sin yet it cannot do any hurt at all But saâ— he I thanke God through our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— who will deliver me from this body of death As much as to say Indeed till a man looke to Christ there is nothing but matter of bitternesse and evill to be seen as the certain fruits of sin and there can be nothing but bitternesse in sin in regard of the evill that is like to follow it But when persons can once looke to Christ the case is altered What doth he thanke God for He thanks God that though naturally a body of death grew up by sin yet there is no prejudice in this kinde can come to him through Christ Now that the Apostle doth plainly mean that he thanks God in that sin could not doe him or others any hurt mark how in his thankfulnesse he expresseth himself in the beginning of the 8. Chapter There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ that walke not after the flâ—sh but after the Spirit There you see the ground of the Apostles thanksgiving namely that now there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ No you will say no condemnation in Hell but yet as there is remainders of sinne in Gods owne people so there will some evill or other fall upon the commission of sin marke what the Apostle speakes of it in the 2. and 4. verâ—â— Would you have the clear minde of the Spirit â—in it There it is held forth The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death for what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath freed mee from the Law of sinne and death Here Christ stands for the deliverance of his people from condemnation from eternall wrath say some yea but saith the Apostle wee are delivered from the Law of sin and death what is the Law of sin but what the Law may do to persons for those sins which are committed by them Now what can sin do when it is condemned It is true take a Traytor as he is at liberty hee may do mischief but take him as he is arraigned and condemned and as he is bound and manacled he can doe no hurt Now sinne is condemned to the Believer it can do no hurt at all to him for what hurt can that doe unto a man which is carried into a Land of forgetfulnesse to avoid further prejudice of such persons that are indangered by it When men have been found dangerous unto the State 〈◊〉 hath been a common practice to banish them the Kingdome into a place far remote when they cannot have any opportunity of doing any mischief and when they are banished theâ— are not to returne againe upon paine of death Now beloved our Scape Goat hath carriâ— our sins into a Land of forgetfulnesse Consider further suppose a man be entered into many bonds and they are for great summes It is true while they remaine bonds in force such a man is subject to feare arrests but put the case these bonds are all cancelled that the debt in the Creditors book be blotted out what hurt then can these bonds do unto a man when the seal is torn off and all the writing in the bond is blotted out If a man saw a thousand such bonds in which he were obliged it would affright him no more then if he saw none at all True indeed every sin is a great debt and wee commit sins daily and hourly against the Lord and the torments of Hel is the merit of the least sin in the world for I speake not this to extenuate any sin but to shew the greatnes of Gods Grace and to ease upon good grounds distressed consciences Therefore such as look upon these sins as uncancelled and these debts as true debts it is true so long these sins may work a horror and trembling in persons but for Believers that are the members of Christ they may read fairly all the sins that ever they have committed they may read also the desert of these transgressions which should be executed and inflicted upon them if they were not cancelled and blotted out But marke what the Lord speaks in the 43. of Isaiah I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne name sake and will not remember thy sins Now what prejudice can that do that is blotted out I say every debt of a Believer is a cancelled debt so that the Lord himselfe hath nothing at all to lay to a Believers charge For how can that Scorpion do hurt that hath lost his sting and spent his venome in the sides of Christ and left it there It was Christ that was wounded for the transgressions of his people he was bruised for the iniquities of the faithfull the chastisements of their peace was upon him saith the Holy Ghost in the 53. of Isaiah and the 5. verse What hurt can there be to whom there is peace from God and nothing but peace It is true our sins themselves do not speak peace but Christ bearing the sinne and the wrath that these sins doe deserve his chastisement or the wrath hee sustained speaks peace to every Believer whose transgressions be did beare Therefore beloved be not affraid ye that are Believers and members of Christ for fear of wrath breaking down from heaven upon you for such and such sins which you have committed for they can do you no hurt all your sins together can do you no harme all the sting and poyson of your sins were spent upon the backe of Christ Marke that excellent expression of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 15.56 57. he tels us there indeed that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the Law so that here seems to be a sting in sin even to death it selfe But mark what follows thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ that hath given us the victory What doth he meane even the victory of overcoming of sinne and death that is his true meaning Though naturally sin hath a sting yet there is a victory over this sting Christ is the death of it as he tooke away the sting of it so that the sins of Believers set up to affright them by Satan or his instruments they are but Scare-crows and Bugbears things to fright ignorant children indeed but men of insight and understanding are able to see that they are counterfeit things It is true before men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their sins stare in their faces seeming to spit fire at them but just as you shall have children it may be put one of their company into hideous postures and a fearfull and terrible representation causing every one that knowes it not to run from him so sinne
longer therein The summe and substance of the objection is this Is there so much Grace that where sin hath abounded Grace aboundeth much more then it seems that the more sin a man doth commit the more will the glory of the Grace of God appear in the pardoning of these sins and so I shall glorisie God best when I commit sin most will some say So that the preaching of the abundance of grace where sin hath abounded seems to let men loose to the commission of sin as much as possibly The Apostle answers this with God forbid as if he had said God will never suffer any Believer though never so weak through any such truth reveal'd to break out into any sin because wher sin hath abounded grace hath abounded much more God will never have them to make any such abominable inference from such truths And he also gives the reason why they cannot make such use of the grace of God How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein to the Apostle the inference of the objectors from this argument seems so absurd that he doth appeal to the adversaries themselves how such an inference as this can follow such a Proposition He doth not say positively that they cannot live in sin that are dead to it but he puts the question to them how it can be And whereas some may answer yea they may easily do it No saith the Apostle they that are partakers of this Grace are dead unto sin and how can they live in it when they are dead to it The glorious power of this Grace revealed strikes sinne dead in men or rather strikes men dead to sin Sinne shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle for you are not under the Law but under Grace And as you shall heare by and by the Apostle makes the very Grace of God to have that