholly abandoned yet they shall not be fulfilled We take it otherwise but the meaning is The unrenewed part shall be kept under we cannot fully effectuate the evil we would The Spirit alwayes opposeth what we would do according to the direction of the Flesh. There are two Active principles never wholly dead The flesh doth not advance with a full gale but meeteth with a contrary tyde of resistance from the Spirit 1. Vse Is to Reprove those that can afford a little Religion but cannot afford enough It may be good words without practice or practice without principle Good words without practice many talk well their notions are high and strict but observe them narrowly and you will find them cold and careless like the Carbuncle at a distance it seemeth all on fire but touch it and it is Key-cold Be warmed be cloathed will not pass for Charity nor Opinions for Faith nor Notions and elevated Strains for Godliness You would laugh at him that would think to pay his Debts with the Noise of Money and instead of opening his Purse shake it 'T is as ridiculous to think to satisfie God or discharge our Duty by fine words or heavenly Language without an heavenly Heart or Life or afford practice without a Principle or an inward disposition or inclination of heart to holy things 'T is not enough to do good but we must get the Habit of doing good to believe but we must get the Habit of Faith to do a vertuous action but we must have the Habit of Vertue to perform an Act of Obedience but we must get the Root of Obedience The Soul must be divested of evil Habits and decked and adorned with habits of Grace and endowed with new and spiritual Qualities before it can have a Principle of Life in its self But most men content themselves with a little good Affection that is soon spent Hosea 6.4 Ephraim's goodness is like the morning dew that wets the surface but is soon dryed up Many have some good things in them but they want a firm Root which is an habitual Inclination towards God Oh the difference that is between a man that forceth himself to do good and one whose Heart is inclined to do good He doth not go to it like a Bear to the Stake but with a native willingness he is inclined to think of good inclined to talk of good and holy discourse inclined to pray to exercise himself to Godliness The Lord hath put a new Nature in him and he feeleth an internal Mover or an inward Impression that moveth him This is Life but 't is little regarded Many have a shew but Life cannot be painted otherwise an handsome Picture of Godliness men may keep up But what are the Reasons of this 1. Negligence They are loath to be at the pains to get Grace to be at the expence of brokenness of Heart and that humble waiting and earnest praying that it will cost us A Form is easily gotten and maintained painted Fire needs no fuel to keep it in vanishing Affections are soon stirred A little remorse in a Prayer or delight in a Sermon they may have but it will cost us labour and diligence to have the Heart strongly bent towards God Prov. 13.4 The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat All excellent things have their incident difficulties and nothing is gotten without diligence labour and serious mindfulness That which is opposed to common Grace is casting off sloathfulness and a diligence to keep some full assurance of hope to the end Heb. 6.11 12. 2. Inconsideration They do not consider how they shall appear before Christ at the day of Judgment Therefore are they called foolish Virgins because they did not foresee all Events to provide against them As if the Spouse should come later they thought this Oyl they had might suffice or they should have opportunity to get more Christianity is a business of Consideration When Christ had laid down the Terms he biddeth them sit down and count the Charges Luke 14.28 A Builder doth but lay the foundation of his shame in his Cost if he be not able to carry on the Building a War were better never be begun if we have not means to maintain it If you mean to build for Heaven to bid defiance against the Devil World and Flesh you must not rashly engage but deliberately resolve We must consider the Quality of Christs Laws what visible Oppositions there are that we may knowingly all difficulties considered put our selves into his hands There is an anxious and serious deliberation necessary otherwise to leap into Profession sleightly maketh way for Apostasie or else for such a cheap Religion which costs nothing and therefore is worth nothing 3. Some unmortified corruption or indulged Lust which hindereth both the Radication and Prevalency of Grace The Heart divided touched partly with
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 2.8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy them with the Brightness of his Coming 4. If you consider some foregoing Appearances of Christ. As for instance At the giving of the Law 't was the Second Person that managed that Appearance For 't is said Acts 7.38 that it was an Angel that appeared in Mount Sinai and spoke to our Fathers That is the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ For 't is clearly said Heb. 12.26 That the Voice of Christ then shook the Earth Now what a dreadful Appearance was that The Earth shook the Mountain trembled and out of the midst of the Thunderings and Lightnings and a thick Cloud was the Sound of the Trumpet heard so that the People trembled yea Moses himself a meek Man that had done great Service in the Church did exceedingly quake and tremble Heb. 12. from 18. to 21. When he gave the Law he is represented as a terrible Judge ready to overcome his Adversaries with the Tempest of his Wrath much more when he cometh to execute the Sentence of the Law as Execution is alwayes more terrible than Promulgation Or you may guess at it by Prophet Isaiah's Terror when he saw God in Vision Isa. 6.5 Into what an Agony it drove that Holy Prophet Wo is me for I am undone because I am a Man of unclean Lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips For mine Eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Adam fled from the Presence of God walking in the Garden though God came to him in no terrible Appearance and though he had sinned yet was not cut off from all Hope of Reconciliation How will wicked Men abide the Presence of Christ when he cometh to shew forth his Glory and they are excluded by his final Sentence from all Hope of Pardon Or you may set it forth by the Glory of Christ's Transfiguration the Glory that was seen then For that was a Glimpse of this Glory of the Father in which he shall appear at that Day Matth. 17.2 And he was Transfigured before them and his Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as the Light And then arose a bright Cloud and a Voice out of the bright Cloud And when the Disciples heard it they were sore afraid There was a glorious shining Brightness breaking through Skin and Garment overwhelming the Disciples that they were not able to stand before his Majesty though it were in Mercy revealed to them Or by that Appearance of the Angel described Matth. 28.3 4. His Countenance was like Lightning and his Rayment as white as Snow and for fear of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead Men. Or by the Appearance of Christ to Paul Act. 9. when he was blind for seven Dayes when the Lord Jesus shewed himself to him from Heaven These Instances will give us a Ghess a Taste of it But Secondly Why he will come in this great Glory I Answer 1. To take off the Scandal and Ignominy of the Cross and to recompense him for his Humiliation He that was once despised in the World for his outward and despicable Estate will then be Glorious when he shall declare his Power in Raising the Dead by his Voice and all the Elements burning about him and all the Saints and Angels attending him every one as bright as the Sun A glorious high Throne set in the Air for him and all the Creatures presented before him and bowing to him Ransacking the Consciences of Sinners and bringing forth the Story of all his Administrations in the World Then there will be a full Recompence for all his Sufferings To make this eviden◠let us compare the Two Comings of Christ Christ's First Coming was so obscure that it was scarce observed and understood by the World The Second will be so conspicuous and glorious as to be seen of All. In the former he came in the Form of a Servant and the contemptible Appearance of a mean Man In the second he cometh as the Lord and Heir of all things cloathed with Splendour and Glory as with a Garment At his First Coming he had a Forerunner The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness In the Second he hath a Forerunner also There the Baptist Here an Arch-angel with his Trumpet 1 Thess. 4. 10. In his First Coming he was accompanied with a few poor Fisher-men Twelve Disciples Persons of mean Condition and Rank in the World Now with Legions of Angels and with his Holy ten thousands of his Saints Jude 14. Heretofore he Raised Three to Life Now all the Dead Then he was scorned buffeted spit upon Now crowned with Glory and Honour In the former he was to act the Part of a Minister of the Circumcision to Preach the Gospel to the People of Israel In the latter he shall act as the Judge of all the World In the former he invited Men to Repentance and offered Remission to Sins to those that received him as a Redeemer But in the latter he shall cut off all Hope of Pardon for evermore from them that Received him not and neglected their Day of Grace At first he came to bear the Sins of many But now He shall come without Sin Heb. 9.28 not bearing a Burden but bringing a Discharge not as a Surety but as a Pay master not as a Sufferer but as a Conqueror triumphing over Death and Hell and the Devil He cometh no more to go from us but to take us from all Misery unto himself In the former State he was God-Man but he did as it were hide his Godhead under the Infirmities of his Flesh Sometimes it peeped out through the Veil in a Miracle but yet mostly obscuring himself But in the latter he shall discover himself with an unspeakable Brightness and Majesty and there will be no need of Miracles to prove the Divinity of his Person and Office For then it shall be a matter of Sense all shall see it and feel it some with Joy others with Trembling In the former State he presented himself to suffer Death But then he shall tread Death under his Feet In the former he was Judged and Condemned by Men to an Ignominious Death the Death of the Cross But in the latter he will Judge and with his own Mouth pronounce Sentence upon all Men on all Kings Emperours and Judges as well as poor Peasants sitting upon a Glorious Throne and Tribunal Then he Judged no man John 3.17 For God sent not his Son to Condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved His work then was to hold out the way of life or to open the way of Salvation to lost man as a meek Saviour and Mediatour So John 12.47 If any man hear my words and believe them not I Judge him not for I came not to Judge the world but to save the world I Judge
us as in the Text. There was no possible way to recover Holiness unless a Price and no less a Price than the Blood of the Son of God had been paid to provoked Justice for us He must sanctify himself give himself before we can be sanctified and cleansed 3. That they do not aright improve the Death of Christ that seek Comfort by it and not Holiness He died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also There are two Reasons why the Death of Christ hath so little effect upon us either he is a forgotten Christ or a mistaken Christ a forgotten Christ Men do not consider the Ends for which he came 1 John 3.5 Ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins And Vers. 8. To this purpose was the Son of God manifested to destroy the Works of the Devil to give his Spirit to sinful miserable Man Now Things that we mind not do not work upon us The Work of Redemption Christ hath performed without our minding or asking he took our Nature fulfilled the Law satisfied the Law-giver merited Grace without our asking or thinking but in applying this Grace he requireth our Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore Holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Our Faith Believest thou that I am able to do this for thee Our Acceptance John 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God But the other Evil is greater a mistaken Christ when we use him to increase our carnal Security and Boldness in sinning and are possessed with an ill thought that God is more reconcilable to Sin than he was before and by reason of Christ's coming there were less evil and malignity in Sin for then you make Christ a Minister and Encourager of Sin Gal. 2.17 For if we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found Sinners Is Christ therefore the Minister of Sin God forbid You set up Christ against Christ his Merit against his Doctrine and Spirit yea rather you set up the Devil against Christ and varnish his Cause with Christ's Name and so it is but an Idol-Christ you doat upon The true Christ came by Water and Blood 1 John 5.6 Bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead unto Sin should live unto Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24 And will you set his Death against the Ends of his Death and run from and rebel against God because Christ came to redeem and recover you to God Certainly those weak Christians that only make use of Christ to seek Comfort seek him out of Self-love but those that seek Holiness from the Redeemer have a more spiritual Affection to him The Guilt of Sin is against our Interest but the Power of Sin is against God's Glory He came to sanctify us by his Holiness not only to free our Consciences from Bondage but our Hearts that we may serve God with more liberty and delight This was the great aim of his Death Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Thus did Christ that the Plaister might be as broad as the Sore we lost in Adam the purity of our Natures as well as the Favour of God and therefore he is made Sanctification to us as well as Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 4. With what confidence we may use the Means of Grace because they are sprinkled with the Blood of Christ. Christ hath purchased Grace such a Treasure of Grace as cannot be wasted and this is dispensed to us by the Word and Sacraments The Apostle doth not say barely he died to cleanse us but to cleanse us by the washing of Water through the Word and here that we might be sanctified through the Truth Christ hath established the Merits but the Actual Influence is from the Spirit Titus 3.5 6. According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ. And the Means are the Word and Sacraments whereby the Spirit dispenseth the Grace in Christ's Name ordinarily the Gospel which is the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 If we come to the Father we need his grant Rev. 19.8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine Linen clean and white for the fine Linen is the Righteousness of Saints All cometh originally from his merciful Grant but God would not look towards us but for Christ's sake If we look to the Father he sendeth us to the Son whose Blood cleanseth us from all our Sins 1 John 1.7 If we look to the Son he referreth us to the Spirit therefore we read of the sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess. 2.14 If we wait for the Spirit 's Efficacy he sendeth us to Moses and the Prophets where we shall hear of him Therefore we may with encouragement pray read hear meditate that all these Duties may be sanctified to us 5. If Holiness be the Fruit of Christ's Death it maketh his Love to be more gratuitous and free For all the worth that we can conceive to be in our selves to commend us to God is in our Holiness Now this is meerly the Fruit of Grace and the Merit of Christ and the Gift of his Spirit in us We wallow in our own filthiness till he of his Grace for Christ's sake doth sanctify us by his Spirit Both the Love of God and the Merit of Christ is antecedent to our Holiness He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and made us Kings and Priests to God and to the Father Rev. 1.5 6. And the Spirit 's Work is not lessened as if it were no great Matter 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that appertain unto Life and Godliness through the knowledg of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue 6. We learn hence the preciousness of Holiness it is a Thing dearly bought and the great Blessing which Christ intended for us We do not value the Blessings of the Covenant so much as we should Christ was devising what he should do for his Church to make it honourable and glorious and this way he took to make it Holy 1. It is the Beauty of God for God himself is glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 and we are created after his Image in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes. 4.24 The Perfection of the Divine Nature lieth chiefly in his immaculate Holiness and Purity 2. It is that which maketh us amiable in the sight of God for he delighteth not in us as justified so much as sanctified Psal. 11.7 For the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the Vpright When upon the account of Christ's Merits and Satisfaction he hath created a clean Heart in us and renewed a right Spirit then he
present or absent we may be accepted of him A new life inferreth new ends and pursuits the new Being obligeth us to be to the praise of his glorious grace Eph. 1.12 Fifthly The Properties of it 1. It is a godly Life as beginning and ending in God and carried on by those who are absolutely devoted and addicted to him 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness It is called the life of God Eph. 4.18 it is from God and for God you live by him and to him in others Self is the Principle Measure and End 2. It is an holy Life measured by the pure Word of God Psal. 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Rom. 7.12 The law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good not by our own natural inclinations or the fashions of the world but Gods direction 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Luk. 1.75 That we should serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives The inclinations are planted in us by Gods first work Eph. 4.24 That ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness they are directed by his Word all Moral Duties being comprised in those words Holiness or Dedication to God Righteousness performing our duties to men Acts 24.26 Herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 3. It is an heavenly life Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven Our great work is to prepare for everlasting Life seeking rejoycing in that endless Happiness we shall have with God a living for or upon the unseen everlasting Happiness as purchased for us by Christ and freely given us of God We live for it as we seek after it with our utmost diligence Acts 26.7 Unto which promises the twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come We live upon it as fetching thence all our supports solaces and incouragements 2 Cor. 4.18 While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal II. How strongly we are obliged by Baptism to this kind of life Baptism hath three Offices it representeth sealeth undertaketh it representeth as a signifying Sign sealeth as a confirming Sign undertaketh as a Bond wherewith we bind our selves when we submit to it First What it representeth primarily and principally the Death of Christ and secondarily his Resurrection the one in order to the other 1. The Death of Christ which is the meritorious Cause of all the Grace and good which is communicated to us in this or any other Sacrament or Mystery of the Gospel We are told 1 Pet. 2.14 That he himself bore our own sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin might be alive to righteousness I told you before that Christs Death may be considered as an instance of his Love or as the Price paid for the Blessings of the new Covenant as an instance of his Love it worketh morally as the Price of our blessings meritoriously as it worketh morally and exciteth our gratitude we should not go on in that course which brought these sufferings on Christ but live holily in gratitude to him and kindness to our selves lest we bear our own sins which are so hateful to God This consideration we exclude not but to make this all the sense of the Place no Christian heart can endure therefore we go to the second Consideration as the Price and Ranson of our own Souls and of the Blessings we stand in need of he purchased Grace to mortifie sin and quicken us to the duties of Holiness that the love of sin might be weakened in our hearts and we might be quickened to live to God in the Spirit Now if this be represented in Baptism then surely it strongly obligeth us to improve this Grace for those ends and purposes and that this is represented is evident for in the Apostles interpretation Baptism is a sort of Burial and first it is a Commemoration of the Burial of Christ who when his Soul was separated from his Flesh he was buried his Sacred Body was laid up in the Chambers of the Grave This was necessary not only in compliance with the Types Mat. 12.40 As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth Christ was found to be the true Messias by his Resurrection from the Dead as Jonas was authorized to be a true Prophet of the Lord by his miraculous deliverance Prophecies of this you may see Psal. 16.9 My flesh also shall rest in hope Isa. 53.9 He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death But also this was necessary for the confirmation of the reality of his Death past and the verity of his Resurrection suddenly to follow Therefore in Baptism the truth of his Death is represented as the ground of all our hopes 2 The next thing which is represented is the Truth of his Resurrection Christ that purchased this Grace is risen to apply it he is a Saviour merito efficaciâ his Merit immediately depended on his Death and his Power for effectual application though mediately on that too depended immediately on his Resurrection for Christ rose on purpose to turn men from their iniquities Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus hath sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Christs Resurrection hath a twofold regard 1. It is a Pattern 2. It is a Pledge 1. It is a Pattern of our rising from the death of sin to newness of life If Christ that was dead and buried rose again and cast off the burden of our sins which for our sakes he undertook or cast of the form of a servant we must not only be dead and buried but we must rise also Christs Resurrection is every where made in a Pattern of the new Birth 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead that is the influential Cause and Pattern of it So 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth now also save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anima non lavatione sed responsione sancitur the Soul is dedicated to God to live a new life not by the water but by the answer to the demands of the new Covenant and this is by the Resurrection of Christ. 2. As it is Pledge of his Power by which that great change is wrought in us Eph. 1.19 20. And what
of his wine as to the progress of it 1 Cor. 15.34 Awake to righteousness and sin not Rouse up your selves out of this drowsie condition of sin to a lively exercise of Grace 3. The tendency and end of it Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God SERMON V. ROM VI. 6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin IN this Verse the Apostle explaineth how we are planted into the likeness of Christs Death Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him c. In the words 1. A Truth represented That our old man is crucified with him 2. The manner of applying and improving this Truth For the former Branch 1. Christs undertaking Our old man is crucified with him 2. The Fruit and End of it That the body of sin might be destroyed 3. The Obligation lying upon us That we might no longer serve sin Or 1. What Christ doth he was crucified And our old man crucified with him 2. What the Spirit doth That the body of sin might be destroyed that is the Reign of it broken the Power of it weakened yet more and more Acts prevented Habits cast off 3. What we must do That henceforth we may not serve sin Doctrine That the Reign of sin would be sooner broken if we did seriously consider and believe the great End of Christs Death and undertaking on the Cross. This will appear 1. By explaining the several Branches of the Text. 2. Giving Reasons 1. In the Explication take notice of First The Truth represented which is expressed in three Branches 1. What Christ doth or his intention and undertaking on the Cross. Our old man is crucified with him Where observe I. That sin within us is called an Old man partly because it is born and bred with us it had its rise from Adams Fall and is ever since conveyed from Father to Son unto all who are descended from Adam Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Psal. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Partly because this natural corruption which we inherit from the first Man is opposite to that new Man which consisteth in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 24. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true â—oliness And Col. 3.9 10. Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him So that the Old man is that perverse temper of Soul which was in us before we had the knowledge of Christ or embraced him by Faith Partly because it is an antiquated thing as is upon the declining hand and hasteneth in the Regenerate as men in their old age to its own ruine and destruction 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away behold all things are become new 1 Cor. 5.7 Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump 2. This Old man must be crucified that is the kind of death which it must dye Sometimes the destruction of sin is called a mortifying of sin that implyeth a putting to death in the general or a killing the love of sin in our Souls sometimes a crucifying of sin that sheweth the particular kind of death we must put it to and this for a double reason Partly to shew our conformity and likeness to Christs Crucifixion Partly because it expresseth the nature of the thing it self the Cross bringeth pain and death So is sin weakened by godly sorrow which checketh the sensual inclination The strength and life of sin lyeth in a love of pleasure and one special means to mortifie it is godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation never to be repented of Those that have tasted the bitter waters are more easily induced to forsake all known sin Well then sin must be crucified a man fastened to the Cross suffereth great pain his strength wasteth and his life droppeth out with his blood by degrees So sin is not subdued but by constant painful endeavours not by feeding the flesh with carnal delights but by thwarting it watching striving against it bemoaning our selves because of it and so by degrees the love of it is not only weakened but deadned in our Souls If it be tedious and troublesom nothing that hath life will be put to death without some struggling we must be content to suffer in the flesh Christ suffered more and none but he that hath suffered in the flesh ceaseth from sin 1 Pet. 4.1 You make it more painful by dealing negligently in the business and draw out your vexation to a greater length the longer you suffer the Canaanite to live with you the more doth it prove a thorn and goad in your sides Our affection increaseth our affliction your trouble endeth and your delight increaseth as you bring your Souls to a thorough resolution to quit it Quà m suave mihi subiâ—ò factum est carere suavitatibus nugarum No delight so sincere as the contempt of vain delights The crucified mans pains end when death cometh 3. This Old man was crucified with Christ. This Phrase and manner of speech is difficult and therefore must be explained 1. That Christ was crucified for us in bonum nostrum for our good is past dispute with Christians Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Isa. 53.3 he endured the punishment which sin had made our due 2. That he stood before the Tribunal of God representing us and so dyed loco vice omnium nostrî in the room as well as for the good of his people should as little be doubted 2 Cor. 5.14 For if he dyed for all then were all dead that is in him he dyed not on the Cross as a private but a publick Person 3. Christ dyed not only to expiate our guilt but to take away the power of sin at least the end of Christs suffering and dying on the Cross for our sins was to purchase Grace that we might crucifie sin that is forsake it with grief and shame Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself that is not only to expiate the guilt of our sins but to abolish the power of them He came to redeem us from the slavery of sin Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity 4. Assoon as we are regenerated and converted to God there is a closer application of the Death of
