an actual exercise of right Reason they have in all successions of times and places taken up those Laws of Nature which we call the Moral Law or the most parts of them 2. Touching the-Obligation of these Laws it was twofold 1. From the Injunction and Command of God who had an Universal Infinite and Unlimited Power over his Creature and might most justly require his Obedience And into this Power of God together with his actual Command or Prohibition is all the Obligation of all Laws whether Natural or Positive and of all inferiour Laws Compacts or Agreements to be resolved And without the due consideration of this Mankind is loose Though the natural Congruity of the Moral Law to the Nature of Man might be the means of its Publication it is the Command of God that is and ever was the cause of its Obligation 2. From the Compact and Stipulation of Man. God put into Man's hands a stock both of Blessedness and Liberty and though he might have commanded his Creature and it had bound eternally yet to add the greater engagement upon him he enters into Contract with him concerning his Obedience Hence it is called the Covenant of Works And in all ensuing times when it pleased God to reinforce the Law of Nature or Obedience he doth it by way of Compact or Covenant as well as Command to add another Obligation as well of Contract as Duty And from this grew the Universality of the Guilt that was contracted by Disobedience Adam covenanted for him and his Posterity Rom. 5.19 As the Obedience of Christ is effectual for his Seed by way of Contract and Stipulation with God the Father so was the Disobedience of Adam binding upon his Seed partly by reason of his Contract and Stipulation and so they are made there parallel Sed de hoc infra 3. The Sanction of the Law given to Adam The Violation of any Law given by him that hath Power contracts Guilt that is Obligation to Punishment the measure of this Punishment is that Sanction which God did put upon the Violation of this Law Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die Herein are four Particulars 1. The Offence eating the forbidden Fruit 2. The Punishment Death 3. The Time of the inflicting of it in the day 4. The Extent of it thou shalt die c. Touching the first The thing specially prohibited was eating the forbidden Fruit but that which was in the Mind of God to enjoyn was Obedience to his Command and although this particular was by God made the Experiment of Man's Obedience yet questionless the same Injunction and under the same Penalty was given to Men touching those other Moral Dictates which were received Exod. 20. which lost not their Obligation by the Fall of Man no more than if he had continued in his Integrity Gen. 4.7 If thou dost not well Sin lieth at the door and Verse 14. Cain acknowledgeth Death to be the consequent of that Guilt which he contracted by his Murder Every one that findeth me shall slay me The like of Lamech Verse 23. For the Formality of any Sin as hath been before observed consisteth in the disobedience of the Will to the Command of God By one Mans disobedience sin entred into the World. And as the object of Mans obedience was whatsoever God had injoyned so the disobedience to any one Command had contracted the like Guilt and were under the like Penalty as this though this being purely a positive Command wherein only the Obedience or Disobedience of Man could be seen was that which is here mentioned because that wherein he offended 2. Thou shalt die God made not Death saith the wise Man Wisd 1.14 but Death entred into the world by sin Rom. 5.12 It imports three things 1. A loss or loosning of that strictness of Union which was between the Body and Soul or temporal immortality This is the Argument that the Apostle makes that from the time of Adam's transgression till Moses sin was in the World because Death reigned all that while and in the place before mentioned till sin the Kingdom of Death was not upon the Earth This immortality was not essential to the Nature of man but was freely super-added to it by the Divine Will upon those terms of Obedience and he that gave it might with all imaginable Justice give it upon what terms he pleaseth and he doth it upon terms of Obedience Obedience to himself which but even now gave Man his Being and might justly exact the utmost of his Being Obedience to a Law most possible easie and quadrate to the Powers and Aids given to man Obedience ingaged by a world of Blessedness attending it and an inevitable loss ensuing the breach of it This was his Vegetable loss 2. A loss of that Happiness which accompanied this immortal Being in respect of his Senses viz. an uninterrupted stream of Pleasure and Contentment and instead thereof Shame Gen. 3.7 Pain and Slavery Verse 26. Sorrow Verse 17. anxious and painful Labour Verse 19. a Curse upon the Earth Verse 17. A loss of Eden Verse 23. 3. The withdrawing and stopping of that stream of Light and Love that passed between God and the Soul of man which filled his reasonable faculties brimful of Happiness and Contentment and instead thereof in the understanding darkness distractedness a continued motion to know and yet for want of Light not knowing what to pursue and therefore pursuing trifles and follies In the Will loss of the Good that it before injoyed yet a craving Appetite after somewhat but it knows not what and to satisfie this unsatiable desire takeâ— in whatsoever the Suggestions of the World Flesh and the Devil offers fills it self with Vanity and then with Vexation In the Affections especially our Love it hath lost what did take up the whole Vigour and Comprehension of it and what it loved it injoyed but now raves and boils like the Sea after Follies and changeable and unsatisfying pursuits The Conscience that Chamber of the Soul wherein the beams of the Light and Favour of the Creator and of the Love and Duty of the Creature met as it were in the point or angle of reflection and carried those comfortable Messages of Sincerity and Obedience of the Soul to God and delight and acceptance from God to the Soul is now become the Chamber of Death and like the Spleen to the Body the receptacle of the Melancholy and sad Convictions of a guilty and ungrateful Soul and of an injured and revenging God and pre-apprehensions of farther Misery But if in the midst of Millions of Miseries he could see his Creator inviting him to dependance and recumbance upon him the Miseries were nothing they are born by his strength upon whom he leans But when the Lord of Heaven shall give him a trembling Heart and failing of Eyes and Sorrow of mind as in that most lively Expression he threatens the Jews Deut. 28.65 66 c. and when he
comes to his Creator the last and supreme refuge of Man God himself shall write bitter things against him and eternally reject him Here is the Death of Deaths This and much more than this is included in that Sanction Thou shalt surely die And this appears to be a most just and righteous Sanction 3. Thou But we are taught Rom. 5.12 By one Man sin entred into the World and Death by sin so Death passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Here it is inquirable 1. Whether the Guilt of Adam 's sin did extend farther than Adam's Person and by what means or Rule of Justice that came to pass We must conclude in Adam all sinned Rom. 5.19 By one Mans disobedience many were made Sinners and as Sin passed over all so Death passed over all And this the Apostle useth as the Argument of the Universality of sin in the same place and 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all died so in Christ all shall be made alive The sin of Adam was the sin of his Posterity by a double Means 1. For that he contracted with God for him and his Posterity and as in Nature including so in Law personating them all And in this respect Rom. 5.14 he is stiled the Figure of him that was to come As Christ contracted for his Seed by Faith so Adam contracted for his Seed by Nature It is true regularly the personal sin of the Father or of any Person is not charged upon his Posterity Ezek. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father conform to that Law of God Deut. 24.16 The Children shall not be put to Death for the Father But yet by way of Covenant or Contract the Child as it may be interessed in the benefit of Obedience may contractively be sharer in the Guilt and Punishment of the Father's disobedience 2. For that by this his offence he contracted a Loss of that natural Disorder and Deformity which he propagated to his Posterity and the Constitution of Adam's posterity after his fall was of the very same Distemper and Corruption that Adam himself had contracted by his Fall. And herein the Case of Adam differed from all Mankind besides The best of men born of Adam hath the very same natural obliquity that the worst of Adam's Children hath and if he traduce his Nature to his Child he traduceth as good as he hath or ever had But that Nature which Adam had and was traducible to his Posterity before his fall though the same essentially which it was after in specie rationali yet by the Will and Dispensation of God had been accompanied with those Qualifications that had put them in the same Degree of Blessedness and Power of conserving it that Adam had So then the Sin of Adam ingaged his Posterity in the Guilt 1. By his personating of them 2. By his traducing Corruption to them hence Gen. 6.5 every imagination of the Heart of Man was only evil continually And as we by this see how Adams sin was the sin of his Posterity so upon the same ground we see the Justice of traducing the Punishment to his Posterity By the Law of Nature and Reason the power of the Father over his Child especially unborn is the most absolute and natural power under God in the World so that even by the Universal Rule among men especially where another Government is not sub-induced he had the power over his Life his Liberty and his Subsistence Man contracts for him and his Posterity in a part of loss and benefit his Posterity had a share in the latter in case of Mans Obedience and it is reason he should bear a part in the former in Case of Disobedience the sin of a publick Person draws a Punishment upon those whom he represents politically as David's sin in numbring the people much more when to the political Representation is added a natural inclusion And thus he visits the iniquity of the Fathers upon the the Children viz. when the Father contracts for him and his Children in a Covenant of benefit and loss as he shews Mercy unto thousands in them that love him the Children of Abraham notwithstanding their own personal Sins had the benefit of that Promise which was made to Abraham because by way of Covenant Gen. 17.2 Further the ingagement of the Creator to his Creature could not be farther than he himself pleased neither could Man or his Posterity challenge any farther degree or perfection of Being than God gave and upon those terms only upon which he gave it If he had resumed it of his own Will from Man or his Posterity after a day or a month Man had had that for which to be thankful in the enjoyment not to murmur in the loss But it was not so here the stock of Blessedness for Man and his Posterity is put into the hands of the Father while he had his Posterity within himself and not only so but put into his hands with a power to keep it for him and his Posterity the Father proves prodigal and spends his stock and if the Child was so he hath none to blame but the immediate Author of his Being This is enough most clearly to interest the Posterity of Adam at least in the Punishment of Loss of Happiness and Immortality and those outward Curses which followed upon Adam's Nature and the Creatures by Adam's Sin. 4. The time In the day thou eatest And this was put in Execution the same day as well as Sentenced the same day Shame and Guilt and Fear fell upon him Gen. 3.10 I heard thy Voice and was afraid because I was naked The same day shut out from the Vision of God and the place of his Happiness Verse 24. the same day set to his work to Till a cursed Ground with Labour and Sorrow Verse 23. So now we have seen Man what he was and what he lost The next thing considerable is How it could come to pass that Man having such a portion of Perfection both in his Faculties and Fruitions could be drawn to commit this Sin upon terms of so great and visible disadvantage to himself and his Posterity Negatively we say it was not any inherent Corruption or Malignancy in the Nature of Man or any defect of what was necessary to his perseverance in his Original righteousness for he was very created good Neither was it any Predetermination that did necessitate him to fall for God as he gave him a Power to obey his Will and a Law wherein to exercise that power did leave him in the hands of his own Will As to suppose him necessitated to obey what God commanded could not stand with Mans Liberty nor with the true Nature of Obedience which doth necessarily suppose an intrinsecal power not to obey so to suppose him constrained to disobey could neither consist with that Liberty nor the Purity or Justice of God God did foresee the fall of
be there your peace shall rest upon it And though our Saviour professeth Matth. 10.34 I came not to send peace but a sword it is ex accidente or eventu by the malignity of our own Nature and the contestation of the Devil to keep his Possession against Christ the right owner and Lord of Man His Doctrine spiritual and powerful Isaiah 11.3 4. He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes nor reprove after the hearing of his ears he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he stay the wicked The teaching of Christ in the Flesh as one having Authority and not as the Scribes Matth. 7.29 The breath or spirit of his mouth a consuming breath 2 Thes 2.8 and hence Rev. 1.16 Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword His Sufferings Satisfaction Resurrection Intercession and Reign in his Church that Evangelical Chapter Isaiah 53. A despised man rejected when Barabbas and he in competition for Life We hid our faces from him forsaken and denied by his own Disciples Acquainted with grief we often find him in tears never in mirth He hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows in his Passion when it eclipsed the Light of his Fathers Countenance from him in his Compassion a merciful high Priest touched with our Infirmities Heb. 2. Wounded by the Souldiers by the Nails for for our Transgressions By his stripes when whipt by the Souldiers are we healed Yet this Lamb dumb before his shearers when Pilate impiously interrogated him He made his grave with the wicked being crucified between Thieves and with the rich in the Garden of a rich and honourable Joseph yet though his Soul was made an offering for sin he survived his own death saw his seed prolonged his days and the pleasure of the Almighty prospered in his hands and the two and twentieth Psalm penned as if the Passion of our Saviour had been then acted His Cry Verse 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The scorns of the beholders Verse 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn Matth. 27. Ver. 39. They that passed by reviled him wagging their heads The very Language of the reviling Scribes Verse 8. fulfilled Matth. 27.43 He trusted in God that he would deliver him c. The manner of his death Verse the 16. They pierced my hands and my feet The sharing of his Garments Verse 18. They parted my garments among them Again in several other Prophecies the several Occurrences of his Life and Death gathered up by other Prophets He never appeared more regally and triumphantly than in his Voyage to Jerusalem Matth. 21.5 and that coming of his not without a Prophecy Zach. 9.9 Behold thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass The price of Judas's treason and the imployment Zach. 11.13 They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver The Vinegar that he drank upon the Cross Psal 69.21 And in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink The time of his Birth and Death Dan. 9.25 26. From the going forth of the Command to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times And after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off but not for himself and the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and sanctuary the desolation of Jerusalem shortly following the death of our Redeemer The manner of the Calculation hath been diversly conjectured yet all concur to a very near projection of times And lastly that undeniable evident Prophecy most clearly fulfilled through millions of difficulties to the eminent knowledge of God by Christ a matter that were there nothing else were sufficient to convince all gainsaying Isa 11.20 To it shall the Gentiles seek Isa 42.1 Behold my servant c. he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles and Verse 6 I will give thee for a covenant of the People for a light of the Gentiles Isa 49.6 I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth Psal 72.8 His dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth And this began to be fulfilled in the Homage of the wise Men that came from the East Matth. 2.1 In the diversity of Tongues Acts 2.4 In Peter's Vision Acts 10.15 In Paul and Barnabas turning to the Gentiles Acts 13.46 And if a Man do but consider the Antiquity and Particularity and Positiveness of these Prophecies the improbabilities of effecting it in respect of the Persons who were to be converted tenacious to their Idolatry Have a nation changed their Gods the improbability in respect of the Means a company of poor unlearned persecuted Apostles in respect of the Religion whereunto to be called to believe in a crucified Saviour whom they never saw a Religion persecuted and condemned by the great Masters of Religion Scribes and Pharisees a Religion promising nothing within the view of Reason or use of Sense a Religion that takes Men off from all that wherein Men naturally repose their Hopes and Delights a Religion opposed by the chiefest Wits in the World the Philosophers and wise Men a Religion studied to be supprest by the greatest Power Policies and Cruelties that the World could afford and yet for all this to master all these Difficulties and bring into subjection the greatest part of the World for these sixteen hundred Years though I confess not without mixtures of great Corruptions must wring from any reasonable Man an acknowledgment both of the great Power and Providence of God in the Government of the World and also of the Truth of Christ the Messiah 2. Touching the Typical Predictions of Christ Gen. 2.9 The Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden which by the Divine Dispensation had that efficacy given to it that it should seem by Gen. 3.22 if lapsed Man had eat thereof he had recovered his lost perpetuity This was nothing else but Christ at least typically the Wisdom of God that the wisest of Men called the Tree of Life Prov. 3.18 This that Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God Revel 2.7 whose Leaves were for the healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 Melchizedeck the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14.18 The Type of Christ's Eternal Priesthood Psal 110.4 Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck And of his peaceable Kingdom King of Salem without beginning of days or end of life Heb. 7.3 The whole State of the Jews even from Abraham was in effect Typical Abraham the Father of the Jews according to the Flesh the Father of the Faithful as believing the Promise Gal. 3 7. Rom. 9.7 Sarah and Agar typical of the Church and the World the Flesh and the Spirit the Covenant
