death but these works of God they are living works partly because they proceed from a life of grace and partly because they will live for ever they will go to the grave with thee to heaven with thee they will never forsake thee 2. It 's our duty to work because God hath made them the necessary way to walk in if we will be saved Without holinesse no man shall see God Labour for the meat that perisheth not Hence if we consider every gracious work of patience love meeknesse we shall see blessednesse is promised to them Not that these justifie only the person justified cannot be without them They are the media ordinata ordained mean in the use whereof we are to arrive at eternal happinesse It 's faith only that receiveth Christ and his righteousnesse yet this faith cannot be separated from an holy walking It 's the eye only that seeth yet the eye cannot be separated from the other parts of the body and thus the Apostle doth immediatly oppose Rom. 4. beleeving working grace and works in respect of Justification yet he doth at the same time presse the Children of God to all holinesse and the fruits of righteousnesse 3. Working is necessary by way of gratitude and thankefulnesse to God and Christ If there were nothing else but this this might pour coals of fire upon thee for how many works of Gods grace hast thou been partaker of If Gods grace did not work all the day long for thee thou couldst not be a moment preserved out of hell and as for Christs working reade the History of his Life he was alwaies finishing the work of thy Redemption and Salvation he had nothing to do for himself all was in reference to thee Oh then how unworthy wilt thou shew thy self of all that love and kindenesse which God and Christ have done for thee If thou like the Sluggard let the Field of thy Soul grow full of briars and thorns Oh how can thy heart be so cold and slothful When thou considerest grace is working for thee all the day long if Christ had no more zealously and earnestly wrought my peace for me then I do perform his duties my soul had perished irrecoverably Lastly Therefore it 's necessary we should work Gods work because we have for a long time spent our selves in the Service of Satan and doing the works of the devil Oh this should be a perpetual goad in thy side this should be fire in thy bosome to consider that there was no hour no day no season but thou didst take the opportunity to satisfie thy lusts Thou never couldst have enough of sinne No thirsty man did more greedily swallow down water then thou didst sinne yea how active to draw on others to infect others with the same plague thou hadst I tell you this will lie heavy upon the godly soul If I were to live Methusalems age it would not be time enough to do God service for the dishonour I have put upon him Thy time is short and thou hast much to do because thou hast undone so much In the next place Consider That it 's lawful for the people of God in all the work they do for God to encourage themselves with this that there is an everlasting glory laid up for them Even as Christ had an eye to this glory so it 's lawful for us Thus Moses had an eye to the recompence of the reward Heb. 11. The godly Rom. 2. are said to be such as seek for immortality and glory Rom. 5.2 They rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and Paul accounted all these sufferings but light in respect of that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Indeed Gods glory is to be sought in the first place and then our glory so that it 's a shame if in all our doings and sufferings for God we are not full of joy because of that unspeakable glory apprehended by faith Faith makes it present as if we already were partakers of it So that whatsoever temptations and discouragements are in the work of the Lord this glory will abundantly make amends for it Are there reproaches and disgrace in the world All the while thou didst sin and the devils work thou hadst the love and good-will of the world but since thou hast betaken thy self to the service of God thou art the scoff and reproach of all O think of the glory God will crown thee with before all the world Again are all the works of God painful difficult and contrary to flesh and bloud thou must strive and wrastle much in praier be alwaies in a combat and conflict Remember this everlasting glory yea God therefore doth many times put his Children upon all exercises and sad temptations which make them ake at the very heart and all is to encrease their glory the more Thus Job thus Paul they had extraordinary trials that they might have extraordinary glory Furthermore is there self-denial required in Gods work Must thou part with thy pleasures with thy profit thy delights still remember this glory will make thee no loser for alas what proportion is there between these petty things thou leavest and those everlasting treasures God hath provided for thee In the sixth place That the glory of Gods people may be full he giveth them time and large opportunities of working for him and keeps thee in this world not for any earthly and outward advancement of thy self but to serve him in thy generation as it 's said David served God in his generation Act. 13.36 and God calleth Moses his servant Whatsoever thy relation thy place thy office be God hath appointed thee to work and therefore he prolongs thy life till thy work be done This is a comfortable consideration which all the godly may take that death shall not seize on them while thay have work to do for God and when that is finished then this summons to everlasting glory As for Infants this Truth reacheth not to them and if any like the Thief on the Crosse are called at the last hour and so are not able to work in the Vineyard yet even such have an habitual prepared heart for it if they had the opportunity But for others whose daies are prolonged they are thus to think with themselves I have this day this week longer to adde to my work God hath for me to doe Take heed of mispent time take heed of losing daies and weeks The night is coming when none can work Vse 1. How much comfort and joy the godly may take at the hour of death Their work is done now they have nothing but the Robes of glory to put on That fulnesse of glory they are immediatly to possesse should swallow up the fears of death and the love of the world With what joy should they cry out Farewell Friends Wife and Children welcome God welcome eternal glory Alas thou hast no glory here Thy body is a vile body thy soul a
hast an Interest in Christs Death thou art not only dead to sinne but to the world God forbid that I should glory saith Paul but in the Crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I to the world Gal. 6.14 Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead Col. 3.2 3. Therefore not onely grosse prophanesse doth exclude from a propriety in Christs Death but an immoderate frame of heart to these lawful things below Indeed if thy overflowing affections to these things be a burthen to thee and matter of daily conflict then it 's plain these immoderate affections are not in a quiet pacifical dominion over thee and so they are the evil thou wouldst not do And then these can never hurt non sensus but consensus nocet But if they do withall delight so possesse thy heart that they quite dead thee to God and heaven Thou sindest no rellish in heavenly things comparatively to the earthly Thou canst say contrary to David when thy Wine and Oyle encreaseth thou hast more joy then those that trust in God Psal 4. Then art thou to fear Christs Death and his Praier doth not as yet belong to thee Hence it is that the efficacy of Christs death is much discovered in the godly by this twofold Death it works on them a death to sinne and a death to the world Even his Resurrection manifests it self in quickning of us to all holinesse and seeking of those things that are above Let us then see by the effects that Christs Death belongs to thee 3. They that have an Interest in Christs Death they make that an example of all patience and humble Resignation 1 Pet. 2.21 24. Christs Death is not onely efficacious and meritorious but exemplary also So that if the Lord afflict us it is no more then what hath been done to his only Sonne already Though he were a Sonne yet he learned Obedience saith the Scripture by those sufferings Heb. 5 6. Now then behold Christ in all his sufferings when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not What threatnings might not Christ have denounced against the Jews because they killed him who was the Prince of glory and so dear to his Father but he is like a Lamb that opens not his mouth before the shearer or the killer Oh then how should this shame us for our unruly passions for our impatient workings and commotions of soul Oh silence thy Soul saying Did Christ bear his afflictions no otherwise Did Christ refuse the bitter cup that was given him to drink Did he not say Not my will but thy will be done 4. He that hath advantage by Christs Death looks upon the bitternesse and uglinesse of sinne as being so foul that nothing but the bloud of Christ could wash it away The very thoughts of Christs Death presently makes him say Oh the cursed and foul nature of all sinne Neither men nor Angels could take away the spot of it but only Christs Death Wicked men therefore they are said to trample under feet the bloud of Christ Heb. 10. Because they have not those right precious thoughts about it as they ought to have Though the bloud of Christ speaks better things then that of Abel yet it doth in some respects speak more terrible things because by that we see how infinitely God is displeased with sinne how unsatisfied his justice was till such an atonement was made So that if we look into hell if we behold all the torments and miseries there it doth not so fully represent the foul guilt of sinne as Christ crucified on the Crosse sweating drops of bloud and crying out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me 5. They that shall have advantage by Christs Death they are infinitely affected with that love of God and Christ therein As you see in Paul That love of Christ giving himself for us sinners and enemies to be reconciled thereby to God Oh how mightily did it constrain Paul 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us holds us in an extasie working on us as the Spirit did on the Prophets in their illuminations and prophesies And why so Because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead To consider from what a dying damning estate Christs Death doth free us must needs be like fire burning and inflaming a man all over If we had not been desperately dead dead every way dead in sin dead in guilt dead in respect of all earthly hope Christ would not have died for us Oh then the unspeakable affections and enlargements which the Death of Christ works in those that have a propriety therein 6. They that have a propriety in Christs Death will resign all they have up unto Christ and now live no longer to themselves or to worldly motives but unto Christ Rom. 6.10 11. 1 Pet 2.24 so 1 Cor. 6.20 the Apostle urgeth because we are bought with a price therefore we are none of our own and we should glorifie God in soul and body He then that can claim a Title to Christs Death looks not upon his body his estate his health his parts the faculties and affections of his soul as his own his love is not his anger is not Oh how rare then are they who may urge this Argument Christ died Christ was crucified for me for unlesse thou art a redeemed man and that from thy self and all creatures in the world to live wholly to Christ and to resigne all up to him here is little hope for thee Observe then these qualifications and if upon true search they can be found in thee then proceed to make an application of all those glorious priviledges that come by Christs death Fear not let not the devil or thy own guilty heart keep thee off from tasting yea eating abundantly of this honey Hearken what Christ speaks to his Church concerning priviledges and gracious favours Cant. 5.1 Eat O Friends drink â—ea drink abundantly And 1. Those that can pleade Christs Death may also pleade his Resurrection Intercession and whatsoever glorious actions of his are done for his people If Christ died for thee he rose again for thee he interceded in heaven for thee When thou saiest he is an Advocate to pleade thy cause Rom 8. It 's Christ that died who is risen again so that the Death of Christ is the foundation of all his other gracious acts Hence it is that the remission of our sins is attributed to the shedding of his bloud The atonement of our iniquities is given unto his death because in it he did manifest the greatest obedience unto the will of God and the lowest humiliation of himself for us Phil. 2. If then thou hast a propriety in the death of Christ Christ hath done the utmost for thee even to die for thee You see that put him upon the greatest struglings and agonies if he would have refused in any thing it would
well as the rest which was a strong engagement to make him full of love to Christ and though he was admonished of it that he should betray him though he heard our Saviour say It had been better for him he had never been born yet from these admonitions he goeth immediately and consummates all iniquity From this man called here a sonne of perdition yet formerly as eminent as the other Apostles many worthy particulars are to be gathered but for the present I shall pitch on this That there are some men so resolvedly and obstinately given to damn themselves that let what will come in the way they will go on Even as Balaam in his purpose to curse the people of Israel sets forward with great resolutions driveth on his Ass though that speak to him which might have been a terrible astonishment yet for all that he pursueth his wicked design till God stop him whether he will or no Or as Saul was wretchedly bent to murder himself and therefore cals upon his Armour bearer to run him thorow which when he refused he desperately fals upon his own spear and kils himself Thus there are thousands of persons that do with as much obstinacy and desperate hardness of heart throw themselves into hell God commands a man To do no murder and self-murder is rare because the care of life and fear of death is implanted in men but self-destruction and self-damnation is very common for men neither have a love to their immortal souls nor yet a fear of eternal damnation No wonder if some persons are thus when we reade of an whole body of people or Nation ready to do this Matth. 23.37 Christ doth there in a melting manner weep over Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. How often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not This compassionate bewailing of them was enough to turn stones into tears but they would not It is not said they understood not they desired but other things hindred them No They would not There was a pertinacious wilfull obstinacy There are more remedies and means sufficient to have humbled them in sackcloth and ashes but they would not This cursed disposition was of old in them Jer. 18.12 when the Prophet had informed them of Gods purpose to bring evil upon them and that therefore they should return from their evil way See what an obstinate reply they make There is no hope or as some render it it 's a desperate case We will go every one in his evil wayes and after the imagination of our own hearts So truly did the Prophet say Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self That as it is from a mans own body diseases grow which afterwards kill him and moths are bred in that linnen which afterwards consume it Thus from a mans one self come those sinnes which tend to his everlasting damnation They will destroy themselves who can stop them or perswade them to the contrary To pursue this because it 's the case of many men who live under the means of grace Let us consider What are the causes that move men thus violently to damn themselves as if they could not do it soon enough And First There are many though glorying in the title of Christians that are prophanely Atheistical They do not believe there is a God or Heaven or Hell they do not firmly assent to Gods Word as true Now what good can all the preaching in the world do though the Ministers were as so many Angels and their voice as terrible as the sound of the trumpet at the last day if men be Atheistical they will not believe what any Minister preacheth They bless themselves in their wicked wayes and will not hearken to any thing Achitophel did not more resolutely go hang himself then those to damn themselves For as faith is the great instrument whereby the Word preached becomes effectual to salvation so unbelief is the great stop and obex in the way This is the door and barre to keep all off which made the Prophet complain Isa 53.1 and the Apostle afterwards alleadgeth it as the cause of mens destruction Who hath believed our report Hence Heb. 4.2 The Word did not profit the Israelites because not mixed with faith A Metaphor from the Physicians potion which doth no good because not mixed with such ingredients This is to be worse then the devils who believe and tremble but thou dost neither As long therefore as men abide in unbelief no Ministry no preaching will do them any good faith is the foundation without this there cannot be any building But though the promises are not made good unless we believe yet know to thy terrour that all the curses and threatnings in Gods Word will be fulfilled upon thee whether thou believe or not Secondly Another cause is Gross bruitish and stupid Ignorance When people have no knowledge or understanding in matters of Religion they fall as easily as blinde men that know not where they go Ephes 4.18 The Apostle speaking of some who gave themselves up to wickedness and were past feeling They had no remorse or sense of conscience as a dead hand though it be runne through with the sword yet feels no pain he makes the cause of this senslesness to be the darkness in their understanding and the blindness which was upon their hearts Thus Hos 4.1 2. when the Prophet complained That the Land was overthrown with swearing lying and murders he makes this the cause There is no knowledge of God in the Land and Jude v. 10. relateth some Who speak evil of those things they know not and what they know naturally they did as bruit beasts corrupt themselves with Is not this the character of many in these dayes Their hellish mouths are opened to rail and deride and so speak malicious words against those that are godly when they are sottish and ignorant in religious things having no knowledge but what is natural and with that they are like bruit beasts corrupting themselves The sottish ignorance and bruitish blindness upon many makes them to venture desperately Oh if their eyes were open Did they but see what the godly see they would not dare to step a step forward in that way which leadeth to death But as mad men feel no pain though instruments be thrust into them so neither do they Men out of their wits venture upon self-murdering practises and thus do those that are void of all spiritual understanding Hence Admonition is called in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 5.13 Paul commands them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to warn them that are unruly or to put a minde and wits into them as if they were mad and would destroy themselves not knowing what they did A third cause of such wilfull resolvedness to damn themselves is hardnesse of heart As long as the heart is soft and tender it trembleth at Gods word and is afraid
