the punishment of the Devils that could only make him see the merit of sin but it could not make him see himself worse than a Devil There is a Second branch of this ground and that is for the souls advantage and benefit that he does for a time lie under the heaviness and weight of his own iniquity and not dare to apply the Lord Jesus There are also two reasons rendred of that 1. Say they it doth drive the soul more vehemently to the Lord Jesus for justification life and salvation and set the soul in a more hot persuit af-Jesus Christ so as not to be satisfied without him 2. Say they it hath advantage for sanctification in regard fear makes him depart from iniquity and pursue more vehemently after holiness from Jesus Christ For answer to this First I must premise thus much That the Lord can and doth improve every providence whatever for the fulfilling of his own will in a soul So that the Lords will being effectually to draw a heart to the Lord Christ to make him partake of holiness and of union with himself the Lord can and it may be doth improve the affliction of the souls conscience for sin for that end to put him upon a violent pursuit after Jesus Christ But I say this is only accidentally But properly and by it self the souls resting under affliction of conscience for his sin before the applying the Lord Jesus to himself doth not in any measure make for the benefit of the soul in pressing the soul one step towards Jesus Christ either for justification or sanctification either for life union with God in Christ or holiness And that will appear in two things 1. In regard all apprehensions of God out of Christ do but drive away the soul from the presence of God and terrifie and amaze and astonish and afright the poor soul I mean thus so long as the soul looks upon God and doth not behold the Lord willing to accept his poor despicable soul in that precious Mediator the Lord Jesus the more it beholds the justice of God and the more it feels of the effects of his justice in the conscience the further the soul runs from God No sooner had Adam transgressed the will of God and had his conscience wounded but he fled from the presence of God when God called him Thus when Judas was sensible of his sin against God presently he went and hanged himself 2. In regard it is only through the infusion of the habit of grace into the soul that the heart is any way drawn towards Jesus Christ Saith Christ John 6.44 No man can come unto me except the father draw him So the Spouse Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee The heart is altogether opposite to leave those cursed ways of enmity against Jesus Christ after the longest time that ever any soul lay under the affliction of conscience for sin till the Lord by an infusion of a precious habitual disposition from Christ inclines the soul to receive Jesus Christ tendered Now that this is a principle of darkness we shall make it appear divers ways 1. The similitude it self by which the soul illustrates this principle of darkness is meerly impertinent and improperly applyed to the souls case The similitude you know was that there must be corrosives applyed to the wound to eat out the dead flesh before a healing medicine be applied Now this is improperly applied to the souls case in regard there is no medicine to be applied neither corrosive nor lenitive but only the Lord Christ himself for he is the only balm of Gilead It is Jesus Christ alone by the power of his own death in the flesh that slew sin and it is he only that hath power against sin and hell Ps 68.18 he led captivity captive That is Sin Death and the Devil that led poor souls captive Now Jesus Christ being the only Medicine to heal Souls I shall retort the Souls own Similitude against it self by way of contraries You say there must be a corrosive applied to the Soul before a lenitive that is before there be a healing medicine there must be some gnawing thing some tent to ransake the wound Now I say Jesus Christ being the only medicine the danger will be far greater in not applying the Lord Jesus presently in regard there is no salve either corrosive or lenitive that is applied to the Soul wherein Jesus Christ is neglected If it be dangerous to the body to apply lenitives before corrosives then how dangerous is it to leave the Soul without any medicine at all 2. Jesus Christ is the very powerfull corrosive I is only he that must let the wound be ransaked to the bottom I mean he only doth give in light to see into the bottom of the wound It is only he that must eat out all the corrupt matter unless you can think that sin can be killed without the application of the power of the death of Jesus Christ and then indeed is Christ dead in vain 3. It is impossible that any soul should too soon answer the call of God Now observe the Lord calls thy soul whatever thou art at this moment to apply Jesus Christ tendered Saith God Thou poor rebell and traytor to the Crown of Heaven I command thee to receive the Lord Jesus It is my will thou shouldst receive Jesus Christ as a Mediator to make up a union between thy self and me Now dost think thou canst answer too soon to this call You read of the five foolish Virgins Mat. 25. That for want of being ready presently to hear and answer when the Bridegroom should come they were shut out and could never enter into the Bridegrooms Chamber to have Communion with Jesus Christ You read also Mat. 22.7 That when the King invited the people to the Marriage of his Son that is the Lord Jesus because they neglected that call the King was exceeding wrath 4. A soul can never too soon come into a capableness of doing any thing that may be acceptable to God God calls for prayer at thy hand this night dost think it is too soon to be in a posture wherein thy prayer may be heard Is it too soon to come from under the hatred of God to be in a state of amity and love It is more clear than the Sun at noon day that it is a cursed principle of darkness that the soul should take heed that it doth not too soon apply to himself the Lord Jesus tendered But though this be a principle of darkness yet by some Hell-bred Devilish Policy the Devil can improve it both ways for though he cast in this principle to hinder souls from coming to Christ yet on the contrary he perswades some in a confused disorderly way to apply in some kind the Lord Jesus too too soon And therefore there are two or three things to be anexed to this principle of darkness 1. Though the Lord Jesus cannot be applyed
