abjectness of spirit then many of his servants the Martyrs were and to fall hudgely below that holily-heroick and magnanimous courage and resolution wherewith they adventured on extream Sufferings and most exquisite Torments which would be very unworthy of and a mighty reflection upon him who is the valiant Captain of Salvation made perfect through suffering who drank of the brook in the way Heb. 2.10 Psal 110.7 and therefore lifted up the head But here is the great and true reason of the difference betwixt his sad and sorrowful deportment under his Sufferings and their solacious chearful and joyful deportment under theirs that they through his Sufferings and Satisfaction were perswaded and made sensible of God's being pacified towards them and were mightily refreshed by his gracious comforting presence with them amidst their Sufferings while be on the contrary looked upon himself as one legally obnoxious to punishment fisted before the terrible Tribunal of the Justice of God highly provoked by and very angry at the sins of his People who was in a most signal manner pouring out upon his soul the vials of his Wrath and Curse which made him lamentâ—bly and aloud to cry out of desertion though not in respect of the persoâ—al union as if that had been dissolved nor yet as to secretly supporting yet as to such a measure at least of sensibly comforting and rejoicing presence My God my God why hast thou forsaken me here Faith was in its Meridian though it was dark Mid-night as to Joy wherewith as such his Body could not be immediatly affected spiritual desertion not falling under bodily sense Whence we may see how justly the Doctrine of Papists is to be exploded who deny all suffering in his Soul immediatly to salve their darling dream of his local descent as to his Soul while his Body was in the Grave into Hell and to Limbus Patrum to bring up thence into Heaven the souls of the Fathers whom without giving any reason or alleadging any fault on their part they foolishly fancy after their death till then to have been imprisoned there though quiet and under no punishment of sense yet deprived of all light and vision of God and so under the punishment of less the greatest of punishments even by the confession of some of themselves whereby they put these holy and perfected souls for there they say there is no more purgation from sin that being the proper work of their profitable Purgatory in worse case all that length of time after their death then they were when alive on the Earth where doubtless they had often much soul-refreshing fellowship with God and the light of his Countenance lifted up upon them Neither were these his Sufferings in Soul and Body only to confirm the Doctrine taught by him if that was at all designed by him as an end of his Sufferings so much stumbled at in the time which yet I will not debate let be peremptorily deny his Doctrine being rather confirmed by his Miracles and Resurrection and to leave us an example and pattern how we should suffer as non-christian and blasphemous Socinians over which were mightily to depretiate and disparage nay to enervate and quite to evacuate his Sufferings by attributing no more to them then is attributable to the sufferings of his Servants and Martyrs it 's true his Example was an infallible Directory the Example of all Examples but theirs not so yet this doth not at all influence any alteration of the nature of the end 2 Cor. 5 21 Gal. 3.13 1 Per. 2.24 Isa 53.5 6 8.10 12 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 1 Joh. 2.2 but also and mainly by them undergone for his People and in their room and as sustaining their persons vice and place truly and properly by the Sacrifice of himself to satisfy Divine Justice for their sins And who I pray can put any other comment on these Scripture-expressions whthout manifest perverting and wresting of them He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree which is by the Apostle subjoyned as a superior end of his sufferings to that of leaving us an example discoursed by him immediatly before He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all For the transgression o my people was he stricken When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin He bare the sins of many In whom we have redemption through his blood Who is the propitiation for our sins and the like Nor did he undergo these sad sufferings for all men in the world to satisfie Justice for them and to reconcile them to God but only for the Elect and such as were given unto him For First The chastisement of their peace only was laid on him who are healed by his stripes as it is v. 5. of this 53 of Isai For the iniquities of my people was he stricken saith the Lord v. 8. The same who are called the Mediators people Ps 110.3 for saith blessed Jesus to his Father Joh. 17.10 All mine are thine and thine are mine Who shall without all peradventure or possibility of misgiving be made willing in the day of his power He only bare the iniquities of these whom he justifieth by his knowledge v. ii For otherwise the Prophets reasoning would not be consequent He only bare the iniquities of as many trangressors as he makes intercession for v. 12. And that he doth not make intercession for all but for these only who are given to him that is all the Elect is undenyably manifest from Joh. 17.9 where himself expresly saith I pray not for the world but for these whom thou hast given me Now Gods eternall electing love and his giving the Elect to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption to be satisfied for and saved by him and his intercession for them are commensurable and of equal extent as is most clear from Joh. 17.6 Where he saith Thine they were to wit by election and thou gavest them to me to wit in and by the Covenant of Redemption Gods decree of election being in order of nature prior to this donation or gift of the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption compared with v. 9. where he saith I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast given me for they are thine It is observable that he saith twice over I pray for them manifestly and emphatically restricting his intercession to them and excluding all others from it Why then should not also his sacrifice the price of the Redemption of these elected and given ones agreed upon in that Covenant betwixt these two mighty Parties be commensurable with the former three Especially since he saith v. 19. For their sakes sanctifie I
as a reason of the former and the one part of them is a reason of the other he had said before Who can declare his generation Who can sufficiently declare and unfold how gloriously the Mediator is exalted And he gives this for the reason of it For he was cut off out of the land of the living The force of which reason is that he humbled himself therefore God hath highly exalted him as the Apostle reasons Philip. 2.9 So tha this is not added as being posterior to his Exaltation but as a reason shewing the connexion of his Exâ—ltation with his Humiliation And left it should be a stumbling to any that this glorious person suffered death he gives the reason of that also which strengthens the reason of his Exaltation For the transgression of my people was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was on him he suffered not for any wrong in himself but for the sins of his own elect people The first part clearly looks to Christs death which was a Prophesie in Isaiah his time but is now a Historical narr tion to us we having the Gospel as a Commentary on it To be cut off out of the land of the living is to have an end put to the natural life which is ordinarily done by death But cutting off here signifies to be taken away not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary way to be removed by a violent death by the stroak of Justice We may shortly take these two Observes here for the confirmation of two Articles of our Faith Looking on it 1. As a Prophesie we may Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to suffer and die it was Prophesied of him That he should be cut off out of the land of the living And Dan. 9.26 it is plainly and clearly asserted that the Messiah shall be cut off which being compared with the History of the Gospel we have it as a truth â—ulfilled for our Lord Jesus was cut off and as he himself sayes Luke 24. It behoved him to suffer these things and to enter into his gloâ—y Aâ—d supposing the Elect to be sinners and the curse to be added to the Covenant of Works The day thou eats thou shalâ— surely die supposing also the Mediator to have ingaged and undertaken to satisfie Juâ—â—ice and undergo that curse for the Elâ—ct There was a necessity that he should die as it is Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us which curse was evidenâ— in his death for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 2. Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to die a violent death and not an ordinary natural one which this expression and that other Dan 9 clearly holds forth And consideriâ—g his sinless nature that was not lyable to death and that he had not these principles of dying in him disposing him to die that we sinful miserable mortals have is us And considering withal that the Lord Jâ—hovah was to speak so pursuing him as siâ—ners Câ—uâ—ioner at the Bar of Justice it was meet yea necâ—ssary that our blessed Lord should not die an ordinary death as men die ordinarily through weakness or sickness on their beds but a violent death Use It serves to be a confirmation of this truth that the Messiah behoved thus to die therefore we say in the Belief He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Which shews 1. The reality oâ— his satisfaction and the compleat payment that he made to Justice when he layes down that price which the sinner ought to have laid down 2. It shews the reality of our Lord's sufferings and that they were not imaginary but that as he was a real and true man so his sufferings were most real His soul was separat from his body though the union betwixt both his body and soul and the God-head continued still 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of our faith in this that our Lord Jesus is the Messiah that was Prophesied of and promiâ—ed in whom all the suffâ—rings in his soul and body that were spokâ—n of to go before his death were accomplished and in whom this was also accomplished that he was cut off out of the land of the living So that if we look rightly on the Scriptures our Lords sufferings will be so far from being matter of stumbling that they will rather be a clear convincing and evident proof that Jeâ—us of Nazareth is the true Messiah and that in him all th t was spoken concerning the Messiah is fulfi led and came to pass 4. It 's mâ—tter of great consolation to believers that our Lord Jesus who is now exalted died and so death is spoiled and there needs not be any great fear for them to yoke with it This land of the living is not their rest within a little they must be gone hence Our Lord was cut off from it and that by a shameful death for the behove and sake of others and not for himself and therefore his death cannot but be made forth-coming for them for whom he under-went it and their petty suffâ—rings need not much to vex them Those plainest truths that are most ordinary have in them most of spiritual sap juâ—ce and life to strengthen Faith and to furnish consolation to Believers And were they rightly understood and fed upon by Faith O how lively might they be And were there no more but these two words in thâ— Text. O how much consolation do they yield in lâ—fe and in death Our Lord is gone before Believers and they may be greatly heartned to follow him The last part of or the last thing in the words seem to have some more obscurity in it and therefore we shall insist the more in opening up of the same For the transgression of my people was he stricken These words do not look to the reason why Pilate and the Priests condemned him for they had no thoughts of the sins of Gods people Though Caiaphas stumbled as to himself by guess on a Prophesie of his dying for them but they give a reason why he was cut off out of the land of the living And look to the Court and Tribunal of God's Justice before which he was standing by which he was to be sentenced to death for the transgressions of God's people and also absolved He was thus stricken in respect of God's purpose and design For clearing of the words it may be inquired 1. What is meant here by my people 2. What is it to be stricken or smitten for them For the 1. My people it is a discriminating or differencing thing of some from others And therefore by my people here is not meant 1. All the world or all that ever lived and had a beeing We find not any where in Scripture that these are called my people or God's people but when ever my people is spoken of it is used to rid Marches betwixt his people and
rich man nor to the wise man c. God hath not choâ—en many of these as is clear 1 Cor. 1.26 buâ— say to the righteous or holy man it shall be weâ—l with him and is herâ— any thing that should have so much influence on men and take them so much up as how to be well in the close Folk may have a fighting life of it here and may suffer much and be under reproach for a time as Christ was but if thou be holy ere thy Body be laid in the Grave it shall be well with thy Soul And as for all who have chosen the way of Holiness we are allowed to say this to you that it shall be well with you at death and after death at Judgment and even for evermore To them saith the Apostle Rom. 2.9 who by patient continuance in well-doingr seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life O how many great and good things are abiding all the honest-hearted Students of Holiness Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what they are 3ly It 's ground of expostulation with them that neglect and slight Holiness As it will be well with the Righteous or Holy so they shall have a miserable and desperate lot of it who either despise or neglect Holiness Wo to the wicked saith Isaiah 3 1â— it shall be ill with him Some of you may think that ye are rich and honourable are well cloathed fit in fine Houses and have richly covered Tables when poor Bodies are keeped at the door and are destitute of these things and are ready to bless your selves as being well though ye care not for nor seek after Holiness but wo unto you for ye must die and go to the bottomleâ—s Pit and there ye will not get so much as a drop of water to cool your Tongues in these tormenting Flames neither your Riches nor Honours nor Pleasures will hold off the heat and fury of the vengeance of God nor in the â—eâ—st ease you in your exâ—ream pain but as it is Rom. 2.9 Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish four sore words wiâ—l be upon every soul of man that doeth evil O dâ— ye believe this â—'s the truth of God and a very plain truth and we are perswaded none of you will dare downright to deny it Holiness will have a sweet and comfortable close and the neglect of it will have fearful effâ—cts following on it what is the reason then that Holiness is so little thought of aâ—d followed do ye believe that ye will die and think ye ever to come to Judgment or to hear that word Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me naked and ye cloathed me c. O what will become of many of you when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels iâ—flaming fire to render vengeance to all them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel and will say to you Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for when I was hungry ye fed me not c. this is I grant a general truth yet if it be not received we know not what truth will be received and if it were received the practice of Holiness would be more studied there would be less Sin and more Prayer Reading Meditation more seeking after Knowledge and more watchfulness and tenderness in Folks Conversation always in this the Lord shews the connexion that is betwixt Holiness and Hâ—ppiness and hâ—re ye have the copy and pattern of an examplary walk 3ly From this that the holiâ—ess and blamâ—nleâ—eâ—s of Christ here spoken of is marked in him as peculiar to him for it fits him to be a High Priâ—st and proves that only he could be the Priest that â—uited and became us anâ— that no other could do our turn as the Apostle râ—asons Heb 7 26 27 28. For the law maketh men priests that have infirmity but the word of â—he oath which was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore From this I say Obseâ—ve That all men even the most holy except Christ who was both God and Man a e sinful and not one of them sinless while living here on earth and the reâ—son is becâ—uâ—e 〈◊〉 any were sinless then this that is said here would not be peculiar to our Lord Jesus Christ that He diâ— no violence neither was there deceit â—n his mouth This being a singular character of our High Priâ—st that none of his Types could clâ—â—m to it exclusively agreeth to him so as it agreeth to none other The Scripture is full to this purpose in asserting that not only all mâ—n are sinnâ—rs as considered in theiâ— naturâ—l condition but that even Bâ—lieveâ— are sinful in part for the same Apostle John that saiâ—h 1 Epist 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ saith also vers 8. If we say we have no siâ— we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and vers 10. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us and 1 Kings 8.46 and Eccles 7.20 There is no man that doth good and sinneth not plainly insinuating that all have need of an Intercessouâ— We shall not insist in this only from these words compared with the scope making it peculiar to Christ to be without sin and implying that none other are so we would consider the necessity of its being so 1. For differencing and separating of Jesus Christ from all others by putting this dâ—gnity on him of being holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners this is his prerogative and badge of honour above others 2. It 's necessary for this end to demonstrate the need that there is of his offering himself a Sacrifice for sinners and that it was not for himself but for sinners that he offered up himself and that there is a continual necessity of making use of that Sacrifice for if there were not a continuance of sin in part while Believers are out of Heaven there would be no need of this part of Christs office if we were holy and harmless our selves we needed not such an High Priest Use 1. To establish us in the faith of this Truth That among all men there is none that were true men except Christ that is without sin sin is still abiding in them while in this world of none of them all it can be said that they have done no violence neither is there any deceit in their mouth none of them could ever say since Adam fell the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me yea this is a special qualification of Christ Jesus for his Priest-hood that he was without sin and behoved to be so I am not pleading that sinners should take a liberty to sin because there is no perfection to be win at in this life God