mightily and effectually for it cometh not to us in word only but in power 1 Thess. 2.13 Ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe And more particulary in Mortification for it is Faith that purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 Where the Christian Doctrine is really entertained and received by Faith it taketh men off from their old sins 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit The obedience of the Truth is nothing else but Faith wrought in us by the Spirit upon the hearing of the Gospel this produceth in us that purity of heart and life which becometh Christians II. I will give you the reasons The Death of Christ may be considered as it worketh morally or as it worketh meritoriously As it worketh morally it hath a full and a sufficient force to draw us off from sin as it worketh meritoriously it purchaseth the Spirit for us As it worketh morally it layeth a strong ingagement upon us as it worketh meritoriously it giveth great incouragement to oppose and resist sin and set about the mortification of it So that the true way of subduing sin is by serious reflexion on the Death of Christ which we shall consider 1. As it is a strong ingagement 2. As it is a great incouragement 1. As it is a strong ingagement and there 1. It is a pattern to teach us how to deny the pleasures of the senses Pleasure is the great Sorceress that hath bewitched all the World and that which giveth strength to all temptations Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed There is some sensitive carnal bait which first inviteth and then draweth us from our duty and all the Charms sin hath upon us are by the treacherous sensual appetite which is impatient to be crossed So when another Apostle speaketh of a revolt to the carnal life after some partial Reformation he giveth this account of it 2 Pet. 2.20 After they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled and overcome Before men be overcome by Temptation they are first inticed by the apprehension of some pleasure or profit which is to be had by their sins by which apprehension the danger of committing the sin is covered and hid as the Fishers hook is by the bait that is the Metaphor there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lapse again into the slavery of the former sins which they seemed to have escaped Therefore till we are dead to the sensitive lure and can be content to suffer in the flesh and to deny the satisfactions of the animal life we shall never avoid the slavery of sin nor know that our old man is crucified Now what is more powerful than the consideration of the Death and Example of Jesus Christ In his whole Life he was a Man of sorrows and so taught us to contemn the world and the pleasures of the flesh but especially at his Death when pain was poured in upon him by the Conduit of every Sense there he pleased not himself Rom. 15. 3. but conquered the love of life and all the natural contentments of life that he might please God and procure our Salvation Now we have not the Spirit of our Religion till we grow dead not only to the pleasures of sin but the natural pleasures of life yea life it self and can submit all to Gods glory 2. As it is an act of Love which should beget love in us to God again which love will make us tender of sinning There are many aggravations of sinning but the greatest of all is because we sin against so much Love as God hath shewed us in our Redemption by Christ. Sin is aggravated by the greatness of the Person against whom it is committed against the infinite Majesty of God as to strike an inferiour person is not so hainous a crime as to strike a Magistrate or Prince but this will not hold in all cases for foul indignities and grievous wrongs offered to meaner persons are a greater offence than the omission of a Ceremony to a Prince as if a man through ignorance of the customs of the Court should not be bare before his Chair of State Therefore take in the other Consideration of the infinite Goodness and Love of God towards us in Christ this doth exceedingly aggravate our sins They are acts of unkindness After such a deliverance as this is shall we again break thy commandments Ezra 9.13 14. after a deliverance out of Babylon out of Hell To sin against the infinite Goodness of a Creator by eating the forbidden Fruit we see what mischief it brought on Mankind conscious of this transgression the first Actors hid themselves from Gods presence But what is it to sin against the infinite Goodness of a Redeemer who came to recover us from this thraldom and bondage and to draw us to himself with the cord of love He chose rather to suffer the punishment due to our sins than to suffer sin still to reign in us whom he loved more dearly than his own life Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me Rev. 1.5 To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Now if after this manifestation of his Love we shall still continue in sin the hainousness of our offence is greatly increased 3. Christs Death is the best Glass wherein to view the deadly nature of sin It was so great and hainous an evil in the sight of God that nothing but the Blood of the Son of God could expiate it Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Jesus Christ must come and suffer a shameful Death this painful shameful accursed Death of the Son of God sheweth Gods displeasure against sin and what it will cost us if we allow it and indulge it in our hearts and lives for if this be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry 4. It sheweth us also what a great benefit Mortification is This among others was intended by him and moved him to bear our sins in his Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness To remember a good turn done by a Friend and not to prize and value it as we ought is rather to forget than to remember his friendliness So here if we do not prize Christs benefits we undervalue his Death and a lessening of the benefits is a lessening the price Now one of the chief of them is to take away sin and to break the reign of it in the heart of his
thereby 1. Christs coming in the likeness of sinful flesh implieth that it was the nature of sinful men that he had a true humane nature as other men have but not a sinful nature in some places 't is said he was made in the likeness of men Phil. 2.7 and Heb. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in other places sin is excepted tempted in all points like us except sin Heb. 4.15 and Heb. 7.26 He assumed the true and real nature of man with all the same essential properties which other men have only sin is exepted that infection was stopped by his supernatural Conception through the power of the Holy Ghost in short he came not in sinful flesh but in the likeness of sinful flesh he took not our nature as in innocency but when our blood was tainted and we were rebels to God 2. He took not the humane nature as it shall be in glory fully without sin There will a time come when the humane nature shall be perfectly glorified But Christ took our nature as it was cloathed with all natural sinless infirmities even such as are in us The punishment of sin as he assumed a mortal body and death to us is the fruit of sin Rom. 6.23 and 5.12 he was hungry weary pained as we are 3. He was counted a sinner condemned as a sinner exposed to many Afflictions such as sinners endure yea bore the punishment of our sin The Jews accused him of Sedition and Blasphemy two of the highest crimes against either Table the standers by looked on him as one stricken and smitten of God Isa. 53.4 Yea God made him to be sin 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and Heb. 9.28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Let us next consider 2. What benefit have we thereby Because Christs flesh is meat indeed to feed hungry souls I shall a little insist upon that it being so useful to us when we are Sacramentally to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God 1. He came in our flesh that thereby he might be under the law which was given to the whole race of mankind Gal. 4.4 made of a woman made under the law His humane nature was a creature and bound to be in subjection to the Creator but then you will say if Christ obeyed the Law for himself what merit could there be in his Obedience Much every way because he voluntarily put himself into this condition as a man that was free before if he remove his dwelling into another Country and Dominion merely for his friends sake he is bound to the laws of that Countty how hard soever they be and the merit of his love is no way lessened because he did it voluntarily and for friendships sake Well then there is much in this that Christ who was a Soveraign would become a Subject and obey the same laws that we are bound to keep not only to be a pattern and example to us but by his obedience to recover what by our disobedience was lost and be a fountain of Grace and Holinese in our nature 2. That in the same nature he might suffer the penalty and curse of the law as well as fulfil the duty of it and so make satisfaction for our sins which as God he could not do We read he was made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 and Phil. 3.8 he was obedient to the death even the death of the cross Death was threatned and a curse denounced against those that obeyed not the Law and we being guilty of sin could by no means avoid this death therefore Christ came in the sinners room to suffer death and bear the curse for us to free us from the law of sin and death and by this means the justice of God is eminently demonstrated the Lawgiver vindicated and the breach that was made in the frame of Government repaired and God manifested to be holy and a hater of sin and yet the sinner saved from destruction 3. That he might cross and counterwork Satans design which was double first to dishonour God by a false representation as if he were envious of mans happiness Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be open and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil That is sufficient to themselves without his direction Satans aim was to weaken the esteem of Gods goodness in our hearts now when Christ will take flesh and dwell among us and do whatsoever is necessary for our restauration and recovery His goodness is wondrfully magnified and he is represented as amiable to man not envying our knowledg and happiness but promoting it at the dearest rates That God should be made man and die for sinners it is the highest demonstration of his goodness that can be given us 1 John 4.9 In this was the love of God manifested towards us that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live by him What greater proof can we have that God is not envious but loving yea love its self Secondly Satans other design was to depress the nature of man who in innocency stood so near unto God that falling off from our duty we might fall also from that firmament of glory wherein God at our Creation had placed us and upon the breach there might be a great distance between us and God Now that the humane nature so depressed and abased by the malicious suggestion of the Devil should be so elevated and advanced and set far above the Angelical Nature and admitted to dwell with God in a personal Union Oh! how is the design of the Devil defeated The great intent of this Mystery God manifested in the flesh was to make way for a nearness between God and us Christ condescended to be nigh to us by taking the humane nature into the unity of his Person that we might be nigh unto God not only draw nigh unto him now in the Evangelical Estate but be everlastingly nigh unto him in heavenly Glory When we first enter into the Gospel-state we that were afar off are said to be made nigh in Christ Eph. 2.13 but this is but a preparation for a closer Communion Conjunction and nearness to God when we shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes. 4.17 4. To give us a pledg of the tenderness of his love and compassion towards us For he that is our kinsman bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh will he be strange to his own flesh Especially since he is not so by necessity of nature but by voluntary choice and assumption we could not have such confident and familiar discourse with one who is of another and different nature from us nor put our suits into his hands with such trust and assurance 't is a motive to man Thou shalt not hide thy self
every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need so for all duties that we are called unto 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all and yet not I but the grace of God which was in me and Heb. 13.21 Working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. Now you see what 't is to have Christ in us none but these are real Christians 1. Because We must first be partakers of Christ before we can be paratkers of any saving benefit purchased by him As members are united to the head before they receive sense and motion from it Christ giveth nothing of his purchase to any but to whom he giveth himself first 1 John 5.12 And to whom he giveth himself to them he giveth all things needful to their salvation 2. Where Christ once entreth there he taketh up his abode and lodging not to depart thence dwelling noteth his constant and familiar presence he doth not sojourn for a while but dwelleth as a man in his own house and castle There is a continued presence and influence whereby they are supported in their Chistianity He dwelleth in us and we in him and we know that he abideth in us by his spirit 1 John 3.24 and John 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and take up our abode with him Not a visit and away but a constant residence John 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit 3. Where Christ is he ruleth and reigneth for we receive him as our Lord and Saviour Col. 2.6 As ye received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him We received him that he may perform the office of a Mediator in our hearts and teach us and rule us and guide us by his spirit All others know him by hearsay but these know him by experience the testimony of Christ is confirmed in them Others talk of Christ but these feel him others have him in their ears and tongues but not in their hearts or if the heart be warm and heavenly for a fit it quickly cooleth and falleth to the earth again Then here doth our true happiness begin to find Christ within us this is that which giveth the Seal to Christ without us and all the Mysteries of Redemption by him for you have experienced the power and comfort of it in your own souls you find his image in your hearts and his spirit conforming you to what he commandeth in the word and have a suitableness to the Gospel in your souls you may look with an holy confidence for help to him in all your necessities when others look at him with strange and doubtful thoughts because nearness breedeth familiarity and the sense of his continual love and presence begets an holy confidence to come to him for mercy and grace to help in short when others have but the common offer you have a propriety and interest in Christ Christ without us is a perfect Saviour but not to you the appropriation is by union he came down from Heaven took our nature died for sinners ascended us into Heaven again to make Intercession at the Right Hand of the Father all this is without us Do not say only there is a Saviour in Heaven is there one in thy heart There is an Intercessor in Heaven is there one in thy heart Rom. 8.26 But the spirit its self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He was born of the Virgin is he formed in thee Gal. 4.19 He died are you planted into the likeness of his death Rom. 6.5 He is risen from the dead do you know the power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 Are you raised with him Col. 3.1 He is ascended are you ascended with him Eph. 2.6 Christ without us established the merit but Christ within us assureth the Application Secondly I come now to the concession The body is dead because of sin Here observe the Emphasis of the expression the body is dead not only shall die or must die but is dead He expresseth himself thus for two reasons first because the sentence is past Gen. 2.17 and Heb. 7.29 It is appointed for all men once to die Therefore as we say of a condemned man he is a dead man by reason of the Sentence past upon him So by reason of this sentence our body is a mortal body liable to death sentenced doomed to death and must one day undergo it The Union between it and the Soul after a certain time shall be dissolved and our bodies corrupted The execution is begun mortalitity hath already seised upon our bodies by the many infirmities tending to and ending in the dissolution of nature We now bear about the marks of Sin in our bodies the harbingers of death are already come and have taken up their lodging aforehand The Apostle saith In deaths often how many deaths do we suffer before death cometh to relieve us by several diseases as Collicks Meagrims Catarrhs Gout Stone and the like all these prepare for it and therefore this body though glorious in its Structure as it is the workmanship of God is called a vile body as it is the subject of so many diseases yea and its self is continually dying Heb. 11.12 therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead We express it a man hath one foot in the grave 2. The reason is assigned Because of Sin death is the most ordinary thing in the world but its cause and end are little thought of this expression will give us occasion to speak of both its meritorious cause and its use and end both are implyed in the clause Because of Sin 1. It implyeth the meritorious cause Death is not a natural accident but a punishment we die not as the beasts die or as the Plants decay no the Scripture telleth us by what Gate it entered into the World namely that 't is an effect of the justice of God for mans Sin Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin And 't is also by Covenant therefore called wages Rom. 6.23 Sin procured it and the law ratifies it I but doth it so come upon the faithful I Answer though their sins be forgiven yet God would leave this mark of his displeasure on all mankind that all Adams Children shall die for a warning to the World Well then sin carryes death in its bosome and to some this death is but a step to Hell or death to come 't is not so to the Godly yet in their instance God would teach the World the sure connexion between death and Sin whosoever hath been once a sinner must die 2. It s end and use The
think that Grace will drop to us out of the Clouds he was an evil and a sloathful servant that did not improve his Talent To neglect duty is to resist Grace and to run away from our strength God hath promised to be with us while we are doing therefore we are to wait for this power in the use of all holy means that our corruption may be subdued and mortified USE is to exhort with all diligence to set about the mortifying the deeds of the body by the Spirit Two Things I shall press you to 1. Improve the death of Christ. 2. A right carriage towaâ—ds the spirit 1. Improve the death of Christ For the term Mortifie or Crucifie often used in this matter respects Christs death and every where the Scripture sheweth that the death of Christ is of excellent use for the mortifying of sin I shall single out a few places Gal. 2.20 I a am crucified with Christ. Three Propositions included 1. Christ crucified 2. Paul crucified 3. With Christ. It doth not imply any fellowship with him in the acts of his Mediation there Christ was alone only that the effects of his death were accomplished in him a participation of the benefits of his Mediation so Rom 6.6 knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin may be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Then was there a foundation laid for the destruction of sin when Christ died then was the merit interposed or price paid and the obligation laid upon us to mortifie it Something there was to be done on Gods part the body of sin was to be destroyed which intimateth the communicating of his spirit of grace to weaken the power and life of sin and something done on our part that henceforth we should not serve sin There was a time when we served sin but being converted we must change masters and betake our selves to another service which will be more comfortable and profitable to us One place more 1 Pet. 4.1 For as much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin That is since Christ hath suffered for you you must follow and imitate him in suffering also or dying with him namely in dying to sin as he dyed for sin or mortifying our lusts and passions For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that hath suffered in the flesh or is crucified in his carnal nature it hath not respect to suffering afflictions but mortifying sins for 't is presently added He hath ceased from sin given over that course of life so that he should no longer live the rest of his life in the flesh to the lusts of men but the will of God He inferreth the obligation of this correspondence and conformity from Christs dying From all these places we collect 1. 'T is an obligation This was Christs end and we must not put our Redeemer to shame 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil That the interest of the Devil might be destroyed in us and the interest of God set up with glory and triumph shall I go about to frustrate his intention or make void the end of his death cherish that which Christ came to destroy tye those cords the faster which he came to unloose By professing his name we bind our selves to die to sin Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein not ab impossibili but ab incongruo 2. That the death of Christ was a lively and effectual pattern of our dying to sin For the Glory of God and our Salvation Christ dyed a painful shameful accursed death now we must crucifie sin Gal. 5.24 Be crucified to the world Gal. 6.14 That is to say Christ denied himself for us and we must deny our selves for him he suffered pain for us that we should willingly digest the trouble of Mortification and suffer in the flesh in our carnal nature as he did in the human nature 1. The death of Christ was an act of self-denyal he pleased not himself Rom. 15.3 Minded not the interest of that nature he had assumed parted with his Life in the Flower of his Age when most cause to love it And will you part with nothing make it your business to please the flesh and gratify the flesh he loved you and gave himself for you and will not you give up your lusts 2. The death of Christ was an act of pain and sorrow of all deaths crucifixion is the most painful and shameful Sinful nature is not extinguished in us without trouble as sin is rooted in self-love self-denyal is a check to it as this self-love is mainly a love of pleasure or the delight we take in sin so the pains of Christs death check it shall we wallow in fleshly delights when Christ was a man of sorrows Christs sufferings are the best glass wherein to view sin will you take pleasure in that which cost him so dear he was mocked spit upon buffetted he bare the shame due to our vain conversations A Malefactor was preferred before him Therefore when you remember Christs death you learn how to deal with sin the Jews would not hear of Christs being King Away with him we have no King but Cesar such an Holy indignation should there be a in a renewed soul Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof Let it not King it we have no King but Christ. 3. 'T was a price paid that we might have grace Every true Christian is a partaker of the fruits of Christs death and one fruit is that we might die unto sin 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness This is communicated to us by the spirit he bought sanctification as well as other priviledges Eph. 5.25 26. As Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word And Titus 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 1 Pet. 1.18 Redeemed us from our vain conversations We are ready to say I shall never get rid of this naughty heart renounce these sensual and worldly affections our hearts are so wedded to the interests of the flesh but Matth. 19.26 With God all things are possible 2. Carry it well to the spirit 1. Believe that the Holy Ghost is your sanctifyer and resign up your selves to him as such that he may recover your souls to God This is but fulfilling our baptismal vow Mat. 28.19 Go baptize all nations in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost To God the Father as
our salvation there is such a temperament of both that they shine with an equal glory 3. We are justified by faith Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses certainly none are justified in a state of impenitency and unbelief 't is not enough to look to the first moving cause the grace of God or the impetration of it by the blood of Christ but how it is applied to our selves and what right we have For the righteousness of Christ is none of ours till we do repent and believe let us see how our title doth arise when we thankfully seriously and broken-heartedly accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour then we are found in him not having our own righteousness 4. We are justified by works and not by faith only by which are meant the fruits of sanctification for true faith and true holiness will shew its self by good works faith giveth us the first right but works continue it for otherwise a course of sin would put us into a state of damnation again therefore at the last judgment these are considered Revel 20.12 And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Matth. 25.35 36. For I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Faith is our consent but obedience verifieth it or is our performance of what we consented unto the one as covenant making the other as covenant-keeping we are admitted by covenant-making but continued in our priviledges by covenant-keeping Psal. 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant But yet a little more must be said to reconcile the two Apostles Paul saith A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Rom. 3.28 and James saith Chapt. 2.24 Ye see then how by works a man is justified and not by faith only There is a two-fold charge commenced against us as sinners and breakers of the law as hypocrites and unsound believers To the first we have nothing but the merits of Christ to plead to the second a fruitful obedience or else Paul in the opposition between works and faith meaneth by works legal observances by faith true Christianity The Jews boasted of their legal observances to the rejection of the faith of Christ and James by faith a dead faith and by works Christian duties or acts of obedience to God not external observances of the law of man 4. Why no charge or accusation can lie against them whom God justifieth 1. Because God is the supream law-giver to appoint the terms and conditions upon which we shall be justified and when he hath stated them and declared his will who shall reverse it or revoke it Heb. 6.17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation No cause of revocation can be imagined in God or out of God within God not want of wisdom for nothing can fall out but what he foresaw at first Psal. 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Not inconstancy of will for he is not as man that he should repent 1 Sam. 15.29 Nor can his will be frustrated through any defect of power for he is Almighty Nothing without God neither Devils nor Angels nor Men have power to null and frustrate the force of his constitutions The New Covenant is his resolved will and purpose not to be altered surely in making it God determineth of his own and not another's right 't is in his power to absolve or condemn upon what terms he pleaseth therefore if out of his Soveraign will he hath put our justification in such a course who can reverse it 2. Because the promise of justification is built upon Christs everlasting merit and satisfaction and therefore it will hold good for ever Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Christ procured these promises for us and that by his death therefore everlastingly they hold good 2 Cor 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen and called the everlasting Covenant 'T is even become the interest of God to justifie us that he may not lose the glory of his grace and the merit and oblation of Christ Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities He that hath born our sins all this cost would be in vain if he should not pardon and justifie There is such a value in the death and obedience of Christ that the Scripture puts a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon it compare it with the influence of Adam as a common root Rom. 5.17 18. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life And with the legal sacrifices Heb. 9.13 For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ c. There is the same reason in both besides institution and appointment there is an intrinsick value 3. Because 't is conveyed by the solemnity of a Covenant now God by his Covenant hath made it our right his justice is ingaged 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day By solemn promise you convey a right to another in the thing promised so doth God 4. When we believe God as the supream Judge actually determineth our right so that a believer is rectus incuria hath his quietus est Rom. 4.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And then who can lay any thing to our charge to reverse Gods grant 5. The Lord as the soveraign disposer of mans felicity doth many times uncontroulably give us the comfort of it in our own consciences Job 34.29 When he giveth quietness who can trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man only None can obstruct the peace which he giveth Gods dispensations whether for good or evil are effectual
