and this the Apostle speaks out yet more plainly by him we have an access unto the Father Ephes 2.18.3.12 and in him we have boldness and access with confidence I shall a little enlarge on both these Texts recorded for our instruction in the Law and Gospel in the Old and in the New Testament First we find in the Law Exod. 28.14 that Aaron was to put two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel and so Aaron was to bear the names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial And again Aaron was to bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Ver. 29. Here we find the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel ingraven in stones which the high-Priest usually took with him into the holy place when he appear'd before the Lord first upon his humeral and then upon his pectoral in both shewing that he entred into that place not only or principally in his own behalf but in behalf of the Tribes whom he presented before the Lord that they might be in continual remembrance with the Lord a lively Type of Christ's Intercession who being entred into the Heavens he there appears in the behalf of his Elect and he presents their persons to his Father bearing them as it were upon his shoulders and upon his heart why thus Christ takes our persons into heaven and represents them in his own person to his Father Secondly we find in the Gospel a gracious promise Ephes 2.18 3.12 that by Christ we have access unto the Father and in Christ we have access with confidence Where the word access 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly a manuduction or leading by the hand to God an introduction or bringing into God alluding to the custome in Princes Courts where none may come into the presence-Chamber unless they be led or brought in by some Favourite or Courtier there thus none may have access into the presence of God unless they are brought in by this Favourite of heaven the Lord Jesus Christ whose very office it is to bring men unto God he takes us by the hand and leads us to the Father q. d. Come Souls come along with me and I will carry you to the Father Look how a child that haâ—h run away from his Father is taken by the hand of a friend or of his â—lder brother and so brought again into the presence of his Father even so all we having run away from God are by the good hand of Christ taken up and led again into the presence of the Father he is that Ladder that Jacob saw upon whom we ascend into the bosome of God and into heaven he is that high-Priest that takes our persons and bears them on his shoulders and on his heart sustaining our persons and presenting our conditions unto his Father and our Father unto his God and our God 5. Christs Intercession consists in the presenting of our duties unto God Not only doth he take our persons and leads and carry them into the presence of God but together with our persons he presents all our services in his own person Now in this act he doth these two things 1. He observes what evil or what falling is in our duties and he draws that out and takes it away before he presents them unto God or as a child that would present his Father with a posie he goes into the garden and gathers flowers and weeds together but coming to his Mother she picks out the weeds and binds up the flowers by themselves and so it is presented to the Father thus we go to duty and we gather weeds and flowers together but Christ comes and picks out the weeds and so presents nothing but flowers to God the Father and this is plainly set forth by that ceremony of the high-Priest in taking away the iniquity of their holy things Exod. 28.36.37.38 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the ingravings of a Signet holiness to the Lord and thou shalt put it on a blew lace that it may be upon the Mitre upon the fore-front of the Mitre it shall be And it shall be on Aarons fore-head that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord This was the manner of the Ceremony and this was the end of the Ceremony that Aaron might bear and take away the iniquity of their holy things what was this but a Type of Jesus Christ who with his most absolute righteousness covereth all the defects of our good works which are still spotted with some defect Isa 64.6 Alas all our righteousness are as filthy rags but Christ draws out the evil of duty and failings in duty before he will present them unto God 2. He observes what good there is in any of our duties or performances and with that he mingles his own prayers and Intercessions and presents all as one work interwoven or mingled together unto God the Father And another Angel stood at the Altar having a golden Conser Rev. 8.3 4. and there was given unto him much Incense 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 I know there is a controversie who this Angel should be that with the Incense mingles the prayers of all Saints some conjecture him to be a created Angel in that the incense or ordours are said to be given to him and not to be his own or to have them of himself others say he could be no other but the Angel of the Covenant for no Angel doth intercede or present our prayers but Jesus Christ as for that which is spoken concerning the seven Angels presenting the Saints prayers I am Raphael one of the seven holy Angels which present the prayers of the Saints We say it is no canonical Scripture Tobit 12 1â— nor is it authorized by any canonical Scripture besides I cannot think that the Priests were types of Angels but only of Christ Again howsoever the Greek Copies so read that Text yet the antient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius and Jerome who translated it out of the Caldee as Master Mede on Zachar. 4.10 avoucheth reads it thus I am Raphael one of the seven Angels which stand and minister before the glory of the holy One. And certainly in this Text of Revel 8.3 4. There is a figurative description of an heavenly service correspondent to that which was performed in the Temple namely that the people being without at
