life centred in him 2. Christ never intended in the payment of the price of our Redemption the present removal of them He interposed himself before this sentence was pronounced for the promise preceded the threatning and therefore shew'd himself content that those marks should be set upon that sin though he prevented by his Mediation the dreadful sentence of eternal death Christ never expected it for the Compact between the Father and the Son did not run in this strain Christ's Enemies were not presently upon his ascension to be made his footstool whereof death is not the least but he was to sit at the right hand of God expecting it neither can we expect to be rid of our burdens till Christ's Victory over his Enemies be fully compleat He sent after his Ascension the Spirit to be our Comforter which supposeth a state wherein we should need comfort and when are we under a greater necessity of comfort than when the punishment of sin is actually inflicted on us The Spirit was to comfort us in the absence of our Saviour and consequently in the absence and want of those fruits of Redemption which are not yet compleated 3. Christ intended and did actually take away the Curse of those Punishments from every Believer As Christ came to take away the guilt of sin so by consequence he took away the curse of punishment for as he was not a minister of sin so he was not a minister of the curse Gal. 2.17 for he himself by taking the curse upon himself took it off from us so that though the curse remains materially yet it doth not formally As when man felt his understanding and will were not destroyed but the purity and healthfulness of those faculties which made up his well-being were lost So in Redemption the temporal punishment is not remov'd but the Curse which is the sting in that punishment and is indeed the essential part of it is remov'd since the anger of God is pacified by the death of Christ Death was a Curse upon Man for sin yet the death of a Believer falls not under that title because Christ hath taken away the sting 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Oh death where is thy sting c. And the Victory over it he saith is given us through our Lord Jesus Christ Whence the Apostle puts even death it self and things present into the Catalogue of Priviledges upon the account of Christ 1 Cor. 3.22 Life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Not that death simply in it self is a Priviledge but death as conquered and as attended with consequent blessings is so to a Believer Now the same reason is for all the other parts of the Curse which were either Prologues to or Attendants upon death And as Christ destroyed death by raising his own body from the grave thereby taking from death the power of perpetually retaining man So in the same manner he hath took away those punishments that they shall not perpetually remain though they do for a time But when death is swallowed up in victory all the Attendants on it shall undergo the same fate Though the Curse was not immediately the work of the Devil yet that which procur'd it was and Christ's intention being to take away sin it was also to take away the Curse which was intentionally the Devils work his chief aim being to bring men under the Curse by enticing them to sin The end of his manifestation was to destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 Christ therefore bore our infirmities our natural penal infirmities though not our natural sinful ones unless morally i. e. by suffering for them he bore the infirmity of our Nature though not our personal infirmities He endur'd pain and grief and death and greater than we can endure but he did not bear every particular pain and disease which ariseth from sin and a particular cause yet by satisfying the Justice of God which required death he satisfied for all other pains which were parts of the Curse though he did not formally feel them so that no longer they remain as a Curse no more than death it self is a Curse to a Believer Now as Christ by his death upon the Cross did remove the sting of death from every Believer and sanctifie it though he did not die every kind of death which a man may die so by enduring pain and grief and being a man of sorrows he took away the sting of all those pains which are fruits of the Curse though they were of a different kind from those he hath himself endured This I have added to prevent an Objection that may be made that Christ endured not this particular pain and therefore the Curse is not taken away 4. Hence it will follow that to a Believer the very nature of these Punishments is alter'd Whence ariseth a mighty difference between the same punishments when suffered by a Believer and by an unregenerate man Though they are materially the same yet not formally nor eventually In the one the sting remains in the other it is pull'd out The one is an earnest of eternal torture and a sprinkling of Hell the other is in order to salvation and sanctified by the Blood of Christ Christ by his Cross hath made our Judgments to become Physick and turn'd a Believers punishments into purges The intention of the Agent makes a vast difference There is a great difference between a punishment edg'd with a a Princes wrath and those which are sweetened with a Fathers affection much difference between a Chirurgians Launce and a Tyrants Wound The Cord that binds a Malefactor and a Patient may be made of the same Hemp and a Knife only go between but it binds the Malefactor to Execution the other to a Cure In a Believer they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness Heb. 12.11 such fruits of righteousness which engender peace and joy in the Soul That which brings such excellent effects is rather an argument of love in the Inflicter and so cannot come under the full notion of a punishment God comforts the Israelites that were to go into Captivity by a Gospel promise Hos 14.4 I will heal their back slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them The punishment was continued for they never returned into their Countrey in the form of a common wealth but the anger was removed so that the Captivity of the Believers among them was not the effect of God's wrath as a Judge since they were under his magnificent love as a Father The change of our relation to God makes a change in the nature of the punishment though the punishment threatned may be inflicted and continued yet the anger in that punishment may be turned away 5. Therefore all temporal punishments of Original sin though they remain do not prejudice a Believers present interest 1. They cut not off his relation to