it self and the effectuall application of it For all do acknowledge that Christs death in it self is of value enough to redeem thousands of worlds if there were so many It cannot be otherwise because it 's the obedience to death of that person who is God as well as man and by reason of his Deity there is such a merit and satisfaction upon his death that all the sins of men and devils are not able to counterpoise it Therefore it 's great Unbelief to be cast down as if the greatnesse of thy sins exceeded the greatnesse of Christs Sufferings As the Heavens exceed the earth in magnitude so do Christs merits our transgressions but then if we speak of the Intention and purpose of Christ in laying down his life that is onely for his Sheep Joh. 10. I lay down my life for my Sheep And if that be true which Truth it self speaks Greater love then this can no man shew then to lay down his life for another Our Saviour if he had died for others besides the Elect had vouchsafed the greatest love that could be to them and certainly to become a Surety for another to die in anothers stead must needs be an high expression The Scripture useth two words when it speaks of Christs death for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now although they may be used promiscuously yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a great deal more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vice alterius in stead of another So that what generally he was to undergo the Surety did it in his room but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for the good of another though not in his stead as Paul said he suffered his afflictions for the bodies sake or the Churches sake Col. 1.24 that was not in their stead but for procuring of some good It cannot be denied but that all mankinde even reprobates themselves do obtain a world of Mercies through Christs Death yet to say that Christ died for them viz. in their stead to suffer all that anger of God which was due to them is to say the highest mercy that can be If we say that such are justified such are glorified it 's not so much as to say Christ died for them as Rom. 8. Christs death is made the foundation of all other mercies and the Apostle argueth from the greater to the lesse If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give us all things else Therefore to say Christ died for all is in effect to say Christ will actually save and glorifie all We may as well say Universal Salvation as Universal Redemption For Christs death is by the Scripture made the highest and greatest expression of love as also the cause of all other priviledges 4. The special and particular love of Christ in his death and Intercession to some rather then others is no ground of despair Nor no just cause for any troubled conscience to be perplexed about his estate but if a man will act according to reason it 's more hopeful then for a man to be left to such an universal uncertain benefit of Christs death which yet they confesse none may be actually saved for all that for this is acknowledged by some that hold universal grace and redemption That Christ by his death did obtain a sufficiency of Salvation for all but through mans corruptions it may fall out that they refuse this fruit of Christs death and so have no actuall application of it at all Now then Is it not more desirable to have such a special love whereby to be sure some will be saved then such a general one by which no man may receive salvation at all But especially this is no ground of despair for we can give as large encouragements and comforts to any humbled sinner as the adversaries can For these Universalists do not so hold Christ died for all that whether all repented or not beleeved or not that still they should be saved No they hold these conditions necessary unlesse men repent and believe they cannot have any benefit by Christs death Now so all the Orthodox say If thou art a Believer If thou repentest question not but that Christs death extends to thee It 's for such as hunger and thirst and therefore whatsoever soul lieth under any burthen of sinne and doth desire the grace of God through Christ let him not stagger but confidently goe unto him Therefore we can administer comfort to all those that are in a Gospel-manner qualified and the Vniversalists can do no more So that here is no dreadfulnesse nor terrour in this Point but rather much comfort and encouragement to all those who finde sinne a burthen and as for others that love and delight in their sinnes that doctrine cannot be of God which would speak any comfort or peace to them 5. In this Point of Religion as in all others we must not go according to our carnal affections and desires but the direction and revelation that is in the Scripture For the way of Salvation being wholly depending upon Gods Will None are able to judge of it but so farre as he discovers his will therein Therefore the Gospel is said to be Light come into the world The world had not this Light of it self We cannot say of the things of the Gospel as the Apostle doth of the things of the Law that they do them by nature and know them by nature No it 's necessary these things should be revealed from heaven therefore when thou goest to study this Point do as in all other Mysteries lay aside thy own thoughts thy own imaginations become an abrasa tabula have none of thy philosophical or natural principles within thee This dust or humour in the Eye will hinder thee from beholding perfectly this Object It 's true it 's a very specious and taking doctrine that Christ died for all that grace is universal but if a man would therefore embrace it because it 's so pleasing to flesh and bloud then there is that of Origens which goeth further and is much more pleasing That all even devils and all shall be actually saved Therefore to hold universal grace or redemption is nothing so pleasing as to hold universal Salvation Alas though men hold Christ died for all yet they grant the most of them are damned Therefore that doctrine is nothing so desirable as that which maintains the salvation of all If then you say that is too broad a way the Scripture gainsays that Thus it followeth also If the Scripture gainsay the other we are to attend to what that saith and not to what our own hearts would have Therefore throw away the head of the Sacrifice as God commanded all thy own thoughts and natural Imaginations in this matter 6. It cannot be denied but that the Scripture when it mentioneth the Subject for whom Christ died speaks indefinitely of all As all died
till at last they put him to death in the most scornfull and reproachfull manner Consid I To open this consider That God out of his great love to mens souls hath appointed a Ministry and Officers in his Church that should be as Embassadours to intreat Reconciliation with God But because there could not be any commerce or communion between God absolutely considered and man fallen therefore the Lord Christ interposed and made peace but that what he had merited and purchased might effectually be applied to such as shall be saved among other instruments he set up Officers in his Church whose whole study and care should be to informe and reforme men So that people do enjoy the Ministers of God upon a two-fold special account First Gods great and special love to them That God hath taken care to send such is more then the creating of a world for you or vouchsafing all the temporal mercies you enjoy Hence it 's so often spoken of 2 Chron. ult and in other places that God sent his Prophets rising up early This is spoken as the great love of God to them And then Consid II The second Foundation of the Ministry is Christs Death and Resurrection his Ascending into Heaven as Ephes 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Pastours and Teachers Oh then how ingratefull and wicked is the world which doth no more regard this love of God and purchase of Christ in the Ministry Hence by the Prophet God promiseth That he would give them Pastours after his own heart Jer. 3.4 Though he feed them with the bread of adversity and drave them into corners Isai 30.20 Hence when God threatens a people with his uttermost wrath it is to remove the Candlestick and to make the Vision cease and to make no Clouds to rain upon them How much would people complain under a drought and want of Rain if for many years together there should not be so much as a Cloud seen But the gracious heart would think the removing of Christs Ministers not onely the taking away of Clouds but of the Sun and Stars in Heaven Secondly God and Christ who are thus the cause of their Office hath appointed them their worke and endowed them with abilities thereunto Their imployment is to publish the Word of God which is two-fold 1. The Word of the Law to convince men of sinne to inform of duty to make them sensible of their undone and damnable estate they are in Thus they are first to be wise Phisicians to detect and discover the disease the danger and cause of it Then secondly There is the Word of the Gospel which are the glad tidings of Gods favour and Reconciliation with those that are humble and contrite before him This is to publish the acceptable year of Jubilee to such as were spiritually indebted and under the thraldome of Gods wrath This is a work in it self absolutely necessary for what doth a sinner more want then these two things the Law in it's use and the Gospel in it's use Men in their temporal necessities respect the Physicians the Lawyers but soul necessities are not apprehended And as the necessity of it is so cogent so the dignity and excellency is admirable As the Soul and Heaven do farre exceed all earthly things so doth this subject all other Consid III Therefore in the third place God and Christ do justly expect that the world should with all gladnesse and obedience receive these his Messengers For shall God purpose so great love and Christ at so dear a rate purchase such Officers and must not the world set open the doors to receive them Shall not they cry Blessed are the feet of such as bring the glad tidings of the Gospel Are they not to be affected as the Galatians once to Paul To pull out their very eyes to serve him Certainly if David did so celebrate Gods goodnesse in creating Heaven and Earth and appointing the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field for mans use much more ought we in this great matter of the Church Consid IV Yet in the fourth place Though so much love be in this Institution and God expects so much thankefulnesse and obedience because of it it may make us tremble to see how little entertainment their Office and work hath in the world We speak not in regard of their outward honour and esteem For as Paul saith so ought we pray men might do no evil though we be accounted as reprebates 2 Cor. ult but we complain of the unsuccessefulnesse of it in respect of the divine operations of it We take up our Saviours complaint That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light John 3. Oh this is that which the Scripture doth so bitterly complain of Who hath believed our report and I told them the wonderfull or great and honourable things of my Law and they accounted them a strange thing Psal 119. This sad usage in the world made Paul cry out That they were the off-scouring of the world worse then the dust of the feet and were made a spectacle to the world and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Consid V Fifthly The Devil knowing the excellent end and use of this Office and worke doth by himself and all his instruments oppose it He rageth and the world rageth when this work is set up So that as when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he saw Satan fall like lightning Thus if it were in his power he would have Christ and his Officers be thrown down As they are to destroy his works and dispossess him so he labours to do to them It being thus thou that in the Ministry we may see Gods great love and mans great wickednesse Let us consider the cause why it should thus stirre up the wrath of men that they should be moved like so many hornets And First This work of the Ministry is contrary to the Nature and inclination of the world That as the Sunne is burdensome to the Owl and other night-birds and sweet smels to swinish creatures Thus is the glorious Gospel and the precious favour thereof abominable to corrupt men They can no more love godly and holy preaching then fire and water can agree therefore the more thy heart and tongue is set against it the more thou discoverest that hell which is in the bottome of thy heart Now the true preaching of the Word of God is contrary unto the world in these respects 1. The very nature and frame of their hearts admits not of Christs word till regenerated The old house must be pulled down even with the very foundation of it Thus Jam. 1. God is said to beget by his Word and our Saviour here Sanctifie them by thy truth Now this is directly contrary to mans nature to account all that he is and all that he doth damnable to judge every thing he hath done fit fuell for hell so as to have no comfort in any thing he hath
fervent affections of faith Are you to meditate on this Sacrifice This blood speaks all good things for thee SERMON C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest Sacrifice and Altar The Properties of that Sacrifice The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification JOH 17.19 I Sanctifie my self for them c. FRom the Person Sanctifying we proceed to the Object-matter which is said to be sanctified and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My self The Priests in the Old Testament consecrated and offered their brute Beasts which though commanded by God to have perfect Qualifications in them yet because Beasts still therefore our Saviours Priesthood doth farre transcend that because it is his own precious body that he thus offers to be an Oblation for himself From whence Observe That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice it self He offered up himself in that bloudy and ignominious death for our sakes This is the great mystery of our Christian Religion whether you do regard the Doctrinal part of it as a Truth to be beleeved or as it 's Declarative of the love of God and Christ to his Church The Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. is of old long before it was accomplished greatly affected with it and Paul upon every occasion is largely amplifying this substantial Point To clear it Consider these Introductions First That Christ was both Priest Sacrifice and Altar Every thing in Christ is wonderful There is nothing in him after the ordinary manner of nature and therefore he may justly by the Prophet be called Wonderfull and as in other particulars so in this it is true That he should be Priest Sacrifice and Altar Priest he was in both his Natures as God and man Sacrifice he was in his humane nature because that only could suffer And Altar he was in respect of his Divine Nature because by that he was sanctified Oh then the admirable wisedom of God that hath thus appointed all fulnesse to be in him When Abraham was to offer Isaac and the Childe was bound ready to be sacrificed he asketh his Father but where is the Sacrifice God saith Abraham will provide one Thus when all mankinde like Isaac was ready to be Sacrificed to the Eternal displeasure of God even then God found a Sacrifice for us Secondly Consider what is necessary to a Sacrifice and that is That there be some kinde of destruction or annihilation of the thing to the honour and glory of God And thus a Sacrifice and a Sacrament differ a Sacrifice is by offering up of something to God a Sacrament is when God offers and giveth something to us Therefore when the Papists make the Lords Supper to be a Sacrament and a Sacrifice also they speak repugnancies In a Sacrament God giveth to us In a Sacrifice we give to God Now among the Jews there were many kindes of Sacrifices and most of them did typically represent Christ The Paschal Lamb and the Sacrificing of the Red Heifer these are plainly applied unto Christ but above all kindes of Sacrifices those that we called Holocatomata whole burnt-Offerings These did in a most lively manner typifie him for there the whole was to be burnt in fire and offered to God which denoted the great humiliation of Christ both in Soul and body and also the exquisite Torments and Sufferings which were upon him so that he was wounded all over for our Transgressions Thirdly Take notice that he offered up his body as a Sacrifice to God It was in reference to him not meerly in respect of men to witnesse the Truth of God but as every Sacrifice ought to be it was wholly in reference to God though tending thereby to our good It 's unlawful to offer Sacrifices to any but God because hereby is represented Gods supreme dominion and Majesty which is signified by the annihilation or destruction of the thing offered Now though Christ did not cease to be God yet by his Death there was a separation of the soul and body though not of the divine nature from either It was then unto God that he offered up himself Fourthly This Sacrifice it was by way of expiation and propitiation to atone and pacifie the Justice of God which otherwise would have been a consuming fire to all mankinde as it was to the Apostate Angels Sacrifices do imply some kinde of Expiation and by Heathens were used to pacifie the wrath of their gods and thus if Christs body offered was truly and properly a Sacrifice then it could be no other but by way of expiation and satisfaction Now that it was such an expiatory Sacrifice is plain by the Apostle at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews where he compareth Christ dying with those Sacrifices and sheweth the insufficiency of them in respect of Christs once Oblation of himself which comparison would be weak and absurd if Christs Death was not propitiatory No wonder then if the devil hath raised up blasphemous Heretiques to overthrow this Doctrine because in this is contained that happy Reconciliation between God and a sinner In that Christ shed his bloud to atone for us is the whole hope and comfort of the Church of God Fifthly The holy and just nature of God against sinne was such that there was a necessity of Christs sacrificing himself upon the Crosse for us It 's hotly disputed whether God might have forgiven sinne absolutely without Christs Death or by any other way then by Satisfaction But when all is said it 's acknowledged it is the most convenient way and if we do suppose that God would save mankinde no other way but by justice as well as mercy then it was absolutely necessary that Christ should become man seeing no meer man could compensate God neither could the Obedience of any man have delighted God as much as Adams disobedience did offend him Therefore it 's highly derogatory from Christ which Durand saith that if it had pleased God it might have been that as by Adams disobedience all were made sinners so by the same Adams Obedience repenting and beleeving all might have been made Righteous In the second place Consider the properties of this Sacrifice And First It had infinite worth in it Insomuch that had God ordained it so it would have procured Reconciliation for all the sins of all men in the world yea if there had been a thousand worlds of sinners This is that which Divines say That it was a sufficient price and ransome for all though not efficacious Though therefore many are damned this doth not arise from any weaknesse or insufficiency in Christs Death but from the wickednesse and rebellion of men who refuse the means to improve this Ransome for their good There is infinite worth in it and that upon a threefold respect 1. The Person offering who is God as well as man So that what dignity and worth the divine Nature can put
rend Pauls heart no doubt but their Unity and accord did as much rejoyce him Therefore how emphatically doth he speak Phil. 2.1 2. If any consolation if any bowels fulfill ye my joy that ye may be like minded c. It 's then the Ministers glory and the Churches glory to walk in lovely accord when in the Church as in Solomons Temple the voice of the hammer is not heard whenas God promised in respect of temporal peace The sword should be turned into plow-shares so the controversal and polemical part of Divinity shall be changed into the practical and affectionate part Again It 's the glory of the Church passively in this sense that for it we are exceedingly to glorifie and praise God We should look upon the spiritual peace of the Church as a greater mercy then all external mercies What an heavy thing is it when Jerusalem shall be made a Babel when the Church shall be like the chaos and confusion that was made at first when God shall bring such a spiritual judgement on the Church as sometimes he did a temporal one upon the enemies thereof Every mans weapon against his neighbour till they had destroyed one another When therefore we see God forming the hearts of believers to uniting terms this we ought to praise God for as being a special means to promote Christs Kingdom Now it 's the glory of believers to be at Unity 1. Because this will exalt them in the very hearts and thoughts of their greatest enemies What is glory but the clara notitia the famous acknowledging of the excellency of such a thing Now nothing will sooner divulge the fame and like the heavens make the noise thereof to go through the Land then unity and agreement As Solomons wisdom spread it self over the world Insomuch that many came from afar to see and admire it Thus it will be also for the Churches accord therefore the Psalmist put an Ecce upon it Behold how good and comely it is for brethren to be of one accord Psal 133.1 2. Thus you heard The Heathens admired the love of primitive Christians Ecce quam se muâ—uo diligenti fratres vocant whereas now we may say Behold how they hate and oppose one another calling one another by all uncharitable names It 's unity then that makes the Churches fame to be over the world 2. Vnity is the glory of the Church because it ariseth from the beauty and pulchritude of it The beauty of a thing is the glory of it now beauty doth arise from the sweet harmony and proportion of all the parts and this is the unity of the Church when every member thereof is harmoniously joyned unto another when there is no dissonancy or difference Certainly It 's a better wish to see the Church in this glory then that of Austins to see Rome in all her temporal glory If any member be deformed or unproportionable to the other parts How unlovely and uncomely doth it make that body So it is here if any make a rent be proud froward or opposite the glory thereof is departed 3. It 's part of their glory because the happinesse and blessednesse of a Church is in their Communion-graces A Church denoteth some society and company Now the advantage of such improvements is by union if one part of the body be divided from the other there is no suppeditation of mutual help therefore there are nerves and ligaments in the body to unite each part to other You see in a civil society if there be not union the glory of it presently dieth divisions like moths rise from within and do immediately consume If then the happinesse of believers lie in their communion-graces and duties What can be more glorious then unity which is the only means to procure subserviency to one another as if several Cities were supplied by pipes of water one to another if those pipes be stopt or cut it brings a necessary destruction The second main particular is That Christ purchased as Mediatour this priviledge as well as others He did not onely die to justifie them to sanctifie them but to unite them also And this should teach us several things As 1. It should not be accounted a slight and little sinne to make any breaches or divisions in Gods Church to do any thing through strife and vain-glory Why because Christ died against this he as Mediatour intended not onely to save his people but to bring them into one Why then dost thou by thy contentions by thy heretical opinions thus sinne against Christs death his intercession and his prayer are for the same effects Now you see in this Chapter that his prayer for unity is ingeminated over and over again and therefore Christ had this even in his thoughts in his very death hence it was that also at his death he appointed the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which though chiefly to seal Gods grace to us yet it did also signifie the love we ought to have to one another as the Apostle urgeth 1 Cor. 10. that as the several corns make up one bread thus do the godly make up one mystical body Divisions then in the Church are against Christs death and against the Sacrament of his death Shall we therefore runne into such sinnes that have such an hainous aggravation 2. That the people of God where they see these divisions are to improve this Argument for Vnity Even as when they groan under any corruption and would gladly have the mastery of it they runne to the blood of Christ praying O Lord Did not Christ die that these sinnes might die Was not Christ crucified to crucifie these lusts So it ought to be in matter of unity Oh Lord make all thy people of one heart of one minde and spirit because Christ died for this also let not his death be in vain Thou wouldst not suffer his bones to be broken nor his garment divided why then shall his Church be torn and divided Do not think humane policies and invented syncretisms will be able to soder together It must be this blood of Christ that obtaineth this 3. Christ did not onely meritoriously purchase this Vnity by his death but in him exemplarily and formally we are made one So that Christ is both the moral cause of this unity and the exemplar also for he by being both God and man in one Person made God and man one when there was such an infinite distance before there is made the most intimate union that can be even an hypostatical union between God and man Now though we cannot attain to such an union yet by reason of this all believers are made one with God and amongst themselves Hence is that often expression of our being in him of ingraffing in him of living in him all which do denote our intimate union with him so that as Christ is not divided in himself The Divine Nature doth not will one thing and the humane Nature the contrary