judgment upon it till the eye be opened Therefore the Gospel presents an union to be obtained and gives eyes to see that union Hence it is said to be part of Christs office Isa 42.6 7. to open the eyes of the blind And thence we are said in 1 John 5.2 to receive an understanding to know the Lord and this is done by the revelation of the truths of the Gospel 3. By infusing a disposition into the will to embrace that union propounded unto the soul in Christ The Lord by those inward revelations doth convey an holy inclination into the perverse obstinate will whereby the will is drawn to consent to the union propounded to the eye of the understanding When once the soul hath received a spiritual eye by those revelations of Gospel truths to apprehend an union tendered to the soul in Christ in the beauty excellency necessity and sutableness of it that very vision of that union with the properties of it doth change the disposition of the soul that wrought in opposition against God formerly and causeth the will to desire that union propounded in Christ The reason is because then by the light communicated to the soul by these truths revealed the soul apprehends that union as the onely chief good and then the will cannot but close with it and embrace it Then by the consent of the will to embrace that union the union is made up between Christ and the soul in the four respects mentioned from whence do necessarily follow the union of likeness and similitude And that is made up from those former unions two ways 1. In regard of the necessary communion that is between Christ and the soul upon those first unions made up No sooner does Christ become a head to the soul and the soul a member of Christ by consent of will but some influences flow from the head to the members now those influences are part of his divine nature part of his holiness 2. The union of likeness follows by the constraining arguments of the understanding unto the souls likeness unto Christ When once the will through the disposition infused into it by beholding the truths of the Gospel of Christ consents the understanding presently draws such arguments from various particulars or adjuncts that always attend the union of the Soul with Christ that thence the Soul is constrained to a likeness to Christ 1. Then the understanding begins to constrain the soul to a remembrance of the intent of Jesus Christ in uniting the soul unto himself Thence the understanding compels the soul to a full conformity to Christ as you may see Rom. 6.5 6. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death that is if we have partaken of the vertue of the death of Christ we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection If we be like Christ in his death we shall be like him in his life How Knowing that our old man is crucified with him that the body of death might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin That is thus Our understandings arguing and discussing thus If Christ died for us then we have a part in his death then were our sins crucified in his death knowing this by this discussive power of the understanding that our old man is crucified with him That is thus through the apprehension of the Lord Jesus tendered to make satisfaction to divine justice for all the injuries and indignities the soul hath offered to him and the soul apprehending a willingness in the Lord to receive it into union with himself in Christ whereby the will consents to what the Lord propounds to it then the understanding begins to argue thus what art thou united to Jesus Christ then the intent of Christ is that thou shouldest be conformable to his Image and canst thou walk contrary to Christ 2. The understanding constrains from the remembrance of its engagement to be like to Christ First the understanding will urge the engagement of Gods honour If thou beest one of Christs then thou art engaged to hold up the name of Christ to bear the Image of Christ to hold forth the likeness of Christ in thy conversation thou art to be a golden pillar whereupon the excellency of the Image of Christ should be written in great characters Secondly the union of likeness follows by reason of the agreement and sutableness of the likeness of Christ to the souls disposition Through the consent of the will to embrace union propounded with Christ there is such a disposition prevailing in the soul as sweetly closeth with the likeness of Christ and it becomes an intolerable burden to the soul that the heart is so unlike to him Quest 3. Why does the Lord intend by the revelation of the Gospel to bring souls into union with Christ For the answering this question two things must first be premised in general 1. That there is no one act of the Lords will that is the proper efficient cause of another act of his will It is not because Gods will hath determined to bring to pass one thing that therefore the Lord doth also determine to bring to pass another thing as though the first act were the cause of the second act of Gods will for Gods will is God himself and so according to the simple act of Gods will he wills all things together and at once 2. That there is nothihg that the Lord determines that moves inwardly the will of God to determine another thing as the consequent of that It is one of the absolute perfections of the divine Essence that all his operations are dependent in himself yet as some things in the order of the creation are effected by others so properly it may be said the Lord wills one thing for another that is the Lord wills one thing to produce such an end As the Lord wills the Sun Moon and Stars to have an influence into all things below to preserve them in their being and keep the natural vertues communicated to them Though the influences of the Sun Moon and Stars be not the cause of Gods will yet they are willed to that end These things being premised there are divers ends which may improperly be called causes of the Lords intent by the revelation of precious Gospel truths to bring Souls into union with Christ Reas 1. Because the union of God the Father with Souls is effected by and through the union of the Soul with the Lord Christ Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwel and having made peace by the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself It was by the pleasure of the Father that all things should be reconciled to himself that should ever be brought to an union of agreement with God so that the mediation of the Son is that bond of connexion between God and any Soul As in Job 9.33 where Job complains he could not come
the evidencing to them from the promises their union with Christ and that is the manifestation or Irradiation of the promise it self or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ There are two ways how the Spirit doth reveal any thing to a Soul The 1. is by infusing of divine light The 2d is by manifesting the object to that divine light It is not sufficient light communicated to the faculty of discerning that inables it to discern a thing presently but there must be also an enlightning and manifesting of the object to be discovered unto that light communicated The most acute Eye that is of the greatest perspicuity and clearness can discern nothing any further then the things themselves are presented to them So that the Spirit in evidencing to the Soul from the promises must cast as it were beams of light some kind of holy rays from the promise it self upon the Eye as well as light into the Eye to discern the light that is cast upon the Eye That 's the reason that a Soul at one time shall discern the very Heart of Christ towards him in the promises or in the Gospel and at another time looking upon the same Word the same promise with the same diligence and yet it not so much as giveth a sufficient ground for an imperfect hope or an act of Faith in way of adherence and this is from a different manifestation of this Irradiation of the Spirit unto the Soul Now this manifestation or Irradiation doth consist in two things 1. The Spirit presents the Gospel or the promises to the Soul We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 There must be as well an application of the object to the Eye as an application of the Eye to the object and yet both must be also by the