richer for all his treasures Col. 2.3 if I have no claim thereto or interest therein or what can I joy in another's riches when I my self am wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Look to this O my soul peruse again and again thy grounds of hope as afore laid down do not slightly run them over thou canst not be too sure of Christ thou readest in the Gospel this and that passage of thy Jesus canst thou lay thine hand on every Line and say this passage is mine this Sermon was preached and this miracle was wrought for me that I might believe and that in believing I might have life through his Name O then how shouldst thou but rejoyce When Zacheus in the Sycamore Tree heard but Christ's voice Zacheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide in thy house Luke 19.5 6. O what haste made Zacheus to receive Christ he came down hastily and received him joyfully This offer of Christ to Zacheus is thine as well as his if thy hope be right Come down poor Soul saith Christ this day must I abide in thy house O then what joy should there be in thy heart when Christ comes in or when thou feelest Christ come in The friend of the Bridegroom rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice John 3.29 how much more may the Bride her self rejoyce 3. Let us come up to more and more and more fruition of Christ all other things work our delight but as they look towards this now in this fruition of Christ are contained these things first a propriety unto Christ for as a sick man doth not feel the joy of a sound mans health so neither doth a stranger to Christ feel the joy of a Believer in Christ how should he joy in Christ that can make no claim to him in the least degree But to that we have spoken Secondly a possession of Christ this exceedingly enlargeth our joy O how sweet was Christ to the Spouse when she could say Cant. 6.3 I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies q. d. we have took possession of each other he is mine through faith and I am his through love we are both so knit by an inseparable union that nothing shall be able to separate us two he feedeth among the Lillies he refresheth himself and his Saints by his union and communion with them many are taken up with the joy and comfort of outward possessions but Christ is better than all in one Christ is comprized every scattered comfort here below Christ mine saith the soul and all mine 3. An accommodation of Christ to the soul and this is it that compleats our joy It is not bare possession of Christ which bringeth real delight but an applying of Christ unto that end and purpose for which he was appointed it is not the having of Christ but the using of Christ which makes him beneficial O the usefulness of Christ to all believing Souls The Scriptures are full of this as appears by all his Titles in Scripture he is our life our light our bread our water our milk our wine his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed he is our father our brother our friend our husband our King our Priest our Prophet he is our justification our sanctification our wisdom our redemption he is our peace our mediation our attonement our reconciliation our all in all Alas I look on my self and I see I am nothing I have nothing without Jesus Christ here 's a temptation I cannot resist it here 's a corruption I cannot overcome it here 's a persecution I cannot down with it well but Christ is mine I have interest in Christ and I have possession of Christ and I find enough in Christ to supply all my wants he was set up on purpose to give me grace and to renew my strength so that if I make my application to Christ I can do all things Phil. 4.13 I can suffer the loss of all things Phil. 3.8 I can conquer all things nay in all things be more than a conquerour through him that loves me Rom. 8.37 Oh the joy now that this accommodation brings to my soul I see it is nothing but Christ and therefore I cannot but rejoyce in this Christ Phil. 3.3 or I must rejoyce in nothing at all Surely we are the Circumcision which rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh O my soul where is thy faculty of joy come bring it to this blessed object the Lord Jesus Christ If thou know'st not how first contemplate on Christ think on those several passages in his life those that lived with him and stood by to see them it is said of them Luke 13.17 that they all rejoyced for the glorious things that were done by him Or if thy heart be so dull and heavy that this will not raise it up then look to thy grounds of hope and confidence in Christ so long as thou doubtest of him or of thy interest in him how shouldst thou rejoyce or be cheerful in thy spirit The poor man could not speak it without tears Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief a believing unbelief a wavering staggering trembling faith cannot be without some wounds in spirit O be confident and this will make thee chearful or if yet thou feelest not this affection to stir aspire to fruition yea to more and more fruition of Christ and union with Christ and to that purpose consider thy propriety to Christ thy possession of Christ and the accommodation or usefulness of Christ to thy condition whatsoever it is What will not these things move thy spiritual delight canst thou not hear Christ say All I am is thine and all I have done is thine for thy use and for thy benefit And doth not thy heart leap within thee at each word O my soul I cannot check thee for thy deadness it is said Luke 19.37 that when Christ was at the descent of the Mount of Olives that the whole multitude of the Disciples began to rejoyce and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen What a multitude of disciples rejoycing in Christ's acts and art not thou one amongst the multitude If thou art a Disciple rejoyce thou surely it concerns thee as much as them and therefore rejoyce lift up thy voice in harmony with the rest rejoyce and again rejoyce SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus Thus we read that looking up to Jesus or lifting up the eyes to Jesus goes also for Prayer in Gods Book Psal 5.3 My prayer will I direct to thee saith David and will look up and mine eyes fail with looking upwards Psal 69.3 Faith in prayer will often come out at the eye in lieu of another door our
Saints now have or which the Saints shall have unto the end of the World it is to be conveyed through that flesh yea the Spirit it self dwells in it and is conveyed through it and therefore if they had so much Gospel-Spirit in the time of the Old Testament which indeed was rare how much more should we go to Christ as God in the flesh and look upon it as a standing Ordinance and believe perfectly on it 3. Faith must go and lye at the feet of Christ faith must fix and fasten it self on this God in our flesh some go to Christ and look on Jesus with loose and transient glances they bring in but flashy secondary ordinary actings of faith they have but course and common apprehensions of Jesus Christ Oh but we should come to Christ with solemn serious spirits we should look on Jesus piercingly till we see him as God is in him and as such a person thus and thus qualified from Heaven we should labour to apprehend what is the riches of this glorious mystery of Christ's Incarnation we should dive into the depths of his glorious actings we should study this mystery above all other studies nothing is so pleasant and nothing is more deep that one person should be God and Man that God should be man in our nature and yet not assume the person of a man that blessedness should be made a curse that Heaven should be let down into Hell that the God of the world would shut himself up as it were in a body that the invisible God should be made visible to sense that all things should become nothing and make it self of no reputation that God should make our nature which had sinned against him to be the great Ordinance of Reconciling us unto himself that God should take our flesh and dwell in it with all his fulness and make that flesh more Glorious than the Angels and advance that flesh into oneness with himself and through that flesh open all his councels and rich discoveries of love and free-grace unto the Sons of men that this Man-God God-Man should be our Saviour Redeemer Reconciler Father Friend Oh what mysteries are these no wonder if when Christ was born John 1.14 the Apostle cryes we saw his glory as of the only begotten Son of God noting out that at first sight of him so much glory sparkled from him as could appear from none but a God walking up and down the world O my soul let not such a treasury be unlookt into set faith on work with a redoubled strength surely we live not like men under this great design if our eye of faith be not firmly and stedfastly set on this O that we were but insighted into these glories that we were but acquainted with these lively discoveries Gal. 2.20 how blessedly might we live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us 4. Faith must look principally to the end and meaning of Christ as God coming in the Flesh Now what was the design and meaning of Christ in this The Apostle answers Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh to condemn sin in the Flesh i.e. God the Father sent into the World his eternal and only begotten Son whom in his eternal counsel he had designed to the Office of a Mediator to take away or abolish in the first place Original Sin Mark these two words he condemned Sin in the Flesh the first word condemned is by a Metonymy put for that which follows Condemnation namely for the abolishing of sin as condemned persons used to be cut off and to be taken out of the World that they may be no more so Christ hath condemned or abolished this Sin For the second word in the Flesh is meant that Humane Nature which Christ assumed he abolished sin altogether in his own nature and that Flesh of his being perfectly holy and the holiness of it being imputed unto us it takes away our guilt in respect of the impureness of our Nature also Some may object if this were so then were we without Original sin I answer the Flesh or the Nature which Christ took upon him was altogether without sin and by imputation of it we are in proportion freed from sin Christ had not the least spot of Original sin and if we are Christs then is this sin in some measure abolished and taken out of our hearts But howsoever the filth of this sin may remain in part yet the guilt is removed in this respect the purity of Christs Humane Nature is no less reckoned to us for the curing of our defiled Nature than the sufferings of Christ are reckoned to us for the remission of our actual Sins O my Soul look to this end of Christ as God in the Flesh if thou consider him as made Flesh and Blood and laid in a Manger think withal that his meaning was to condemn sin in our Flesh there flows from the Holiness of Christs Nature such a power as countermands the power of our Original sin and acquits and discharges from the condemnation of the same Sin not only the Death and Life but also the Conception and Birth of Christ hath its influence into our Justification Oh the sweet that a lively Faith may draw from this Head 4. The Encouragements to bring on Souls to believe on Christ Incarnate we may draw 1. From the excellency of this Object This very Incarnation of Christ is the Foundation of all other actings of God for us it is the very Hinge or Pole on which all turn it is the Cabinet wherein all the Designs of God do lie Election Redemption Justification Adoption Glorification are all wrapt up in it it is the highest pitch of the Declaration of Gods Wisdom Goodness Power and Glory Oh what a sweet Object of Faith is this I know there are some other things in in Christ which are most proper for some Acts of Faith as Christ dying is most proper for the pardon of actual sin and Christ rising from the dead is most proper for the evidencing of our Justification but the strongest purest Acts of Faith are those which take in Christ as such a Person laid out in all this Glory Christs Incarnation is more general than Christs Passion or Christs Resurrection and as some would have it includes all Christs Incarnation holds forth in some sort Christ in his fulness and so it is the full and compleat subject of our Faith or if it be only more comprehensive why then it requires more comprehensive Acts of Faith and by consequence we have more enjoyments of Christ this way than any other way Come poor Soul I feel I feel thy eyes are running to and fro the World to find comforts and happiness on Earth O come cast thy eyes back and see Heaven and Earth in one Object look fixedly on Christ Incarnate there is more in this than in all the variety
look on me as an Embassador of Christ consider as though God did beseech you by me I beseech I pray you in Christs stead it is a message that I have from God to your souls to look unto Jesus and therefore set your hearts 2 Cor. 5.20 Deut. 32.46 to all the words that I testifie to you this day for it is not a vain thing but it is for your lives O that I should need thus to perswade your hearts to look unto Jesus What is not your Jesus worthy of this why then are your thoughts no more upon him why are not your hearts continually with him why are not your strongest desires and daily delights in and after the Lord Jesus what 's the matter will not God give you leave to approach this light will he not suffer your souls to tast and see why then are these words in the Text why then doth he cry and double his cry behold me behold me Ah vile hearts How delightfully and unweariedly can we think of vanity how freely and how frequently can we think of our pleasures friends labours lusts yea of our miseries wrongs sufferings fears and what is not Christ in all our thoughts It was said of the Jews that they used to cast to the ground the book of Esther before they read it because the name of God is not in it and Augustine cast by Cicero's writings because they contained not the name of Jesus Christians thus should you humble and cast down your sensual hearts that have in them no more of Christ O chide them for their wilfull or weak strangeness to Jesus Christ O turn your thoughts from off all earthly vanities and bend your souls to study Christ habituate your selves to such contemplations as in the next Use I shall present and let not those thoughts be seldom or cursory but settle upon them dwell there bath your souls in those delights drench your affections in those rivers of pleasures or rather in the sea of consolation O tye your souls in heavenly galleries have your eyes continually set on Christ Say not you are unable to do thus this must be Gods work only and therefore all our exhortations are in vain †Baxte's Rest A learned Divine can tell you though God be the chief disposer of your hearts yet next under him you have the greatest command of them your selves though without Christ you can do nothing yet under him you may do much or else it will be undone and you undone through your neglect do your own parts and you have no cause to distrust whether Christ will do his it is not usual with Christ to forsake his own people in that very work he sets them on Oh but we can do nothing how nothing what are you neither spiritual nor rational creatures If a carnal Minister can make it his work to study about Christ through all his life time and all because it is the trade he lives by and knows not how to subsist without it why then me thinks a spiritual Christian should do much more if a Cook can labour and sweat about your meat because it is the trade that maintains him though perhaps he taste it not himself Methinks you for whom it is prepared should take the pains to tast its sweetness and feed upon it Christians if your souls were sound and right they would perceive incomparably more delight and sweetness in knowing thinking believing loving and rejoycing in Jesus Christ than the soundest stomack finds in his food or the strongest senses in the enjoyment of their objects Now for shame never say Phil. 4.13 you cannot reach it I can do all things saith Paul through Christ that strengtheneth me Oh it is our sloath our security our carnal mind which is enmity to God and Christ that keeps us off Be exhorted Oh be exhorted in the fear of God! SECT V. Motives from our wants in case of neglect TO quicken us to this Duty I shall propound some moving considerations Ponder and weigh them with an impartial judgement who knows but through the assistance of Christ they may prove effectual with your hearts and make you to resolve upon this excellent Duty of Looking unto Jesus Consider 1. Our wants in case of our neglect 2. Our riches in case we are lively in this Duty 1. For our wants if Christ be not in view there is nothing but wants Suppose first a Christless soul a poor creature without any beam or ray of this Sun of righteousness and what a sad condition is he in I may say of such a one that 1. He is without light there is no oyl of saving knowledge no star of spiritual light arising in his soul ye were once darkness saith the Apostle to his Ephesians not only dark Ephes 3 8. but darkness it self they were wholly dark universally dark having no mixture nor glimpse whilest without Christ of spiritual light in them Of such carnal wretches John 16.3 saith our Saviour they have not known the Father nor me they have not known the Father in his Word nor Me in my Natures Offices Sufferings Exaltations Communications very miserable is the carnal mans Ignorance of God and Christ he hath no saving knowledge of Jesus 1 Cor. 1.30 2. Such a one is without Grace without Holiness Christ is our wisdom and sanctification as well as righteousness and redemption Where Christ is not there is no spiritual wisdom no inclination to the ways and works of sanctification 3. Such a one is without contentation the soul in this case finds nothing but emptiness and vanity in the greatest abundance Let a man have what the world can give yet if he have not Christ he is nothing worth Christ is the marrow and fatness the fulness and sweetness of all our endowments separate Christ from them and they are bitter and do not please us empty and do not fill us Isa 1.6 4. Such a one is without any spiritual beauty there is nothing in him but sores and swellings and wounds and putrefaction from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there is nothing in him but loathsom and incurable maladies hence the greatest sinner is the foulest monster bodily beauty without Christ is but as green grass upon a rotten grave did man see his uncomliness and deformity without Jesus Christ he would stile himselfe as the Prophet stiled Pashur Jer. 20.3 Magor-Missabib fear round about every way a terrour to himself 5. Such a one is without peace there is no true spiritual heavenly peace no joy and peace in the holy Ghost without Jesus Christ Joram asking Jehu is it peace 2 Kings 9.22 was answered what hast thou to do with peace so long as the whordomes of thy mother Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so many a Christless man asking is it peace O Messenger of God he can look for no other but Jehu's answer What hast thou to do O carnal man with
