deales immediately with the soule himselfe fils it with his wrath no creature in the world is able to undergoe the same None can inflict punishment upon the soule but GOD onely Sathan may urge and presse arguments of discouragement and affright us with Gods displeasure but the inflicting of anger upon the soule issues immediately from the hand of the Almighty Wee must here therefore consider God as a righteous Judge sitting in heaven in his judgement seate taking the punishment of the sinnes of all his people upon Christ there was a meeting together of all the sinnes of the faithfull from Adam to the last maÌ„ that shal be in the world as it were in one point upon him and the punishment of all these was laid on his blessed shoulders who suffered for them in both body and soule But how could Christ bee forsaken of God especially so forsaken as to suffer the anger of his father being an innocent person I answer First the Paschall Lambe was an innocent creature yet if the Paschall Lambe be once made a sacrifice it must be killed though Christ were never so unblameable yet if he will stoope to the office of a surety he must pay our debt and doe that which we should have done If a Princes sonne become a surety though his father love him and pitty him never so much yet he will say Now you have taken this upon you you must discharge it Secondly as in naturall things the head is punished for the fault of the body so Christ by communicating his blessed nature with ours made up one mysticall body and suffered for us But upon what ground should Christ become our surety 1 Because he was able to discharge our debt to the uttermost hee was more eminent then all mankinde having two natures in one the manhood knit to the Godhead 2 Christ most willingly gave himselfe a sacrifice for us 3 He was designed and predestinated to this office yea he was anoynted set out and sealed for this businesse by God himselfe and is not this sufficient ground why he should become our surety especially if we consider 4 That Christ tooke the communion of our nature upon him for this very end that hee might bee a full surety that his righteousnesse being derived to us and our guilt to him Gods wrath might be satisfied in the self-same nature that offended You see in Societies and Cities if some people offend the whole City is oâ—tentimes punished though perhaps many are guiltlesse in it yet by reason of the communion all are punished so likewise a Traitors son that never had any hand in his fathers sinne but behaved himselfe as an honest subject should doe yet having communion with the person of his father being indeed a peece of him is thereupon justly dis-inherited by all Law But how could Christ take our sinnes upon him and not be defiled therewith He tooke not the staine of our sinnes but the guilt of them Now in guilt there is two things 1 A worthinesse and desert of punishment 2 An obligation and binding over thereunto Christ tooke not the desert of punishment upon him from any fault in himselfe hee tooke whatsoever was poenall upon him but not â—ulpable as hee was our surety so hee every way discharged our debt being bound over to all judgements and punishments for us Now wee owe unto GOD a double debt 1 A debt of obedience and if that faile 2 A debt of punishment And both these hath Christ freed us from First by obeying the will of his Father in every thing and secondly by suffering whatsoever was due to us for our transgressions Some Heretickes that would shake the foundatioÌ„ of our faith will grant Christ to be a Mediator to intercede for us and a Redeemer to set us at liberty from slavery c. but not to be a surety to pay out debt by way of satisfaction to God for us Let such remember that Gods pleasure to redeeme lost mankinde is not so much by way of power and strength as by way of justice and therefore Hebr. 7. 22. it is said Christ is become oâ—r sarety and Paul when he became a Mediator to Philemon for Onesimus a fugitive servant did it by way of surety If hee owe thee any thing I will discharge it And Christ Jesus our Mediatour blessed for ever so intercedeth unto GOD for us as that hee fully satisfies his justice for our offences But why was Christ thus forsaken of his Father To satisfie God for our forsaking of him Christs forsaking was satisfactory for all our forsakings of God beloved we all forsâ—oke God in Adam and indeed what doe we else in every sinne wee commit but forsake the Lord and turne to the Creature what are all our sinnes of pleasure profit ambition and the like but a leaving of the fountaine of living waters to fetch contentment from broken Cisternes But Christ was chiefly forsaken that hee might bring us home againe to God that there might be no more a separation betwixt his blessed Majesty and us Some shallow heretikes there are that would have Christ to be an example of patience and hâ—linesse in his life and death and doe us good that way onely Oh no beloved the maine comfort we receive from Christ is by way of satisfaction there must bee first grace and then peace in our agreement with God Sweetly saith Bernard I desire indeed to follow Christ as an example of humility patience selfe denyall c. and to love him with the same affection that he hath loved mee but I must eat of the Passeover Lamb that is I must chiefly feed oâ— Christ dying for my sinnes So every true Christian soule desires to follow Christs obedience humility patience c. and to bee transformed into the likenesse of his blessed Saviour Whom should I desire to be like more than him that hath done so much for me But yet the main comfort I receive from Christ is by eating his body and drinking his blood my soule feedes and feasts it selfe most of all upon the death of Christ as satisfying for my sinnes And what a comfort is it that Christ being our surety hath made full satisfaction for all our sinnes surely wee shall never bee finally and wholly forsaken because Christ was forsaken for us Now wee may thinke of GOD without discomfort and of sinne without dispaire Now we may thinke of the law of death the curse and all and never be â—errified Why Christ our surety hath given full content to divine justice for wrath and law sinne and câ—rse c. they are all linckes of one chaine and Christ hath dissolved them all Now sinne ceaâ—eth wrath ceaseth the Law hath nothing to lay to our charge deaths sting is pulled out how comfortabley therefore may wee appeare before Gods tribunall Oh beloved when the soule is brought as low as hell almost then this consideration will bee sweete that Christ was forsaken as a surety for mee Christ overcame sinne death
incouragement from him Indeed he was a man of speciall use and service and as he honored God in his life so God hath honored him in his death as you may see by this honorable assembly of worthy people met in love to him His death was as the death of strong men useth to be with conflicts betweene nature and his disease but with a great deal of patience and in his sicknesse time hee would utter Pauls disposition Oh saith he You keepe me from heaven you keepe me from glorie being displeased with those that kept him alive with conference out of love Hee had a large heart to doe good for though hee were fruitfull and studied to be fruitfull yet oft in his sicknesse in a complaining manner hee would say Oh I have not beene so wise for my owne soule as I ought to be I have not beene provident enough in taking opportunities of doing and receiving good Beloved shall such a man as he was so carefull so fruitfull so good shall he complaine thus what shall a company of us do Beloved those that have warmed their hearts at the fire of Gods love they thinke zeale it selfe to be coldnesse and fruitfulnesse to be barrennesse Love is a boundlesse affection hee spake not this from want of care but love knows no bounds therefore hee tooke the more opportunities of doing good Well I beseech you beloved let not this example Passe without making good use of it God will call us to a reckoning not only for what we heare but for what we see he will call us to a reckoning for the examples of his people therefore as wee see here what a holy disposition was in St. Paul and in this blessed man now with God so let us labour to finde the same disposition in our selves Paul hath now his desire hee is dissolved and he is with Christ that is best of all This holy man hath his desire he desired not to be kept from his glory and happinesse on which his mind was set before let us therefore labour with God in the use of good meanes to have the same disposition And in this moment let us provide for eternitie out of eternitie before and eternitie after issueth this little spot of time to doe good in Let us sow to the spirit account all time lost that either we doe not or take not good in opportunitie is Gods Angel time is short but opportunitie is shorter let us catch at all opportunities this is the time of working oh let us sow now shall we goe to sowing then when the time comes that wee should reap some begin to sow when they die that is the reaping time while we have time let us doe all good especially where God loves most to those that are good Consider the standings and places that God hath set us in consider the advantages in our hands the price that wee have consider opportunitie wil not stay long let us therfore doe all the good wee can and so if we doe beloved we shal come at length to reape that that this blessed Saint of God Saint Paul here in the text and this blessed man for whose cause we are now met doe enjoy Therefore if wee desire to end our dayes in ioy and comfort let us lay the foundation of a comfortable death now betimes To die well is not a thing of that light moment as some imagine it is no easie matter But to die well is a matter of every day let us daily doe some good that may helpe us at the time of our death every day by repentance pull out the sting of some sin that so when death comes we may have nothing to doe but to die to die well is the action of the whole life he never dies well for the most part that dies not daily as Paul saith of himselfe I die daily he laboured to loose his heart from the world and worldly things if we loose our hearts from the world and die daily how easie will it be to die at last he that thinks of the vanity of the world and of death of being with Christ for ever and is dying daily it will be easie for him to end his daies with comfort but the time being past I will here make an end Let us desire God to make that which hath been spoken effectuall both concerning Paul and likewife concerning this blessed man for whose cause we are met together FINIS CHRISTS SUFFERINGS FOR MANS SINNE Laid open in a Passion Sermon at Mercers Chappell London vpon Good Friday By R. SIBBS D. D. Isay. 53. