the death of this Death or that wherein it mainly consists hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation yea though it be attended with a kind of Life both Soul and Body retaining their physical being existence and union yet 't is called Death because there is in it a separation from the fountain of true Life and of all blessedness upon which account 't is not only Death but the worst Death and this too is the worst part of this worst Death for though there be more included in it than the loss of Gods presence viz. the punnishment of sense eternal torment in Hell-fire yet it might easily be prov'd that herein lies its greatest evil the Mat. 25.41 departing from God is worse than the going into everlasting fire But to apply this distinction to the business in hand How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death 1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal Not simply and absolutely from death considered abstractly and in it-self for so all must dye Believers themselves are within the compass of the general Statute Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave but it frees from death as so qualified and so circumstantiated in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death How 's that why take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an absolute power over him so as to keep him under its dominion forever for so I show'd you some open this Law of Death Such an one may dye but he shall live again the grave shall not always hold him he may be thrown into prison for a time but Christ will fetch him out and then death shall never again exercise its power over him after he hath died once he shall dye no more as 't is said of Christ Rom. 6.9 Again Grace frees from the Law of this Death that is from the hurtfulness sting and curse of it Death carries much of a curse in it 't is the result and fruit of the primitive * Gen. 2.17 curse now in this notion sanctified persons are freed from it The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man to him 't is now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature but a (a) 1. Thes 4.14 sleep but a (b) Job 14.14 change but a (c) Luk. 2.29 departure or going out of prison but a (d) If. 57.2 going to bed but an (e) 2 Cor. 5.4 uncloathing but a passage into an endless and everlasting life an inlet into the immediate fruition of God O set but sense aside what an harmless innocent thing is this death to such a person the Lion being slain by Christ there 's hony now in the belly of it I allude to that of Sampson Judg. 14.8 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which give thus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Christ by death hath overcome death unstung it and taken off its hurtful quality by dying himself he hath expiated Sin vanquished Satan atoned God satisfied the Law secured from Hell purchased eternal life and these things being done where is now the Law of Death Heb 2.14 15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of dâ—ath were all their life time subject to bondage How from the Law of eternal death 2. There is that death which is much worse than this viz. eternal death that which indeed is the death incomparably surpassing any other as no life like to eternal life so no death like to eternal death To have the Body separated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful but what is that to the separation both of Body and Soul from God forever This is sometimes set forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite as Joh. 8.51 If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Rom. 6.23 8.6 passim Sometimes by the second death and 't is so stiled because it succeeds upon and doth not commence till after the first death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev 20.6 21.4 This is that death which the * Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae permanet in Christo qui est vita ita qui servit Lege peccati permanet in morte quae venit ex damnatione peccati Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto but such as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it And this deliverance is absolute the former was but in such a qualified sense but this I say is absolute Even such may and shall dye the first death but they shall never dye this second death Rom. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power You read of the abolishing of this death by Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 eternal death is quite abolished to all regenerate persons But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verse of which having there said enough I 'le add nothing more VSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this that 't is Sin and Death By way of Vse 1. I would exhort you all to live in the steady belief of this and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 't is Sin and Death Especially when at any time Satan and your own hearts sollicit and tempt you to sin be sure then you think of this so as to retort it upon the temptation speedily what shall I sin and dye shall I for the pleasures delights satisfaction of sin which are but * Heb. 11.25 for a season expose my self to death yea to eternal death no that I dare not that I must not do 'T is good to break the force of a temptation by such reasonings as these for though 't is true the great restraints from sin should be taken from the love of God the fear of offending God c. yet it 's good and God allows it to take in the advantage of self-love too and the fear of self-destroying Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor strangely smother and suppress all serious convictions about this that 't is sin and death they durst not sin as they do Where 's the man let him be never so thirsty or let the draught be never so alluring that would venture upon it should he
50.20 In those days the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none 'T is an allusion to one that turns over all his Bonds searches into all his Debt-books to see if he can find any debt due to him from such or such a person but upon all his searching he cannot find so much as one debt to charge upon him So 't is with the pardoned justified sinner imagine that God should be inquisitive to find out some guilt as lying upon him he might indeed find out enough as he is in himself but as he is in Christ as he is pardoned and justified through Christ so there is nothing to be found against him and therefore not one Condemnation How doth this tend to the comfort and encouragement of Gods people this makes the Proposition to be very emphatical and highly consolatory there is not one Condemnation for them who are in Christ Oecumenius opens the words with this emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Sixthly The Apostle speaks indefinitely with respect to the subject there is no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus He takes all such into the priviledge for the Indefinite here is equipollent to an Vniversal Paul doth not narrow or confine or impropriate this Non-condemnation to himself 't is not there is now no Condemnation to me but he extends it to all who have an interest in Christ And herein he discovers much of wisdom as * Mirabilis sanè est Apostoli prudentia qui cum de vi peccati scriberet eam expressit in personâ suâ ut intelligeremus c. Posteà verò cum agitur de auxilio spiritus Christi inducit personam aliorum ne cuiquam in mentem veniret non quoslibet Christianos frui hoc auxilio Dei sed tantum primarios quosdam eximios quales fuerunt Apostoli Pet. Martyr Peter Martyr observes for had he spoken in the Singular number to me many poor weak Christians would have been afraid to have applyed this blessedness to themselves they would have been ready to object Ah blessed Paul thou art high in Faith eminent in Grace therefore thou maist say there is no Condemnation to thee but 't is not so with us we are but poor shrubs meer dwarfs in Grace 't is not for us to lay hold upon so high a priviledge To obviate this discouragement saith the Apostle I tell you there is no Condemnation to any who are in Christ let them be who they will this belongs to all such to you as well as to my self True I am an Apostle you are not so but then I am a Believer and so are you true I may have more of grace than you but yet you are in Christ as well as I and the Vnion being common the Non-condemnation is common too for that is the ground of this 'T is the same righteousness to all and upon all that believe Rom. 3.22 't is the same faith for substance in the highest and in the lowest to them that have obtained like precious faith with us 2 Pet. 1.1 't is the same head and the same union with this head in all and therefore it must be the same exemption from Condemnation The difference in Pauls expressing himself according to the difference of the subject he was upon is very observable take him in the former Chapter where he is bewailing sin there he speaks altogether in the First person Singular and goes no further than himself read from the 7 verse to the end and you 'll find I and me in every verse But now in this Eighth Chapter where he 's treating of Priviledges there he speaks altogether in the Plural number as taking in the whole body of Believers Run over it all and except but one Verse in which 't is true he particularizes himself The Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death I say do but except this one Verse and in all the rest you will find the observation to be true but this will be further cleared up hereafter And elsewhere too you find him very careful not to engross or confine happiness to himself but to extend it to all who belonged to God as well as he himself did As take but that one instance 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day thus far he himself is concerned but doth he stop here and not take in others No 't is not enough to him to be sure of this happiness himself but he 'll let others know it shall be just so with them too therefore he adds and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing In the great blessings of the Gospel Justification Adoption eternal Life all the Saints shall fare alike they are all Gods Children and therefore all shall have their portion and the same portion too Jude calls it common Salvation V. 3 and the same may be said of all other Blessings 't is common Justification common Adoption c. 7. Seventhly The Positive is included in the Negative There 's no Condemnation c. is this all that the Apostle drives at or hath in his eye viz. to hold forth that such who are in Christ shall not be condemned no! he aims at something more namely at this that such are fully justified and shall be most certainly saved they shall not only upon their being in Christ be looked upon as not guilty or barely kept out of Hell but they shall be judged compleatly righteous and they shall also be admitted into Heaven and eternally glorified There is a Meiosis in the words more is to be understood than what is expressed the Privative and the Positive part of the blessedness are to be linked together and blessed be God for both Had it been only freedom from Condemnation that would have been rich and glorious mercy but when it is not only that but Justification and Salvation too O here is mercy in the very height and Zenith of it Some enquire why the Apostle expresseth it in the Negative rather than in the Positive they answer because Men generally are more sensible of the Goodness of God in the freeing of them from evil than in the collating or bestowing of good No Condemnation more affects than positive Justification or Salvation It may be further added the Apostle thus expresses it because Negatives usually intend and highten the thing spoken of as in the Commandements such as are Negative carry an higher obligation in them than those which are Positive for they oblige both semper and ad semper too and as in the Promises when they are Negatively expressed this makes them to rise the higher in the matter contained in them as take that Promise which is made up of so many Negative Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor for sake thee this is more
life nay should God leave him to his liberty to make his own choice and fully assure him of his future blessedness let his choice be what it would yet he would chuse to live the spiritual rather than the carnal life was there no Heaven nor no Hell yet the sincere Christian would be for holy walking because of that excellency and intrinsick goodness which he sees in it 2. Walking after the Spirit is pleasant delightful comfortable walking that which begets true peace solid joy unspeakable comfort in the Soul The more spiritual a man is in his walking the greater is his rejoycing O * Psal 119.165 what peace have they who thus walk The Flesh must not vye with the Spirit about true comfort men exceedingly mistake themselves when they look for pleasure delight and satisfaction in a fleshly course alas 't is not there to be had It s very sweet is bitter there 's gall and wormwood even in its hony * Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness It promises indeed great things but it falls exceedingly short in its performances eminently it doth so in its promises of joy and comfort True peace is onely to be found in a holy course Rom. 8.6 To be spiritually minded is life and peace life hereafter peace here 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimoâ—â— of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world There 's no comfort like to that which attends * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 1. c. 9. holy walking the true Christian would not for a world exchange that joy which he hath in his Soul in and from Meditation Prayer the Word Sacraments Promises mortification of sin holiness communion with God the hope of glory for all that joy which the Sinner hath in the way of sin and in his sensual delights Would you have the * 1 Pâ—t 1 8. joy which is unspeakable the * Phil. 4.7 peace which passeth all understanding the * Job 15.11 consolations of God which are not small O walk after the Spirit Men have false notions of Religion which experience must confute the Devil belies and misreports the ways of God as if a godly life was a sad pensive melancholly life pray try and then judge be perswaded to fall upon this heavenly course and then tell me whether * Prov. 3.17 wisdomes ways be not ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches The Flesh is outdone by the Spirit if it gives some outward flashy joy the Spirit with advantage gives inward solid abiding joy should not this allure you to walk after it We always love to walk where our walking may be most pleasant and delightful surely to walk with God to live in communion with Father Son and Spirit to be taken up in the contemplation and fruition of heavenly things to be always sucking at the breasts of the Promises to act in the daily exercisâ— of Grace I say surely this must needs be pleasant and delightful Walking indeed And the Spiritual Walker hath not onely this peace and satisfaction whilst he lives but in a dying hour too he is full of comfort O the Soul-chearing reflexions which he then can make upon an holy life O that heart-exhilerating prospect which he hath of the World to come whether he looks backward or forward all administers ground of rejoycing to him Is it thus with the Sinner the Sensualist alas 't is quite otherwise when Death comes and lays his cold hands upon him what bitter pangs of Conscience doth he feel what dreadful terrours do sill his Soul how doth the sense of Judgment and Aeternity strike him with astonishment All his sensual Comforts do now fail him and he did not