still in that work he stands engaged therein as an Undertaker for us and so as a Surety intercedes Such as Iudah was for Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for ever So sayes Christ for us And therefore Sponsio or undertaking for us is by Divines made a great part of this part of his office Now the consideration of this may the more secure us for the more peculiarly and solely it is his work the more his honour lies at stake and the more he will set himselfe to effect it yea and being by way of Suretiship it concerns him yet more neerly for he hath engaged and if he should faile might even lose that honour which he hath now in heaven CHAP. V. The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the pwoerfull influence it hath into our salvation Demonstrated first from the greatnesse of Christ and his favour with God THus we have heard what matter of support to our faith by way of evidence this must needs afford The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the influence of it into our Iust fication that Christ intercedes Let us consider now what further assurance will arise to our faith from the influence which Christs Intercession must needs have to effect and carry on our salvation to an assured issue The work of Intercession being effectually to procure our salvation and to continue the pardon of our sins and hold us in favour with God therefore the influence and energie it hath herein must needs lie in that potencie and prevalencie which this intercession of Christ hath with God to obtain any thing at his hands for us and so to continue his favour towards us Demonstrated Now to raise up our apprehensions how potent and prevalent this Intercession of Christ must needs be let us consider both the Person interceding namely Christ and the Person with whom Christ intercedes for this favour which is God the one the Sonne the other the Father and so the greatnesse of Christ with God and the graciousnesse of God to Christ together with the one-nesse of wills and unity of affections in them both So that Christ will be sure to aske nothing which his Father will deny and his Father will not deny any thing which he shall ask Now first for the greatnesse of Christ the Intercessor 1. From the greatnesse of Christs person and his interest in God who intercedes that is his greatnesse with God the Father This is often urged in this Epistle to the Hebrews to perswade confidence in us in this very point in hand thus Heb. 4. 14 16. Seeing we have a great High-priest let us come boldly And whilst Great and Priest are thus joyned together the more comfort and boldnesse wee may have the greater he is For he is a Priest in relation to his dealing with God for our pardon as he is a Priest he deales in nothing else and the greater the person is who useth his interest herein the better the sooner he will prevaile And he is there said to be Great because great with God in prevailing with him and indeed so great as it is impossible but he should prevaile It was the greatnesse of his person which did and doth put such an influence into his death that it was as you heard a price more then enough to satisfie Justice even to overflowing And therefore Who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed And the greatnesse of his person must needs have as much influence to make Intercession prevalent In a matter of intercession the person that intercedes prevailes more then any other consideration whatsoever We see what great friends doe procure oftentimes with but a word speaking even that which money no nor any thing else could have obtained Demonstrated by three things Now Christ must needs be great with God in many respects First 1. The neernes of his alliance that he is Gods naturall Son in respect of the neernesse of his alliance to him He is the naturall Son of God God of God and therefore certaine to prevaile with him This is diligently still put in almost in all places where this part of his Priest-hood his Intercession is mentioned in the Epistle to the Heb. So in the 4. of the same Epistle ver 14. We have a great High-priest entred into the heavens Iesus the Son of God So Heb. 7. 25. and 28. ver compared the Apostle having said ver 25. that He is able to save to the utmost seeing he ever lives to make Intercession he doth ver 28. devolve this ability of his to save ultimately upon his being the Sonne thus in the 28. verse in the end of that discourse this is made as the Basis of all The Law saith he makes men High-priests which have infirmity which infirmity or disability of theirs is mentioned in opposition unto what he had just before spoken of the great ability of his our High-priest in his interceding ver 25. in those words He is able to save to the utmost Those Priests whom the ceremoniall Law made Aaron and his sonnes are unable to save they have infirmity Now what is it in him that makes this difference and him so able above what they were The word of the Oath makes the Son sayes he who is perfected as you have it in the Greeke and margent for evermore He mentions this his Son-ship principally in relation to his Intercession which there he had discoursed of Intercession is a carrying on our salvation in a way of grace and favour as his death was by way of satisfaction How great an influence this hath into Intercession to make it prevalent And answerably it may be observed in the Scripture that as the all-sufficiencie of the satisfaction of his death is still put upon his being God and so upon the greatnesse of his Person considered in respect of his nature or essence namely his God-head So in like manner that the prevalencie of his Intercession is founded upon the neernesse of his relation unto God his allyance to him and the being his Sonne Thus for the first When Redemption is spoken of the sufficiencie of the price is eminently put upon his God-head The bloud of God Thus also Heb. 9. where when he had ver 12. shewne how Christ had purchased and obtained a perfect redemption he then argues the sufficiencie of it from his God-head ver 13 14. For if the bloud of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself c. The eternall spirit is his God-head Thus answerably when he speaks of the prevailing of his Intercession in Heaven he puts it upon his Sonne-ship Iesus the Sonne he mentions the neernesse of