And the suffering of Christ without the Gate was not without some Allusion to the placing of this Altar without the Tabernacle Vide Heb. 13.12 And as the situation of the Altar so the Sacrifice upon this Altar not without a Mystery for besides those many Sacrifices which were diversified according to the several natures of the Occasion here was one Sacrifice appropriate to this Altar the continual Burnt-Offering a Lamb of the first year in the Morning a Lamb of the first year at Even Exod. 29.38 Numb 28.3 And the Spirit of Truth takes up this description of Christ more frequently than any John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world 1 Pet. 1.19 Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish or spot Revel 5.6 The Lamb that was slain c. Revel 13.8 The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And between this Altar and the Sanctuary stood the Laver of Brass not only typifying the Sacramental Initiation by Baptism but that Purity and Cleansing that is required of all those that partake of this Altar before they enter into the Sanctuary John 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God As the Blood of Christ cleanseth from the Guilt of our Sin so it cleanseth us from the Power of our Sin before we are to expect an admission into the Sanctuary It was as well Water to cleanse as Bloud to expiate 6. The typifying of Christ in the Priesthood of Aaron and his Successors High Priests Divers of the Ceremonies especially in the Consecration of them were meerly relative to their natural pollutions and the cleansing of them Heb. 7 27. Offering Sacrifices first for their own Sins such was the Sin-offering Levit. 9.7 Levit. 8. â—4 Others in reference to their service and designation thereunto and exercise thereof as their washing with Water Levit. 8.6 Their anointing with the holy Oyl Ibid. Verse 12. The Ram of Consecration Ibid. Verse 22. Their residence at the door of the Tabernacle seven days Ibid. Verse 33. And some parts of his Garments But there were some things that in a special manner were typical of Christ 1. The Breast-plate of Aaron bearing the Names of the Children of Israel called the Breast-plate of Judgement Exod. 28.29 And Aaron shall bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the Breast-plate of Judgment when he goeth into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually importing not only the nearness of the Church and redeemed of Christ unto him but also his continual presenting of their Names their Persons in his Righteousness before his Father 2. The Plate of Gold upon the Mitre engraven with Holiness to the Lord Exod. 28.38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of their holy things that they may be accepted before the Lord. As our Persons are accepted by God in the Righteousness of Christ presented for them to his Father so our Services are accepted in the strength of the same Mediation Christ presenting our Prayers and Services to his Father discharged of those Sins and Defects with which they are mingled as they come from us 3. His Solemn Atonement when he entred into the Holy of Holies Levit. 16. Wherein we shall observe 1. A most special Reconsecration almost of all the things incident to that Service before it was performed the Priest was to make an Atonement for himself by the Blood of the Bullock Verse 11. and for the Altar Verse 18. which signifie that Purification of the Humane Nature of Christ from all Sin Original and Actual from all Sin even in his Conception that so he might be a fit High Priest Heb. 7.26 For such a high priest became us who is Holy Harmless Vndefiled Separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens The difference was this Aaron notwithstanding his first Consecration to his Office needed a new Atonement when he entred into the Holy of Holies and exercised that high Type of Christ's Ascension and Intercession But Christ being once Consecrate needed no new Consecration Heb. 7.28 For the Law maketh men High Priests which have infirmities but the Word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is Consecrated for evermore 2. This was to be done but once in the year Some services had frequent iterations but those special Services that were but once in the Year were Types of those things that were to be done but once though remembred yearly such was the killing of the Passover Christ by one Offering hath perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 3. This great Atonement not made but by Blood Heb. 9.7 The high Priest entred not without Blood Livit. 26. And this Atonement was to be made upon the Horns of the Altar Levit. 16.18 viz. The Golden Altar of Incense Exod. 30.10 Hence Christ called the Blood of sprinkling Hebr. 12.24 The Offering that was to be used in this solemn Atonement for so much as concerned the Sins of the People were two Goats which were to be presented before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle Levit. 16.7 And Lots to be cast one for the Lord the other for the Scape-Goat the former was to be the Sin-offering for the People and his Blood to be brought within the Veil Verse 23. And the other was to bear the Iniquity of the Children of Israel but to be sent into the Wilderness Ibid. Vers 21. Although in the Sacrifice of Christ his Body only died and his Soul escaped yet both were but one Sacrifice he did bear our sins in both his Soul was heavy unto death as well as his Body crucified and as God had prepared him a Body in order to this Sacrifice Heb. 10.5 So he made his Soul an Offering for Sin Isa 53.10 4. As after all this the Priest entred into the most Holy and presented this Blood of Reconciliation before the Mercy Seat and no Man was to be in the Tabernacle when he goeth in Levit. 16.17 So Christ having trodden alone the Wine press of his Father's Wrath Isaiah 63.3 Is entred into the Holy Place not made with Hands now to appear in the presence of God for us Hebr. 9.24 And as the People did representatively by their Mediatour Aaron pass into the Holiest so our High Priest hath consecrated for us Access into the Holiest by a new and living way through the Veil of his Flesh Hebr. 10.20 Who as he is our Advocate with the Father John 2.1 To bear our Names before him as the High Priest did the Names of Israel to present his own Blood before the Father of Mercy as the High Priest did the Blood of the Sin-Offering before the Mercy Seat to bear the Iniquity of our holy things as the High Priest did upon his Forehead so likewise to present our Prayers to the Father Ephes 2.18 Through him we have access
way to his Happiness as one Man teacheth another though we must not exclude that powerful Co-operation of his mighty Spirit that strikes upon our Spirits even when his Word strikes upon our 〈◊〉 And herein the Pharisees spoke truth even against their own Wills Matth. 22.26 Thou teachest the way of God in Truth For God in these last times hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.2 and revealed unto us the whole Counsel and Will of his Father concerning us For he spoke not of himself but the Father which sent him gave him Commandment what he should say John 12.49 And that this Doctrin of his might receive a Testimonial from Heaven it was 〈◊〉 with Miracles and with suffrages from Heaven John 12.30 This Voice came not because of me but 〈◊〉 your sakes Now among divers Particulars of the 〈◊〉 of Christ we may observe these great Master-pieces 1. Instâ—ucting us that there is a higher end for the Sons of Men to arrive unto than temporal Felicity in this Life viz. Blessedness express'd in those several Expressions of his Matth. 5.3 4. c. The Kingdom of Heaven Comfort Fulness sight of God c. And in order to this great Doctrin are those several Doctrines of the Resurrection the last Judgment the Immortality of the Soul truths that the whole World either never knew or had forgotten or doubted 2. Instructing in the true Way to attain this Blessedness teaching us that Righteousness accepted of God consists not in meer outward observations but in the integrity and sincerity of the Heart and hereby rubs off all those false glosses that the formallest of Men had put upon the Law of God teaches that the Love of God is the fulfilling of God's Commandments and the reason is because this Love of God if it be sincere will ingage the whole Man to the exact Observance of what he requires those abstruse practical Truths of Depending upon God's Providence Self-denyal Loving our Enemies Rejoycing in Affliction all flowing from the high Point of the Love of God this is the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 3. In revealing that which is the only Means to attain the two former even that great Mystery of the Gospel that was hid with God in Christ A Man might rove at the two former though the World had almost lost them both but this latter was a mystery that the Angels themselves knew not 1 Cor. 2.16 Who hath known the Mind of the Lord that he way instruct him But we have the mind of Christ which contains the whole Counsel of God touching Man this is that which Paul calls all the Counsel of God. Acts 20.27 and Truth it self hath given us the Breviary of it John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day These great Truths of so great Concernment to the Children of Men yet so far remov'd from their Understanding were the third Business of the Life of Christ 7. That Christ bearing the sins of his People did suffer the wrath of God for the Remission of their sins The sufferings of Christ did only befal his Humane Nature for his Divine Nature was impassible yet in respect of that strict union of both Natures in one Person they received a value from that divine and impassible Nature for the union of both Natures in one Person though it did not communicate the Conditions of either Nature to the other did communicate the conditions of either Nature to the same Person as is before shewn This Suffering of Christ had these several Attributions 1 It was a Voluntary Suffering and yet not without a Necessity The Suffering was Voluntary even in respect of his Humane Nature yet Obediential to the Counsel and Purpose of God Matth. 17.21 he must go and suffer Luke 24 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God Yet was this most Voluntary in Christ Voluntary in the original undertaking of this Work in that Eternal Susception by the Eternal Word Voluntary in the discharge of that Undertaking in the Humane Nature the Humane Nature of Christ pursuing and following the will of Eternity Luke 12.50 I have a baptism to be baptized withal and how am I straitned till it be accomplished And even when the Humane Nature did according to the Law of Nature shrink from its own dissolution yet he presently corrects that natural Passion John 12.27 Father save me from this hour But for this cause came I to this hour Father glorifie thy Name Matth. 26.39 O my Father if it be pâ—ssible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt whiles his Humanity trembles and startles at the Business he goes about yet his Love to his Church his Obedience to his Father his Faithfulness to his Undertaking breaks through that natural reluctance Now the Voluntariness yet obedience of Christ's suffering both consistent appears Joh. 10.15 1 Joh. 3.16 I lay down my life for my sheep No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self yet Isa 53.6 10. All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all it pleased the Lord to bruise him when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Psal 2.7 8. As he made himself of no reputation and humbled himself so he became obedient to death Titus 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity yet John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Again 1 John 4.9 Herein perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us Yet Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all 1 John 4.9 God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Psal 40.7 Then said I lo I come yet he came not without a Mission I delight to do thy will O my God. The sum of all then is the Love of God to Mankind was the absolute and original foundation of our Redemption the same act of this Love proposed and undertook the Redemption of Mankind voluntarily and freely in this way contrived by the Eternal Wisdom and Counsel of God The Humane Nature of Christ in exact and voluntary submission unto this Counsel performed it If it had been Voluntary and not in Conformity to the Will of God whose Will could be the only measure of his Satisfaction it could never have been satisfactory And if it had been meerly Passive it could not have been an Obedience which requires a free Submission and Conformity to the Will of him that injoyns without which it could never be meritorious 2. It was a Meritorious and Expiatory Suffering for by that Eternal Covenant between the Father and the Son he was to bear the sins of
his Elect and under that Condition it was necessary that he should suffer for them It was the Love of the Father to accept of Christ to bear the sins of the People and it was his Justice that disclosed his Anger against Sin although his Son did but represent the sinner and yet the merit of this Suffering hath its strength from the free acceptation of his Father according to his Eternal Covenant with his Son. 3. From hence it follows that it is a Full and Perfect Satisfaction The reason is because the measure of the Satisfaction is the Acceptation of the offended God for it appears before that there can be no other Measure or Rule to him but his own Will though that be a most Just Will. Now that God was fully satisfied and pleased in Christ we have the Testimony of Angels Luke 2.14 On earth peace good will to men Of Christ John 17.4 when by way of Anticipation he saith I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do which he fully perfected when John 19.30 he said It is finished By the eternal Father by a voice from Heaven Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased By the Spirit of Truth Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that be sanctified And from the sufficiency of this satisfaction doth arise that assurance in which the Apostle glories Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect c. it is Christ that died And hence called the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 4. It was an Vniversal Suffering The sin of Man had an universal Contagion both upon his Body and Soul and an universal Guilt and consequently an universal Curse went over both his Soul and Body In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death This death extended to his Body and Soul and the whole Compositum his very Life was mingled with Death both in Sense and Expectation And answerable to the extent of this Contagion Guilt and Curse was the extent of Christ's Satisfaction who was figured by the first Adam Rom. 5.14 His Life was mingled with Pain Isa 53. A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief in his Body he suffered a cursed and a painful Death and though the nailing to the Cross was not sufficient naturally to have made a separation of the Body and Soul no more than of the two Thieves yet he had those other Concurrences to his dissolution that they had not viz. the bearing of his Cross John 19.17 His scourging and Crown of Thorns Matt. 27.26 29. But especially the suffering of his Soul the very anticipation of this suffering made him even to shrink at it John 12.27 Now is my soul troubled what shall I say Father save me from this hour And this like the Trumpet upon Sinai waxed louder and louder till his very dissolution witness his affirmation In the Garden of Gethsemane Matth. 26.28 My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death and that astonishing Cry of the Son of God upon the Cross Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me His sorrow and the suffering of his Soul in the Garden that was so strange as to cause a sweat of Blood had been enough without the interposition of any outward force to have caused his dissolution for it was a sorrow unto death had not God supported his Humane Nature with a supernatural aid Luk. 22.43 An angel from heaven strengthened him and when the Divine Dispensation withdrew that extraordinary supply he died Matth. 27.50 He cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost If it be asked What was the cause of this extremity of suffering in the Soul of Christ we say as he willingly took upon him to stand in our room to bear our sins and to become Sin for us so he felt the wrath of God against that sin which he by way of imputation did bear as he bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 and God laid on him the iniquity of us all and as he was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 so he trode the wine-press of his Fathers wrath for that time Isa 63.3 and was made a Curse for that Sin. The Guilt that he had was not inherent but imputed but the sense of that wrath of God against Sin was not imputed but real and inherent If it be inquired How could such a sense of the wrath of God be consistent with that union that was between his Natures in one Person such Knowledge is too wonderful for me Nevertheless thus far we may say that as in the highest extremity of the suffering of his Soul there was no interruption of that strict Union between the Humane and Divine Nature yet so it pleased God to order this great Work that the actual communication of the presence of the Divine Nature was to the sense of the Humane Nature eclipsed the Sun still remained in the Firmament yet the Light thereof Eclipsed at the time of the death of Christ Matth. 27.45 to shadow to us that interruption of Vision which was in our Redeemer that so his Soul might be made an Offering for Sin as well as his Body If it be inquired How it came to pass that a perpetual Punishment due to Man was expiated by a temporary suffering of Christ we answer Man's suffering must needs be perpetual because it could never be satisfactory Matth. 5.26 Thou shalt not come out till thou payest the uttermost farthing But Christ's suffering was satisfactory and the satisfaction being made the suffering could not continue 1. It was a Voluntary Suffering 2. An Innocent Suffering 3. A Suffering of the Son of God. 4. An Accepted Satisfaction by the offended God. 8. That Christ having suffered death did arise again from death the third day This was that which the Prophet David foretold of Christ Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave by Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin c. He shall prolong his days he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death prefigured by Jonah and so expounded by Christ himself Matth. 12.40 and predicted by himself Matth. 20.13 And the third day shall rise again attested by an Angel Matth. 28.6 He is risen as he said And this Truth was that which was the great Means of Conversion and therefore received the greatest opposition of Devils and Men Acts 2.24 Acts 4.10.33 Acts 5.30 And as it was the greatest Caution of the High Priest if it had been possible to falsifie the Prediction of Christ concerning his Resurrection Matth. 27.63 64. So this was the Truth that they most persecuted Acts 25.19 And being a Truth of that great concernment was most evidenced by the Evangelists and Apostles whose Business it was to be Witnesses of the Resurrection Acts 1.22 1 Cor. 15. per totum for by this he was
and consequently the Life to the Will of God the Mind of Christ for the same Spirit of Christ which dwells in Christ our Head dwells likewise in those that are the Members of the same Body and as the oneness of the Soul in Man makes that oneness of motion in all the Body and that Conformity that is in all its motions to the mind of the Soul so that oneness of the Spirit in Christ and his Members makes that Conformity of the Members of Christ unto the Mind and Will of Christ which is the uncreated Image of God This is Regeneration the birth of the Spirit the forming of Christ in us the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 2. That whereof before is spoken Love unto God which is always the Soul of all true Obedience The Soul finds the Goodness and Rectitude and Beauty of God and of all his Commands and therefore out of a Judicial Love it is sensible of the ingagement that it ows to God and therefore out of Gratitude it will as far as the strength of the Soul can reach obey the Commands which are so Righteous of her God that is so Gracious It finds that it was the Purpose of God he created us unto good Works Ephes 2.10 that as many as are in Christ ought to walk as he walked 1 John 2.5 That the Son of God died to destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 to purifie unto himself a People zealous of Good Works Tit. 2.14 That Christ hath ordained that his Disciples should bring forth Fruit John 15.16 That for this cause Christ died c. that from thenceforth they that live should not live unto themselves c. 2 Cor. 5.15 Now the true Love of God makes the Will of God to be his Will and the Glory of God his End if there were no Beauty in the thing commanded yet shall I dispute his Will that hath redeemed me shall I go about to disappoint him in the End of his Death for me ordinary Reason teacheth me to subscribe and yield Obedience to the Commands of God for they are all most Wise and most Just Commands and though I see not the Wisdom Usefulness and Justice of them yet the same Truth that tells me his ways are unsearchable and past finding out teacheth me to obey when I discern the Authority though not the Reason of the Command But if it were not so suppose I could be a loser by my Obedience I cannot lose so much as I have freely received from him that commands me When Abraham received a Son from the Goodness of God and God required him again Abraham obeys though his Obedience had left him as Childless as the Promise found him But the greatest Command that I can receive from my Saviour cannot return me to so bad a Condition as his Pity and Mercy found me in If he require my Riches my Liberty my Life yet he leaves me somewhat which without his Goodness I had lost and doth more than countervail all my other Losses even my Everlasting Soul When he requires these of me he pays me interest for them Matth. 19.29 But if he did not yet the Price of my Soul in ordinary Gratitude may deserve the life of my Body for what can a Man give in Exchange for his Soul Matth. 16 26. CHAP. XIII Concerning the putting off the Old Man and 1. What it is NOW concerning the putting off the Old Man two things are considerable 1. What this Old Man is 2. How we must put him off For the former it is nothing but that Ataxy Disorder and Corruption which by sin did fall upon our Nature It is not our Nature in its essentials for that is still good but the absence of the Goodness and Perfection of the reasonable Soul which consisted in the Conformity to the Will of God which is the Beauty and Perfection of every thing And from this disorder in the Soul proceeds the disorder in the Life and Actions And this Old Man hath a double strength and advantage uâ—on us 1. In it self the Corruption and Disorder is so universal that the whole Soul is bound under it it hath no supplies of its own to rescue it self for they are all corrupted it is therefore called a Dominion of Sin Rom. 6.12 a body of death Rom. 7.24 a Law of Sin bringing the Soul into captivity Rom. 7.23 2. Accidentally the Prince of the Power of the Air taking advantage of this confusion and disorder of the Soul gets as it were into it and so worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 inhabits it as his Castle and useth the Faculties of the Soul as the Weapons wherein he trusteth became a Ruler of Darkness in the Soul Eph. 6.12 Is Judas covetous the Devil gets into that covetousness and acts it even unto the betraying of the Lord of Life Luke 22.3 Is Peter lifted up upon his Master's atâ—estation of his Confession the Devil gets into that Pride and he becomes a tempter of our Redeemer Matth. 6.23 Is a Man immoderately angry the Devil gets into that Anger and will turn it into Malice Ephes 4.27 The Prince of the World could get no advantage upon our Redeemer he had nothing in him John 14.30 but so much of the Old Man as remains in us such a party hath the Devil in us to entertain nourish and actuate his temptations We shall therefore consider wherein this Corruptition or Deficiency in our Soul consists It is in every part and faculty of the whole Man as may evidently appear by tne enumeration of particulars 1. In the Vnderstanding there wants Light Rom. 1.21 Their foolish heart was darkened Ephes 4.18 And from hence the imaginations become vain Rom. 1.21 and not only vain but evil and continually evil Gen. 6.5 pursues unprofitable Curiosities Acts 19.19 Lusts of the Mind Ephes 2.3 Fables and impertinent Questions Tit. 3.9 1 Tim. 1.4 vain deceit Colos 2.8 It wants a capacity to discern things of greatest concernment 1 Cor. 2.14 the best habits of the Understanding are corrupt The Wisdom of the World is not only Foolishness 1 Cor. 3.19 but Enmity to God is earthly sensual devilish James 3.15 These and the like are the Old Man in the Understanding for the Light being either out or dim the actings of the Understanding are irregular and it is one of the great works of Christ in our renovation to give us the Spirit of a sound Mind 2 Tim. 1.17 2. In the Conscience This is the tenderest part of the Soul the receptacle of that Light and Authority of God which he hath left in us to be our Monitor and his Vicegerent Rom. 2.15 And yet the Old Man hath mastered and corrupted this also puts it awry or out 1 Tim. 1.19 defiles the Mind and Conscience Tit. 1.15 sears the Conscience so that it is insensible and past feeling Ephes 4.19 And if the Conscience be so vigorous as not to be stifled by means of this
