afflicted yet if the Body be well although the Body be afflicted yet if the Spirit be well it is some comfort but where both are down the Condition is sad and seldom doth any great Temptation befall a man but Soul and Body are both down at once though at first it falls upon the Spirit yet it descends into and fires the Body And therefore saith Paul I received a Messenger of Satan a thorn in my flesh buffeting of me As in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost though the Comforts be powred out upon the Soul and Spirit yet they run down upon the Body So in the troubles of Temptation though they seize first upon the inward man yet they â—un upon the skirts of the outward man also And thus you find it with Job Chap. 7.1 God had put Job into Satans hand only with this reserve See that thou spare his life The Devil having the power first he loads him with outward Afflictions and then with inward Temptations while he was under his outward Afflictions how sweetly did he carry it Blessing the Lord saying The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name but when the Volly of Temptations came then see what a sad Condition the good man was in how he was all on fire as if Job could not be found in Job while he was under these Afflictions he rebuked his Wife for saying Curse God and die but now being under Temptations himself he wisheth to die and curseth the day of his Birth In Job 7.15 My Soul chuseth strangling and death rather than my life but had this Temptation any influence upon his Body too It seems his heart and soul and spirit was much disquieted for he saith Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ver 20. But was his Body fired with it too yes verse 13 14. When I said my Bed shall comsort me my Couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with Dreams and terrifiest me with visions As now we find by Experience many poor souls cannot sleep while they are under their Temptations and if you will see the Sum and up-shot of all read what he saies at verse 20. I am a burden to my self and so many now Why should I live any longer I am a burden to my Family I am a burden to mine Acquaintance a burden to all my Friends I am a burden to my self who knows the burden of a poor tempted soul but he that bears it Heb. 11.37 Temptations are ranked among the greatest Afflictions They were stoned sawn asunder were tempted and in Heb. 2. it is said of our Savior That himself suffered being tempted yet he sinned not under his Temptation So that there is somwhat of a suffering in every Temptation although one be free from Sin And in Revel 12.12 it is said Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath And wherein is his wrath more seen than in his Temptations O! what a sad and woful condition is it then to lie under Temptations Yet let me tel you though there be some suffering in every Temptation and the least temptation is a great Affliction yet the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged or cast down whatever their Temptations be Quest How may that appear Answ 1 Four Demonstrations of it First If Satan do therefore tempt the People of God that he may discourage them then have they no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan I say if Satans great design end and aim in all the Temptations of the Saints be to discourage them then they have no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted for then they should gratifie Satan and give him his end Now Satan doth tempt that he may tempt he tempts unto one sin that he may tempt unto another he tempteth a man to sin against the Law that he may make him sin against the Gospel and what greater sin against the Gospel than unbeleeving discouragements He knows or thinks such and such a person is gone from his Kingdom and he saith though I cannot hinder his Salvation but he will be saved do what I can yet I will hinder his Comfort and make him draw heavily and if I can but discourage him in his Duty I shall in time make him to cast it off His great design is to discourage and therefore whenever any Godly man is tempted he should say well through the Grace of Christ seeing Satans design is to discourage my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements Answ 2 Secondly If God our Father doth pity his Children under their Temptations and the more they are tempted by Satan the more they are pitied by God then have they no reason to be discouraged whatever their Temptatioâ—â—â—e How is it with your own Bowels If you had two Childreâ— one that is in your house with you at home and another that is iâ— Spain or Italy abroad Quo gravior incumbit tentatio eo solet indulgentius agere cum suis Deus Brightm Apoc. 2.49 exposed to grâ—at Tempâ—â—tions is not your pity most towards that Child that is abâ—oâ—d and exposed to most Temptations Your Love may be expressed to him that is at home as much anothâ—◠〈◊〉 but your pitying love is most to him that is abroad As in the time of a Storm great Rain or Hail if you have one Child lie in youâ— boâ—om or sitting upon your knee and another that is abroad in the opâ—n fields though your love in one kind may run out to him thâ—t is upon your knee yet doth not your pitying Love run ouâ— more to him that is abroad in the open fields Thus it is with God he hath two sorts of Children Some that are exposed to more temptations and some that are exposâ—d to less though his Grace and Love may run out more in one kind to them that are less tempted yet his pitying Love runs out most unto those that are most tempted And upon this account you will find in Scripture that when God saw any of his Children were to go into any Sad Temptation he did either immediately before in or after more than ordinarily reveal himselâ— unto them the more you are tempted by Satan the more you are pitied by God it matters not whether your Temptation be great or smal if less you have the less pity if more you have the more pity why then should you be discouraged although your temptations be never so great Answ 3 Thirdly If all the Temptations of Gods People be overcome and broken before they do fall on them then have they no reason to be discouraged or cast down because they are tempted Now so it is Christ was a common Person not only in his death but in his life he did act and work and bear as a common person as our Second Adam all
Because they were upon a Covenant of Works So when men are under a Covenant of Works if they miscarry but in one action though tempted thereto by Satan yet God may cast them thereby Now al the wicked stil are under the Covenant of Works and therefore though it be but one act wherein they miscarry and they be drawn thereunto by Satan yet God somtimes doth and justly may cast them thereby unto al Eternity But as for the Saints and People of God they are not under a Covenant of Works but of Grace al of them are so and therefore God deals graciously with them not measuring them by any one carriage under one Temptation No saith the Lord it is but the time of their Temptation I wil not measure this man or woman by what they are now but as they are when they are cool most themselves and out of Temptation O! what a Gracious Priviledg is this Who would not labor to get into Christ to become Godly to be in this Covenant of Grace And as for you that are Godly tel me upon al this accompt Have you any just cause and reason for your discouragements under your Temptations Surely No whatever your Temptations be yet you have no reason for discouragement Quest But what then What shall I do that I may bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind that I may not be cast down or discouraged by reason of my Temptations I confess indeed that there is no reason why a godly man should be discouraged in this respect but yet it is a hard thing to bear up against all Discouragements in time of Temptation What shall I do in this case that I may not be discouraged whatever my Temptations be Answ I will say nothing to your Natural Temper If Temptations arise from Natural Causes then Natural Means as Physick are to be used and applied and People should do well to be perswaded thereunto But somwhat by way of Direction Spiritually First If you would not be discouraged under your Temptations Take heed that when you are in Temptation you do not expect too much from any one means of help over expectation breeds discouragement disappointment doth breed Discouragement it is not the sadness of your Condition but Disappointment that doth cause Discouragement If a man be in debt and under an Arrest so long as he thinks he hath friends to bail him or some Goods and Commodities to make sale of he is not discouraged but if he expect much from his friends and all fail him and his goods be seized that he cannot have help come in at that door nor from any other means which he expected from then he is quite discouraged If a man be in the Water wherein there is danger of drowning so long as he can get hold of somthing that wil bear him up he is not discouraged but if he lay hold of some tuft of Grass on the Bank side and that breaks he falls back again and is more plunged into the Water and if he be not scared out of al thoughts he is more discouraged than ever So here In Temptation we are as in the Water and in fear of drowning crying out We sink we sink then we fly to some tuft of Grass some means or other and if that break or fail then we are quite discouraged Would you not therefore be dejected or cast down in time of Temptation take heed that you do not lay all your strength upon one tuft of Grass this or that mans Counsel this or that particular means but say rather I am now indeed in the deep and in fear of drowning see no means of deliverance but Gods waies are in the deep and he is infinite he hath waies and means that I know not of therefore though I use the means yet I will not rest on them and though all tufts of Grass break and Anchors come home yet I wil wait on God Secondly If you would not be discouraged in time of Temptation Take heed that you do not say of your Temptation This is no Temptation Satan tempts first unto what is evil and then he tempts Gods People to think that their Temptation is no Temptation as long as a man thinks it is but a Temptation he thinks it wil not last long it is but a Temptation it wil not hold alwaies and so his heart is in some measure upheld with hope But when Satan can perswade that the Temptation is no Temptation but a worser matter then the heart sinks and dies take heed therefore that ye do not say that your Temptation is no Temptation Thirdly Consider what infinite Engagements are upon Jesus Christ to succor and relieve poor tempted souls you can never be discouraged under Temptation so long as you think how mightily Christ is engaged to help those that are tempted and engaged he is many waies Engaged by his own Temptations for hâ— was therefore tempted that he might be able experimentally to succor those that are tempted Engaged he is by Promise for he hath said he will not quench the smoaking flax yea though it hath more smoak than fire Engaged he is by his Interest in you and his Name upon you Engaged he is by his own Gracious Disposition when he was upon Earth he cured those that were vexed by Satan Art thou now tempted thou art now vexed by Satan Christ is as gracious in Heaven as he was on Earth Engaged he is by Office for saith the Apostle We have not such an High-Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but was in all points tempted as we are that he might succor those that are tempted he is our great High-Priest When the man-slayer was pursued by the Avenger of Blood if the man-slayer fled unto a City of Refuge he was safe there where he was to stay til the death of the High-Priest and when the High-Priest died then he was set at liberty The Lord Jesus Christ is our High-Priest by whose Death we are set at liberty and by whose Life we are al preserved it is his Office to succor poor tempted souls pursued by Avengers of blood and if a good man be faithful in his Office much more wil Christ by whom al other men are faithful Yea God our Father hath erected an Office for the succoring of poor tempted souls and Jesus Christ hath this Office whenever therfore you are tempted fear you shal miscarry under your Temptation then remember Christ and say O! but the Lord Jesus is in Office he is bound by Office to succor poor tempted souls and such a one am I he is engaged by his own Temptation he is engaged by Promise he is engaged by his Interest in me and his Name upon me he is engaged by his own Dâ—sposition he is engaged by hâ—â— Office and therefore though I be tempted unto what is evil yet avoid Satan for I shal be delivered I am tempted but I shall be delivered for the Lord
Either Christ hath suffered the Wrath and Justice of God for the Elect denounced against sin Gen. 2.17 Or God doth dispense with the execution thereof Or the Elect are stil to suffer it But the Elect are not stil to suffer it and God doth not wil not cannot by his ordinate Power dispense with the execution of it and therefore Christ hath suffered it for them but the execution of that Law did extend to the Wrath of God and Torments of Hel upon Soul and Body Certainly therefore our Lord and Savior Christ hath not only suffered in his Body but in his Soul too and that immediately Neither can the strength of these Arguments and Reasons be waved by saying That Christ did or might satisfie the Law by enduring somwhat equivolent to the punishment due according to the Letter of it For The Law is not satisfied unless the thing be paid or endured in the kind which the Law doth require although somthing be paid or endured which is equivalent to the dammage made by the trespass As in case the Law requiring an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth that a Jew did strike out his Brothers Tooth and the Judg did order that his Eye should be put out for it though the Eye be equivalent to a Tooth yet the Law should not be satisfied with that Judgment and in case that a man stole an Ox from another five Oxen being to be restored by the Law if the Judg had given the wronged person one Ox every way as good as his own yet the Law should not have been satisfied So that an equivalent may be paid or endured yet the Law not satisfied The punishment which the Law The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death doth threaten is death and the Wrath of God paena sensus et paena damni Now those that oppose the Truth in hand say that Christ did not bear the Wrath of God nor was forsaken by God as to his Soul And is an outward forsaking being left to the malice of men equivalent to the Wrath of God Either Christ did bear the Wrath of God or not either he did endure the punishment of loss and sence upon his Soul and Body or not if he did then he did endure the same punishment in kind that we should have done if he did not but somwhat equivalent then there is some evil that is equivalent to the Wrath of God But there is no evil equivalent to the Wrath of God surely therfore he did endure our punishment in kind even the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for us so far as they were due to us by the Threatning in it self considered And if Christ have thus suffered for us both in his Soul and body then his Travel was a sore Travel But Secondly As the Travel of Christ was a sore Travel so it was a long and tedious Travel he was in the pains of this Travel from his Cradle to the last breath of his Cross not only in his Death Locus Esaiae dicitur adimpleri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim docet quid speres uâ—i Lyranus litera gesta docet quid credas allegoria moralis quid agas quid speres anagogia cum enim multâ— miracula edere incipiebat Christus fieri potuisset ut vulgus exâ—stimasset Christum tamen excellentem et mirisicum esse chyrurgum ad hoc precavendum Matthaeus hominum mentes elevare per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Christo altius quid sperare voluit but in his Life al along Upon which account Matthew doth apply those words of the Prophet Isaiah Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sins unto what Christ did and suffered in his Life for saith the Gospel of Matthew Chap. 8.16 When evening was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with Devils and he cast out the spirits with his Word and healed all that were sick Mark tels us that all the City was gathered together at the door Chap. 1.32.33 So that he did cure and heal them with his own Trouble according to that of John 11.33 when Lazarus was dead Chemnit harmon sic Rupertus Ferus Flaccius in glos super 8. c. Matth. 17. Per sanationes corporis animae sanationem representavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem absolute significat onerose portare Apoc. 2.3 cum molestia portare Matth. 20.12 Konick Disp 25. loc 83. and he saw them weeping he groaned and he wept and so he raised Lazarus wel therefore might the Evangelist apply that of Esai to this occasion for he took away the Diseases of the People by his own suffering with them and cast out the Devils by his conflicting with them and so though he did not come into the extremity of this Travel til the last yet he had many pains and pangs al along whilst he lived He wept and he wept and he wept again three times we read of his weeping once at the raising of Lazarus those were his Regal Tears once at his coming into Jerusalem when he said Thy House is left to thee desolate those were his Prophetical Tears once at the last in his Agony when he prayed with cries and tears Heb. 5. those were his Priestly tears his whol time was a weeping time a sorrowful time and therefore the Apostle counts of his Sufferings from the time of his coming into the World Heb. 10. 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou would'st not but a Body hast thou prepared me This Travel then was a long and tedious Travel Thirdly As it was a long and tedious Travel so it was an helpless Travel helpless in regard of men and they all forsook him saith the Text. When a Woman is in Travel Friends come and Midwife comes and Helpers come But when Christ was in Travel even his very Friends forsook him yea God himself did forsake him no Friend nor Midwife nor Helper but in this matter he trode the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath alone O! what an hard Labor was here yet thus thus in regard of his body thus in regard of his Soul Christ was in Travel for us Quest But suppose that Christ was in Travel and thus in Travel for us what then Answ Then it is our Duty to come in and behold this hard and sore Labor When Moses saw the Bush burning that was not consumed he said I wil stand stil and behold this wonder But behold a greater wonder is here Christ bearing our sins in the fire of the Wrath of God and yet not consumed shal we not then stand stil and behold this wonder of Love Hereby you see al the Attributes and Divine Perfections of God in Conjunction and meeting as in their dwelling place ye may see much of the Wisdom Power Justice and Goodness of God scattered up and down in the Creatures There is an Honey in every Flower which the Bee can find
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