their office of teaching Since he promised his presence with his ministry to the end of the world he will have a Church to the end of the world to enjoy the benefit of that promise to be taught by them It consisted not with the wisdom or faithfulness of Christ to promise a perpetuity to that if he knew it were to be cut short before the end of the world And this himself also assures the Church of in all its variety of states Revel 2.1 These things saith he that holds the seven Stars in his right hand who walks in the midst of the seven Golden Candlestiâ—k Not only seven Stars at one time or seven Golden Candlesticks in being together but in all the successions of the Church to the consummation of the world And as he describes himself by this title when he speaks of the Church of Ephesus which was the first state of the Church not only assuring her of his holding her Star and walking by her Candlestick but all the rest that were to follow so he doth renew the same expression in part when he speaks of the Church of Sardis which is the rising of the Church from the Apostacy wherein it had been covered in the Thyatirian state Revel 3.1 These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars The seven spirits of God signifies the gifts for the building and perfecting the Church still in the hand of Christ which should be in a more plentiful way poured out than for some time before as they were in the first reformation He is still therefore as a Prophet walking in the Church in all ages Not only in the first Foundation of it by the Apostles but in the reformation of it after it had been buried in Superstition and Idolatry And at the restauration of the Church in the world there shall be a pure river of water as clear as Christal proceeding from the Throne of God and the Lamb Revel 22.1 i. e. Pure doctrine without any mud and mixtures 2. 'T is his part as a Priest to establish it in the favour of God and look to the reparations of his Temple The Church is his Temple A Temple is the proper seat the proper care of a Priest He is a Priest still upon his Throne Zach. 6.13 and that for ever As he hath therefore some thing to offer so he hath always some for whom he offers who are they but his Church His prayer on earth John 17. was but a model or draught of his intercession in Heaven one part of it is for preservation of them through the truth of God John 17.17 The keeping up the Gospel in the world in order to a sanctification of some is the matter of his intercession which is one part of his Priestly Office And we cannot imagine his plea for his Church to be weaker on his throne it being also a throne of grace than it was for his enemies when he was upon a cross of suffering The compassions annext to his Priesthood remain still Heb. 4.15 If his office be perpetual the qualifications necessary to that office are as durable as the office it self as long as there is any object for their exercise To what purpose are his compassions if he should not pity her for whom they were designed and for whose behoof he was furnisht with them He cannot be faithful to God in his office if he be not merciful and tender to Sion in her distresses He certainly pities her as he would himself were it possible he should be in an infirm condition He must lose his Soul before he can lose his pity and the Church must cease to be his body before she can cease to be the object of his compassions He hath the same sentiments now that he had when he called to Paul from Heaven Act. 9.4 It was not then Why persecutest thou mine but why persecutest thou me Nor is it so now as the relation continues the same so doth the compassion so do his sentiments so do his cares To what purpose doth he as a Priest sit upon a Throne of grace if he did not shew grace to his Sion against the cruel designs of her enemies As God pities us when he remembers our frame Psal 103.13 14. So no question doth Christ when he remembers Sions oppressions as a distressed child is the object of the fathers pitty Add to this That since the death of Christ was one part of his Priestly performance and that the virtue of his sacrifice is as eternal as his Priest-hood what a disparagement would it â—e to him and the virtue of his death if ever the world while it stood should be void of the fruits of it There can be no moment wherein it is not valid to expiate the sins of some men and therefore not a moment wherein the world shall be without a Sion whose sins are expiated by it Should the standar'd of Sion be snatcht away and torn by the powers of darkness what would become of the glory what would become of the virtue of the Redeemers death Would God consecrate him so solemnly by an oath to be a Priest to so little purpose How could it be for ever if the execution of that office should be interrupted by the cessation of a Church as long as the world stands upon its pillars Would it not be an empty title if the end of it were not performed We cannot imagine the falling of Sion but we must question the merit of his death the truth of his exaltation the strength of his intercession the faithfulness of his office and the sincerity and candor of his compassions 3. 'T is his part as a King to establish Sion in being and govern her The Prophets always testified that of his Government there should be no end If the Church should cease for one moment in the world what subjects would he have to govern here Can he be a King without a Kingdom or a governour without subjects to bear a voluntary and sincere witness to his name If he be King in Sion he will also have a Sion to own him and a Sion to rule in not only a conquest of the Serpentine brood and infernal powers was promised but the total and perpetual victory Gen. 3.15 The sted of the woman was to bruise the Serpents head When the head is bruised there is no more wisdom to guide or force to Spirit the arm and the other members of the body It was a promise made not only of Christ to man but of a compleat victory to Christ that he should outwit the Serpents wisdom and utterly discomfit the Serpents power If the conquest were not perfect and perpetual it could not be called a spoiling of principalities and powers as it is Col. 2.15 but an interruption or temporary check whence they might rescue themselves He is therefore said to still the enemy and the avenger * Psal 8.2 I make no scruple
