himselfe and all his pesterity So we became miserable God dealing like a judge depriving us for Adams sin of his Image which except he would he need never have stampt upon us not any wayes becomming by this act of judgement an author or maintainer of sinne thus we become guilty Imputative by imputation and privative God depriving us of his image by denying to restore it to us againe when we had once lost it 2. Another way is by carnall propagation Our mother the Hittite brought us forth our father the Canaanite begate us what can be cleane that is borne of a woman saith Job chap. 25. v. 4. As sweet oile powred into a fusty vessell saith M. Perkins loseth its purenesse and becometh infected by the vessell So the soule created good and put into a corrupt body and made one with it receives contagion thence only Christ who was borne of a woman was borne cleane and the reason for that was say the schoolmen Ab Adamo humanam accepit naturā non tanquam a principio agente sed tanquam a principio materiali His body was from Adam but not from the seed of Adam And thus you see how it comes to passe that our mother brings us forth under the Apple-tree in a poore lost undone condition there your mothers brought you forth that bare you Nor let any one thinke himselfe in a better condition because his parents have been elect ones what then Except a man be born again saith Christ he shall never enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. 3. Whatsoever is borne of flesh Joh. 3. 3. is flesh Parents beget not grace but nature Though they have no sinne to communicate in respect of Gods grace justifying their persons and not seeing sinne in them so as to impute it to them yet they have sinne a body of death so holy Paul had he groned under it Rom. 7. Yea and if we say we Rom. 7. 23. have no sin we do but deceive our selves and there is no truth in us Saith the blessed Apostle who lives and sinneth not This question was propounded to Saint Austine How the Saints of God that had no sinne could convey sinne to their children he replies to it Vicissim ego interrogo c. Let me aske you saith he how one that is circumcised can beget one that is uncircumcised and how it comes to passe that when you sow your wheat in your field without any chaffe cleaving to it you should reap it with chaffe how one that is a baptized Christian can beget one that is an unbaptized heat hen you will answer Quia non facit generatio sed regeneratio Christianos M. Perkins saith God took this order in the creation that whatsoever evill Adam procured he should bring it not only on himself but all his posterity by virtue of which decree the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption though Parents them-selves be borne anew by the spirit of God even as God hath set it in the order of nature that the wheat thrown pure into the ground should yet spring and grow so often as it is sowed with stalk eare blade And all this I conceive is the truth concerning the manner of conveyence of this sad legacy to all the Children of Adam Without fifting those Philosophicall and schoole questions about it I shall conclude this Particular with only this note of M. Perkins It may be this will not satisfy the minds of all if any be so curious that he hath a mind yet to seek further let them know there is another matter of more concernment for us to look unto when a mans house is on fire t is no time to enquire when and how and in what manner it came to be so but it will be our policy to use all means possible to quench it That it is so it is plain our soules are all undone by nature Do you ask how this thing could be first remedy it then enquire the manner how it came to passe quench the fire then aske how it came in thy dwelling Quid quaeris rimam in the mean time why seekest thou a crevis saith Austine Quum habes apertam Ianuam per unum hominem intravit peccatum hast thou not an open door doth not the Apostle say it entred in by one mans disobedience and death by it and so went over all So much therefore shall serve briefly to have spoken of the doctrinal part Give me leave to come now to an application of it in which the Lord give me an heart affected in speaking you eares and hearts truly affected in hearing The first part of my application shall be more notionall the other will bee more particular for the first 1. This may discover unto you the lying falshood of the Pelagian Doctrine and of diverse in these times that have been so unhappy as to rake up all the putrified dunghills of errors and vend them for new truths 1. The Maniches of old would confesse this but 1. Would have it to be the direct work of God and to this end made a God on purpose that should be such a principium mali carrying on the wicked designes in the world efficiently as their other God who was their principium boni was by their appointment to carry on good designes 2. Then they would but in part confess it they would have some to be borne cleane others defiled but even the best as you have heard were borne defiled there their mother brought them forth there she brought them forth that bare them The Pelagians denyed any Originall sinne by way of propagation but only by Imitation if say they the Child walks in its parents stepps or because we tread Adams path therefore we are defiled but this is false in the very day of our birth we were in a lost undone condition 3. From hence also may appeare the falsenesse of that opinion of the Anababtists of old and now in these dayes viz that Christ by his death Originale peccatum ex humanâ naturâ sustulit tooke away originall sin out of our natures they are the very words of Chemnitius repeating the error of the old Anabaptists concerning this point and this I perceive many people harping on even in this City especially those that have so good an opinion of Christs death that he as they dreame died for all pinch them a little and they will confesse that all shall not be saved but this is in regard for their actuall sins for their originall sinne Christ hath paid that score if now they can but stand upon their owne leggs and will but walke in their strength and keep their feet for the time to come then all shall be well But mistake not Christians your mother saith the text left you not raised but in a lost condition not your grandmother Eve but your immediate mother brought you forth there and left you there long since Christ died it was since that time that
thee 2. Thee that wert as low as others Adam left thee as deep in hell as any reprobate there Loe here the infinitenesse of free grace Two were in the same house yea grinding at the same mill of iniquity and thou art taken and the other is left possibly thou wert in thy wildest youth seeming to ride faster to hell than the other were that were thy brethren friends and acquaintance yet the Lord hath raised thee and let the others lye wallowing in their bloud he hath not said to them live 3. Thee that wert his Enemy Was ever dying love yea love in dying extended to an enemy before You have heard of two stories one of a Grecian the other of a Roman paire Theseus and Perithous Pilades and Orestes that would have dyed for their friends each for another but hath any offered to dye for his Enemy Moses would offer to have his name blotted out for his people that were Gods people and which he loved but would Moses have done it for a Philistine yet this hath Christ done O love ye the Lord all his Saints 4. Thee that never askt it He was found of them that sought it not Alas mankind lay as well without a tongue to aske as an hand to help themselves and behold Christ pitied them and amongst them thee his love declared from Eternity towards thee had not so much cause in thee as a poore prayer would have amounted to he was not moved by thy sighs and teares but by his owne infinite love 5. Lastly thee that hast still Rebellion in thee Christ said within himselfe when he dyed upon the Crosse Now is my heart-bloud powred out for as vile wretches as any are and for those that I know will requite my bleeding wounds my dying love with new speares and thornes thus he knew that thou wouldst doe in the time of thy unregeneracie yea and after thou shouldst be called too Who lives and sinnes not Now Christian lay these things to thy heart meditate of study out this love and see if thou hast not cause to say My soule and all that is within me my tongue and all that is without me praise the Lord. But O remember Christian Remember Burnt offering and sacrifice he doth not require but this he requires that thou shouldst doe his will O say Loe I come I am ready to do it But more particularly let me point thee out some particular duties that the Lord requires of thee in a poor answer to his rich Acts of eternall love First hath not he thought his glory too deare to lay aside for a while for thee nor his Word and Truth too dear to pawne for thee nor his bloud too deare to spill for thee hath he valued nothing in comparison of thee O doe thou value nothing in an equall ballance with him be willing to deny thy selfe for him who in every thing hath denyed himselfe for thee Thy Lusts cannot be so pleasing to thee as Christs glory was to him Be content to leave them Thy Honour cannot be so great as his was which he left for thee and became ignoble in our eyes Surely when wee saw him we esteemed him despised smitten of God and afflicted Isa 53. 4. But it was when hee was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities when the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes we might be healed Thy Riches cannot be greater than his yet remember him O remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sake became poore that you through his Povertie might be made rich 2 Cor. 7. Thy life cannot be more deare than his yet he valued not his life for thee but powred out his bloud his precious bloud upon the Crosse that through his bloud thou mightest have remission purchased Learne hence Christian a lesson of self-deniall Be content to suffer for him who was content to suffer that he might raise thee value nothing in comparison of him This Lesson had Saint Paul learned Phil. 3. v. 7 8. What things were gaine to me I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ c. ver 10. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Looke upon nothing in an equall ballance with him 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly hath Christ entred into a Covenant and given his word to his Father and kept his word with his Father for you O then learne of him Vow your selves to him and keep the vowes of your lips Say with David Psal 116. ver 16. Ah Lord truly we are thy servants we are thy servants and the sons of thy handmaids for thou hast loosed our bonds Say with David Psal 40. Mine eares hast thou opened and bored them Say Ah Lord we come to doe thy will Christ kept his word with his Father for you Ah keep your word with him pay him the vowes which you have made Thirdly Hath Christ to raise you taken upon him your flesh O then Take ye upon your selves his spirit He hath become for you the childe of man doe you become for him the children of God Be made partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. Your Nature was full of imperfection and weaknesse the divine Nature is full of perfection and glory He hath raised you be raised put off your filthy rags and put on change of Raiment Fourthly Hath Christ died that he might raise you from the death of Sinne and from the power of the Second death O then dye to sinne Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things c. The Apostle Saint Paul presseth the great duty of mortification from this very principle Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead to sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. and so on ver 12 13. Let not sinne therefore reigne in your mortall bodies c. Ah throw away the nailes that pierced your Christ Fifthly Did Christ rise from the dead that he might raise you from the death of sinne O then rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Saint Paul presseth this worke of Vivification also from Christs Resurrection Rom. 6. ver 4. We are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so we also should walke in newnesse of life and so all along that Chapter Sixthly Hath he
Heb. 3. 17. one reason is given why the Lord Jesus became man and tooke part of flesh and bloud with us that he might be a faithfull High-priest 3. It was requisite that he should thus raise us that he might fulfill the Law for us Now the Law was to be fulfilled two wayes 1. Actively 2. Passively Neither could have been done without the Assumption of our flesh There is not such a contradiction between the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works as some ignorant Libertines would this day make God gave a Law and his Covenant was doe this and live this is that which we call the Covenant of Works man could not doe it What is Gods mind altered now no such matter God sayes Doe this and live still and if you doe not this you shall dye It was written long since that time Deut. 27. ver 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them And all the people must say Amen to it now as well as they did then But herein is the Covenant of Grace more favourable The Covenant of Works sayes thou shalt personally doe them or dye The Covenant of Grace sayes thou shalt doe it or get Christ to doe it for thee the Covenant of Workes sayes I will take no baile no surety doe it or dye Durus est hic sermo an hard saying who can heare it The Covenant of Grace saith Get me Christs Baile and I will acquit thee if thou beleevest in him Therfore saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 10 11. As many as are of the workes of the Law that look to be justified by their owne workes by their owne righteousnesse in fulfilling the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the Law to doe them Look to it saith the Apostle if you look to be justified by obeying the Law in your owne persons take my word for it you have an hard taske But verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law But how was that it followes in the next words Being made a curse for us ver 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Hee was to fulfill the Law Actively that he might fulfill what we through the weaknes of the flesh could not and in regard that he was to fulfill it for us it was requisite he should have our nature and as hee was to fulfill the Law Actively so in regard that his Elect by their past Transgressions had broken the Law of God Adam for himselfe and all his posterity and the body of death which he knew was to remaine after sanctification in his Elect ones would lay them open to hell He also was to fulfill the Law Passively for us therefore saith the Apostle He hath redeemed us from the eurse of the Law Now he tells you how that was verse 13. by being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangs upon a tree Now hee could not have been in capacity of being subject to the curse of the Law by hanging upon the tree for us unlesse he had taken upon him our flesh Nay yet a Fourth Reason may be given why it was necessary that Jesus Christ should raise up his redeemed ones by the assuming their flesh viz. That he might be a mercifull High-Priest It is the Reason that the Apostle gives Hebr. 2. verse 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull High-Priest in all things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that hee himselfe suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted I shall adde nothing to it Thus he raised us by Assuming of our flesh which in order to our raising it was necessary for him to doe 3. He raised us Passione by his precious death upon the Crosse his falling was our rising his life our death The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes wee are healed His owne bloud was the balme from Gilead as well as himselfe the Physitian there Now in order to the raising of his Elect ones it was requisite that he should dye 1. That he might satisfie 2. That he might conquer 1. That he might satisfie and purchase Remission He that will redeem any slave out of Captivity must pay the summe of Redemption-money required Now Death was that which could alone satisfie for the redeemed ones It was the Lords first Law In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die temporally and eternally Now a death must be paid or justice is not satisfied therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 22. Without blood there is no remission he therefore dyed for our sinnes saith the Apostle he was our sacrifice 1 Cor. 4. 7. And he is no sacrifice till slaine This was typified by the slaying of beasts for sacrifices in the old Law which God required of all those that would obtain pardon And in regard that man had deserved hell as well as death Christ by dying that he might raise us and and make the face of God againe to shine upon us was content to suffer the withdrawings of his Fathers love and to feele as it were the paines of hell to raise us to the joyes of heaven Secondly as it was necessary in order to our raising that Christ should dye to the intent that he should satisfie for us so it was also necessary that he should dye that he might conquer for us This the Apostle fully expresseth Heb. 2. 14 15. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death even the Devill and deliver them who through feare of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Christ was to lead Captivity captive to take away deaths sting and hels victory which he could not have done without wrastling with death himselfe had he not been deaths captive he had never been deaths conquerour Hee raised us by dying for us 4. He hath raised us Resurrectione by rising againe from the dead therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our offences and rose againe for our justification Now his Resurrection had and hath an influence upon raising his Elect ones 1. By witnessing to them Christs conquest for them and therefore the Apostle makes the worke of satisfaction for us to be proper to his death and the worke of our justification he appropriates to his Resurrection Rom. 4. 25. When he dyed he went downe that he might conquer but it was his comming up out of the grave that witnessed his conquest over death and hell It was in that day that this Song was sung O death where is thy sting O hell
did it freely we buy without money or money-worth Isa 55. 1 2. 2. If you aske to what end hee did it It was his own glorie that he might get himselfe glory from poore dust and ashes that little thanke him for all this mercy declared to their souls He Predestinated Redeemed and Adopted us meerely to the praise of the glorie of his grace Ephes 1. verse 6. The end which he aimed at in Calling us was his glory Rom. 9. 23 24 25 26. If you aske me why God that could as well have been glorified in the damnation of poore wretches would chuse rather to be glorified in their salvation and bringing them to life I must run back again to the Fountaine againe meerly because so it pleased him because it was his will There wee must rest I shall now proceed to the Application of this mysterious sweet and precious Doctrine and it might be applyed severall wayes But I shall onely apply the consideration of it as offering you ground and matter First of Humiliation Secondly of Instruction Thirdly of Examination Fourthly of Exhortation Fiftly of Consolation Use 1 First of all for Humiliation Harke Christians is it so that thou wert so lost and undone that none but Jesus Christ could raise thee and hee hath done it when none else could and wil raise thee higher yet and this hee could not have done without taking thy flesh dying upon the Crosse suffering the bitternesse of his Fathers wrath consider then what cause thou hast to be humbled for thy sins 1. Considering that these were they put Christ to death 2 that by these since that time thou hast crucified the Lord of life 1. Consider that thy sins were those that put Christ to death Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes Me thinks every one when they heare of Christs Agony and bloudy Sweat of his Whippings Buffetings of his bitter Sufferings c. should be ready to cry out with Pilate Quid mali fecit What evill I pray hath he done Ah none Christian it was to raise thee thou wert dead lost undone he dyed to raise thee thou stolest the fruit he climbed the tree thou enjoyedst the sweetnesse of sinning and he for that was acquainted with the bitternesse of suffering He bore thy iniquity even thine and mine too if we be elected Certainly it was a great griefe of heart to David to remember that he had an hand in the bloud of Uriah that was surely the great transgression that hee complained of to be sure that heart-troubling sinne for which hee puts up that particular Petition Deliver mee from bloud-guiltinesse O God And questionlesse it was no small Trouble of Spirit to Paul afterwards to consider that he was one of them that were consenting to Stephens death Acts 7. 