Personall excellencies cannot properly be called the object of it But the Formalis ratio the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the object of faith as justifying must necessarily be that in Christ which doth indeed justifie a sinner which is his obedience unto death For the act and object of every habit or facultie are alwayes suited and similar each to other and therefore Christ justifying must needs be the object of Faith justifying It is true that there is nothing in Christ with which some answerable act of faith in us doth not close and from the differing considerations under which faith looks at Christ have those severall acts of faith various denominations As faith that is carryed forth to Christ and his personall excellencies may be called uniting faith and faith that goes forth to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sinne may answerably to its object be called sanctifying faith and faith as it goes forth to Christ as dying c. for justification may be called justifying faith For faith in that act looks at what in Christ doth justifie a sinner and therefore Christ considered as dying rising c. doth in this respect become the most pleasing and gratefull object to a soule that is humbled for this makes Christ suitable to him as he is a sinner under which consideration he reflects upon himselfe when he is first humbled And therefore thus to represent Christ to Beleevers under the Law was the maine scope of all the Sacrifices and Types therein All things being purged with bloud and without bloud there being no remission Heb. 9. Thus did the Apostles also in their Sermons So Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his Sermon to have known nothing but Christ and him as crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. as Christ above all so Christ as crucified above all in Christ as suiting their condition best whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith on him Thus in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls his preaching among them the preaching of faith Chap. 3. 2. And what was the maine scope of it but the picturing out as the word is of Christ crucified before their eyes ver 1. so he preached him and so they received him and so they began in the spirit ver 3. And thus also doe the seals of the Promises the Sacraments present Christ to a Beleevers eye as they hold forth Christ as was in the former direction observed so Christ as crucified their scope being to shew forth his death till be come 1 Cor. 11. 26. the Bread signifying Christs body broken in the sufferings of it and the cup signifying the sufferings of his soule and the pouring of it forth unto death And hence likewise as faith it selfe is called Faith on Christ as was before observed so it is called Faith on his bloud Rom. 3. 24 25. because Christ as shedding his bloud for the remission of sinnes is the object of it So the words there are Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the Promises under that picture of him doth faith at first close with him And one reason similar to the former may be grounded on the 24. ver of that 3. to the Rom. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And as I shewed before in the reason of the former direction that all Promises hold of his Person as being Heire of all the Promises so the speciall Tenure upon which forgivenesse of sins doth hold of him is by purchase and by the redemption that is in him So that as the promise of forgivenesse refers to his person so also to this redemption that is in him Thus both in Eph. 1. and Col. 1. In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes His person gives us title to all the promises and his bloud shews the tenure they hold on a purchase and a full price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate price 1 Tim. 2. 6. And as sin is the strength of the Law and of the threatnings thereof so Christs satisfaction is the strength of all the Promises in the Gospel In a word an humbled soule is to have recourse to that Christ who is now alive and glorified in heaven yet to him as once crucified and made sinne He is to goe to Christ now glorified as the Person from whom he is to receive forgivenesse c. but withall to him as crucified as through whom considered in that condition he then was in he is to receive all CHAP. II. What in Christs death faith seeking justification is especially to eye and look at NOw then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying Direction 2 is Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end Faith is especially to look at Christs end and mind in dying meaning and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings and not simply at the Tragicall story of his death and sufferings It is the heart and mind and intent of Christ in suffering which faith chiefly eyeth and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified When a Beleever sees that Christs aime in suffering for poore sinners agrees