of Senacherib's Invasion Isa 6.13 The holy seed shall be the substance thereof Growth in sin ripens judgments turns Blossoms and Buds into Fruit Rods into Scorpions Grief for it turns scorpions into Rods lessens a judgment if not wholly prevents it The Water of repentance is the best way to quench the flames of sin and sparks of wrath If good Men fall under a common judgment it may be often for a defect in this temper This was Austins opinion * Aâ—gust de Civit. Dei ib. 1. Cap. 9. That many good men are taken away with the wicked in Common Judgments because though they do not Commit the same sins yet they connive at their iniquities and so are lasht with their rods temporally chastned but not eternally punished 3. It will sweeten Judgments Such may say of Judgment as Paul of death Oh Judgment where is thy sting 'T is a double burden to lye under the weight of common Judgments and the weight of common sins grief for them is a means to remove the guilt and thereby to ease thee of a Judgment If we are concerned in mourning for sin we shall be more fit to honour God if he makes us fall under his stroak A holy sorrow will bring us into a submissive frame Aaron had been without question humbled for his timorous compliance with the people in the making of the golden Calf and when God came to strike him near in his own Children he held his peace Levit. 10.3 No doubt but his former humiliation fitted him for his present patience 4. Our repentance for our own sins was never right unless we are of this temper Repentance is a justice towards God and therefore is conversant about other mens sins in a hatred of them 'T is for sin as sin and sin is sin in whatsoever subject it be and worthy of hatred according to right reason and therefore that grace whereby a Man hates it in his own person will engage him to hate it wheresoever it is and we alwaies grieve for the encrease of that which is the object of our hatred A truly just man hates the injury committed against another as well as that against himself That filthiness which displeaseth a penitent in his own act displeaseth him in anothers act there being the same adequate reason and sin being of the same nature against God in another as in himself 'T is All abominations in the text this is an argument of sincerity to mourn for one may be from self interest to mourn for all must be from a pure affection 5. 'T is an argument of a true affection to God To mourn for sin when it is rare though gross is not so much a sign of sincerity as to mourn for it when it is Epidemical when the Foundations of godliness are out of course and the graces contrary to those sins are generally discountenanced as it is a greater sign of sincerity to love the word when it is generally slighted than to love it when all admire it What a noble affection had that Lady in Samuel 1 Sam. 4.19 c. that grieved not so much for the loss of her Father Husband Friends but bewailed the departure of the glory of Israel and implicitely at least the sin that occasioned it How did her affection to God drown all carnal affections Her sorrow for the ark stifled the sorrow of her travel and the joy at the birth of her Son She regarded it not This is an evident token of affection when we mourn most for the sins which most dishonour God and the sins of those persons that seem to be nearer to God and cast most reproaches upon his name 6. Shall we be outstript by Idolaters The mourning for others sins was a custom kept up in Israel after their revolt from God unto Jeroboam When Naboth was put to death for a pretended crime of blasphemy a fast was proclaimed to lament his sin 1 Kings 21.12 and though with a wicked intention to palliate a murther with the cloak of religion yet it evidenceth this mourning for the gross sins of others to be a common sentiment among them and practised upon the like occasions 7. We have just fears of judgments We know not whence they will come from the North or from the South God sets up his warnings in the Heavens we behold him frowning and preparing his arrows and are we careless in what posture we shall meet him He hath Spit in our faces made us a by-word and reproach should we not be humbled Numb 12.14 If her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed God seems to be departing He hath as it were kept open market a long time he seems now to be putting up his wares removing his Candlestick withdrawing the power of his Ordinances recalling his Messengers the light is almost in the socket The voice of God is received with a deaf ear the reproofs and admonitions of God have not a kindly operation the signs of judgment amaze us and the amazement quite vanishes We start like a man in a dream and fall back upon our pillow and snort out our sleep Can we expect God to stay He seems to be upon the threshold of the Temple come down already from the Cherubims and is it not high time to bewail our own sins and the Common abominations that have so polluted the place of his habitation that we may say we cannot see how God can stay with honour to himself If we bewail the sins that provoke him to it God may stay if he will not let us at least shew this affection to him at parting This is not a thing unbecoming the highest Christian Doth not the Spirit grieve for the sins of others which play the wantons with the grace of God Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God The holy Spirit hath no sins of his own to grieve for Shall we be above that which the Spirit of God thinks himself not above Shall we refuse mourning for that which goes to the heart of the Holy Ghost Let us therefore examine what are our own sins what are the abominations of the times and places wherein we live make inquisition for the one that we may drag them out before the Lord And in our places endeavour to stop and reform the other As the true fire of Love to God will melt us into tears so it will heat us into zeal He is no friend that will complain of a toads being in another's bosom but not strive to kill it It will shew either Cowardice or falseness That zeal is wild-fire that is not accompanied with an holy sorrow and that sorrow is crude which is not accompanied with a godly Zeal A DISCOURSE FOR The Comfort of Child-bearing Women 1 Tim. 2.15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety I Shall not take my rise any higher than v. 12. where the Apostle