Spirit of God Therefore John 14.26 it is put as a part of the office of the comforting Spirit or the evidencing Spirit to bring the pretious things that Christ had spoken to his Disciples to their remembrance again 2. The Spirit doth evidence the promise or the Gospel that it hath presented to the Eye It brings it to remembrance and then opens it and reveals the very nature and intent of it You must conceive there is a twofold evidence of things there is an evidence of narration and an evidence of the matter it self Now the Gospel is always evident in matter of narration that is as spoken from the mouth of God in his written Word But the Gospel is very inevident in regard of the matter or of the thing it self it is an hidden mystery so dark a riddle as cannot be found out without the help of the Spirit it self Now though the evidence only of narration of the Gospel be sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of adherence and recumbency upon God yet it is not sufficient to excite the Soul to act Faith by way of assurance Divers things there are in the promise or in the Gospel that the Spirit doth evidence to the Soul when it is revealing its union with Christ First beam of divine light First It presents and evidenceth to the Soul the Lord Christ fully unquestionably and everlastingly taking away all sin and wickedness from every Soul that shall embrace him You shall observe Rom. 8.33 34. that it was through the knowledge of this that the Faith of Paul took wing first to mount above in a tryumphant way saith he what shall we say to these things What things Things that he had before spoken of in the beginning of the Epistle especially Chap. 5. where he had made it appear clearly That where sin did abound grace did much more abound super-abound abound without measure in that Grace did triumph over sin through Jesus Christ Now saith he what shall we say to these things He stood in admiration at the thoughts of it and then began to say Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Here Faith began to triumph from the knowledge of Christs compleat removal of all sin from every Soul that did embrace him Now the Spirit evidenceth divers things to the Soul for the clearing of this I. The Spirit makes it evident that the Lord Christ took upon him to be surety for every Soul that would embrace him He became the surety of the new Covenant Heb. 7.22 The Spirit makes the Soul discern that Christ stept into his Father to undertake to be bound to pay all the debts for every Soul that shall hereafter embrace him And herein the Spirit is wont to evidence two things concerning the suretyship of Christ 1. That Christ undertook to be a surety of the whole Covenant for Souls That he undertook to fulfil all that Justice or Mercy it self should require to be fulfilled for those Souls for whom he undertook 2. That he became such a surety as he undertook to pay the debt alone Hence Isa 49.8 he is called the Covenant it self Intimating that the whole Covenant concerning taking away sin is only between God the Father and Jesus Christ Hence it is said 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them II. The Spirit evidenceth that Christ as Mediatour stood in the relation of a common person and took upon him to represent all the persons of those that should hereafter believe on him so that whatever satisfaction he should give to his Fathers justice in regard of sin should be not only in stead of satisfaction to be given to the Father by the Souls themselves but also to be done as it were in their stead to be accounted as if they themselves had given satisfaction This the Spirit may evidence from the promise from some such place as 1 Cor. 15.48 which shews that Jesus Christ stood as a common person in stead of all those that should believe on him as Adam the first man stood as a common person to represent all those that should come out of him Or from such a place as that Rom. 5.14 where the old Adam is called a Type of Jesus Christ that was to come The second thing the Spirit clears is the things themselves done by Jesus Christ in those relations unto Souls as he stood as a common person and as the surety for those that should hereafter believe on him I. Therein the Spirit cometh to clear the effusion of the Blood of Christ the offering himself by death as a sacrifice for sin Thence you shall observe the first thing Paul instanceth in when he lets his Faith look upon the removing of all Sin is Christ dying saith he in a holy Triumph of Faith who shall condemn Why Christ hath dyed As if he should say how shall either carnal reason or conscience or unbelief or Justice or Law or Hell or Devil bring any accusation against our Souls seeing Jesus Christ hath died he hath offered up himself by death as a
propitiatory sacrifice for sin out of a purpose and intent fully to take away the sins of all those that shall believe on him Hence the Spirit evidenceth such a place as that 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him That we might have remission of sins and that justification that God had prepared for Souls by him Or such a place as that in 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all men to be received that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chies That Jesus Christ undertook to be humbled so deeply to vail the brightness of his own glory in such obscurity as to come down from Heaven into the World to take away the sins of poor perishing wretches Now in the Spirits evidencing this fulness of satisfaction it ordinarily evidenceth these things for the satisfying Faith so fully as it may work by way of assurance and fulness of confidence 1. It evidenceth the full satisfaction of the Father by his death in regard it was the Law-maker himself that was subject to the Law and made under the power of the Law to satisfie for the transgression of the Law 2. In regard the brightness of the Fathers glory was debased by Christs debasement in opposition to the debasement of the Fathers glory that was by the transgression of the Law What can conscience or carnal reason say more concerning the nature of sin and the height of its merit but only that it is a debasement of the King of Kings the Lord of Lords it is a vailing and eclipsing of the highest Majesty of Heaven it is a bringing a cloud as it were over those pretious unspotted beams of the Lords excellency over the Lords high Soveraignty in commanding Souls and over Gods holiness and equity in commanding and therefore the merit of sin is infinite Now the Spirit can answer by evidencing to the Death of Christ a fulness of satisfaction in regard it was Jesus Christ that was debased he that was the express image of his Father the lively pattern of his Fathers glory and therefore the Spirit evidenceth from the Gospel that God himself speaks in a way as if he were more than satisfied as if Grace through Christ did triumph over sin According to that in Rom. 5.17 If by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which have received abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Much more they which receive that is they that partake of the merit of the death of Christ much more shall they reign As if there were a higher degree of equity that such should reign then there was that such Souls that were before under sin should die So Paul speaks in 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was