59 60. Chap. 8. verse 1. he afterwards repeats it with shame I was a persecuter Christian here is one murdered by cruell hands not an Uriah not a Stephen but hee that is worth ten thousand of these not an Abell yet his bloud troubled Cain all his life time but one whose bloud cries for better things than the bloud of Abell did here 's the Lambe of God slaine slaine by thy hands he was bruised for thine iniquities and his soule was made an Offering for thy sinnes Is it nothing to thee O Christian when Pilate was but about to condemne him his wife came startled in and cries Have nothing to doe with that just man and when Stephen charged the Jewes Acts 7. 52. for being the betrayers and murtherers of the Lord Jesus they apprehended it as a thing so hainous that they would not endure him beyond that word but were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth verse 54. Christians there is none of you here but your sinnes were the betrayers and murtheres of the Lord Jesus that Christ that had such eternall sure and unchangeable thoughts of love to your soules Ah! how great were those sins which could not be remitted without the bloud of the immaculate Lamb of God Me thinks every one of you should sit downe and say Ah Lord that ever I should be such a wretch so farre to provoke the fire of thy wrath that nothing could quench it but the bloud of thy Sonne that I should throw my selfe so deep into Hell that nothing could raise mee but the bloud-shedding of the deare Sonne of Gods love You have had to doe with that just man Christians not to doe with condemning him but even with the vildest acts of Barbarisme were done unto him your hypocrisie was the kisse that betrayed him the sinnes of your hands and feet were the nailes that fastened his hands and feet to the Crosse the sinnes of your body were the Spears that pierced his sacred side the sinnes of your soules were they that made his soule heavy to the death that caused the with-drawings of his Fathers love from him and made him in the heavinesse of his panged soule to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O sit downe goe alone weep and weep bitterly for him whom you have pierced for those stripes by which you are healed 2. But secondly if any thing will move your soules to make your head a Fountaine of water and your eyes Rivers of teares Consider That this Christ you have crucified even since his death upon the Crosse for you When the Apostle St. Peter Acts 2. had made a long Sermon of Christs love shewing the Auditors what Christ had done and what he was he summeth up all verse 36. God hath made that same Jesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ Now saith the Text verse 37. When they heard this viz. that they had crucified this Christ they were pricked at the heart This Christ my beloved whom you have crucified by your youth sinnes and life sins this was he that was crucified for you O be pricked at the hearts at this saying Was it not enough that he once was pierced scoffed wounded crucified for you but must you againe crucifie him and which of you doe it not daily Causinus tels us a story of Clodoveyus one of the Kings of France that when he was converted from Paganisme to Christianity while Remigius the Bishop was reading in the Gospell concerning the Passion of our Saviour and the abuses he suffered from Judas and the rest of the Jewes he brake out into these words If I had been there with my Frenchmen I would have cut all their throats In the meane time not considering that by his daily sins he did as much as they had done Which of us is not condemning the crucifiers of Christ for their cruelty and in the meane time we condemne not our selves who by our daily sinnes make him to bleed againe afresh Ah let us judge our selves and sit downe and mourne we are they that have added to Christs bonds that have increased his wounds and the pangs of his grieved soule
which is now glorified with our renewing lusts and corruptions I shall conclude this use with a prayer that God would fulfill to all our soules that gracious promise Zach. 12. 10. That he would poure out the spirit of grace and of supplications upon us and make us to look upon him whom we have pierced and doe pierce daily and mourn as a man mournes for his only Son And be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternes for his first-borne I passe on to a second way of Application viz. by way of Instruction Hath Christ and Christ alone raised us 1. Let us hence be instructed How Instruction much the Lord Jesus Christ loved us And here let my soule be drowned in sweetnesse and in sinking cry out O the depth of unfadomable love What tongue what Saint what Angell can speake out this unspeakable love Pray O pray Christians That Christ Eph. 3. 17 18. may dwell in your hearts by faith 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 height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Is it love in a friend to passe his word for his friend arrested and ready to be haled to gaole and to take the debt upon himselfe and is it no love in Christ yea is it not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unspeakable of loves for Jesus Christ when a writ of eternal vengeance was Ready to issue out against you to be your surety and beare the blow off to the breaking of his own armes Was it love in the Roman to personate his friend and upon the Scaffold and after to suffer for him and is it not infinite love for Jesus Christ to take the raggs of your flesh upon him and indeed to dye a death upon the crosse for you for you deare friends for you he was smitten despised rejected of men he dyed to make you live he was content to fall so you might rise Let your thoughts sinke in this ocean and spend your lives in spelling the letters of love that must be joyned in this one word or sentence I Raised thee From hence Secondly be Instructed What a perfect Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ is he leaves nothing for thee to doe but to thanke him hee makes the plaister and layes it on hee trod the Wine-presse alone and there is none with him he hath left thee nothing to do but to believe his last words All is finished he conquered sinne upon the Crosse and death and hell in the grave He will have none to be a sharer with him either in his worke of Merit or Application get but hands he will deliver thee thy pardon ready written granted sealed nay he will help thee with hands too He was made perfect through sufferings Hebr. 2. 10. Heb. 5. 9. Being made perfect hee became the author of salvation to them that obey him 3. From hence againe bee instructed Christian What need thou and every poore soule hath of the Lord Iesus Christ Thou wert fallen and layest as unable to helpe thy selfe as an Infant throwne into an open field Men and Angels were at their wits ends to answer to this question How then can any be saved The Heavens said Salvation was not in them and Earth sayes Salvation is not in us nothing but God-man can doe this great work There is no other name but onely the Name of Iesus by which thou or I or any of the children of men can be saved If thou hast him thou hast enough if thou hast not him it is not all the righteousnesse of Saints and Angels that will make a garment which will not bee too short to cover thy nakednesse O cry Lord give mee Christ Lord give mee Christ or else I dye Thinke not of thy owne merits thy righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth and as a filthy ragge Christs Righteousnesse is sufficient for thee 4. Let all the redeemed ones of the Lord be instrushed How much they owe and shall for ever owe to him that is become their Saviour It is no slight mercy Sirs to be saved out of everlasting burnings It is a piece of love which as wee can never comprehend so we can never walke up to O let us all say What shall wee render unto the Lord for his mereies wee will take the cup of salvation and praise the Name of the Lord. You would thinke you owed a great deale to him that should exalt you from a Dungeon to a Throne Mephibosheth thought he was mightily honoured to be admitted to eate bread at the Kings Table How much Ah! How much Christians is every of your soules indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ who remembred you in your low estate For his mercy endureth for ever But I passe on further Use 3 From hence may every one try himselfe whether he be raised out of that lost undone condition wherein he was by Nature I have spoke to this in the former Doctrine but because I here meet it so fit again take two Notes of Triall from this Doctrine 1. If you be raised you are raised by Christs merits 2. You are raised according to Christs method 1. If you be raised It is by Christs merits all the Abana and Parphars of thy owne merits would not doe it One drop of that fountaine that was set open for Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleanenesse is worth all the waters of thine own Damascus What trusts thou in Christian Is it what thou hast done Alas thou art so far from having any naturall strength as Pelagians and Arminians dreame or any other strength of merits either of thy owne or thy friends which Papists dreame of that if all the Saints in the earth and all the Angels of heaven could unite their forces in one arme and to one act they could as little have lifted thee up out of the pit into which thou wert fallen as thou couldst lift up an house with the palme of thy hand if it were fallen downe It was onely this mighty one this Prince of glory this King of power that could doe it Say therefore as they say that great Papist concluded Tutissimum est Christi merit is confidere it is most safe onely to rest upon him believe it all other trusts are as the bruised Reed of Egypt and as the broken staffe of Assyria which if thou trusteth too they run into thy hand and pierce thee they will cause thee to fall many strides short of heaven when they have carried thee to their furthest their Nil ultra O trust not in them if there be all thy confidence thou art not yet raised 2. If Christ hath raised you it hath been in his method of Application Christ saves none but whom he sanctifies and sanctifies none but whom he justifies and justifieth none but whom he calls Some men are justified they think but they know not which way and