Obedience God hath ever the first work as first Jer. 31.33 Eze. 36 26 31 Ezek. 36.25 Ezek. 36.27 Zech. 12.10 I will be your God and then ye shall be my People first I will take away the stony heart and give an heart of Flesh and then you shall loath your selves for your iniquities and for your abominations first I will sprinkle water upon you and then ye shall be clean from all your filthiness first I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and then ye shall keep my Judgments and do them first I will pour out my Spirit of Grace and supplication upon you and then ye shall mourn as a man mourning for his only Son first I will do all and then ye shall do something A perplexed troubled spirit is apt to cry out O! alas I can do nothing I can as well dissolve a Rock as make my heart of stone a heart of flesh Mark now how the Covenant stands well ordered like an Army I will do all saith God and then thou shalt do something I will strengthen and quicken you and then ye shall serve me saith the Lord. 4. It is well ordered in respect of the end and aim to which all the parts of the Covenant are referred Eph. 1.6 the end of the Covenant is the praise of the Glory of his Grace the parts of the Covenant are the Promise and the Stipulation the Promise is either Principal or Immediate and that is God and Christ or secondary and consequential and that is Pardon Justification Reconciliation Sanctification Glorification and the Stipulation on our parts are Faith and Obedience we must believe in him that Justifies the ungodly and walk before him in all well pleasing Observe now the main design and aim of the Covenant and see but how all the streams run towards that Ocean God gives himself to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace God gives Christ to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace God gives pardon justification sanctification salvation to the praise of the Glory of his Grace and we Believe we Obey to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace and good reason for all is of Grace and therefore all must tend to the Praise of the glory of his grace it is of Grace that God hath given himself Christ pardon justification reconciliation sanctification salvation to any Soul it is of grace that we believe By grace ye are saved through faith Eph. 2.8 not of your selves it is the gift of God O the sweet and comely order of this Covenant All is of Grace and all tends to the praise and glory of this grace and therefore it is called a Covenant of grace Many a sweet soul is forced to cry I cannot believe I may as well reach heaven with a finger as lay hold on Christ by the hand of faith but mark how the Covenant stands like a well marshalled army to repel this doubt Phil. 1.29 if thou canst not believe God will enable thee to believe to you it is given to believe O the Covenant of Grace is a gracious Covenant God will not only promise good things but he helps us by his Spirit to perform the condition He works our hearts to believe in God and to believe in Christ all is of Grace that all may tend to the praise of the glory of his grace 5. Wherein is the Covenant sure I answer it is sure in the performance and accomplishment of it Isa 55.3 Hence the promises of the Covenant are called the sure Mercies of David not because they are sure unto David alone but because they are sure and shall be sure unto all the Seed of David that are in Covenant with God as David was the Promises of Gods Covenant are not Yea and Nay various and uncertain but they are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 sure to be fulfilled Hence the stability of Gods Covenant is compared to the firmness and unmovableness of the mighty Mountains nay Mountains may depart and the hills be removed by a Miracle but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed Isa 54.10 saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Sooner shall the Rocks be removed the Fire cease to burn the Sun be turned into darkness and the very heavens be confounded with the earth than the promise of God shall fail psal 19.7 The testimony of the Lord is sure saith David Christ made it and writ it with his own blood to this very end was Christ appointed and it hath been all his work to ensure Heaven to his Saints Some question whether it be in Gods present power to blot a name out of the Book of Life We say no his deed was at first free but now it is necessary not absolutely but ex Hypothesi upon supposition of his eternal Covenant Hence it is that the Apostle sayes If we confess our Sins He is Faithful 1 John 1.9 and Just to forgive us our Sins It is Justice with God to pardon the Elect's Sins as the Case now stands Indeed Mercy was all that saved us primarily but now Truth saves us and stands engaged with Mercy for our Heaven And therefore David prayes Send forth Mercy and Truth and save me We find it often in the Psalms as a Prayer of David Psâ—l 57.3 Ps 31.1 3 24. 119.40.143.1 Deliver me in Thy Righteousness and Judge me according to Thy Righteousness and Quicken me in Thy Righteousness and In Thy Faithfulness answer me and In Thy Righteousness Now if it had not been for the Covenant of Grace surely David durst not have said such a word The Covenant is sure in every respect Isa 55.3 I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you saith God even the sure Mercies of David 6. Whether is Christ more clearlier manifested in this Breaking-forth of the Covenant than in any of the Former The Affirmative will appear in that we find in this Manifestation these Particulars 1. That He was God and Man in One Person David's Son and yet David's Lord The Lord said unto my Lord Sit Thou on My Right Hand Psal 110.1 until I make Thine Enemies Thy Foot-stool 2. That He suffered for us and in His Sufferings How many Particulars are discovered As first His Cry My God My God Why hast Thou forsaken Me Secondly Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.43 Ps 22.16 17 18. Mat. 27.35 Psal 16.10 Acts 2.31 Psal 68.18 Ephes 4.8 The Jews Taunts He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him let Him deliver Him if He delight in Him Thirdly The very Manner of His Death They pierced My Hands and My Feet I may tell all My Bones they look and stare upon Me they part My Garments among them and cast Lots upon My Vesture 3. That He Rose again for us Thou wilt not leave My Soul in Hell neither wilt Thou suffer Thine
as one says well that had been Virgo decipiet not concipiet rather a deceiving of us than a conceiving of him 2. That of the Valentinian revived lately in the Anabaptists who hold that he had a true body but made in heaven and sent into the Virgin here on earth and if so that had been virgo recipiet not concipiet rather a receiving than conceiving yet I cannot but wonder how confidently the Anabaptists tell us that the Flesh of Christ came down from heaven and passed through the Virgin Mary as water through a Conduit-pipe without taking any substance from her Their objections are raised out of these Texts 1. No man ascendeth into heaven but he that came down from heaven John 3.13 even the son of man which is in heaven I answer first this speech must be understood firstly in respect of the God-Head which may be said in some sort to descend in that it was made manifest in the Manhood here on earth 2. This speech may be understood truly of the whole person of Christ to whom the properties of each Nature in respect of the communication of properties may be fitly ascribed but this doth no way prove that this flesh which he assumed on earth descended from heaven 1 Co. 15.47 48 2. The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from heaven heavenly I answer 1. This holds forth that Christ was heavenly-minded as sometimes he told the Jews you are from below I am from above you are of the World I am not of this World Christ was not worldly-minded or swayed with the lusts of the Flesh John 8.23 John 15.19 or any way earthly affected as sometimes he could tell his Apostles ye are not of the world so much more might he say of himself that he was not of this world but his Conversation was in heaven Or 2. This holds forth that Christ was heavenly or from heaven in respect of the glorious qualities which he received after his Resurrection and not in respect of the substance of his Body many glorious qualities was Christ endowed with after he was raised I shall not now dispute them which he had not before and in respect of these he might be called heavenly or from heaven 3. This holds forth that Christ also was in some sort heavenly or from heaven in his humane nature in that the humane nature was united to the divine and withal in that the humane nature was formed by the holy Ghost so John's Baptism is said to be from heaven though neither he nor the water wherewith he Baptized descended from heaven but because he received it from God who is in heaven Christ was conceived as you heard by the Holy Ghost and in that regard his generation was divine and heavenly or from heaven 2. In way of comfort and incouragement Christ was thus conceived that he might Vse 2 sanctify our conceptions as the first Adam was the root of all Corruption so is the second Adam the root of all sanctification Christ went as far to cleanse us as ever Adam did to defile us what were our very Conceptions defiled by Adam in the first place Christ takes course for this you see he is conceived by the Holy Ghost and he was not idle whilst he was in the womb for even then and there he eaâ—e out the Core of corruption that cleaved close to our defiled natures so that now God will not account evil of that nature that is become the nature of his own deare Son O the Condescentions of our Jesus O that ever he would be conceived in the womb of a Virgin O that he would run through the Contumelies of our fordid Nature that he would nor refuse that which we our selves in some sort are ashamed of Some think it a reason why the Anabaptists and some others run into such Fancies and deny this Conception of Christ only to decline those soul indignities as they take them for the great God of heaven to undergo but certainly this was for us and for our sakes and therefore far be it from us to honour him the less because he laid down his honour for our sakes no no let us honour him more and love him more the lower he came for us the dearer and dearer let him be unto us consider in all these transactions Christ was carrying on the great work of our salvation otherwise he had never been conceived never had assumed to his Person humane Nature never had been Man SECT III. Of the Duplicity of Natures in Christ Isa 9.6 Gal. 4.4 3. THe duplicity of Natures in Christ appears in that he was truly God and truly Man To us a Child is born saith the Prophet there is a Nature humane and he shall be called the Mighty God there is a Nature divine God sent his Son saith the Apostle therefore truly God and this Son made of a Woman therefore truly Man one would have thought this truth would never have come into controversie in our days but these are the last days and that may take off the wonder In the last days shall come perillous times 2 Tim. 3.1 Men shall resist the Truth c. In the last days I know there will be abundance of Truth revealed Zech. 12.8 The Knowledg of the Lorâ— shall be as the waters that cover the Sea and every Child shall be as David And the Book that was sealed must be opened Dan 12.4 and knowledg shaall be increased but Satan even then will be busie to sow his Tares as God is in sowing of his Wheat then is Satan active to communicate errors when he sees God begin to discover truths he hopes in the heat of the Market to vent his own wares and I believe this is one reason why now the Devil sets on foot so many dangerous errors that so he may prejudice the hearts of God's People in the receiving and entertaining of many Glorious truths But that we may not pass over such a Fundamental Error as this some saying with Martian that he is God but not man and others with Arrius that he is man but not God I shall therefore confirm this truth of the two Natures of Christ against the Adversaries of both sides And 1. That Christ is true God both apparent scriptures and unanswerable Reasons drawn from scriptures do plainly evince 1. The scriptures call him God In the beginning was the word and the word was with God Dan. 12.4 John 1.1 Heb. 1.8 John 20 28. Acts. 20.8 1 John 3.16 1 John 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 and the word was God And unto the son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God and take heed to your selves and to all the flock To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood And hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his life for
find help in our necessities having such an High-Priest as was in all things tempted like unto us and was acquainted with our infirmities in his own person Heb. 4.15 5.2 SECT IV. Of the distinction of the two Natures of Christ 4. A Real distinction of these two Natures is evident 1. In regard of essence the Godhead cannot be Manhood nor can the Manhood be the Godhead 2. In regard of proprieties the Godhead is most wise just omnipotent yea wisdom justice omnipotency it self and so is not the Manhood neither can it be 3. They have distinct Wills Luke 22.42 Not my Will but thy Will be done O Father Plainly differencing the Will of a Creature from the Will of a Creator 4. The very actions in the work of Redemption are indeed inseparable John 10.18 and yet distinguishable I lay down my life and take it up again to lay it down was the action of man not of God and to take it up was the action of God not of man in these respects we say each nature remains in it self entire without any conversion composition commixtion or confusion there is no conversion of one into the other as when he changed water into wine no composition of both no abolition of either no confusion at all It is easy to observe this real distinction of his two natures from first to last as first He was conceived as others and so he was man but he was conceived by the holy Ghost as never man was and so he is God 2. He was born as others and so he was man but he was born of a Virgin as never man was and this speaks him a God 3. He was crucified died and was buried and so he was man but he rose again from the dead ascended into Heaven and from thence shall come at last to judge the quick and the dead and so he is God Or if from the Apostles Symbol we go to the Gospel which speaks both natures at large we find there 1. He was born of his Mother and wrapped in swadling-clouts as being a man but the Star shines over him and the wise men adore him as being a God 2. He was Baptized in Jordan as being a man but the holy Ghost from heaven descended upon him as being a God 3. He is tempted of Satan as being a man but he overcame Satan and dispossessed Devils as being a God 4. He travelled and was thirsty and hungry and weary as being a man but he refreshed the weary and fed the hungry and gave drink even water of life to the thirsty as being a God 5. He slept in the Ship and his Disciples awoke him as being a man but he rebuked the winds and stilled the raging of the tumultuous Seas as being a God 6. He was poor and needy had not an house to put his head in as being a man but he was and is rich and mighty and cannot be contained in the heaven of heavens as being a God 7. He was sorrowful and sad he wept and he prayed as being a man but he comforts the sorrowful and heareth the prayers of all his Saints as being a God 8. He was whipped and rent and torn and crucified as being a man but he rent the vail of the Temple and caused the Sun to hide his face for shame when he was crucified as being a God 9. He cried out on the Cross Eloi Eloi lamasabacthani as being a man but he could say to the Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as being a God 10. He died and was buried and lay in the grave as being a man but he overcame death and destroyed the Devil and raised up himself to life again as being a God 11. After his Resurrection he appeared to his Disciples and ate with them and talked with them as being a man but he provided meat and vanished out of their sight as being a God 12. He ascended into heaven and the heavens now contain him as he is Man but he sustains the Heavens and commands all therein and rides on the same as being a God Thus we see all along two real distinct natures still continuing in Christ God being become Man the Deity being abolished but the humane nature was adjoyned according to the old Distich Sum quod eram nec eram quod sum c. I am that I was but I was not that I am You will say How then is it said the word was made flesh or God became Man I answer one thing may become another either by way of change as when the water was turned into wine but thus was not Christ the Godhead was for a time concealed but it was never cancelled or one thing may become another either by way of union as when one substance is adjoyned unto another and yet is not transferred or changed into the nature of the other thus a Souldier putting on his Armour is an armed man or a man wearing on his Garments is no more a naked but a cloathed man and yet the Armour and the Souldier the man and his Apparel are distinct things and thus was it with Christ the flesh is said to be deified and the Deity is said to be incarnate not by the conversion of either into the nature of the other but by assuming and adjoyning the humane nature to the divine and yet still the humane nature and the divine are distinct things both the natures in Christ do remain entire and inconfused indeed the humanity is much magnified by the divinity but the divinity is nothing altered by the humanity Thus much for the distinction of his two Natures SECT V. Of the Vnion of the two Natures of Christ in one and the same Person 5. THe Union of two Natures of Christ in one and the self-same person is that great wonder which now we must speak of as we are able but alas how should we speak this union and not be confounded in our selves It is a great mystery a secret a wonder many wonders have been since the beginning of the world but all the wonders that ever were must give place to this and in respect thereof cease to be wonderful neither the Creation of all things out of nothing nor the restauration of all things into their perfect being I mean neither the first work nor the last work of God in this world though most admirable pieces may be compared with this This Union of the two Natures of Christ into one person is the highest pitch if any thing may be said highest in that which is infinite of God's wisdom goodness power and glory well therefore said the Angel to Mary The power of the highest shall overshadow thee and if God did overshadow this Mystery with his own Vail How should we presume with the men of Bethshemesh to look into it Christians If you will needs put it to the question How that wonderful connection of two so infinitely differing natures in the unity of one
what then Command that these stones be made Bread He knew Jesus was hungry and therefore he invites him to eat Bread only of his own providing that so he might refresh his Humanity and prove his Divinity Come sayes he break thy fast upon the expence of a Miracle turn these stones into Bread and it will be some Argument thou art the Son of God There is nothing more ordinary with our Spiritual enemy than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses If thou art poor then steal if thou canst not rise by honest meanes then use indirect means I know Christ might as lawfully have turned stones into Bread as he turned water into Wine but to do this in a distrust of his Fathers Providence to work a Miracle of Satans choice and at Satans bidding it could not be agreeable with the Son of God And hence Jesus refuseth to be relieved he would rather deny to manifest the Divinity of his Person than he would do any act which had in it the intimation of a different spirit O Christians it is a sinfull impious wicked care to take evil courses to provide for our necessities Come it may be thou hast found a way to thrive which thou couldst not do before O take heed was it not of the Devils prompting to change stones into Bread sadness into sensual Comforts if so then Satan hath prevailed alas alas he cannot endure thou shouldst live a life of austerity or self-denial or of mortification if he can but get thee to satisfie thy sences and to please thy natural desires he then hath a fair field for the Battle it were a thousand times better for us to make stones our meat and tears our drink than to swim in our ill-gotten Goods and in the fulness of Voluptuousness But what was Christ's Answer why thus it is written man shall not live by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the month of God 1. It is written He easily could have confounded Satan by the Power of his Godhead but he rather chuses to vanquish him by the Sword of the Spirit surely this was for our Instruction by this means he teacheth us how to resist and to overcome nothing in Heaven or Earth can beat the Forces of Hell if the Word of God cannot do it O then how should we pray with David Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and take not from me the words of truth let them be my songs in the house of my pilgrimage so shall I make answer to my blasphemers 2. Man shall not live by bread c. Whiles we are in Gods work God hath made a promise of the supply of all provisions necessary for us now this was the present case of Jesus he was now in his Father's work and promoting of our interest and therefore he was sure to be provided for according to God's Word Christians are we in God's service God will certainly give us bread and till he does we can live by the breath of his mouth by the light of his countinance by the refreshment of his promises by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God every word of God's mouth can create a grace and every grace can supply two necessities both of the body and of the Spirit I remember one kept straitly in prison and sorely threatened with famine he replied That if he must have no bread God would so provide that he should have no stomach if our stock be spent God can lessen our necessities If a Tyrant will take away our meat God our Father knows how to alter our faint and feeble and hungry appetites The second temptation is not so sensual the Devil sees that was too low for Christ and therefore he comes again with a temptation something more spiritual Ver. 5 6. He sets him on a Pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him if thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee c. He that was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness for the advantage of the first temptation he yields to be led from the Wilderness to Jerusalem for advantage of the second the Wilderness was fit for a temptation arising from want and Jerusalem is fit for a temptation arising from vain-glory Jerusalem was the glory of the World the Temple was the glory of Jerusalem the pinacle was the highest piece of the Temple and there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of temptation O that Christ would suffer his pure and sacred body to be transported and hurried through the air by the malicious hand of the old Tempter But all this was for us he cared not what the Devil did in this way with him so that he might but free us from the Devil Methinks it is a sweet contemplation of an Holy Divine He supposed as if he had seen Christ on the highest Battlements of the Temple and Satan standing by him with this Speech in his mouth Well then since in the matter of nourishment Dr. Hall thou wilt needs depend upon thy Fathers providence take now a further tryal of that providence in thy miraculous preservation cast down thy self from this height behold thou art here in Jerusalem the famous and holy City of the World here thou art on the top of the Pinacle of that Temple which was dedicated to thy Father and if thou beest God why now the eyes of all men are fix'd upon thee there cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy Glory and to proclaim thy Deity than by casting thy self headlong to the Earth all the World will say there is more in thee than a man and for danger if thou art the Son of God there can be none what can hurt him that is the Son of God and wherefore serves that glorious Guard of Angels which have by Divine Commission taken upon them the Charge of thy Humanity Come cast thy self down here lies the temptation Come cast thy self down saith Satan but why did not Satan cast him down He carried him up thither and was it not more easie to throw him down thence O no the Devil may perswade us to a fall but he cannot percipitate us without our own act his malice is infinite but his power is limitted he cannot do us any harm but by perswading us to do it our selves and therefore saith he to Christ cast thy self down To this Christ answers Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Though it is true Ver. 7. that God must be trusted in yet he must not be tempted if means be allowed we must not throw them away upon a pretence of God's protection we read of one Heron an Inhabitant of the Desert that he suffered the same temptation and was overcome by it he would needs cast himself down presuming on God's promise and he sinfully died with his fall Christ knew well