promised Were the believers of the Old Testament deceived that expected his coming in the flesh Surely Christ never meant to deceive us when he said John 14.2 3. I will come again if it were not so I would have told you See Serm. on Matth. 25 th v. 6. 2. The types shew it I shall instance in one which is the High Priest's entring with Blood into the Holy place within the vail and when he had finished his Service and Ministration there he came forth to bless the people which the Apostle explaineth and applyeth to Christ Heb. 9. from 24. verse to the 28. 3. There are Ordinances appointed in the Church to keep afoot the remembrance of his promise the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come He hath left it as a monument of his faithfulness that upon all occasions we may renew our hopes and expectations of it 4. We have an inward pledge his Spirit and the visits of his grace He hath taken our flesh and left with us his Spirit He went not from us in anger but in love to set all things at rights and to bring us there where he is 5. Christs interest is concerned in it that the Glory of his Person may be seen His first coming was obscure and without observation Then he came in the form of a Servant but now he will come as the Lord and Heir in Power and Glory Then John Baptist was his forerunner now an Archangel Then he came with Twelve Disciples men of mean Condition in the World a few poor fisher men now with Legions of Angels Jade 14. Then as a Minister of Circumcision now as the Judge of all the World Then he invited men to repentance now he cometh to render vengeance to the neglecters and despisers of his grace Then he offered himself as a Mediator between God and Man as an high Priest to God and an Apostle to men Heb. 3.1 But vailed his Divinity under the infirmities of his flesh now he cometh in Gods name to Judge men and in all his Glory Then he wrought some Miracles which his enemies imputed to Diabolical Arts and Magical Impostures at the day of Judgment there will be no need of miracles to assert the Divinity of his person because all will be obvious to sense Then he prepared himself to suffer death now he shall tread death under his Feet Then he stood before the Tribunals of men and was condemned to the cursed death of the Cross now he shall sit upon a Glorious Throne all Kings and Potentates expecting their doom and sentence from his mouth Then he came not to Judge but to save now to render unto every one according to their works Then he was scorned buffeted spit upon Crowned with Thorns but now Crowned with Glory and Honour Then he came to bear the sins of many now without sin not bearing our burden but our discharge not as a Surety but as a pay Master not as a Sufferer but a Conqueror triumphing over Death Hell and the Devil He cometh no more to go from us but to take us from all misery to himself 2. That he may possess what he hath purchased He bought us at a dear rate and would he be at all this loss and preparation for nothing Surely he that came to suffer will come to Triumph and he that purchased will possess Heb. 2.13 3. With respect to the wicked 'T is a part of his office to Triumph over them in their final overthrow All things shall be put under his feet Isa. 45.23 Rom. 14.10.11 Phil. 2.10 4. To require an account of things during his absence what his Servants have done with their Talents Matth. 25. What his Church have done with his Ordinances how things have been carryed during his absence in his house 1 Tim. 6.14 Keep this Commandment without rebuke unto the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whether men have carryed themselves well or beaten their fellow Servants and eaten and drunk with the Drunkard whether they have strengthned the hands of the wicked oppressed with censures the most serious of his Worshippers what disorders in the World what violation of the Law of Nature 2 Thes. 1.8 2. The Vniversality Who must be judged we must all All mankind which ever were are and shall be No Age no Sex no Nation nor Dignity nor Power nor Wealth nor Greatness can excuse us In the World some are too high to be questioned others too low to be taken notice of But there all are taken notice off by head and pole not one of the Godly shall be lost but will meet in that general assembly Nor shall any of the wicked shift the day of his appearance as we may obey in every state and sin in every state so in every state we must give an account All that have lived from the beginning of the World till that day shall without exception appear from the least to the greatest before the Tribunal of Christ. This will be illustrated by considering the several distinctions of mankind 1. The first and most obvious distinction is into grown Persons and Infants 2. Distinction is those whom Christ shall find dead or alive at his coming 3. Distinction is of good or bad 4. The next distinction of men whom Christ shall Judge are believers and unbelievers 5. Men of all Conditions high and low rich and poor of these see Matth. 25. v. 33. Ser. 3. 6. Men of all callings in the Church Apostles and private Christians Ministers and People for the Apostle here in the text joineth himself with others and saith We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. Besides the Law of Christianity by which all shall be Judged the Officers and Guides of the Church must give an account of their faithfulness in their ministration There is much spoken in Scripture of their account 1 Cor. 4 4.5 I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord therefore Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and shall make manifest the Counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God He speaketh there of the execution of his Apostolical Office though he was Conscious to himself of no fault in it yet this was not the clearing of him only God that searcheth and seeth all must do this 'T is a great matter to clear a mans fidelity first as a Minister then as a private Christian. Paul would not venture it upon the single Testimony of his own Conscience So again Heb. 13.17 They watch for your Souls as they that must give an account Their work is to watch over Souls for their Eternal Salvation if Souls miscarry through their negligence they are answerable to God for it but if they miscarry through their own willfulness the
for an instance to strike an Officer is more than to strike a private man a King more than an ordinary Officer thence it cometh to pass that a sin committed against God doth deserve an infinite punishment because the Majesty of God is infinite and therefore eternal Death is the Wages of sin But on the other side the greatter God is and the more glorious the greater obligation lyeth upon us to love him and serve him and so that good which we do for his sake is the more due and God is not bound by any right or Justice from the merit of the action its self to reward it for here the greatness of the object lesseneth the action for be the creature what he will he oweth his whole self to God who is placed in such a degree of eminence that we can lay no obligation upon him so that he is not bound by his natural Justice to reward us but only inclined so to do by his own goodness and bound so to do by his free promise and covenant of grace Aristotle said well that Children could not merit of their Parents and all their kindness and duty they performed is but a just recompense to them from whom under God they have received their being for right and merit strictly taken is only between those who in a manner are equals if not between Children and Parents certainly not between God and man Well then though sin deserveth punishment yet our good works deserve not their reward That grace which first accepted us with all our faults doth still Crown us and bestow all that honour and Glory which we expect at Christs coming But what respect then have our works to our reward Answer 1. They render us a more capable object of Gods delight and approbation For surely the holy God delighteth in his Faithful Servants Matth. 25.21 Euge bone serve Conformity to his nature and will suiteth more with his holiness than sin and disobedience 2. They qualify us and make us more capable of the rewards of his Gospel Covenant which requireth that we should accept of our Redeemers mercy and return to our obedience and continue in that obedience that the Righteous Judge may put the Crown upon our heads in that day 2. Tim. 4.7 8. 3. Works are produced as the undoubted evidence of a sound Faith they are a demonstration à signis notioribus as most conspicuous and so fit to justify believers before all the World the sprinkling of the Blood on the door posts signifieth there dwell Isralites So such an uniform course of Holiness shews that Faith is rooted in them 4. They are a measure of the degree of the reward for 2. Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Not only Glory but great Glory with great measure So far we may go safely and less we cannot unless we would infring a care of Holiness VSE Oh then let us take heed what we do in the Body whether we sow to the Flesh or the Spirit Let us be sure that our seed be good if we would expect a good crop Now 't is seed time but then is the harvest works will be enquired after 'T is not our voice but hands like as Isaac the voice is Jacobs but the hands are the hands of Esau. Nothing will evidence our sincerity but a uniform constant course of self denying obedience 1. An uniform course it must be A man may force himself into an act or two Saul in a rapture may be among the Prophets A man is Judged by his course and walk A Child of God may be under a strange appearance for an act or so you can no more Judge of them by that than you can Judge of the Glory of a street by a sink or kennel On the otherside men may take on Religion at set times as men in an Ague have their well days the fit of lust or sin is not always upon them Psa. 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Judgment and he that doth Righteousness at all times When a mans Conversation is all of a piece his course is to please God in all places and in all things not by Starts and in good Moods 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin for he is born of God An act of voluntary sin is as monstrous as an Hen to lay the Egg of a Crow many mens lives speak Contradictions Saul at one time puts all the Witches to Death at another time hath recourse with a Witch himself Jehu sheweth his zeal against Ahabs Idolatry but not against Jeroboams 2. Constant. There is a Strait-Gate and a narrow way we must enter one and walk in the other there is making Covenant and keeping Covenant Psal. 103.18 To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule Peace and Mercy shall be upon them and upon the whole Israel of God Faith and obedience are Conditions of Pardon and constant obedience is a Condition of Salvation 3. Self-denyingly acted Good words are not dear Be warmed be cloathed In 1 John 3.16 the Apostle speaketh of laying down our life for the Brethren of opening our hands and bowels for refreshing the hungry and cloathing the naked So proportionably when we take pains to instruct the ignorant exhort the obstinate confirm the weak comfort the afflicted Do you think that Religion lyeth only in hearing Sermons in singing Psalms reading a Chapter or in a few drowsy Prayers or cursory Devotions there are the means but where is the fruit No it lyeth in self denying obedience These are the Acts about which we shall be questioned at the day of Judgment Math. 25. Have you visited have you clothed do you own the Servants of God when the times frown upon them Do you relieve them and comfort them in their distresses Lip labour and Tongue service is a cheap thing and that Religion is worth nothing which costs nothing 1 Sam. 24.24 When we deny ourselves and apparently value Gods interest above our own then our sincerity is most evidenced and every one of us is to consider what interest God calleth him to deny upon the hopes of Glory and whatever it costeth us to be Faithful with God A cheap course of serving God bringeth you none or little comfort certainly a man cannot be thorough in Religion but he will be put upon many occasions of denying himself his ease profit honour and acting contrary to his natural inclinations or Worldly interests those that regard only the safe cheap and easy part do not set up Christs Religion but their own a Christianity of their own making Matth. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me SERMON XVII 2 Cor. 5.10 That every
5.14 Where Adam is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely as Adam was a common Person representing all his Posterity and as his act had a publick influence on all descended from him one was enough to ruine and one enough to save And Christ was as powerful to save as Adam to destroy Yea there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on Christ The value of Adams act depended upon meer institution And Christ was not only instituted but had an intrinsick worth in his person as God Therefore the Apostle saith Not as the offence so also is the free gift verse 15. For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Christ Jesus hath abounded unto many And verse 16 th The Judgment was by one to Condemnation so the free gift is of many offences unto Justification And the 18 verse As by the offence of one the Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to Justification of life And 19 verse As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many were made Righteous So also 1 Cor. 15. Adam and Christ are compared representing both their seeds And we read there of the first Adam and the last Adam verse 45. And the First man and the Second man verse 47. Those two men were all mankind in representation Well then we see Christ sustained our persons and stood in our place and room as Mediator we must look upon him as a Father carrying all his Children on his back or lapped up in his Garment through a deep River through which they must needs pass and as it were saying to them Fear not I will set you safe on Land So are you to look upon Christ with all his Children wading through the Floods of Death and Hell and saying Fear not worm Jacob fear not poor Souls I will set you safe 2. As he took our persons so he took our burden upon himself For we read that he was made sin and made a curse for us 1. Made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him To be made is to be ordained or appointed as Christ made twelve Disciples Mark 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appointed And Jesus Christ is said to be made Lord and Christ Acts 2.38 So Christ was made sin that is ordered and appointed to bear the punishment of sin or to be a Sacrifice for sin Some times the punishment of sin is called sin as Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater than can be born that is the punishment So verse 7 th Sin lyeth at the door that is the punishment is at hand So Christ cometh without sin Heb. 9.28 To bear the sins of many and to them that look for him he shall appear the Second time without sin unto Salvation Not liable any more to bear the punishment of it Sometimes 't is put for a Sacrifice for sin So the Priests are said to eat the sins of the people Hosea 4.8 That is the Sacrifices And Paul saith Rom. 8.3 That by sin he condemned sin in the flesh That is by a sin-offering Well then Christ who knew no sin had no inherent guilt was made sin that is liable and responsible to Gods Justice for our sakes As we are made the Righteousness of God in him so was he made sin for us Not by inhaesion which ariseth from inherent guilt but by imputation or voluntary susception That is took upon himself an obligation to satisfie the demands of Justice for our sakes as if he had said what they owe I will pay 2. Made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ as a Surety did suffer our punishment and indured what we have deserved Isa. 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows The sorrows of the sinner were the sorrows of Christ The law had said cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 Now the sentence or curse of the Law must not fall to the ground For then the end of Gods governing of the World could not be secured his Law would seem to be given in jest and his threatnings would be interpreted to be a vain Scar-crow and the sin of the Creature would not seem so odious a thing if the Law might be transgressed and broken and there were no more ado about it Therefore Christ must come and bear this curse But you will say then that Christ should have suffered Eternal Death and the pains of Hell which were due to us I Ans. He suffered what was equivalent to the pains of Hell So much of the pains of Hell as his holy person was capable of In the curse of the Law we must distinguish the essentials from the accidentals The essentials consist in two things poena damni and poena sensus The poena damni is the loss of Gods presence and the comfortable and happy fruition of him The poena sensus lyeth in falling into the hands of the living God Or being Tormented with his Wrath Now both these Christ indured in some measure He was deserted Matth. 27.26 There was a suspension of all sensible and actual comforts flowing from the God-head and his Soul was filled with a bitter sense of wrath and there he was made heavy unto Death Matth. 26.39 And Isa. 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Which occasioned great agonies Now for the accidentals the place we should for ever have suffered in Hell the prison of the damned but the circumstance was abated to Christ he suffered upon earth One that is bound as a surety for another needeth not go to prison provided that he pay the debt all that Law and Justice requireth is that the Surety pay the debt which if he doth not or cannot do then he must go to prison So here the Justice and Holiness of God must be satisfied but Christ needed not to go into the place of Torment 2. The time of continuance The damned must bear the Wrath of God to all Eternity because they can never satisfie the Justice of God and therefore they must lye by it World without end As one that payeth a thousand pounds by a shilling or a penny a week is a long time in paying the debt whereas a rich and able man layeth it down in cumulo in one heap all at once Or as a payment in Gold taketh up less room than a payment in pence or brass farthings yet the sum is the same Christ made an infinite satisfaction in a finite time and bore that Wrath of God in a few hours which would have overwhelmed the Creatures the Eternity of Wrath is abundantly recompensed in the infiniteness of the Person and the greatness
own selves Christ had more to lose than all Angels and men They said of David 2 Sam. 17.3 Thou art better than ten thousand of us Every mans life is valuble 't is the Creatures best inheritance what was Christs life which was inriched with the continual presence of God 6. This one to dye so willingly Psa. 40.7 Lo I come to do thy will You cannot Meditate enough on these places Pro. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and my delights were with the Sons of men And Isa. 53.11 He shall see of the travail of his Soul and be satisfied He had contentment enough in the Father right enough to the Creatures rich in all the Glory of the God-head what need had he to become man and die for sinners but only that he loved us and gave himself for us for me and thee Gal. 2.20 7. That he should die such a painful and accursed death He bore the iniquities of us all Isa. 53.6 The little finger of sin is heavier than the loins of any other trouble David that bore his own sins cryed out Psa. 38.4 They are a burden too heavy for me What was it for him to bear the iniquities of us all This made his Soul heavy to death filled up with such bitter agonies that he did sweat drops of blood Alas sometimes we feel what 't is to bear one sin what is it to bear many To bear all He did not only bear them in his body but in his Soul this put him upon tears and fears and amazement Now is my Soul troubled what shall I say John 12.27 As to bodily pains many of the Martyrs suffered more and with cheerful minds But Christ stood in the place of sinners before Gods tribunal Well then you see what a powerful Argument this is to breed and feed love 3. How this Argument is suited to breed that love which God expects even a thankful return of obedience 'T is proper for that purpose 1. From the end of Christs death Which was to sanctify us Eph. 5.25 26 27. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he mighty sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of Water through the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish And Titus 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people Not only redeem us from wrath but redeem us from sin to restore the Image of God which we had lost as well as his favour Now unless we would have Christ to be frustrate of his end and die in vain we should endeavour to be holy did he die for sin that we might take liberty to practice it come to unloose our cords that we might tye them the faster pay our debt that we might run on upon a new score Make us whole that presently we might fall sick or give us an antidote that we might the more freely venture to poison our selves No this is to play the wanton with his grace 2. The right which accrueth to our Redeemer by vertue of the price paid for us When a slave was bought with Silver and Gold his strength and life and all belonged to the buyer Exod. 21.21 He is his money So we are purchased by Christ redeemed to God Rev. 5.9 And we are bound to him that bought us to serve him in righteousness and holiness all our days Luke 1.74 To glorify him in our bodys and Souls which are his 1 Cor. 6.20 3. The pardon ensuing and depending on his death 'T is that God may be more loved reverenced feared and obeyed Psa. 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Luke 7.47 She loved much because much was forgiven to her They are bound to love most to whom most is forgiven Psa. 85.8 For he will speak peace to his people but let them not return to folly The remission of sins past is not for a permission of sin to come but a great bridle and restraint to it His mercy in remitting should not make us more licentious in committing otherwise we build again the things we have destroyed when we sought for pardon sin was the greatest burden which lay upon our consciences the wound that pained us at heart the disease our Souls were sick of and shall that which we complained of as a burden become our delight shall we tare open our wounds which are in a fair way of healing And run into bonds and chains again after we are freed of them 4. The greatness of Christs sufferings sheweth the hainousness and filthiness of sin 'T was Gods design to make sin hateful to us by Christs agonies blood shame and death Rom. 8.3 By sin he condemned sin in the flesh That is by a sin offering God shewed a great example of his wrath by that punishment which lighted upon our Surety or the flesh of Christ his design was for ever to leave a brand upon it by his sin offering or ransom for Souls Now shall we make light of that which cost Christ so dear And cherish those sins which put our Redeemer to grief and shame If the stain and filthiness of sin could not be washed out but by the blood of Christ shall we think it no great matter to pollute and defile our selves therewith This were to crucify Christ afresh Heb. 6. And to trample the blood of the covenant under foot Heb. 10.24 5. The terribleness of Gods wrath which can be appeased by no other sacrifice And shall not we reverence this wrath so as not to dare to kindle it again by our sins for 't is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 Christs Instance sheweth that for if this be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry 6. But the great argument of all is a grateful sense of our obligation to God and Christ. For God so loved the World that when nothing else was fit for our turn he sent is Son and his Son loved us and gave himself to die for us Where we see the love of God putting forth its self for our help in the most astonishing way that can be imagined this is such an ingaging instance so much surpassing our thoughts that we cannot sufficiently admire it A mystery without controversy great We may find out words to paint out any thing that man can do to us or for us The garment may be wider than the body But things truly great strike us dumb God being the chiefest good would act in a way suitable to the greatness of his love Therefore let us love him and delight in him who hath called together all the depths of his wisdom and counsel to save a company of forlorn sinners in such a way whereby his wrath may be appeased his Law satisfyed and full contentment