Consideratiun of the great and high Hope to which we are restored by the purchace of Christ and the great Incongruity that there is between continuing in Sin and that Hope We expect to be brought to an innumerable company of Angels to the Assembly of the first born to the Spirits of just Men made perfect to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant to God the Judge of all Heb. 12.22 c. to be make like unto the Son of God and to be partakers of his Sonship and Inheritance 1 John 3.2 To partake of his Spirit to see the brightness of the glory of God in Christ now all these are holy how unsuitable a thing is it for a Man that hath his Hope not to purifie himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 This will teach a Man to bespeak his Heart thus Is the Presence of God thy Hope he is the Holy Holy Holy Lord that is of purer Eyes than to behold or to be beholden by any unclean thing If therefore thou commit Sin thou livest below thy Hope either therefore let thy Hope be answerable to thy Life or thy Life to thy Hope 3. A serious Consideration of the Presence of the Great and Just and Powerful God his Eyes run to and fro through the Earth to behold the Evil and the Good 2 Chron. 16.9 He is acquainted with all my ways Psal 139.3 His Eyes are upon all the ways of the Children of Men Jer. 32.19 The Hearts of Men Prov. 15.11 and all things are naked and manifest before him with whom we have to do And darest thou sin before the face of thy Judge who sees thee and whose Power or Justice thou canst not escape this is so great a Controll that were it soundly and deeply considered it would stifle even the first motions of sin and therefore it is the great work of our own wicked Heart either to gull themselves into a perswasion that God sees not Job 22.13 or else in plain English to forbid him their Hearts they say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 22.14 4. A deep Consideration of the Nature and Consequences of Sin It is a Violation of a Righteous and Just Law the Law of a Just and Righteous God a Law the conformity whereunto is the Perfection and Blessedness of the Creature By this sin I lose my Communion with my Creator and consequently Peace within my self whiles I commit it my fruition is but short and mingled with Fear because the end of it Death is in some degree present with my Soul and sowers that transitory Content which I enjoy in it and when it is finished it brings forth Sorrow and Shame and Death and if that Sorrow end in Repentance yet the bitterness of that Sorrow overweighs the Pleasure that I had in its commission and according to the measure of the delight I had in my sin so and much more is the measure of my sorrow in repenting and yet for all this that Peace which I had formerly with my God and my Conscience very hardly recovered and God though he pardons my sin yet either not at all or not suddenly trusting me with that measure of Communion with him which I formerly enjoyed and abused But if the sorrow of Repentance wait not upon my sin a worse sorrow attends it the sin is past and so is the contentment but the storm that attends it is Everlasting the loss of the light of God's love the loss of an Eternal weight of Glory the terrible appearance of an angry God cloathed with as much Terror as Justice provoked Patience abused and Mercy contemned by a most indebted Creature can assume And this Terror shaken into the most tender and sensible parts of the Soul by the hand of Omnipotence it self and that unto all Eternity when my Life shall be full of nothing but the preapprehensions of my future misery my death the terrible inexorable and inevitable passage to it Shall I then so madly prize the satisfying of a base a perishing Lust for a season thus throw away my God my Happiness my self when the thing it self is so base and transitory and the wages so sad and dismal It shall be my care to avoid to subdue to crucifie that which as it cannot satisfie so it will certainly torment and ruine me And since I find my Lusts to be so easily actuated into Sin by every Temptation I shall by the Grace of God as avoid the latter so keep a strict hand over the former and it shall be my hourly care to ransack and examine and search my Heart what is moulding there and to cleanse and wash it from its pollutions or at least to mingle my Tears and Sorrows with them that so they may be weary of my Heart or my Heart of them But Lord Who understandeth the errors of his life Cleanse thou me from my secret sins and keep thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19.12 5. Frequent Considerations of the Shortness of Life the Lord hath given me a great Work to do to work out my salvation with fear and trembling and the Time wherein I have to do it is in this Life and that but a short and an uncertain Life the great Enemies to my Soul are the Lusts of my Flesh and of my Mind which fight against my Soul If the work be not done in my Life-time the Door is shut and who knows whether this or that Sin which I am now about to commit may not be concluded with my Life and then in what a case am I how shall I appear before the Holy and Eternal God with the stain of that sin upon me or if he prolong my days yet who knows whether he will not seal up my Soul with impenitency If my Lust prevail upon me now it gathers strength and vexeth that Spirit which must only enable me for the future to repent and resist it and if I get the Victory over the contestations of the Spirit of God my Conquest ends in my own Misery and Slavery It may be I have over-matched and stifled the Perswasions of the Spirit of God of that Lighit which he hath set up in my Conscience that did sting me in the midst of my Cariere after my Lusts and mingled them with bitterness to my discontent and now I pursue my Desires without interruption yet when I remember that Death is at my heels and will overtake me before I can overtake my Contentment in the things I pursue that if I over-live a sudden unexpected Death yet the Harbingers of Death Sickness or Age cannot be far off and either of these as they will take off the edge of my Pursuit and fruitions of my Lusts and render them insipid so they will thereby give leisure and opportunity to me to cast up the Accounts of my past Life and find therein nothing but Vanity and Unprofitableness Time that might have been improved to Eternity irrecoverably
lost in those Pursuits that have left no footsteps of Content in my Soulâ— but instead thereof a bruised and wounded Conscience a displeased and an angry God an infinite Happiness offered and sold for a few unprofitable and perished Pleasures and Lusts when I shall find an infinite Guilt contracted a Soul clogged with a custom of sin a Body now ready to drop into dissolution a great work to do to make the Peace of my Soul a God by whose only strength I can do it hiding himself and his influence from me and Death by his hasty and churlish Officers still ready to seize me to carry me off without regard to the importunity and concernment of a little longer time such thoughts as these will work upon a Man to keep a hand over himself over his Flesh over his Lust while it is called to day not to harden the Heart to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure to get Oyl in the Lamp to break off the course of sin to cleanse our hearts to improve this little portion of time to our best advantage for Death will come and after that Judgement Lord so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom CHAP. XVI Meditation of the Vnreasonableness of the Dominion of Lust 6. A SAD and deep Consideration of the Vnreasonableness and Vnbecomingness of the Power and Dominion of any Lust upon a Man. And this though it be a moral Consideration is of good use for the mortifying of our Lusts S. Paul divides our Lusts into the Lusts of the Flesh and the Lusts of the Mind Ephes 2.3 S. John tells us that all that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life 1 John 2.16 Out of both these we may divide the Enemies of our Soul within us into these Divisions 1. Lust which is nothing else but the immoderate and inordinate actings of the Appetite either beyond that measure it ought to be or upon those Objects it ought not to be And this either 1. In the Rational Appetite those are the Lusts of the Mind 2. In the Sensitive Appetite those again 1. In the Lusts of the Flesh 2. The Lust of the Eyes 2. Pride in an overvaluing of our selves in the fruition of those things we have thus pursued Now we shall a little consider how far forth any of these do hold a disproportion even with right Reason 1. The Lusts of the Mind The great Desire of the Mind is that of Knowledge an Appetite that God hath put into the Soul of Man and so a thing beautiful and good But this very Desire of Knowledge becomes a Lust of the Mind when either it is misplaced in respect of his Object thus Adam's desire of Knowledge of Good and Evil became a Lust or when acted beyond its proportion The chiefest Object of our Love ought to be the chiefest object of our Knowledge and consequently of our desire of Knowledge and that is only God and he is to be known and consequently we ought to desire to know him as he hath revealed himself in his Word in his Works and by his Spirit When either therefore we desire to know even in things pertaining to God beyond what we ought to know as the Counsels of his Will looking into the Ark or when we desire to know things of an inferiour nature with an over-intensive desire which is only due to God our want of Sobriety in the former and our want of Moderation in the latter turns our desire of Knowledge into a Lust of the Mind or when acted without his due End Good and the fruition of it is the great and final object of the Soul and as the Acts of the Understanding are preparatory to the Will so Knowledge and the desire of it is or should be preparatory to the fruition of some Good farther and beyond the bare speculative Knowledge of it If it were possible for a Man truly to know God without the Love of him and the sense of his Love to the Soul a desire of such a Knowledge though I dare not term it a Lust of the Mind yet it is such a desire as is not rightly qualified To desire to know a thing fit to be known meerly because I would know it It is but a Lust of the Mind and such a Knowledge as only puffeth up Now any Man may rationally conclude that such desires of the Mind as these are even condemned of Reason it self as irregular and useless It is true that whatsoever is an object of our Knowledge may be an object of our desire of Knowledge if not forbidden by him that gave the Power if acted with Moderation and Sobriety if subordinated to that desire which I have or should have to that great object of my Knowledge But for a Man to spend his choicest hours and thoughts and inquiries upon unnecessary perishing useless objects Reason it self will conclude as the Preacher would have the covetous Man Eccles 4.8 For what do I labour and bereave my soul of good And as thus in the Intellectual Faculty there are Lusts of the Mind so are there in the Rational Appetite the Will and Affections The Passions in the Soul are natural to it and therefore naturally good therefore want of natural Affection is a thing condemned in the old World Rom. 1.31 But when these Affections are acted beyond their natural end and use they become corrupt and putrified and so Lusts of the Mind And this is seen in either Faculty Irascible and Concupiscible and by how much the more spiritual they are by so much the more devilish and hurtful and yet condemned by sound Reason The Passion of Anger was planted in the Mind and is good when acted upon a right object and in a due measure Ephes 4.26 But this Passion being over-acted it becomes putrified and a Lust of the Mind it then turns into Malice to Envy The Spirit that is in us lusteth after Envy Jam. 4.5 into desire of Revenge and thus Lust conceiveth upon this Passion of the Soul and bringeth forth Sin. Now all these are evidently against right Reason Because even sound Reason teacheth us to love all that is good Every Being hath in it self a goodness and doth naturally challenge our Love and therefore to desire the destruction of any Being is against the Law and Rule of Reason or to desire a less or more low degree of Being to it than it hath It is true there may be some irregularity in it which I may and must hate But when my hatred is in the concrete and takes in the Being of any thing which is good as well as that which I conceive an irregularity within the compass of it as is in all Malice and Revenge then is my Passion mis-acted corrupted and proves a lust of the Mind Suppose a Man hath done me an extream injury and intends to continue it right Reason
ariseth Murmuring and Discontent because that which befalls him crosseth him in his self opinion of his own Merit or Desert And from hence proceeds the rejection of God and of his directions from an opinion of a self-sufficiency and fulness To cure this Distemper and the products of it labour for Poverty and Humility of Spirit upon these Considerations 1. That whatsoever thou hast of worth or good in thee it is not thy own it is a derived good the good that is most thy own even thy essential good is not thy own thou owest thy Being to somewhat without thee But grant it were thine own yet the Comfort and Life and Beauty of thy Being were nothing without a farther good that is not thy own thy Power thy Wealth thy Strength thy Knowledge these are not in thy Essence they are derived Goods and such as are not from thy self the most exact faculty of thy Soul is but empty till it be filled by an Object without thee In thy highest Fruition thou hast a just occasion to magnifie God from whom thou hast it not to magnifie thy self that dost only receive it Learn therefore the Original of that good whatever it be that thou enjoyest it will make thee thankful and keep thee humble 2. That in thy self thou hast nothing but emptiness and vanity Thou hadst a good it is true which was sent thee by the Lord of thy Being and that we have shewn was no occasion to exalt thy self because it was not thine own but even that thou hast lost now and thy Nature hath nothing left thee whereof to be Proud. 3. That it is impossible for thee to come to enjoy that which must make thee happy till thou art deeply sensible of thy own emptiness and nothingness and thy Spirit thereby brought down and laid in the dust As long as thy Soul is full of thy Honour or of thy Wealth or of the World or of thy own Righteousness or Worth there is no room for thy Saviour or his fulness thou wilt not receive him because thou findest not any want and thou canst not receive him because thou hast no room And as it indisposeth thee to receive good from God so it indisposeth as I may say God to give it for thy Pride assumeth that both from God which is his and applies it to thy self even that acknowledgment and Honour which is a Tribute wholly and only due to God and hence it is that he resists the Proud because they rob him of the Duty that by all the Laws and Reasons immaginable thou owest to him 4. That the Grace of God the Knowledge and Sense of his Love the Spirit of Christ is an humbling Spirit the more thou hast of it the more it will humble thee and it is a sign that either thou hast it not or that it is yet over-mastered by thy corruption if thy Heart be still haughty it shews thee thy self in thy true Dress and makes thee abhor thy self it shews thee the Purity and Majesty of the great God with whom thou hast to deal and teacheth thee Fear and Honour towards him it teacheth thee to live by thy Saviour's Life to be righteous by his Purity to be saved by his Sufferings to walk by his Rule and to aim at his Glory it shews thee that thou hast all from him and frames thy Heart to return all to him It restores thee to that Position and Constitution in which thou wast made and takes off that distemper of Spirit which at once hath put thee below what thou wast and yet exalteth thy foolish Spirit above it There was a third Object of our Watch proposed viz. Temptations which are either 1. For Tryal 2. To Sin of which see the Meditations upon the Lord's Prayer Afflictions c. CHAP. XXIV Of the new Life or Sanctification and the necessity of it HITHERTO we have considered the Duty and Means of Mortification the putting off of the Old Man those Distempers and Disorders of our Souls by which they become unconformable to the Image and Mind of God the Principle whereof is the Spirit and Grace of God given us in Christ and the Means of this work those which we have before mentioned Now we come to consider of that New Life which follows hereupon most necessarily 1. Because it proceeds most necessarily from the same Principle As in a natural Man fallen into some Distemper it is the same strength of Nature that conquers the Disease and it being conquered maintains the Body in its natural Operations which is Health so the same vital power of the Spirit of God is that which overmatched those Distempers in our Soul which are contrary to our spiritual Life and Motion and conserves that Constitution of Health in the Soul by which it moves regularly and according to the Will of God which is our New Life 2. Because the Motion of those Distempers which fit in our Soul doth necessarily conform our Souls to that condition in which we were created God at first created us in a Conformity unto himself our sin brought an impotency upon our Nature by which we contracted all those Corruptions and Distempers that have disordered our Souls and diverted us from God when God is pleased by the power of his own Spirit purchased for us by the Blood of Christ to put into us a Principle of life and strength to work out those Corruptions and Disorders of our Souls there must necessarily follow a life conformable to the Will of God and as there is no Medium between Life and Death so when this Death of our Souls is removed by that Principle of Life there necessarily follows a New Life and new Operations answerable to it 3. The End of the Motion of those disorders of the Soul is in order to our New Life 1 Pet. 2.24 That we being dead to sin should live to Righteousness Ephes 2.10 Created in Christ Jesus unto good works It was the end of the Death of Christ Tit. 2.14 the Tree that bore wild Figs and that which bore none were equally cursed John 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away So then the work of Mortification and Sanctification differ only in their Relations not in themselves they are both effects of that same Life which by the Spirit of Christ and our Union to him is wrought in us they both drive to the same End even to our Conformity to our Head Christ Jesus which is our Conformity to the Will of God wherein consists the Perfection of every Creature For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 The Honour and Glory of God is and ought to be the supream End of all actions and things in the World. And this is that which every Creature in his right station and condition doth drive at according to the measure and degree of its natural perfection for as the great End of God in all his actions is his own
