with profitable Instructions and in so many respects of great importance to the good of our Souls as this is CHAP. VII That to make men Holy was the Design of Christ's Death Proved by several Texts of Scripture And how it is effectual thereunto discovered in six Particulars FOurthly the making of us Holy as it was the Business of our Saviour's whole Life so was it also the great End and Design of his Death And this are we assured of by abundance of Express Scriptures Some few of which we will here produce Romans 6. 6. Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 2 Corinthians 5. 15. He dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again Galatians 1. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world viz. From its corrupt practices according to the Will of God and our Father Ephesians 5. 25 26 27. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the word that he might present it unto himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Colossians 1. 21 22. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works hath he now reconciled in the Body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight Titus 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of Good Works 1 Pet. 1. 18. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with Corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as a Lamb without blemish and without Spot 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God c. That is saith Calvin upon the place that we might be so consecrated to God as to live and die to him 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our Sins in his Own body on the Tree that we being dead to sins should live to righteousness by whose Stripes ye were healed Now the Death of Christ is greatly effectual to this end of making us Holy these several ways First As it gave Testimony to the Truth of his Doctrine which as hath been shewn hath no other Design Christ took his Death upon it that that was true was willing to expose himself in the Defence thereof to a most ignominious and painful death Secondly As the shedding of his blood was a Federal right confirming the New Covenant wherein is promised in and through Him the Pardon of our Sins and Eternal happiness on Condition of our sincere Repentance Faith and new obedience So the Blood of Christ is called the Blood of the Covenant Heb. 10. 29. And the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 20. Thirdly As it is exemplary of the highest vertue 1 Pet. 2. 21. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously The Greatest Humility and Self-denial the greatest Meekness Patience and Submission to the Divine Will the most wonderful Charity and Forgiveness of Enemies c. are exemplified in our Saviour's Death and so it must needs be very highly Effectual towards the promoting of these most Excellent Graces and the like in us and the expelling and utter extirpating out of us the Contrary Vices One would think it impossible that he should be of an Haughty Spirit and a proud mind that seriously Considers how the Onely-begotten Son of God humbled himself to the death even the shameful and ignominious death of the Cross That he should Covet great things in the world that frequently affects his mind with the thoughts of his Saviour's emptying himself and becoming poor that we through his proverty might be made rich and preferring the death of the Vilest of wretches before the life of the greatest and most Honourable Personages How can he be vain and frothy that considers his Saviour's horrid Agony what a man of Sorrows he was and how acquainted with Griefs How can he storm at the receiving of injuries and swell with indignation against those that offer him incivilities and rudely behave themselves towards him that fixeth his thoughts upon his Saviour's meek putting up the Vilest and most Contemptuous usages and considereth how gentle sedate and Lamb-like he was when Barbarous Villains Mocked Buffetted and Spit upon him Crowned him with Thorns put a Robe in a jear upon his Back and a Reed for a Scepter into his hand and at last acted the parts of the most inhumane Butchers towards him One would think it no uneasie matter to perswade our selves to forgive very heartily the Spitefullest most malicious enemies whilst we take notice that Christ shed even his pretious blood for those that carried in their breasts the greatest malignity against him and bare him the most deadly hatred that he suffered death for those which in the Cruellest manner they were able took away his life What temptation can be forcible enough to prevail upon us sinners to murmure and repine at the hand of God in the afflictions he inflicts upon us while we observe how much greater sufferings than ours are were with profoundest Submission to and likewise the heartiest approbation of the Divine Will endured by the not onely perfectly innocent but also the highly meriting and infinitely Well deserving Jesus Fourthly As the Death of Christ was likewise a Sacrifice for sin it was in an Eminent manner effectual to this great purpose In the death of Christ considered as an Expiatory and Propitiatory Sacrifice is the offence that God Almighty hath taken against sin and the hatred he bears to it as well as his Love to us sinners infinitely declared in that he would not forgive it to us without the intervention of no meaner an offering than the Blood of his onely-begotten Son Observe what the Apostle S. Paul saith to this Purpose Rom. 3. 25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus The Plain sense of which words as I conceive is this That God might at one and the same time demonstrate how holy he