counsel of his own will Ephes 1.11 And elsewhere the Apostle speaks of the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. And again he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling Ephes 3 1 2 Tim. 1.1 not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began All these hold forth this truth That God purposed in himself from all eternity to bring them whom he foreknew to life and to salvation This purpose of God in order of nature comes before predestination Ephes 1.11 in that we are said to be predestinate according to his purpose and yet it must needs follow after his foreknowledg and counsel for first he loves before he will purpose and every purpose is established by counsel yea without counsel purposes saith the wise man are disappointed why then first he counsels I speak after the manner of men and then he foreknows Prov. 20.18 Pâ—ov 15.22 i.e. either he knows whom he will choose for God doth not blindly choose he knows not whom or else he sets his love to life on some he knows them with a knowledg of approbation and then he settles a purpose to bring them to life whom he so foreknows in that especial and unspeakable way This purpose of God speaks our stability and certainty of salvation in Christ when God once purposeth it is past altering Surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass and as I have purposed saith God so shall it stand Isa 14.24 you may write upon it that Gods purposes are immutable Would not Paul lightly alter purposes taken up by him when I therefore was thus minded saith he did I use lightness or the thing that I purpose 1 Cor. 1 1â— do I purpose according to the flesh that with me there should be yea yea and nay nay would not Paul I say alter his purpose and will God think you alter his methinks this word speaks to me as if I heard God say from all eternity it is my purpose to save a remnant of mankind though all are lost by sin yet my wisdom hath found out a way to choose out some and though those some those few I have purposed to save stand in very slippery places yet I will be the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13 8 I foresee indeed many thousands of failings and exasperations to alter the purpose that I have towards my people I foresee their daily provocations of my justice I foresee their many lusts within and their many enemies without I foresee that grace inherent I will give them to be as mutable to all the progeny as in their father Adam and if I leave them in the hands of their own councel they cannot but depart daily from me even as water though it could be made as hot as fire yet being left unto it self it will quickly reduce work it self to its own original coldness again I foresee them in their best condition at full Sea at their highest tyde of grace to be as changeable and movable several ways as wheels to be as perplexed hindered and distracted in themselves as cross wheels in one another grace swaying one way and flesh another way and what stability can I think in such why yet says God yet I purpose to bring this little flock to heaven my purpose is in and from my self and I am God and not man and therefore I cannot repent nor call in the purpose which now I have have I said and shall not I do it have I spoken Numb 23.15 and shall I not make it good yes yes my purposes must stand and for this purpose I will set my Son betwixt my people and my self so that if they sin I will look on him and by that means I will see no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel and for this purpose I will joyn to the wheels the living creatures that when the living creatures go the wheels shall go Numb 23.21 and when the living creatures stand they shall stand and when the living creatures are lifted up from the earth the wheels shall be lifted up against them Ezek 1.21 for the spirit of the living creatures shall be in the weels my meaning is that my Saints shall not have their stability from themselves for they are like wheels but they shall have it from me and from my Son unto whom by the same spirit of life they shall be united Thus may I imagine the Lord from all eternity to say and speak and purpose with himself and surely his purposes must stand upon this account Rom 11.29 for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance SECT VIII The Decree THE Decree of God concerning mans salvation before the foundation of the world appears in these texts I will declare the decree saith God what was that why concerning Christ Psa 2.7 8 and concerning the Church thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession It was Gods Decree to give out of Jews and Gentiles a Church to Christ and this Decree was made in that day of eternity when the Son of God was begotten of his Father This Decree in Scripture-phrase hath several titles 1. It is the very same with that which we usually call predestination for what is predestination but a Decree of God concerning the different preparations of Grace whereby some are guided infallibly unto salvation predestination is a Decree both of the means and end a Decree of giving Grace effectual unto some persons here and of bringing the same persons unto glory hereafter This Decree this predestination this golden chain of the means and end Rom. 8 30 is set down by the Apostle Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified As God hath predestinated some to life and glory so he hath predestinated them to be called and justified before they be glorified whomsoever the Lord hath decreed to save them hath he also decreed to sanctifie before they come to injoy that salvation Eccles 1.4 God have chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be first holy and then hapy 2 Thes 2 13. See how these are twisted by the Apostle once and again God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth I have heard of some blasphemous reasonings if we are predestinate to be saved we may live as we list for howsoever we live though never so wickedly yet we shall be saved O fearful O devilish reasoning surely this comes from the Devil and not from God or his
shew you the Word of the Lord. Deut. 5 5. The Vulgar renders it thus Ego sequestor medius I was a Mediatour a Midler betwixt God and you and so Christ Jesus he is a Mediatour a Midler an Interpreter an Inter-messenger betwixt God and his People 2. The Reasons of Christs being a Prophet were these 1. That he might reveal and deliver to his people the will of his Father 2. That he might open and expound the same being once delivered 3. That he might make his Saints to understand and to believe the same being once opened 1. As a Prophet he delivers to the people his Fathers will both in his own Person and by his Servants the Ministers In his own Person when he was upon earth as a Minister of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 Heb. 2 3. and by his Servants the Ministers from the beginning of their mission till the end of the World Thus the Gospel is called A great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Christ in his own personal preaching is said but to have begun to teach Acts 1.1 and the consummate publication was the sending of the holy Ghost to these Select Vessels who were to carry abroad this Treasure unto all the world it was begun by the Lord and it was confirmed by them that were the Disciples of the Lord. In this respect we cannot look on the publishing of the Gospel to the world but as very glorious was there not a resemblance of state and glory in the preaching of Christ You have heard how a