were presently under the Sentence of Everlasting Death though delivered from it by the Messiah that promised seed 2. They lost the estate of Immortality of their Bodies though they lost not the state of Immortality of their Souls which were essensentially Immortal 3. They lost their Innocence their Happy Estate in Paradise the clear and supernatural Light of their Understanding the Rectitude of their Wills the right Order of their Affections and their Souls lost much of its Perfection though not its essential Spirituality and Immortality 4. All that were after derived from them by ordinary Generation though they had immortal Souls yet their Faculties were imbased and corrupted and greatly disordered and without the extraordinary Grace of God preventing and assisting them prone to all kind of evil and sin and thereby obnoxious to the wrath of God and to everlasting Death And this is the Condition of all the Posterity of Adam by Nature except Jesus Christ 10. God Almighty in his eternal wisdom and foreknowledge of the fall of Man in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness purposed to send forth his Son to take the Humane Nature and to become a King a Priest and a Prophet and also a Sacrifice to expiate the Sins of Mankind and to make them again partakers of the great and essential part of that Happiness which the first Man lost by his Fall and so to recover unto himself a Creature that might actually glorifie and serve him 11. And to make this Purpose effectual to our first Parents and to those that succeeded them before the coming of Christ the purposed Redeemer Almighty God was pleased to use two Expedients 1. He gave out the Promise of the Messiah or the Seed of the Woman the seed in whom all Nations should be blessed and the Belief of this though darkly revealed became an Instrument or Means to render the promised Messiah effectual to them to partake of the Benefits of his Redemption when it was joyned with the Obedience to the revealed Will of God in Sincerity 2. He gave out Precepts directing Men to their Duty and to the sincere Endeavour of Obedience to those Precepts he annexed the Benefit of Remission of Sins and Acceptance of their Persons and Duties through the Messiah or Christ that was to come 12. In the fulness or appointment of time namely about four thousand years after the Creation of Mankind the Son of God by a miraculous Conception of the Virgin Mary without the conjunction of Man assumed the Humane Nature became Man lived about three and thirty years discovered the Mind and Will of God touching Mankind confirmed his Doctrine with unquestionable Miracles and Evidences from Heaven and lived a most Holy and Spotless Life and then was without cause crucified by the Jews was buried the third day he rose from the dead lived again according as he promised and conversed with his Disciples forty days then ascended into the glorious Heavens where he is in a state of Glory and Power 13. And after his Ascension he sent upon his Apostles as he promised the Power of the Holy Spirit whereby they did many Miracles in witness of the truth of the Doctrine and History of Christ 14 The Reasons and Ends why the Son of God thus took our Nature became Man and died for us were these 1. That the Eternal Counsel and Purpose of God for the Recovering and Redemption of Mankind out of their lost Condition and all those Predictions and Prophecies touching the same might be fulfilled and thereby the great God to have the Glory of his Wisdom Mercy Power and Truth 2. That there might be a common Remedy for the Recovery of Mankind to their duty and subjection to Almighty God that they might actively glorifie their Creator according to the End of their Creation 3. That there might be a common Remedy afforded to Mankind to obtain in substance that Happiness which they lost in their first Parents and by their own renewed Transgressions and a Means provided for the pardon of their Sins and saving of their immortal Souls and yet without derogation of the Divine Justice and the Honour of his Government 15. In order to these great Ends the Son of God was thus sent from Heaven and Commissionated as it were by the Father principally to do these Great Businesses in this World first to acquaint the World with the whole Will of God concerning Mankind 2. To lay down a full and sufficient Sacrifice for the Sins of the World by his own Death and Passion 3. To give the World all possible Assurance both of the Truth of his Doctrine and the Sufficiency of his Satisfaction by his wonderful Miracles by his Resurrection and Ascension and by the Diffusion of the Gifts of the Spirit upon his Apostles and Believers after his Ascension 16. Touching the first of these namely the manifestation of the Divine Will touching Mankind this contains the Doctrine of the Gospel the Message sent from Heaven by the Son of God touching all things to be believed and to be done by the Children of Men in order to their Redemption and attaining of everlasting Happiness And this was necessary because the World was full of Darkness and Ignorance And many things that were now necessary for Men to know were but darkly revealed unto the former Ages of the World. The Son of God therefore came to bring Life and Immortality to light by the Gospel 17. The Doctrines of the Gospel which Christ brought with him into the World were principally these 1. That all Men have Immortal Souls which must live to all Eternity notwithstanding the death of their Bodies 2. That there should come a Dissolution of this present World and at that time there shall be a Resurrection of all that had been dead and a change of all that should be then living into an Immortal Estate 3. That there should at that day be a Final Judgment where all Men should be doomed some to everlasting Life and Happiness some to everlasting Misery 4. That in the strict Rule of Divine Justice the Wages of every Sin is everlasting Death and Misery which is fully described in the Gospel 5. That all Mankind is obnoxious to everlasting Death and Misery because all Mankind have sinned and are born in Sin. So that without the help of Mercy from God all Mankind are in a lost and desperate Condition 6. That yet for all this Almighty God is willing that his Creature should be reconciled to him is desirous to pardon his Sins to be at peace with him and everlastingly to save him and to restore unto him that everlasting Happiness that he had lost by his own sin and the sin of our first Parents 7. But yet that all this should be done in such a way as might be consistent with the Honour of his Justice and of his Government as well as of his Mercy and of his Bounty and therefore that he will have a Sacrifice and a Price
the Will. Page 136 2. Of the sinful Acts of voluntary Agents can consist with the Justice and Purity of God. Page 138 III. The Execution of it 1. Creation 1. In general ibid. 2. Particularly of Man. Page 148 2. Providence 1. In general Page 150 2. Special concerning Man. ib. 1. As a Creature ib. 2. In order to his chief End. ib. 1. Before the Fall of Adam ib. 1. Partly examined before ib. 2. What the Means Page 153 1. The Law of Man's Creation Page 154 2. The Obligation of it Page 156 3. The Sanction or Penalty Page 157 2. After the Fall. Page 164 3. In Christ Page 169 1. The sum of it Page 170 2. The Particulars ib. 1. The Motive ib. 2. The Object Page 172 3. The End Remission of Sin and Happiness Page 173 4. The immediate Instrument Christ Page 174 Predictions concerning him Page 176 1. Prophetical ib. 2. Typical Page 177 I. The Efficacy and Virtue of Christ's Satisfaction Page 195 The Congruity of it to right Reason Page 199 II. This great work of our Redemption 1. What it is 1. A Removal of the Wrath of God. Page 201 2. By the accepting of Christ's Satisfaction for our Guilt and Punishment Page 202 2. How effected ten Positions Page 203 1. That Christ the Mediator was perfect God. Page 204 2. Perfect Man. Page 205 3. That both these Natures were united in the Person of Christ our Mediator ib. 4. The Necessity of Christ's having both Natures thus united in one Person Page 207 5. The Eternal Word did in due time take Flesh of the Virgin into the Vnity of one Person Page 209 6. The whole Life of Christ till his Passion had in it Satisfaction by way of 1. Suffering Page 210 2. Righteousness Page 211 3. Instruction and that of 1. Example Page 212 2. Doctrine Page 213 7. That Christ suffered the Wrath of God for the Remission of our Sins Page 215 This suffering of Christ was 1. Voluntary Page 216 2. Meritorious and Expiatory Page 217 3. Full and Perfect Page 218 4. Vniversal ibid. 8. That Christ rose again from Death the third day Page 220 9. That Christ after his Resurrection ascended up into Heaven Page 223 10. That Christ exerciseth a threefold Office there ibid. 1. The Power of Dominion Page 224 2. The Communication of his Spirit ib. 3. Intercession for his People Page 226 III. For whom this Satisfaction of Christ was made Page 227 IV. The Means to make this Sacrifice effectual for us Page 231 Our Vnion with Christ is wrought by a double Act. 1. On God's part 1. His Eternal Love. Page 233 2. Sending his Son. Page 234 3. Conveying the Knowledge of this Mediator unto us ibid. 4. The Work of the Spirit Page 237 Vnder a threefold Consideration 1. Of Power Page 238 2. Of a sound Mind ib. 3. Of Love. Page 236 2. On Man's part Page 243 1. Faith. ibid. 2. Hope Page 247 3. Love. Page 248 1. How wrought Page 249 2. Its Effects Page 254 1. Right Intention ib. 2. Conformity ib. 3. Fear Page 255 4. Indeavour of likeness to him Page 257 5. Contempt of the World. Page 258 6. Sorrow for Sin. Page 259 7. Obedience ib. 1. Sincere Page 260 2. Perpetual ib. 3. Vniversal ib. Why and how Faith worketh our Vnion with Christ and so our Justification in the sight of God is because 1. It is the Will of God. Page 263 2. Faith is the first Act of the new Life wrought by the Spirit of God c. Page 264 V. The Effects of our Vnion with Christ are 1. Remission of Sins Page 268 2. Justification ibid. 3. Peace and Reconciliation Page 269 4. The Spirit of Christ and that taken two ways 1. The Communication of the Holy Spirit Page 270 2. The Mind of Christ Conformity to him Sanctification Page 271 A double Principle 1. Change of the Nature Page 273 2. Love to God. Page 274 I. Putting off the Old Man I. What this Old Man is Page 276 1. It s strength 1. In it self ibid. 2. Accidentally from the Devil ibid. 2. Wherein seated Page 277 1. In the Vnderstanding ibid. 2. In the Conscience ibid. 3. In the Will. Page 278 4. In the Affections Page 279 II. How this Old Man is to be put off viz. 1. By Repentance the grounds of which are 1. A Conviction of the Vnderstanding concerning our natural ways and conditions which are 1. Irregular deformed and crooked Page 289 2. Vnprofitable and fruitless ib. 3. Vnbecoming ungrateful and undutiful Returns Page 291 2. The Love of God providing a means of Pardon and Acceptation ibid. 2. By Mortification The means whereof are 1. Supernatural 2. Moral 3. Natural Page 295 1. Meditation of 1. The Love of God Page 296 2. The Hope of Salvation and incongruity between it and continuing in Sin. Page 297 3. The Presence of God. Page 298 4. The Nature Consequences of Sin. ib. 5. The Shortness of Life Page 299 6. The Vnreasonableness of the dominion of 1. Lust 1. In the Rational Appetite and that is the lust of the mind in 1. The Intellectual Faculty Page 302 2. The Will and Affections which are 1. The Irascible Page 304 2. The Concupiscible ib. 2. In the Sensitive Appetite are 1. Lusts of the Flesh Page 306 2. Lust of the Eye Page 310 2. Pride Page 318 2. Prayer Page 324 It becomes a Means of our Mortification upon a double ground Page 325 326 3. Watchfulness The Objects of which are 1. God in 1. His coming to Judgment Page 328 2. His Word ibid. 3. His Presence Page 329 4. His Providence ib. 5. His Spirit Page 331 2. Our Selves Page 232 1. Our Senses ibid. 2. Our Eyes ibid. 3. Our Ears Page 333 4. Our Tongues ibid. 5. Our Appetites ibid. 6. Affections and Passions Page 335 1. Love. ibid. 2. Anger Page 336 3. Fear Page 337 4. Hope and Confidence c. Page 343 5. Joy. Page 349 6. Grief in reference to 1. God for Sin. Page 353 2. Externals Page 359 7. Will. Page 364 8. Conscience Page 367 9. Spirit Page 375 3. Temptations Page 379 II. Of the putting on the New Man or Sanctification Page 379 1. The Necessity of it Page 382 2. The Means 1. On God's Part Page 386 1. His Word ibid. 2. His Spirit Page 388 2. On our Part 1. Faith. Page 392 2. Love. Page 396 3. Fear Page 398 4. Hope Page 400 3. The Degrees Page 403 1. Sincerity and Integrity of Heart Page 404 2. An overmatching the power of Sin by the power of Sanctifying Grace Page 405 From whence arise these Consequents 1. Vniversality of Obedience Page 407 2. Constancy and Perseverance ibid. 3. Increase of Grace Page 409 4. Renewed Repentance Page 410 4. The Parts in reference to 1. Our Selves Page 413 1. In the Esteem of our Selves Page 414 2. In our Sensual Appetite Page 420 2. Our Neighbour Righteousness Page 435 1. The Habit. ibid. 2. The Rule Page
that the very consideration of this Counsel of God is a means to effect its Execution in putting the Heart into such a frame as is fit to receive the impressions of God's Grace 2. In respect of those that are omitted The freedom of the Choice doth not in the least degree reflect upon the Justice of God He had no engagement to chuse any but might most justly have let all lie under that sin and misery into which we had cast our selves If God be pleased to chuse any it is the meer act of his Grace if he leaves any he leaves them but in that condition not in which he made them but in which they made themselves The act of his Bounty to the Elect is without any Injury to those he leaves for neither could challenge any thing but Misery as their Right 2. The Object of this Choice 1. Some are chosen from all Eternity The Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father 1 Pet. 1.2 The foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 These are those for whom a Kingdom was prepared from the Foundation of the World Matth 25.34 These are they which by an eternal Contract between God the Father and his Son were given unto Christ I pray for them which thou hast given me for they are thine John 17.9 24. 2. But some and not all Many there are that are not so much as called and of those that are called yet few are chosen Matth. 22.14 And this preterition of God putteth them not in any worse Condition than it finds them And indeed this Counsel of God is not so much as the Potter's making some Vessels to honour some to dishonour he made all Vessels of honour and Men made themselves all Vessels of dishonour God in his mercy to restore some to become again Vessels of honour and this is without any injury to those that are omitted because they are continued to be but what they made themselves and what they most freely desire still to be Thy destruction is from thy self O Jerusalem 3. To what this Election or Choice is or what is the End of this Counsel of God There is a twofold End in the Counsel of God. 1. The End of Intention subordinate the good of his Creature adequate the good pleasure of his own Will or his own Glory as to shew his wrath and make his power known towards the Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction so to make known the riches of his Glory in the Vessels of Mercy which he had before prepared unto Glory Rom. 9.23 2. The End in Execution or rather the subject matter of this Counsel of God it is the whole Series and all the Conjunctures of all things conducing thereunto wherein the Counsel of God doth not per saltum step from the Fall to Glory but doth take in all those intermediate passages which he hath by the same Counsel appointed to be the Means of effecting it 1. The great Mystery of the Incarnation which is the Cardo negotii 1 Pet. 1.20 Who was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times 2. Effectual calling by the Word and Spirit of God Rom. 8.28 Who are called according to his purpose 3. The effectual Assistance of the Spirit of God without which it were impossible these dry Bones should live Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law into their mind and write them in their hearts 3. Holiness and Sanctification John. 15.16 I have chosen you and ordained you that ye should bring forth fruit Ephes 14. Chosen to be holy Epes 2.10 Created in Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Rom. 8.29 30. Conformity unto Christ and all linked together Glory to Justification Justification to Calling Calling to Election 4. In whom or by whom he hath elected us Christ In this Consists the greatest Mystery that ever was and of most concernment to Mankind And because it is impossible to attain to the knowledge of it but by Revelation from God himself we must in this keep precisely to the Word of God where alone this Mystery is by God ordinarily discovered which is briefly thus much Almighty God in the Creation of Man did primarily intend the Glory of his own Goodness and the Happiness of his Creature and to that End furnished him with such Faculties and Rules as might conduct him to that Happiness Man being seduced abused his Liberty and by his Disobedience violated that Rule and consequently in himself lost the acquisition of that Happiness to which he was created Yet this could not disappoint the Purpose of God who with an eternal and indivisible act did foresee all Mankind in this miserable and lost Condition and appoint a way for his Recovery The way of Man's Recovery was by the Eternal Purpose Consultation or Contract as I may call it between the Father Son and Eternal Spirit resolved to be that the Son of God should assume the Nature of Man into one Person by an ineffable Generation and that he should Satisfie for the Guilt of Man's Sin by his Death And because that the bare Satisfaction for Sin could only exempt Man from the deserved Punishment of his Sin but could not restore him to that Happiness which he lost by the same Eternal Covenant the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ was to be accepted by God as the Righteousness of Man that as in his Sufferings he did bear the Sin of Man to make Satisfaction for the Curse deserved so by his Obedience imputed unto Man Man might acquire that Happiness that he lost To the end that this Satisfaction and Righteousness might be effectually applied for the Purposes above-mentioned Christ must after this Righteousness fulfilled and this Satisfaction made by his Death rise from Death ascend into Heaven and so continue as well the Mediator of Intercession as he was before of Satisfaction Though this Righteousness and Satisfaction were sufficient for the Sins of all Mankind and accordingly freely propounded yet it was effectual only for such as should according to those immediate Means that God had fore-appointed to be useful for that Purpose sue forth the benefit of it This is the sum of that great work of Man's Redemption which the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and is discovered to Principalities and Powers by the Church Ephes 3.10 and therefore called The manifold Wisdom of God The Mystery of Christ Ephes 3.4 Ephes 6.19 The Mystery hid in God from the beginning of the world Ephes 3.9 The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Colos 2.2 Colos 1.27 The Mystery hid from ages and generations but now made manifest to his Saints Colos 1.26 The Wisdom of God in a Mystery The Mystery of his Will 1 Cor. 2.7 The Revelation of the Mystery kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 The great Mystery of Godliness God manifested in
