be in it I tremble to think of that distress that you will be in at the Great day though now you are quiet and unconcerned * Undique erunt tibi angustiae hinc erunt accusantia peccata tremeda justitia subter patens horridum Chaos desuper iratus Judex intùs Vermis Conscientiae foris ardens mundus Beâ—n de Consc when your sins shall fly in your faces and accuse you when the tremendous justice of God shall affright you when if you look downwards there 's an Hell ready to receive you if upwards there 's an angry Judge if inwards there 's the Worm of Conscience if about you there 's a World all in flames O what a time will this be what would you then give to be in Christ take heed I beseech you of an after-wisdom VSE 2. To exhort all to make sure of exemption from Condemnation Secondly I would exhort you to make sure of this exemption from Condemnation to labour to be in the number of those to whom there is no Condemnation 'T is infinite mercy that such a thing is attainable surely he must be strangely besotted and utterly void of all sense of eternity who doth not with the greatest care and diligence put in for a share in this happiness No Condemnation Justification here and Salvation hererfter what can be so worthy of our utmost pains and endeavours as these what pitiful trifles and very Nothings are all other things in comparison of these 'T is no great matter how things go at present if the future everlasting state may be secured O that all your thoughts desires pursuits might be swallowed up in this You dread such and such Evils here alas what are these to the eternal Evils which have been set before you you are set upon the worlds good and what is that to an endless blessedness in the Vision and Fruition of God in Heaven think of Hell and nothing here will be very evil and of Heaven and nothing here will be very good Should you come to a condemned man and talk to him of the riches honours crowns and scepters of this world Ah! saith he what 's this to me I am a poor condemned man can you tell me how I may get out of the condemnation that I lye under then you 'l say something which will suit my condition Why Sirs you trouble your selves about the getting of wealth the greatning of your selves in the world but you do not consider you are condemned men such you were as you came into the world * Rom. 5.18 By the offenos of one judgment came upon all to Condemnation and there 's a worser Condemnation for you when you shall go out of the world O what have you to do but to get out of this Condemnation 'T is to be feared that the greatest part of men not out of any want of mercy in God or from any thing to be charged upon God but meerly through their own sin and folly will perish therein you read of the condemning of the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Now therefore what are you or what do you do that you may be exempted from the general misery Certainly if you lye in the common State and live in the common Course you must perish in the common Condemnation think of it and make some timely provision against it Your Judge deals very graciously with you he warns you before hand tells you how his terrible Sentence may be prevented nay he offers Life and Pardon to you if you will but accept of it and after all this will you force him to condemn you then 't will be Condemnation with a witness I would upon this Consideration be the more earnest with you in the present advice because though this Condemnation will be sad enough to all yet to you it will be superlatively sad you living under the Gospel where the way of Salvation is set before you where tenders of Grace are made to you if you be not wise and serious in securing the main this will not only make your Condemnation more unavoidable * Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation but also more intolerable 't will be Condemnation with an Accent or Emphasis to you * Joh. 3.19 This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world c. The Scripture speaks of * Matth. 23.14 greater damnation 't will be great damnation to Pagans and Infidels but greater damnation to Christians According to the different measures of that Gospel-light and Gospel-grace which men live under so will the different measures of their future misery be if they live and dye in impenitency and unbelief O how will these aggravate your Condemnation if there be one place in Hell hotter than another that very place shall be yours whilst others shall mitiùs ardere * Matth. 12.23 24. Thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven c. but I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you What persons are to do that it may be No-Condemnation You will ask me What are we to do that it may be to us No-Condemnation For answer to this several Directions might be given and much enlarg'd upon but I will give you only five or six and be but short upon them First 1. Dir. Let sin be condemned in you and by you For thus the case stands sin must either be condemned by you or you for it a condemnatory Sentence must pass either upon the Sin or upon the Sinner and is it not better it should pass upon the Sin rather than upon the Sinner that it should dye rather than you should dye O let not Sin live in you nor do you live in it for if it be so it will be Condemnation This sin is the condemning thing had there been No Sin there had been No Condemnation 't is that and that only which makes the Creature liable to eternal Death * Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death Did not the Malefactor break the Law by stealing murdering c. he would not be obnoxious to the Laws penalties and so 't is here We violate Gods Law upon that violation there is guilt upon that guilt there is obnoxiousness to punishment and to a Sentence of Death O take heed of sin here lies the evil of it it exposes to and ends in eternal Condemnation it pleases the Sinner for a * Heb. 11.25 season and then entails everlasting wrath upon him Was it not for this a Life in sin would be a fine Life I must recall my self a Life in sin a fine Life no was there no Hell hereafter yet such a Life would be and is a base sordid cursed Life but Hell and Wrath and Condemnation and all follow upon it and this spoils the pleasures and delights of a sinful Life Who would not fear and shun Sin a Child of
dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin even so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one c. here 's Death and the Law of Death too by Sin it hath got a power over men so as to reign over them Had there been no Sin there had been no Death if man had continued in his sinless and innocent state he might have been * Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal i. e. under a posse mori he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles but he had not actually dyed much less had he been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinn'd Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature as Pelagians of old and (a) Mors non erat poena vel effectus transgressionis Adami sed conditionis naturalis consequens Socin de Statu primi hominis Vide Praelect Cap. 1. contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late assert but as the (b) Calov Soc. Prost p. 250. Hoorn Soc. conf vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583 c. Franz Scho Sacr. Disp 1. p. 7. fruit and punnishment of Sin Immortality was a part of (c) Molin Enod Grav Qu. de statu Innoc. Tract 3. p. 62. Gerhard Loc. Com. de Imag c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Zâ—â—em de Imag. c. c. 8. Art 2. Moretâ—n's threefold state of man p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at first imprinted upon man that image being defac'd mortality took place You know in Gods dealing with our first Parents how he back'd his Command or Prohibition with the threatning of death Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye they disobeyed this most equitable Commandment and thereby brought death both upon themselves Gen. 3.19 and also upon all their posterity Besides the guilt of this Sin made over to all mankind by imputation there is mens personal sin habitual and actual which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death and that too not onely to temporal but also to eternal death Rom. 6.21 the end of those things is death v. 23. the wages of sin is death The Apostle in James 1.14.15 treats of the first and last of Sin shows where it begins and where it ends sets down its rise progress and final issue But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death Sin is the issue of Lust and Death is the issue of Sin So that our Apostle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death 2. Observe that 't is the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together so that where 't is the Law of Sin there and there only 't is the Law of Death When Sin is reigning and commanding then 't is ruining and condemning 't is the power of Sin that exposes to the power of death Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 'T is true every sin in its own nature deserves death the Scripture knows no such thing as venial sin it being judge all and every sin is mortal indeed as to event the Apostle saith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17 but as to merit every Sin be it what it will deserves death Yet God is so gracious as that Sin shall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command 'Pray mark it how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life and the Law of Sin with Death as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life so where the power of Sin is there is Death I know the Death in the latter Clause doth not carry a direct opposition to the Life in the former for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter the Death which refers to eternal Condemnation and the misery of the future state cannot be look'd upon as directly opposite to that Life yet there is a truth in the Parallel As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life spiritual and eternal so upon the Law of Sin there is ' Death spiritual and eternal too Further I know there is a great disparity betwixt the Spirits working Life and Sins working Death the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Causality the Law of Sin works Death only in a final consequential meritorious way yet here also we may speak by way of Parallel as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way so the power of Sin works Death too in its way That which I drive at is very plain if I be so happy as to express my self clearly about it Regenerate persons are made free from the Law of Death 3. Observe that such who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit they are made free from the Law of Death This was Paul's happiness here laid down and 't is the same to all that are regenerate the proof of which I need not insist upon for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former they who are made free from the Law of Sin by that Grace are also made free from the Law of Death it being the Law of Sin which subjects the Creature to the Law of Death The power or right of Death stands or falls by the power of Sin so that if the person be freed from the latter as you have heard every regenerate person is it certainly follows in the course and methods of Gods Grace that every such person shall be freed from the former too for the Law of Death is penal or the effect of the Law of Sin now take away the Cause and the Effect ceases Quest How is this to be understood But a little explication will be necessary How may Regenerate Persons be said to be made free from the Law of Death For answer to this Answ you know Death is either temporal or eternal I do not instance in spiritual Death because though 't is very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death yet I conceive that is not so much intended here the former lies in the separation of the Soul from the Body for a time the latter in the everlasting separation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and presence of God This separation from God is
firm and fixed upon these Gospel Foundations That I might therefore heighten the knowledge and confirm the Faith of such I have been somewhat large upon these things in the managing whereof if I have done too much for the Unlearned and too little for the Learned I am sorry for it § 11. Of all the Controversies with which the Church is pestred I have as the Texts did lead me most concerned my self in those wherein we have to do with Papists and Socinians but principally with the Latter These not that I in other things acquit the Former are the great impugners of the Christian Faith in their denying Christs Godhead eternal Sonship Pre-existence before his Nativity of the Virgin wherein they are worse than the old Arrians Satisfaction his being a proper Sacrifice for Sin the main Ends of his Death c. Against whom therefore I have endeavoured to assert and maintain these high and glorious Truths which are indeed Truths of the first magnitude What thoughts others may have of Socinianism I know not I know my own And might I presume so far as to give advice to my Reverend Brethren in the Ministry I would humbly advise them to set themselves to their utmost against it For it doth not only strike at the whole platform of the Gospel but of all other Opinions it gets nearest to the very Vitals thereof this cursed worm grows in the Gospels best fruit 't is for the poysoning of those Fountains from which the streams of Life do most immediately flow whilst many other Errours endanger but the remoter parts this endangers the very heart of Christianity can we say or do too much to secure Souls from it and to defend the Gospel against it God prevent the growth of it in all the Churches of Christ § 12. If in the discussing of these Points I have said nothing but what the Learned in their Treatises about them have said before yet however two things I have done 1. According to my duty I have given my Testimony to the great Truths of God let it signifie what he pleases 2. I hope I have I am sure it hath been my endeavour made some things in themselves dark and intricate to be somewhat more plain and intelligible to weaker Capacities and if I have done but that though I have brought no new matter my pains have not been ill spent My Souls desire is that the Professors of this Age may be well grounded in the Articles of the Christian Faith and that they may attain to a clearer insight into Gospel Mysteries than what as yet they have attained to and if what is here done shall conduce to the promoting of these most desirable things it will be a sufficient recompence to me for all the labour that I have been at § 13. I observe that many private Christians will read over those Controversies in a Sermon which they care not to read in Treatises professedly penn'd about them the Reason of which I suppose is this they meet with that in a Sermon which they do not in a Treatise viz. when the Argumentative part is over they come to something that is practical the bone being broken they have marrow and sweetness to feed upon It hath been my care all along in this work to answer herein the expectation and desire of good Souls for at the close of every knotty Subject I have always made thereof some plain and useful Application that so I might reach both the Head and the Heart too § 14. So long as the strife lay between an Israelite and an Egyptian the matter was not very sad but when the Israelite and the Israelite strove one against the other then 't was sad indeed So here so long as the contention was 'twixt Romanists and Socinians on one hand and Protestants on the other 't was well enought but when Protestants divide and differ among themselves that 's matter of great sadness In the Body of this Work I have had occasion only to contend with the Former and there I had nothing but comfort but in the End I was necessitated to take notice of and to interest my self in a difference between the Latter concerning the imputation of Christs Active Obedience which * Amongst whom in its proper place had not my memory fail'd me I should have cited that truly eminent Person Bishop Reynolds on Psal 110. pag. 440. c. some are for and some against and that afflicted me more than all that went before For though in my own judgment I am very well satisfied for the Affirmative yet it troubles me that I should therein dissent from those whose Names as to the dead I highly honour and whose Persons as to the living I dearly love Well! these differences will be till Heaven unite us all and blessed be God in this point we may differ salvo Fidei fundamento I hope we shall make it to appear to the world that we can dissent and yet love that whereunto we have attained we shall walk by the same rule and if in any thing we be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto us according to that excellent decision of the Apostle in cases of this nature § 15. But Reader I must not detain thee longer in giving thee any further account of the Particulars treated of in these Sermons do but thy self read over the Contents of the several Chapters and they will in short give thee a prospect of the Matter and Method of the whole Thou seest already a great part of my Way hitherto hath been somewhat rough and craggy I hope in what follows it will be more smooth and easie bating those passages which some Expositors conceive Peter referr'd unto when he spake of some things in Pauls Epistles hard to be understood however I must take it as it falls § 16. Two things as to the whole will be objected against me the One is over much prolivity As to which all that I can say for my self is 1. The Subjects insisted upon are so various lying so near the very heart of Religion bearing so high a place in Evangelical Faith so necessary to be understood by all and so desperately struck at by Opposers that truly for my part I thought pardon me if I was mistasten I could hardly be too full in the Explication Confirmation and Application of them Good Reader please to read over the bare Heads I go upon as they will occur by and by and then tell me whether so many and such fundamental Truths could well have been crowded into a lesser room But 2. if this will not satisfie such as are most judicious it shall be mended in what is to follow § 17. The Other is the unnecessariness of this Undertaking so many already having wrote upon this Chapter Answ So many who or where are those so many I wish I could see them I deny not but that many both Ancients and Moderns have written Commentaries upon it for
