sin yet it cannot do any hurt at all But saâ— he I thanke God through our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— who will deliver me from this body of death As much as to say Indeed till a man looke to Christ there is nothing but matter of bitternesse and evill to be seen as the certain fruits of sin and there can be nothing but bitternesse in sin in regard of the evill that is like to follow it But when persons can once looke to Christ the case is altered What doth he thanke God for He thanks God that though naturally a body of death grew up by sin yet there is no prejudice in this kinde can come to him through Christ Now that the Apostle doth plainly mean that he thanks God in that sin could not doe him or others any hurt mark how in his thankfulnesse he expresseth himself in the beginning of the 8. Chapter There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ that walke not after the flâ—sh but after the Spirit There you see the ground of the Apostles thanksgiving namely that now there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ No you will say no condemnation in Hell but yet as there is remainders of sinne in Gods owne people so there will some evill or other fall upon the commission of sin marke what the Apostle speakes of it in the 2. and 4. verâ—â— Would you have the clear minde of the Spirit â—in it There it is held forth The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death for what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath freed mee from the Law of sinne and death Here Christ stands for the deliverance of his people from condemnation from eternall wrath say some yea but saith the Apostle wee are delivered from the Law of sin and death what is the Law of sin but what the Law may do to persons for those sins which are committed by them Now what can sin do when it is condemned It is true take a Traytor as he is at liberty hee may do mischief but take him as he is arraigned and condemned and as he is bound and manacled he can doe no hurt Now sinne is condemned to the Believer it can do no hurt at all to him for what hurt can that doe unto a man which is carried into a Land of forgetfulnesse to avoid further prejudice of such persons that are indangered by it When men have been found dangerous unto the State 〈◊〉 hath been a common practice to banish them the Kingdome into a place far remote when they cannot have any opportunity of doing any mischief and when they are banished theâ— are not to returne againe upon paine of death Now beloved our Scape Goat hath carriâ— our sins into a Land of forgetfulnesse Consider further suppose a man be entered into many bonds and they are for great summes It is true while they remaine bonds in force such a man is subject to feare arrests but put the case these bonds are all cancelled that the debt in the Creditors book be blotted out what hurt then can these bonds do unto a man when the seal is torn off and all the writing in the bond is blotted out If a man saw a thousand such bonds in which he were obliged it would affright him no more then if he saw none at all True indeed every sin is a great debt and wee commit sins daily and hourly against the Lord and the torments of Hel is the merit of the least sin in the world for I speake not this to extenuate any sin but to shew the greatnes of Gods Grace and to ease upon good grounds distressed consciences Therefore such as look upon these sins as uncancelled and these debts as true debts it is true so long these sins may work a horror and trembling in persons but for Believers that are the members of Christ they may read fairly all the sins that ever they have committed they may read also the desert of these transgressions which should be executed and inflicted upon them if they were not cancelled and blotted out But marke what the Lord speaks in the 43. of Isaiah I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne name sake and will not remember thy sins Now what prejudice can that do that is blotted out I say every debt of a Believer is a cancelled debt so that the Lord himselfe hath nothing at all to lay to a Believers charge For how can that Scorpion do hurt that hath lost his sting and spent his venome in the sides of Christ and left it there It was Christ that was wounded for the transgressions of his people he was bruised for the iniquities of the faithfull the chastisements of their peace was upon him saith the Holy Ghost in the 53. of Isaiah and the 5. verse What hurt can there be to whom there is peace from God and nothing but peace It is true our sins themselves do not speak peace but Christ bearing the sinne and the wrath that these sins doe deserve his chastisement or the wrath hee sustained speaks peace to every Believer whose transgressions be did beare Therefore beloved be not affraid ye that are Believers and members of Christ for fear of wrath breaking down from heaven upon you for such and such sins which you have committed for they can do you no hurt all your sins together can do you no harme all the sting and poyson of your sins were spent upon the backe of Christ Marke that excellent expression of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 15.56 57. he tels us there indeed that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the Law so that here seems to be a sting in sin even to death it selfe But mark what follows thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ that hath given us the victory What doth he meane even the victory of overcoming of sinne and death that is his true meaning Though naturally sin hath a sting yet there is a victory over this sting Christ is the death of it as he tooke away the sting of it so that the sins of Believers set up to affright them by Satan or his instruments they are but Scare-crows and Bugbears things to fright ignorant children indeed but men of insight and understanding are able to see that they are counterfeit things It is true before men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their sins stare in their faces seeming to spit fire at them but just as you shall have children it may be put one of their company into hideous postures and a fearfull and terrible representation causing every one that knowes it not to run from him so sinne