the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory 1 Tim. 3.16 The Mystery of Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 CHAP. VI. Predictions and Types of Christ YET this great Mystery of Christ was not kept so secret but that as the fruit of his Mediation preceeded his coming in the Flesh as shall be after shewn so some glimpses of this Truth were discover'd to former Generations 1 Pet. 1.10 Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired Ephes 2.20 Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ the Corner-stone We shall therefore for the settling of our Minds in this Cardinal Point observe those Predictions concerning Christ in the Old Testament and we shall find the Old and New Testament like the two Cherubims upon the Mercy Seat their Faces looking one toward another yet both of them toward the Mercy Seat and as we have before noted the Old Testament unriddling the difficulties of Nature so the New Testament unriddling the Old The Predictions of Christ in the Old Testament were of two kinds Prophetical and Typical The Prophetical Predictions to follow them in order of time 1. The first and great Publication of the Gospel though dark and mysterious was that by God himself in Paradise Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed and her seed it shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel This was not only fulfilled in that mystical Woman the Church and here see Revel 12.17 but also in Christ 1. He was the Seed of the Woman and not of the Man Luke 1.34 He sent his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 The Parallel observable By the Woman Sin first came into the World and Salvation 2. It shall break thy head He came to destroy the works of the Devil in his Temptation In his Life he bound the strong Man Heb. 2.14 destroyed him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Matth. 12.29 In his Preaching Luk. 10.17 18. Satan like Lightning falling down from Heaven in his Death and Resurrection spoiling Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly and triumphing over them in it Colos 2. â—5 In his Ascension Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive this Captive taker is the Devil 2 Tim. 2.26 In his Members Ephes 6.12 We wrestle against Principalities and Powers and it is our Business to stand against the Wiles of the Devil Ibid. Vers 11. To resist him stedfastly in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 In the Dispensation of his Government in his Church and Members Revel 12.7 Michael and his Angels fight with and overcome the Dragon and his Angels In his last and great Judgment Revel 20.10 The Devil cast into the Lake of Fire 1 John 3.8 For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 2. The next great Promise of Christ was that which was made to Abraham That in him Gen. 12.3 Gen. 18.18 That is in his Seed Gen. 22.18 all Nations of the Earth should be blessed This is applied to Christ Galat. 3.16 And afterwards to Isaac the Son of the Promise was the same Promise renewed and entailed Gen. 26.4 And so exact was the great God of Heaven in the fulfilling of his Promise that until by a civil Investiture the right of Primogeniture was translated from Esau to Jacob first by the sale of his Birth-right Gen. 25.33 and then by the Blessing though surreptitiously by Jacob yet providentially by God Gen. 27.29 This Promise was not actually entailed upon Jacob's Line Gen. 28.14 This Patria potestas Jacob likewise used upon his three eldest Sons Reuben for his Incest Simeon and Levi for their Murder Gen. 49.34 56. Whereby Judah became as it were the first-born and therefore Judah continually after had the preheminence of Primogeniture Viz. in the division of the Land Numb 34.19 Judah's Commissioner first named so in the alotment of the Land of Canaan Joshua 15.1 Judah had the preheminence in compleating the Victory of Canaan by the Suffrage of God. Judges 1.2 And by the decision and Prophecy of dying Jacob the Regality a right of Primogenture and the Messiah entailed to that stock Gen. 49. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be And hence he is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revel â— 5 This Gathering of the People to him was the Calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of God in Christ And this was the Star of Jacob which Balaam inspired against his will prophesied of Numb 24.17 And this that great Prophet which God promised by Moses to raise up to stand between the Majesty and Glory of God and the frailty of Humane Nature Deut. 18.15 John 5.46 The Redeemer of Job Job 19.25 From the time of Moses the Prophecies of Christ are interrupted and his time not specified but in him God was pleased to evidence it first in his Promise to him 2 Sam. 7.16 Thy throne shall be established for ever And this Covenant touching Christ therefore called the sure Mercies of David Isaiah 55.3 again Isa 11.1 10. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people To it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious And this was a known Truth even among the unbelieving Jews Matth. 22.42 The learned Doctors confessed that Christ was to be the Son of David This fulfilled in Christ Acts 13.23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Revel 5.5 The Root of David The Place of his Birth Mich. 5.2 And thou Bethlehem c. out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from old from everlasting this Bethlehem the City of David 1 Sam. 17.22 notoriously confessed among the Jews to be the place of the Messias's Birth Matth. 2.5 The Manner of his Birth A virgin shall bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel Isa 7.14 fulfilled Matth. 1.25 And as in his Name the union of the Divine and Humane Nature is discovered so more plainly Isa 9.6 His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end Peace proclaimed at his Birth Luke 2.14 On earth peace good will towards men his Business Peace 2 Cor. 5.1 God in Christ reconciling the World to himself Ephes 2.14 Christ our Peace his Gospel the Gospel of Peace Rom. 10.15 Ephes 6.15 Peace his Legacy John 14.27 Peace his Command Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers Rom. 12.18 Live peaceably with all men Luke 10.5 6. Into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to this house And if the son of Peace
by one Spirit unto the Father CHAP. VII Of the Efficacy of the Satisfaction of Christ and the Congruity of it to right Reason THUS for the settling of our Minds in the Truth of Christ we have considered of those clear Prophecies and Types of Christ in the Old Testament We now come to consider some Particulars concerning this great work of our Redemption 1. Wherein consists the Efficacy and Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Sacrifice 2. How it was effected Wherein we shall consider 1. His Satisfaction 2. The Application of this Satisfaction in reference to the Father his Intercession in reference to us his Word and Spirit 3. The Effects and Consequents of it 1. The Efficacy of this Satisfaction consists in that free Acceptance by God of this Sacrifice of Christ as a Satisfaction for the Sins of his Elect and to be the price of the Inheritance thereby purchased for them by an eternal Contract between the Father and the Son for otherwise it were impossible of its own nature that the Sacrifice of one could expiate for the sin of another The tenor of this great Covenant between God and Christ was that the Son should take upon him Flesh should fullfil the Law of our Creation should suffer death and rise again and that Almighty God would accept this as the satisfaction for the sins of the righteous and as the price of Eternal Life for as many as should believe in him This is effectually set forth by the Word of Truth it self John 6.37 38 39 40. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to do my own Will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Father's will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day It is the Will of God which is nothing but the Acceptaton of God 1 John 4.10 He sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins his sending was his Acceptation Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin there was the Acceptation of the Father Again on the Son's part Psal 40.6 â— Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not reâ—uired then said I Lo I come And the same Word of Truth that tells us John 3.16 That God gave his only begotten Son tells us again John 10.17 18. I lay dâ—wn my life that I may take it up again And this susception of Christ and acceptation of God though we represent it to our selves under several Notions yet it was one indivisible and eternal Counsel of the Divine Majesty Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore knowledge of God And this Purpose and Counsel of his only the proceed of his eternal and free Love So God loved the world John 3.16 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because he sent c. But could the Pardon of Man's Sin and his attaining of Happiness be had at no lower a rate could not God have freely forgiven the one and given the other without this great mixing of Heaven and Earth in this wonderful Mystery of the Sacrifice of the Son of God As the original Resolution of all the Works and Counsels of God must be into his own good pleasure so especially of this Ephes 1.5 He hath predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will. Yet we do find some Congruity of Right Reason in this course of Man's Redemption 1. To magnifie to all the World the Glory of his free Grace Ephes 1.6 and to take away all possibility of boasting in the subject of this Redemption Ephes 2.8 By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence The Dependence that all Creatures especially Man have upon the Creator both in their Being and Perfection doth most justly and reasonably challenge from the reasonable Creature a free Retribution of Acknowledgment of his Dependence upon the Goodness of God and it is an affection of the greatest Congruity that is imaginable yet we see how soon Man forgot that duty and would be independent upon his Lord. Now when Man had concluded all his Posterity under sin then for God freely to give such a Price of Redemption as it magnifies the Freeness and Bounty of his Goodness so it doth ingage lapsed Man to the everlasting Acknowledgment of the Free Grace of God in restoring him that so God may be all in all 2. To magnifie the Exquisiteness of his Justice In that dreadful Proclamation of the Name of God Exod. 34.6 7. we find a strange mixture of his Mercy and Justice Forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin and that will by no means clear the guilty and both parts essential to his Name Such a way then must be for Man's Restoration that may evidence his Mercy in pardoning as well as his Justice in punishing Sin Christ was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 And being made Sin for us was likewise made a Curse for us Galat. 3.13 Here we have him pardoning Iniquity Transgression and sin of Men and yet not sparing his own Son when he bore the imputed guilt of our sins 3. To magnifie the glory of his Wisdom The admirable Fabrick of the World speaks abundantly the Wisdom of our Creator but all this was inferiour and subservient unto this great Business 1 Cor. 1.24 Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Pet. 1.22 A Business for the inquiry and speculation of Angels Ephes 3.10 The manifold Wisdom of God the end of the Creation Colos 1.16 All things created by him and for him Colos 1.20 to reconcile all things to himself whether they be things in Heaven or things in Earth Ephes 1.10 That he might gather together in one all things in Christ The sum of this Mystery we have 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the world received into glory In this great frame of Man's Redemption we see the Counsel of God strangely executed his ancient Promises fulfilled the Shadows and Types of the Law unveiled the breach of the righteous Law of God punished the Righteousness thereof fulfilled the Justice of God satisfied his Mercy glorified his Creature pardoned justified glorified all those difficulties intricacies and confusions which came into the world by the sin of Man extricated ordered and salved the
As well our Victory 1 Cor. 15.57 as our Deliverer from the Wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 As well our Life Colos 3.4 as our Deliverance from Death as well our Purifier as our Redemption from Iniquity Tit. 2.14 as well our Peace Ephes 2.14 as our Price as well the Price of our purchased Inheritance as the Price of our Ransom 1 Cor. 6.20 As well our Translator into his own Kingdom as the Deliverer from the power of Darkness Colos 1.13 And this as the former we owe likewise in the original and foundation of it to the free Love and Acceptation of God 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ of God is made Righteousness and therefore called the Righteousness of God by Faith Phil. 3.19 Without this free Love of God as it is impossible to imagine a Mediator between God and Man so much more is it impossible to imagine how the Righteousness of that Mediator should be the Righteousness of a guilty sinful Man Our Redemption and Salvation by Christ hath its original and strength from the free Love and Acceptation of God. 2. How this Redemption and Salvation was immediately effected which was thus The Eternal Word took upon him the Nature of Man in the unity of one Person and in our Nature did fulfil that Righteousness which we were bound to fulfil and did undertake take our Guilt and underwent the Punishment due to that Guilt which was accepted of God as the Satisfaction for the sins of the Elect for the Remission of their sins and his Righteousness accepted as the Righteousness of those for whom he so satisfied whereby he did not only abolish Death the Curse due to our sins but brought Life and Immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 This Truth we shall set down in these several Positions 1 That Christ the Mediator was perfect God the Eternal begotten Son of God one Eternal Essence with the Father His Name Isa 9.6 The mighty God the Everlasting Father Matth. 1.23 Emmanuel Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God that great Confession of Peter asserted by Christ himself John 1.14 The Word was God and the Word was made Flesh John 10.30 I and the Father are one John 17.5 Glorifie me with thy own self with that glory which I had with thee before the world was John 14.9 â—e that hath seen me hath seen the Father 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 6.15 King of kings and Lord of lords Heb. 1.3 The brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person Colos 1. â—5 16. The image of the invisible God by whom all things were created and consist Colos 2.9 In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Phil. 2.6 Being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Acts 20.28 Ye are redeemed with the Blood of God John 8.59 Before Abraham was I am And those speeches of our Saviour which seem to import an inequality between the Father and the Son are not to be understood in reference to this Nature of Christ but in reference to his Office of Mediator or to his Person in reference to the Humane Nature John 14.28 Ye would rejoyce because I say I go to my Father for my Father is greater than I For as the Divine Nature of Christ was never disjoyned from the Father so it went not to him consequently my Father is greater than I must be spoken in reference to him under that Nature which was To go to the Father 2. That Christ was perfect Man consisting of a reasonable Soul Matth. 26.38 My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death and of a humane Body even after his Resurrection Luke 24.39 A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have and this Humane Nature subject to natural Passions he was sorrowful hungry sensible of pain and Heb. 4.15 tempted in all things as we are yet without sin he was subject to the Infirmities of our Nature not to the Distempers of our Nature This Humane Nature he took of the Virgin Mary and so was truly the Seed of Abraham But this by a miraculous Procreation by the immediate Power of God Matth. 1.20 and that without the contagion or guilt of any sin As he did no sin nor guile was found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 so he knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 And if he had had any Guilt of his own then he could not have been a fit Sacrifice or Priest for us 1 Pet. 1.19 A Lamb without spot or blemish Heb. 7.26 For such a high-priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled c. 3. That both these Natures were united in the Person of Christ our Mediator yet without any confusion of Natures and the conjunction so strict that in both Natures he was but one Mediator And hence it is that many of those things that were properly to be attributed to one Nature and not to the other are affirmed of the Person of Christ under the Notion proper to the other Nature of Christ Acts 20.28 Ye are redeemed with the blood of God there the act of the Humane Nature is attributed to the Person of Christ in the Notion of the Divine Nature Again John 3.13 No man hath ascended into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven yet that Nature of the Son of man was not then in Heaven But so strict is this personal Union that whatsoever is affirmed concerning one Nature may be affirmed of the whole Person of the Mediator but yet so distinct are the Natures that nothing that is affirmed concerning one Nature can be affirmed of the other Nature the eternal Son of God dyed for us but the Deity of the Son of God dyed not Herein we therefore conclude 1. That both Natures were united into one Person 2. That both Natures thus united made up but one Mediatour and so both Natures united into one Office as well as into one Person 3. That notwithstanding the uniting of both Natures into one Person and Office yet are there acts or things that properly belong to one Nature which do not belong to the other thus the Father is said to be greater than the Son John 14.28 in reference to his humane Nature Mark 13.32 But of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son but the Father For although the Natures were united in one Person yet it is not imaginable that the fullness of the Divine Nature was communicated to the humane for that were to make the humane Nature of Christ infinite and not so much assumed unto as converted into the Divine Nature and then it had been impossible he could have suffered or have had any Eclipse of the light of his Fathers Countenance as he did in his bitter cry upon the Cross at which time without all question there was not nor could be any intermission of Communion between the
declared to be the Son of God with Power Rom. 1.4 And this Resurrection of Christ must of necessity follow his Satisfaction he had taken upon him our Sin and therefore must undergo the Wages due unto it viz. Death in the very instant of his Death he had compleated his Sacrifice and Satisfaction when he said upon the Cross It is finished John 19.30 Yet as it was necessary for him to lie under Death so long as might convince the Reality of it so it was impossible for him to lie longer the Debt was paid and he could be no longer detained Prisoner Acts 2.24 Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible he should be holden of it And this Resurrection of Christ as it was by the Power of God 2 Cor. 13.4 He liveth by the Power of God Ephes 1.19 The working of his mighty Power or by the Eternal Spirit Rom. 8.11 The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead so it was the effect of his Justice the Price of Man's Redemption being paid he was now by the Eternal Covenant of God to prolong his days And hence he is said to be justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 Even that Spirit that raised him up from the dead did at the same time proclaim the compleatness of his Satisfaction and justifie the fulfilling of his Undertaking If Christ had not risen there had of necessity followed these two Consequences either of which had left us in as bad case as he found us 1. It had been then impossible that his Death had been a sufficient Sacrifice If he had been detained under Death the Guilt had still continued undischarged And hence 1 Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins As if he should have said If there be no Satisfaction made for your Sins ye are still in them If Christ be detained under Death it is evident the Satisfaction is not made for the Curse of the Law continues undischarged and consequently the Guilt continues unacquitted and hence Christ's Sacrifice was justified by his Resurrection so are we Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification And this Resurrection of Christ was his Victory over Guilt and Death and Hell. 1 Cor. 15.57 The Victory given through Christ Colos 2.15 Having spoiled Principalities and Powers he then made a shew of them openly 2. It had been impossible that the Members of Christ could have the benefit either of the first or second Resurrection for by reason of that Union with their Head they partake of all those conditions whereof their head participates Crucified with him Gal. 2.20 Dead to sin and buried with him Rom. 6.3 6 8. Live with him Galat. 2.20 Rise together with him to newness of Life Rom. 6.4 Rom. 8.11 12. Planted unto the likeness of his Resurrection Rom. 6.5 Ascended with him Ephes 2.6 and shall rise again to eternal Happiness by virtue only of his Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4.14 9. That Christ after his Resurrection did Ascend up into Heaven where his humane Nature is cloathed with Power and Glory and Immortality The Death of our Saviour was attested by his three days keeping his Grave and the Resurrection was attested by all the Evidences that incredulity it self could require for satisfaction because the matter of the greatest difficulty to believe and which being admitted made the whole truth concerning him easily credible Therefore for the clearing of this truth as he spent forty days to conquer the Temptations of the Devil in the Wilderness so he spent forty days after his Resurrection to subdue the infidelity of mankind to the belief thereof And during that time used all the sensible Convictions that might be for the confirming of their belief that the very Body of Christ re-assumed his Soul and Life 1. The Body removed out of the Sepulchre Luke 24.5 Why seek ye the Living among the Dead 2. He appeared unto them and because those appearances were accompanied with some Circumstances that might breed jealousie that it was a finer substance than a Body as his sudden vanishing out of their sight Luke 24 3â— His sudden presenting of himself among them when the Doors were shut Luke 24.36 John 20.19 Yet to convince that suspicion he exhibits his hands and his side eats with them converses with them about forty days Acts. 1.3 The Body of Christ being by the power of God made of an Angelical though not spiritual substance is taken up into Heaven Mark 16.19 Luke 24.57 Acts 16.9 where he sits at the right hand of Glory Acts 3.21 Heb. 10.12 Heb. 12.2 This was that which was figured by the High Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies Heb. 9.24 and extended to the very whole humane Nature of Christ the same that ascended is he that descended Ephes 4.9 This was the saying of Christ himself John 20.17 I am not yet ascended to my Father but go tell my Brethren I ascend unto my Father and your Father c. And this is that that our Saviour so often inculcates That the Son of Man shall come in his Glory c. Matth. 25.31 Matth. 26.64 To insinuate that that very humane Nature by which he is denominated Man should continue in immortality and appear the last day for the judgment of the World. And as by the power of God Man in his purity had been perpetuated to immortality and so he shall be in his Resurrection so by the power of God the Life of Christ's humane Nature shall be perpetuated to everlasting 2 Cor. 13.4 He liveth by the power of God. And this Body of Christ as it is filled with immortality so it is filled with Glory we shall be made like unto his glorious Body Phil. 3.21 10. That Christ having perfected the work of Man's redemption and ascended into Heaven exerciseth a threefold Office for the benefit of his Church and People 1. Of Power of Dominion This was that Inauguration of Christ in his Kingdom Psal 110.1 Sit thou at my right Hand Isaiah 53.10 Therefore will I divide him a Portion with the great c. because he hath poured out his Soul unto Death And therefore after his Resurrection he tells his Disciples Matth. 28.18 That all power is given him both in Heaven and in Earth and is that which is so often called his sitting at the right hand of his Father Ephs 1.20 and his making both Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 And this Kingdom Dominion and Power of Christ shall continue until the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 27. 2. The Communication of his Spirit The Power of the Spirit of God is in all his Creatures and especially in Men and all Creatures in their actings are but instrumental to the Spirit of God But by Christ the Power of that Spirit is communicated in a more