power in it as to breake the neck of sin in the Believer This is the most certaine truth of the Text and springs directly from it There is a death unto sin where there is a revelation effectually of the Grace of God to persons to whom it doth belong It brings a dart with it to slay sin The law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sin and death and what the law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the simili tude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh so that although to reason and sense the preaching of the free Grace of God to men and to publish what the Lord hath done for them for his own sake and that before-hand may seem to be a doctrine that gives liberty to sin and so to be a licentious doctrine yet it seems to the Apostle that there is nothing that doth more establish a restraint from sin then the manifestation hereof In the 11. to the Romans towards the latter end of the Chapter the Apostle tells us that God hath concluded all men under sinne that hee might shew mercy upon all and therefore he falls out into admiration O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes ast finding out Now what follows Having prevealed this unsearchable Grace see how hee begins in the 12. Chapter and 1. verse I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but bee transformed by the renewing of your mindes that is I beseech you by the mercies of God that you refraine from sinne What mercy doth he meane Even the mercies of God concerning the freenesse of his Grace manifested before in all the 11. Chapter Now if the Apostle had beene of some mens mindes that the preaching of the free Grace of God were a dangerous doctrine to set men loose to sin he would never have used the mercies of God as an argument to prevail with men to refrain from sin Hee would not have published that which should have been of such dangerous consequence but he would rather have been filent so far would hee have been from revealing of it as an argument to the contrary were the revelation of it the way to bring men to loosenesse and licentiousnesse it had been the wisdome of Paul and the other Apostles to have concealed it which certainly he would have done had it been so But the Apostle was not of that judgement and therfore in 1 Corinth chap. 6. and towards the latter end he draws his argument after the same manner You are not your owne you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are Gods Observe here that the injunction which the Apostle gives the Corinthians is that they should glorifie God in their bodies and spirits and what is the argument by which he would perswade them to it You are bought with a price But will some say it seems I am bought and the price is laid downe for me now I am sure enough I am safe the gates of hell cannot prevail against me I may live as I list for no danger will follow now I may take liberty to sin Now if the Apostle had known that this consequence would justly have followed upon the preaching of this Crace he had dealt very discourteously with the people of God and absurdly by inforcing a conclusion from a ground contrary to it by revealing such a doctrine as this is Therefore surely the Apostle would never have used this expression of being bought with a price if he had knowne that this would follow but contrariwise he knew that there is no way in the world will so much prevaile with Gods people to leave their sins as by telling them before hand that their sins are forgiven them and that they are bought with a price In 2 Titus from the beginning to the 12. v. you shall finde how the Apostle urgeth Titus that hee presse a holy conversation answerable to old men and old women as also to young women and young men and also a conversation suitable to servants and especially he writes concerning them that they should not purloin from their masters but shew all faithfulnesse But what is the argument now by which the Apostle urgeth all these things upon these men See in the 12. and 13. verses and you shall finde that the argument is the same we have now in hand For the Grace of God saith he that brings salvation hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world As much as to say The Lord hath made known and revealed his salvation to you and you see it before you Salvation is brought unto you and not your well-doing but the Grace of God is
sons of men that they might have discharge from sin he doth make it manifest that all he doth aske of the Father he doth ask according unto justice nay Christ makes it to appear that justice is as much satisfied in discharging of Believere from their sins as it is in the damnation of the Reprobates in hell for their sins Justice 〈◊〉 no more right in their damnation then it hath in the others acquittance and discharge In the damnation of the Reprobates in Hell to satisfie justice there is no more but the wrath of God revealed from Heaven and executed upon them Now for those Believers that are the members of Christ and are discharged by Christ from their sins the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven and poured out upon his Son in their behalf who sustained in respect of the proportion of justce equivalently to all the torments the Repriobates in Hell do sustain So that Christ hath as fully satisfied the justice of God for his elect as it is satisfied in the damned in Hell who suffer in their own persons Surely there had been no need of Christs coming into the world if Believers might have been saved and justice violated without satisfaction But now justice had been violated had not a proportionable recompence been made before the sin had been discharged from off the person committing the same Therefore the Psalmist speake admirably when he saith Mâ—rey and Truth hath met together and Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other This place is appropriated unto Christ shewing that in managing the work of Redemption of the sons of men as he doth exâ—â— Mâ—â—cy so he doth not diminish Justice and Righteousnesse but carries the businesse so that they both of them have their due and both of them have so their due that they agree one with another nay they do imbrace and kisse each other they come to rejoyce and triumph in the satisfaction of each other And therefore it is but an ignorant imagination in the hearts of some men that God will grow more remisse in respect of the sins of his own people that God is not so much offended with the nature of sin after Christ died as before For God hath all the abhorring detesting thoughts of sin in the nature of it since Christ is dead as he had before he died It is altogether as abominable unto him as before it was Christ did not come to make sin lesse filâ—â—â— to the Lord or to make a person where sin is more lovely or lesse hatefull before God but rather declares and sets forth the wrath of God 〈◊〉 sin in the highest degree Where eveâ— thâ— Lord seeth sin and not Christ upon the persâ—n taking away that sin the Lord cannot but hate both the sin and the sinner All the pleasure the 〈◊〉 takes in the sons of men proceeds from a purity Christ put upon them and the taking away of that sinfulnesse from them which otherwise could not but stir up indignation and wrath in the Lord against the perâ—â—ns where he findes it I say this is the ground upon which Christ pleadâ— justice that so it might appear there is no violation of it but the Lord is as well satisfied as if the person transgressing had lain under the wrath deserved in his own person I could wish I were able to speak to you in so sull and clear language that not one dram of this glorious mysterie of this Gospel of Christ might be hid for the comforting and refreshing of your spirits The thing I drive at being that all the people of Christ might know wherein lies their strong consolation not in themselves as if they did not sin nor in themselves as if they could mâ—ke amends for their sins but in him who hath made perfect amends for them and in whom they