and Obedience of the Second Adam did merit the efficacy of Grace for us Alius non perfectius meritum Christi esset causa salutis predestinatorum quam reproborum quia quod attinet ad sufficientiam meriti aequaliter respicit omnes tum reprobos quam predestinatos c. Bannez 1. part Aqui. 23. q. art 5. And 5. If Christ did not merit the efficacy of Grace he should merit no more for those that are saved in Heaven than for those that are damned in Hel for he merited a sufficiency of Grace say the Adversaries even for those that are in Hel but that is an ugly Assertion even in the Eyes of moderate Papists But 6. Do we not pray for the Efficacy of Grace and of Christs Death When David said Incline my heart to thy Law and not unto Covetousness when he said Open mine Eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law did he only pray for the sufficiency of Grace No but the efficacy of it therfore we may and do stil pray so and that upon the account of Christs Merits Surely therefore Christ hath not only merited the sufficiency but the efficacy of Grace 4. Cujus oppositum est erroneum maxime si nâ—gâ—tur Christum nobis meruâ—sse fiaâ—m Bannez 1 pâ—re q. 23. art 5. Zumel 1. part q. 23. art 5. He did not only merit some Blessings of the Covenant but that which is commonly called the Condition of the Covenant He died to procure Faith and Repentance he did not only die to merit a power for us to beleeve but by his Death he did also merit Faith and Repentance for look what the Father worketh in us by him that he merited but the Father worketh Faith and Repentance by him For he worketh in us that which is wel-pleasing in his sight by Jesus Christ Heb. 13.21 Now Faith and Repentance are wel-pleasing in his sight 2. Christ merited al that Grace which the Father hath promised for al the Promises are Yea and Amen in him but the Father hath promised not only to give us a poweâ— to beleeve but to take away the heart of stone that is actual resistance and to give an heaâ—t of flesh that is a yielding heâ—rt and what is Faith but a yielding unto God And ye shal all know me saith God 3. Christ merited for us that which he works in us but he works Faith in us for he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12. 4. We pray to God for Faith and Repentance I beleeve Lord help my Vnbelief and Christ prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail Si quis sicut augmentum ita etiam initium fidei ipsum credulitatis offectum quo in eum credimus qui justificat impium et regenerationem baptismatis pervenâ—mus non per gratiae donum id est per inspirationem spiritus sancti corrigentem voluntatem nostâ—am ab infidelitate ad fidem ab impiâ—tate ad pietatem et naturaliter nobis inâ—sse dicit Apostolicis dogmatibus adversarius approbatur Concil Arausican 2. Can. 5. Qui orat et dicit ne nos inseras in tentationes non utique id orat ut homo sit quo est natura neque orat id ut habeat libeâ—um arbitâ—tum quod â—â—m â—ccepit cum crearetuâ— ipsa natura neque orat remissionem peccatoruÌ„ quia hoc supâ—rius dicitur demitte nobis dâ—bita nostra neque orat ut accipiat mandatum sâ—d plane orat ut faciat mandatum Concil Milevetan Epist Familiaris B in Et hoc a deo ipso datum est vobis ut non solum credendo credatis in ipsum Christum Fabr. Boderian Et hoc a Deo ipso datum est vobis ut non solum credendo credatis in Meschicho Quiodmanstad We also pray for the Faith and Conversion of Infidels and that in the Name of Christ do we only pray that God would give them and us a power to beleeve that it 's said we have already we pray for Faith and Repentance in the Name of Christ therefore Christ hath merited Faith and Repentance And 5. The Apostle tels us expresly that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very work of Beleeving is given us upon the account of Christ Vnto you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve on him but to suffer for him Phil. 1.29 Some would read these words otherwise being much pinched with the strength of them but the old Siriack Translation reads them thus though Grotius either consulting with the Latin Translation or his own declined Judgment makes these words for Christ to be a Pleonatine but Councelâ— Fathers and others read them thus Unto you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve on him and so the words ought to be read for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be read in the first clause of the verse as it is read in the last but in the last part of the verse it is read for to suffer for Christ what is that is that in the behalf of Christ No but for his sake So therefore the same words in the former part of the verse are to be read for Christ that is for the sake of Christ to you it is given to beleeve for Christs sake Now look what the Father gives as an act of free Grace that he gives upon the account of Christs Merit for free Grace and Christs Merits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Versio Siriaca Concil A ausican 2. can 5. 25. Milevitan ad Innocent in Epist 95. Austin lih de praedest StoruÌ„ cap. 2. Ambros Anselm comment Vide Justinian Velasquez in Locum Vasquez in 3. part tom 1. Q 19 art 4 c. 2. go together in the Language of Pauls Epistles but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work of Faith is given us as an act of free Grace for saies the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look what the Father gives for Christs sake that Christ hath merited but as the Father hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer for him that is for his sake so saith the Apostle he hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Christ that is for his sake to beleeve So that when Christ died for us he did not only merit a power to beleeve and repent but he did merit Faith and Repentance Now if Christ did merit al these things then knowing that the Father is Faithful in paying and performing what the Son purchased he must needs know and be fully assured that he should see and enjoy al those effects of his Death which he travelled for when he died Applic. 1 If the e be the Effects of Christs Death and he had such ful assurance to obtain them al then surely Christ did not die for al the particular men of the World for he did not only merit Eternal Life and Salvation but Grace and Holiness Faith and Repentance for al those whom he died for and he shal uâ—ely obtain al the
those very sins that he hath died and satisfied for Corvinus is not ashamed to speak it out and it or worse must needs follow from that Doctrine for many shal be damned not only for their Unbelief and sins against the Gospel but for their sins against the Law Rom. 2.12 2 Cor. 6.9 Either then Christ satisfied for these sins when he died for them or not if not then it seems that men possibly may have their sins against the Law pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for for the Maintainers of that Doctrine say That it 's possible that al may be saved and so have their sins pardoned and if mens sins may be pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for then is the Satisfaction of Christ made void according to the Doctrine of the Socinians and if Christ did bear and die and satisfie for these very sins which men are damned for then shal God punish the same sin twice which even a just man wil not do and then wherein doth our great Gospel Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross exceed the Sacrifices of the old Testament for the Apostle tels us Heb. 10.3 That in those Sacrifices there was a remembrance again made of sins every yeer but here shal be a remembrance again of sins made not every yeer but unto al Eternity O! how unsatisfying is this to the heart of Christ that instead of seeing the Travel of his Soul he shal see those damned that he died for yea damned for those sins that he satisfied for al which must needs follow upon the Doctrine of universal Redemption According to that Doctrine Christ may miss the ends of his Death and Sufferings for he died not only for the Salvation of those whom he died for but for their Sanctification Ephes 5.26 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2.14 but al the men of the World are not sanctified clensed and redeemed from their vain Conversation and from al Iniquity Surely therefore if he should die for al particular men he should miss his Ends yea according to that Doctrine Christ may not obtain that which he hath merited and purchased for he hath not only merited Salvation but Grace and Holiness for those whom he died for as hath been proved already if therefore he died for every particular man of the World then al the men of the World must be gracious and holy or Christ must never come into his purchase nor obtain what he hath merited and can that be satisfying to the heâ—rt of Christ Sciendum est ita Christum Dominum pro peccatis totius generis humani satisfecisse donaque omnia gratiae quae illi post lapsum pâ—imorum parentum conferuntur infinitaque alia promeruisse et nihilominus applicationem effectuum suorum meritorum certis quibusdam legibus alligatam reliquerit Molina lib. arb Concord qu. 23. art 45. disp 2. Talis â—uit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuit conditionem fidei Arnol. Corvin contra Molinâ— Cap. 28. p. 442. Impetravit Christus omnibus â—econciliationem et remissionem sed ea conditione Remonst Collat. Ha â—â—â—s Art 2. Licet satiâ—factio Christi sit praestita â—eatus noster non statim aboletur nisi prius fidei et poenitentiae conditionem impleamus Conr. Vorsrtius schol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad 54. Object But our Lord and Savior Christ did die conditionally and merited the blessings of the New Covenant conditionally to be given out upon condition of Faith and Repentance which are the Condition of the New Covenant and therefore though men do not obtain all the blessings of the Câ—venant yet Christ shal not lose his Ends nor the thing purchased by his Death because if men do not perform the Condition he never did intend they should have the blessing or the thing purchaâ—ed Answ But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness condâ—tionally the Question now is not about Salvation or Justification but about our Sanctification If you speak of our Salvatiâ—n in remission of Sin you speak not to the matter in hand and if you speak of our Sanctification what Condition can be performed before that 1. And if Christ did merit and intend that our Holiness and Sanctification should be bestowed on us upon condition of Faith and Repentance then a man may repent and beleeve before he be Sanctified and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness but a work of Nature and hath Christ â—erited that Grace shal be bestowed upon a work of Nature the Apostle speaks directly contrary 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and Grace And 3. If Christs Merits were thus conditional then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ and the Wil of the Father the Father wils that to us which the Son hath merited for us and as the Son merited so doth the Father wil the bestowing of the blessing but the Father doth not wil our Grace Holiness and Sanctification upon condition for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption say That Gods secret Wil and his revealed Wil are one and the same nothing different if therefore God doth wil our Sanctification and Holiness upon Condition then when he commands us to beleeve repent and obey his Commandement must be Conditional and when he commands us to forsake our sins his Command for that is Gods Wil must be Conditional and if those Commandements be conditional then they cannot be resisted nor his Wil resisted yea then it wil be no sin not to keep Gods Commandement for if his Commandement be to be observed upon Condition then if I do not perform that Condition I do not transgress his Commandement as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will if he wil not he doth not transgress your Commandement Surely therefore the Wil of God and his Commandements are absolute such therefore is the Merit of Christ But Secondly If Christs Merits were thus Conditional relating to the performance of some Condition as of Faith Repentance and Obedience then Faith Repentance and our Obedience were not merited by the Death of Christ the contrary hath been proved already look whatever Christ laid down his life for that he merited but he laid down his life to redeem us from our vain Conversation and from al Iniquity therefore from Unbelief hardness of heart and from al the Disobedience of our Lives and therefore he merited our Redemption from these Thirdly If Christs merits were thus Conditional then the Wil of God the Father must be pendulous wavering uâ—certain and undetermined til it be determined by some act of Mans for if man do perform the Condition then he is to give out the blessing
Vessel that your heart may not be too big for your business nor your work too big for your heart But your self par negotio being like the Ant or Pismire that doth rather abound in Pectore in the Breast ubi animus est where the mind lies than in Ventre in the Belly ubi stercus est where the dung lies and if your Estate be great to account your self Gods Steward not his Treasurer and if it be little to study rather how to give an account of your little than to encrease unto much These are excellent things in regard of your Callings and Estates As for your Recreations and outward Mirths It is an excellent thing for a man so to be merry as he may not grieve for his Mirth afterwards to have your part and share in the Saints breakings as wel as in their rejoycings so to rejoyce in the Creature as not to forget the Creator so to rejoyce in the Servant as not to forget the Master so to rejoyce in your Inn as not to forget your Home so to recreate your self as you may not take pleasure in your pleasure but to rise from this Table with an appetite not with a glut and to be a bungler at the best Recreation and to make al your Recreations as so many Engagements to serve God the more freely and cheerfully These are excellent things in regard of your Mirths and Recreations As for the Works of God and his Dispensations It is an excellent thing for a man to know what Gods Design is yet to admire where you cannot understand to praise God for his Judgments as wel as for his Mercies for his Hel as wel as for his Heaven and though the vial be powred out upon your Relation yet to bless God and at least to be silent remember Aaron And in al Gods dealings stil to make a good and candid Interpretation for that wil argue your Love to God which wil argue his Love to you for that which ends in your Love to him came from his Love to you These are excellent things in regard of Gods Works and Dispensations As for Truth and Error It 's an excellent thing for a man so to mind the Truth of the Times as he do not neglect the Power of Godliness and so to mind the Power of Godliness as he do not neglect the Truth of the Times an excellent thing for a man so to mind new Truth as not to lose old Truth and so to keep the old Truth as not to neglect new Truths And in al times to stand free from the Monopoly of an Opinion for it is the property of an Error to monopolize the man and to engross his thoughts words and actions but he that placeth his Religion in one Opinion hath no Religion in Truth though his Opinion be true Good therefore it is to stand cleer and free from these Monopolies These are excellent things in regard of Truth and Error As for your Death It is an excellent thing for a man to desire to die and yet be contented to live to desire Death for the enjoyment of God and to be contented to live for the Work of God to give up your daies to God as an act of your Faith which you have received from him as an act of his Love to say in truth if my Father have any more work for me to do I shal live longer if his work be done I am willing to go home to my Father though I ride home behind the worst Servant that he keeps in his House An excellent thing it is to die standing or kneeling to die on that ground where I should live and to live on that ground where I would die These are excellent things in regard of Death Now excellent things do become those that are the Seed the visible Seed of Christ Are you therefore the visible Seed of Christ then these excellent things do become you for his delight is in the Saints and such as excel in Vertue Now therefore as you do desire to answer unto Christs delights O labor more and more to excel in vertue And thus I have done with this great Argument Christ in Travel the greatness of his Travel his Assurance of Issue and his delight and satisfaction in the sight thereof Christ shal certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied and if you do not yet see the issue of his Travel accomplished on your Soul yet stay wait and expect for saith the Text He shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied and in due time you shal see it too and be satisfied Wherefore wait on the Lord and again I say Wait on the Lord. FINIS M R Bridge's New Works viz. 1. Scripture-Light 2. Christ in Travel 3. A Lifting up for the Down-cast c. THE GOOD MAN'S PEACE Sermon I. PSALM 42.11 Stepney April 16. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God IN these Words ye read of the sad Discouragements of a gracious Spirit with those Remedies that he applied and used against them The Discouragements are exprest in Two Words under Two Similitudes Cast-down Disquieted As a man is bowed or cast down under the weight of some heavy burden so art thou cast down O my soul saies David And as the Sea in the time of a storm is much disquieted so art thou also disquieted wiâ—hin me O my Soul The Remedies that he useth against these Discouragements are Two Self-Reprehension and Self-Admoni ion First He doth chide himself for his diffidence and distrust in God Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me He chides and rebukes himself for it Secondly He doth admonish and call upon himself for to wait upon and hope in God Hope thou in God Why First Because I shal yet be delivered For I shall yet praise him Secondly Because Salvation belongs unto him alone He is the health of my Countenance Or the Salvation of my Countenance Thirdly Because he is in Covenant with me and I with him He is my God The health of my Countenance and my God I begin with the former part of this Verse wherein you may observe these Three things First That there is an inward Peace and Quietude of Soul which the Saints and People of God ordinarily are endued with This is implyed Secondly It is possible that this Peace may be interrupted so far as Gods People may be much discouraged cast down and disquieted Thirdly That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements what ever their Condition be VVhy art thou cast down and why art thou thus disquieted within me thou hast no reason for it The latter of these being the main is that indeed which I specially aim at But because the two former will give the better rise unto this
a fault and a man takes the one and correct him and let the other go it argues rather that he is his Father than not So though Chastisements do not alwaies argue God to be our Father yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love than not Answ 2 And is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints When a man is a friend to another not only his Purse is his Friend his Estate is his Friend his Staff is his Friend but his Sword is his Friend So if God be a Friend to a man then not only his Love is his Friend and his Mercy his Friend but his Sword is his Friend his Anger is his Friend Now God is a Friend to all the Saints and therefore his very Anger and Justice is a Friend too But Answ 3 In the third place What are those visible Characters of Love which are engraven upon an Affliction First If Affliction be a blessing to one then it doth come from Love and if a man can bless God under Affliction then it is a blessing to him Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him Why Because he blessed God under it The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name c. Secondly If an Affliction do end in our Love to God then it comes from Gods Love to us for our Love is but a reflection of Gods Love and it doth flow from his and if I can say I love God never the worser for this Affliction then I may say God loves me never the lesser notwithstanding this Affliction Thirdly If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from Love As many as he loveth he chastiseth And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth and teachest out of thy Law So that if Affliction be a teaching Affliction then it doth come from Love Fourthly If it be laid on in measure and imposed in due and seasonable time so as a man may grow thereby then it doth come from Love When a man intendeth to kill and destroy a Tree or to bring it unto the fire he cuts it at any time so as it shal grow no more but if he cut it in a due time it argueth that he intendeth it for growth So when God pruneth and cuts by Afflictions in such a time as men may grow in Grace it argues his Love Fifthly When God is especially present in Affliction and more present in an Affliction than at another time it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love Now whoever you are that make this Objection and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love are you not able to say Thus I find it indeed though I have been much afflicted yet through Grace I have bâ—en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction and to say The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction I have gained more by my sickness than by many a Sermon yea and he hath cut me in due time for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time I did not know what evil I should have fallen into and this I must needs say I have had more of Gods Presence in my Affliction than ever I had before Well then be of good Comfort though your Affliction be very grievous yet it doth come from Love And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and therefore why should they be discouraged whatever their Affliction be Object 8 But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction yet hath he not reason to be discouraged when it goes ill with the Publick And thus it is now with us we see how it is with this poor Nation Troubles and Calamities from every Part therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause to be cast down and to be much disquieted now Answ Indeed this is a sad thing and O! that we could weep day and night and pray too for this poor bleeding Nation If ever Gods People here in England had cause to be afflicted troubled and humbled under the hand of the Lord and to run together in Prayer surely they have reason now yet saith the Scripture Say to the Righteous in evil times it shall go well with him Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom but God did provide some hiding for his own Children Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood and a Mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom The worst that man can do is but to kill his neighbor Death is the worst that can fall and what is death but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God When the Saints in the Primitive Times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the Truth of Christ then they said Now we begin to be Christians indeed now we begin to be like to Christ There is a Three-fold Death Spiritual Death in sin Eternal Death for sin And Temporal Death which came in by sin If God spare me from the two former Deaths the Spirituâ—l Death and Eternal Death and only inflict the Temporal Death have I any cause to complain Thus it is with the Saints though they die Temporally yet they are free from the Spiritual and Eternal Death and what Godly man may not say I could not live long in Nature and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains Christ died for us the Just for the Unjust and shal not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just The worst of all is Death the worst of Death is gain When my Body is broken may I not say if Godly now a poor Pitcher is broken and shall go no more to the Well now a poor Prisoner my soul is delivered and I go home unto my Father But if you look into Rev. 7. you shal â—ind what a glorious issue God doth give unto al his People in the times of publick troubles ver 9. After this I beheld and so a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and People stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands A Robe is a Garment of Majesty Palms are an Ensign of Victory and saith he I saw them with Robes and Palmâ— The world looks upon my Servants as poor and of low spirits but saith Christ I look upon them as under a royal Princely Garment in Robes and of a Princely spirit And though the world look upon them as discomforted yet saith Christ here they shal overcome for they have Palms in their hands but who are these This Scripture tels ver 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them