these do accuse thee say if a discharge had not been fully made how could Christ be glorified 2. It makes much to our eomfort because of that near relation which is between us so miserable and afflicted here and Christ our head now glorified What can be a greater cordiall then in the midst of all those exercises and trials and reproaches the people of God are debased with then to think they have a glorified head in heaven Though they be contemptible he is not This is but a conformity to him in his sufferings that we may also resemble him in glory 3. It is much to our comfort and advantage to hear of this because his glorification is a sure and effectual cause of ours so that our hearts may greatly rejoyce at this truth For as the Apostle argueth from Christs Resurrection If he be risen then shall we also certainly rise So doth the Argument unavoidably follow if Christ be glorified then shall we also be glorified with him so that when those innumerable Objections do arise how shall these vile bodies ever be made glorious How shall these corrupt and weak souls ever be made happy and blessed The answer is easie What is already done to Christ glorified will in time be fulfilled to us Death and the grave had no dominion over him no more shall it have over us Hence it is that the Scripture saith We are already set down with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 because he is our head Fear not then such a glorified head will not forget his members He said He went to provide a mansion place Joh. 14.2 It cannot then be but that Christ will set you on Thrones of his glory as well as he himself is set So that this doctrine is wholly for thy comfort 4. It may much rejoyce us to hear that Christ is glorified because in this state of glorification he is mindeful of us and pleading for us So that howsoever the greatest parts or effects of our mediation were seen in the time of his humiliation by his life and his death The Scripture attributeth all the mercies we do enjoy yet since he ascended into heaven and is partaker of all this power he maketh intercession for us his daily will is that the priviledges he purchased should be applied to us He daily acts as a King subduing our lusts conquering our corruptions applying his comforts and consolations to his people Well then Christ is glorified not for himself only neither is he exalted for his own honour meerly but it is for our glory as well as his for our honour as well as his As Joseph was lifted up in Pharaohs Court not for himself meerly but for his brethren to succour them in their necessities And as the glorious effects of the Sun are not so much for it self as for us the Creatures below oh then let thy soul cast off all unbelief and trouble when it heareth of Christ glorified for in all this glory he doth not forget thee he is not ashamed of thee Lastly This advantage the soul may make of this Truth thereby to lift up our hearts to heaven and to desire to be there where our glorified head is Thus the Apostle he longs to depart to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and the Church longs for and hastens the coming of Christ from whence we look for Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies into his glorious body Oh this should make us draw off all our affections and desires from other things Christ glorified should be the loadstone we should not be at ease or quietnesse till we come to him which made Austin say That as there were some men who needed patience to die so there were others who needed patience to live for the love and desire after Christ did so burn in their hearts that having tasted of this honey they judged every thing else gall and wormwood so that this Truth may be like fire burning in our bones In the next place let us consider the nature of this glory which Christ praied for And 1. There were three degrees to it The first and immediate beginning of this glory was upon his Resurrection After the black and dismall clouds this Sunne had been in the first glory of it began to appear in its Resurrection from the grave By this he was conqueror of death and the grave By this he judged the Prince of the world Till this was in all mens thoughts Christ seemed to be overcome in all appearance he was now brought under the power and command of death and Satan He was judged weak till this power discovered it self and this resurrection being not only by the Fathers power but his own He being the Sampson that brake the barres and bonds of death it was thereby made manifest to all the world that he was the Sonne of God Resurrection is such an impossible thing to humane reason and so incredible that Paul was cried down for a vain babler Act. 17.18 in promulging such doctrine and only in the Church of God Was ever such a thing heard of But this Resurrection was remarkable in Christ who not only raised himself from the dead but also caused many others to rise with him here was the first degree of his glory 2. The second degree was his ascension into heaven and this did exceed his Resurrection for though he was risen yet he conversed with his disciples did eat and drink with them occasionally so that he was to partake of greater and fuller glory when he ascended into heaven This Ascension of his into Heaven was great matter of wonderment and astonishment to his Disciples They all stood admiring when he was carried up thither Act. 1. 3. The last and chiefest degree of this glory was sitting down at the right hand of God By which expression is meant that great and wonderfull honour which God put upon him he sitteth at the right hand that demonstrateth a full and compleat victory over all his enemies and a quiet possession of this glory In these three things lieth all the glory Christ praieth for Resurrection Ascension and sitting down at Gods right hand all which immediatly followed his passions and sufferings and God had appointed such an order that one must be before the other and such a way God also doth take with his people They must have a Crown of thorns before they have a Crown of glory In the third place let us consider some of the most eminent and chiefest particulars wherein this glory of Christ doth manifest it self And 1. It lieth in that spirituall command and authority which he hath in his Church This is expressed when he saith All power is given to me in heaven and earth therefore go make disciples and baptize Here you see the Institution of Sacraments is founded upon that power given to Christ and from this it is Eph. 4 That upon his Ascention He led
Jew after the Spirit would farre esteem the latter Thus it is here No power or works are judged great but what are temporall visible and in civill outward things we are apt more to look upon Alexander the great or Constantine the great because of their civill power then Christ who is the King of Kings and Lords transcending all these but in a spirituall way 1 Tim. 6.15 Christ hath this magnificent Title King of Kings and Lord of Lords It 's observed by Drusius a Learned man that those Titles were usually given to the great Kings of Persia then which there were none assumed more to themselves then they did yet the Apostle attributeth this to Christ to inform us that as God hath exalted Christ above all earthly power so we should magnifie and glorifie him accordingly certainly if we Christians did put forth our faith and meditations about the greatnesse of this power it would work great joy and confidence in us It would work an holy fear and trembling The Apostle Eph. 1. Phil 2. Col. 1. is even transported with the expressions about it Now this power of Christ is no where more glorious then in sanctifying and preparing an holy people for himself To give them of the same Spirit with him They that were dead and noisome in sinne to make them live in holinesse and to adorn them with all the graces of his Spirit Oh then let not the people of God be dismaiâ—d or discouraged with the apprehension of their own weaknesse and impotency how can they love God bear afflictions die in hope and comfort Alas thou thinkest on thy own weaknesse and not Christs power Remember Of his Fulnesse thou art to receive A thirsty man need not doubt whether the whole Ocean hath water enough to revive him Christ we reade gave wonderful power to his Disciples and other beleevers to work miracles This amazed and astonished all the world but certainly this power of changing mens hearts and reforming their lives is farre above this To open the eyes of the minde is more then to give bodily sight to say Ephatha to the heart is more then to say so to the ear To raise from the death of sin is more then to command out of the grave Austin said To make a man holy is more then to create a world Conversion is not usually called a Miracle yet it 's a greater wonder then a Miracle Let that soul then which hath found Christ thus powerfull upon him admire the unsearchable greatnesse of his Christ wonder at it as the most admirable expression of Gods power to thee Secondly Christs power is seen in that he doth not only give grace but he is able to bestow all that glory and happinesse the Scripture promiseth Now the reward or fruit of grace is either that inward peace and joy of heart here or eternal happinesse hereafter both which are in Christs power and munificence It was alwaies a flower in the chiefest power to be able to remunerate those that did great service and this is part of Christs Jus Regale For the first the peace of conscience and joy which accompanieth well-doing is exceeding great insomuch that if there were no heaven hereafter yet godlinesse brings a present sweetnesse and delight with it It hath present pay Now all this peace and comfort especially between God and the soul is wrought by Christ only who is called the King of Peace Isa 9. yea our peace Eph. 2.14 because he reconcileth God and man If those Peace-makers be blessed that make man and man to agree how much more is he that brings God and man to agreement But this Christ worketh Alas the heart troubled for sinne rageth and is like an hell till Christ bids it be quiet and still Hence he promiseth to send the Comforter and it 's his Spirit which is sent into our hearts making us to cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Oh then let the grieved and perplexed soul through the guilt of sin that can finde no rest no ease go to him that hath power indeed to command these waves to be still See with what love and power Mat. 11.28 this is expressed Come to me ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you Christ will give ease See how imperiously he speaks Let your sinne be never so terrifying your conscience never so disquieted The devils never so much troubling and tempting of you yet I will give you ease You shall finde rest for your souls No earthly power in the world can say thus truly Therefore this is to direct the godly in their black temptations They cry out It cannot be I should have peace I should have joy There may as soon come fire out of water as peace and quietnesse out of my heart Oh remember this Text The power Christ hath over all flesh Is thine excepted Christ can ease and quiet every mans heart but thine Be ashamed to think thy weaknesse more then Christs power Thy guilt more then his consolations The other fruit of a godly life is Eternal happinesse and this Christ doth also bestow upon those that are his At the day of judgement we reade of him putting them into possession Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you Mat. 25. Heb. 5.9 he is called The authour of eternal salvation he cals himself the bread of life he that eateth on him shall never die more so that all that happinesse and blessednesse which is in the life to come is attributed unto Christ both the purchase and authour of it It 's he that will say Well done good and faithfull Servant enter thou into thy Masters joy For those Parables that speak of a great King employing his Servants in such work and then so abundantly rewarding of them is Christ This should be a great encouragement in Christs service What a glorious and powerful Master do ye serve one who is able to requite thee with eternal glory and everlasting happinesse If we suffer with him we shall reign with him Rom. 8.17 The greatnesse and bounty of the Master doth quicken the Servant Haman was glad of Ahashuerus his emploiment because he could put such honour upon him But oh how should our hearts be enflamed to work for Christ what cannot such a Master do for us Ask any thing in earth or heaven he can bestow it on thee How unworthy is it when we grudge at the work Christ requireth when we repine at the Crosse he would have us take up This is not to attend whom we serve how great our Master is what Treasuries he hath out of which he can bountifully reward us Thirdly Christs power is seen in that he can forgive and pardon sinne Which is acknowledged by all that God only can do it Mar. 2.7 You have this power of Christ particularly opposed by his enemies but vindicated by him and that he hath power to forgive sinnes he proveth by his power to work Miracles Not that
be so wellcome Had the Prodigall not met with husks and extream hardship he would not have resolved to go back to his Father again Think and practise these things so wilt thou be greatly affected with eternity And to encourage thee herein consider the blessed effects which a lively meditation of eternity accompanied with a firm faith will put thee upon For first Who so hath this eternity set upon his heart he will not be immoderatly and inordinatly desirous after these things below As the beams of the sunne will put out the fire so will the thoughts and affections about eternall things overcome temporall The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. presseth all upon an hard duty To marry as if we married not to buy as if we bought not Why so because the time here is short eternity is coming upon us And thus those holy Patriarchs mentioned Heb. 11. they accounted themselves pilgrims and strangers and they sought a City to come not built with hands Thou complainest thy heart is so full of deadnesse dulnesse so full of the world the cares and distractions thereof devour thee up there is nothing will help thee against this temptation then often thoughts and affections about eternity 2. As the thoughts of eternall life will thus moderate our affections so it will work in us 〈◊〉 longing for and hasting of the coming of Christ who then will bestow this eternall life upon us We wonder how Paul should be lifted up above all these earthly comforts as to desire to depart and to be with Christ Phil. 1. It seemeth very difficult to us that any hasten in their praiers and desires Christs coming but all this is because our hearts are not as full of hope and expectation of eternall life as theirs were Alas many of us know no better and so cannot desire any better then what may be had in this world and therefore the thoughts of death and the coming of Christ are unwelcome to us Whereas to The godly it 's the coming of the bridegroom and they are to lift up their heads with joy when that approaches Matth. 26. Let then that godly soul which doth so complain that it loveth life too dearly and feareth death too immoderately let that be strengthened and comforted with the sure hopes of this eternall life If an heavenly frame of heart were powerfull in us this very world would be a wildernesse it would be tedious to us to be kept so long from that home we have in heaven The Saints have a rest provided for them and who doth not desire to be at his rest Oh blame your selves more that you have not Davids exclamation and now Lord what long I for truly my soul waiteth for thee As the heart panteth after the water brooks so doth my soul after thee O God Psal 42.1 David spake this but of enjoying God in the Ordinances in this life Oh but how greatly must the soul be inflamed for the life to come 3. Powerful thoughts of Eternity will quiet and wonderfully calm the soul under any afflictions and troubles No such antidote as this Paul abundantly witnesseth that we account not the light afflictions of this life comparable to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. so this Eternity made him not value or regard any temporary affliction It was this that made the Martyrs joyfully take the spoiling of their goods and the losse of their lives Thus in every affliction and exercise if sanctified to thee how sweetly and joyfully maist thou dwell in heaven while thou art on earth Thou maist be in heaven every day even while thy condition is beset with many troubles It 's thy sinne and unbelief if thou makest thy house a prison Thy self a torment to thy self if thou set faith on work about this Eternity it will put thee into heaven before thou comest to possesse it Eternal Life will give thee a better body a better house a better heart oh this Eternal life it 's the health of our bones the light of our countenance a continual Feast and a perpetual cordial Hence the godly even in this life are said to have Eternal life because of the right they have to it and partly because they have the beginnings and first fruits of it upon their souls Vse of Admonition Take this Subject more into your thoughts how many roving thoughts hast thou but if placed on Eternity it would be great profit How many thoughts hast thou unbeleeving disquieting and troubling if fixed on Eternity they would all vanish especially let the wicked man turn from all sinne saying There is an Eternity If it were only death that would not so much trouble thee but it 's Eternity after Death SERMON XIV The Necessity of Divine Knowledge And Arraignment of Ignorance JOH 17.3 And this is life eternall that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IN the Verse before we had the great priviledge vouchsafed viz. eternall Life and the Subject to whom viz. Those that are given to Christ In this Verse our Saviour informeth of the manner or way how we may come to it For to speak of eternal life and not direct to the enjoying of it is to see Canaan but to want a pillar of fire to guide to it and although our Saviour had described such as should inherit eternal life yet because it 's a secret written in Gods Book which no man can reade who are given by the Father to Christ and who not Therefore it 's necessary we should be told the way and that is done in the Text. In the words you have then affirmed the way to this happinesse This is eternal life this will make you have eternal life None can ever attain it that take not this course for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may either relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else after the manner of the Hebrews be put absolutely for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This phrase is like John 12.58 Now therein Consider 1. The way or duty enjoyned 2. The object of it The duty is To know Among other distinctions this is very obvious in Scripture to speak of a twofold knowledge 1. That which is meerly speculative and apprehensive If ye know these things happy are you if ye do them Joh. 13.17 2. Which is practicall and operative for it 's a known Rule that among the Hebrews Words of Knowledge are put for all the affections and effects that use to follow such Knowledge Thus God is said to know the way of the righteous Psa 1. That is so to know as to approve and preserve the righteous and in this sence To know the true God is taken so to know as to do all those things that are commanded by him and the reason why the Scripture comprehends all under knowledge is because this is the Introduction and gate to all practicall piety Although to know here is more particularly taken for beleeving for