than if God had said I will always be with thee So here as to Propositions when they are laid down in the Negative this form of expression doth add both greatness and certainty at least wise as to us to the matter of them And therefore Paul designing here to set forth the safety and happiness of Believers with the greatest advantage he chuses to express it in the Negative rather than in the Positive The Observat more strictly spoken to These things being premis'd I come now to the more close handling of the Point There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus Here I 'll shew 1. What this Condemnation is which the persons spoken of are secured from 2. I 'll make out the truth of the Assertion and give you the Grounds of it Condemnation opened 1. First 't is requisite I should a little open the Condemnation here mentioned The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in this Verse 't is the Substantive you have the Verb v. 3. and for sin condemned c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Participle v. 34. who is he that condemneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes 't is set forth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Math. 23.14 1 Tim. 3.6 2 Pet. 2.3 Rom. 3.8 sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Joh. 3.19 Joh. 5.24 sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Cor. 3.9 These several words are promiscuously used to signifie one and the same thing That here in the Text commonly carries a very black and dreadful sense with it I do not deny but that sometimes 't is used to set forth temporal evils and punnishments as condemnation to a temporal death so Math. 20.18 Math. 27.3 but usually it as the Verb in this Composition is expressive of spiritual and eternal evils of everlasting death so Rom. 5.16.18 Mark 16.16 1 Cor. 11.32 As to its direct and proper notation it signifies judgment against one that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a forensick word relating to what is in use amongst men in their Courts of Judicature To condemn Propriè judicis est cùm mulctam reo vel poenam per sententiam erogat 't is the Sentence of a Judge decreeing a mulct or penalty to be inflicted upon the guilty person Amongst men for the parallel will illustrate that which I am upon the Malefactor or guilty person is indicted arraigned before the Judge judicial process is form'd against him his offence is proved upon this the Judge passes sentence upon him that he is guilty of that which is charg'd upon him and then that he must undergo the penalty or penalties which are answerable to the nature and quality of his crime if that be Capital he must dye for it So here the impenitent unbelieving sinner is indicted arraigned at Gods Bar process is made against him he is found guilty of the violation of the holy Law and which is worse of the contempt of the Gospel too whereupon God judges him to be guilty and upon that guilt adjudges him to everlasting death this is Gods condemning or condemnation in allusion to that condemnation which is amongst men Pareus makes it to be the damnatory sentence of the Law that * Gal. 3.10 Curse which it denounceth upon all and against all because of sin Grotius makes it to be that eternal death spoken of Rom. 6 ult several such Glosses there are upon it but all tend to one and the same thing Condemnation refers to Guilt and Punnishment Condemnation is either respectu Culpae Reatus or Poenae in respect of Guilt or Punnishment for both of these are included in it God condemns the sinner how why first he judges him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty of that which the Law charges him with O saith the Law Sinner thus and thus thou hast offended such Duties have been omitted such sins have been committed such Sabbaths have been profaned such mercies have been abused such tenders of grace have been slighted here the Gospel Law comes in as an accuser too c. Well now saith God Sinner what dost thou say to this charge is it true or false canst thou deny it what defence or plea canst thou make for thy self Alas he is * Math. 22.12 speechless hath not one word to say for himself he can neither deny nor excuse or extenuate what is charged upon him Why then saith God the righteous Judge I must pronounce and I do here pronounce thee to be guilty And is this all no upon this guilt the Law pleads for a further Sentence for the decreeing and inflicting of the penalty threatned by God himself and incurred by the sinner Ah saith God and I cannot deny it I must be just and righteous and therefore Sinner I here adjudge thee to dye eternally This is Condemnation in the extensive notion of it if you consider it with respect to Guilt so 't is opposed to justification if you consider it with respect to Punishment so 't is opposed to Salvation In the former notion you have it Rom. 5.16 18. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences to Justification Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life In the second notion you have it Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be condemned These are the two things which make up the Condemnation in the Text Guilt and Death from both of which such as are in Christ are secured they shall neither be judged Guilty their Guilt being done away by Christ and the Sentence proceeding according to what they are in Christ and not according to what they are in themselves nor shall a Sentence of eternal Death pass upon them for guilt being taken off that would not be righteous there is therefore none of this Condemnation to Believers Of the Sentence and State of Condemnation There is the Sentence of Condemnation and the State of Condemnation the former actively considered refers to God and is his Act the latter refers to the Sinner and is consequential upon the former The Sentence hath been already opened the State of Condemnation is the Sinners undergoing of the utmost of Vindictive Justice in his eternal separation from God and enduring of everlasting torments in Hell of which you will hear more in what follows Neither of these do belong to them who are in Christ Jesus not the former they being now justified not the latter they being sure to be glorified I shall take in both yet mainly freedom from the State of Condemnation the Apostle I conceive had this chiefly in his eye when he here said There is now no Condemnation
of (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. Confer supra cap. 7.23 24. ubi utriusque Legis neinpe Legis Peccati Mortis mentio facta est Quare non videtur hic esse Figura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vorstius in Schol. Interpreters open it The Law of Sin is always attended with the Law of Death and freedome from the Law of Sin is always attended with freedome from the Law of Death the power and dominion of Death stands or falls by the power and dominion of Sin But what is this Law of Death * August contra Fortunat. Disput 2. Austine answers the Law of sin is Whoever sins shall dye the Law of Death is Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return * Lex mortis est mortuum perseverare mortuum est de morte non esse reditum ad vitam Cajes Cajetan makes it to be permanentia in morte the abiding or continuance in the state of Death So Believers are freed from it for though they may for a time be subjected under it yet it shad not always have power over them so as to hold them forever as the Word is used concerning Christ Acts 2.24 they shall arise and live again they are not under the Law i. e. the everlasting evercontinuing full power and strength of Death You have Ver. 10 11. the matter of this Explication If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you But to pass these by as the Law of Sin is the power of sin so the Law of Death is that power and right which it hath over Men by reason of sin for it hath its empire and dominion as well as sin Therefore as you read of the reigning of sin so also you read of the reigning of Death Rom. 5.14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it reigned as a King as the word imports Death is either Temporal or Eternal both of which carry that in them which may give them the Title or Denomination of a Law but regenerate persons upon the Law of the Spirit of Life are freed from both From the first not simply and absolutely but onely in a restrained sense viz. as 't is strictly a Curse or the fruit and product of that primitive Curse Gen. 2.17 From the second as it notes eternal condemnation for these two are all * Ut sibi respondeant Mors damnatio Estius one they are absolutely freed This Death they being in Christ and by the sanctifying Spirit delivered from the Law of sin hath no power or authority over them I say no authority for 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 20.6 on such the second death hath no power This is the First General in the Words that Gracious Deliverance from the Law of Sin and Death which they hold forth Second General The Second is the Subject of this deliverance This the Apostle puts down in his own Person The Law of the Spirit c. hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Here is Enallage Personae the change of the Person 't was them in the foregoing Verse 't is me in this I have already observed and I would now more fully open it that our apostle throughout this whole Chapter wherein he mainly treats of the Saints Priviledges speaks altogether in the Plural Number excepting onely this one Verse 'T is true where he is speaking of some high act of Grace as performed by himself there he purs it in the Singular Number as Ver. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And so too where he is speaking of some high Assurance a thing not so common there also he expresses it in the Singular Number as Ver. 38. For I am persunded that neither c. But wherever the great and fundamental priviledges of Believers are before him there he always expresses himself in the Plural Number then 't is us altogether And 't is observable that oven where he speaks of himself as to some special act or enjoyment yet even there as to the main Priviledge he takes in all the people of God You may see this made good in the two fore-mentioned places 't is I reckon but 't is the glory that shall be revealed in us and 't is I am persuaded but 't is shall separate us from the love of God Well! here he puts in himself as the Subject of the Priviledge but 't is not to exclade or shut out Others onely he propounds himself as one great Instance of freedome from the Law of sin by the Law of the Spirit here is application and appropriation as to himself but no impropriation or exclusion with respect to Others He that had so much of Faith and Experience as to be able to apply this to himself had withall so much of Knowledge and Wisdom as to know that it was with Others yea with all regenerate persons just as it was with himself And therefore 't is in the * Observandum est in causâ Gratiae nullum esse inter Apostolum quemvis Christianum duntaxat verum discrimen Non est quod dicamus Paulus suit Apostolus nos non item ex eo quod sibi contigit per gratiam Christi probat hoc quod tribuit omnibus Christianis Muscul Continet Argumentum á Testimonio viz. experientia Apostoli ita fimul Argumentum á Pari quod enim Apostolus in se expertus fuerat id pari ratione omnes credentes in se experiuntur nempe operationem illam Spiritus Sancti regenerantis Piseas Non ego solus sed omnes quotquot in Jesu Christo sunt c. Zuingl Me fidelem quemvis Gomar i. e. quemvis verè Chriftianum Grot. Pronomen me demonstrat ipsum in Christo ambulantem c. personam fiquidem talium induit Cajes In corum personâ de se Apostolus loquitur haec verba Estius Soto will be sure to extend it far though for be glosses upon it Me i. e. Gonus humanum persons of all these that he here thus speaks and this me is inclusive not exclusive every Child of God in the world may say as here Paul doth the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and indeed every Believer should be so well acquainted with the workings of the Spirit of God upon his own heart as to be able to apply this to himself But why doth Paul here particularize himself and speak thus in the Singular Number in this place rather than in Others I ansiver 1. Because he looked upon himself
Spiritus serviunt Orig. Origen makes it to be the Law of God in general which saith he is also the Law of the Spirit (b) Lex Spiritus perinde sonat q. d. Legem Spiritualem juxa proprietatem sermonis Hebraici Erasm Erasmus opens it by the Spiritual Law (c) Est periphrasis Legis Gratiae quam Spiritus Sanctus renovator vivificator mentis humanae scribit in cordibus quae inhabitat Perer. Legem Spiritus vocat Gratiam Christi quâ Lex Dei per Spiritum Sanctum scribitur in cordibus nostris Estius Pererius and Estius by that grace of Christ or of the Spirit by which he writes the Law in the Heart (d) Lex Spiritus vitae i.e. certa indubitata in Christum fides c. Per Antithesin Legi peceati fidem in Deum per Christum Legem appellat abutens vocabulo Legis Zuinglius Zuinglius by the grace of Faith several such Glosses are put upon it which I shall not further make recital of That explication which I have laid down is most (e) Cum Puulus utitur Voce Legis loquitur Metaphoricè nam per Legem intelligit Vim efficaciam Pet. Martyr Lex Spiritus Metaphorioè vis quasi imperans dominans Gomor usual and common and so to be brief all comes to this The Spirit of Life is the Holy Spirit of God which is a living Spirit in himself and which also as a regenerating Spirit works the divine and spiritual Life in the Soul and The Law of the Spirit of life is the power and commanding efficacy of the Sanctifying Spirit in his gracious operations upon the Hearts of such and such persons by which they are made free from the Law of Sin and Death that is from the absolute domination tyranny and full power of Sin and Death Before I go off from this One thing must be added viz. that though Law be here joyned with the Spirit of life yet 't is to be taken not as ultimately referring to the life but rather to that which follows hath made me free from the Law of sin c. I mean this Great is that power which the Spirit puts forth in renewing and thereby quick'ning the Soul yet his power as terminating in that effect is not here mainly intended but 't is the power of the Spirit terminating in the deliverance of the Sinner from Sins dominion which is here intended that I say is the proper terminus of the Spirits power in this place and whatever power the Spirit puts forth in the life or Regeneration that is here mentioned but as the way or medium of the Spirit in his making free from the Law of Sin and Death This Interpretation of the Words I judge most agreeable to the Apostles Scope in them and therefore I shall handle them according to it and then the Connexion will lie thus There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus c. because by the mighty power of the regenerating and enlivening Spirit Such are freed from the command and rule of Sin so that it doth not reign over them as formerly it did and they being thus freed from the power of Sin consequently they are also freed from the power of Death especially of eternal Death so that most certainly there is no Condemnation to them But now against the truth of what is here asserted a Question or Objection may be raised How doth Paul here say that he was made free from the Law of sin when in the preceding Chapter he had so much complained of it you have him there bewailing it over and over therefore how is that consistent with what he here lays down I will not at present stay to answer this Objection but in the handling of one of the Observations it shall be answered What is it which is in Christ Jesus Upon the review of the Words I find one thing in them which as yet hath scarce been touch'd upon that therefore must be a little opened and then I shall have done with the Explication of them 'T is here said the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus now it may be ask'd what doth this in Christ Jesus refer to or what is that in special which is in Christ Jesus is it the Life or the Spirit or the Law of the Spirit for all of these go before I answer Each and all of them in different respects may be said to be in Christ Jesus but I conceive 't is spoken chiefly with respect to the Spirit it self 1. The Life wrought in the Soul at and by regeneration that is in Christ Jesus partly as he by the Spirit doth work that Life and partly as he preserves and keeps up that Life when it is wrought The spiritual life here as well as the eternal life hereafter is in Christ that of the Apostle though it be spoken of the latter yet is applicable to both 1 Joh. 5.11 And this life is in his Son Beza with * Lex Spiritus Vitae est vis Spiritus quae vitam eam inspirat quae est in Christo quaeque vivitur ejus Spiritu Bucer Illius inquam Spiritus qui ad vitam aeternam ducit quam Christus daturus est Grot. Others some of whom do a little differ in their notion of the life it self carries it in this reference according to his explication of the Spirit of life and to make the thing more express he would have an Article inserted and added to the Words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Spirit is in Christ Jesus And it may be said to be so upon a fourfold account 1. As it was at first poured out upon him in his Humane Nature and doth yet reside in him in a very high and eminent manner For God gave not the Spirit by measure to him as he doth to us Joh. 3.34 he was full of the Holy Ghost Luk. 4.1 anointed with the Holy Ghost Acts 10.38 't was prophesied of him that the Spirit of the Lord should rest upon him Isa 11.2 Christ as man hath the special residence of the Spirit in him and the special communication of the Spirit to him 't is in all the Saints but eminently 't is in Christ Jesus 2. 'T is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus not onely in respect of the great acts and operations of this Spirit in and upon Christ himself but also in respect of the Order of the Spirit in its operations for it (a) See of this Dr. Sibbs in The Spiritual Jubille p. 36 c. first wrought in and upon Christ in the sanctifying of his Humane Nature in the fitting of him for his Sufferings in the supporting of him under his Sufferings c. and then subsequently it works in and upon Believers according to their capacity 3. The Spirit may be said to be in Christ Jesus as he doth convey and give this Spirit where he pleases Then the in Christ