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
Familiars according to that of the Psalmist Thou hast put mine Acquaintance far from me He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me Psal 41.9 John 13.18 Amongst his own Disciples one beâ—â—aid him another denied him and they al forsook him Thus were his Sufferings great and universal in regard of the Persons by whom and from whom he suffered Universal also they were as Aquinas observes in regard of the things which he suffered Wil ye instance in his Goods he is bereaved of his Cloathes and they cast lots for his Garment Wil ye instance in his Name and Honor he is crucified the Death of the Cross was a shameful Death therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. He endured the Cross and despised the shame Yea he was not only crucified but as matter of further shame he was crucified between two Theeves and as if al this were not enough they reproached and jeered him yea and he was reproached by al by Jews Soldiers and the Thief on the Cross the Jews spit in his Face before he came to the Cross as if Christs Face were the fowlest place for their Spit and when he was on the Cross they jeeringly put a Reed into his hand and said Hail Master King of the Jews with an Inscription on the Cross This is the King of the Jews Or wil ye instance in his Comforts He was troubled saith the Gospel began to be afraid and his Soul was heavy unto death Thus were his Sufferings great and Universal in regard of the thing suffered Universal also they were in regard of the Parts and Members of his Body wherein he suffered For what Part was there or Member of his precious Body which suffered not his Hands pierced with Nails and his Feet also his Back whipped and scourged his Side run through with a Spear and on his Head was a Crown of Thorns Al his Sences suffered also and that at the same time for in regard of his Feeling he was whipped pierced and wounded in regard of his Tast they gave him Vinegar and Gal to drink in regard of his Smel they crucified him in a filthy place the place of dead mens Skuls Golgotha in regard of his Hearing he was wearied with the Blasphemies and Derisions of the wicked Aquin. sum par 3. Q. 46. Art 5. and in regard of his Sight he saw his Mother and his Disciple whom he loved weeping Thus were his Sufferings Universal both in regard of the things that he suffered in regard of Persons from whom he suffered and in regard of his own Parts and Members wherein he suffered Surely therefore his Suffering was very great it was Vniversal As it was Universal so it was most extream the Schoolmen tel us That his grief was greater than al other griefs and indeed Dolor passionis Chrrsti fuit major omnibus doloribus Aquin. part 3. art 6. how could it be otherwise for the more excellent and worthy the Person is that doth suffer vile things from those that are vile the more afflictive is his Affliction to him Now Christ suffered vile things from the vile and he was the most excellent Person in the World the Lord of Life and of Glory who thought it no robbery to be equal with God And the more healthful that any man is the more afflictive is his death to him Sickness doth somtimes benumb a man and takes away the sence of his sickness but Christ suffered a painful cruel death in his ful strength and health being more free from Sicknesses and Diseases than any man yea the more sensitive the parts are wherein a man suffers Optime complexionatus erat cum corpus ejus fuit formatum miracuiose operatione spiritus sancti Aquin. ibid. the more extream is his pain Now those that were crucified were nailed to the Cross by their Hands and Feet which parts and places are the quickest and fullest of sence because there is a meeting of al the Ligaments and Sinews and to be racked in those parts where our sence dwels what extream torment is it Those that were crucified though they had somthing to stay their Feet did hang by their hands now to have the whol weight of ones Body hanging thus on our pierced hands and so to die by degrees what extream torment must it needs be Dum pais inferior in nobis patitur superior compatitur et dolorem quantum potest lenit et tolerabilius sit in Christo autem qui dominus Naturae erat ex voluntate sua fuit ista discontinuatio scil ut vires inferiores perfectissime et amarissime paterentur et partes superiores intellectus scil et voluntas toâ—a liter finirentur et nulla consolatio a deitate vel ab intellectu saltem naturaliter redundabat illo tempore in partem sensitivam et tunc potentiae sensitivae soli dolori vacantes acerâ—imum dolorem patiebantur ideo nullus homo tantum dolorem sensit in pâ—â—nalitatibus sicut Christus Abulens in Epist D. Hieron ad Paulinum Cap. 7. pag 41. Tom. 1. in Gen. The less succor the inferior part of Man hath from the Superior part of his Wil and Understanding the more doleful is the pain in the Sences Now when Christ suffered he did willingly suspend those Comforts from his Sence which by way of Sympathy might Naturally have flown in from his Understanding or supernaturally from the Love of God and therefore his Sence being left alone as it were to conflict with those pains they must be exceeding great and very dreadful exceeding doleful and extreamly painful 3. As the Sufferings of his Body were extream so they were long and lingering crucified Persons died a lingering Death they were two or three daies a dying indeed our Savior gave up the Ghost sooner But he suffered from the Cradle and though he sweat drops of blood in the Garden only yet he never was fully out of that Agony til he gave up the Ghost for a little before his Death he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now if his Sufferings were Universal Extream and Lingering then surely his Travel was a sore Travel in regard of his Body Secondly As for his Soul His Travel was a sore Travel in regard of that his Travel was a Soul-Travel It is here in special manner called the Travel of his Soul the Soul and Life and Spirit of his Sufferings was in the Sufferings of his Soul there was the viol of the Wrath of God powred out and there especially The Papists would perswade us that Christ did not suffer in his Soul Bellarmin de Christi anima Cap. 8. Socinus de Christo servatore pars 2. pars 3. Crellius contra Grotium Cap. 1. p. 25. of the same mind also are the Socinians and others not a little their Friends fighting though it may be ignorantly with their Weapons and Arguments who are risen amongst us For the cleering therefore of this profitable Truth
Christ suffering in his Soul I shal deliver my self in these Four Propositions 1. That Christ did truly suffer in his Soul 2. That he did suffer in his Soul immediately 3. That he did suffer and encounter with the Wrath of God 4. That he did suffer and endure the very torments of Hel in this Life Prop. 1 Our Lord and Savior Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for it pleased the Father to bruise him and hath put him to grief Perspicuum est sicut Corpus flagellatum ita animam vere doluisse ne ex parte veritas et ex parte mendacium credatur in Christo Hierom. in Esa 53. Isa 53.10 And saith Christ himself My Soul is heavy unto Death he was in a great Agony Luk 22. insomuch as he sweat drops of Blood verse 42. Now an Agony signifies the sorrows of Combaterâ— entring the Lifâ—s with the sence of their utmost dangers of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matthew tels us that he began to be very sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be berounded or besieged with Sorrow Chap. 26.36 37. My Soul saith Christ is exceeding sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timorem significat sive metum impendentis mali et vixaliter inveniri apud bonos authores vereque Graecos Chamier Cap. 16. Lib. 5. Tom. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius Nam scopus loci est explicare infirmitates à Christo susceptas et quamvis aliquando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cauâ—â—m genitivo notat internam causam motus vel actionis quae significatur verbo regente nunquam tamen significat causam externe impellentem ad actionem Ames Bellar. enervat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even unto death Mark tels us that he was sore amazed amazement notes an universal Cessation of the Faculties of the Soul from their several Functions he was afraid and he was sore afraid the Apostle saies that he was heard Heb. 5. in the thing that he feared ver 7. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used doth somtimes signifie Reverence or Piety but so it cannot be taken in this place for it 's said he was delivered or heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his Fear But Amazement is more than Fear And Mark tels us that he began to be sore amazed Chap. 14.33 Yea he was not only amazed but he was very heavy and he began to be very heavy so we read it but the English word is too short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he began to be so affected with evil as that he was as it were disabled for the minding of any thing else the word is compounded of a privative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 People as if he began to be out of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat maximam consternationem adeo ut nulla admittatur consolatio Nicol. Arnold Relig. Socinia pag. 501. it 's the same word that is used in Phil. 2.26 And was full of heaviness Now if our Lord and Savior Christ was thus sorrowful and exceeding sorrowful amazed and sore amazed heavy and his Soul heavy even unto death then surely he did truly suffer in his Soul But it may be that Crellius and the Socinians with their Friends wil tel us that his Soul suffered only by way of Sympathy and fellow-feeling with his Body Therefore Prop. 2 I ad in the Second place That as he did truly suffer in his Soul so he did suffer in his Soul immediately for look where the Disobedience of the First Adam began there the Obedience of the Second Adam did begin also Now the Disobedience of the First Adam was not only in his Body in eating with his mouth the forbidden Fruit but in his Soul likewise and he did eat with his Body because he did affect with his Soul to be like God there did his sin begin viz. in the Pride and Unbelief of his heart and therefore the Obedience of the Second Adam was not only to be performed with his Body but with his Soul and to begin there the Soul is not properly said to suffer when the Body suffers and by way of sympathy but when a grief is taken or an affliction Et sane nisi paenae fuisset particeps anima corporibus tamen fuisset Redemptor Calvin Institut Lib. 2. Cap. 16. which doth first arrest the mind and heart of men Now Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for as his active Obedience was Spiritual in his Soul as wel as Corporal in his Body so was and ought to be his passive also and if Christs Sorrow did not begin in his Soul why is it said that he troubled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 11.33 When he saw her weeping and the Jews weeping he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled Quam pudenda fuisset haec mollities eousque torqueri ob communis mortis formidinem ut sanguineo sudore diffluerit neque posset recreari nisi Angelorum conspectu quod illa precatio ter repetita transeat caelix c. annon ex incredibili amaritudine animi profecta ostendit asperius et majus arduum fuisse Christi certamen quam cum morte communi Calvin ibid. but according to the Original and your Margent he troubled himself Why so but because this trouble of his did begin from within and upon this account he did sweat drops of Blood when his Body was in good health and free from every sickness the Body wil not sweat but when Nature is oppressed when it 's under some outward burden then it sweats Christ was under no outward burden of Disease only death was now approaching the fear of which alone simply considered could not make him sweat drops of Blood for saies he I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Luk. 12.50 Surely there was some other evil the apprehension whereof did immediately fal upon his Soul which did run and flow over into his Body Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately That 's the Second Proposition Prop. 3 As Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately so he did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God I do not say Neque tantum innuimus Deum fuisse unquam illi adversarium vel iratum quando enim dilecto filio in quo animus ejus acquievit irasceretur sed hoc nos dicimus Divinae severitatis gravitatem eum sustinuisse quoniam manu Dei percussus et afflictus omnia irati et punientis Dei signa expertus est Calvin ibid. that the Father was wroth or angry with his Person some do here distinguish of the wrath of God somtimes it is taken for the hatred of Persons so the Reprobates are called Vessels of Wrath Rom. 9.22 Somtimes it is taken for the execution of Corrective Justice so God is said to be wroth with his own People Deut. 4.21 Somtimes it 's taken for the execution of Vindicative Justice and
in this sense say they God is said to be wroth with Christ But I rather chuse to say that Christ is considered two waies 1. Either in regard of his own Person or as he did stand for us being our Surety 2. There is a difference between the affection of Gods Wrath and the Dispensation of it Now Christ standing for us and in our room and stead did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God that is the Vindicative Dispensation of it for he was made a Curse for us and a Curse is a Vindicative Dispensation of Wrath. It may be the Socinians and their Friends wil say that he was made a Curse for us because he died that cursed Death on the Cross for our good but if ye look into the words ye shal find that he was made a Curse for us so as that there was a Translation of the Curse from us unto him which Curse was due for our Sin for saies rhe Apostle Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree for it is written again verse 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written the Book of the Law to do them verse 10. Which Curse saith the Apostle Christ is made for us we being thereby redeemed from it verse 13. Now is it possible that Christ should thus be made a Curse for us but he must suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God which was due to us and if he were smitten of the Father then did he bear the Dispensation of the Fathers Wrath and Anger Now it is said expresly in Isaiah 53. It pleased the Father to bruise him verse 10. He was smitten of God and afflicted verse 4. Prop. 4 As our Lord and Savior Christ did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God so he did endure the torments of Hell whilst he was in this Life Christus mortem gehennalem pro nobis sustinuit Calvin in Matth. 26. ver 39. in cap. 27.46 Institut Lib. 2. 16. Chamier Tom. 2. l. 5. Cap. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Sib. Lubbertus contra Socinum lib. 1. c. 1. Jon. Piscator contra vorstium notae ad Amic duplicat Sect. 1. 24. Amos Bellarm. enervat Lib. 2. de Christo Maccovius de Mediator Disp 17. Willet Synops part 4. quest 3. Cartwright Harmon pag. 985. 988. Nico. Arnold Relig. Socinian pag. 502. I do not say with the Papists that he descended into Hell after his death nor that whilst he lived here he was damned for us that were Blasphemy for a man is said to be damned that doth for ever bear the weight of his own sins nor do I say that Christ did bear al that misery of Hel which we should have born and which the Reprobates do and shal bear in Hel for they lie blaspheming and despairing But though Christ was in a great Agony yet he did not despair for said he My God my God and though God did forsake him yet that was not in regard of Vnion as it is with the damned in Hel but only in regard of Vision yet he did endure and suffer for us the very torments and misery of Hel for there are two things concurrent to the misery of Hel the punishment of loss and the punishment of Sence now both these did our Savior bear whilst he was in this Travel The punishment of Loss for he did lose Est genus paenarum quod patiuntur damnati in inferno qui omni solatio carent quidam huic simile Redemptor noster sustinere dignatus est qui omni à se solatium et consolationis remedium in passione abdicavit Medina in Thom. part 3. q. 46. a. 6. and was for a time suspended from that sweet and comfortable Vision and Fruition of God therefore he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me which cannot be understood of his outward Afflictions as being left to the violence of men for saies Paul 2 Cor. 4.9 We are persecuted but not forsaken they were left to the violence of men and persecutors yet they were not forsaken and therefore when Christ saith Why hast thou forsaken me Videmus alios homines non tamen sine dolore et motu sed etiam cum magno gaudio et laetitia mortem obire ex quo sequitur aut Christum qui est Dominus caeli et terras minus animi minus roboris minus fiduciae minus fortudinis et minus constantiae tabuisse quam gregarios homines aut sustinuisse mortem multo acerbiorem et hoâ—â—ihiliorem quam quâ—mvis martyrum sed illud dicere est impium sustinuit itaque aliud genus mortis quam alii homines et atrocius et sita fuit illa atrocitas in sensu irae Dei in propossione execrationis Sib. Lubbert contra Socinum Lib. 2. Cap. 1. p. 115. he doth not mean so as to be left to the Persecution of men for thus saies the Apostle We may be and yet not forsaken And as he did bear the punishment of Loss so of Sense also for he sweat drops of blood not Blood only but drops of Blood nor a few drops only but many insomuch as they fel to the ground in so great a quantity as ran through his Cloathes as some conceive to the ground Now can we imagine that he should be in this Agony sweating these drops of Blood heavy in his Soul unto death and to sore amazement crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me only from the fear of death what was our Savior more afraid of death than the Martyrs They went triumphing and some of them singing to their more cruâ—l death and clapped their hands in their flames had they more Courage Faith or Resolution than our Savior If it were only a Corporal Death that Christ thus feared then they should suffer with more boldness and courage than our Savior but come Gerard Harm Quod autem ad pios attinet sciendum est longe alia in arena versari quam Christus nam rem habent cum morte et inferis devicti et profligatis Christus autem cum illis jam vegetis et armatis ira divina luctatus est Cartw. Harm p. 985. saies Gerard and I wil tel you what is the Reason that our Savior was thus afraid and they so bold Our Savior saith he drunk of the Brook in the way but their drink was sweetened with his Death Christ did conflict with Sin Satan Death and Hel Enemies whose force was never broken before but the Martyrs only grappled with death a broken Troop of Sorrows that rallied again but was broken and overcome before Christ did sustain the Malediction and Curse of the Law There was a Curse in his Death but the Curse was taken out of the death of Martyrs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mortibus suis Esai