generous mind to pass over offences and injuries Sick and indigent persons are the most peevish and impatient and least able to concoct an injury And when we kindle into a flame upon the least sparks of a wrong the Apostle tells us we are overcome of evil Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of evil We become captives to our angry passions speedy revenge in us being an act of weakness the contrary must be an act of power over our selves God 's not executing the fierceness of his Anger is laid upon his being a God and not man Hos 11.9 God's Infinite Power gives a rise to pardon Micah 7.18 Who is a God like to thee that pardons iniquity Junius and Tremellius render it Who is a strong God and the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will bear it Let the power of my Lord be great saith Moses Numb 14.17 The word Jigdal is written with a great Jod to shew say the Jews that it is more than an ordinary power to command ones self when injured Therefore when God proclaims his pardoning Name he ushers it in with names of power The Lord the Lord God Exod. 34.6 'T is a greater work to forgive than to prevent the commission of sin as it is a greater work to raise a dead man than to cure a sick man one is a work of Art the other belongs only to Omnipotency III. The Manner of it How it is carried on 1. On God's part by Christ 1. By his Death He is the Scape-Goat upon whom our sins are laid Isa 53.6 Our sins are made Christ's and Christ's righteousness is made ours He is said to be made sin for us and we are said to be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 a blessed exchange for us he bore that wrath indured those torments suffered those strokes of Justice which were due to us The pardon of sin doth cost us confessions and tears but it cost Christ blood and unknown pains as the Greek Liturgy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have mercy on us 1. Laid upon him by God God appropriates this work to himself Zach. 3.9 I will engrave the engraving thereof speaking of the Stone which is the same with his Servant the branch As a Stone is cut with a Chizzel which makes deep furrows in it so did God deal with Christ and that in order to the taking away of sin I will remove the iniquity of that Land in one day viz. the Day of Christ's suffering By that Offering of himself he shall perfectly satisfie me Therefore it is called the will of God in order to the taking away sin Heb. 10.9 10. compared with v. 11 12. I come to do thy will by which will we are sanctified which will was to take away sin For v. 11. that was the end of his Sacrifice the Legal Sacrifices not being able to do it God did not only consent to it or give a bare grant but it was a propense and affectionate motion of his heart Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence did the Angels sing at his Birth Glory to God in the highest peace on Earth and good will towards men The peace he was to procure was the fruit of God's good will towards us 2. Voluntarily undertaken by Christ Heb. 10.5 7. Lo I come I delight to do thy will O my God Willingness in the entrance of the work willingness to take a body and willingness to lay down that body He had as it were a Fever of Affection a combustion in his bowels till it was finished In his greatest Agonies he did not repent of his undertaking or desire to give it over He cryed indeed to his Father that this Cup might pass from him but he presently submits If there be no other way to save sinners I will pass on through Death and Hell to do it When he was afflicted and oppâ—essed he murmured not at it Isa 53.7 He opened not his mouth he opened not his mouth it is twice repeated to shew his willingness And God was highly pleased with him for this very reason because he did pour out his Soul and bore the sins of many and maâ—â—â—rcession for the transgressors All which expressions denote his earnestness and readiness in it 2. By his Resurrection His Death is the payment his Resurrection the discharge Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our Justification Not that we are formally justified by the Resurrection of Christ but that thereby God declar'd that whosoever believes in him should be justified upon that believing For if Câ—â—â—â—â— had not risen there had been no certainty of the payment of the debt In h s Death he pays the Sun as he is our Surety and in his Resurrection he hath his Quietus est out of God's Exchequer God will not have this payment from Christ which he hath acknowledged himself publickly to be satisfied with and from Believers too For upon his Resurrection he sent him to bless men Acts 3. ult God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you How In turning away every one of you from his iniquity It being a great encouragement to turn men from sin when God had thus declar'd them pardonable by the Resurrection of his Son 2. On our parts by Faith Faith is as necessary in an instrumental way as Christ in a meritorious way Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of sins by Faith that is in me Christ purchaseth a pardon but Faith only puts us into possession of a pardon yet it cannot from its own worth challenge forgiveness at the hands of God but upâ—â— the account of Christ who hath merited forgiveness Though the King grants a pardon to a condemned Malefactor yet he may be executed unless he pleads it the next Assizes though he hath it lying by him So unless we sue it out and accept of it by Faith all Christ's purchase will not advantage us Faith looks not barely upon the sufferings of Christ but upon his end and design in it It looks not upon his Passion as a story but as a Testament and you seldom find the Death of Christ mentioned in the New Testament without expressing the end of it This forgiveness by Christ's Death as the meritorious cause shews 1. God's willingness to pardon If God did delight in the Death of Christ it was not surely simply in his Death for could a Father delight to tear out the bowels of his Son The afflictions of his People go to his heart much more would the sufferings of his darling God had more delight in forgiveness than grief at his Sons sufferings for he never repented of it though our Saviour besought him with tears And that God who were never deaf to any that called upon him nor ever will be would not hear his only Son in the request to take the Cup from him or abate any thing of the weight o◠〈◊〉 â—ufferings because it was necessary for the