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are wee healed LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1634. CHRISTS SVFFERINGS FOR MANS SINNE MATH 27. 46. About the ninth houre Iesus cryed with a loud voyce Ely Ely Lamasabac-thany that is to say My God my God wâ—y hast thou forsaken me THâ— dying speeches of men of worth are most remarkeable at that time they stirre up all their spirits abilities which remaine that they may speake with greatest advantage to the hearts of others and leave the deeper impression behind them These be some of the last words of our blessed Saviours uttered from the greatest affection with the greatest faith and to the greatest purpose that ever any words were spoken and therefore deserve your best attention In this Portion of Scripture you have Christs Compellation My God and his Complaint Why hast thou forsaken me A compellation with an ingemination or reduplication of the words My God my God to shew the strength of his affection and desire of help at this time A complaint by way of exposâ—ulation Why hast thou forsaken me I will draw all that I have to say into these foure propositions 1 That Christ was forsakenâ— 2 That hee was very sensible of it even unto complaint Why hast thou for saken me 3 His disposition and carriage in this extremity his faith failed not My God my God his present griefe tyed him the closer and faster to his God 4 Neither was it onely faith but a faith flaming in prayer wherby hee expressed that God was his God Hee not onely prayed but cryed to him My God my God c. This is the summe of what I intend Christ being in extremity was forsaken Being forsaken hee was very sensible of it and from sensiblenesse complaines powring out his soule into the bosome of his Father And not onely complaines but beleeves certainly that his Father will helpe him And to strengthen his faith the more he puts it forth in prayer the fire of faith in his heart kindled into a flame of prayer and that not in an ordinary manner but in strong supplications he cryed out My God my God why hast thou for saken me To come to the particulars Christ was forsaken I will briefly
Gods wrath and all for mee in him I triumph over all these what welcome newes is this to a distressed sinner â— when ever thy souâ—e is truly humbled in the sense of sinne looke not at sinne in thy conscience thy conscience is â— bed for another to lodge in but â—t Christ if thou bee a broken-hearted sinner see thy sinnes in Christ thy Saviour taken away see what hee hath indured and suffered for them see not the Law in thy conscience but see it discharged by Christ see death disarmed through him made an entrance into a better life for thee whatsoever is ill see it in Christ before thou seest it in thy selfâ— and when thou beholdest it there see not only the hurt thereof taken away but all good made over to thee for All things worke together for the best to them that love God The Devill himselfe death sinne and wrath all helpe the maine the poyson and mischiefe of all is taken away by Christ and all good conveyed to us in him we have grace answerable to his grace Hee is the first seate of Gods love and it sweetens whatever mercy wee enjoy that it comes from the fountaine God the father through Christ unto us I beseech you imbrace the comfort that the Holy Ghosâ— affords us from these sweet considerations Againe in that Christ waâ— forsaken and not onely so but indured the displeasure and immediate wrath of God seazing upon his soul filling his heart with anguish at this time wee may learne hence 1 In what glasse to looke upon the ugly thing sinne to make it more ugly unto us Beloved if we would conceive aright of sinne let us see it in the Angelsâ—umbled â—umbled out of heaven and reserved in chains of darknesse for offending God see it in the casting of Adam out of Paradise and all us in him see it in the destruction of the old world and the Iewes carryed to captivity in the generall destruction of Ierusalem c. but if you would indeed see the most ugly colours of sinne then see it in Christ upoÌ„ the Crosse see how many sighâ—â— and groanes it cost him how bitter a thing it was to his righteous soule forcing him to weep teares of blood and send forth strong cryes to his Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee If sinne but imputed to Christ our surety so affected him that was God-man and lay so heavy upon his soul what will it doe to those that are not in Christ certainly the wrath of God must needs burn to hell he wil be a consuming fire to all such See â—inne therefore chiefly in the death of Christ how