more than enough There was more than a sufficiency of Grace through Jesus Christ still speaking as if God had so satisfied himself through the contrivance of the death of Christ for sin that he had satisfaction as it were over and over again 3. In that it was the Godhead it self cloathed in flesh that gave the satisfaction Now herein the Spirit evidenceth a fulness and abundance of sufficiency of satisfaction in regard there is a higher worth upon the satisfaction to the Godhead from the Godhead cloathed in the flesh then there could be evil by offending of the Godhead that was done by man The Godhead was only the object against whom the sin was committed but in the satisfaction the Godhead it self cloathed in the flesh became the subject from whom the satisfaction is given as well as to whom the satisfaction is given so as the satisfaction doth in a manner in the worth and height of it transcend and go beyond the height of the offence the satisfaction going from a higher subject a more subject than the offence was committed by 4. In regard of the full weight of sin that Jesus Christ bore in his giving full satisfaction to the Father He died under the reputation of the vilest of sinners that can be imagined and though this was unjust in regard of men that did so repute him yet not in regard of God who had ordained that the iniquities of all that should embrace him should be laid upon him And indeed their iniquities were laid upon him to the highest if you consider under what notion of sin he died he died under the notion of a Traytor to his own Prince as one that took pleasure in all kind of sin a friend of publicans and sinners as they reputed him he died as a wretched blasphemer of the most high God as one that did strike at the Throne of God to dethrone God himself and he died as an imposture as a vile seducer Nay more he died under the notion of a Devil yea the Prince of Devils they say of him that by Belzebub the Prince of Devils he cast out Devils Now therein the Spirit evidenceth a fulness of satisfaction to the Father in the Death of Christ in regard Christ who is holiness it self who was the spotless Lamb without the least blemish that he should take upon him to be accounted and so to suffer as the highest kind of sinner that can possibly be imagined The Spirit can evidence here clearly a sufficiency and fulness of satisfaction for the sin of every Soul that shall embrace him whatever Conscience can object against the Soul seeing Conscience cannot object a higher kind of wickedness than was laid upon the back of Christ as a surety 5. In regard the Lord Christ took a fulness of pleasure and contentment in bearing the Justice of the Father executed upon him as a sinner Justice receiveth satisfaction when its sentence is executed fully against any transgressor that it passeth sentence against and thus Justice was satisfied through the Death of Christ But there is a satisfaction as it were over and above when the sentence of Justice past out against a transgressor is not only executed upon the transgressor or him that stands in stead of the transgressor but the sentence is received with delight pleasure and contentment Now thus Jesus Christ through his Death gave fulness of satisfaction in that it was the pleasure of his Soul to bear the determined will of his Father for sinners in this way saith he Psal 40.8 Lo I come to do thy will my God expressing the readiness and willingness of his Heart to beat that will of his Father for sinners Nay so great was his delight in bearing the sentence of Justice past upon him as he stood as a transgressor and sinner that he saith himself be was even straitned till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 Now as the Spirit evidenceth by the effusion of Christ's Blood a satisfaction given to the Father So
Christ So that then only when the Spirit doth actually evidence unto the Soul with most clearness and perspecuity its union with Christ then do all the engagements that believing Souls apprehend that God have said upon them to bind them to exalt God in his holiness come upon them with power and force so as a constraint comes upon the spirit the Soul being drawn as it were by cords to study and exalt the name of God in his holiness As for instance First when the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually at that time sensible that he was chosen from eternity to be a vessel of honour into whom the holiness of God should be poured that the glory of the Lords holiness might appear So that then the Soul stands strongly bent through the strength of this engagement God hath laid upon him to lift up the name of God in his holiness and to make the holiness of the name of God appear Secondly When the spirit evidenceth to the Soul his union with Christ the Soul is actually sensibl◠that the Lord hath created him anew for that ver end that he might glorifie the Lord in his holiness According to that in Eph. 2.10 We are all his workmanship created unto good works that is created unto holiness to fruits of holiness and so consequently to the manifestation of the glory of the Lords holiness Thirdly When the spirit manifests unto the soul his union with Christ it is actually sensible that the very end of God in the communication of any of his holiness unto him is the manifestation of the glory of his holiness through the Soul Thus then in regard the spirits evidence of a souls union with Christ doth occasion a being actually sensible of deep engagements laid upon him by God to be exalting him in his holiness thence the spirits evidence doth necessarily occasion the Soul to declare that the least degree of communion with God doth make it to participate in some degree of the Lords holiness So that it is evident both from Scripture and Reason that this third Testimony concerning the absolute perfection of the Lords holiness whereby he is exalted through any Soul is the necessary certain infallible effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul his union with the Lord Jesus 4. The fourth way whereby God is exalted through the Soul by bearing witness to the perfection of his holiness is this when a Soul doth declare that a perfection of conformity to the Lords blessed will in every thing ought to be the only satisfying object of the desires of any Soul Now even this precious God magnyfying act of a believing Soul is also the necessary effect of the spirits evidencing to any soul its union with Christ Thus you shall observe that the spirit of Jesus Christ produced this blessed effect in Paul's heart to whom the spirit did vouchsafe the clearest revelation and most Soul-ravishing Testimony of his union with Jesus Christ Phil. 3.12 13 14. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are before I press towards the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Here are four or five things the Apostle testifies to be the practice of his own Soul for the exalting of the Lord in his holiness and so consequently testifies it to be the effect of the spirit of Jesus Christ in any believing Soul to whom he reveals his union with Christ First He testifies his estimation of himself that he doth account himself as yet to be altogether imperfect unholy I count not my self to have apprehended he testifies that the power and vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not yet fully made manifest in his Soul that is the sin mortifying vertue of the death of Jesus Christ the quickening and enlivening vertue of the resurrection of Christ is not yet fully attained to in his Soul Secondly He testifies that the only end upon which the eye of his Soul was fixed was ' a perfect conformity unto Christ The fulness of an experimental knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he tells you ver 12. he follows after that he may apprehend that for which also he was apprehended of Jesus Christ and also he tells us ver 14. he pressed forward towards the mark and ver 10 that the only end of his was to know Christ that is to know him experimentally in the vertue of his death and the power of his resurrection having the sense of the glory vertue and power of his death and resurrection in his own spirit so that herein he testifies that his Soul stands resolved to be satisfyed with no degree of holiness and therein by consequence testifies that nothing but the fulness of likeness to Jesus Christ shall ever satisfie Thirdly he testifies that all his labours and endeavours after this experience of all the vertue of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are acounted by him as nothing I forget saith he those things that are behind ver 13. not that his Soul was forgetful of those precious experiences that the Lord hath given him of the death of Christ in killing his sin and the power of Christ in enlivening his Soul but he minded not all the degree of the 〈◊〉 of the death and resurrection of Christ that his Soul was partaker of so as to please himself with thoughts that he had attained to what he was commanded he minded them not so as to satisfie himself with that measure though questionless the measure was very large seeing he testifies often that he was more than a Conqueror over all the powers of sin and that he was able to do all things through Christ strengthening of him and that he was ready to abound and ready to want his heart being disposed in a holy temper in all condition ready to sanctifie God in all his providences yet saith he I forget all those that is I do not so remember them as to satisfie my self that I had attained so much The whole form of the expression is but an allusion to Runners in a Race that never look how many paces of ground they have passed over so as to hinder them from running to the mark but they keep their eye singly fixed upon the mark that they are to attain to so saith he forget the things that are behind Fourthly He testifies that the strenght of all his affections the whole intention of his soul is bent towards the attaining the fulness of the experience of the vertue and power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this he testifies ver 13. reaching sorth unto those things that are before breathing forth still in a metaphorical way he alludes to Runin a Race that run without stretched arms reaching forth towards the mark the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza renders contending
intendment of the death of Jesus Christ that any lust cometh to be crucified in any Soul He alone is the Spiritual Physician that heals all distempers He alone is the spiritual Conqueror to subdue all the powers that lift up their heads against the glorious Crown of Heaven Now there can be none of this vertue received from Jesus Christ but only by fleeing unto Christ and there is no fleeing unto Christ but by believing So that upon this consideration that must needs be a principle of darkness that should keep off from the only healer of all his rebellion conceiving he may not receive him while he is rebellious seeing he can never be otherwise but rebellious nor can ever have the actings of his rebellion abated in a right way but by receiving of Jesus Christ 2. The neglect of receiving the Lord Jesus revealed in the Gospel to the soul maketh the Rebellion to be of a more Scarlet Die The more gloriously the Lord reveals his mind to a soul the more dreadful is the Rebellion of that soul that neglects Obedience to that mind of God revealed Now before the tender of the Lord Jesus there was but a little Glory of the revelation of the mind of God in the Law that which is accounted no Glory in respect of the revelation of the mind of God in the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.10 There is such a transcendent glory in the revelation of the mind of God in the Gospel that every one that neglects that Glory so revealed proves a transcendent Rebel a Rebel of the highest kind Hebr. 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation 3. In regard the Lord Christ must be received by every soul to take away all the Rebellion and all the Degrees of Rebellion that every soul hath contracted the guilt of to himself Wo everlasting to that soul that commits but one act of Rebellion to cast it upon Jesus Christ The weight of that one Rebellion will sink the soul in hell for ever And therefore in regard every act of Rebellion must be cast upon the Lord Jesus the soul ought therefore upon the sight of his Rebellion to come to the Lord Jesus and receive him that he may free the soul by taking that Rebellion upon himself For seeing it is impossible but all those Rebellions must at last be cast upon the neck of Christ and Christ must bear them the argument would keep off the soul for ever from receiving the Lord Christ as well as keep off for a time in regard the principle of Rebellion cannot but be acting so long as the union is not made up between Christ and the soul Yet there are two things to be observed about this that are truths 1. That it is Presumption indeed for any soul to receive the Lord Jesus that he might have liberty to Rebel This indeed were to Sin that Grace might abound This were to take the Devil by the right hand and to make a League a Covenant of Death with him This were odious and abominable in the eye of the Lord Jesus 2. This is truth that it is Presumption for any soul to live or walk in any Wickedness in respect the Lord Jesus hath satisfied for his Rebellions In these two cases it were cursed desperate Presumption for a soul to have a thought of the Lord Christ belonging to him But to apply the Lord Christ to the poor Rebellious soul that hath nothing but rebellion working in his heart to God that there might be a Friendship between Christ and him that the Wall of Enmity might be broken down and that there might be a precious amity between God and him to come thus is no Presumption but the command of God to every soul Fourthly A fourth Principle of darkness is this Principle of darkness That the person of the Lord Christ considered as filled with all glorious excellency Grace Holiness and all compleat perfection is to be the object of the souls Faith That is thus that the soul is to receive the Lord Christ his own person and to receive him out of love to his person and that the soul comes but Hypocritically so long as he receives him by any other act of Faith that doth not work towards the excellencies that are in the person of Jesus Christ Saith the soul every one would be content to have Jesus Christ as a Saviour to save from Sin but this is but an Hypocritical coming to Jesus Christ This is another woful principle of darkness And this will appear by divers Considerations 1. The Lord Christ as a Saviour is propounded to the soul as the first proper object of his Faith That is as Jesus Christ was made Sin and made a Curse through Sin for poor despicable sinful souls that is to say Jesus Christ Crucified for Sin to save poor sinfull souls that must otherwise have sunk under the burden of Sin into the pit of everlasting Wo. This you shall see is the way in which Jesus Christ was represented to believing souls both in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel In the time of the Law it is apprehended the greatest representation of Jesus Christ was those typical Sacrifices the shedding of the blood of Bulls and Goats for the Remission of Sin as you may see Hebr. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there was no Remission Now this was to signify Jesus Christ Crucified as the object of those beleiving Jews Faith Look also into the times of the Gospel and you shall find Jesus Christ as a Saviour as Crucified for Sin to be looked at as the first object of every Beleivers Faith considering Faith as saving You shall see it in 1 Cor. 2.2 That Paul comprehends all his Preaching under this to manifest Jesus Christ Crucified to be the object of their Faith that is Jesus Christ as a Saviour as dying for Sin Therefore Faith is called Faith in the Blood of Christ Rom. 3.24 25. Also the Sacraments appointed for the Sealing of tâ—â— promise do hold forth Christ as a Saviour Look upon the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It holds forth the rending and breaking of the Body of Christ and the pouring out of his Blood and therefore it is called the Remembrance of his death Look upon the other Sacrament the Burying under Water and Rising from under the Water holds forth Jesus Christ Dying and Rising Thus primarily and properly they hold forth Jesus Christ as a Saviour And that the Lord Christ thus as he is a Saviour is the first object of Faith properly as saving will appear in two particulars 1. In regard the formal reason or the special respect and consideration of Jesus Christ as he is the object of Faith considered as saving must be something that is in Jesus Christ that doth procure that Salvation Jesus Christ considered as the object of uniting Faith must be considered under some notion whereby he doth procure this union and merit or purchase
secondly it evidenceth the sutableness of the satisfaction and that in two things 1. In regard of the things suffered by Christ to give satisfaction Those things every way sutable to what Justice could require from the Soul it self in regard of his sin Two things sin declareth the Soul hath merited to suffer for ever First The Death of the Body wherein sin is acted and committed Secondly The Death of the Soul it self in the separation of it from God which was the chief actor in the transgression of the Law Now the Spirit evidences the Death of Christ a sutable satisfaction in regard of the things suffered by Christ First In regard the humane Body died that stood in the stead of those that had been the transgressors of the Law he took upon him flesh and so died for sin in the flesh in the same nature in the same kind of Body that sin was acted in Secondly In that there was a separation of the Soul of Christ from injoyment of communion with his Father as appears Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That is why hast thou deprived me of communion with thee And though indeed the separation was not eternal yet in regard of the person bearing the separation it was equivalent to an eternal separation One moment of separation was as great an evil inflicted upon such a person as an eternal separation could have been to have been inflicted upon a poor finite Creature 2. The Spirit evidenceth the sutableness of satisfaction to the Father in regard of the sins themselves laid to the charge of Christ in his suffering what Justice could require should be suffered by the transgressor and that both in the kind of sin and also in the degree of sin yea and also in the circumstance of sin too That which was equivalent to all kind of sin was imputed to Christ to be suffered that should have been suffered by transgressors Apostacy from God was imputed to him by being imputed to be a Devil Enmity to God in the highest degree was imputed to him in that he was imputed the Prince of Devils All kind of fighting against God was imputed to him in that he was imputed a Blasphemer and a striver to sit down in the Throne of God himself and an impostor and deceiver So that no kind of sin that Conscience can object against the Soul but the Spirit can and doth evidence at such a time was imputed to Christ and Christ suffered for such a sin that was equivalent to that kind of sin II. In the Spirits evidencing the Lord Christ to have fully and everlastingly taken away all the wickedness of what kind soever from every Soul that shall embrace him it evidenceth the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead This is clear Rom. 8.34 It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again In this the Spirit evidenceth three things to the Soul 1. It evidenceth the Fathers acknowledgment of his own satisfaction for the sins of all the persons that should ever embrace Christ and believe on him The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul Christ having once taken upon him as a surety to bear the transgressions of all that should believe on him having entred into Bond to pay all their debts and suffered himself to be arrested by the Justice of God yea to be carried to the prison of the Grave by the Hand of Justice for those transgressions he must never have come out till he had paid the uttermost farthing And that 's the reason that in 1 Cor. 15.14 the Apostle tells them That their Faith is vain and their Preaching of Christ is vain unless Christ be risen Whence the Apostle noteth That though the Death of Jesus Christ was the matter of sattisfaction to the Justice of the Father for the Justifying of all the persons that Christ sustained yet there is no evidence unto Faith that God the Father is satisfied for those transgressions by the Death of Christ unless Christ be risen 2. The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul Christs own triumphant victory over sin and all the concomitants and consequents of sin Now therein the Spirit evidenceth Christs removal of all kind of sin from every Soul that shall hereafter embrace him in regard he hath now captivated sin he hath got sin under his own power to trample under his Feet and to do with as he please he hath taken sin and tied it to his Chariot wheel as the word imports 3. The Spirit doth evidence in and from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as he was a surety that the Lord doth account his acquittance given to Jesus Christ for sin that was charged upon him to be an acquittance of all those that ever should embrace Christ through believing and also that Christ in receiving that acquittance from God did receive it in the room and in the stead of all that ever should embrace him And thence the Spirit evidenceth to the Soul that the Scripture attributes unto every believer a participation of the resurrection of Christ yea that it attributes to them a Co-resurrection with Christ Col. 2.13 You being dead in your sins hath he quickned together with him that is hath made you partakers of the vertue of his resurrection and raised you with himself and vers 14. Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross that is Justifying our Souls from all that ever Sin Conscience the Law or the Devil could bring against us III. The Spirit evidenceth to the Soul the Ascension of Jesus Christ to the right Hand of the Father as he was a surety and as he did represent sinners that should receive him to be their Mediator Thus Rom. 8.34 Paul through the Spirits manifestation of Jesus Christ at the right Hand of the Father had such a full evidence as he could make a challenge to the Law and to Sin and Hell and the Devil to bring all their accusations and see if they could lay any thing to his charge Who shall condemn saith he Jesus Christ is gone to the right Hand of the Father Now from Christ's Ascension to the right Hand of the Father the Spirit is wont to evidence these four things 1. That the Lord Christ as a surety for all sinners that should embrace him as their Mediator hath now received an acknowledgment in Heaven that he hath fully taken away all the sins of all that ever so receive him The Spirit brings to the Souls remembrance what welcom as it were Jesus Christ had into Heaven It shews the Soul from such a place as that Psal 110.1 The Father said to Christ when he came into Heaven Well done thou obedient Son sit thou down at my right Hand There are two things observable in that First In that welcom given by the Father there is an evidence that the Father acknowledgeth the work
by Christ to be fully done Sitting imports a rest after a work fulfilled Heb. 10.1 Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that high favour that Jesus Christ had in Heaven as he was a surety for those sinners that should embrace him to be their Mediator Heb. 1.5 2. The Spirit evidenceth from Christs Ascension that he as a surety for all those sinners that should embrace him hath fully prepared Heaven Now this Spirit evidenceth by two things First That the very end of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven to sit at the right Hand of the Father was to prepare places in Heaven for all that should embrace him John 14.2 Secondly That Jesus Christ is gone to Heaven as a fore-runner of those that should embrace him Heb. 6.20 Now a fore-runner implys many followers 3. The Spirit evidenceth from Christs Ascension that he hath a Soveraignty and Supremacy of all power committed to him This Christ himself hints Matth. 26.64 Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sit at the right Hand of power That is exalted in the highest power So Eph. 1.20 21. And thence in two things the Spirit evidenceth the Lord Christs taking away all kind of sin from the Soul First The Spirit evidenceth that Christ hath such a supremacy of power over all things that it is impossible that the power of sins guilt should prevail against any for whom Jesus Christ hath undertaken seeing he hath the keys of Hell and of Death and hath all things under his Feet in a vassalage to him Secondly The Spirit evidenceth to this supremacy of Christ as Mediator that the Lord was well pleased with him as a surety for such Souls as should embrace him 4. From the ascension of Jesus Christ to the right Hand of God the Spirit evidenceth that the Lord Christ had the highest authority of Judgement committed to him Sitting is the posture of Judges Prov. 20.8 and John 5.21 22. The Father hath committed all Judgement unto the Son Thence in Eph. 1.21 22. he is said to have all things put under his Feet and was given to be Head of all things to the Church Now from hence the Spirit evidenceth by two things the Lords full compleat taking away all sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First In that no Judgment of condemnation can be passed upon such a Soul but what Judgment Christ as surety passeth seeing all Judgement was committed to him as the Son and as Mediator And what can be more sure than that all sin and guilt shall be compleatly removed seeing the Son himself that is the surety for Souls must pass the Judgment concerning all guilt that must be imputed to lie upon Souls Secondly In that no Judgment of condemnation or guilt can pass against those Souls that shall embrace him as their Mediator but what shall pass against themselves The Spirit manifests that whoever embraces Christ must be interessed in every sentence of Judgment that pass out because the Judgment that Christ passeth as he is the surety of Souls and represents them it must pass out in their names even with their votes So that no Judgment of condemnation for guilt can pass out against them without their joynt vote and consent IV. The Spirit evidenceth the intercession of Jesus Christ with the Father for all those Souls that shall embrace him Therefore in Rom. 8.34 the Apostle proceeds to that step Who shall condemn It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again that sitteth at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Now in the Spirits manifesting this it doth manifest divers things for the satisfying of the Soul for the full and everlasting taking away all sins by Christ for every Soul that shall embrace him 1. In the Spirits evidencing the intercession of Christ for sinners with the Father it doth evidence the Lord Christ to be a Son to the Father and to plead as a Son with the Father for sinners This you shall see Heb. 7.25 compared with vers 28. he tells you he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and vers 28. he puts an emphasis upon it that he was a Son This the Spirit commonly reveals to Souls in drawing them to Faith of assurance that Jesus Christ as the natural Son of God intercedeth in Heaven for Souls Now from thence there are two evidences given to a Soul of Christs fully taking away sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First The Spirit evidenceth that it is impossible that any guilt whatever should cleave to the Soul in regard the Son can ask nothing but what the Father will The Father and I am one saith Christ so their wills are one and their thoughts and dispositions one Secondly The Spirit evidencing that it is impossible for the pleading of Jesus Christ to be denied There is such a complacency and acquiescence of delight of the Father in Jesus Christ that the Father hath no more power to deny what the Lord Christ pleadeth for then he hath power to deny himself and that is impossible 2. The Spirit evidenceth the intercession of Christ doth evidence that the Lord Christ pleads with the Father as an obedient Son to his Fathers will Now from this the Holy Ghost evidenceth in two things the full compleat everlasting taking away of sin from every Soul that shall embrace him First The Spirit evidenceth that there is an obligation upon the Father to accept his Sons intreaty for poor sinners Secondly The Spirit evidenceth that it was the fulfilling the same will of the Father that Jesus Christ pleaded for when he pleaded for the pardon of the sins of those that embrace him It was his Fathers design originally out of his love to poor lost wretches to take away their sins only it was his purpose to effect it through Jesus Christ doing and satisfying his Justice for sin So that Jesus Christ in yielding obedience unto his Father unto Death did it to effect the end of his Father in the pardon of the sins of lost sinners 3. The Spirit evidenceth in this intercession of Christ that though he died as a common person and rose as a common person yet he doth not intercede as a common person not in their steads but for them That you shall observe Heb. 7. comparing vers 22. with vers 25. He was made the surety of the new Covenant vers 22. And then he tells you He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him There are two things the Spirit evidenceth in that First It evidenceth that he pleaded as a surety appointed by his Father for Souls According to Heb. 5.5 he did not glorifie himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee His Father ordained him to the office of an high Priest which contains the suretiship Secondly He pleads as a surety to his Father to accomplish