and charging others and thus his grace would rather be a mockery and derision of men Neither doth it consist with the end of pardon which is Salvation for to give an half pardon is to give no Salvation since if the least guilt remains unremitted it gives justice an unanswerable plea against us What profit would it be to have some forgiven and be damned for the remainder Had any one sin for which Christ was to have made a compensation remain'd unsatisfied the Redeemer could not have risen so if the smallest sin remains unblotted it will hinder our rising from the power of eternal death and make the pardon of all the rest as a nullity in Law But it is the glory of God to pass by all Prov. 19.31 It is his glory to pass over a transgression 'T is the glory of a man to pass by an offence 'T is a discovery of an inward principle or property which is an honour for a man to be known the master of If it be his glory to pass by a single and small injury then to pass by the more heinous and numerous offences is a more transcendent honour because it evidenceth this property to be in him in a more triumphant strength and power So that it is a clearer evidence of the illustrious vigor of mercy in God to pass by mountainous and heaped up transgressions than to forgive only some few iniquities of a lesser guilt Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgrest against me Therefore when God tells the Jews that he would give them a general discharge in the fullest terms imaginable to remove all jealousie from men either because of the number or the aggravations of their sins he knew not how to leave expressing the delight he had in it and the honour which accrued to him by it It shall be to me a name of joy a praise and honour before all the nations of the earth He would get himself an honourable name by the large riches of his Clemency Mercy is as infinite as any other attribute as infinite as God himself And as his power can create incomprehensible multitudes of worlds and his justice kindle unconceiveable Hells so can his mercy remit innumerable sins 3. Perfect in respect of Duration Because the hand writing of ordinances is taken away Col. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross which was the Ceremonial Law wherein they did by their continual presenting Sacrifices and imposition of Hands upon them sign a Bill or Bond against themselves whereby a conscience of sin was retain'd Heb. 10.2 3. and a remembrance of sin renewed they could not settle the Conscience in any firm peace Heb. 9.9 they were compelled to do that every day whereby they did confess that sin did remain and want an expiation Hence is the Law called a ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 because it puts them in mind of condemnation and compelled the people to do that which testified that the curse was yet to be abolished by virtue of a better Sacrifice This Hand writing which was so contrary to us was taken away nailed to his Cross torn in pieces wholly cancelled no more to be put in suit Whence in â—pposition to this continual remembrance of sin under the legal administâ—ation we read under the New Testament of Gods remembring sin no more Hâ—â— 10.3 17. Christ hath so compounded the business with Divine Justice that wâ— have the sins remitted never returning upon us and the renewal also of remissions upon daily sins if we truly repent For though there be a blacker Tincture in sins after conversion as being more deeply stain'd with ingratitude yet the Covenant of God stands firm and he will not take away his kindness Isa 54.9 10. And there is a greater affection in God to his Children than to his Enemies for these he loves before their Conversion with a love of benevolence but those with a love of complacency Will not God be as ready to continue his grace to those that are penitent as to offer it to offending Rebels Will he refuse it to his Friends when he intreats his Enemies Not that any should think that because of this duration they have liberty to sin and upon some trivial Repentance are restored to God's favour No where Christ is made Righteousness he is made Sanctification His Spirit and Merit go together A new Nature and a New State are Concomitants and he that sins upon presumption of the grand Sacrifice never had any share in it V. The Effect of Pardon That is Blessedness 1. The greatest evil is taken away sin and the dreadful consequents of it Other evils are temporal but those know no period in a doleful Eternity There is more evil in sin than good in all the creatures Sin stript the fallen Angels of their Excellency and dispossessed them of the Seat of Blessedness It fights against God it disparages all his Attributes it deforms and destroys the creature Rom. 7.13 Other evils may have some mixture of good to make them tolerable but sin being exceeding sinful without the mixture of any good engenders nothing but destruction and endless damnation Into what miseries afflictions sorrows hath that one sin of Adam hurl'd all his posterity what screechings wounds pangs horrours doth it make in troubled Consciences How did it deface the Beauty of the Son of God that created and upheld the World with sorrow in his Agonies and the stroak of Death on the Cross How many thousands millions of poor creatures have been damned for sin and are never like to cease roaring under an inevitable Justice Ask the damned and their groans yellings howlings will read thee a dreadful Lecture of sins sinfulness and the punishment of it And is it not then an inestimable blessedness to be delivered from that which hath wrought such deplorable Executions in the World 2. The greatest Blessings are conferred Pardon is God's Family-Blessing and the peculiar mercy of his choicest darlings He hands out other things to wicked men but he deals out this only to his Children 1. The Favour of God Sin makes thee Satan's Drudge but pardon makes thee God's Favourite We may be sick to death with Lazarus and be God's Friends sold to slavery with Joseph and yet be dear to him thrown into a Lions Den with Daniel and be greatly beloved poor with Lazarus who had only Doggs for Chirurgions to dress his Sores and yet have a Title to Abraham's bosom But we can never be beloved if we are unpardoned no share in his friendship his love his inheritance without a pardon All created evils cannot make us loathsom in a justified State nor all created goods make us lovely under guilt Sin is the