are accepted with the Father as if they themselves in their own persons had made this amends who hath presented them so compleat in himself unto the Fathers eye that the Lord is pleased to looke upon them as upon his own innocent Son and to take pleasure in them with the same pleasure that he takes in his Beloved And if ever you mean to have your consciences and your consolations established and well grounded concerning the pardon of your sins you must see that Christ hath onely pleaded and doth plead out your acquittance and discharge and this your indemnity even to the sans◠〈◊〉 of justice it self For if justice be not yet 〈◊〉 if the Lord hath yet a plea against your â—ouis if Christ hath not fully answered it but lefâ—â— us plea with God who shall stand up before him Christ being silent to plead for you Gods jurâ—ce comes in and pleads terribly against you and will exact satisfaction of you therefore you must receive this principle if you will be established in consolation that as there is mercy in respect of us who bring nothing in consideration of our sins so there is righteousnesse and justice in forgiving of sin in respect of Christ our Advocate that doth manage his office and makes it known for this very end that in knowledge thereof we might have the stronger consolation SERMON V. 1 John 2. vers 1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins WE have formerly as some of you may remember entered upon these words wherein the Apostle makes the proposall of the Grace of God in Christ the encouragement unto people to forbear sin The first thing we noted therefore from hence was this That the knowledge of an Advocate that becomes a propitiation for sin even for such as do commit sin I say the knowledge of this Grace is so far from opening a gap unto a licentious life that indeed it is the best means and help in the world to keep us from sinning The last day we fell upon the matter of the Argument which the Apostle useth to disswade little children from sin If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Herein we proposed to be considered First what this Advocateship of Christ is and how Christ doth manage this office of Advocateship Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth here plead Thirdly how Christ is gifted and qualified for this office of Advocateship Lastly what the issue of this Advocateship of Christ is proposed in the last words of the Text He is the propitiation for our sins Concerning the first what this office of Advocateship is the summe is briefly this The office of an Advocate is to plead out the cause of a man as it is in justice and right so that the Advocateship of Christ consists in pleading forth the discharge of his people even from the principle of right and justice Whereas it is objected and indeed seems a thing unreconcilable namely that
is in a little Diamond How do men prize the dust of gold Despise not small things say not 't is a little book a â—ittle starre may light thee to Christ great bodies have most humours grosser volumes commonly are thickned with too much earth If thou ask what is in this I answer as the voyce once spake to Austin Tolle Lege or as Philip to Nathaniel Come and see If I should say all that I know of the Author some that know me would say that I flatter him because of my relation to him in his life though I know there 's little to be gotten by dead mens favour But this I shall bee bold to affirm there 's no Antinomianisme in the Title or Tract and from all vicious licentiousnesse of life and scandalous aspersions cast on his person by lying lips I stand upon mine owne experience and more than twelve yeers knowledge to vindicate him let the father of lies and all his brood come forth and make good their charge against him I fear not to appear in his cause yea if I should not open my mouth in his behalfe whose industry and integrity God and his Saints have so much approved and from whose labours and yoke-fellow I have reaped so much comfort if yet I should be silent I desire to be marked with a black coal Try him now and judge thou wilt find no poison in his hive no Serpent lurks under his leaves Tolle lege come and see whether Jesus of Nazareth be not here not sealed up in a Sepulchre guarded with a rude train to keep his Disciples from him as the High Priests use to do but thou shalt find him in his garden opening his fountaine blowing on his spices leading into his banqueting-house staying with flaggons comforting on every side thou shalt find more in this booke then I will promise only be perswaded to peruse it if thou lovest thy rest read it Here is newes of drye land footing for thy soul the Olive branch doth witnesse it feare not be not dismayed the waters are abated let not thy sloth make thee guilty of thy misery Will not the weather-beaten Marriner employ all his strength and oars to thrust into a quiet harbour Is any thing more desired by the chased Hart then the cooling streams How do men pursued by the enemie rejoyce in the shelter of a strong hold Can any thing be more welcome to a notorious offender justly condemned then a gracious pardon Is not God and his Righteousnesse all this and much more to a poor creature in such conditions Behold an Haven a Brooke a Tower a Pardon a full a free Pardon a Ransome for thy soule the righteousnesse of God breaking through the sides the hands the heart of Christ to make way to thee to revive thy ding drooping bleeding heart Incline thine ear hearken for the time to come hear and thy soul shall live forsake not thine owne mercies to observe lying vanities leane not to the reeds of Egypt when thou hast the rod of Gods strength put into thy hand Shal there be a price in the hand and no heart to it It may be thy feet have not yet stumbled though thou hast walked on the hils of earth the Mountains of the world the high Mountains of the flesh thy way hath beene smooth and easie so is the wilde Asse's till her moneth overtake her thy conscience perhaps hath fancied some shadow of peace by the dull glimmering of an earthly spark but they that walk in the light at last lye downe in sorrow Isaith 50.11 Be not proud therefore but give glory to God before he cause darknesse before he turn your light into the shadow of death make it grosse darknesse that darknesse that might be felt was not the least of the Egyptian plagues What greater torment then the conscience once sensible of being destitute of the light of life The Authors aim is to lead thee into Goshen to guide thy feet into the way of peace follow him walke in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham that faith oâ— which circumcision was no cause nor evidencâ— to himself for he had it and he knew he had it before he was circumcised by this faith he gave glory to God we give glory to the robe of Gods righteousnesse when we put none of our owne under it to make it sit uneasie nor weare any of our own upon it to obscure the full glory of it thou wilt finde this garment the best fashion and as wel held forth by this as by any man whost intentions were to cover all blemishes all sins to hide all deformity with it yet to shelter no lust nor sin under it I might launch out into his life and call in all his practice to prove it but till more need require I shall referre thee to Mr. R.L. in his preface to the first volume and to the present triall of his doctrine Let a Christian heart moderate a critical eye find fault who can The God that once breathed the rich knowledg of himself through the frail organs of this earthen vessel into the eares of those that heard him now dart a greater glory of his righteousnesse and grace into the eyes of all their understandings that shall read him I know I can adde no worth to this work 't is of divine value it hath the stamp of heaven the Image of God is on it the Author is gone home and yet living with the Lord though some think the Saints dye and like the wicked leave a stink behind them I deny not the mortality of any nor need I hang thiâ— mans