forerunner was sent to prepare his way as an Herald to proclaim his approach and then was revealed the glory of the Lord but because the publication was not consummate till afterwards Eph. 4.8 Christ carries it on in greater state afterwards than he did before When he ascended up on high he then led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men as Princes in time of their solemn inauguration do some special Acts of magnificence and Honour they proclaim Pardons open Prisons Create Nobles fill Conduits with wine so Christ to testifie the glory of his Gospel at the day of his instalment and solemn readmission into his Fathers glory he proclaims the Gospel gives gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints Ver. 12. for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ 2. As a Prophet he opens and expounds the Gospel Thus being in the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day Luke 4.17 18 21. he opened the book and he found the place where it was written the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. and then he closed the book and said Luke 24.27 this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And thus joyning himself with two of his Disciples going towards Emmaus he begun at Moses and all the Prophets and he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself the Prophesies of Christ were dark and hard to be understood and therefore Christ came down from Heaven to discover such truths John 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven i.e. to be acquainted with Gods secrets but he that came down from Heaven the gracious purpose of God towards lost mankind was a secret locked up in the breast of the Father and so it had been even to this day had not Christ who was in the bosome of the Father and one of his Privy Council revealed it unto us hence Christ is called the Interpreter of God Mat. 11.27 no man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him by his interpretation Luke 24.45 Acts 10.14 3. As a Prophet he gives us to understand and to believe the Gospel Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and thus was the Case of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened he that first opens Scriptures at last opens hearts He is that true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 he enlightens every believer not only with a common natural light but with a special supernatural light of saving spiritual and effectual knowledge now there is no Prophet can do this save only Jesus Christ he only is able to cause our hearts to believe and to understand the matter which he doth teach and reveal other Prophets may plant and water Paul may plant and Apollo may water but he and only he can give the increase other Prophets may teach and Baptize but unless Christ come in by the powerful presence of his Spirit 1 Pet. 2.5 Psal 127.1 they can never be able to save any one poor soul We as lively stones are built up a spiritual house saith Peter but except the Lord do build this house they labour in vain that build it O alas who is able to breath the Spirit of life into these dead stones John 5.25 but he of whom it is written The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live Who can awaken a dead soul out of a dead sleep And who can give light unto these blind eyes of ours but he of whom it is written Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light 3. The Excellencies of Christ above all other Prophets are in these respects 1. Other Prophets were but Types and shadows of this great Prophet even Moses himself was but a figure of him Acts 7.37 A Prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me saith Moses these words Like unto me do plainly shew that Moses was at the best but an image and shadow of Christ now as substances do far excel shadows so doth Christ far excel all the Prophets they were but shadows and forerunners to him 2. Other Prophets revealed but some part of Gods will and only at sometimes God saith the Apostle at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time-past unto the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1.1 i.e. he let out his light by little and little till the Day-star and Sun of Righteousness arose Ver. 2. but in these last dayes he hath spoken by his Son i.e. he had spoken more fully and plainly in this respect saith the Apostle the heirs of Life and Salvation were but children before Christs incarnation Gal. 14.1 2. As now we see but through a glass darkly towards what we shall do in the life to come so did they of old in comparison of us their light in comparison of ours was but an obscure and glimmering light Christs discovery of himself then was but a standing behind the wall a looking forth of the window Cant. 2.9 a shewing of himself through the
that treadeth in the wine-fat q. d. here 's nothing but skars and wounds and blood if thou art so mighty to save How comes thy apparrel to be so red and sprinkled or stained with blood to which Christ answers I have troden the wine-press alone and I will tread them in mine anger I was troad and pressed till the very blood streamed out of my hands and feet and side so pressed that they pressed the very soul out of my body See here Behold my hands and my feet and my side that it is I my self I have tread the wine-press alone But as I was troad so I will tread up he gets and he treads on them that troad on him his enemies of Edom and Bozrah are now like so many clusters under his feet and he tramples upon them as upon Grapes in a fat till he makes the blood spring out of them and all to sprinkle his garments as if he had come out of the wine press indeed See here a double sight his own blood and his enemies blood here 's the blood of the Lamb that was slain and the blood of the Dragon that was troaden upon here 's a show both of his passion and his resurrection of his suffering and triumphing another text of this nature And one shall say unto him What are these wounds in thy hands then he shall answer Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 I know in the stead of Christ some have imployed these words to the false Prophets as if they had passed through the Churches discipline and so had received their wounds But others refer them to Jesus Christ of whom without controversy the next verse speaks and of whom the first verse of this chapter speaks and to whom after a long Parenthesis the Prophet seems to return And one shall say unto him who was the fountain opened what are these wounds in thy hands or as the Septuagint in the midst of thy hands a wonder it is to see those prints and skars in the hands of Christ and therefore is the question What are these wounds to which Christ answers Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends i.e. in the house