God hath no love there the Sinner must dye eternally You have in the Text the Law of sin and the Law of death coupled together ô what a dangerous thing is the Law of sin where Sin hath its full power over the creature to make him wicked Death upon this will have its full power also to make him miserable So Rom. 6.16 Know you not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righreousness V. 21. For the end of these things is death V. 23. the wages of sin is death And is it so who then would be Sins servant who would serve that master who pays no better wages than death you that are Servants would you enter into the service of One that would pay you such wages such a master sin is and such wages it doth pay ô therefore quit its service be wise for your Souls be sensible of the danger of continuing under the Law of sin otherwise this Law of sin will soon be turned into the Law of death And indeed it is this which ends in death 't is not barely sin which condemns but 't is the Law of sin which condemns when it hath the Supream and Soveraign commanding power in the Soul and reigns there as Lord paramount then 't is killing and damning And now Sirs may not that which hath been spoken be sufficient to convince you of the evil of that bondage that miserable hereditary bondage which you all lie under so long as you are in the natural and unregenerate state and will you not be prevailed with to endeavour speedily to get out of it by the Law of the Spirit to be made free from the Law of Sin You may be freed from this bondage if you will Christ is come as for other ends so for this to give liberty to the captives and to open the prison to them who are bound Isa 61.1 to knock off Sinners bolts and chains and to make them free indeed Joh. 8.36 in his name I do this day tender freedom to you and deliverance from Sins vassalage will you not accept of it And here 's the Law of the Spirit too to make you free from the Law of Sin why then shall not this be done Will you still like Sins yoke I assure you Christ's is not so easie but Sins is as uneafie will you have its dominion yet kept up in you are you loath to part with your old Master then your ears must be boared for Sin and Sathan * Exod. 21.5 6. as the Servant under the Law was to be served who might have been set at liberty from his Master but he had no mind to it If it be thus I can say nothing more onely pray that the Lord will convince you what the reign and power of Sin is what a miserable bondage attends it that you may with the greatest earnestness press after Conversion and the Law of the Spirit of Life in order to freedom from it So much for the First Branch of this Vse of Information 2. Branch of Information concerning the Necessity c. of restraining and renewing Grace Secondly it informs us further of the Necessity Power and Efficacy of restraining and renewing Grace I 'le speak to them apart 1. For restraining Grace By which I mean that grace whereby God keeps in mens corruptions and sets bounds and limits to them in Sin so as not to suffer them to be as vile and wicked as otherwise they would be That such a thing is done by God all grant he that bounds the Sea that it doth not break forth and overflow all 't is most elegantly set out Job 38.8 10 11. Who shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors And said hitherto shalt-thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed as also Jer. 5.22 which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it I say he that thus bounds the Sea that unruly body doth also bound the wickedness of mans heart a far more unruly thing than the Sea it self this God keeps in or lets out as seems good unto him You see it in the case of Abimilech whose Lust did strongly work in him towards Sarah but saith God Gen. 20.6 I withheld thee from sinning against me therefore I suffered thee not to touch her the like you have in several other instances Now this Law of Sin proves both the necessity and also the mighty power and efficacy of this restraining Grace for the making out of which be pleased to take notice of the following Particulars 1. That the most of men are under the Law of Sin All are born under it and the most continue under it for the most are in the state of Nature and in that state the Law of Sin carries it Here and there you have a Soul brought in to God converted savingly wrought upon * Jer. 3.14 one of a city and two of a family but the generality of men are strangers to this work and therefore they are under the full power and dominion of a cursed nature It being so how necessary is restraining grace for the less there is of regenerating grace the more need there is of restraining grace 2. Men naturally being under this Law it doth vehemently and impetuously put them upon sin for herein lies its being a Law and a Principle as you have heard The depraved Nature doth not barely dispose men to sin or faintly persuade them to sin but it doth powerfully and efficaciously incline urge impell nay necessitate them to sin they cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 3. It is not this or that sin which this Law urges men to but if it be left to it self it urges to every sin yea to the very worst of sins This indwelling sin contains all sin in it the corrupt Nature is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Seminary or Seed-plot of all wickedness in that one sinful habit all sinful acts do lie seminally and radically and Sin where it is a Law is for all Sin it will excite instigate provoke not onely to lesser evils such as the world puts a fairer interpretation upon but also to those which are most enormous hideous and horrid as Atheism Blasphemy Murther Theft Adultery c. 4. This Law of Sin hath great advantages in and over men for 't is a Law that is in them an innate ingenit inbred Law 't is written and engraven in their very nature Sin is now connatural to them yea 't is as natural in some respects for apostatized man to sin as 't is for the fire to burn
who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Titus 3.3 4 5. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish c. but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost he lays it upon the kindness and love of God which indeed are admirable in the freeing of a Soul from the Law of Sin by the regenerating Spirit this kindness of God should draw out the thankefulness of every gracious heart So much for this Vse of Counsel VSE 4. Comfort to regenerate persons upon their being made free from the Law of Sin A word in the fourth place for Comfort I would have every truly gracious person upon this Truth to be even filled with joy what glad tidings doth it bring to thee whoever thou art upon whom regenerating Grace hath taken hold it tells thee thou art made free from the Law of Sin Sin may and doth trouble thee but it doth not rule thee it lorded it over thee too long but now its dominion is gone from the very first moment of thy Conversion thou hast been made free believe it and take the comfort of it What think you had not Paul great joy in himself when he uttered these words the Law of the Spirit c. thou maist say the same concerning thy self the new birth having pass'd upon thee why therefore shouldst not thou be brimful of joy also This is so great a thing that the sense and comfort of it should revive and cheer thy Spirit under all outward evils the Laws of Men possibly may be somewhat heavy upon thee thou maist groan under such and such external pressures there may be much of bondage in thy outward condition but the Law of Sin is abolish'd thy Soul is made free the spiritual bondage is taken off is not this well very well Under the Law how were the poor Servants overjoy'd when the year of Jubilee came which gave them a release from all their servitude ô Christian thou hast liv'd to see a glorious Jubilee wilt not thou rejoyce So also when oppressed Subjects are freed from cruel Vsurpers 't is a time of great rejoycing mens joy then runs over and will be kept in no bounds or limits what a full tide of joy should be in their Souls whom God hath graciously delivered from Sins tyranny and usurpation ' True Sin never had any right to rule yet de facto rule it did therefore triumph over it as though its authority had been just as the * Hoc illi in malis suis indulgente fortunâ ut de eo populus Romanus quasi de vero Rege triumpharet Florus lib. 2. cap. 14. people of Rome once did with a mean person That Sin which once had you under is now brought under it self and 't is subdued therefore cannot much hurt you Adonibezek himself when in chains Bajazet when in an Iron Cage the fiercest Enemies when broken in their power cannot do much mischief God be blessed so 't is with Sin and therefore as to the main state fear it not I know you lie under many discouragements you feel such cursed inclinations to evil Sin doth so often prevail over you repeated back-slidings afflict you greatly your corruptions daily pursue you c. Well! I would have you to be very sensible of these things and mourn over them but yet know the reigning commanding power of Sin is gone notwithstanding all these yet 't is not the Law of Sin How much good may an unregenerate person do and yet Sin reign in him and how much evil may a regenerate person do and yet Sin not reign in him Under the Law every scab did not make one a Leper neither doth every prevalency of Sin make one a slave to it The Spirit of Life hath freed you from its dominion that being duely stated and that too in such a manner as that you shall never again be brought under it Sin shall not have dominion over you c. Rom. 6.14 Is all this nothing or but little in your thoughts is not here sufficient matter of great joy ô know what God hath done for you and make the best of it Being freed from the Law of Sin you are freed from Guilt Wrath Hell eternal condemnation for the Apostle having said there 's no condemnation c. he proves his assertion by this for the Law of the Spirit of Life c. And where 't is not the Law of Sin there 't is not the Law of Death these two Laws are link'd and fast'ned each to the other therefore he that is delivered from the one is delivered from the other also Believers there is but one thing remaining to be done for you which in due time shall most certainly be done too and that is to free you from the very being of Sin and from all those remainders of power which yet it hath in you do but wait and a little time will put an end to these also be of good comfort Sin is dying and weakening and wearing out every day shortly 't will dye indeed so as never to molest you more As you are justified its guilt is gone as you are sanctified its power is gone it will not be long before you will be glorified and then it s very being shall be gone too here in Grace Pharaoh's yoke is broken but above in Glory Sin shall be like Pharaoh drowned in the bottom of the Sea ô let every regenerate Soul greatly rejoice in these things So much for the Second Observation ROM 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death CHAP. VII Of the power of the Holy Spirit in the making of persons free from the Law of Sin The Third Observation viz. that 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees the Regenerate from the Law of Sin How this is brought about by the Spirit by the Spirit of Life by the Law of the Spirit c. what this imports Of the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the Spirits power for and in the production of this Effect The particular ways and methods of the Spirit in it opened Of its workings at the first Conversion Of its subsequent regency in the renewed Soul Vse 1. Of the greatness and glory of the Spirit his Godhead inferr'd from hence Vse 2. To show the true and proper Cause of freedome from the Law of Sin where men are exhorted 1. To apply themselves to the Spirit for this freedome 2. In case it be wrought in them to ascribe and attribute the glory of it only to the Spirit Saints exhorted 1. To love and honour the Spirit 2. To live continually under the Law of it 3. To set Law against Law The third Observation handled
the Spirit He 's the great agent in your Regeneration deliverance from Sins Soveraignty illumination conviction turning to God believing mortification c. from him your light life strength liberty joy peace do all proceed why do you not more love and honour the Spirit O love the Son for what hath been done without but love the Spirit also for what he hath done within the whole management of Soul-work within in order to salvation now lies upon the hands of the Spirit let him be adored and honoured by all Saints 2 To live under the Law of the Spirit As you have found the Law of the Spirit in your first Conversion so you should live under the Law of the Spirit in your whole Conversation There is the power of the Spirit at the first saving work that is here spoken of and there is in what sense you have heard the continuation of it in the whole life now this you are to labour after I mean two things 1. you are to live under the constant influences 2. under the constant government and rule of the Spirit Blessed is the man that hath it always working in him and ruling of him what a life doth he live who ever lives under the Spirits authoritative guidance Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts c. I and let the Spirit of peace rule in your hearts 'T is a great motive to men to come under the rule of Christ to consider that where he rules there he saves and 't is also a great motive to sanctified persons to live under the rule of the Spirit to consider where he rules there he comforts his governing and his comforting go together he that is acted by the Spirits command and yields up himself to the Spirits guidance shall neither want peace here nor come short of Heaven hereafter 3 To set Law against Law Set Law against Law the Law of the Spirit against the Law of Sin You yet find too much of this latter Law and it goes to the heart of you that Sin should yet have so great a power over you well what have you to do in this case why set Law against Law power against power the power of the Spirit against the power of Sin this should humble you that should support you That power which could baffle Sin when in its full strength can it not subdue it in the remainders thereof that power which could bring you in to God in spite of all opposition is it not sufficient to keep you now you are brought in to God 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation that very power is put forth for your establishment now which was put forth for your Conversion at the first ô fear not the Law of Sin against you so long as the Law of the Spirit is for you When you are beset and enemies press hard upon you see that you improve both for duty and comfort this power of Gods own Spirit Thus I have finish'd the three Observations which take in the summe of this Verse Rom. 8.2 Reader the Contents of this Chapter were insisted upon only in the close of a Sermon I having under the former Head the Law of Sin exceeded the bounds allowed by the Press cannot upon this Head the Law of Death make any considerable enlargement From the Law of Sin and Death CHAP. VIII Of the Law of Death The connexion 'twixt Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death Regenerate persons are made free from this Law that opened with respect to Death temporal and Death eternal Vse 1. Men persuaded to believe that Sin and Death go together dehorted from thence not to sin Vse 2. Of the happiness of Gods people Of the Law of Death THe Apostle here sets a twofold Law before us the Law of Sin and the Law of Death the former I have been large upon the latter I must dispatch in a few words And Death The word Law is not repeated but according to that interpretation which some put upon the Words 't is to be * Ut Lex ad utrumque ex aequo referatur Erasm Of the twofold Sense of the Words repeated 't is the Law of Sin and 't is the Law of Death too as if the Apostle had said The Law c. hath made me free both from the Law of Sin and also from the Law of Death In the * See pag. 152. opening of them I told you there is a twofold Sense given of them 1. Some tell us there is in them the Figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein one thing is set forth by two words therefore they render this and Death as being onely an Adjective or Epethite of Sin thus the Law c. from the Law of Sin and Death that is from deadly Sin or from the Law of Sin which is of a deadly nature 2. Others take the word substantivè making the Law of Death to be a Law by it self as well as the Law of Sin as if this Death was not to be melted into Sin and the deliverance from it into the deliverance from Sin but that they are distinct things and point to distinct deliverances Now both of these Senses are very true and good and indeed I know not which to prefer From the First The Matter contained in them one single point offers it self to us viz. That Sin is a deadly thing From the Second these three which mutatis mutandis perfectly answer to the three former under the Law of Sin 1. That men by Nature and before Regeneration are under the Law of Death 2. That upon Regeneration or such as are Regenerate are made free from the Law of Death 3. That 't is the Law of the Spirit of Life which frees from the Law of Death The due handling of these Heads would take up a great deal of time but I having already staid too long upon this Verse and upon some other Considerations I am necessitated to contract and therefore for the better shortning of the work I must pitch upon another method wherein I may draw all into a narrow compass Three things abserv'd in the Words That Sin and Death go together Three things onely shall be observ'd 1. That Sin and Death go hand in hand together There 's an inseperable connexion or conjunction betwixt them they come here in the Text very near each to the other there 's but an and betwixt them and that too is copulative the Law of Sin and Death And well might the Apostle put them together when God himself in the methods of his Justice and in the threatning of his Law hath so put them together and surely what he hath so joyn'd no man can put asunder When Sin came into the world Death came along with it the one trod upon the heels of the other if man will sin he shall