hearse with odoriferous Encomiums yet hee that visits his friend though never 〈◊〉 godly in the grave had need take a little Frankincense in his hand if hee be buried amonâ— men all the aire in the world is so contagiously infected with the stinking breath of thâ— living that you cannot come neer the deaâ— without a bundle of myrrhe Malice and madâ—nesse like a Gangrena stands at the tombe antent of every blessed soul crying Noli me taâ—gere Of all men one would have thought 〈◊〉 sweet a man as Christ had needed no spices 〈◊〉 his Sepulchre for hee did no evill and he saâ— no corruption Yet Joseph would not intenâ— his body without sweet odors though Mâ— had bestowed a whole boxe of precious oynment on his feet in his life time but a little before his buriall Let the Saints walke never wisely warily circumspectly let them keeâ— their feet as clean as sweet as they can they hâ—â— need have their winding sheet and coffin pâ—â—fumed I say not with the Parasiticall smoâ— of a perfumed Oration but with a just viâ—â—cation of their innocency as occasion shall â—â—quire But I hope there will be need of no â—â—gagement from me this way in the Authors 〈◊〉 halâ—â— for his two last Sermons in this voluâ— are a cleer vindication of him from those coâ—mon â—spersions laid upon
Object Do you not see them dead you will say Answ But marke what the Apostle saith Our life is hid with Christ in God It is true there is a naturall life and that life may be destroyed as well as the life of a wicked man but yet the soule of a Believer is not destroyed the soul is cannon-proof all the devills in hell cannot destroy it The life that I now live I live by the faith of the Some of God Christ himselfe is our life Now when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall wee appeare with him in glory So that Christ himselfe may be killed before our lives shall bee destroyed by the enemies You that are Believers have this advantage of your enemies the unbelievers you may take away their lives but they cannot take away your lives They have but one life a naturall life but they that are Believers have a life in Christ nay Christ is their life he himself shall be annihilated before they shal All the power of the sword cannot take away that life from you it is true they may take you out of this world and the comforts of it but know this world when the Lord will have the soule separated from it is a comfortlesse world If the Lord himself should answer a person to give him life in the world when himself hath purposed to take him out of the world the world and life it self would be a hell to him Beloved know this that the Lord intends only your good in all your changes and that which is best the Lord provides for you Though your life be taken away from you where is the losse where is the hurt Consider it well beloved death is but the opening of the prison doors to let you out of prison it is but the arriving of a vessell into the haven of rest What doth the sword do when it enters into a Believer it makes but a change of immortality for mortality of life for death of strength for weaknesse of glory for shame of holinesse for sin It doth but pull down a rotten house of clay to give possession of mansions of glory It doth but take persons from a cottage at will to enter into a Lordship of inheritance for it gives full possession of an eternall inheritance The sword that enters into the breast of a Believer it doth but put him into the chamber of the Bridegroome and consummates the marriage of the Lamb to that person It is the fulfilling of the great cry of the Saints Come Lord Jesus come quickly and I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ It takes the Bride into communion and fellowship with her long-looked for Beloved and gives her possession of those things that take up her longing While we are in the flesh we are absent from the Lord we enjoy the vision of Christ now but in hope and we enjoy it but darkly but when this earthly tabernacle shall bee dissolved we have an house not made with hands saith the Apostle It doth but carry the Believer out of a barren blustering troublesome wildernesse unto his home to sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of glory What hurt is there in all this Confider this that when the worst comes to the worst if ye should be brought into the greatest strait that ever man was in when cruelty shall rage and swell to the very top and to its utmost bounds This is that which stayes up the heart and makes the weakest spirits strong and the want of this makes the strongest run away When a man shall thinke with himselfe if I should be now thrust through by the sword of the enemy what will become of me If I be not a member of Christ I shall go to Hell for ever Oh how will this startle him This in the heart of the stoutest souldier is enough to make him run away have he never so much courage but when a man shall stand in the face of an enemy and the bullets flye about him on every â—ide if when he shall thus think with himself What if one of these should hit me what shall become of me whither should I goe If he can but say in true faith Heaven is mine and Christ is mine I shall goe presently unto God my Father at whose right hand are ioyes for evermore I cannot have a better turne done unto me then by one of these messengers to be sent presently thither It is recorded that there was a man had a spear run at him by one that sought his life and entring it happened to lance an ulcer that all the Physitians could never cure that thrust of the spear cured the ulcer Oh beloved all the world is not able to cure the ulcers that are in Believers in respect of the cohabitation and practice of sin for sin will arise and breake forth in spite of all the world and they shall not cease to sin till they shall cease to be here below Now the sword that enters into the hearts of the Believers and members of Christ that sword at one thrust perfectly cures all the ulcers of sinfulnesse that there shall never arise any more after that Now what hurt is there in that spear that cures in stead of killing This beloved I speake by way of encouragement to all the faithfull when the enemy looks big upon you and your hearts are ready to faint consider what the Lord saith I am your God be not affraid nor dismayed Sometimes I observe people looke upon Believers with an evill eye because they doe not see them of such dejected countenances and so full of fearful expressions as are in themselves or are in others Thereupon they presently censure them to bee such as are void of sense and full of security But consider hath not the Lord promised that they shall not be moved with evill tydings Is there nothing in all the promises of God Will you say there is no strength nor truth in him in whom is the fulnesse of all that when you finde such an undauntednesse of spirit in any man that when men speake of fire and sword and the cruelty of the enemy shall say we are carelesse as touching this matter you shall say they are stupified or carnally secure Do you not therein charge the three children for the same Shall the people of God whoâ—ut of the apprehension of God being their God and being out of the gun-shot of sin say we fear not touching this matter shall they be condemned for it They know wherein pain is and misery is and death is which thou art not sensible of Do not then condemn God therefore Is thine eye evill because Gods is good Now what are the disadvantages by this dismayednesse of spirit there are three sorts of them First fearfulnesse and dismayednesse of spirit doth produce a great deal of prejudice unto God not simply to the being of God but to the glory and honour of