of my beloved the children of Israel my brethren according to the flesh the people of the Jews why these are the wounds they gave me and which now I shew as the signs of my victory and as the marks of my resurrection Thus far of the first head the apparition of Christ 2. For the fruits of this apparition they contain Thomas's confession and Christ's commendation of him in some respects 1. Thomas's confession And Thomas answered and said unto him my Lord my God a few words but of great weight 1. He acknowledgeth Christ a Lord Mat. 28.18 into whose hands are put the very keys of heaven all power is given unto me in heaveâ— in earth 2. He acknowlegeth Christ God whom he saw with his eyes and felt with his hands he looks on not as a meer man but as God and as the second person in the God-head 3. He acknowledgeth Christ to be his Lord and his God this apropriating of Christ is the right character of a faith by which he brings home all the benefits of Christ unto his own soul I shall a while insist on all these 1. He acknowledgeth Christ a Lord How is he a Lord I answer 1. By essence as God is Lord so Christ is Lord the Father is Lord the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost is Lord and yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. 2. By creation Christ is before all things saith the Apostle and by him all things consist Col. 1.17 This very thing is an argument of his Lordship To us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.9 by whom are all things and we by him 3. By redemption unction office and Mediatorship unto which he was designed by his Father Act. 2.36 and therefore the Apostle saith that God hath made him Lord and Christ he is a Lord by his office and by the accomplishment of his office in dying rising and reviving he became Lord both of quick and dead For to this end Christ both dyed and rose Rom. 14 9. and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living And thus he is a Lord in two respects 1. A Lord in Authority to command whom and what he will he only is Lord over our persons over our faith over our consciences to him only we must say Lord what wilt thou have me to do Lord save us or we perish 2. A Lord be is in power he hath power to forgive and power to cleanse he hath power to justifie and power to sanctifie he hath power to quicken and power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him he hath power to hold fast his sheep and power to cast out the accuser of the brethren he hath power to put down all his enemies and power to subdue all things unto himself in every of these respects Christ is a Lord. True say blasphemers he is Lord by office but he is not Lord by essence as God is Lord No peruse some texts in the Old Testament where the title of Lord is essentially spoken of and we shall find the very same texts and titles applyed to Christ in the New Testament As for instance in Isa 6.5 Woe is me saith Esay for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hoasts now this John refers to Christ these things saith Esaias when he saw his Glory Isa 6.5 and speak of him In Psal 68.17 18. the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men now this the Apostle applyes to Christ when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men In Psal 110.1 Psal 110.1 the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand Joh. 12.41 until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool Now this Jesus Christ applies to himself Psal 68.17 saying that David in spirit called him Lord saying the Lord said unto my Lord. In Isa 40.3 the voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord now this the Evangelist applies to Christ Eph. 4.8 This is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esay saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord. No wonder if Thomas call Christ Lord why both the Old and New-Testament agree in this that Christ is Lord Lord by creation and Lord by redemption Lord by office and Lord by essence Mat. 2.44 45. Isa 4.5 Mat. 3.3 2. He acknowledgeth Christ to be God as well as Lord my Lord and my God But how is he God I answer not only by participation similitude or in some
where they were sitting to signifie that all the other houses in Jerusalem felt none of this mighty rushing wind there was no assembly of Saints in any part of the City but only in this house or if any other assembly might be this Spirit blew upon none of them where these men were not that and only that house is filled where they were sitting And this point of blowing upon one certain place is a property very suitable to the Spirit of God the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof John 3.8 but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whether it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit The Spirit blows where it will and upon whom it will and they shall plainly feel it and others about them not one jot have we not sometimes the experiences of this in our very congregations one sound is heard one breath doth blow and it may be one or two and no more hears the sound or feels the breath inwardly savingly it may be one here and another there shall feel the Spirit shall be affected and touched with it sensibly but twenty on this side them and forty on that side them sit all becalmed and go their way no more moved than when they came into Gods presence Oh that this Spirit of the Lord would come daily and constantly into our congregations Oh that it would blow through them and through them O that it would fill every soul in the assembly with the breath of heaven come holy Spirit awake O North-Wind Cant 4.16 and come thou South-Wind and blow upon our Gardens that the spices thereof may flow out 6. He came down in the form of Tongues As one saith well This Wind brought Tongues even a whole showre of Tongues The Apostles were not only inspired for their now benefit but they had gifts bestowed on them to impart the benefit to more their themselves But why did the holy Ghost appear like Tongues I answer 1. The Tongue is a symbole of the holy Ghosts proceeding from the Word of the Father as the Tongue hath the nearest affinity with the word and is moved by the word of the heart to express the same by the sound of the voice so the holy Ghost hath the nearest affinity that may be with the Word of God and is the expresser of his voice and the speaker of his will 2. The Tongue is the sole instrument of Knowledge which conveighs the same from man to man though the Soul be the Fountain from whence all wisdom springs yet the Tongue is the Channel and the conduit-pipe whereby this Wisdom and Knowledge is communicated and Tansferred from man to man in like manner the holy Ghost is the sole Author and Teacher of all Truth though Christ be the Wisdom of God yet the holy Ghost