and these Sufferings are more then if all the Elect had Suffered Eternally in Hell 2 His Death is considered as a Satisfaction And this looks to the Wrong that Men by Sin have done to God That the finit and feckless Creature durst be so malapert as to break God's Command It required a Satisfaction equivalent to the Wrong done though the Word Satisfaction be not in Scripture yet the thing is Christ Jesus for the Restoring of God to His Honour That was as to the Manifestation of it wronged by Mans Sin comes in to perform the will of God and to Satisfie for the wrong done Him by Man that it may be made known that God is Holy and Just who will needs avenge Sin on His own Son the Holy and Innocent Cautioner when He Interposes in the Room of the Sinner which vindicats the Spotless Justice and Soveraignity of God as much as if not more then if He had exacted the satisfaction off the Sinners themselves As it is Rom. 3.16 To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus 3 Christ's Death is considered as a Redemption of Man from Sin the Law and the Curse because lyable to a Debt which he cannot of himself pay and His Death was in this respect a paying of the Debt that Man was owing and a loosing of the Captive and Imprisoned Sinner even as when a Piece of Land is morgaged and a Person comes in and payes that for which it was Morgaged So Jesus Christ comes in and as it were asks what are these Men owing and what is due to them It 's answered they are Sinners Death and the Curse are due to them well saith He I will take their Debt on my Self I will pay their Ransom by undergoing all that was due to them He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles And so Christ's Death in this respect is to be looked on as a laying down of the same Price that Justice would have exacted of Men His Death is the paying of our Ransom and Satisfying of the account that was over our head 4. His Death is considered as it furthered the Work of the Redemption of Elect Sinners by a powerful annulling of the Obligation that was against us and by a powerfull overcoming of all enemies that kept us Captive He grapled and yocked with the Devil in that wherein he seemed to be strongest and overcame him He tore the Obligation that stood over Sinners heads as it is Coll. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writting of ordinances that was against us and that was contrary to us he took it out of the way nailing it to his cross and having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it In this respect though His Death be one of the lowest steps of His Humiliation yet considering Him as in it prevailling over the Devil and other Enemies He is to be looked on as powerfully Working and efficaciously perfecting our Salvation In the former respect He payes God the Debt that was due by Sinners in the Latter Respect considering the Devil and Spiritual Enemies as so many Jaylours keeping Sinners Prisoners He by His Death wrings as it were the Keyes out of their hands and sets the Prisoners Free 5. Christ's Death is considered as it is in the Text As an Offering and Sacrifice for Sin In this respect it looks to God as displeased with Man and our Lord Jesus Interposes to pacifie Him and to make Him well pleased and that by the means of His Death God's Peace Favour and Friendship may be recovered to poor sinfull Men All these Considerations of the Death of Christ are but one and the same upon the matter Yet thus diversified they serve to shew how unexpressibly much Sinners are oblidged to Christ what great advantages they have by Him And what a desperat condition they are in who are without Him having nothing to satisfie Justice nor to pay their Debt with 2dly We said that this Sacrifice was especially Offered by Him in His Death Therefore He is said to Offer this Sacrifice on the Cross He himself as Peter hath it 1 2.24 bare our sins in his body on the tree Heb. 9. at the close And Heb. 10.14 It is said that he once offered up himself to bear the sins of many and by his once offering he hath perfected for ever these who are sanctified So that this Offering is to be applyed to that which He suffered on Earth before He ascended and it is in this respect that He is a Propitiatory Sacrifice though as I said the Vertue thereof is still communicated by Him now when He is in Heaven Use This serves to remove two Errors about Christ's Sacrifice The 1. is that which bounds and limits Christ's Offering and Priest-hood to His going to Heaven thereby to enervat the Efficacy of His Sufferings and Death quit contrary to this Scripture wherein the Prophet explicating His Sufferings on Earth calleth them an offering for sin The 2. is that Blasphemous Conceit and Fancie of the Papists who account their abominable Mass a Propitiatory Sacrifice for taking away the Sins of the Quick and oâ— the Dead which as it is most horrid Blasphemy So it is most expresly against this Text for if Christ's Sacrifice for the taking away of Sin be peculiarly applyed to His Humiliation and Death which brought with it such a change as made Hâ—m not to be for a time what He was before Then certainly there can be nothing of that now which can bear that Name there being no other thing to which the properties of a real Sacrifice can agree but this only 3. I said that Christ's Offering up of Himself in a Sacrifice was in His Soul as well as in Hiâ— Body and that He was therein obnoxioâ—s to the Wrath of God That is as He stood Cautioner for the Elect and had the Cup of Wrath â—u in His hand He Suffered not only in His Body but also and Mainly in His Soul which the Jews could not reach and He is here holden out as a Sin-offering in His Soul yea considering that it was the Wrath of God and His Curse due to the Elect that He had to deal with His Soul was more capable to be affected with it then His Body Hence He sayes when no hand of Man touched Him John 12.27 Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say and Matth. 26.38 and Luk. 22.44 Now is my soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death and being in an agony he prayed c. That which looked like strong Armies mustered and drawn up against Him was not the Souldiers that came to take Him nor the Bodily Death which was quickly to follow but it was the Fathers coming with His awakned Sword to exact of Him the Debt due
that their Souls are in and that they look at peace with God as an easie business But one day it wil be found to be a great matter to be at peace with Him that Sin is bitter and Wrath heavy and that to be in good terms with God is better then a thousand Worlds God Himself make you wise to think seriously on it in time SERMON LXV ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sins of many and he made intercession for the transgressours THere was never bargain so seriously entered in as this betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator never bargain was of such concernment and weight It is therefore no marvel it be insisted upon The Prophet hath been holding forth the terms and conditions of it on both sides and now he sums them up in this last Verse that the businesse may be left cleâ—r and distinct setting forth what the Lord Jehovah ingageth for to the Mediator and what the Mediator ingageth for to Jehovah only with this difference that in the former part of the Chapter the Mediators ingagment is first set down and then what are the Promises that the Lord Jehovah made to him But in this Verse where the Covenant is resumed what the Lord ingageth for to the Mediator is first set down and then what the Mediator is to perform in the last place To shew as I said the mutualnesse of the Covenant of Redemption and that it is but one bargain one link whereof can never be loosed on either side In the last part of the Verse what the Mediator is to perform is set down in Four Expressions as past and done because of the certainty efficacy of the Mediators Sufferings and of His performing what He undertook and of divine Justice It 's acceptation thereof The 1. is because He hath poured out his soul unto death It was proposed to the Mediator to die which he undertook and in the execution goes cheâ—rfully about it He poured out his soul unto death without any prigging grace and love to speak so with reverence were so liberal and prodigal of the Life of our Lord Jesus for the Salvation of lost Sinners That His blessed Soul was separat from his Body and he made obnoxious to the Curse which most willingly he underwent his Life or Soul was poured out unto death The 2d is He was numbred with the transgressours which implyes Three things 1. It suppons that he was indeed no transgressour there was no guile found in His mouth yet he behoved to stoop so low as to be reckoned among or numbred with transgressours as the former expression holds out the painfulnesse of his Death So this holds out the ignominie of it he not only died and behoved to die but he was looked on as a despicable person even so despicable that Barrabas a thief and robber was preferred unto him and of this we spake from verse 3. He was dispised and rejected of men 2. It implyes mens ingratitude that when our blessed Lord came to redeem them they did not count him worthy to live but looked on him as a transgressour This was also fulfilled in the History of the Gospel as John 18.30 They say unto Pilat If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee 3. It implyes the low condescendence and depth of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath no bottom he will not only die but die a shamful and cursed Death and take on reproach and ignominy with the Debt of Sinners when they are dispysing him The Cautioner must not only die but die a shamful death some deaths are creditable and honourable and men will with a sort of vanity affect them but it behoved not to be so with our Lord Jesus when he entered himself Sinners Cautioner he must not only die but be despicable in his death as it is Chap. 50.5 He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair he hid not his face from shame and spitting because it was so articled and agreed upon when he was reviled he reviled not again O! what condescending-love shins forth here in the Mediator It was much to pay the Debt and die but more in his dying to be counted the transgressour much to be Cautioner but more to be counted the dyvour As if some wicked and perverse Officer ceazing on the Cautioner should not only arrest him for the Debt and exact it of him but account and call him the dyvour Debtor yet he bears all patiently It would learn us to bear reproach for him he bare much more for us then we can bear for him he was railed on and reviled bufferted and spitted on they in derision said unto him Hail king of the Jews they mocked him nodded the head at him hanged him up betwixt two thieves as the most eminent malefactor of the three and Mark saith Chap. 15.28 That this scripture was fulfilled which saith and he was numbred with the transgressours God had appointed it and the Mediator had condescended to it and therefore it behoved so to be We spake to the matter of this before and will not now insist on it any further The 3d. is He bare the sins of many which is also causal as the former are It 's put in here 1. To shew the end of his dying and the nature of his death His death was a cursed death but not for his own Sin but for the Sins of others even to pay the Debt that was owing by his Elect the many here are the same many spoken of in the former verse who by his knowledge are justified It 's not the Sins of all that Christ bare but the Sins of many and the many whose Sins he bares are the many that are justified and all who are justified their Sins he bare and of no moe So that as many as have their Sins born by Christ are justified and whoever are justified had their Sins born by him 2. It shews also how the Sins of these many are taken away It was by Christs bearing the punishment due for their Sins this it that which we spake to from verse 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all In a word it 's this The Mediator articleth and agreeth to take on the guilt of the Sins of the Elect though not their Sins themselves formally considered he took the deserving or burden of their Debt Of this we have also spoken before and will not therefore insist any more particularly on it The 4th and last Article or part of the condition required of the Mediator is He made intercession for the transgressours There was more required of him then to die and to die such a death for the Elect's Sins He must
which may be gathered from Heb. 4.1 that stout confidence that thinks it's impossible to miss the Promises is a suspect and dangerous Faith not to be loved it 's a much better Faith that fears then that Faith that 's more stout except there be a sweet mixture of holy stoutness and fear together It 's said Heb. 11.7 that by Faith Noah being moved with fear prepared an Ark c. Noah had the Faith of God's Promise that he should be keeped free from being drowned by the Deluge with the rest of the World and yet he was mourning and trembling in preparing the Ark If there were much Faith among you it would make many of you more holily feared then ye are Love not that Faith the worse that ye never hear a threatning but ye tremble at it and are touched by it in the quick 2. It 's a good token of Saving Faith when it hath a discovery and holy suspition of Unbelief wairing on it so that the Person dare not so lippen and trust his own Faith as not to dread Unbelief and to tell Christ of it There is a poor Man that comes to Christ Mat. 9.23 24. to whom the Lord faith If thou canst believe or canst thou believe yes Lord says he I believe help thou mine unbelief there was some Faith in him but there was also Unbelief mixed with it his Unbelief was so great that it was almost like to drown his Faith but he puts it in Christ's hand and will neither deny his Faith nor his Unbelief but puts the matter sincerely over upon Christ to strengthen his Faith and to amend and help his Unbelief It 's a suspect Faith that 's at the top of Perfection at the very first and ere ever ye wot There are some serious Souls that think because they have some Unbelief that therefore they have no Faith at all but true Faith is such a Faith that is by and beside suspected and feared or seen Unbelief That Faith is surest where Folk fear and suspect Unbelief and see it and when they are weighted with their Unbelief and cry out under it and make their Unbelief an errand to Christ it 's a token there is Faith there 3. The third Character is That it will have with it a sticking to Christ and a fear to presume in sticking to Him There will be two things striving together an eagerness to be at Him and a fear that they be found presumptuous in medling with Him and an holy trembling to think on it yet notwithstanding it must and will be adventured upon the Woman spoken of Mark 5.28 lays this reckoning with her self If I can but touch his cloathes I shall be whole and she not only believeth this to be truth but crouds and thrimbles in to be at him yet vers 33. when she comes before Christ she trembles as if she had been taken in a fault not having dared to come openly to Him but behind him she behoved to have a touch of him but she durst not in a manner own and avouch her doing of it till she be unavoidably put to it It 's a suspect and unsound Faith that never trembled at minting to Believe there is reason to be jealous that Faith not to be of the right stamp that never walked under the impression of the great distance between Christ and the Person the sense whereof is the thing that makes the trembling I say not desperation nor any utter distrust of Christ's kindness but trembling arising from the consideration of the great distance and disproportion that 's between Him and the Person Faith holds the Sinner a going to Christ and the sense of its own sinfulness and worthlesness keeps him under holy fear and in the exercise of Humility Paul once thought himself a jolly man as we may see Rom. 7.9 but when he was brought to believe in Christ he sees that he was a dead and undone man before I give you these three marks of a true Faith from that Chapter 1. It discovers to a Man his former Sinfulness and particularly his former Self-conceit Pride and Presumption I was saith Paul alive without the Law once c. a man living upon the thoughts of his own Holiness but when the Law came I died he fell quite from these high thoughts A second Mark is A greater restlesness of the Body of Death it becoming in some respect worse Company more fretful and strugling more then ever it did before Sin revived saith Paul though he had no more Corruption in him then he had before but it wakened and bestirred it self more I dare say that though there be not so much Corruption in a Believer as there is in a natural Man yet it strugleth much more and is more painful and disquieting to the Believer and breeds him a greate dale more trouble for says the Apostle on the matter when God graciously poured Light and Life into me Sin took that occasion to grow angry and to be enraged that such a neighbour was brought in beside it it could not endure that as an unruly and currish Dog barks most bitterly when an honest Guest comes to the House so doth Corruption bark and make more noise then it did before when Grace takes place in the Soul There are some that trow they have the more Faith because they feel no Corruption stir in them and there are others that think they have no Faith at all because they feel Corruption strâ—gling more and growing more troublesome to them but the stirring and strugling of Corruption if Folk be indeed burdened and affected and afflicted with it will rather prove their having of Faith then their wanting of it Love that Faith well that puts and keeps Folk bickerring to say so in the Fight with the Body of Death for though this be not good in it self that Corruption stirreth yet Sin is of that sinful nature that it flies always more in their face that look God and Heaven-wards then of others that are sleeping securely under its Dominion A third Mark is When the Soul hath never Peace in any of its Conflicts or Combats with Corruption but when it resolves in Faith exercised on Jesus Christ as it was with Paul in that Chapter after his Conversion That is a sound Faith that only makes Peace at first by Christ but that cannot to say so fight one fair stroke in the Spiritual Warfare nor look Corruption in the face nor promise to it self an outgate from any assault of the Enemy but by Faith in Jesus Christ as it was with the Apostle who toward the end of that Chapter lamentably crys O! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet immediatly subjoyns Faiths triumphing in Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord he belike before his Conversion thought he could do well enough all alone but it is not so now when he can do nothing without Christ especially in this sore
War with his Corruption That is a sound Faith that makes the Sinner to make use of Christ in every thing he is called to that yoaks him I mean Christ to work on every occasion and particularly when it comes as it were to grapling and hand blows with this formidable Enemy the Body of Death this Monster whereof when one Hâ—aâ— is cut off another as it were starts up in its place For a close of this Purpose I beâ—eech and obtest such of you as are strangers to Saving Faith who are I fear far the greatest part to consider seriously all I have spoken of the nature and native evidences of it that you may be undeceived of your Soul-ruining Mistakes about it and let sincere and sound Believers from aâ—l be more cleared confirmed and comforted in their Faith SERMON XIII ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THere are many mistakes in the way of Religion wherewith the most part are possâ—ssed and amongst the rest there is one that generally the Hearers of the Gospel think it so easie to Believe that there is no difficulty in that by any thing they think it hard to Pray to keep the Sabâ—ath to be Holy but the most part think there is no difficulty in Believing and yet Unbelief is so rife and Faith so rare and difficult that the Prophet Isaiah here in his own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel crys out Lord who hath believed our report he complains that he could get but very few to take the Word off his hand and because it weighted him to find it so and because he would fain have it to take impression on his Hearers he doubles expressions to the same purpose and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed which in sum is there is much Preaching and many Hearers of the Gospel but little believing of it few in whose Heart the work of Faith is wrought It 's but here one and there one that this Gospel hath efficacy upon for uniting of them to Jesus Christ and for working a work of Saving Grace in them the effectual working of God's Grace reaches the Hearts but of a few For opening the words we shall speak a little to these three 1. To what is meant by the Arm of the Lord. 2. To what is meant by the revealing of the Arm of the Lord. 3. To the scope and dependance of these words on the former For the first In general know the Arm of the Lord is no to be understood properly the Lord being a Spirit hath no Arms Hands nor Feet as Men have But it 's to be understood figuratively as holding out some Property or Attribute of God By the Arm of the Lord then we understand in general the Power of God the Arm of Man being that whereby He exerceth His Power performeth Exploits or doth any Work So the Arm of the Lord is His Power whereby He produceth His Mighty Acts as it 's said in the Psalms The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly His hand and his arm hath got him the victory and because the Power of God is taken either more generally for that which is exerced in the Works of common Providence or more particulâ—rly for that which is put forth in the Work of Saving Grace We tâ—ke it here in short to be the Grace of God exercing its Power in and by the Gospel for the converting of Souls and causing