the death of this Death or that wherein it mainly consists hence though it doth not carry in it any annihilation yea though it be attended with a kind of Life both Soul and Body retaining their physical being existence and union yet 't is called Death because there is in it a separation from the fountain of true Life and of all blessedness upon which account 't is not only Death but the worst Death and this too is the worst part of this worst Death for though there be more included in it than the loss of Gods presence viz. the punnishment of sense eternal torment in Hell-fire yet it might easily be prov'd that herein lies its greatest evil the Mat. 25.41 departing from God is worse than the going into everlasting fire But to apply this distinction to the business in hand How Believers are made free from the Law of temporal death 1. The Law of the Spirit of Life frees the Regenerate from death temporal Not simply and absolutely from death considered abstractly and in it-self for so all must dye Believers themselves are within the compass of the general Statute Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave but it frees from death as so qualified and so circumstantiated in the language of the Text it frees from the Law of Death How 's that why take a gracious man Death hath not a full right or an absolute power over him so as to keep him under its dominion forever for so I show'd you some open this Law of Death Such an one may dye but he shall live again the grave shall not always hold him he may be thrown into prison for a time but Christ will fetch him out and then death shall never again exercise its power over him after he hath died once he shall dye no more as 't is said of Christ Rom. 6.9 Again Grace frees from the Law of this Death that is from the hurtfulness sting and curse of it Death carries much of a curse in it 't is the result and fruit of the primitive * Gen. 2.17 curse now in this notion sanctified persons are freed from it The nature and property of death is altered to a godly man to him 't is now but the paying of that debt or tribute which is due to Nature but a (a) 1. Thes 4.14 sleep but a (b) Job 14.14 change but a (c) Luk. 2.29 departure or going out of prison but a (d) If. 57.2 going to bed but an (e) 2 Cor. 5.4 uncloathing but a passage into an endless and everlasting life an inlet into the immediate fruition of God O set but sense aside what an harmless innocent thing is this death to such a person the Lion being slain by Christ there 's hony now in the belly of it I allude to that of Sampson Judg. 14.8 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which give thus the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Christ by death hath overcome death unstung it and taken off its hurtful quality by dying himself he hath expiated Sin vanquished Satan atoned God satisfied the Law secured from Hell purchased eternal life and these things being done where is now the Law of Death Heb 2.14 15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of dâ—ath were all their life time subject to bondage How from the Law of eternal death 2. There is that death which is much worse than this viz. eternal death that which indeed is the death incomparably surpassing any other as no life like to eternal life so no death like to eternal death To have the Body separated for a while from the Soul is a thing to Nature very dreadful but what is that to the separation both of Body and Soul from God forever This is sometimes set forth by Death without the addition of any Epethite as Joh. 8.51 If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Rom. 6.23 8.6 passim Sometimes by the second death and 't is so stiled because it succeeds upon and doth not commence till after the first death Rev. 2.11 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev 20.6 21.4 This is that death which the * Sicut is qui liberatur a Lege Spiritus vitae permanet in Christo qui est vita ita qui servit Lege peccati permanet in morte quae venit ex damnatione peccati Orig. unconverted and impenitent are obnoxious unto but such as turn to God by true repentance and live and holy life they are freed from it And this deliverance is absolute the former was but in such a qualified sense but this I say is absolute Even such may and shall dye the first death but they shall never dye this second death Rom. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power You read of the abolishing of this death by Christ 2 Tim. 1.10 eternal death is quite abolished to all regenerate persons But this very much falls in with the No-condemnation in the foregoing Verse of which having there said enough I 'le add nothing more VSE 1. Men exhorted to live in the belief of this that 't is Sin and Death By way of Vse 1. I would exhort you all to live in the steady belief of this and often to revive it upon your thoughts that 't is Sin and Death Especially when at any time Satan and your own hearts sollicit and tempt you to sin be sure then you think of this so as to retort it upon the temptation speedily what shall I sin and dye shall I for the pleasures delights satisfaction of sin which are but * Heb. 11.25 for a season expose my self to death yea to eternal death no that I dare not that I must not do 'T is good to break the force of a temptation by such reasonings as these for though 't is true the great restraints from sin should be taken from the love of God the fear of offending God c. yet it 's good and God allows it to take in the advantage of self-love too and the fear of self-destroying Surely if men did indeed believe or did nor strangely smother and suppress all serious convictions about this that 't is sin and death they durst not sin as they do Where 's the man let him be never so thirsty or let the draught be never so alluring that would venture upon it should he
be told there 's poyson in it and that if he drinks it he 's a dead man ô the stupendious folly nay madness of men we tell them from Gods own mouth there 's death at the bottom of sinful practises and yet because these suit with and please their sensual part they will venture upon them The fear of temporal death to be inflicted by the Magistrate keeps off many from those enormous acts which otherwise they would commit they dare not thus and thus transgress the Law by stealing killing c. though they have a good mind to it why because they know if they so do they must dye Ah Sinner God backs his Laws with the penalty of eternal death to which thou makest thy self liable by the violation of them and yet wilt thou dare to do it shall the fear of this not at all restrain thee from what is evil Here 's the Devils cunning in his temptations he presents the bait but hides the hook he tempts from and by the pleasure delight contentment that is in sin but conceals the death that will follow upon it nay he doth not onely conceal the evil threatned but either in thesi or in hypothesi he flatly denies it This lying Spirit will tell the Sinner he may sin without danger what dye for it no there 's no such thing thou shalt not dye Thus he began in his first assault upon our first Parents Gen. 3.4 And the serpent said to the woman ye shall not surely dye and thus he doth with Sinners to this very day He always sharpens his temptations by blunting the edge of the Laws threatning assuring the poor besotted Creature that he may sin and yet not dye Now I beseech you do not hearken to him or believe him for he is what he always was a lyar and so a murderer Joh. 8.44 Let the temptation be never so inviting and alluring yet 'pray consider * 2 Kings 4.40 death is in the pot and therefore there is no meddling with it let the enticements of Sin be never so specious and plausible yet know nothing less than eternal death will inevitably follow upon it and doth not the evil of that infinitely weigh down all the good which Sin promises Sin is the falsest thing in all the world its promises are very fair but its performances are quite contrary it pretends to this and that which takes with the Sinner exceedingly but the very upshot and end of all is everlasting destruction Suppose it be as good as its word as to some temporal concerns yet alas its good is soon over and gone but its bad abides forever the pleasant taste of its hony in the mouth is but short but its gall lies fretting in the bowels to all eternity now what madness is it for a man for a few minutes delight to run himself into everlasting and endless torments 'T is one of the saddest things that is imaginable that men do and cannot but know that 't is Sin and Death and yet in a stâ—â—nge defiance of God and in a bold contemning of all that he threatens yea even of eternal death it self they will venture upon Sin Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them But surely did they but know and consider what this death is they would not carry it thus I cannot now enter upon any particular description of it onely let me tell them what there is in it the absence of all good the presence of all evil is not this enough that in short 't is the summary and abridgment of all that misery which the Humane Nature is capable of and should not such a thing make a poor Creature tremble As to this death the Sinner would fain dye but cannot he must live though he be dead even whilst he lives at the * Mors prima pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 3. first death the Body and Soul are loth to part but in the second death they would fain part if they might but the just God will keep them together that as they sinn'd together so they shall suffer together What a sad meeting will there be 'twixt these two at the general Resurrection when they shall be reunited onely in order to their being eternally miserable Now do not Sinners tremble at this do they not dread that which will bring all this upon them if not what can we further say or do As to you dearly Beloved I hope you are not given up to a reprobate mind to this desperate hardness of heart to make nothing of dying eternally 'pray therefore * Psal 4.4 stand in awe and sin not do not dare to live in that for which you must dye and perish forever let Sin dye that you may never dye for it must be either its death or yours If you live sin you love death and is death a thing to be lov'd Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love death Methinks that 's a very sad description of the carriage of the poor amorous Wanton under the enchantments of the whorish Woman Prov. 7.21 22 23. With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him He goeth after her straightway as an oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks Till a dart strike thorow his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Sirs will you carry it thus under Sins enchantments not considering that it aims at your life and exposes you to eternal death A fool sees but a little way but a wise man looks to the issues and consequences of things you know what I mean Simply to dye is not so much but to dye eternally ô that 's a formidable thing as you would shun that shun sin for itâ— house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of death Proverbs 7.27 VSE 2. Comfort to all Regenerate Persons 2. Let the people of God see their happiness and take the comfort of it You that by the power of the regenerating Spirit are made free from the Law of Sin know that upon this you are also made free from the Law of death ô precious and admirable mercy what a cordial is this to revive you under all your faintings As to temporal death you are not wholly exempted from it that 's common to you as well as to others yet 't is a quite other thing to you than what it is to others ô whenever it shall come bid it welcome and do not * Non est formidandum quod liberat nos ab omni formidando Tertull. Ejus est mortem timere qui ad Christum nollet
ire Cypr. fear it For to you 't will come without a sting and you know the Serpent that hath lost its sting may hiss but cannot hurt 't is in it self an enemy and the * 1 Cor. 15.26 last enemy but to you 't is an harmless because a conquer'd enemy it may seem to threaten the greatest evil but in truth it shall do you the greatest good But here lies your main happiness you are wholly exempted from eternal death the second death you shall dye but once and then live with God forever 'T is this second death that makes the first to be so formidable for a man to dye that he may live that 's not at all dreadful but to dye here in order to a worser death hereafter there 's the thing which is only dreadful When death is but an inlet to eternal life a departure to be * Phill. 1.23 with Christ when there 's no condemnation to follow after it you may and you should meet it with joy and holy triumph And know that to you it shall not be bare freedome from eternal death but it shall also be the possession of eternal life there 's very much in the privative part of the mercy but when the positive part too is joined with it how high doth it rise ô admire and adore the Grace of God! The least of your sins deserves death the best of your duties doth not deserve life and yet you are freed from that which you so much deserve and shall be put into the possession of that which you so little deserve here 's the riches of the grace of God towards you Sin and Death are the two * Peccatum mors sunt duae partes adaequatae humanae miseriae nam in culpâ poenâ tota miseria hominis consistit Streso comprehensive evils all evil is summ'd up in and under them but you are freed from both what reason have you to rejoice and to admire the Lords boundless goodness ô the damned in hell who are under this death and feel it what would they give to be freed from it You through the merit of Christ and the power of the Spirit are made free from it therefore you should first be very thankeful and then very chearful What great things hath the gracious God done for you he hath delivered you from the Rule of sin whilst you live from the hurt of death when you dye have not you abundant cause of blessing and rejoicing 'T will not be long before this Death will look you in the face and lay its cold hands upon you 't is every minute making its nearer approaches to you by every breath you draw it gets ground upon you well be not troubled at this you know the worst on 't 't is death but not damnation 't is the parting of the Soul from the Body but no parting of the Soul from God 't is but dying temporally that you may live eternally how great is your happiness proportionable to which how great should your thankefulness and holy joy be So much for this Verse ROM 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit CHAP. IX Of the Laws inability to justify save High and glorious Matter contained in these two Verses Of their Coherence with what went before The difference amongst Expositors about that The General sense and meaning of the Words The various Readings and Explications of them They are divided into Five Parts There 's a Complication in them of the several Causes of the Sinners Justification and Salvation The First Branch of the Text insisted upon What the Law c. Four things observed in it Of its Literal Exposition What is here meant by Law What that was which the Law could not do How 't is said to be weak What the Flesh is by which 't is weakened The whole matter drawn into one Observation Of the Special matter of the Laws impotency as it refers to Justification and Salvation Three Grounds or Demonstrations of its impotency 1. It requires more than what the fal'n Creature can perform 2. It doth not give what the fal'n Creature needs 3. It cannot make reparation for what the fal'n Creature bath done Use 1. To humble us because we have a Nature in us by which Gods own Law is thus weakened where some thing is said against the Power of Nature Use 2. First To vindicate the Honor of the Law notwithstanding the Weakness charg'd upon it Secondly The Laws Obligation not to be cast off because of this Thirdly Nor yet is it to be look'd upon as altogether weak or useless Use 3. To take men off from expecting Righteousness and Life from and by the Law Use 4. To stir up Believers to adore the Love and Mercy of God in sending his Son when the Law was under an utter inability to justifie and save High and glorious things contained in these Verses OUr Apostle here Eagle-like soar's aloft and rises up in his discourse to the most sublime truths of the Gospel These two Verses set things before us so high and glorious as may fill Heaven and Earth Angels and Men with amazement and astonishment Here 's the whole Gospel sum'd up in a few words contracted and brought into a narrow compass here 's in one view Man undone and Man recover'd the depths of the Creatures misery and the heights of Gods Mercy in a short abridgement Here 's Gods sending his Son which surely was the greatest thing that ever he did it being the highest contrivance of his infinite Wisdom and the highest product of his infinite Love Here 's this Son sent in our flesh the first and the great Mystery of the Gospel for it comes in the front of the Gospel-Mysteries 1 Tim. 3.16 Here 's sin condemn'd and the Sinner acquitted the Law represented as impossible for us to keep yet fulfilled for us in a most strange and wonderful manner as Christ hath done and suffered that for us which we were utterly unable to do and suffer our selves O the * Eph. 3.18 bredths lengths depths heights of the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness of God! for all these several Attributes in what is here set forth do concur and shine forth in their greatest lustre Who can hear or read these two Verses with due consideration and not be in a divine transport and extasie for the truth is whatever is short of the most raised workings in the Soul is too low for the glorious things here spoken of The Coherence of them with what goes before We must first enquire into their Coherence or Connexion with what goes before They are a further proof or confirmation of the main Proposition laid down in the first