live so full of joy but he dyes as full of sorrow This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sâ—rrow Isa 50.11 but Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 3. This is blessed Walking for it evermore ends in salvation It doâ—â— not onely at present evidence Non-condemnation and Vnion with Christ but it assures of Heaven and certainly brings to Heaven at last Holiness and Happiness never were never shall be parted Every motion hath its terminus or end the End of this motion or walking is eternal rest Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Gal. 6.18 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousness is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death so that if you will be perswaded to enter into and to hold on in the way of the â—pirit it will infallibly lead you to eternal life and what can be spoken higher The sum of all is this I here set * Jer. 21.8 life and death before you if the One will not allure you to an holy heavenly conversation nor the Other deter you from a sinful carnal conversation I have then no more to say but surely such as have any sense of God of the worth of the Soul and of the things of the world to come they will resolve for the spiritual life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athenag Leg pro Christian p. 35. Athenagoras in his Apology for the primitive Christians states their practice thus If saith he we did believe that we should onely live the present life there might then be some room for suspicion that we might be as wicked as others indulging flesh and blood and drawn aside by covetuousness and concupiscence but we know that God is privy not onely to all our actions but to all our thoughts and words that he is all light and sees what is most hid in us and we are fully perswaded that after this life we shall live a much better life with God in Heaven and therefore we do not live as others do whose life will end in Hell fire O that we could as easily draw men to the heavenly life as we can apologize for those who live it or set down the grounds and reasons why they live it And now you who are Flesh-followers will nothing prevail with you shall all these Considerations be ineffectual will you yet persist in your fleshly course though an Angel with a drawn sword stands before you to stop you in your evil way yet * Numb 22.22 Balaam-like will you go on will you set your selves in a way that is not good as the wicked are described Psal 36.4 are you at that language * Jer. 18.2 We will every one walk after our own devices and we will every
guide and the giver of the spiritual life as the Soul gives life to the Body so the Spirit of God gives life to the Soul in which respect he is called * Dicitur Spiritus vitae quód animam vegetet vivificet divinâ gratiâ Contzen Sicut Spiritus naturalis facit vitam naturae sic Spiritus Divinus facit vitam Gratiae Aquin. the Spirit of life And this Life or Quickening by the Spirit is either that which is at the first Conversion or that which is subsequent and follows after Conversion 1. First there is that Life which is proper to the first Conversion When the Sinner is converted he 's quickened or made alive for indeed till that great work was done in him in a spiritual sense he was no better than a dead man before renewing grace there 's no life 'T is the regenerating Spirit which inspires this into the Soul I say into the Soul for that 's the receptive subject of this Life There is another Life or quickening to be wrought also by the Spirit which is proper to the Body of which the Apostle speaks here Verse 11 shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you in reference to which Christ too is called a quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 but the proper subject of the present and spiritual enlivening by the Spirit is the Soul Now take a man before Conversion he hath a Soul spiritually dead he lives the life of Nature the common animal life and that 's all but when the Spirit comes and renews him it breaths a divine and excellent life into him Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Luk. 15.32 for this thy brother was dead and is alive again The Spirit of life is the Spirit of regeneration and he working as a regenerating Spirit is the Spirit of life 2. There is the Spirits quickning after Conversion For this in such a sense is a continued abiding repeated act we are but once regenerated and therefore but once habitually quickned but the actual and subsequent quickning is renewed and reiterated from time to time This lies in the exciting and actuating of the several Graces the taking off the deadness of the heart in holy Duties the drawing out of vigoxous and lively desires after God and Christ the raising and stirring up of the Affections c. And all this is done by the Spirit of life also the life and liveliness too of a Christian is from the vital quickning influences of the Spirit without which there can be no spiritual vivacity in him Therefore the Spouse pray'd * Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out she directed her prayer to the Spirit and what did she pray for for that which I am upon viz. the enlivening and exciting of her Graces she expresses it metaphorically but this was the thing which her Soul breath'd after To apply this in a word for 't is not a point which I intend to stay upon Sirs V. S. R. You see whether you are go for life Here 's the Spirit of life to him therefore you must apply your selves for life 't is the living Spirit which must make you live Are you not spiritually dead is not this the sad condition of all who lie in the Natural State what are such but as so many walking Ghosts they are no better than dead even whilst they live as the Apostle speaks of the Widow that lives in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 is not Grace the Life of the Soul what is Life it self but a kind of Death without Christ and Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius Alas you may move walk breath eat drink sleep put forth all the several acts of the animal Life and yet for all this in reference to any spiritual Life be but dead persons And is it so with any of you O why do you not fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be quickned God convince you of the misery of spiritual Death that you may endeavour to get out of it and God convince you of the glory excellency necessity of the spiritual Life that you with the most earnest desires pursue after it what is is to have the Life of Nature and to want the Life of Grace to have living Bodies without and dead Souls within to be able to doe whatever is proper to Nature and not to be able to put forth one vital act of Grace Is not the spiritual death a certain forerunner of the eternal death can he that is dead here being without God hope to live with God hereafter O that you would be persuaded to make out after the spiritual Life I would in hearty desires say that for every dead Soul which they once wrote upon the Tomb of dead Brutus utinam viveres would to God that thou mightest live But how shall that be accomplished why thus here 's the Spirit of Life whose Office it is to quicken the dead whoever thou art therefore if thou wilt but betake thy self to this Spirit he can and he will give thee Life Life thou must have for 't is better to have no Life than not to have this Life Life thou maist have nay Life thou shal◠have if thou wilt but implore improve wait depend upon this Spirit of Life Further you that are Saints in whom the quickning Spirit hath effectually wrought yet do not you find your selves too often under great deadness certainly you are great strangers to your selves if you do not find it to be so you are not dead yet often under deadness O now whenever 't is so with you and you groan under it as your burden do you also apply your selves to this Spirit of Life You go to Duty attend upon Ordinances pray hear the Word receive the Sacrament and you would fain be lively in all would you be so indeed look upwards then as knowing 't is the Spirit of Life that must make you so Quickning Grace is very pretious to the Soul that is sincere a Child of God cannot be without it he cannot be satisfied in the bare having of grace unless it be lively nor with the bare performance of Duty unless he be lively in it How earnest was David in his prayers to God for it Psal 119.25 37 40 88. Quicken thou me according to thy word Quicken thou me in thy way Quicken me in thy righteousness Quicken me after thy loving kindness the earnestness of his desires after it made him go over it again and again And no wonder it is so for how sweet are Ordinances to a gracious person when he hath life in them when therein he can get his Graces up his Affections up and lively when he prays and hath life in prayer hears and hath life in hearing receives and hath life in receiving O then great is his joy Deadness very much hinders Comfort in
dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin even so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one c. here 's Death and the Law of Death too by Sin it hath got a power over men so as to reign over them Had there been no Sin there had been no Death if man had continued in his sinless and innocent state he might have been * Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal i. e. under a posse mori he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles but he had not actually dyed much less had he been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinn'd Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature as Pelagians of old and (a) Mors non erat poena vel effectus transgressionis Adami sed conditionis naturalis consequens Socin de Statu primi hominis Vide Praelect Cap. 1. contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late assert but as the (b) Calov Soc. Prost p. 250. Hoorn Soc. conf vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583 c. Franz Scho Sacr. Disp 1. p. 7. fruit and punnishment of Sin Immortality was a part of (c) Molin Enod Grav Qu. de statu Innoc. Tract 3. p. 62. Gerhard Loc. Com. de Imag c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Zâ—â—em de Imag. c. c. 8. Art 2. Moretâ—n's threefold state of man p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at first imprinted upon man that image being defac'd mortality took place You know in Gods dealing with our first Parents how he back'd his Command or Prohibition with the threatning of death Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye they disobeyed this most equitable Commandment and thereby brought death both upon themselves Gen. 3.19 and also upon all their posterity Besides the guilt of this Sin made over to all mankind by imputation there is mens personal sin habitual and actual which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death and that too not onely to temporal but also to eternal death Rom. 6.21 the end of those things is death v. 23. the wages of sin is death The Apostle in James 1.14.15 treats of the first and last of Sin shows where it begins and where it ends sets down its rise progress and final issue But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death Sin is the issue of Lust and Death is the issue of Sin So that our Apostle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death 2. Observe that 't is the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together so that where 't is the Law of Sin there and there only 't is the Law of Death When Sin is reigning and commanding then 't is ruining and condemning 't is the power of Sin that exposes to the power of death Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 'T is true every sin in its own nature deserves death the Scripture knows no such thing as venial sin it being judge all and every sin is mortal indeed as to event the Apostle saith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17 but as to merit every Sin be it what it will deserves death Yet God is so gracious as that Sin shall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command 'Pray mark it how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life and the Law of Sin with Death as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life so where the power of Sin is there is Death I know the Death in the latter Clause doth not carry a direct opposition to the Life in the former for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter the Death which refers to eternal Condemnation and the misery of the future state cannot be look'd upon as directly opposite to that Life yet there is a truth in the Parallel As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life spiritual and eternal so upon the Law of Sin there is ' Death spiritual and eternal too Further I know there is a great disparity betwixt the Spirits working Life and Sins working Death the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Causality the Law of Sin works Death only in a final consequential meritorious way yet here also we may speak by way of Parallel as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way so the power of Sin works Death too in its way That which I drive at is very plain if I be so happy as to express my self clearly about it Regenerate persons are made free from the Law of Death 3. Observe that such who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit they are made free from the Law of Death This was Paul's happiness here laid down and 't is the same to all that are regenerate the proof of which I need not insist upon for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former they who are made free from the Law of Sin by that Grace are also made free from the Law of Death it being the Law of Sin which subjects the Creature to the Law of Death The power or right of Death stands or falls by the power of Sin so that if the person be freed from the latter as you have heard every regenerate person is it certainly follows in the course and methods of Gods Grace that every such person shall be freed from the former too for the Law of Death is penal or the effect of the Law of Sin now take away the Cause and the Effect ceases Quest How is this to be understood But a little explication will be necessary How may Regenerate Persons be said to be made free from the Law of Death For answer to this Answ you know Death is either temporal or eternal I do not instance in spiritual Death because though 't is very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death yet I conceive that is not so much intended here the former lies in the separation of the Soul from the Body for a time the latter in the everlasting separation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and presence of God This separation from God is