them savingly to Believe so Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes not simply as it consists in speaking of good sweet and seasonable words but as it cometh backed by the irresistable Power of the Grace of God as the word is 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them who are called both Jews and Greeks the power of God and the wisdom of God and that it is so to be taken here the conâ—â—â—â—ion of these words with the former will make it clear for sure he is not speaking of the Power of God in the works of common Providence but of His Power in the conversion of Souls to Christ even of that Power which works Saving Faith in the Elect. For the second The revealing of the Arm of the Lord By this we do not understand the revealing of it objectively as it 's brought to light by the preaching of the Gospel for thus it 's revealed to all the Hearers of the Gospel it 's in this respect not keeped hid but brought forth clearly to them in the Word And therefore secondly The revealing of this Arm or Power of the Lord is to be understood of the subjective inward manifâ—sting of it with efficacy and life to the Heart by the effectual operation of the Spirit of the Lord as it 's said of the great things prepared for them that love God 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit it 's that which is called 1 Cor. 2. the demonstration of the spirit and of power which makes plain and powerful to the spirit of the Hearer inwardly that which the Word preacheth outwardly to the Ear which without this would strick only on the Ear and yet remain still an hidden Mystery This is the revealing of the Lord's Arm that is here spoken of because it is that on which Believing dependeth and of the want whereof the Prophet sadly complaineth even where there was much Preaching For the third to wit the Scope Dependance and connexion of these words with the former We conceive they come in both for Confirmation and for Explication of the former words 1. For Confirmation There are as hath been said but few that Believe for there are but few that have this saving and effectual work of God's Grace reâ—ching their Heart though they have the Word preached to them yet they have not the Arm of the Power of God's Grace manifested to them and so He confirms His former Doctrine concerning the paucity of Believers under the preaching of the Gospel First By asserting the fewness of them that are brought to Believe to be converted and effectually called by the Gospel which comes to pass through their own Unbelief And Secondly By asserting their fewness in respect of God's soveraign applying of His Grace in the Gospel which is but to few it 's but few that Believe for it 's but few that He makes effectual application of His Grace to 2. We say it comes in to clear and explicate the former words whether we take it by way of a Reason or of an answer to an Objection For if it be said how can it be that Isaiah Paul yea and our Lord Jesus Christ himself should preach so powerfully and yet that so few should Believe he answers it 's not to be marvelled at in respect of God as if he
the sins of the Elect are exprest in an applicatory way And that noâ—able place Gal. 2.20 Where as if it were not enough to say he loved us and gave himself for us he draws it nearer and more home and saith Who loved me and gave himself for me But that ye may not mistake the point my meaning is not that every body off hand should make application of Christs death O! the presumption and desperat security that destroyes thousands of souls here as if there were no such distinction as we held forth in the first Doctrine nor any Barr to be put in the way of that fancied universal application of Christs dying for all sinners whereas we shew that it was for his sheep and these given to him of the Father only that he died and for no moe But this is my meaning that as it is 2 Pet. 1.10 ye would give diligence to make your calling and election sure and â—â—â—t in an orderly way ye would sâ—cure and sicker your interest in Christs death Not to make this the first thing that ye apprehend for the foundation of your Faith that he died for you in particular for that were to come to the top of the Stairs before ye begin to set foot on the first step But the orderly way is to make sure your fleeing to Christ in the sense of sin and your closing with him on his own terms and your having the characters of his people ingraven on you And then from such premisses ye may draw this conclusion as the result thereof Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Then ye may be satisfiedly confirmed in this that when Christ transacted and bargained with the Father about the Elect when he prayed and took the Cup of his Fathers wrath and drank it out for them he minded your names and was made a curse in your room The reason is drawn from the advantage of such a Doctrine as having hanging on it the consolation of all the promises of God for we can never comfortaâ—ly apply nor be delighted in the promises till we coâ—e to make particular application of Christs purpose and purchase in the work of Redemption This is it that rids Marches and draws a Line betwixt us and reâ—robat ungodly men aâ—d that keeps from the fear of eternal death that pursues them And it gives some ground of hope to lay hold on and grip to as to our enjoying of Christs purchase I knâ—w there is nothâ—ng that fâ—â—k had more need to be sober and warry in the search of and in the securing themselves in then this yet by the same command that injoyneth us to make our Covenant-state our Calling and Elâ—ction sure we are bound to make our Redemption sure And having at some length spoken of the way of making sure our believing on the 1. vers We may insist the less on this of making sure our Redemption â—y Christ The 1. Use serves for Information To let you know 1. That there are many prosessing Christians that account this a curious nice and conceity thing to study to be sure and to make it sure that Christ in his death and sufferings minded them in particular Others may be think it impossible And all may think it a right hard and difficult thing and indeed so it is But yet we would have you to consider 1. That simply it is not impossible â—lse we should say that the comfort of the people oâ— God were impossible 2. That it is no curious thing for the Lord doth not lay the obligation to curiosity on any though we would wish that many had a holy curiosity to know God's mind towards them that they might not live in the dark about such a concerning business 3. That the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 And even this same secret concerning Redemption is with them and he will shew them his Covenant And indeed it were no small matter to have this manifested And therefore as a 2. Use of the point we would commend to you the study of making this sure for it hath many notable advantages attending it it would provoke to humility and to thankfulness to him that loved us and washed us from ouâ— sins in his own blood It would make a câ—mfortable and chearful Christian liâ—e It would warm the heart with love to God and to Jesus Christ who hath thus loved us as to give himself for us When we commend this to you it 's no uncouth nice needleslâ— curious or unattainable thing nor would we have you when ye cannot attain it to fit down discouraged neither would we have you take any extraordinary way to come by it nor waiting for any new light but that which is in the Bible nor would we have you resolving to do no other thing till ye attain to this But this we would have you to do even to make Faith in Christ sure by fleeing to him and casting your burden on him by cordial receiving of him and acquiescing in him and then ye make all sure The committing of your selves to him to be saved by his price payed to Divine Justice and resting on him as he is holden ouâ— in the Gospel is the way to read your interest in his Râ—demption And this is it that we have Gal. 3. and 2.19 Where it is disputed at length that we are Heirs of Abraham by believing and by the Law saith the Apostle I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucifiâ—d with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I live in the fl sh is by the Faith of the Son of God Hence he concludes Who loved me and gave himself for me And this he proves in the last words I do not frustrate the grace of God I do not disappoint it I marr it not in its end and design It is as if he had said seeking a lost sinner to save and I give it a lost sinner to be saved For though God's Decree be the first step to Salvation and the work of Redemption follows on it and then believing on both yet to come to the knowledge of Gods Decree of Election and of our concern in the Covenant of Redemption we look downward and seek first to know if we have right to make application of that which was thought upon long since concerning us and this we do by reflecting on the way we have come to believing If we have been convinced and made sensible of sin and of our lost condition by nature if we have not smothered that conviction but cherished it If we have not run to this or that duty for satisfying of Divine Justice and for making of our peace therâ—by but were necessitate to betake our selves to Jesus Christ made offer of in the Gospel for the salvation of sinners and if we have closed with him as he was offered And if we have done so
thing to be marked Observe That all men even the Elect themselves not excepted are naturally in a most sinful and desperat state and condition so that if ye would know what they are by Nature this is a description of their state All we like sheep have gone astray and every one hath turned to his own way And when it 's called our own way there needs no other Eâ—â—thete to set out the desperatness of it That which I mean is this that all men are naturally under these two 1. They are under guilt before God Eph. 2.1 2. Dead in sins and tresp sses childâ—en of wrath and heirs of condemnation lyable to the curse of God by vertue of the Covenant which Adam broke 2. Which is mostly aimed at here there is in every one a sinful nature a sinfulness or sinning sin an inclination to sin every one hath a straying humour So that although the similitude of sheep aâ—ree not to them in that senâ—e as sheep are innocent creatures yet it agrees to them in this sense that they are silly foolish Creatures And in this respect it is said Gen. 6.8 That all tha imaginations of the thoughts of the heart in man are only evil continually And Eph. 2.1 They are said to be dead in sin not only in respect of their being obnoxious to God's curse but in respect of their natural deadness of their sinful nature and want of spiritual life So Rom. 3 9 10. and forwards the Apostle describes the sinfulness of man's nature at large not only in respect of its guilt but of its inclination to sin and says that their throat is an open Sepulchre Insinuating thereby that men naturally are like to a Tomb and that the Corps within the Tomb is death and sin and that all that comes from them savours of that Their feet are swift to shed blood with their tongues they use deceit c. Every member and part of the body and every faculty of the soul is bent to that which is evil These three may further confirm it 1. If we look in general to what the Scripture speaks of men by nature Eph. 2.1 2 3. Rom. 3 and 5. Chapters They being as it is Isaiah 57. penult As the raging Sea that casts out dirt and mire continually It is alwayes moving and working one way or other and more especially in a storm so that though at one tide ye should sweep the Shore never so clean it will be as foul and dirty the next Tide that cometh So are these hearts of ours as Peter speaks 2 Epist 2. And Jude vers 13. foaming out their own shame And James saith Chap. 4.5 The spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy It hath as great eagerness after and as great delight in sin as a Drunkard hath after and in drink 2. Experience also confirms it Go thorow all the Men and Women that ever were in the World our blessed Lord Jeâ—us being excepteâ— as not descending oâ— Adam by the ordinary way of Generation and that will be found true which the Apostle hath Rom. 3. There is none that doth good no not one And that which is spoken Gen. 6. All flesh hath corrupted their way And what is the spring of all the aâ—ominations that are in the World and the rise of these particular evils that are in believers and Saints mentioned in Scripture as in David Peter and others But this same corrupt nature this body of death as it is called Rom. 7.14 All which strongly prove a fire to be within when there is such a smoak without 3. We may confirm it from well-grounded reason for it cannot be otherwise If the root be of such a nature can the branches be otherwayes Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing No not one Job 14.4 When Adam fell the root was corrupted and the branches cannot be fresh the fountain was defiled and the streams cannot be clean and clear Hence when Adam begot Seth an Elect in whom the Church was continued it is said that he begat a son after his own likeness Gen. 5. He himself was created after Gods Image but begat children after his own Image Though this be a commonly received Doctrine yet it s not without good reason nor for no use insisted on so much here and in other Scriptures We shall therefore speak a little to these four Uses of it The 1. Use of it serves for Information and we may make it a looking-glass wherein we may see clearly our own most sinful state and condition Would ye know what ye are by nature This Text tells you that not only all men have strayed but that each of us or every one of uc hath turned to his own way But knowing how ready we are to shift the challenge we would be perswaded that we are by nature lyable to Gods curse for Adams sin dead in sin and inclined to all evil Sheep are no readier to go the wrong way and will no more readily stray if they want a Shepherd then we are inclined to do There is a common word in many of your mouths that we are all sinners by nature but when it 's searched into we find that there is much ignorance amongst you of what it means many count themselves to be sinners only because of their being guilty of the first sin and so put no difference betwixt the first sin and Original sin which is an effect that flows from and follows upon the first sin The first sin was Adam's deed and is legally ours being imputed to us As it is Rom. 5. Death reigned over all even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam 's transgression because Adam in his standing and falling stood in our room representing all mankind that was to come of him But Original sin is inherent in us and cleaveth closs to us and is that which we are born and bred and grow up with And therefore ye would distinguish these sins that ye may know that ye are not only guilty of Adams first sinful deed but that ye havâ— a present sinful and corrupt nature though it be not â—lways alike exercising and acting it self Others again look only upon their nature as inclined to evil and look not on it as that which makes them lyable to wrath by reason of the first sin But ye would put both together and know that though your sinfulness doth not consist only in an inclination to evil that yet your sinfulness lyes mainly in that and that it will not be long a going wrong And it 's not only your actual straying and going wrong that ye would take notice of but also and mainly of your sinful nature that inclines disposes and sets you on work to go wrong It 's your filthy corrupt Nature the Body of Death the smell and savour whereof to say so is the kything of some actual sin We may clear it in a similitude or two We are by this
no dominion over him he had a glorious out-gate He was taken out and set free from the prison or straits wherein he was held And from these judgements that past upon him The reason of the Exposition is drawn from the plain meaning of the words which must run thus He was taken from judgement the very same which is in the following expression He was cut off out of the land of the living that being the ordinary signification of the preposition from the meaning must be this that he was taken out of the condition wherein he was It agrees also best with the scope of the very next words Who shall declare his generation Wherein he proposeth an admirable aggravation of this delivery The 2d thing hath a connexion with the former and therefore take a word or two for clearing of it What to understand by Generation here is somewhat difficult to determine the word in the Original having several meanings yet generally it looks to one of two as it is applyed to Christ 1. Either to the time past and so it 's used by many to express and hold forth Christ's God-head and so the meaning is though he was brought very low yet he was and is the eternal Son of God Or 2. as commonly it is taken it looks to the time to come and so the meaning is who shall declare his duration or continuance Generation is often taken thus in Scripture for the continuance of an Age and of one Age following another successively as Joshua 22. This Altar shall be a witness to the generations to come So then the meaning is he was once low but God exalted him and brought him thorow and who shall declare this duration or continuance of his exaltation As it is Phil. 2.8 9. He humbled himself c. Therefore God highly exalted him As his humiliation was low so his exaltation was ineffable it cannot be declared nor adequatly conceived the continuance of it being for ever There is no inconsistency betwixt these two Expositions His duration or continuance after his suffering necessarily presupposing his Godhead brought in here partly to shew the wonderfulness of his suffering it being God that suffered for the man that suffered was God Partly to shew Christ's glory who notwithstanding of his suffering was brought thorow and gloriously exalted And these reasons make it evident 1. Whatever these words Who shall declare his age or generation do signifie certainly it is something that can be spoken of no other but of Christ and that agrees to him so as it agrees to no other Now if we look simply to the eternity of his duration or continuance that agrees to all the Elect and will agree to all men at the Resurrection Therefore the Prophet must look here to his continuance and duration as he is God 2. Because Who shall declare his genaration is brought in here to shew the ineffableness of it and so to make his sufferings the more wonderful it was he who suffered whose continuance cannot be declared 3. It 's such a continuance as is brought in to shew a reason why death could not have dominion over him nor keep him according to that Rom. 1.4 He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead And the reason subjoyned to this will someway clear it for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken Thereby insinuating that because of the great work which he had to do there behoved to be some singularness in the person that had the work in hand who notwithstanding of the greatness and difficultness of it came thorow and was hereby exalted However it be the Prophets scope being to set out Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation his Humiliation before and his Exaltation after which is as we said ordinary in Scripture We conceive the meaning we have given is safe and agreeable to the Prophets scope We may observe three things from the first part of the words 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ in his performing the work of Redemption was exceedingly straitned or pinshed or held in as the word is elsewhere rendered bound up and hemmed in as men are who are in Prison and by these straitnings we mean not only such as he was brought into by and before men whereof we spoke before but especially these that were more inward and these being amongst the last steps of his Humiliation more immediately preceeding his Exaltation and spoken of as most wonderful we conceive they look to these pressures that were upon his spirit and we shall instance several places of Scripture that serve to hold them out the first is that of John 12.27 28. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour here our blessed Lord is troubled in Spirit and so pinshed and hedged in as in a Prison that he is holily non-plussed what to say The 2d Scripture is Matth. 26.38 My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death which is like the expressions used by the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.8 We were pressed above measure above strength in so much as we despaired of life and we had the sentence of death in our selves there was no outgate obvious to humane sense and uptaking so is it here wherein we are not only to consider his Soul vexation but that his Soul vexation was very great extreamly pinshing vexing and in a manner imprisoning to him The 3d Scripture is Luke 22.44 He being in an agony prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground there was such a striving wrestling and conflicting not with man without him but with inward pressures on his spirit that he is like one in a Barrace or Cockpit or engaged in a Duel with a mighty Combatant sore put to it very far beyond ought that we can conceive of so that he swat great drops of blood and says father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done it is in Matthew if it be possible and thereafter if it be not possible which says there was no winning out of the grips of the Law and Justice till they were fully satisfied and these dreadful words uttered by him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me hold out that from the sinless humane nature of Christ the comfortable and joyful influence of the God-head for a time was in a great measure suspended though the sustaining power thereof was exercised mightily on him so that he looks on himself some way as forsaken and left in the hand of the Curse To clear this a little we would consider these pressures that were on our Lords Spirit 1. In respect of their cause 2. In respect of their effects 1. In respect of their cause There is upon the one side his undertaking for
