go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the
the Body of Christ and again verse 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected that is consecrated saith Calvin for ever them that are sanctified And saith our Savior Omnes prorsus authores quos ego legerim interpretantur pro iis ego me in sacrificium offero et cum dicit ut sint ipsi sanctificati in veritate significat initiari consecrarique sacrificio Maldonat in Joan. 17. Calvin in Heb. 10. For this cause do I sanctifie my self that is saith Maldonate according to al the Authors that I have read I do consecrate and offer up my â—elf a Sacrifice that they also may be sanctified or consecrated in Truth and not in Ceremony as the People were by the Sacrifices of the old Testament which were but a shadow of the great and true Sacrifice Christ on the Cross And if our Lord and Savior Christ when he died on the Cross was then offered unto God as our first Fruits then al the crop and lump must be sanctified thereby but when he died he was offered up unto God as our first Fruits and therefore saies the Apostle Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are of one as the first Fruits and the Crop or Lump were of one plainly therefore when Christ died for us he did then sanctifie and set apart al those whom he died for and so the consecration and sanctification of his Seed is another Fruit and immediate Effect of his Death Thirdly As he did consecrate al his Seed by his Death so he did merit Heaven and Eternal Salvation for them opening the Gates of Paradice I mean the Coelestial Paradice for them again for as the first Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did bring Death and Eternal Condemnation upon al his Seed Humilitas passionis Christi meruit nobis apertionem januae quod per eam datum est sufficiens pretium redemptionis nostrae quia tanta fuit humilitas in redemptore quanta fuit superbia in prevaricatore Altissiodor Lib. 3. Tract 1. c. 7. and did cause the Gates of Paradice to be shut against him and al his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Death and Obedience open the Gates of Paradice and Salvation for al his Seed and therefore when he was on the Cross he told the Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradice why did he not rather say This day shalt thou be with me in the third Heavens for our Paradice is the third Heavens as appears plainly by comparing the 2d and 3d Verses of the 12. Chapter of 2 Cor. But because as I conceive he was performing his Obedience on the Tree as our Second Adam and so opening Heaven and our Paradice in opposition to that hurt and mischief the first Adam did by his Disobedience in eating of the forbidden Tree and if ye look into Heb. 10.19 20. ye shal find that the Apostle Paul saith thus Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh So that the opening of this way to Life for his Seed was the proper and immediate Effect and Fruit of Christs Death and Sufferings Fourthly As he did merit Eternal Life and Salvation for his Seed opening the Gates of Paradice again for them So he did by his Death recover the Image of God unto al his Seed For as the First Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did then lose the Image of God which loss he saw as an immediate Fruit and Effect of his Sin so the Second Adam Christ did by his Death and Obedience merit the repair and recovery of the Image of God 〈…〉 for his Seed which Purchase he did then obtain presently and did see the right thereunto immediately setled upon his Seed and Children whom he died for for saith the Apostle Heb. 9.12 But by his own blood be entred in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us So that before he entred the holy place he had obtained our Redemption look therefore what that is which we in Scripture are said to be redeemed from that he obtained presently for his Seed Now we are not only said to be redeemed from the Wrath to come but from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 or from our vain Conversation and that by his blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Qiemadmodum non transit Adae damnatio nisi per generationem incarnaliter ex eo generatos sic non transit Christi gratia et peccatoruÌ„ remissio nisi per regenerationem spiritualiter per ipsum regeneratos sicut delictum Adae non nocet nisi suis in eo quod sui sunt sic nec gratia Christi prodest nisi suis in eo quod sui sunt Parisiens de causis cur Deus homo Cap. 9. This purchase therefore he obtained presently by his Death Neither can it be said that then al his Seed should be immediately freed from their vain Conversation For as Parisiensis doth observe wel As the sin of the first Adam doth not hurt his Seed but in that they are his so the Grace of the Second Adam doth not actually