If Christ came to save sinners I am sinner enough for Christ to save creeping in at the back-door of a promise God hath opened the way for all if they perish 't is through their own default He hath sent Messengers into the World Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned And if you are within hearing the Gospel you have more cause to hope than to scruple Acts 13.26 To you is the word of salvation sent Not brought but sent Know it for thy good Job 5.27 And rowse up your selves what shall we say to these things Rom. 8.39 If God be for us who can be against us 4. Though weak in faith and love to God yet Christ died one for all The best have not a more worthy Redeemer then the worst of sinners Go preach the Gospel to every creature Exod. 30.15 The Rich and Poor have the same ransom 1 Cor. 1.2 Jesus Christ theirs and ours And Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference And 2 Pet. 1.1 To them who have obtained like precious faith with us A Jewel received by a Child and a Giant 't is the same Jewel So strong and weak faith are built upon one and the same righteousness of Christ. 2. Let us devote our selves to God in the sense of this love to walk before him in all thankful obedience Christ hath born our burden and in stead thereof offered his burden which is light and easie he took the curse upon him but we take his yoke Mat. 11.29 He freely accepted the work of Mediatour Heb. 10.7 Will you as freely return to his service SERMON XXVIII 2 Cor. 5.14 Then were all dead WE have handled the intensiveness of Christs love he died the extent how for all is to be interpreted now the fruit dying to sin and living to righteousness The first in this last clause Then were all dead not carnally in sin but mystically in Christ dead in Christ to sin In the Original the words run thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not dead in regard of the merits of sin but dead in the merits of Christ for the Apostle speaketh here of death and life with reference and correspondence to Christs death and resurrection as the original pattern of them in which sense we are said to die when Christ died for us and to live when he rose again 2. He speaketh of such a death as is the foundation of the Spiritual life he died for them then were all dead and he died for them that they might live to him that died for them and rose again Our translation seemeth to create a prejudice to this exposition were dead in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all died or all are dead that is to sin the World and self interesâ—s And besides it seemeth to be difficult to understand how all Believers were dead when Christ died since most were not then born and had no actual existence in the World and after they are converted they feel much of the power of sin in themselves Ans. They are comprized in Christs act done in their name as if they were actually in being and consenting to what he did In short they are dead mystically in Christ because he undertook it Sacramentally in themselves because by submitting to baptism they bind themselves and profess themselves ingaged to mortify sin Actually they are dead because the work at first conversion is begun which will be carryed on by degrees till sin be utterly extinguished Doct. That when Christ died all Believers were dead in him to sin and to the World 'T is the Apostles inference then were all dead The expression should not seem strange to us for there are like passages scattered every where throughout the Word 1. Therefore I shall shew you first that this truth is asserted in Scripture 2. I will shew you how all can be said to be dead since all were not then born and had no actual existence in the World 3. How they can be said to be dead to sin and the World since after conversion they feel so many carnal motions 4. What use the death of Christ hath to this effect to make us die to sin and the World 1. That this truth is asserted in Scripture To this end I shall propound and explain some places The first is Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should no longer serve sin In that place observe 1. The notions by which sin is set forth 'T is called by the names of the old man and the body of sin and simply and nakedly possibly by the old man natural corruption may be intended by the body of sin the whole mass of our acquired evil customs by sin actual transgression Or take them for one and the same thing diversly expressed in-dwelling sin is called an old man A man it is because it spreadeth its self throughout the whole man The Soul for Gen. 6.5 't is said every Imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually The Body Rom. 6.19 As you have yielded up your members Servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity And 't is called an old man as grace is called a new man and a new creature and it is so called because it is of long standing it had its rise at Adams fall Rom. 5.12 Whereas by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin so that death passed upon all because all had sinned And it hath ever been conveyed since from Father to Son unto all descending from Adam Psa. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me So that 't is born and bred with us And Partly because in the godly 't is upon the declining hand and draweth towards its final ruine and expiration De jure 't is an old antiquated thing not to be cherished but subdued De facto 't is upon declining and weakning more and more And this old man is afterwards called the body of sin the whole Mass of habitual sins composed of divers evil qualities as the body of divers members this is our enemy 2. Observe in the place the priviledge that we have by Christs Death That our old man was crucified with him That is when Christ was crucified And the Apostle would have us know this and lay it up as a sure principle in our hearts the meaning is then there was a foundation laid for the destruction of sin when Christ dyed namely as there was a merit and a price paid and if ever our old man be crucified it must be by vertue of Christs death 3. Observe the way how this merit cometh to be applyed to us Something there must be done on Gods part in that expression that the body
of sin may be destroyed Which intimateth the communicating of the Spirit of grace for weakning the power love and life of sin And something done on our part that henceforth we should not serve sin There was a time when we served sin but being converted we changed Masters as the Apostle saith Rom. 6.18 Being made free from sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness Now he that hath been Servant to a hard and cruel Master is the better trained up to be diligent and faithful in the service of a gentle loving and bountiful Master Before regeneration every one of us pleased the flesh but when our eyes are opened by grace we see the folly mischief and unprofitableness of such a course and therefore can the better brook another service which will be more comfortable and profitable to us And in this new estate we do as little service for Sin as formerly we did for Righteousness Rom. 6.20 When you were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness when Righteousness had no power and dominion over you had no share in your time strength thoughts affections endeavours you took no care made no conscience of doing that which was truly good you must now as strictly abstain from Sin as then you did from Righteousness yea you must do as much for grace as formerly you did for sin verse 19 th As you have yielded your members Servants unto uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity So now yield your members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness As watchful as earnest as industrious to perfect holiness The next place is that 1 Pet. 4.1 For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin In that place there are three things notable 1. The ground and foundation of the Apostles Argument 2dly The exhortation built thereon 3dly The reason connecting and joyning both 1. The foundation of his Argument is that Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh That is hath in our name and nature suffered the wrath due to us for sin 2. The inference of duty built thereon as that we should arm our selves with the same mind That is we must follow and imitate Christ also in suffering in the flesh Or which is all one a dying unto sin This should be armour of proof to us against all Temptations If we had the same mind that he had or could put on the same resolution to wit to suffer in the flesh or crucify our carnal nature lusts and passions Strongly resolve to desist from sin for which Christ hath suffered how pleasant soever it be to our flesh 3. The reason which joyneth both the Argument and Inference of duty together for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin This last clause cannot be understood of Christ who never sinned but of the believer how shall we understand it of him How hath he suffered in the flesh And so ceased from sin There are two expositions of it First thus One that hath suffered in the flesh that is is crucified in his carnal nature hath mortified his flesh it hath not respect to suffering afflictions but mortifying of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath ceased from sin no more to serve it henceforward that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the lusts of the flesh but according to the will of God This exposition inferreth it from Christs sufferings for us that our mortification is in correspondence and conformity to Christs Death And as necessarily flowing from the vertue of his cross and the obligation left thereby on all believers But the Second exposition maketh it clearer thus The believer is reckoned a sufferer in Christ He hath suffered in the flesh when Christ suffered judicially in his Surety whatever sufferings were inflicted on Christ the same are reckoned as inflicted on believers And so to have ceased from sin in regard of Christs undertaking to make him cease from it And the obligation which Christ suffering in his room putteth upon him to mortifie it The matter is as certain as if it were already done Another place is that Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ. There are three Propositions included in that short speech That Christ is crucified that we are crucified that we are crucified with Christ. It doth not imply any fellowship with him in the act of his Mediation there he was only taken but we are spared As Isaac was dismissed when the Ram was taken for an offering Gen. 22. And God saith Job 33.24 Deliver him from going down to the pâ—t for I have found a ransom Or as Christ told his persecutors John 18.8 If therefore ye seek me let these go their way His offering himself in that sort was a pledge of his offering himself to the curse of the Law and punishment due to sin to exempt us from it What then doth our being crucified with Christ signify It implyeth our participation of the benefits of his Mediation as if we were crucified in our own Persons 4. Considerations will clear it to you 1. That Christ in dying did not stand as a private but publick person in the place and room of all the Elect for he is their Surety 2. That the benefits which are purchased in his Cross and Passion are thereby made ours as if we had been crucified in our own persons We are really made partakers of the fruits of Christs Death 3. The great benefit of his cross or Sacrifice of himself was to put away sin Heb 9.26 4. Sin is put away either as to the removal of the guilt of it Matth. 26.28 This is the Blood of the New Testament which was shed for many for the remission of sins Or for subduing the strength of it 1 Pet. 2.24 He bore our sins in his own Body upon the tree That he being dead unto sin might live unto Righteousness He dyed not only to obtain forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God But that we might die unto sin So that his redeemed ones are strictly urged to mortify sin Because the old man of indwelling corruption did receive the stroke of death by his death So that either in point of Justification when Justice challengeth us for sins we may send it to Christ who died one for all may plead I am crucified in Christ he hath satisfied for me Or in point of Sanctification we may in the way which God hath appointed expect the subduing of sin as if we had merited this grace our selves 'T is a great advantage when we can say I am crucified with Christ. The next place is that Col. 3.3 5. Ye are dead therefore mortify 'T is spoken as a thing done already ye are dead yet there is a thing to be further done therefore mortify But how are we dead Partly in regard of the certainty to assure us it shall be done And Partly
to oblige us the more strongly to endeavour it And Partly because we have consented to this obligation in Baptism All the members of the Church have ingaged themselves to imploy the death and strength of Christ for the subduing of sin they are dead as they have upon this incouragement undertaken its death and in part already begun it 2. How all can be said to be dead when Christ died Since most of the Elect were not then born or yet in being Answer 1. When Christ was upon the cross be sustained the relation of our head or Common Person 'T was not in his own name that he appeared before Gods Tribunal but in ours not as a private but as a publick person So that when he was crucified all believers were crucified in him for the act of a Common Person is the act of every particular Person represented by him As a Knight or Burgess in Parliament serveth for his whole Borrough and Country Now that Christ was such a Common Person appeareth plainly by this that Christ was that to us in grace what Adam was to us in nature or sin The First Adam was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5. â—4 The figure of him that was to come And Christ is called the Second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 The Second Common Person So that as we had a death in sin from the First Adam so a death to sin from the Second As we stood in Adam in Paradise so we stood in Christ upon the Cross Adams act in Paradise was in effect ours In Adam we all died 1 Cor. 15.21 So Christs act was in effect ours In Christ we all died Spiritually and mystically Adam did as it were lend his Body in Paradise we saw the forbidden fruit with his eyes gathered it with his hands eat it with his mouth that is we were ruâ—ned by these things as if we had been by and actually consented to his sin So in Christs representation on the Cross all believers are concerned as if they had been by and actually present and had been crucified in their own Persons and born the punishment of their own sins for all this was done in their name and â—ead that they might have the benefit 2. Christ was on the Cross not only as a Common Person but as a Surety and Vndertaker I say in his death there was not only a Satisfaction for sin but an obligation to destroy it There was an undergoing and an undertaking As he is set out in the Scripture under the notion of a Second Adam So also of a Surety Heb. 7.22 Christ is called the Surety of a better Testament Now he was a Surety mutually on Gods part and ours First he was to ingage for us to God and in the name of God ingaged himself to us The tenor of both ingagements is in Rom. 6.6 That the body of death should be destroyed that we should from thenceforth no longer serve sin Assoon as we consent to this stipulation this taketh effect On Gods part Christ undertook to destroy the body of sin by the Power of his Spirit which should be given to us to become a principle of Life in us and of death to our old man Titus 3.5 More particularly we mortify the deeds of the body by the help of the Spirit Rom. 8.13 The Holy-Ghost when he reneweth the heart puts into it a principle and seed of Enmity against sin 1 John 3.9 He cannot sin because the seed abideth in him And as that is cherished obeyed sin is resisted and mortified And he actuateth and quickeneth it yet more and more that it may prevail against the sin which dwelleth in us 2dly As our Surety he undertook that we should no longer serve sin that we should not willingly indulge any presumptuous acts nor slavishly lye down in any habit or course of sin Or under the power of any arnal distemper but also should use all godly endeavours for the preventing weakning or subduing it Christs act being the act of a Surety he did oblige all the Parties interessed he purchased grace at Gods hands and bound us to use all holy means of watching striving humiliation cutting off the provisions of the flesh avoiding occasions weaning the heart from earthly things which are the bait and fuel of sin that keep it alive 3. Our consent to this ingagement is actually given when we are converted and solemnly ratified in Baptism 1. 'T is actually given when we are converted Rom. 6.13 As those that are alive from the dead yield your selves to God and your members as instruments of righteousness to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapons we then give up our selves to work and first as to do his work so to war in his warfare against the Devil the World and the flesh Till the merit of Christs death be applyed by faith to the hearts of sinners they are alive to sin but dead to righteousness but then they are dead to sin and alive to righteousness and as alive from the dead and then yield up themselves to serve and please God in all things 2dly That this is solemnly done or implyed in Baptism For when we were baptized into Christ we were baptized into his death Rom. 6.3 4 5. In Baptism we did by solemn vow and profession bind our selves to look after the effects of Christs death to mortify the deeds of the body or which is all one renounce the Devil the World and the flesh The Devil as the great architect and principle of all wickedness the World as the great bait and snare the flesh as the rebelling principle Our Baptism is certainly an avowed death to sin it implieth a renunciation by way of vow for 't is the answer of a good conscience towards God And the ancient covenants were made by way of question and answer 1 Pet. 3.21 The very washing implieth it washing is a purifying and after purifying we must not return to this mire again 2 Pet. 1.19 He hath forgotten he was purged from his old sins We promised to give over our old sins or as 't is our first ingrafting and implanting into Christ and his death if when we are baptized we are reckoned to be dead The death of Christ was mainly to put away sin and to take away sin 1 John 3.5 And Heb. 9.26 Now sins were not taken away that men may resume and take them up again The great condemnation of the Christian world is that when Christ would take away their sins they will not part with their sins 3dly How they can be dead to sin and the World since after conversion they feel so many carnal motions Ans. 1. By consenting to Christs ingagement they have bound themselves to dye unto sin When we gave up our names to Christ we promised to cast off sin and therefore we are to reckon our selves as dead to â—in by our own vow and obligation and accordingly to behave our selves Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead
Sin and the World Page 181 When Christ died all Believers died to sin in him Page 177 How those that were not then born were said to be dead to Sin when Christ died Page 179 How to improve the Death of Christ for the mortifying of Sin Page 182 Pardon of Sin is chiefly eyed in the Death of Christ. Page 230 Defects and failings of Christians to be bewailed Page 165 We are to labour to get ground of them Page ib. Desiring Christ. Why the Soul desires to be with Christ. Page 54 What hinders these Desires Page 55 v. Presence with Christ in Heaven Desire of Death Death not simply to be desired Page 24 What Desires of Death are lawful Page 24 34 Desire of Death ariseth from Assurance Page 70 Whether all Christians must desire Death Page 24 The Holiness to Regulated Desires of Death Page 35 Desire of Heaven None can desire Heaven but those that are clothed with a Gospel Righteousness Page 28 Determination a great help in Religion Page 175 Difficulties of Obedience how sweetned Page 73 Dominion of God his Title to it Page 86 Dying to Sin our consent to it given at Conversion and ratified in Baptism Page 180 How Believers may be said to be dead to Sin since there are so many carnal motions after Conversion Page ib. The Influence Christ's Death hath on our dying to Sin v. Death of Christ. E. EArnest the Nature of it Page 42 The difference between an Earnest and a Pledge Page 43 Earnest of the Spirit what it is Page 42 The Vse and End of it Page 43 Enemies all men by Nature are Enemies to God Page 217 244 The several Kinds of Enmity against God Page 217 244 245 God's Enemies carry on a War against him Page 246 God is an Enemy to carnal men Page 247 Wherein this Enmity of God is seen Page ib. It is a dreadful thing to have God an Enemy Page ib. End ultimate and subordinate Page 133 How to know what is our main End Page 77 The End varieth the Nature of the Action Page 136 Esteem of God the Effects of it Page 155 Esteem A Christian is not religiously to esteem others for external carnal advantages Page 194 The Reasons of it Page 195 Excellency of Heaven wherein it appears Page 38 Execution of the last Sentence will be certain speedy and unavoidable Page 107 Why the Sentence shall be certainly executed Page 107 The Sentence shall be executed on the wicked first Page ib. The Execution of the last Sentence shall be terrible F. FAith the objects of Faith Page 56 How it works as to another World Page 17 Faith goeth on certain grounds Page 59 How it should be rowzed up with reference to the promised Glory Page 17 Walking by Faith v. Walking Faith and Sight opposed to one another Page 56 Faith is for Earth Sight for Heaven Page 58 Till we have Sight it is an advantage that we have Faith Page 58 What relief Faith yields us in this World till we have Sight Page 59 If we have Faith we shall have Sight Page ib. Those that have Faith are not satisfied till they have Sight Page ib. Faith hath its Sights Page ib. Faith in Christ what it includes in it Page 255 256 Faith and Repentance Repentance respects God Faith Christ. Page 224 Both are wrought by the Word and acted in Prayer Page Ib. Fall of Man all mankind Fell in Adam Page 216 Fear Causes of Fear Page 111 Terror of the Lord ground of Fear v. Terror Page 110 Fear of future Iudgment how raised in us Page 114 Fear of Wrath and Love of God how consistent Page 113 Fitness for Heaven what it is Page 39 41 Gradual Fitness is to be lookt after Page 40 Fools carnal men are Fools v. Madness Page 126 127 Free Grace manifested at the day of Iudgment Page 98 Friendship between God and Mâ—â— in a State of Innocency Page 216 How this Friendship was broâ—en off Page lb. Fury of wicked Men in their sins Page 127 G. GArment Gospel Righteousness a Garment to cover our nakedness Page 28 Glory of God A Christian is in all things to aim at the Glory of God Page 130 We are to Glorifie God in all Relations and Conditions of Life and with all our Talents Page 135 136 I Indifferent actions God's Glory is to be our end Page 131 Actions that tend to our dishonour should not be omitted when God's Glory calls for them Page 133 Whether in every action a Christian is always bound to have actual thoughts of the Glory of God Page 132 Why the Glory of God is to be our Great end Page 128 133 139 Believers are fitted for Glorifying God as Men and as renewed Page 134 135 Aim at God's Glory ariseth from Love to God Page 131 How to know whether we Glorify God Page 140 Exhortation to Glorify God Page 137 Motâ—ves to Glorify God Page 138 Directions to Glorify God Page 139 Glory of God and good of the Church conjoyned Page 131 Glory of all that Grace that fits us for Heaven is to be given to God Page 41 Goodness of God the mercies of daily Providence declare much of God's Goodness Page 153 Gospel why called the Word of Reconciliation and why the Ministry of Reconciliation Page 234 To whom the dispensation of it is committed Page 234 Governour our Governour must be our Iudge Page 87 Grace the change that Grace makes in a Man Page 130 Acts of Grace easily discernable by a mans own Conscience Page 119 Habitual and actual Grace what Page 211 Groaning for Heaven the Reasons of it Page 20 Directions to stir it up Page 25 v. Desire of Heaven H. HAppiness Eternal why it is delayed Heart New v. New Heart Page 42 Heaven the Certainty of it v. Certainty Page 8 The Excellency of Heaven Page 38 Fitness for Heaven v. Fitness Why Believers are not presently admitted to Heaven upon Conversion Page 42 58 Hiding sin men naturally love to hide their sins from God men and themselves Page 96 God's people are subject to it Page ib. Why men endeavour to hide their sins Page ib. The folly of it Page ib. Holiness in God and in man how it differs Page 84 85 Holiness of Christ as God and as man v. Innocency of Christ. Page ib. Holiness of God manifested at the day of Iudgment Page 97 Home a Christian is not at Home while he is in the Body V. Strangers Page 50 Reasons of it Page Ib. God's Children are not at Home till they come to Heaven Page 54 Hope of Heaven the kinds of it Page 18 Expressed in Scripture by looking and longing Page 18 House State of Glory called a House Page 4 20 What a kind of House this is Page 5 Hypocrites the Reasons of the decay of their seeming Love to God Page 156 I. IMpediments that hinder man's turning to God Page 236 The Word of God a proper remedy to remove them Page 237 Imputation Non-Imputation of sin what is
of an infinite and unlimited Dignity and Authority how could the punishment of the Body by Death be proportionable to the offence committed against an infinite God An outrage done to the supream Majesty of Princes is punished more than an Offence against an inferiour person therefore there must be a time when the Body shall be raised to be capable of such a Punishment Besides how could the Soul be compleatly happy since 't was made for a Body if it should alwayes remain a Widow and never meet with its old mate again 2. It argueth from the Providence of God There are many Judgments that are Pledges that God will at length judge the World for sin as the Drowning of the old World the Burning of Sodom the Destruction of Jerusalem these are a document and proof what God will do to the rest of ungodly ones for they are set forth as an ensample Jude v. 7. The force of the Argument lyeth in this that God is the same still in one mind who can turn him he hateth the sin of one as well as the other in all his dispensations he is alwayes consonant and like himself Gal. 3.20 If he would not put up the sins of the old World he will not put off the Iniquities of the new if he punished Sodom he will punish others that sin in like manner for he is not grown more indulgent to sin than he was before Therefore if it be not now there will be a time when he will call them to an account and reckoning When Man first sinned God did not immediately execute the Sentence against him but gave him time of Repentance 'till he dyed and since he giveth every man time and space he would not have all the World be born at once and die at once but to live in several successions of Ages from Father to Son in divers Generations 'till he cometh to the period which Providence hath fixed Now as he reckoneth with every man particularly at Death so with all the world at the end of time Particular Judgments shew that God is not asleep nor unmindful of humane affairs but the general Judgment is referred 'till then 3. From the feelings of Conscience After sin committed men tremble though there be none to call them to an account as when the sin is secret and the person powerfull Conscience is under a dread of divine Justice and the solemn Process and Triumph which one day it must have hence Conscience is sensible Rom. 2.8 Felix trembled when Paul reasoned of Judgment to come Acts 24.25 There are hidden fears in the Conscience which is soon revived and awakened by the thought of this day Every guilty person is a Prisoner to Divine Justice and being held in the invisible chains of Conscience standeth in dread of a great and general Assize 4. The Conveniency of such a day 1. To vindicate Truth and Honesty from the false Judgment of the World The best Cause is often oppressed there needeth a review of things by an higher Court that that which is good may be restored to its publick Honour and evil may receive its proper Shame Christ will convince the World of his Love to the Saints when he cometh to be admired in them 2 Thes. 1.10 and when their Faith is found to Praise and Glory 1 Pet. 1.7 Thus shall it be done to the men whom Christ will honour proclaim their Pardon adorn them with Grace introduce them into their everlasting Habitations and this in the eyes of the scorning wicked as that Noble man Thine eyes shall see it but not taste of it then for their everlasting Confusion their Crimes shall be repeated in the ears of all the World and their false appearances shall be refuted 2. That the Counsels and Courses of Gods manifold Wisdom and Justice may be solemnly applauded We now view Providence by pieces but then the whole Context and coherence of it shall be set together and the full History of all the world produced before the Saints 3. Such a coming is necessary that God may fit us with all kind of Arguments against sin and so a restraint will be put upon the heart against it many times sin and wickedness is acted in secret Eccles. 12.14 God will bring every work into the Judgment with every secret thought whether it be good or evil And 1 Cor. 4.5 Christ will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Counsels of the Heart Many make no Conscience of secret sins and if they make Conscience of Acts yet not of thoughts yet according to Christs Theology Malice is Heart-murther lustful inclinations Heart-adultery Mind-imaginations are Heart-Idolatry There may be a great deal of evil in a discontented thought against Providence Psa. 73.22 He that sinneth secretly is conscious to himself that he doth evil and therefore seeketh a vail and covering Men are unjust in secret unclean in secret envious in secret declaim against Gods Children in secret neglect Duty in secret sensual in secret afraid that men should know it yet not afraid of the great God Man cannot damn us man cannot fill our Consciences with everlasting burnings Now that we may be ashamed to commit those sins before God the day of Judgment is appointed to set these sins in order before us Psa. 50.22 I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Secondly If it be doubtful to Reason 't is sure to Faith Faith sheweth he will come The light of Faith is more certain and more distinct More certain because it buildeth upon a divine testimony which is more infallible than the ghesses of Reason and yields us a more compendious way to confute Atheism than our arguings by which we are often entangled 'T is so for God hath said it And 't is more distinct Nature could never find out the circumstances of that day It only apprehendeth the coming of a Judge but by whom this Judgment shall be managed in what quality he shall come as a Bridegroom and Lord and Husband of the Church it knoweth nothing In what manner he shall proceed and with what Company and Attendance all this we have from special Revelation Faith argueth 1. From Christs merit and purchase Would he buy us at so dear a rate and cast us off so lightly as to come no more at us surely he that came to Redeem us will come to save us if he came to suffer he will come to triumph Faith seeing Christ upon the Cross determineth I shall see him in the Clouds Would he be at all this cost and preparation for nothing and purchase what he never meant to possess It cannot be if he came from Heaven upon the one errand will he not come upon the other Surely Christ will not lose all this pains he hath taken to purchase to himself a People 2. Faith argueth from Christs Affection to us which is very great Christ is not gone in anger but about business to set all