is the Teacher of this Wisdom to men And hence it is that the holy Ghost appeared in the form of Tongues And yet not meerly in the form of Tongues but thus qualified 1. They were Cloven Tongues to signifie that the Apostles should speak in divers Languages if there must be a calling of the Gentiles they must needs have the Tongues of the Gentiles wherewith to call them if they were debtors not only to the Jews Rom 1.14 but to the Grecians nor only to the Grecians but to the Barbarians also then must they have the tongues not only of the Jews but of the Grecians and Barbarians to pay this debt and to discharge this duty of go and teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 Surely this gift was bestowed for the propagating of the Gospel far and wide The tongues were cloven that the Apostles might speak all Languages and that all Nations of the World whithersoever they came might hear them and understand them speaking in their own Tongues 2. They were fiery Tongues to signifie that there should be an efficacy or fervour in their speaking the World was so over-whelmed with ignorance and errour that the Apostles lips had need to be touched with a coal from the Altar Tongues of flesh would not serve the turn nor words of air but there must be fire put into the Tongue and Spirit of life into the words they speak with such a tongue Christ speak himself when they said of him did not our hearts burn within us Luke 24.32 while he spake unto us by the way and with such a tongue Peter spake at this time Acts 2.73 something like fire fell from him on their hearts when they were pricked in their hearts and said men and brethren what shall we do Oh that we of the Ministry had these fiery Tongues O that the Spirit would put his live-coal into our speeches Oh that our Sermons were warming Sermons may we not fear that the Spirit is gone whiles the people are dead and we are no more lively in our Ministry it is said of Luther that when he heard one preach very faintly cold cold sayes he this is cold preaching here 's no heat at all to be gotten Oh when the Spirit comes it comes with a tongue of fire instead of words sparks of fire will fall from us on the hearts of hearers 3. These cloven tongues sate upon each of them to signifie their constancy and continuance they did not light and touch and away after the manner of butterflies but they sate they abode still they continued steddy without any stirring or starting This was the privy sign by which John the Baptist knew Jesus to be Christ upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him John 1.33 the same is he which Baptiseth with the holy Ghost It was not only the Spirits descending but the Spirit 's remaining on him Psal 51.10 that was the Sign The Spirit of God is a constant Spirit it abides on the Soul to whom it is given and therefore the Psalmist describes these great Transactions of Christ to this very end that the Spirit might dwell with us thou hast ascended on high Psal 68.18 thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Not only that he might stay and lodg for a night as a way-fairing man that comes to his Inn and then is gone in the morning no no but that he might take up his residence and dwell in them I know it is a question whether the holy Ghost may be lost but certainly of the Elect he is never totally or wholly lost only I dare not say but as touching many gifts he may be lost even of the Elect themselves David after his sins was forced to cry Psal 51.11 12. cast me not away from thy presence O Lord and take not thy holy Spirit from me restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit we find here that in respect of some gifts even of regeneration the
some Pastors and Teachers Three of these gifts are now gone and their date is out but in the same place we find Pastors and Teachers and them we have still Oh how may this teach us to think of such even of Pastors and Teachers as of the special gifts and favours of Jesus Christ if one special friend should but send us from a far Countrey one of his chief servants would we not welcome him Christ now is in Heaven and he sends us Ministers as the stewards of his house sure if we have any love to Christ The vâ—ry feet of them would be precious and beautifull Rom. 10.15 who bring us glad tydings of peace Again the Apostle tells us in another place that there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and diversities of calling but the same Lord or Christ 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 and diversities of works but the same God and Father worketh all in all Christs errand being done and he gone up on high the Spirit came down and in Christ's stead established order in the Church which order or establishment is here set down by gifts callings and works Here is first a Gift Secondly a Calling Thirdly a Work Gifts are ascribed to the Spirit Callings to Christ and Works to God even to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ where the Spirit ends Christ begins and where Christ ends God begins if no gift we must stay there and never meddle with the calling and if no calling we must stay there and never meddle with the Work first the Spirit comes and bestows the Gift and then Christ comes and bestows the Calling and then God the Father comes and sets us to the Work the gift is for the calling and the gift and calling are both for the Work And if this be the order established by the Spirit in his Church Oh what shall we say of them that either have no gifts yet step into the calling as if there were no need of the Holy Ghost or that have no calling and yet will fall upon the work utterly against the mind and rule of Jesus Christ Oh what the poor Church of Christ suffers at this time in these respects certainly these men have no commission from the holy spirit he was never sent to them that brâ—ak this order first gifts and then Calling and then the Work But why doth the Spirit endow men with gifts surely saith the Apostle to this end 1 Cor. 12.7 to profit withall Gifts are given for the good of others gifts are for edifying we should not contemn them gifts are a blessing of God and therefore we aâ—e to endeavour after them 1 Tim. 4.15 1 Cor. 12.31 Let thy profiting appear to all and covet earnestly the bâ—st gifts And yet sayes Paul I shew unto you a more excellent way and that was true grace of which he discourseth in the next Chapter and this brings in another reason of the Spirits mission 5. That the Holy Ghost might according to his Office endow men with graces In doing this he first gives the inward principle and habit of grace and then the fruit or actings of grace 1. He gives a Power an Habit a spiritual Ability a Seed a Spring a principle of Grace whatsoever we call it I cannot conceive it to be a nâ—w