that which brings this salvation to you Then may I doe what I list will some say No saith the Apostle This Grace of God that brings salvation brings this too It teacheth us to deny al ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live godlily soberly and righteously in this present world I say it is blasphemy against the truth of the Holy Ghost in these severall passages of Scripture to say or to maintaine that this is a necessary inference from the revelation of the free Grace of God to men before-hand that thereby men will breake out into sin and uncleannesse and give up themselves thereto and that this is the way to give up the reines into the neck of vice and licentiousnesse I will give you but one passage more although I confesse I have gone further in the cleering of this businesse by Scripture then I intended because I know it sticks so in the hearts of opposers and quarrellers and cavillers that are ready to spit fire into the faces of those persons that are assertors and maintainers of the free grace of God and the publishers thereof to the people of God I will give I say but one place more in confirmation hereof namely that which the Apostle delivers in 1 John 3.9 the words are these He that is borne of God sinneth not saith hee because the seede of God abides in him and he cannot sin because hee is borne of God Hee that is borne of God What is that It is no more but this he that is received into Grace by Christ becomes one with Christ in respect of the spirituall union between Christ and such a person To bee borne of God and to be a new creature is all one To be new creatures is to be such as wee were not before More fully a new creature is a person that is translated from himselfe into Christ and he stands before God as Christ himself and not as he is in or of himselfe Now such a person saith the Apostle sinnes not because the seede of God abides in him nay he cannot sin because he is born of God There may bee some difficulty in the expression but you must know the intention of the Apostle John here is to take off the objection against the Doctrine of the free Grace of God that it is a licencious Doctrine to take off I say the reproach that is unjustly cast upon it And so the meaning of the Apostle John is this Hee that is borne of God sinnes not that is hee cannot take such liberty to sinne he cannot make such licentious uses of the Grace of God as to walk in sinfull courses though his sins shall not hurt him I say this Licentious living in sin is the thing the Apostle speakes of here Hee that is borne of God sins not And the reason is because the seed of God abideâ— in him that is there is an over-ruling power planted in him to over-match the propensity of the flesh that remains still in Beleevers that it should not have that liberty and power that naturally it would have by vertue of such a Principle implanted Not that the Apostle speakes absolutely of sin that a childe of God shall sinne no more for that were to make the Apostle John himselfe the lier and that by his owne words and to speak against himselfe For he saith in another place Hee that saith hee hath no sin deceives himselfe and is a lier And King Solomon also who saith that there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not Eceles 7.20 Therefore by sinne in this place he must needs mean a licentious liberty taken unto sin Beloved I know there are many objections raised against this truth I shall briefly run through some of them to you and if it be possible clear this truth unto you at this time and vindicate the Gospell from those abominable untruths cast upon it and that I will do the rather because thousands in the world turne away from the Grace of God and dare not venture themselves upon it Because they fear if they should adventure themselves upon these principles of free Grace they should presently take liberty to sin and so fall away and apostatize Oh! how many have miscarried and refused their owne mercies and have not received the Gospell to this day upon such conceits that the receiving of it should make them break out into ungodlinesse I know here are many here present cannot but witnesse they are affraid to close with free Grace though never so fully proved and manifested in Scripture upon this consideration that it will make them live loosely Object 1. First some will object and say we know many Beleevers that do take liberty to themselves when once they have beene acquainted with such free Grace that hath beene preached Answ For answer to this First I say that if Beleevers from this Grace published doe take liberty they take but what God giveth them The end of Christs coming and preaching the free grace of God to men is this very thing that in it the Lord might proclaime liberty to the captives which are Christs owne people Christ came of purpose as you shall finde in Heb. 2.15 to deliver those who through feare of death are subject to bondage all their lives long And therefore saith Christ If the Son shall make you free you shall bee free inâ—eâ—d that is if the Son give you liberty then you shall have liberty indeed So that it Believers do take this liberty upon this ground they take but that which is their owne purchased unto them by the blood of Christ and given unto them freely by God their Father Object 2 But some will say It is a true Christian liberty that Christ allows and this indeed is a liberty that Christ gives men to be delivered from the captivity and bondage of sin which they were under before But many that professe this doctrine are knowne to be more slack in the performance of duties and to grow more and more cold in their zeale and carelesse in the practice of Religion and are more regardlesse of sin and in a word take more liberty to sinne since such Grace hath been revealed Answ For answer to this Beloved first you are not to expect perfection of works from Believers in this life and that they should be free from all manner of sin I know none of those that have the most indignation against this doctrine of the free grace of God to men but will yeeld that they themselves are not without failings they ought not therefore to aggravate the weaknesse of their brethren much lesse ought the truth of God to bee charged with the failings of men But suppose some do make evill uses of the free Grace of God sometimes are therby encouraged to be more bold with sin as they are not to be upheld in it nor allowed so ought not their fault to be laid upon the free Grace of
in generall If any man sin as if he had said there must something be done by Believers that goes beyond the being of sin before they can be excluded from having interest in the Advocateship of Christ Here the Apostle speaks expresly there is an Advocateship of Christ for Believers finning without exception I know it is too frequent among many that more grosse sins then ordinary in a Believeâ— do not only waste the conscience but do also interpose between such a person and Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak else-where For present there is a coâ—â—eit that if a Believer sine more then ordinarily presently there is just câ—use for him to suspect Christ will not sufficiently manage his office for him an least Christ hath not sufficiently managed it already so that there is juâ—t cause of feare But let me tell you to the everlasting consolation of Gods people that there is no sin which a Believer can commit which can exclude him from the benifit of this Advocateship or bring him beyond the bounds of this large grant If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And if it be any man you will say it extends to all men in the world as well as Believers if any man sin Nay there is a restraint in the words and you shall easily see it If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father If any of us that have fellowship with the Father and the Son it is not every one that hath Christ for an Advocate but those that are Believers Those that have right to fellowship with the Father and the Son are only spoken of in this place I speak this to the end that those who 〈…〉 fear of death are subject unto bondage all their lives long â—ay know that Christ is coâ—â—e to deliver them and reveales this truth on purpose to deliver them from the feare of death and bondage by being their Advocate