brake in pieces the Image and cut down the Groves and defiled their Places with the bones of Men. Infants were burnt there with horrible Cries And Screeches and sound of Drums and Tabrets and other Instruments to drown the Noise And those that were condemned were burnt in that Valley as also the Bones of Malefactors Now to the Piles of Wood and the Piles continually burning there doth the Prophet allude This was represented in Sodom's Burning as a Type as the Drowning of the World was a Figure of Christ's coming to Judgment The Burning of the Sacrifice which in the Interpretation of the Law was the Sinner himself was the Figure of it 2. Now come we to the New-Testament There are Places without number 'T is sometimes represented by Fire where we read of a Furnace of Fire Matth. 13.42 And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth God's Wrath is compared in the Old-Testament to a fiery Oven where the contracted Flame appeareth most dreadful Sometimes to a Lake of Fire Revel 19.20 And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the Mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image both these were cast into a Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone At other times 't is compared to a Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also be â—â—nt and preached to the Spirits that are in Prison Or to a Bottomless Pit Revel 9.11 And they had a King over them which is the Angel of the Bottomless-Pit There is Darkness and Chains and Gaoler and Judge The Chains of Invincible Providence and their own horrible Despair There is no making an Escape But of this more hereafter So that unless we will count God a Liar there is such a Place of Torment provided 2. Ask Men. The blind Nations had a Sense of Eternity and Fancies of an Heaven and Hell Elizian Fields and obscure Mansions and Places of Torment There are some Relicks of his Truth in the corrupt Doctrine of the Gentiles But we need not go so far back as Tradition look to Conscience Wicked Men find in themselves an apprehension of Immortality and Punishment after Death Râ—â— 1.32 Who knowing the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death Reason sheweth that he that perfectly hateth sin will perfectly punish it not in this life for abominable sinners are many times prosperous here Justice is not discovered to the utmost therefore guilty Conscience presageth there is more evil to come There is much in these presages of Conscience especially when we are more serious however they dissemble the matter when well Heb. 2.15 And deliver them from the fear of death who all their life-time were subject to bondage Yet when they come to die when they are entring upon the confines of Eternity then they cannot hide their fears any longer Oh! the horrours and terrours of wicked men when they lie a dying if ever men may be believed 't is then 3. The Devils are Orthodox in this point for Jyudges There are no Atheists in Hell Matth. 8.29 And behold they cryed out saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come to torment us before the time They know there is a time when they shall be in greater torment than now they are therefore if we will take Gods Word or Authentick Record for it or Mans word when he is not in a case to Dissemble or the Devils word there is a Hell or everlasting Torments prepared for the wicked Obj. 1. But is it not an everlasting abode under Death and to make it the more terrible to vulgar capacities expressed by Eternal Fire I Answer This were to make Christ a Deceiver indeed and to publish his Doctrine with a lye or an handsome fraud But clearly 1. There is a state of Torment as well as a state of Death 'T is true 't is called the Second Death because deprived of Eternal Life which is the only true Life and because 't is worse than the temporal Death better never been born Matth. 26.24 It had been good for that man he had never been born He doth not say It had been good but it had been good for that man If only Death and Annihilation were in it what sense would there be in this Speech Therefore there is a lively and effectual sense of the Wrath of God Besides the Consciences of wicked men feareth and presageth other kind of Punishment from Gods Wrath or else why are they most troubled when they come to dye why is it so dreadful a thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10.31 We are mortal Creatures but God is a living God why should the Eternity of God make his Wrath terrible but that there is a fear of an eternal subsistence on our part also we read of many and fewer stripes Luk. 12.47 48. Math. 11.22 It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment than for you If it be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you torments are measured out by proportion according to our sins and means of Grace that we have enjoyed but not improved 2. There is a place of Torment a local Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 16.28 This place of torment And Judas went to his own place Acts 1.25 As in all Common-wealths the Prince hath not only his Palace but his Prison it must be somewhere for the wicked are somewhere God keepeth it secret with wise Councel because he will exercise our Faith and not our Sense Job 38.17 Have the gates of Death been opened to thâ—e or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of Death This is one of the secrets of Providence Obj. 2. But how can it stand with Gods Love and Mercy to punish his Creature for ever Our Bowels are troubled if we should hear the howling of a Dog in a fiery Furnace for a small space of time Now God is Love its self 1 Joh. 4.8 therefore surely he will not damn his Creature to everlasting torments I Answer Man is not fit to fix the bounds of Gods Mercy but the Lord himself therefore take these considerations 1. Gods Punishments may stand with his Mercy 'T is very notable in one place 't is said Heb. 10.31 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God But in another place 't is said 2 Sam. 24.14 I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hands of the Lord for his Mercies are great The one noteth God Angry the other God Appeased When God hath been long upon a treaty of Love Patience abused is turned into Fury The one sheweth what God is in himself Love Sweetness Mercy the other what he is when provoked The Sea in its self is smooth and calm but when the Winds and Tempests arise how dreadfully
be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own Pleasure but he for our Profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness The Apostle argueth à minori ad majus None can be such a Father as the Lord so wise as he so loving as he God putteth on all Relations He hath the Bowels of a Mother the Wisdom of a Father He is a Mother for tenderness of Love Isa. 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee A Father for Wisdom and Care Mat. 6.31 32. Take no thought saying What shall we eat c. for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Earthly Parents sometimes chastise their Children out of meer Passion at least there is some mixture of Corruption but the Lord's Dispensations are managed with much Love and Judgment Therefore say as Christ John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink of it It is a bitter Cup but it cometh from the Hand of a Father our Father gave it us and our Elder Brother began it to us we should love the Cup the better ever since Christ's Lips touched it 2. With Hope When we are perplexed we should not be in despair but sustain our selves under our great Hopes 1 John 3.2 Now we are the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be We have the Right of Children though afflicted our Estate and Patrimony is in the Heavens An Heir in his Nonage is under Tutors and Governors He is born to a great Possession but kept under a severe Discipline The Hour is come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Hour 1. That Hour which was defined in God's Decrees set down and appointed by the Council of the Trinity not by Fate or any Necessity of the Stars but by God's wise Providence and Ordination No Man could take Christ till his Hour was come John 7.30 Then they sought to take him but no Man laid hands on him because his Hour was not yet come But when this Hour was come the Son of God was brought under the power of Men and liable to the Assaults of Devils Therefore he saith Luke 22.53 This is your Hour and the Power of Darkness No Calamity can touch us without God's Will The Hour the Measure all the Circumstances of Sufferings fall under the Ordination of God It is not only a General Ordinance that we shall suffer Affliction the Apostle mentioneth that 1 Thess. 3.3 Let no Man be moved by this Affliction for your selves know that you were thereunto appointed It is the Ordinance of God that the Way to Heaven should lie through an howling Wilderness All the Saints in Heaven knew no other Road Afflictions seem one of the Way-marks But we speak now of another Appointment of determinating all the Circumstances of the Affliction the Time the Measure the Instruments It is the Comfort of a Christian that nothing can befal him but what his Father will A Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without our Heavenly Father Mat. 10.29 The wise Lord hath brewed our Cup and moulded and shaped every Cross. All the ounces of Gall and Wormwood are weighed out by a wise Decree and our Cup is tempered by God's own Hand We storm many times because of such and such Accidents and Circumstances of the Cross as if we would have God ask our Vote and Advice and as if our Opinion were a better Ballance wherein to weigh things than Divine Providence Providence reacheth to every particular Accident Your Doom was long since written such a Vessel of Mercy shall be thus and thus broached and pierced every Wound and Sorrow is numbred 2. That Hour which was determined and foretold in the Prophecies God doth all things in fit Seasons he hath his Days and Hours Daniel understood by Books the number of the Years Dan. 9.2 Habak 2.3 The Vision is for an appointed time It easeth the Heart of much distraction when we consider there is a Period fixed There is a Clock with which Providence keepeth Time and Pace and God himself setteth it It is good for us to wait the Lord's Leisure God himself waiteth as well as we Isa. 30.18 He waiteth that he may be gracious He letteth the course of Causes run on till the fit Hour and Moment of Execution be come when he may discover himself with most advantage to his Glory and the Comfort of his Servants and God waiteth with as much earnestness as you do I speak after the manner of Men Isa. 16. 14. But now hath the Lord spoken saying Within three Years as the Years of an Hireling and the Glory of Moab shall be contemned c. as the Hireling waiteth for the Time of his Freedom and when he is to receive his Wages Moab was a bitter Enemy Therefore let us wait John 8.7 Your Times are always ready but my Time is not yet come We draw Draughts of Providence with the Pencil of Fancy and then confine God to the Circle of our own Thoughts as if he must be always ready at our Hours 3. The Hour is come the Sufferings of God's People are very short To our Sense and Feeling they seem long because Carnal Affections are soon tired but the Word doth not reckon by Centuries and Years but Moments Psal. 30.5 Weeping may endure for a Night but Joy cometh in the Morning All Temporal Accidents are nothing compared to Eternity The Sorrows of our whole Life are but one Nights Darkness This light Affliction that is but for a Moment saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 Set Time against Eternity and we shall want words to declare the shortness of it Our Hour will be soon ended Wait a while and we shall be beyond Fears The Martyrs in Heaven do not think of Flames and Wounds and Saws these were the Sufferings of a Moment John 16.21 A Woman when she is in Travail hath sorrow because her Hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the Anguish for joy that a Man is born into the World John 16.16 A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me To Faith the time between Christ's departure and his second coming is but as the time between his Death and Resurrection for of that Christ also speaketh as is clear by the subsequent Context We measure all by sense and therefore cry How long how long as Men in pain will count Minutes but look to the endless Glory within the Vail and it is nothing We should especially take this Comfort to our selves in Sickness and Death it is but an Hour Wink and thou shalt be in Heaven said a Martyr 4. The Hour is come saith Christ and therefore prayeth When the sad Hour is come the
God's Wrath and Sin are exceeding terrible when they are charged on the Conscience Life is sweet and Man's Nature is afraid of Death it must be some great Matter that must cause a Man to make an end of himself and yet so great was his Despair that he was his own Destroyer Usually it is thus with grievous Sinners they dream of nothing but Mercy while they live and when they come they die have nothing but Wrath and Hell their presumption of Mercy doth but provide Matter for Despair He repented confessed his Sin restored the thirty pieces of Silver Conviction Confession Restitution are good yet do not always lead to God John 16.8 When he is come he will reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment This is as Water out of a Still that is forced by Fire not as Water out of a Fountain 2. We now come to his Punishment His Temporal Judgment you have recorded Mat. 27.5 He cast down the pieces of Silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged himself The Pleasures of Sin are very short in the Midnight he receiveth the Mony and in the Morning hangeth himself The Pleasures of Sin are but for a Season Heb. 11.26 Till we sin Satan is a Parasite but when once we are in the Devil's Hands he turns Tyrant as an Angler when the Fish hath swallowed the Bait discovers himself or as an Hunter lies out of sight till the Beast is gotten into the Toil then he shouts and triumphs over the Prey Prov. 20.17 Bread of Deceit is sweet to a Man but afterwards his Mouth shall be filled with Gravel He went and hanged himself a Man will endure the greatest Evils rather than the Gripes of an awakened Conscience it is worse than all the Racks and Strappado's in the World A Man may make shift with other Calamities Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a Man will sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear When once he hath broken his Peace and run into God's displeasure Oh then who can stand under it Job 7.15 My Soul chuseth strangling and Death rather than Life Death the most violent and most disgraceful is more welcome to them than Life in such a case when a Man's Thoughts become his Hell and where-ever he goeth he carrieth his Hell about with him He hanged himself The event of Sin is always deadly to the Sinner Judas becometh his own Executioner Non potuit pejore manu perire quà m suâ non debuit tamen He could not die by a worser Hand God cannot want Instruments to punish Sinners he can arm our own Hands and Thoughts against our selves Judas was his own Judg and his own Executioner There is another Circumstance in his Death Acts 1.18 And falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst and all his Bowels gushed out The Rope breaking he fell down and then that accident befel him God suiteth Punishments to Sins to shew his detestation of Hypocrisy He turns the Traitor in and out he was outwardly an Apostle inwardly a Traitor therefore his Bowels and Inwards are now poured forth And then follows the Infamy of it Acts 1.19 And it was known unto all the Dwellers at Jerusalem insomuch as that Field is called in their proper Tongue Aceldama that is to say The Field of Blood Thus God will do pour shame and contempt upon them that are false to him Prov. 26.25 26. When he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven Abominations in his Heart Whose Hatred is covered with Deceit his Wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation First or last the Mask shall fall off and a Man shall be betrayed to shame and infamy Of the Woman whom Judas envied Christ saith Mat. 26.13 Verily I say unto you Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole World there shall also this that this Woman hath done be told for a Memorial of her As the Memorial of the Just doth not go into the Grave with him so neither the Infamy of the Wicked here is an everlasting Infamy upon Judas Judas is remembred in the Lord's Supper The Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread 1 Cor. 11.23 as Pilate is remembred in the Creed But all this is nothing to Hell he is gone to his own place where we must leave him as the first Fruits of Reprobates Vse Let us hate those Sins that brought Judas to destruction If you imitate him you make him your Patriarch We all defy his Memory but we love his Practices Every one that beareth the Name of a Christian would have nothing to do with Judas Abandon his Sins You have heard what they are 1. Covetousness It is the Root of all Evil. This is that which betrayed Christ Let us turn our dipleasure upon the Sin rather than the Person it made an Apostle to become a Devil We stroak it with a gentle Censure as if it were but a little Evil. Oh you do not know how far this may carry you Psal. 10.3 The Wicked boasteth of his Heart's desire and blesseth the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Sensuality hath more of the Beast Covetousness seems to have more of the Man Oh but think of it here was the Rise Covetousness beginneth with inordinate Desire and ends in Injustice that with Hypocrisy to vail it brings Hardning this Hardness brings at length to Despair and so you are made Sons of Perdition by degrees A Man may insensibly grow a perfect Judas to betray Christ and ruin his own Soul Cherish but this one Sin follow it and obey it and it will not leave you till it hath brought you in laqueum Diaboli into the Snare of the Devil 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition Beware of that Covetousness which is proper to Judas begrudging what is spent upon God If thou thinkest thy time is lost that is spent in Holy Services or thy Mony lost that is laid out upon God or good uses thou hast much of his Spirit and it is a step to it Seneca said of the Jews That they were a foolish People because they lost a full seventh part of their Lives meaning the Sabbath Oh there are more of his mind that think all is lost that is not laid out upon their Callings and upon their Sports and Pleasures and upon their temporal Provisions that look upon the Sabbath as a melancholy Interruption that say as Amos 8.5 When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat 2. Beware of Hypocrisy or of taking up the Profession of Christianity for Carnal Ends. O look to your Grounds and Motives when you take up with the stricter ways of Christ. A sound beginning will have an happy End but if you take up this Profession upon Carnal Reasons one time or other
of Worldliness Christ doth once and again say They are not of the Worldâ— 2 Kings â— 26 Is it a time to receive Mâ—ny and to receive Garments and Olive-yards and Vine-yards and Sheep and Oxen and Men-servants and Maid-servants Especially in these Times in which so many miscarry by worldly Practices and when God hath declared so much of his displeasure against worldly Greatness To this end 1. Consider your Condition you are Strangers and Pilgrims David was a King yet not at home in the World Psal. 39.12 I am a Stranger and a Sojourner with thee 〈◊〉 all my Fathers were We never read that Abraham made any Purchase but of a Gâ—ave Cain built a City We aâ—e gone hence to morrow and who would hang a Room in an Inn 2. We are called to better Things 1 Thess. 2.11 12. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and chaâ—ged every 〈◊〉 of you as a Father doth his Children That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory It is not for Princes to embrace the Dunghil Who would believe that a Man raking in a Dunghil or nasty Ditch were Heir to a Crown You show your selves hereby to be unworthy of Heaven 3. Take the Apostle's Argument 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing with us into the World and it is certain that we can carry nothing out The Mill-wheel turneth round all day but at Night it is in the same place So at Death we are in the same Estate as at our Birth A Man's Wealth doth not follow him but his Works do Your Iniquity will find you out You did not come rich into the World and you were born to die In our Birth we were contented with a little Cradle at Death with a little Grave but here we join House to House as if the whole World would not contain us 4. Consider how hard it is to have Christ and the World to have Heaven and the World Mat. 16.26 What shall it profit a Man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul You are put to your choice who would lose a Crown to be owner of a Dunghil It is a vain design to think to reconcile Christ and Mammon 5. Thou art as thy Love is If thou lovest this World thou art Worldly if thou lovest God thou art Godly A Man is not as his Opinion is but as his Affection is a bad Man may be of a good Opinion but a bad Man can never have good Affections The Soul is as Wax it receiveth an impression from the Object Take a Glass put it towards Heaven there you shall see the Figure of Heaven put it towards the Earth and you see the Figure of the Earth Trees Meadows Fruits thou receivest a Figure from the Objects to which thou appliest thy Heart Earthly Things or Heavenly But you will say What would you have us do Is it a Fault to enjoy the World No But to have a worldly Spirit 1. Be not of a worldly Spirit when thou wantest the Things of this World Be not over-careful for the Things of this Life use the Means God hath ordained trust God with the Issue and Event of all Carking implies not only distrust but discontent with God's Allowance and both imply Worldliness Distrust and Fear Luke 12.22 Take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat neither for the Body what ye shall put on I am sure Discontent doth Be contented with a mean Condition if these things were good for us God would never deny them to us never have bidden us to conâ—emn them Saints are never more Illustrious than when they have least of the World the less splendor they have in the World the more bright and glorious are they had the Saints a worldly Glory their Grace would not appear with such advantage 2. Be not of a worldly Spirit when thou hast the World A godly Man may be a rich Man but take heed of Trust immoderate Delight and Pride in them Do not trust in them for they are vain nor delight in them for they are Snares nor be proud of them they do not make us better we do not value an Horse by the Trappings but by his Spirit and Courage We may accept the Allowance of Providence it is not having Wealth but setting the Heart upon it nor the Injoiment but Trust in it that is condemned Psal. 62.11 Trust not in Oppression become not vain in Robbery if Riches increase set not you Heart upon them You will be apt to do it but divert your Heart draw it off into another Country 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this World that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain Riches And Vers. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life Get a Bank in Heaven make an advantage of it for Religion to confirm your title to Heaven by more Evidences Our Wealth follows us not into another World but our Works do A Man that loveth his Mony is willing to part with it to assure his title to an earthly Inheritance 3. Be not dejected and over-sorrowful when thou losest them thou art but delivered of a Burden a Charge and a Snare Riches are a Clog to thee We are sure to give an Account 2. Take the words as they denote the outward condition of the Disciples They are not of the World that is not respected by it as if they were of their Number and Faction left out of the World's Tale and Count. 1. Observe It is â—n hard thing to digest the World's Neglect and Disrespect We had need be urged again and again partly because every one would be some-body in the World and have some Interest here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when we miss our Aims Sorrow is obstinate Sufferings harsh and irksome to Flesh and Blood because we admire things below and have too good an opinion of them Vse This should be regarded by us in these Times when some grasp the World and use all kind of Means to get it into their Hands others are apt to envy at them when they see others have all and themselves poor Men think themselves wronged 1. Let them alone look after better things Psal. 17.14 From Men of the World who have their Portion in this Life and whose Belly thou fillest with thy good Things If they grow fat upon common Mercies we have no reason to pine and murmur You have not such large Estates costly Furniture fine Cloaths but you have a better Heart it is enough Let the World's Fondlings be dandled on the World's Knees You have a better Portion full Breasts to suck on purer Consolations When a River is troubled the Mud will come on top In Troubles Sin would be uppermost You have no reason to change Conditions 2. Remember by whose Providence it falleth out