Page 1375. Convincing discourses not legal Page 594. Corruptions comfort to Believers against them Page 116. 1152 3. 1361. sincere complaints of their strength a good sign of perseverance Page 117. wicked men insensible of them but not good men Page 123. will be stirring Page 1196. Reliques of them no argument of an unpardon'd state Page 115 †Vid. Perfection Sense of sin Covenant of Redemption asserted Page 270 1 2 3. how distinguisht from the Covenant of Grace Page 273 4. the matter of it a. Page 275. ad 284. firm Page 284. we should fly to it Page 286. Covenant of Grace its stability and the ground of it Page 321. 773. 1343. the last Page 678. renewed men only are in it Page 35 6. 782. renew'd in the Supper Page 758. the ancient Israelites under it Page 853. Covetousness a cause of unbelief Page 738. Creation old and new how they differ Page 151. of the World principally for Christ Page 260 1. Christ the medium of it Page 493. the raising a Church Gods great end in it Page 28 †Creatures all at peace with a Believer Page 365 6. can 't be comprehended by us Page 412 413. 484. God known by them a. Page 478. ad 481. not fully from them by man in innocence Page 483. much less since Page 483. all subject to Christ Page 1096 7 8. Spiritual inferences to be drawn from them Page 14 †all at God's command Page 44 †Crucifying Christ Spiritual and Corporal Page 630 1. 819. the Spiritual as bad as the other Page 631 632 3. nay worse a. Page 633. ad 640. Cup not to be denyed to the Laity Page 747. Curiosity hinders Divine Knowledge Page 466. sinful Page 4 †Custom in known sins a renew'd man can't be guilty of a. Page 89. ad 93. D. DAy of Grace may be shorter than that of Life Page 60. Death threatned to Adam not a corporal one Page 44. Regeneration and Reconciliation afford comfort against it Page 118. 370. the punishment of sin Page 143 Of a natural man in sin Page 143. Men scarce believe it Page 716. Death of Christ its end Page 66. by the command and appointment of the Father Page 275 6. 384 836 7. could not have been profitable to us without it Page 254 5 6. its ignominy and torment Page 306 311 837 8. 851. necessary it should be by the hands of men Page 639. Christ bruised in it by the Father immediately a Page 305 ad 314. no incredible thing Page 700. should be much studied Page 755 835 843. the fruits of it Page 317. a 838 ad 842. 852 864 a 894. ad 899. comfortable to a Believer Page 854. his meekness in it Page 849. the time of it Page 850. its value whence a Page 899 ad 906 1194. not for example only Page 870. sufficient for all men Page 894. predicted a Page 944 ad 947. typified a Page 947 ad 950. to be valued Page 952. not clearly known by the antient Believers Page 1170. Vid. Blood of Christ and Sacrifices acceptable Vid. Acceptable voluntary Vid. Voluntary necessary Vid. Necessity deserves our praise Page 298 305 842 854 952. Decays in Grace to be watcht against Page 126 7. render the Lords Supper necessary Page 773. Decrees of God the knowledge of them given to Christ Page 333. Delays of Conversion foolish and dangerous a Page 59. ad 62. 190. encouraged by the Patrons of Free-will Page 199 200. in checking sin dangerous Page 16 †of the Churches deliverance the reasons of them Page 47 8 9 †Delight in duty cannot be without Regeneration Page 25. unconceivable in heaven Page 43. of natural men only in secular things Page 67. of God in the New-creature Page 112. in God and his ways a mark of Regeneration Page 124. in God can't be without knowledge Page 407. great to be found in the knowledge of God and Christ Page 461 2. of Christ in a Believer and his Graces Page 1336 1360. in sin heinous Page 4 †several sorts of it Page 57 †in prayer wherein in consists Page 58 9 †in it in a good man whence Page 59 60 †without it no gracious answers Page 60 61 †They miserable that have none in it Page 61 †signs of it Page 61 †How to know whither it be of the right kind Page 62 †urged Page 62 †directions to obtain it Page 63 †Deliverance Vide Delays Desertion obedience must be preserv'd under it Page 1217. Desires by them we may know our Regeneration Page 119. for God cannot be without knowledge Page 406. To be acted in all duties especially at the Supper Page 812. How to try them Page 812 813. Despair the main cause of it Page 284. In an humble soul unreasonable Page 658. Believers should not because of sin Page 1114 Devil hath a great power over natural Men. Page 146 7. His first sin what a Page 640. ad 643. 740. Conquered by the Death of Christ Page 840 1. Vid. Enemies Disobedience to God very unworthy Page 354. Distrusters of Providence and the Promises of Christ are Unbelievers Page 727 8. Distrust forgetfulness of former mercies the cause of it Page 1311. Sometimes thence God takes occasion to do good Page 1157. Doctrines their tendency to Holiness a test to try them Page 106. Exalting God and humbling man another Page 201. Doubtings what are Unbelief what are not Page 605 609 728 9. Doubtful way a renewed man can't walk in without inquiries and bearing reproof Page 94 5 †Dulness in God's service sinful Page 1216 57 †Hinders success of Prayer Page 60 61. Duties none sinless Page 2. Multitude of external ones not sufficicient to Salvation Page 48. by our regard to inward and spiritual ones we may judge whether we are regenerate Page 121. the manner of them to be minded Page 821. consciencious performance of them a means of perseverance Page 1372 3. E. EArthly mindedness a hindrance of Divine Knowledge Page 465. Vid. World Easie God's ways are to a renewed man Page 92. Eternity of God known by the creatures Page 479. of punishment Vid. Punishment Education alone not sufficient to make men holy Page 10 222. often blest by God to that end Page 45. not to be rested on Page 222. Ejaculations good motions should be backt with them Page 18 †Elect not the object of God's delight before Regeneration Page 30. how loved and hated before it Page 247 248 249. Election the act of the father Page 259 260. its order and foundation ibid. of Christ to be Redeemer Page 262. ad 266. End self is the end of natural men Page 66. Christ alone should be ours Page 66. a change of it in Regeneration a Page 79 ad 82. the soul not fit for the service of God without a change of it Page 81. Envy the spring of the Churches calamity Page 666. how to check it Page 667. Enemies of Christ shall be subdued Page 336 340. 367 8. 1089. cannot hinder a