special and peculiar way and is that very Power whereby their Acts and Motions to eternity are acted and was not communicated in that perfection till after Christ's Ascension John 16.7 If I go not away the Comforter will not come This Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of Illumination and Instruction John 14.26 The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 1 Joh. 2.27 The anointing which is from above teacheth you all things a Spirit of Conviction and Redargution John 16.8 a Spirit of Renovation and Cleansing Tit. 3.5 a Spirit of Strength Ephes 3.16 Strengthned with his might by his Spirit a Spirit of Assurance Ephes 1.13 Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise a Spirit of quickening Rom. 8.11 quickned by his Spirit that dwelleth in you a Spirit of Adoption and Attestation Rom. 18.15 16. We nave received the Spirit of Adoption a Spirit of Supplication and Intercession Rom. 8.26 27. The Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us The Spirit of defence against Temptation Ephes 6.17 The Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God A Spirit of Union There is a double and reciprocal means of Union between Christ and his people 1. By Faith whereby Christ is united unto them Ephes 3.17 That Christ might dwell in your Hearts by Faith. 2. By the Spirit whereby we are united unto him Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Ephes 2.20 In whom also ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And this Union with Christ was that which he so much desired of his Father for his Church John 17.22 23. And as by Faith all that Satisfaction and Righteousness which was in him was made ours so all our Actions proceeding from this Spirit are in truth his both in virtue and acception with the Father Ephes 2.18 Through him we have access by one Spirit to the Father Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And by reason of this Union with Christ as he is a Son so are we Sons Rom. 8.17 Joynt Heirs with him and Galat. 4.7 an Heir of God through Christ thus we apprehend Christ and are apprehended of him Phil. 3.12 3. The third effect and end of Christ's Ascension is his perpetual Intercession in the Presence of the Glory of God for his People Christ in his humane Nature was our Sacrifice and that was but one Sacrifice and but once offered Heb. 9.28.10.14 And Christ who in both Natures was the Priest that offered that Sacrifice Heb. 9 14 25. Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God though he finished that part of his Priestly Office while he was with us yet as the Priesthood of Christ was for ever according to the order of Melchisedec so the exercise of that Priesthood still continues Heb. 9.24 Christ is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the Presence of God for us And as by his Spirit which he hath given to his people he makes Intercession in them for we have Access to the Father by his Spirit so by himself he makes Intercession for us Heb. ◠25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them 1 John 2.1 And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And it is the strength of this Intercession of Christ that makes the Prayers of his People effectual John 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will grant it That Incense that was mingled with the Prayers of the Saints Revel 8.3 And here let 〈◊〉 ever admire the endless goodness of God Man is dead in trespasses and sins God sends his Son into the World with a Ransom and with Life John 1.4 In him was life and the life was the light of men But for all this the World still continues in death and darkness John 1.10 The world knew him not He therefore by his Providence conveys Truth to their Ears and by his Spirit carries Life and Light into their Souls and conquers the darkness and death that is in us And when he hath rescued us from ruine he still leaves that Spirit of his to contest with our Corruptions to discover his Mind to form us every day more and more to our lost Image to supplicate and communicate our wants and fears and though those supplications of ours are mingled with imperfections distrusts doubtings and distractions yet he that knows the mind of his own Spirit takes these Prayers of ours and cleanseth them from the dross that hangs about them mingles his own Merit with them presents them to his Father in the strength of his own Intercession and so bears the iniquity of their holy things Nay when we vex and grieve that Agent of his that he hath left in us to perfect our Blessedness and oftentimes stifle his motions and have scarce the sign of Life left in us he nevertheless makes Intercession for us Isa 53.12 He made intercession for the transgressours 3. The next inquiry is for whom the Satisfaction of Christ was 1. Christ did Intentionally lay down his Life for the sins of the Elect of God John 10.15 I lay down my life for my sheep And these Sheep of Christ as they were not confined to one time or age of the World so neither to one Nation or company of People John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold viz. of the Nation of the Jews And thus some understand 1 John 22. And not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world using us the world as a contradistinction of the Gentiles from the Jews to whom it seems he wrote 2. As Christ died Intentionally for the Redemption of the Elect so he died Effectually for them and God hath so ordered his Counsels that those that he hath appointed to eternal Life shall use that means which he hath appointed to be instrumental for the partaking of the Efficacy of his Death John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 3. Whatsoever were the Intention or Efficacy of the Death of Christ yet we are sure that all Men shall not partake of the full and compleat Effect of Christ's Satisfaction viz. Eternal Life This is a clear Truth yet all the lost Sons of Adam shall be left wholly unexcusable and condemned by the most Righteous and Natural Justice that is imaginable There have been three great Promulgations of Laws in the World. 1. The Law written in the Hearts of Men Rom 1.19 That which may be
known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them 2. The Law pronounced given to the Jews upon Sinai 3. The Gospel of Christ shewing us what is to be believed and what to be done When the great God comes to Judge the World he will judge it according to the several Dispensations of Light Rom. 2.12 For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law There is light enough or neglect enough in the most ignorant Soul in the World to charge with Guilt enough for Condemnation though he never knew of the Law promulgated to the Jew or were bound by it As we there find the division of condemned persons unto such as sin without the Law and under the Law so we find another division 2 Thes 1.8 Taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ This seems to contain these two Rules whereby the Gentiles should be judged 1. Ignorance and want of Fear of God for such to whom the Gospel was not preached this was unexcusable ignorance and disobedience Rom. 1.20 2. Unbelief and Disobedience of the Gospel of Christ And though this be a high Truth that is not discovered by the Light of Nature yet being discovered it is an offence even against the Law of Nature not to believe it because a most high and absolute Truth 3. Not to love it and consequently obey it because the means to attain the most high and absolute Good. And as every Sin is an aversion from the chief Good either to that which is a lesser or no Good so it is impossible but the aversion from the greatest Good must needs be the greatest Sin even by the Rules of sound Reason Both these we find plainly set down John 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light came into the world and men loved darkness rather than light as if he should have said that it is the most reasonable and natural Principle for reasonable Creatures to entertain and obey that Rule which will conduct them to the highest Good and therefore the condemnation of such as neglect is most reasonable and the rather for that this proceeds not originally from Ignorance but from the Perverseness of the Heart in preferring Darkness before Light. So that as Infidelity is the cause of Condemnation John 3.18 So this want of Love of the Light is the great cause of Infidelity And though Man hath put himself in that Condition that he cannot come to Christ or entertain this chiefest Good except the Father draw him John 6.44 Yet this doth neither excuse him from sin or guilt because as in the first Man he willingly contracted this disability so he doth most freely and voluntarily affect it though he sins necessarily in rejecting the Light yet he sins voluntarily Now concerning those several places in holy Scripture that seem to infer the Vniversality of an intended Redemption John 3.17 John 12.47 1 John 2.2 1 Tim. 2.6 1 Tim. 2.4 1 Cor. 15.21 It may be considerable whether the intention of those places be that the Price was sufficient for all the World so that whosoever shall reject the offered Mercy shall never have this excuse that there was not a sufficiency left for him Or whether it be meant that Christ by his Death did fully expiate for all that Original Guilt which was contracted by the Fall of Adam upon all Mankind but for the Actual Offences only of such as believed that so as the voluntary sin of Adam had without the actual consent of his Posterity made them liable to Guilt so the Satisfaction of Christ without any actual application of him should discharge all Mankind from that originally contracted Guilt These disquisitions though fit yet are not necessary to be known it is enough for me to know that if I believe on him I shall not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.16 And that all are invited and none excluded but such as first exclude themselves CHAP. IX Of the Means which God hath appointed to make this Sacrifice of Christ effectual viz. Vnion with Christ and how the same is wrought on God's part 4. WE come to that Means which the Will of God hath appointed to make this Sacrifice Effectual for us God in his Eternal Counsel foreseeing the Fall of Man did from all Eternity covenant that the Eterval Word should take upon him Flesh and should be an all-sufficient Mediator between God and Man and to that End did furnish this Mediator with all things necessary for so great a Work Colos 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell Fulness of the Godhead Colos 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily Fulness of Grace John 1.16 For of his Fulness we receive Grace for Grace Fulness of Wisdom and Knowledge Colos 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Fulness of Perfection Ephes 4.13 The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ A Fulness of Life John 1.4 In him was life and the life was the light of men John 5.27 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself A Fulness of Love Ephes 3.19 And to know the love of Christ passing knowledge All the Promises of God are in him and put into him as into a Treasury and bottomed upon him 2 Cor. 1.20 In whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen And this Plenitude of Christ was therefore in him that from him it might be communicated according to the Exigence of those for whom he was a Mediator for although the Plenitude of the Divine Nature was absolute and no way in reference to the Business of the Mediatorship yet the communication of that Plenitude to Christ as one Mediator was in order to his Office. And this Fulness of Christ was necessary to supply that Emptiness which was in Man by sin He stood in need of a sea of Love to redeem him and Christ was not without riches of Love and Compassion he had lost his Life The day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death and there was as well a Quickning as a Living Life in Christ to revive him Ephes 2.1 Those who were formerly dead in trespasses and sins hath he quickned Colos 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear Man had lost the whole Image of his Creator Christ who was the express Image of his Father re-imprints it again by forming himself in us Colos 3.10 Renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Ephes 4.24 Put ye on the New Man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness The nature of Man is corrupted and Christ hath a
image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 We put on the new Man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Colos 3.10 And we were predestinate to be conformable to his image Rom. 8.29 5. This Love of God breeds in us an undervaluing of all things in comparison of him And this is a natural effect of Love for according to the measure of our Love is the measure of the Estimate of the things loved If God be the choicest and chiefest Object of our Love it will like Moses his Rod devour and confound the rest especially when they come in competition with it If we have disorderly Passions and Affections and Lusts This Love of God will mortifie them for Christ is our Life Mortifie therefore your earthly members c. Colos 3.4 5. It will crucifie the flesh with the Affections and Lusts Galat. 5.24 I will pull out a right Eye and cut off a right Hand if it offend Matth. 5.24 I will teach a Man to hate his Mother Wife Children Brothers Sisters yea his own Life when it comes in competition with his Saviour Luk. 14.26 To esteem his outward Privileges Learning Reputation c. and all things but loss and dung for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Philip. 3.8 nay the best of our Obedience Prayers Righteousness It makes this humble Confession O Lord I owe unto thee the strength of my Soul and when I have paid it I am but an unprofitable Servant Thy Goodness to me is none of thy debt to thy Creature but my most exquisite and perfect Obedience is due to thee And behold I have brought before thee these Services what there is in them worth the accepting is thy own the work of thine own Spirit the purchace of thine own Blood the rest alas is mine and is an Object rather for thy Mercy to pardon than thy Justice to accept 6. It works true Sorrow for any sin committed for as it cannot chuse but be sensible as of any injury committed to the God he loves so most especially of such an injury as is done by himself 7. The Love of God is the only true Principle of all Obedience Faith works by Love Ephes 5.6 And Christ died not only to redeem us from our Iniquities but to purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 And we are created in Christ unto good Works Ephes 2.10 And this is the will of God your Father eve◠your sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 And it is as impossible that where the true Love of God is these can be wanting as it is for the Sun to be without his Light. The Love of Christ is a constraining Love 2 Cor. 5.14 And he died for all that they that live should not from henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again Our Obedience to Christ is the true Experiment of our Love to him John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments 1 John 2.3 So our Love is the only true Principle of our Obedience Deuteronom 6.4 and 10.12 And now O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul. The Love of God cannot be without his Fear and Obedience Now the Qualifications arising from this Love will be 1. A Sincere Obedience because it proceeds from a Principle within for the Obedience is formed in the Heart before it is formed in the Action Love cannot be dissembled because its residence is in the Soul the action that proceeds from Love must needs be therefore sincere 2. A Perpetual Obedience because the Principle within is perpetual and increasing for the more a Man loves God the more God is pleased to discover his Goodness to him and consequently his Love increaseth and consequently his Obedience 3. Vniversal Obedience for it is the same Principle within that looks universally upon all The Obedience is upon this ground It is the Will and the Command of him whom I love that ingageth my Obedience and wheresoever I find that impression there is my ground If the thing commanded be more unsuitable to my Constitution Occasions Exigencies yet it hath the Impression of my Lord upon it I will by his strength and Grace obey it If I love him his Will and not my own must be the measure of my Obedience And this is the reason why the breach of one Command of God knowingly is the breach of all because if my Obedience to the rest had been rightly principled upon the Love of God the same Love would have ingaged me to the obedience of this my Obedience therefore to the rest is not Obedience but a Pretence or Shew Some Commandments of God do include in them a greater suitableness to the Rational Nature of Man than others such are the Laws of Nature the Decalogue some are such Commands as seem only to be Experiments of our Obedience such were the Ceremonial Commands the Command to Abraham to sacrifice his Son to the Young Man to sell all he had But where this true Principle of the Love of God is there will follow Obedience to both though the more hard the Command the greater measure of Love to God is required to a full performance of it It teaches Obedience where the thing commanded is of it self full of Beauty as all Moral Commands are because but the Abstract of his Image and it teacheth to obey where the Command seems to carry nothing in it but asperity and unusefulness for it hath made the Will of God the measure of its own Will. Now concerning the Subject of our Obedience how far it extends and what the Rule of it is vide infra CHAP. XI Why or by what reason the act of Faith worketh our Vnion with Christ and so our Justification in the sight of God. HITHERTO we have seen those motions of God to his Creature and the motion of the Creature unto God again and both these must needs end in Union and this Union can be no otherwise than in the Son in whom the Divine and Humane Nature were united in one Person in whom the distance and difference between God and Man were filled up and reconciled And by virtue of our Union with him as our sins are made as it were his in point of Imputation and Satisfaction so we have all that communicable 〈◊〉 that was in Christ his Righteousness Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness which is of God by Faith his Life Galat. 2 2◠his Death Galat. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ his Spirit Rom. 8.9 his Resurrection 〈◊〉 2.6 hath raised us up together and made us sit 〈…〉 him in heavenly places Colos 2.12 Buried 〈…〉 Baptism wherein also ye are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God of his Sonship