Blood the Stomach the Meat the Liver imparts Blood to the Veins and the Stomach sends the Food abroad into its proper Vessels and Channels So God's Children impart their spiritual or temporal Gifts as the Body needeth When a Famine was but prophesied the Disciples thought of sending relief according to their ability to the Brethren of Judea Acts 11.29 It is never right but when there is this forwardness to distribute and communicate according to the Necessities of the Body II. Why Christ valueth it so much as to make it his only Request for Believers in the present State I answer We can never be happy till we have a share in this Union 1. Because God hath instituted the Mystical Union to be a means to convey all Grace to us Grace to us here and Glory hereafter we receive all from God in it and by it Christ without us doth not save us but Christ in us Christ without us is a perfect Saviour but not to you the Appropriation is by Union Generally we think we shall be saved by a Christ without us He came down from Heaven took our Nature died for Sinners ascended up into Heaven again there he maketh Intercession all this is without us Do not say there is a Saviour in Heaven is there one in thy Heart Col. 1.27 Christ in you the Hope of Glory He doth not say Christ in Heaven the Hope of Glory though that is a Fountain of Comfort but Christ in you 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Whatsoever is imputed or imparted Light Life Grace Glory it is still in him Still look to Christ within you It were a merry World to carnal Men to be saved by a Christ without them Christ without establisheth the Merit but Christ within maketh Application 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Unless first or last he be in you though disallowed for the present he will be of no advantage to you You have nothing to shew till you feel Christ within you All the Acts of his Mediation must be acted over again in the Heart His Birth he must be born and formed in us Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you His Death Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death His Resurrection Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those Things that are above His Ascension Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus His Intercession Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered The Acts without us do us no good unless we have the Copy of them in our own Hearts 2. It is the Ground of that Exchange that is between Christ and us we communicate to him our Nature our Sins and Troubles and Christ communicateth to us his Nature and Merits and Priviledges What hath Christ from thee thy Nature thy Sins thy Punishments thy Wrath thy Curse thy Shame and thou hast his Titles his Nature his Spirit his Priviledges All this Interchange between us and Christ is by virtue of Union All Interestsly in common between Christ and the Church he taketh our Nature and is made Flesh and we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 He is made the Son of Man we the Sons of God He had a Mother on Earth we a Father in Heaven He is made Sin we Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.21 Who hath made him to be Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He was made a Curse that we might have the Blessing of Abraham Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. Thus he imparteth his Priviledges to us and assumeth our Miseries to himself he hath a share in all our Sorrows and we have a share in his Triumphs he is afflicted in our Afflictions as we ascend in his Ascension Eph. 2.6 He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus We live by his Life Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. And we are glorified by his Glory He suffereth with us in Heaven and we reign with him on Earth He suffereth with us non per Passionem sed Compassionem not that glorified Christ feeleth any Grief in Heaven but his Bowels yearn to an afflicted Member as if he himself were in our stead and we are sat down with him in heavenly Places because our Head is there and hath seized upon Heaven in our Right It is a notable Expression Col. 1.24 Who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is behind of the Sufferings of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Christ and the Church are considered as one Person whose Afflictions are determined by Providence thus much the Head must suffer thus much the Members Christ suffered his share and we ours in our turn In short Christ suffereth no more in the Body that he carried to Heaven but in his Body that he left upon Earth every Blow that lighteth on a Member lighteth on his Heart Acts 9.6 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Christ was in Heaven at that time how could he say why persecutest thou me did he climb up into Heaven and war upon Christ in the midst of his Glory No Saul persecuted the Christians and them Christ calleth me his mystical Body As in a Throng if some Body treadeth upon your Foot the Tongue crieth out You have hurt me the Tongue is in safety but it is in the same Body with the Foot and so their Good and Bad are common For though Christ's Person be above abuse he still suffereth in his Members and he that persecuteth the Church persecuteth Jesus Christ. 3. If once interessed in the mystical Union then they are safe preserved in Jesus Christ Jude 1. Sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. Verse 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling c. The Union is indissoluble that is a Cabinet where God's Jewels are kept safe If a Member could be lost Christ's Body could be maimed As the Union between the two Natures could not be dissolved it was the Body of Christ in the Grave there was a Separation between his humane Body and humane Soul yet both still remained united to the Divine Nature so this Union cannot be dissolved You may
natural to us 1. Gods principal Will is that we should obey his Laws rather than need his Pardon the Precept is before the Sanction before sin came into the world he pardoneth that we may return to our duty Heb. 9.14 Luk. 1.74 Rev. 5.9 10. therefore to make wounds for Christ to cure is not the part of a good Christian. 2. Remember what was Christs main design 1 Joh. 3.5 To take away sin not to take away obedience Many think though they sin never so much their pardon will be ready and easie Oh no! not so lightly when you wilfully and presumptuously run into sin 3. Loose carnal and careless Christians that wallow in all filthiness and hope to be saved are rather of the Faction of Christians than of the Religion of Christians 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 1 Pet. 1.17 18. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear forasmuch as you are not redeemed with corruptible things â—s silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot SERMON II. ROM VI. 3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Iesus Christ were baptized into his death IN the former verse the Apostle confuteth the preposterous inference which some drew or might draw from free Justicifation or Gods Mercy to Sinners in Christ by this Argument It cannot be so that men should continue in sin because Grace aboundeth for all Christians are dead to sin at their first entrance upon the Profession of Christianity they take upon themselves a Vow or solemn Obligation to dye unto sin Now what he had asserted there he proveth it in this verse that such is the Tenor of the Baptismal engagement Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death In the words there is 1. A Truth supposed That those who are baptized are baptized into Christ. 2. A Truth inferred That they that are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death 3. The Notoriety of both these Truths Know ye not 1. For the first the Phrase of being baptized into Christ is again repeated Gal. 3.27 As many of you as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ it noteth our Union with him or ingrafting into his mystical Body We are not only baptized in his Name but baptized into him made Members of that mystical Body whereof he is the Head 2. For the second are baptized into his death the meaning is Baptism principally referreth to his Death that we may have communion with it expect the benefit of it express the likeness of it 3. For the third Know ye not It is that which every Christian knoweth if he be but a little instructed in the Principles of his Religion those bred in the Church neither are nor can be ignorant of this Truth therefore the Doctrine of Grace opens no way to Licentiousness Doctrine Sacraments are a solemn means of our Communion with the Death of Christ. Where is to be shewn 1. What is Communion with Christs Death 2. That Sacraments are a solemn means thereof 1. What is Communion with Christs Death It signifieth two things First Something by way of Priviledge a participation of the Benefits and Efficacy of Christs Death Secondly Something by way of Duty and Obligation namely a spiritual Conformity and Likeness thereunto by a Mortification of our Lusts and Passions First We are partakers of the Benefits of his Death when we receive Pardon and Life begun by the Spirit and perfected in Heaven Pardon Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption by his blood even the remission of sins The same Death of Christ which is the meritorious cause of our Justification is the cause of our Sanctification also Tit. 3.5 6. Eph. 5.26 as it took away the impediment which hindred God from communicating his Grace to us and opened a way for the Spirit of Grace to come at us and sea our Adoption Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a three That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Gal. 4.5 6. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Secondly Christs Death bindeth us to renounce sin and by submitting to Baptism we profess to take the Obligation upon us to dye unto sin and unto the world more and more to shew our selves to be true Disciples of the crucified Saviour as we are when we express the likeness of his Death vers 5. And elsewhere the Apostle telleth us Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ. He is a Christian indeed that not only believeth that Christ is crucified but is crucified with him that is doth feel the virtue and bear the likeness of his Death for Christs death is the pattern of our Duty This likeness is seen in two things First In weakening and subduing sin so it is said Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts they have in their Baptism renounced these things and they fulfil their Vow sincerely and faithfully there we bind our selves to dye unto sin and Christ bindeth himself to communicate the virtue of his Death unto us that we may fulfil our Vow and by his Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 Secondly In suffering for Righteousness sake and obeying God at the dearest rate as Christs undergoing the Death of the Cross was the highest act of his Obedience to God This is also called Conformity to his death and the fellowship of his suffering Phil. 3.10 This is Participation of or Communion with his Death Christ intended to wean his people from the interests of the animal life therefore assoon as they enter into his Family or are listed in his Warfare they must resolve to renounce all that is dear to them in the World rather than be unfaithful to him Christ puts this Question to the two Brothers that would fain have an honourable place in his Kingdom Mat. 20.22 Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with They thought of Dignities of being nearer to Christ than others in Honour and Christ puts them in mind of sufferings that should befal them wherein they might rejoyce that they were partakers with him but mark here is a plain allusion to the two Sacraments which are Signs and Tokens of Grace on Gods â—ide and we on ours bind our selves to imitate Christ in his patient and self-denying Obedience This is Communion
teacheth us That none can be a Servant to another but by the election and consent of his own proper Will and whatsoever service men enter they enter it of their own accord the Devil cannot force us to evil and Christ will not force us to good The second Notion teacheth us That we must not judge of our service to any either to Sin or God by our professed Consent barely but by our Practice and Obedience if we obey sin we are servants to sin whatever we prosess or say to the contrary and if we do not live in obedience to God whatever Professions Vows and Covenants we make to him or with him we are not Servants of God 2. In the Application of it to the matter in hand take notice 1. Of two contrary Masters Sin and Obedience 2. Of two contrary Rewards and Wages Death and Righteousness 3. The suiting the one to the other Sin and Death Obedience and Righteousness 1. By Sin he meaneth sinning wittingly and willingly constantly easily By Death as the Wages is understood the second or eternal Death 2. The other Master By Obedience is meant obedience to God if you obey Gods commands and as our Duty is expressed by Obedience so our Reward by Righteousness He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Law of Contraries would seem to require but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Righteousness you may expound it either of our Title to Happiness or our Reward it self 1. Our Title you shall be pronounced and accepted as righteous and so Heirs of eternal Life There are many acceptations of the word Righteousness in Scripture In short take them thus 1. It may be taken in a Moral sense for a good disposition of mind and heart Eph. 4.24 That ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness 2. In a Legal or Judicial sense for a state of Acceptation or the ground of a Plea before the Tribunal of God So Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous In this Judicial sense either with respect to the Precept or the Sanction 1. With respect to the Precept or the Law as it is sincerely and Evangelically obeyed 1 Joh. 3.7 He that doth righteousness is righteous And Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless this is opposite to reatus culpae 2. With respect to the Sanction which is double the Threatning or the Promise With respect to the Threatning so Righteousness implieth freedom from the Obligation to Punishment So Rom. 1.17 18. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness this is opposite to reatus poenae With respect to the Promise so Righteousness imports our Right and Title to eternal Life not from any merit in our obedience it self but Gods gracious condescension in the Covenant There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness 1 Tim. 4.8 Our Title is first by Faith then continued by new Obedience 2. It may imply the Reward it self for it is said elsewhere Isa. 48.18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments then had thy peace been as the river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea Where by righteousness is not meant any moral Vertue or gracious Disposition but Prosperity and Happiness So Prov. 8.18 Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousness thereby is meant Felicity As Iniquity is put for Punishment He shall bear his iniquity so Righteousness is put for Reward So here Righteousness is opposed to Death and signifieth eternal Life Doctrine That it greatly concerneth Christians to consider upon what they bestow or imploy their Time Service and Obedience This will be evident by these Considerations 1. That the great business which belongeth to our Duty is the choice of a Master or to consider to what we must addict our selves and upon what we bestow our minds and hearts our life and love our time and strength 1 Kings 18.21 How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him He brings the business to a tryal not to give them liberty to be of what Religion they pleased but on deliberation to chuse the best So Josh. 24.15 If it seem evil to you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve He doth not leave it to their liberty to chuse God or Idols but would have them to compare the best with the worst the service of God or the service of Devils which will be Life and which will be Death which will be good and which will be bad for them not as if it were doubtful which to chuse for that is evident to any man in his right wits nor to blunt their zeal by any demurrer in the case but rather quicken and hasten their choice but chiefly that they might chuse freely and be more firm and constant in their Covenant and to shame them that they might be more inexcusable if pretending to God they divert their obedience from him to other things Well then whom will you serve and love To whom will ye give up your minds and hearts and whole man To do what God requireth or to serve and please your Lusts Make a right choice and then be firm and true to it Will you pretend to be Servants to God and do nothing for him 2. The Considerations which must guide us in this choice are two 1. Right and Interest 2. The Good or Hurt that we all get by it for there are wages proportionable and suitable to every work 1. Where lyeth the Right to command and who hath the best Title to us Justice is to give every one his own Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Surely sin is an Usurper but God is our rightful Lord for he made us and to him we must give an account of our time strength and imployments Acts 27.23 There stood by me this night an Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve And 2. His service turneth to the best account Our Apostle telleth us Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. That in a moral Consideration there are two Masters sinful Self and the Holy God This distribution comprehendeth all men either they are servants of Sin or servants to God whosoever yieldeth his consent or obedience to sin doth thereby make himself the true and proper servant of sin and whosoever yieldeth his obedience to God is the servant of God If you deliver up your selves to serve God to obey his commands you will be reputed as his Servants and so accepted
in us Briefly I shall shew three things 1. It is Life 2. It is a good and happy Life 3. It is an endless and eternal Life 1. It is Life both in Soul and Body in Soul Psal. 22.26 Your heart shall live for ever and again Psal. 69.32 Your heart shall live that seek God In Body 2 Cor. 4.10 Always bearing in our bodies the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ that the life of Jesus also might be manifested in our body that is we are continually ready to be put to death for Christs sake that at length we may receive the effects of his quickening Power in rising from the Dead to the Life of Glory so Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Well this we know then that the party must subsist and live after death otherwise he is incapable to injoy God and the Blessedness of that Estate and he must subsist in Body and Soul otherwise he is not the same person if he were all Spirit and had no Body at all for if his Body were utterly perished and his Soul were changed into the Nature of Angels which were never destinated to be conjoyned to Bodies this were not altogether the same Being for it is not he that is glorified or debased but some other thing Well then he that now serveth God shall then live but in another manner than he now liveth 1. Compare it with Life natural This Life is a fluid thing that runneth from us as fast as it cometh to us but that is eternal Besides here we are exposed to many troubles in an uncertain world Gen. 47.9 Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been there is full rest and peace Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them The supports of this Life are base and low it is called The life of our hands Isa. 57.10 most men labour hard to maintain it but there we are above these necessities Once more the Capacities of this Life are narrow every strong Passion overwhelmeth us the Disciples were not able to bear the glory of Christs Transfiguration Mat. 17.6 When the disciples heard it they fell on their faces and were sore afraid Alas strong winds soon overset weak Vessels if God should give us but a taste or glimpse of that Blessedness which is reserved for us we are ready to cry out Enough Lord we can hold no more but there we are fortified by the Glory we enjoy and the Object strengthens the Faculty 2. Compare it with the Life of Grace which puts us into some degree of Communion with God but this doth not exempt us from miseries rather sometimes exposeth us to them 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Yea we often provoke God to hide his face from us all tears are not yet wiped from our eyes our sins breed not only doubts of Gods Love but put us under a sense of his Displeasure Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Though we have obtained the Life of Grace we are not yet got rid of the Body of Death and that is matter of continual groaning Rom. 8.23 And not only so but our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption viz. the redemption of our body Here we serve God at a distance in some remote service there we are present with the Lord and immediately before the Throne Rev. 7.15 Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple Here we enjoy God in the Ordinances at second or third hand there face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 For we see but through a glass darkly then face to face here in part we do not enjoy so much but more is lacking but then we shall be satisfied with his Image Psal. 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness That which attaineth its end is perfect and blessed there needeth no more to make us happy for the most perfect Estate excludeth all want and indigency here is still some want but there is none 2. It is a good and happy Estate I prove it 1. From the Nature of it they that live this Life see God and enjoy God There is some last End of mans Life and therefore some chief good There are intermediate Ends therefore there must be a last End we must stop somewhere as suppose I eat for strength my strength must be imployed to some End is it for the service of others or my self or God not for my self for then I eat that I may have strength to labour that I may eat again not for others non nescitur aliis moriturus sibi then for God who is mans chief good Gen. 15.1 Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Psal. 16.5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup. Psal. 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light There is all good in God and beyond God nothing is to be desired without him the Soul is never satisfied but having him we are perfectly satisfied and our desires acquiesce as in their proper Center of Rest. Well then our injoyment of him is our proper Happiness certainly mans Felicity must agree with the noblest part of a man his Soul that his noblest Faculty may be exercised in the noblest way of operation about its most noble Object every living Creature desireth good but their highest way of perception being sense it is sensible good but Man being endowed with Reason and Understanding must have some spiritual good before his desires can be perfectly satisfied a good it must be for our Souls Now the noblest Object the Soul is capable of is God and the noblest Faculties of our Souls are Understanding and Will the noblest Operations are therefore Knowledge and Love Love is either Desire or Delight Desire noteth a deficiency or some imperfect possession Joy or Delight is the repose of the Soul in what is already obtained So then the noblest Acts are Sight Love and Joy which assisted by the Light of Glory are now most perfect in degree as being assisted by the Light of Grace they were true in their kind Well then put all together a living reasonable Creature is admitted to the Sight and Love of God in the highest way he is capable of 2. The End must be somewhat better than the Means The Means is having our fruit to Holiness the End is everlasting Life this Life
them so as to affect and esteem them and esteem and affect them so as to seek after them and so to seek after them as to seek after them in the first place 1. We must know them For the Things of the Spirit must be understood before they can be chosen and desired John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift The brutish world know not the worth of spiritual and heavenly things therefore mind them not 2. Believe them None will seek after that which they judg to be a fancy or of the certainty of which they are not perswaded especially when they must forgo present delights and contentments to obtain it such is Salvation by Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16 And besides this giving all diligence to add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledg Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 3. Affect and esteem them above all other things Heb. 11.13 Being perswaded of these things they imbraced them So esteem them that your desires may not be checked and controled by other things Heb. 11.26 By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoahs Daughter 4. To pursue after them with all diligence Phil. 2.10 Working out your salvation with fear and trembling and John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but that which endureth to everlasting life 5. Seek them in the first place that you may not only make it your business but the chiefest business of your lives to obtain these Things Mat. 6.33 First seek the kingdom of God This is to set your faces heavenward when you make it your great business to please God and save your souls 2. This is Life and Peace By Life and Peace is meant Eternal Blessedness he addeth to the Word Life the Term Peace because in Eternal Life there is freedom from all evil and the presence of all good for there can be no true solid peace where there is the fear of any evil or a want of any good but here being neither the Soul is fully at peace and rest therefore 't is said that God will give glory honour and peace to every one that doth good Rom. 2.10 Heaven is the new Jerusalem the City of Peace where we converse with God who is a God of Peace and enjoy full peace and rest from all our Molestations but tho it be meant of Heaven yet peace of Conscience is not excluded partly because 't is the beginning and earnest of it that peace which we now have in the Kingdom of the Messiah by our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God and the testimony of a good conscience 2 Cor. 1.20 This is a continual feast Now the fruit of righteousness is peace Peace in Heaven and peace on earth Luke 2.14 and Luke 19.38 Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in Heaven and Glory in the highest 'T is begun here and perfected there And partly because whatever the Spirit worketh tendeth to our Peace and Blessedness not only hereafter but now Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing The Reasons are in common 1. With respect to Gods Justice God who is the most Righteous Governour of the world will make a just difference between the Righteous and the wicked by rewards and punishments it belongeth to his general Justice ut bonis bene sit malis male that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do ill Psal. 11.5 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest shall be the portion of their cup for the righteous God loveth righteousness his countenance beholdeth the upright Surely God is not indifferent to good and evil to them that will please the flesh and obey the Spirit his Justice will not permit that the carnal and the regenerate who are so different in their lives should meet together in the end no surely the end of the one will be death and the other life and peace 2. To suit his Motives to the profit of Men. 1. There needeth something frightful to make sin a terror to us therefore doth he counterballance with advantage the pleasures of sin that are but for a season we are vehemently addicted to carnal delights therefore to check this inclination God ballanceth the choicest and highest pleasures with eternal pain that by setting one against the other we may be deterred from pleasing the flesh Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die 2. To encourage the godly in their self-denying Obedience The godly quit and forgo many pleasures which others enjoy Now to restrain and deny the flesh seemeth a pain and trouble therefore to encourage them to continue in an holy course tho it be distastful to the flesh and to renounce worldly pleasures and sensual delights while they may injoy them God hath told them of life and peace they shall have joy enough 1. VSE is Information To shew us the folly of wicked men who are self-destroyers and wrong their own souls while they despise the ways of Wisdom and prefer carnal satisfactions before the pleasing of God All that hate me love death Prov. 8.36 Not formally but consequentially a wicked man sinneth not purposely that he may be damned but that is the issue 2. It sheweth us the security of the wicked they sleep most soundly when their danger is nighest as Jonah in the storm that was raised for his sake they are upon the brink of Hell yet they go on merrily lulling their Consciences asleep with outward and vain delights but tho they sleep their damnation sleepeth not it were better to waken and escape the danger Prov. 27.12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished A little sober Consideration of this truth may be of use to them VSE 2. Is Admonition Oh let this stop us from going on in a flesh-pleasing course Consider whither it will lead you what followeth upon this 1. 'T is Death If it were a small thing you might bear it but 't is a case of Life and Death eternal Life and Death This will be the eternal ruin of your precious and immortal souls The more you please the Flesh the more you add Fuel to that Fire which shall never be quenched and provide matter for that never-dying Worm or eternal sorrow and confusion of face to your souls Those things that now please the Senses will one day sting the Conscience We should not affect that which will be Death to us Remember the Hook when the Flesh looketh only to the Bait. 2. T is Death threatned in the Word of God and therefore certain as well as dreadful Rom. 6.21 The wages of sin is death and Rom. 7.5 The motions of sin did bring forth fruit unto death If a man warn