but renews the promise of the Messiah to him as a reward Deliverance then comes when God hath separated the Corn from the stubble 4. A standing encouragement for future faith When the straits are greatest from whence God delivers us there is a stronger foundation for a future trust When the distress is inconsiderable faith afterwards will be more feeble large experience heartens strengthens faith in the promise When gloomy clouds are blown over the brighter and thinner will not be much feared When we see the Sun melt the thickest over our heads we shall not doubt its force to disolve the lesser vapours which may afterwards assemble when the Ship hath escaped a raging storm we shall not doubt it in a less God often puts them in mind of their deliverance in the red Sea to strengthen their faith and dependance on him It must needs be an establishment to faith for deliverances from great straits are some kind of obligation on the honour of God When the Israelites had provoked God by murmuring and wished they had dyed in Aegypt and not in the wilderness Moses intercedes with this argument The Aegyptians shall hear of it from whom God brought up Israel with a strong hand and it would disparage Gods power and tax him with an inability to bring his people into the Land he intended then God grants their pardon Numb 14.13 14 20. 5. Engagement to future Obedience 'T is upon this account God prefaceth the Law with his mercy in delivering them out of Aegypt The strongest Vows are made in the greatest straits Many obligations there are when the extremity forces us to cry When we are in the Jaws of Death God may have his terms of us when we are at some distance we will have our own The lower a person is the more readily will he bend to any condition hope of deliverance will make him stoop And when God snatches his People as fire-brands out of the fire they are more obliged to him from common ingenuity and must be more ashamed of breaking their Vows than if their mercies were of a great alloy If common patience leads to repentance a rescue from an amazing danger is a stronger cord to draw us to repentance and obedience And it is certain that when the Church in sincerity makes Vows to God it will not be long before God puts her into a condition to pay them and furnish her with Incentives of a holy ingenuity 6. The greater thankfulness The more straitned the greater thankfulness for enlargement As we hear not of the Israelites prayers after they came out of Aegypt till they were in the pound so we read of none of their songs though they had matter enough for them in their first departure till God had dasht in pieces the Enemy and thrown the Horse and the Rider into the Sea Then and not till then had they a deep sense how glorious God was in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Great mercies unvail God's face more to the view of his People When Israel inherits great salvation then the Lord shall inherit the praise of Israel When we have less mercies we take little notice of the Author God hears the language of but one of our bones but when he delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him and spoils him then all my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee 7. To prevent future mischief to the Church The destruction of the greatest Enemies is a disarming the less God by this destruction struck a terrour into those Nations upon whose confines Israel was to march into Canaan who without so remarkable a rebuke of providence would have been desirous to finger some of their prey Then trembling took hold of the mighty men of Moab All the Inhabitants of Canaan did melt away fear and dread fell upon them by the greatness of the Arm of God that they should be as still as a stone till they passed over the River Exod. 15.15 16. Their present deliverance was a Pass-port for their future security in their Journey and no Enemies troubled them in the way but those upon whom God had a mind to shew his Power 2. How doth God deliver when the season is thus 1. Suddenly They sank like Lead in the mighty waters which quickly reaches the bottom Judgment comes like lightning Death and Hell are said to ride upon Horses Rev. 6.8 They are too swift for God's Enemies and will easily win the Race of them Destruction comes as travel upon a woman with child 1 Thes 5.3 How suddenly did God turn the Assyrian Camp into an Aceldema overthrow a powerful Army and make their Tents their Tombs in the space of a night He will dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psa 2.9 all in bits at a stroke He comes suddenly he rides upon a Cherub Psal 18.10 But because the motion of an Angel is not so intelligible he adds another Metaphor from the nimblest of sensible things he flies upon the wings of the wind to assist his People in extremity The Enemy comes like a whirlwind * They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me Hab. 3.14 and God goes forth as a whirlwind of fury Jer. 30.23 The whirlwind of his Judgments shall be as quick as the whirlwind of their malice a continual whirlwind when the other is vanishing it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked when the other shall be as fruitless as a Snow-ball against a wall of Brass The Enemy beholds him not till he be upon him for the clouds are as dust under his feet Nahum 1.3 and obscure his appearance as the raising the Dust doth the march of a Troop he comes unawares upon them in a Cloud The Execution is sudden They shall be cut down as grass Psal 37.2 which this moment faceth the Sun triumphing in its natural bravery and the next moment is cut off from its Root with one shave of a Sythe He quencheth them as Tow is quencht in Water Isa 43.17 as the snuff of a Candle is quench'd by being bruis'd by the fingers He cuts them off as foam the excrement of the water Hos 10.7 which bursts in pieces like a bubble on the sudden Vengeance comes upon Tyre and Sidon swiftly and speedily Joel 3.4 Tyre comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to afflict to straiten Sidon of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to pursue All Persecutors are threatned in Tyre and Sidon with a swift destruction God delays the time to try the faith and patience of his People to make the expected deliverance more sweet and welcom and mercy more singular He may have some of the seed of Christ in the loins of some of his Enemies But when he doth draw his Sword he gives a sudden blow before the Enemy fears it or his People expect it The Jews in Babylon when the Chains of their Captivity were unloosed were like those that