profit his Seed but in that they are his But the Seed of Adam are his as they receive Flesh from him when they are born so the Seed of Christ are not his but as they receive the Spirit from him and when they are born again but though the Seed of Christ have not this Image actually stamped on them til they do beleeve yet they have a right both to Salvation and Sanctification immediately setled on them by the Death of Christ as a Child may have a right to a Land by the Purchase of his Father before he comes of Age though he be not actually possessed of the Land til he do come of Age This Right therefore and the Settlement of it upon the Seed of Christ is another fruit and immediate Effect of his Death and Sufferings Fiftly As he did recover the Image of God by his Death Nunc judicium est mundi nunc princeps hujus mundi eâ—icietur foras Joan. 12. justitia Dei hoc efficere dehuit ut ab eo pateretur Diabolus quod ille inique intulerat scil ut ab eo ligaretur quem inique ligaverat seu ligari procuraverat ab eo ejiciretur de mundo quem ipse et spiritualiter et corporaliter injuste ejecerâ—t Paris cap. 9. so he did spoil and destroy the Power of Satan which Satan had over al his Seed For as by the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam Satan got a Power over al his Posterity so by the Death and Obedience of the Second Adam this Power was broken in reference to the Seed of Christ for saith the Apostle Heb. 2.14 He also himself took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of
his heart is at rest and he is fully satisfied And thereby also he obtains the ends of his Sufferings as it is a dis-satisfaction to a man to miss his ends so it is satisfaction to a man to obtain the end of his Labor Now the effects of Christs Travel are the ends which he aimed at in his Travel and therefore when he sees the Travel of his Soul in the Effects thereof he must needs be at rest in his heart and be fully satisfied Quest But how may it appear that Christ shall certainly obtain all those Ends which he travelled for and aimed at Answ 1 This hath been cleered already yet further thus The Will of Christ and the Wil of the Father are one I and my Father saith he are one they are one in Nature and therefore there is but one wil between them Finis à Deo destinatus semper attingitur Now God the Father cannot be frustrated of his Ends for he is a simple being and a pure Act nothing can come between his Executive Power and his Wil. The Soul of Man is a compounded Being Dr. Preston on the Attrib the simplicity of God his Faculties differing from his Essence and his Acts differing from his Faculties and therefore somth ng can come between his Wil and the Execution of it but the Executive Power and the Wil of God being one and his Wil and Act being one nothing can come between his Wil and his Act and therefore look whatever he wils he shal certainly obtain and cannot be frustrated of his Ends. Answ 2 If you look inâ—o the Scripture you shal find that the same things which are the Effects of Christs Death were the Ends of his dying and the same things which were the eâ—ds â—hat he aiâ— ed at in his Death are the effects of his Death For example Did he aim at the Remission of our sins by his Death Matth. 26.28 Remission of sin is the effect of his Dâ—ath Ephes 1.7 Did he aim at the washiâ—g and sanctifying of the Church by his Death Ephes 5.25 26. This clensing washing and sanctifying as the Effect of his Death 1 Cor. 6.11 The Ends and Effects of his Death are the same why so but to shew that he shal certainly obtain al those gracious ends which he travelled for Answ 3 If there be nothing thaâ— can keep our Lord and Savior Christ from the obtainment of his Ends then he must needs see the same Now the Ends of his Death and Sufferings are many he did not only die and suffer to deliver us from the Wrath to come and to reconcile us to God but he diâ—d and suffered to bring us to God and to deliver us from this present evil World 1 Gal. 4 he died to sanctifie wash and clense those that he died for Ephes 5.25 to destroy him that had the power of death the Dâ—vil Heb. 2. and to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 Now what can hâ—nder him from the obtainment of theâ—e his Ends Can the Devil he came to destroy him Can the World He came to deliver us from this present evil World Can our Sin or Unbelief hinder him he came to clense us and wash us and to redeem us from al Iniquity why then are not those redeemed from al Iniquity that he died for Wil ye say because they wil not or because they do not beleeve he came to redeem us from those unbeleeving won'ts for that Unbeleef and that won't is a Sin and Iniquity and he came to redeem us from al not from some but from all Iniquity Surely therefore if he did die for al particular