land of the living fâ—r the transgression of my people was he stricken THere is nothing that concerns us more than to be well acquainted with the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his Sufferings The Prophet hath therefore been much in shewing what Christ suffered in the former words and hath largely described his Humiliation to Judgment and Death for saith he he was cut off out of the land of the living In the words read he answers two important questions concerning his sufferings 1. To what end were all these sufferings he answers that they were for transgressions even to be a satisfaction to Justice for them The 2. Question is For whose sins were the sufferings of Christ to be a satisfaction It is answered expresly in the words for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was upon him it was for the sins of the Elect and of the Elect only for this is the Prophets scope who having spoken of Christs sufferings and death holds forth the meritorious and procuring cause and end thereof and this is the result design and sum of all even to be a satisfaction for Gods elect People for as we shew by Gods People are not meaned all men in the world nor the Jews only for Christ hath many sheep beside them but it 's Gods peculiar People in opposition to the multitude who are not his People The Doctrine or rather the branch of the Doctrine we left at was this and it 's exclusive that Christ's death is only intended to be a price for the sins of God's elect People and was laid down with respect to them his death and sufferings are to be looked upon and considered only as a price and satisfaction for their sins and for the sins of none other or thus Jesus Christ in his suffering and in the laying down of his life had a respect to the elect and intended the removing of the sins and transgressions of God's elect people only and of none other we know nothing that we can make of these words nor of the Prophets scope in them but this who as he hath been describing Christs sufferings in all other respects so doth he in this to wit in respect of the persons for whom he suffered and of the meritorious cause and end of his sufferings for says the Text for the transgressions of my people that is of Gods elect people was he stricken This branch of the Doctrine is of great weight and concernment in the whole strain of Grace for if this march-stone be lifted and removed Grace becomes common and as some call it universal and so to be in effect no grace at all for Grace hath a peculiar channel of its own wherein it runs towards a certain select number and not towards all I do not mean of grace taken in a large sense for so all men as they are partakers of any mercy or of common favours may be said to have grace extended to them but I mean God's special grace favour and good will which is extended only to the Elect for whose sins Christ suffered the right bounding of which Doctrine shews forth both God's soveraignty in the dispensing of grace and the freeness thereof in communicating and manifesting of it to whom he will and which thus considered is especially engaging of the hearts of them on whom he pleaseth to manifest it Ere I come to confirm this branch of the Doctrine take a word or two of advertisement in the entry 1. That Christ's death may be considered two ways 1. In respect of it self and as abstracting from the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is contrived as to all the circumstances of it in which sense as his death and sufferings are of infinite value worth so they are as Divines use to speak of value to redeem the whole world if God in his design and decree had so ordered and thought meet to extend it 2. We are to consider his sufferings and death as a price agreed upon in the Covenant or Bargain of Redemption wherein these two or three things concur 1. God's proposal 2. Christ's acceptation and design in laying down his life 3. The Fathers acquiescing therein and declaring himself well pleased therewith we speak not here of Christ's death in the first respect that is as abstracting from the Covenant for in that respect he might have laid down his life for few or moe for some or for all if it had been so intended but we speak of it in the second respect as it 's a price agreed upon in God's purpose and Christ's design and in God's acceptation and thus we say that his death is only intended as a satisfaction and recompence for the sins of the Elect and was laid down for them only 2ly We may consider Christ's sufferings and death in the fruits of it either as they respect common favours and mercies common gifts and means of grace which are not peculiar and saving but common to Believers with others being bestowed upon professors in the visible Church or as they are peculiar and saving such as Faith Justification Adoption c. Now when we say that Christ's sufferings and death are a price for the sins of his People we exclude not the Reprobate simply from temporal and common favours and mercies that come by his death they may have and actually have common gifts and works of the Spirit the means of Grace which are some way effects and fruits of the same Covenant but we say that the Reprobate partake not of saving Mercy and that Christs death is a satisfaction only for the Elect and that none others get pardon of Sin Faith Repentance c. by it but they only it was intended for none others and this we clear and confirm from and by these following grounds and arguments which we shall shortly hint at The 1. Argument is drawen from this same assertion of the Prophet thus If Christs death be only a satisfaction for the sins of Gods People then it is not a satisfaction for the sins of all but it 's a satisfaction only for the sins of Gods People therefore not for all for his People are not all men or all men are not his People but his People are a peculiar People separate from others in God's purpose and decree as we cleared before from John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and the Text says expresly for the transgressions of my people was he stricken he respected the sins of God's People in accepting of the Bargain and in laying down his Life and for their sins only God accepted him yea the very mentioning of them thus here secludes all others and we must expone them exclusively as taking in none others and must look upon the things spoken of them as agreeing to no other even as it 's said Heb. 4. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God which is certainly exclusive of all others and hence when our Lord
Decrees as some are brought in Rom. 9.19 Why doth he find fault who hath resisted his will To whom the Apostle answers Who art thou that repliest against God it becomes you not to dispute with God but to seek with more Sollicitude and with holy and humble carefulness to make the matter sure to your selves we may well raise storms by our disputs but shall come to no peace by them this can only be come at by fleeing to the hope set before us SERMON XXXIII ISAIAH LIII IX Vers 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth EVery passage of our Lords way in prosecuting the work of Redemption hath somewhat wonderful in it we heard of several of them especially in his Humiliation how very low the blessed Cautioner condescended to come for relief of the captivity how he was put to wrestle and fight and what great Strengths or strong Holds he was put as it were to take in there is one strong Hold to speak so not spoken of as yet which must also be stormed and the fortifications of it pulled down by the Mediator and that is the Grave the Prophet tells us that as he declined not death so neither did he decline the Grave but as he was cut off out of the land of the living as a wicked man in the account of men so in the account of men he was taken down from the cross with the Thieves and buried in the Grave as one of them I shall not trouble you with diversity of interpretations but shall only hint at two things for your better understanding of the words in which the difficulty lyeth The 1. is this Whether doth this relate to his Humiliation only or to his Exaltation or to both for it cannot be reasonably thought but his being buried with the wicked is a piece of his Humiliation to make it only an evidence of his Humiliation seems not to stand with the next part of the words because he had done no violence c. which is a causal reason of that which goeth before But we answer that there may be here a respect had unto both the first words respect his Humiliation comparing them with the truth of the History as it is set down Matth. chap. 27. where it is clear that he was destinate in the account of men and by their appointment to be buried with wicked men for they thought no more of him than if he had been a wicked man The next words And with the rich in his death look to his Exaltation and the meaning of them is that however he was in the account of men buried with Thieves and laid in the grave as a Malefactor or wicked Man yet in God's account and by his appointment and over-ruling providence it was otherwayes for he put a difference betwixt him and others and gave him a honourable burial with the rich though he was designed by men to be buried with thieves yet as we have it Matth. 27.57 Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilat and begged his body and wrapped it in clean Linnen and laid it in a new tomb which in God's providence was so ordered both to shew a difference betwixt him and those thieves and also to declare that he was innocent as the reason subjoined tells Because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth and to make way for the clearing of his Resurrection he being buried in such a remarkable place where never man had been buried before So then the sum of the words is this he was â—â—â—nâ—led in coming to the grave and in mens account and destination was buried as a wicked man yet by God's Decree and Providence it was so ordered that though he was poor all his days he had a honourable Burial such as rich men use to have because he had done no violence neither was theâ—e any deceit in his mouth God will not have it going as men designed but will have him honourably buried and laid in the Grave that thereby there might be the greater evidence of his innocency and a more full clearing and confirmation of the truth of of his resurrection What is rendered death here in our Translation is deaths in the plural number in the Hebrew to shew the greatness and terribleness of the death which he underwent and the sore spiriâ—uâ—l as well as bodily exercise that he was put unto at and in his death so that it was a complication of many deaths in one and at once which he suffered 2. Where it 's said in our Translation that He made his grave In the Original it is He gave his grave with the wicked so that the Pronoun He may be meaned rather of the Father his giving or it may be understood of the Mediator himself his giving and so the meaning is that it came not to pass by guess on God's side but was by him well ordered and upon the Mediators side it sets out his willingness to go to the Grave and his having an over-ruling hand as God in his own death and burial as he saith John 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self His death and burial were determined and well-ordered as to all the circumstances of both by a divine decree and by an over rulâ—ng hand of Providence and this agrees well with the reason subjoined because he willingly conâ—escended to die God put a difference betwixt him and others as is clear in that of John 10.17 Therefore does my father love me because I lay down my life for my sheep The Verse hath two parts 1. Something foretold concerning the Messiah and that is that he shall make or give his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death 2. There is a reason subjoined especially to the last part taken from his innocency and from the difference that was in his life betwixt him and all men in the world that therefore God put a difference betwixâ— him and them in his death and burial First then This point of Doctrine is implyed here that coming to the Grave is a thing common and certain to all men I mean that death or a state of death and to be in the grave in an ordinary way is common to all men and whoever want the priviledge of burial their condition in that respect is rather worse then better it 's supponed here that wicked men come to the grave therefore our Lord is said to make his grave with them and it is also supposed that rich men come to the grave therefore it 's said and with the rich in his death that which Solomon hath Eccles 8.8 of death may well be applyed to the grâ—ve there is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain it neiâ—her hath he power in the day of death and theâ—e is no discharge in that war neither shalâ—
as it were cry Take him up now and they seal the stone and set a watch to keep him in the grave 3. It 's for the consolation of the Believer and serves mightily to strengthen him against the fear of death and the grave So that the Believer needs not be afraid of death but may ly down quietly in the grave because it was Christs bed warmed to say so by him he was there before him and the grave is now to the Believer no part of the curse more than death is The grave will not swallow him up with a sort of dominion and right as it doth the reprobate 4. It serves to confirm the truth of the Resurrection of Christ more than if he had never been in the grave as the Apostle proves 1 Cor. 15. from the beginning to the close even till he come to that O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Our Lord by dying and being buried hath delivered his people from both As neither a great Stone nor a Seal put on it could keep him in the grave but that he rose again the third day so no thing will be able for ever to keep Believers at under and as he died to disarm death so his entering in the grave was to disarm the grave and to open a door for Believers to come thorow it by his power who was dead and laid in the grave but now is risen and alive for evermore The Uses are 1. To shew the full conformity and agreeableness that is betwixt what was foretold of the Messiah and what is fulfilled and so serves to confirm our Faith in this that he is the true Messiah who was crucified dead and buried This is one of the Articles of our Faith foretold by Isaiah now fulfilled and recorded to be so in the Gospel 2. It shews the severity of Justice that when any person is made lyable to the lash of it were it but as Cautioner it will exact of him satisfaction to the uttermost Therefore when Christ enters himself our Cautionrr it not only exacts death and pursues him till he give up the Ghost but after death pursues him to the grave It will needs have that satisfaction of the Mediator and he yields to it so as to lay himself by as a dead man O what a revengful thing is Justice when a sinner must answer to it When the Mediator was so pursued by it what will it do to others who are out of him Here we may apply that word Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and your children If it be done so to the green tree what will be done to the dry When the fire of the vengeance of God shall kindle that lake that burns with fire and brimstone and when sinners shall be cast into it as so many pieces of Wood or as so many pieces of dry sticks what will be their condition It were good in time to fear falling into the hands of the living God which is indeed a most fearful thing Heb. 10.31 3 It shews the Believers obligation to God that hath so fully provided a satisfaction for him and hath furnished him with such a ground of consolation Beside what is done for the satisfying of Justice which is the great consolation there is here ground of consolation against all crosses pain sickness death and the grave There is not a step in the way to Heaven but our Lord hath gone it before us We have not only a Mediator that died but that was buried And O! but this is much when Believers come to think on their going to the grave Will it devour them or feed upon them for ever No he hath muzled it to say so They rest in their grave as in a bed in their bodies being united to him and their dust must be counted for It s true the bodies of the reprobate must be raised up yet upon another account and not by vertue of their union with Christ and of Christs victory over death in their stead as Believers are In a word they have many advantages that have Christ and they have a miserable life a comfortless death and a hard lying in the grave that want him Therefore as the short cut to have a happy life and a comfortable death and burial and the grave sanctified to you seek to have your interest in Christ made sure then all things are yours and particularly death and the grave which will be as a Box to keep the particles of your dust till it restore them faithfuly to Christ to whom it must give an account But as for you that sl ght and misken Christ ye have a dreadful lot of it no interest in Christ living no union with him in the grave nor at the Resurrection And if ye did but seriously câ—nsider that ye will die ye would also coâ—sider that it 's good dying and being in the grave with Christ and that it 's a woful thing to be and to be in it without him 3ly Observe That all the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ to the least particular circumstance of them were ordered of God and before hand determined and concluded upon none of them came by guess upon him That he should suffer and die and what sort of death he should die and that he should be laid in the grave all was before concluded and determined When we read thorow the Gospel it were good to take a look of the Old Testament-Prophesies of the Covenant of Redemption and of the ancient determinations concerning him as Peter doth Acts 2.27 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel of God ye have with wicked hands crucified God's fore knowledge and determination fixed the bounds and laid down the rule to speak so to these wicked hands in the crucifying of him without all tincture or touch of culpable accession to their sin and in looking over his sufferings we would call to mind that this and this was the Lords purpose and that in these sufferings and in every part and piece of them the Mediator is telling down the price that he undertook to pay All which demonstrats the verity of our Lords being the true Messiah 4ly From comparing the two parts of the first part of the verse together He made his grave with the wicked as to the estimation of men and with the rich in his death in respect of Gods ordering it Observe That oâ—ten God hath one design and men another and that God will have his design to â—â—and and infrustrably to take effect When some would design shâ—me to his people he will have them honoured The 1. Use serves to comfort Gods people when they are in their lowest condition and when their enemies are in highest power our Lord is driving on his design and making his and their enâ—mies to fulfill it Pilate and the Chief Priests with the Scribes and Pharisees are putting Christ to death the multituâ—e arâ— crying Crucifie him