53.9 Christ did not only conflict with a temporal but Eternal Death but the Martyrs knew that they were free from eternal Death Christ bare al their sins But when they came to suffer the sting of Death which is sin was taken out and upon this account one of the Martyrs said Christus dolebat ut ego esse hilaris et laetus ille habebat mea peccata et ego vere illius merita et Justitiam Essen de Satis Christi p. 56. when he came to suffer Christ grieved at his Death that I might rejoyce in mine he had my sin on him and I have his Righteousness and Merits on me Yea he did then endure the torments of Hel in his sufferings that by our sufferings we might go to Heaven Quest But is it possible that one may endure the very torments of Hell in this Life Answ Yes For as a man may have a tast of Heaven before he come there so possibly a man may have a tast of Hell even in this Life also The Wrath of God in Scripture is compared to and called Fire Psal 84.46 And if ye look into the Parable of Dives and Lazarus ye shal find that Dives cries out to Abraham to send one with a drop of water to cool his Tongue Why but saies Austin the body of Dives is not yet in Hel what fire therefore is this that doth so torment him to which he answers Quali◠lingua talis flamma as the Eyes wherewith he sees Abraham afar off such is the Fire and as his Tongue such is the Fire that he is tormented in the fire of the Wrath of God this Fire of Gods Wrath was our dear Savior scorched with whilst he was in his Arg. 1 Travel For by way of Reason and Argument whereby the former Propositions also shal be the more fully proved if Christ did bear our Griefs then whatever miseries were inflicted upon us and our Nature by vertue of the Threatening it self under which we were those Christ did bear and endure for us But he did bear our Griefs I do not say that he did bear and endure al that we should have done Whatever misery or punishment we should have born or the Reprobates do or shal bear in Hel doth either proceed from the Threatening it self as the proper effect thereof or it doth proceed from the disposition and condition of the Person whom the execution of the Threatening doth fal upon the threatening it self doth produce death The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Therefore death evil and the Wrath of God for sin doth proceed from the Threatening it self Now when this fals upon man he despairs and blasphemes and lies under the Wrath of God for ever yet despair and eternal blasphemy is not the punishment of the Threatening it self proceeding from the Threat in it self considered but proceeds from the disposition of Man upon whom the execution of the Curse fals for no sin comes from Gods Threatening in it self considered Punishment properly is satisfaction for injury done but sin is a continuing of the injury Desperatio non est de essentia paenae infernalis paenae author est Deus Diabolus et peccator desperationis paena est hominis passio desperatio est hominis actio Ames Bellar. enervat Lib. 2. de Christo cap. 2. Despair Blasphemy and death in sin is an action the action of man but punishment is the passion and suffering of man so that death in sin despair and blasphemy are not of the essence of the Punishment threatened but the wrath of God death and Gods withdrawing of himself from man are of the essence of the Punishment proceeding from the Threatening in it self considered Now look what the Threatening in it self doth produce that Christ suffered for us but it wil not therefore follow that he should despair blaspheme or die in sin because these do proceed from the condition and disposition of our Persons that the Curse of the Threatning fals upon as ye see it is with the beams of the Sun if they fal on Wax they soften that but if they fal on the Clay they harden that So the wrath of God and his withdrawance falling upon us there doth ensue despair blasphemy and dying in sin but falling on Christ it is not so Why because these do not proceed from the threatning in it self considered Now I say look what we should have born as due to us from the threatening it self that Christ did bear for us For saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 53. Quod enim nos pro nostris debebamus sceleribus sustinere ille pro nobis passus est c. Ut quod propter imbecillitatem virium ferre non poteramus pro nobis ille portaret Hieron in Esai cap. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidam codices in plurali legunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut sit castigatio retributionum nostrarum uti illud plurale nomen usurpatur Psal 69.23 h. e. castigatio quae peccatorum nostrorum est justa retributio seu quae justae retributionis ac paenae loco ob peccata nostra-super nos venire debebat venit super eum scil Christum Glass philolog sact Lib. 3. tr 1. p. 107. Disciplina retributionis nostrae super eum id est supplicium quod nos retribuere ac rependere debuimus pro peccatis nostris super eum imposuit Deus id est quicquid paenarum Deus à nobis exigere debuit pro peccatis id ab innocente Filio Pater exegit Sanctius in Esai 53.5 He hath born our Griefs that is those griefs that were due to us from the threatening in it self considered But if we had perished and gone to Hel our selves we should have suffered in our Souls and in our Souls immediately the wrath of God and the very torments of Hel upon the account of the Threatning and therefore al these things did Christ suffer for us Arg. 2. Look what Christ delivered us from that he endured for us for he delivered us by suffering he delivered us from death and he endured that he delivered us from Satan and his Temptations therefore he endured them he delivered us from the Law therefore he was made under the Law he delivered us from sin and he bare our sin he delivered us from the wrath of God therefore he did conflict with that and from the torments of Hel therefore he did suffer them Arg. 3. Our Lord and Savior Christ did establish the Law by his Death So saies the Apostle speaking of Christs death in his being made a propitiation for sin We do establish the Law Rom. 3.31 Look therefore whatever the Law did require of us for whom he died that hath Christ done and performed and suffered for us but according to the Law we were to suffer in our Souls and that immediately yea the wrath of God with the torments of Hel and therefore herein and thus hath Christ suffered for us Arg. 4
and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
give unto man what Law he pleased which Liberty or Power of God say they was the next effect of Christs Death But this cannot be for then Christ died to redeem the Power of God out of the hand of his Justice for that which is delivered by the Death of Christ is redeemed but where do we find in Scripture that Christ is said to redeem God or any thing of Gods 2. This doth suppose that God was willing to shew mercy to man and to do that for man which he could not do but that cannot be with God man may be willing to do that which in Justice he cannot do because his wil may be unjust but Gods wil cannot be unjust and therefore he cannot wil that which he cannot do in Justice 3. This makes void the death of Christ Si potestas et jus salvandi in Deo consideretur absolute Deus si voluisset potuisset nos salvare citra satisfactionem Christi sed non voluit id facere Cornivus contra Molin p. 436. Deus potest de suo jure quantum vult dimittere instar Regis creditoris Matth. 18. nisi velimus Deo minus quam nobis licere Sorex Vorstianus pag. 4 5. according to the Maintainers of this Opinion for they say That God could pardon the sin of man without the death of Christ and therefore if Christ died to procure such a power and liberty to God then he died for nothing for according to themselves he had this power before 4. This Opinion doth suppose that there is a velleity and voluntas in God an half and a ful Wil and if Gods Wil may be imperfect and perfect then his Knowledg also may be Plena et Semiplena Perfect and Imperfect and so Imperfection wil be charged upon God 5. The Apostle Paul tels us Heb. 9. That Christ died as Mediator of the New Covenant therefore not to set God free to make what Covenant he pleased with the Children of Men. Mirabilis ille status in quem homines restitui dicunt per Christum neque est status gratiae Evangelicae quae non fluit ex faedere gratiae neque potest esse status legis neque ullus alius status in quo homines stare solent Ames Antisynodal de morte Christi Cap. 4. p. 149. 6. What state shal redeemed man be in presently upon this account not under the Gospel for God is left free by the Death of Christ they say to appoint what Covenant he pleases and not under the Law for he was by Christ redeemed from the Law 7. If the Confirmation of the New Covenant were the next Effect of Christs death as appears by Heb. 9.14 15. then Christ did not die to procure such a power and liberty to God that he might appoint what Covenant he pleased Surely therefore this power or liberty in God is not an effect of Christs Death much less the next effect of it Fourthly Some think that the next and immediate effect of the death of Christ Remonstrantes sic declaratio sent circa 2. Artic. Acta Synod 286. Sociniani sic Crellius contra Grotium p. 304. is the forgiveness of original sin unto al the World none say they are damned only for original sin this by the death of Christ was immediately forgiven to al the Children of Men. But this cannot be for then al the World should be actually reconciled unto God and justified for according to their own Opinion Justification and forgiveness of sin are one and the same thing but the Apostle tels us that whom God justifies them he also glorifies Rom. 8. 2. Then also there should not only be an impetration of Redemption and Grace for al but an application unto al which they deny 3. Then the Children of Heathens and Pagans should be in a better state and condition than the Godly who live under the Gospel for according to their Opinion the Godly living under the Gospel may fal away and be damned and so though they be Godly they have no assurance of their Salvation but if a Pagans Child die he is sure to go to Heaven because his sin is pardoned and he is justified 4. The Apostle Paul tels us 2 Cor. 7. That the Children of Beleevers are clean and holy and upon the account of the Parents Faith but if original Sin be pardoned to al the World then the Children of Infidels and Unbeleevers also are holy and if so why doth the Apostle tel us that our Children are holy upon the account of the Parents Faith 5. The Apostle Jude tels us That the Sodomites endured the Vengeance of Hel surely there were some Children in the Town and place The Wages of sin is Death saith the Apostle Paul and Death reigned from Adam to Moses even upon them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression And if the Wrath of God do abide upon al til they do beleeve then surely original sin is not forgiven unto al the World by the Death of Christ Fiftly Others think that the obtainment of this Decree viz. Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeveth not shal be damned is the next and great effect of the Death of Christ Answ But this cannot be the Effect of Christs Death For 1. We read of no such general Decree of God in the Scripture We read of this Gospel Truth Whoever beleeves shall be saved and whoever beleeves not shall be damned but every Gospel Truth is not a Decree of God Christ is the Son of God is a Gospel Truth The Lord wil write his Law in your hearts is a Gospel Truth and Promise but this is not called Gods Decree Electio est alicujus particularis cum rejectione alterius hoc sitâ—ante jacta mundi Fundamenta ergo datur aliquid plusquam Decretum generale Ames Antisin 2. Such a General Decree doth exclude and deny Election of particular Persons The Scripture tels us plainly of the Election of particular Persons Ephes 1. Who hath chosen us Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinated them he hath also called the Foundation of God standeth sure he knoweth who are his but now if there were such a General Decree as this Whoever beleeves shal be saved and whoever beleeves not shal be damned there would need no Election of particular Persons but only an Execution of that general Decree Decreto isto generall Deus nihil magis velit uni quam alteri sed Rom. 9. magis vult uni quam alteri Ames Antisyn 3. By that general Decree God doth wil no more to one than to another but Rom. 9. God doth wil 〈◊〉 more to one than to another for Jacob beloved and Esau be hated 4. If there were such a general Decree Totum et integrum predestinationis decretum Act. Synod pag. 48. none else as some say then the wil of God should be undetermined as to the Salvation of this or that particular Man until he beleeved and so should
be determined by some act of Man Ego autem stultus à scientia Dei et vanus c. postea vero videbar mihi videre à longe gratia Dei omnia bona precedentem tempore et natura sicut anima in omnibus motibus primus motor Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 1. cap. 35. pag. 308. But the wil of God as Bradwardin demonstrates is the first Agent Primum liberum primum agens et primum determinans first free the first Mover and the first Determiner the serious consideration whereof was as he professeth the first beginning of his Conversion to the Grace of God from the error of Pelagianism and Manicheism Neither can the Death of Christ be the cause of any such Decree for the Decrees of God are eternal The death of Christ was in time and that which is in time cannot be the cause of that which was from al Eternity Surely therefore this general Decree is none of that Issue wheâ—ewith our Lord and Savior Christ was in Travel Sixtly Some think again That the next and great Effect of Christs Death was to bring al the World into the Covenant of Grace that whereas before they had broken the Covenant of Works by the first Adam now al are brought into a Covenant of Grace by the Second Adam Answ 1 But this cannot be for as the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and his Seed only so the Covenant of Grace is made with the Second Adam and his seed only But the whol World are not the Seed of Christ for the Lord promising him to see his Seed doth not promise him to see al the World 2. The Apostle Paul tels us That the Ephesians before their Conversion were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise being without hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 which could not be if al the World were taken into the Covenant of Grace by the Death of Christ 3. If God deal with al Man-kind in a Covenant of Grace then al Man-kind should certainly be saved for if whatever God requires on mans part God doth by that Covenant undertake that man shal perform then al must needs be saved if the Covenant be made with al but whatever by this Covenant God requires on mans part he undertakes to perform Doth God require that we should act from an inward Principle of Grace I will write my Law in your hearts saith he Doth he require of us to know him this he undertakes for us by this Covenant Ye shall all know me from the greatest to the least Heb. 8. Doth he require us to fear him I will put my fear into your hearts Doth he require Faith and Repentance at our hands I wil take away saith he the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and I wil circumcize thine heart Deut. 30.6 Doth he require Obedience at our hands he undertakes for us also that we shal perform the same Ezek. 36.27 I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies So that if God should deal with al the World of Man-kind according to the Covenant of Grace then al the World should be saved but al the World are not saved surely therefore this is none of those effects which our Lord and Savior Christ travelled for Seventhly Some think that Christ by his Death hath obtained a sufficiency of Grace for al men so that al men may or may not beleeve if they wil and this obtainment of this sufficiency of Grace for al they think is the great and next Effect of the Death of Christ But this cannot be for the thing is not true viz. That al men have a sufficiency of Grace by Christ to beleeve on him for if al the men of the World have such a Power from Christ to beleeve on him then 1. The Jews had a Power to abstain from their Unbelief in putting Christ to death and yet they had this Power from the Death of Christ and if so then it was possible that Christ should not have died by the hand of their Unbelief and yet possible by vertue of Christs Death for them to abstain from the putting him to death which is a Contradiction Neither can it be said that they had this Power given them upon the fore-sight of Christs Death for the same fore-sight did fore-see that Christ should be put to death by the hand of their Unbelief 2. If al men have such a Power to beleeve in Christ then either they must have an inward Principle of Grace and Faith or they can act without an inward Principle but they have no inward Principle of Faith and Grace for then they should be Beleevers for it is the inward habit and principle which denominates the man and not this or that act for a man is a Beleever though he be asleep Nor can any Creature put forth an act without an inward Principle suitable to the Act the Eye cannot act in seeing without an inward Principle of sight nor the Ear hear without an inward principle of hearing the Herb cannot grow without an inward principle of growth nor the Beast move without an inward principle of motion nor any Creature act without a precedent inward principle But al the men of the World have not an inward principle of Faith and Grace and therefore al the men of the World have not a power to beleeve 3. The Apostle Paul tels us plainly that a Natural man receiveth not the things of God neither can he 1. Cor. 3 1â— but if he have a power to beleeve then he can receive them for receiving is our beleeving 1 John 12. Neither can it be said that by the Natural man we are to understand the weak Christian for if the weak Christian cannot receive the things of God much less the wicked and the pure Natural man nor doth the Apostle speak of a Natural Man as he is meerly considered in the state of Nature abstracted from al Gospel Grace and the means of Grace for then he should speak to no particular case in the World for according to our Adversaries there is no man in the World but hath some Gospel Grace or means of Grace 4. Our Savior Christ tels the Jews John 10.26 Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my Sheep it seems then that al the world are not the Sheep of Christ for saith he ye are not of my Sheep and the reason why some do beleeve is because they are of Christs Sheep and why others beleeve not is because they are not of his Sheep Now if the reason why some beleeve and others not is because some are of his Sheep and others not then al the world have not a power to beleeve for if al the world have a power to beleeve then those that are not of the Sheep may beleeve and if those that are not of the Sheep can beleeve why doth our