of which you reade Gen. 15.16 1. Thes 2.16 neither is it the compleating or perfecting of it as we commonly take the word in which respect Christ is said to be the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 and to finish what he had to do and suffer Joh. 17.4 19.30 but 't is as follows the making an end of sin such a finishing as is destructive not perfective by Christ's Sacrifice sin was destroy'd he thereby made an end of it or seal'd it up as the word signifies so as that it should never be seen or come forth again to the hurt of God's people Again 't is set forth by the putting away of sin Heb. 9.26 but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself the word is rendred by disannulling Heb. 7.18 by making void or abrogating Mark 7.9 set it as high as you will the virtue and efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice will reach it by the oblation of himself he hath quite disannull'd or abrogated and put away the guilt of sin Put all together here 's purging cleansing washing taking away putting away finishing making an end of sin all of which are the same with the condemning of sin in the Text do not all prove the real expiation of the Sin of Believers as the result and issue of the Sacrifice of Christ I having in what goes before said enough for the opening of the true notion of our Saviours expiating of sin under the present Head I have but two things further to speak unto the one referring to the nature of the act the other to the extent of the act Of the nature of the expiation of Sin by Christ 1. As to the nature of the act know that Christ hath so expiated sins guilt as that it shall never be imputed to the believing Sinner in order to the inflicting of eternal punishment upon him this must be rightly apprehended or else we shall run our selves upon great mistakes When you read of the expiating condemning taking away of sin and so on in the other expressions named but now you are not only to understand them as pointing to the removal of sins guilt in their proper and primary intention but also as holding forth no more about that removal of guilt than the non-imputation thereof to punishment Christ indeed by the Sacrifice of himself hath done all that which I am speaking of but how not but that believers have yet guilt upon them that that guilt as consider'd in it self makes them lyable to the penalty threatned that the formal intrinsick nature of guilt viz. obligation to punishment doth yet remain and is the same in them which it is in others all therefore which it amounts unto is only this that this guilt shall not be charged upon such or imputed to them for eternal condemnation Sin is Sin in the godly as well as in the ungodly thereupon there 's guilt on them as well as on the other upon this guilt they are equally obnoxious to the Laws sentence but now here comes in the expiation by the Obedience Death Satisfaction of Christ by which things are brought to this happy issue that though this be so yet these persons shall be exempted from wrath and Hell and the punishment deserved shall not be inflicted Thus far we may safely go but beyond this we cannot we may for the encouraging of Faith the heightning of Comfort set this Sin-expiatory act of Christ very high but we must not set it so high as to assert Contradictions But these things will be more fully stated when I shall come to the handling of the main Doctrine of Justification Of the extent of this act with respect to the Subject and Object 2. For the extent of the act that must be consider'd two wayes either as it respects the Subject for which this expiation was wrought or as it respects the Object the thing expiated 1. As to its extent in reference to the Subject And so Christ's expiatory Sacrifice reaches 1. both to Jew and Gentile not to the one or to the other exclusively but to both 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 2. To those who liv'd under the Law as well as to those who now live under the Gospel the former had the benefit of Christ's expiation of sin as well as the latter Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God where by Sins past you are to understand those that were committed under the first Testament before Christ's coming in flesh so the Apostle opens it Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Nay 3. there is a a sufficiency of virtue and merit in Christ's Sacrifice to expiate the sins of all men in the world Yet 4. in point of efficacy it extends no farther than to true believers others may receive some benefits by a dying Christ but this of the full and actual expiation of Sin belongs only to those who have saving faith wrought in them As this which I here assert is matter of Controversie I have no mind to engage in it as it is practically to be improv'd and enlarg'd upon so I shall speak to it in the Vse therefore at present I 'le say no more to it All Sins whatsoever expiated by Christ's Sacrifice 2. As to its extent in reference to the Object or the thing expiated it reaches to all and every sin Christ is such a Sin-offering as doth take off from those who believe in him all guilt whatsoever by his Sacrifice for sin he condemned sin that is all sins whatsoever 't is indefinitely express'd to be understood universally Take sin collectively in the whole heap or mass of it or take it distributively for this or that particular sin all is expiated and done away by Christ's blood the expiation is so full and compleat that there is not the guilt of any one sin little or great left unremov'd 1 Joh. 1.7 the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Whether the Jewish Sacrifices did expiate all Sins Whether the Levitical Sacrifices did thus universally expiate sin is a controverted point wherein the Socinians hold the Negative the Orthodox the Affirmative The * Socin de Servat p. 2. c. 11 12 18. former say those Sacrifices did free from the guilt of lesser sins such as were sins
death he might give a further proof or evidence thereof Besides if this was the main thing designed and effected thereby then in the remission of sin reconciliation with God c. we should owe as much to Christ's Miracles as to his Death than which nothing can be more repugnant to the whole tenour of the Word 2. This would take away the peculiarity or speciality of Christ's death For if there was nothing in it more than bearing witness to the truth or confirmation of the Gospel-doctrine then all the Apostles and Martyrs who ever died did the same in as much as they by dying bore witness also to the truth and confirmed the Gospel-Doctrine then as he saith to us * Matth. 5.47 What do ye more than others we may say the same to him What blessed Jesus dost thou more than others and would not this be a fine question Certainly the death of the Mediator and the death of the Martyr are two different things not only quoad gradum but quoad speciem but if it was as this sort of Men would have it there might be a gradual difference betwixt them but nothing more Must Christ's dying for us amount only to his dying as a Martyr for the truth here 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but where 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul laid down his life upon this account and yet saith he * 1 Cor. 1.13 Was Paul crucified for you 3. Nay thirdly if Christ had dy'd only upon this ground and for this end then several of the Martyrs had gone beyond him How readily and chearfully did many of them die how desirous were they of laying down their lives for the Gospel they did not fear death all their fear was that God would not so far honour them as to call them out to suffer it for his sake And when they came to die what abundance of inward peace and comfort had they how were their Souls brim-full of heavenly consolation they had as much thereof as ever heart could hold so much that all their outward torments were nothing to them But was it thus with Christ true he was very ready and willing to die yet there was a time when he pray'd again and again that the Cup might pass from him * Matth. 26.39 42 44. Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me and he had an innocent sinless fear of death for be was heard in what he feared Heb. 5.7 And had he such raptures and extasies of joy at his death as several of the Martyrs had O no! his Soul was * Matth. 26.38 exceeding sorrowful he was under bitter †Luk. 22.44 agonies and conflicts had great terrors in his Spirit c. Now had he dy'd only as they did meerly to have borne his testimony to the truth and for the confirmation of the Doctrine of the Gospel would it have been thus what Saints so full of joy and God's own Son so full of sorrow Saints in their sufferings to have such a mighty presence of God with them and God's own Son to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Surely there must be something special and extraordinary in his death above theirs and so there was for he had the guilt of all Believers upon him lay under the wrath of God bare the punishment due to Sinners was under the curse of the Law c. these were the sad ingredients in his death which put such a bitterness into it Had there been nothing more in it than bare Martyrdom or what is proper to that how would he have been said to be * Gal. 3.13 a curse for us what singular thing would there have been in his †Phil. 3.8 being obedient to death even the death of the Cross 2. Secondly 't is said Christ dy'd for this end that he might set before men an example of obedience patience submission to God's Will zeal and the like I answer that this was one end is very true but that this was the only end is very false Christ did not design his death to be only exemplary to us but that it should also be satisfactory to God he had in his eye the expiation of our sin as well as our imitation of his example Christ saith the Apostle also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 but was that all no Vers 24. who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree here was substitution in our stead susception of our guilt as well as the propounding of an example If Christ should further the happiness of Sinners only in this exemplary way what then would become of the Fathers and of all those who liv'd before he came and dy'd in the flesh who therefore could reap no benefit by his example And this would make the effects of his death to terminate wholly in us and not at all to reach to God whereas he is a Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 3. They say Christ dy'd for this end that by his death he might strengthen and encourage faith and thereby raise up men to the assurance of the remission of sin freedom from eternal death the possessing of eternal life c. Answ We grant that Faith receives eminent support and encouragement from this that it gives the highest satisfaction that is possible as to the certainty of Gospel-blessings yet this must not be look'd upon as the primary much less as the only end of Christ's death For 1. the blessing must be procur'd before there can be any assurance of it the thing must be suppos'd to be before persons can be sure of it now how was that brought about but by the death of Christ and if so then the only end thereof was not assurance but there must be another antecedent end viz. the purchasing or effecting of the thing which was to be the matter of that assurance And by that the Scripture mainly represents Christ's death Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins mark it 't was shed for the procuring of this great blessing not for the assuring persons of it 2. This assurance is as much if not more the effect of Christ's resurrection as of his death Indeed for him to die that contributes very much but 't is his dying and rising again that hath the greatest influence upon it 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by what by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead As to purchase and impetration we owe more to Christ's death than to his resurrection but as to assurance and subjective certainty we owe more to his resurrection than to his death therefore the Apostle brings this in with a rather Rom. 8.34 It is Christ
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. p. 97. PORPHYRY's Objections against Sacrifices in general viz. they would encourage men to be wicked All to labour after an interest in Christ's Sacrifice and in the benefits thereby procured 3. Thirdly I would excite you to labour after and to make sure of a personal interest in this great Sacrifice and in the benefits resulting from it For 't is a thing to be resented with the greatest sadness imaginable that where â—ere is such a Sacrifice so at first offered up to God and now so revealed to men that yet so many millions of Souls should perish and as to their spiritual and eternal state be little the better for it because they regard not as to themselves either the thing or the good that flows from it My Brethren I beseech you if you have any love for your Souls let it not be so with you but let it be your greatest care to secure an interest in this Sacrifice and to partake of the blessings procured by it be often considering and questioning with your selves here 's a Sacrifice for expiation and atonement but what 's this to us here 's a dying Christ but did he die for us shall we be ever the better for his death if this propitiatory oblation be not ours what will become of us Under the Law the Gentile-strangers were to offer Sacrifices as well as the born-Jews see Numb 15.14 15. Lev. 17.8 and amongst the Jews the poor as well as the rich with respect to which difference in mens outward condition God accordingly appointed different Sacrifices Lev. 14.21 but yet something or other both were to Sacrifice and in their offerings for the ransome of their Souls all were to give alike Exod. 30.15 The rich shall not give more the poor shall not give less than half a Shekel Now all this was to shadow out two things about Christ's Sacrifice 1. its equal extent to all men notwithstanding all national or civil differences be they Jews or Gentiles rich or poor 't is the same Christ to all if they believe for there is no difference Rom. 3.22 2. the equal obligation lying upon all men to look after make sure of and rest in this one and the same all-sufficient Sacrifice none in order to remission justification atonement eternal life need to carry more to God by Faith and Prayers and none must carry less Sirs let us all put in for a share in Christ's offering and in the benefits purchased thereby for if we should come short of that we are lost eternally Are not reconciliation with God the expiation of sin eternal redemption c. things most necessary and most desireable if so where can we hope to have them but in a sacrific'd Redeemer but in the imputation of the merit of his death and Sacrifice And I add do not only make sure of the thing objectively considered but labour also after the subjective assurance of it Oh when a Christian can say Christ dy'd for me * Gal. 2.20 gave himself for me his body was broken and his blood shed for me he took my guilt and bare my punishment how is he filled with †1 Pet. 1.8 joy unspeakable with | Phil. 4.7 peace that passes all understanding what a full-tyde of comfort is there in his Soul This is the receiving of the atonement as some open it and that is very sweet Rom. 5.11 And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement This is to be ey'd and only rely'd upon 4. In the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for sin and there let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd I say in the actings of Faith eye Christ as a Sacrifice for indeed this grace hath to do with him mainly and principally as dying and sacrific'd the Apostle speaks of Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 't is a bleeding crucified Saviour that is the great and most proper object of Faith true it takes in a whole Christ all of Christ his Nativity holy Life Resurrection Ascension Intercession c. but that which it primarily and chiefly fixes upon is his death and passion When a Soul is brought into Christ to close with him in the way of believing what of him is first in its eye in that act is it a Christ as ascending as sitting at the right hand of God as interceding no thus it beholds him for the after-encouragement and support of Faith but that which it first considers is a Christ as dying upon the Cross and so it layes hold upon him And no wonder that 't is so since all the great blessings of the Gospel do mainly flow from Christ's death they are assur'd and apply'd by his Resurrection Ascension and Intercession but they were procur'd and purchas'd by his death as the Scriptures abundantly shew Rom. 5.9 10. Eph. 1.7 et passim now tnat which hath the most causal and most immediate influence upon these that deserves to be first and most eyed by Faith Here 's the difference 'twixt Faith and Love this chiefly looks to the excellencies of Christ's Person but that to the merit and efficacy of his Sacrifice When the Apostle Gal. 2.20 had spoken so high of his Faith in the Son of God he tells you in what notion he did therein consider him by adding who loved me and gave himself for me The stung Israelite was to look upon the brazen Serpent as lifted up and so he was healed do you desire to find healing redemption salvation by Christ O look upon him as lifted up upon the Cross so all good shall come to you Further I say let all your hope and confidence be bottom'd here this is that firm rock which you must only build upon for pardon peace with God salvation for all Oh take heed of relying upon any thing besides this Sacrifice Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ he that glory 's or trusts in any thing besides that his glorying is vain The forlorn undone Sinner should be alwayes clasping and clinging about this Cross resting upon the merit of Christ thereon and upon that only for all that hope will be but dying hope which is not solely bottom'd upon a dying Saviour The * Quum sis ipse nocens moritur cur victima pro te Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem Heathens could not believe that ever the death of Sacrifices should do the guilty person good they look'd upon it as folly to hope for life by anothers death but blessed be God we see that which they did not we firmly believe and steadily hope for expiation and Salvation by Christ's one offering of himself and lay the sole stress of our Faith and happiness upon that which they counted folly But let us be sure we do not mistake here I mean let us indeed