also There cannot be any more two meritorious causes of salvation then there can be two Suns in the Orb Christ will not have a copartner under any distinction whatsoever in the work of our Redemption As for the doctrine or thoughts of perfection let those be abandoned Let us walk humbly and lowly under our imperfections yet breathing after perfection Fifthly Because no works we do can be perfect hence at the end of our daies when we look over all our former life we may not put any trust or confidence in what we have done Paul that knew nothing by himself yet was not thereby justified The Pharisees are condemned for this that they trusted in their own righteousnesse yea the whole Nation of the Jews that they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and would not submit to the righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 10. Though self-righteousnesse be not a grosse scandalous sinne making men abominable and noâ—some in the world yet it is as damnable and as dangerous as those sins yea more damnable partly because it overthroweth all the principles of being cured None being more miserable then those who are so yet do not feel or think so This is like the Psalmists arrow that destroieth at mid-day and then partly because it doth so immediatly oppose Christ revealed as a Mediatour and Saviour for they that trust in their own righteousnesse are a Christ are a Saviour to themselves Lastly Though all this be true our godlinesse is no merit no ground of confidence yet a faithful zealous performing of those duties God hath required of us may as a sign and evidence wonderfully comfort and imbolden our hearts As the Rainbow is not a cause but a sign that God will never destroy the world more by water so this tendernesse and diligence of thine in all the waies of God are not a cause but a sure signe that Gods eternal love is placed on thee and that thou art in the number of those who are prepared for glory our rejoycing is this saith Paul the testimony of a good conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 and 1 Joh. 3.21 Hereby we are sure he heareth us if our hearts condemn us not Hezekiah and Paul did not mention their good life as a cause or means Neither did they put confidence in them only they took this as a comfortable signe they were in the favour of God and they looked upon these things as inseparable qualifications Even as Rahabs thred hanging out of the window was not a cause but a signe that she was in the number of those who were exempted from destruction and in this sence we maintain the doctrine That it 's a blessed thing at the end of our daies to have this testimony this cordial in our hearts Let us consider the grounds of this blessednesse 1. At the time of death all our earthly comforts they vanish away they continue with us no longer Now if thou think how rich thou hast been what pleasures and delights thou hast had this is so farre from comforting that it torments the more but a drop of this heavenly assurance of our endeavour to please God will be more precious then all the world Oh foolish people and unwise that do no more consider your latter end Can you but look on your body and say this face these arms this body will one day moulder in the dust Can you but look on your houses and habitations and say These dwellings will know me no more must every thing break thy heart thou lookest upon thy husband thy Children thy friends mourning by thee must there be such a sad and dolefull time and dost thou provide no comfort no hopes to encourage thee The Psalmist saith not as the horse and mule without understanding whose mouth must be held in by a Bridle Psa 31.9 Alas thou art worse here is a bridle put on thee to keep thee from rushing upon sinne any more and yet it will not stop thee If then all these earthly comforts will fail thee and thou shalt look back upon thy life and that torment thee that torture thee also thou art twice and thrice miserable 2. It 's a blessed thing to have this Testimony and Seal upon our hearts that we have glorified God and done his work because Conscience if ever is then awakened and the devil he is most busie to tempt and trouble He that formerly shewed only the pleasant bait of sinne will now manifest the hook He that before said you should not be damned now makes it necessary he that made pardon easie now makes it impossible and as the devil is thus a roaring Lion so conscience is a roaring witnesse within Thou hast stopt the mouth of it and muzled it a long time but now 't will speak and thou canst not make it quiet Indeed too many die like beasts rather then men They think not of their sinnes they consider not Eternity but drop into hell before they consider any thing but yet when death comes commonly there is some terrour and trembling upon the conscience and if ever any sinne did formerly sting it will then Oh then how blessed a thing is it to have such an argument in our mouths that shall quiet conscience and confound the devil when they tell thee there is no hope thou hast been an hypocrite thou canst bring this testimony out of thy bosome O Lord thou knowest though I was overtaken by many infirmities yet my heart was set to glorifie thee I was tender and careful to discharge all my work though I failed in many things this will make thee like Adamant and marble how much did the consciousnesse of the integrity which Job had strengthen him under those powerfull storms and blasts that fell upon him 3. It 's a blessed thing to be able to say thus upon just grounds because of the terrour of death to flesh and bloud We cannot be willing and ready to die all the while the worms of conscience are gnawing the soul before worms be gnawing the body When Simeon had seen Christ and taken him in his arms then he saith Lord let thy Servant depart in thy Peace Luk. 2. When Paul hath thus discharged his trust then I have fought a good fight and there is laid up for me a Crown of glory It hath been the case of many good men to have uncomfortable sicknesses and an uncomfortable death and what makes it sometimes so but want of this assurance this good testimony about themselves oh their life troubles them such sins and such barrenesse They know not what to do Their hearts are within them They think of death and their soul is troubled so that it 's a most desirable thing to have this in thy heart when thou art dying Oh thou thinkest Would I might have such a Minister such a Friend by me when I am dying I tell thee this is the best friend It was Augustus his wish that he might have an 〈◊〉
very considerable for the Pharisee at the close of his life may strive to say Lord I have fasted twice a week I washed my hands my house my pots c. thus I have glorified thee but what saith Christ In vain do ye worship me Mat. 16.9 and who hath required these things at your hands Thus the Papist if he say I have gone a Pilgrimage I have made such penall satisfactions I have said so many Ave Maries I have done penance I have received extream unction Now because this is not required or commanded work therefore it will have no reward So then it 's not enough to see thy work be not contrary to Gods will but look that it be according that it have Gods superscription and the stamp of his command upon it Though it be not malum yet it is aliud though it be not contra yet it is preter and indeed what is preter because not secundum must needs be contra It 's contrary to Gods will whatsoever is not commanded 3. They cannot have the texts comfort at all who are slothfull and negligent though they do not contrary or different yet they are sluggish and so will not work at all in Gods Vineyard This is represented by the Parable of him who had but one Talent yet because he did not improve it he is cast into utter darknesse Cast that unprofitable servant Mat. 25.30 He did not spend the Talent he brought it sure and safe to his Master but he is unprofitable and must be cast into utter darknesse So the tree that brings forth no fruit though it did not bad fruit must be cut down and cast into the fire Oh how greatly is this to be considered for whose life doth not appear to him as Bernards did aut peccatum aut sterilitas either the boggy mire of sinne or the parched wildernesse of barrennesse and if that be so great a sinne Christ be so ready to curse it no wonder if the most holy have sad thoughts about their death and the day of their accounts It 's not then a negative Religion that will truly comfort thee but a positive fruitfull one It will be no solid joy of conscience to say and no more Lord I have been no drunkard no adulterer no prophane person for God looketh for a zealous active fruitfull way in all holinesse yet how doth the meer negation of sinne make many have strong confidence of their excellent condition whereas if they did consider the positive fruitfull part of godlinesse and see how farre they are off it horrour would overwhelm them Consider then how fruitfull are thy duties are thy hours for God maiest thou not cry out many times hodie diem perdidi doest thou put that of the Apostle in practice to redeem the time Ephes 5.16 Heaven would not be heaven if it were only a negation of torment not a positive affluence of all happinesse so neither is that godlinesse which is a bare absence of sinne not a fruitfull abounding in the waies of holinesse 4. There cannot be any solid comfort at the time of account where there is a prevailing lukewarmnesse and formality though the work God requireth be done outwardly Eli cannot give a good account of reproving his sonnes though he did reprove them because there was remisnesse and coldnesse in it a partiall coldnesse and dulnesse is in the best service we do Paul having found the reliques of corruption rebelling against grace and contra vitia pugnamus non ut vincamus sed ne vincamus Jebusites will abide in the land but we speak of a totall plenary lukewarmnesse such which Christ condemneth Revel 2. when he wisheth she were either hot or cold but being lukewarm God would spew her out of his mouth That expression is to shew how noisom and intollerable such persons and such duties are to God Never then think a meer formall and customary way of Religious duties will ever be any comfort to thee no God will say Thy heart was not in these thou didst not serve me as the world as thy lusts and hereupon thou wilt wish Oh that my duties had been more spirituall more fervent more heavenly These very duties thou puttest thy trust in will run like sharp points into thy very heart Thus you have heard what persons cannot have any comfort at all Now we shall shew you What things even to the godly though they may have comfort for the main yet will greatly dishearten and diminish their joy then There will be fears against hope doubts against faith agonies against joy That even as nature and death will in a terrible manner conflict together so will their hopes and fears Yet this is not to be understood but that even a Christian walking most tenderly and circumspectly may at his death have no joy and assurance God for many just and wise ends doth sometimes dispense it so that he who lived very holily may yet die very uncomfortably It was so with Christ though there was a peculiar reason and why not with his members only when God dealeth so they are meer exercises to increase their Crown of glory they are not so properly afflictions for sinne as Job had those extraordinary trials not for sinne though he was not without sinne but triall and thereby to make him more glorious But I shall speak of such particulars as in their own nature tend to make our end very sad and heavy and therefore let him who would look on death as Jacob did on his sonne Josephs Chariot not with grief but with joy as a convoy to eternall happinesse take heed of these things as so many dangerous works And 1. Immoderate affections to lawfull things they do so dead the heart and clog the soul that when a man comes to die these earthly things lye upon the heart as too much undigested meat upon the stomack making thee extream sick and full of pain The Apostle then 1 Cor. 7. prescribeth a comfortable way to dye joyfully where he saith those that buy must be as if they bought not they that marry as if they married not The greener the wood is the harder to be consumed the more lively and active thy worldly affections are there must be the greater opposition to leave all and be with God The ripe aple falleth from the tree very easily the godly man dying is compared to ripe corn so that if these earthy and worldly affections be not dried up in thee it will much hinder thy joy this green wood will make a great smoak Hezekiah though he had this comfortable evidence yet saith the Text He wept soar some attribute that to the Old Testament dispensation where earthly and worldly happinesse was more generally promised then under the New and therefore death being a privation of that did more affect them howsoever this is sure an heart not weaned from the world and yet must be parted from is like a tooth not cut from
yea there is no man but his failings are more then his duties there is more corruption then grace so that if there be sincerity though imperfection we may say Lord we have finished the work thou gavest us to do Indeed humility is required because of our imperfections but not diffidence To doubt and to refuse the comfort God offers is not humility but disobedience like that of Peters who would not let Christ wash his feet 2. Another mistake may be about the nature of true faith and hope as if we were to divide between Christ and our selves and so from both conjoyned together gather our assurance even as the Papists define spes hope to be partim à gratiâ partim à meritis nostris proveniens but those that go thus to divide must needs divide themselves from comfort for the object of our faith and trust must be Christ only We may joyfully take those evidences of grace we see in our selves but to put confidence in them would be to make our selves our own saviours 3. This mistake may breed much disconsolatenesse when we limit our assurance and evidence to the time of our death that if God give us it not then we give up our case as desperate Indeed it 's a most blessed thing and a mercy much to be prayed for that as Simeon so we having seen Christ in our hearts and lives may then depart in peace It 's the haven after all the tempests we have had here but yet God may deny us this cordiall even the best of Gods children have found that God hath not kept the best wine for the last but God doth sometime to his as they did to Christ give him gall and vinegar to drink For as the wicked ungodly man who the next moment is to drop into eternall flames may yet die with great carnal presumption that God is his God that Christ is his Mediator in whom he will trust and so feareth not quakes not at the dolefull judgement coming upon him so the godly man though ready to be crowned with Immortall Glory and there is but a moment between him and everlasting happinesse yet may think his case doubtfull if not desperate may seem to have no hopes no joy yea be so tempted that he shall think all he did was but in hypocrisie and falsehood that there was no truth in him this may be Therefore let the godly not limit God to that time of death Vse of Admonition to awaken your selves at this truth Think how nearly it concerns you Dost thou live in such a way as that thou art able to make this glorious profession Is not God is not his word is not thy own conscience against thee How speechlesse and confounded wilt thou be when God shall bid thee give an account of all thy talents Oh that men should not lay this later end no more to heart that none saith O my soul now all is well now thou takest thy mirth but what a change will the hour of death make With what comfort wilt thou look upon the devils work and sins work which thou hast been doing all thy life time especially take heed of unprofitablenesse and decayings in the way of godlinesse thou that hast looked towards heaven but art turned out of the way be sure thy end will be miserable It had been better for thee saith the Apostle never to have known the way of righteousnesse You may have desires may have breakings of heart and yet return to sinne again oh think with what a violent flood these thoughts will come upon thee Oh me wretched and undone sinner I have no refuge no hope many resolutions I had but they vanished away and now I must live no longer my time is expired my course is finished Oh that God would adde as to Hezekiah some years to my life Oh that I could bid the Sun stand still or time go no further till I were at peace with God but these are vain wishes Let not then this truth go before it hath left a sting in thy very heart O Lord nothing troubleth me but that I did not think or minde these things sooner Meditate on these things your night is coming upon you Will you alwaies delay or else be secure and not matter these things many have done foolishly and dropt in a moment into hell do not thou be so overtaken May we not conclude that the auditor with whom this truth will not avail may fear he is delivered up to an impenitent heart SERMON XXI Of Gods being Glorified by Mans Salvation That Christs chief end in what he did for man was the Glory of God which bespeaks both our Imitation and unspeakable Consolation JOH 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth THe cirumstance of this holy profession which Christ made being considered Let us proceed to the Profession it self and that is He had glorified God on earth Christ in the state of humiliation was inferiour to God and so he did referre all things to his Fathers glory so that in this profession we may consider 1. What is the matter or object whereby God is glorified 2. The end or final cause that moved Christ therein The matter is our salvation and that redemption Christ purchased for us The end which Christ looked at in all this was chiefly the glory of God Indeed he looked also at his own glory and our glory but the ultimate and chiefest of all was Gods glory So that from hence we may observe That our redemption and salvation obtained by Christ is a glorifying of God and Christ did thereby chiefly aim at Gods glory We put both the matter of Gods glory and Christs end together and certainly this Truth discovered will be like that sweet box of perfume which opened caused such a fragrant smell And 1. Let us see how or wherein God was thus glorified by Christs Mediation for us It being of infinite comfort to know this for how many times are we apt to be cast down What are we that God should regard our salvation who are we that God should crown us with glory God doth not need us he is happy without us Now this may exceedingly encourage Though we be not worthy to be saved God is worthy to be glorified If there were nothing but our good and happinesse involved in Christs death who would think it probable Christ should suffer meerly and ultimately for us but there is also the glory of God deeply concerned which is more worth then all the world yea then all our souls for though one soul be more worth then a world yet Gods glory is more worth then all our souls and their salvation So that a Christian fixing his faith and meditation here may be in a transfiguration and say It is good to be here God doth not lose by thy Salvation If Gods honour were to be impaired if his truth broken if his justice violated then who dare open his mouth for salvation but God is
sinful soul the world is the valley of death an Hospitall of diseased men and therefore thou art to rejoice at this approaching glory Hence it is that the righteous is said to have hope in his death to be blessed in his death for all his old things passe away a new place new company new happinesse new joy but yet here are cautions to the godly dying man that hath done his work 1. Not to put confidence in his works Sibi isti fidere non est fidei sed perfidia said Bernard Oh Lord All that I have done is an effect and testimony of thy grace not a merit of eternal glory Thou crownest thy gifts not my merits if I have been able to work it was of thy grace so the more I have done the more I am obliged to thee and the reason why there cannot be any hope or confidence put in the works we do is from the imperfection and insufficiency of them Enter not into judgement with thy Servant saith David Psa 143.2 I would be found not having mine own righteousnesse but that by faith in Christ saith Paul Phil. 3. 2. Therefore after all his works though it were Martyrdom it self he is to look for glory by vertue of Gods promise as a meer gift Upon this tenure thou art to plead for it The gift of God is eternal life for though we had done all yet God might deny us eternal life Though we had perfectly done all our duty yet God might annihilate us and there be at an end Therefore it 's wholly of his grace to make a promise of eternal life for by this means though he be not a debtor to us yet he is to himself he is faithful and cannot deny his own words and for this reason as it 's called a gift so sometimes a reward not as if there were any proportion between our work and this glory but because God hath appointed this as a sure consequent upon doing what is well Therefore Ambrose distinguished well of a reward there is merces liberalitatis as if an whole Kingdome should be given a man for lifting up a straw and there it merces debiti of debt and strict justice but that cannot be between the creature and the Creator much lesse the creature fallen and corrupted Vse 2. Of terrour and woe to wicked men who having done the devils work have nothing to do but to take the reward of devils The same hell the same torments that are prepared for the devil and his Angels are for thee Oh that the name of death the thoughts of death should not fill thee with all fear and amazement oh that this should not be like a sword at thy heart whose work am I doing whom have I served and now I am a dying man whose wages am I to receive Oh that thou shouldst not mourn and pray and get all others to mourn and pray for thee if God will deliver thee out of this gall and wormwood Blessed are they that die in the Lord their works follow them Cursed are they that die in their sins for their works shall follow them though your bodies are put in the grave yet your sins cannot be buried there SERMON XXIV Of vain Tautology in Prayer And what Repetitions in Prayer are such and what not Shewing also what things are absolutely necessary to a good Praier JOH 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory I had before the world began IN these words have been considered the matter of the Petition described by the nature and external adjunct thereof as also the causal inference In the matter of the Petition we shall not take notice of the matter it self because handled before But 1. Whereas our Saviour within so little a space doth repeat the same Petition twice We observe That Repetition of the same matter in a Praier is not alwaies a sinful Tautology but is sometimes lawful yea useful and necessary None can think that our Saviour in whom is the Treasure of Wisedom and who is the essentiall Word of God who also giveth the gifts of praier to the Church that he himself should be straitned either for matter or words but this ingemination proceeds from some other excellent ground To open this Point Consider 1. That the same matter may be repeated either insence only but in different words or else in the very same sence and words When it 's done the former way we say a man doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the latter way unlesse there be some grave and serious cause it 's a vain Tautology for the former kinde of repetition the Psalms which are accounted like the Stars in the Scripture Firmament are very frequent in it Many verses being the ingemination of the same sence only in some different words and this we do not so commonly call a repetition of the same thing because every new word the holy Ghost hath doth represent some new notion to the understanding so that it 's like the same meat under several dishings that affords a peculiar taste or like the Philasophers matter which they say is alwaies the same though under divers forms Now our Saviour in this praier doth not only use the same matter but the same words Father glorifie thou me 2. That in our prayers which are a communion with the great God wo ought to have a diligent attention to severall things s Praier is not slightly formally and customarily to be hasted over but being a divine worship of God If ever a man would be in an heavenly holy fervent and indistracted disposition it ought to be when he sets himself to this duty Praier is like that curious oyntment to be made by the High-Priest which consisted of many choice ingredients You may call most mens praiers no more praiers then an Ape a man or a picture the person it represents For 1. We must have a diligent attention to the matter that we pray for That it be lawful good and agreeable to Gods will To ask of God any thing that is unlawful and sinful would be to make God a Patron of sinnes as he in the Poet Da mihi fallere da justum sanctumque videri Jupiter So that this made Aquinas say It was hard to know what we are to pray for because it 's hard to know what to desire Hence Rom. 8. we need the Spirit of God to enable us to know what we pray for Some Heathens have been admired for such a praier as this that they entreated the gods to give them not what they would have but what was good for them whether they desired it or not but we that are Christians are not in such darknesse we have the Word of God to direct us and his Spirit to incline us Look then that the matter thou praiest for be such as is agreeable to Gods holy will 2. We are to consider and attend