Savior give this as a Reason why they did not beleeve because they were not of his Sheep 5. The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.14 How shal they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shal they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent But now al the particular men in the world have not heard of a crucified Christ by the preaching of the Gospel And if it be said Yes but the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ as the Apostle saith in the same Chapter Their sound and words is gone forth into all the Earth I answer It 's true indeed that the Apostle doth here allude to that 19. Psalm where it 's said that the Voyce of the Sun Moon and Stars is gone forth unto al the Earth but the Apostle doth not contradict himself for he saith How can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a Preacher and a Preacher sent If men can hear of Christ by the Preaching of the Sun Moon and Stars then they can hear of Christ without the preaching of one sent which he denies ver 14 15. And if the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ crucified then is the Matter of the Gospel no Divine Revelation And then why might not Adam beleeve in Christ in the state of Innocency the Sun Moon and Stars preach the same Doctrine now that they preached then and then the same that they preach now if therefore they do preach Christ crucified now then also they preached him in the state of Innocency and so Adam in the state of Innocency had a power to beleeve on Christ which the Maintainers of this Opinion deny Neither can it be said That if al men have not a Power to beleeve Quando homo non potest si volit propter voluntatem impossibilitas non imputatur si autem non vult propter impossibilitatem voluntas non excusatur Hugo de St. vict L. 2. de Sacr. part 14. Cap. 6. Cornel. Jansen August lib. 3. de gratia Christi salvatoris then God should be unjust in punishing so many for Unbelief for besides that al had a Power in Adam God doth punish and damn men for their will not for their want of Power for as Hugo observes wel when a man cannot if he wil for the wil the impossibility is not imputed but if he wil not for impossibility the wil is not excused Eightly Some again do think that Christ died to obtain a Power Dominion Smalcius Cateches Racov. de officio Christi Regio Theses Francis Davidis Thes 5. and Lord-ship over al things especially a power to forgive sins which he had not before his Death and that the next Effect of his Death was the obtainment of this Power and Dominion But this cannot be for if Christ had this Dominion Power and Lordship over al by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion then it was not meri ed by his Death but this he had by that mysterious Union and therefore as soon as he was born the Angel said unto the Shepheards For unto you is born this day in the City of David the Savior which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 2. Christ did not merit for himself as the Protestants speak against the Papists for if Christ should merit such a glory and Dominion for himself then the Love of Christ to man in his Death would be much lessened it 's said indeed Dio non causam sed ordinem et consequentiam notat Acts 20.26 Heb. 3.7 2 Pet. 1.10 sic Luc. 24 26. oportuit illum pati et sic intrare sic sancti per multos tribulationes debent regnum ingâ—odi quae tamen hujus non sunt Causae Quistorp Annot. Bibl. in Psal 110. that upon his Suffering as a Consequent thereof or by way of Declaration say some God gave him a Name above every Name c. Phil. 2. but that relates to the former words also Who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet took on him the form of a Servant verse 7. which notes the Hypostatical Union 3. If Christ bought in this Power and Dominion by his Death then he purchased it with his blood but his blood iâ— propitiatory and satisfactory not procuring Lordship and Dominion 4. The Power Lordship and Dominion which Christ hath is either Essential or Dispensatory and â—ediatorian His Essential Power and Lordship was not merited by his Death for he hath that as he is God and he had it before his Incarnation for Esaiah saw his Glory and did see him chap. 6. verse 5. For mine Eyes saith he have seen the King what King Even the Lord of Hosts verse 5. the holy holy holy Lord of Hosts which the Evangelist John doth apply unto Christ and tels us plainly that this Lord whom Esaiah saw was Christ Chap. 12.41 These things said Isaiah when he saw his Glory and spake of him His Mediatorian Power and Lordship could not be merited by his death for he was Mediator before he died and therefore had his Mediatorian Power before his Death 5. We find him actually possessed of this Power and Lordship over al before his death witness his casting out of Devils commanding Winds and Seas which obeyed him and his answer to the Owner of the Ass which he sent for Say the Lord hath need of him And 6. As for his Power to forgive sins as if he would on purpose obviate the Doctrine of the Socinians he doth declare it in so many words But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on Earth to forgive sins c. Matth. 9. Now if he had this Power on Earth then the obtainment of it was not the great and next Effect of his Death no nor any thing which his Soul travelled for in his Death Quest If these things be not the next and immediate Effects and Fruits of Christs Death and Sufferings what are and what is that Issue of his Death which he did presently see and was possessed of Answ Affirmatively Look what the first Adam destroyed that the Second Adam did build up again for his Seed the Second Adam recovered and gained that in a better Edition for his Seed which the first Adam lost from his Seed Therefore First As the first Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did break the Law of God affront his Justice and provoked the Anger and Wrath of God against his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Obedience and Death satisfie the Law and Justice of God for al his Seed whom he died for which Satisfaction he did perform immediately For 1. When he died our sins were imputed to him and laid and charged on him for he was made sin for us who knew no sin 1 Cor. 5.21 that is the guilt of our sin was imputed to him The meaning of the words is not He was made a Sacrifice for it 's said that he knew
Death that is the Devil and again Col. 2.15 And having spoiled Principalities and Powers Dicitur Diabolus duas habuisse manus unam attrahentem qua trahebat omnes ad infetos quae amputata est et ei quantum ad bonos per passionem Christi et manum flagellantem quae debilitata est quae vexat tamen bonos ad exercitium Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1 cap. 8. he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it that is the Cross So that when Christ died on the Cross he did then break and rout the Forces of Satan insomuch as al the Forces that he can draw up together against the Seed of Christ are but some rallied Troops then was his Field-Army broken and Christ triumphed over them al upon the Cross Surely therefore this breaking of the Power and Force of Satan is another Fruit and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ Sixtly As Christ did break the power of Satan by the power of his Death so he did thereby also sanctifie al things to his Seed insomuch as when they should come of Age al things should be then clean unto them For as the First Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did defile al things insomuch as al things were to be unclean and accursed to his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Death and Obedience sprinkle clense and sanctifie al things to his Seed for saith the Apostle Heb. 9.19 When Moses had spoken every Precept to the People he took the blood of Calves and Goats and sprinkled both the Book and all the People Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and al the Vessels of the Ministry and almost al things are by the Law purged with blood but the Heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices than these verse 21 23. that is with Christs own Blood And if you ask why the Law Non quod prophanum in se quicquam haberet faedus sed quod nihil taÌ„ sanctum est quod non homines sua immunditiâ— prophanent nisi Deus ipse facta omnium innovatione occurrent omnes cultus vitiosi sunt ac impuri nisi Christus sanguinis sui aspersione eoâ— mundet Ubi Christus cum sanguine non apparet nihil nobis esse cum Deo sic neque Doctrina ipsa nobis ac in nostrum usum efficaverit nisi sanguine dedicata Calvin Heb. 9.20 21. Tabernacle and the Vessels of the Ministry which were holy should be thus sprinkled with Blood Calvin gives Two Reasons namely Because though these things were in themselves holy yet being used by man in regard of that pollution that is in him they might be prophaned and though the Book and Word of the Lord be holy yet it wil not it cannot be efficacious and profitable to us Nisi Sanguine Christi dedicata unless it be sprinkled by the Blood of Christ Now this sprinkling of the Vessels Book and al things was performed when the Sacrifice was offered and when the Testament was dedicated but the new Testament was confirmed by the Death of Christ his Blood being the Blood of the New Testament and he was sacrificed on the Cross and therefore though his Seed are sanctified with inherent Holiness when they do beleeve yet there was a sprinkling of al things Ordinances Afflictions Dispensations and al Conditions to them by the Death of Christ so that this Sanctification or sprinkling of al things in reference to his Seed was another Fruit and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ Seventhly As Christ did sanctifie al things to his Seed so by his Death he did confirm the Covenant of Grace For as the first Adam did break the old Covenant by his Sin and Disobedience so the Second Adam by his Death and Obedience did confirm the new For saith the Apostle Heb. 9.16 Where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the Death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at al whilst the Testator liveth verse 17. And again Gal. 3.15 Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto and this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ c. ver 17. So that the Covenant of Grace was confirmed by Christ in his Death Quest Qui vero sanguis aut mors Christi nobis voluntatem Dei confirmavit Resp Duplici ratione primum quod nos manifeste de ingenti in nos Del charitate certus reddiderit idque adeo quod Deus volit nobis id donare quod in N. Foedere promittat unde sanguis novi Faederis est dictus et ipse Christus testis verus et fidelis Cateches Racoviae de Prophetico Christi munere cap. 8. Socinus de Christo servatore pars prima de justif Synops 2. Volkillius de vera Religione Lib. 3. Cap. 18. Crellius ad Librum Hug. Grot. respons ad cap. 1. partic 26. Only the Question is How this Covenant was confirmed by the death of Christ The Socinians say That Christs death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony or Declaration of the Truth of the Gospel the Lord say they hath promised in the Gospel that al those who repent and beleeve shal be justified and saved Now Christ preaching this Truth and dying in it hath confirmed this Truth and the Gospel and therefore say they Christ is called the true and the faithful Witness 1. But though Christ by his death did bear his Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel yet where do we find in Scripture that his death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony 2. Where doth it appear that the Covenant which he confirmed by his death was this If you repent and beleeve you shal be saved and justified The thing is true and a Gospel Truth but the Covenant which Christ confirmed ye read of in Heb. 8. where the Lord doth promise both Faith and Repentance also 3. If the death of Christ did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony testifying the Truth of the Gospel then the death of the Martyrs should confirm the Covenant more than the death of Christ for the Socinians deny the Deity of Christ and if Christ were only Man then the death of thousands some dying more painful deaths than Christ did should give a greater Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel and so confirm the Covenant more than the death of Christ but where do we find in al the Scripture that the death of the Martyrs is said to confirm the New Covenant Vide Essenii Triumph Crucis pag. 353. Lib. 2. Sect. 1. Cap. 1. Sib. Lubbert de Jesu Christo servatore contra F. Socinum Lib. 1. Cap. 3. Nicol. Aâ—nold de morte Christi Cap. 8. The death of none but of the Testator can confirm the Testament but Christ only and not the Martyrs is the
Testator Heb. 9.17 4. Then also the Miracles that Christ wrought and the Apostles preaching with the Gifts that Christ gave to them upon his Ascention should confirm the Covenant for saith the Apostle Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost verse 4. It seems then that the Truth of the Goâ—pel was confirmed to us by Miracles and the Apostles preaching yet the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles are not said in Scripture to confirm the Covenant which yet might very wel be said if Christs Death should confirm it by way of Testimony 5. If the Death of Christ doth confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the blood of Buls and Goats might have confirmed the Covenant for when God testified the Truth of his Promise to Adam Gen. 15. He said to him Take thee an Heifer of three years old and a shee Goat of three yeers old and a Turtle Dove and a yong Pidgeon and he took them and divided them in the mid'st ver 9 10. But the Apostle tels us plainly Heb. 9. That the blood of Buls and Goats could not confirm the Covenant 6. The Ordinance of the Lords Supper doth testifie Gods willingness to forgive sinners That Cup is the New Testament in Christs blood shed for many for the remission of sins But though the Lords Supper be a Seal of the Covenant sealing to us evidencing testifying and assuring us of Gods Love bâ— Christ yet it is not a Seal of the Covenant as Christs blood was which did not only â—eal to us but was a Seal of the Covenant it self as it lay between God the Father and him But if Christs death did only confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the Lords Supper might as wel be said to confirm the Covenant which is no where affirmed in the Scripture But 7. Look how the Obedience of the first Adam should have confirmed the Covenant in case he had stood and look how he broke that Covenant by his Disobedience so did the Death and Obedience of Christ the Second Adam confirm the new Covenant Now if the first Adam had stood and confirmed that Covenant he had confirmed it by performing the Condition of it and he brake it by not observing and not doing the Condition of it so the Second Adam Christ did confirm the new Covenant by his Death and in that by his Obedience he did perform the Condition of the New Covenant for his Seed Thus I say he confirmed the Covenant of Grace even by performing the Condition of it and this confirmation of the Covenant was the next and most immediate Fruit and Effect of his Death And thus you have seen both Negatively and Affirmatively what are not and what are the next and immediate Effects of the Death of Christ Secondly As for the remote Effects of the Death of Christ they are many As 1. Freedom from the Law Curse and the Wrath of God Gal. 3.13 1 Thes 1.10 2. Our Effectual Vocation or Calling 2 Tim 1.9 3. Our Justification and actual Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Ephes 1.8 4. Our Sanctification and holiness of Soul and Life Ephes 5.25 26 27. Heb. 9.14 1 John 1.7 5. Our Adoption and al those Spiritual Priviledges whâ—ch belong to the Sons of God Gal. 4.4 5. 6. Our Peace Comfort and Freedom from Fears 1. Luk. 74.2 Heb. 14 And to name no more but this 7. Our Salvation in the World to come Heb. 9.15 Al which I cal the more remote Effects of the Death of Christ which though he did not presently see the obtainment of yet he shal surely see them And so I come to the Second thing propounded to be cleered and evidenced Viz. The Assurance of his Issue and the sight thereof Quest Having therefore seen what are the Fruits and Effects of the Death of Christ How may it appear that Christ shal certainly see the obtainment of these last Effects and what assurance had or hath he thereof Answ He had the Assurance of the Pre-salvation of many thousand Souls for when Christ died on the Cross many thousands were in Heaven upon the account of his Death God the Father took Christs word promising to die for sinners and so saved many aforehand As the Son died and took the Fathers Word for the Salvation of many after his Death so the Father took the Sons Word and saved many before his Death upon the account thereof Now when Christ died this pre-salvation of so many thousands was a great Assurance to him of the accomplishment and obtainment of al those things which he travelled for Secondly He had the Assurance also of his own Merit and his Fathers Faithfulness Merita Christi sunt causae omnium auxiliorum et totius gratiae quae in Natura lapsa conferuntur hominibus et idem dicendum de omnibus dispositionibus tam proximis quam remotis justificantem gratiam antecedentibus et de augmento gratiae Meruit gratiam et gloriam Thom Aquin. quest Q. 29. de gratia Châ—isti art 7. ad arg 8. Scotus Lib. 3. dist 19 qu. unica Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1. quest 7. Aâ—uarez de anxil disput 29 Conclus 1. Molina de Lib art 6. concord qu. 23. ar 4 5 disp 2 conclu Vasquez in 3 part Thom. Tom. 1. disput 77. cap. 2. 3 4. Suarez in 3. part Thom. disput 41. Sect. 2 3. Astunicens de gratia Christi q. 5. 2 conclus Râ—ph Aversa pars prima qu 23. sect 15. Aureolus Lib. 3. in sent dist 20 q 1. Roder. de Ariaga in part 3. Thom. Tâ—â— 6 477 Zumel in 1 part Thom. qu 23. art 5. Bâ—nner in 1 part Thom. qu 23 art 5. Tâ—nnerus disput de incarnat q. 6 dub 5. Tom 4. T B Medina in 3. part Tho. 9. q 19 art 4. â—â—râ—aâ—iens in â— qu. contra Gent. Lib. 4 Cap. 55. Si qâ—is dixâ—â—it eandem gratiam Dâ—i â—eâ— Jâ—â—um Christum Dominum nostâ—um propter hoc taâ—uÌ„ nos acjuvaâ—e ad noâ— peccandum quod pâ—r ipsâ—m nobis revelatur â—t â—peâ—â—tur intelligentâ—a mâ—ndâ—toâ—umâ—â—â— sciamus quid appeâ—â—re quid vitare dâ—beanâ—us non autem per iliam nobis prâ—staâ—i ut quod fâ—ciendum cognovâ—timus etiam facere diligamus atque valeanius anathema â—it cum enim dicit Apostolus scientia â—â—slat charitas vero edificat valde impium est uâ—câ—edamus ad eam quae inslat nos habere gâ—atiam Christi ad eam quae edificat non habere cum sit utrumque donum Dei et scire quae facere debeamus et diligere ut faciamus Concil Milevitan 2. can 4. Bin. Tom. 1. For 1. He did not only merit Heaven and Salvation for those whom he died for but he merited Grace Holiness and Regeneration
for them for whatever God gives in time he gives upon the account of Christs Merit but in time he doth give Grace and Holiness for he doth bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Now Grace and Holiness are Spiritual blessings and therefore God doth bless us therewith in Christ 2. Look what the Father promiseth that he doth give out upon the account of Christ for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Grace and Truth comes by Christ the fulfilling of the Promise is truth but God the Father hath promised Grace as wel as Glory I will write my Law in your heart I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh I will give you a new heart saith God 3. Whaâ—ever Grace is derived from Christ and communicated by him to us he merited for us But of his Fulness we do al receive even Grace for Grace 4. We pray to God for the Conversion and Regeneration of sinners and we beg this in the Name of Christ thereâ—ore Christ hath merited not only Glory but Grace and Holine s. And 5. The Apostle tels us expresly in 2 Tim. 1.9 That we are called with an holy Calling in aâ—d by Jesus Christ Wâ—o hath saved us and called us with an holy Caâ—ling not according to our Workâ— but according to his own purpo e and Gâ—ace whiâ—â— he hath given us in Christ Jeâ—us before the Woâ—ld began As God doth work al Naâ—ural things by Second Cauâ—es so he doth work al Supernatural things by Christ By Câ—rist â—e dâ—d make the old Creation as he was the Eteâ—nâ—l Son of God and by Christ he makes the new Creation as our Mediator Now look what the Father worketh by him that did he merit for us but our new Creation is wrought by him and theretore he did not only merit Heaven and happiness but al our Grace and Holiness for us 2. He did not only merit the impetration of our Redemption but the application of it also the application of the means of Grace and the application of his own Merit for his Death is made the Reason of this application Meritum Christi sufficienter operatur ut causa universalis salutis humanae sed oportet hanc causam applicari per scripturam et per fidem formatum et ideo requiritur aliquid aliud ad salutem nostram praeter meritum Christi cujus tamen meritum Christi est causa Tho. Aquin. quest 29. de gratia Christi art 7. Esai 53.11 By his knowledg shal my righteous Servant justifie many for he shal bear their iniquities so again Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant Now if Christ shal therfore justifie many because he did bear their sins then he did merit this application for al those whom he died for 2. If Christ did not merit this application then there is some Grace which is not from Christ Haec applicatio est maximum Dei donuÌ„ et maxime necessaria ad salutem sed Christus meruit nobis omnia Dei dona et omnia media necessaria ad salutem ergo haec applicatio est ex meritis Christi Suarez disput 41. sect 2. Nemo propter solum peccatum originis damnatur Armin. contr Perk. Arnold Corvinus contra Tilen p. 391. or this application is no Grace but the application of Grace and of Christs Merits and Redemption is Grace and there is no Grace which we have but is al from Christ 3. Our other Adversaries tel us that no Child perisheth or is damned only for Original sin but that sin is taken off from al by the Death of Christ therefore the death of Christ and his Merits are applied unto al Infants and if so then he hath merited the application of Redemption for al or else he did not die equally for al as they say 4. Look what God hath promised that Christ hath merited but he hath promised the application of Christs death Merits for saith he My Servant shal deal prudently he shal be exalted so shal he sprinkle many Nations Alias non perfectius meritum Christi esset causa salutis pâ—aedestinatorum quam non pâ—aedestinatoruÌ„ quia quod attinet ad sufficientiam meriti aequaliter respicit omnes homines sed differentia est in hoâ— quod quibusdam applicatur illud meritum quibusdam non ergo si haec applicatio non cadit sub merito Christi meritum Christi â— qualiter râ—spiceâ—et praedestinatos et non p aedestinatos Zumel quest 23. art 5 Isa 52.15 And 5. If he did not merit the application as wel as the impetration of our Redemption then he merited no more for those that are in Heaven than for those that are in Hel no more for those that are saved than for those that are damned For he merited the impetration of Redemption for al the particular men of the World say they But he did merit more for the saved than for the damned else those in Heaven have no more cau e to praise God and to be thankful unto Christ than those that are in Hel. Surely therefore our Lord and Savior Christ when he died did not only merit the Impetration but the Application also of our Redemption 3. He did not only merit a sufficiency of Grace for us but the efficacy of Grace also Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus quod in omni opere bono nos non incipimus et postea per Dei miserecordiam adjuvamur sed ipse nobis nullis praecedentibus meritis et fidem et amorem sui inspirat Concil Araufican 2. can 25. For look what Grace the Father gives in time that the Son merited for he blesses with al spiritual blessings in him but the Father doth not only give forth a sufficiency of Grace but the efficacy of it for saith the Apostle he worketh in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wil and the deed 2. Look what Grace the Father promiseth us that Christ merited for us but the Father promiseth not only a sufficiency but the efficacy of Grace I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies saith God 3. Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant upon the account of his Death Heb. 9.14 15. therefore whatever Grace is promised in the New Covenant his Death is the meritorious cause of but the efficacy of Grace is promised in the new Covenant I wil write my Law in your hearts Heb. 8. 4. The Death and Obedience of Christ is more meritorious for us than the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam was against us Rom. 5. But the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam did not only merit a sufficiency of evil but the efficacy of evil upon our Nature and therefore the Death