faculty added to those which are in men by nature A man when he is regenerate hath no more faculties in his soul than he had before he was regenerate only in the work of â—egeneration those abilities which the man had are Improved to work spiritually as before naturally as our Bodies in the resurrection from the dead shall have no more nor other parts than they have at present only those which are now natural shall thâ—n by the Power of God be made Spiritual 1 Cor. 15.44 Now this Principle is infused or poured in by the Spirit of God and hence he is called The spirit of sanctification 2. He gives the fruit or actings of Grace 2 Thes 2.13 Gal. 5.22.23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Some call these the diversifications of the actings of that spiritual principle within us certainly the spirit doth not only at first infuse the principles of grace but he doth also enable us to act and improve those blessed principles Phil. 2.13 he doth not only give us power to Holy actions but he works also the Holy actions themselves God works in us not only to will but to do God hath a two-fold grace psal 119.88 initial and converting exciting and quickning in respect of this last David prayes Quicken me after thy loving kindness O Lord and so shall I keep thy testimonies This is the actuating grace that we need every hour and every moment and must pray for more earnestly than we would pray for our daily bread Two priviledges more especially flow from this Heb. 4.16 As 1. Hereby the soul will be kept from negligence and dulness from gross and soul sins the Apostle calls it grace to help in time of need Oh this is admirable when grace comes in the very nick of need it may be sometime or other thou wert even falling into such and such a sin it may be thou wert sometime or other drowning in such and such a wickedness and this exciting quickning grace came in and kept up thy head above the waters 2. Hereby the soul will be kept in a frame for every duty if the spirit come but with exciting quickning grace then it is ready to say My heart is prepared O Lord my heart is prepared I can now do and suffer thy Will sometimes the principle of grace lies still within us and begins to rust but then comes the Holy Ghost and breaths upon our souls and so it excites and quickens and commands faith patience zeal and other graces to be in exercise and this is as it were the file to take off the rust it s the whetting of the edge it s the stirring up of the coals into a mighty flame Christians have you not clear â—xperimental demonstrations of this truth sometimes you are on the wing of duty and sometimes you are dull and dead sometimes the least temptation the least snare is ready to make you fall and sometimes again though strong winds and tempests blow upon you yet you are able to stand like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Oh what 's the reason of the difference surely according to the incomes of the Spirit of God this difference comes not from our selves but from the Spirit as this exciting quickning grace is ready or a far off so is our condition you know what changes David usually found in his own heart sometimes he was able to trust in God and at other times he was so cast down as if he had no strength within him and whence all this but from the ebbings and flowings of exciting quickning
Students beat out their brains on lesser subjects what endeavours have there been to dive into the secrets of Nature what volumes have been written of Physicks Metaphysicks Mathematicks and is not this subject Christ is not every of these subjects Christ's Ascension Christ's Mission of the holy spirit of more worth and value and benefit than all those come study that piece of the Bible wherein these are written there is not a line or expression of Christ in the Scripture but 't is matter enough for a whole Age to comment on thou needest not to leave old principles for new discoveries for in these very particulars thou mightest find successive sweetness unto all eternity SET II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation for us in these particulars We must not only study to know these things but we must meditate on them till they come down from our heads to our hearts Meditation is the poize that sets all the wheels within a going it were to small purpose to bid us desire hope believe love joy c. if first we did not meditate in meditation it is that the understanding works that the will is inclined to follow that devotion is refreshed that saith is encreased hope established love kindled and therefore begin here O my soul it is a due consideration that gives both life and light and motion to thy actings in all proceedings And to take them in order 1. Consider of Christ's Ascension into Heaven Methinks souls should put themselves into the condition of the Disciples Acts 1.10 When they looked stedfastly towards heaven as Christ went up What shall he ascend and shall not we in our contemplations follow after him gaze O my soul on this wonderfull object thou needest not fear any check from God or Angel so that thy contemplation be spiritual and divine No sooner had Christ finished his work of redemption here on earth but on the Mount called Olivet he assembles with his Disciples where having given them commands he begins to mount and being a little lifted up into the Ayr presently a Cloud receives him into her lap Herein is a clear demonstration of his Godhead Clouds are usually in Scriptures put for the House or Temple or Receptacle of God himself How often is it said that The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud Exod. 16.10 19 9.-24.16.-34.5 Isa 19.1 psal 104.3 And that He came to Moses in a thick cloud and that he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud and that the Lord descended in the cloud Is not the Cloud God's own Chariot Behold the Lord rideth on a swift cloud and O Lord my God thou art very great saith David great indeed and he proves it thus Who maketh the clouds his Chariot Jesus Christ in his ascension to heaven enters by the way into a cloud this was his chariot led by thousands and ten thousands of his Angels psal 68.17 18 The Chariots of God are Twenty thousand even thousands of Angels the Lord is among them in Sinai in the holy place thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men Some are of opinion that not only thousands of Angels led this chariot but that many of the Saints which slept and rose with Christ at his resurrection now ascended with him and compassed about this glorious cloud English Annotations on Eph. 4.8 whence they give this for the meaning of the text that when he went up through the ayr and ascended up on high he led captivity captive that is he led a certain number of captives namely the Saints that