and answers to the aime and desires of his heart and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgivenesse Namely that sinners might have forgivenesse and that Christs heart was as full in it to procure it as the sinners heart can be to desire it this draws his heart in to Christ to rest upon him And without this Without this the meditation of the story of his Passion unprofitable the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings and of the greatnesse of them will be altogether unprofitable And yet all or the chiefe use which the Papists and many carnall Protestants make of Christs sufferings is to meditate upon and set out to themselves the grievousnesse of them so to move their hearts to a relenting and compassion to him and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him with an admiring of his noble and heroicall love herein and if they can but get their hearts thus affected they judge and account this to be grace when as it is no more then what the like tragicall story of some great noble personage ful of heroicall vertues and ingenuity yet inhumanely and ungratefully used will work and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits who read or heare of it yea and this oft-times though it be but in the way of a fiction Which when it reacheth no higher is so far from being faith that it is but a carnall and fleshly devotion springing from fancie which is pleased with such a storie and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit and yet abused Such
Peter that he could command millions of Angels to his rescue but he meerly submits unto his Father Not my will but thy will be done sayes he for God had laid upon him the iniquities of us all Esay 53. Let our faith therefore look mainly to this designe and plot of God and of Christ in his suffering to satisfie for our sins and to justifie us sinners When we consider him as borne flesh and bloud and laid in a manger think we withall that his meaning was to condemne sin in our flesh Rom. 8. 4. So when we read of him fulfilling all or any part of righteousnes take we his mind in withall to be that the Law might be fulfilled in us as it follows there who were then represented in him and so the fulfilling of it is accounted ours Behold we him in his life time as Iohn the Baptist did even as the Lamb of God bearing and taking away the sins of the world and when upon the Crosse let our faith behold the iniquities of us all met in him Surely he hath borne our sorrowes bearing our sinnes in his body on the tree and thereby once offered to beare the sinnes of many 1 Pet. 3. Heb. 9. c. This intent of Christ in all that he did and suffered is that welcome newes and the very spirit of the Gospel which faith preys and seiseth on CHAP. III. What support or matter of triumph Christs death affords to faith for Justification NOw having thus directed your Faith to the right object Christ and Christ as dying let us secondly see what matter of support and encouragement faith may fetch from Christs death for Justification And surely that which hath long agoe satisfied God himselfe for the sins of many thousand soules now in heaven The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction may very well serve to satisfie the heart and conscience of any sinner now upon earth in any doubts in respect of the guilt of any sins that can arise We see that the Apostle here after that large discourse of Justification by Christs righteousnes in the former part of this Epistle to the Rom. and having shewed how every way it abounds Chap. 5. he now in this 8. Chap. doth as it were sit down like a man over-convinced as ver 31. What then shall we say to these things He speaks as one satisfied and even astonished with abundance of evidence having nothing to say but onely to admire God and Christ in this work and therefore presently throws downe the Gauntlet and challengeth a dispute in this point with all commers Let Conscience and carnall reason Law and Sinne Hell and Devils bring in all their strength Who is he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect who shall condemne Paul dares to answer them all and carry it with these few words It is God that justifies It is Christ that dyed And as in ver 37. We are more then conquerours in all these It was this that brought in the Prodigall that in his Fathers house there was bread enough And so likewise he who ever he was who was the Author of the 130. Psal when his soul was in deep distresse by reason of his sins ver 1 2. yet this was it that setled his heart to wait upon God that there was plenteous redemption with him Christs redemption is not meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price or ransome aquivalent or making due satisfaction according to the just demerit of sinne but it is plenteous redemption there is an abundance of the gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5. 17. and unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. Yea 1 Tim. 1. 