Consider these sweet words Rom. 5.10 If he died for us while we werâ— yet enemies how much more shall we be saved by his life I shall close this discourse with these two words the 1. whereof is for encouragement If there be any body here that would fain have Christs love and partake of his death Take courage seing our Lord out of the great desire he had to promove the Salvation of sinners Gave him self to death and to the grave will he not willingly make application of his purchase to them when they seek it That he was willing to undergo all this is a far greater matter then to welcome a sinner coming home to him And if he did all that he did for this very end will he stand on it when it comes to the application The 2d word is that this is and will be a ground of conviction to all who think little of our blessed Lord Jesus and of his love and who will not part with a base lust for him and who will not make choise of him but will refuse reject undervalue and despise him with all that he hath done and suffered it will exceedingly aggravat your condemnation that when he was so willing to die for the good of sinners ye were not willing to live for his satisfaction Think on it O! think seriously on it These things are the truths of God and the main truths of the Gospel that ly very near the ingaging of hearts to Christ And if such truths do you no good none other readily will God give us the Faith of them SERMON XXXIV ISAIAH LIII IX Vers 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had doâ—e no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth THis is a most wonderful Sujâ—ct that we have to think and sâ—eak of which concerns the â—uffâ—rings that our blessed Lord was pleased to undergo for sinnâ—rs And this makes it to be the more wonderful â—hen we consider what he was made and what his carriage was He was numbered with the transgressours and gave his grave with the wiâ—ked And yet he hath this teâ—â—imony that there was no violence in his hands nor any deceit in his mouth He was a sinless Mediator not only before men but before God These words considered in themselvâ—s hold out a little sum and short compend of an holy walk most perfectly and exactly fulfilled in the conversation of Jesus Christ He had done no violence or there wâ—s no violence in his hands that is there was no sinful deed contrary to the Law of God in all his practice and walk And there was no deceit or no guile in his mouth that is no sinful or deceiâ—ful expression Ioâ—um neither in deed nor in word was there sin in him He did wrong to none by his deeds and he deceived no body by his words This guile or deceit as it looks to the first Table of the Law imports th t there was no falshood nor corrupt Doctrine in his Ministry He did not beguile nor seâ—uce the souls of any in leading them wrong And as it looks to the second Table of â—he Law more immediatly it imports that he was sincere and upright that there was no deceit no violence or disâ—embling in his carriage so that whether we look to him â—s God's publick Servant in the Ministry or to him in his privat walk he was compleatly innocent and without all sin as the word is 1 Pet 2 22 Who did no sin neither was guile â—ound in his mouth However men accounted of him he was an innocent and sinless Saviour If we look on them as they depend on the former words they are a reason of that diffâ—rence which in his death and buriaâ— God did put betwixt him and others Though he was by wicked men put to death as a wicked person yet God in his providence so ordered the matter that he was honourably buried with the rich Why so Tâ—is is the reason of it because though they esteemed him a false Prophet and a Decâ—iver a Wine-bibber c. Yet he had done no wrong to any neither by word nor by deed and therefore God would have that respect puâ— on him after his death in his burial and so a remarkable difference to be made betwixt him and others Observe hence 1. That our Lord Jesus the High Priest of our profession that laid down his life for sinners is compleatly and perfectly holy He hath thâ—t testimony from the Prophet here that He did no violence neither was there any deceit in his mouth He hath this testimony from the Apostles from Peter 1 â—et 2.22 He did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth From John 1. John 3 5 He was manifested to take away sin and in him is no sin And from Paul Heb. 7.27 He was holy and harmless and undefiled separate fâ—om sinners In this respect there is a difference betwixt him and all men in the world And iâ— wâ—s necessary and requisite for Believers consolation that it should be so It became us saith the Apostle to have such an High Priest 1. If we consider the excellency of his person he could not be otherwise being God and Man in one Person and having the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily 2. It was necessary if we consider the end of his Offices he being to offer up an acceptable Sacrifice to God behoved to be holy and harmless otherwise neither the Priest nor the Sacrifice could have been acceptable 3. It was necessary if we consider the dignity of his Office It behoved him to differ from the former Priests under the Law And if he had not been without sin he should not have so differed from them 4. It was necessary for the persons for whom he undertook these Offices Such a High Priest became them and another could not have done their turn All these we will find to be put together Heb. 7.26 27. Where the Apostle having said vers 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God through him subjoyns For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher then the heavens who needeth not daily as these high Priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sin of the people The most holy of all the Priests had sins for which they behoved to offer Sacrifices and so had the holiest of the pople but Christ was holy and blameless and had no sin and it behoved him to be so As I said just now his sacrifice could never have been accepted for others if he had needed to offer up sacrifices for himself The Uses are these Not to speak how it vindicats our Lord Jesus Christ from all these aspersions cast upon him by wicked men who called him a Glutton a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners a Deceiver c. He
forbid wo unto them that make such an use of this truth nor do I speak of it to allow any to dispense with or to give way to themselves to sin for we shew before that Christ is here proposed as our Patern and we are bidden purifie our selves as he is pure But this we say that none living here on the earth are without sin the most perfect men that are on this side Eternity carry about with them a body of death called five or six times sin Rom. 7. that hath actual lustings and a power as a law of sin to lead captive and that makes the man guilty before God Use 2. For reproof to two sorts of enemies to this Truth 1. These inveterate enemies of the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit the Papists that black train that follows Antichrist who plead for a perfection according to the law as attainable in this life saying down two grounds to prove this perfection 1. That the inward lustings or first risings and moâ—ions at least of the body of Death are no sins And 2. Their exponing of the law so as it may suit to their own apprehension and opinion yet so as they say that every Believer or godly Person wins not to this perfection to keep the law wholly but only some of their Grandees This the Lord hath mercifully banished out of the Reformed Churches as Inconsistent with the experience of the Saints who find a law in their members warring against the law of their mind and leading them captive to the law of sin that is in their members inconsistent with the Scriptures which clear that none have attained nor do attâ—in perfection in this life but the contrary that in many things we offend all and inconsistent with Grace that leaves sinners still in Châ—ists common and debt as standing in need of his imputed Righteousness This perfection they place in inherent Holiness and habitual Grace but we insist not on it 2ly Another sort of enemies reproved here are the old Familists who are owned by these who are called Antinomians several of which miserable persons are now going up and down amongst us who say that the People of God have no sin in them wherein they are worse then Papists for Papists make it peculiar to some only but they make it common to all Believers And Papists make their perfection to consist in inherent holiness but they make the nature of sin to be changed and say that sin is no more so in a Believer even though it be contrary to the Law of God We grant indeed that the people of God are free of sin in these respects 1. In this respect that no sin can condemn them they are not under the Law but under Grace in that respâ—ct Rom. 8.1 It 's said that There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ 2. In his respect that they cannot fall into that sin which as unto death as is clear 1 John 5.17 18 And 3. in this respect that they cannoâ—â—o sin â—s to ly or be under thâ—â—â—â—gn and â—omiâ—ion of sin as is evident Rom. 6 14. The Believer delights in thâ— Lâ—w â—f God according to the inner man Râ—m 7.22 And is not in sin neither doth câ—mmit sin as the unbeliever doth for the seed of God abideth in him and is kept from being involved in that which hiâ— corrupt nature inclines the Believer to So then what the Scriptuâ—e speaks of the Believers being free of sin is to be understood in one of these respects But to â—ay 1. That a Believer cannot sin at all sad expâ—rience and the practice of the Saints is a proof of the contrary Or 2. To say that sin in a Believer is no sin because of his faith in Christ is as contrâ—â—y to Scripture For the Law of God is the same to the Believer and the unbeliever and sin is the same in both Adultery is Adultery and Murâ—her is Murther in David as well as in â—ny other man Sure when Christ bade his Disciples pray for forgivenness of sin daily he taught them no such Doctrine as to account their sins to be no sins For if so they should neither repent of sin nor seek the pardon of it as some are not a shamed to say they should not That which we aim at is to â—lear it to be Christs prerogative only to be free of sin none oâ—her in this life can claim it And to teach Bâ—lievers to carry about with them daily all along their mortal life that which is for their good even the sense â—f sin I know it is now an up cast â—rom some pretended perfectionists to the people of God that they think and say that they have sin and aâ—e not perfect And we are by these men called Antichristian Priests and Jesuits because we Preach that Doctrine Buâ— let it be soberly considered whether it doth better agree with Papists and Jesuits to say that Believers are without sin or to say that they have sin They who say that Believers or the Saints have no sin do agree in this with the Papists who maintain a perfection of holiness or a conformity to the Law in some in this life and who deny the lustings of the body of death to be sin without which opinâ—on though most gross they would not nor could with the least shadow of reason mainâ—ain their Doctrine of Juâ—tification by Works And yet some now among us will needs call us Popish because we say that we have sin and that none of God's people are â—ithout sin in this life Tâ—is seems to be very strâ—â—ge But that wâ—ich hath been the thought of some sharp-sighted and sagacious men since the bâ—ginning of our confusions to wit that Popery is a working as an under-hand design is by this and other things mâ—de to be more and more apparent Is there any thing more like Popery working in a mystery yea more Popish then to say that the motions of corruption in Believers are no sins thaâ— a man or woman may attain to perfection in holiness here and yet to carry on this with that subtilty as confidently to averr that it's Popery to say the contrary Nay if the Scâ—iptures they make use of in their Papers or Pamphlets be well considered we will find that not only a perfection in Holinâ—â—s and Good works is pleaded for but a possibility of fulfilling the Law and Covenant oâ— Works as namely 1 Pet. 1.15 1 John 3.3 and 5.5 and Matth. 5. ult Will ye say they call your selves Saints that are not purified even as he is pure And will ye câ—ll your selves Believers that havâ— not overcome the world c As if all that is commanded duty might be or were perfectly reached in this life and as if no diâ—tinction betwixt begun yea considerably advanced holiness and intire perfection were to be adâ—itted That for which I mark this is to shew that the design of Popery seems to be on foot the Devil
now they bear the image of the heavenly Adam Not that they come up in all things to be exactly like to the Pattern but it is their aim and other things that disconform them to Him are deformed loathsome and ugly in their sight Their old Inclination is burdensome to them And is the continual ground of an inward Contest and Wrestling and in a manner they are troubled at the very heart how to keep down what is opposit to Christ And when their Corruption Over-masters them they are the more discomposed and disquieted They discern something in them that is not like to Christ and they abhor that though it be never so near and dear to them their very Self they see something also like to Christ in them And they Cherish and make much of it they would fain be at more of it and to have His Image more deeply impressed on their Spirits which they reckon their greatest yea their only Beauty The 3. Use is for Direction to Believers if ye be Christ's Seed ye must be other sort of Folks in your Designs and in your Deportment and carriage King's Children ought not to carrie as others It would be highly unsuitable yea even abominable to see them walk so trivially and lightly as every Base Ill-bred Beggers Child doth It 's no less Incongruous and Unbecoming that Believers should be taken with this and that Vanity that meer Worldlings are taken with and hunt after The 4th Use Speaks a Word of Consolation to Believers And holds forth the greatness of the Priviledge of being Christ's Seed It will be much to perswade a Poor Sinner duely sensible of Sin to believe this And that the Lord is in earnest when He speaks thus That such an one who hath betaken Himself to Christ for Life and humbly Claims Right to nothing but by Verture of Christ's Right the main thing that our Union with Him is bottomed upon who is content to be in Christ's Common for Life and goes not about to establish his own Righteousnesse but leans to His Righteousnesse for Life and Salvation should be His Seed and have all the Priviledges of Sons derived to Him And yet it is the Lord 's faithful Word Neither hath Eye seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive what good things are laid up for such a Person and that are stuffed up in these Expressions of our Relation to Christ Jesus Use 5. It may be also a quieting and comforting Word to some Believers who are in Affliction Poverty and Straits in the World That our Lord Jesus is a Kindly Affectionat Parent more kindly and tender hearted then the tenderest Father or Mother and indeed it may sufficiently quiet them that they have such a kindly Overseer and Provisor who is also a Cordial Sympathizer with them what ever their Condition be He will not deny His Off-spring and Seed whom He laid down His Life to Purchase The 6th Use May be for Incitement and Provocation to all that would be Happy to place it here Interest in Christ Jesus by Believing on Him brings us to have Interest in the enjoying of Him and all that is His and can there be any more sought after or wished for Are there any but would think it a good Life to be here And who are they of whom He speaks so It is not of some sort of strange and uncouth Folk that were once in the World but are now all out of it And of whom there are none now in it It is not such as want Sin and derive their Life from their own Works but it is such as are 1. As considered in themselves dead in Sins and Trespasses and without Spirituall Life and Being And who know that all the pains that they can take will not acquire it And who it may be are quite Dead to their own apprehension and sense oftentimes And who have Judged themselves and have the Sentence of Death in themselves 2. It 's such as look to Him for the obtaining of Life and who acknowledge Him for any Life or Livelinesse they have And who expect it and bruike it by vertue of His Purchase which is that on which all their Plea for Life is founded Now I know that all this will not readily clear some There are so many things that look counterfit like But I am now speaking to them who have some sticklings of Spiritual Life which yet are not so Lively as they can discern them to be the Stirrings and Sticklings of Life And they have a Body of Death in them which is ready to extinguish that Life and often they think it is extinguished already They have Convictions of their own Deadness and that things are wrong in their Condition and are quite out of all Hopes of Righteousness from and by themselves or from any thing that they have done or can do And they have some confused looks to Christ but they cannot Rid their Feet in the Matter of their Faith and Duties go not so with them as they expected and would have them To such I shal speak a Word or two and close 1. I would aâ—â— whence comes that Stickling of Life or Feeling of that Bodie of Death What is the Original of it will Nature discover the Corruption of Nature and bring Folks to be out of Love with Corrupt Nature Certainly where this is it 's not like Nature but is the Life of Christ especially when it puts Folks to discern and take up their own Deadnesse to quit their own Righteousness and to be content to lay their Mouth in the Dust and to betake themselves to the Righteousnesse of Christ if they could win to be distinct in it This looks to be from Christ whose Spirit convinces the World of sin and of the sin of unbelief in particular And of righteousness as being only to be had in Christ and of judgement that is of the reasonablenesse that He should have a Dominion over them and that they should walk in Holinesse Yet notwithstanding of all this they are hanging in a kind of Suspence and hover and know not whether to look on themselves as Believers or not They wot well that it is not right with them that they are lost in themselves and that no other way will do their turn but Faith in the Righteousnesse of a Mediator The thing whereat they Stick and halt is that they know not how to through and maintain the consent that they have given and they cannot think that their Faith is true Faith because they know not how to follow forth the exercise of it though they have renunced their own Righteousnesse And laid their Reckoning to be in Christ's Debt and Common for Righte usnesse and Life if ever they come by them All their difficulty is how to through their Believing Now it is not to the founding of Life that we are here speaking but to the exercise of Life and to the finding out of