but that to Christ's habitual and actual righteousness is sometimes attributed freedom from Sin and Hell as in Rom. 8.2 Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and on the contrary side to Chrst's passive obedience is sometimes attributed a right unto Heaven as in Heb. 9.15 Heb. 9.15 That by means of his death they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance but such places as these are to be understood by a Synechdoche which puts only one part of Christ's obedience for the whole obedience of Christ But I must recal my self my design in this work was not for controversies I leave that to others See Downham Burges Norton c. for my part I am sure I have before me a more edifying work which is to take a view of this Jesus not only for intellection but for devotion and for the stirring up of our affections Thus far I have held forth Jesus in his life or during the time of his Ministry till the last Passover John 13.1 and now was it that Jesus knew his hour was come and that he should depart out of this World unto the Father but of that hereafter our next business is to direct you in the Art or Mystery how we are to look unto Jesus in respect of his Life CHAP. V. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Life FRom the Object considered that we may pass to the Act. 1. Let us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation during his life We have many Books of the lives of men of the lives of heathens of the lives of Christians and by this we come to know the Generations of old Oh but above all read over the Life of Jesus for that is worth thy knowing To this purpose we have four Evangelists who in Blessed harmony set forth his life and to this purpose we have the Book of the generation of Jesus Christ Now these should be read over and over Mat. 1.1 Hos 6.3 Then shall we know saith the Prophet if we follow on to know the Lord. Ah my soul that which thou knowest of Christ already it is but the least part of what thou art ignorant of We know but in part saith Paul of himself and others the highest knowledg 1 Cor 13 9. which the most illuminate Saints have of Jesus Christ is but defective and imperfect Come then and follow on to know the Lord still inquire after him imitate the Angels who ever desire to stoop down and to pry into the actings of Christ for us men 1 Pet. 1.12 and for our Salvation it is their study yea it is their delight and recreation Paul seemed to imitate them when he said I determine not to know any thing among you but Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 if there be any thing in the world worth the knowing this it is And for thy better knowledg that it may not be confused but distinct 1. Study over those passages in the first year of Christs ministry as the preaching of John the Baptisme of Christ his fasting and temptation in the Wilderness his first manifestation by his several Witnessâ—s his whipping of the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 2. Study over those passages in the second year of Christ's Ministry as those several Sermons that he Preached and because his Miracles were as signals of his Sermons study the several Miracles that he wrought thou hast but a few Instances in comparison of all his Miracles and yet how fruit-are they of spiritual instructions 3. Study over those passages in the third year of Christs Ministry as his commissionating his Apostles to call sinners in his readiness to receive them that would but come in and his sweetning the wayes of Christianity to them that are come in For his yoak is easie and his burthen is light 4. Study over those passages in the last year of his Ministry as the holiness of his nature and the holiness of his Life which appeared especially in the exercises of his Graces of Charity and self-denial and mercy and bounty and meekness and pity and humility and obedience O what rare matter is here for a Christians study Some have took such pains in the study of these things that they have writ large volumes men have been writing and preaching a thousand six hundreth years of the Life of Christ and they are writing and preaching still O my soul if thou dost not write yet study what is written come with fixed thoughts and beat thy brains on that blessed subject that will make thee wise unto Salvation Paul accounted all things but dung or dogs meat Phil. 3.8 for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus our Lord if thou didst truly understand the excellency of this knowledg thou couldst not but account all things loss in comparison of this one necessary thing SECT II. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his Life It is not enough to study and know but we must muse and meditate and consider of it till we bring it to some profitable issue By meditating on Christ we may feel or find a kind of insensible change we know not how as those that stand in the sun for other purposes they find themselves lightned and heated so in holy meditation our souls may be altered and changed in a secret insencible way there is a vertue goes along with a serious meditation a changing transforming vertue and therefore look further O my soul have strong apprehensions of all those several passages of the Life of Christ 1. Consider the Preaching of John Baptist we talk of strictness but shew me among all the Ministers or Saints of this Age such a pattern of sanctity and singular austerity the sum of his sermons was repentance and dereliction of Sin and bringeth forth fruits worthy of amendment of life In the promoting of which Doctrine he was a severe reprehender of the Pharisees and Saduces and Publicans and Souldiers and indeed of all men but especially of those that remained in their impenitency for against them he denounced judgment and fire unquenchable Oh he had an excellent zeal and a vehement Spirit in Preaching and the Commentary upon all his Sermons was his own life he was cloathed in Camels hair his meat was locusts and wild honey he contemned the world resisted temptations despised to assume false honours to himself and in all passages was a rare example of self-denial and mortification and by this means he made an excellent and apt preparation for the Lord 's coming O my Soul that thou wouldst but sit a while under this Preacher or that thou wouldst but ruminate and chew the cud think over his Sermons of repentance and righteousness and temperance and of the
life his way on earth was a continual lecture of humility a little before his death he gave such an example of humility as never was the like He poured water into a bason John 13.5 and began to wash the disciples feet O ye Apostles why tremble ye not at the wonderful sight of this so great humility Peter what dost thou wilt thou ever yield that this Lord of Majesty should wash thy feet methinks I hear Peter saying What Lord wilt thou wash my feet art not thou the Son of the living God the Creator of the world the beauty of the heavens the Paradise of Angels the Redeemer of men the brightness of the Fathers glory and I what am I but a worm a clod of earth a miserable sinner and wilt thou notwithstanding all this wash my feet leave Lord O leave this base office for thy servants lay down thy towel and put on thy apparel again beware that the heaven or the Angels of heaven be not ashamed of it when they shall see that by this ceremony thou set'st them beneath the earth take heed least the daughter of King Saul despise thee not when she shall see thee girded about with this towel after the manner of a servant and shall say that she will not take thee for her beloved and much less for her God whom she seeth to attend upon so base an office Thus may I imagine Peter to bespeak his Master but he little knew what glory lay hid in this humility of Christ it was for us and our example an humble Christ to make humble Christians 3. In him was patience O when I think of Christ's labours in preaching weariness in travelling watchfulness in praying tears in compassionating and then I add to all these his submission of Spirit notwithstanding all the affronts injuries and exprobrations of men how should I but cry out O the patience of Christ 1 Pet. 2.23 the Apostle tells us that when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously I have already given a touch of these graces in Christ which now I may set before me In him was wisdom and knowledge and justice and mercy and temperance and fortitude and every vertue or every grace that possibly I can think of A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi 3. I look at the conversation of Christ in word and deed for his words they were gracious Not an idle word ever came out of the lips of Christ himself tells us that of every idle word we must give an account O then how free was Christ of every idle word Mat. 12.36 he knew the times and seasons when to speak and when to be silent he weighed every word with every Circumstance time and place and manner and matter Eccles 3.7 There 's a time to keep silence and a time to speak said Solomon when he returned again to his wisdom and hence we read that sometimes Jesus being accused he held his peace Mat. 26.63.27 12. and when he was accused of the chief Priests and Elders he answered nothing but other whiles he pours out whole Cataracts of holy instructions he takes occasion of vines of stones of water and sheep to speak a word in season he is still discoursing of the matters of the Kingdom of Heaven and he speaks such words as give grace unto all the hearers round about him so for his deeds and actions they were full of grace and goodness the Apostle Peter gives him this character which I look upon as a little description of Christ's life who went about doing good Acts 10.38 it was his meat and drink to do all the good he could it was as natural to him to do good as it is for a fountain to stream out he was holy and heavenly unspotted every way O the sweet conversation of Christ how humbly carries he it amongst men how benignly towards his Disciples how pitiful was he towards the poor to whom as we read he made himself most like 2 Cor. 8.9 He became poor that we might be made rich he despised or abhorred none no not the very Leapers that were eschewed of all he flattered not the rich and honourable he was most free from the cares of the world his prescriptions were Care not for the things of the morrow and in himself he was never anxious of bodily needs above all he was most solicitous of saving souls Much more I might add if I should go over the particulars in the Gospel but by these few expressions of Jesus Christ we may conceive of all the rest 2. Let us be humbled for our great inconformity to this copy what an excellent pattern is here before us and how far how infinitely do we come short of this blessed pattern O alas if Christ will not own me unless he see his Image written upon me what will become of my poor soul why Christ was meek and humble and lowly in spirit Christ was holy and heavenly Christ ever went about doing good and now when I come to examine my own heart according to this original I find naturally a meet antipathy a contrariety I am as opposite to Christ as Hell and Heaven 1. For my thoughts within I am full of pride and malice I am full of the spirit of the world what is there in my heart but a world of passions rebellions darkness and deadness of spirit to good and 2. If the fountain be so muddy can I expect clear streams what words are these that come many a time from me Christ would not speak an idle word but how many idle evil sinful words come daily flowing from my lips Out of the abundance of the mouth the heart speaketh and if I may guess at my heart by my words where was my heart this Sabbath and the other Sabbath when my discourse was all on my calling or on the world or it may be on my lusts or on my Dalilah's on my right-hand-sins or on my right-eye-sins and 3. What actions are these so frequently performed by me if I must read my state by my conversation Whose image and superscription is this the last oath I sware the last blasphemy I belched out the last act of drunkenness idolatry adultery I committed or if these sins are not fit to be named the last piece of wrong I did my neighbour the last prank of pride I played on this stage of the world the last expence of time when I did no good in the world neither to my self nor others the last omission of good as well as commission of evil O my soul whose Image is this is it the Image of Christ or of Sathan If the worst Scholar in the School should write thus untowardly after his copy would he not be ashamed if in my heart and life I observe so many blots and stains so
consider that my sins were the cause of all methinks I should need no more arguments for self-abhorring Christians would not your hearts rise aganst him that should kill your Father Mother Brother Wife Husband dearest Relations in all the World O then how should your hearts and souls rise against sin surely your sin it was that murthered Christ that killed him who is instead of all relations who is a thousand thousand times dearer to you than Father Mother Husband Child or whomsoever Job 42.6 one thought of this should methinks be enough to make you say as Job did I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Oh what 's that cross on the back of Christ My sins Oh what 's that Crown on the head of Christ My sins Oh what 's that nail in the right hand and that other in the left hand of Christ My sins Oh what 's that spear in the side of Christ My sins Oh what are those nails and wounds in the feet of Christ My sins With a spiritual eye I see no other engine tormenting Christ no other Pilate Herod Annas Caiaphas condemning Christ no other Souldiers Officers Jews or Gentiles doing execution on Christ but only sin Oh my sins my sins my sins John 3.14 15. 2. Comfort we our selves in the end and aim of this death of Christ As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life The end of Christ's crucifying is the material business and therefore let the end be observed as well as the meritorious cause without this consideration the contemplation of Christ's death or the meditation of the story of Christ's sufferings would be altogether unprofitable now what was the end surely this John 12.32 1 Pet. 2.24 Christ lifted up that he might draw all men unto him Christ hanged on a Tree that he might bear our sins on the Tree this was the plot which God by ancient design had aimed at in the crucifying of Christ and thus our faith must take it up indeed our comfort hangs on this the intent aim and design of Christ in his sufferings is that welcome news and the very Spirit of the Gospel O remember this Christ is crucified and why so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have life everlasting We are now at the height of Christ's sufferings and the Sun is now in his meridian or height of ascent Mat. 27.45 I shall no more count hour by hour for from the sixth hour till the nineth hour that is from twelve till three in the afternoon there was darkness over all the Land But of that and of the consequents after it in the next Section SECT VII Of the consequents after Christ's crucifying THe particulars following I shall quickly dispatch As thus 1. About twelve when the Sun is usually brightest it began now to darken This darkness was so great that it spread over all the Land of Jewry some think over all the World Luke 23.44 so we translate it in Luke And there was a darkness over all the Earth and many Gentiles besides Jews observed the same as a great miracle Dionisius the Areopagite as Suidas relates could say at first sight of it Suid. in vita Sa Dion Either the World is ending or the God of Nature is suffering This very darkness was the occasion of that Altar erected in Athens and dedicated unto the unknown God Of this prophesied Amos And it shall come to pass in that day that I will cause the Sun to go down at noon Acts 17 23. Amos 8.9 and I will darken the Earth in a clear day The cause of this darkness is diversly rendered by several Authors some think that the Sun by Divine power with-drew and held back its beams Others say Hier. in Mat. 17. Orig. tract 35. in Matth. Dionis Epist. 7. ad Policarpum that the obscurity was caused by sâ—me thick clouds which were miraculously produced in the air and spread themselves over all the earth Others say that this darkness was by a wonderful interpoposition of the Moon which at that time was at full but by a miracle interposed it self betwixt the Earth and Sun Whatsoever was the cause it continued for the space of three hours as dark as the darkest winters night 2. About three which the Jews call the nineth hour the Sun now beginning to receive his light Jesus cryed with a loud voice Eli Eli Lamasabachthani my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And then that the Scriptures might be fulfilled Matth. 27.46 John 19.28 30. Luke 23.46 he said I thirst And when he had received the vinegar he said it is finished And at last crying with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost I cannot stay on these seven words of Christ which he uttered on the cross his words were ever gracious but never more gracious than at this time we cannot find in all the Books and Writings of men in all the Annals and Records of time either such sufferings or such sayings as were these last words and wounds sayings and sufferings of Jesus Christ John 19.30 And having said thus he gave up the ghost Or as John relates it He bowed his head and gave up the ghost He bowed not because he was dead but first he bowed and then dyed the meaning is he dyed willingly without constraint cheerfully without murmur what a wonder is this life it self gives up his life and death it self dyes by his death Jesus Christ who is the Author of life the God of life layes down his life for us and death it self lyes for ever nailed to that bloody cross in the stead of Jesus Christ And now we may suppose him at the gates of Paradise calling with his last words to have them opened that the King of glory might come in 3. About four in the afternoon he was pierced with a spear and there issued out of his side both blood and water And one of the Souldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water How truly may we say of the Souldiers John 19.34 that after all his sufferings they have added wounds they find him dead and yet they will scarce believe it until with a spear they have search'd for life at the well-head it self even at the heart of Christ And forthwith there came out blood and water this was the Fountain of both Sacraments the Fountain of all our happiness Zach. 13.1 The Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness There are three that bear-witness on earth saith John the Spirit and the Water 1 John 5.8 and the Blood Out of the side of Christ being now dead there issues water and blood signifying