5.8 If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith You are Christ's * Joh. 13.1 own of his house and kindred nearly related to him nay members of himself and therefore certainly he will provide for you And that he will do in all your concerns whether outward or inward that look as you must * 1 Cor. 6.20 glorifie God in you body and in your spirit for both are Gods so Christ will supply you in your bodies in your spirits for both are his Death shall not hurt them 5. Are you in Christ then you have no reason to be afraid of Death Though it be * Job 18.4 the King of terrours of all terribles the most terrible yet as to you there 's no cause of fear why because it can never dissolve the union that is betwixt Christ and you and so long as that abides death can never do you much hurt Hear me thou sincere Christian do'st thou live thou art in Christ do'st thou dye thou art in Christ neither life nor death therefore shall be hurtful to thee Nay 't is so far from that that death it self shall be thy advantage To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil 1.21 You read of dying in the Lord Rev. 14.13 of sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 the Saints dye their bodies are thrown into the grave that vast repository yet there they are united to Christ yea their very dust is so This Death cuts asunder all other knots but it cannot do so to the mystical knot it dissolves the union 'twixt soul and body 'twixt husband and wife c. but it shall never dissolve the union betwixt Christ and the believing Soul When the body of a Child of God shall be no better than a rotten carkass Christ will say O yet this very carkass is precious to me for 't is in union with me * Psal 102.14 David speaks of the Saints favouring the dust of Zion the very dust of dead Believers is valued by Christ insomuch that he will not lose the least atome of it They shall certainly rise again 6. Are you in Christ Here 's matter of Comfort as to the certainty of an happy resurrection Your bodies may be lock'd up in the grave for a time but Christ who hath the key of the grave they being united to him will certainly open it and take them out he will raise them up again and that with advantage too for they shall then * Phil. 3.21 be fashioned like to his own glorious body The head is risen and the members shall rise also by virtue of the union that is betwixt them Quod praecessit in capite sequetur in corpore as Austine speaks 1 Cor. 15.20 Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep Rom. 8.11 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 So Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And this is not to be limited to a bare resurrection there is more in it than so for * Dan. 12.2 1 Cor. 15.22 all shall arise the resurrection shall be general and universal But yet there will be a vast difference in it 't will be an happy resurrection to them who are in Christ but a dreadful resurrection to others The wicked shall be raised by Christ as a judge in order to their tryal and the passing of the sentence of death upon them but the Saints shall be raised by Christ as an head virtute unionis in order to the receiving of the blessed sentence of life Joh. 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation How should Believers rejoyce in this Great is the love of the Father to them 7. Are you in Christ then great is the Fathers love to you Take Believers as they are in themselves the Father greatly loves them but now as they are in Christ and made one with him there 's an additional love an higher love belonging to them from the Father because they are so near to his own Son Therefore upon this union God loves them with the same love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me c. that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me O Believers what a love hath the Father for you upon this And Christ's own love too is very great to you for you are his flesh and * Eph. 5.29 30. no man ever hated his own flesh yea he told his Disciples * Joh. 15.9 As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you So near an union must needs be accompanied with a very dear affection 't is not always so with us but as to Christ the strength of the affection from him shall always be answerable to the nearness of the union with him They shall persevere 8. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort as to your perseverance stability and fixedness in the state of grace This upon which all depends a Child of God may be fully assured of for will Christ lose a member a part of himself shall one united to him finally and totally fall away from him no that shall not be So long as the union is firm and indissoluble do not fear I speak not against the duty of fear but the sin of fear 'T is not here in and out in to day and out to morrow but 't is once in Christ and ever in Christ there 's your safety Indeed the Saints stand firm upon several great foundations as the Fathers election the * Heb. 6.17 immutability of his council the tenour of the Covenant c. but this also must be taken in their inseperable union with Christ You are not only in Christ's hands out of which none shall pluck you Joh. 10.28 but you are in Christ as your head and who shall be able to sever the members from this head If Christ should lose a member he would be imperfect as an head you are * Eph. 1.23 his fulness as hath been said now he will be Christus plenus a full Christ as * Aug. in Ps 36. he speaks which he would not be if any of his members should be taken away from him If he might lose one he might then lose another and another and so he would be sure of none O your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 therefore 't is sure and
of (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. Confer supra cap. 7.23 24. ubi utriusque Legis neinpe Legis Peccati Mortis mentio facta est Quare non videtur hic esse Figura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vorstius in Schol. Interpreters open it The Law of Sin is always attended with the Law of Death and freedome from the Law of Sin is always attended with freedome from the Law of Death the power and dominion of Death stands or falls by the power and dominion of Sin But what is this Law of Death * August contra Fortunat. Disput 2. Austine answers the Law of sin is Whoever sins shall dye the Law of Death is Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return * Lex mortis est mortuum perseverare mortuum est de morte non esse reditum ad vitam Cajes Cajetan makes it to be permanentia in morte the abiding or continuance in the state of Death So Believers are freed from it for though they may for a time be subjected under it yet it shad not always have power over them so as to hold them forever as the Word is used concerning Christ Acts 2.24 they shall arise and live again they are not under the Law i. e. the everlasting evercontinuing full power and strength of Death You have Ver. 10 11. the matter of this Explication If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness But 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 But to pass these by as the Law of Sin is the power of sin so the Law of Death is that power and right which it hath over Men by reason of sin for it hath its empire and dominion as well as sin Therefore as you read of the reigning of sin so also you read of the reigning of Death Rom. 5.14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it reigned as a King as the word imports Death is either Temporal or Eternal both of which carry that in them which may give them the Title or Denomination of a Law but regenerate persons upon the Law of the Spirit of Life are freed from both From the first not simply and absolutely but onely in a restrained sense viz. as 't is strictly a Curse or the fruit and product of that primitive Curse Gen. 2.17 From the second as it notes eternal condemnation for these two are all * Ut sibi respondeant Mors damnatio Estius one they are absolutely freed This Death they being in Christ and by the sanctifying Spirit delivered from the Law of sin hath no power or authority over them I say no authority for 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 20.6 on such the second death hath no power This is the First General in the Words that Gracious Deliverance from the Law of Sin and Death which they hold forth Second General The Second is the Subject of this deliverance This the Apostle puts down in his own Person The Law of the Spirit c. hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Here is Enallage Personae the change of the Person 't was them in the foregoing Verse 't is me in this I have already observed and I would now more fully open it that our apostle throughout this whole Chapter wherein he mainly treats of the Saints Priviledges speaks altogether in the Plural Number excepting onely this one Verse 'T is true where he is speaking of some high act of Grace as performed by himself there he purs it in the Singular Number as Ver. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And so too where he is speaking of some high Assurance a thing not so common there also he expresses it in the Singular Number as Ver. 38. For I am persunded that neither c. But wherever the great and fundamental priviledges of Believers are before him there he always expresses himself in the Plural Number then 't is us altogether And 't is observable that oven where he speaks of himself as to some special act or enjoyment yet even there as to the main Priviledge he takes in all the people of God You may see this made good in the two fore-mentioned places 't is I reckon but 't is the glory that shall be revealed in us and 't is I am persuaded but 't is shall separate us from the love of God Well! here he puts in himself as the Subject of the Priviledge but 't is not to exclade or shut out Others onely he propounds himself as one great Instance of freedome from the Law of sin by the Law of the Spirit here is application and appropriation as to himself but no impropriation or exclusion with respect to Others He that had so much of Faith and Experience as to be able to apply this to himself had withall so much of Knowledge and Wisdom as to know that it was with Others yea with all regenerate persons just as it was with himself And therefore 't is in the * Observandum est in causâ Gratiae nullum esse inter Apostolum quemvis Christianum duntaxat verum discrimen Non est quod dicamus Paulus suit Apostolus nos non item ex eo quod sibi contigit per gratiam Christi probat hoc quod tribuit omnibus Christianis Muscul Continet Argumentum á Testimonio viz. experientia Apostoli ita fimul Argumentum á Pari quod enim Apostolus in se expertus fuerat id pari ratione omnes credentes in se experiuntur nempe operationem illam Spiritus Sancti regenerantis Piseas Non ego solus sed omnes quotquot in Jesu Christo sunt c. Zuingl Me fidelem quemvis Gomar i. e. quemvis verè Chriftianum Grot. Pronomen me demonstrat ipsum in Christo ambulantem c. personam fiquidem talium induit Cajes In corum personâ de se Apostolus loquitur haec verba Estius Soto will be sure to extend it far though for be glosses upon it Me i. e. Gonus humanum persons of all these that he here thus speaks and this me is inclusive not exclusive every Child of God in the world may say as here Paul doth the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and indeed every Believer should be so well acquainted with the workings of the Spirit of God upon his own heart as to be able to apply this to himself But why doth Paul here particularize himself and speak thus in the Singular Number in this place rather than in Others I ansiver 1. Because he looked upon himself
Ministers Christians reprove him yet hee 'l sin let him resolve purpose vow promise covenant yet hee 'l sin tell him of Heaven or Hell that hee 'l waste his Estate impair his Health undoe his Family ruin his Body nay his precious Soul 't is all one yet hee 'l sin come Plague Pestilence War Fire yet hee 'l sin set the Law of Scripture before him yet hee 'l sin nay as to some acts set the very Law of Nature before him yet hee 'l sin here 's the Law of Sin to some purpose the power and strength of Sin in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet all graceless and Christless Souls are under this though not all in the same way or in the same degree But Sin never rises thus high in Gods people they are more easily stopt and kept off from sinning against God you know the stream in a Flood runs very fiercely and will not be stopt by any opposition it teares and breaks the banks which would give a check to it but let the Flood be but over and then it comes to it self again and its motion is not so boisterous and impetuous so 't is with the true Christian possibly in some single act under some strong temptation upon some fit of passion he may break thorough all that lies in his way as a let or hinderance to him in sin but when the sudden gush of Corruption and the power of the temptation are a little over he comes to himself again and then the Word and Spirit do easily stop him in what is evil 4. When 't is sinning and no sense of sin no after-repentance for it then 't is the Law of Sin and that power of it which is onely in the unconverted Sin always rules most where 't is least felt but it never arrives at the highest pitch of dominion where the Soul groans under it as its burden As it was with Paul the corrupt Nature was too powerful in him but he was very sensible of it he cry'd out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thus too it is with all gracious Souls they may have much of sin in them yea it may be so strong in them as that in some particular acts they may be overcome by it yet 't is but peccatum vincens non regnans Sin conquering not commanding because they are greatly humbled in the sense of this and because they ever recover themselves again by true repentance ô how do they mourn and grieve over Corruption especially when it hath been too hard for them if you read of Davids sins you shall also read of Davids tears Now when 't is thus 't is never the Law of Sin Sin bewailed is never Sin reigning but when a man sins insensibly and impenitently there 's no after-shame or after-grief in him for sin no rising again after falling verily in this man 't is the Law of Sin But so much for the answering of this Question and also for the Explication of the Point in hand VSE For Information In the applying of it there is but one Vse which I shall insist upon and that shall be for Information Is it thus that every person before regeneration is under the Law of Sin it informs us of two things 1. Of the bondage of the Natural state 2. Of the power efficacy necessity of restraining and renewing Grace 1. Branch of Information concerning the bondage of the Vnregenerate 1. Here 's a sad demonstration of that bondage which attends the Natural State and those who are in it Such being under the Law of Sin and that importing what you have heard it doth hence it follows that they are under bondage the very worst bondage and thraldom that is imaginable This Sinners will not believe nor lay it to heart but so it is they being Sins Subjects and governed by its Laws they are no better than Slaves and Vassals for so all its Subjects are We pity those who live under Tyrants Vsurpers hard Masters c. and judge their bondage to be very great but alas what is that if compar'd with this of graceless Souls living under the tyranny usurpation dominion of Sin O poor Creature art thou out of Christ unsanctified and unregenerate and consequently acted ruled governed by Sin know thy self thou art in a spiritual sense no better than a slave yea there 's no servitude or vassalage in the world comparable to thine the poor Christians who are Captives and Bondmen under the barbarous Turks or such who are condemn'd to Mines and Galleys are in a better condition than thou who art under the power of thy base Lusts The state of Nature is a quite other thing than what men imagin it to be they think there 's nothing but freedom and liberty in it such who are in it fancy none live so free and happy a Life as themselves but God knows 't is quite otherwise while they promise themselves liberty they are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 2.19 There are very many sad attendants upon Vnregeneracy as blindness darkness death enmity distance and alienation from God c. but none worse than the spiritual bondage which accompanies it I add too there 's none of all these which Sinners are with more difficulty convinced of and more hardly brought to believe than that which I am upon We see it in the Jews Joh. 8.33 We be Abraham 's seed and never were in bondage to any man how saist thou we shall be made free never in bondage to any man that was false were they not once in bondage in Egypt which therefore was called the house of bondage Exod. 20.2 where they were under hard bondage Exod. 1.14 were they not again in bondage in Babylon yea were they not now in bondage under the Romans but this not being the bondage which Christ aimed at he passed by this their vaunting of their exemption from it and fell upon their spiritual bondage whith respect to which he told them whasoever commits sin is the servant of sin So go to many now and tell them they are under servitude they will not believe it what they in such a condition no they are so and so descended such and such is their birth and parentage they have such noble blood running in their veins they live in the enjoyment of such priviledges have so many under them at their beck whilst they themselves are commanded by none they can go and come and do as they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Mor. p. 35. list being free from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the Stoicks placed bondage and yet are they Slaves Yes notwithstanding all this they may be so and are so if Sin hath the rule and regency over them they have all liberty but that which is the best and are exempted from