Believers indeed the sword is broken the sting is gone The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law 1 Cor. 15. but thanks be to God saith the Apostle that hath given us the victory over sinne and death so that we may boldly say Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victory If you be the Lords and the Lord be yours if you be Believers you may triumph as the Apostle doth Oh death where is thy sting It is gone nay Oh death saith the Lord in the Prophesie of Hosea I will be thy destruction I beseech you give not care either to Satan or to whatsoever instrument he hath that would possesse you that though Christ dyed for you and hath borne your sins himselfe upon the Crosse or upon the tree as the Apostle Peter expresseth yet those same sins will doe you hurt and prove a mischief and bane to you I say there cannot bee greater despite done nor affront offered unto Christ then to make the Believer conceive that he was not able to beare their sinnes nor the wrath of God sufficiently for them but that they must be wounded notwithstanding all that Christ hath done If Christ be hurt as much as sin can hurt him how can any man be hurt by it for whom Christ suffered If Christ upon the Crosse took the sting out of it and carried it to his own grave how commeth it to have a new sting or did Christ dye in vain If he took away the sting of one sin and not the sting of another there were need of another Christ it seems to take away that sting that is behind and so Christ hath not perfected for ever them that are sanctified I desire you to heare with patience this is the first ground of all your comfort in affliction that sin is gone for then all afflictions in the world cannot discomfort seeing all discomfort ariseth from sin which is the sting of affliction Hereupon the Apostle triumpheth Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who can condemne Contrariwise the soul is in the greatest bitternesse when sin remains and the sting of it is not taken away but when God is reconciled as he is to the faithfull for God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them how then can finne do hurt when it is not to be imputed God doth use to reckon when he doth take payment If God doth not reckon with men he will never smite them with wrath as is the wrath so must be the smart and harm and hurt that person is to sustain in respect of the sins committed Chastise he doth indeed for speciall ends but the sin doth not at all hurt And though the Lord doth afflict that will do you no hurt neither afflictions are the physicke of God to purge and sanctifie the conversation Will a man thinke that is ready to dye of the stone or wind-cholick or stoppage in the fromach if a Physitian comes and gives him a bitter potion that he doth do him any hurt when he knoweth it is to recover his life and save it he knowes he dyes if he heals not the infirmity God useth no physick no chastisement and affliction but it shall worke for good so the Apostie expresseth it in Hebr. 12. No affliction for the present is joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith It bringâ—th forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse what hurt is there in all this But I must go on and come to that which I have more particularly to deliver to you and that is upon the consideration of Gods motives by which he doth attempt to prevail over the spirits of his people not to be afraid or dismayed come what can or may come you know God is best able to perswade God best knows what Rhetorick will take with his own people A man that hath had the breeding of a childe and so comes to observe the temper of it can better tell then any other which way to win him God hath the breeding of his own children nay God goeth further he hath the spirits of his children at his own beck and therefore can best tell which way to work upon their spirits and to beget that in them which he calls for of them The Lord would have them not to be afraid nor dismayed Let the Lord propose his way to bring them to this composednesse and fixednesse of spirit it is but presumption in any creature to conceive there may be better wayes to work upon the spirits of men then that which God prescribes And it is worth your observation to consider that when the Lord puts his people upon a composednesse and fixednesse of spirit he doth not say Fear not for you have fasted for you have prayed for you have forsaken your sins and denied your selves and walked holily with me and therefore because you have done this and that Feare you not The Lord doth not say so here he hath higher Propositions that he proposeth that have more excellent vertue to move his people He saith Feare not I am toy God I will helpe thee and uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The prop for the upholding of spirits against feare when evill cometh it is without a mans selfe in him that is a rock and unchangeable The Lord doth not say You change not therefore you are not consumed you continually proceeded in holines you waver not therefore you are not consumed but I am God and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed I say therefore again If you would have setlednesse of spirit you must go out of your selves and fetch peace of spirit out of God himselfe and I dare be bold to say take all the sweetnesse and comfort of all the world of all the creatures mixed together extract the quintessence of their own excellencies all these together shall never settle a heart nor make it secure and free from fear but only this proposition that God is their God And by the fruit of this principle a poor tottering spirit is under-propped and under-set here with four pillars at every corner one as I may so say I am thy God I am with thee I will helpe thee I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousnesse or rather there is one main principle and three subordinate supporters affixed unto the main principle for sometimes you shall see great weights laid upon some great pillar and for the better securing of that which is laid upon it you shall have some short pillars branching out from the main spread out wide and so upholding This present discourse seems to be such a main principle that is Gods being a God to such a people I am thy God this is the foundation this is the great pillar I am with thee I will