body is dead because of sin That is the relicks of sin are not abolished but by death there is a twofold end and use of death to them that are in Christ. 1. To finish transgression and make an end of Sin We groan under the burden of it while we are in our Mortal bodies Rom. 7.24 But when the Believer dyeth death is the destruction of sin rather than of the penitent Sinner the vail of the sinful flesh is rent and by the sight of God we are purified all in an instant and then sin shall gasp its last and our Physitian will perfect the cure which he hath begun in us and we shall be presented faultless before the presence of God 2. To free us from the natural infirmities which render us uncapable of that happy life in Heaven which is intended to us The state of Adam in innocency was blessed but Terrene and Earthly a state that needed Meat Drink and Sleep If Christ would have restored us to this life it may be death had not been necessary and the present state of our bodies needed not to be destroyed but only purified but our Lord Jesus had an higher aim Eph. 1.3 Who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in Christ Adam injoyed God among the beasts in paradise we injoy God among the Angels in Heaven it 's a divine and Heavenly Life that he promiseth a life like that of the blessed Angels where meat and drink and sleep hath no use Now this nature that we now have is not fitted for this life therefore Paul telleth us 1 Cor. 15.50 That flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God That is that Animal life which we derived from Adam cannot inherit the Kingdom of God Therefore we need to bear the image of the Heavenly which cannot be till this terrene and animal life be abolished To this end God useth death So that which was in its self a punishment becometh a means of entrance into glory the Corn is not quickened unless it die 1 Cor. 15.36 37 38. The believers that are alive at Christs coming must be change v. 52 53. Christ himself by death entred into Glory therefore what ever is animal vile and earthly and weak must be put off before we are capable of this blessed estate 3. The cause of this mortality is Because of sin Had it not been for sin we had never had cause to fear dissolution there had been no use for coffins and winding-sheets nor had we been beholding to a Grave to hide our carkass from the sight and smell of the living there was a posse mori in innocency else death could not be threatned as a penalty but there was a posse non mori or else Immortality could not be propounded as the reward of Obedience therefore Man is Mortal conditione corporis but Immortal beneficio conditoris God could have supported him Well then death must make sin odious or else sin allowed will make death terrible Thirdly We come to the assertoin or correction The spirit is life because of Righteousness In which observe 1. That Believers have a life notwithstanding death Though death be appointed by God and inflicted upon believers as well as others yet they live notwithstanding this death John 11.25 He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live The Fountain of Life can raise him when he will no bands of Death can hinder his quickening Vertue Tho the union between Body and Soul be dissolved yet not their union with God 2. This life is to be understood of body and soul. 'T is only indeed here said life but he explaineth himself in the 11. vers If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Man is compounded of a Body and a Soul death deprived him of his body for a time only the Body shall at last be reunited to partake of the happiness of the soul. 1. The soul being the noblest part is presently and most happily provided for being sanctified and purified from all her imperfections and is brought into the sight and presence of God Luke 20.38 They all live to God And they are gathered to the great counsel and assembly of Souls Heb. 12.23 There they serve God day and night and are under an happy necessity of never wandring from their Duty and no longer busied to maintain a war against sin but are always Imployed in Lauding Praising and Blessing God and delighting in him Well then this is the happiness of the faithful That though they put off the Body for a time yet the Soul hath an Eternal house to which it retireth and remains not only in the hand of God but injoyeth the sight and love of God 2. Cor. 5 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2. For the body At the Resurrection the soul shall reassume its body again We cannot easily believe that part shall be placed in Heaven which we see commited to the Grave to rot there but there is no impediment to Gods Almighty Power Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself This place doth prove that God hath provided for the happy estate of the Body as well as the Soul The dead are Gods subjects put into the hands of Christ he must give an account of them John 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day They are likewise members of Christ. 1 Cor. 6.15 Now his Mystical body will not be maimed they are Temples of the Holy ghost 1 Cor. 6.15 Temples wherein we offer up to God reasonable service Now since the Spirit possesseth both Body and Soul he will repair his own dwelling-place which he hath once honoured with his presence and not let corruption always abide on it And we have the pattern of Christ he is the first Fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 the Soul hath an inclination to the Body still Therefore that our happiness may be compleat a glorified Soul shall inanimate immortal Body 3. The grounds are first the Spirit renewing Secondly Christ purchase 1. The Spirit is life he doth not draw his Argument from the immortality of the Soul for that is common to good and bad the wicked have a soul that will survive the body but little to their comfort their immortality is not an happy immortality but he taketh his argument from the new life wrought in us by the spirit which is the beginning pledg and earnest of a blessed immortality
crucified the flesh 'T is hypocrisie and perjury that the carnal and bruitish nature should reign in us baptism implyeth a vow we are baptized into the likeness of his death Rom. 6.3 Christ bound himself to communicate the vertue of his death and we bind our selves to die unto sin and to use all Christs instituted means to that end and purpose now if after that we are washed we still wallow in the mire and effect that life which we have renounced and gratifie what we should crucifie cherish the flesh rather than use Christs healing means to subdue it and purge it out our very baptism will sollicite the more severe vengeance and be a swift witness against us It were better scalding oyl had been poured upon us than the water of baptism and if there be any place in hell hotter than others 't is for hypocrites and perjured persons that have broken the vow of their God which is upon them this should the more sink into us because every covenant hath a curse included in it implicite or explicite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plutarch A Consecration implieth an execration or imprecation of vengeance if we do contrary the Scripture abhoreth not this notion 't is said Neh. 10.29 they entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods law So it is in the new Covenant for all Christians do consent to the threats and punishments of the Gospel in case of failing in their duty as the Israelites were to give their Amen Deut. 29.41 to the curses of the law so we profess to submit to the law of grace and tenor of it In Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned We profess our consent to this law not to a part only but to the whole Now what ever Faith and Baptism calleth for that must be done or if it be wilfully left undone we approve the penalty as just and that God may rightly inflict it upon us Thus for the Justice of God 2. Now for the Wisdom The punishment is the greater to check the greatness of the temptation Much of the fleshly life is pleasant like the Eden of God to the besotted soul therefore God hath guarded it with a flaming Sword that fear may counterballance our delight 'T is an hard thing to bring a man to strive against his own flesh 't is born and bred with us and is importunate to be pleased but the end is death there must be a separation between the soul and sin or beeween the soul and God milder motives would do us no good against boisterous lusts and are not powerful enough to wean us from accustomed delights therefore is the punishment threatned the more dreadful and the sinful fear is checked by the severity of the intermination tho sense-pleasing and flesh-pleasing be sweet to a carnal heart 't will cost him dear The Wisdom of God is seen in Three Things 1. In punishing sin which is a moral evil with death and misery which is a natural evil In appointing that it should be ill with them that do evil these are fitly sorted Deut. 30.15 See I have set before thee life and good death and evil The evil of sin is against our duty and the evil of punishment against our interest and happiness now if men will willingly do what they should not 't is equal they should suffer what they would not what is against their wills these two are natural relatives sin and misery good and happiness we find some of this in our selves we have compassion of a miserable man whom we esteem not deserving his misery we think 't is ill placed there and we are also moved with indignation against one that is fortunate and successful but unworthy the happiness he enjoys which sheweth man hath an apprehension of a natural harmony and order between these things sin and misery goodness and felicity 2. The Wisdom of God lyeth in this that the love of pleasure which is the root of all sin should end in a sense of pain Man is a very slave to pleasure Tit. 3.3 Serving divers lusts and pleasures 'T is ingrained in our natures therefore to check it the Lord hath threatned the pains of the second death and this method our Lord approveth as most useful to draw us from our beloved sin Matth. 5.29 30. Better one member suffer than the whole body to be cast into hell In short God hath so proportioned the dispensation of joy and sorrow pleasure and pain that 't is left to our choice whether we will have it here or hereafter whether we will have pleasure as the fruit of sin or as the reward of well-doing both we cannot have you must not expect to enjoy the pleasures of Earth and Heaven too and think to pass from Delilahs Lap into Abrahams Bosom Luke 16.25 Son in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things and Jam. 5.5 Ye have lived in pleasure upon earth You have been merry and jocund but your time of howling and lamenting then cometh far beyond the degree of your former rejoycing 3. By setting eternal pains against momentary pleasures that ye may the better escape the temptation Momemtaneum est quod delectat eternum quod cruciat The pleasures of sin are but for a season Heb. 11.25 But the pains of sin are for evermore if the fearful end of this delightful course were soundly believed or seriously considered it would not so easily prevail upon us 'T is the Wisdom of our Lawgiver that things to come should have some advantage in the proposal above things present that the joy and pain of the other world should be greater than the comfort and pleasure of this world which is a matter of sense for things at hand would certainly prevail with us if things to come were not considerably greater therefore here the pain is short and so is the pleasure but there 't is eternal Those that will have their pleasure here they shall have it but to their bitter cost but those that will work out their salvation with fear and trembling will by the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body pass through the difficulties of Religion shall have pleasure at his Right Hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 3. 'T is consistent with his love and goodness This is necessary to be considered First Because we are apt to think hardly of God for his threatnings 'T is for our profit to give warning and to bring us to repentance and that we may take heed and escape these things he threatneth that he may not punish and he punisheth in part that he may not punish for ever The first awakening is by fear afterwards shame sorrow and indignation the curse driveth us to the promise First we look upon sin as damning then as defiling first as it fits us for Hell then as it unfits us for Heaven 2. 'T is a benefit to the world Punishment among men because of the degeneracy of the world is a more powerful engine of
and Children and Brethren and Sisters and his own life he cannot be my disciple Now this love that is in us being of such a vehement nature it can be resisted no more than death or the grave can be resisted No opposition can quench or extinguish it no Pleasures or Honours or Profits can bribe it If men would give all their substance such a soul will be faithful to Christ so that by this love Christ maintaineth his interest in our souls The stony ground could not abide the heat of the sun the thorny ground was choaked with the deceitfulness of riches and voluptuous living Waters or Bribes may carry away some unmortified souls but sincere love to Christ will not suffer us to be tempted away from him 1. USE Is information How a Christian cometh to be safe in the midst of temptations 1. 'T is by Christs love to us and ours to him First his love to us Once be perswaded that Christ loveth you then what need you fear Nothing that he doth will be grievous to you but how shall I bring my heart to this His love to sinners is plainly demonstrated in our Redemption Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us But his special love to us is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 he giveth the effect and the sense The general love must be apprehended by faith 1 John 4 16. We have known and believed the love God hath to us and improved by serious consideration Eph. 3.18 19. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth by taking this way to be possessed of this love Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me and the effects of it sought after What is every day done more to heal and recover our wounded and self condemned souls and to rescue us out of the misery incurred by sin to appease our griefs and fears What power against sin What assistance of grace in your duties and conflicts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates This is to seek a proof of Christ in you Secondly for the other we get it by patience in afflictions Rom. 5.5 bâ— fruitfulness in obedience John 14.21 23. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him If a man love me and keep my commandments my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Converse with God in solemn Ordinances Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee the King brâ—ught me into his chamber we will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy love more than wine 2. Our love to Christ This must be taken in for 't is we are assaulted not Christ we are conquerors not God nothing shall divorce us Christ will never forsake a loving soul nor will a loving soul easily forsake him they have such an esteem of Christ that all things else are but dung and dross Phil. 3.8 9 10. Let deceived souls desire worldly greatness they can be satisfied with nothing but Christ nothing can supply his room in their hearts SERMON XLVI ROM VIII 36 37. As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us IN the former of these verses the Apostle continueth his challenge and then in the latter giveth the answer from experience He continueth the challenge verse 36. speaking to the last enumerated Sword lest he should seem to triumph over a feigned enemy he sheweth how the people of God in all ages are not only subject to divers calamities but even to death its self he proveth it by a quotation Psal. 44.22 for thy sake we are killed all the day long The words of the Psalm seem to relate to the times of Antiochus when every day they were in danger of death for religious sake As it is written for thy sake c. The answer is in verse 37. That in all these things we have had experience and have found this that they have no power to separate us from the love of Christ. In the words considered in themselves observe three things 1 The greatness of the tryal for thy sake we are killed all the day long 2. The absoluteness of their Conquest and Victory in all these things we are more than Conquerors 3. The Author or cause through him that loved us 1. The greatness of the tryal The calamity of the people of God in those times is First Literally expressed Secondly Set forth by a similitude or Metaphor 1. Literally expressed for thy sake we are killed all the day long Where 1 The cause for thy sake out of love to him and zeal for his glory and the purity of his worship This instance sheweth partly that the true Religion is ever hated in the world and partly that for the love of God we ought to endure all manner of extremities Partly that 't is a blessed thing when our death is not occasioned by our own crimes but meerly for Gods sake when a man doth not suffer as an evil doer but for Righteousness sake 2. The grievousness of the tryal we are killed not spoiled only but killed 't is further set forth Heb. 11.37 They were stoned sawn asunder tempted slain with the sword that is put to death several ways Some think it should not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were burnt or tempted by some cruel kind of death to forsake God The whole signifieth That the lives of the Saints were most cruelly taken away by several kinds of tormenting deaths 3. The continuance all the day long either the Church speaketh as a collective body for a single person can be killed but once now one then another made away all hours of the day they were taking or killing some of the brethren yet the rest were not discouraged or else killed all the day long must bear this sense that they were always in fear of death it did continually hang over their heads they were no time free as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.31 I die daily He did daily run the hazzard of death 2. By a similitude we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter some take the allusion from sheep appointed for Sacrifice The wicked thought they did God good service in killing the godly John 16.2 And the godly themselves yeilded up themselves as a Sacrifice to God 2 Tim. 4.6 I am ready to be offered and
them that do well and evil with them that do evil That every man should reap according to what he hath sown Therefore those whom Christ will receive into Everlasting life must appear faithful and obedient for then God will judge the world in righteousness Acts 17.31 Now in patience towards the wicked now by way of exercise and tryal of his people 2. The certainty of the Event The hour is coming John 5.28 That there is such a time coming he ill deserveth the name of a Christian who maketh any Question of it But because many live as if they shall never be called to an account I shall evidence that certainly we shall appear both by natural Light and Scripture 1. Let the evidence of Reason be heard so far as it will go Reason sheweth that it may be and argueth 1. From the nature of God There is a God That God is just and 't is agreeable to his justice that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do evil These are principles out of dispute and foundations in the structure and building of the Christian Faith Here the best suffer most and are exercised with poverty disgrace scorn and all manner of persecutions and the wicked live a life of pomp and ease how shall we reconcile these things with the notions which we have of God and his Providence No satisfactory account can be given but this The wicked are reserved to future punishment and the Godly to future reward Here the goodness of God towards the good and the justice of God towards the wicked is not enough manifested therefore there is a day when his Judgment shall be brought to light and his different respect to good and bad made more Conspicuous 2. From the providence of God There are many Judgments which are pledges of the general Judgment that at length God will Judge the whole world for sin As the drowning of the Old World the burning of Sodom the destruction of Jerusalem these are as a warning to all for 't is said Jude 7. these are set forth as a warning to all that should live ungodly God is the same still Gal. 3.20 God is one that is in one mind of punishing the wicked without variation and change he hateth the sins of one as well as of another If he would not put up the iniquities of the Old World he will not put up the iniquities of the New if he punished the iniquities of Sodom he will punish the iniquities of others who sinned in like manner God is not grown more indulgent to sin than he was before though it be not now there will be a time when he will call them to a reckoning In every Age he keepeth a petty Sessions but then will be the general Assizes When man first sinned God did not immediately execute the Sentence of his Law upon him but giveth him time of Repentance till he dieth As he giveth every man time and space so he giveth all the World for he would not have all the World to be born at once and die at once but to live in several successions of Ages from Father to Son throughout divers generations till we come to that Period which his Providence hath fixed Now as he reckoned with every man particularly at his death so with all the World at the end of time Particular Judgments shew that God is not asleep or unmindful of humane Affairs but the general Judgment is deferred till then 3. From the Feelings of Conscience After sin men are troubled though there be none about them in the World to call them to an account or though the fact be done so secretly that it is not liable to an humane Tribunal Nature is sensible that there is an higher Judgment that Divine Justice must have a solemn Triumph Conscience is afraid of it Heathens are sensible of such a thing Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Foelix trembled at the mention of it which sheweth there is an easie reception of such a Truth Acts 24.25 There is an hidden fear in the Consciences of all men which is soon revived and awakened by the Thoughts of this Truth Every guilty person is more or less held in the Chains of darkness which sheweth how easily this Truth can insinuate it self into a rational mind 2. Faith sheweth that it shall be The light of Faith is more certain and more distinct 'T is more certain for it buildeth upon a Divine Testimony which is more infallible than the ghesses of Reason And 't is more distinct for Nature could never find out the circumstances of that day as by whom this Judgment shall be managed and in what manner that God hath appointed one Man by whom he will judg the World in Righteousness that he shall come in the glory of his Father and all the holy Angels with him Faith concludeth this certainty 1. From that Revelation which God hath made in his Word Matth. 13.49 50. So shall it be at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Joh. 5.28 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Heb. 9.27 And it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the Judgment Rom. 14.12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Matth. 12.36 37. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works And in many other places for this being a necessary Truth is more plentifully revealed than others of lesser importance This was the great Promise ever kept afoot in the Church Scoffers took notice of it saying Where is the Promise of his coming The Apostle Jude intimateth the Ancient Promise of it Jude v. 14. And Enoch also the seventh Son from Adam prophesied of these things saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints And it hath been revived in all Ages by Moses and David and Daniel and Joel Zechary and Malachi and more clearly by Christ himself and his Apostles every where Now we may reason that hath God been faithful in all things will not fail at last he hath ever stood to his Word when more unlikely things have been