men he should redeem them al from al Iniquity and so from their Unbelief Object But when the Apostle saith that Christ came to redeem us from all Iniquity by that US we are to understand Beleevers only and not all the particular men in the World Answ Very true But if he came to redeem Beleevers only from all Iniquity and not others then he did not die equally for al men for he died to redeem some from all Iniquity and not others But those that say Christ died for al say also that he died equally with equal Intentions of Love and Mercy for al and if he did die to redeem al particular men from al Iniquity why are not al particular men redeemed from al Iniquity Wil it yet be said because they wil not why that wil not is an Iniquity Wil it be said Because of their Unbelief why that Unbelief is an Iniquity and a Soul-disease Now if a Physitian come to cure al Diseases and he doth not cure the most because they have Diseases is this a good reason why he doth not cure them You send a Servant to wash and clense a pot from its filthiness and he returns with it unwashed unclensed and he tels you that he did not wash it because there was filth in it wil you take this for a good reason from him Surely no. Now Christ came to wash us and clense us from al Iniquities and wil he not do it because of our Iniquity Surely this can be no reason and seeing these are the Ends of his Death and Sufferings there is nothing that can hinder him from the obtainment of them Therefore he shal certainly see the Travel of his Soul in the obtainment of al those Ends which he suffered for Delectatio oritur ex adeptione boni convenientis et cognitione hujusmodi adeptionis Aquin. Now two things there are which do give ful contentment and satisfaction to the Soul The obtainment of ones End and The knowledg of that obtainment for though I have obtained my End yet if I do not know that I have obtained it I have not satisfaction but where fruition and knowledg of that fruition do meet there is ful contentment and satisfaction Now Christ shal not only obtain his Ends but he shal know and set the Travel of his Soul and therefore he shal have ful delight contentment and satisfaction therein And so the main Doctrine is now cleered in al the three Parts thereof Vse 1 If Christ shal thus see the Travel of his Soul Applicat and be satisfied then here you may see the Reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Quare cum talis fuerit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuerit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuerit conditionem fidei sequitur quandoquidem salva justitia per eam Dei voluntatem fidei ad salutem necessitus ponitur eorum respectum pro quibus Christus satisfecit eandem justitiam non lâ—di cum damnantur increduli licet pro ipsorum peccatis sit satisfactum Corvin contra Molin cap. 23. pag. 442. How can we be satisfied with that which is dis-satisfying to the heart of Christ Now according to that Doctrine Christ shal see men damned for
it I. For understanding the Scripture ibid. Hold fast the Letter of it for if you deny the Letter how can you understand the true sense ibid. An Objection answered ibid. Quest How can we keep fast the Letter when there are so many Greek Copies of the new Teâ—â—amâ—â— Page 47 Answ 1 There is no material difference between them ibid. 2 You must diligently enquire out the true meaning of the Scripture ibid. Object One Scripture hath many Senses c. Page 48 Answ Negatively Nay one Scripture hath but one intire sense though it hath divers parts and applications ibid. 2 The Scripture is to be understood somtimes literally somtimes figuratively yet alwaies spiritually ibid. 3 For Direction Page 49 1 Al fundamental Doctrins of our salvation are laid down literally ibid. 2 When the literal sense must be lest ibid. 3 Mystery doth not destroy the History ibid. 4 Nothing in Scripture set down mystically but is literally expressed in another place of Scripture Page 49 50 Object When a Scripture lieth under con rovâ—â—sie what must be done ibid. Answ Somthing by way of Observatiâ—n somthing by Practice ibid. 1 Observation if you be able câ—nsult the Original if not able consult those that are able ibid. 2 Coherence and Scope and Context good means to open the true sense Page 51 3 Compare one Scripture with another ibid. 4 Sâ—veâ—ve not from the proportion of Faith ibid. II. More Practically Page 52 1 Go to God for the spirit ib. 2 Take heed of a fleshly mind ibid. 3 Study your Condition by Scripture and the Scripture by your Condition ibid. 4 Be not too indulgent to your own Condition Disposition or Opinion ibid. 5 Joyn nothing in Commission with the Scripture for your Rule Page 53 2 You must keep the Scripture if you will attend to understand it ibid. Directions how to keep the Word Page 54 1 Observe