14. the grace of our Lord that is of Christ as ver 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate it was abundant but the word reacheth farther it was over-full redundant more then enough And yet sayes Paul ver 13. I had sins enough to pardon as one would think that might exhaust it I was a blasphemer c. But I found so much grace in Christ even more then I knew what to doe withall I shall not insist so largely on this first Head of Christs dying as upon those three following because it is the main subject of another Discourse which through Gods grace I intend to publish though in another method Onely for a taste to instance in some few particulars How Christs satisfaction may be set against the guilt of any sins and so made use of by faith shewing how Christs satisfaction may be opposed and set against the guilt of a poore sinners offences What is there that can be said to aggravate sin in the generall or any mans particular sins that may not be answered out of this Christ hath dyed and something not be considered in it which the conscience may oppose thereto So that what ever evill which according to the rules of spirituall reason which the righteous Law proceedeth by and containeth as the foundation of its righteousnesse in condemning or aggravating sinne a mans conscience may suggest to be in sinne oppositely hereunto may a mans faith according to the like rules of true spirituall reason shew a more transcendent goodnesse to have been in Christs death which the Gospel reveales and so may oppose the one to the other and have as good reason to shew why sinne should not condemne from CHRISTS death as Conscience can have that the Law may condemne As first 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall Is sinne the transgression of the Law Christ dying the Law-maker was subjected to the Law and will not that make amends Is sin the debasement of Gods glory manifested in his Word and Works Christs dying was the debasement and emptying of the brightnesse of his glory in the highest measure being personally manifested in the flesh The one of them is but as the darkning the shine or lustre of the Sun upon a wall but the other is as the obscuring of the Sun it selfe Sins highest evill lies in offending God but Christs righteousnesse is oppositely the righteousnesse of God himselfe or Iehovah made our righteousnesse So that God in our sinne is considered but as the object against whom but God in this our righteousnesse is the subject from whom and in whom this righteousnesse comes and is feated And so his God-head answerably gives a higher worth to it by how much the alliance which the subject hath to an action of its owne that proceeds from it is nearer then that which an object hath against which the action is committed Or secondly 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins what peculiar aggravations or circumstances are there in thy sinnes to weigh down with which some circumstances in Christs obedience and death may not be paralleld to lift thee up againe As first 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sin what ever Is it the greatnesse of thy sinne in the substance of the fact committed hath there been
meaning whereof is that was justifyed at his Resurrection Iustified in the Spirit and Quickned in the Spirit being all one and we in him Yea and a rather is put upon this rather then upon his death for this act was a solemne discharge from all sin and condemnation it was a legall Acquitance given to Christ for all our sins and so to us also considered as in him His Death was but the satisfaction and payment but this is the first Act of Absolution Yea and this is the Originall Act which is upon Record between God and Christ and our Justification and Atonement when we are justified by faith in Christ is but a Copie fetcht from this Roll and Court sentence then pronounced And such a way and course to ratifie and make Acts good legall even to have them done by another representing ones person is common among men as those instances I formerly gave do shew An Attorney at Law receives a debt or an Acquitance for a debt paid or given for another man and it is as legall as if the man himselfe or Creditour had done it and the Debtour had received the Acquitance himselfe Yea Acts of the greatest and highest concernment are oft-times no otherwise transacted as the marriages of Princes are by Proxy solemized their Embassadours representing their persons and contracting and marrying their wives in their stead which acts are thereby made as irrevocable and irrepealable as if themselves had in person done them And so if we were justified when Christ did rise and was justified our justification then cannot be reversed but stands as legall and warrantable as any act that God or man ever ratified or confirmed And Who then shall condemne Onely A Caution for farther explication sake lest there be a mistake let me adde this That it is necessary that we be justifyed in our owne persons by faith notwithstanding this former Act thus legally passed whereby we lay hold upon what God did thus before for us in Christ to the end that God upon our beleeving may according to his owne rules justifie his justifying of us unto all the world which untill vve doe beleeve hee could not doe For according to the revealed Rules of his Word vvhich he professeth to proceed by at the latter day there is a curse and a sentence of condemnation pronounced against us under which we stand til he shall take it off by giving us faith unto which he hath in the same Word made the promise of justifying us in our own persons as before he had done in Christ Yet still notwithstanding so as although when we first beleeve then only Justification is actually and personally applyed to us yet at Christs Resurrection and in his being then justified this act and sentence was virtually pronounced upon us and so doth necessarily require and exact at Gods hands the bestowing faith upon us that so by vertue of this former act passed we come to be actually justified in our owne consciences and before all the world And so our Justification which was but secretly wrought passed upon us in Christ is never made void but stands irrepealable and so ratified that our personall justification by faith doth alwayes infallibly second and succeed it And to illustrate