sinners is never seen in all its glory or graciousness till then 2. The good which the faithful do is very imperfect and mixed with many weaknesses and infirmities it may endure the touchstone but it cannot endure the balance as we shall find then when our Righteous Judge shall compare our best actions with his Holy Law After we repented and believed and returned to the obedience of God the Lord knoweth our Righteousness is as filthy rags and our best robes need to be washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Sin is our nakedness and graces are our garments 3. Though it were never so perfect yet it merits nothing by its own intrinsick worth at Gods hands when we have done all we are but unprofitable Servants Luke 17.10 And paying a due debt deserveth no reward 't is a grace bestowed upon us that we can do any thing for God 2 Cor. 8.1 And services and sufferings bear no equality with the reward Rom. 8.18 And all is done by those that did once deserve Eternal Death Rom. 6.17 18. And were redeemed and recovered out of that misery by an infinite grace 1 Pet. 1.18 19. And already appointed Heirs of Eternal Life before we serve him Rom. 8.17 by his precedent elective love In short they that continually need to implore the mercy of God for the pardon of sin and cannot oblige God by any work of theirs must needs admire grace and the more grace is discovered to them and they discovered to themselves the more they will do so 2. The other end of the Judgment is to convince the Creature and that is best done by bringing our works whether good or evil into the Judgment If only the purposes of God were manifested the condemned would have a just exception and their cavils would be justified that it was long of God they were not saved Man is apt to charge God wrongfully Pro. 9.3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart freteth against the Lord. What ever exceptions men have against God now then all is clear their works are produced their own evil choice and course if the grace of the Redeemer were only produced those who are excluded from the benefit might seem to tax the proceeding as arbitrary and the whole business would seem to be a matter of Favour and not of Justice But when their destruction is of themselves there is no cause of complaint if only the good estate of men were considered there would not be such an open vindication of Gods Righteous dealing In any Judgment all things are rightly and convincingly carryed when the Judge doth proceed secundum regulas juris secundum allegata probata according to the Law as a Rule and according to the things alledged and proved as to the application of the rule to the parties Judged Now the producing of the things done in the Body whether good or evil suiteth with both these and so in the day of Judgment there is a right course taken for convincing the Creature 1. The Judge must keep close to the Law as his rule for the absolving or acquitting of the parties impleaded So it belongeth to Christ as a Judge to determine our case according to the Law which we are under We Christians are under a double Law of Nature and Grace the Law of Nature bindeth us to love and serve our Creator but because of mans Apostacy the Law of Grace findeth out a remedy of repentance or returning to our duty after the breach and Faith or sueing out the mercy of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Now those who will not accept of the Second Covenant remain under the bond of the first which exacteth perfect obedience from them and the Judge doth them no wrong if he Judge them according to their works But now those who have accepted the Second Covenant and devoted themselves to God taking sanctuary at the mercy of their Redeemer they indeed have a plea against the first Covenant they are sinners but they are repenting sinners and believing in Christ. Now their claim must be examined by the Judge whether this penitence and acceptance of grace be sincere and real whether true Penitents and sound believers that must be seen by our works and the Judge must examine whether our repentance and returning to our duty be verified by our after obedience and our thankful acceptance of Christ and doth ingage us to constancy and cheerfulness in that obedience A double accusation may be brought against man before the Tribunal of God That he is a sinner and so guilty of the breach of the first Covenant Or that he is no sound believer Having not fulfilled the Condition of the Second As to the first accusation we are justified by Faith as to the Second by works and so James and Paul are reconciled Rom. 3.24 A man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Jam. 2.24 A man is justified by works and not by Faith only Every one of us may be considered as a man that liveth in the World Or as a sinner in the State of Nature or as a man called to the grace of God in Christ or as a Christian professing Faith in the Redeemer According to this double relation there is a double Judgment past upon us According to the Law so condemned already according to the Gospel so accepted in the Beloved To this double Judgment there answereth a double justification Of a sinner by vertue of the satisfaction of Christ apprehended by Faith without the works of the Law Of a believer or one in the state of grace so justified by works for here 't is not enquired whether he have satisfied the Law that he may have Life by it but whether professing himself to be a Christian he be a true believer and that must be tryed by his works for as God in the Covenant of grace giveth us two benefits remission of sins and sanctification by the Spirit So he requireth two duties from us A thankful acceptance of his grace by Faith and also new obedience as the fruit of love Well then this being so to wit that Christs Commission and charge is to give Eternal Life to true believers and them only the only found mark of true believers is their works of new obedience These must be tryed in the Judgment 2. A Judge must proceed secundum alligata probata not to give sentence by guess but upon the evidence of the Fact Therefore Christ to convince men that they are sinners by the first Covenant or Hypocrites or sincere by the Second must consider their works Mens profession must not be taken in the case but their lives must be considered for there are Christians in the Letter and Christians in the Spirit some that have a Form of godliness but deny the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 And God doth not respect the outward profession 1 Pet. 1.17 There may be a carnal Christian as well as a carnal Heathen
then applied to us by him who is now alive and liveth for evermore for that end and purpose Therefore 't is said 1 Pet. 1.3 That God hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ. By vertue of that power which he now hath as risen from the dead And Eph. 1.19 20. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places The same power worketh in believers which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead The same power which wrought in and towards Christs exaltation is ingaged for Believers to work grace and carry on the work of grace in them Christ risen and living in Heaven is the Fountain of life in all new creatures He is the great receptacle of grace and sendeth it out by his Spirit A vital influence to all such as belong to him And therefore our life is made dependant upon his John 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also The life of believers is derived from Christs life who is our quickening head communicating vertue to all his members There is a vertue in his life to quicken us so that we do not live so much as Christ liveth in us Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me As the root in the branches and the head in the members USE 1. Information It teacheth us three things in point of use 1. The Suitableness between Christ and Believers Consider him as God or Mediator As God Christ hath life communicated to him by eternal Generation so by Regeneration we are made partakers of the Divine Nature As Mediator he subsists in his life as man by vertue of the personal union with the God-head So do we live by vertue of the mystical inhabitation or union with Christ by his Spirit for our spiritual life floweth from the gracious presence of God in us by his Spirit Christ as man had first a frail life subject to hunger cold and sufferings so have believers a Spiritual life consistent with many weaknesses and infirmities But now Christ liveth gloriously at the Fathers right hand so we shall one day bear the Image of the Heavenly and be one day freed from all weaknesses thus are we conformed unto Christ and partake of the same life he doth 2. It informeth us in what way this life is conveyed and continued to us By Vertue of Christs death and resurrection by the Spirit through faith his death is at the bottom of it for he died that we should live together with him 1 Thes. 5.10 Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him His resurrection is the pattern pledge and cause of it For Rom. 5.10 If we were reconciled by his death much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life After he had rescued us from the power and danger of our sins by his rising from the dead he is in a greater capacity to send out that Spirit by which he was raised to raise us up to a new life Then the Spirit is the Immediate worker of it for Christ maketh his first entry and dwelleth in the hearts of believers by his Spirit for we are renewed and born again by the Spirit John 3.5 That which is born of Flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Without which we are not capable of it The Spirit worketh Faith and then there is an habitation fit for Christ in the Soul Eph. 3.17 That he may dwell in your hearts by faith Then he liveth in us as the head in the members Col. 2.19 And the root in the branches John 15 1. 'T is by faith that the union is compleated John 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God And then a vertue and power floweth from this union to inable us to do those things which are spiritually good and acceptable to God which is nothing but that which we call life Without him we can do nothing John 15.5 With him and by him all things Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Namely by the influence of his Spirit received by faith 3. It informeth us 'T is not enough to believe that Christ died for you unless also you permit Christ to live in you 'T is not enough for your faith 't is not enough for your love the Apostle mentions both and we must look after both As to have our old offences expiated so to live a new life in Christ Rom. 6.5 For if we have been planted together into the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection We are branches of that tree whereof Christ is the root We must have communion with Christ living as well as with Christ dying and not only freed from the damning power of sin but quickened to a new life Use 2. is exhortation to press you to several duties 1. To believe that there is such a life 'T is matter of faith for when Christ had said John 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die he presently addeth Beleivest thou this Few mind and regard it The general faith concerning life by Christ must go before the special application Besides 't is an hidden thing your life is hidden with Christ in God Col. 3.3 'T is not visible to sense And invisible things are only seen by faith 'T is hidden from sense and therefore it must be believed 'T is hidden from the carnal World as colours are from a blind man because they have no eyes to see it The natural man cannot see things that must be spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Besides the Spiritual life is hidden under the natural Gal. 2.20 The life that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God They live in the flesh but they do not live after the flesh 't is a life within a life the Spiritual life is nothing else but the natural life sublimated and over-ruled to higher and nobler ends spiritual men eat and drink and sleep and trade and marry give in Marriage as others do for they have not divested themselves of the interests and concernments of flesh and blood but all these things are governed by grace and are carried on to holy and eternal ends Besides 't is hidden because there is upon it the vail and covering of afflictions and outward meanness and a basement as it was said of some of whom the World was not worthy that they wandred about in sheep-skins and Goat-skins Heb. 11.37 38. Who would think so much worth should lye under such a base outside Their glory is darkened and obscured by their condition Besides too this life is often hidden by reproaches and censures
solid comfort but in being real Disciples others are but Christians in the letter not in the Spirit Those that are in the letter have notions of God and Christ and Heaven and Hell but they have but names and notions of these things But feel nothing of the power and life that accompanieth these things A man may profess himself a Christian and yet perish with unbelievers yea be as great an enemy to Christ as the Jews that crucified him and the heathens that worshipped other Gods a grieving of his Spirit a despising the fruits of his purchase a refusal of his holy Ordinances and an hatred of his Servants is no less offensive to him and may argue as little affection in us as either the spight of the Jews or Idolatry of the Heathens did in them to Christ. I call this profession of careless lawless Christians a knowing Christ after the flesh because 't is a meer carnal humane natural respect to Christs memory such as a man beareth to his famous Ancestours or the deceased Hero's of his Country not befitting him who is our Mediator and Lord of all things who is best remembred when our hearts are converted to him and when his Laws are obeyed such as the Jews did bear to Abraham the founder of their Nation or Moses the Law-giver of their Country Surely Abraham and Moses were as dear to the carnal Jews as Christ can be to us but Christ telleth them if you were Abrahams seed you would do the works of Abraham Joh. 8.39 And Joh. 5.46 If ye had believed Moses ye would have believed me They were Abrahams seed after the flesh not after the Spirit they were Abrahams seed after the flesh but that did avail them nothing since they did not follow his example but sought to kill him which was far from Abrahams Spirit and temper A little of mens practice is a surer rule to try by than all their fair language and complemental respect John 9.28 29. Then they reviled him and said Thou art his disciple we are Moses his disciples we know that God spake to Moses but as for this fellow we know not whence he is However he or such as He were so fully resolved to become disciples to Christ yet they would cleave to Moses John 9.28 Thus are the best of men mistaken and abused by their carnal Successours They made use of Moses his name to excuse their disobedience to Christ. It is an old trick of degenerate men to cry up the names of pious Ancestours and externally to adore the memory of Saints departed But such motives of love are but carnal when there is an apparent inconformity between you and the persons whom you would magnify We detest the memory of Annas and Caiphas Judas and such others as conspired to take away the life of Christ so did they of Corah Dathan and Abiram Ahab was accounted as wicked by them as Pilate by us Therefore to rest in a naked historical belief and meer profession of the name of Christ when there is such an apparent insubjection to his Laws 't is but a knowing Christ after the flesh owning him as the God of the country upon custom and tradition Well then Christ is never rightly entertained but when his Doctrine is received and intertained by faith though there should be an hatred of his persecutors a quarrelling for his religion you put him to more shame in your conversations and crucify him afresh every day Heb. 6.6 Seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame A quarrelling ruffian may be ready to fly in the face of him that shall speak a disgraceful word against his Father when his own dissolute and ungracious wicked courses grieve his Fathers Spirit and shame him more than all their reproaches so many will pretend much love to Christ and in an heat quarrel be ready to venture their lives for their religion No man would have his religion despised but yet he shameth and bringeth it most into contempt that matcheth it with disproportionate practices as those are called enemies to the cross of Christ that preached Christ but yet lived in a sensual and earthly manner Phil. 3.19 2. By acts of sensitive affection in the reading or meditating on the story of Christs sufferings or when you hear his Passion laid open in a Rhetorical fashion Men at such occasions find that there is stirred up in themselves some fond pitty at his sufferings and indignation at the Jews and are ready to fly in the face of Judas that betrayed him and the Rulers and those that put him to death All this is but an humane natural respect such as we will find in our selves at any tragical representation true our false let a man but read the sad preparation of Abraham when he went to sacrifice his Son Isaac or the pittiful words and moans of Jacob when they told him that some Beast had devoured Joseph and shewed him his coat The sacking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians or how they handled that miserable King Zedekiah when they had first slain his Children before his face and then put out his eyes Or the Lamentations of Dido for Aeneas when she slew her self These storys will draw as many tears from our eyes as the story of Christs sufferings things of small importance well represented to the fancy may thus affect us And besides these light affections do not comply with Gods end in the Mystery of Redemption we are not to reflect upon the death of Christ as a tragical accident or sad story but as a well-spring of Salvation and God looketh for more noble and spiritual motions namely that we should be affected with the horror of our sins that crucified the Lord of Glory and the terror of that dreadful severity which God manifested on his own Son when he took our burden upon him and the admiration of his incomparable wisdom which could joyn his mercy with his justice the unspeakable joy of Salvation which is derived thence to us and the ardent love which we should bear to the Father who hath given his Son to die for us These are the true resentments of the death of Christ even that we may raise our hopes of mercy upon the foundation of his merit and satisfaction as the price of our blessings and ingage our selves to God in a way of thankfulness for his great love and mercy and increase our hatred of sin having such a glass wherein to view our hatefulness now these are spiritual respects the other are but carnal such as we would shew to man pitifully handled 3. By expressing our respects more in the pomp and pageantry of outward complements rather than serious devotion or an hearty obedience to his Laws or worshipping him in Spirit and in truth This is also a knowing Christ after the flesh or a carving out a respect to him that rather suiteth with our carnal minds than his glorious estate now in
will be like them that go back to fetch their Leap more commodiously Vse 3. When you stand let it incite you to Love and Thankfulness Nothing maketh the Saints more love God than his Unchangeableness His Mercy made you come to him and his Truth will not suffer you to depart from him Mercy and Truth are like Jachin and Boaz. Micah 7.20 Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob and the Mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the days of old The Covenant was made with Abraham and made good to Jacob. You may rejoyce notwithstanding your Weakness and Satan's daily Assaults as Daniel in the Lion's Den to see the Lions ramping and roaring about him yet their Mouths muzzled 2 Sam. 2.9 By strength shall no Man prevail that is by his own That any of us have stood hitherto let us ascribe it wholly to God we might have been vile and scandalous even as others Many of better Gifts may fall away and thou keepest thy standing what is the reason We have done enough a thousand times to cause God to depart from us Deut. 23.14 If he see any unclean thing among thee he will turn away from thee And is it not strange that the Spirit of Grace should yet abide with us hitherto when there is so much uncleanness in every one of us The great Argument of the Saints why they love and praise him is the Constancy and Unchangeableness of his Love Psal. 136. For his Mercy endureth for ever and Psal. 106.1 Praise the Lord O give Thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his Mercy endureth for ever No Form more frequent in the Mouths of his Saints Vse 4. If any fall often constantly frequently and easily they have no Interest in Grace 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh not a Trade of Sin that is the force of that Phrase God's Children slip often but not with such a frequent constant readiness into the same Sin Therefore he that liveth in a course of Prophaneness Worldliness Drunkenness his Spot is not the Spot of God's Children Deut 32.5 You are tried by your constant Course Rom. 8.1 That walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit What is your Road and Walk I except only those Sins which are of usual incidence and sudden surreption as Anger Vanity of Thoughts and yet for them a Man should be more humble If it be not felt nor striven against nor mourned for it is a bad Sign What is your Course and Walk There is an Uniformity in a Christian's Course It is nothing to have some Fits and good Moods and Motions Vse 5. It provoketh us to get an Interest in such a sure Condition Be not contented with outward Happiness things are worthy according to their duration Nature hath such a sense of God's Eternity that the more lasting things are it accounteth them the better The immortal Soul must have an eternal Good Now all things in the World are frail and passing away therefore they are called uncertain Riches 1 Tim. 6.17 compared with Prov. 8.18 Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness The Flower of these things perisheth their Grace passeth away in the midst of their Pride and Beauty like Herod in his Royalty they vanish and are blasted The better part is not taken away Luke 10.42 Mary hath chosen the better part which cannot be taken away from her A Man may outlive his Happiness be stripped of the Flower of all Worldly Glory is sure to end with Life that is transitory And still they are uncertain Riches uncertain whether we shall get them uncertain whether we shall keep them By a care of the better part we may have these Things with a Blessing Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added to you Gifts they are for the Body rather than the Person that hath them Men may be carnal and yet come behind in no Gifts Judas could cast out Devils and yet afterwards was cast out among Devils 1 Cor. 12.31 the Apostle had discoursed largely of Gifts but saith he Yet I shew you a more excellent Way and that is Grace that abideth Many that have great Abilities to pray preach discourse yet fall away according to the Place which they sustain in the Body so they have great Gifts of Knowledg Utterance to comfort direct instruct others to answer their Doubts to reason in holy Discourse and yet may fall fouly Heb. 6.4 5. They may be once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy-Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come They may have a great share of Church-Gifts Nay Gifts themselves wither and vanish when the bodily Vigor is spent 1 Pet. 1.24 All Flesh is Grass and all the Glory of Man as the Flower of Grass the Grass withereth and the Flower thereof falleth away Whatever Excellency we have by Nature Wit Knowledg Strength of natural Parts nothing but what the Spirit of God worketh in us will last for ever So for seeming unsound Grace as false Faith such as beginneth in Joy will end in Trouble it easeth you for the present but you shall lie down in Sorrow General Probabilities loose Hopes uncertain Conjectures vanishing Apprehensions of Comfort all fail The planting of true Faith is troublesom at first but it leadeth to true Joy you may look upon the Gospel with some kind of delectation Thorns may blaze under the Pot tho they cannot keep in the Fire Do not rest in tasting the good Word of God Heb. 6.5 in some sleight and transitory Comfort Hymeneus and Alexander are said to make shipwrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 20. that is of a false Faith So for a formal Profession Men may begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh. Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the Flesh A Man may seem to himself and to the Church of God to have true Grace nay he may be enlightned find some comfort in the Word escape the Pollutions of the World foul gross Sins yea these good things may be the Works and the Effects of the Spirit of God not of Nature only not professed out of a carnal Aim but there is no setled Root and therefore it is but of short continuance But certainly that Form that is taken up out of private Aims will surely fail God delighteth to take off the Mask and Disguise of Hypocrites by letting them fall into some scandalous Sins Paint is soon washed off Therefore rest not in these things till solid and substantial Grace be wrought in your Hearts Vse 6. Is Comfort to God's Children Grace is sure and the Privileges of it sure Grace is sure through your Folly it may be nigh unto Death but it cannot
die This is the Advantage of spiritual Comforts that they do not only satisfy our Desires but secure us against our Fears Isa. 35.10 The Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flie away Once in Christ and you shall be for ever preserved The Leaven and the Dough can never be severed when kneaded together so neither can you from Christ. Grace would be little better than temporal Things if it did yield but temporary Refreshment You are sure that nothing shall cut you off from enjoying God for nothing shall altogether cause you to cease to love God The Children of God would be troubled tho their Grace should not fail if their Privileges should be cut off but you are sure of both God will maintain a Spark and the Seed remaineth and the Privileges of Grace are sure too This was figured under the Law An Israelite could never wholly alienate his Title to the Land Lev. 25.23 The Land shall not be sold for ever for the Land is mine for ye were Strangers and Sojourners with me His Title to the Land shall not be quite cut off it shall not be sold for ever Which was a Type of our spiritual Inheritance in Christ which cannot be alienated from us He might for a while alienate and pass away his Inheritance yet the Property remained he knew it would return again So here God's Children are never disinherited By Regeneration we are made Coheirs with Christ we have an Interest in the whole Patrimony of the Gospel Now God will not cut off the Entail nor take the advantage of every Offence which his Children commit To insure us he hath not only put the Entail into our hands by giving us his Promise but he hath given us Earnest and Seisin in part and he hath chosen a Feoffee in Trust to keep the Estate for us our heavenly Patrimony is kept safe in his hands It is true we forfeit it by the Merit of our Actions but the Trust standeth still enrolled in the Court of Heaven and is not cancelled Christ is to look to that and it being conveyed in and by him as the first Heir he is to interpose his Merit As under the Law if the Person were not able to redeem the Inheritance the Kinsman was to redeem it Christ is our Kinsman after the Flesh he is our Goal and maketh all firm and sure between God and us It is true we lose the Evidences that are in our keeping Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy-Ghost but the Estate is undefeizable and cannot be made away from us Well then you see that Grace is kept and the Privileges of Grace are kept O what a sweet Comfort is this But now because Comforts are never prized but in their Season Men that have not been exercised in spiritual Comforts nauseate these sweet Truths they know not what it is to be left to uncertainty when Troubles come like Waves one upon the neck of another let us see when these Truths will be sweet and seasonable 1. In great Troubles when God seemeth to hide his Face Oh! how sweet is it to hear God say Gen. 28.15 Behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of All this shall better thy Heart or hasten thy Glory We are apt to think that God will cast us off and will never look after us any more tho formerly we have had real Experience of his Grace What a foolish Creature is Man to weaken his Assurance when he should come to use it to unravel all his Hopes and Experiences Times of Trouble are a fit Season to make use of this Comfort 2. In the Hour of Temptation and hard Conflicts with Doubts and Corruptions when you find their Power growing upon you you are ready to say as David did after all his Experiences I shall one day perish by the Hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 and many times out of Distrust ye give over the Combate Then say Who shall separate us from the Love of God One came to a pious Woman when she had been exercised with a long and tedious Conflict and read to her the latter part of the 8th of the Romans she broke forth in Triumph Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Sin or Death cannot divide you from Christ Christ will tread Satan under your Feet and weaken the malignant Influence of the World 3. In times of great Danger and Defection through Terror and Persecution as Sanders trembled to think of the Fire especially when others fall fearfully that were before us in Privileges and Profession of Zeal and Piety when the first become last when eminent Luminaries are eclisped and leave their Orb and Station as the Martyrs were troubled to hear of the Revolt of some great Scholars that had appeared for the Gospel When Hymeneus and Philetus two eminent Professors fell it was a great shaking 2 Tim. 2.18 19. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 4. In times of disheartning because of the Difficulties of Religion and the use of means groweth troublesome To quicken us in our Christian Course think of the Unchangeableness of God's Love all Grace riseth according to the Proportion and Measure of Faith loose Hopes weaken Endeavours 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air As those that run at all give over when one hath over-reached them they are discouraged when Hope is broken the Edg of Endeavours is blunted Go on with Confidence ye are assured of the Issue by these Endeavours God will bless you and keep you there is a sure Recompence 5. In the Hour of Death when all things fail you God will not fail you this is the last Branch Do but wait I will not forsake you notwithstanding all that I have done all that I have promised there is more behind than ever you have enjoyed Death shall not separate Olevian comforted himself with that Isa. 54.10 For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my Kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee In the Pains of Death Sight is gone Speech and Hearing is departing Feeling almost gone but the Loving-Kindness of God will never depart Oh! the Lord give us such a Confidence in that Day that we may fix this Comfort in our Thoughts Doct. 2. That we are kept in the state of Grace by God's Name by his Power for