very fallacy whereby the Devil deceived those poor foolish Virgins Mat. 25.8 9 10. They had Lamps like unto the Lamps of the wise Virgins they had a profession agreeable and suitable unto the profession of sincere Christians and thence they never imagined but their estate was sure enough till they felt by dreadful experience that the Lord abhorred such a heartless formal external profession as theirs was 6. The Devil suggests to other Souls their change and alteration from what they were formerly and thence insinuates into them their spiritual safety their reconciliation with God in Christ This the Devil did suggest in some degree to Herod Mark 6.20 That his hearing John Baptist gladly and his reforming many things was a certain ground of the goodness of his own estate 7. The Devil may and doth suggest to some other Souls the death of the Lord Jesus though generally brokenly and confusedly and from thence he deceivingly insinuates into many souls their certain and infallible union with Christ when the high Wall of enmity stands between Christ and them There is much difference between the blessed Spirits insinuation of the death of Christ brought to remembrance that a Soul shall be admitted to the Lord Jesus and this insinuation that thâ—n proceeds from the Prince of darkness 1. The Devils suggestion of the death of Christ unto Souls whom he intends to delude with false hopes of union with Christ it is only in a general notion and apprehension of it It is a constant maxim Dolus latet in universalibus that deceit lies under universals and generals Therefore the great Master of deceit chiefly endeavours to keep his poor deluded souls in general notions of all the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Though the Devil suggests the death of Christ unto some understandings and minds whom he intends to delude yet he avoids the suggestion of it in any particular manner He brings to the souls remembrance that Jesus Christ died for sinners but he hides as much as possible the quality of sinners for whom Jesus Christ died I mean the quality that is intended by the Lord from eternity to be effected in those sinners to whom the death of Jesus Christ is and shall be applied Commonly the notion is so universal they rather think Jesus Christ died for all sinners whereas the spirit in suggesting the death of Christ to any soul suggests it particularly to be for every unlovely sinner who shall receive and accept of the vertue and efficacy of his death as it is tendered to them so that by its suggesting the death of Christ it begets a holy confidence in the soul of the truth and faithfulness of Jesus Christ according to the tender of his death to make up union and communion between God and his Soul and so indeed that very act gives the soul evidence to his faith of his admission into union 2. The Devil presents the death of Christ brokenly at peecemeals It may be he minds the Soul that Christ died for sinners but he brings not one of the precious heart-breaking invitations of Jesus Christ inviting his forlorn despicable soul to partake of union and communion with the Father by the vertue of his death Whereas the blessed spirit brings the death of Jesus Christ to remembrance in a most sweet pretious orderly and distinct way It presents not only the death it self but it presents the person to whom it is offered the sweet heart-breaking invitations to that particular soul to accept that tender 3. The Devil suggests the death of Christ darkly with as much obscurity as it is possible The Devil studies obscurity in the presenting the death of Christ to his deluded souls that he might hide and vail that precious heart ravishing love that would shine forth by a clear view of the death of Christ to any loveless sinner Yea he suggests the death of Jesus Christ to the sinful soul so darkly that the very end of the death of Christ shall not come to the souls remembrance they shall never have a thought that the death of Jesus Christ was on purpose to bring their cursed rebellious hearts and God into a state of amity and love again Should the least spark of this Heavenly light break forth in his suggesting the death of Christ their own Consciences would soon pass the sentence of condemnation upon themselves and positively declare them to be farr from any right or possession or interest in the death of Christ 4. The Devil suggests the death of Christ confusedly in a distracted disorderly manner so as the soule whom he intends to delude shall have no kind of distinct orderly knowledge of the death of Christ He suggests immediately the death of Jesus Christ for them and perswades them with all his power that Jesus Christ died for them in the first place without any reference to any ground whereupon the Soul should build that perswasion Thence it is that the multitude of your poor deluded souls will tell you immediately they believe but they know not what they believe they know no other notion of faith than to believe that Jesus Christ died for them II. The second act of power that the Devil exerciseth upon the minds and understandings of souls to delude them with vain hopes is a discerning power into the minds and understandings of souls It is one of the principal and grand employments of all the spirits in the region of darkness to study mens tempers and dispositions and mens notions and apprehensions that he may observe what false reasonings what rotten Argument is suitable to delude that soul with and what rotten argument is suitable to delude another soul with Object But here is an objection to be answered before we proceed But you will say can the Devil look into the understandings of men the workings of the minds of men to know what the inward actings of their minds are Answ I answer negatively that the inward acts of the mind and understanding cannot certainly and infallibly be discerned by all the wisdom and policie of all the spirits in the region of darkness especially the inward thoughts and workings of the mind and understanding cannot in and by themselves immediately be discerned by all the wisdom of Hell notwithstanding their strictest scrutiny It is the incommunicable property of the blessed Majesty of Heaven to be the searcher of the heart and the knower of the thoughts Thence in Heb. 4.12 13. It is attributed to the word of God only as its peculiar property to divide between the joynts and marrow and search into the secrets of the heart So in 1 Cor 4 5. Christ is said in the day of Judgment to bring to light all the secrets of the heart But though the Devil cannot discern immediately certainly and infallibly the working of the mind and understanding or the secret Thoughts as they are in themselves and by themselves yet the Devil can by other means have neer guess at