dye 12. 2. One that had the offending nature 12. 3. One that could merit by death ib. 4. One that could pay an infinite satisfaction 13. The Riddle of mans Redemption solved 14. 3. Christ hath done the work of our Redemption 14 15. Christ hath raised all Intentionally and Moritoriously whom his Father elected some also Actually and formally 16 17. 4. Christ will raise all his chosen ones actually and formally 17 18. Pardon is to come out of course to all the Elect 18. Christs and his Fathers power are united and joyntly engaged for his Elects salvation 18 19. 5. Christ hath raised and will raise his Elect How he hath already and will yet further do it 20 21. 22 23. 1. By entring into a Covenant and engaging his word for them 20 21 22. The justice of God in charging our debts on Christ cleared by his voluntary engagement for us 21 22. How the Father is well pleased and satisfied in Christ as Mediator 23 24 25. Till Christ came God the Father had nothing but Christs word for the paiment of our debts 25. 2. How Christ raised us by assuming our flesh 26 27. That was necessary in order to our redemption 1 That he might suffer 2 That the same Nature might suffer 3 That righteousnesse might be fulfilled 4 That he might fulfill the Law for us 27 28. The Govenant of Grace and Works how they differ how the latter is more favourable 28. Christ was to be a mercifull high Priest 30 31. 3. Christ raised his Saints by his suffering How and why that was necessary 31 32. 1. That he might satisfie ib. 2. That he might conquer for us 32 33. 4. Christ raised us by his resurrection 33 34 35. What influences Christs Resurrection had upon our raising 33 34 35. 1. It witnesseth Christs Conquest for us 33. 2. It quickens us 34. 3. It is a pledge to us of our rising to glory 35. 5 Christ hath raised his Elect by his Ascension 35 36. What influence that act of Christs had on our raising 35 36 37. 1. In going before hee provides a place for us 36. 2. He is by that our Way to the Father 36. 3. Hee is by that our Advocate with the Father 37 38. 4. In that ascending up on high hee gave gifts to men 38. Elect ones Naturally want three things 1 Life 2 Strength 3 Light 40 41. 1. Christ first calls the soule effectually in that work he usually 1 Convinceth the soule of its misery 2 Humbles it 3 Gives it hope This is the first meanes of Application of the purchased Redemption to the soule 41 42. 2. He justifies the soule What that is Three things God doth in justification 1. He pardons the soules sins 2. He imputes Christs Righteousnesse unto it 3. He accepts it 42 43. By these two acts the soule hath life given it ib. Weaknesse of the soule how helped by Christ 43. 1. Christ gives the soule new principles of Grace ib. 2. He gives the soule power to act those Principles ib. 3. How Christ will in his owne time raise up the soules of his Saints to a sight of their salvation 44. 4. Christ will at last fully raise them up by taking them to glory 44. Why Christ undertook the work of our Redemption 46 47. The moving cause was his own grace The finall cause his owne glory 46 47. The Application of the Doctrine variously à 47. ad 83. 1. Use For Humiliation 47 48. For our sins and that from hence upon a double ground 1. To consider that our sins put Christ to death 48 49. 2. That by any renewing sinnes we should againe crucifie the Lord of life 47 48 49 50 51 52. 2. Use For Instruction in foure Branches 1. Br. How much hath Christ loved us 53. 2. Br. Christ is a compleat Saviour he hath left us nothing to doe but to beleeve all is done 55. 3. Br. Christ is highly needfull to every poore soule 55 56. 4. Br. All the Elect and Redeemed ones are highly indebted to Christ 56 57. 3 Use For Triall whether wee bee yet raised or no. 57. 58. 2 Notes of Triall ib. 1. N. If we be raised it is by Christs act 57 58. 2. N. It is in Christs Method of Application 59. What that is ibid. 4. Use Of Exhortation 1. To Naturall men 2. To Saints 61 62 63 c. 1. Let poore undone creatures look for a portion in Christ 61 62 63. Men are not so sensible of soule-diseases as of bodily sicknesses 62. 4. Directions for such poor creatures 62 63 64. 1. How they may speak with Christ ib. 2. What his Fee is ibid. The condition is Bring nothing ib. 3. How they must use his Balme 64. 4. VVhat rules of Dyet must be observed after taking it 66. The second part of the Exhortation turn'd to Beleevers 67. Saints exhorted to thank fulnesse 67 68. From the consideration 1. Of the person of their Redeemer in three particulars 68 69. 2. Of the act and manner of their Redemption in three things 69 70. 3. Of the Object of this act opened in five particulars 71 72 73. He hath done it that was 1. Infinitely above thee 2. In no need of thee 3. The offended Creator He raised thee 1. Out of a low condition 2. To a glorious condition 3. By his own falling He raised Thee 1. Not others Angels Great persons 2. That wert as low as others Thee 3. That wert his enemy 4. That never ask'd it before it was done 5. That hast still rebellion in thee p. 68 69 70 71 72 73. Particular exhortations to believers to the performance of severall duties All which are inforced from Christs severall acts of grace in raising us 74 75 76 77 78 c. 1. Value nothing in an equall ballance with Christ 74. 2. Vow your selves to God and keep your vowes 76. 3. Beleevers as Christ hath taken upon him their nature should likewise strive to be made partakers of his Nature 76. 4. From Christs death they should learne to die to sin 77. 5. From Christs resurrection they should learn to rise to newnesse of life 77 78. 6. From Christs ascension Beleevers should learne to ascend by setting their affections on heavenly things 78. 7. Let Christ be in you the hopes of glory ibid. 5. Vse This doctrine affords consolation for believers 1. Against their outward poverty 79. 2. Against their feares because of their many and great sins 80. 3. Against their daily back slidings ib. 4. Against their present sadnes ib. 5. Against their feares of falling away 80 81. Belevers from hence may be comforted with hope 1. Concerning such of their frends as are no◠yet raised 81. 2. Concerning such as are full of terror and sadnes 81. 82. A Branch of instruction added that was forgotten in its order viz. How much Christ deserves our cleaving 〈◊〉 him in saddest conditions 82 83. An Index of the severall contents of the third part Doct. 3. The
the Apostle told the beleeving Ephesians that they were Children of wrath by nature even as others Eph. 2. 3. Besides that Christ useth not to pay any debts by halves it were as good as nothing for Iesus Christ to pardon a reprobates Originall sin to whom he never intends to pardon all sinne yea Originall sinne doth not only remaine upon elected ones as an offence to God and laying upon them an obligation to death since Christ dyed untill their Iustification but even after Iustification there is a body of death it hath lost its condemning power and its raigning power but it yet cleaves to our flesh as Ivy to the tree so deep an impression it hath upon all our natures But this openeth a way to another question whether originall sin remaines in any of the elect after Justification the affirmative is truth but in regard that my text strikes not directly against the errour I shall passe it by and refer you to those that have defended the truth in it as Zanchi c. and leaving this first use shall proceed to some further application which shall be more Particular 1. By way of Instruction 2. By way of Examination and Tryall 3. By way of Exhortation 4. By way of Consolation Of all these in their order By way of Instruction We may hence learne first what a sad condition the most men of the world are in Ah! Lord how few are they whom thou hast chosen ever to obtaine eternall life and yet these are children of wrath by nature as well as others Poore creatures my heart trembles to thinke of you How many in this Congregation yet lye in a condition low enough and the Lord knowes whether ever to be raised yea or no. If a child should be borne with some naturall weaknesse in its armes or leggs and it should live six or ten or twenty years and yet not be able to use its limbs you would say it would be a very great hazard if ever that child did recover its limbs so as to have the strength and exercise of it it would be almost a miracle It was such a miracle that in the ninth of John when Jesus Christ had restored sight to one that was borne blind the Jewes would not beleeve it possible and ver 32. we find a positive determination upon the question Since the world began it was never heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind How many poore wretches that are come here into the presence of the Lord that were all borne blind deafe dead and have lived some ten some twenty some thirty yeares some more and all this time have continually had all the meanes that could be applyed to them for recovery and yet are in the same lost undone condition Ah my friends what can you neither stretch out hand nor foot nor tongue nor any member notwithstanding all the meanes of grace astoorded you for quickning Let me tell you it is ten thousand to one if you doe not perish for ever My friends It is a miracle a great miracle of mercy that any one poore wretch considering in what condition it is borne should ever come out of it The Jewes would hardly beleeve the report therefore they say Joh. 9. 