for their sins He is an Advocate he is a propitiation for every sin of his The words run in the generall to the end If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins The Apostle doth not say he is not an Advocate for such and such but for such and such Believers that sin so and so if they commit sin so and so agravated and if their sins rise to such an height there is no propitiation for them But the Apostle speaks in the generall style If any man sin and he is the propitiation for our sins and yet beloved I must be bold to goe a little further in respect of the persons whose cause Christ doth plead and in whose behalf Christ is an Advocate I say it is for all sorts of Believers nay I go further it is for more then present Believers even for some who are not for the present Believers but remaine as yet in a state of unbelief In brief Christ is the Advocate of the cause of euery person in the world for whom he paid the price of redemption whether they be persons already called or persons not yet acquainted with the Grace of God for every Elect person as well unconverted as converted Christ doth equalty in respect of the substance of his plea interpose but when I say he plead as well for the unconverted as for the converted I mean for such unconverted persons as do belong unto the election of Grace and have their portion in the price of his blood Beloved for mine own part I cannot yet conceive any other considerable difference between the plea of Christ for the converted persons and the Elect unconverted but this circumstantiall difference namely that the value of his blood is equally of force to Believers and unbelievers being elected saving that the Belevers have this priviledge that the Lord Christ pleads for the manifestation of this discharge unto this converted person but pleads not for the present manifestation there of unto the unconverted elect person tell such time as he shall be called to the faith and by that faith that thing be made evident which before was hid I say the pardon of sin by the blood of Câ—rist is 〈◊〉 full for the unconverted elect person as fully passed over in grant I mean to that person as to the Believer himself God doth add never a tittle of pardon it self more to him that is a Believer then to that person not yet converted to the faith in regard of the substance of the pardon it self For the cleering of this to you I beseech you note what is the rise or ground-work of the pardon of sin Secondly note when this pardon of sin is compleat with God These two things considered you shal perceive that all the pardon in respect of the substance of it that God passeth over unto men he doth passe it over before their conversion Look I say upon the rise the true rise or originall of the pardon of sin is the gracious grant of God upon the blood of Christ shed This is the onely foundation of pardon I say Gods gracious grant upon the sheding of the blood of Christ there is no pardon appliable to any person in the world but what pardon is to be found in the word of Grace Thou that art a Believer at present thou hast the pardon of thy sins in thy spirit thou art assured of it Where hadst thou this pardon Didst thou not fetch it out of the word of Grace Then as soon as the word of Gods Grace was first published this Grace of the pardon of sin was held forth If thou foundest it not here thou found'st it some where else but tell me where will you have this Grant of God to build upon if you will not have it in the word of Grace You will say the Spirit of God will reveale it unto you It is true indeed but if the Spirit of the Lord doth reveal a grant to you of Grace it is according to his Word The Spirit speaking out of the word oâ— Grace to men speakes no otherwise but according to this word of Grace in men and if that there be a contradiction between the inward voyce and this word of Grace that is enough to give you cause of suspicion yea you may be confident that that voice within you in respect of such contradiction is a false voyce I say that the Lord Christ sends us unto his Word and from the word we take out the pardon of sin we have Now beloved I beseech you consider if all pardon to all the Elect to the end of the world be contained in this word of Grace there is no more pardon then what is written there then it must needs follow that God passed over his act of pardon of sin at that instant when he entred this pardon in the volume of his Book Is there no pardon till thou art converted and called then the pardon of all thy sins are not to be
Apostle saith there expresly To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not I delight in the Law of God in the inner man but in the mean while there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captive to the law of sin out of all which principles observe I beseech you these particulars First the Apostle though he did see he fell through infirmitie yet he cleerly perceived his heart was upright towards God so that he said To will is present with me the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill that I would not doe that do I. Though the Apostle was overtaken yet his heart was towards God still when he did evill his heart said plainly It is not with my consent when he could not do good his heart told him it was for lack of power and not because he did not desire it Now come to persons that walk exactly as the Apostle did they are overtaken with a sin what is there comfort when they do sin though I be overtaken the frame of my heart is right still my heart is sincere towards God my heart is right it is directly contrary to my disposition I do not do that evill I do with a full bent of my spirit and in regard my heart is thus right there is comfort to me though I have sinned Suppose your spirits were in that frame the Apostles was in at that time I ask but this Do you not draw comfort still from the plea of this disposition your spirits do make When you have committed a sin do you not fetch comfort from thence Ask your hearts and they will answer yea we have done so and we may do so I beseech you consider it well when the Apostle had argued the case thus what was the finall conclusion and the sole refuge that he doth flie unto or the plea that he would trust unto for his deliverance and comfort He doth not say in the conclusion I thank God to will is present with me I thank God my heart is in a good frame and temper though I was overtaken I say Paul doth not make use of this plea but he betakes himself to this I thank Gâ—d through Jesus Christ and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and it is the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death So that the whole refuge of the Apostle was not any inward disposition as if he could plead out comfort unto himselfe there-from but the plea was without himselfe even in Christ and therefore he gives thanks unto Christ for deliverance So in the 2. Chapter to the Philippians you shall heare the Apostle towards the beginning of the Chapter pleading the same thing there as he did here namely that it is not any righteousnesse that he can reach unto that he dare venture the plea upon or his own comfort upon First he tells us that touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse This was before his conversion you will say It is true but after his conversion he tells us also of a righteousness he had then But beloved doth Paul put out his own righteousnesse to plead for him Doth he expect his comfort or the Answer of Heaven for discharge upon the plea of that righteousnesse of his Nothing last for saith the Apostle there I account all things but losse and dung that I may be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ Surely beloved if the Apostle had reckoned that his righteousness could have had any force in plea he would never have rejected it as dung That man that thinketh he hath strength in an argument will not fling that argument away and not make mention of it for the triall of his cause if he