it a little our condemnation in Adam and this our justification in Christ doe in this hold parallel together That as in Adam we were all virtually condemned In Adam all dye and that legally enough too for thereupon came out that Statute-Law Statutum est It is appointed that all should dye and yet we are not actually in our owne persons condemned till we are borne of him nor doe we personally dye untill we lay downe our flesh Even so is it in the matter of our Justification it was done virtually in Christ and afterwards when we beleeve is actually passed in and upon our selves Now I call this former but a virtuall Iustification even as by the sentence of condemnation passed upon a Malefactor he is called a dead man that is he is so virtually and in Law as we say though naturally he dye not many dayes after but in that respect may be still alive so by Christs being justifyed we are all virtually and in Law justifyed through a secret yet irrepealable Covenant betweene God and Christ who onely did then know who were his And for a confirmation even of this also That God accounts all the Elect justifyed in his justifying of Christ we shall not need to goe any farther then the words of this Text if we doe but diligently compare their standing here with that of theirs in that place out of which they are taken and where we find them first recorded and spoken namely in that 50. of Esay 7 8. He is neere that justifies me who is he that shall condemne Now there as Interpreters agree and as the Context shews those words are spoken by Christ himselfe for ver 5. he speaks of Gods boring his eare to doe his will the same expression that is used of Christ Psal 40. 6. and farther sayes I gave my bâ—… to the smiters and my cheeks to them that pulled off the haire and I hid not my face from shame and spitting all which you may read in Christs sufferings Mat. 26. 27. and 27. 26. And he spake before in ver 4. of Gods having given him the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary which you may read done by Christ Mat. 11. 28. Now those words were spoken by Christ to comfort himselfe against the Jews condemning him as considering that God would justifie him as at his Resurrection you have heard he did Now mark it those very words which Isaiah brings in Christ speaking as of himselfe alone those very words Paul here boldly applyes in the like triumph to all the Elect of Christ Who shall condemne It is God that justifies and this because Christ is dead risen and acquited by God Christ spake those words as a publique person in the name of all his Elect whom he in his death and in his justification represented and for that very respect Paul speaks the like words over again of all Elect Beleevers as being as truly and really intended of them when spoken by Christ as of himself and his owne person He is neere that justifies me sayes Christ who shall condemne namely Me or mine Elect whose persons I sustaine And Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect sayes Paul It is God that justifies who shall condemne for Christ hath dyed and been condemned for them and Christ was justifyed from that condemnation and they in him And because the justification of himselfe which Christ spake of as lookt for from God was to be made at his Resurrection as hath been said therefore Paul here puts a rather upon his Resurrection And farther to establish this as you heard before out of Rom. 6. 10. that in respect of Sanctification
That the heart of Jesus Christ now he is in heaven is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth §. 1. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the influence all the three Persons have for ever into the heart of the Humane nature of Christ in heaven THe first sort of Demonstrations shall be fetcht from all the three Persons and their severall influence they have into Christs heart in heaven to encline it towards us The first shall be taken from God his Father who hath thus advanced him and it hath two parts 1. That God hath given a perpetuall command to Christ to love sinners 2. That therefore his heart continues the same for ever For the first God the Father hath given Iesus Christ a speciall command to love sinners and hath withall implanted a mercifull gracious disposition in his heart towards them This I mention to argue it because it is that which Christ alledgeth Iohn 6. 37. as the originall ground of this disposition of his not to cast out those that come to him For it is my Fathers will sayes he in the following verses that I should performe that which I came downe from heaven for ver 38. And this lyes now still upon him now he is in heaven as much as ever for his will also is sayes he ver 39 40. that I should raise them up at the last day so as it must needs continue the same till then And compare with this the 10. of Iohn from ver 15. to 18. where having discoursed before of his care and love to his sheep to give his life for them to know and owne them and to bring them into the fold c. he concludes at ver 18. This commandment have I received from my Father It is his will sayes the 6. of Iohn and if a good son knowes that a thing is his fathers mind and will it is enough to move him to doe it much more if it be his expresse command And in this 10. of Iohn he further sayes that it is the command which he had received from the Father A command is a mans will peremptorily expressed so as there must be a breach if it be not fulfilled and such a command hath God given Christ concerning us Out of both which places I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of Gods First that Christ should die for his sheep in respect to which command he continued so to love them whilst here as to lay downe his life for them so Iohn 10. 