19. Is this your sonne that was borne blind how then doth he now see We may say so concerning every one that hath any thing of God in him Was not this poore creature borne blind how doth he now see was not he borne lost How is he now raised but for those that in stead of growing better are growne ten times worse that have hardened their hearts and gone on in riot and wantonnesse and are yet in their bloud it is ten to one if ever the Lord say to them live they are growne to such a shamelesse impudence in wickednesse I dare not say there is no hope But let me sadly say there is small hope that ever the Lord should raise such wretches And if he doth not better ten thousand times better sinner had it been for thy soule that thou hadst never seen the light of the morning nor heard the voice of the Gospell in thine eares This is your condition the Lord awaken you Secondly From hence we may be instructed Whom we have cause to thanke that any of us are this day out of hell Who art thou O man that boasts thou art of good parentage or of a great birth harke in what language my Text speaks thy birth Thou wert borne under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee If thy heavenly Father doth no more for thee than thy earthly mother woe to thee that ever thou wert borne What a boasting we have of pedegrees and great descents What a great word it is in the world I was better borne than you My father was such a Gentleman so great so rich c. My mother was of such or such an ancient Family O vanity vanity of vanities Poore creature thy mother brought thee forth under an Apple-tree The very heathen out of a meere rationall principle could scoffe at such brags Genus proavos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Tully could retort to the Roman bragging of his descent Domus mea à me incipiet tua verò in te desinet My house shall have its Originall from me my Nobility and worth thy Noble Family shall have an end in thy Basenesse Christian what is thy birth consider it but in a spirituall notion the poorest wretch in the world is borne in as good a condition as thou art and thou in no better an estate towards God than he Suppose a man were borne of some great parentage and had no Lands no estate left him but could only boast of fumos nomina vana Catonum his fathers name and the smoake of his chimney Possibly he hath some gorgeous suit of apparell left him this he weares and glisters in for a while yet a little while and these teare and then he hath not a rag left him nor a penny to buy one to cover his nakednesse how contemptible would such a poore wretch be in every mans eyes And is not this the condition of the most of the great men gallants of the world they glister with an outside a little in the world their names are great their persons admired yet a little while and these weare out the men dye and lye downe in hell Ah! that those that glory would glory in this that God is their Father and Jesus Christ their portion Thus your Houses would have a beginning of Glory from you and their Glory should not end with you 2. Nor is the boasting of those much better that can boast of their Religious Parents I confesse it is the better of the two an heire of Glory being farre more noble than the greatest worldling and in regard that the Election of God runs much in a
32. they would have passed by on the other side Christ was he that was the good Samaritane onely that had compassion on us Ez. 16. verse 5. None eye pittied us to doe any thing to us that might doe us any good wee were cast out in the open field to the loathing of our person in the day wherein we were borne But if they would yet none could Alas they had been all Physitians of no value man had beene past their cure Here was the state of a poore Creature An infinite debt was due to infinite justice for mans offence Alas where shall it be had as Job said concerning wisedome Job 28. 13 14. Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living The depth saith it is not in mee and the sea saith it is not with mee c. So may we say The Angels said it is not in us for could wee assume bodies and dye yet we were but finite Creatures and there could not be an infinite value in our death Come wee downe to the earth the Beasts and other Creatures say it is not in us for is God pleased with the deaths of Bullocks and Goats and Lambs Ah no! what sayes David Thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt Offering And again Psal 40 verse 6. Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire Burnt-Offering and Sinne-Offering thou hast not required Besides how shall the flesh of Bulls satisfie the guilt of another Nature Man said it is not in me No Physician heale thy selfe Wee were all sinners and how should we pay the debt that if we could have paid our brothers debt had had as great a one for our selves to pay Can that Malefactor by his suffering death expiate for another when himself deserves to dye also and stands condemned to death for his owne demerits Besides had all man-kinde dyed they had been but as so many Prisoners laid in Gaole for debt that had not a groat to pay their lying in hell for ever had paid no debts but still increased them Well how shall the satisfaction be made shal we buy man off Alas no Salvation canot be gotten for gold nor shall silver be weighed for the price of it it cannot as job sayes of wisedome be valued with the gold of Ophyr with the precious Onyx or the Saphir The Gold and the Chrystall cannot equall it and the exchange of it shall not bee for Jewells of fine gold no mention shall bee made of Corals and of Pearles for the price of salvation is above Rubies The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equall it neither shall it bee valued with pure gold whence then commeth salvation and where is the place of it seeing it is hid from all lâ—ving eyes and kept close from the Fowles of the aire Destruction and Death say we have heard the fame thereof with our eares God Christ understandeth the way thereof and hee knowes the place thereof Let us consider but what was necessarily required of whosoever should raise lâ—st fallen man and we shall finde this plaine enough that if Christ had not raised us up we had not been raised to this day I conceive these foure things were required of him that should undertake the raising and redemption of man in point of Justice and Reason so as to gaine acceptance with God First One that could dye God had made it his Statute The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Nothing but bloud would doe it Hebr. 9. 22. Without shedding bloud there is no remission Justice must have its course Now upon this score neither any person of the Trinity as meerely so nor any Angell in Heaven could helpe us for these had no bloud to shed And without shedding of bloud there is no pardon and remission of sinnes Secondly It must bee the offending Nature that must satisfie againe God is the Fountain of Justice he will not let the beasts suffer for mans transgression The Lords wayes are equall The soule that sinneth that shall dye Ezech. 18. 4. This shuts out all the Earth but man-kinde from making a sufficient satisfaction to infinite justice Thirdly It must bee one that can merit and satisfie by death for if by death he barely payes his own debts what becomes of ours You would laugh at that Debtor that if himselfe owes five hundred pound would undertake with foure hundred to discharge both himselfe and anothers too or at a Malefactor that being condemned himselfe to dye should offer to his fellow under the same condemnation to dye for him Now upon this score all man-kinde is excluded from finding out in it selfe a sufficient Saviour they are all under the same condemnation and when every one lay under a guilt and condemnation to dye for himself surely none could merit for another by dying especially if we consider Fourthly that the Saviour of man was not onely to satisfie but to pay an infinite satisfaction It was was an infinite God an infinite Justice that was offended and must be satisfied and a finite satisfaction would have been too short a pay for an infinite debt And now upon this score again are all creature-satisfactions excluded Let them doe their utmost infinitenesse is not in them they have a bottome may bee seene Now by this time me thinkes you should be wondring at mans salvation and crying out Lord how comes any man ever in heaven The Text tells you I raised you Christ did the worke Harke Christian and I will tell thee neither heaven nor earth could save thee alone there was nothing in heaven could suffer and there was nothing on earth could satisfie and as there was no mercy without satisfaction so there could be no satisfaction without suffering Heaven and earth therefore must bee mingled together From Heaven we must have a satisfying Nature from earth a guilty Nature and a suffering person God the Father sayes to Christ thou shalt goe and doe it Christ sayes I goe It is written that I should do thy will Father it is my delight I am content to doe it But how shall it be done saith God There shall spring up a branch out of the root of Jesse A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and that Sonne shall be my Sonne yet my Son shall not be her Sonne he shall take unto him the humane Nature and hee shall be despised smitten of God rejected of men full of sorrowes yea he shall dye and by death satisfie my wrath Thus in carne patitur Deus creator ne caro creaturae patiatur God the Creator suffers in the flesh of the Creature that the flesh of the Creature might not suffer I raised thee saith hee yes he did it when none else could doe it his arme brought salvation to us when every creatures Arme was too short yea and he did it alone hee needed no other his owne merits were enough in themselves for they were infinite and they were