ends and effects of his Death but al the particular men in the World shal not be â—aved nâ—r beleeve and repent and therefore certainly he did not die for every particular man in the World but of this more in the next Exercise Only as a concluding word Applic. 2 Let Comfort be to whom Comfort belongs here is much much Comfort for al those that are â—he â—â—ed of Christ whom he died for and travelled with You shal â—ee the travel of Christs Soul accomplished in your Salvation Sanctification and Consolation for he hath purchased and merited your Glory therefore you shal have the same it was your Justification that he was in travel for therefore you shal see the same it was your Sanctification and Holiness that he did travel for and he shal not miscarry it was your Comfort and Consolation and Salvation that he was in Travel for and therefore in due time you shal see the same Object But I fear that I am none of his Seed that he did not die for me Answ He died for his Sheep I lay down my Life for my Sheep saith he a Sheep is an harmless Creature it can be hurt by any but it can do hurt to none it is a prey to al but doth prey upon none So are the Sheep of Christ innocent harmless and without horns as the word is be innocent as Doves or without horns as Doves Absque cornibus translatio Graci vocabuli à placidis animalibus sumpta videtur quae natura nullis cornibus armavit ad depellendam injuriam aut si armavit cornibus ad id non utuntur Luc. Brugens in Matth. 10. vers 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sheep is an useful profitable Creature nothing not useful in it the Flesh the Wool the very Dung thereof profitable So are the Sheep of Christ and his Sheep hear his Voyce but know not the Voyce of a Stranger and if you be in your Life harmless profitable hearing the Voyce of Christ in the Gospel then are you his Sheep and he did die for you 2. If you can leave the bâ—som of your sweet Relations and suffer for Christ then did he leave the bosom of his Father and suffer for you for we love him because he loved us first al our Grace is but the reflexion of his 3. If he intercedes for you in Heaven then he died for you on Earth now he ever liveth to make Intercession for al those that come unto God by him you come unto God by him therefore he goes unto God for you and therefore died for you 4. He died to reconcile God to us and us unto God if you be reconciled to God and the things of God so as you do now love the Truths Waies and things of God â—hich you once hated then is God also reconciled to you Now thus it is with you you can say through Grace I do love those Truths and Waies and Things of God which I once hated therefore you are reconciled to God therefore he is reconciled to you and therefore Christ died for you 5. If you can fulfil the Law of Christ then hath Christ died for you for those that he died for he satisfied and fulfilled the Law for and if you can fulfil his Law you may safely say he hath obeyed and fulfilled the Law for me now the Law of Christ is to bear one anothers burdens Bear ye one anothers burdens saith the Apostle and so fulfil the Law of Christ this you do and can do therefore he hath fulfilled the Law for you and so hath died for you 6. If you be the Seed and Children of Christ then did he travel and die for you the Children of Christ are such as are willing to be instructed by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to instruct comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Child because it is the property of a Child to be willing to be instructed a Child doth obey his Father without why 's and wherefore's meerly because the Father commands his Command is the Childs Reason for my Father bid me c. the Child is contented with the Fathers carving goes to school about its business and leaves its provision to the Father living in dependance on him Now thus it is with you you do depend on Christ leave your Coâ—dition to him and obey and do because Christ or God commandâ— and are willing to be instâ—ucted by him Surely therefore you are the Seed of Christ and therefore Christ died for you even for you in particular and therefore though the great effects of his Death may yet be hidden from you yet he shal obtain al his ends upon you in your Justification Sanctification Consolation Salvation for he hath merited al these at the hand of the Father and the Father wil surely give out what Christ hath purchased for he is Faithful wherefore comfort your selves in these things O al ye Seed of the Lord. CHRIST IN TRAVEL AND The Contentment which he doth and shal find in his Assurance of Issue Sermon III. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied HAving spoken to the Second Branch of the Doctrine viz. Chri t s Assurance of Issue and his â—ight thereof the Third Branch now follows which is Delectatio se habet in affectibus sicut quies naturalis in corporalibus est enim aliqua convenientia seu connaturalitas Aquin. The Contentment delight and satisfaction which he doth and shall find therein Satisfaction or delight is nothing else but that Sabbath or rest which the Soul finds in the Fruition of the thing desired and as the thing is less or more desired so the delight and satisfaction in the Fruition of it is less or more now Christ did very much desire to see the Fruit of his Travel I thirst said he on the Cross which is the strongest of desires and what did he thirst after but the Salvation of Man-kind the Fruit and Issue of his Travel The Bread of the laboring man is sweet saith Solomon and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used for the Travel of Christ signifies such a toylsom labor as the poor man doth exercise in the sweat of his Brows to get his dayly Bread it is much contentment and satisfaction which the thirsty man doth find in his Drink or the hungry man doth find in his Meat or Bread Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used and translated Saâ—isfied is the same that is used in Psal 107. The hungry he will satisfie with Bread and is it not a great satisfaction delight and contentment which the Woman finds in the sight of her Child which she hath had a sore travel for Our Savior tels us that she forgets her Labor and Travel for joy that a Man-child is born into the world Such a Travel was that of Christs Sufferings and such contentment doth and wil he find in his issue and therefore as Jacob said These are the
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
onely so far discouraged as to refuse comfort for soul and body but my soul refuseth Duty and casts off Duty too for the present Answ 3 Thirdly therefore It is possible that a good and gracious mans discouragments may extend thus far too You wil think it strange that I find an instance for this in that holy man Jeremiah yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8 and 9. verses you find it made good Indeed saith he The word was as fire in my bones and I could not forbear But for the time he did resolve to forbear preaching in the name of God which was his duty which he had commission to do for saies he I wil not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name This Holy Gracious man was under temptation he was much discouraged and thereupon he said so Yet verse 13. he saith Sing to the Lord praise the Lord for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers But then mark the next words Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father saying A man child is born to thee What a sudden change was here even in the best of the Saints from incouragments to discouragements O! but I have not only cursed the day of my birth as Jeremie and wished that I had never been born But I am weary of my life and have sought after mine own death and was there ever any Godly Gracious man that was thus discouraged and cast down Answ 4 Yes What think you of Job I was weary of my life Job 10.1 And in the 3. Job pouring out his complaint in regard of himself he saith vers 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul vers 21. Which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Now ye know that those which dig for Gold and Silver dig industriously and earnestly Thus it is with me saies Job I am so afflicted and distressed and in such bitterness of soul that I long for death and dig for it as for hid treasures O! what a mighty deep of discouragments may the Saints and people of God fal into and yet be Godly Gracious Quest 2 But why doth God suffer his own people and dearest children to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted I know wil some say that al our present joy and comfort is but a creature and so may be ecclipsed and that Satan is near unto the best of Gods children thrusting and pushing them forward into these discouragments that they may be like unto himself who is a discouraged Spirit Answ Sic verus justitiae Sol nonnunquam oritur ad nos accedit a liquando rursus a nostro climaâ—e aberrat utrumque tamen benesicium nostrum est Frumentum in Terram jactum eget aliquo tempore ut congelatur induretur aliquo etiam ut molliatur neutrum illi obest utrumque nâ—cessarium est unum ut crescat alterum ut Radices agat Granat but why will God suffer it to be so In General It is for their good for their good they have and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort The Star which led the wise men to Christ did not alwaies go before them but somtimes it appeared somtimes it was hidden from them but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit its first appearance invited them to Christ and its withdrawance made them more diligent in seeking after him So when Christ hid himself from his Mother Mary she sought him the more and when she found him she rejoyced the more but both his absence and his presence her fear and her comfort was for her good for his absence did encrease and draw out her desires and his presence did encrease and draw out her joyes When God is absent from us then we have testimonies of our Love to God by our desires after him and when he is present then we have testimonies of his Love to us by the shines of his Countenance so that whether God shines or not whether we have comfort or not both is for our good Thus in the General but yet more Particularly First Ye know it is Gods way and manner to deal with the Children of men according to their own dispositions to stoop and condescend unto their infirmities Therefore saies the Prophet Hosea Hos 11.4 He draws us with the Cords of a man Now it is mans disposition to come to God at the second hand So long as man can find a fulness in any Creature he comes not to God but first he sees an emptiness in the Creature Duty and Ordinance and then he saies O what a fulness is in God himself in Christ himself 1 Tim. 5.5 The Widdow that is desolate trusteth in God though a Widdow yet if not desolate somtimes she would not trust and therefore God suffers a desolation to come upon her Widdowhood When Davids men took up stones to have stoned him then the Text saies He encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 So long as man hath encouragement els-where he doth not encourage himself in the Lord his God This being mans Nature and God having a design of Love upon his own Children he suffers a damp and discouragement to pass upon all their Comforts their Peace to be interrupted their hearts disquieted and their souls discouraged that so they may encourage themselves in God alone Secondly This inward Peace and quietness of soul is so great a Commodity that God would have the price to be inhanced and raised Common and ordinary blessings once lost and found again are extraordinary It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man sits in his Shop and walks up and down in his Trade but if he be sick a while lose his health and not able for five or six weeks to look into his Shop if then he can get down but one day O saies he what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is it that I should go down again Thus the interruption of an ordinary blessing does raise it to an extraordinary So long as a man hath his health and strength though he be able to travel forty fifty three-score miles a day he is not much affected therewith but if he be sick a little and at deaths door and then begins to recover though he can but put forth his Hand or stir his Leg he blesses God and saies O Friends I can stir my self in my bed I can move my Hand or my Leg what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is this So in this caie So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietness of soul without interruption he looks upon it as a common mercy and blessing but if his Peace be a little interrupted and his soul buffeted by Satan
SOmtimes the discouragements of the Saints and people of God are drawn From their Duties the failings and successlessness of their Duties For they reason thus Through the Lords Grace and Mercy I have been kept from great and gross sins yet if the Lord loved me indeed he would draw my heart neer unto himself but when I come to prayer or duty I find so much deadness dulness and awkness of heart and spirit that I fear the Lord wil never accept such a one as I am nor such duties as mine are when I go to prayer either prayer is altogether absent from me or I have no life therein if I go to hear the word I am not attentive but filled with distractions and whatever duty I perform I want life and love in it O! my heart is like a rock or stone and therefore I fear the Lord wil not accept my duty and the rather because I find that I have been long at prayer and I am never the better the Lord hears me not the Lord regards me not and have I not just Reason and Cause to be discouraged now Answ No Here is reason indeed why you should be afflicted but no reason yet why you should be discouraged I confess indeed here is cause and reason of grief and of affliction for take Prayer to instance only in that and it is That act and work of the soul whereby a man doth converse with God God conversing with man and man with God And is it not a sore affliction for a poor creature to be shut out of Gods door such a freind as God is O! saith Chrisostome it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of Prayer and hereupon as he observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his Prayer Prayer is the souls Weapon and is it not a grief to want a Weapon in our spiritual warfare Prayer is the souls Ornament the excellent Garment of a Christian and is it not an affliction to be without this Garment and to be found naked Prayer is the Christians Element And as the fish lives in the water as in its Element and dyes when it is out so a Christian lives in prayer as in his Element and his heart dies when he is out of it Prayer is the souls Provisioner fetcheth in Provision for the soul and for al its Graces The old bird the Dam goes abroad and fetcheth in meat for the young ones and they lye in the nest gaping to receive the meat upon its return and if the old one be kild abroad the young ones wil die presently at home So here Prayer goes abroad and fetcheth in provision for al our Graces and they al lye gaping to receive this provision from the mouth of Prayer if this be killed how can those other Graces live The truth is The more sweetness a Christian finds in any work the greater is his affliction if he want that work now what abundance of sweetness doth a Gracious soul find in Prayer therefore when a man is narrowed or shut up in Prayer it cannot but be a great affliction to him But though it be a matter of great affliction yet a good man hath no reason to be quite discouraged yea though he meet with many failings therein and cannot pray as he would nor perform duty as he should Quest How may that appear Thus. Answ First Every Godly Gracious man is in Covenant with God by Jesus Christ and that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace which is the great Charter the Magna-Charta of al his spiritual Privilidges and Immunities Now in this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim this That sincerity shal go for perfection That a little done for God in the time of temptation shal be counted much In this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim unto al his people That he doth rather regard the bent of the heart than the inlargment of the heart That he dorh rather regard the wil to do than the doing In this great Charter the Covenant of free Grace the Lord proclaims unto al his people That if they do fail in prayer and other duties for I speak not of prayer only though I instance in that He wil not cast them off but he wil rather be moved to pity them for the Covenant that the Lord makes with his people is as the Covenant that a man makes with his wife I wil betroth thee unto me for ever saith the Lord. Hos 2 Now a man wil not put away his wife for every failing neither wil the Lord put a way his people nor cast them off because he is betrothed to them though they do fail in duties Again in this great Charter and Covenant of Grace the Lord doth proclaim unto al his Children That what they want in performance he wil make up in indulgence He proclaims this unto them That he wil require no more than he gives he wil give what he requires and he wil accept what he gives Now therefore am I in that Covenant of Grace and are there many failings in al my duties yet if this be true That the Lord is more moved by my failings to pity me than to cast me off then I have no reason for to be discouraged And thus it is with every child of God he is in this Covenant of Grace and so the Priviledges and Immunities of al this great Charter belongs unto him Secondly Though there be many failings in a Godly mans duty yet so long as it is a duty there is som-what of Christ therein there is som-what of God therein Now God wil not cast away his own becauâ—e it is mixt with ours but he wil rather pardon ours and accept ours because it is mixt with his The Husband-man doth not cast away his wheat because it is mixt with chaff he brings it into his barn and there is a time when he wil seperate the chaff from the wheat but he doth not cast away the corn because it is mixt with chaff yet this grain of wheat hath nothing of the Image of the Husband-man upon it but there is never a duty of a Godly man but hath somwhat of the Image of Christ upon it and therefore I say he wil not cast away His because it is mixt with Ours but he wil rather pardon and accept of ours quamvis odibilis detestabilis et execrabilis sit causa mea in ore meo nihilominus in ore tuo benedicto in ore tuo sacratissimo et in labiis tuis quibus tanta gratia diffusa est est favorabilis Parisiens de Rhetor. Div. cap. 21. Est et alia firmitas et confirmatio meae partis quod tu ipse advocatus es et propitiatio qui es et Judex meus et propter hâ—c non est possibile ut patiaris causam meam periclitari in manibus meis Apud homines enim non est possibile ut advocatus fidelis et justus permittat