faithfull for one as well as for many 2. All that Christ did it was not in reference to himself but for us All the Miracles he wrought it was for Beleevers he did them not for his glory and honour as he speaks about Lazarus his being dead Joh. 11. I was glad for your sakes because that Miracles might tend to their Confirmation in the Faith Thus Christ became obedient to the Law and fulfilled the righteousnesse thereof for our sakes Oh what an admirable overwhelming Point is this that all the labour and obedience which Christ performed of which he said It was meat and drink to do his Fathers will Joh. 4. That all this should not be for himself but in reference to us How may this fill our hearts and mouths with joy and confidence at the Throne of grace O Lord why did Christ fulfill all righteousnesse why did he perfectly obey the Law So that no fault should be found in him Was not all this for me Did he need this himself 3. His sufferings and rendring up himself as an atonement and Sacrifice upon the Crosse This also was wholly of God for us The Prophet Isaiah is affected with it He laid upon him the iniquities of us all and by his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 Thus every where his death is said to be for us he died for us he gave himself for us and it must needs be so for in him was found nothing worthy of death There was no sin or guile found in him he was not under that Sentence pronounced upon Adam and his posterity And here again the people of God may lift up their heads wiih joy Christ died he became a Sacrifice to the justice of God not because of himself but of us Hence it 's said His bloud speaks better things then that of Abel Heb. 12.24 Abels bloud cried for vengeance this for mercy and if Abel though dead speaketh how much more must Christ who though dead is risen again May not this be an Axe laid to the root of all thy unbelief Shall the godly heart be any more bowed down when he shall remember all those Agonies which Christ did undergo were for us Shall thy sins be accounted great and Christs death not greater Go thou troubled and grieved Soul we will give thee leave to aggravate thy sins to the highest Let them be never so bloudy yea hadst thou committed more then thou hast done yea all that all the wicked men of the world have done Were all their sins thine yet here is the Red Sea to drown that great Egyptian host Oh that men could have as good cause to judge that they are ingrafted in Christ and are such to whom Christ belongs as they may conclude that if such Christs death doth overcome all their sins It was nothing In Christ but in thee that made him a Curse upon the Crosse 4. The fruits and benefits of Christs Mediation did not redound to him but to thee Justification and remission of sins Sanctification of our natures Victory over lusts assurance of Gods favour all these come by Christ but to those only for whom he was appointed a Saviour he needed none of these priviledges no more then the heavens where the Sun and Starres are do need rain Oh then set open the gates of thy Soul wide through faith that thou maist be satisfied and made happy with these mercies In this dead Lion thou maist finde much honey for thy self Oh Lord why are all these priviledges annexed to thy death Is it because thou hast any want or thou hast any need of them No but that my emptinesse may be filled my dark heart enlightened my naked soul covered Thus you see what is implied Secondly The second particular is That all this is of God the Father It 's his will and gracious appointment that Christ should do all these things for his They have known that all I have is of thee and thou hast sent me So the Apostle It pleased the Father that in Christ all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.14 And here is admirable ground of hopes and confidence for it 's not against the Fathers will yea all this is of his gracious appointment that Christ should be thus a Mediatour for his Children Doubt not then whether the Father will accept of what Christ hath done or not Do not question whether he will receive thee in Christs Name for the Father hath manifested as great willingnesse for thy Salvation as the Son Say then Oh holy Father here is sure a wonderful way for my acceptance at the Throne of grace that I am astonished at it and it 's of thy goodnesse and grace that such a way is procured Oh what then can hinder but that I be justified The Father willing and the Son willing yea the Father loving Christ because he laid down his life for the Sheep Joh. 10.17 All this makes for the encouragement of the godly The third particular is That it 's the duty of all Gods Children to know and beleeve this fulnesse in Christ for them and to look upon Christ with all his benefits as for them Now faith thus fixed on Christ hath these either ingredient or concomitant acts and effects 1. There is a knowledge and a sound discovery of this sufficiency in Christ You see here knowing and beleeving put together Ignorance of this Point that all in Christ is for the beleever breedeth much dispondency and takes off the wheels of thy Chariots They look upon Christ as a Fountain sealed up as a garden enclosed They apprehend it 's not for every godly person to go and drink of this fountain unlesse attaining to such an high measure of grace Whereas a true knowledge of the end and use of Christ would quickly dispell all such black thoughts 2. To beleeve doth imply a relying and resting of the soul upon this fulnesse Christ with his righteousnesse is the center of his heart He trusts and puts his whole confidence in it He need go out no further to seek here is enough he fears no breaking no shaking as long as Christ will last and endure so long shall he As a man that treads on the firm ground he fears not as he that walks on slippery Ice Thus the godly man leaneth on a firm foundation but he that trusteth in his own righteousnesse or works melts as Ice before the Sunne 3. There is a full satisfaction of the soul in this beleeving So that it removeth all cares and fears Have I enough or no Is it sufficient to carry me out He is therefore said to save to the uttermost Heb. 5. and it 's called The riches of grace by Christ the unsearchable riches He therefore that beleeveth in Christ thus as sent of God he may say Return O my soul into thy Rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee what can satisfie if a Christ with all his benefits cannot
speak of Christs Intercession it 's constant and never interrupted There is no day or night that it ceaseth Elisha scorned at the Priests of Baal bidding them cry aloud It may be they were either sleeping or in a Journey 1 Kin. 18.27 But the Lord Christ is alwaies attending and minding this very thing Oh the unsearchable depths of comfort that are in this when thou art preaching drinking working then Christ is interceding for thee when thou hast no minde of thy self dost not pray for thy self yet even then Christ is commending thy case to his Father Oh the godly soul should cry out I have enough what can I desire more If this will not satisfie thy disquieted soul what will 4. This Mediatory praier comes from him who not only because of his worth doth merit or because of his dear Relation The Father cannat deny him as you heard but also from one whose affections and compassions are larger to thee then any of thy dearest Friends can be You heard that he was one who was touched with our infirmity one who had gone under several Temptations that he might know experimentally how to succour those that are tempted Oh now it 's farre better to have one praying for us that is experimentally tempted or hath been as we are then ten thousand others Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco So that so far as any grief or temptation may go without sinne so far Christ knoweth the meaning of it and even for the guilt of sinne and the displeasure of God that he did undergo in the height of it Thus he that intercedes for thee is one who knoweth the meaning of thy Temptations of thy desertions what it is to fear God hath forsaken thee 5. A great aggravating consideration in this Mediatory praier of Christ is the potency and prevalency of it It is an almighty and omniscient praier Luther called the praier of a Godly man so how much rather may we say so of Christ himself God said to Moses Let me alone as if his Praier hindred him from doing what he would do Iacob wrestled and made Supplication and prevailed with God how much more doth Christ then prevail and that upon two Titles 1. of Iustice his Praier is satisfactory and compensatory to God And then 2. Because of Love For he is the only begotten Sonne and welbeloved of his Father The prevalency of Christs Mediatory Praier is seen both for impetration and application for as it is with his oblation of himself so it is with his Intercession There are two special effects of it 1. Impetration 2. Application Impetration is that whereby he doth obtain at Gods hands the right and claim to all those prieiledges he hath purchased for his people Such are Remission Justification Adoption and Glorification These transcendent mercies which are not in the power of the world to bestow are obtained by him and indeed had it not been for this his Mediatory power there had been no such things in rerum naturâ Reconciliation and Peace with God had been a meer Ens rationis men might have imagined such a thing as they may golden Mountains but there had been no existency of them so that it was of infinite concernment to Beleevers to obtain of God that there might be such priviledges They cost him dear It was not only praiers with tears but with bloud also but Impetration is not enough for if it had been as Arminians say That Christ as Mediatour obtained only a possibility of Salvation or made a way for such mercies but then the application to arise partly from mans free-will and power This would be to hold That Christ might have died in vain That notwithstanding all that love of God sending his Sonne into the world and all the wrath that he did undergo Not one man might have been saved This must needs be very derogatory both to the Father and to the Sonne but Christs Praier is for the application and actual bestowing of all those benefits he hath obtained and for this end he sends his Spirit into our hearts Rom. 8 and that is a Spirit of praier and supplication So that we have a twofold bottome to stand upon Christs Praiers and the Spirits Intercession in us Oh the strong Consolations that may be received hence for the godly soul may think Though Christs praier be prevalent yet I must pray also He that asketh not shall not receive Now my praiers are weak dull sinfull See therefore the goodnesse of Christ that gives his Spirit to us to help us against all the Infirmities of our praiers both to know what to pray and how to pray It 's not then enough to hear that Christ by his Praier doth obtain all good things at Gods hand unless he vouchsafe them to us and make us partaker of them Oh then let not the Godly soul say how can I ever be at peace with God how can I ever have power over such strong corruptions This is to say God will not regard or answer Christs Praier 6. The latitude and extensivenesse of Christs praier is also very full of comfort For it reacheth as farre as the effects of his death so that for whatsoever priviledge Christ died for the same he praieth So that as it is said of the Lords Praier that it 's the breviary and Summary of all things to be praâ—ed for Thus it is in Christs Praier There is nothing that the soul can desire no evil to be avoided no good to be procured but this Mediatory praier extends unto it Insomuch that it 's the Treasury and stock out of which the Godly soul is constantly replenished We may instance in some particulars 1. Daily pardon for our daily sinnes and Infirmities For though all our former sinnes were wholly remitted yet if we have not a constant remission every hour and moment our condition would be damnable Therefore when we sinne he stands up as an Advocate We see then what it is that may support our hearts against all quotidian failings The vain thoughts the proud and unbeleeving Imaginations The dulnesse and formality of our duties all these are done away by Christs praier We could not have any rest or peace in our consciences all the day long if we had not an Antidote against the daily poison we suck down Alas it 's not thy Repentance thy godly strict life thou maist build on for the least vain thought deserveth hell and would marre all thy graces But it 's the Intercession of a Mediatour without us 2. As pardon of sinne so power against sinne under the urgent and important temptations thereunto Oh this is of admirable concernment That when thou art even eating poison when thou art within the hot flames of sinne yet to be preserved This is so great a matter that we are taught constantly to pray that we may not be led into temptation What sad bruises and wounds have the godly got to themselves in a temptation Thou
Heb. 11. They that say such things declare they look for a better City Oh how apt are we to make the world our home To desire we might abide here alwaies To think of no other Happinesse or Blessednesse but what is in the Creatures but God by the Troubles therein doth convince us that there must be a better Condition then this We have no abiding place in this world we are here to day to morrow we may be gone and therefore we should be Diligent in Watching and Praying and preparing for our Masters Coming Oh what a Bridle would it be to our carnal Affections to remember we are but Sojourners and Strangers here To look upon thy Estate and Inheritance no otherwise then a Traveller doth upon the Goods in an Inne Reasons 3 Thirdly The Lord makes this world full of Enmity and Hatred against us That we might not symbolize with it or contract any of the guilt and pollution of it upon our Souls It is a Mercy that Wicked men are Scorpions and Serpents That they are Wolves and Lyons hereby thou art chased and affrighted from their Company and Society whereas if they were loving and pleasing thou wouldest be often with them and so sit in the Chair of the Scorner and come into the Assemblies of wicked men Is it not a Mercy to be kept from a Pest-house or a Place where Infectious Diseases are Thus God hath put such an Enmity and Contrariety between the Godly and the Wicked There is such a great Gulf and vast distance that Solomon saith The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous and the Righteous to the wicked Prov. 29.27 The Godly man can no more endure the wicked mans waies then the Wicked can abide a Godly mans waies Therefore blesse and praise God for this Enmity and opposition and make good and profitable use of it Reasons 4 Lastly The Lord doth it That Heaven and the Enjoyment of him to all Eternity may be more prized and better esteemed by us We must with Lot even be violently pulled out of this Sodom Oh our sinnefull and our unworthy Hearts that we should so delight to be tossed and hurried up and down in the Ocean and be afraid to come to the Haven That Death should be so unwelcome when it is the Passage to incomprehensible and immortall Glory What have not all thy Pains Afflictions and Grievances yet made thee long and thirst for Heaven Dost thou not think Here I am sighing crying diseased distressed when the Glorious Saints in Heaven are rejoycing Vse of Instruction To the people of God Not to be dejected but rather to be exceeding glad as our Saviour commands when the wicked world opposeth them for their Godlinesse and Uprightnesse For mark our Saviours Expression herein Matth. 5.20 It must be for Christs Sake and Righteousnesse Sake not for any wickednesse or ungodlinesse of thy own Doe not take the just reward of thy sinnes to be the glorious Consequents of holinesse But if it be because thou fearest God thou ownest God and his way thou standest up for his Truth and Godlinesse then leap and dance for Joy that God hath put so much honour upon thee Say with David I will be more vile still The Starres are never the lesse glorious though they have given them ugly Names of the Bear and the like So neither are the godly lesse Glorious though the world labours to besmear them with dirt a Jewell is a Jewell though soiled with dirt SERMON LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the joy of of all Beleevers JOH 17.11 And I come to thee THis is the Third distinct Argument in this Verse which Christ useth in his Petition for his Disciples Some indeed take it Exegeticall or Declarative of what he meant by saying He was no more in this world But others take the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratiocinatively as a Reason why he is no more to be in the world because he is going to the Father This Argument implieth then that Christ by going out of the world doth not cease to be but that he goeth to the Father and there will be a potent Favourite in the Court of heaven for them Christ then speaking here of his Locall Motion we may in this as in all such Motions Consider 1. The term from which that is the world which is not to be understood as if he did depose and lay down his humane Nature or that he was not still present in an efficacious invisible manner but in respect of a bodily presence This place confutes Popish Transubstantiation and the Lutheran Vbiquity of Christs Body 2. There is the term to which to thee 3. The Via per quam the way by which and that is implied by his Death and Sufferings In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and once that is used absolutely The Sonne of man goeth c. Mat. 26.24 That is he dieth here there is contained much comfort to his Disciples that neither Christs Enemies or Death did overcome him but by Death he goeth to his Father and that for the great benefit and advantage of all true Believers Obs That Christ by Death went to his Father Here is much practicall Divinity in this Point We see our Saviour again and again instructed his Disciples about his He knew how much his Sufferings and Death would amaze them and shake their Faith he knew what a false principle they were possessed with viz that he would erect a temporall Glorious Kingdome Therefore that they might not be undone by these thoughts he tels them often both of his death and whither by that he was to go Ioh. 14.3 Our Saviour comforts their troubled hearts with this that he was going to the Father and that not meerly for his own glory and honour but also for their good Even as Ioseph was advanced in Pharaohs Court as well for the good of his Father and his brethren as for his own glory and by the way observe that our Saviour tels them That they knew whither he went and the way yet Thomas in the name of the rest saith Lord we know not whither thou goest Now you may ask Either Christ who is Truth it self spake not right or Thomas The answer is Both spake right for the Disciples knew in the general and confusedly but not distinctly or particularly or they knew it habitually but in time of temptation they did not put this knowledge forth By this we see the Godly may have that grace and that faith in them which yet they think is not there To open this Doctrine let us consider the several particulars that are enclosed in it First That it was appointed by God that the way whereby Christ should from this state of humiliation come to glory with him should be the way of ignominy reproach and death It behoved the Son of man to suffer and so enter into glory Luk.