thought there were any power in it But this the Apostle did hee accounted his righteousnesse dung even the righteousnesse of his after he was converted and in that regard he durst not be found in that but only in the righteousnes of God which is by faith in Christ He doth not simply say he would not be found in the righteousness of the Law but exclusively also he would not be found in his own righteousnesse so that he bâ—â—s out his own righteousnesse quite there shall no plea at all go along through his own righteousnesse The righteousness of Christ shall speak for his plea or else he would look for no good issue at all this beloved is the way Let me give one touch by way of application you may easily perceive how mightily people are mistaken and therefore no marvell they do live so uncomfortably no marvell they are in fear of death and thereby in bondage all their life long while they run for the refreshment of their spirits to their own righteousnesse to the plea of their own works and will have their hearts eased upon that righteousnesse that they themselves do whereas nothing gets a gracious discharge from their Father but only Christ and his righteousnesse Therefore beloved how ever it may go with some for a harsh thing to take men off from their own righteousnesse in respect of speaking comfort unto them and to lead them to the righteousnesse of Christ revealed in the Gospel as that from which they may draw all their comfort though this may found harsh to some people that have not been trained up in the way of the grace of God and in the freenesse of it revealed in the Gospel yet I doubt not but in time the Lord will be pleased to reveale to us that running to Christ out of our selves and disclaiming of our owne righteousnesse and seeking of comfort from it that leaving our own actions and all that can be imagined to be in us or can be done by us will be the thing that in the end will establish our hearts and spirits yea and fill them with joy and peace in believeing It remains that we should further confâ—ler one thing that I know startles some persons or at least lays blocks in their way before I can possibly come unto the righteousnesse of Christ it self that makes up the strength of plea with God for poor creatures Object Some will object Though all that we do of our own will not hold plea yet there is a righteousnesse of faith will some say and that pleads with the Father and that gets the discharge of sin from the Father Beloved there is some dispute about this point and I shall not desire to enter into it I shall onely in a few things endeavour to cleer up the truth as cleer as possibly I may that I may goe on Answ I answer in generall so far forth as the righteousness of faith is the righteousness of Christ there is strength in the plea of that
with persons in the death of all controversie between God and a person for that is reconciliation when persons that were at variaÌ„ce are now made friends all things that were objected between them areanfwered and no more for one to say against another I say if you speak of this reconciliation to God it is appropriated to the blood of Christ God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them But how will you say and by what means comes in this reconciliation In the 5. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and the 6. verse you shall see how they come to that reconciliation If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son now much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life So that reconciliation you see is attributed unto the death of Christ that was the last act of the â—on of God for man So againe You who were afarre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Here you see the same thing in substance given unto the blood of Christ though in other words Men that were afarre off men that God was at controversie with men who were at great distance from God by the blood of Christ are made nigh againe So likewise the satisfaction that God takes for the discharge of sin which God hath acknowledged is said to be the travell of the soul of Christ He shall see of the travell of his soule and he shall be satisfied with it The Apostle speaks in the generall in his Epistle to the Hebrews without blood there is no remission of sins Christ entred with his blood once into the holy of holies and thereby hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Infinite it were to quote Scripture for the illustration of this that to the sufferings of Christ which are indeed all summed up in his blood in the sheeding of blood because that was the last of all and the chiese of all all blessings are attenbuâ—ed â—s reconciliation adoption c. Thirdly beloved although it be most true that the active and passive obedience of Christs humane nature must concuâ— to make up a righteousnesse yet both these together are not enough â—here must be something more then all this That is strange will some say what can there be more required then the active and passive obedience of Christ to make up the righteousnesse of a person Is not that sufficient Let me tell you beloved what the Holy Ghost speaks of the righteousnesse whereby we come to be righteous and discharged from sin he speaks in a higher strain then to appâ—opriate it to the active and passive obedience of Christs humane nature only In the 10. to the Romans and verse 3. when the Apostle taxeth the Jews for going about to establish their own righteousnesse that which hee taxeth them withall is that they did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God Now the righteousnesse of God is manifested saith the same Apostle and in the 5. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians and the last verse He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him I say therefore beloved that the righteousnesse by which we attain to our discharge from sin and the pleading out of that discharge is the righteousnesse of God The righteousnesse that doth give the full discharge to persons from sin must have something that is proper to God himself conferred or added to the humane righteousnesse of Christ as giving dignity to it I say something that is proper to God himself must concur with the active and passive obedience of Christ to make up a compleat righteousness for the discharge of a sinner It is a known rule nothing can give more to another then it hath it self the very active and passive humane obedience of Christ can give no more to man then that active and passive obedience hath in it self Now man considered as a sinner hath need of more then barely the humane active and passive obedience of Christ to make him righteous the sin that man doth commit hath its extent according to the dignity of the person against whom the sin is committed You know beloved that crimes against Magistrates have a deeper tincture in them then any ordinary crime The self-same offence committed against a Prince that is committed against an inferiour person hath its additions of extent and hainousnesse according to the person of the Prince offended Now sin is committed against an infinite Majesty against an Infinite God and so hath a more deepnesse of tincture and filthinesse in proportion to the injury done to such a Majesty in that respect sin indeed becomes an infinite crime For still according to the injury done in respect of the person injured so is the offence you know the difference in slanders slander a poore man and it may be the action will not heare above ten pounds for it but slander a rich merchant whose credit goes far there men lay an action of a thousand pounds for the slander of such a man in regard of his degree the richman being greater then others and his credit being of greater value the offence in taking away his credit is so much the more hainous and higher Now by how much God is greater then man by so much is the hainousness of transgâ—ession coÌ„mitted against God beyond all other transgressions whatsoever Now beloved that