out your skil and strength and hath no design but of Love upon you wil you then be discouraged Thus it is with all the Saints surely therefore they have no reason to be cast down in this respect Object 3 O! but I am not so much troubled about my outward Condition as about the condition of my Soul the Lord knows my Souls Condition is very sad for somtimes I am under the Ordinances and somtimes not somtimes I can stir out to an Ordinance but somtimes oppositions keep me at home I am not under a setled Ordinance and when I am under the Ordinance I get little good thereby I hear and I do not remember my heart is hard and dead and dull and it is little that I profit and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No not yet For â—iâ—st As for your want of Ordinances if God lead you to the want of an Ordinance he wil make the very want of an Ordinance to â—e an Ordinance to you When the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan where there was ordinary food then Manna ceased but when ordinary food could not be had as in the Wilderness then they had Manna Bread that was baked in the Clouds then they had Angels Food immediately from God and immediate Mercies that come immediately out of the hand of God are the sweetest Mercies God doth alwaies give some opportunities of good unto his People either of doing good or receiving good and the less opportunity they have of receiving good usually the more opportunity they have of doing good what though your hand be empty of receiving opportunities yet if your hand be full of doing opportunities have you any cause to be discouraged God knows how to give the comfort of an Ordinance in the want of an Ordinance When Jonah was in the Whales belly he prayed and in his prayer he looked towards the Temple though he was absent from it and the Lord heard his prayer And Beloved if the Lord do remember your carriage labor of Love Longings Groanings Mournings after the Ordinances as much when you want them as he remembers your enlargements under them then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now look into Psal 132. and you shal see how David presseth the Lord to remember him verse 1. Lord remember David and all his afflictions he was in great Afflictions and he desired the Lord to remember him but under what Notion would he have the Lord remember him why saith he remember him How he sware unto the Lord verse 2. and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my House nor go up into my Bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids until I have found out a place for the Lord an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. He wanted the Ordinance and his heart was restless after it and now he desires the Lord to remember him for this So that I say God wil in a special manner remember your carriage labor of Love longings and groanings after Ordinances when you want them O! but though the Lord do remember us in due time yet what shal we do in the mean time Mark what follows at verse 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we found it in the fields of the woods What is that Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we heard of it that is we heard of the Ark which he had spoken of before and the Habitation of the mighty God of Jacob. We heard of it at Ephrata as if he should say it was commonly reported and thought that the Lord would settle his Ark and his House and Habitation at Ephrata at Bethlehem a plentiful place but now we have found it in the fields of the Wood. Now we find that the Lord wil settle his House and his Ark at Jerusalem which is compassed about with Hills full of Woods in the Fields of the Forrest have we found it Beloved our eye is all upon Ephrata upon Bethlebem upon the plentiful place but the Lord doth so order things in his Goodness that when he brings his People into the Woods the Fields the Forrest there they find his Ark his Presence and his Habitation in the midst of it And what godly man is there whom God hath called at any time from the Ordinance but he may say thus Lo we heard of it at Ephrata but we have found it in the Fields of the Woods and if you do not find the Presence of God and the Ark of God and his Habitation at Ephrata yet if ye find him in the Fields of the Woods in the barren Forrests have you any cause to complain No surely you have not O! but I am in a plentiful place for the present I am at Ephrata I am not in the barren Fields I am under plentiful and precious Ordinances but I do not remember I hear and I remember not Answ 2 Secondly Therefore ye must know That as for your want of Memory there is an Head-Memory and there is an Heart-Memory Some have an Head-Memory whereby they are able to give an account presently of all they have heard in their due order but they want an Heart-Memory to suggest the things to them when they should use the same Some again have an Heart-Memory so as they can remember the things when they should use them but they have no Head-Memory Now if you can remember the things as you are to use them though you forget the words and Method have you any cause to complain 〈◊〉 â—â—ugh the words heard do depart from you yet your heart 〈◊〉 â—e kept sweet by the hearing of them Water is often poured into a Vessel and runs out presently yet it keeps the Vessel sweet So now though you hear and hear and hear again and you cannot remember and the things heard do not stay by you as you desire yet your soul may be kept sweet thereby Answ 3 Thirdly As for your Deadness It is some life to feel ones own deadness for there is a Death and a Deadness as I may so speak There is a Life and a Liveliness a man may be alive and yet not lively as a sick person So a man may be under some deadness and yet not be dead unto death There is a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and there is a deadness that is opposite to life Now you complain O! my heart is dead my heart is dead this argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness else you could not feel your own deadness A man that is stark dead cannot feel that he is dead I say therefore in that you feel your own deadness it argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and not that deadness that is opposite to Life it self and if you be alive in opposition to death though you have a
Callâ—ng and your Elâ—ction sure As for Universal Redemption ye â—ust know That Christ did indeed die for all men but it 's no where said That he died for all the particular men of the world with intention to save them which is the thing in question but that he died for all that is both Jew and Gentile is very true and if ye look into Scripture and observe how when and upon what occasion this Speech came in you will easily see this is the meaning of it In the times of the old Testament Christ is not said to die for all but he bare the sins of many Esai 53. not of all but of many and so whilst Christ lived preaching only to the Jews and commanding his Disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles it 's said He gave himself a ransom for many not for all but for many but when the Apostles preached to the Gentiles then it 's said indeed and not before That Christ died for all Why Because they held forth Christ to the Gentile as wel as to the Jew And therefore if ye look into 1 Tim. 2. you shal find That whereas the Apostle had said verse 4. Who would have all men to be saved and ver 5.6 Foâ— there is one Mediator who gave himself a ransom for all He explains this in regard of the Gentiles verse 7. Whereunto I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle a Teacher of the Gentiles and thus it is a reason why they should pray for all even for the Heathen Magistrates ver 1. And to the same purpose doth the Apostle John speak Epist 1. Chap. 2. Ver â— And he speaking of Christ is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the whol world not for the sins of the whol World as oâ—r Translation gives it But as the Greek Trem. et Bod. et non pro nostris tantum sed etiam pro totius mundi nequaquam hanc ' interpretationem fert phrasis verto ergo et non pro nobis tantum sed etiam pro toto mundo sic et Arabs c. porro usitatum est Hebrais totum mundum dicere pro certa universitate quorundum de quibus in subjecta materia agitur c. Ludov. de dien In Joan. 1.2 and the ancient Syriack renders it for the whol world but why and how is Christ the Propitiation for the whol World What is Christ the Propitiation for every particular man in the World No but the whol World is opposed to the Jews unto whom he wrote for to the beleeving scattered Jews did he now write as appears by the Title of this Epistle called an Epistle General which Title only those Epistles of James Jude and Peter have which were written to the scattered Jews 1 Pet. 1. 1 James 1.1 So that in this sense it is true Christ died for all that is for the Jew and Gentile but that he died for every particular man in the world with intention to save him is no where to be found in the Scripture As for the comfortableness of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption whereas it 's said That it is Conducible to the comfort of such as are afflicted and troubled in Spirit If this Doctrine of Universal Redeâ—ption be indeed an Enemy to the comfort of a poor doubting afflicted soul Joannes qui natione Judaeus erat ne existimaretur docuisse pro Judaeis tantum Christum propitiationem esse quando dixit est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris adjecit pro totius etiam mundi peccatis ut etiam Gentes significareâ— Cyrill L. 11. Cap. 19. then you have no reason to be discouraged in regard of this Objection or of your own Condition in this respect Now to cleer that take these Four or Five Arguments Arg. 1. That Doctrine which doth enervate or make void the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins cannot be a friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted soul for he is especially troubled for his actual sins and the great comfort that he hath lieth in this That Christ hath satisfied for them Now what saith the Doctrine of Universal Redemption to the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins It plainly tels us that a man may be and thousands are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and it must needs â—ay so for if Christ died for all the particular men in the world then all the particular men in the world may be saved and if they may be saved then Christ did bear their actual sins on the Cross or else a mans sins may be pardoned which Christ did not bear on the Cross and if Christ did bear the actual sins of all the Particular men in the world then those that are damned must be damned for those very sins which Christ did bear and satisfie for or else they are not damned for them But men are not only damned for their final unbelief but for sins against the Law for the Law is made for the ungodly and Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And because of these things saith the Apostle speaking of actual sins against the Law the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience Now if men be damned for their actual sins against the Law and Christ have born them on the Cross and satisfied for them then men are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and if so then what is this but to enervate and make void the satisfaction of Christ If you pay a debt and afterward be thrown into prison for the same debt doth not the imprisonment make void the satisfaction of your payment Yet thus now it is according to the Principles of this Doctrine of Universal Redemption surely therefore that Doctrine is no friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted foul Arg. 2 The Intercession of Christ in conjunction with the Death of Christ is a great Pillar of our Christian Consolation Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of God c. So that our comfort is not only laid on the Death of Christ nor on the Intercession of Christ alone but upon the connexion of these two together And indeed what comfort would the Jews have in the bare Sacrifice if the High-Priest did not take the Blood thereof and carry it into the Holy Place sprinkling the Mercy-Seat for them whom the Sacrifice was offered for But according to this Doctrine of Universal Redemption the Intercession of Christ is parted from his Death for though it tel you that Christ died for all yet it tels you that he
because of him who prospereth in his way Thirdly It doth heal the Conscience and purifie that therefore saith the Apostle Let us draw neer with assurance of Faith having our Consciences sprinkled c. Heb. 10. Fourthly It doth also bring the soul neer to God the great work of faith is to bring God and the soul together So you have it in Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Faith gives a man access unto God and brings him neer unto God But a man may come neer unto God yet he may fear and tremble as the Jews dâ—d at Mount Sinai true but saith the Apostle By this Faith we have boldness and access The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a freedom of speech a man by Faith may come into the presence of God with open mouth and speak all his mind unto God Yea Faith doth not only thus bring a man into the preâ—ence of God with open mouth freedom of speech and boldness but it brings him into the presence of God with open face and uncovered We all with open face saith the Apostle speaking to Beleevers in the times of the Gospel We all with open face behold as in a Glass the Mirror of the Lord with open and uncovered face There are Three Vails or Coverings that we read of in the old Testament that were thrown upon faces 1. There is the Vail of Obscurity and that was upon the face of Moses 2. The Vail and the Covering of Guilt and so Hamanâ— face was covered a cloth thrown over his face and his face was covered 3. And there is the Vail of Abashment or shame and so it iâ— said of the Angels that they cover their faces in the presence of God Now to shew with what boldness a Christian and a Beleever comes into the presence of God by Christ through Faith as if all Vails were taken off saith the Apostle We come with open face and we all with open face behold as in a Glass the Mirror of the Lord. And upon this account a Beleever may now come with more boldness into the presence of God than Adam in the state of Innocency for though Adam in the state of Innocency had no Vail or Covering of Guilt thrown over his face yet there was a great distance between God and him But now since the Fall since Christs time God is come into our Nature manifested in the Flesh and so God is come neer to us and by Faith we do draw neer to God no wonder therefore that the Apostle saith That by Faith we have boldness and access with Confidence Faith tels a man that God is come neer to him and he is come neer to God and therefore Faith certainly is the great Remedy and means against all discouragements that can arise Quest 3 Thirdly How may it appear that when Discouragements do arise it is the Duty of every Christian to exercise Faith and then especially Answ You know what David said At what time I am afraid I trust in thee And the Scripture is most express for this Isa 50.10 Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God First It is possible for one that is the Servant of God to be in darkness and in such a dark condition where no light nor no comfort is Secondly When he is in this dark Condition and discouragements do arise the Commandement is most express then he is to trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God So also our Savior Christ commands his Disciples John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in God beleeve also in me There was a great Cloud arising upon Christs Disciples Christ to be taken from them by Death the Shepheard to be stricken and the Sheep scattered Now the only means against trouble that Christ prescribes is this Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me and he gives many Arguments to press thereunto in this 14. Chapter This time was the time of Christs own trouble Christ was now to die and to bear the sin of many and to lie under the sence of his Fathers wrath and displeasure whereupon he saith that his heart was heavy unto death but though it was the time of his own trouble yet he addresseth himself to comfort his Disciples against their trouble and the only means and remedy that he doth prescribe is this Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me So that I say when Discouragements do arise it is the Duty of all Christs Disciples then and then especially for to trust in God by Christ for I pray what is Faith made for but for such a time as this is every Grace is to be exercised in its season If a man have sinned then he is to repent that is the season for his Repentance If a man have received any mercy from God then he is to be thankful that is the season of Thankfulness If another poor Christian be in want then he is to exercise his Charity that is the season of that Grace of Charity If Gods Face do shine upon a man then he is to rejoyce that is the season of Spiritual Joy If a man be given to wantonness and have a beautiful Object laid before him then he is to exercise Chastity and that is a season for it So when Discouragements do arise then he is to exercise Faith and that is the season the proper time and season for it For it is not only our Duty to bring forth Fruit but we must bring forth Fruit in its season Psalm 1.2 Now this is the proper season for Faith to work in when all a mans Comforts are out of sight and therefore when Discouragements do arise then and then especially the Saints and the People of God are to exercise their Faith Fourthly But what power hath Faith to suppress Quest 4 and allay Discouragements and what is there in Faith that can bear up a mans heart against all Discouragements and how doth Faith do it Answ 1 First Faith doth give a man the true prospect of things past present and to come and of things as they are Whence are all our Fears and Discouragements but from hence That men do not see things as they are If Evil be stirring they think it is greater than it is If Good be stirring they think it is lesser than it is If a man be in Temptation then he loseth the sight of his former Experiences and so he is much discouraged If a man be under a Desertion he loseth the sight of what is present what God is to him and what he is to God and so he is discouraged If a man be under an Affliction he loseth the sight of what is to come the end and the issue of the Affliction and so he is disquieted
go no further depart they are the forsakers So in the way to Heaven Professors let out together and some find the way long further than they thought of we wil go no further say they and we wil have no more Light but say the other God willing we wil on and on they go Which of these two sorts are the Apostates Those that wil go no further they think not so but the Lord knows the truth that those that wil go no further are they that leave and forsake the other I wil give you one Scripture for it it is in Numbers 14. there were certain Spies went into the Land of Canaan and they brought an il report upon the good Land And the Children of Israel murmured against Moses verse 2. whereupon Moses speaks unto them and saith at verse 9. Only rebel not against the Lord the words in the Septuagint which Greek the new Testament follows are Only be not Apostates against the Lord. So that in Septuagintal Language those that rebel against Light revealed and wil go no further are called Apostates Now indeed this kind of Apostacy alwaies goes with the Sin against the Holy Ghost but not the former alwaies for we do not find that the Pharisees were guilty of the former for they did not profess the Gospel So that the Essence of this sin doth not consist in Apostatizing or back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof Fourthly Some think that this Sin doth consist in final Unbelief and impenitency But final Impenitency and Unbelief Altissiodorensis Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sentent Desperatissimos convertit Deus August Sic homo potest penitere de finali impenitentia Altissiodorensis ibid. is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost for by final Unbelief and Impenitency they either understand that Impenitency and Unbelief which a man lives and dies in or that which he purposeth to continue in to the last The latter cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost for many have purposed to continue in their Unbelief to their death and yet have been converted and pardoned And the first cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost For 1. The Jews whom Christ spake unto did then commit this Sin and yet they had not continued in it to their death 2. Final Unbelief is rather a Sin against the Son but the Sin against the Holy Ghost is distinguished from that 3. Our Savior saith Those that commit this sin shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Not in this world If therefore final Unbelief or Impenitency be this sin then Christ should threaten that he that dies in his sin shal not be forgiven whilst he lives 4. If a man sin against the Father or Son and die impenitently in that sin he shal not be forgiven either in this Life or in the Life to come but herein the Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser than the Sins against the Father or the Son and therfore it cannot consist therein 1 John â— 16 5. The Apostle saith There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it Doth he say that we must not pray for a man and for the forgiveness of his sin when he is dead 6. It is that sin for which there lies no remission but a man may sin such a sin whilst he lives for if any man sin wilfully there remaineth no sacrifice for sin and wilfully a man may sin before his Death 7. It is such a sin as a man may know anothâ—r man is guilty of whilst he lives for saith the Apostle There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it but final Unbelief and Impenitency is not known til death 8. Our Savior saith He that speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven but a word may be spoken against the Spirit long before a man dies and therefore surely this sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in final impenitency and unbelief final unbelief and â—mpenitency is not this Sin against the Holy Ghost 9. For then al wicked men living under the Gospel and dying impenitently should sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Blasphemia in spiritum sanctúm ca â—se vidâ—â—â— qua quis destinâ—ta malitia contra proprium animi sui sensum spiritâ— sancti gratiam et virtutem deique gloriam oppugnat Luc. Brugen in Math. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. which is false You wil say then What is this Sin against the Holy Ghost and wherein doth it consist Secondly Affirmatively It is that wilful sinning against God whereby a man doth maliciously oppose and blaâ—pheme the proper and peculiar work of the Holy Ghost and that after he hath been convinced thereof by the Holy Ghost 1. I say It is a wilful sinning against God and so the Apostle speaks saying If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 10.26 So that the sin for which there is no sacrifice and of which there is no remission is a wilful Sin Now a man is said to sin Wittingly Willingly and Wilfully Wittingly in opposition to Ignorance Willingly in opposition to Force and Constraint Wilfully in opposition to Light Knowledg and Reason and so he that sins against the Holy Ghost doth sin for saies the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth or after the acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. He that commits this Sin doth also oppose and blaspheme the proper and peculiar Work of the Holy Ghost for it 's called here Dicere verbum contra spiritum sanctum est verbis impugnare Deum sanctificantem Cajet in Math. 12. vide sixt Senens in locum a blasphemy and a blaspheming of the Spirit as distinct from the Father and the Son Now the Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie and therefore he that sins this Sin doth oppose and blaspheme Holiness and Goodness and so these Jews did for when our Savior Christ did cast out the Devil that unclean Spirit they said he did it by the power of the Devil calling the work done a work of the Devil and did oppose him therein Yet this is not all For 3. It is that Sin whereby a man doth maliciously oppose Peccatum in spiritum sanctum dicitur illud quod ex certa malitia sit quod solent distingui tria genera peccatorum peccatum in patrem ex infirmitate humana peccatum in filium ex ignorantia quod patri appâ—opriatur potentia filio sapientia peccatum in spiritum sanctum ex malitia quia bonitas attribuitur spiritui sancto Altissidorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. Scot. in Sent. Lib. 2. Quest 2. and blaspheme and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.26