15. but then he tooke it up againe and is ascended into heaven Therefore those other two things commanded him doe concerne him when he is in glory namely to receive all that come to him which is the second and the third to looke that he lose none of those for whom he dyed but to raise them up And for these his Fathers command lyes as strictly on him now he is in Heaven as for dying for them whilst he was on earth This command have I received from my Father and this is his will And together with this command God did put into his heart as where he commands he ever useth to doe such an instinct of transcendent love towards them as shall so strongly encline him to performe it that he shall neede no more commands He hath put such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an especiall love into him as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their own children more then to all other mens children which they see besides although more beautifull and more witty then their own And both this commandement and this inclination of love towards them wee have at once expressed Psal 40. 8. where giving the reason why he became our Mediator and sacrificed himselfe he not onely sayes I come to doe thy will O God but also Thy law is in my bowels In which speech both these two are mentioned 1. That command I mentioned is there expressed for it is called a Law And 2. it was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart and therefore said to bee a Law in his heart or bowels You may easily conceive what Law it was by the subject of it his Bowels which are still put for the most tender affections Colos 3. 12. Bowels of mercie kindnesse c. It was no other then that law of love mercy and pity to poore sinners which God gave him in charge as he was to be Mediator It was that speciall law which lay on him as he was the second Adam like that which was given to the first Adam Non concedendi over and above the Morall Law not to eate the forbidden fruit such a Law was this he there speakes of It was the law of his being a Mediator and a sacrifice for of that he expresly speakes v. 6 7. over and besides the Morall Law which was common to him with us The word in the Originall is In the middest of my bowels to shew it was deeply engraven it had its seat in the center it sate neerest and was most inward in his heart Yea and as that speciall Law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam Praeceptum Symbolicum as Divines call it given over and besides all the ten Commandments to be a tryall a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest such was this Law given unto Christ the second Adam so as that God would judge of all his other obedience unto himselfe by this Yea it was laid on him vvith that earnestnesse by God and so commended by him as that if ever Christ vvould have him to love him he should be sure to love us Thus in that place fore-cited Iohn 10. 17 18. Christ comforts himselfe with this in his obedience Therefore doth my Father love me It is spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned and so withall imports as if God should love Christ the better for the love he should shew to us it pleased him so well to see Christ love us And so it is as if God when he gave Christ that Commandement ver 18. had said Sonne as you vvould have my love continue tovvards you let me see your love towards me shewne in being kinde to these I have given you whom I have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you as you have it Iohn 17. 23. As God vvould have us shevv love unto him by loving his children so he vvould have Christ also shevv his love towards him by loving of us Novv for the second Branch of this Demonstration namely that that love vvhich Christ vvhen on earth expressed to be in his heart and vvhich made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father that it doth certainly continue in his heart still novv that hee is in Heaven and that as quick and as tender as ever it was on earth even as vvhen he vvas on the Crosse
can be For he was under those bonds and bolts which if it had been possible would have detained him in the grave as Act. 2. 24. The strength of sin and Gods wrath and the curse against sin Thou shalt die the death did as cords hold him as the Psalmists phrase is Other debtours may possibly breake their prisons but Christ could not have broke through this for the wrath of the All-powerfull God was this prison from which there was no escaping no baile nothing would be taken to let him goe out but full satisfaction And therefore to hear that Christ is risen so is come out of prison is an evidence that God is satisfied and that Christ is discharged by God himself and so is now without sin he walking abroad again at liberty And therefore the Apostle proclaimes a mighty victory obtained by Christs Resurrection over Death the Grave the strength of sinne the Law 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. and cryes out Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through Iesus Christ our Lord ver 57. You may now rest secure indeede Christ is risen who therefore shall condemne CHAP. IV. The second Head propounded the INFLUENCE CHRISTS Resurrection hath into Iustification Two Branches of the Demonstration of this First that Christ was a Common person representing us in all he was or did or suffered handled at large More especially a Common person in his Resurrection NOw secondly to come to that other Head propounded the Influence Christs resurrection hath into our justification The demonstration or