is now offered unto us I have peradventure in the hearing of some present made entrance into these words I have read now unto you I shall give you but a taste of what I have formerly spoken so much as may serve by way of introduction to that in which I mean to spend the remainder of this time The occasion of these words you may see in the former passage of this Chapter At this present instant a great tumult and uproar was raised upon the raising of the righteous Man from the East that is the setting up of Christ Such a noyse there was that God was fain to call for silence vers 1. and for their plea at the latter end of the verse If they have any thing to say against this businesse of setting up of Christ let them bring their strongest reasons saith the Lord. Having thus obtained silence the Lord makes his plea against their tumultuous opposition vers 2. Who is he that hath raised him up and hath given Nations to him and made him to rule over Kings I the Lord did it saith he vers 4. What have you to say to me He shall prosper and he shall prosper with facility and ease he shall go softly he shall never run for fear of being circumvented Hee shall go in a way that his foot hath not trode before he shall go further then he hath gone and what say they to this when God speaks Yet the tumultuous men will not be quiet they lay their heads together as you finde they consult to finde out helpe nay they conspire the Carpenter and the Smith have laid their heads together Now because there is such a combustion when Christ is set up lest the people of the Lord should be possessed with dismayednesse and feare of miscarriage the Lord turnes his speech to these opposed Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed I am thy God Christ when ever he is exalted did doth and will finde great opposition but in spite of all opposition Christs exaltation shall prosper all their opposition shal not hinder nay he wil go softly that the world may see that he is not afraid of all opposition whatsoever First in this Text the Lord is pleased to provide a pillow as for a King for the heads of his people or a staffe for their trembling hand a pillow to support their sinking spirits they are apt to be discouraged it seems the Lord is pleased to take their condition into his hand to speak to the occasion of their trembling and to give out such words that may be a stay that they may stand fast though blustrings grow greater then they are The Textis nothing else but a gracious incouragement or a comfortable support of a sinking spirit The incouragement is in these words Fear not be not dismayed the grounds and arguments by which he would prevaile with them not to fear nor be dismayed are in these words I am with thee I am thy God I will helpe thee I will up hold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The point is this That they that have God for their God need never fear nor be dismayed seeing this their God is with them will helpe them strengthen them and uphold them with the right hand of his righteousnesse Concerning this feare and dismayednesse we spake largely the last time we spake upon this occasion 1. What it is not to be afraid 2. What we are not to be afraid of 3. What the inconveniences of such feare are In brief not to feare is no more but a composednesse and setlednesse of spirit against any evill that commeth Excellent is that expression in the 112. Psalme vers 8. They shall not be afraid of evill tidings What is that Their heart is fixed their heart is established they shall not be removed Here is the expression of a fearlesse heart a heart fixed a heart established a heart not moved You have it likewise excellently set out in Daniel 3. in an example the 16. vers in the story of the three children being sentenced to be cast into the fiery furnace they came before the great King Nebuchadnezzar and hee spake big to them and tells them what they must trust unto if they will not fall down and worship his Gods Mark now how their fearlesnesse and dismayednesse is expressed We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve be will deliver us See what a disposition this fearlesnesse is and then what is the ground of it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter here is a true fearlesnesse if when ever evill comes men can say it matters not we are ready for it And look into the root of it and you shall finde it in their answer our God is able to deliver us that made them so carelesse in so weighty a thing Our God whom wee serve he will deliver us Secondly what it is we should not fear I answer first we should not fear God himself as to do us any hurt fear him with awfull reverence we must A Believer that is the servant and chosen of God need not fear that God will do him any hurt It is God that justifieth therefore it is not God that will harm thee The heart of God is to his people My bowells are troubled for thee saith God to Ephraim Can he hurt them while he is troubled for them Secondly they must not fear their own sins I do not say they ought not to fear to commit sinne but they ought not to feare what hurt their sinnes can doe them seeing they are blotted out If a man have subscribed unto and sealed a hundred Bonds and all these Bonds be quite cancelled and blotted out he need not fear no hurt these Bonds can do him Paul in the 7. of Rom. complaineth indeed of a body of death and the power of sin but in the closure of the Chapter he shews how little he fears any thing that sin could doe Thanks be unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ What doth he thank the Lord for that though his firts were so great yet they could not do him any hurt nor any of Gods people Look into the beginning of the 8. Chapter it is plaine There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh What hurt can this do Now beloved give me leave to tell you if you be Believers and weak in faith I dare bee bold to say nothing cuts the heart so much in respect of fear of evill as the sins you do commit these will be swords to your hearts But if you be