odious it is to God that it could bee no otherwise purged away than by the death of his beloved Sonne Al the Angels in heaven and all the creatures in the world could not satisfie divine iustice for the least sinne If all the agonies of al creatures were put into one it were nothing to Christs Agonie if all their sufferings were put into one they could not make satisfaction to Divine Justice for the least sin Sinne is another manner of matter than we take it to be see the Attributes of God his anger against it his justice and hâ—linesse c. Beloved men forget this they think God is angry against sinne indeed but yet his Justice is soone satified in Christ. Oh we must thinke of the Almighty as a Holy GOD separated from all staine and pollution of sinne whatsoever and so holy that he inforced a separation of his favour from Christ for becoming our surety and Christ underwent a separation from his Father because he undertooke foâ— us so odious is sinne to the holy nature of God that hee left his Sonne while hee strugled with his wrath for it and so odious was sinne to the holy nature of Christ that hee became thus a sacrifice for the same And so odious are the remainders of sin in the heaâ—ts of the Saints that all that belong to God have the Spirit of Christ which is as fire to consume and waste the old Adam by little and little out of them No uncleane thing must enter into heaven Those that are not in Christ by faith that have not a shelter in him must suffer for their transgressions eternally Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire so holy is God that he can have no society and fellowship with sinners Doe you wonder why GOD so much hates sinne that men so little regard not onely the lewd sort of the world but common dead-hearted persons that set so little by it that they regard not spirituall sinnes at all especially hatred malice pride c. cloathing themselves with these things as a comely garment Certainly you would not wonder that God hates sinne if you did but consider how sinne hates God what is sinne but a setting of it selfe in Gods room a setting the devill in Gods place for when wee sinne wee leave God and set up the Creature and by consequence Sathan that brings the temptatioÌ„ to us setting him in our hearts before God Beloved God is very jealous and cannot indure that filthy thing sinne to bee in his roome sinne is such a thing as desires to take away God himselfe Aske a sinner when hee is about to sinne Could you not wish that there were no God at all that there were no eye of heaven to take vengeance on you Oh I with all my heart and can you then wonder that God hates sinne so when it hates him so as to wish the not being of God oh marvell not at it but have such conceits of sinne as GOD had when hee gave his Sonne to dye for it and such as Christ had when in the sense of his Fathers anger hee cryed thus My God my God c. The deeper our thoughts are of the odiousnesse of sinne the deeper our comfort and joy in Christ will bee after therefore I beseech you work your hearts to a serious consideration what that sinne is that we cherish so much and will not be reproved for and which wee leave GOD and heaven and all to imbrace conceive of it as God doth that must bee a Judge and will one day call us to a strict account for the same If Christ cryed out thus My God my God why hast thou forsaken me as being our surety for our sinnes we may see what to conceive of sinne and of GOD the better But above all things I desire you to see often in this glasse in this booke of Christ crucified it is an excellent booke to study the mercy of God and the love of Christ the heighth and depth and bredth of Gods love in Jesus Christ which hath no dimensions What set God on worke to plot this excellent worke of our salvation and redemption by such a surety was it not mercy did not that awaken wisdome
for theÌ„ why did he cry out My God my God c. Sight was due to him from his Incarnation in himselfe considered not as our sâ—rety Now that which made a stopp of the influence of comfort to his soule was that he might fully suffer for our sinnes that hee might bee humbled and â—empted and suffer even death it selfe Therefore in regard of the state of humiliation there was faith in him faith of dependance thâ—re was hope in him and he made great use therof to support himselfe But what supported the faith of Christ in this woefull rufull estate he was in being forsaken of God as our Surety Christ presented to his faith these things The unchangeable nature of GOD My God c. Whom he once loves hee loves to the end therfore he layes claime to him Thou hast beene my God heretofore and so thou art stâ—ll Againe faith presented to the soule of Christ Gods manner of dealing he knew well enough that God by contraries brings contraries to passe Hee brings to heaven by the gates of hell hee brings to glory by shame to life by death and therefore resolves notwithstanding this desertion I will depend upon my God Againe Christ knew well enough that God is nearest in support when he is furthest off in feeling so iâ— is ofâ— where hee is nearesâ— the inward man to