You are now God be blessed for it made free but how long was it before this was done how many years did you pass over in the unregenerate state in which you were as much under the command and at the beck of Sin as any how great a part of your life hath been spent in its drudgery and vassalage for how long a time did you tamely submit to its yoke when you would by no means be brought to submit to the yoke of Christ do you not remember how it was with you a few days or years ago when the Scepter was in Sins hands and it rul'd and acted you even as it pleased should not this now be thought of with the greatest grief and sorrow ô the bondage rebellion enmity of the natural state should even by converted ones often be remembred and bitterly bewailed That 's a Soul-humbling Heart-melting word * Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts c. who can read that sad description of a Sinner before Conversion Ezek. 16.3 4 5 c. and not be affected Secondly you must be humbled upon the consideration of what is present 'T is better than it hath been yet not so well as it might and should be Sin hath lost its absolute full entire power but yet it lives nay yet it hath a great strength and power in and over you I and against you too so as that 't is still able to do you much hurt notwithstanding its being weakened as Sampson though he was much debilitated when his locks were cut yet he had strength enough left to do mischief to the Philistins Do not you to this very day find the corrupt Nature very strong and powerful Sin rising and stirring in you with great vigour many very evil inclinations assaulting you with such vehemency that you scarce know how to resist doth not Corruption this and that Lust too often foil you and triumph over you as its Captives Now though these things are not enough to evince Sins dominion yet surely they call for deep humiliation it doth not rule you here it shall not damn you hereafter but it defiles you often separates 'twixt you and your God draws you off from him prevailingly hinders you from what is good and prevailingly also excites you to what is evil is not this sad is there nothing to afflict a gracious heart but only the unbroken power of Sin ô why are you not more in crying out ô wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death He that gloried here in his deliverance from the Law of Sin in one sense was as much abased before because of the Law of Sin of which he felt so much in another sense The wise God orders it thus that Sin shall not only have a being in his people but also a considerable power over them in this life amongst other ends for this that he may keep them humble and draw out and heighten their godly sorrow and indeed there 's more in the relicks of Sin to humble the true Christian than in all the outward Evils that either do or can befall him O never think how it hath been how yet it is without great self-abasement and humiliation when you begin to be * 2 Cor. 12.7 exalted above measure remember what you were consider what you are To stand fast in their liberty 2. Are you made free from the Law of Sin let me say to you what Paul once said to the Galatians in reference to their being made free from the Ceremonial Law * Galat. 5.1 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage Is Sin brought down be sure you keep it down 't is pity it should get up again or ever recover its pristine power When a people have once got the Vsurper off from the throne it concerns them to look to it that he doth not regain it for should he so do their condition then would be much worse than before Saints just so should you carry it toward Sin That 's brought under at present I but it watches all opportunities for the regaining of that power which it hath lost for 't is of a proud nature and cannot bear the loss of superiority you must therefore always be upon your guard with your weapons in your hands ready to make resistance against it in all its attempts or else it will soon rally its forces and make head again upon you and endanger all I know all its attempts are in vain as to the recovery of its former dominion God will not suffer it again to lord it over you as before it did yet if you be careless especially if you in the least side with it 't will strangely get ground and grow upon you Therefore as Christ once charged the healed man Joh. 5.14 Thou art made whole sin no more so would I charge you you are made free ô sin no more that you may never come under its bondage again Though God had so miraculously brought Israel out of Egypt and out of that miserable servitude that there they were in yet upon all occasions how desirous were they to be in Egypt again shall it be thus with you shall your gracious deliverance be so undervalued have you such low thoughts of Sins servitude as that you can be willing to come under it again 'Pray learn how to put a due value upon your liberty prize it at an high rate and so prize it as to continue in it and to maintain it to your utmost Amongst other Conditions which were anciently impos'd upon those who were set at liberty this was one that they should not servitutis jugum iterum sponte suscipere willingly submit to the yoke of bondage again and is not this obligation laid upon Souls in their being made free by Christ and the Spirit The * Libertatem nemo bonus nisi cum animâ simul amittit Salust in Conjur Cat. Historian tells us a good man will lose his life as soon as his liberty ô how should you defend that spiritual liberty which you have by Christ and by Grace I beseech you take heed lest by your carelesness and little compliances with Sin you provoke God to permit its former power and tyranny in a great measure to return upon you that he may thereby let you see the difference 'twixt His and Sins government read and apply Deut. 28.47 48. 'T would be sad it God should deal with any of you as once that Master in Athens did with his Servant whom he had formerly made free but upon some unworthy carriage he reversed and retracted that freedom saying to him * Superse deo te habere civem tanti muneris impium aestimatorem c. Abi igitur esto servus quoniam liber esse nescisti Val. Max. l. 2. cap. 6. The City shall never have one
who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Titus 3.3 4 5. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish c. but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost he lays it upon the kindness and love of God which indeed are admirable in the freeing of a Soul from the Law of Sin by the regenerating Spirit this kindness of God should draw out the thankefulness of every gracious heart So much for this Vse of Counsel VSE 4. Comfort to regenerate persons upon their being made free from the Law of Sin A word in the fourth place for Comfort I would have every truly gracious person upon this Truth to be even filled with joy what glad tidings doth it bring to thee whoever thou art upon whom regenerating Grace hath taken hold it tells thee thou art made free from the Law of Sin Sin may and doth trouble thee but it doth not rule thee it lorded it over thee too long but now its dominion is gone from the very first moment of thy Conversion thou hast been made free believe it and take the comfort of it What think you had not Paul great joy in himself when he uttered these words the Law of the Spirit c. thou maist say the same concerning thy self the new birth having pass'd upon thee why therefore shouldst not thou be brimful of joy also This is so great a thing that the sense and comfort of it should revive and cheer thy Spirit under all outward evils the Laws of Men possibly may be somewhat heavy upon thee thou maist groan under such and such external pressures there may be much of bondage in thy outward condition but the Law of Sin is abolish'd thy Soul is made free the spiritual bondage is taken off is not this well very well Under the Law how were the poor Servants overjoy'd when the year of Jubilee came which gave them a release from all their servitude ô Christian thou hast liv'd to see a glorious Jubilee wilt not thou rejoyce So also when oppressed Subjects are freed from cruel Vsurpers 't is a time of great rejoycing mens joy then runs over and will be kept in no bounds or limits what a full tide of joy should be in their Souls whom God hath graciously delivered from Sins tyranny and usurpation ' True Sin never had any right to rule yet de facto rule it did therefore triumph over it as though its authority had been just as the * Hoc illi in malis suis indulgente fortunâ ut de eo populus Romanus quasi de vero Rege triumpharet Florus lib. 2. cap. 14. people of Rome once did with a mean person That Sin which once had you under is now brought under it self and 't is subdued therefore cannot much hurt you Adonibezek himself when in chains Bajazet when in an Iron Cage the fiercest Enemies when broken in their power cannot do much mischief God be blessed so 't is with Sin and therefore as to the main state fear it not I know you lie under many discouragements you feel such cursed inclinations to evil Sin doth so often prevail over you repeated back-slidings afflict you greatly your corruptions daily pursue you c. Well! I would have you to be very sensible of these things and mourn over them but yet know the reigning commanding power of Sin is gone notwithstanding all these yet 't is not the Law of Sin How much good may an unregenerate person do and yet Sin reign in him and how much evil may a regenerate person do and yet Sin not reign in him Under the Law every scab did not make one a Leper neither doth every prevalency of Sin make one a slave to it The Spirit of Life hath freed you from its dominion that being duely stated and that too in such a manner as that you shall never again be brought under it Sin shall not have dominion over you c. Rom. 6.14 Is all this nothing or but little in your thoughts is not here sufficient matter of great joy ô know what God hath done for you and make the best of it Being freed from the Law of Sin you are freed from Guilt Wrath Hell eternal condemnation for the Apostle having said there 's no condemnation c. he proves his assertion by this for the Law of the Spirit of Life c. And where 't is not the Law of Sin there 't is not the Law of Death these two Laws are link'd and fast'ned each to the other therefore he that is delivered from the one is delivered from the other also Believers there is but one thing remaining to be done for you which in due time shall most certainly be done too and that is to free you from the very being of Sin and from all those remainders of power which yet it hath in you do but wait and a little time will put an end to these also be of good comfort Sin is dying and weakening and wearing out every day shortly 't will dye indeed so as never to molest you more As you are justified its guilt is gone as you are sanctified its power is gone it will not be long before you will be glorified and then it s very being shall be gone too here in Grace Pharaoh's yoke is broken but above in Glory Sin shall be like Pharaoh drowned in the bottom of the Sea ô let every regenerate Soul greatly rejoice in these things So much for the Second Observation ROM 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death CHAP. VII Of the power of the Holy Spirit in the making of persons free from the Law of Sin The Third Observation viz. that 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees the Regenerate from the Law of Sin How this is brought about by the Spirit by the Spirit of Life by the Law of the Spirit c. what this imports Of the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the Spirits power for and in the production of this Effect The particular ways and methods of the Spirit in it opened Of its workings at the first Conversion Of its subsequent regency in the renewed Soul Vse 1. Of the greatness and glory of the Spirit his Godhead inferr'd from hence Vse 2. To show the true and proper Cause of freedome from the Law of Sin where men are exhorted 1. To apply themselves to the Spirit for this freedome 2. In case it be wrought in them to ascribe and attribute the glory of it only to the Spirit Saints exhorted 1. To love and honour the Spirit 2. To live continually under the Law of it 3. To set Law against Law The third Observation handled