whom he justified them he also glorified under Predestination is included Redemption and Sanctification under Justification Now therfore a little to open this mysterie of our Redemption in the Application of it to the soules of them that shall be saved You have seen how there came to be Balme in Gilead and that there is a fulnesse and sufficiency in Christ Now what doth the poore Elect one want that it hath lost in Adam I conceive three things 1. Life 2. Strength 3. Light 1. Life It is a damned Creature in Adam it wants a way of salvation a pardon for its sinnes a righteousnesse to appeare in the sight of God 2. Adam hath left it a weak creature not able to do any thing that is good no not so much as to think a good thought it wants a strength to Act in so as to please God 3. Adam hath left it a comfortlesse creature without any light of Gods countenance shining upon it Now all these are purchased The first of them is necessary to give the first being to a Saint The second is necessary to preserve the Christians being The third ad bene esse for the comfortable being of all Christ is all to the Childe of of God Psalme 27. verse 1. But how doth Christ apply these to the soules of his redeemed ones 1. Saith the Apostle He calls them We say that in effectuall calling which is when God joynes the irresistable power of his Spirit with the outward preaching of the Word God doth these three things 1. Convince the soule of his elect vessell that is a child of wrath by Nature as well as others Ephes 2. 3. what a condition it is in by reason of its Originall and its Actuall sinnes 2. Humble the soule for its sinnes and discover unto the soule the insufficiency of all its owne righteousnesse that it is undone in its sinnes and undone in its righteousnesse and thirdly hee sayes to the soule Yet there is hope looke up to me and live I am as the brazen Serpent onely looke up and thou shalt live And that the soule may be able to look up with a true eye Christ gives faith to the soule to behold him come unto him and to receive him by a true resting and relying upon his Merits for salvation 2. And having thus Called the soule he then justifies it He hath in his Decree justified it from eternity hee hathmeritoriously justified it by his Death upon the Crosse but now hee doth actually and formally justifie it 1. By pardoning its sinnes and acquitting the soule from the obligation it till now lay under to death and forgetting the injury done to himselfe by any of its sinnes 2. By imputing the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to the soule by which it appeares the sinner is pardoned not without a satisfaction first given to Justice 3. By accepting graciously the soule thus justified as perfectly righteous for the Lord Jesus Christs sake as if it had never sinned And the worke of true faith in this Justification is to lay hold upon it And thus now Christ applyes the merits of his Death to the soule in conveying life and pardon to it thus hee raiseth it saying to it in its bloud live But this is not all 2. The soule is weake and is not able to live an houre of it selfe Christ therefore in the next place in order to its more perfect raising sanctifies the soule which implyeth two things 1. He gives unto the soule new principles of grace 2. He gives the soule power to act these principles for as except from him we have nothing so without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. Which power being given the soule from above the soule is raised and becomes strong in the strength of Christ and sets upon works 1. Of Mortification to subdue the strong holds of Satan viz. the remainder of corruption in the soule 2. Of Vivification setting upon such Duties as God hath required of his redeemed ones being exercises of the grace which they have received from the Lord Jesus Christ he gives the soule power to live upon faith to love to desire him to delight in him to do and to suffer for him to be content with him c. Yea and thirdly In his due time he raises the soule to a comfortable life in giving it the sense of his love a perswasion of its Union with the Lord Jesus Christ peace in the inward man shining upon it with the light of his Countenance which is better to it than thousands of Gold and Silver This I say he does in his due time not to all nor continuing it constantly to any but according to his good pleasure thus making knowne to it the Redemption he hath purchased for it and the Justification of its soule which is past in heaven before 4. And lastly in his due time he will yet further raise the soule by taking it to himself and glorifying it with himselfe for ever He will come againe on purpose to raise the soules of his redeemed ones from the dust and to take them up to himself in glory that where he is there they may be also John 16. verse 3. Thus Christ hath meritoriously raised all his redeemed ones and will apply their Redemption with the fruits of it to them in his due time applying life to them by Vocation and Justification strength to them by Sanctification light and comfort to them by shining with the Light of his Countenance upon them and finally giving them Glorification hee shall then perfect his worke of raising us and wee shall live with him in the Highest Heavens for ever I have now done with the Doctrinall part so farre as to shew you 1. That it is Christ that raiseth his Elect ones 1. He is designed 2. He can doe it 3. Hee onely can 4. Hee hath done it meritoriously for all 5. Hee hath done it actually and formally for some and will doe it for the rest And so farre as to shew you the manner how he did it and doth it both in respect of his owne acts in relation to the fitting himselfe for the worke and in respect of his application of it to the soules of his servants If now you aske me the Reasons why and to what end he did it for the reasons of the particular Propositions I have given you them before Now for Reasons in the Generall I shall give you them in two words 1. The moving cause was his owne grace because he would 2. The finall cause was his own glory 1. The moving cause and reason was his owne grace and goodnesse This is the reason of all Gods acts of grace towards the Creature whether Election or Redemption or Vocation or Justification or Sanctification or Glorification the sole cause was in himselfe because he loved us and delighted in us for his owne Names sake c. Isa 43. 25. Deut. 7. 7. Hos 14. 4. His owne will was all the reason he
they shall be saved I know not which way too Christian thou wert lost and undone thou wert in Adams loines as well as any thou hadst an adventure in his ship as well as any the ship was wrackt Did the Lord ever call thee Didst thou ever yet find a powerfull worke of Gods spirit joyned with the word upon thy heart Did the Lord ever make thee in any measure to see thy lost condition Did the Lord ever yet bid thee when thou sawest thy selfe lost and wert confounded in thy owne insufficiency looke upon Jesus Christ and live Was sinne ever yet a sting to thy soule if not I doubt yea I am out of doubt Christ was never a true comfort to thee Christ was lift up as the brazen serpent now for whom was that lift up but for those that felt the smart of the fiery serpent and no way else be cured Againe Christ sanctifies before he glorifies he hath ordained us to good works and then to obtaine everlasting life though not for them this is Christs method of raising Dost thou looke to be saved Art thou sanctified Christian Is thy heart changed and thy tongue changed Beleeve it no uncleane thing shall ever enter into the new Jerusalem Christ useth to raise to holinesse before he raiseth to happinesse But I have in the former Doctrine spake so fully to this worke of Examination in relation to this thing of so great a concernment to every soule as nothing can be more that I shall now adde no more but passe on Use 4 This Doctrine may in the fourth place be applyed by way of Exhortation 1. To those that yet have no part at all in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. To those that through free grace have an interest in this Saviour and have been raised by him 1. Is there any poore soule here that is to this day so miserable as that it hath no portion in the Lord Jesus Christ Now I beseech you as an Ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ as in Christs stead I beseech you get an interest in him You have heard he is he whom the Lord hath ordain'd to be the Saviour of the world he is the mighty one upon whom help was laid yea the only mighty one upon whom help could be laid O then above all things looke for a portion in him in whom alone you can be rich Wouldst thou be saved This all desire Glory and happinesse are fine things Omnibus in voto every man would dye the death of the Righteous and have his later end like his Wouldst thou goe to Heaven Christian he is the way Wouldst thou live he is the life yea he and none but he Be assured thou art now a child of wrath and there is but an haires breadth betwixt thee and hell thou art wounded past the cure of the whole Creation loe here is balme in Gilead If thou wilt enquire enquire returne come Were there a poore wretch sicke of an incurable disease to ordinary Physitians and Chirurgians and some rare one should come to the Towne that alone had found out the mystery in the Art of curing that very trouble he should be throng'd with Patients How is it that Christ hath no more practise he that is the great Physitian that all the creatures are Physitians of no value to him Alas the reason is too perspicuous men are sensible of their bodily troubles but their soul-troubles are not felt by them To direct thee a little to him wert thou sicke of such a disease and hadst heard of so rare a Physitian what wouldst thou aske 1. How shall I speake with him 2. What must I give him 3. How must I apply his physicke 4. What Rules of diet or walking c. must I observe 1. Dost thou aske how thou shalt speake with the Lord Jesus Christ to lay open thy soules wounds unto him And where doth he exhibite his balme I answer to thee The word is near thee even in thy mouth it is the word of faith which we preach Behold Christ keeps open shop Wisedome cries and Understanding puts forth her voice she standeth in the top of the high Places by the way in the places of the paths She cries at the gates at the entring in of the doores Unto you O men she cals and her voice is to the sonnes of men O ye simple understand wisedome and ye fooles be of an understanding heart Prov. 8. ver 1 2 3 4 5. The Lord Christ keeps open shop in every place We as the Embassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ intreat you to be reconciled to God Did ever such naturall balme goe on begging The word is neare thee there Christ offers himselfe Dost thou aske what is his price 2. He offers it freely Heare the Market proclamed and the price set Isa 55. 1 2. Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat wine and milke without money and without price This is the condition bring nothing the way to have thy sacke filled as full as thou canst carry it is to bring it empty Only come and live look up and be healed was there ever so cheap a Market of so rich commodities Christian poore Christian wert thou but sensible of thy soules wants thou wouldst give as many thousand worlds if thou hadst them and they could be given as there are graines of dust upon the face of the earth to have a portion in the Lord Jesus Christ Imagine but what a poore damned wretch would give to have but so much liberty as to cast up a long looke to Heaven what a comfort it would be to them if the light of the Gospell might but shine into hell a few dayes And is mercy offered freely mayest thou be saved if thy owne cursed will were not in the way Ah Christian turne turne why should thy soule dye when there is balme in Gilead and so glorious a Physitian there Dost thou aske how must I apply his bloud 3. I answer only by Faith God so loved the world saith the Apostle that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Nay to speake lower yet on thy part is only required a seeking of Christs face Thus saith the Lord seeke my face and live The truth of it is as the merit was Christs so the Application is his too Faith is required but it is a gift infused it is the gift of God Indeed it is an act too but as so it is Gods gift I meane the strength by which thou must act He is the Author and finisher of our faith saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes O therefore cry cry mightily unto God he will help thee doe this too Goe alone and wrastle with God and take no answer without Christ cry and take no deniall like the blind man that when the Disciples discouraged him and Christ seemed to slight him cryed yet the more earnestly till the Lord said