that he is both our justification and sanctification Physitians tell us that about the heart there is a film or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained clear water to cool the heat of the heart and therefore very probable it is that that very skin or pericardium was pierced through with the heart and thence came out those streams of blood and water O gates of Heaven O windows of Paradise O Palace of refuge O Tower of strength O Sanctuary of the Just O flourishing bed of the Spouse of Solomon methinks I see water and blood running out of his side more freshly than those golden streams which ran out of the garden of Eden and watered the whole world Here if I could stay I might lengthen my Doctrine during my life oh it were good to be here it were a large field and a blessed subject 4. About five which the Jews call the eleventh and the last hour of the day Christ was taken down and buried by Joseph and Nicodemus But enough I must not wear out your patience altogether Thus far we have propounded the blessed object of Christ's suffering and dying for us our next work is to direct you as formerly in the art or mystery how you are to look unto him in this respect CHAP. III. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his death 1. LEt us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his sufferings and death This is the high point which Paul was ever studying on and preaching on and pondering on For I determined not to know any thing among you 1 Cor. 2.2 save Jesus Christ and him crucified Christ crucified is the rarest piece of knowledge in the world the person of Christ is a matter of high speculation but Christ further considered as cloathed with his garments of blood is that knowledge which especially Paul pursues he esteems not reckons not determines not to make any profession of any other science or doctrine than the most necessary and only saving knowledge of Christ crucified O my soul how many dayes and months and years hast thou spent to attain some little measure of knowledge in the Arts and Tongues and Sciences and yet what a poor skill hast thou attained in respect of the many thousands of them that knew nothing at all of Jesus Christ and what if thou hadst reached out to a greater proficiency couldst thou have dived into the secrets of Nature couldst thou have excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country and all the wisdom of Egypt 1 Kings 4.33 and the wisdom of Solomon who spake of beasts of fowls of fishes of all trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall yet without the saving knowledge of Christ crucified Christ suffering bleeding and dying all this had been nothing see Eccles 1.18 only that knowledge is worth the having which refers to Christ and above all that is the rarest piece of Christ's humiliation which holds him forth suffering for us and so freeing us from hell sufferings Come then and spend thy time for the future more fruitfully in reading learning knowing this one necessary thing Study Christ crucified in every piece and part O the precious truths and precious discoveries that a studying head and heart would hammer out here much hath been said but a thousand-thousand times more might yet be said we have given but a little scantling of that which Christ endured Volumes might be written till they were piled as high as heaven and yet all would not serve to make out the full discoveries of Jesus's sufferings Study therefore and study more but be sure thy study and thy knowledge be rather practical than speculative do not meerly beat thy brains to learn the history of Christ's death but the efficacy vertue and merit of it know what thou knowest in reference to thy self as if Jesus had been all the while carrying on the business of thy souls salvation as if thou hadst stood by and Christ had spoke to thee as sometimes to the women Weep not for me but for thy self thy sins caused my sufferings and my sufferings were for the abolition of thy sins SECT II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this great work of our salvation during his sufferings and death Zach. 12.10 Heb. 12.2 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced saith the Prophet i.e. they shall consider me and accordingly is the Apostle looking unto Jesus or considering of Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy of our salvation set before him endured the cross and despised the shame Then indeed and in that act is the duty brought in it is good in all respects and under all considerations to look unto Jesus from first to last but above all this Text relates firstly to the time of his sufferings and hence it is that Luke calls Christ's passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a theory or sight And all the people that came together to that sight Luke 23.48 smote their breasts and returned Not but that every passage of Christ is a theory or sight worthy our looking on or considering of Christ in his Fathers purpose and Christ in the promise and Christ in performance Christ in his birth and Christ in his life O how sweet what blessed objects are these to look upon but above all consider him saith the Apostle that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself Heb. 12.3 Ver. 2. Consider him who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame of all other parts acts or passages of Christ the holy Ghost hath only honoured Christ's passion his sufferings and his death with this name of theory and sight Why surely this is the theory ever most commended to our view and consideration O then let us look on this consider of this As in this manner 1. Consider him passing over the Brook Cedron it signifies the wrath of God and rage of men the first step of his passion is sharp and sore he cannot enter the door but first he must wade through cold waters on bare feet nor must he only wade through them but drink of them through many tribulations must he go that will purchase souls and through many tribulations must they go that will follow after him to the Kingdom of Glory Consider him entring into the Garden of Gethsemane in a garden Adam sinned and in this garden Christ must suffer that the same place which was the nest where sin was hatched might now be the child-bed of grace and mercy into this garden no sooner was he entred but he began to be agonized all his powers and passions within him were in conflict Consider O my soul how suddenly he is struck into a strange fear never was man so afraid of the torments of
hell as Christ standing in our room is of his Fathers wrath fear is still suitable to apprehension and never man could so perfectly apprehend the cause of fear as Jesus Christ nor was he only afraid but very heavy My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death His sorrow was lethal and deadly it melted his soul gradually as wax is melted with heat it continued with him till his last gasp his heart was like wax burning all the time of his passion and at last it melted in the midst of his bowels Psal 22.19 Mark 14.33 Nor was he only afraid and heavy but he began to be sore amazed this signifies an universal cessation of all the faculties of the soul from their several functions we usually call it a consternation it is like a Clock stopped for the while from going by some hand or other laid upon it or if it was not wholly a cessation yet was it at least an expavefaction such a motion of the mind as whereby for the present he was disinabled to mind any thing else but the dreadful sense of the wrath of God O what an agony was this O what a strugling passion of mixed grief was this what afflicting and conflicting affections under the sight and sense of eminent peril was in this agony Luke 22.44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly thrice had he prayed but now in his agony he prayed more earnestly O my Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Though I feel the soul of pain in the pain of my soul yet there is divinity in me which tells me there is a wage for sin and I will pay it all O my Father sith thou hast bent thy bow lo here an open breast fix herein all thy shafts of fury better I suffer for a while than that all believers should be damned for ever thy will is mine lo I will bear the burthen of sin come and shoot here thy arrows of revenge And thus as he prayed he sweat Luke 22.44 And is sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Oh what man or Angel can conceive the agony the fear the sorrow the amazement of that heart that without all outward violence meerly out of the extremity of his own passion bled through the flesh and skin not some faint dew but solid drops of blood now is he crucified without a cross fear and sorrow are the nails our sâ—ns the thorns his Fathers wrath the spear and all these together cause a bleeding shower to rain throughout all his pores O my soul consider of this and if thou wilt bring this consideration home say thy sins were the cause of this bloody sweat Jesus Christ is that true Adam that is come out of Paradise for thy sins and thus laboured on earth with his bloody sweat to get the bread that thou must feed on 2. Consider his apprehension Judas is now at hand with a troop following him to apprehend his Master see how without all shame he set himself in the van and coming to his Lord and Master gives him a most Traiterous and deceitful kiss What Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss hast thou sold the Lord of life to such cruel merchants as covet greedily his blood and life O alas at what price hast thou set the Lord of all the creatures at thirty pence what a vile and slender price is this for a Lord of such Glory and Majesty God was sold for thirty pieces of silver but man could not be bought without the dearest heart-blood of the Son of God Luke 22.53 At that time said Christ Ye be come as it were against a thief with swords and staves I sate daily among you teaching in the Temple and ye never laid hands on me but this is your hour and the power of darkness Now the Prince of darkness exercised his power now the hellish rout and malicious rabble of ravenous wolves assaulted the most innocent Lamb in the world now they most furiously haled him this way and that way O how ungently did they handle him how uncourteously spake they unto him how many blows and buffets did they give him what cries and shouts and clamours made they over him now they lay hold on his holy hands and bind them hard with rough and knotty cords so that they gall the skin off his arms and make the very blood spring out now they bring him back again over Cedron and they make him once again to drink of the brook in the way now they lead him openly through the high streets of Jerusalem and carry him to the house of Annas in great triumph O my soul consider these several passages consider them leisurely and with good attention consider them till thou feelest some motions or alterations in thy affection is not this he that is the infinite vertue the pattern of innocency the everlasting wisdom the honour of earth the glory of heaven the very fountain of all beauty whether of men or Angels how is it then that this vertue or power is tyed with bands that innocency is apprehended that wisdom is flouted and laughed to scorn that honour is contemned that glory is tormented that he that is fairer than all the children of men is besmeared with weeping and troubled with sorrow of heart surely there is some thing O my soul in thee that caused all this hadst not thou sinned the Sun of Righteousness had never been eclisped 3. Consider the hurryings of Jesus from Annas to Caiphas there a Councel is called Mat. 26.63 Ver. 66. and Caiphas the high Priest adjures our Lord to tell him if he was Christ the Son of God no sooner he affirms it but he is doomed guilty of blasphemy and so guilty of death Now again they assault him like mad dogs and disgorge upon him all their malice fury and revenge each one to the utmost of his power gives him buffets and strokes there they spit upon that Divine face with their devilish mouths there they hudwink his eyes and strike him on the cheek scoffing and jesting and saying Read who is it that smote thee O beauty of Angels was that a face to be spet upon men usually when they are provoked to spit turn away their faces towards the foulest corner of the house and is there not in all that Palace a souler place to spit in than the face of Jesus O my soul why dost thou not humble thy self at this so wonderful example how is it that there should remain in the world any token of pride after this so great and marvellous an example of humility surely I am at my wits end and very much astonished to consider how this so great patience overcomes not my anger how this so great abasing asswageth not my pride how these so violent buffets beat not down my presumption Is it not
life neither in thought word or deed that being endowed with the Power of Miracles he lovingly employed it in curing the lame and blind and deaf and dumb in casting out devils in healing the sick in restoring the dead to life that as he lived so he dyed for being unjustly condemned mocked stripped whipped crucified he took all patiently praying for his persecutors and leaving to them when he had no temporal thing to give them a legacy of love of life of mercy of pardon of Salvation When the Sermon is done and the Burial is finished let every Mourner go home and begin a new life in imitation of Jesus Christ O my soul that thou wouldst thus meditate and thus imitate that so thy meditation might be fruitful and thy imitation real I mean that thy life and death might be conformable to the life and death of Jesus Christ But of that hereafter SECT III. Of desiring Jesus in that Respect 3. LEt us desire after Jesus carrying on the work of our salvation in his death Jesus Christ to a fallen sinner is the chief object of desire but Jesus Christ as crucified is the chief piece of that object Humbled souls look after the remedy and they find chiefly in Christ crucified and hence are so many cryes after bathings in Christ's blood and hiding in Christ's righteousness active and passive Indeed nothing doth so cool and refresh a parched dry and thirsty soul as the blood of Jesus which made the poor woman cry out so earnestly I have an husband and Children and many other comforts but I would give them all and all the good that ever I shall see in this world or in the world to come to have my poor thirsty soul refreshed with that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ But what is there in Christ's blood or death that is so desirable I answer 1. There is in it the person of Christ he that is God-man man-God Heb. 1.3 The brightness of his father's Glory and the express Image of his Person it is he that dyed every drop of his blood was not only the blood of an innocent man but of one that was God as well as man God with his own blood purchased the Church Acts 20.28 now surely every thing of God is most desirable 2. There is in it a worth or price Christ considered under the notion of a sacrifice is of infinite worth now this sacrifice saith the Apostle he offered up Heb. 9.28 Heb. 9.28 He offered up not in Heaven as the Socinians would have it in presenting himself before God his Father but upon earth viz. in his Passion upon the Cross No wealth in heaven or earth besides this could redeem one soul and therefore the Apostle sets this against all corruptible things as silver and gold the things so much set by amongst the men of this world Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver 1 Pet. 1.18 and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 3. There is in it a merit and satisfaction the Scripture indeed doth not expresly use these words but it hath the sense and meaning of them As in that text Ephes 6.7 He hath made us accepted in the beloved to whom we have redemption through his blood I know there is a different notion in these words for merit doth properly respect the good that is to be procured but satisfaction the evil that is repelled but in Christ we stand not on these distinctions because in his merit was satisfaction and in his satisfaction was merit A great controversie is of late risen up Whether Christ's death be a satisfaction to Divine justice But the very words redeeming and buying do plainly demonstrate that a satisfaction was given to God by the death of Jesus Tit. 2 14. 1 Cor. 6.20 Rev. 5.9 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us ye are bought with a price and what price was that why his own blood Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood i.e. by thy death and Passion Mat. 20.28 1 Tit. 2.6 This was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ransome which Christ gave for his Elect The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many or as the Apostle He gave himself a ransome for all the word is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an adequate price or a counterprice as when one doth or undergoeth something in the room of another as when one yields himself a Captive for the redeeming of another out of Captivity or gives up his own life for the saving of another man's life so Christ gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome or counterprice submitting himself to the like punishment that his redeemed ones should have undergone The Socinians tell us that Christ's sufferings and death were not for satisfaction to God but in reference to us that we might believe the truth of his Doctrine confirmed and sealed as they say by his death and that we might yield obedience to God according to the pattern that he hath set before us and that so believing and obeying we might obtain the remission of Sins and eternal Life But the Scripture goes higher in that mutual compact and agreement betwixt God and Christ we find God the Father imposing and Christ submitting to this satisfaction Isa 53.6 1. The Father imposeth it by charging the sins of his Elect upon Jesus Christ The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all not the sins themselves not the evill in them or fault of them but the guilt and penalty belonging to them this God laid upon his Son and charged it upon him he charged it as a Creditor chargeth the debt upon the Surety requiring satisfaction 2. Christ undertook it He was oppressed Ver. 7. and he was afflicted or as some translate It was exacted and he answered i.e. God the Father required satisfaction for sin and Jesus Christ was our Surety answered in our behalf Ver. 12. He bear the Sins of many he bear them as a porter that bears the burthen for another which himself is not able to stand under he bear them by undergoing the punishment which was due for them he bear them as our Surety submitting himself unto the penalty which we had deserved and by that means he made satisfaction to the justice of God Surely Christs death was not only for confirmation of his Doctrine but for satisfaction to God 4. There is in it not only a true but a copious and full satisfaction Christ's death and blood is superabundant to our sins The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant 1. Tim. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was over-full redundant more than enough Many an humble soul is apt enough to complain Oh if I had not been so great a sinner if I had not committed such and such transgressions there might have been
that Respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his Sufferings and Death Every one looks upon this as an easie duty only the humble Soul the scrupulous Conscience cries out What! Is it possible that Christ should die suffer shed his blood for me His incarnation was wonderful his life on earth was to astonishment but that the Son of God should become man live amongst men and die such a death even the death of the Cross for such a one as I am I cannot believe it it is an abys◠past fadoming the more I consider it the more I am amazed at it suppose I had an enemy in my power man or Devil one that provokes me every day 1 Sam. 24.19 one that hunts my soul to take it away should I not say with Saul if a man find his enemy will he let him go well away It may be an ingenuous spirit such as David would do thus much but would David or any breathing soul not only spare his enemy but spill himself to save his enemy would a man become a Devil to save Devils would a man endure hell pains to free all the Devils in hell from their eternal pains and yet what were this in comparison of what Christ hath done or suffered for us It is not so much for us to suffer for Devils for we are fellow-creatures as it is for Christ God-man man-God to suffer for us Oh what an hard thing is it considering my enmity against Christ to believe that Christ died for me that he gave himself to the death even to the death of the Cross for my soul Trembling soul throw not away thy self in a way of unbelief It may thou wouldst not die for an enemy an irreconcileable enemy but are not the mercies of God above all the mercies of men O believe And that I may perswade effectually I shall say down first some Directions and secondly some Encouragements of Faith 1. For the Directions of Faith in reference to Christ's death observe these particulars 2. Faith must directly go to Christ not first to the promise and then to Christ but first to Christ and then to the promise the Person ever goes before the Prerogative 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh this was the difference betwixt the New-Testament and old-Testament-Believers their Faith directs only to God but our Faith looks more immediately to Jesus Christ Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved 3. Faith must directly go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law He continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and so our Faith must look upon him But of these before I shall say nothing more to these particulars 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death in both these respects Christ was made under the law The one half of the Law he satisfied by the holiness of his life he fulfilled the law in every jot and every tittle the other half of the Law he satisfied by his enduring the death even the death of the Cross he paid both the Principal and the Forfeiture and though men do not so yet Christ did so that the whole Law might be satisfied fully by his being under both these parts of the Law pay and penalty Come then and look upon Christ as dying it was the Serpent as lifted up and so looked at that healed the Israelites of their fiery stings Alas we are diseased in a spiritual sense as they were and Christ Jesus was lifted up as a remedy to us as the Serpent was unto them it remains therefore that as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent so we look up to Jesus believe in Jesus as lifted up for life and for salvation As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness John 14.15 so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Indeed some difference there is betwixt the Serpent and Christ As 1. The Brazen Serpent had not power in if self to cure as Christ hath 2. The Serpent cured the Israelites but for a time John 11.26 to die again but whomsoever Jesus cures in a Spiritual sense he cures for ever they shall never die 3. The serpent also had its time of curing it did not alwayes retain its virtue but during the time they were in the Wilderness only Iesus Christ our Brazen Serpent doth ever retain his power and virtue to the end of the world and hence it is that in the Ministry Christ is still held forth as lifted up that all that will but look on him by faith may live 4. The Serpent sometimes a remedy against poyson was after turned even to poyson the Israelites which made Hezekiah to crush it and brake it and stamp it to powder but Jesus Christ ever remains the sovereign and healing God he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is unchangeable in his goodness as he is in holy and divine nature he can never be defaced nor destroyed but he abideth the saviour of sinners to all eternity why then let us rather look unto Christ and believe in Christ as lifted up i.e. as he was crucified and died on the Cross In this respect he is made a fit object for a sinner's faith to trust upon and rest upon Christ as crucified as made sin and a curse for us it the object of our pardon O this is it that makes Christ's death so desirable why therein is virtually and meritoriously pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation and what not Oh! cries a sinner where may I set my foot how should I regain my God my sin hath undone me which way should I cast for pardon why now remember that in seeking pardon Rom. 8.34 Christ was crucified Christ as dying is principally to be eyed and looked at Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8.34 No Question Christs active Obedience during his Life was most exact and perfect and meritorious yet that was not the expiation of sin only his passive obedience Christ only in his sufferings took away sin the guilt of sin and punishment for sin We have redemption through the blood of Christ Eph. 1.7 even the forgiveness of sins If any humble soul would have recourse to that Christ who is now in heaven let him first in the actings of his Faith consider him as crucified as lifted up as made sin for us as through whom under that consideration he is to receive pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation sanctification salvation 5. Faith in going to Christ as lifted up it is principally and mainly to look unto the 〈◊〉 meaning intent and design of Christ in his sufferings as he was lifted up we
are not barely to consider the History of Christ's death but the aim of Christ in his death Many read the History and they are affected with it there is a principle of humanity in men which will stir up compassion and love and pity towards all in misery whilst Christ was suffering the women followed after him weeping but this weeping not being spiritual or rais'd enough he said to them Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves The way of Faith drawing virtue out of Christ's death it is especially to look to the scope and drift of Christ in his sufferings As God looks principally to the meaning of the Spirit by Prayer so doth faith look principally to the meaning of Christ in his sufferings mistake not my meaning is not that we should be ignorant of the History of Christ's death or of the manner of Christ's sufferings you see we have opened it largely and followed it close from first to last but we must not stick there we should above all look to the mind and heart of Christ in all this some observe that both in the Old and New Testament we find this Method first the History and then the Mystery first the Manner and then the Meaning of Christ's sufferings as in the Old Testament We have first the History in Psal 22. written by David and then the Mystery in Isa 52. written by Isaiah And in the New Testament we have first the manner of his sufferings written at large by all the Evangelists and then the meaning written by the Apostles in all their Epistles Now accordingly are the acts of Faith we must first look on Jesus as lifted up and then look at the end and meaning why was this Jesus thus lifted up Well but you may demand what was the end the plot the great design of Christ in this respect I answer some ends were remote and others were more immediate but omitting all those ends that are remote his Glory our Salvation c. I shall only answer in these Particulars 1. One design of Christ's death was to redeem us from the slavery of Death and Hell He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3. as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Hence it is that we say that by his sufferings Christ hath redeemed us from Hell and by his doings Christ hath given us a right to heaven he was made under the Law Gal. 3.4 5. that he might redeem them that were under the Law Alas we were carnal sold under sin whereupon the Law seized on us lock'd us up as it were in a dungeon yea the sentence passed and we but waited for execution now to get us rid from this dismal damnable estate Christ himself is made under the Law that he might redeem us Redeem us how not by way of entreaty to step in and beg our pardon that would not serve the turn sold we were and bought we must be a price must be laid down for us it was a matter of Redemption but with what must we be redeemed surely with no easie price ah no it cost him dear and very dear Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and Gold 1 Pet. 1.18 but with the precious blood of Christ his precious blood was the price we stood him in which he paid when he gave his life a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 the case stood thus betwixt Christ and us in this point of Redemption we all like a crew or company of Malefactors were ready to suffer and to be executed now what said Christ to this Why I will come under the Law said Christ I will suffer that which they should suffer I will take upon me their execution upon condition I may redeem them now this he did at his death and this was the end why he died that by his death we might be redeemed from the slavery of Death and Hell 2. Another Design of Christ's death was to free us from sin not only would he remove the effect but he would take away the cause also Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sin Rom. 3.25 John 1.29 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 9.26 1 John 1.7 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Once hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin This was the plot which God by an ancient design aimed at in the suffering of Jesus Christ that he would take away sin And thus Faith must take it up and look upon it When Peter had set forth the hainousness of the Jews sin in killing Christ he tells them at last of that design of old All this was done said he Acts 2.2 by the determinate counsel of God His meaning was first to humble them and then to raise them up q. d. It was not so much they that wrought his death as the Decree of God and the agreement of God and Christ there was an ancient contrivement that Jesus Christ should die for sin and that all our sins should be laid on the back of Jesus Christ and therefore he seems to speak comfort to them in this that howsoever they designed it yet God and Christ designed a further end in it than they imagined even to remission of sins Who was delivered to death for our sins Rom. 4.25 and rose again for our justification The death of Christ as one observes was the greatest and strangest design that ever God undertook and therefore sure he had an end proportionable to it God that willeth not the death of a sinner would not for any inferior end will the death of his Son whom he loved more than all the world besides it must needs be some great matter for which God should contrive the death of his Son and indeed it could be no less than to remove that which he most hated and that was sin Here then is another end of Christ's death it was for the remission of sin one main part of our justification 3. Another design of Christ's death was to mortifie our members which are upon the earth Not only would he remit sin but he would destroy it kill it crucifie it he would not have it reign in our mortal bodies Rom. 6.11 1 Pet. 2.24 that we should obey it in the lusts thereof This Design the Apostle sets out in these words he bare our sins in his own body upon the Tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness Christ by his death had not only a design to deliver us from the guilt of sin but also from the power of sin God forbid that I should glory Gal. 6.14 save in the
Mat. 26.65 as making himself equal with God yea see how the high Priest rends his clothes saying he hath spoken blasphemy Surely all this he endured that very blasphemers may find mercy if they will but come in and believe in Jesus I might instance in other sins art thou a Traytor a glutton a drunkard a wine-bibber a thief a seducer a companion of sinners why see now how Jesus Christ was for thy sake thus called reputed accounted whatever the sin is there 's something in Christ that answers that very sinfulness thou art a sinner and he is made sin to satisfie the wrath of God even for thy sin thou art such and such a sinner and he is accounted such and such a sinner for thy sake that thou mightest find in him something suitable to thy condition and so the rather be encouraged to believe that in him and through him all thy sins shall be done away Away away unbelief distrust despair you see now the brazen serpent lifted up you see what a blessed object is before you O believe O look up unto Jesus O believe in him thus carrying on the work of thy salvation in his death SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect 6. LEt us love Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his sufferings and death What! did he suffer and dye Rom. 5.8 Greater love than this hath no man that a man should give his life for his friends but God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Why here 's an argument of love indeed how should we but love him who hath thus loved us in prosecution of this I have no more to do but first to shew Christ's love to us and then to exercise our love to him again 1. For his love to us had not God said it and the Scriptures recorded it who would have believed our reports yet Christ hath done it and it is worth our while to weigh it and consider it in an holy meditation Indeed with what less than ravishment of Spirit can I behold the Lord Jesus who from everlasting was cloathed with Glory and Majesty now wrapped in rags cradled in a manger exposed to hunger thirst weariness danger contempt poverty revilings scourgings persecution but to let them pass into what extasies may I be cast to see the Judg of all the world accused judged condemned to see the Lord of life dying upon the tree of shame and curse to see the eternal Son of God strugling with his Fathers wrath to see him who had said I and my Father are one sweating drops of blood in his agony and crying out on his cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh whither hath his love to mankind carried him had he only sent his creatures to serve us had he only sent his Prophets to advise us in the way to Heaven had he only sent his Angels from his chamber of presence to attend upon us and to minister to us it had been a great deal of mercy or if it must be so had Christ come down from Heaven hnmself but only to visit us or had he come only and wept over us saying Oh that you had known even you in this your day the things belonging to your peace Oh that you had more considered of my goodness Oh that you had never sinned this would have been such a mercy as that all the world would have wondered at it but that Christ himself should come and lay down his blood and life and all for his people and yet I am not at the lowest that he should not only part with life but part with the sense and sweetness of God's love which is a thousand times better than life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life that he should be content to be accursed that we might be blessed that he should be content to be forsaken that we might not be forsaken that he should be content to be condemned that we might be acquitted O what raptures of Spirit can be sufficient for the admiration of this so infinite mercy be thou swallowed up O my soul in this depth of Divine love and hate to spend thy thoughts any more upon the base objects of this wretched world when thou hast such a Saviour to take them up Come look on thy Jesus who dyed temporally that thou mightest live eternally who out of his singular tenderness would not suffer thee to burn in hell for ten twenty thirty forty an hundred years and then recover thee by which notwithstanding he might better and deeper have imprinted in thee the blessed memory of a dear Redeemer no no this was the Article betwixt him and his Father That thou shouldst never come there see but observe but Christ's love in that mutual agreement betwixt God and Christ Oh I am pressed saith God with the sins of the world as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves come my Son either thou must suffer or I must damn the world Accordingly I may imagine the Attributes of God to speak to God Mercy cryes I am abused and Patience cryes I am despised and goodness cryes I am wronged and Holyness cryes I am contradicted and all these come to the Father for Justice crying to him that all the world were opposers of his Grace and Spirit and if any be saved Christ must be punished In this case we must imagine Christ stepped in nay rather than so saith Christ I will bear all and undertake the satisfying of all And now look upon him he hangs on the cross all naked all torn all bloody betwixt Heaven and Earth as if he were cast out of Heaven and also rejected by Earth he hath a Crown indeed but such a one as few men will touch none will take from him and if any rash man will have it he must tear hair skin and all or it will not come his hair is all clodded with blood his face all clouded with black and blew he is all over so pittifully rent outwards inwards body and soul I will think the rest alas when I have spoken all I can I shall speak under it had I the tongues of men and Angels I could not express it Oh love more deep than hell Oh love more high than heaven the brightest Seraphims that burn in love are but as sparkles to that mighty flame of love in the heart of Jesus 2. If this be Christ's love to us what is that love we owe to Christ Oh now for an heart that might be some wayes answerable to these mercies Oh for a soul sick of love yea sick unto death how should I be otherwise or any less affected this only sickness is our health this death our life and not to be thus sick is to be dead in sins and trespasses why surely I have heard enough for which to love Christ for ever The depths of God's grace are
bottomless they pass our understandings yet they recreate our hearts they give matter of admiration yet they are not devoid of consolation O God raise up our souls to thee and if our Spirits be too weak to know thee make our affections ardent and sincere to love thee Surely the death of Christ requires this and calls for this many other motives we may draw from Christ and many other motives are laid down in the Gospel and indeed the whole Gospel is no other thing than a motive to draw man to God by the force of God's love to man in this sense the holy Scriptures may be called the book of true love seeing therein God both unfolds his love to us and also binds our love to him but of all the motives we may draw from Christ and of all the arguments we may find in the Gospel of Christ there is none to this the death of Christ the blood of Jesus is not this such a love-letter as never never was the like read the words For his great love wherewith he loved us Ephes 2.4 or if you cannot read observe the Hyeroglyphicks every stripe is a letter every nail is a capital letter every bruise is a black letter his bleeding wounds are as so many rubricks to shew upon record Oh consider it is not this a great love are not all mercies wrapt up in the blood of Christ it may be thou hast riches honours friends means Oh but thank the blood of Christ for all thou hast it may be thou hast grace and that is better than corn or wine or oyl Oh but for this thank the blood of Jesus surely it was the blood of Christ that did this for thee thou wast a rebellious soul thou hast an hard and filthy heart but Christ's blood was the fountain opened and it took away all sin and all uncleanness Christ in all and Christ above all and wilt thou not love him Oh that all our words were words of love and all our labour labour of love and all our thoughts thoughts of love that we might speak of love and muse of love and love this Christ who hath first loved us with all our heart and soul and might what wilt thou not love Jesus Christ let me ask thee then whom wilt thou love or rather whom canst thou love if thou lovest not him if thou sayest I love my Friends Parents Wife Children Oh but love Christ more than these a friend would be an enemy but that the blood of Christ doth frame his heart a Wife would be a trouble but that the blood of Christ doth frame her heart all mercies are conveyed to us through this channel Oh who would not love the Fountain consider of it again and again our Jesus thought nothing too good for us he parts with his life and blood he parts with the sense and feeling of the love of God and all this for us and for our sakes Ah my soul how shouldst thou but love him in all things and by all means It is reported of Ignatius that he so continually meditated on the great things Christ suffered for him that he was brought entirely to love him and when he was demanded why he would not forsake Christ rather than suffer himself to be torn and devoured of wild beasts he answered that he could not forget him because of his sufferings Oh his sufferings said he are not transcient words or removable objects but they are indelible characters so engraven in my heart that all the torments of earth can never raze them out And being commanded by that bloody Tyrant Trajane to be ript and unbowelled they found Jesus Christ written upon his heart in Characters of Gold Here was an heart worth Gold Oh that it might be thus with us If my hands were all of love that I could work nothing but love if my eyes were all of love that I could see nothing but love if my mind were all of love that I could think of nothing but love all were too little to love that Christ who hath thus immeasurably loved me if I had a thousand hearts to bestow on Christ and they most enlarged and scrued up to the highest pitch of affection all these were infinitely short of what I owe to my dread Lord and dearest Saviour Come let 's joyn hands He loved us and therefore let us love him if we dispute the former I argue from the Jews when he shed but a few tears out of his eyes at Lazarus's grave then said the Jews John 11.36 behold how he loved him John 11.36 how much more truly may it be said of us for whom he shed both water and blood and that from his heart Behold how he loved us why then if our hearts be not Iron yea if they be Iron how should they chuse but feel the magnetical force of this Loadstone of love for to a Loadstone doth Christ resemble himself when he saith of himself And I if I be lifted up from the earth John 12.32 will draw all men unto me SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that Respect 7. LEt us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of Salvation in his sufferings and death what hath Christ suffered for us hath he drunk off all the cup of God's wrath and left none for us how should we be but cheered Precious souls why are you afraid there is no death no hell Rom. 8.1 no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus There is no divine justice for them to undergo that have their share in this death of Christ Oh the Grace and Mercy that is purchased by this means of Christ Oh the waters of comfort that flow from the sufferings and obedience of Christ Christ was amazed that we might be cheered Christ was imprisoned that we might be delivered Christ was accused that we might be acquitted Christ was condemned that we might be redeemed Christ suffered his Fathers wrath and came under it that the victory might be ours and that in the end we might see him face to face in glory is not here matter of Joy It may be the Law and sin and justice and conscience and death and hell may appear as enemies and disturb thy comforts but is there not enough in the blood of Christ to chase them away Give me Leave but to frame the objections of some doubting souls and see whether Christ's death will not sufficiently answer and solve them all 1. One cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me my sins are ever before me against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Psal 51.3 4. I have sinned against a most dear and gracious and merciful God and Father in our Lord Jesus O the aggravations of my sins are they not sins above measure sinful It may be so but the blood of Christ is a fountain opened for sins and for uncleanness in him we have redemption through his blood