TWo Observations I have gone through I come now to the third and last 'T is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees the Regenerate from the Law of Sin or thus 't is by the mighty power of the living and regenerating Spirit that any are deliver'd from the power and dominion of Sin This is the great effect here spoken of and the Apostle shows who is the Author and Efficient of it or how 't is brought about the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of Sin I shall as much as conveniently I may contract in what I have to say upon this Point that I may draw towards the close of this Verse which I fear I have staid too long upon The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin Now here observe 1. The Spirit frees from the Law of Sin he is the true and proper Agent in the production of this Effect In reference to which you may consider him either essentially as he is God or personally as he is the third Person distinct from the Father and the Son in both of which considerations he makes free from the Law of Sin As to the first so there can be no question made of the thing * Factum Spiritus S. factum filii Dei est propter Natun◠Voluntatis unitatem Sive enim Pater faciat sive Filius sive Spiritus Sanct. Trinitas est quae operatur quicquid tres fecerint Dei unius est operatio Aug. in Qu. N. T. Quaest 51. because the Spirit so considered acts in common with the two other Persons and a they with him what the Father doth and the Son as God that the Spirit doth also and so vice versâ I speak of (b) August in Enchirid. c. 38. actiones ad extra which onely are indivisae As to the second so the thing is also clear because 't is the Spirits personal and proper act to weaken and dethrone Sin in the heart for as 't is the Sons proper act to free from the guilt so 't is the Spirits proper act to free from the power of Sin that being a thing done within the Creature this person is the proper author of it it belonging to the Son to do all without and to the Spirit to do all within The Father and the Son are by no means to be excluded yet 't is the Spirit which doth immediately bring about in the Soul that blessed freedom which I am upon If you cast your eye a little upon what lies very near the Text you 'l find all the Persons mentioned as all concurring to the advancement and promoting of the good of Believers 't is (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen Chrysostomes observation upon the Words That saith he which the Apostle always doth going from the Son to the Spirit from the Spirit to the Son and Father ascribing all to the Trinity that here he doth also For when he said who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord heshews that the Father doth this by the Son then he shews that the Spirit also doth this by the Son when he says that the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus c. then he brings in again the Father and the Son v. 3 4. But I say this freedom from the Law of Sin 't is the proper and immediate effect of the Spirit therefore 't is said * 2 Cor. 3.17 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty the meaning of which Scripture I had occasion to touch upon before That which God once said to Zerubbabel in reference to the building of the Temple * Zech. 4.6 Not by might not by power but by my Spirit is applicable to deliverance from Sins dominion which is not brought about by any external and visible force and strength but onely by the internal effectual operations of the Holy Spirit How the Spirit of Life comes in 2. Secondly observe this is done by the Spirit of Life he doth not say onely the Spirit had made him free from the Law of Sin but he joyns this with it the Spirit of Life What is contain'd in this as 't is consider'd abstractly and in it self I show'd at my first entrance upon this Verse but I conceive it here hath some special reference to the effect spoken of it being either a description of the Spirit who frees from the Law of Sin he is a living Spirit or it pointing to the special time when the Spirit doth this viz. when he quickens and regenerates a man or it noting the way and method of the Spirit wherein or whereby he frees from the Law of Sin that is by working the spiritual Life or regeneration The Spirit who renews when he renews by renewing brings Sin under these are distinct things and yet are all couch'd in this Spirit of Life I might enlarge upon each but I will not because that which I have in my eye doth not much depend upon them The Law of the Spirit frees from the Law of Sin 3. Then observe thirdly 't is the Law of the Spirit by which this is done 'T is a Metaphorical expression as was shown in the opening of the Words the Law of the Spirit is the power of the Spirit as the Law of Sin is the power of Sin Here is Law against Law power against power the power and efficacy of the Spirit against the power and efficacy of Sin The Apostle elsewhere speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inworking power Eph. 3.20 according to the power that worketh in us that is the same with the Law of the Spirit in the Text so that when he saith the Law of the Spirit c. he means this that through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost authoritatively and effectually working in him Sins power was abolish'd its dominion brought down its kingdom in him destroyed and not only so but likewise Christs kingdom was erected in him for this Law of the Spirit doth both conjunctly wherever it dethrones Sin it also at the same time inthrones Christ and Grace in the heart When I was upon the Law of Sin I told you it hath a twofold power a moral and a physical power in reference to both of which 't is called a Law so 't is with the Spirit he hath his Moral power as he doth persuade command c. and he hath his Physical power as he doth strongly efficaciously incline urge impell the Sinner to such and such gracious acts yea which is highest of all as he doth effectually nay irresistibly change his heart make him a new Creature dispossess Sin of its regency and bring him under the Scepter and Government of Christ The difference betwixt the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin And herein the Law of the Spirit is above the Law
be told there 's poyson in it and that if he drinks it he 's a dead man ô the stupendious folly nay madness of men we tell them from Gods own mouth there 's death at the bottom of sinful practises and yet because these suit with and please their sensual part they will venture upon them The fear of temporal death to be inflicted by the Magistrate keeps off many from those enormous acts which otherwise they would commit they dare not thus and thus transgress the Law by stealing killing c. though they have a good mind to it why because they know if they so do they must dye Ah Sinner God backs his Laws with the penalty of eternal death to which thou makest thy self liable by the violation of them and yet wilt thou dare to do it shall the fear of this not at all restrain thee from what is evil Here 's the Devils cunning in his temptations he presents the bait but hides the hook he tempts from and by the pleasure delight contentment that is in sin but conceals the death that will follow upon it nay he doth not onely conceal the evil threatned but either in thesi or in hypothesi he flatly denies it This lying Spirit will tell the Sinner he may sin without danger what dye for it no there 's no such thing thou shalt not dye Thus he began in his first assault upon our first Parents Gen. 3.4 And the serpent said to the woman ye shall not surely dye and thus he doth with Sinners to this very day He always sharpens his temptations by blunting the edge of the Laws threatning assuring the poor besotted Creature that he may sin and yet not dye Now I beseech you do not hearken to him or believe him for he is what he always was a lyar and so a murderer Joh. 8.44 Let the temptation be never so inviting and alluring yet 'pray consider * 2 Kings 4.40 death is in the pot and therefore there is no meddling with it let the enticements of Sin be never so specious and plausible yet know nothing less than eternal death will inevitably follow upon it and doth not the evil of that infinitely weigh down all the good which Sin promises Sin is the falsest thing in all the world its promises are very fair but its performances are quite contrary it pretends to this and that which takes with the Sinner exceedingly but the very upshot and end of all is everlasting destruction Suppose it be as good as its word as to some temporal concerns yet alas its good is soon over and gone but its bad abides forever the pleasant taste of its hony in the mouth is but short but its gall lies fretting in the bowels to all eternity now what madness is it for a man for a few minutes delight to run himself into everlasting and endless torments 'T is one of the saddest things that is imaginable that men do and cannot but know that 't is Sin and Death and yet in a stâ—â—nge defiance of God and in a bold contemning of all that he threatens yea even of eternal death it self they will venture upon Sin Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them But surely did they but know and consider what this death is they would not carry it thus I cannot now enter upon any particular description of it onely let me tell them what there is in it the absence of all good the presence of all evil is not this enough that in short 't is the summary and abridgment of all that misery which the Humane Nature is capable of and should not such a thing make a poor Creature tremble As to this death the Sinner would fain dye but cannot he must live though he be dead even whilst he lives at the * Mors prima pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 3. first death the Body and Soul are loth to part but in the second death they would fain part if they might but the just God will keep them together that as they sinn'd together so they shall suffer together What a sad meeting will there be 'twixt these two at the general Resurrection when they shall be reunited onely in order to their being eternally miserable Now do not Sinners tremble at this do they not dread that which will bring all this upon them if not what can we further say or do As to you dearly Beloved I hope you are not given up to a reprobate mind to this desperate hardness of heart to make nothing of dying eternally 'pray therefore * Psal 4.4 stand in awe and sin not do not dare to live in that for which you must dye and perish forever let Sin dye that you may never dye for it must be either its death or yours If you live sin you love death and is death a thing to be lov'd Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love death Methinks that 's a very sad description of the carriage of the poor amorous Wanton under the enchantments of the whorish Woman Prov. 7.21 22 23. With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him He goeth after her straightway as an oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks Till a dart strike thorow his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Sirs will you carry it thus under Sins enchantments not considering that it aims at your life and exposes you to eternal death A fool sees but a little way but a wise man looks to the issues and consequences of things you know what I mean Simply to dye is not so much but to dye eternally ô that 's a formidable thing as you would shun that shun sin for itâ— house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of death Proverbs 7.27 VSE 2. Comfort to all Regenerate Persons 2. Let the people of God see their happiness and take the comfort of it You that by the power of the regenerating Spirit are made free from the Law of Sin know that upon this you are also made free from the Law of death ô precious and admirable mercy what a cordial is this to revive you under all your faintings As to temporal death you are not wholly exempted from it that 's common to you as well as to others yet 't is a quite other thing to you than what it is to others ô whenever it shall come bid it welcome and do not * Non est formidandum quod liberat nos ab omni formidando Tertull. Ejus est mortem timere qui ad Christum nollet
‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ipsa Caro etiamsi non cum peccato c. Missus ergo Filius Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in carne non peccatrice eâdem tamen quae in nobis peccârat five pollutâ non in ipso sed in nobis Naturam Peccati h.e. Peocatorum Dei Filius suscepit puram quidem sed ut nostram quae peccârat expiaret Cum notissimo Hebraismo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 res ipsa dicatur ut cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse Homo dicitur non video cur non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vera sit â—aro cum peccati non ab eo dicatur qui assumsit atque hoc ipso expiavit sed ab eo qui peccando corrupit Heins Expositors the more to weaken the Objection of the Adversaries as grounded upon this Text tell us that the likeness here of sinful Flesh is the sameness of sinful Flesh that Christ took that very Flesh which was and is sinful not that it was so in him but that it is so in us that he assum'd that very Flesh which in man is defil'd by sin yet not as defiled but as true Flesh As when 't is said concerning him that he was in the * Phil. 2.6 7 8. form of God in the form of a Servant in the likeness and fashion of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is the same word with that in the Text the meaning is that Christ was truly God truly a Servant truly Man and as 't is said concerning Adam * Gen. 5.3 he begat a Son in his own likeness that is he begat a Son who was as truly a man and as truly a Sinner as himself so Christ was sent in the likeness c. viz. in just such Flesh or in the very self same Flesh which man hath made in himself sinful and therefore passible and mortal Now though I cannot deny the truth of this Exposition as thus stated nor that it may very well be grounded upon parallel places yet because to some at the first hearing it may seem somewhat harsh I rather incline to that which was laid down before in the opening of the Words 't was the same flesh in Christ and in us in its Physical consideration but it being morally considered it was but the likeness of sinful Flesh But to come to that which I propounded let us consider Flesh in its strict acceptation as it relates to the fleshly and bodily part so I 'le lay down two things about it 1. That Christ was indeed sent in flesh was really incarnate and did verily take flesh upon him And what one thing is there in the whole Gospel wherein 't is plain and positive if it be not so in this Joh. 1.14 And the Word was made Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh Heb. 2.14 16. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Rom. 1.3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Hence he 's said to be made of a woman Gal. 4.4 many such * See the strength of these with other Texts drawn forth and vindicated against Objections by Mr. Tombes in a little Treatise called Emmannel or God-man Sect. 15 16 c. to the end of the Book places might be produced to prove that Christ really assumed Flesh but these may suffice Christ's Flesh was organiz'd And this Flesh wherein Christ was sent was organiz'd and form'd into a perfect body the Apostle doth not only call it his Flesh but the body of his flesh Col. 1.22 In the body of his flesh through death c. Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a Body hast thou prepared me I Pet. 1 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree c. Our Saviour did not assume a confus'd indigested and unshapen mass or lump of flesh that was not his incarnation but he assumed Flesh cast into the very mould and form of our bodies having the same several parts members lineaments the same proportion which they have 2. I adde not as a distinct Head from the former but only that I may more distinctly speak to it then as yet I have done Of the Verity of Christ's Body that as Christ was indeed sent in Flesh so the flesh in which he was sent was Flesh indeed He saith * Joh. 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed and I say his Flesh was flesh indeed as true real proper very flesh as that is which any of us carry about with us 't was as was said before but the likeness of sinful flesh but 't was the reality of physical or substantial Flesh * Vide Aquin. 3. p. Qu. 5. Art 1. Christ's body was no Spectrum or Phantasm no putative body as if it had no being but what was in appearance and from imagination but as real as solid a body as ever any was therefore the Apostle in the * Col. 1.22 fore-cited place calls it a body of Flesh a body to shew the organization of it and a body of flesh to shew the reality of it in opposition to all aerial and imaginary bodies It had all the essential properties of a true body such as are organicalness extension local presence confinement circumscription penetrability visibility palpability and the like Luke 24.39 * Quomodo hanc vocem interpretaris Marcion c. Ecce fallit decipit c. Ergo jam Christum non de coelo deferre debueras sed de aliquo circulatoriò caetu nec salutis Pontificem sed spectaculi artificem c. Tertull. de Carne Christi p. 362. Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have 1 Joh. 1.1 That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life c. He had also those natural †Esuriit sub Diabolo sitiit sub Samaritide lacrymatus est supra Lazarum trepidavit ad mortem sanguinem fudit postremò haec sunt opinor signa coelestia Idem ibid. p. 367. affections passions infirmities which are proper to a body as hunger Matth. 4.2 When he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights he was afterwards an hungred thirst Joh. 4.7 Joh. 19.28 I thirst Sleep Matth.