righteousnesse that must save a person harmlesse must have an extent in it that may reach as far as the transgression branches it self forth Take unto your consideration the transgression committed against a Divine Majesty take the active and passive obedience of Christ as it is acted by his human nature only it 〈◊〉 but a created thing it is but a fiâ—ite thing 〈◊〉 cannot extend to such a height as to anâ—â—â—â—â—n proportion with the offence of the divine Majesty Beloved let it not seem strange that the very Godhead it self must confer something of its own to the active and passive righteousnesse of Christ to make it a compleat righteousness The divine nature doth give value and vertue to the obedience and sufferings of the human nature The divine nature addeth so much as to raise up that created obedience to an infinite value and height of worth All that I contend for at this time is but this very thing namely that the divine nature must give worth and that simply the active and passive obedience of the humane nature of Christ is not sufficient of it selfe without something of Gods own be communicated unto it to discharge a Believer from an infinite fault or guilt But what it is that God doth communicate more then this that he gives value to the humane righteousnesse and how he doth communicate it is a secret we know not But this we are sure of we are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and that righteousnesse of God is the
abundance of marrow and fatnesse in this very word and I doubt much of it is lost in respect of sense and comfort for lack of understanding the extent of the word That you may the better therefore dive into the mysterie of this Propitiation you must understand that the word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same originall and signification with the word the Septuagint translation doth use when they do interpret the Hebrew word that is rendred by Mercy-seat for Mercy-seat is here Propitiation he is our Propitiation that is he is our Mercy-seat And if you would know in Scripture what it is for Christ to be our Mercy-seat look into the 16. Chapter of Leviticus and the 14. and 15. verses you shall there finde the main end for which this was erected by the Lord For of all those Ordinances that the Lord did establish among the Jews this Mercy-seat was the uppermost Now if you mark in the 16. Chapter of Leviticus you shall finde three things especially appropriated unto the Mercy-seat The first is the sweet incense that none ought to make upon pain of death but Aaron alone that incense must burn upon the Golden Altar every morning before the Mercy-seat Secondly you shall finde that the most notable of all the Rites and Types of the Jews was to be prepared before the Mercy-seat the Type of the Scape Goat with the Live Geat as you may finde it registered there and handled at large in that Chapter The Live Goat must be brought before the Mercy-seat and Aaron must lay his hand upon the head of it and then the Scape Goat must be sent into the Wildernesle and carry the sins of the people into a land of forgetfulnesse Thirdly at this Mercy-seat as it is in Exod. 30. chap. vers 6. the Lord did appoint to meet with Moses and there to speak graciously unto him and there God will hear him speak and God will be heard to speak and will return his gracious answer at the Mercy-seat Well then to come to the businesse in hand that I may cleer it the better Christ is our Mercy-seat that is the incense or the sweet savour that smells with acceptance and delight in the nostrils of the Lord as I may so speak I say that which makes a sweet savour is the Mercy-seat Incense had it been burned any where else but here according to the appointment and commission of the Lord every morning the very place it self being changed would have taken away the savour of the Incense before the Lord therefore the Mercy-seat is that for which the incense becomes a sweet savour as much as to say all our prayers and all our duties and services notwithstanding our sins being believers become as a sweet savour to the Lord as they are presented up before the Mercy-seat by Christ he is the Propitiation then that is it is he by whom our persons and performances become a sweet savour to the Lord a sweet incense Again the Scape Goat and the Live Goat to be slain were to be prepared before the Mercy-seat as much as to say our sins â—re carryed away into a land of forgetfulnesse by vertue of Christ as the Scape Goat being presented before the Mercy-seat was made a type capable to carry away the sins of the people in 〈◊〉 a Land of forgetfulnesse So that as we are presented unto God in and through Christ 〈◊〉 our sins are carryed by Christ into a land of â—rgetfulnesse Lastly before this Mercy-seat the Lord appeared and at the Mercy-seat God will return his gracious answer as much as to say in Christ and through Christ the Lord returns â—ll the gracious answers that are returned to â—is people upon earth Not a voyce of grace â—ot a voyce of peace not a voyce of comfort is â—o be heard but at the Mercy-seat For mark â—t well you shall finde God hath made over all â—hat gracious language of heaven unto his Son Christ and only unto his Son Christ there â—ame this voyce from heaven when he was bapâ—ized This is my beloved Son in whom I am â—ell pleased But upon the Mount the voyce was 〈◊〉 little more plain for upon the Mount it â—ith This is my beloved Son in whom I am well â—leased hear him as much as to say all the grace I have to speak to men I have put it into the mouth of Christ my Son and not a voyce is to be expected of grace from me but as 〈◊〉 cometh out of the mouth of my Son there is not a word of comfort to be heard but as it is spoken from the Mercy-seat so that putting these three things together in respect of the sacrifice of the Scape Goat the Text in Leviticus telling us of an atonement that is made by the presenting of this sacrifice before the Mercy-seat In a word the sum of all is this 1. In and through Christ our Advocate we become a sweet favour to the Lord. 2. There is an atonement made with the Lord for us our sins being carryed into a land of forgetfulnesse 3. And in Christ the Lord doth speak all the gracious language of heaven to us Now whereas at this Mercy-seat the speciall thing intimated unto us is the atonement that is made It seems that propitiation hath reference in the signification of it to atonement as when a man desires one that is at variance with him that he would be propitious that is to say he would admit of a propitiation or atonement Now that you may know what atonement is and so propitiation likewise Look into the 5. of the Romans and the 9. and 10. verses there saith the Apostle If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God â—y the death of his Son much more being reconciâ—ed shall we be saved by his life Reconciliation What is that Mark what follows and not only so but we rejoyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have received atonement First you see he makes a Proposition hypothetically by way of supposition If when we were eâ—emies we were reconciled much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life And in the next words the Apostle proves that there is reconciliation or rather shews the fruits of it being obtained We rejoyce saith he In what We rejoyce in him by whom we have received the atonement What is atonement Atonement in this place is but the reconciliation which Christ makes between God and persons So that thâ— upshot is Propitiation indeed comes at the last or runs at the last into this cistern namely reconciliation with God herein lyeth the efficacy of the plea of Christ for his people committing sin Christ is the Mercy-seat the Propitiation the Atonement or Reconciliation This is the issue of the plea of Christ when Christ doth plead for discharge this pleading produceth reconciliation between God and this person If we could but dive into the mysterie of reconciliation between God and us