Life And we say that such an exercise suppons Life to be though it be not descernable in it's exercise to the Soul it self There are many Poor Creatures born and brought forth into the World that can neither Talk nor Walk but must be carried and keeped Tenderly and that are some way as if they were not brought out of the Womb So is it with many Believers and it were good to be in Christ's Common as for Life so for bringing Life to exercise and by diligence and waiting on Him in the use of His own appointed Means to seek to come to some Distinctnesse in Neating and Exercising of any Life that He hath given And it is no small incouragement to this That Christ shall see his seed That He must have Saints and Believers in Him which should make Poor Souls that have no Life in themselves with the more confidence to commit themselves to Him upon this very ground that the Father hath ingadged to Christ that He shall have many such for His Seed The which Promise is performed to Him in the gathering in of Poor confused and Mind-perplexed Sinners to be in His Debt for Life and to hold their Life of Him for ever It will sure be no small part of the ground of Saints praise in Heaven that He not only bought Life for them but that He made Application of Life to them And trained them on till He got them fitted to speak to His Prâ—ise Wherein the Body of Death makes many a sad stop and makes poor Believers to Stammer as it were while they are here But it 's good News that Jesus Christ hath bought Life and brought it to Light And that by this Gospel He is making Application of it and declaring that He is content to bestow it freely on all them that will be in His Common for it SERMON XLI ISAIAH LIII X. Vers 10. He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand IT was once a Riddle how out of the strong could come forth Meat and how out of the Eater could come forth Sweet It 's here most clearly Unridled and that in a most Wonderfull and Comfortable Manner Our Lord Jesus the strong Lyon of the Tribe of Judah it put to grief and bruised and his soul is made an offering for sin and here is the Sweet Meat that comes out of it He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days c. The substance of the Words is That by His Death many shall be brought to Life It 's the same Death that hath given us the hope we have of Life And all the ground that we have to speak of it to you which had never been had He not been bruised and put to grief We shew that here is holden forth the Lord 's great design in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption And that these Words are a further answer to the Stumbling Objection proposed before to wit How the innocent Son of God could Suffer It pleased the Father to bruise him when he should make his soul an offering for sin c. Which Justifies God in that proceeding and serves to weep away that Reproach that might seem to stick to Him In sum it is this If we consider the notable and noble Fruits and Comfortable Effects that followed on His Sufferings and Death there is no ground to stumble at God's giving His Son or at the Sons Condescending as Mediator to Suffer to be Dispised and put to Dâ—ath And this is the first Fruit and Eff ct thereof that He shall see his seed Whereby is meaned that by His Death the Elect who are given to Him do by Faith in Him recâ—ive a new Life from Him aâ—d are taken in under a most sweet and kindly Relation to Him by their being begotten again to a lively hope through His Resurrection from the Dead We spoke to â—â—is Point That Believers are Christ's Seed which shews the great Priviledge that they are admitted to and their great Obligation to Christ on that account they are oblidged to Him for their Spiritual Life and Beeing as Children are oblidged to their Natural Parents for their Natural Life and Beeing And Infinitely more oblidged in as much as the one Life is Infinitly Preferable to the other There are three things more to be Observed from the Words And 1. Considering them as they stand in Dependence on the Former That God's Design in sending His Son into the World and the Mediators Dâ—sign in coming so low is to have a Seed begotten to the Hope of Eternall Life and to have â—oor Souls dead in themselves shareing of Life in and through Him even to have many partaking of Life through His Death 2. Considering the Words as foretelling the event of Christ's Death and Sufferings We have this Observation from them That Our Lord's Deaâ—h shall certainly procure Life to many Or thus it cannot be but His Death must have truâ—â— to the saving of Souls from Death and to the making of them partakers of Life 3. Looking on the Words as a Promise made to the Mediator We Observe from them That the Seeing of a Seed is exceeding much thought of by Jesus Christ It pleased Him wondrous will Therefore this Promisâ— of a Seed is mâ—de to Him to incourage Hâ—m to lay down His Life We shall speak a Word to each of these And shall leave the consideration of the Words as they hold out not only our Lord 's out-living his Sufferings but His seeing a Seed on the back of them to the Second Effect that follows He shall prolong his days For the First Doctrine we suppose It will be clear if we consider how the seing of his seed is Subjoyned to and Dependeth upon the former Words anent His making His soul an offering for sin which holds out this That the great Design of God and of Christ the Mediator it s His Sufferings is to beget a People to â—ternal Life And to make way that Sinners Naturall Dâ—ad in Sin may partake of Spiritual and Hâ—avenly Life and may be begotten to the Hope of Eternal Life through Him And what other Design I pray could there be then this For the Lord had nothing to procure to Himself To speak simply there could be no addition made to the Glory of God thereby Therefore it 's said John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all that be hath given me I should loss nothing but should raise it up at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one who seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation and what is it That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that John 10.10 I came that they might have life and that they might
Kindly Warmness in the Heart to Him again even till the Soul be put in a Holy Low or Flame of Love to Him more of this Love would make Christ and the Gospel much more Sweet and would make every one of these words that expresseth His Love in His Sufferings to be like Marrow and Fatness and would also make the Promises to be like Breasts full of Consolation It would withall cause that there would not be such mistakes of Christ nor such gaddings and whorings from Him and such preferrings of Idols to Him as alace there are Where this Love is not there can be no other thing that will be acceptable We shall say no more for the time but only this That we do appeal to your Consciences if there be not here an excellent and non-such Object of Love and if there be not here much reason to be in Love with that Object A very Heathen will return Love for Love and should not we much more do so in this case God Himself kindle this Love in us and make us know more the great advantages of it SERMON XLV ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Work of Redemption is a business that was very gravely and very seriously contrived and prosecuted in respect of God and of the Mediator there was much earnestness in it as to them and yet notwithstanding which is a wonder Men whom it concerns so much whose Salvation depends on it and to whom the benefit of it redounds are but very little serious in their thoughts of it Our Lord Jesus was in Travel Soul-travel sore Soul-travel to bring about this Work and that the Gospel might be Preached to Sinners that they might have thereby a ground to their Faith to expect Life and Remission of Sins through Him Is it not then sad that we should speak and hear of it and be in a manner like the stone in the wall no more or little more affected with it than if it were a matter that did not at all concern us The Reading and Hearing of these Words will doubtless be a great Conviction to secure Sinners that our Lord Jesus was at such pains and put to such sore Soul-travel and Suffering and that yet such Sinners were never stirred nor made serious to have the Application of this Purchased Redemption made to them The Scope of these Words is to shew the great inward Soul-travels Conflicts and Straits that our blessed Lord Jesus had and was put to in throughing of the Work of Redemption and in paying the Price due to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It 's a wonder that ever we should have it to speak of and that ye should hear of this Subject which is the very Text to say so and Sum of the Gospel And therefore before we leave it we shall speak a little more to the Use of it and truly if we make not use of this Doctrine we will make use of none though I confess it is a great practique how to draw it to Use and to conform ourselves in our practice to the Use of it We proposed somethings the last day which we could not then prosecute As 1. something for Exhortation 2. Something for Reproof and Expostulation which rising clearly from the Doctrine drawn from the Words we may now insist a little in them 1. For Exhortation Considering Christs Sufferings and the extremity of them and that they were undergone for Sinners we would exhort you to love Him as ye ought There is ground and warrand here to require it of you seing that Love in His bosome came to such an hight that He was content to lay down His Life yea seing He was in such a hot flame of Love that the Cup of Wrath did not quench it but His Love drank and dryed it up Greater love then this hath no man It is a most wonderfull Love considered with all the circumstances whereby it is hightened And there is ground here to excite and stir you up to give Him a kindly meeting and to welcome His Love with Love It will sure be a great shame if our Lords Love stood at nothing so that He might do the Fathers will and finish the Work committed to Him which was the perfyting of the Work of Sinners Redemption the Redeeming of His lost Sheep It every triffle or any triffle shall quench Love in our hearts to Him O! What a shame will it be in the Day of Judgement to many when this Man shall be brought forth loving this Idol and another Man loving that Idol more then Christ this Man loving his Lust that Man his Ease and another Man hâ—s Wealth or Honour and preferring them to Christ and when it shall be found that they would not quit nor part with their right Eye nor their right Hand which are not worth the name of Members being called so because they are Members of the Body of Death out of Love to Him Think Folks what they will that native impression of the obligation that lyes upon them to love Christ is wanting and that Divine and Soul-ravishing Influence that His Love should have on hearts It is true ye all think that ye love Him unless it be some of them who indeed love Him but if ye could reflect upon your selvâ—s ye would find that ye have little or no love at all to Him indeed And therefore for undeceiving of you beside what we said the last day take two or three Characters of kindly love to Christ 1. This Love is never satisfied with any degree or measure that it hath attained so as to sit down on it It hath these two things in it A desire to be further on in Love and a weightedness that it cannot win at growth in Him The loving Soul is disposed to think that it's Love to Christ is not worthy to be called Love and it breaths after it even to have it self warmed therewith to Him and to be brought to a further nearness to Him as we may see through the Song of Solomon And particularly Chap. 7. at the close There will I give thee my loves And Chap. 8. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother Kindly Love to Him puts the Soul to long for an opportunity to vent it's Love towards Him 2. Where this Love is the Soul will be as serious in praying for it that it may attain it as if it wanted it and it will be as much affected for the want of the lively exercise of it and will be as much challenged for coming short in it as it will be for any other Sin There is no benefit that it seeks more after then to have the heart circumcised to love Him and O! but it will be accounted a great benefit to get love to Christ And
hardly be brought to it then they are fainted when they consider and find that if it stood but on this even to consent to take Christ they cannot do it but then and in that case the Lord minds that they should be much in His Common for Faith and Repentance and for a soft and tender Heart and that they should seek these from Him as well as Pardon of Sin considering that all this is Christ's Purchase and that there is a possibility to win to it this way when they can win to it no other way If ye would take this way even to eye and look to Christ as the Author and Finisher of Faith and be in His Common for it through His Grace it should go better with you This is it which the Apostle hath Heb. 12. Where he calls to Lay aside every weight and the sin that easily besets and to run the race with patience that is set before us and if it should be said how shall that be done even by Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of ouâ— faith And then follows who for the joy that wâ—s set befoâ—e him endured the cross and â—ispisâ—d the shame Thus leading Folk into His Suffâ—rings as the solid Foundation of th ir Fâ—ith Use 2. See here ground for quashing the naturall pride that is amongst Mâ—n anâ— Women as to Spiritual things How so Where is the ground for this here it is because all is Christs Purchase Which may also give a check to these who because they have nothing in themselves think not that they shall come speed upon this ground as iâ— doth to these others who have gotten something and are proud of it To clear it a little we would consider that there is a pride in Folks ere they come to Christ they cannot well endure to be in Christs Debt for every thing They will take Pardon of Sin from Him but they would have Faith and Repentance of themselves as some Money in their Purse to bring with them to Him that they may buy it But where will you I pray get Faith or Repentance if not from Him Are they not Hiâ— Gifts and Fruits of H s Purchase which if it were well considered there would be no access to the proud reasonings of Uâ—belief Dâ—t ye say but these things are the Fruits of Christs Sufferings and His Gifts and if so must ye not be in His Common for them And as it silenceth the Reasonings of Unbelief so it stops the mouth of the Sinner and humbâ—es him much more then if he had these things in or from himself and were only to be in His Common for Righteousness and Jâ—stification 2. We would consider That there is often some Pride and Conceit in them that have Faith disposing them to think themselves to be better then other Folks But if ye have Faith whence is it or who hath made you to differ Is it not a Fruit of Christs Purchase and will ye be Vain or Conceity of that which is the Purchase of another This is a Spiritual poor Pride that stinks in the Nostrils of the Holy Lord so to abuse His goodness as to be proud because He hath Bought and Bestowed that which ye could never have procured nor attained your selves If then Folk have noâ—hing it is good to mind this That Christ hath purchased what Sinners stand in need of and that it may be had in and from Him And if Foâ—k have any thing they should not be proud or conceity of it but mind that what they have is a Fruit of Christs Purchase and that therefore there is no ground to be proud of it The 3. Use Serves to shew what great Obligation lyes on S nners that get any speciall good from God I 's Christ that hath purchased aâ—l and therefore they ought to improve all that they have gotten for Him who hath bought all As it is 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods Whatever ye have of Faith oâ— Repentance of Holiness or of ability to serve â—nd honour God in your Station it 's bought with a Price and a dear Price and therefore Glorifie God in the right Use-making and manadging of it We would think it no little Progress and Advancement in R ligion if ye were brought to walk under the suitable impression oâ— your ingagement to Christ as holding all that ye have and that serves for your through-bearing of Him For what do we or can we do It 's Christ that buyes all and that confers all we can do nothing of our selves but abuse His Purchase And were it not that the sickerness and staâ—iâ—ity of our Covenanting depends on the first Covenant even the Covenant of Redemption transacted betwixt these two Responsal Parties Jehovah and the Mediator we would quit mar and break all the Bargain betwixt God and us and cast all loose every day if not every moment The other Promise is that He shall see his seed and as we hinted before It 's one thing to have a seed another thing to see a seed The former Promise looks to His having of a Seed and this to His seeing of that Seed Whence Observe That not only is there a Seed Promised to Christ but also the Seeing of a Seed not only Fruits but the Improving and Manadging of these Fruits Or thus That not only is there a Seed Pâ—omised to Christ but the overseeing of that Seed is also Promised He shal have no other Tutor to speak so to leave His Children to but Himself He shall Die and shall by His Death beget a Seed and yet by His Death He shall become the overseer of that same Seed that by His Death is begotten There is much of the Dignity of Chriâ—â—'s Office and of the comfort of Believers here That Jâ—sus Christ is not only the procurer of our Life but the overseer of iâ— Hence is â—hat Conclusion of the Apostle Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him forasmuch as he lives for ever to make intercession for them He hath not only Purchased Life and many good things to Believers but He is living to make the Application of His Pâ—rchase to them And therefore is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him Indeed if He had been prevailed over by Death there might have been great hazard and Doubt if not utter Dispair of â—ver attaining His Purchase and a great crack to say so or breach in our Consolation but when He is Executor of His own Testament and bâ— His Spirit makes the Application what is or can be wanting We shall say no more but that here it is clear that we have a living Mediator as Himself sayes Revel 1.18 I was dead and am alive and live for evermore And therefore Sinners stepforward to His Sufferings and seek the Application of
is satisfied in the undertaking and performing of the Work of Redemption it 's also set down here He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied Which in a Word is this He shall see many who had perished if He had not Suffered getting good of His Sufferings and to be benefited by them Who by His taking on Him the Curse and by His undergoing this Soul travel shall be fred from the Curse and made to partake of the Benefits Priviledges and Comforts that He hath bought by so great and precious a Price We proposed this as the main Doctrine from the Words the last day That it is great Satisfaction to Our Lord Jesus to see Sinners making use of and getting good of Hâ—s Sufferings Or thus That Sinners making use of Christ's Sufferings for their good is His Satisfaction for all the Soul-travel and Sufferings â—hat He indured He shall see of the Fruit of the travel of his soul and shal be satisfied I shall insist no further in clearing and confirming this but come closs to the Use of it And if any Point of Doctrine have Use this may have and hath it to the Glading and making Joyfull and Fain the Hearts of lost Sinners That Our Lord Jesus should Suffer so much and seek no more Satisfaction â—or it all but to see Sinners improving His Sufferings for their good to have a Seed brought forth by His Soul-travel and to have them getting Life by His Death and the Blessing by His bearing of the Curse and yet this is it that this Doctrine bears forth We may draw the 1. Use to these Four from and by which we may learn and know in some measure how to answer this Question seing we have heard so much of Christ's Sufferingâ— and Soul travel what shall we give to Christ for all that how shall we satisfie Him â—f there w re any affected suitably with thankfulness from the hearing of Christ's being brought so low by His sad Sufferings This would be and could not but be their Question Hâ—re is an Answer to it That Our Lord Jesus seeks no more as a Satisfaction for all His Sufferings but that ye improve them for your good This will Delight and Satisfie Him ye cannot do Him a greater pleasure noâ—hing will be â—ore acceptable nay nothing will be acceptable to Him nor taken off your hâ—nd but thiâ— even to see you coming in to Him and making use of His Sufferings for your own good That as to your particular His Sufferings may not be in vain and for nought but that ye improve them and so improve them as ye may not Live and Die in the Case that ye would have been in for ever had He not Suffered That is under the dominion of Sin and Sathan under the Wâ—ath and Curie of God in an anxious heartless Life without God and without Hope in the World It is even this in a Word That hearing of His sad Sufferings and of the Designe of them ye may betake your selves to Him for Pardon of Sin for Sanctification in both the Parts of it and for Consolation and that in the end ye may get your Souls â—aved on the account of His Sufferings and by vertue thereof 1. then ye would seek to be reconciled to God as the Apoâ—â—le 2 Cor. 5.20 21. exhorts We as ambassadours for â—hrist and in his stead beseech you to be reconciled to God And the Argument whereby it is pressed is the same that the Doctrine holds forth For he was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Hence it follows also Chap. 6.1 We beseech you receive not this grace of God in vain Are there â—ny of you who are convinced that Christ should be Satisfied and that He should not be at all this Travel and Pains for nought And that think ye would fain Satisfie Him if it were in your power Behold Our Lord hath told you what will satifie Him It is not thousands of Rams nor ten thousand Rivers of Oyl but that His Sufferings be so improven by you as the native Fâ—uiâ—s of them may follow and be found in you That considering the wofull case ye are in by Nature ye may make use of His Satisfaction to Divine Justice as as the alone Atonement and may by Faith take hold of it as the Ground of your Peace if this be not Câ—rist will be to you as if He had never Suffered 2dly It calls for Holinesse and Mortification of Sin This is much pressed Rom. 6. from v. 2 to 14. And by this same Argument to wit That seing Christ died for Believers we should die with Him That being it wherein the Power of His Death kythes even in the Mortification of our Lusts which He came to destroy But when Folks live as they had wont to do in their Prophanity and Loosness thâ—re is nothing of the Fruit of the Travel of His Soul to be seen in them 3 Christ Travelled for the Consolation oâ— His People And this is another Fruit of His Death and Suffâ—rings that these who have betaken themselves to Christ may comfort themselves on â—his Ground Thâ—t once and that ere long they will get the Mâ—stery over a body of Death and will get both Sathan and it bruised under their Feet through Him Who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification and who hath blotted out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us nailing it to his cross And that through the vail which is his flesh there might a way be made Patent to us unto the most holy And that with confidence we might approach to God and in His Sufferings drâ—wn all our Challenges And indeed Believers are behind and greatly at a loss who have betaken themselves to Christ and yet live as Anxiously and Uncomfortably as if they had not a slain Mediator to comfort themselves in who by His Sufferings Soul-travel and Death hath made a Purchase of so great things for them And in a Word The up-shot of His Sufferings is to get the Sâ—uls of Believers in Him carried unto Heaven and keeped there perfect till the Body be raâ—sâ—d and in a perfect â—ate be Reâ—unâ—â—ed to the Soul at the Great Dâ—y according to that of the Apostle Eph. 5.26 27 He gave himself for his church that he might sanctifie and cleâ—nse it and present her to himself a glorious church without spot and wrinkle or any such thing And when Souls are not taking the right way to heaven he hath nothing of the Travel of his Soul from such more then if he had not undergone it or not Suffered at all Use 2. If this be Christ's Satisfaction for all the Travel of his Soul that he see Sinners getting good of his Sufferings Then if any Motive be weighty to move People to give Him their Soâ—ls to save this must sure have weight with them even that