were long held in captivity of death whose bodies arose at Christ's resurrection and now they accompanied Christ at his triumphant march into heaven However he was attended be not too curious O my soul in this the bright cloud that covered his body discovered his Divinity and therefore here is thy duty to look stedfastly towards heaven and to worship him in his ascension up into heaven O admire and adore But stay not thy contemplation in the cloud he ascends yet higher through the Ayr and through the Clouds and through that sphere or element of fire and through those Orbs of the Moon Mercury Mars of the Sun Jupiter Venus Saturn and through that azure Heaven of fixed Stars and through that first moveable and through those condence and solid waters of the Christaline Heaven nor stood he still till he came to those doors and gates of the Empyreal Heaven called The heaven of heavens in all this triumphant glorious march some tell us of an heavenly harmony made by those Choristers of Heaven Cypr. in Serm. Ascens Psal 4.5 the blessed Angels Some going before and some going after they chant his praises and sing Hallelujahs and that is the meaning of the Psalmist God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet In this meditation pass not over thy duty which immediately follows Sing praises unto God Ver. 6. Psal 68. â— sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extol him that rideth upon the heavens by the Name â—ah and rejoyce before him Thou hast great cause O my soul to praise him and to rejoyce before him especially if thou considerest that Christ ascended not for himself but also for thee it is God in our nature that is gone up to heaven whatever God acted on the person of Christ that he did as in thy behalf and he means to act the very same on thee Christ as a publick person ascended up to heaven thy interest is in this very ascension of Jesus Christ and therefore dost thou consider thy Head as soaring up O let every Member praise his Name let thy Tongue called thy glory glory in this and trumpet out his praises that in respect of thy duty it may be verified Christ is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet And yet stay not by the way but consider further Christ being now arrived at Heavens doors those heavenly spirits that accompanied him began to say Psal 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates even lift up your selves yea everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in to whom some of the Angels that were within not ignorant of his person but admiring his majesty and Glory said again Who is the King of Glory and then they answered The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel Ver. 8. Rev. 21.12 and thereupon those Twelve gates of the Holy City of new Jerusalem opened of their own accord and Jesus Christ with all his ministring Spirits entred in O my soul how should this heighten thy joy and enlarge thy comforts in that Christ is now received up into glory every sight of Christ is glorious and in every sight thou shouldst wait
his praise and bidding him welcome into glory and am I sinning here on earth and by my sins crucifying again and again the Lord of glory O that I might ascend with Christ O that I were now on the wing towards heaven Oh what is it that hinders my ascension but this clog of clay so long as this body remains a natural body I cannot ascend oh therefore that the change were come Oh that this natural body were spirituall that this corruptible had put on incorruption and this mortal had put on immortality then could I move upwards as well as downwards such is the supernatural property of a glorified body that it ascends or descends with equal case or if this be not possible for my present condition if this body if mine must first descend before it ascend if it must down into the grave before it go up into glory why yet Oh that my better part were on the wing Oh that my soul were mounting upwards Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver my soul from this body of death or if the union be so strong for a while that neither soul nor body can really or substantially ascend Phil. 1.23 yet O that I were still ascending in a spiritual way O that my affections were still on things above and not on things beneath yea I could wish a nearer union even by a dissolution why Christ is ascended and I would fain be where Christ is though it cost me dear I desire to be dissolved I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is for better 2. Let us see Christ sitting down at the right hand of God and so desire to sit with him when Christ sate down it was not in his own pure Personal right simply as it is his inheritance Eph. 2.5 6. but with relation to his Saints and Members He hath quickened us together wtth Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus I confess Christ's sitting at God's right hand as taken for the sublimity of his power is not communicable unto us for that is Christs own prerogative to which of the Angels said he at any time Heb. 1.13 Sit on my right hand Yet his sitting in heaven as it is indefinitely expressed is in some sort communicable unto us for he sate down as a common person thereby shewing that we were to sit down with him in our proportion Rev. 3.21 Him that overcomes I will grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Christ sits in his Fathers Throne and we sit in Christ's Throne Christ sits at the right hand of God and wâ— sit at the right hand of Christ Oh how desirable is this The Mother of Zebedees Children understood this mystery very darkly Mat. 20.21 22 23. yet worshipping Jesus she desired a certain thing of him what thing why grant saith she that these my two Sons may sit the one at thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy Kingdom Christ blamed them because they know not what thy asked and yet he tells them that to sit on his right hand and on his left is given to them for whom it is prepared of his Father O my soul desire after this for this is worthy of thy desire this is a great thing an high exaltation another manner of honour than any that this world affords Courtiers desire no more but to sit at the Princes right hand but O the vertue of Christ's Session that thereby thou shouldst sit at the right hand of God! this is the very height and excellency of heavens glory only take heed of apprehending it after a carnal and natural way this very exaltation consists in the Image of God and communion with God it is the spiritual part and power and glory of heaven if any thing be desirable above another surely this above all Eph. 1.20 21. what that Christ should be exalted above all Principalities and Powers and mights and dominions and every thing that is named in this world and in the other what that Christ should