whom yet they fastened many impious actions upon for certainly nature would have told them That was God quo nibil melius cogitari potest Thus the God whom Christians according to the Scripture doe serve is the onely holy and true God Thirdly He is holy in respect of his will command and approbation His word is an holy Word The Scriptures are holy Scriptures They command They approve They encourage and comfort nothing but holinesse David Psal 19. compareth them to Gold often refined that hath no drosse and Hab. 1. God is of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity viz. by approbation Therefore he is said to be angry with the wicked all the day long Oh then though other men love thee and thou art in love with thy own self yet if not holy God doth not God cannot love thee Fourthly God is holy efficiently He is the Authour and cause of all the holinesse we have Iames 1.17 Every good and perfect gift comes from him We are his Workmanship created to good works He made the Angels holy He created Adam holy yea he infused all holinesse into Christs humane Nature and therefore much rather must he cause all the holinesse that is in us Therefore Christ by praying that God would sanctifie his Disciples doth thereby teach that none can make holy but God alone Let then the proud Patrons of free-will be confounded at this They that cannot make themselves Creatures will they say ' they make themselves holy Creatures Minus est te fecisse hominem quam justum Fifthly He is finally holy That is all our holinesse is to terminate in him Holinesse doth properly respect God as the Object and therefore though a man praieth heareth giveth alms yea his body to be burnt and doth not with a pure and chaste Intention look at Gods glory in all this it is not holinesse Hence it is that many have low thoughts about holinesse and grosly mistake in it taking copper for Gold and Samuels Ghost for Samuel himself Thou art not holy till thou canst truly say in some Degree at least though with much opposition Whom have I in Heaven but God and none on Earth besides him In Heaven Heaven it self would not be heaven to a gracious heart but because God is there Sixthly God is holy exemplarily He is the Rule Pattern and Example of holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye holy as I am holy Levit. 20.26 So that if we would know how we are to be holy it must not be as men think or as the world prescribeth but as God is holy Not that we can attain to an equality but to a similitude onely So that the principle of the world must fall to the ground They will doe as others doe or as most doe Oh but rather Consider that God himself hath set down a Form for thee and because there is such fulnesse in him as in an Ocean therefore we have a necessity of growing every day No man is as holy as the patern therefore still he is to be perfecting Holinesse and Righteousnesse in the Fear of God 1 Cor. 7.1 Thus you have heard that God is holy But in the next place know it is our Duty to improve this Attribute for our Good For so our Saviour doth not look upon it as an absolute property in God but as that which may be profitable unto his Disciples So that we are to make use of this by Faith And that first Because when God becomes our God by the Covenant of Grace he is wholly ours and all his Attributes are for our benefit and advantage I will be their God Now God is not our God nulesse his Wisedome be ours his Holinesse be ours that is for our benefit For we cannnot separate God and these Oh then what an unwise and foolish thing is it in a Christian when he hath such a Treasure and yet will make no use of it Such a Mine and yet improveth it not In God there is holinesse for all Angels and men much more for thee Secondly God being thus absolutely good he is communicating of it and it is a Rule The more any thing is good the more diffusive it is of it self As we see in God who though glorious and happy enough in himself yet he created a world and ordained many to Eternall Glory out of his meer good pleasure and Fullnesse not that he needed or wanted any Oh then it is very acceptable and well-pleasing to God that we should come with thirsting Souls unto this Fountain and draw Water out of it That we should suck plentifully at these full Breasts and be refreshed Vse of Instruction to the People of God who are greatly afflicted under this great Temptation They are not an holy People Oh they finde sinne captivating them sinne prevailing over them but where is an holy heart holy affections and holy aims in what they doe Oh they say Could they finde they were more holy though they were poor and afflicted yet they should rejoyce Let such Consider It is their Unbelief and want of earnest Praier if they be not richly supplied and furnished in this for God is infinitely holy and he delights to communicate it The larger the Vessell is the more willing he is and will be to fill it and there cannot be any Prayer more acceptable then to begge for this above all things Vse 2. Is God thus holy Then let the most holy be humble in all their approaches to him for he is of such pure Eyes that he findes spots and blemishes yea damnable matter in thy most holy duties Angels holinesse is not proportionable to him Thirdly Of Reproof to wicked men who deride scoff and maliciously oppose holinesse What is this but to rise up against God himself Is not Holinesse the Glorious Attribute of God And do the Beams of this shining in his People offend thee This argueth thou art of a perverse and of a devilish Spirit for thou shouldest rather reverence and honour it saying Oh that I might live and dye like such holy men Indeed there are many would like Balaam die like a Godly man but not live like him as One said He would live like Croesus but die like Socrates Yet this is impossible There must be an holy Life else there will hardly be an holy Death SERMON LV. The Great Lord-Keeper of Israel from inevitable Ruine both of Body and Soul extolled JOH 17.11 Holy Father keep through thy own Name those thou hast given me c. WE have dispatched the Introductory Compellation and now proceed to the Petition it self and in that Consider 1. The mercy praied for and 2. The Amplification of it The mercy praied for is Keep The amplification is 1. From the Subject described by their Election from Eternity And 2. Actuall donation to Christ in time Those thou hast given me This is often repeated by our Saviour as being a main Argument why nothing should he denied them that were thus
indeared both to Father and Son and also the frequent Iteration of this might produce the more faith and confidence in the Disciples 3. This is amplified by the manner or instrumental cause how they are to be kept Through thy own Name 4. The End or Consequent of all this That they may be one as Thou and I are one Of the Mercy praied for Keep and the Subject Those thou hast given me in the first place I shall not enlarge any thing more upon this Description Neither is there any difficulty in the words only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by some serva and they take it properly for those were said to be servari who were taken in warre and so the Conquerour had full power over them to put them to death but of his clemency he saved them and thereupon were called servi but the Greek word hath no such allusion Only there is a twofold keeping external and temporal from the violence and rage of wicked men in respect of their bodies and lives because the world hates them And 2. Spiriutal and internal in grace and holinesse and this he doth principally pray for as appeareth by the matter instanced in Keep them in their outward condition that they be not destroid keep them in their spiritual condition that they lose not their faith or other graces Keep them in bono that they be not undone deficiendo Keep them a malo that it hurt them not Inficiendo If they do sinne keep them reficiendo by repairing and raising them up again If then the Disciples though thus wonderfully given by the Father to Christ do need a daily keeping lest they be undone every way then it holds true also of all beleevers Obs That even all the People of God were they not kept by Gods grace and power they would every moment be undone both in Soul and body It is not our grace our Prayer our Watchfulnesse keeps us but it is the power of God his right arm supports us We may see David praying to God that he would keep him in both these respects from temporal dangers Psa 17.8 9. Keep me as the Apple of thy Eye from the wicked that oppose me Where he doth not only pray to be kept but he doth insinuate how carefully God keeps his people and in what precious account their safety is even as the apple of the Eye and for spiritual preservation he often begs it Psa 19.13 Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sinnes Though David be Gods Servant yet he will like a wilde Horse run violently and that into presumptuous sinnes if God keep him not back yea he prayeth that God would keep the particular parts of his body that they sinne not Psa 141.3 Keep the door of my Lips he entreateth God to keep his Lips and to set a watch about his mouth as if he were not able to set guard sure enough Thus much more are we to pray that God would keep our hearts our mindes our wils our affections for they are more masterfull Let us briefly consider the first God keepeth us from temporal dangers and that upon these grounds 1. Man hath by sinne forfeited all his temporall mercies there is nothing due to him no health no wealth not the least comfort but every man here upon the earth might be like Dives in hell begging for a drop of water and not able to attain it Gal. 3. Cursed is he that keepeth not the Law and Gen. 3. upon sinne death in all the concomitants of it came into the world so that if all these curses of the Law be not every moment inflicted upon us it 's because God keepeth us He beareth off the blows that Justice and the Law would lay upon us So that it's Gods goodnesse that keepeth thee alive that keeps thee on this side hell that keeps thee from that proper doom which belongs to thee The Sentence of death is passed upon all long agoe onely the execution of it is put off till God pleaseth Who art thou then that repinest and art troubled under such a losse such an affliction how many thousands more are there that God keeps thee from None is so miserable but he may see others more miserable then himself It is the Lord that keeps all these curses from thee and thee from them 2. The godly man would be undone if God did not keep him from his own imbecility and infirmity He hath no power to preserve himself from misery Hence man is called Enoch and in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that he doth not only deserve all misery but he is prone of himself to fall into it did not God keep him Job 14.1 and Job 5.1 Man that is born of a woman is full of trouble even as the Sparks fly upwards So that as the Spark if not stopt doth of it self ascend upward Thus man of himself though there were no outward cause to drive him yet would stumble and fall into all desolation Therefore the great troubles men lye under are self-created they come by our indiscretion blindenesse or some sinful way or other Therefore Solomon observeth that a mans misery is great on the Earth because he hath not judgement to discern the times and seasons of things Eccl. 8.6 If therefore God did not keep the Godly man no Childe would sooner fall or run into the fire then he would into mischief You may reade of that good King Josiah for whom the Kingdom made such Lamentation how foolishly he ran upon his own Death 2 Chro. 33.22 3. Did not God keep us the devils rage and enmity is such that he would not onely destroy the Soul but the body You see his malice when he had liberty to possesse the bodies of many how miserably he tormented them and when God gave him leave to afflict Job in his Estate and body he did it to the utmost There wanted no evil while he could do it Now there is no reason why the Devil should not do thee the same mischief continually but onely God bindes up this roaring Lyon The Devil is said to be a Murderer from the beginning and that for the body as well as the Soul he tempted Cain to murther Abel he tempted Judas to betray Christ Oh then wonder that God keeps thee when there are such Legions of Devils crafty and potent enough to procure thy destruction 4. Did not God keep the godly he would be undone temporally because of the hatred and malice wicked men bear to every godly man Therefore Christ said they were as Sheep among Wolves Can they hope for mercy from a Wolf David complained that his Soul was among Lions and Ezechiel complained he dwelt among Scorpions Now then seeing the world is so full of malice and the number of wicked men is like the Sand upon the Sea-shoar to them They are as the Israelites Army seemed to the great power that came against them like a Flock of
he was never given in the sense it is used ver 2. where such are said to have eternal life The last aggravation is None of them is perished he doth not say none of them hath been killed by persecutors or none of them have grievously fallen by sinne for so Peter did but none is perished he speaks in the present tense not none shall perish but is perished as if because they were not already perished they should never or rather because in respect of Gods promise it was as sure as if they were already in heaven Even as Judas is said in the Text to be perished although he was not yet in hell he was not yet gone to his proper place but because of the certainty of it This expression was so remarkable that Chap. 18.9 we have mention made of it as a famous saying That the saying might be fulfilled of those thou hast given me I have lost none only whereas in the text it is expressed passively none is perished there it 's active I have lost none but that change of the word is very comfortable for thereby is signified that if any did perish it would be because of some fault in him if they be lost it is he hath lost them Though sinne and the devil should instrumentally destroy them yet it would be principally attributed to his want of love or power or faithfulnesse in his trust In the text one word is to be observed and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is perished The word is used sometimes of a corporall and temporall destruction Judg. 12.11 They perished in the gainsaying of Core 1 Pet. 3.6 The whole world is said to be drowned in water so 2 Cor. 10 9. Sometimes it 's used of a spirituall destruction in respect of the soul by everlasting damnation Now the word doth here take in both the senses spirituall destruction as the principall and temporall as the secondary for that this is partly implied appeareth cap. 18.9 I am he ye seek let these go and then follows that none may perish In respect of the first destruction it is chiefly that the devil hath his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 9.11 onely you must observe that when the Scripture useth this word in a spiritual sense for a lost man in soul and body it speaks of a twofold undone condition First There are some in a lost perishing condition but yet recoverable by the grace of God they are as Moses drawn out of the water where certain death would have been and thus all the godly before their conversion are lost Thus Matth 18.11 Christ is said to come that he might save such as were lost he did not come to save a lost Judas or such as were from all eternity left by God in their undone condition but those elect persons that for the present were in a lost estate Thus Luke 15.24 The Prodigal sonne is said to be lost or perished but he was recovered again The other sense is when it 's applied to such as are in an undone estate irrecoverably They are in a state of perishing and will never be brought out of it and thus it 's applied to Judas Thus it 's used 2 Cor. 15. The Gospel is a sweet savour to those that are saved and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that perish where it 's opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words thus explained Observe That none of those who are elected or given by the Father to Christ shall perish They will be enabled to persevere They will certainly get to the haven This is a principal truth in Divinity and as it is much oppugned by learned Adversaries so it hath also great influence into our lives practically and therefore I shall be the larger on this subject and before I come to explicate it it 's good to compare two other Texts with this as excellent parallels The first is John 6.39 This is the Fathers will where you have the truth asserted and that very powerfully 1. He saith He will lose nothing of what the Father hath given him He doth not say he will lose none but nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any thing neither his soul nor his body and therefore because the body when consumed to dust seemeth to be for ever lost he addeth I will raise it up at the last day 2. This is so great a matter that he saith This is the will of his Father that sent him So that the main command to be received from the Father and the great thing willed was to let none of the elect perish The second Text is John 10.28 where speaking of this property of his sheep that they hear his voice he addeth I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Here you see the expression for the future lest it might be objected against this in the Text though none is perished yet yet he may when new temptations and dangers arise then they may be undone Judas did not immediately upon his Discipleship betray Christ but our Saviour saith None shall perish and he giveth a sufficient cause of this their perseverance because they are in his Fathers hand Here is the dear respect God beareth to them and then none is stronger then the Father So that you must finde out a power greater then Gods and more prevailing then his arm if you will hold they can perish Thus you see this truth confirmed by the mouth of two faithfull witnesses But because this truth is of singular use and of much difficulty I shall first lay down many introductory particulars to the stating of this Question for if the childe at first be not well swadled it proveth crooked in it's growth we must therefore lay a sure and clear foundation that our superstructure may endure And First The Question is not of the possibility of a believers total and final perishing If we consider him in himself if we behold him in his own power not as elected and covenanted with in Christ then it 's not only possible but even necessary that he should eternally perish This is evidenced in the apostate Angels and Adam there grace was amissible yea they did actually lose it when yet they had not a corrupt nature within to betray them as we have Therefore they did not necessarily but by a voluntary choice fall into their own destruction How much more would this terrible apostasie be in godly men though sanctified seeing there are the powerfull reliques of corruption abiding in them and withall many violent temptations without to overwhelm them if left to themselves When therefore we say the true believer cannot perish it 's not to be attributed to his strength and power but solely to the grace of God which as at first wrought conversion so it doth also perseverance and continuance in that estate for as the removal of the pillars doth immediately make the house to fall being it's naturall motion is to descend
they be thus damnable yet many shall follow their pernicious waies There is no Heresie so deformed but many people will follow it and by this means the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of See this in our daies How greatly do the Papists blaspheme that holy Truth of God by which we are saved because of the many Sects and errours which sprung up amongst us They think this Argument enough if there were no other when they can say how violent is one Protestant against another condemning one another for Heretiques They all pleade the Spirit and yet are opposite to each other and certainly did not the Scripture forewarn us of such things it were enough to make the stoutest beleever sometimes at a stand but 1 Cor. 11. The Scripture saith there again There must be Heresies That necessity ariseth both in respect of mens corruptions and also in respect of Gods wise permission that so the approved and sound may be made manifest It 's no little part of a Christians wisedom in the overflowing of Heresies when men of several waies speciously pretend to Truth and Piety to know how to deport our selves and so to walk that we do not fall from our stedfastnesse Now there is not a surer Buckler to keep off these poisonous arrows from our breasts then to strengthen our selves with powerful Considerations out of the Scripture Thus it must be Thus it will be The Scripture again and again tels us of it men of great Eminency and repute may make shipwrack of their Faith and through deceivablenesse and subtle insinuations will draw many after them Wonder not at this when it comes to passe That is notable to this purpose Act. 20.29 30. Though Paul himself had instructed those Churches yet he tels them after his departure that Wolves would venture in amongst them what a sad change would this be But from whence should they come Even out of your selves will arise men Thus these Toads and Serpents would breed in Gods own Garden As the Leprosie of Heresie is thus a Scandall in Gods Church So the Apostacy and revolt of such as were once forward for the Truth To have them degenerate yea sometimes to become malicious Enemies against what they professed this is very hard Heb. 6. and 2 Pet. 2. mention is made of some who were endowed with eminent gifts and much outward Reformation yet they are supposed to fall away and so to fall as never to recover again Let it not then stumble thee if there be such who will for earthly advantages betray Christ after much love pretended to him That will sell Christ for silver Do not thou loath Religion for this Do not thou begin to say Are there any Religious even in this world Do not thou follow them thinking I may do as they do But rather tremble at such Instances considering how terrible their latter end will be 3. When for the profession of the Truth and Piety we finde our nearest friends and such as ought most to encourage us to set against us yea to betray us and to work our Deaths if it were possible though this be very hard to bear yet say as in the Text This is done that the Scripture may be fullfilled If Christ himself complain it was not an open enemy but thou my familiar friend we took sweet counsell together that did lift up his heel against him that is proudly contemptuously and bloudily set against me Do not thou expect a better condition then Christ thy Master especially attend to that place Mat. 10.34 35. Luk. 11.52 where the consequent of the Gospel preached is to set the nearest relation one against another so that for thy Godlinesse sake neither Father or Friend may own thee yea the wife of thy bosome will betray thee such things have fallen out in times of persecution and therefore be not offended at that which the Scripture hath foretold 4. That Antichrist should prosper and prevail even to the shedding of the bloud of so many thousand Martyrs and yet meet with no remarkable judgement would be an unanswerable Temptation had not the Scripture foretold it The Scripture informeth of a twofold Antichrist a doctrinall one such as John speaks of that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and a politicall Antichrist or one that is chiefly so in respect of Church-Government who yet also shall be doctrinally Antichrist of whom Paul speaketh that he shall exalt himself above every thing that is called God and of which the Revelation makes often mention for although this Antichrist shall prevail and the greater part of the earth shall receive the mark of the beast yet at last the time will come when those joyfull Songs shall be sung that Babylon is fallen and the judgements of God are just who hath avenged himself upon the Beast Let not then Bellarmine glory in his temporal felicity as a mark of the Church Let him not say in such a daring manner If the Pope be Antichrist and the man of sinne aimed at in the Scripture Why have not horrible judgements from heaven overtaken him All this is easily answered The Scripture foretels he shall have a time and he must for a while make his garments red with the bloud of the Saints But as certainly as he doth this so also shall his perdition come as certainly Wonder not at this or be offended for the Scripture must be fulfilled 5. The manifold exercises and conflicts that Gods own Children have sometimes about the guilt of sinne and sometimes about the power of sinne makes them think there was none so in the world before Oh how shall they bear it there is no mans condition like theirs you cannot hear one reade of the like say they But do not all these troubles arise from ignorance in the Scripture Do ye not reade of David though sometimes on the Mount of Transfiguration yet at other times on the Mount of Calvary Is he not sometimes lifted up with the light of Gods Countenance and at other times so dejected and disquieted he knoweth not what to do And as for the power of Corruption abiding in us Doth not Paul Rom 7. cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death and the Apostle Jam. 4.5 doth the Scripture speak in vain The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy Even in the Godly there is a strong provocation to envy one of the vilest sins and most contrary to the Spirit of Christ Seeing then the Scripture doth thus admonish us Let not the Children of God walk disconsolately Let them not say God hath forsaken them Let them still remember that the Scripture hath forewarned them of such things That the devil is a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.6 Vse of Instruction Hath the Scripture by it's prediction forewarned against all possible offences that fall out then 1. See the truth and faithfulnes of Christ that hideth not the worst