the things whereby men have been drawn from it and those are chiefly three ibid. 1 The corruption of mans Nature ibid. 2 Corrupt Principles ibid. 3 Playing with the Scripture Page 55 2 Rules to keep particular Truths of Scripture in your heart are ibid. 1 Many Saints have suffered willingly the loss of all to maintain them ibid. 2 Consider that the Saints have generally maâ—ntained these Doctrines in opposition to the world ib III. To take heed to the Scripture is to walk thereby Page 56 1 Therefore prize it much ib. 2 Love the truth you know ib. 3 Let it be your continual Companion ibid. Christ in Travel ON Isaiah 53.11 Sermon I. THe Text Opened Page 61 62 DOCT. Christ shall see the Travel of his soul and be satisfied Page 63 The opening of this by three Arâ—uments ibid. 1 The Travel of Christ or Christ in travel 2 His assurance of Issue 3 The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein His travel was very painful For ibid. 1 It was a sore Travel 2 A long Travel 3 A helpless Travel ibid. I. It was a sore travel in regard of Soul and Body ib. 1 For his Body ibid. 1 It was universal in regard of the parts in which he suffered and persons he suffered from ibid. 2 It was most extream Page 65 3 They were long and lingering Page 65 2 For his Soul His was a sore Travel Page 66 Proved in four Propositions 1 Christ did truly suffer in his soul 2 That he suffered in his soul immediately 3 That he did encounter with the wrath of God 4 That he did suffer the very torments of Hell in this life ibid. The first Proposition proved ibid. The second Proposition proved Page 67 The third Proposition proved Page 68 The fourth Proposition proved Page 69 Quest Whether one can endure the very torments of Hell in this Life Page 70 Answ Affirmatively Christ did not endure al the misery we should have done ib. Arg. 1. He suffered al the threatening produced but not what proceed from the disposition of our persons Page 71 Arg. 2. What Christ delivered us from that he endured for us Page 72 Arg. 3. Christ established the Law by his death ibid. Arg. 4. Christ hath suffered Gods Wrath and Justice for the Elect ibid. Reasons 1 The Law is not satisfied unless the debt be paid ibid. 2 Christ satisfied the Law in his sufferings Page 93 3 No evil is equivalent to the wrath of God ibid. II. Christs Travel was long and tedious not only in his death but in his life all along ibid. III. It was a helpless Travel for he trode the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone Page 94 Quest Suppose Christ was thus in travel for us what then ibid. Answ Our duty is to come in and behold this hard labor he suffered ibid. Observations 1 All the Attributes and Perfectionâ— of God are here in Commission in Christ crucified ibid. 2 We shall hence value and love Christ more Page 95 3 We shall hence prize all our enjoyments more ibid. 4 Men are hereby made more willing to suffer any thing for Christ his sake ibid. 5 We shall hereby be made more unwilling to put Christ to a new suffering ibid. 6 Hereby we are more enabled to overcome all our temptations and corruptions and to become more profitable and gracious in our lives ibid. 7 Hereby we are more enagaged to his Commandements and Ordinances ibid. 8 Hence conclude the willingness of God to save sinners Page 96 9 It is an encouragement for poor sinnerâ— to come to Christ Page 97 10 Hereby our hearts are confuâ—ed and our faith confirmed ibid. Sermon II. Christs Assurance of Issue Page 99 The Introduction ibid. Oâ—ening of the words ibid. 1 What this Issue is Page 100 2 What assurance he had ib. I. It is all the effects of his sufferings whereof some are immediate some remote ib. Quest What are the immediate effects ibid. Answ Negatively 1 Not to make God reconcilable to man-kind ibid. 2 That actual reconciliation and justification is not the next effect of Christs death is proved by five Reasons ibid. Object But we were discharged from our sins when they were charged on Christ Page 101 Answ Negatively 3 Christ died not to reconcile man to God proved by seven Reâ—sons ibid. 4 The next â—ffect of Christs death is not the forgiveness of original sin to all the woâ—â—d proved by five Reasons Page 102 5 The obtainment of this Decree that whoâ—oever beleeveth shall be saved not the nâ—xâ—â—ffect of Christs death proved by four Arguments ibid. 6 It was not to bring all the world unto the Covenant of Grace proved by three Reasons Page 104 7 Christ hath not by his death obâ—ained sufficiency of Grace for all men proved by five Reasons Page 105 8 Christ died not to obtain a Dominion over all things proved by six Reasons Page 107 Quest What was the next effect of his deaâ—h Page 108 Answ affirmatively 1 He satisfied the Law and Justice of God for us learnedly proved by six Arguments ibid. 2 He sanctified