8.24 Weariness Joh. 4.6 Jesus being wearied with his journey c. He was conceived retained so long in the Virgins womb ‖ Marcion ut carnem Christi negaret negavit etiam nativitatem aut ut nativitatem negaret negavit et Carnem scilicet ne invicem sibi testimonium redderent responderent Nativitas Caro quia nec nativitas sine carne nec caro sine nativitate Tertull. de Carne Christi P. 358. born circumcis'd liv'd about thirty years on earth convers'd all that time with men suffered died was crucified buried rose again ascended sat down with his body at the right hand of God with it will come again to judge the world Doth not all this speak him to have a true body could all this be done in and upon and by an imaginary body Had it been only such then his Conception Nativity Death Resurrection Ascension are all too but imaginary things his Sufferings * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. de Incarn p. 1083. Haec quomodo in illo vera erant si ipse non fuit verus Si non verè habuit in se quod figeretur quod moreretur quod sepeliretur resuscitaretur Carnem scilicet sanguine suffusam ossibus structam nervis intextam venis implexam quae nasci mori novit Tertull. de Carn Christi p. 361. Crucifixion but meer fancies and what then would become of us then all our †Falsa est fides nostra phantasma crit totum quod speramus a Christo Tertull Ibid. Faith Hope yea all our Religion would vanish into a meer fancy also When Satan had him in the Wilderness and was tempting of him he thus assaulted him Matth. 4.3 If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread and Vers 6. If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down now what an absurd ridiculous thing had it been for Satan thus to have tempted Christ supposing that he had only had a phantastick body what need would there have been of food for such a body or what hurt could such a body have received by falling from the highest pinacle Nay further as * Scelestissime hominum qui interemtores excusas Dei Nihil enim ab eis passus est Christus si nihil verè est passus Parce unicae spei totius orbis quid destruis necessarium dedecus fidei Tertull. Tertullian argues what evil did his Murderers do in the crucifying of him if he had not a true body for without that he could not have truly suffered they then would have been excus'd he suffering nothing at all by their means The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a symbol and representation of his body 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you c. now what a pitiful thing would this Sacramental representation thereof be if in it self it was not a true body divers such Considerations might be insisted upon if it was necessary So much for Christ's Flesh in its stricter notion Of the Verity of Christ's Manhood I come now in the Second place to consider it in its more large and extensive notion So Christ was sent in Flesh that is in the verity of man's nature he verily took upon him the whole Humane nature became true Man of the same make and substance with us in all things like to us some things excepted which do not in the least abolish or destroy the truth of his manhood He 's called the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.21 He was made in the likeness of men Phil. 2.7 He 's stiled the Son of man Dan. 7.13 Joh. 3.13 the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 the seed of Abraham Gen. 22.18 the seed of David Rom. 1.3 the son of David Matth. 1.1 the branch of David Jer. 23.5 he 's said to be of the fruit of his loins Acts 2.30 The two essential or constitutive parts of Man are Soul and Body Of his having a true Soul where these two are there 's the true man Christ had both therefore he was such That he had a real body hath been already proved I am only now to shew that he also had a real * Vide Aquin Sum. 3. p. Quest 5. Art 3. Suscepit non solum corpus humanum ut quidam putant sed animam nostrarum animarum similem per Naturam August de Incarn Verbi Dei tom 4. lib. 2. p. 243. Soul And indeed the former proves the latter for if Christ would assume the body which is but in a manner the bark shell or case of man but the lowest and meanest part of him but as the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nemes de Nat. Hom. c. 3. p. 94. covering and garment of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call it certainly he would assume the Soul the reasonable Soul that being the highest and the noblest part This is that which principally makes the Man and hath the greatest influence into his Being and Essence if therefore our Lord had only had an humane Body without an humane Soul he had wanted that part which is most essential to man and so could not have been look'd upon as true and perfect man but 't was far otherwise For indeed Christ * Hâ—c Deus in nobis salvavit quod pro nobis suscepit illam Naturam participem fecit salutis quam sibi conjunxit Fulgent ad Trasimund c. redeem'd and sav'd nothing but what he assum'd the Redemption and Salvation reach no farther than the assumption our Soul then would have been never the better for Christ had he not taken that as well as our body for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Najanzene expresses it if he will save the whole man from sin he must †Totum hominem sine peccato suscepit ut totum quo constabat homo à peccatorum pesâ—â— sanaret August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. ca. 17. Si totum debuerat liberare pietas totum debuit suscipere divina Majestas Totius ergo fuit hominis à Deo suscipienda Natura quoniam in toto fuit captivitas captivanda c. Fulgent ad Trasimund de Mysterio Mediat assume the whole man without sin 'T is said of him Luk. 2.52 he increased in wisdom and stature here 's stature for his Body and wisdom for his Soul his growth in that speaks the truth of the former and his growth in this speaks the truth of the latter his body properly could not grow in wisdom nor his soul in stature therefore there must be both There are three things in a reasonable Soul Vnderstanding Will Affections now 't is evident all these were in Christ He had an humane Vnderstanding distinct from his Divine Vnderstanding otherwise how could he have been said to increase in wisdom and how could he have been under the nescience of
Senses are included in this and do most naturally incorporate with it as you will perceive in the following discourse What is meant by in the flesh 3. There is a Third thing to be opened which in a very few words shall be dispatch'd 't is said here For Sin God condemned Sin in the Flesh now this being indefinitely propounded it may be ask'd of what or of whose Flesh doth the Apostle speak I answer of the Flesh of Christ God sent him in the likeness of sinful Flesh and in that very flesh sin was condemn'd I know * Augustinus exponit de nostra Carne in quâ peccatum tyrannidem possidet extra Christum Muscal Sed melius est ur dicamus debilitavit fomitem peccati in carne nostrâ Aquin Some interpre it of our flesh but the most apply it to Christ's Flesh there is in dafferent respecis a truth in both for in our flesh sin is condemn'd as to the effect and benefit thereof but in Christ's Flesh it was condemn'd meritoriously and causally The Syriack therefore to make this the more express turns it and for sin condemned sin in his Flesh Sin shall be punished and expiated in that Nature wherein it had been committed Man in the flesh had committed sin and God in the flesh of him who was Man will condemn Sin ut caro humana quae peccaverat eadem pro peccato lueret Our Saviours being †Sacerdos noster à nobis accepit quod pro nobis offerret accepit enim a nobis carnem in ipsa Carne victima factus est August in Psal 129. a Sacrifice pointed to his Flesh 't was the Humane Nature wherein he offered up himself and therefore in that God is said to condemn sin And as Sin shall be expiated in that Nature wherein it had been committed so Satan too shall be bafled in that Nature over which he had been victiorious Christ will beat him upon his own ground he had overcome Man and Man shall overcome him O the Wisdom Mercy Power of God! but these things were under the former Head much enlarg'd upon I will only further take notice of two things 1. This condemning of sin is here brought in as God's act God sent his own Son c. and for sin condemned c. But is not this applicable to Christ also yes if you consider him as * Quamvis de Christo ut est Filius Dei posset verè dici eum expiare authoritativè judicialitèr quatenus ipse cum Patre potestatem habet remittendi peccata quia tamen hic consideratur non ut Deus sed ut Mediator ut Sacerdos victima non potest aliter expiatio fieri quam per poenae lationem succedaneam vicariam mortem explicari Turret de Sat. Christi pars 6. p. 204. God and as the eternal Son of God so 't was and is his act as well as the Fathers to abolish acquit and absolve from Sins guilt in an authoritative way but in the Clause which I am opening Christ is not spoken of in that notion as he was God only as he was Man and as a victime and Sacrifice for sin and so he acquits from Sin not authoritatively but as the Way and Means which God made use of for the bringing about of this mercy for Sinners 2. The Flesh of Christ here is not to be considered simply absolutely but under this restriction or special consideration * Hoc factum est per carnem i. e. per mortem quam in carne juxta humanam Naturam passus est Zwingl In Carne i. e. per Carnem Filii sui suspensam mortificatam in Cruce Estius as dying and thereby satisfying divine Justice I would take in his whole humiliation but this being the highest degree thereof therefore eminently by it sin was condemned O when this Flesh of Christ hung upon the Cross then sin received its condemnatory Sentence its mortal wound then when Christ was condemn'd Sin in another sense was condemn'd also This I say was brought about in his flesh as suffering the penalty of Death so the Apostle puts it in Col. 1.22 In the body of his flesh through death I 'le add nothing farther upon this The Observation raised The Words being thus explain'd 't is high time that I come to that Doctrinal Truth which they mainly hold forth that 's this The Lord Jesus submitting to be a Sacrifice for sin and offering up himself as such to God he did thereby take away abolish explate all sin in all its guilt so as that it shall never be charged upon Believers to their eternal ruine In the language of the Text 't is in short For Sin Sin was condemned You heard but now in the opening of the condemning of Sin that that admits of more senses than that one which I now instance in in the Observation yet however this being most agreeable to the nature of a Sacrifice in reference to which Christ is here set forth I therefore only mention it In the handling of this Point which carries me again into the very midst of the Socinians Camp where I should not choose to be but I must follow the Word whithersoever it leads me there are two things to be spoken to 1. To Christ's being a Sacrifice for Sin 2. To the blessed Effect of that blessed Sacrifice viz. the condemnation or expiation of Sin Of Christ's being à Sacrifies for Sin I begin with the first Christ was a Sacrifice for sin Which though in the General none deny yet when we come to particulars about it as namely the true notion of his being so the efficacy ends effects of his Sacrifice the time when and the place where it was offered with several other things which are incident about it there many differences do arise Certainly there are none who believe the Scriptures but in some sense or other they must grant Christ to be a Sacrifice because they are so plain and express about it Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for Sin 1 Cor. 5.7 For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He that knew no sin was made sin a Sacrifice for Sin c. Eph. 5.2 Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour where the Apostle seems to allude 1. to the * Cloppenh Schola Sacrif p. 3. Franzius Disp 13. thes 2 3. Mincah and Zebach amongst the Jews the Former of which did refer to their oblations of the Fruits of the Earth set forth here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latter to the Sacrificing and offering of living Creatures set forth here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. He alludes to the pleasinguess and gratefulness of the primitive Sà crifices to God Gen. 8.21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour c. Noah's Sacrifices spoken of Vers 20. were highly