on them he addeth a Caution Let none of you suffer as a Murderer as an evil doer as a busie body in other mens matters but as a Christian that is Let him look that he do not for any wickednesse of his justly procure civil punishments but only let him keep to his Christian profession and if that be all his fault then let him not be ashamed Therefore he addeth Let such an one commit himself to God as to a faithful Creator Why Creator But because God looketh upon such Sufferers as his Creatures it 's because of my Image shining in them I cannot be a faithfull Creator and not take care of them saith God To this purpose our Saviour often because it 's not the meer sufferings but the cause and motive that is all in all If ye be persecuted for my Names sake and for Righteousnosse sake This must be the ground else we cannot pleade the promise of assistance 2. As it 's possible for a Christian to suffer for his own iniquities so nothing is more ordinary in the world though a man do suffer meerly for Christs sake yet to charge other crimes upon him and to pretend other grounds of their malice against such then meer Christianity This is good to be observed for if the Persecutors say true there was never any holy man or faithful Servant of God suffered but they made the condemnation just and thought at least some of them that they did God good service as our Saviour Joh. 16.2 Were not the Prophets of old whose bloud was shed by Jerusalem traduced as busie-bodies as Troublers of Israel as publike enemies and in Christs time Though the Sun was not more free from spots then he from sinne or any miscarriage in his Ministry yet what accusations did they frame against him and Joh. 8. It was not for the good works they said they stoned him but for his blasphemies So Joh. 18. If this man were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him to thee The Martyrs also when so many thousand of them died willingly for Christ yet by their Enemies they were represented as the vilest of men So that as they did with their bodies put them in Beasts skins that so Lyons might devour them more greedily Thus they defamed them and laid heavy crimes to their charge that so they might have the more just ground to condemn them So that when a Christian suffers as a Christian and when as a busie-body must not be determined by their Enemies nor by the greater part of the world but by Gods Word for they think all zeal against sinne rashnesse and madnesse and all reproofs of wickednesse a busie-medling more then needs Gods Word therefore must be the Star to direct in this Thirdly It must be also granted That a man suffering for those things which are against Christ which are palpably contrary to his Doctrine yet may be so farre seduced as to think he suffers for Christ This is ordinary with all heretikes who have judged themselves Martyrs and made all their sufferings to be for God when yet they blaspheme God Doth not the Papist put his sufferings upon Christs score Doth not every Heretique entitle God to his Cause Do not the Socinians who yet with their whole might oppose the Deity of Christ prerend great obedience so and adoration of him as a constituted God We grant then that men may be horribly deluded in their sufferings They may give their bodies to be burnt and not have true and sound Faith They may be acted by an heretical spirit and yet endure great miseries as the Circumcelliones out of a mad contempt of Death would make men kill them But these also have not Christs promises belonging to them unlesse it be Gods Word indeed and truly so for which the world hateth them they are not within the Ark It 's true Even such who suffer in such deluded waies may have great comfort may finde much consolation within but it 's the devil that transformeth himself into an Angel of Light It 's such comfort as mad men have that laugh and are pleased in the midst of their misery for God will never give comfort but to his own Truths The Spirit of God is not a Comforter but where it first leadeth into the Truth Indeed the confidence and comforts many have died with in their errours have been a stumbling-block but this is to be ignorant of Satans devices and the potent operations of strong delusions upon mens souls It cannot be denied but that even the best Christians who are hated and do suffer in the world have yet many imperfections cleaving to them and do discover many infirmities of the flesh so that as none can be perfect in love of God or in any other grace so neither in enduring the hatred of the world oh how hard is that Rule of our Saviours Mat. 5. when men revile to be patient when men curse to blesse and to render all good for all evil These things do so transcend humane power that many miscarriages several indiscretions and many carnal fears are apt to interweave themselves Now when the matter or cause of our sufferings in Christs and for his Name and if the heart be mainly set for God and his honour though subject to weaknesses such may pleade Christs assistance for all that neither may they fear Christ will disown them because of such adhering infirmities Do we not see the Scripture commending some as eminent when yet at that very time there was some imperfection Abrahams Faith so highly commended Rom. 4. yet had some diffidence mixed with it Jobs Patience so greatly exalted yet had some impatience breaking out God then takes not notice of thy weaknesse but of thy Grace and the godly sufferer may comfort himself that though he hath imperfections yet it is not for them the world hateth him As Bradshaw that holy Martyr said Though he was a sinner and had many Infirmities yet his Enemies did not put him to death for them but for the quarrel of Christ which he had espoused and the Truths of Christ which he preferred above his own life The Grounds of Gods endearment to protect such as are hated for his Name sake are 1. Gods propriety and interest in such It 's not their lives or Liberties are aimed at so much as his Name his Glory his Truth Now God cannot but love what is his own and that infinitely Therefore it hath alwaies been the Custome of Gods people in their Praiers to make their trouble to be in reference to him What wilt thou do for thy great Name said Joshua c. 7.9 And David It 's time to work for men have made void thy Law So it 's thy Temple thy Altars they have polluted and hence God accounts all the malice and madnesse of men discovered against his people as done to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9 4. Could they do that to God which
upon it that it is sure to have Oh that Unbelief and distrust should ever overwhelm any Godly soul Doth not the Apostle triumph and say Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 2. It 's Christ that died Though the divine nature could not suffer yet he that suffered was God as well as man and so it is to be accounted of infinite worth This is more then the Obedience of Men and Angels put together 2. It is of infinite worth in respect of the gracious readinesse and willingnesse of him who did utter it Christ received grace into his humane nature without measure and so this being the gracious offering of him who was God and man it must have necessary acceptance 3. It had infinite worth in respect of the thing uttered which was no lesse then the precious body and bloud of Christ himself he thought not those preparatory sufferings and agonies enough but he consummates all by his Death Oh then let not the trembling sinner fear the insufficiency of the ransome doubt not whether every farthing be paid Say not though such sins may be discharged yet can this that I have committed Can the bloud of Christ cover this sinne as well as others Secondly Consider that though Christ offered up himself as a Sacrifice yet the application of it must be in such a way that God hath appointed It 's not enough that there is a potion which will cure all diseases but it must be taken in that way which the Physician doth prescribe and thus though Christ offered up himself to reconcile God to man yet this is not done till by faith it be received As the bloud of thâ— Sacrifice was to be sprinkled with hysop Thus the bloud of Christ ere it doth wash away our sins must by Faith be sprinkled upon the soul and therefore it 's not altogether here as it is when a man is indebted and lying in prison one comes and paieth the debt for him This man is released without any more a do There is no further thing required but the setting of him at lâ—berty for though Christ hath thus offerrd up himself for the pardon of sinnes yet the Father hath made such an appointment that this price should reach to none but those that beleeve and therefore this Doctrine doth not give the least security to any man to sinne for though Christ died yet his bloud may do thee no good Thou maist lie roaring in hell to all Eternity for all this because thou art not one who doth partake of this death Know the godly themselves while unconverted and abiding in their sinnes have not that actuall benefit of Justification which cometh effectually by Christs Death Thirdly Hence Christs bloud is not only cleansing and washing away the guilt of sinne but the filth of it The Apostle Tit. 3. said that he died to redeem us a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works So that there is none can pleade the justifying efficacy of Christs Death that have not also the sanctifying efficacy of it as it followeth in the Text That they might be sanctified and this will pull up by the very roots all that carnal confidence that most have That come to Christs Death as unto a common Sanctuary It 's true I am a grievous sinner but Christ died Christ was made a Sacrifice but what is this to thee who wallowest in thy filthy lusts Thou art full of thy noisome sinnes and if Christs Death did belong to thee it would wash thee it would purifie thee Do not think Christs bloud can be sprinkled on thee for the pardon of sinne and not for the washing away the filth of it This is the ruine of thousands they divide Christ and separate one effect of his death from another Fourthly Though Christ did but once offer up himself yet the vertue and power of it doth abide for ever It 's not necessary that Christ should be alwaies dying therefore he is said to be a Priest for ever yea this Death of Christ did extend to all the Godly that lived before his Sufferings Abel Abraham and all in the Old Testament had no other Sacrifice to please God with but this It is noted by a Learned man that therefore Cains Sacrifice was not accepted because he did not as Abel offer such a propitiatory Sacrifice as was a Type of Christ but rested in his own duties and works yea it 's thought God by covering Adams nakednesse with skins of Beasts did thereby teach Christs Righteousnesse Look then upon the bloud of Christ as powerfully working as if to day he had been crucified It works as a morall Cause by Covenant and agreement with the Father and therefore it doth as strongly work as ever Fifthly It 's continually useful and necessary seeing we renew sinnes daily and therefore run into new infirmities constantly therefore it behoveth us to apply this medicine continually If a man had been a hundred times stung by Serpents he was as often to look upon the exalted Serpent to be healed if therefore we fall into the mire daily we need washing as often if we get noisomenesse upon us this bloud must daily clense us and certainly we may all say with Peter Not my feet but my whole body also Let that be washed Doth not every part of us get some new pollution Are not hearts affections and mindes constantly polluted If so we cannot be a moment without the application of it as often as we breathe we need the Sprinkling of Christs bloud Sixthly We are to Consider the certain successe and prevalency of it No sooner did the Messengers say Vriah was dead but Davids anger was removed When the destroying Angel seeth this bloud he will passe by if Moses his praier could so much prevail with God that he saith Let me alone and Lot was so accepted that the Angel cannot destroy Sodom till he be removed Then how powerful and prevalent must Christs bloud be Seventhly This Sacrifice is that which Christ presents to his Father The Socinians wold have Christ performing his Priestly Office only in Heaven but it 's plain he did it on earth only what he once did he constantly presents to his Father and the minding of God with this is a farre more efficacious thing then that of the Rainbow God when he beholds this will not again drown the world and when he looketh on Christ will not condemn the humbled sinner Therefore Christ is described Rev. 10. with a Rainbow upon his head to signifie as some think the pacificatory vertue that is in Christ Eighthly The purity of the Sacrifice is not to be forgotten He is called the pure and spotlesse Lamb 1 Pet. 1.19 As it behoved us to have a Priest without sinne So a Sacrifice without any defect otherwise that Sacrifice would have needed another and so there would have been no end Therefore though all we can offer which is ours
Arguments seek for it at the Fathers hands Thus Psal 2. when God there declares his will of making him King over his Church and giving the Nations of the world for an Inheritance to him it 's said Ask of me and I will give thee Christ is to ask and pray for such things So that in this respect Christ praied even as all the Godly do though God hath appointed and promised to bestow such glorious things upon his penple yet it is by way of praier that they must be possessed of them God could give them otherwise Neither do our praiers or Christs Praiers make God alter or change his minde only praier is appointed by him as that medium whereby his purpose shall be brought to passe 4. Christ praied upon the same ground as he gave thanks Now we reade he praised God severall times yea they sang an Hymn to God Praier is divided into Petition and Thanks-giving If then Christ could give God praise by the same reason he might make Petition to him He praiseth God as the Father of such mercies his Soul was affected with and so he praieth to God for such things as he had not yet the full accomplishment of Lastly These main Reasons being laid down then we may adde Christ praied for our example also It 's wonder any should be so transported with pride as to think themselves above praier that they need not to pray when we see Christ himself diligent in this Duty So that as we are to learn of him and imitate the Zeal Patience and Love that was in him so we are the Religious Conversation also of Christ which was manifested in his fervent Praiers unto God upon all occasions yet though Christ did thus pray there was a great difference between Christs Praiers and ours For first If we speak absolutely of Christ as a person so he needed not to pray for being in that respect God as well as man Therefore he could have done all things the humane Nature desired without any humble Supplication unto the Father It was then in respect of his humane nature only and his voluntary Humiliation of himself otherwise being God as well as man He might have done all things by sole power and authority Indeed there are some who hold that Christ still in Heaven as man doth pray to God the Father properly and formally in respect of his Church and so understand those places where he is said to be an Advocate with the Father and where he is said still to make intercession for us not say they that he praieth in such a servile humbled manner as he did here on Earth yet they say it 's more then meer a representation of himself or will that the Father fulfill what he hath purchased It 's true and formall praying neither say they is this any more indecent and unbeseeming Christ as man in Heaven then praising of God which yet as man he doth Howsoever this be yet it 's sure that when he did pray on earth yet it was not with such an absolute necessity and indigency as any man or the whole Church doth pray for they cannot in any Consideration help themselves 2. Neither did Christ pray for any spiritual gracious mercies These are the chiefest matter of our praier insomuch that temporall things are praied for only with a submission unto Gods Will and so farre as they conduce to our spirituall good but Christ had already received the Spirit of God in so full measure that he could not pray for further Sanctification nor for a better heart or more communion with God then he had much lesse could he pray for such things as suppose a sinnefull Imperfection in the Subject So he did not or could not pray for the pardon of sinne which yet he taught the most holy that are to pray continually for neither could he pray for justifying Faith for although he had faith and confidence in God yet he had not justifying Faith which is the relying upon Christ for Righteousnesse Neither could he pray for the conquering and subduing of corruption seeing his pure Nature remained altogether spotlesse and free from the least stain or pollution Neither 3. Were Praiers to him as they are to us means to quicken up and excite the heart to make it more Heavenly and zealous Prayer in us doth quicken and excite a man and takes off the rust upon his Soul Christ was alwaies in contemplation and enjoyment of God and therefore he did not need praier to make his soul ascend higher to God Hence in the fourth place All the matter he could pray for in reference to himself was concerning his body and the further glorifying of that for seeing it pleased him to take our body upon him in all the natural defects and infirmities thereof sinne only excepted it was necessary that he should not alwaies be in such a passible mortal way but rise again to glory dominion and all honour Now this Christ praied for as being to be obtained by praier as well as his Sufferings He praied also for assistance and deliverance in those agonies he conflicted with But in respect of his praier for the Church So he praied for their Sanctification though not for his own he praied Peters Faith might not fail he praied God would not impute sinne to some of those who did crucifie him Though he needed not such Petitions yet we do and therefore in this respect Christ praied in which we cannot imitate him for he praied as he was to offer up himself a Sacrifice for our sinnes so it behoved him also to put up praier for his people Thus you have heard how Christ was capable of Praier though God Let us now Consider the comfortable advantage of these Praiers of Christs unto us And 1. See the love of Christ that he doth remember our good in his praiers as well as his own It is not enough to pray for his own Glory but he beggeth and prayeth for ours also Paul speaketh of it as his great affection and Love to some that he made mention alwaies of them in his Prayers he never praied for himself but for them also And thus we see Christ though ready to be offered up and to die such a tormented ignominious Death So that he might justly be taken up with Praier for himself only yet he doth the same time think of his Church and all that shall beleeve in him Oh what comfortable Refreshment and Encouragement should this be to the dejected and humbled Soul That Christ doth in his Prayer remember and consider of thee as well as his own Glorification 2. This Prayer of Christ is alwaies heard We many times pray and God doth deny us because as the Apostle James saith Chapt. 4. vers 4. We ask amisse or we ask not in Faith Now Christ had every thing concurrent that might make his Prayer successefull Therefore John 11.42 Christ there professeth God the Father heard him alwaies In