Corruption and the concurrence of the Prince of the Air it becomes our Misleader being filled with Errors and mistakings or our Tormentor being filled with horror and desperation and it is the great work of God in our renovation to restore the Conscience to his primitive office and place by taking away the guilt of sin which kept the Conscience in a continual storm Heb. 10.2.22 and by purging the Conscience from the pollutions and corruptions of sin Heb. 9.14 purging the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 3 In the Will there is irregularity upon a double ground 1. By reason of that Corruption that is in the Understanding for the prosecution or aversation of the Will are much qualified and ruled according to the Light that is in the Understanding and if that Light be Darkness and Error then there must necessarily follow a miscarriage in the Will. 2. By reason of that Captivity that is in the Will unto the Law of Sin and of the Flesh God gave unto Man a righteous Law which was to be the Law and Rule of his Mind and Will and while it was conformable to this it was conformable to the Will of God and so beautiful and regular But in stead thereof there is a Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 Rom. 7.21 and this Law subdues the Law of the Mind and brings the Soul into captivity to the Law of Sin Rom. 7.23 And the Will being thus captivated is made carnal and filled with enmity against God and that Law which he once planted in us to be the Rule of our Will so that it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 nay the Will is so much mastered and possessed by this Old Man and his Law that when it meets with the Law of God coming into the Soul it takes occasion thereby to work in the Soul all manner of Concupiscence Rom. 7.6 out of malice and policy to make that Law which comes to rescue the Soul more odious to the Soul and the Soul to it as Conquerours use to introduce Laws Customs and Languages of their own the more to estrange the conquered from any memory of their former duty or freedoms And when Christ comes into the Soul he rescues the Will from this Captivity and from the Dominion of Sin though not from the Inherence and Residence of it and doth by degrees waste and diminish that very inherence of sin Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace and plants and supports another Law in us even the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ which maketh us free from the Law of Sin and of Death Rom. 8.2 4. In the Affections The great and master Affection of our Soul is our Love and all other Affections are derived from it and in order to it Our Hatred of any thing is because it is contrary and destructive to what we love our Fear of any thing is because it would rob us of what we love our Grief for any thing is because it hath deprived us of what we love And according to the measure of our Love is the measure of our other Affections an intense Love unto any thing makes our Hatred of its contrary equally intense and so for the other Affections In our original Creation our Love was rightly placed upon God the only deserver of our Love and our Love was rightly qualified it was a most intense Love The Law and Command of God Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy might was but the Copy of that Law that was written in our Nature And our Love thus rightly placed and rightly qualified did tutor all the rest of our Passions and Affections both in their objects and degrees It taught us to hate Sin and that with a perfect hatred because contrary to the Mind of that God whom we did perfectly love and it taught us to hate nothing else but Sin because nothing but that had a contrariety unto God. But when we fell our Love lost its object and all the Affections thereby became misplaced and disordered And though we lost the object of this Affection yet we lost not the Affection it self our Love therefore having lost his guide wanders after something else and takes up our selves and makes that the object of our Love. But as our Love is misplaced in respect of its object so it mistakes in its pursuit of that object no Man can truly love himself that doth not truly love God because the true effect of Love is to do all the Good it can to the thing it loves Now the chiefest Good to our selves is only our Conformity unto God's Will and consequently our Love to him wherein consists our Happiness But it is no marvel that having forsaken the true object of our Love and chosen our selves to be that object we are likewise mistaken in the seeking of our own Good Rom. 1.26 Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator For this cause God gave them up to vile affections Now every man that terminates his Love upon himself serves and worships himself And now that order which God planted being broken it is no wonder that all confusion and disorder falls among our Affections And now our Love being misplaced all the rest of our Affections are likewise misplaced and out of order Now the right frame of our Love and consequently the corruption of it consists in three things 1. In the ultimate Object of our Love it ought to be settled upon God and upon him only 2. In the Order of our Love it ought to be set upon God and upon him first and all other things may be loved but yet in him and after him 3. In the Degree of our Love our chiefest and most intense Love must be set upon God and upon him only And these are most rational and natural Conclusions as appears before Now the Old Man in our Affections consists in the absence and deprivation of this Order that God hath set 1. The deprivation of the first when either we love not God at all or which is all one when we make him not the Ultimate Object of our Love but love him meerly in reference to our selves the consequence whereof is that if God be not in all things subservient to those things we conceive most conducible to our own good we disobey him we murmure against him we blaspheme him we hate him If the basest Lust Pleasure Content come in competition with his Command it shall conquer it because we have made our selves our Ultimate and Chief End and therefore shall certainly prefer any thing that we think most conducible to this End. And certainly he that makes himself his Ultimate End and the chief object of his Love cannot chuse but fail in
thou shalt glorifie me When Man begins to forget his Dependance upon God he leaves him to himself and being out of his way some trouble or other meets him and then he sees he was out of his way and returns to his Dependance again prays to God. Our Prayers are not of themselves effectual but it was the bounty and good pleasure of God to give unto his Creature all suitable good whiles he is in such a Station and Condition as he requires of him That Station for a Man is a continual actual Dependance upon God which can never be without a suitable Conformity of the whole Soul to his Will. Now when the Heart is in such a frame of Dependency it actually exerciseth it in Prayer he strengthens as well as evidenceth his Dependance and draweth himself nearer to God thereby and so nearer to Blessing Now in reference to this particular viz. How Prayer becomes a means of our Mortification of those irregularities in our Soul and Affections it is upon a double ground 1. Because thereby the Soul draws near unto God and so is lifted in some degree into that frame and temper and place and station which is proper for it and so gets above those Lusts and Distempers which hang about him The very vicinity to that pure fire and light cannot consist with the fellowship of those impure Angels of darkness and impurity and so either dissolves them or at least scatters and affrights them Hence Prayer is expressed by lifting up the Soul unto God Psal 25.1 by coming into his presence Psal 95.2 by drawing near unto God James 4.8 an access to the throne of Grace As when Adam had first departed from God by sin he after hid himself from the presence of God Gen. 3.8 and thereby as much as in him was put himself out of a possibility of recovery so when a Man again brings his Soul into the presence of God as an access and power is now given by Christ by that very approaching unto God he gets mastery of those Lusts that did formerly drive him and as much as they could keep him from God. And this was the very way of Perfection that God himself taught Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect And though the whole Conversation of a Christian Man ought to be in the presence of God and to measure all his thoughts and actions by their comeliness or uncomeliness in his sight yet Prayer is a more special purposed concentring of the Soul to that Business And though God knows when we come down from the Mount again oftentimes those Lusts meet with us and renew acquaintance with us which we left behind when we went about this serious Business so that though we have ended the Solemnity we have yet a continual use of the Duty yet a frequent a solemn and serious use of this Duty interrupts a custom of sin by degrees weakens the Old Man and will in time make a strangeness between our Lusts and our Souls And let a Man be sure of these two truths That as he that comes upon his Knees with a secret Purpose to hold confederacy with any sin he shall be the worse the more hardned the more neglected by that God which searcheth the Heart If I regard iniquity in my Heart thou wilt not hear my Prayer so whosoever he be that comes to his Maker in the integrity of his Heart though sin adhere as close to that Heart of his as his Skin doth to his Flesh shall find that imployment will make those Lusts that were most dear unto him by degrees to become strange and loose unto his Soul. 2. But there is not only an active and natural efficacy in the Duty it self but which is more when a Man draws near to God God draws near to him James 4.8 As the Grace and Spirit of God that sets thy Heart to Prayer gives out more of his strength and Grace unto thee when thou hast prayed Thus the Goodness of the infinite and eternal God moves in a Circle to the Soul 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee There is not only a strength gotten against our Corruptions by our Approximation to him but an Emanation of Virtue Power and Spirit from him whereby to master and consume them How much more will your heavenly Father give your Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11.13 Vphold me with thy free Spirit Psal 51.12 This is that Spirit by which the deeds of the Flesh are mortified Rom. 8.13 the Spirit of Life that gives freedom from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 It is the Scepter of the Kingdom of God in the Soul whereby he rules in the midst of his Enemies Psal 110.2 And where this Spirit is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 CHAP. XVIII Of Watchfulness and first in respect of God. 3. WATCHFVLNESS And the Object of our Watchfulness is 1. God. 2. Our own selves 3. Temptations 1. For the first our watching concerning God 1. Watch for the Coming of thy Saviour either in the general or thy own particular Judgement for ye know not when the master of the house comes lest coming suddenly he find thee sleeping Mark 13.35 Consider what a terrible thing it will be if Death or Judgement should find thee in a practice of any purposed Sin and thou knowest not whether thy time of Death shall be in the Evening Midnight or at Cock-crow or in the Morning for it comes like a Thief in the Night 2. Watch the Word of God It is that Lanthorn to our Feet that Pillar of Fire which is to go before us in our Voyage through this Wilderness Take heed thou lose not this Light or leave it for then thou shalt wander in darkness 2 Pet. 1.19 This Light will shew thee the mind of thy Creator it will instruct thee what to do in points of difficulty and danger it will shew thee thy self and the constitution and temper of thy Soul and how the greatest matter of concernment to thee in the World stands even the condition of thy own Soul with God it will interpret and unriddle unto thee those various Dispensations and Administrations of things in the World it hath Principles of so high and powerful a Conviction that it will master the disorders of thy Soul beyond the most rigid Dictates Contemplations and Disciplines of the most sublimated Philosophy 2 Tim. 3.17 A Doctrine of Perfection 3. Watch the Presence of God and see that thy Thoughts Words and Actions are beseeming his Presence for all things are naked and manifest before him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 and remember we cannot flie or hide our selves from his Presence Psal 139.7 that the Hearts of the Children of Men are before him Prov. 15.11 that he weighs the Spirits Prov. 16.2 That his Eyes are in every place beholding the Evil and the Good Prov. 15.3 that he pondereth Man's goings Prov. 5.21 Job 34.21 Jer. 32.19 Jer. 16.17 that
he searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins Jer. 17.10 Take heed therefore of so much as thinking any thing that may be unbecoming the Presence of such a Majesty Purity and Power This is the Fear of God the beginning of Wisdom and will teach us with Joseph to entertain any temptation fitted with the greatest secresie and advantage with his Resolution Gen. 39.9 How shall I do this great Evil and sin against God 4. Watch the course of the Providence of God. There is not a Passage of his Providence but if marked carries with it a secret Instruction and a watchful Man will spell the Lesson of Providence to Humiliation Mic. 6.9 Hear the Rod and him that hath appointed it to Sadness Isa 22.12 In that day did the Lord call for weeping to Reformation and Obedience Job 36 10 by cords of affliction he openeth the Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity to Dependance upon and Recourse to God Psal 107.15 19. extremity and natural impossibility of deliverance tutors Men to cry unto the Lord Jonah 1.6 Arise call upon thy God to Thankfulness Psal 5â— 25 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And here we cannot chuse but ever remember the Excellence of the Word of God which teacheth us the English of all his Dispensations and what they mean That when in our blindness God by his Providence speaketh once yea twice yet Man perceiveth it not Job 33.14 this like a Messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand Job 33.23 expounds the Hieroglyphick and shews us the Errand it brings from God And although the Wisdom of God excedes our observation in many passages of his Providence Eccles 8.17 that almost the exactest watchfulness will have much ado to find any thing after him Eccles 3.11 yet I do believe that that Man that keeps a strict watch over himself and upon the passages of his Providence shall scarce find one uncomfortable passage in his Life but he may read in it some special omission of Duty to and some desertion of God some act of Pride Lust or Vanity eminently conspicuous to him that preceded it It is true the most exact walking may not only find but occasion Crosses and Afflictions in our way but most commonly if not always such are accompanied with such a measure of Comfort and Contentment in them or with them that I cannot call them Uncomfortable Passages but rather Objects of Rejoycing But when there comes an Affliction with a Sting in it though but a small one such a one as springs from my own folly or a disappointment or interruption in a justifiable action wherein I see as it were the hand of God hedging up my way or the like let me look but a little backward I shall see the spring of it As I will therefore keep a watch over my ways that I incur not the danger of God's deserting me though in an action it may be of no great consequence so when I find such a Cross I will look backward and search and try my ways and when I have found my Achan I will weep over him I will look forward and be more careful in my future Conversation I will look upward and bless the merciful hand of God that is pleased to take such care over a poor Creature as to send his Messenger though it may be a rough and sower one to reclaim me from the danger of a greater Evil. 5. Watch the secret perswasions and disswasions of the Spirit of God and beware thou quench it not 1 Thes 5.19 nor grieve it Ephes 4.30 A Man that observes his ways shall oftentimes hear a secret Voice from his Conscience conformable to the Word of God calling to him Do not this abominable thing which I hate Jer. 44.4 or This is the way walk in it Isa 30.21 Be sure thou observe this Voice try it with the Word the Rule of Truth and beware thou neglect it not This Wind that blows where it lists if shut out resisted or grieved may haply never breathe upon thee again but leave thee to be hardened in thy sins But if observed tried and obeyed thou shalt be sure to have it thy Monitor and Director upon all occasions CHAP. XIX Of Watchfulness in respect of our Selves our Senses Words and Appetite 2. FOR the second Object of our Watch our Selves such is the distemper and disorder of our Souls since the Fall that though it meets with no temptations from without yet it will make them and like a distempered Stomach the Lusts that are within us will turn that into our Poison which is of it self either wholesom or at least indifferent The Wedge of Gold and the Babylonish Garment had in it self naturally no temptation to Evil but Lust joyns with it conceives upon it and brings forth Sin the Rock stands still strikes not the Ship but the Ship strikes the Rock and splits it self The greatest part of that sin that is in us is not so much due to the influence and motion of Objects upon us as to the Corruption that the Object meets with in us therefore it concerns us to have a strict and continual Watch upon our selves And herein 1. Watch thy Senses watch thine Eye thine Eye is a wanton Eye an Eye full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 David a Man after God's own Heart wanted his watch upon his Eye and he saw and lusted and sinned 2 Sam. 11.2 With Job therefore see that thou keep thine Eye under a Covenant Job 31.1 Thine Eye is a luxurious Eye the Fruit was pleasant to the Eye and our first Mother though to the ruine of her Posterity did let in the beauty of the Fruit and together with it Sin and Death through her Eye Gen. 3.6 Thine Eye is an unsatiable Eye Eccles 1.8 a covetous Eye Joshua 7.21 I saw and I coveted a lofty and proud Eye Prov. 30.14 a flattering and a deceitful Eye Prov. 30.12 a cruel and an oppressing Eye Psal 10.8 His Eyes are privily set against the Poor an evil Eye Let it therefore be thy Practice as well as thy Prayer to turn away thine Eye from beholding Vanity Psal 119.37 and to have thine Eyes always towards God Psal 141.8 2. Set a Guard upon thy Ear and take heed how and what thou hearest Mark 4.24 Thou hast a wandering Eye an Athenian Ear Acts 17.21 an itching Ear that will not endure sound Truth 2 Tim. 4.3 a deaf and stopped Ear when thou shouldest hear Isaiah 6.10 an open and unsatiable Ear after Vanity and Unprofitableness Eccles 1.8 3. Set a Watch over thy Tongue and keep the door of thy Lips Psal 141.3 and take heed thou sin not with thy Tongue Psal 39.1 Remember an account is to be given for an idle word Matth. 12.36 season thy words with Salt Colos 4.6 and that will take away the filthiness of thy Communication Colos 3.8 Remember that thy Tongue is set on fire of Hell James 3.6 Watch therefore thy Tongue
am an unclean things and all my righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa â—â— 6 and my own Heart tells me that even to my most exact observance there be secret adheâ— of sin and defect and how much more are thâ— in thy sight who seest through every cranny of the Soul and therefore thou mayest justly reject them yet O Lord thou knowest that that little good that is in them proceeds from an upright Heart from an unfeigned desire to obey thee that it is my Hearts desire and my hearty and daily endeavour to serve thee better that it is the sorrow and gâ—f of my Heart that my returns of obedience and conformity unto thee are so infinite short of what I every way owe unto thee I do not content my self with these loose and half performances that I make before thee and though I see my best obedience gives me daily occasions of repentance yet I will not give over but what I want in my own strength I will beg thy Grace to perfect and thy Mercy to accept according to what I have and to pardon what I want 2 Cor. 8.12 and since I have prepared my Heart to seek the Lord God the good Lord pardon me though I am not cleansed according to the purification of thy Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.19 2. An over-matching of the Power of Sin by the Power of Sanctifying Grace It is true that in the best Condition we can arrive unto in this World there is with us a body of Sin and Death as well as a Principle of Holiness and Life Rom. 7.24 a lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit as well as of the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5.17 a wrestling against Flesh and Blood actuated by Principalities and Powers Ephes 6.12 But where God is pleased to begin this work in the Heart though it never arrives to the abolition of sin yet it ever ariseth to a Victory over it Rom. 6.15 Sin shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the Law but under Grace And now as where there is but one degree of heat in any subject more than there is of cold though that subject be not perfectly hot but there is a mixture of cold in every atom of it yet is denominated from the predominate quality so this Man though he be not exactly conformable to the exact Rule of Righteousness and therefore could not in the severe Justice of God be accepted but that rigorous course of the Law would lay hold upon him Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them which Book of the Law required a Love of God with all the Heart Might and Soul and that not only all that Heart Might and Soul which a Man now hath but which a Man once had and by his own fault hath lost and therefore that Law being weak through the Flesh Rom. 8.2 that is meeting with an impotency in us exactly to fulfil it became rather a Law of Death than Life yet when Christ came into the World and brought with him a perfect Righteousness of his own whereby to justifie us in the presence of God he did likewise by an Eternal Covenant of Peace with the Father stipulate for an acceptation of this imperfect Righteousness of ours which is wrought in us by his Grace and Spirit So that as the Righteousness of Christ the Lord our Righteousness which was perfect in Degrees was by the acceptation of the Father made our Justification so the Righteousness which is begun in us here by his Grace though mingled with our own defects is accepted by God with a Promise of increase of our Glory And the same Christ that hath fulfilled a perfect Righteousness for our Justification doth continually by his own Spirit begin and support a true though imperfect Righteousness in us to our Sanctification and helps against and pardons our many infirmities and defects as he hath promised Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you Jer. 31.19 Surely 〈◊〉 I was turned I repented Is Ephraim my dear 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do 〈◊〉 remember him still Isa 42.3 A bruised reed shall â—e nâ—t break and smoaking flax shall he not quench Isa â—â— 11 He shall â—ed his flâ—ck like a shepherd he shall gather 〈…〉 with his 〈◊〉 and carry them in his bosom and shall gerth lead thâ—se that are with young Hos 11.3 〈◊〉 Ephraim also to go taking them by the arm Which several expressions shew 1. The Original of that initiate Righteousness in us even the Grace of God in Christ continually by degrees mastering our corruptions and in some measure conforming us unto him â— His Tenderness towards those small inceptions of his Grace in us cherishing and encouraging 〈◊〉 His Mercy and Goodness accepting of our sincerity and pardoning our weakness And this is that Evangelical Perfection of our Righteousness and Sanctification here And from this Advantage that the Grace of God hath over our Perfections do arise these four Consequents of it 1. Universality of Obedience 2. Constancy in it 3. Growth and increase in it 4. Renewing of our Repentance all which as they are the gifts of God so they do naturally flow from the over-matching of our Corruptions by Grace as appears in these Particulars 1. Vniversality of Obedience The Heart wherein the Grace of God hath over-matched his sinful Nature cannot allow it self in any known Sin or any known neglect of any one Command but hath respect to all God's Commandments Psal 119.6 Whosoever shall keep the whole yet if he offend in one point he is guilty of all James 2.10 The Grace of God and Sin are universally opposite one to another and as they are so in the abstract so are they in the concrete Where Sin hath an advantage in the Soul it doth oppose universally the whole Will of God and where Grace is in the Soul it doth oppose the whole will of Sin and therefore where any one Sin or neglect of any one Command of God is entertained knowingly and advisedly in the Soul there the Grace of God hath not the upper hand for the same Principle by which it acts viz. the Love of God equally engageth the Soul to every Duty and against every Sin according to the measure of Knowledge that is commmunicated to the Soul. 2. Constancy and Perseverance The change that is wrought in our Nature it is true is not in the essence of it but it is the presence of the Grace of Christ in the Heart that preserves and upholds the Heart and Life in Holiness and Righteousness If that could be withdrawn or intermitted we should like the Iron removed from the Fire soon return to our ancient Nature again but that great God whose presence alone supports all the things in Heaven and Earth in their being and