what could there be in them to pacisie an angry God or to to purifie a guilty Sinner what was the blood of a Beast as considered in it self to expiate the sin of a Man The Apostle plainly tells us Heb. 10.4 It is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin therefore he sayes there was no perfection by the Levitical Priesthood Heb. 7.11 and the Law made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 in which were offered gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9.9 So that whatever virtue those Sacrifices had further than the taking away of civil guilt ritual uncleanness securing from Church and State-penalties it wholly depended upon the institution of God and the merit of Christ The brazen Serpent heal'd such as were stung yet not from any intrinsick power in it self but only as God was pleas'd to give that power and efficacy to it and so 't was here in the case of the old Sacrifices These four things I have laid down both to clear up the Sacrifices themselves and also because they are of great use to set us right in our conceptions about Christ the great Sacrifice which must be opened by them Answerably now to these two great Ends and Effects of the Mosaical Sacrifices the same were designed to be done and were actually done by the Lord Jesus when he offered up himself to God upon the Cross whereby he also 1. atoned God 2. expiated the sin of the Elect. As God was angry and offended with the Sinner so Christ by his death procur'd atonement pacification reconciliation as the Sinner lay under guilt so Christ brought about the purgation or expiation of his guilt both of these were done by him and that too not only really but in a much higher way than what was done by the old Sacrifices therefore he was a true proper expiatory Sacrifice yea the most eminent expiatory Sacrifice Of atonement and reconciliation by Christs Sacrifice 1. For atonement or reconciliation By Adams Fall a sad breach had been made 'twixt God and Man Sin had greatly incens'd the holy God against his sinful Creatures nay there was a mutual and reciprocal enmity contracted between them Things being in this dismal state the blessed Jesus interpos'd himself in order to the appeasing of an offended God and the reconciling of him and the Sinner the two parties that were at variance For the effecting of which he did not only as a bare Internuntius treat with both or only offer up prayers to the one in which respect Moses atoned God Exod. 34.10 11 12 13 14. and intreaties to the other 2 Cor. 5.20 and so proceed by some verbal interposures but when nothing else would do it he was willing even to lay down his own Life to die as a Sacrifice upon the Cross by this means to bring God and Man together again in amity and love By which death of Christ the offended God was perfectly atoned and reconciled to the Sinner so as that now upon the satisfaction made to him therein he could without any injury to his Justice and Holiness receive the Sinner into his favour and not inflict upon him that wrath and punishment which he had made himself obnoxious unto this is the true notion of atonement and reconciliation by Christ and all that we * Non statuimus Deum irato propriè factum esse propitium sed Christi Satisfactione causas irae divinae obliteratas esse ut salvâ justistiâ suâ possit gratiam exhibere Essenïus p. 253. mean by it But that this was thus done by him what one thing is there in all the matters of Faith wherein the Gospel is more clear and full 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood c. Rom. 5.10 11. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement 2 Cor. 5.18 19. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Col. 1.20 21. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself c. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death So Eph. 2.13 14 c. Isa 53.6 the chastisement of our peace was upon him i. e. by his penal sufferings our peace was made with God 'T is true which our * Socin de Serv◠p. 1. c. 8. Adversanies would fain improve to their purpose that all along in these Scriptures the reconciliation is said to be on Mans part as if Sinners were reconcil'd to God not God to them but there 's a special reason for that viz. * Baxters Life of Faith p. 189. because they were the first in the breach they fell out with God before he fell out with them as also because the averseness to reconciliation is on their part wherefore if they be willing to be reconcil'd to God and are actually reconciled to him there 's no question of it but that he is willing to be reconciled to them and is so actually Some would have the reconciliation as on God's part to be spoken of Heb. 2.17 that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is according to the Hebrew Enallage as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as * De Satisf p. 93. Grotius well observes Howerver supposing that this Text doth not so expresly hold forth the thing yet there is enough in those convincing Reasons Arguments and Consequences which the Word elsewhere affords to prove the reconciliation to be mutual as is fully proved by divers Which reconciliation you see was accomplished by Jesus Christ yea by his death and blood so that he exactly answers to the first effect of the Jewish Sacrifices Of the Expiation of Sin by Christ's Sacrifice 2. The for the Second the expiation of sin that also was done with great advantage by Christ his death carried indeed a Sin-expiating virtue in it and was most truly of an expiatory nature Let us a little look into the Scripture see what it saith about this and that we shall find not only to assert the thing but so to assert it as withal to set down and determine the nature and true notion of it I mean this
occur in Scripture 2 King 3.27 2 King 17.31 2 King 23.10 2 Chron. 28.3 Jer. 7.31 Jer. 19.5 Jer. 32.35 Psal 106.37 38. Levit. 18.21 Levit. 20.2 In other things the Heathens borrowed from the Jews in this the Jews from the Heathens Upon the whole then it appears that Scripture and Nature do both concur in that notion of expiatory Sacrifices which I have insisted upon and surely in the applying of it to Christ the grand expiatory Sacrifice the Gospel is exceeding clear So that when we assert his substitution in the stead of Sinners his dying for them his atoning God and expiating Sin by his death and blood we say nothing but what Jews and Heathens in their expiatory Sacrifices apprehended believed and acted upon They then who differ in these things as to the general nature use and end of such Sacrifices they differ not only from us but from all mankind of whom it might be expected they would better agree with Heathens since they do so ill agree with Christians Of the Second Enquiry when and where Christ was this expiatory Sacrifice I have dispatch'd the First Enquiry What a kind of Sacrifice Christ was the Second follows when and where he was such a Sacrifice To which I answer when he was here on earth and especially when he died upon the Cross then and there he was this expiatory Sacrifice All are not of my mind herein the Enemy who way-lays me in every step I take in these great Truths is upon me again and forces me to defend my self or rather the Truth I have laid down * Socin de Serv. p. 2. c. 12 15. Smale de Divin Christi c. 23. Gatech Racov. de Mun. Christi Sacerd. Quaest 2. He saith Christ's being thus a Sacrifice points to his being in Heaven and to what he there doth that his death here was but a preparation to his Sacrifice as there to be made or but an antecedent Condition to his having of power there to expiate sin with much more to that purpose Here then lies the difference between us and S we say Christ's being the expiatory Sacrifice belongs to that part of his Priestly-Office which he executed here upon earth they make it to refer to that part of his Priestly-Office which he now executes in Heaven we time it in Christ's dying upon the Cross they in his sitting upon the Throne Now that I may at once prove what is true and also confute what is false I argue thus 1. It appears that here Christ's Sacrifice was exhibited or that here he made his expiatory Offering because the Scripture speaks of it as a thing that is past and antecedent to his exaltation and glory and therefore it must be done here on earth and not in Heaven Eph. 5.2 and hath given himself for us an Offering a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Heb. 1.3 when he had by himself purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high mark it the Sacrifice-purgation or expiation of sin was over and done and then Christ's exaltation in Heaven followed after Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained not to obtain eternal redemption for us Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God he did not first sit down on the right hand of God and then offer up his Sacrifice for sins but he first offered and then he sat down on the right hand of God 2. When the Scripture speaks of Christ's expiation of sin by the Sacrifice of himself it speaks of it as a thing done but once therefore it must refer to his death which was but once not to his intercession or any other act in Heaven which is a * Heb. 7.25 continued repeated and reiterated act Heb. 9.26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Vers 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Heb. 7.27 this he did once when he offered up himself Heb. 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Doth this once agree with any thing that he now doth in Heaven 3. If Christ had not dispatch'd his expiatory work at his death why did he then say * Joh. 19.30 It is finished if his expiating of sin was yet to come and to be done in Heaven how could he with truth have spoken these words that all was finished when the great thing was yet undone 4. That of the Apostle is pertinent to our purpose Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me c. wherefore did Christ come into the world why to be a Sacrifice and to do that which the old Sacrifices could not God was e'ene weary of them could no longer * Heb. 10.8 take pleasure in them he will have Christ the better Sacrifice to come into the world which accordingly he did I but what was the world into which he came surely it must be this lower world for it must be understood of that world into which he came to do the Will of God as appears Vers 7.9 now that was this World below rather than that above for where do we reade that Christ ascended into the upper World to do the Will of God especially this Will of God referring to his assuming a body and offering up that body Vers 5.10 these were things to be done only on this lower stage of earth whence then it follows that here his Sacrifice was made 5. There was as hath been observ'd to be an analogie and resemblance 'twixt Christ's Sacrifice and the Levitical Sacrifices and he was to expiate in that way wherein they did expiate but if you do not place his Sacrifice in his death where will that analogie be or how will he expiate in that way wherein they did What is there in Christ as in Heaven that carries any resemblance to the killing slaying shedding the blood offering of the Levitical Sacrifices There he sits in great glory puts forth his Regal power is Head of Church c. but what 's all this to suffering dying pouring out his blood wherein he was to answer to those Sacrifices Doth the Scripture lay so much upon his death and blood for expiation and yet shall that be done where there is none of these 'T will be said there 's this in Christ in Heaven to carry resemblance to the old Sacrifices their blood was carried by the High-Priest into the Holy of Holy's and there sprinkled by him towards the Mercy-seat upon which expiation and atonement followed now parallel to this Christ
in every expiatory Sacrifice there was the destruction or consumption of the thing sacrificed either in part or in the whole there being therefore no such thing in the Lord's Supper it cannot be look'd upon as a true and proper expiatory Sacrifice Pray what is destroy'd therein doth Christ's body and blood cease to be what they were in his Sacrifice upon the Cross there was a destruction in the separation of his Soul and Body for a time but what is there like to this in the Sacrament * De Missâ l. 1. c. 2. BELLARMINE having taken notice of this Argument thinks to elude it with a very pretty distinction viz. †De Missacirc l. 1. c. 27. that Christ's body in it-self is untouch'd in the Sacrament it loosing nothing of its esse naturale when 't is eaten there yet it doth loose its esse sacramentale the bread being eaten by which it was signified and made visible Answ As if the ceasing of something which was but external visible and representative the thing it self remaining untouch'd and the same that it was before would amount to that destruction which was in the Levitical Sacrifices and which was necessary to be made upon the body of Christ at his death in order to his being an expiatory Sacrifice Surely either we are a sort of men so weak and sottish as that wee 'l believe any thing or they are a sort of men so wedded to their Opinions as that they 'l say any thing that will but suit with their purpose otherwise so great a Man had never given so pitiful an Answer to so considerable an Objection 3. Thirdly if the Sacrament be a real propitiatory Sacrifice then so many Sacraments so many propitiatory Sacrifices and as oft as that is administred so oft there is a real substantial oblation of Christ's body and blood in a propitiatory way but this is directly contrary to what the World saith therefore 't is by no means to be admitted For that speaks but of one only propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ's once offering himself namely when he died upon the Cross which one offering was so full and perfect so effectual to all intents and purpoles for redemption propitiation c. as that it is not in any wise to be repeated or reiterated Heb. 7.27 Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up Sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Heb. 9.12 by his own blood be entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us Vers 26 27 28. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath be appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many c. Heb. 10.10 12 14. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all But this man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Now how shall we reconcile the multiplication of propitiatory Sacrifices the reiteration of Christ's offering with these Texts there is saith the Apostle but one only propitiatory Sacrifice that which our Saviour offered upon the Cross nay say our Adversaries but there is the MASS is a propitiatory Sacrifice also the true propitiatory Sacrifice saith he was made but once nay but say they 't is not so it is renew'd repeated and made over and over again Christ sayes he did once and but once offer up himself nay say they but he is offered again and again as often as the MASS is celebrated in which his body and blood are as really offered as they were when he dy'd upon the Cross Christ saith he by the one oblation of himself hath obtained eternal redemption put away sin perfected for ever them that are sanctified nay say they but he hath not for besides that there must be the propitiatory oblation of him in the Sacrament Now let every person judge whether these things be not flat contradictions to the Word of God according to what we charge them with For the solving of this therefore they give us another pretty distinction viz. of our Saviours bloody and unbloody Sacrifice of that which was offered on the Cross and that which is offered at the Mass that they say 't is very true was but once and is not to be iterated but 't is not so with the latter wherefore the Apostle in all that hath been cited must be understood as designing to exclude only the multiplying and repeating of the bloody but not of the unbloody Sacrifice and so the Mass is not at all concerned therein To which I answer in shunning one contradiction they run upon another for what can be more contradictory to the Word as also to the nature of the thing than an unbloody propitiatory Sacrifice it sayes * Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there 's no remission yes say they but there is in the Sacrament there 's no shedding of blood and yet thereby there is remission do they not still maintain that which plainly contradicts the Scripture and instead of stopping one gap do they not make another The Apostle after he had been speaking so fully of Christ's Sacrifice upon the Cross in the perfection and unrepeatableness thereof draws an inference universally to exclude all other propitiatory Sacrifices Heb. 10.18 now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin they then must be highly bold who will presume to except and limit where the Spirit of God doth not and where the matter spoken of doth not require any such exception or limitation nay where indeed the matter will not bear any such thing as here it will not for if by Christ's oblation sin be fully remitted how can any further Sacrifice be joyned with it in order to remission To me this is a most necessary principle viz. when men will distinguish upon the letter of the Scripture so as to affirm what that denyes or to deny what that affirms or so as to enlarge what that straightens and to straighten what that enlarges it highly concerns them to look to this that their distinctions be well grounded upon other Scriptures and consonant thereunto for otherwise they must run themselves into dangerous errors without all possibility of being convinced and without this all Religion will be undermin'd and the Word of God made wholly insignificant Now to apply this Rule our Dissenters when we urge the forementioned places which are so clear and cogent for what we hold would put off all by distinguishing of a bloody and unbloody Sacrifice I desire to know what Scripture-ground or warrant they
Pray look into the Text and see what pressing motives there are in it for this 1. Here 's Christ dying as a Sacrifice making his Soul an offering for sin Now Sinners shall that live in you or will you live in that which made your Saviour to die shall he die for sin and will you yet live in sin shall his death as to you be in * Ergo tu dignum te gere tali pretio ne veniat Christus qui te mundavit qui te redemit si te in peccato invenerit dicat tibi Quae utilitas in sanguine meo quid profeci tibi dum descerdo in corruptionem c. Ambros de Virgi vain will you continue sin upon the Throne when Christ was upon the Cross do you desire to have him there again crucified afresh as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.6 would you renew his wounds and cause them to bleed again was it not enough for such a person to be once sacrific'd can you made even through his precious blood to the gratifying of your base lusts O dreadful I remember that passage of DAVID 2 Sam. 23.15 c. where you find him longing for the waters of Bethlehem Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the Well of Bethlehem which is by the gate upon this his earnest desire three of his mighty men brake through the Host of the Philistines and brought him some of this water but saith the story he would not drink thereof but poured it out unto the Lord why so O saith he be it far from me that I should do this is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives So here sometimes your desires and inclinations are strongly carried out to such and such sins but pray consider there 's blood in the case those sins cost Jesus Christ his blood he did not only jeopard but actually lose his life will you then meddle with them be they never so sweet or pleasing to the flesh I hope you will not I 'm sure you should not To strengthen this further pray consider what Christ's end or ends were in his being thus a Sacrifice they refer either to God or to you to God as he design'd to satisfie his Justice appease his Wrath vindicate his Honour c. to you as he design'd your Sanctification Holiness the abolition of Sins power c. I say the abolition of sins power for though the primary end and the most immediate effect of Christ's Sacrifice was the expiation of its guilt yet in subordination to this however in conjunction with it the breaking of its power and freedom from its evil acts were by him also aimed at therein Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father Tit. 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. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Now was this one of Christ's great Ends in his sacrificing of himself and shall he not have it hath he accomplished his ends with respect to God and shall he not accomplish his ends with respect to you would you divide and compound with him to let him have half of what he design'd and purchas'd but no more would you separate between Justification and Sanctification that will not be allowed How smartly doth the Apostle argue for the death of sin from the death of Christ Rom. 6.3 to the 11. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection 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 For be that is dead is freed from sin Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him For in that he died he died unto sin oâ—e but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Sirs was Christ sacrific'd for sin I 'le tell you what we should now do let us sacrifice our sins for Christ there 's a great difference in the sense of the one and of the other yet take but that aright and both are true Christ was a blessed Person and he was sacrific'd out of love but Sin is a cursed thing which therefore must be sacrific'd out of hatred 't was pity that Christ should die 't is pity that sin should live He was sacrific'd for our sin that he might take that away which was injurious to us we must sacrifice our sins for him that we may take that away which is so injurious and offensive to him But to go on in the Text 2. God condemned sin there 's very much in this also to set us against sin in whatever notion the word condemning be taken did God condemn it and shall we approve of it hath he pass'd a sentence of death upon it and shall we yet be for the life of it as if we would reverse or contradict his sentence or hinder the execution of it did he look upon it as a traitor rebel capital offender and shall we look upon it as an harmless and innocent thing hath he in the death of his Son given out such a declaration of his hatred of it and shall we yet love it and like it and live in it Yea 3. God condemned sin in the flesh of Christ now shall it be judged punished abolished in Christ's Flesh and yet * Rom. 6.12 reign in ours shall he in his flesh suffer for it and we in ours commit it what an absurd incongruous thing would this be Upon the whole matter therefore how do we all stand engaged by the strongest obligations that are possible to be holy and not to sin let it be condemned in our flesh as in a different respect it was condemn'd in Christ's as God hath condemn'd it so as that we shall not die for it so let us condemn it so as not to live in it And in special whenever it shall come to tempt you to what is evil pray remember that Christ was made a Sacrifice for it and let it appear by your holy and circumspect walking that you have a due sense thereof and that you do not from thence fetch any encouragement to sin against God which was one of
loved us He that * 2 Cor. 5.21 knew no sin was willing to be made sin †1 Pet. 2.24 to bear our sins in his own body vpon the tree to put himself in our stead yea to die in our stead for our sakes to be ‖ Phil. 2.8 obedient to death even the death of the Cross to let out his precious blood for the expiation of sin when nothing else would do it and when all Mosaical Sacrifices were weak he by a far higher Sacrifice undertook the work * Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy will O God was not here love even love †Eph. 3.19 passing knowledge such high affection on his part should draw out high admiration on our part Let me here add we should so admire God and Christ as to love them and to be thankful Have they ‖ Joh. 3.16 so loved us and shall not we return love for love what monsters and prodigies shall we be if after such a manifestation of their love to us there be not reciprocation of our love to them God design'd and prepar'd the Sacrifice therefore he must have our love Christ was the Sacrifice therefore he must have our love too both deserve it both must have it Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life now doth the Father love him for this and shall not we much more did we but think of this Sacrifice and hold our hearts close to it in holy meditation surely it would cause them to love Christ Then I say be thankful yea let your whole Soul upon this go out in thankfulness be ever praising magnifying God for his unspeakable mercy in Christ your Sacrifice your Redeemer your Saviour often call upon your sluggish hearts and say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Did God * Rom. 3.25 set forth Christ to be a propitiation did he †Isa 53.5 6. lay upon him the iniquities of you all was the chastisement of your peace upon him and by his stripes are you healed that guilt and wrath which would have ruin'd you for ever are they now both done away so as that they shall never hurt you did Christ die * Mediator noster puniri pro seipso non debuit quia nullum culpae contagium perpetravit Sed si ipse indebitam mortem non susciperet nunquam nos à debitâ morte liberaret Gregor l. 3. moral c. 13. that you might not die but live for ever did you sin and he suffer was the †innocent person punished that the guilty might be acquitted was sin condemned for you who deserv'd to be condemn'd for it what praise and admiration can be high enough for such things as these The JEWS in the day of atonement were to make the trumpet sound throughout their land Lev. 25.9 So we having received the atonement by Christ's Sacrifice should evermore be sounding forth the praises of the most high You reade of the Elders Rev. 5.8 c. they fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of Saints And they sang a new son saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. * Peccat iniquus punitur justus delinquit reus vapulat innocens offendit impius damnatur pius quod meretur malus patitur bonus c. Quò Nate Dei quò tua descendit humilitas quo tua flagravit charitas c. Ego iniquè egi tu poenâ mulctaris ego facinus admisi tu ultione plecteris c. Me ad illicitam concupiscentiam rapuit arbor te perfecta charitas duxit ad crucem ego praesumsi vetitum tu subiisti aculeum c. August in Quest in V. N. Testam Qu. 55. Christians why are not your harps alwayes in your hands why are not your Souls alwayes full of holy affections as the golden Vials full of odours in the remembrance of him who was slain and sacrific'd for you Christ having offered his Sacrifice we are to offer ours 8. Lastly Do you offer to God the Sacrifices proper to you as Christ offered to God the Sacrifice proper to him For expiatory Sacrifices as you need them not Christ's one Sacrifice being every way sufficient for that end so you are not able to come up to them for you can present nothing to God properly and formally expiatory yet there are other Sacrifices which you may offer up to him And though the external and fleshly Sacrifices of the Law are out of date yet there are the internal and spiritual Sacrifices of the Gospel which you now are as much oblig'd to observe and offer as ever the JEWS were the former What are they why you are to present your selves your bodies Souls the whole man a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 you are to dedicate your persons to Christ so as to live to him who dy'd for you 2 Cor. 5.15 yea so as to be ready to be offered in sacrifice by dying for him to allude to that Phil. 2.17 You are as an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 which spiritual Sacrifices are spiritual Dutys and Evangelical Worship prophesy'd of Mal. 1.11 in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering Here come in * Oratio purè directa de corde fideli tanquam de arâ Sanctâ surgit incensum August in Psal 141. Prayer and Praise those two eminent Sacrifices under the Gospel Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice Psal 116.17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord so Psal 107.22 Psal 54.6 Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name this is set forth as here by the fruit of the lips so elsewhere by the free-will-offerings of the mouth Psal 119.108 by rendring the calves of our lips Hos 14.2 And for the pleasingness of this to God above all the Levitical Sacrifices see Psal 50.13 14. Psal 69.30 31. O this is a Sacrifice which we should often be offering up to God through Christ Jesus Another Evangelical Sacrifice is a broken Spirit than which next to a broken Christ nothing more acceptable to God Psal 51.16 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offering The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise So also bounty to the poor distressed Saints this is an odour of sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well