longer therein The summe and substance of the objection is this Is there so much Grace that where sin hath abounded Grace aboundeth much more then it seems that the more sin a man doth commit the more will the glory of the Grace of God appear in the pardoning of these sins and so I shall glorisie God best when I commit sin most will some say So that the preaching of the abundance of grace where sin hath abounded seems to let men loose to the commission of sin as much as possibly The Apostle answers this with God forbid as if he had said God will never suffer any Believer though never so weak through any such truth reveal'd to break out into any sin because wher sin hath abounded grace hath abounded much more God will never have them to make any such abominable inference from such truths And he also gives the reason why they cannot make such use of the grace of God How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein to the Apostle the inference of the objectors from this argument seems so absurd that he doth appeal to the adversaries themselves how such an inference as this can follow such a Proposition He doth not say positively that they cannot live in sin that are dead to it but he puts the question to them how it can be And whereas some may answer yea they may easily do it No saith the Apostle they that are partakers of this Grace are dead unto sin and how can they live in it when they are dead to it The glorious power of this Grace revealed strikes sinne dead in men or rather strikes men dead to sin Sinne shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle for you are not under the Law but under Grace And as you shall heare by and by the Apostle makes the very Grace of God to have that power in it as to breake the neck of sin in the Believer This is the most certaine truth of the Text and springs directly from it There is a death unto sin where there is a revelation effectually of the Grace of God to persons to whom it doth belong It brings a dart with it to slay sin The law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sin and death and what the law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the simili tude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh so that although to reason and sense the preaching of the free Grace of God to men and to publish what the Lord hath done for them for his own sake and that before-hand may seem to be a doctrine that gives liberty to sin and so to be a licentious doctrine yet it seems to the Apostle that there is nothing that doth more establish a restraint from sin then the manifestation hereof In the 11. to the Romans towards the latter end of the Chapter the Apostle tells us that God hath concluded all men under sinne that hee might shew mercy upon all and therefore he falls out into admiration O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes ast finding out Now what follows Having prevealed this unsearchable Grace see how hee begins in the 12. Chapter and 1. verse I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but bee transformed by the renewing of your mindes that is I beseech you by the mercies of God that you refraine from sinne What mercy doth he meane Even the mercies of God concerning the freenesse of his Grace manifested before in all the 11. Chapter Now if the Apostle had beene of some mens mindes that the preaching of the free Grace of God were a dangerous doctrine to set men loose to sin he would never have used the mercies of God as an argument to prevail with men to refrain from sin Hee would not have published that which should have been of such dangerous consequence but he would rather have been filent so far would hee have been from revealing of it as an argument to the contrary were the revelation of it the way to bring men to loosenesse and licentiousnesse it had been the wisdome of Paul and the other Apostles to have concealed it which certainly he would have done had it been so But the Apostle was not of that judgement and therfore in 1 Corinth chap. 6. and towards the latter end he draws his argument after the same manner You are not your owne you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are Gods Observe here that the injunction which the Apostle gives the Corinthians is that they should glorifie God in their bodies and spirits and what is the argument by which he would perswade them to it You are bought with a price But will some say it seems I am bought and the price is laid downe for me now I am sure enough I am safe the gates of hell cannot prevail against me I may live as I list for no danger will follow now I may take liberty to sin Now if the Apostle had known that this consequence would justly have followed upon the preaching of this Crace he had dealt very discourteously with the people of God and absurdly by inforcing a conclusion from a ground contrary to it by revealing such a doctrine as this is Therefore surely the Apostle would never have used this expression of being bought with a price if he had knowne that this would follow but contrariwise he knew that there is no way in the world will so much prevaile with Gods people to leave their sins as by telling them before hand that their sins are forgiven them and that they are bought with a price In 2 Titus from the beginning to the 12. v. you shall finde how the Apostle urgeth Titus that hee presse a holy conversation answerable to old men and old women as also to young women and young men and also a conversation suitable to servants and especially he writes concerning them that they should not purloin from their masters but shew all faithfulnesse But what is the argument now by which the Apostle urgeth all these things upon these men See in the 12. and 13. verses and you shall finde that the argument is the same we have now in hand For the Grace of God saith he that brings salvation hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world As much as to say The Lord hath made known and revealed his salvation to you and you see it before you Salvation is brought unto you and not your well-doing but the Grace of God is