operations and whose Gifts and Callings are without Repentance hath promised to be with us to the end of the World He cannot sin because his sâ—â—d abideth in him 1 John 3.9 It is true there may be intermissions of the acting of Grace in the Heart and there may be falls in the Life but to be given over to a course of sin without repentance to be brought under the power and dominion of Sin as a King or a Ruler the Honour and Truth of God is engaged in it it shall not be 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you John â—0 28 Nâ—er shall any man pluck them out of my hand Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for 〈…〉 under the Law but under Grace And these Promises of God cannot make the Heart of any one to whom they truly belong any whit the more careless or loose in his watch over himself for that very Spirit whereby those Promises are sealed to us is an active vigilant pure Spirit and puts the Heart and Life upon those Practices that do naturally and properly conduce to this very Perseverance viz. Assiduity in Duties Humble and Watchful walking before God Examination and search of the state of our Souls and Lives Jealousie over the Treachery of our own Hearts and the snares that are within us and without us a Guard upon our Affections and Senses a frequent Consideration of the Will of God of his Goodness to us in Christ of the Price wherewith we are bought of the Hope whereunto we are redeemed and all those other helps that conduce to the settling and stablishing of our Hearts and Lives in a Conformity to the Will of God and in avoiding of all those things which are contrary thereunto and consequently as contraries do would impair corrupt and destroy that Life of Grace which he hath begun in us And from hence ariseth 3. An Increase and Growth in a more exact Conformity to the Will of God than formerly This is that which is so often commended unto us by the Spirit of God Colos 2.7 Rooted and built up in him Colos 4.12 Compleat in all the will of God Phil. 1.9 that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment 1 Cor. 15.58 abounding in the work of the Lord Heb. 13.21 make you perfect in good works to do his will Phil. 3.13 forgetting what is past and reaching forth to the things that are before Ephes 4.13 growing to a perfect man 2.16 increase of the body 2 Pet. 3.17 beware lest ye fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace Jude 20. building up your selves in your most holy faith Prov. 4.18 Increasing more and more unto the perfect day John 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit And as this is the Will of God so it is as naturally the effect of this Life that is wrought in the Heart as it is the effect of natural Life in the Body for it is an active and operative Life If any quality have got the mastery in a mixt Body it doth ever more and more by degrees waste and consume the contrary qualities and assimulates the whole unto it self And although as long as our Flesh hangs about us it is impossible that a compleat and absolute conquest can be wrought of all that Sin that is in us because it is a spring of Corruption yet it is wasted weakned and decayed By this work of Grace Saul's House waxeth weaker and weaker Every habit though it be moral or natural only receiveth an augmentation and degrees by its continual actings And the Grace of God which is more operative and active in the Heart than any habit can be for it is accompanied with the immediate Power and Efficacy of the Divine Spirit never stands still but like the little Leven that was hid in the great quantity of Meal it never gives over till the whole be leavened 4. Renewed Repentance Thy corrupt Nature is a Body of Sin and Death a spring of Corruption that will ever cast up mire and dirt and Grace in thy Heart is a spring of living Waters that as often as that corrupts will be washing it again When thou hast made the chamber of thy Heart as clean as thou canst yet there will be leaks in it that will let in Corruptions enough quickly to make it as foul as ever Grace by the continual examination of thy self humbling of thy Heart before God renewing thy Covenant with him doth not only pump out the filth that would poyson and drown and dam thee but stops the decays and leaks of this thy infirm Vessel When the Grace of God at first found thee thou wast dead in trespasses and sins and it came into thee and by Repentance did exercise its own act of Life to quicken thee And that same Body of Death that did at first inclose thee is still about thee and takes all opportunities to get its old mastery of thee and by this means thou catchest many a fall and bruise but that same Life by which thou livest re-acts against those inroads of sin and death and doth conquer them so that though thy renewed sins are not thy ruine yet they ought to be thy burden though they must not make thee despair yet they cannot chuse but make thee mourn though thy Saviour hath born their Guilt yet it is but equal thou shouldest bear thy shame When thou hadst no Life in thee thou couldest not feel thy self dead But now thou hast Life in thee thou canst not chuse but be sensible of thy sickness and thy hurts which thy own folly have occasioned and judge and condemn and avoid that Folly of thine that occasioned it Though thou canst not be rid of thy sins that fight against thy Life yet thou wilt not entertain them with better Entertainment than Bread of Affliction and Water of Affliction Though thou canst not expiate for any of them yet thou canst not look upon them without indignation as Traytors against thy Life and thy Peace thou canst not look upon thy self without loathing and detestation thou canst not look unto Christ without shame and confusion that one that he hath redeemed from so great a Misery with so great a Price to so great a nearness as to be a member of himself a partaker of his Spirit a Co-heir of his Glory should so unworthily so unthankfully in his sight dishonour his Head and pollute himself Thou canst not look upon what is past without Repentance nor upon what is to come without a Resolution of more Vigilance and keeping a better Guard upon thy self And yet in the midst of all these thy perplexed thoughts thou canst not chuse but admire and bless that Mercy of Christ that when thou deniest him looks back upon thee as once on Peter and with that look sends in a Messenger that makes thee go by thy self and bewail thy Relapse that leaves
thee not to a course in sin or to a death in sin but gives thee a Cordial which though it puts thee to pain preserves thy Life that though thou like a foolish misguided Sheep art stragling thou knowest not whither yet seeks thee and finds thee and reduceth thee that though thou canst so easily forget him yet he doth not forget thee and when all is done is contented to accept of that Repentance and that Sorrow which he himself gives thee and washes away thy Spot by his own Blood and looks upon thee with no less Tenderness and Love and Compassion and Goodness than if thou hadst never gone aside Ever blessed be thy Name O merciful Lord God that hast redeemed us from everlasting Death and yet when we daily endanger our selves dost rescue us by thy Grace that when we sin thou art pleased not to cast us off but fetchest us in by Repentance and when we repent art pleased not to reject us nor upbraid us with our former Falls but accept us to Pardon and Favour and blottest out our iniquities for thy great Names sake But let not thy Servants return any more to folly Amen CHAP. XXVIII Of the Parts of Sanctification and 1. In reference to our selves Sobriety THE fourth thing considerable are the Parts of that Sanctification which is required of us Sanctification is the Conformity of the whole Man to the Will of God concerning Man concerning his Life and Conversation And that Will of God respecteth three Objects Himself our Neighbour and our Selves And accordingly the Duties which lie upon us in reference to these three are shortly summed up by the Apostle Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodless and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world We have there the Old Man that we are to put off Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts cast by S. John into these three Ranks the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eyes and Pride of Life 1 John 2.16 whereof before And we have that New Man Ephes 4.24 distributed into two parts Righteousness and true Holiness and here into three parts viz. Sobriety towards our selves Righteousness towards others and Godliness towards God the two latter come distinctly under the Commands of the first and second Table of the Decalogue as those Commands receive their true and spiritual interpretation by Christ the former though virtually it be therein included yet it is not expresly and directly 1. In reference to our selves Sobriety This refers either to our Judgment or Estimation of our selves or to the motions and inclinations of our sensual Appetites 1. Sobriety in our Judgments which is nothing else but a just and true Estimate of our selves Rom. 12.3 Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly c. Man doth naturally inordinately love himself and that love to himself doth mislead and inhance a Man's opinion of himself even by those things that are meerly extrinsecal to him he thinks the better of himself by reason of his Wealth though that be a thing distinct from him by Nature and easily by any casualty severed from him or by reason of Esteem or Honour though that is such an accession as depends meerly upon the Will of another for if I withdraw that honour or respect which I give to a Man he is no longer honourable to me and as I may do it so may any and so may all and then he wholly ceaseth to be what he thought he was And much more Men are apt to have a high opinion of themselves in respect of that which seems most their own as Strength Beauty Elocution Wit Knowledge and the more intimate the Perfection is unto him that hath it the harder it is for that Man to be brought to that due estimation that he should have of himself that very Knowledge which must be the ground of bringing him to a right estimation of himself is ready to puff him up and that concretion that ariseth from the over-estimation of a Man's self and from his reflection upon that over-estimation is Pride and from this Pride arise those other distempers of the inward and outward Man a proud look despising the weaker or inferiour Arrogance lofty and haughty Speech Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon c. Psal 73.9 They set their mouth against Heaven and their tongue walketh through the earth Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord c. a placing of a Man's self in God's room and deifying himself implacableness with any thing that checketh the full Fruition of his own Glory though it seems never so inconsiderable the want of a Bowe from Mordecai makes Haman sick of anger and discontent Esther 3.7.5.13 and thus Pride is the foundation of Contention Prov. 13.10 because it cannot endure the competition of any thing that may allay the tumor the foundation of envy delight in flattery to feed and stroak that foolish Humour excess in Stateliness Distance Apparel singularity and the like All which are the Children of this Vanity Now as this proceeds much from the mistake of our Judgment or the want of the Exercise of it so on the other side when the judgment concerning a Mans self is rectified it produceth a clean contrary effect in the Soul the Man was mad before out of his Wits and his Carriage and Deportment was answerable thereunto but now by this right understanding himself he is sober in his right Senses and a sutable Deportment riseth thereupon he looks upon his Wealth as a thing that is lent him deposited with him only as a Steward not as an Owner as that which is uncertain vanishing subject to be easily translated from him to another as that which is external to him which he may have and be a Fool or a Man under a Curse as that which will one day inhance his Account not ease his Conscience as that which he may not it may be keep whilst he lives and is sure to lose when he dies as that which may be his snare his Temptation cannot be his Felicity as that which though never so excessive gives no greater a Priviledge than it gives his Servant that eats of it but only the bare Name of being his own He looks upon his Esteem Reputation and Honour in the World as that which meerly depends upon his inferiors Benevolence which thy may withdraw when they please as that which is external also to him may make him an Object of more Envy Danger and insecurity that ingageth to a great deal of vigilance to preserve it and is often lost without desert and yet the Man is the same He looks upon his Power and Authority as a thing that is not in himself but meerly in the Contribution of the strength of others or their voluntary denying it to themselves by a resolution of Non-resistance as that which makes no real Accession
laid down for the Sins of the World namely the precious Life of his own Son Jesus Christ that published this Doctrine to the World And this Sacrifice and Satisfaction the glorious God would accept in a way of Justice and yet in a way of Mercy that his Justice might be satisfied his Mercy magnified and his Creature saved 8. And that because it would be neither agreeable to the Honour nor the Wisdom of Almighty God that any Man that had the use of his Reason and Understanding should have the fruit and benefit of this Mercy and Sacrifice without returning to his Duty to God by true Repentance for what he had done amiss and by better Obedience to God neither was there any fitness or suitableness between a Pure and Holy God or that Blessedness which Mankind might expect with him and a People that should yet continue desperately sinful and impure and it was also reasonable and fit that if Mankind would expect the Restitution to that everlasting Happiness that they lost by their own sins and the sin of their first Parents then they should also return to their Duty and Obedience to God and perform in some measure that End for which Mankind was at first created namely actively to glorifie that God that had made them especially after so great an addition of Mercy as the Redemption of the World by the Death of his own Son therefore he appointed and intended and published to the World that all that would have the fruit and benefit of this great Redemption should repent of their Sins and endeavour sincerely to obey the Precepts of Piety Sobriety and Righteousness commanded by Almighty God by the Message of his Son. 9. And because that if those to whom this Message of the Gospel of Christ should be published should yet not believe the same nor believe that Jesus was the true Messias or that his Doctrine was the true and real Message of Almighty God to the World it could never be expected that they would obey this Heavenly Command nor return to God or the Duty they owed him he did therefore require of all Persons that were of Understanding to whom the Gospel should be published that they should Believe it to be True and believe that Christ was the True Messias the great Sacrifice for the Sin of the World and the Doctrine which he preached was the Will of God concerning Man. 10. And thus there are these Conditions to be performed on the part of those that will expect the Benefit of the Redemption purchased by the Blood of Christ 1. That all that are of Understanding to whom the Gospel is preached should Believe it to be the Truth and rest upon it as the Truth of God 2. That they should be heartily sorry for their former Sins and Repent of them and turn from them This is Repentance 3. That they should in all Sincerity endeavour to conform their Hearts and Wills and Lives to the Precepts and Commandments of Christ and his Gospel which is called Sanctification and new Obedience 11. And because when we have done all we can yet we are in this Life compassed about with many Infirmities and Temptations and subject to fail in our Duty to God and to these Holy Precepts of the Gospel yet the merciful God hath assured us by his Son Christ Jesus that if we sincerely endeavour to obey the Precepts of the Gospel and repent for our Failings herein and so renew our Peace with God by unfeigned Repentance the same Sacrifice of his Son shall be accepted to expiate for our Sins and Failings and the blessed God will accept of our sincere though imperfect Obedience as a Performance of that part of the Covenant of the Gospel that concerns our Obedience to God and the Commands of the Gospel And this is called Evangelical Obedience which though it be not perfect yet being sincere and accompanied with real and sincere Endeavours to obey and Repentance for our daily Failings is accepted of God through the Sacrifice of Christ who is not only our Sacrifice and Propitiation but also our Intercessor and Mediator at the right hand of God. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of the Father 1 John 2.1 Heb. 8.1 10.12 12. And because many times Example gives a great Light and Life to Precepts our blessed Saviour in his Life gave us an excellent Example of the Practice of those Precepts which he hath given to us as namely Obedience and Submission to the Will of God Invocation upon him Holiness Purity Sobriety Patience Righteousness Justice Charity Compassion Bounty Truth Sincerity Uprightness Heavenly mindedness low esteem of Worldly Glory Condescension and all those Graces and Vertues that he requires and expects from us 18. And as thus our Lord Jesus came to instruct us in all things necessary for us to believe and practise and to give us an admirable Pattern and Example of a Holy and Vertuous Life so 2. He came to die for us and to die such a Death as had in it all the Circumstances of Bitterness and yet accompanied with unspotted Innocence and incomparable Patience and he thus died for these Ends. 1. To lay down a Ransom for the Sins of Mankind and a Price for the Purchace of Everlasting Life and Happiness for all those that receive him believe in him and obey the Gospel 2. To satisfie the Justice of God to make good his Truth to vindicate the Honour of his Government and to proclaim his Justice his Indignation against Sin and yet to magnifie his Love and Mercy to Mankind in giving his Son to be a Price of their Redemption 3. To give a just indication unto all the World of the vileness of Sin the abhorrence of it that cost the Son of God his Life when he was but under the imputed guilt of it that so Mankind might detest and avoid Sin as the vilest of Evils 4. To give a most unparallel'd Instance of his Love to the World that did chuse to die for the Children of Men to redeem them from Everlasting Death 5. And thereby to oblige Mankind with the most obliging and indearing Instance to love and obey that Jesus that thus died for them and out of the common Principles of Humanity and Gratitude to love and obey him that thus loved them and laid down his Life for them 6. To give a most convincing Evidence of the Truth of his Doctrine and the Sincereness of his Professions of Love to Mankind by sealing the same with his own Blood. FINIS Considerations Seasonable at all Times for the Cleansing OF THE HEART AND LIFE Considerations Seasonable at all Times for the Cleansing OF THE HEART and LIFE 1. OF God and therein 1. Of his Purity and Holiness one that cannot endure to behold iniquity The Stars are not pure in his sight Job 25.5 Job 15.15 and his Angels he chargeth with folly Job 4.18