is his greatest glory he will not give that to any other None shall share with him in his Spouses love he is a jealous Saviour The Spouse leanes upon her Beloved not Beloveds Thus I have done with my use of reproofe The next use is for examination here may every one try himselfe whether he be the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ or no Even by what hath been already said I will reduce it all to three heads First Examine thy selfe whether thou beest out of the wildernesse of sinne yea or no. Secondly Whether thou wert or art in any other wildernesse yea or no. Thirdly What was or is thy demeanour in these wildernesses thou hast been or art in and how hast thou come or dost thou come out Examine whether thou beest not in the wildernesse of sinne yea or no It was given as the Character of the Spouse to come out of this wildernesse O but how shall I know that will the soule say I will name two or three notes by which thou mayst suspect thy selfe as from probabilities 1. The wildernesse it is an incult place a place where the soyle was never tilled it is hard almost as a milstone the over-growne Trees were never pruned the unruly boughs never lopt the bushes never cut or stubbed dost thou find thy heart in such a condition that it is as hard as ever neither judgement breaks it nor mercy melts it the fallow ground of it is not plowed nor the seed of righteousnesse sowne in it Thy unruly lusts are not tamed thy life is as much overgrowne with sinne as ever it was thy sinnes were never yet cut off from the body of thy life O friend suspect thy selfe Thou mayest justly feare yea and know too that thou art not the Spouse of Christ thou art in the wildernesse in thy naturall estate Secondly The wildernesse is a barren place it brings forth no corne for the sickle no wholsome fruit no grapes for mans pallat for can a man gather grapes of thistles or figgs of thornes No pastures wholsome for the beasts The fire hath devoured the pastures of the wildernesse Joel 1. 19. And God complained that Nineveh was dry like a wildernesse Zeph. 2. 13. Art thou a barren and unfruitfull creature that dost nothing for God thy heart is a barren heart no seeds of good are sown there thy tongue is a barren tongue no good words come out thence thy whole soule a barren soule not a good action upon the record of thy life Indeed no soule can be barren the soule is of a working nature but sinfull works are unfruitfull workes in the Apostles language The unfruitfull workes of darknesse and what fruits had ye of those things whereof you are now ashamed Gods Spouse is a fruitfull creature Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering c. A barren soule is alwayes a wildernesse-soule Those that are borne of God bring forth fruits unto God Thirdly thou mayest know whether thou beest in the wildernesse or no by the company thou delightest in It is a knowne rule Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur ex se He that is a wildernesse-creature loves wildernesse-company the Wolves and Beares and Foxes but he that is out keeps the company of men dost thou love the wildernesse-company the swinish drunkard the politike Fox the malitious Lyon the venomous lyer and slanderer the lascivious wanton more than the Children of God Oh suspect thy selfe By this we know saith John that we are translated from death to life if we love the Brethren Lazarus when he was raised from the grave we do not read he went to keep the dead men company againe those that God hath raised from the death of their sins live amongst living men and delight in living mens company Thus examine whether thou beest come out of the wildernesse of sin or no. Secondly As comming out of the wildernesse is a signe of the child of God so being in the wildernesse is likewise a note whereby thou mayest know thy selfe Gods Spouse comes out of one wildernesse into another out of the wildernesse of sinne into the wildernesse of sorrow and out of that to their Saviour Wouldest thou know whether thou art found or no Examine whether thou wert lost or no Wouldest thou know whether ever thou wert a beleever examine whether ever thou wert a penitent or not This is Gods ordinary way thence he complaines of his people that they would not repent that they might beleeve in him Dos thou find God in another manner of working in thy soule blesse God for it and if thy title be good to heaven which will be knowne by thy walking with God beleeve me God hath used thee kindly heaven hath cost thee cheaper then it costs many a poore soule and walke humbly before God because he hath not humbled thee under his mighty hand as he hath done many another poore creatures And though I would not condemne those that plead their title to heaven this way for feare I should condemne the generation of the righteous yet beleeve me I should suspect it in my owne cause They that goe out weeping and carry precious seed shall returne rejoycing and bring their sheaves with them 2. Examine thy selfe What other wildernesses thou meetest with Afflictions temptations c. I would not give this as an infallible marke yet God sayes whom he loves he chasteneth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth and thence the Father drew out his Conclusion Unicum Deus habuit filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello God had one Sonne without sinne but none without a rod. But I know even the wicked sometimes begin their hell upon the earth and though I would suspect my selfe if I met with no afflictions yet I would not be glad to have a life full of crosses and afflictions my best evidence for heaven I rather named this for a preface to the next note 3. Examine how thou carriest thy selfe in the wildernesse there is a different carriage betwixt the child of God and the child of the Devill in afflictions the one sinkes into the grave with despaire the other lifts up his head to Sion with hope the one is prest to death under crosses the other above all crosses Cain cries my punishment is too heavy for me to beare Job cries though he should kill me yet I will trust in him The Reprobate cryes Who is the Lord that I should wait for him The Saint sayes I will patiently wait for the Lords Salvation the wicked man dyes the Saint leanes the eyes of the sinners faile that day but the Saints look up to Sion from whence comes their helpe that day 4. Examine How thou hast come out of thy wildernesse of thine owne strength or leaning Canst thou say That God knew thee in the wildernesse in the land of great drought Hos 13. 5. If thou thinkest thou camest out alone thou art there stil What
righteous with God to render trouble to them that trouble him we presse God with our sinnes as a cart is prest with sheaves it is his owne similitude no wonder if hee lades us with troubles to the breaking of our hearts when wee take such liberty to break his lawes I am not of their mind that think Saints troubles come not upon them for their sinnes that they come not as law demands for satisfaction I grant that they may come medicinally or meerly for the exercise of faith or patience or some other graces I also easily grant Whether wee may call them punishments or no though I see no solid reason against the affirmative in that nicety I will not dispute but this is sure enough If the Saint were not a sinner hee should not bee a sufferer neither in body nor in spirit nor in his estate nor his relations Death with all the appurtenances of it death both in the egge and bird is sinnes wages sinnes off-spring Saints by their sinnings by their inconstant and uneven walkings are causes of their own sufferings causes of their owne miseries A third head of causes for the Saints troubles may be the world And that 1. In respect of the incertainty of its comforts 1 Joh. 2. 17. The world passeth away and againe 1 Cor. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away Job complaines that his welfare past away as a cloud Job 30. 15. Take what you will of the world it passeth away our friends passe away One generation goeth and another commeth Our prosperity passeth away Job's sunshines had a cloud came over them Riches take themselves the wings of the morning and flie away Now hence of course ariseth trouble when the heart of the creature is fixt upon a Relation and the Generation passeth the parent dies the husband wife child friend or what ever the Relation be it is gone Man goeth to his long home the mourners of course goe about the streets the affection remaines but the object being gone the spirit is disquieted the heart dissetled c. and so for other things Trouble followes of course upon the flitting and passing away of what the heart was let out after 2. The world is also a cause of the Saints troubles In respect of the ill nature of its inhabitants the malice of them Joh. 15. 19. Because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you The world is very selfish in its love it loves none but its own If yee were of the world the world would love its owne The world cares for none but those that are it 's owne it hateth Christ and all that claime kinred of him all that are in relation to him Joh. 15. 