punishment Psal 22.1 But thou art holy when he expostulates with God why he had forsaken him justifies Gods holiness Howsoever thou dealest with me thou art holy in all thy waies Thou dost me no wrong why should I complain when holiness and hatred of sin guides thee in all those actings with me 4. How earnest should we be to get rid of sin By pardon by Sanctification Guilt is the sting of punishment Sin only embitters trouble The Remission and Mortification of sin is the health of the Soul If the arrows head be out of a wound the cure will be more easy Look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sin saith the Psalmist Psal 25.8 forgiveness of sin would mitigate the sharpness of his pain 5. How should we act faith on God in Christ before and under such a condition of punishment As we can never love God too much because he is the highest good so we can never trust God too much because he is one of immutable truth when we are in straits it is not for want of faithfulness in God but for want of Faith in us that we are many times not preserved We distrust God and this is the cause we fall into many distresses which otherwise would not come upon us or be quickly removed from us Did we grasp the promises closely and plead them earnestly we should often find the deliverance we desire We pray but we pray not in Faith we cry for deliverance but not with confidence we plead Gods power but forget his promise Many temporal promises are not perform'd to us not for want of truth in God but for want of faith in us Particular fiduciary acts will draw out the riches of a promise for want of which we remain poor in the midst of abundance Some think that the promise made to Josiah of his dying in peace which phrase is usually meant in Scripture of a peacable death upon the bed was not performed because Josiah was out of the way against the precept of God and therefore could not act faith requisite to the fulfilling of that promise for faith is much dampt in its actings under present contracted guilt †Tho. Goodwin This Faith in promises for outward preservation is not an absolute infallible assurance that God will bestow such outward things because the promises themselves are not absolute but it is rather an indefinite act of recumbency and submission referring it to his good pleasure towards us But it is certain we are very much defective in acting Faith upon promises for temporal mercies because it is an Epidemical distemper in us to trust God with our Souls rather than with our bodies and outward concerns 1. Exercise Faith before such a time Furnish your selves with the comforts of the Covenant and the efficacy of the death of Christ In bodily distempers our minds are discomposed and we cannot have that Freedom of thoughts and spiritual reflections This is the way to engage God who is the best assistant a very present help in time of trouble 2. Exercise it in the use of spiritual means God never Commanded us to trust him but in his own methods That is not trust in God which is attended with any wilful Omissions If we be careful in doing our duty God will be careful in doing what belongs to him Prayer is the best means for Faith to exercise it self in A spirit of Prayer before-hand is a sign of good success When the heart is drawn out to cry it is a sign God stands ready with the mercy in his hand Times of distress are times of calling upon God Psal 18.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord and he heard my cry God is to be acknowledged in all our ways Prov. 3.6 In the beginning by prayer for his direction in the end by praises for the success We are usually more earnest in trouble We have not at all times an equal fervency Christ himself some say had not for when he was in his agony he prayed more earnestly than before Luke 22.44 3. Act Faith upon the Relation God bears to you He is our Father We trust earthly Fathers and are confident they will not abuse us How much more ought we to trust our heavenly Father and not doubt of his sincerity towards us The greater the trouble the more we should plead Gods relation to us Our Saviour in the garden Mat. 26.39 42. at his entrance into his passion for us prays to God by the title of my Father whereas at other times he calls God Father without that appropriation But now he would excite his confidence and trust in God and those promises he had made him to assist him in that hour 4. Act Faith upon the attributes of God There is nothing in God can affright a believer There is not an attribute but seems fixed in God to encourage our dependance on him in any strait wisdom mercy truth omniscience power justice too for what comfort could we have to trust in an unjust God All which attributes are promised to be assistant to a believer in any case of need in the Covenant of grace where God makes himself over to us as our God and therefore all that God hath and is is promised there for our good Upon the Power of God Gods Omnipotence was the ground of our Saviours prayer to him in his distress and that which the Apostle seems to intimate his eyeing of Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers unto him that was able to save him from death And Psal 16.1 The Psalmist or rather Christ pleads the power of God Preserve me O Lord for in thee do I put my trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders it strong Plead the truth of God in his promise The promise that preceded the threatning viz. The bruising the Serpents head the defeating all his plots and designs whereof this was one to bring man into a state of punishment There is a promise which hath been especially tryed and made good though all in the book of God have been found true Psal 18.30 The Word of the Lord is tryed Not one word but the truth of it hath been tryed but especially this word That God is a buckler to them that trust in him i. e. That he will preserve and defend depending believers 5. Act Faith upon Christ Hath God delivered Christ to death It must be for some glorious end not for destruction of the Creature that might have been done without the death of his Son but for remission if so there is sufficient ground to trust him for every thing else We have a merciful high Priest which encourageth us to make our addresses to him He cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities our penal infirmities which he suffered our sinful infirmities for which he suffered Where can he shew his mercy but in our misery Are we under Gods strokes Christ himself felt them that he might the better pity us