making Christ 's death of none effect O come and with joy draw water out of this well of Salvation Isa 12.3 5. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me the very thoughts of hell seem to astonish my heart methinks I see a little peep-hole down into hell and the devil roaring there being reserved in chains under darkness untill the judgment of the great day and methinks I see the damned flaming and Judas and all the wicked in the world and they of Sodom and Gomorrah there lying and roaing and gnashing their teeth now I have sinned and why should not I be damned Oh why should not the wrath of God be executed on me yea even upon me I answer the death of Christ acquits thee of all Rom. 20.6 Blessed is he that hath a part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Christ's death hath took away the pains of the second death yea pains and power too for it shall never oppress such as belong to Christ If Hell and Devils could speak a word of truth they would say Comfort your selves ye believing souls we have no power over you for the Lord Jesus hath conquered us and we have quite lost the cause Paul was very confident of this and therefore he throws down the Gauntlet and challengeth a dispute with all commers Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 34. it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed let sin and the law and justice and death and hell yea and all the Devils in Hell unite their forces this one argument of Christ's death it is Christ that dyed will be enough to confute and confound them all Come then and comfort your selves all believers in this death of Christ what do you believe and are you confident that you do believe why then do you sit drooping What manner of communications are these that you have as ye walk and are sad Luke 24.17 Away away dumpishness despair disquietness of spirit Christ is dead that you might live and be blessed in this respect every thing speaks comfort if you could but see it God and men heaven and earth Angels and devils the very justice of God it self is now your friend and bids you go away comforted for it is satisfied to the full Heaven it self waits on you and keeps the dores open that your souls may enter We have boldness saith the Apostle to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.20 by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Christ's death hath set open all the golden gates and dores of glory and therefore go away chearily and get you to heaven and when you come there be discouraged or discomforted if you can O my soul I see thou art pouring on sin on thy crimson sins and scarlet sins but I would have thee dwell on that crimson scarlet blood of Christ Oh it is the blood of sprinkling it speaks better things than the blood of Abel it cryes for mercy and pardon and refreshing and salvation thy sins cry Lord do me justice against such a soul but the blood of Christ hath another cry I am abased and humbled and I have answered all Methinks this should make thy heart leap for joy Oh the honey the sweet that we may suck out of this blood of Christ come lay to thy mouth and drink an hearty draught it is this spiritual wine that makes merry the heart of man and it is the voice of Christ to all his guests Eat O friends Cant. 5.1 drink yea drink abundantly O beloved SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus 1. We must pray that all these Transactions of Christ in his sufferings and death may be ours if we direct our prayers immediately to Jesus Christ let us tell him what anguish and pains he hath suffered for our sakes and let us complain against our selves Oh what shall we do who by our sins have so tormented our dearest Lord what contrition can be great enough what tears sufficiently expressive what hatred and detestation equal and commensurate to those sad and heavy sufferings of our Jesus And then let us pray that he would pity us and forgive us those sins wherewith we crucified him that he would bestow on us the vertue of his sufferings and death that his wounds might heal us his death might quicken us and his blood might cleanse us from all our spiritual filth of sin and lastly that he would assure us that his death is ours that he would perswade us That neither death nor life nor Angels Rom. 8.38 39. nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature should be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. We must praise the Lord for all these sufferings of Christ Hath he indeed suffered all these punishments for us Oh then what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits upon us what shall we do for him who hath done and suffered all these things but especially if we believe our part in the death of Christ in all the vertues benefits victories purchases and priviledges of his precious death oh then what manifold cause of thankfulness and praise is here be enlarged O my soul sound forth the praises of thy Christ tell all the world of that warmest love of Christ which flowed with his blood out of all his wounds into thy spirit tune thy heart-strings aright and keep consort with all the Angels of Heaven and all his Saints on earth sing that Psalm of John the Divine Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in respect of his sufferings and death looking unto Jesus is effective of this objects have an attractive power that do assimulate or make like unto them I have read of a woman that by fixing the strength of her imagination upon a Blackamore on the wall she brought forth a black and swarthy child And no question but there is a kind of spiritual-imaginative of power in faith to be like to Christ by looking on Christ come then and let us look on Christ and conform to Christ in this respect In this particular I shall examine these Queries 1. Wherein we must conform 2. What is the cause of this conformity 3. What are the means of this conformity as on our parts For the first wherein we must conform I answer we must conform to Christ
Luke Theoph. super Luk. who out of his modesty concealed his own name saith Theophilact 5. He appeared unto the ten Apostles when the doors were shut Some controversie there is in this because the Evangelist saith expresly Luke 24.33 ver 36. John 20.24 that the eleven Disciples were gathered together and as they spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them Now Judas was hanged and Matthias was not elected and Thomas Didimus was not with them when Jesus came how then could he appear to eleven Apostles considering at at this time there were but eleven in all Some say it is a certain number put for an uncertain Others say that the eleven might be together when the two Disciples came and when Jesus came Thomas might be absent and gone from amongst them And if the Text be viewed well there is no contradiction in this saying But I must not dwell on controversial points 6. He appeared to all the Disciples and Thomas was with them John 20.26 and then he shewed them his wounds to strengthen the weak faith of his wavering servants Thomas would not have believed unless he had seen and therefore Christ shews him the wounds of his body that he might cure the wounds of Thomas's unbelieving soul 7. He appeared to Peter and John and James and Nathaniel and Didimus John 21.2 and two other Disciples when they were a fishing at the sea of Tiberias there he proved the verity of his Deity by that miracle of the fishes and the verity of his humanity by eating meat with them ver 14. And this was the third time that he shewed himself publickly and solemnly unto all or to the most part of his Disciples 8. He appeared unto more than five hundred brethren at once of this we read not in the Evangelists but the Apostle Paul records it 1 Cor. 15.6 after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are fallen asleep 9. He appeared unto James the Brother of the Lord i.e. the Cozen-german of Christ according to the Flesh he was called James the just in regard of his upright and innocent life Jerome in his Book De viris illustribus tells us that afore Christ's death this James made a vow that he would eat no bread till Christ were risen again from the dead and now Christ appearing to him he commanded Bread and Meat to be set on the table saying to James O my brother now rise and eat for now I am risen again from the dead Of this Apparition Paul makes mention 1 Cor. 15.7 After that he was seen of James 10. He appeared to the eleven Disciples on Mount Tabor in Galilee And this Matthew intimates when Jesus bade the woman tell his Brethren that he was risen and that they should go into Galilee and there they should see him Mat. 28.10 16 17. and accordingly in that Mountain where Jesus had appointed them they saw him and worshipped him 11. He appeared to all his Apostles and Disciples upon Mount Olivet by Jerusalem when in the presence of them all he ascended up into Heaven This mountain is expressed by Luke when after Christs ascension it is said Acts. 1.12 that the Disciples returned back to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet 12. He appeared unto Paul travelling unto Damascus This indeed was after his forty dayes abode upon the earth And yet this Paul mentions amongst the rest of his apparitions and last of all he was seen of me also 1 Cor. 15.8 as of one born out of due time My meaning is not to speak of all these Apparitions in order for of some of them we are neither assured of the order nor of the time But of the most considerable and most edifying we shall treat SECT V. Of Christ's Apparition to Mary Magdalen ON the first day were many Apparitions But I shall speak only to one or two as related by the Evangelist John 1. Christ appeared unto Mary Magdalen apart The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalen early when it was yet dark unto the Sepulchre John 20.1 and seeth the stone taken away from the Sepulchre she came whiles it was yet dark she departed from home before day and by that time she came to the Sepulchre the Sun was about to rise thither come she finds the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus gone upon this she runs to Peter and John and tells them they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulchre and we know not where they have laid him Then Peter and John ran as fast as they could to see they looked into the Sepulchre and not finding the body there they presently returned By this time Mary Magdalen was come back and howsoever the Disciples woulâ— not stay yet she was resolved to abide by it and to see the issue We find this apparition for our further assurance compassed and set about with each needful circumstance here 's the time when the place where the persons to whom the manner how â—e appeared together with the consequents after his apparition John 20.1 1. For the time when he appeared Now upon the first day of the week very early in the morning It was the first day of the week the next day to their Sabbath I shall speak more particularly to this in the next apparition and it was very early in the morning the appâ—rition was early but Maries seeking Christ was so early that it was yet dark she 's going to the grave when by course of nature she should have been in her bed she sought him early whom she loved intirely giving us to learn that we should seek Christ betimes Ecle s 12.1 even in the dayes of our youth that in these first dayes of the week we should riâ—e up early to enquire after Christ they that will not seek Christ until they have given over seeking other things may justly fear to miss Christ First seek the kingdom of God Mat. â— 33 and his righteousness and then saith Christ all other things shall be added unto you 2. For the place where he appeared it was in the garden where Christ was buried in a garden Adam first sinned in a garden Christ first appeared in a garden death first was threatened and deserved and in a garden life is restored and conferred upon us Christ makes choice of a garden both for his grave and resurrection and first apparition to tell us where we might seek him if we have lost him My beloved is gone down into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather lillies that is Jesus Christ is to be sought and found in the particular assemblies of his people Cant. 6.2 they are the garden of his pleasure wherein are varieties of all the beds of renewed souls there he walkes and there he feeds and there he solaceth
law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ or the law of this quickening Spirit communicated from Christ unto thy soul 3. If Christ's resurrection be mine then am I planted together in the likness of Christ's resurrection then do I resemble and am made conformable to Christ in his resurrection now if we would know wherein that resemblance is the Apostle tells us that like as Christ was rised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.5 even so we also should walk in newness of life Our mortification is a resemblance of Christ's death and our vivification is a resemblance of Christs resurrection In this ground of our hope concerning our interest in the resurrection of Christ I shall propound these questions Rom. 6.4 1. Whether indeed and in truth our souls are vivified 2. Whether we increase and grow in our vivification For the first the truth and certainty of our vivification will appear by these rules 1. True vivification is general both in respect of us and in respect of Grace 1. In respect of us it is diffused throughout the whole man the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly saith the Apostle and I pray God that your whole spirit 1 Thes 5.23 soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And. 2. In respect of Grace it is in every Grace I know it is a question whether all Graces are so connexed and chained together that possible they cannot be severed but I suppose it is truly answered that in respect of habit they cannot be severed though in respect of the act or exercise they may be severed some Graces are more radical than others as faith and love and therefore they first appear but as a man lives first the life of a plant then of sense then of reason though all were radically there at first so it is in graces experience tells us that some Christians are eminent in some graces and some in other graces some have more love and some more knowledg and some more patience and some more self-denial but all that are true Christians have each of these graces in some measure or other or at least they have them in habit though not in the act if vivication be true there is a whole work of grace both in heart and life as the light in the ayre runs through the whole hemisphere so the whole work of grace runs through and is diffused through the whole man soul body and spirit O my soul this may put thee to thy study because of the several constitutions or tempers of graces thou mayest find this or that grace this or that image of Christ clearly stampt on thy heart but thou canst not find such and such graces in this case fear not for if in truth and sincerity thou hast but one grace thou hast the whole chaine of graces But to speak to some graces in particular Gal. 2.20 2. True vivification is a new life acting upon a new principle of Faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God They are the words of a man pursued by the law unto Christ Paul seeing he was dead by the law he speaks for a better husband the law finds him dead and leaves him dead Nevertheless I live saith Paul what means he a natural life why so he lived before now no no it is a better life than a natural life such a life is no contentment to a soul pursued by the law very heathens and infidels have such a life and in that respect are as happy as the best of Saints Paul's life is a spiritual life and the Spring of his life is the Son of God Jesus Christ is esscentially radically fundamentally life it self and by his incarnation passion resurrection he is life for his Saints they live by him and in him and for him and through him he is the heart and liver of their Spiritual life But as from the heart and liver there must be arteryes and vains for maintenance of life and conveyance of blood throughout all the body so from Christ there must be some conveyance to bring this to life unto us and this is by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God O my soul dost thou live this life of faith on the Son of God canst thou make use of Christ in every state and in every condition As for instance in thy particular calling dost thou look to Christ for wisdome success blessing ability dost thou say if I have ill success I will yet go to Christ it is he that set me here and it is he will enable me in case of provision dost thou run to Christ and dost thou hang upon him for all things needful dost thou say If I want means God will create means he commands all means and he can suddenly do whatsoever he will In case of protection dost thou look unto Jesus to be thy shield and protector dost thou mind the word of God to Abraham Fear not Abraham for I am God all-sufficient Gen. 15.1 thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward In case of thy Children goest thou to Christ saying Are not my Children thy Children and wilt thou not provide for thy own it is true thou must do what thou canst but for the rest despair not cast thy burthen upon him who hath commanded thee in nothing to be careful Phil. 4.6 Phil. 27.10 but in all things to make thy suits known with prayer and supplication when my Father and Mother forsake me God will take me up saith David He is a Father to the Fatherless he provided for them in the womb he provided brests for them ere they saw the Sun and therefore how should he but have care and compassion over thy Children in case of prosperity dost thou see Christ's love in that state dost thou set him in the first place receiving all and joyning in all as coming from him is this it that makes thy prosperity sweet because thou knowest and believest that thy sins are pardoned otherwise what is thy silver and gold so long as thy pardon is not sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ if a prisoner condemned to dye should abound in all outward plenty what comfort could he have so long as his pardon were not sealed it is the life of faith that sweetens prosperity who are better Christians than they who know they enjoy these things with God's favour and blessing faith sees Gods love in all and so is abundantly thankful faith makes a man to eat and drink and sleep and to do all in Christ as it cost Christ dear to purchase our liberty to the creatures so faith ever sets Christ in the first place it receives all as coming from him it returns all as to the glory of him in case of disgrace dost thou commit thy credit to Jesus Christ dost thou look up to Jesus and