18. it hated Christ before it hated the Saints but hating him it hateth those that are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Eph. 5. 30. Thus you see various causes of the Saints troubles and so I have dispatched the third thing I promised you The fourth followes What peace is that that the Saint may have in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles how is it in Christ and what paines hath Christ taken concerning it and how may the Saint get this peace and find it out in Christ and draw it from Christ To this I shall answer and first wee must enquire what peace is Pax est concordia Peace is an agreement say some tranquillitas ordinis a quiet of order saith Aquinas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it drawes into an unity unio cordium rerum an union of hearts and actions say others tranquilla constitutio animorum ac rerum say others a quiet composure of differing spirits and actions Mutuus consensus say others a mutuall consent betwixt persons All amount to the same peace is a quiet composed frame of spirit amongst divers parties Now as there are many different parties in the world to agree and many different cases upon which agreements may bee so there are different sorts of peace There is an outward peace or an inward peace a peace with men and a peace with God peace with men may be either Politicall with Princes and subjects of different Kingdomes or amongst the subjects of the same Kingdome or betwixt the head and members of the same body politick or amongst men of the same City and Corporation contrary to forrain or civill warres and dissentions Or it may be domestick which is an agreement betwixt Husband and Wife Parents and Children Governours or Servants of the same family or more private betwixt party and party call'd pax sociorum the friendship and agreement of friends and companions c. All these now are the worlds peaces which Christ puts in opposition to his peace Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is a peace that is properly called Christ's peace It was Christ's legacy hee left it by his last will and testament to his Disciples and Saints hee distinguiguisheth it from all other peace whatsoever Now in generall this is the peace that the Saints may find in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles it is Christs peace But more particularly what is that what peace is that that the world cannot give that Christs peace This is that peace with God which is nothing else than mutuus consensus Dei hominis an agreement betwixt God and man the Creator and the creature it may be considered in the root and in the fruit in the cause and in the effect in the originall and in the coppy 1. The originall is our Justification in foro Dei in Gods Court A peace betwixt God and the soule by vertue of an Act of Oblivion that the Lord hath passed in Heaven concerning all the sinners sinnes hee hath said I will remember your sinnes no more hee makes them as if they never had beene now upon the passing this Act there is an agreement concluded betwixt God and the sinner the differing parties are one the peace is made and entered in the rolls of heaven God looks upon the sinner no more as his enemy but as his sonne daughter friend in the nearest relation to him From hence ariseth 2. A piece of conscience which is nothing else but the agreement of the sinner within himselfe Conscience that is Gods agent in the soule proclaims no more warre bids no more defiance the man is at peace with himselfe hee dare say to himselfe conscience is it peace and his conscience shall make him answer it is peace Now this peace is but the sealing up of the other in the court of the mans own bosome A coppy of the other taken out by faith according to that Rom. 5. 1. Beeing justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ this is also Christ's peace Now this peace with God whether considered in the originall
ascended that he might raise us O then let us likewise ascend after him setting our affections upon things which are above not upon things which are below Christ who is our treasure is ascended Let our hearts also be where our treasure is Col. 3. ver 1. If then ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 7. Lastly Will he yet once againe come and raise you by glorification O then Let Christ in you be the hopes of glory Looke for him he is making ready his chariot He is bowing the Heavens and comming downe He hath prepared a place for his redeemed ones and he is comming Loe he is comming to take them up into the chambers of glory that where he is there they may be also But to summe up all let me only adde 5. A fifth and last use of Consolation To all the Saints and servants of God both touching themselves and touching others 1. Touching themselves against their worldly miseries and spirit-feares 1. Art thou disconsolate Compl. Christian to thinke what a poore low estate God hath given thee in this world that thou art poore despised rejected O consider thou shalt have better in heaven The Martyrs could be comforted at their bitter breakfast to thinke they should have a good supper There is a roome prepared for thee in glory O be comforted in the hopes of glory When thou canst say I have not bread to eat yet Christ is mine I have not a foot of land yet Heaven is mine I am worth nothing yet I blesse God I have a portion in Jesus Christ It is enough Christian it is enough against thy spirit-fears be comforted Ah saith 2. Compl. a Christian my sins my great sins that my youth hath been guilty of make me feare and sit downe in bitternesse yet be comforted if thou beest changed Christ hath raised thee hee paid ransome enough for thee if thy sinnes were greater than they are It was a sad saying to remember such were some of you but it was joyfull newes to consider But now you are washed now you are cleansed c. But alas saith the 3. Compl. Christian I sinne every day my backslidings are many I sinne in my righteousnesse my best duties are sinne Consider Christian Christ is still raising thee by pleading for thee it is his work to make intercession for the Saints But alas saith the Christian If God be 4. Compl. with me if Christ be mine why am I thus why doe I walke heavily I answer Because God sees it fit for thee thou mayst be raised both meritoriously and actually though not comfortably and sensibly God will shine upon thee when he thinks good the Sun shines where it lists Ah But I feare 5. Compl. I shall fall away saith another I have a base heart full of corruption c. Dost thou feare and why dost thou so sinne Dost thou thinke Christ hath taken all this paines with thee for nothing No no be assured as Heaven is purchased for thee so it shall be given to thee Christ useth not to doe his worke by the halves I have not lost one of them saith Christ he knowes them by name they cannot be missing his worke shall not be in vaine concerning any one of his chosen ones Secondly Let Christians from hence be comforted concerning others 1. Such of their friends as they may sadly feare have as yet no portion in the Lord Jesus Christ O pray for them weep for them speake to them in the name of the Lord and yet hope that though they be not actually raised yet they may be meritoriously raised There is many a one that hath a white name in Gods Election-booke and whose name Christ hath engraven upon his hands that to us is yet a black child of wrath a stranger to the Covenant of Grace If their names be there Christ will in his owne time raise him betwixt this and the Judgment day there is a spare roome in Heaven for them 2. Art thou disconsolate to see some of thy friends in great terrors in great afflictions of spirit O rejoyce over them Christian it is probable Christ is raising of them Be assured if they be his he will raise them there is not the lowest worme that belongs to Christ but he hath provided an high place for them Not the most blubber'd-eyed uncomely Christian in thine eyes in the world but Jesus Christ hath provided an handkerchiefe to wipe all teares from their eyes Christ hath raised them and will raise them One Branch of my use of Instruction I forgate in its due place take it now in a word We may hence be instructed and let us learne how much Christ deserves our cleaving to him in the wildernesse in all trials and crosses whatsoever I take this to be the proper use of this Text. The Spouse had fancied to her selfe what the world would say of her how they would admire her dependance upon Christ when he seemed to leave her and make her sad Christ replyes in the words of the Text I raised thee up under the Apple-tree c. As much as to say And doe I not deserve all this love and a great deale more Is it for nothing that thou thus cleavest to me Remember what thou wert by Nature Remember who hath done all the good for thee that is done for thy soule I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee THE SPOVSES Carriage In the Wildernesse in her leaning upon her Welbeloved Opening the temper of the Beleeving-soule in her severall Wildernesses And discovering the way of her comming out by her acting of Faith on the Lord JESVS CHRIST In a Sermon formerly preacht in Andrewes Parish in Norwich Now reprinted being corrected by the Author By JOHN COLLINGS M. A. Isa 50. 10. Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknes and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God LONDON Printed for Rich Tomlins 1649. TO The Right Honorable his never enough Honoured Lady FRANCES HOBART Increase of Grace c. Madam SOme time since I presumed to present this Sermon to your Honours hands your Ladiships acceptance then hath emboldened mee now to present it againe with some though very small alterations It presents your Ladiship with a great piece of your Honours duty and practise Faith Madam is almost the Christians All the Life of Faith is distinctively the Christians life and if ever there were a time for a Christian to live this life surely this time in which the Lord hath cast our lot is the time The whole Church of Christ is this day in the Wildernesse the Israelites way to Canaan lay that way And for my part I look still that the Church should keep the beaten path and as all