a great Help in Suffering times Now it is Faith and only Faith that can gather up and mannage Experiences The Lord saith he that delivered me from the Lyon and the Bear it was Faith that did gather up this Experience and did mannage it So in Psal 56. When I cry unto thee at verse 9. then shall mine Enemies turn back how do you know this saith he this I know how for God is for me this I know for God is for me I have this experience of God that he is with me and for me and therefore I know it But Thirdly The more that any man is able to apply the Promise the more able he wil be to suffer to incounter with Sufferings the Promise is a great Shelter in a rainy day Now there is nothing but Faith that can apply the Promise the Promise is the Plaister that none but the warm hand of Faith can lay on upon the Sore if it be laid on by any other hands it wil not stick I have heard of a poor doubting Soul drawiâ—g neer to her Death and the Minister pressing one Promise after another O Sir saith she these are gracious Promises but they wil not stick upon my heart And what is the Reason that the Promise indeed doth not stick upon many hearts but because it is laid on by the chil and cold hand of Unbelief Remember Faith hath a warm hand and only Faith hath a warm hand to lay on the Promise But then again Fourthly The more that any man doth see his Call cleerly his Cal to Suffer the more able he wil be to encounter with his Sufferings Now it is Faith only that doth Trade with the Call of God Gods Call is a great Wal a strong Wal Gods Call can make a Wal of Water When the Children of Israel went through the red Sea the Water stood like a Wal on each side it was Gods Cal that made those Wals there is nothing but Faith that doth converse with the Call of God and makes out the Cal of God Three things cal us to suffer 1. The Commandement of Christ If thou wilt be my Disciple thou must deny thy self and take up thy Cross 2. The Example of Christ for thereunto are we called in 1 Pet. 2.5 Christ hath left us an example of Suffering And 3. Suffering strength with suffering opportunity Now there is nothing but Faith is able to discern these things and therfore Faith and Faith alone is that Grace under Christ which can carry us through our affliction and Suffering although they be never so great Object But you wil say We have heard and read of many that have suffered hard things and yet had none of this Faith no true saving Faith and yet have suffered great and hard things Answ True you have heard it may be of some Jesuites dying for their Religion it is possible that a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion too but as Austin speaks There is an unlikeness of suffering in the likeness of Suffering As saith he Gold is in the same Fire with the Wood and with the Straw with the same Fire the Straw is consumed and the Gold is refined Things suffered may be alike and yet a great unlikeness in the suffering And to cleer up this to you that you may see that Faith alone is able to do this First Though a wicked man may suffer very great and hard things yet he may also suffer as an evil Doer If ye suffer for evil doing saith the Apostle what thanks have ye But Faith true saving Faith it doth wel and suffers ill And Secondly Though a wicked man may suffer much and very hard things yet he doth not suffer upon choyce he would chuse rather if it were at his choyce to make a breach upon Conscience than a breach in his Estate for to lose his Conscience than to lose his Life he doth not suffer upon choyce Faith doth By Faith Moses chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God True saving Faith it suffers great and hard things and that upon choyce And Thirdly Though a wicked man may suffer much yet he doth not lay the stress of al upon the word of Faith the stress of al is laid upon somwhat else Faith loves to suffer and it laies the stress of al a mans Sufferings upon the word of Faith Fourthly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon an account of Religion yet it may be he is sullen or froward or discontented not cheerful but Faith suffers cheerfully Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks and the Primitive Christians took with joyfulness the spoiling of their Goods And so the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies It is reported that when Mr. Philpot was in the Dungeon the Bishop sent to him to know why he was so merry Seeing a pair of Stocks in the Dungeon saith he there 's a pair of Organs that I have not played on yet making himself cheerful in the time he was in the Dungeon And meeting with a Minister that had recanted and informing him better the Minister made a Recantation of his Recantation and was as cheerful as any others Faith suffers cheerfully Fiftly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he wil rest upon his Sufferings Faith wil make one suffer and keep one from resting upon ones Suffering As in regard of Duty Faith wil make one perform a Duty and it wil keep one from resting upon that Performance So in regard of Sufferings Faith wil make one suffer and it wil keep one from resting upon ones Suffering In case that a man hath done much Faith wil put him on to suffer as if he had done nothing and in case a man hath suffered much Faith wil put him upon doing as if he had suffered nothing according to that of our Savior He that will be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me follow me when after a suffering not to sit down and rest there but to follow me after a Suffering Again Sixtly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion and be very confident yet he wil give in at last I have read of a great Atheist that was burnt to Death in Paris for blaspheming of Jesus Christ and as he was going to the Stake saith he to the Fryars and Priests that followed him Behold how boldly I go to the Fire as for your Lord and Master Christ he went trembling to his death and sweat drops of blood but I in the strength of Reason under which I sacrifice my Life go with boldness unto these flames But when he came there and his Tongue was cut out for Blasphemy the Story saith that then he cried out and roared out like a Bull vidi ego hominem saith the Author I saw the man I saw him when he was at the Stake In
Doctrine Page 325 3 If you do beleeve then see that you walk answerable thereunto ibid. Sermon XIII Means against Discouragements Page 327 DOCT. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Page 328 For your better understanding consider 1 What is Hope ibid. 2 That Faith quiets the heart in sad times ibid. 3 It is the day of all the Saints to trust in God especially at that time ibid. 4 What there is in faith and how faith can do it ibid. Quest 1. What is it to trust in God ib. Answ 1 To trust in God is to rely on God for help c. ibid. 2 He that trusteth in God doth trust unto him for some good thing that lieth out of sight Page 329 Quest 2. How may it appear that Faith will quiet the soul Page 330 Answ It is proved several waies out of Scripture ibid. Faith gives free access to God Page 331 There are three Vails in Scripture 1. Of Obscurity 2. The Vail of covering guilt 3. A Vail of shame Page 332 Quest 3. How may it appear that when discouragements arise Faith must then be exercised and then especially ibid. Answ It was Davids case and the Scripture is express for it ibid. Quest 4. What power hath Faith to allay discouragements what is in faith can do it and how doth faith do it Page 333 Answ 1 Faith gives a man the true prospect of things past present and to come And all Discouragements arise because men do not see things as they are ibid. 2 True saving Faith sees that in God and in Christ which answers all our fears Page 335 3 Faith puts the Soul under Gods Commandements to answer all Objections Page 336 More briefly of saving Faith 1 It is the proper work of Faith to resign our wils unto Gods wil. Page 337 2 It is the proper work of Faith to apply a suitable Promise ibid. 3 True faith will not venture without Gods Call Page 338 4 True faith sees the hand of God in every dispensation ibid. 5 True faith looks on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition ibid. 6 Fath sees one contrary in another ibid. 7 It is the work of true faith to engage God to suffer ibid. Application Then if discouragements arise exercise your faith ibid. Quest Will every faith quiet a mans heart ibid. Answ Negatively For There is a feigned and uneffectual and there is an unfeigned and effectual faith A counterfet faith will not quiet a mans soul c. ibid. Quest How then shal a man exercise his faith that he may bear up against all Discouragements Page 339 Answ 1 You must be humbled for your unbelief c. ibâ—d 2 Go not to God without Christ Page 340 3 Trust in the Lord himself and not in your own duties ibid. 4 Trust in the Lord before you do act in your business ibid. 5 Trust in Jesus Christ before you trust in the Promise Page 341 6 If God give you a Promise never let it go though you see nothing but the contrary ibid. Object I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord ibid. Answ To doubt after so much experience were rather to tempt the Lord Page 342 Quest If God give me a Promise and I see no performance how shall I not be discouraged Page 343 Answ Either it is thy Duty to beleeve on Christ or not if not why dost thou beleeve at all If it be thy Duty why shouldest thou not rely on him ibid. Be of good comfort for 1 If you want assurance in God look on Christ Page 344 2 If you want assurance turn your eyes from those Objections that invade your faith ibid. 3 Beleeve that you do beleeve Helps for Faith Page 344 1 God never leads his People to any great mercy but he puts the sentence of death on all means that tend to it ib. 2 It is a great sin to limit Gods mercy as to limit his power ibid. 3 When God gives a Promise he somtimes trieth whether we will beleeve or not ibid. 4 God often times fulfils one Promise and denieth another ibid. 5 When we see nothing but what is contrary to help then is Christs time to help Page 345 6 Be your Affliction ordinary or extraordinary you must trust to God for mercy ibid. 7 Questions to ask a mans own Soul to encourage us Page 346 8 Consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is to trust in God Page 347 It is reasonable to wait on God For 1 He waited on you for your Repentance ibid. 2 You have waited on men wil you not wait on God ibid. 3 When you give over waiting deliverance may come to your shame Page 348 4 If you give over waiting you lose all your former labor ibid. 5 If you wait on God he will not alwaies forget your work of Faith Page 349 The Sin against the Holy Ghost ON Matth. 12.31 32. THere are two Arguments in the words Page 353 1 The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins to men ib. 2 The unpardonableness of the sin against the Holy Ghost ibid. I had rather speak first to the former but to prevent Objections from some distressed soul I shal fiâ—st speak to the latter Page 354 For opening the words Quest 1. Whether the Jews our Savior spake then to did then sin against the Holy Ghost ib. Answ Some think No But I rather think Yes for the Reasons in the Text. ibid. Quest 2. Is there any so giveness of sins in the world to come ibid. Answ It is an unusual Phrase noting the eternity of misery Page 355 DOCT. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin Page 355 The Truth opened by the enquiry into two things 1 What the Sin against the holy Ghost is ibid. 2 How this sin is unpardonable beyond other sins ibid. For to say what this sin is ibid. I answer Negaâ—ively and Affirmaâ—â—vely ibid. 1 Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost c. ibid. 2 Nor is it every opposition to the work of the Holy Ghost c. Page 356 3 It is not necessary that every man who sins against the holy Ghost should be an universal Apostate as iâ— is ordinarily thought ibid. There is a two-fold Apostate Either one that declineth from the profession of the Truth Or one that rebels against the Tâ—uth revealed and wil go no further cleered by an example Page 357 4 Final Vnbelief and Impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost neither that a man lives and dies in nor that he purposeth to live in to the last for many have so purposed to live yet have been converted ibâ—d 1 The Jews did then commit this sin yet they had not continued in it to their death ibid. 2 Final unbelief is rather sin against God the Son ibid. 3 If final unbelief be this sin then Christ should threaten that he which dieth in his sin should not be forgiven
to an ordinary Office 1. He must be apparently Godly 2. He must be qualified for preaching 3. He must be chosen or desired by the Church 4. He must be separated to the work of the Ministry ibid. II. For the Doctrine Teachers may and must be tried by their Doctrine ibid. Particular Doctrines men must be tryed by are many I will name some few ib. 1 True Apostles ever exalted the Scriptures Page 414 2 True Apostles never denied the Deity of Christ ibid. 3 True Apostles never did deny Ordinances ibid. 4 True Apostles preached for Justification by faith and imputed righteousness in opposition to works Page 415 5 They never told us that there is a light in every man which followed wil bring him to Salvation ibid. 6 They never preached that any man might be perfect and without sin in this life ibid. 7 True Apostles never preached against respect unto Magistrates Parents Masters Page 416 8 True Apostles never preached against the resurrection and assention of the Body ibid. 9 The Apostles never preached that there is no place of Heaven or Hell after death ib. III. A Teacher may and must be tried by his Life and Fruits Page 417 Quest If they go in Sheeps Cloathing how shall I know they are Wolves ibid. Answ Yes 1 A Wolf is a Wolf in Sheeps cloathing for he is fierce and cruel Page 417 2 He howls at the Sheep and barks at the Shepheards ib. 3 He rends the Sheep Page 418 Quest What fruits doth our Savior mean we must know them by ibid. Answ 1 If you find they walk after the flesh ibid. 2 If they are given to lying ib. 3 If the height of their Religion be to maintain some Opinion that consists in voluntary Humility ibid. 4 If their Doctrine tends to draw men away from the Ordinance of God ibid. 5 If he fals short of him he would seem to be yet in shew goes beyond him ibid. 6 If you find that his great work is to destroy the Church of Christ Page 419 7 If he forsake the Assemblies of the Saints ibid. 1 It is the special work of Church Officers to try and discover false Teachers ibid. 2 It is a work incumbent upon all the Saints and Churches ib. More practically 1 Go to God for a spirit of discerning Page 420 2 Lie in no sin or Error for all sin blinds ibid. 3 Consult with others about it ibid. 4 Keep close to the Scripture ibid. 5 Have not too great charity towards an Opinion of such as are accounted false Teachers ibid. 6 Wait long before you close with any of their Opinions that you may not be deceived ibid. The Good and Means of Establishment ON 1 Pet. 5.10 Different Opinions how these words aâ—e spoken Page 425 The Authors Opinion Page 426 The words divided into 1 A Blessing prayed for 2 The Arguments ensuing it 1 The Blessing prayed for is expressed in four words Perfect Stablish Strengthen Settle you ibid. DOCT. Settling Grace in respect of all trouble is a great Mercy and Blessing Page 428 1 It is a great mercy for a Nation to be setled 2 It is a great mercy for a Church to be setled 3 It is a great mercy for a particular soul to be setled I. The first part proved by Scriture Page 429 II. The Second part proved by five Arguments Page 429 1 When the Church hath this settlement then it is edified 2 It is the mercy God hath promised to the Church Page 430 3 It is that the Apostles labored for ibid. 4 That they prayed for ibid. 5 It is somtimes the signal mercy of Christs Church ibid. III. The third part proved by five Arguments Page 431 1 It is the ground of all our fruitfulness ibid. 2 It is the bottom of all our praises Page 432 3 It is the beginning of our perseverance ibid. 4 It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly ib. 5 It is the Character of a gracious person Page 433 The second part of the Doctrine It is worthy of all our pâ—ayers For Page 434 1 It is that mercy we all need 2 God only can settle us Page 435 Application How great cause have they that arâ— settled to praise God ibid. Object I find not this settlement therefore I cannot praise God Page 436 Answ It may be so yet there is much difference between variety of Grace and instability of Spirit ibid. 2 If Establishment be so great a Blessing how sad is their condition that are not established ibid. Quest What shall we do that we may be established Page 437 Answ I. For a Nation ib. 1 It must first settle Religion 2 There must be care â—aken for a succession of Godly Magistrates ibid. 3 They must do and govern in Righteousness Page 438 4 They must trust in the Lord. ibid. II. For a Church Page 439 1 All Churches must know that they are laid out for sufferings ibid. 2 A Church that would be setled must have al the Officers and Ordinances of Christ. 3 Let all Churches know and keep the word of Gods Patience ibid. 4 If difficulty arise in a Church it must call for help from other Churches Page 440 5 Especially al Churches must pray for this mercy of Establishment ibid. III. Particular Persons what they must do for this mercy ibid. Quest 1. What shall I do to be more setled in my Judgment and in the Truth Page 442 Answ 1 Get a cleer understanding in the truth of the Gospel ibid. 2 Take heed of unsetling Principles Page 443 3 Make no Impression the Rule and Square of your Judgment ibid. 4 Get into Gods House Page 444 5 Go not into the company of those where false Doctrine is taught ibid. 6 Practice what Truth you know Page 444 7 Go to God for his establishing Grace Page 445 Quest 2. What shal I do to be more setled in my practice ibid. Answ 1 You must be very sensible and humbled for your own unsetledness ibid. 2 Labor for a serious Spirit ib. 3 Live not on your Condition alone but upon the God of your Condition ibid. 4 Take heed of a divided heart Page 446 5 Put on the whol Armor of God ibid. 6 The more you delight in Gods waies the more will your heart be established Page 447 Rules to make the way to Heaven sweet and easie to a man ibid. 1 Do not separate between Gods Commandement and his Promise ibid. 2 Apply your self to Gods work according to Gods Method ibid. 3 Improve that variety which God hath given you ibid. 4 Do not stint your self in any Duty as to go no further Page 448 5 Naturallize Gods Gifts in your soul ibid. 7 Motives to establish a man in the waies of God ibid. 1 Free yourself from temptations ibid. 2 The fixation of your soul is a great honor to your Profession Page 449 3 You shall thereby rejoyce the hearts of those that are set over you in the Lord ibid. 4 You have been