Souls these are special seasons for putting Him to exerce His Office in Justifying of them and this day this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears and ye should let it sink in your hearts that Our Lord Jesus is pursuing His Commission and performing His Service keeping up the Treaty and inviting and perswading Sinners to come to Him that the pleasure of the Lord may prosper in His hand And therefore know assuredly that this is it that Christ is imployed in and taken up with even to get sinners fred from the Guilt of Sin and from Wrath by His Righteousnesse It is not only nor mainly to get them brought to the Church and to His Supper or to get them made Formal and to abstain from Cursing Swearing and Profanity though these will follow of will but it is to get them brought in to Himself and Justified And we have these two Words to say to you further in this matter 1. There is here good ground of encouragement to a poor Soul that would fain make Use of Christ for Pardon of Sin This is even it that Christ is intrusted with It is for this end that He is Legated and Commissioned of the Father And will He not thinks thou do that which He is intrusted with and for which He is mainly sent This is saith He John 6.39 the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life and that I should raise him up at the last day Which is in Sum That by his knowledge many should be justified And it 's added For he shall bear their iniquities To anticipat and answer an objection For a sensible Sinner might say how can I be justified that have so many Sins Here is a Solution of that doubt He shall satisfie for them All these Words are as it were big with Child of Consolation being the very Heart and Life of the Gospel as any thing that comes so near to Christs Commission and unfolds so much of it is A 2d Word is this That ye mistake Christs Errand Work and Service very far who think to content Him and put Him off with this who would give Him the Name of a Saviour and yet would be at the saving of your selves without Him who would complement Him as it were with fair Generalls but will have none of His Phisick or of His Cures nor will renunce your own Righteousness and make use of His for your Justification This says one of these Four Either that He is not Commissionated and Trusted for this end or that He is not meet for that Trust or that He is not Faithfull in it Or else that ye can do your own turn without Him and that there is no need of His Office And which of all these can abyde the Tryal before God And yet it shall be upon one of these that ye shall be found to have cast at Christ and to have refused to permit Him so far as ye could hinder and abstruct to do His Fathers business and if ye Just not accompts with Him there will be a most dreadfull Reckoning betwixt God and you 2dly Observe That this particular Trust anent the Justifying of Sinners Our Lord Jesus doth most Righteously Diligently Dextrously Tenderly and Faithfully Discharge It was His Fathers will that He should be Baptized and fulfill all Righteousness and more especially that He should Justifie many in this He is very Skilfull and Faithfull and it is on this account He is called The good shepherd and that He is said to lay down his life for his sheep That He is called a faithfull high Priest and is said to be one that is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God through him and that He is Holy harmless and separat from sinners fit to make Peace betwixt God and Sinners another sort of Priest than Aaron was or any that were before Him He is in a word such a high Priest as became us and as we stood in need of who needed not to Offer Sacrifice for His own Sins He had no more to do but to Satisfie for us The Prophet Isaias Chap. 40.11 Tells how tender he is in bringing Souls to Heaven He gathers the lambs with his arme he carries them in his bosome and gently leads those that are with young And Chap. 42.3 That a bruised reed he will not break and the smoaking flax he will not quench And it is said 1 John 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father and who is he Jesus Christ the righteous Righteous in the Faithfull managing of His Trust by making Sinners Peace with God Would ye know then in what respects or on what account it is that Christ is called Servant We answer in these Respects 1. Though we have failled and broken the Law yet He hath not and God will not look down on Him 2. In this Respect That He pleads for no Sinners Pardon but He can fully pay their Debt and hath done it if He seek one thing from God He yeelds in another and according to the Covenant of Redemption exactly proceeds For He is a propitiation He seeks nothing but he payes for it and wrongs not him in the least who hath Trusted him the Lord Jehovah is not a lâ—ser but hath His Honour restored by Him 3. In respect of His keeping Faith to the Persons that have need of Him for whom He hath undertaken He is not only faithfull to the Master but to the Children and Servants He owns and acknowledges them when they come to Him under their necessities and is forthcoming to them every way suitable and answerable to His Place and Trust in doing good to Sinners Use Had we sensible Sinners to speak to Sinners groaning under a Body of Death with pricked hearts crying out What shall we do for the wrongs that we have done to God Sinners under holy fear to spoil and mar the Bargain and to hazard their own Souls had we I say such Sinners to speak to There are good news here to them the Trust of saving Souls is committed to a Faithfull Shepherd it is not committed to your selves for so it had been a dolefull Trust but it is committed to Him that hath gotten the Sheep by Name given to Him to be kept by Him and He will not suffer them to miscarrie nor to go quite wrong And what more would ye have A salvation and a Price is much but it is more to have a Saviour to make the Application of His Purchase a Bishop of Souls to Justifie and carrie Sinners through to make it sure before God and to make it out the Sinner may sleep sound which in the sense of Sin hath betaken himself to Him to be Justified by His Righteousness and to be in His Debt and Common for obtaining of Pardon and for making the Application of what by His Sufferings He hath Purchased We can say but little to
that gave His Son and of the Mediator that came to buy and redeem Elect Sinners at so dear a rate and to take on such a weighty burden to ease them of it Were there any here as we hope there are that know the weight of Sin O! but they would think much of this even of Christs taking on the burden of Sin and casting it by having Satisfied Justice for it and loosed the knot of the Law and of the Curse that tyed it to them To become Man was much but to bear the burden of our Sins was more Angels wonder at this that He who is their head should become so low as to fist Himself before Gods Tribunal and to undergo the Suffering of Death and to take on the weighty burden of the Elects Debt and to Satisfie for it If we were in a right frame of Spirit we could not hear this word but it would ravish our hearts and put us to a pause and holy nonplus but the most part alace walk lightly under the burden of Sin without ever considering what Christ hath done to remove it from off His People nay I am afraid that Believers who have ground to be lightned through Christs condescending to bear their burden do not as they ought acknowledge Him who hath taken the burden off them 4ly From comparing these words with the former Many shall be justified for he shall bear their iniquities Observe That Christ's bearing of our iniquities and His Satisfaction for our Sins is imputed to us as the immediat ground of our Absolution and Justification before God So that if it were asked what is the ground on which a Sinner is Justified before God The Text answers Because Christ hath born their iniquities He hath payed their Debt even as to make comparison fore clearing of it when a Debtor is pursued and hath nothing to pay yet he pleads that the Debt cannot be exacted of him because his Cautioner hath payed it and the ground on which that Debtor is absolved is his instructing that the Cautioner hath payed that Debt which being done he is set free So is it here The Believer he is Gods Debtor Christ Jesus is his Cautioner who hath payed his Debt who when he is brought to the Bar of God and somewhat is laid to his charge he pleads upon the ground of Christs Satisfying for his Debt and that therefore he ought not to be put to answer for it himself according to that Word Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn and the ground fol ows It is Christ that died He hath payed the Debt Use Among other things there are two consequences that follow upon this Doctrine that serves to clear the Doctrine of Justification 1. That the Righteousnesse whereby we are Justified is imputed to us and accepted of God as if it were our own ye are sometimes hearing of imputed Righteousnesse and it 's of great concernment to you to know it well yet I am afraid that many of you are very ignorant of it I shall therefore in a word or two explicat it by comparing the two Covenants The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Works is an inherent Righteousnesse as it is Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done It 's a Righteousnesse of our own doing made up of our Praying Hearing and other Duties as they are Acts of ours The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is an imputed Righteousnesse that is when Christs doing and Suffering is accounted ours Take both in this comparison The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Works is like a Debtor or Tennent his paying of his own Debt or Rent by his managing his businesse providently and dexterously and none other is troubled with it The Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is like one that hath spent up and debauched all and hath not one penny to pay his Debt or Rent with but hath a worthy able and responsal Cautioner who hath payed for him Both being pursued and brought before the Judge The first man is absolved because what he was owing he payed it at the term precisely The other man grants that he was owing the Debt but pleads that his Cautioner hath payed it aâ—d the Law excepts of the Cautioners payment and pursues the Debtor no further but absolves him So is it here when the Believer comes to stand at Gods Bar it is nothing in himself that he pleads upon but it 's Christs Sufferings who said on the Cross it is finished The Debt of my People is fully payed and Faith pleading for Absolution on that ground according to the Law of Faith he is absolved as if he had payed the Debt himself or had been owing none If then it should be asked Believers what ground have ye to expect to be Justified The Prophet answers here Christ hath born our iniquities and this is the Believers Defence and therefore see here a possibility to reconcile these Two that some men scorn and flout at as irreconcileable to wit how one can be a Sinner and yet Righteous he may be sinful in himself and yet Righteous through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might made the righteousnesse of God in him Rom. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse The man ungodly in himself is justified through the Satisfâ—ction of Christ imputed to him for Righteousnesse and laid hold on by Faith as if he had not Sinned or had actually satisfied himself 2dly This consequence followeth That it serves to clear how Faith Justifies as when we say Faith is our righteousnesse and is imputed to us for righteousness we are not to look on Faith properly as a Grace in us and divided or abstracted from the Object no by no means but as it is a laying hold on the Object It 's Faith in him that justifies and Through his knowledge shall many be justified because he shall bear their iniquities Faith Justifies by vertue of Christs Satisfaction and as taking hold of it Faith does not Justifie as it is an Act of Grace in the Sinner but as closing with Christ the Object of it even as in the similitude we made use of before It 's not enough that the Cautioner hath pâ—yed such a mans Debs but the man must instruct it by producing the Discharge the production whereof is the cause of his Absolution in Law yet the vertue that makes the Discharge so to concur is not the Discharge it self but the Cautioners payment or Satisfaction mentioned and contained in the Sinners Discharge even so is it here It 's Christs Righteousnesse that concurreth as the meritorious cause of the Sinners Absolution and Faith concurres as the Instrumental Cause in the pleading of that Defence whereon Justification follows as an effect of
noble excellent and glorious Victory and Triumph over all His Enemies There are none of us all but shall at the day of Judgement when He will be seen to be Judge of quick and dead which is a part of His Triumph having so many Redeemed Slaves to speak so at His back have a confirmation of this Truth in our bosome And indeed it is no little part of Religion to get this point deeply impressed on our hearts That our Lord Jesus who was once low is now exalted to such Glory Look to it and we will find a great part of our deadness and unsoundness here That His greatness bulks not suitably in our eye alace we do very much undervalue Him but His humiliation being for us it should not make us think the lesse of Him nor make us lessen the high esteem we should have of Him but should in reason make us think the more of Him and put the greater price on Him Use 2. It is a most comfortable Doctrine in reference to all ups and downs of the time and to all the straits that His Church and People can be put to It cannot be ill with Christ and it shall not be ill with them He may have contests but He shall get yea He hath gotten the Victory He once died to die no more all that He hath now to do is to make application of His purchased Redemption and to divide the Spoil to notice which He doth most narrowly what of His purchase is yet in the Devils possession and to rescue and set it free He hath gotten the Possession and Government of the Kingdom and it must and it shall go well let the World rage and let the Sea roar and the floods lift up their voice and the mountains be cast in the Sea whatever confusions and overturnings come or whatever troubles be Our Lord Jesus hath gotten the Victory and is dividing the Spoil He will take no other division then what Jehovah hath made and carved out to Him It will not be what Devils or Men what great Men Kings Princes Parliaments Potentats Armâ—â—â— c. Are pleased to give or allow to Him but He must needs have the Portion promised Him with the great and the spoil with the strong He shall certainly get that and none shall be able to bereave Him or take a bit of it from Him yea none shall possesse a Foot broad of ground bestowed on Him and His followers He shall have a Church and Ordinances dispensed therein where He intends it and Souls shall be gathered to Him from all quarters as they were given to Him and maugure all the malice and proud opposition of Devils and Men all that the Father hath given to Him shall come to Him without all peradventure or possibility of misgiving they shall not by all their opposition and persecution be able to keep any one of the gifted ones from coming to Him in the season agreed on betwixt Jehovah and Him And 2dly It 's comfortable to Gods People as to their own particular case corruption is a strong and formidable enemy the Devil is a restlesse enemy and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom He may devour The World is a deceitful ensnaring enemy and doth often in a manner even overwhelm them but Our Lord Jesus hath the Victory and parting of the staiks to say so or the dividing of the Spoil These that remain at home the fecklessest Boy or Girle Lad or Lass shall divide the Spoil This is it that Job comforts Himself with Chap. 19. I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shâ—ll stand at the latter day upon the earth to wit as sole and absolute conquerer the Victory being intirely on His side with these eyes shall I see him and no other for me though worms destroy this body Believers O! Believers there is a good day coming He hath gotten the Victory and so shall ye The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly And whatever wrongs ye suffer and whatever straits ye be under now while the wicked are in prosperity there will be a new decision yea new a division ere long all shall be snatched from wicked men but your cup shall run over There shall be no more fighting no more parties to give you battel or to oppose you when He shall have beaten all Enemies off the Field It will be a poor and sorry portion that many wil get in that day who did not lippen and trust to Christs Spoil when ye Believers shall be sharers with Him in it Use 3. This sayes that it is both hard and sad to top with Christ and to be found in opposition to Him I speak not so much of publick contests such as Pilate Herod the Scribes and Pharisees had with Him and which many great Ones of the Earth still keep up against Him who will find the smart of their opposition ere long but of all that contend with Him in His Ordinances and who say by their practice at least Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us as it is Psal 2. And we will not have this man to reign over us as it is Luke 19. He will say Bring out these mine enemies and slay them before me Beloved hearers this day is coming when all of us will stand before Him and shall see Him divide the Spoil and wo wo will be to that Person that day that would not submit to His Government O! what a dreadful thing will it be to be slain before the Mediator to have the Prince of Life taking holy pleasure in thy death because thou sided with the Devil and the lusts of thine own heart because thou resisted and quenched His Spirit and barracaded the way of His access to thee and would not let Him in to reign in thy heart nor yeeld thy self as a Subject to Him But it shall be well unspeakably well with Christ and all that are His in that day He and they shall triumph most gloriously The splendor spiritual state and majesty of that Triumph shall infinitely transcend all that hath been looked at with wonder in the most glorious Triumphs of the greatest Emperours Kings or Captain-generals in the World 3dly Consider what this Spoil is even to see his seed and to justifie many and to get them brought in to Him and made partakers of His Grace and Glory Observe That it is a part of Christs Victory Triumph and Glory to get the Devil defeat in and dung out of Souls and to get them Converted Justified and Saved through His Blood when He is Triumphing over Enemies as it is Col. 2.14 15. What is He doing He is even tearing the Bond that was above the Elects head and blotting out their Debt in that He triumphs most gloriously So Psal 68. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive There is His Triumph and Spoil even a company of poor Slaves Redeemed by Him The weapons