These in short are the Arguments which incline yea command me to believe the high and strict imputation of Christ's active Obedience or fulfilling the Law But I have as yet done but half of my work the Objections which are made against what hath been asserted must be answered It hath been affirm'd that Christ's active as well as passive Obedience is imputed to Believers now that is objected against It hath been affirm'd also that the imputation of Christ's obedience is to be taken as hath been stated that too is objected against both therefore must be defended The Objectors do not all concur in their Opinions about these two Heads yet in their main Objections about them in a great measure they do wherefore I shall take them as they lie before me promiscuously and in common and so endeavour to answer them Obj. First 't is objected 1. Object that in the Scripture remission of sin justification reconciliation with God eternal life are wholly and solely ascribed to Christ's passive Obedience to his death on the Cross under which yet is included the whole humiliation and abasement of Christ The particular Scriptures cited for the proof of this have been already set down Answ They who are for the active Obedience as a part of Christ's humiliation Answ and as such do hold the imputation of it making it and the passive to be but one and the same Obedience only diversified in its acts all of which do yet meet and concur in his humiliation these I say are not at all concerned in this Argument And they who take them as distinct parts of his Obedience and as such hold the imputation of them are very little pinched by it for the answer is easie and obvious these great effects are attributed to Christ's death and blood not exclusively and solely as to justle out the influence of his holy life and active obedience but eminently only In his dying there was the highest piece the consummation of all his Obedience therefore the main stress is laid upon that the chiefest part being by an usual Synecdoche put for the whole but yet the obedience of his life is to be taken in in conjunction with the obedience of his death and so the Sinners happiness is compleated 'T is not only here said that God for sin condemned sin which refers to Christ's death but also that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us which refers to his life as we reade of our being justified by his blood and the like so we reade of his being made under the Law to redeem them who were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons and of his being the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Obj. If Christ's active Obedience be imputed 2. Object and in such a manner too so that in his obeying and fulfilling the Law Believers did obey and fulfil it thence it will follow that his passive Obedience his Death it-self was in vain and needless for this being so the Saints must be perfectly righteous as having done what the Law required and so there would be no need of Christ's Suffering or Satisfaction for that supposes guilt and the non-performance of the Law Answ This Objection is very considerable yet I conceive the Consequence is not so pressing Answ the reason is because though upon the imputation of Christ's active Obedience one part of the Law is satisfied yet there being another part of the Law to be satisfied also for that his passive obedience was necessary Suppose that Believers upon the former might be look'd upon as now fulfilling the Laws commands yet guilt being before contracted the penalty of death thereupon iucurred that the one might be expiated by the undergoing of the other it was necessary that Christ should die and suffer The Law requiring both of these in both it must be satisfied insomuch saith * Mr. Burg. of Justif 2. part pag. 411. one that if we could have had a perfect righteousness conformable to the Law de novo and not have satisfied the punishment our debt would not have been discharged we had still been in our sins The twofold Obedience or double righteousness of Christ do not destroy or undermine each the other 't was necessary that he should obey actively for the doing of what the Law enjoyned 't was necessary also that he should obey passively for the suffering of what the Law threatned for both of these were necessary to reach the Laws righteousness and so to lay the foundation of a compleat righteousness for the Creature in order to which therefore both must be imputed to him I know what is objected against this but all cannot be spoke unto at once For the better answering of the Objection in hand 't is said by some that the imputation of Christ's passive Obedience must be supposed to antecede in order of nature though not of time the imputation of his active for in the justifying of Believers God dealing with them as Sinners we must suppose him first to take off guilt and punishment due for what was past before he makes over a positive righteousness to them for the time to come If this be so we shall easily get off from what is objected wherein Dissenters go upon this that a person being judg'd righteous upon his imputative active fulfilling the Law to him no further or subsequent imputation is necessary We say so too but then we suppose an antecedent imputation of that Obedience which was proper to free from guilt and wrath viz. Christ's passive Obedience So that the matter comes to this though Christ's active Obedience being imputed a child of God is righteous and a fulfiller of the Law and so nothing further is necessary for him yet it doth not hence follow that Christ's passive Obedience was in vain or needless because in the methods of divine grace that is first imputed for freedom from guilt and Hell before the active is imputed in order to righteousness and Heaven Very large discourses there are abroad in the world about these things I only design to set down in short what is satisfactory to my self but how far it may be so to others that I must leave with God Obj. Christ's passive Obedience was sufficient 3. Object for thereby the justice of God was fully satisfied the Sinners guilt fully expiated ful payment made of all that he owed c. what need therefore is there of any imputation of his active obedience to be superadded to the imputation of the former Answ If the passive Obedience be taken in conjunction with the active Answ we grant the sufficiency of it to all intents and purposes but if it be taken disjunctly from the active then we grant its sufficiency for such and such ends or effects but not for all For the removal of guilt the satisfying of the penal part of the Law the freeing from Hell and death
* Haec cura omnes non omnino Atheos necessariò excruciat est tristis conscientiarum tortura Pareus in loc The dreadfulness of Condemnation set forth Atheists this Condemnation would affright and startle them Now do I speak to any here of you as being under this woful security if it be possible to reach your Consciences and to stir up fear in you I would desire you to consider these four or five things 1. 'T is God himself who will be your Judge and who will pass the condemnatory Sentence upon you 'T is somewhat terrible to be arraign'd and condemn'd at the Bar of man but how much more terrible will it be to be arraign'd and condemn'd at the Bar of God what a vast disproportion is here betwixt the Crimes the Judge the Sentence the Execution c. O Sinners when you must stand before such a Judge in order to the receiving of such a Sentence for Crimes so high and hainous will you not tremble Methinks the Majesty Omnisciency Omnipotency Righteousness of this Judge should strike us all with fear and dread There 's no standing before him such is his Majesty no hiding of any thing from him such is his Omnisciency no resisting of him such is his Omnipotency no corrupting of him such is his infinite Righteousness What then will become of you who are in your sins but out of Christ at the Tribunal of this God you must hold up you hands be try'd and so condemn'd is this nothing to you And because he will not himself immediately judge the world but mediately by Christ * Acts 17.31 that man whom he hath ordained to this Office therefore Christ in his own person shall appear and ride his great Circuit as the Universal Judge and every one of you shall be summoned before him to be judged by him 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the judgment of Christ that every one c. And may not the consideration of this very much heighten your fear you not being in Christ how will you be able to stand before Christ where he is not a gracious Head will he not be a severe Judge You must be judged by him whom you so often so scornfully have rejected he will be your Judge whom you would not have to be your King and Saviour what favour can you expect from him whom you have so basely used In what glory will this Judge appear when you shall stand before him now you know the glory and solemnity of the Bench adds to the terrour of the Malefactour at the Bar. Matth. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory O to be tryed cast and sentenced by so glorious a Judge in so solemn a manner this must needs be terrible to Sinners when they see it and hear it though now they make nothing of it Rev. 6.15 16 17. And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond man and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand 2. Think with your selves what this Condemnation is Men are fearless because they are thoughtless did they but weigh and ponder what the things of another world are what it is to be everlastingly condemn'd they would not be so secure as they are Condemnation what is it 't is in short to be adjudged to eternal death Men condemn their guilty persons to dye a temporal death and that 's as high as they can go but God being an higher Judge and greater offences being committed against him than what are committed by man against man he inflicts a greater penalty and his Sentence is to dye eternally he doth not condemn to a Prison to an Axe or Gallows just to dye and then there 's an end of all O no! he sentences to Death and eternal Death too And this is no less than the loss of Gods love and favour and presence which is the poena damni and the undergoing of endless easeless remediless torments in Hell which is the poena sensus Both are very sad but Divines generally give the preheminence to the * Omnia Gehennae supplicia superabit Deum non videre bonis carere Bernard de inter domo cap. 38. See Bolton of the four last things p. 95. c. first The Hell of Hell is the loss of Heaven and of Gods Love But both put together must needs make the Sinner extreamly miserable and he that is out of Christ shall feel both of them Would you know what this Condemnation is you have a sad draught or description of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Every word here if I could speak to it is thunder and lightning to be thrust from Christ and thrown into sire into everlasting fire into that very fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels O here is misery indeed Hear me therefore you who are out of Christ if you so live and so dye you shall never see God and this is not all for you shall also feel those torments in * Vide Chrys ad pop Antioch Hom. 49. very full upon this comparison of which Stone Gout Strangury Racking by men the most exquisite pains here are in a manner perfect ease or at least very inconsiderable pain And this too you must lye under to â—all eternity O this is worst of all this puts an accent indeed upon this Condemnation 't is eternal Condemnation This eternity fills up the measure of the Unbelievers misery and makes it to run over in Heaven 't is eternity of joy in Hell 't is eternity of woe To be miserable as long as god shall be blessed to be always dying and yet always to live to be always drinking and yet the cup still to continue full to launch out into a boundless Ocean of eternal wrath to lye under evils and to see no end of them that when millions of millions of years are over all is as it were to begin again and the poor creature is but after the efflux of so much time just where he was at the first to pass from dying comforts to never dying sorrows what tongue can express what heart can conceive the greatness of this misery 'T is everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thess 1.9 't is everlasting punishment Math. 25.46 't is everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 't is the worm that never dyes Mark 9.44 't is everlasting chains Jude 6. the blackness of darkness forever Jude 13. Now Sirs what
do you think of this are you able to bear it Alas * Is 33.14 who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings this made the Sinners in Zion afraid and filled Hypocrites with fearfulness and will it not sooner or later have the same effect upon you who are out of Christ If this Condemnation or eternal Death was total abolition or annihilation as some * See Calov Socin proflig de morte aeternà Contr. tertia p. 11 13. Cloppenb Compend Socinian cap. 8 p. 134. c. With many others Socinians make it to be it would not be so bad this would be a great allay to it for surely whatever some learned men may say to the contrary no being would be more desirable than such a being but 't is not so 3. The Condemnatory Sentence being once past it will be irreversible and irresistible When 't is once out of the Judges mouth there 's no reversing of it as the Penalty is intolerable so the Sentence is irreversible The poor condemned Sinner will presently fall upon his knees and most earnestly beg mercy but all in vain all his intreaties beseechings tears wringing of hands will avail nothing time was when he would not hear Christ and now Christ will not hear him Now to be sure the season of Grace is over once condemned and ever condemned there 's neither appealing from the Judge nor repealing of the Sentence And then too I say 't is irresistible as soon as 't is past Christ will have his Officers by him who shall see it put into execution his Guard and retinue of Angels shall be ready for this service these * Matth. 13.30 Reapers shall gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them and who shall be able to resist The Judge amongst the Jews was to see the Offender punished before his face Deut. 25.2 Christ will not only pass sentence but he himself will see execution done Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me And as there will be no turning of him so neither will there be either flying from him or making resistance to him When man condemns God can save but who can save when God condemns If the Three Children be thrown into the fire God can take them out but when the Unbeliever is thrown into Hell-fire or to be thrown into Hell-fire who then can either hinder or deliver O come to Christ and get into Christ betimes if you defer till the Sentence be past you must suffer it and there is no remedy As God says * Is 43.13 I will work and who shall lett So when he condemns and will have his Sentence executed who shall lett what can man do to defend himself or to hinder God! Job 31.14 What shall I then do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him 4. The Vnbeliever and Christless person will not only be condemned by God but he will also be condemned by himself Self-condemnation will accompany Gods condemnation and that is very miserable Next to being condemned by God nothing so sad as to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by ones self When the poor Sinner shall be upon his Trial Conscience will accuse as well as the Law and condemn as well as the Judge And as soon as ever the Judge shall have passed Sentence Conscience will fall upon the guilty condemned person and say is not this just and righteous hast not thou * Jer. 2.17 procured this to thy self must not such a course have such an end is not this the fruit of thy sin This will highly justifie God for the more the Sinner condemns himself the more he acquits God but greatly heighten his own misery You read how at the great day there shall be * Per apertionem librorum significatur ut unicuique conscientia sua nec enim opus erit testibus externis suggestura sit omnem suam vitam Voss de Extr. Judicio the opening of the books Rev. 20.12 these books are mainly two the book of Scripture and the book of Conscience As to the latter men keep it shut here but God will open it to some purpose then and Sinners shall be forced to look into it and read over the sins of their lives written there in very legible characters And what a sad time will it then be when as God condemns without and above so Conscience shall condemn below and within Such as are out of Christ will feel all this to be true to their inexpressible grief and torment if it be not prevented by timely repentance 5. I might add which indeed will be but a more particular explication of the former Head this condemnation will be the sadder especially to such who live under the Gospel because they will lye under the sense and conviction of this that they have foolishly and wilfully brought all this misery upon themselves For and their hearts will tell them of it Christ offered himself to them from time to time but they refused to close with him he tendered pardon to them but they slighted it and who will pitty the Traitor that dyes for his Treason when his Prince offered him a pardon and he scorned to accept of it they might have been saved as well as others would they but have hearkened to the free gracious hearty often repeated invitations which in the Gospel were made to them how often would Christ * Matth. 23.37 have gathered them as the Hen gathers her Chickens but they would not and therefore now their Souls are lost forever O Sinner * Hos 13.9 thy destruction is of thy self and the consideration of this will sadly gnaw upon thy Conscience forever this is the worm that never dyes The Jews when they had adjudged a Malefactor to dye the Judge and the Witnesses used to lay their hands upon him and to say thy blood be upon thy own head in imitation of which the Murderers of our Saviour said * Matth. 27.25 His blood be on us and our children Thus Christ when he shall have pass'd the dreadful Sentence of eternal Death upon the impenitent and unbelieving he 'll say Your blood be upon your own heads Now is not here enough if the Lord would please to set it home upon the Conscience to awaken and terrifie secure Christless Sinners You who are out of Christ pray believe me as sure as God is and is a just and righteous God as sure as his Word is true so sure are you if you go out of the world before you have got into Christ to be condemned forever And will you not lay this to heart before it be too late is it not high time for you to think of these things will nothing awaken you but only the feeling of everlasting flames will you not mind the damned state till you