when he cryed he is come he is come Such an immediate springing of the spirit was in the heart of Master Pecocke who after many dayes of extreamest horrour professed The joy which he felt was incredible Such an immediate work was upon the heart of Mistris Brettergh who after the return of her beloved suddenly cryed out How wonderfull How wonderfull how wonderfull are thy mercies O Lord O the joys the joyes the joyes that now I feel in my soul we feel and acknowledg by daily experience that Satan doth immediately inject and shall not the blessed spirit after his holy and heavenly manner immediately also suggest sometimes As there is in the eye lumen innatum a certain in-bred light Rutherford on Joh. 12. P. 100. to make the eye see lights and colours without and as there is in the ear aer internus a certain in-bred found and air to make it discern the sounds that are without so is there in a gracious heart a new nature an habitual instinct of Heaven to discern the consolations of God's Spirit immediately testifying that we are the Sons of God there are some secret and unexpressible lineaments of the Fathers countenance in this child that the renewed soul at first blush knows and owns it But for fear of mistakes in this case observe we these Rules 1. That although the spirit may immediately testifie without any express or formal application of a word yet he never testifies but according to the Word If a man that never felt sin a burthen that throws away all duties of Religion that never Prayes Reads Hears or Meditates shall say that he is filled with joy Peace and the assurance of God's Word it is certain the holy Spirit is not the Author of this because the promise of peace belongs to none of this stamp see Math. 11.28 Isa 57.15 Mal. 5.3 4 5 6 7 8. 2. That ordinarily the spirit brings in his testimony either in duty or after duty I have seen his wayes and I will heal him I will lead him also Isa 57.18 19. and restore comforts to him and to his mourners I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him I know there may be a case of grievous temptations and at such a time the spirit of God may come in by a sudden irradiation and chear the soul wonderfully though it knows not how yet usually the spirit brings in his testimony either in duty or not long after duty 3. That such testimonies of the Spirit beget only an actual assurance during the present exigency or in order to some present design that God is working thereby these are extraordinary dainties that God will not have us feed constantly upon a gleam of light in a dark winters night when a man cannot coast the Country and discern his way by those marks which direct him at other times or as a lightning from a thunder-cloud that comes just in the moment when a man is stepping into a pit that would swallow him up now a Traveller will not depend alwayes upon such guides but rather he will choose to travel by day and learn out such way marks as may be standing assurances to him that he is in the way And therefore 2. The spirit witnesseth mediately and that either without or with argumentation But both from the Word 1. Without argumentation and that is when the spirit applies some suitable word to the soul and without more ado enables the soul to close with that suitable word As for instance thou art burthened for sin and thou hast prayed earnestly for pardon of sin and even then a secret whisper of the Spirit casts that word into thy heart Hos 14.4 Mat. 11.28 I will heal thy back-slidings and love thee freely or such a voice as that come un-unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Now this is a direct testimony only I dare not leave it without a caution Some can relate extraordinary passages of providence attending the coming in of such and such a word as that they did not know there was any such Scripture nor did thy know where it was and yet in opening the Book it was the very first place their eye was cast upon or they wanted a Book and in the use of some other means unexpectedly a word was spoken or remembred so pat to the case as if it had been a very message from Heaven certainly the Spirits hinting in of words thus is very observable yet a bare giving in of a word is no warrant that it comes from the spirâ—â— unless the soul come up to some end which the word it self poynteth at there must not only be a word but a closing with the word and improving of the word for the ends it aymeth at as quickning comforting supporting acting of some graces or such like and by this we may know that the testimony is true and proceeds from the Spirit of God 2. With argumentation and that is when the Spirit brings in the testimony of blood and water I may call it a testimony of Faith and other graces of the Spirit written in our hearts and brought out by the spirit in a way of argument as thus He that believeth hath everlasting life but I believe Ergo. The first proposition is the Gospel and in this way it is the first work of the spirit to open our eyes for the understanding thereof The second proposition is thy case or my case and here the Spirit enlightens the soul to see it self under that condition but I believe Indeed many times this is not so easily done and therefore the spirit doth elicite and draw forth the soul to an assent by a further evidence of argument True sayes the soul he that believes hath everlasting life but I am none of those believers and therefore what doth this promise concern such an unbelieving wretch as I am In this case now the Spirits work is longer or shorter even as he pleaseth if it will be no better the Spirit is fain to produce some other proofs of Scripture as evidence faith in the subject in whom it is such as purifying the heart love to God his wayes his people c. and possibly it goes further yet and proves those graces to be in the soul by further marks I know some object if the spirit say thou art a believer because thou hast love the soul may doubt still whether it have love or no and if the spirit say thou hast love because thou delightest in God's Commandments the question may be still whether that delight be sincere or counterfeit pure or mixed and therefore say they There can be no judgment of a man's justification by his sanctification or of his sanctification by the operation of particular graces I Answer it is true that whiles I endeavour to discover these graces meerly
us close to Christ and to the Banner of Christ who would not march under this Banner and adhere to him that but reads over these summons of souls at the last dreadful day SECT IV. Of Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day 4. FOR Christ and the Saints meeting at the judgment day no sooner are the Saints lifted up and set before the Judge but these things follow 1. They look and gaze and dart their beams and reflect their glories on each other Oh the communications Oh the darting of beams betwixt Christ and his Saints look as when two admirable persons two lovers meet together their eyes sparkle they look on as if they would look through one another So Christ and his Saints at first meeting they look on as if they would look through one another And such is the effect of these looks that they give a lustre to each other by their Looks Did not Moses face shine when he had been with God and shall not the faces of the elect glitter and shine when Christ also looks on them nor stays it there but as they shine by Christ so shall their shine reflect on Christ and give a glory to Christ and this I take it to be the meaning of the Apostle That when Christ shall come 2 Thes 1.10 he shall be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his Saints also whose glory as it comes from him so it redounds also to him For of him and through him Rom. 11.36 and to him are all things 2. They admire at the infinite glory and beauty and dignity and excellency that is in Christ The glory they reflect on him is nothing to the glory that is in him Oh when these Stars the Saints shall but look upon Christ the Son of righteousness they exceedingly admire So the Apostle When he shall come 2 Thes 1.10 he shall be glorified in his Saints and he shall be admired in all them that believe All that believe shall break out into admiration of Jesus Christ they shall at the first sight observe such an excellency in Jesus Christ as that they shall be infinitely taken with it here we speak of Christ and in speaking we admire but how will they admire when they shall not onely speak or hear but see and behold him who is the Express image of God Heb. 1.3 and the brightness of his Fathers glory O the lustres that he casts forth each way is not his very body more sparkling than the Diamond before the Sun yea more than the Sun it self now shining at noon-day how should the Saints but wonder at this sight Oh there is more beauty and glory in Jesus Christ than ever their thoughts or imaginations could possibly reach there is more weight of sweetness joy and delight in Jesus Christ than either the seeing Eye or hearing Ear 1 Cor. 2.9 or the vast understanding Heart which can multiply and add still to any former thoughts can possibly conceive every soul will cry out then I believed to see much glory in Jesus Christ when ever I saw him I had some twilight or Moon-light glances of Christ on Earth but O blind I O narrow I that could never have faith opinion thought or imagination to fathom the thousand-thousand part of the worth and incomparable excellency that I now see in him Why this causeth admiration when we see more than ever we could expect the Saints shall then cry out and say I see more ten thousand times more than ever I expected I see all the beauty of God put forth in Christ I see the substantial reflection of the Fathers light and glory in Jesus Christ I see thousands of excellencies in Jesus Christ that never were revealed to me before This is the very nature of admiration it is eveâ— wondering or admiring at some new and strange thing the glory of Christ will then exceed all former apprehension O they admire to see the King in such a beauty they admire to see the Judge in such a glittering and glorious Robe of Majesty they admire and they cannot but admire 3. They adore and magnifie the grace and glory of Jesus Christ as it is said of the twenty four Elders that they fell down before him that sate on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory Rev. 5.10 and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created So all the Saints now advanced to come up to Christ and to stand before the Throne they fall down before Christ and they worship him that lives for ever shouting and singing about Jesus Christ and setting out his glory Rev. 7.9 10 11 12. grace and goodness After this I beheld saith John and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb and cryed with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb and all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts and fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Saints and Angels will both give glory to Jesus Christ that day every elect man will then acknowledge here is Christ that shed his blood for me here is the Saviour that laid down his life for me here is the Sacrifice that gave himself a propitiation for me here is the Person that mediated and interceded and made peace for me here is the Redeemer that delivered and redeemed me from the wrath to come Rev. 19 7. and then they begin those Hallelujahs that never shall have end Hallelujah and again Hallelujah and Amen Hallelujah for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready 4. Christ welcomes them into his glorious presence if the Father could receive his Prodigal but repenting with hugs and kisses how will Christ now receive his Saints whâ—n they come as a Bride to the solemnization of the marriage his very heart springs as I may say at the sight of his Bride no sooner he sees her and salutes her but he welcomes her with such words as these O my love my dove my fair one come now and enjoy thy Husband Hos 2.19 20. many a thought I have had of thee before I made the world I spent my infinite eternal thoughts on thy salvation when the world began I gave thee a promise that I would betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgment in loving-kindness in mercy and in faithfulness It was I that for thy sake was incarnate and lived and died and rose again and ascended and since my
a gracious power to a gracious end in a gracious manner are sins and not such works as shall have the rewards of Heaven Some may object this is an hard saying who then shall be saved I answer 1. By concession very few What is the whole company of Christians besides a very few said Salvian but a sink of vices are they only good works which are thus and thus qualified it were enough to make us all fear all the works that ever we have done But secondly here 's all our hope that in a Gospel-way Christ looks at our good works in the truth of them and not in the perfection of them Rom. 7.18 19 no man goes beyond Paul who when he would do good found evil present with him Alas there 's a perpetual opposition and conflict betwixt the flesh and the spirit so that the most spiritual man cannot do the good things he would do and yet we must not conclude that nothing is good in us because not perfectly good Sincerity and truth in the inward parts may in this case hold up our hearts from sinking as he in the Gospel cryed I believe Lord help my unbelief So if we can but say I I do good works Lord help me in the concurrence of all needful circumstances here will be our evidence that our hopes are sound and that Christ will sentence us to eternal life Come ye Blessed c. and why so For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. 5. If we believe in Christ then shall we live with Christ if we come to him and receive him by Faith then will he come again and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also Good works are good evidences but of all works those of the Gospel are clearest evidences and have clearest promises come then let us try our obedience to the Commandments of Faith as well as Life let us try our submission to the Lord by believing as well as doing Surely the greatest work of God that ever any creature did it is this Gospel-work when it apprehends its own unworthyness and ventures it self and its estate upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ if we were able to perform a full exact and accurate obedience to every particular of the moral Law it were not so great a work nor so acceptable to God nor should be so gloriously rewarded in heaven as this one work of believing in his Son Jesus Christ This is the work to which in express terms salvation John 3.36 Heaven and glory is promised He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that heareth my wordâ— and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but he hath passed from death to life And this is the will of him that sent me John 5.24 that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life And these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God John 6.40 John 20.31 Acts. 16.31 and that believing ye might have life through his name Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead Rom. 10.9 Heb. 10.39 thou shalt be saved And we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe unto the saving of the soul And these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God 1 John 5.13 that ye may know that ye have everlasting life Why this above all is the Gospel work to which are annexed those gracious promises of eternal life So that if we believe in Christ how may we be assured that we shall live with Christ O my soul gather up all these characters and try by them Every one can say that they hope well they hope to be saved they hope to meet Christ with comfort though they have no ground for it but their own vain conceits but hope on good ground is that hope that maketh not ashamed say then art thou born again Rom. 5.5 dost thou look and long for the coming of Christ in the clouds dost thou love his appearing art thou rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate dost thou obey the commandments of faith as well as life sure these are firm and sound and comfortable grounds of an assured hope Content not thy self with an hope of possibility or probability but reach out to that plerophory or full assurance of hope Heb. 6.11 the hope of possibility is but a weak hope the hope of probability is but a fluctuating hope but the hope of certainty is a setled hope such an hope sweetens all the thoughts of God and Christ of death and judgment of Heaven yea and of Hell too whiles we hope that we are saved from it and are not the Scriptures written to this very purpose That we might have this hope are we not justified by his grace Rom. 15.4 Tit. 3.7 Psal 119.166 psalm 24.11 that we might be heirs in hope heirs according to the hope of eternal life and was not this David's confidence Lord I have hoped for thy salvation why then art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God If I may here enter into a Dialogue with my own poor trembling wavering soul Person why art thou hopeless O my soul wouldst thou not hope if an honest man had made thee a promise of any thing within his power and wilt thou not hope when thou hast the promise the oath and the covenant of God in Christ Soul Yes methinks I feel some little hope but alas it is but a little a very little Person Ay but go on my soul true hope is called a lively hope and a lively hope is an efficacious hope no sooner faith commends the promise unto hope but hope takes it and hugs it and reckons it as its Treasure and feeds on it as Manna which God hath given to refresh the weary soul in the desart of sin go on then till thou comest up to the highest pitch even to that triumphant joyfull expectation and waiting for of Christ in glory Soul Why methinks I would hope I would ascend the highest step of hope but alas I cannot Oh I am exposed to many controversies I am prone to many unquiet agitations though I have a present promise yet I extend my cares and fears even to eternity Alas I cannot comprehend and therefore I am hardly satisfied my sinfull reason sees not its own way and end and because it must take all on trust and credit therefore it falls to wrangling nay Sathan himself so snarles the question and and I am so
the troubles of the righteous Psal 34.19 The very word Cedron which signifies darkness denotes this state an horror of great darkness was said to fall on Abraham and then said God Gen. 15.12 13 know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years As God made the evening and the morning the first day and second day and third day c. See O the life of Gods Saints is as the evening of troubles and their happiness hereafter is as the morning of Glory God's worst is first with those that are his the way to Canaan is through the wilderness the way to Sion is through the valley of Baca. Through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Psal 84.6 Acts 14.22 John 16.33 2 Tim. 3.12 In the world ye shall have tribulation saith Christ yea all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution saith the Apostle Our rest is not here in this world what is this world but an Ark of travel a school of vanities a fear of deceits a Labarinth of errour a barren wilderness a strong field a tempestous sea a swelling brook a vale of tears full of all miseries 2. It reproves It is the first passage of Christ when he begins his sufferings to go over the Brook Cedron and it is the A B C of Christianity as Bradford said to learn the Lesson of taking up the Cross and following Christ Surely this world is no place and this life it is no time for pleasure God hath not cast man out of Paradise that he should find another Paradise on this side heaven Oh why do we seek the living among the dead Why do we seek for living comforts where we must expect to die daily it is only heaven that is above all winds and storms and tempests and seas and brooks and waves Oh why do we look for joyes in a vale of tears It was an heavy charge that the Apostle James laid upon some that they lived in pleasure upon earth q. d. Earth is not the place for pleasure earth is the place of sorrow of trouble of mourning Jam. 5.5 of affliction Remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things Luke 16.25 and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art Tormented All the pleasure that wicked men have it is upon earth but the condition of the godly is clean contrary Oh 't is sad to out-live our happiness and when we should live indeed then to want our comforts and our joyes Verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6.2 Job 21.13 said Christ of Hypocrites their Heaven is past they spend their daies in wealth or in mirth saith Job of the wicked and in a moment go down to the Grave Alas their best daies are then past and they must never be merry any more Ah fond Fools of Adam's seed to lose Heaven for a little earthly contentment How should this sowr your carnal joyes when you remember all this is only upon earth it cannot be for ever there must be a change of all these things here you laugh and hereafter you must howl no sooner death comes but then you 'l cry Farewel world Oh into what a Gulf am I now falling 3. It instructs Ah my Brethren let 's remember we are pilgrims and strangers upon earth and our way lies over the Brook and Valley of Cedron we cannot expect to enter with Christ into glory but we must first drink of the Brook in the way i.e. we must endure many afflictions variety of afflictions You will say this an hard saying who can hear it I remember when Jesus told his Disciples of his sufferings to be accomplished at Jerusalem Peter takes the boldness to dehort his Master Be it far from thee Mat. 16.22 Lord this shall not be unto thee but Jesus thereupon calls him Satan meaning that no greater contradictions can be offered to the designs of God and Christ than to diswade us from sufferings There 's too much of Peter's humour abides amongst us Oh this Doctrine of afflictions will not down with Libertines Antinomians and the like and hence we believe we have our Congregations so thin in comparison of some of theirs they that can break off the yoke of Obedience and untie the Bands of Discipline and preach a cheap Religion and present heaven in the midst of flowers and strew palms and carpets in the way and offer great liberty of living under sin and reconcile eternity with the present enjoyment shall have their Schools filled with Disciples but they that preach the Cross and sufferings and afflictions and strictness of an holy life they shall have the lot of their blessed Lord i.e. they shall be ill thought of and deserted and railed against Well but if this be the way that Christ hath led us whilest others abide at ease in Zion let us follow him in the valley and over the Brook that is called Cedron Thus far have we observed Christ in the way together with his passage over Cedron we come now to the Garden into which he entred and his Disciples SECT III. Of the Garden into which Christ entred Mat. 26.36 MAtthew relates it thus then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies in special a Field a Village but more generally a Place as we translate it and this place was called Gethsemane i.e. a valley of fatness Certainly it was a most fruitful and pleasant place seated at the foot of the Mount of Olives accordingly John relates it thus John 18.1 Jesus went forth with his Disciples over the Brook Cedron where was a Garden many Mysteries are included in this Word and I believe it is not without reason that our Saviour goes into a Garden As 1. Because Gardens are solitary places fit for meditation and prayer to this end we find Christ sometimes on a Mountain and sometimes in a Garden 2. Because Gardens are places fit for repose and rest when Christ was weary with preaching working of Miracles and doing acts of Grace in Jerusalem then he retires into this Garden 3. Because a Garden was the place wherein we fell and therefore Christ made choice of a Garden to begin there the greatest work of our Redemption In the first Garden was the beginning of all evils and in this garden was the beginning of our restitution from all evils in the first Garden the first Adam was overthrown by Satan and in this Garden the second Adam overcame and Satan himself was by him overcome in the first Garden sin was contracted and we were indebted by our sins to God and in this Garden sin was paid for by that great and precious price of the blood of God in the first Garden man surfeited by eating the forbidden fruit and in this Garden