apparent in that it injures mens better part their Souls whereas it lyeth in the power of no other as the now mentioned Philosopher also observeth so to do Do I say it injures them that 's too gentle a word it even marrs and spoils them as again that person doth in another place speak Other evils may ruine our Bodies our fortunes c. and may I confess by that means disquiet and disturb our Souls but they can be depraved by nought but sin this alone can deprive them of the image of God wherein consists their Excellency And when I say that Sin undoes our Souls and sin only I say that this and this alone undoes our-selves For as saith the same brave man Thy Soul is thy-self thy Body thine and all outward things thy Body's And the Excellent Simplicius speaking of Death hath this saying that it is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Evil to our Bodies not to us And this both the Stoicks and Platonists do much insist upon and make great use of it They stick not to tell us that it is improper to say that a man consists of two parts whereof the Body is one and that this is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Constituent part of man but onely his instrument that it is but our Prison wherein we are confined our Leather-bag our Satchel our Case our Sheath our House our Cloathing and the like And we find such a notion of the Body in the Holy Scriptures as well as in the Heathen Writings S. Paul also calls it our Cloathing our Earthly house our Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5. 1 4. S. Peter calleth his body this Tabernacle I think it meet saith he so long as I am in this Tabernacle c. 2 Pet. 1. 13. Knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle vers 14. So that other evils have that denomination because they are so to such things onely immediately I mean as belong to our-selves but sin is an immediate evil and the greatest imaginable to our very selves in that in whomsoever it is entertained it changes the man's nature spoils his constitution and makes him quite another thing From a Lovely Noble and Excellent it transforms him into an ignoble base and contemptible Creature We are not ignorant what names the Scripture bestoweth upon wicked men even those of the Uncleanest and most impure Beasts There is no such filthiness said Cicero as the Fâ—…ditas Turpificati animi that of an unclean Soul And the Philosophers used to express vice by Turpitudo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filthiness as being that which is infinitely disbecoming below and unworthy of humane nature And the Wise man in his Book of the Proverbs saith that a wicked man is loathsome and cometh to shame There is no such hideous monster in nature as a Reasonable Creature living in Contradiction to the Dictates of his Understanding trampling under-foot the eternal Laws of Righteousness and opposing himself to the known will of the Great Sovereign of the World of him in whom he liveth moveth and hath his being to whom alone he is obliged for all he is or hath and for the Capacity he is in of having any thing for the future which for the present he is destitute of A Body in which the Head and Feet have exchanged places is not more deformed and monstrous than is a vitious Soul For her Superiour and Governing part is subjected to and Lorded over by her Inferiour and that which was designed by Nature to be kept in subjection and governed Her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Pythagoraeans Phrase it or Holder of the Reins and Ruling Faculty is become the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reined in and Ruled Faculty I adde moreover that well may sin be said to spoil and marr mens souls for we read in the writings of the Apostles that it kills them She that liveth in pleasures is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. You hath he quickened who were dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2. 1. S. Iude speaking of certain ungodly wretches saith that they are twice dead v. 12. And the very same notion had diverse of the Heathens also Pythagoras used to put a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or empty coffin in the place of that Scholar that left his School to betake himself to a vicious and debauch'd life as thereby signifying that he was dead dead as to his nobler part And his Followers tell us that the Souls of men died when they apostatized from God and cast off the Divine Life And such a one as in whom sin reigneth may be called a dead man because according to them the Definition of a man belongs not to him nor doth he any longer deserve the name of a Reasonable Creature The Philosopher we have so often quoted and shall have occasion to do it oftener will have wickedness to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the death of the reasonable nature And Simplicius doubts not to assert that a man that is drowned in sensuality hath no more of Reason in him than a Brute creature To return to God and to a right mind to be without God and without understanding were of one and the same signification with those excellent men And our Saviour tells us that the Prodigal came to himself when he resolved upon returning to his Father's house as if that while he persisted in disobedience he was as very a Brute as were those whose husks he fed on and had utterly lost his understanding faculty Though that last saying of Simplicius may seem somewhat hyperbolical yet this following one of Hierocles hath not the least tittle of a Figure in it viz. That wicked men do render the Reason that remaineth in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more base and wretchedly contemptible than the vilest slave They use it altogether in matters of very bad or at best of most mean concern and therefore as upon that account it were better so upon this it would be even as well if they had none at all For the Sagacity that is in Beasts is not less serviceable to them than is the Reason of a wicked man to him Nay had he onely that Sagacity that is observable in many unreasonable Creatures it might stand him in as much stead as his Reason doth and perhaps more So that from what hath been discoursed it appeareth very evidently that wickedness is the worst incomparably the worst of Evils that it is so in its own nature as well as in its consequences And therefore to deliver us from it by purifying our lives and natures is to confer upon us the greatest blessing and consequently is an undertaking of all others the most worthy of the Son of God CHAP. X. The Second Argument viz. That the Blessing of making men Holy is accompained with all other that are most desireable and which do best deserve to be so called Particularly with the Pardon of Sin and God's