making out of which depends on two things put together The first how Christ was appointed by God and himselfe acted the part of a Common person representing us in what he did more particularly in his Resurrection Of this in this Chapter The second is how from that consideration ariseth not onely an evidence to our faith but a reall influence into our justification and non-condemnation So as Who shall condemne because CHRIST is risen againe as a Common person representing us therein For the first of these §. I. to illustrate and prove it in the generall That Christ was a Common person proved that instance of Adam serves most fitly and is indeed made use of in the Scripture to that end Adam as you all know was reckoned as a common publique person 1. In generall by a parallel with Adam not standing singly or alone for himselfe but as representing all Man-kind to come of him So as by a just Law what he did was reckoned to his posterity whom he represented And what was by that Law threatned or done to him for what he did is threatned against his posterity also Now this man was herein a lively type of our Lord Christ the Type of Christ herein as you have it Rom. 5. 14. Who was the type of him who was to come Unto which purpose the titles which the Apostle gives these two Christ and Adam 1 Cor. 15. 47. are exceeding observable he calls Adam The first man and Christ our Lord The second man and both for that very purpose and respect which we have in hand For first he speaks of them as if there had never been any more men in the world nor were ever to be for time to come except these two and why but because these two betweene them had all the rest of the sons of men hanging at their girdle because they were both Common persons that had the rest in like though opposite considerations included and involved in them Adam had all the sons of Men borne into this world included in himself who are therefore called earthly men ver 48. in a conformity to him the earthly man ver 47. and Christ the second man had all his Elect who are the first-borne and whose names are written in heaven and therefore in the same ver are oppositely called heavenly men included in him You see how he summes up the number of all men in two and reckons but two men in all these two in Gods account standing for all the rest And farther observe that because Adam was in this his being a common person unto his the shadow and the lively Type of Christ who was to come after him that therefore he is called The first man of these two and Christ The second man as typified out by him Now if you aske Particularly In what things Christ was a Common person wherein Christ was a Common person representing us and standing in our stead I answer If in anything then in all those conditions and states wherein he was in what he did Especially in what he was or did upon earth or befell him whilst here on earth especially For he had no other end to come downe into this world but to sustaine our persons and to act our parts and to have what was to have been done to us acted upon him Thus first §. 2. in their two severall conditions qualifications 1. Adam and Christ Common persons in their conditions and qualifications and states and states they both were Common persons That is look what state or condition the one or the other was made in is by a just Law to be put upon those whom they represented So the Apostle reasons from it ver 48. As is the earthly man namely the first man Adam such are the earthly namely to be earthly men as well as he because he who was a Common person representing them was in his condition but an earthly man And oppositely by the same Law it follows As is the heavenly man namely the second man Christ such are and must be the heavenly who pertaine to him because he also is a Common person ordained to personate them and Adam who came after him was therein but his Type And as thus in this place to the Corinths the Apostle argues Christ to be a Common person in respect of his condition and state by an argument of parallels taken from his Type Adam So secondly in that 5. to the Romanes he argues Christ to have been a Common person 2. Christ a Common person in respect of what he did or what he suffered illustrated by the parallel of Adam in his actions which he did on earth and this also from the similitude of Adam whom ver 14. he therein makes to have been Christs Type And he speaks of Adam there as a Common person both in respect of what he did namely his Sinne and also in respect of what befell him for his sin namely Death and condemnation And because he was in all these not to be considered as a single Man but as one that was All men by way of representation Hence both what he did they are said to doe in him and what condemnation or death was deserved by his sin fell upon them all by this Law of his being a publique person for them 1. For what he did He sinned 1. Adam a Common person in what he did