Christ sweat it out wonderfully even by a bloody sweat in the first Garden Death first made its entrance into the world and in this Garden Life enters to restore us from Death to Life again in the first Garden Adam's Liberty to sin brought himself and all us into bondage and in this Garden Christ being bound and fettered we are thereby freed and reduced to liberty I might thus descant in respect of every Circumstance but this is the sum in a Garden first begun our sin and in this Garden first began the Passion that great Work and Merit of our Redemption 4. Christ goes especially into this Garden that his enemies might the more easily find him out the Evangelist tells us that this Garden was a place often frequented by Jesus Christ so that Judas which betrayed him knew the place John 18.2 for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his Disciples sure then he went not thither to hide himself but rather to expose himself and like a noble Champion to appear first in the field and to expect his enemies Thus it appears to all the world that Christ's death was voluntary He poured forth his soul unto death saith the Prophet he gave himself for our sins saith the Apostle nay Isa 53.12 Gal. 1.4 John 10.17 18 himself tells us therefore doth my Father love me because I laid down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again But I will not stay you at the Door let us follow Christ into the Garden and observe his Prayer and his Sufferings there SECT IV. Of the Prayer that Christ there made JEsus entring the Garden he left his Disciples at the entrance of it calling with him Peter James and John they only saw his transfiguration the earnest of his future Glory and therefore his pleasure was that they only should see of how great glory he would disrobe himself even for our sakes In the garden we may observe first his Prayer and secondly his Passion 1. He betakes himself to his great Antidote which himself the great Physitian of our souls prescribed to all the world he prayes to his heavenly Father he kneels down and not only so but falls flat upon the ground he prayes with an intention great as his sorrow and yet with a submission so ready Mat. 26.39 as if the Cup had been the most indifferent thing in the world The Form of his Prayer ran thus O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt In this Prayer observe we these Particulars 1. The person to whom he prayes O my Father 2. The matter for which he prayes Let this Cup pass from me 3. The Limitation of this Prayer If it be possible and if it be thy will 1. For the Person to whom he prayes it is his Father As Christ prayed not in his Godhead but according to his Manhood so neither prayed he to himself as God but to the Father the first person of the God-head Hence some observe that as the Father sometimes saying This is my beloved Son he spake not to himself but to the Son so the Son usually saying O my Father he prayes not to himself but to the Father 2. For the Matter of his Prayer Let this Cup pass from me Some interpret thus Let this Cup pass by me Oh that I might not taste it But others thus Let this Cup pass from me though I must taste it yet Oh that I may not be †Quod dicit transfer calicem istum a me non hoc est non adveniat mihi nisi enim advenerit transferri non poterit sed sicut quod praeterit nec intactum est noc permanens sic Salvator leviter invadentem tentationem flagitat pelli Sic Dionisius Alexandrin Heb. 5.7 too long or tediously annoyed by it That which leads unto this last interpretation is that of the Apostle Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and he was heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 How was he heard not in the removal of the Cup for he drank it up all but in respect of the tedious annoyance or poysoning of the Cup for though it made him sweat drops of blood though it grieved him and pained him and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though it cast him into a sleep and laid him dead in his Grave and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty hours or thereabouts he revived and awakened as a Lion out of sleep or as a Giant refreshed with wine and so it passed from him as he prayed in a very short time and by that short and momentary death he purchased to his people everlasting Life 3. For the Limitation of his Prayer If it be possible if it be thy will He knows what is his Fathers will and he prayes accordingly and is willing to submit unto it if the passing of the Cup be according to the last interpretation we shall need none of these many distinctions to reconcile the will of God and Christ If it be possible signifies the earnestness of the Prayer and if it be thy will the submission of Christ unto his Father the Prayer is short but sweet How many things needful to a Prayer do we find concentred in this one instance Here is Humility of Spirit Lowliness of Deportment Importunity of Desire a Fervent Heart a Lawful Matter and a Resignation to the will of God Some think this the most fervent prayer that ever Christ made on earth If it be possible O! if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And I think it was the greatest dereliction and submission to the will of God that ever was found upon the earth for whether the Cup might pass or not pass he leaves it to his Father nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt q. d. Though in this Cup are many Ingredients it is full red and hath in it many dregs and I know I must drink and suck out the very utmost dreg yet whether it shall pass from me in that short time or continue with me a long long time I leave it to thy will I see in respect of my humanity there is in me flesh and blood O! I am frail and weak I cannot but fear the wrath of God and therefore I pray thus earnestly to my God O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt But what was there in the Cup that made Christ pray thus earnestly that it might pass from him I answer 1. The great pain that he must endure the buffettings whippings bleedings crucifying all the torments from first to
Prayers and Incense then he went out of the holy of holies and laid aside his Garments again but our great high Priest is ascended into the holy of holies never to put off his princely-priestly garments nor does he only once a year sprinkle the mercy-seat with his sacrifice but every day he lives for ever to intercede Oh what comfort is this to a poor dejected Soul if he once undertakes thy cause and get thee into his prayers he will never leave thee out night nor day he intercedeth eyer till he shall accomplish and finish thy Salvation the smoak of his incense ascends for ever without intermission 6. The high-Priests then interceded not for sins of greater instances if a man sinned ignorantly there was indeed a Sacrifice and Intercession for him but if a man sinned presumptuously Numb 15.30 he was to be cut off from among his people no Sacrifice no Intercession by the high Priest then but we have such an high Priest as makes Intercession for all sins every sin though it boyl up to blasphemy so it be not against the holy Ghost shall by the vertue of Christ's intercession be forgiven In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness i.e. for sins of all sorts Verily I say unto you all sins shall be forgiven unto the Sons of Men Mark 3.28 i.e. Scarlet sins or crimson sins sins of the deepest dye shall by Christs Intercession be done away the voice of his blood speaks better things than the Blood of Abel it intercedes for the abolition of bloody sins 7. The high Priests then interceded not without all these materials viz. A Temple an Altar a Sacrifice of a young Bullock for a sin-offering Levit. 16.3 and a Ram for a burnt offering a Censer full of burning coals of fire taken off the Altar a putting the incense upon the fire that the cloud of the incense might cover the mercy-seat a sprinkling the mercy-seat with the blood of the Bullock and of the Goat with their finger seven times such materials they had and such actions they did which were all distinct as from themselves but Jesus Christ in his Intercessions now needs none of these materials but rather he himself and his own merits are instead of all As 1. He is the Temple either in regard of the Deity the gold of the Temple being sanctified by the Temple or in regard of his humane body destroy this Temple saith Christ and I will build it again in three dayes it was destroyed and God found it an acceptable Sacrifice and smelt in it a sweet savor as in a Temple 2. He is the Altar according to his Deity for as the Altar sanctifies the gift so doth the God-head sanctifie the man-hood The Altar must needs be of a greater dignity than the oblation and therefore this Altar betokens the Divinity of Jesus Christ 3. He is the Sacrifice most properly according to the Man-hood for although by communication of properties the blood of the Sacrifice is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 yet properly the human Soul and flesh of Christ was the Holocaust or whole burnt-offering roasted in the fire of his Fathers wrath 4. His merits are the cloud of Incense for so the Angel Christ is said to have a golden Censer and much Incense Rev. 8.3 4. that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne and the smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand the merits of Christ are so mingled with the prayers of his Saints that they perfume their Prayers and so they find acceptance with God his Father We see now the difference betwixt Christs Intercessions and the Intercessions of the high Priests of Old SECT VII What the Properties of this Intercession of Christ are 7. WHat are the properties of this Intercession of Jesus Christ I answer 1. It is heavenly and glorious and that appears in these particulars 1. Christ doth not fall upon his knees before his Father as in the days of his humiliation for that is not agreeable to that glory he hath received he only presents his pleasure to his Father that he may thereto put his Seal and Consent 2. Christ doth not pray out of private charity as the Saints pray one for another in this life but out of publick Office of mediation there is one God 1 Tim. 2.5 and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 3. Christ prayes not out of humility which is the proposing of requests for things unmerited but out of authority which is the desiring of a thing so as withall he hath a right of bestowing it as well as desiring it 4. Christ prays not merely as an advocate but as a propitiation too Christ's Spirit is an advocate but only Christ is advocate and propitiation Christs Spirit is our advocate on earth but only Christ in his Person applyeth his merits in heaven and furthers the cause of our salvation with his Father in heaven In every of these respects we may see Christs intercessions is heavenly and glorious 2. It is ever effectual and prevailing as he hath a power to intercede for us so he hath a power to confer that upon us for which he intercedes John 14 16. John 16.7 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter If I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you If Christ prayed on earth he was ever heard but if Christ prayed in heaven we may be sure the Father ever heareth and answereth there when Christ as man prayed for himself he was heard in that which he feareth but now Christ as Mediator praying for us he is ever heard in the very particular which he desireth James 4.3 We sinful men many a time ask and receive not because we ask amiss that we may consume it upon our Lusts but Jesus Christ never asks amiss nor to wrong ends and therefore God the Father who called him to this Office of being as it were the great Master of Requests in behalf of his Church John 11.41 42. he promiseth to hear him in all his requests Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me alwayes saith Christ 3. It is of all other the transactions of Christ till the very end of the World the most perfective and consummate indeed so perfective that without it all the other parts of Christ's Mediatorship would have been to little purpose As the Sacrifices under the Law had not been of such force and efficacy had not the high Priest entred into the holy place to appear there and to present the blood there unto the Lord so all that ever Christ did or
suffered upon earth it had been ineffectual unto us had he not entred into heaven Heb. 9.24 to appear there in the presence of God for us Surely this Intercession is that which puts life into the death of Christ this Intercession is that which strikes the last stroak during this World in the carrying on of our souls Salvation Goodwin Christ set forth Rom. 8.34 and makes all sure It is a witty observation that one makes of these several steps of Christs actings for us as first there was an all-sufficiency in his death who shall condemn it is Christ that dyed 2. A rather in his Resurrection yea rather that is risen again 3. A much rather in his life and session at God's right hand for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of Christ much rather being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 4. The Apostle riseth yet higher to a saving to the utmost and puts that upon his intercession wherefore he is able to save us to the utmost Heb. 7.25 seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us If in the former were any thing wanting this intercession of Christ supplies all it is the Coronis which makes all effectual it saves to the uttermost for it self is the uttermost and highest step on earth Christ begins the execution of his office in heaven he ends it in his life and death Christ was the meritorious cause but by his intercession Christ is the applying cause of our souls salvation In this very Intercession of Christ is the consummation and perfection of the Priest-hood of Christ O then how requisite and necessary must this needs be 4. It is gracious and full of bowels Christ his intercession and indeed Christ's Priestly office is erected and set up on purpose for the relief of poor distressed sinners There is no mixture of terror in this blessed office of Jesus Christ and this doth distinguish it from his other offices Christ by his Kingly office rules over the Churches and over the World but all obtain not mercy whom he thus rules over Christ by his prophetical office comes to his own but many of his own received him not but now wherever the Priestly office of Jesus Christ is let forth upon a Soul that soul shall certainly be saved for ever O this Priestly office of Christ is an office of meer love and tender compassion Heb. 4.15 Christ saith the Apostle is such an high-Priest as cannot be but touched with the feeling of our infirmities Oh he is a merciful Heb. 2.17 and a faithful high Priest in things partaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People He is mercifull and exceeding compassionate in all our afflictions he is afflicted Isa 63.9 and in his love and in his pity he Redeemed us and in his love and pity he intercedes for us SECT VIII Wherein the Intercession of Christ consists 8. WHerein more especially doth the Intercessions of Jesus Christ consist some suppose that Christs very being in heaven and putting God in mind of his active and passive obedience by his very presence is all that intercession that the Scripture speaks of But I rather answer is these particulars As 1. Christs intercession consists in the presenting of his Person for us he himself went up to heaven and presented himself the Apostle calls this an appearing for us Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands but into heavâ—n now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 I believe there is an Emphasis in the Word appearing for us But how appears he for us I answer 1. In a publick manner whatsoever he did in this kind he did it openly and publickly he appears for us in the presence of God the Father he appears for us in the presence of his Saints and Angels heavens eyes are all upon him in his appearing for us 2. He appears for us as a Mediator he stands in the middle betwixt God and us hence it is that he is God-man that he might be a Mediator betwixt God and man 3. He appears for us as a Sponsor and a pledge surely it is a comfort for a man to have a friend at Court at the Princes elbow that may own him and appear for him but if this friend be both a Mediator and Surety a Mediator to request for him and a Surety to engage for him Phil. 9.10 ver 18 19. Oh what comfort is this thus Christ appeared in every respect he is a Mediator to request for us and he is a Surety to engage for us as Paul was for Onesimus a mediator I beseech thee for my Son Onesimus and a Sponsor if he hath wronged thee or owe thee ought put that on my account I will repay it So is Jesus Christ for his Saints he is the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 Heb. 8.6 and he is a Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 Heb. 7. â—2 4. He appears as a Solicitor to present and promote the desires and requests of his Saints in such a way as that they may find acceptance with his Father He is not idle now he is in Heaven but as on earth he ever went about doing good so now in glory he is ever about his work of doing good he spends all his time in Heaven in promoteing the good of his people as from the beginning it was his care so to the Worlds end it will be his care to solicite his Father in the behalf of his poor Saints he tells God thus and thus it is with his poor Members they are in want in trouble in distress in affliction in reproach and then he presents their sighs sobs prayers tears and groans and that in such a way as that they may become acceptable to his Father 5. He appears as an Advocate if any man sin 1 John 2. â— we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous An Advocate is more than a Solicitor an Advocate is one that is of Counsel with an other and that pleadeth his Case in open Court and such an advocate is Jesus Christ unto his people 1. He is of Councel with them that is one of the Titles given him by the Prophet Isaiah Wonderful Councellour Isa 96. He councells them by his Word and Spirit 2. He pleads for them and this he doth in the high Court of Heaven at the Bar of God's own Justice there he pleads their case and answereth all the accusations that are brought in by Satan or their own Consciences but of this anon 6. He appears as a publick agent or Ledger-Embassadour what that is some tell us in these particulars 1. His work is to continue peace and surely this is Christ's work he is our peace saith the Apostle that is the author of our peace Eph. 2.14 he purchased our peace and he maintains our peace with