and disparaged those vain estimations that are founded upon them in that he chose to be wholly devoid of them and in the very other extreme to those which abounded with them whereby he likewise signified how little evil he apprehended in Disesteem Reproach and Poverty which we vain Creatures have such frightful conceptions of and so greatly dread in that he did not at all matter them nor in the least concern himself at them So Great Generous and Gallant a Soul had he that he was so far from suffering his mind to be at all disquieted with them that He voluntarily and freely chose them For it lay in his power to be the Richest man under Heaven and most to abound with this Worlds Goods if it had so pleased him and he could if he had listed have been also the most popular person upon earth could always have kept the Credit which for a while he had among the Common People and gained the like among all sorts For he had infinitely the Advantage above all that ever appeared upon this Stage of the Word to have raised to himself a most mighty Renown and to be adored by all people So that the truth of that saying of Epictetus They are not the things themselves which so affright and seare men but the false opinions they have conceived of them is greatly confirmed as to the forementioned reputed evils by our Saviour's Practice And this Blessed Person Chusing so mean and contemptibly poor a condition of Life in the World I need not tell you that he was perfectly contented with it nor that he was altogether free though he had many times scarcely from hand to mouth from thoughtfulness anxiety of mind concerning his future maintenance For as he Cautioned his Disciples against taking thought for their Life what they should eat what they should drink and wherewith they should be clothed shewed the folly and sinfulness thereof as proceeding from distrustfulness of the Divine providence Matt. 6. 25 c. So was he so far from being guilty of that fault himself that he was no less liberal than he was poor For when he was provided with a small pittance of victuals instead of hoarding it up or being saving of it he would not think much of spending it upon others whose needs craved it We read twice of his bestowing the little stock that he and his Disciples had gotten between them upon the Hungry Multitude and of his working a Miracle to make it hold out among them And how full he was of Charity and â—…nder Compassion is beyond expression For as he commended to his Disciples and inculcated upon them nothing more nor scarcely so much so in the exercise of no vertue was he more exemplary We read often of the yerning of his Bowels towards miserable mortals and his Pity did always exert it self in acts of Mercy Never did any make application to him for deliverance from the Evils that did afflict them that had not their requests granted them Nor were any more forward to beg relief of any kind of him than he was to bestow it upon them Nay he frequently made poor Creatures the objects of his merey before it was sought for by them It was even his whole business to oblige the world by signal kindnesses and as shall be farther shewn anon he continually went up and down doing good either to the bodies or souls of men Nay his charity was of so large and Universal extent that the Wicked and unthankful and even his bitterest enemies were as well as otherâ—… very ample partakers of it Whereas the duty of blessing those that curse us and praying for those that dispitefully use us is to our corrupt natures one of the harshest and most difficult of any he hath imposed upon us he hath taken a course by the admirable Example he hath herein given us to make it one of the easiest and most pleasant to us For the Devilish Malice that by the vilest of men was exprest towards him could not in the least imbitter his spirit or harden his heart against them Nor could he be disswaded by it from persisting in doing good to them but continued to entreat them to accept of life from him to grieve at their infidelity and with tears to bewail their most obstinate perverseness And lastly when their inveterate and implacable hatred came to vent it self in the cruellest and most barbarous manner imaginable upon him did he pray to his Father for them even whilst they were tormenting him did he beseech him to forgive them Nay and in order thereunto laid down his very life for them even for them I say that took it from him And this gives occasion to discourse something of his most wonderful Patience the stupendious submission of his Soul to God which he gave us in his Extreme sufferings an Example of We are exhorted Heb. 12. 1 2. to run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was 〈◊〉 before him endured the Cross despising the shame c. The Ignominy that was cast upon him by ungodly Creatures he despised and as for the excessive tortures felt by him them he endured He did not indeed despise these also but neither did he saint under them according 〈◊〉 we are forbidden to do vers 5. of the â—…ow mentioned Chapter My son despise 〈◊〉 thou the Chastisement of the Lord neither saint when thou art rebuked of him There were on the one hand no Stoical Rants heard from him such as that of Pâ—…donius in the Presence of Pompey when he was afflicted with a fit of the Gout or some such disease viz. Nihil â—…gis color c. O pain thou art an insignificant thing I don't matter thee For we find that our Saviour had as quick a sense of pain as have other men and his Agony in the Garden did so affect his soul as to force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clodders of blood through the Pores of his Body We read that he was sore amazed and very heavy and he told his Disciples that his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death But yet on the other hand notwithstanding the immense weight and most heavy Pressure of Grief his mind suffered under through his Fathers withholding the wonted influences of his love from him and the intolerable torments of body that he underwent though both in regard of the greatness of his sufferings and also his Most perfect innocence and therefore non-desert of them he might have the greatest temptations Imaginable to be impatient he never uttered a murmuring or discontented word nor conceived the least displeasure at the Divine Majesty or doubted either of his Iustice or Goodness but entirely submitted himself to this his severe dispensation of Providence and willingly acquiefced in it He prayed indeed to his Father that this Bitter Cup if it were possible might pass from him but