to beleeve though it might be matter of comfort and priviledge yet it was not of duty But O how graciously hath God taught thee otherwise Now thou ar◠as much afraid not to lay hold on Christ as to commit any other sin Thou art as consciencious in believing every promise as in conforming to every command Thou darest no longer listen to doubts and fears to Satans Temptations in this matter then thou darest to the lusts and pleasures of sin 2. The Spirit of God doth instruct us in this That thus to beleeve and rest on Christ is to perform or to do that to which Justification is promised He that believeth is passed from death to life and still Remission of sins is said to be received by Faith and we are justified by Faith Rom. 5. So that when the Soul doth rest on Christ he performeth that to which Christ with all his benefits are promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternnl Life So that the humbled sinner having his eyes thus opened he seeth it the greatest madnesse and folly that can be not to receive Christ and to rest on him Why thus he argueth I cannot he justified I cannot partake of Christ till I do believe so that to believe is as necessary in an instrumental way as Christ in a meritorious way Shall the diseased Patient question whether he shall take that medicine which will certainly heal him Shall the hungry man doubt whether he may receive that alms which will preserve his Life Thus the humbled sinner is convinced that as he must not murther his own body wilfully by refusing to eat meat so he must not his own soul by a wilful rejecting of the promise 3. The Spirit of God instructs him in this also That by beleeving he doth not only bring comfort and salvation to his soul but in a most eminent manner doth also glorifie God As Abraham by that remarkable act of Faith is said to give Glory to God Rom. 4.20 The tempted Soul is apt to think Why should I believe this is but to seek my self This is because I would have comfort whatever becometh of Gods Glory Oh but saith the believer when thus awakened if I could perform all the Commandments of God if I could love God so as to give my body to be burnt for his Name yet I could not glorifie God so much as by believing for this acknowledgeth God in Christ wherein God is more to be admired then in the creation and government of the world Lastly He is enabled to see the folly and unprofitablenesse of Vnbelief If he go not to Christ where can Salvation be had he is sure to be damned by keeping from Christ Therefore with those Lepers he is resolved not to perish but to go to God though he seem an Enemy to him And then 2. God worketh faith in us effectively as you heard by strengthening the heart of a man fiducially to repose on Christ if other graces as love and patience do not grow of themselves in mans heart much lesse doth Faith which is so supernatural every way SERMON CIX Of Justifying Faith JOHN 17.20 But for them also who shall believe in me through their word WE are treating upon the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and certainly we may say It 's good to be on this Mount of Transfiguration and having declared that method Gods Spirit leads an humbled soul into when it 's enabled to believe We proceed to further particulars instructive in this business The ultimate and last act of justifying faith was a fiducial resting upon Christ for all spiritual benefits But to understand this further Consider that the Scripture expression of it is very emphatical and denoteth several notions in it as when it expresseth it by receiving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word often applied to faith in this act it receiveth Christ Joh. 1.12 it receiveth the promise it receiveth forgivenesse of sins Act. 26.18 so that in this justifying act of faith we are to conceive a precious treasure offered by the grace of God even Christ himself and faith as the hand receiving of it and this expression is full of excellent matter for it teacheth 1. That we in this act of Justification or laying hold on Christ have nothing of our own All our righteousness is without us we are to receive it offered we have nothing inherent This Paul knew experimentally Phil. 3. when he would be found not in his own righteousness but that which is by faith His own mark that Any thing we may call our own we must not be found in and that is our own which is not only so effectivé by our own procuring and labour or merit but subjectivé which is inherent in us though it be wrought by the grace of God as the Just is said to live by his faith Hab. 2.4 It 's his faith subjectively though Gods effectively This word then receiving doth carry every man humbled Evangelically wholly out of himself and as was said to the woman looking into the Sepulchre Why look you for him he is not here he is risen So it may be said Why art thou searching and digging into thine own heart Thy works or graces these are not the object of faith It 's above thee It 's without thee though by faith applied to thee Even as the poor cripple that desired to be healed looked upon Christ expecting help from him he knew he had nothing in himself or as the indigent beggar looks without him and stretcheth out his hand to receive food or money So is it with the humbled sinner Oh then be directed here why doth God make thy own heart thy own wayes so bitter to thee Is it not because thou shouldst seek out for a Christ and look for a righteousnesse without thee 2. This word receiving implieth That we are wholly passive in our Justification That we are not justified by doing any thing or offering any thing to God but receiving from him Even as some Philosophers say Intelligere and sentire are passions Though we express them actively yet the soul therein is passive So when by believing a man is justified we are not to consider what he brings to God or doth for God but what he receiveth from him This is a fundamental principle to be grounded in it 's a mercy of mercies to be directed in the agonies of thy soul to the right way of believing to know the way to this City of refuge If a manslayer pursued by the avenger had not known the way to the City of refuge what danger had he been in It 's like the childe not coming the right way in it's birth now naturally we all think by doing to partake of Christ not receiving which made the Apostle so industriously assert this That it 's not to him that worketh but to him that believeth
that grace is vouchsafed So then be instructed in this Is thy heart groaning under sin all thy desires and inclinations are to Christ Know this is done intra recipiendo not extra mittendo This is done by receiving grace from God not doing any work for or to him yet how apt are we all to cry out with those What shall we do I till Christ inform us that the great work God approveth of is beleeving or receiving It 's the looking upon this brazen Serpent that healeth thee 3. This therefore implieth That believing on Christ doth not justifie for any dignity or intrinsecal worth it hath Not because it 's a more excellent and noble grace but meerly because that alone is receiving and applicative of Christ. We receive only by faith as we do corporally only by the hands yet the hands are not more noble then the eyes or the head Hence the Scripture never saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for faith but through faith and it 's never said actively saith justifieth but by faith we are justified passively So that as it would be absurd to say That the beggars hand hath made him rich in receiving large alms so it would be as absurd to attribute it to the dignity of faith when by it we are justified Therefore fourthly In that believing is expressed by receiving of Christ is implyed That faith it self is excluded as it 's a work So that not onely all other graces but faith if considered as it 's a work doth not justifie us The eye in looking on the brazen Serpent did not heal as it was a work but from the vertue of the Serpent exalted by Gods appointment When the woman touched Christs hem of his garment and healing was thereby conveyed It was not the touching as it was a labour and work but the vertue of Christ Thus it is in this case And hence lastly we see Why faith and no other grace doth thus justifie because this alone doth receive Other graces are active this is receptive Not that faith is separated from other graces they are existent together though they retain their distinct properties He that believeth on Christ is cleansed and sanctified he loveth God and is patient in tribulation but yet not by this is he justified As the Sun-beams have heat as well as light but it shineth by the light only not the heat so the earth hath driness as well as gravity but it fals downward not because dry but because heavy Secondly This receiving is not a bare receiving but such as is with imbracement As Heb. 11.2 These imbraced the promises Even as Simeon took Christ with joy in his arms So that there is great delight and cordial joy in laying hold on Christ Even as the Church said after she had lost her Beloved yet finding him at last she would lay hold on him and not let him go as Ruth to Naomi thus she cleaveth to Christ So that as a man receiveth with dearest imbracements some choice and precious friend he longed to see Thus it is with the humbled sinner Oh this is the beloved of many thousands whom my soul hath long prayed for long sought for What have I found thee Oh thou chiefest of many thousands Hence it is that Christ compareth himself to a Bridegroom and Husband and his Church to a wife to shew what real affections are in the heart of an humbled sinner for to lay hold on him Hence it 's called Believing with the whole heart and with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 There was great feasting and joy for the finding of a lost son But oh the unspeakable joy for discovering a Christ that we thought was for ever lost as to us What meltings what ravishments are there at the meeting of him Oh how often saith the humbled soul did I think I should never finde thee How many times did I conclude that I should perish in my lusts and fears but Christ at last appeareth as he did to those women after his death who thought there was no hope Thirdly In this act of faith there is contained resting relying or fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ. You heard the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did enforce this so that the soul before it believeth is to be conceived as a stone falling downwards which cannot stay till it meet with its center and then it enclineth no further In the Old Testament it 's called trusting in the Lord which in other synonymous expressions is sometimes called staying and leaning and so is a metaphor taken from those who have some great and heavy burden upon their back and thereby are crushed to the ground unless they have something to rest upon Thus it is with the afflicted penitent he cryeth out I finde such a load of sins that my back would break and heart would break yea every thing would fail within me had not I Christ to throw my self upon hence Christ is called the Foundation stone because all the building is established upon that Now that which in the Old Testament is called trusting in God in the New is called believing Illyricus thinketh this is the reason of the different expression because the God of Israel was known to the Jews therefore there was required only a fiducial adhesion unto him but in the New Testament Christ as Mediator was not known therefore another word is used viz. to believe which comprehends both an assenting knowledge and also a fiducial application So then by this act of beleeving the soul which was ready to sink under it's burden doth lean upon Christ and as a drowning man doth catch hold on the next branch to save him so doth a humbled sinner finding himself even falling into hell catch hold on Christ and therefore it 's called him· Fourthly In this act of believing there is an appropriation or application of Christ to be my Christ That whereas the promise runneth in the general Whosoever shall believe to him Christ is a Saviour This justifying faith doth in particular rest on Christ as a Saviour to him Thus Paul Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me and Thomas My God my Lord Joh 20. So that as when any threatning is denounced against a sinner the true convert will apply it to himself when guilty of such a sin I am the sinner this threatning meaneth So Christ being offered as a Saviour to every humbled sinner from this general he concludeth his particular Thus Paul Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief Hence it is that our Divines against Papists do well maintain That the object of justifying faith is the special mercy of God It 's not enough to believe that Christ is a Saviour but to rest on him to be my Saviour Hence faith is called eating and drinking Joh. 6. which is more then the meer seeing meat upon the Table only when we say special mercy is the
degrees and subjective perfection also yet Cursed is he that doth not continue therein Gal. 3.10 as you see Adam did not but Christ from the beginning to the end of his daies held it out yea his love did most appear at the later end for then was the greatest and hardest parts of his work to undergo but though in all that reproach contempt and scorn yet he was not weary he did not give over his work he did not fail or faint in the later end Thus Christ was our David fighting against Goliah and in his conquest we did overcome Lastly He so finished it that he hath left nothing to be done either by Angels or men in that way and kinde as he did Therefore all these doctrines that maintain free-will that hold the mediation and intercession of Saints in heaven that maintain merits and satisfactions all these blaspheam the sufficiency of Christ and say Christ hath not finished his work for either Christ was a totall and perfect Mediator or else a partiall if a totall and perfect then there needeth no more one Sun is sufficient all things added are superfluous if a partiall Mediatour then he did not finish his work then he did it by halves and so Angels and Men are to share with him in his glory It 's true they have many distinctions to mince the matter but these fig-leaves cannot cover Adams nakednesse and it 's made the sinful property of man fallen to seek out many inventions God made man upright but they have sought â—ut many inventions Eccl. 7.29 They have many colours and pretences many distinctions and excuses to cover their sins with But you will say If Christ hath done all and we are to doe nothing then what need we be diligent and zealous in the waies of godlinesse Sin or not sin it will be all one Christ hath done all therefore we may eat and drink and rise up to all excesse of riot No that is a Non sequitur For our duties are not required to that end which Christs was but yet they are necessarily commanded for other ends Though Christ did work and finish his work yet thou must work and endeavour to finish thy work too But how It 's good to understand this for here Popery and the true Religion part here they oppose one another We pleade the necessity the presence the command of good and holy works as well as they only we differ in the end They presse them for such an end as Christ did his work for us for merit for justification for our salvation This we say is to derogate from Christ This is to make Christ of no effect whosoever repents beleeveth doth any holy duty for this end is guilty of spiritual Idolatry he maketh another Christ to himself besides the true Christ but then there are other ends for which we do these duties partly because God hath commanded them as the way to walk in if ever we will be saved so that though our holy life deserve not heaven yet our wicked and ungodly life deserveth hell and then partly to glorifie God and to testifie our thankfulnesse and love to him yea there is an inseparable connexion between a man interested in Christ and a holy life as there is in the fire with heat and light In the next place Consider the properties of this work Christ â—â—â—nished And 1. It was a work of infinite value and worth whatsoever Christ did it had a transcendent excellency because he was God as well as man so that we are not to consider those works he did as of a meer man though never so holy but as one of a divine nature 2. They were Mediatory works all that he did and suffered tended to a propitiation and reconciliation with God so that as the nature of them was infinite so the end of them was precious and admirable what should man have done if Christ had not done thus 3. It was not only his work but our work Alas Christ was not obliged to these duties for his own sake but it was for our sake so that the godly with great affection may consider of these works of Christ for they concern thee They are our works both impetrativè they merit for us they procure good for us and imputativè we are made the righteousnesse of God as our sins were accounted his 4. The necessity of this working and working so perfectly and that doth appear from the justice of God and purity of the Law and partly from our impotency from the justice of God for that being infinite nothing could satisfie him but what was of infinite worth It would have been injustice in God to have given us heaven otherwise and then partly from the holinesse of the Law that admits of no works but perfect pure and holy Therefore to say God accepts of imperfect holinesse and accounts that as compleat which is not so is to attribute false judgement unto God and lastly our own impotency proclaimeth the necessity of Christs perfection for take us as we are in our selves so we are nothing but sin and a curse In stead of working Gods work we do the devils and take us as regenerated then though we be partakers of Gods grace yet the remnant of corruption within us doth staine and infect all that we do Lastly Here is the glorious visibility of Christs perfect working in his resurrection ascension and now sitting at the right hand of God in glory which could not have been had not Christ perfected his work for what is the reason the devils and damned in hell are detained to Eternity in those prisons of darknesse Is it not because of their insufficiency to perfect their sufferings to make them adequate to Gods justice to bring as great glory to God as ever sin did evil or dishonour In that therefore Christ hath overcome the grave and the bonds of death we have an infallible evidence of his perfect working Vse of Instruction how dangerous all those doctrines are which proclaim free-will merit under any notion whatsoever As they give that to man which belongs not to him so they take that from Christ which is due yet this is a most natural sin in all either in whole or in part to take off from Christ not to be beholding to him only God hath commanded us to come out of our sins by repentance and our own works by faith and the Apostle doth not only exclude sins but even working also from Abrahams Justification Rom. 4. There is a danger of being a Pharisee when thou ceasest being a Publican Vse 2. of great Consolation to the broken-hearted sinner This is the glad tidings of the Gospel to those who sit under the sentence of eternal death Christs works will abundantly answer all the temptations about thy own works Two things lie like two Mountains upon the godly The weakness of their graces and the strength of their corruptions If
neither of these were to bow their souls down with what joy and gladnesse could they live and die Now Christs works have a two fold remedy to this twofold grievance His works have a satisfaction in them and therefore whatsoever failings and corruptions there are if humbled for and endeavouring to be reformed they are sufficiently conquered and his works have a meriting nature in them and therefore though thy work be weak his work was perfect and compleat say not then who shall go up to heaven this is to bring Christ back It is an excellent place Rom. 10.7 where the beleever is forbid to doubt or say in his heart Is Christ ascended or was he made a curse for us or how shall we be able to ascend to heaven or to be delivered from hell Vse 3. Did Christ perfect and finish his work Do thou imitate and follow him Christs working excludes ours for justification but not for a duty and way to heaven None but doers and workers shall have heaven though not for their works Now thy work is first as a Christian so the Law of God in the purity and exactnesse of it is a rule of all thy works What the Law bids thee do doe though not to have life by it 2. The work of thy relation as a Magistrate Minister Husband or Wife finish this work It 's not enough to be good in the general unless good in relation 3. The work of thy condition as a rich man as a poor man when the Master gave talents to all this was his command Work ye trade ye be in constant improvement SERMON XXIII Of a Holy Working Life the Excellency Equity and Necessity thereof in order to Glory JOH 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with thy own self c. THis fifth Verse containeth a repetition of the matter praied for v. 1. and enforced by divers arguments in the former Verses wherin observe 1. The object matter of Christs Petition Glorifie thou me I shall not consider that because spoken to before Only in that we see our Saviour twice within so little a space praying for this glory though appointed and promised to him We may observe two particulars 1. That all repetition and ingemination of the same matter in praier is not unlawful but sometimes is useful and necessary 2. That even those things that God hath appointed and promised to his people must yet be obtained by praier In the next place we have the description of this glory 1. It must be an heavenly glory such as God approveth of Glorifie thou me with thy own self This may be spoken exclusively to all humane glory which he regarded not or else in opposition to his work he had done I have finished thy work on earth and now let me have my reward in heaven 3. From an external adjunct It 's the glory which he had before the world was That admits of some difficulty to be dispatched in its proper place Lastly There is the causall inference from what was said before and now Father glorifie me this is a causall conclusion from the work finished by Christ and of this because first in order at this time And now glorifie me as if he had said Hitherto I have been finishing my work all the while I was doing that I looked for no reward I expected no glory but now all is completed I pray for and expect the glory due unto me From whence observe That as Christ so all the people of God when they have finished their work and not till then may look for and desire the glory prepared for them 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory Henceforth he expects now his fight is over but not before Let us consider this briefly in Christ and then in our selves First Concerning Christ God had so ordained and appointed That he should first be eminent in doing and suffering and then should have a reward It behoved him first to suffer and so to enter into glory Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things There was a debt and duty upon Christ to wear the Crown of thorns before he put on the Crown of glory To be debased more then all before he was exalted above all so that the stipulation and agreement which the Father made with the Sonne contained in it both duty to be done by Christ and a reward to be vouchsafed to him He was to drink of the brook and so to lift up his head Psa 110.7 This was the order that God had indispensably commanded and nothing could hinder it though all this was supposing Christs willingnesse to undergo the office of a Mediatour for otherwise though he had become man yet he might alwaies have kept up the manifestation of his divine glory and hence it is that the Scripture saith he ought to have suffered There was a necessity from the justice of God which will punish sinne in the offender or in the Surety and he ought to do it because of his own faithfulnesse and trust he should not discharge that which had undertaken unlesse he became thus obedient 2. The order that is between Christs work and reward is far different from ours and of another nature for that is an order of merit and causality but ours only of antecedency and by a promise Therefore when Christ looks for his glory it 's upon farre other grounds then when Paul expects his Crown of glory for Christ looks for his glory upon his work as a cause and a merit it being fully perfect and more then he was bound unto if absolutely considered though when once he became our Surety it behoved him to perform all so that Christ had his glory by the Title of justice and desert though in respect of the personal Union he had alwaies a right to all glory But Paul and all the godly have it by meer grace and favour for when the Children of God have done all they can yet such is their imperfection that they need a pardon and so their salvation and glory is of meer grace Therefore though there be a similitude between Christs work and his glory and ours yet there is not an equality The one is of justice and merit the other of grace and favour The more inexcusable then are all these Popish doctrines that would puff up a man to such a conceit of himself and Christ together of his free-will and grace together not Christ and grace alone that hence they will pleade their Title to heaven Christs merits and their own In the next place let us consider this doctrine as true in our selves for hereby our security and carelesnesse especially our prophanesse shall be greatly confounded when we shall know that without our working there cannot be glory we must look to labour in the Vineyard before we come to have our wages And 1. God the Father who appointed such an order for Christ hath also decreed