life nay should God leave him to his liberty to make his own choice and fully assure him of his future blessedness let his choice be what it would yet he would chuse to live the spiritual rather than the carnal life was there no Heaven nor no Hell yet the sincere Christian would be for holy walking because of that excellency and intrinsick goodness which he sees in it 2. Walking after the Spirit is pleasant delightful comfortable walking that which begets true peace solid joy unspeakable comfort in the Soul The more spiritual a man is in his walking the greater is his rejoycing O * Psal 119.165 what peace have they who thus walk The Flesh must not vye with the Spirit about true comfort men exceedingly mistake themselves when they look for pleasure delight and satisfaction in a fleshly course alas 't is not there to be had It s very sweet is bitter there 's gall and wormwood even in its hony * Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness It promises indeed great things but it falls exceedingly short in its performances eminently it doth so in its promises of joy and comfort True peace is onely to be found in a holy course Rom. 8.6 To be spiritually minded is life and peace life hereafter peace here 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimoâ—â— of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world There 's no comfort like to that which attends * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 1. c. 9. holy walking the true Christian would not for a world exchange that joy which he hath in his Soul in and from Meditation Prayer the Word Sacraments Promises mortification of sin holiness communion with God the hope of glory for all that joy which the Sinner hath in the way of sin and in his sensual delights Would you have the * 1 Pâ—t 1 8. joy which is unspeakable the * Phil. 4.7 peace which passeth all understanding the * Job 15.11 consolations of God which are not small O walk after the Spirit Men have false notions of Religion which experience must confute the Devil belies and misreports the ways of God as if a godly life was a sad pensive melancholly life pray try and then judge be perswaded to fall upon this heavenly course and then tell me whether * Prov. 3.17 wisdomes ways be not ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches The Flesh is outdone by the Spirit if it gives some outward flashy joy the Spirit with advantage gives inward solid abiding joy should not this allure you to walk after it We always love to walk where our walking may be most pleasant and delightful surely to walk with God to live in communion with Father Son and Spirit to be taken up in the contemplation and fruition of heavenly things to be always sucking at the breasts of the Promises to act in the daily exercisâ— of Grace I say surely this must needs be pleasant and delightful Walking indeed And the Spiritual Walker hath not onely this peace and satisfaction whilst he lives but in a dying hour too he is full of comfort O the Soul-chearing reflexions which he then can make upon an holy life O that heart-exhilerating prospect which he hath of the World to come whether he looks backward or forward all administers ground of rejoycing to him Is it thus with the Sinner the Sensualist alas 't is quite otherwise when Death comes and lays his cold hands upon him what bitter pangs of Conscience doth he feel what dreadful terrours do sill his Soul how doth the sense of Judgment and Aeternity strike him with astonishment All his sensual Comforts do now fail him and he did not live so full of joy but he dyes as full of sorrow This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lye down in sâ—rrow Isa 50.11 but Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 3. This is blessed Walking for it evermore ends in salvation It doâ—â— not onely at present evidence Non-condemnation and Vnion with Christ but it assures of Heaven and certainly brings to Heaven at last Holiness and Happiness never were never shall be parted Every motion hath its terminus or end the End of this motion or walking is eternal rest Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Gal. 6.18 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousness is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death so that if you will be perswaded to enter into and to hold on in the way of the â—pirit it will infallibly lead you to eternal life and what can be spoken higher The sum of all is this I here set * Jer. 21.8 life and death before you if the One will not allure you to an holy heavenly conversation nor the Other deter you from a sinful carnal conversation I have then no more to say but surely such as have any sense of God of the worth of the Soul and of the things of the world to come they will resolve for the spiritual life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athenag Leg pro Christian p. 35. Athenagoras in his Apology for the primitive Christians states their practice thus If saith he we did believe that we should onely live the present life there might then be some room for suspicion that we might be as wicked as others indulging flesh and blood and drawn aside by covetuousness and concupiscence but we know that God is privy not onely to all our actions but to all our thoughts and words that he is all light and sees what is most hid in us and we are fully perswaded that after this life we shall live a much better life with God in Heaven and therefore we do not live as others do whose life will end in Hell fire O that we could as easily draw men to the heavenly life as we can apologize for those who live it or set down the grounds and reasons why they live it And now you who are Flesh-followers will nothing prevail with you shall all these Considerations be ineffectual will you yet persist in your fleshly course though an Angel with a drawn sword stands before you to stop you in your evil way yet * Numb 22.22 Balaam-like will you go on will you set your selves in a way that is not good as the wicked are described Psal 36.4 are you at that language * Jer. 18.2 We will every one walk after our own devices and we will every
guide and the giver of the spiritual life as the Soul gives life to the Body so the Spirit of God gives life to the Soul in which respect he is called * Dicitur Spiritus vitae quód animam vegetet vivificet divinâ gratiâ Contzen Sicut Spiritus naturalis facit vitam naturae sic Spiritus Divinus facit vitam Gratiae Aquin. the Spirit of life And this Life or Quickening by the Spirit is either that which is at the first Conversion or that which is subsequent and follows after Conversion 1. First there is that Life which is proper to the first Conversion When the Sinner is converted he 's quickened or made alive for indeed till that great work was done in him in a spiritual sense he was no better than a dead man before renewing grace there 's no life 'T is the regenerating Spirit which inspires this into the Soul I say into the Soul for that 's the receptive subject of this Life There is another Life or quickening to be wrought also by the Spirit which is proper to the Body of which the Apostle speaks here Verse 11 shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you in reference to which Christ too is called a quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 but the proper subject of the present and spiritual enlivening by the Spirit is the Soul Now take a man before Conversion he hath a Soul spiritually dead he lives the life of Nature the common animal life and that 's all but when the Spirit comes and renews him it breaths a divine and excellent life into him Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Luk. 15.32 for this thy brother was dead and is alive again The Spirit of life is the Spirit of regeneration and he working as a regenerating Spirit is the Spirit of life 2. There is the Spirits quickning after Conversion For this in such a sense is a continued abiding repeated act we are but once regenerated and therefore but once habitually quickned but the actual and subsequent quickning is renewed and reiterated from time to time This lies in the exciting and actuating of the several Graces the taking off the deadness of the heart in holy Duties the drawing out of vigoxous and lively desires after God and Christ the raising and stirring up of the Affections c. And all this is done by the Spirit of life also the life and liveliness too of a Christian is from the vital quickning influences of the Spirit without which there can be no spiritual vivacity in him Therefore the Spouse pray'd * Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out she directed her prayer to the Spirit and what did she pray for for that which I am upon viz. the enlivening and exciting of her Graces she expresses it metaphorically but this was the thing which her Soul breath'd after To apply this in a word for 't is not a point which I intend to stay upon Sirs V. S. R. You see whether you are go for life Here 's the Spirit of life to him therefore you must apply your selves for life 't is the living Spirit which must make you live Are you not spiritually dead is not this the sad condition of all who lie in the Natural State what are such but as so many walking Ghosts they are no better than dead even whilst they live as the Apostle speaks of the Widow that lives in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 is not Grace the Life of the Soul what is Life it self but a kind of Death without Christ and Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius Alas you may move walk breath eat drink sleep put forth all the several acts of the animal Life and yet for all this in reference to any spiritual Life be but dead persons And is it so with any of you O why do you not fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be quickned God convince you of the misery of spiritual Death that you may endeavour to get out of it and God convince you of the glory excellency necessity of the spiritual Life that you with the most earnest desires pursue after it what is is to have the Life of Nature and to want the Life of Grace to have living Bodies without and dead Souls within to be able to doe whatever is proper to Nature and not to be able to put forth one vital act of Grace Is not the spiritual death a certain forerunner of the eternal death can he that is dead here being without God hope to live with God hereafter O that you would be persuaded to make out after the spiritual Life I would in hearty desires say that for every dead Soul which they once wrote upon the Tomb of dead Brutus utinam viveres would to God that thou mightest live But how shall that be accomplished why thus here 's the Spirit of Life whose Office it is to quicken the dead whoever thou art therefore if thou wilt but betake thy self to this Spirit he can and he will give thee Life Life thou must have for 't is better to have no Life than not to have this Life Life thou maist have nay Life thou shal◠have if thou wilt but implore improve wait depend upon this Spirit of Life Further you that are Saints in whom the quickning Spirit hath effectually wrought yet do not you find your selves too often under great deadness certainly you are great strangers to your selves if you do not find it to be so you are not dead yet often under deadness O now whenever 't is so with you and you groan under it as your burden do you also apply your selves to this Spirit of Life You go to Duty attend upon Ordinances pray hear the Word receive the Sacrament and you would fain be lively in all would you be so indeed look upwards then as knowing 't is the Spirit of Life that must make you so Quickning Grace is very pretious to the Soul that is sincere a Child of God cannot be without it he cannot be satisfied in the bare having of grace unless it be lively nor with the bare performance of Duty unless he be lively in it How earnest was David in his prayers to God for it Psal 119.25 37 40 88. Quicken thou me according to thy word Quicken thou me in thy way Quicken me in thy righteousness Quicken me after thy loving kindness the earnestness of his desires after it made him go over it again and again And no wonder it is so for how sweet are Ordinances to a gracious person when he hath life in them when therein he can get his Graces up his Affections up and lively when he prays and hath life in prayer hears and hath life in hearing receives and hath life in receiving O then great is his joy Deadness very much hinders Comfort in
by Darkness Ignorance false Conceipts of God prejudices against the good ways of God c. it must reign in the Will by Perverseness Obstinacy and Rebellion against God it must reign in the Affections by disorder earthiness and sensuality it must reign in the Conscience by insensibleness and searedness ô how great is Sins ambition nothing will serve it but an Vniversal Empire so as that all Men and all in Men may be under its dominion Now what a dreadful thing is this that the Soul the whole Soul should be thus under the Law of Sin who can express the greatness the sadness of this bondage that the best in man should serve the worst in man for the Soul is the best and Sin is the worst in him that that which was immediately created by God and for God which did at first participate of the image of God and was designed for the fruition of God here and hereafter that so glorious so excellent a Being should be subjugated enslaved to such a cursed thing as Sin ô the misery and evil of this is inexpressible and yet thus it is with all who are unregenerate 4. Fourthly Of all bondage this is the most unprofitable As to other bondage there may be some profit in that but there 's none in this the Master may be cruel enough to his poor Servant and hold him to very hard and slavish work but then he makes him some amends by giving him good wages but here 's the Sinners unhappiness he serves that Master which pays him no wages at all death excepted what doth he get by all his service drudging and toyling for sin ev'n nothing but what he may put into his eye I mean to mourn and weep over what fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 O this Sin is the basest Master that any can serve God is the best there 's enough to be gained under him but Sin the worst for there 's nothing to be got in its service but broken bones terrours of Conscience the loss of Gods favour and Hell at last You must drudge for it from morning to night be at its Call and beck upon all occasions grind in its mill run upon its errands carry its burdens c. and what recompence shall you have for all this I 'le tell you the loss of all that is truly good and the bearing of all that is truly evil you shall have shame before men trouble in your own Souls and the eternal wrath of the great God these are the rewards and recompences of Sin Now are not they miserable who serve such a Master and yet so it is with all men before Conversion 5. Fifthly Sins bondage is the worse because they who lie under it are altogether insensible of it Where 't is external and civil bondage men are sensible enough of that ô they groan under it would fain be rid of it all their thoughts are imploy'd to contrive how they may get out of it The people of Israel sigh'd and groaned and cryed to God because of their bondage Exod 2.23 and you read in this Chapter how the poor irrational Creatures being under the bondage of corruption do groan after deliverance Ver. 21 22 the poor Christians in slavery under Infidels what a sense have they of their thraldom how would they rejoice might they be but set free But here 's the evil of spiritual bondage men do not feel it nay they will not believe it they have other thoughts of themselves than that they are under any such thing who thinks himself so free as he that is a vassal to Sin The poor deluded Sinner like some distracted persons plays with his chains sports himself with his fetters and looks upon them as if they were his crown ô how doth Sin where 't is in its full command and power besot its Subjects and make them carry it as though they were in a plain frenzy Have you not sometimes been in Bedlam 't is mercy you have been there onely as spectators of the misery of others where you saw poor creatures in a very dismal and deplorable condition chained beaten almost starved lodg'd in straw sadly used and yet how do these carry it why they laugh sing are merry behave themselves as if they were the happiest persons in the world who so jovial as they is not this a dreadful sight Ah my Brethren the World in a spiritual sense is little better than a large Bedlam where Sin hath men in its chains and fetters doth with them what it pleases keeps them under cruel bondage and yet they eat drink feast game live a merry life and feel nothing ô how insensible how stupid are Sinners in the Natural state Nay they are so far from lamenting and groaning under this bondage as their infelicity that they affect it and make it the matter of their choice they love to have it so and refuse to have it otherwise they refuse the Olive the Vine and chuse rather the Bramble to reign over them I allude to that parable Judg. 9.7 c. they had rather swear Allegiance and Fealty to sin than to God Christ's government and dominion is rejected and sin 's is preferred they rather hold their bondage than their bondage them according to that of the * Senec. Ep. 22. Moralist Paucos servitus plures servitutem tenent In a word they are slaves and it pleases them exceedingly to be so Now here 's a twofold aggravation of the evil of this bondage partly that it is voluntary for of all servitude that 's the worst which is voluntary * Senec. Ep. 47. Nulla servitus turpior quam voluntaria and partly that 't is not laid to heart I know God hath a judicial hand in this as also in the power it self which Sin hath over the Sinner but yet the Sinners own Will is as free full and intire in his closing with it and submitting to it as though God was not at all concerned in it 6. Lastly this bondage is the most hurtful and most dangerous bondage for it is deadly yea it makes way for and most certainly ends in Eternal Death Death puts an end to other bondage the slave when he is dead is a slave no more There the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor the small and great are there and the servant is free from his Master Job 3.18 19. but the worst of spiritual bondage follows after death this ends in death but it doth not end with death And other bondage doth not make any liable to eternal death for that simply considered is nothing either to Heaven or to Hell God may love and save the true penitent though in chains and condemn the impenitent though never so free und flourishing in the world the everlasting Concerns of the Soul do not at all depend upon civil liberty or civil servitude but where this spiritual servitude is there