to God as the injury comes to and what is from the Godhead is Gods own before Secondly therefore some say that there is a satisfying justice properly though there be not a full recompence as in every point to answer the injury done I will but give you a familiar illustration of it that you may not say it is not unknown and an unheard of thing that justice is satisfied although no plenary recompence in the former sense for satisfaction be brought Suppose one man murther another an ordinary case now for a plenary recompence to the injury done he that is slain must be in statu quo prius that is he that is slain must be made alive again and till that person slain be restored to life here is not a compleat recompence made But how is it possible that any man that hath committed murther should make this full and plenary recompence to the person that is injured He cannot restore life to him again and yet for all this although he cannot bring in a full recompence in this way this man may properly satisfie justice For if life answer for life if the murtherer be executed the Law and Justice may truly be said to be satisfied Here then they say that there may be satisfaction of justice and yet not the fulnes of recompence in the strictest sense brought in Justice I say is satisfied in this respect because here is as much brought in by way of recompence as is possible to be had You know beloved you have a Proverb Where there is nothing to be had the King must lose his right when a man payes all that ever he hath he can pay no more he doth satisfie justice In this sense justice is said to be satisfied when the Law of justice is satisfied and so the satisfying of justice doth not necessarily imply the fulness of recompence in the strictest sense according to the injury done How cometh it to passe when a murtherer is executed that upon this execution of the murtherer onely the Law doth esteem this tobe a recompence and justice to be satisfied though it be not a plenary recompence answering the injury that is done but onely as it answers to the Law that is the rule of justice so it is satisfaction Even so say they the justice of God is truly satisfied when the will and pleasure of God is fulfilled whether or no there be a bringing in a full and plenary recompence If the will and pleasure of God be satisfied concerning transgression that satisfaction of the will of God is the satisfaction of the justice of God Now what is the will of God It is this that in the day that man sins man must die either he must doe it in person or he must do it by deputation for among men the satisfaction of the Law is made either in the mans own person that is the debtor or his surety that will pay the debt for him The Law in some cases looks more upon the thing that is brought in to answer to it than it doth upon the person that doth bring the thing in The justice of God looks upon the fulfilling of his will although it be not by the same person that sinned this alters not the nature of 〈◊〉 thing whether I my self pay the debt or anâ— ther for me pay my debt the payment is satâ— factory so in that the will of God hath 〈◊〉 utmost bounds for the satisfying of justiâ— whereas transgression must be recompence with death Now Christ the surety of 〈◊〉 people going under the punishment and 〈◊〉 filling the punishment the Law is satisfied be cause every tittle of the Law is fulfilled anâ— there is nothing in the Law remaines to 〈◊〉 answered But yet thirdly I say further that the satisfaction of Christ is compleat even in thâ— strictest sense although it be granted that the bare sufferings and righteousness of the humane nature cannot effect it without the divine nature and the righteousnesse thereof and whereas it is urged that the righteousness of the divine nature is Gods own already it is granted and that both because it is essentiall unto God and incommunicable unto the creature therefore and also for the reasons alledged before in the objection it cannot be formally either the whole or any part of our righteousnesse yet notwithstanding the divine nature and so the divine righteousness doth so by the Hypostaticall Union fit and furnish Christ to be an All-sufficient Saviour and satisfier that thereby the person of Christ is so glorious that his active and passive obedience is thereby made of infinite worth and â—alue that so he might give satisfaction for â—s compleat perfect and that in the strictest sense making a full reparation and restauration of all things in the behalfe of the elect for whom he undertakes and brings upon them salvation to the uttermost In brief beloved and so to conclude this businesse though there may be some hint given for your better understanding by way of illustration how justice may be satisfied yet the truth is the fullest and most satisfying resolution wherewith persons ought sit down without further dispute is not by argumentation but by divine faith Suppose wee could not sound the bottome of this Principle that Gods justice should be satisfyed yet we may sit down as fully resolved that it is satisfyed though we know not how it should be so in that the Lord reveales to us he is satisfied whose word must be more to us then all the evidences and demonstrations in the world can be by way of Argument that here Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins that God himself doth acknowledge else-where that he is satisfied What matter is it to me how he is satisfied I mean in respect of resolving me by way of Argument how he should be satisfied his ownâ— Word speaking it and resolving it to us is that with which we should sit down withall without any further dispute If therefore all this while you cannot know how he is satisfied your believing upon the testimony of Godâ— Word that it is so may be as full a satifaction to you yea may be a more full resolution to your spirits then all the arguments and demonstrations in the world can be And so I come in brief to the last clause of the Text namely the issue of this Advocateship of Christ in the behalf of his people when they sin The issue is this He is the propitiation for our sins I say the words containe in them the upshot or the conclusion of the pleading of Christ telling us what this pleading of Christ comes to at the last it comes to this that by this pleading of his Christ becomes the propitiation for our sins The main thing to be considered here that wee may understand aright our portion in this Grace is to know what this propitiation meaneth or what it is for Christ to be a propitiation Beloved there is