you know and ver 12. All are said to have sinned namely in his sinne Yea and according to those words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are added there you may render that sentence and the Originall bears it and it is also varied in the Margent thus In whom all have sinned namely in Adam as in a publique person Their act was included in his because their persons were included in his And 2. 2. Adam a Common person in what beell him for what he did as in death and his condemnation threatned for what befell him for sin that befell them also by the same Law of his being a person representing them Hence ver 12. Death is said to passe upon all men namely for this that Adams sin was considered as theirs as it there follows It is said to passe even as a sentence of death passeth upon a condemned Malefactor And ver 18. Iudgment is said to come by that one mans offence upon all men to condemnation Now in Gen. 2. 17. the threatning was spoken only to Adam as but one man In the day that thou eatest therof thou shalt surely die And Gen. 3. 19. that sentence seems onely to passe upon him alone Vnto dust thou shalt return Yet in threatning Adam God threatned us all and in sentencing Adam to death he sentenced us also The curse reacheth us too Death passed upon all men then and therefore by a just Law Death raigns over all as ver 14. and 17. because Adam was in all this Rom. 5. a Common person representing us and so in our stead and so all this concerns us as truely and as neerly as it did him I say by a just Law for indeed the Scripture upon the equity of this Rule pronounceth a Statute out against all men that they should die Heb. 9. 27. Statutum st It is appointed by a Statute Law that all should die Now if you search for this Statute when and where enacted you will find that the Originall Record and Roll is that in Gen. 3. 9. spoken onely of Adam but holding true of us To dust thou shalt returne Just thus the matter stands in the point of our §. 2. justification and salvation Answerably Christ ordained a Common person both in what he did or was done to him betweene Christ and Elect Beleevers for Adam was herein his Type Christ was considered and appointed of God as a Common person both in what he did and in what was done to him So as by the same Law what he did for us is reckoned or imputed to us as if we our selves had done it and what was done to him tending to our justification and salvation is reckoned as done to us Thus when Christ dyed he dyed as a Common person and God reckoneth that we dyed also When Christ arose he rose as our Head and as a Common person and so then God accounts that we rose also with him And by vertue of that communion which we had with him in all those actions of his it is that now when we are born againe we do all rise both from the guilt of sin and from the power of it even as by vertue of the like communion we had with or being one in Adam we come to be made sinfull when we begin first to exist as men and to be first borne Thus in his death he was considered as a Common person Exemplified by one instance in his dying and God reckoned us dying then and would have us reckon so also So Rom. 6. 10. the Apostle speaking of Christ saith In that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Then ver 11. speaking of us he sayes Likewise reckon you your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The meaning whereof is plainly this that whereas regenerate men are for the present in the reality but imperfectly mortified and dead to sinne as considered in themselves and in respect of the work of it as wrought in them yet that being considered in Christ as their Head and a Common person representing them they may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may truly by a way of faith reason or reckon themselves wholly dead in and through Jesus Christ our Lord in that he once dyed perfectly unto sin as a Common person representing them So as what yet is wanting in the work of Mortification in their sense and experience of it they may supply by faith from the consideration of Christ their Head even themselves to have dyed when he dyed The Apostle I say would have them by reason conclude or inferre for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as Chap. 3. 28. therefore we conclude c. it is the same word from Christs death that they are dead which Conclusion cannot be made unlesse this be one of the Propositions in this Argument That we dyed in Christ when hee dyed and so though in our selves we are not yet wholly dead to sin nor perfectly alive to God yet through Iesus Christ your Lord and Head sayes he reckon your selves so in that as ver 10. he dyed and now lives and you were included in him And indeed this Consideration the Apostle suggests unto our faith both as the greatest encouragement against imperfect mortification begun that yet we may comfort our selves by faith as reckoning our selves wholly dead in Christs death and so may assure our selves we shall one day be perfectly dead in our selves by vertue of it and withall as the strongest argument also motive unto Mortification to endeavour to attain to the highest degree of it which therefore he carryes along in his Discourse throughout that whole Chapter He would have them by faith or spirituall reasoning take in and apprehend themselves long since dead to sin in Christ when he dyed and so should think it the greatest absurdity in the world to sin even the least sinne we being dead long since and that wholly when Christ our Head dyed And how shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein And ver 7. He that is dead is free from sinne and how then shall we doe the least service to it Now all this he puts upon Christs dying and our dying then with him ver 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him even when he was crucified that it might be destroyed one day in us fully and perfectly Christs Body representing therein as a publique person the Elect and their body of sin conjunct with them So as thus by faith they are to reason themselves wholly dead to sin in Christ and to use it as a reason and motive to stir up themselves not to yeeld to the least sin I use this expression of being wholly dead because if he had spoken meerly of that imperfect mortification begun in us the argument would not have been a perfect motive against the least sinnes