strengthen it with his love he is furthest off in comfort to outward sense To whom was God nearer than Christ in support and sanctifying grace and yet to whom was he further off in present feeling Christ knew that there was a secret sense of Gods love a sensible sense of Gods love he had a secret sense of God that hee was his Father because he knew himselfe to be his Sonne but he had it not sensibly Faith must bee sutable to the thing beleeved Now Christ in saying my God suites his faith to the truth that was offered to him he knew GOD in the greatest extremitie to bee nearest at hand Be not farre off for trouble is neare c. This should teach us in any extremity or trouble to set faith on worke and seed faith with the consideration of Gods unchangeable nature and the unchangeablenesse of his promises which endure for ever we change but the promise changeth not and GOD changeth not My God still The word of the Lord indureth for ever GOD deales with â—is people in a hidden maner hee supports with secret though not with sensible comfort and will bee nearest when he seemes to be furthest off his Children I beseech you acquaint your selves with these things and thinke it not strange that GOD comes neare you in desertions considering that it was so with Christ present to thy soule the nature of GOD his custome and manner of dealing so shalt thou apprehend favour in the middest of wrath and glory in the middest of shame we shall see life in death we shall see through the thickest Clouds that are betweene GOD and us for as God shines in the heart in his love secretly through all temptations and troubles so there is a spirit of â—aith goes backe to him againe My God my God for faith hath a quicke eye and seeth through contraries There is no cloud of griefe but faith will pierce through it and see a fathers heart under the carriage of an enemy Christ had a great burden upon him the sinnes of the whole world yet he breakes through all I am now sinne I beate the guilt of the whole world yet under this person that I sustaine I am a sonnâ— and God is my God still notwithstanding all this weight of sinne upon mee And shall not wee beloved say My God in any affliction or trouble that befals us oh yes In the sense of sinne which is the bitterest of all and in the sense of Gods anger in losses and crosses in our families c. let us break through those clouds and say My God still But you will say I may apprehend a lie perhaps God is not my GOD and then it is presumption to say so Whosoever casts himselfe upoÌ„ GOD out of the sense of sinne to be ruled by God for the time to come shall obtaine mercy Now dost thou so doth thy conscience tell thee I cast my selfe up on God for better direction I would be ruled as GOD and the Ministery of the Word would have mee hereafter If so thou hast put this question out of question thou doubtest whether ther God be thy God I tell thee God is the God of all that seck him and obey him in truth but thy conscience tels thee thou dost this certainly then whatsoever thou wert before God is now before hand with thee hee offers himselfe to bee thy God if thou trust in him and wilt be ruled by him and not onely so but he intreats us we should beseech him but he intreates us such is his love nay he coÌ„mands us to beleeve in his Sonne Jesus CHRIST Now when I joyne with Gods intreatie Oh Lord thou offerest thy selfe thou invitest mee thou commandest me I yeeld obedience and submit to thy good word then the match is stricken and made up in doing so God is thy God and Christ is thy Christ and thou must improve this claime and interest here in all the passages of thy life long Lord thou art my God therefore teach me thou art my GOD I have given my self to thee I have set up thee in my heart above all things thoâ— art in my soule above all sinne above all profits and pleasures whatsoever therefore save mee and deliver mee have pitty upon me c. The claim is good when we have truely given our selves up to him else Goâ— may say Goâ— to the gods you have served 〈◊〉 were your gods for whom you cracked you consciences â—â—ches and pleasure were your gods goe to them for succour Oh beloved it is a harder matter to say My God in the middest of trouble than the world takes it there was a great conflict in Christ when he said My God when he brake through all molestations and temprâ—â—â—ons of Sathan together with the sense of wrath and could say notwithstanding My God there was a mighty strong spirit in him But no wonder faith is an Almighty grace wrought by the power of God and laying hold upon that power it layes hold upon Omnipotency and therefore it can doe wonders it overcomes the invincible God hee hath made a promise and cannot deny his promise hee cannot deny himselfe and his truth put case his dealing be as an enemy his promise is to bee as a friend to those that trust in him he is mercifull forgiving sinnes his nature now is such satisfaction to his justice makes him shew mercy I speake this that you might beg of God the gift of faith which will carry you through all temptations and afflictions yea even through the shadow of death as David faith