Devil is put from the Throne and gets not violence â—cted he turns about and falleth on another waâ— and â—peâ—â—s out this flood of errour to devour the Woman and her Child But our Lord hath a voce here also Afâ—er the persecution of the Heathens is over Revel 7.1 2. John sees an Angel ascending from the east the great Lord Keeper or Chancellour of the Fathers Council the supream Deputy over all unâ—er Officers that hath the keeping of the great Seal of the living God and there is nothing relevant nor valid till it be sealed by him And mark the time when he appears It 's when the winds are holden and ready to blow as v. 1. but he cryes with a loud voice Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the Servants of God in the foreheads Stay saith he a little ere these winds blow that will take the most part off their feet ere that delusion go forward there are some servants of God that must be marked and put without the reach of the hazard and then the wind shall get leave to blow what reason then of anxiety is there or could be here if the solid and lively faith of this Intercessour and Advocat his being in heaven and thus interceeding were in our hearts 2dly As to the particular times and occasions when the people of God should more especially make use of this ground of consolation and comfort themselves in it I speak not of Christs Intercession simply but of the consolation that flows from It 1. In their most languid and lifeless conditions when the body of death comes in on them like a wave of the Sea and is ready as it were to drown them they ought to comfort themselves in this that they have an intercessour that can rebuke that when tentation is violent and a person fears he be undone he hath a grip here to hold himself by Jesus Christ is intercessour He prayes that my graces sail not That my Faith and Patience be not undone that the Devil get not his will of me the man would be desperat if he were not in heaven and interceeding but he gathers confidence from this ground and sayes I shall not die but live and see the salvation of God For he is able to save to the uttermoâ—t all that come unto God through him Seeing he evee liveth to make intercession for them And therefore although I cannot win out of the grips of this tentation yet he can rebuke it and break the force of it And hence is that comfortable word Heb. 2. last For that he himself suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Sometimes it will not meet with Believers condition that Christ suffered but this doth when he comes on and finds that he was tempted It 's true there was no corruption in him and tentations had no sinful influence on him and the more comfort to us He is the stronger to overcome in us yet he was set on and assaulted by the tentation he was tempted and that is a consolation when Joshua the high Priest is in his dutie Zech. 3. And the Devil is at his right hand to resist him and mar him in it and he can do or say little himself he boasts him with authority from marring his servant in his work A great consolation it is when the tentation is strong and we weak when the Devil is violent and we are dispairing to resist him that there is a high Priest at hâ—nd whole office is to do it A 2d time is when challenges are very fresh when the charge of ones Debt given in is long and large and the Law iâ— severe in exacting and Justice in pressing and pressing hard and the conscience cannot deny nor resist and the man hath nothing to pay his Debt and he â—s ike to be dragged to the Prison and there is none to undertake for him There comes in that word 1 John 2.1.2 I writ these things to you that ye sin not I give â—oot a dispensation to sin but if any 〈◊〉 sin we have an Advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And this is the grâ—â—â—d of Pauls triumph so often mentioned Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies c. Though the charge should be given in what is the matter there is a way to be fred of it there is an Advocat at the right hand of God in heaven who became Cautioner for and payed the Elects Debt and is now interceeding for them and who can loss the cause when he pleads it and here he quiets and comforts himself giving a defiance to challenges and all that can be lybelled against him A 3d. time and occasion is under a Cross-condition when Christians have the world in their tops and their is confusion in publick things and there is darkness and indistinctness in our private condition It ought to comfort us that we have an Advocat in heaven who pleads our cause and will not dispise the suite of the poor and needy A 4th time is when we our selves cannot interceed for our selves when we pray but our prayers are much mangled and little worth and we think shame to look upon them we would then look on what accompt our prayers are put up If on the accompt of Christs Intercession a sigh a groan a broken word nay a breathing will be accepted the Intercessour hath his own incense to perfume it with and it 's accepted on the weight that it hath from him and though our prayer be but as the shaddow of a prayer if there be honesty in it it 's a comfort it will be accepted on that account Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name I will do And Revel 8. He accepts the prayers of all Saints the weakest as well as the best for the best goes not up but by his censer and incense and the weakest goes up that same way And there is in some respect no distinction of Believers and of their fervent or not fervent prayers there if honest the fervour of Christs Intercession and the favour of his incense makes all go up and be accepted because the reason of Gods hearing of our prayers is not in us else he should hear none of them but it 's in his intercession which is of equal worth and extent to all honest prayers of sound Believers He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him though there be no ability nor worth in themselves because he lives for ever to make intercession for them but the two last things will clear this yet more 3dly Though this may seem strange like yet it is true if we consider the grounds warranding us to make use of his Intercession and to draw this Consolation from it And they are Four 1. That his Intercession suppons a defect in us a libel and charge given
in against us else what needed we to have an Advocat and Intercessâ—ur if our Plea were just and good as from our selves we needed not one to undertake for us the Judge would absolve us but the defects that are in us give access to this part of his Office which supposes us to have infirmities else we needed not an high Priest if we were like Adam in his innocency for he needed not an Intercessour and therefore in the Text it is for the transgressâ—urs that he makes Intercession and 1 John 2.2 If any man sin we have an advocat c. 2. All the weight of Christs Intercession and the grounds whereon he pleads are in himself and therefore none need to stand a back because there is nothing in themselves We have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation Christ hath in him a fulnesse to pay the Debt himself and he pleads on that and on nothing in the creature He sayes not let them be pardoned because they have not sin nor because they have such and such qualifications but because I have been a propitiation for them I have payed their Debt Therefore he is called the righteous because he hath reason for that which he seeks He hath payed for what he seeks and therefore it cannot but be granted 3. There is a freedom in the application of all the application is free Grace every way and that is clear from the parable of the barren fig-tree what could the tree say when Justice pleaded it should be cut down There is nothing in it to procure a delay but the Gardner stands up and bids spare it and he will take pains on it and apply what is needful causes are not here cast back because the partie is poor nor because he hath much Debt on his score No If any man sin he hath an advocat the thing is obtained without money and without price would ye then have a Priest that suits you well ye shall have him and have him freely if ye imploy him to undertake for you he will do it freely and it 's his honour so to do 4. It 's free and effectuall It cannot misgive for who pleads is it not the Son before whom pleads he It 's before his own Father who heareth him alwayes for whom doth he plead It 's for them who are the Fathers own Elect and his also Thine they were and thou gavest them me and all mine are thine and thine are mine It 's for them whom the Father loves as well as he whaâ— does he seek and plead for for that which is covenanted and he pleads for it according to the terms of the Covenant Therefore it 's sure that though heaven and earth may be mixed and overturned yet none can louse a link here It 's impossible but what he interceeds for he must obtain and for whom he interceeds he prevails and that 's for all that imploy him 4ly For Advertisement or caveat It may be asked here may all comfort themselves in Christs Intercession Some will think that were good but in truth it would make the consolation of all unsure Therefore there are Four qualifications of a person that may and only may warrantably take the consolation whereof we have spoken 1. It 's a Person that hath betaken himself to Christs satisfaction for there are two parts of the Priestly Office His Satisfaction and his Intercession and there is no dividing of them nor making use of them but in the right order First he satisfies and then he iâ—terceeds and he must be taken and mâ—â—e use of in this order 1. In his Satisfaction to divine Justice and it 's on this ground that we must found our righteousnesse and plead for absolution and whoâ—ver haâ—e 〈◊〉 thi◠〈◊〉 of his â—â—â—faction may 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—selves in his 〈…〉 â—â—â—ed on his Satisfaction 1 John 〈…〉 he interceeds for these he is a 〈◊〉 and he is a propitiation for all who by 〈◊〉 have betaken themselves to him This is the very hinge of our Consolation 〈◊〉 to take with our Debt and to betake 〈◊〉 selves to him according to the 〈◊〉 lippening for salvation on that ground 〈◊〉 It 's these who are essaying and practising themselves in the duties of holinesse wrestling with a body of death and exercising themselves to Godlinesse that they may warrantably comfort themselves in Christs Intercession as Paul who Rom. 7. being put to it in the conflict with his corruption comforts himself thus I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Though they be sorly harassed with a corrupt nature yet they may expect an outgate through vertue of his Intercession Therefore Revel 8. Christs incense as I have often said and the Saints Prayers go and go up together Lazinesse and security hath not this consolation but if a person be praying and be serious though weak in it he hath an Advocat who when it comes to he asked what shall be thought of such an ones Sacrifice pleads that it may be accepted 3. It 's the person that not only is aiming and minting to do dutie but is denyed to it laying no weight on it disparing ever to get victory over corruption in his own strength or to come by the hearing of his prayers through any worth that is in them and not daring to step forward his alone but leaving all he does at Christs feet to make it acceptable which leads to the 4th thing requisit viz. when persons whether their doing and duties be of worth or not Jesus Christ is made by them the upshot of all they lay weight on him to get them done and to get them accepted when they are done and without him all would be desperat in their esteem this was typified in the peoples giving the Sacrifices to the Priest to be offered and though it were but two Turtle doves or two young Pigions they were brought to the Priest as well as other Sacrifices But such as consider not the enimity and sinfulnesse that is in themselves and adventure to step into God without him cannot lay claim to this consolation which runs alwayes on this ground Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him Seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Is there not then ground of Consolation here and such as there is reason to bestow a preaching upon it to teach us how to clear our selves in it and make use of it and how to chear our selves in it Ye that seclude your selves from this Consolation O! but ye spil and mar a good life to your selves and hazard your own cause that will most certainly go against you because ye put it not in the right hand which the Lord give you wisdom to amend and give us all the right use of this through Jesus Christ SERMON LXVIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And made intercession for the transgressours IT were a very great Consolation and a
for Christ hath payed the debt of them for whom he interceeds he hath purchased the same things for which he maketh Intercession they are the same acts of Faith that make use of both It 's the same Covenant and offer that warrands us to come to his Satisfaction for peace that warrands us to make use of his Intercession for the application of peace There is only this difference that by his Satisfaction he procures us peace and a right to it and our peace is made by his laying down before God the price which we by Faith take hold of but when he interceeds he hath nothing to pay but interceeds for what he hath purchased Therefore the Scripture hangs the application of his purchase upon his Intercession He hath bought peace and every good thing that we stand in need of by his death and by his Intercession he procures and makes the application Therefore it 's on this ground that the Spirit is poured out As among men it 's one thing to make peace and another thing to bring the offending person into familiarity with the offended party So it 's the same Faith acting on Christs Satisfaction for being brought in to Covenant with God as the meritorious cause that acts on Christs Intercession for application of that which he hath purchased but under a different consideration looking on his Satisfaction as procuring and on his Intercession for application of the same things A 2d Similitude to clear it is the people under the Law their making use of the high Priest There were two parts of the high Priests Office or two things wherein the people made use of him 1. For offering Sacrifice 2. For Intercession The high Priest went into the most holy once a year and sprinkled the blood and prayed for the people in which time they were standing without praying in the hope of having their prayers made the more acceptable This was by Gods appointment typically to prefigure our Lords Intercession in heaven It is true the high Priests praying for them was nothing to the Souls advantage of him or them if Christ was not made use of both by him and by them yet it was typical and to shew this much that they were to improve Christs Intercession as well as his Sacrifice and Satisfaction Therefore Luke 1.10 When Zacharias went in to pray the whole multitude of the people was without praying A 3d. similitude which we have hinted at in our going along is drawn from that way that is used among men for bringing two parties that are at ods and variance to be reconciled and at one which though we are not to conceive in that carnal manner yet it holds as to the substance of the thing as if the offending party durst not go his alone to the party offended but should carrie along with him a friend that hath place and power to prevail with the other when he undertakes to go along with him contrary to his deserving he will expect confidently to get a good hearing and if any should say to him how dar you go to such an one whom you have so provocked he would answer because I have a friend before me that will make moyen for me and when by that friends moyen he gets a favourable hearing and his suit granted he comes away rejoycing professing his great obligation to that friend So is it here as to the thing though as was said we would guard against carnal conceptions of taking up God and the Mediator as distinct parties to be made application to we shall insist no further for the time O! that there were seriousness to improve his Blood and Satisfaction for washing us from the guilt of sin and for making our peace with God and his Intercession for upholding our peace and communion with God and for the attaining of every good that he hath purchased and promised which is the sum of all God help us to the practice of it and to be conscientious in it SERMON LXIX ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours ALthough this be a most necessary thing and that whereof we have dayly and hourly use even to be improving Christs Intercession and although it be one of the most excellent and most comfortable things that a Christian hath to look to in his walk there being no condition but there is a ready help for it here yet this is our sinful misery that either through our blindnesse or our indifferency we are much out of capacity to improve aright so rare a priviledge For as much as we have heard of it are there many of us that can tell how Christs Intercession is to be improven Sure we may know that if ever we do it there is no thâ—nks to us for the doing of it And indeed it is of such a nature that we even cannot well tell whether it be better to speak of it or to be silent being so little able to make any thing plain of such a misterious yet very concerning thing Ye may remember the Doctrine that we proposed to speak to was this That our Lord Jesus hath this for a part of his Office to make Intercession for transgressours Being a real Priest he not only offers a Sacrifice but goes in and hath gone within the vail with the vertue of his Sacrifice to appear before God in heaven for us as all the Offices of Christ are advantagious and would be studied by us and we would study them well this hath many advantages with it and we would improve it least we frustrat our selves of the cluster of priviledges that is in this one Doctrine That Jesus Christ makes intercession for transgressours or sinners We shew the last day wherein the improving of Christs Intercession doth consist we shall now instance some cases wherein Believers in a special manner are to make use of it 2. We shall give some directions for clearing some questions or for answering some doubts about it And 3. We shall assigne some Characters of such as are rightly improving Christs Intercession For the First Christs Intercession ought to be made use of in as many cases as are possibly incident to a Believer and therefore we are not to restrict it to one case more then to another although indeed there be some wherein more especially we are called to improve it Now to clear it that there are some cases wherein in a special manner the Believer is to make use of this Office of Christs interceeding for transgressours It may be instanced in these 1. A Believer hath either liberty or he is in bonds and there is a special watchfulness called for in both these cases that the Intercession of Christ be not slighted 1. When he hath liberty and his spiritual condition thryves he prayes and his heart melts in prayer he hath what he would have the exercises of Religion become pleasant and he hath no will to come from them In this case the