hurt it had done before and remov'd that in it which was of so hurtful a nature What was that I answer its guilt O that 's an hurtful thing indeed it binds the Sinner over to answer at God's tribunal for all the evils commited by him exposes him to the Wrath of the great God renders him lyable to a Sentence of eternal death but now it pleased God for sin to condemn sin i.e. by Christ's being a Sacrifice to expiate this guilt of sin which in it self was so pernicious and hurtful so that believers should not lie under it or eternally suffer for it Now this is that explication of the Word which is most commonly given by the best * Damnatio peccati nos in juslitiam asseruit quia deleto reatu absolvimur uti nos Deus justos reputet Calvin with many Others Beza dissents Non mihi facilè persuaserim de peccatorum expiatione hic agi est enim pars illa jam pridem ab Apostolo explicata adeo ut à v. 12. c. 5. aliud Argumentum sit exorsus Expositors and I prefer it before the former upon these Reasons 1 As to the abolishing of Sins power that the Apostle had spoken to already in the foregoing verse the Law of the Spirit c. and he instances in the Spirit there as he doth in the Son here Now according to what was said before as 't is the proper act of the Spirit to free from Sins power therefore that must be understood there so 't is the proper act of the Son to free from Sins guilt therefore that must be understood here 2 The Word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all along in Scripture points to the guilt of sin and the punishment inflicted thereupon never to its power or dominion for the proof of which several Texts might be cited if it was deny'd 'T is usually apply'd to the Sinner here only if I well â—emember 't is apply'd to sin it self and in this different application it carries a different sense for as 't is elsewhere apply'd to the Sinner it notes the imputation of guilt to him and the passing of a condemnatory sentence upon him for that guilt but as 't is here apply'd to sin it notes the expiation or abolition of its guilt yet this doth not wealien what I have said because in both references though in a different sense it still points to guilt and punishment which is enough for my purpose 3 The Apostle speaks of that abolition of Sin which was effected in Christ's Flesh therefore it must be understood of the abolition of its guilt rather than of its power that being the thing which was most directly and immediately done in Christ's Flesh 4 'T is that condemning sin which is for sin i.e. by a Sacrifice for sin wherefore it must be taken in that sense which best suits with what was done in and by Sacrifices Now they abolished sin not so much by turning men from it or by lessening its power though that might follow as a Consequent upon them as by the * This proved in Essenius de Satisf Christi c. 8. p. 422. Turretin de Sat. c. part 6. p. 202 Dr. O. against B. P. 574. expiating of its guilt this was the proper and primary effect of the Leâ—itical Sacrifices in allusion to which when Christ the true Sacrifice is said to purge away sin to purifie c. you are to understand those expressions as respecting the expiation of Sins guilt as I shall have occasion further to prove in what will follow For these reasons though I would not exclude wholly the former sense yet I prefer this before it In the punishing of it in Christ's person 3. There is a * See Pareus in loc in Dub. 3. p. 779. Condemnare perpetuò significat Apostolo poenas peccati irrogare Damnare pec catum est illud dignum poenà judicare paenasque pro eo exigere Contzen his sense of the Word justified by Calov Socin profl p. 433. third interpretation put upon the Word namely God's condemning sin was his punishing of it in Christ's person or his exacting of Christ that punishment which was due to the Sinner himself For this Condemning must be joyn'd with that which follows in the Flesh and expounded by that and then the meaning will be this For sin God condemned sin in the flesh that is he fell upon sin severely punish'd it inflicted the curse and punishment due to us for it in and upon the Person of his own Son he †Isa 53.6 laid the iniquities of Believers upon Christ and then punished them in him so that he bore that penalty which Sinners themselves should have undergone God did of him in our Nature paenas peccato debitas exigere or maledictionem nobis debitam irrogare Man having fin'd either he himself or his surety must suffer the punishment thereby deserv'd God will have sin punnish'd somewhere therefore Christ having put himself into the Sinners stead he must bear the punishment due to the Sinner for though God will so far ‖ See of God's relaxing his Law and the threatning thereof Mr. Baxter Aphor. p. 36. c. Mr. Burgesse of Justif p. 84. relax his Law as to admit of a substitution or commutation as to the Person suffering yet he will have its penalty inflicted either upon the proper Offender himself or upon the Saviour who was willing to interpose for the Offender so as to suffer what he should have suffered and God accordingly dealing withhim and proceeding against him in the laying of the punishment due for Sin upon him this was his condemning Sin in the flesh of Christ I am not now to prove the truth of the thing of that hereafter at present I 'me only shewing how 't is held forth in the Word which I am opening so much for the first thing what this condemning of Sin is How Sin is said to be condem'd for Sin 2. The Second thing that needs explaination is the condemning sin for sin what may our Apostle mean by this for sin * Contra duas Pelagian Ep. l. 3. c. 6. Austine gives a threefold sense of it 1. For sin that is by that flesh which look'd like to sinful flesh which therefore might be called sin since as he saith the resemblances of things do usually pass under the names of the things which they resemble by that flesh sin was condemn'd 2. For Sin he makes to be as much as by a Sacrifice for Sin 3. He expounds it of the Sin of the Jews not as heightning it in which sense all the Greek Expositors take it but as pointing to the effect of it by that sin of theirs in crucifying Christ eventually Sin was condemn'd or expiated But these things must be further enquired into The double Reading of Sin and for Sin both opened 'T is in our Translation exactly as 't is in the Original equally concise in both and
which some understand that of David Psal 51.16 Thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it c. so the Adulterer Levit. 20.10 the Idolater and so in several other cases Here now was a limitation set by God himself and therefore here could be no expiation in the external and ordinary way indeed upon repentance there might be the doing away of the moral guilt which made the offender lyable to God and to eternal death but as to political guilt which made the offender lyable to temporal death that if publick and known could not by Sacrifices be taken off when therefore you hear so much spoken of the virtue and efficacy of the old Sacrifices as expiatory you must alwayes understand it according to this stating of it 3. Those Sacrifices may be considered absolutely or relatively Absolutely and in themselves and so their expiation reached only to some sins and to the removal of some guilt viz. that which was ritual and ceremonial Relatively with respect to Christ who was typified by them and so by virtue of his great Sacrifice to come which they prefigur'd to persons duly qualified their expiation was general of all sins and of all guilt I mean of all moral guilt before God though not of all political guilt before Men But though there be this difficuly as to the type as to the antitype there 's none by Christ's offering up of himself to be sure all sins are expiated even the greatest are wash'd away by his blood none can stand before his infinite merit and satisfaction former Sacrifices were weak but Christ the grand Sacrifice he is strong * Heb. 7.25 able to save to the utmost all that come to God through him He is not only a Sin-offering to remove the guilt of lesser sins but a Trespass-offering to remove the guilt of the greatest sins therefore as he is set forth by the former in the Text so by the latter in Isa 53.10 Where final impenitency and unbelief do not hinder the death of Christ is sufficient to acquit from all guilt by it all who perform the Gospel-conditions have a full and universal discharge Application I have now gone through the several things necessary to be spoken unto for the explaining and confirming of the Point the Vse follows Vse 1. Of Information Was Christ a Sacrifice for sin and did he thereby condemn sin I shall from hence infer something 1. by way of Information 2. of Exhortation 3. of Consolation 1. Of the truth of Christ's Satisfaction First for Information and so this great Truth may be useful in the informing of our judgements in sundry particulars As 1. We learn from it the truth of Christ's satisfaction Here amongst many others is a very considerable Argument to prove that Christ did really satisfie Gods Justice for Mans sin which therefore all who write upon and for the verity of his Satisfaction do in special insist upon with great evidence and advantage to the Cause which they defend And indeed it carry's such light and conviction in it as that the grand Opposer of this Satisfaction was more troubled to get off from it than from any other Argument whatsoever for when he came to answer COVETVS arguing for it from the legal Sacrifices as prefiguring Christ he was forc'd to say c * Socin de Servat p. 2. c. 9. in quo major vis esse videtur in which head of Testimonies there seems to be greater strength than in any of the former And the annual great Expiation being urg'd as to that he saith ‖ Ibid. c. 12. difficilis sanè nodus solvendus restat one hard knot remains to be untyed 't was an hard knot indeed which he might endeavour to loose but could not The word Satisfaction 't is very true we have not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressly * De Servat p. 3. c. 6. Ego quidem etiamsi non semel sed saepe id in sacris monumentis Scriptum extaret non idcirco tamen ita rem prorsus se habere crederem ut vos opinamini in so many letters and syllables in the whole Bible but the thing we have yea as to that the Scripture is so copious and full that 't is not in any one other thing more copious and full But suppose we had there the Word as well as the Thing what would that signifie to those with whom I have now to do when SOCINVS is so bold as to say For my part although I should find that meaning Christ's Satisfaction asserted in Scripture not once but often yet I should not therefore believe the thing to be as Dissenters do hold wherein he comes but little short of what his friend SMALCIUS dared to speak concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God of which you had an account before 'T is not for me here to launch out into that vast Controversie of Christ's satisfaction in the opening stating proving defending of which so many Volumes have been written I must confine my self to that one thing which lies before me And there 's enough in it to stablish you in the belief of what we contend for for was Christ truly and properly a Sacrifice for sin were our sins the meritorious cause of his sufferings did he put himself into the Sinners stead taking his guilt upon him and undergoing that punishment which he should have undergone did he die shed his blood that he might thereby atone God and expiate sin all of which have been proved out of the unerring Word and doth not all this amount to a demonstration of the truth of Christ's satisfying the Justice of God for Sin do we mean any thing by his Satisfaction but these things and are not they clear enough from Scripture-light The truth is all the other Arguments brought for the proof of Christ's Satisfaction I say all of them do either run into or fall under this one of his being a Sacrifice for sin If God would pardon sin be appeased towards the Creature c. absolutely and without the intervention of any Satisfaction why did he appoint Sacrifices under the Law why must so many Creatures die why must so much blood be spilt quorsum perditio haec he whose * Psal 145.9 tender mercies are over all his works who hath pity and goodness for all that he hath made would he unnecessarily or meerly to shew his absolute dominion have ordered so many Creatures to be killed slaughtered destroyed from day to day why did he so peremptorily stand upon this that †Heb. 9.22 without shedding of blood there should be no remission But I go higher if God had not required satisfaction why must * Si non fuisset peccatum non necesse fuerat Filium Dei agnum fieri necâ—opus fuerat â—um in carne positum jugulari sed mansisset hoc quod erat in principio Deus Verbum Verum quoniam introiit pecatum in mundum peccati autem
so it was sufficient but besides this the preceptive part of the Law was to be fulfilled the condition of life was to be performed the Sinner was to be made positively righteous Heaven was to be merited now as to these abstractly from the active obedience of Christ the passive was not sufficient Upon his dying Believers shall not die or be damned or be look'd upon as guilty but for their being righteous and entitled to eternal life Christ must actively fulfil the Law for the promise of life is annexed to doing Do this and live Levit. 18.5 Rom. 10.5 There needs no more saith * Blake on the Covenant c. 12. p. 77. a Reverend Person than innocency not to die and when guilt is taken away we stand as innocent no crime then can be charged upon us But to reign in life as the Apostle speaks to inherit a crown there further is expected which we not reaching Christ's active obedience supplied to us not adding to ours but being in it-self compleat is accounted ours and imputed to us Obj. But 't is said 4. Object the Law requires no more than either doing or suffering if one of these be done 't is enough both of them the Law neither doth nor can demand Wherefore if we suffered in Christ and that be reckoned to us it is not required that we should also obey in Christ Answ The truth of the Antecedent is not only questioned but flatly deny'd Answ and the contrary thereunto is proved viz. * See Advers inter Piscat Lucium p. 1. sect 4. Polan in Dan. p. 191 c. Turret de Sat. par 8. pag. 271 c. Bodius in Eph. p. 805. That in statu lapso the Laws obligation is not disjunctive ad alterutrum either to do or suffer but 't is conjunctive or copulative ad utrumque both to do and suffer Indeed say they of this Opinion if man had continued in the state of innocency one of these had been enough namely the active obeying of the Law for he being then without sin could not lie under any obligation to suffer But he being faln stands oblig'd to both to obey as he is a Creature to suffer as he is an Offender So that it was not enough for Christ in suffering to answer the one obligation but he must also by doing answer the other also In the Laws of men one of these is enough but in the Laws of God there being a vast disparity 'twixt the Creatures subjection to him and to men it is not so And as I apprehend it they who differ in this point do too much run themselves upon that absurdity which they would fasten upon those from whom they differ for whereas they charge the Opinion of these that it acquits us from all obeying on our part this principle which they maintain seems to do it much more for it either obeying or suffering be as much as the Law requires then Christ having suffered the utmost of the Laws penalty we are not under any obligation to obey too Obj. It having been said 5. Object that Christ's passive Obedience was necessary to free from guilt and eternal death and his active necessary for righteousness and eternal life against this 't is objected that it supposes a medium betwixt being freed from guilt and being made righteous and so betwixt being freed from eternal death and the having of eternal life which is a great mistake For these are such Contraries as do admit of no meâ—â—â—m between them and therefore upon the negation of the one the affirmation of the other in a fit Subject must needs follow and so vice versâ As if it be not night it is day if it be not darkness it is light if it be not crookedness it is streightness c. So here if it be not guilt it is righteousness and if it be not eternal death it is eternal life these being Contraries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore they who grant freedom from guilt and Hell upon Christ's death and yet assert the necessity of the obedience of his life for righteousness and Heaven build upon a false hypothesis Answ To this 't is answered Answ what is here alledged holds true in Natural and Physical Contraries but not in Moral or Law-contraries The Malefactor upon his Princes or the Judges Pardon is acquitted from his guilt and with respect to that he is innocent but yet he cannot upon this be look'd upon as being righteous or as having done what the Law required of him so 't is in that which I am upon 'T is one thing for the Sinner not to be unjust and another thing for him to be just upon the non-imputation of Sin he is the former but the latter he cannot be without a positive righteousness Not to be judg'd as a transgressor of the Law and to be judg'd as a fulfiller of the Law are two distinct things And so as to the other although there be no medium 'twixt natural life and death so that upon the negation of the one there is alwayes the position of the other yet between eternal life and eternal death there is a medium For we may suppose a person to be freed from the one and yet not presently admitted into the other he may be saved from Hell and yet not be taken up to Heaven for he may be annihilated or continued in some state of happiness here below this notwithstanding I only speak of the possibility of the thing not asserting that ever de facto it is so The Traytor may be freed from death and yet not restored to all those high dignities and priviledges which he had before and why not so here 'T is true whoever is freed from Hell is admitted into Heaven but this is not necessary from the nature of the thing as though there might not be a status intermedius but only from the will and ordination of God The necessity therefore of the imputation of Christ's active obedience for righteousness and life is not weakened or null'd by this objection Obj. To put more strength into it 't is further urg'd 6. Object that the Opinion argued against makes Justification to consist of different parts viz. remission of Sin and imputation of righteousness also it makes these different parts to proceed from different Causes as the remission of Sin from Christ's bearing the penalty of the Law and the imputation of righteousness from his fulfilling the precepts of the Law Whereas say some the whole nature of Justification lies in the remission of sin to be pardoned and to be made righteous are in Scripture terms equipollent and synonimous And say others all in Justification is but one act proceeding from one and the same cause that very act which makes the Sinner not guilty makes him also at the same time to be righteous as that which takes away crookedness at the same time makes streight that which expels darkness at the same