sit down in his Fathers Throne Eph. 4.10 in the highest part of Heaven far above all heavens and that I a poor worm dust and ashes should sit with him in Heaven should be one with him in glory should be as near him in honour and happiness as such a poor creature is possibly capable of Oh how should I but hunger and thirst after this if I might have a wish I would not wish low things why this is the very top and height and quintessence of Heaven Christ in his Fathers Throne and I in Christ's Throne in desiring this I desire all and therefore whatever thou givest or denyest Lord give me this and I have enough for ever 3. Let us see Christs mission of his holy spirit and so desire a share in that gift we cannot expect to sit with Christ but we must first have the spirit of Christ and therefore as we would have that let us desire after this The greatest gift we can expect in this world is the spirit of Christ Consider O my soul all things here below are either temporal or spiritual things and of things spiritual this is the sum the in-dwelling of the Spirit O Lord give me thy self and that contains all gifts O give me the spirit Psal 4.6 and thou canst not but with him give me all things there be many that say saith the Psalmist Who will shew us any good earthly things are desired of many but is any thing on earth to be compared with this gift from heaven if it were only the beauty of holiness it were certainly a most desirable thing if we rightly understand it holiness though but one effect of the spirit is a most rare thing holiness fills the soul with joy peace quietness assurance holiness entertains the soul with feasts of fat things and of refined wines holiness carries the soul into the banqueting-house of apples and flaggons holiness gives the soul a dear communion with God and Christ holiness brings the soul into a sight of Christ an access to him a boldness in his presence holiness admits the soul into the most intimate conferences with Jesus Christ in his bed-chamber in his galleries of love and that which is an argument of more beauty than all the creatures in the world have besides holiness attracts the eye and heart and longings and ravishments the tender compassions and everlasting delights of the Lord Jesus and if holiness be thus lovely Oh what is the holy spirit it self what is the Rise the Spring the Fountain of holiness what O my soul that not only grace but the spirit of Christ should dwell in thy spirit that thou shouldst be God's building and that not as the rest of the world is for his creatures to inhabit 1 Cor. 3.9
hear of such a Christ and are we not all in a burning love in a seraphical love or at least in a conjugal love O my heart how is it thou art not love sick how is it thou dost not charge the daughters of Jerusalem as the spouse did Cant. 5.8 I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my beloved that ye tell him I am sick of love 2. For his bounty no sooner was he ascended and set down at God's right hand but he gives gifts unto men and he sends down the holy Ghost This was the Gift of gifts I shall only weigh two Circumstances in this Gift either whereof both dignifies and casts a sparkle of bounty from the Giver into the heart of the Receiver to move him to love As One Circumstance is the greatness of the Giver certainly the preheminence or dignity of any principle ennobleth and enhanceth the effect a gift coming from a great Person carries ever a scent with it of a certain greatness and relisheth either of excellency or superiority or nobility or all It is storied of Charles the fifth that in his wars being ever prest with want of money and so unable to remunerate the services of divers Dutch Captains and Nobles whom he had entertained he used after any great exploit performed by them to call together his Nobles and Camp into such a field and there in the presence of them all to take a Gold chain from about his own neck and to put it about the neck of such a Captain or such a Collonel and so to embrace him and to give him thanks for his gallant service why this they esteemed a greater favour being Circumstanced by such a Person in such a way than if in very deed he had given them a sufficient pay or remuneration O they valued that Chain more than many bushels of the like Gold the very Person of the Emperour hanged at the Chain such a precious Jewel as in warlike conceits a million of Gold could not countervail O my soul if an Emperour thus gained the affections of men how shouldst thou but love Christ the great Emperour of Heaven and Earth Numb 11 17. it was he that gave thee his Spirit it was he that took off the Spirit which is upon him so is the expression of God to Moses and put it upon thee and doth not the Person of Christ the Dignity of Christ inhance the value of the gift as all gifts are signs of love so the love of a great Personage and the gifts issuing from such a love ought more to be accounted than any gifts of any meaner person whatsoever 2. Another Circumstance is the greatness of the Gift this argueth greatness of good will and consequently deserveth a correspondence of a semblable affection Now what greater gift had Christ in store than to give his own spirit the spirit proceedeth from him and is the same essence with himself the spirit is the third Person of the true and only God-head proceeding from the Father and the Son and coeternal coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son this appears by those divine Attributes and Properties which are attributed and communicated to the holy spirit As 1. Eternity God never was without his spirit Gen. 1.1 2. In the beginning God created heaven and earth and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters 2. Omnipotency because he together with the Father and the Son createth and preserveth all things By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens Job 26.13 33.4 1 Cor. 12.11 1 Cor. 2.10 the Spirit of God hath made me and all these things worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 3. Omnisciency or the knowledge of all things For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 4. Immutability or unchangeableness Men and brethren Acts 1.16 Rom. 5.5 this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the holy Ghost spake 5. Infinite mercy or love God is love and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us 6. Holy indignation even against hiâ—â—en sins They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Isa 63.10 Acts 5.3 4 9. Eph. 4.30 why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye to the holy Ghost thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God a plain Text for the Divinity of the holy Ghost How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption I might add Miracles Mat. 12.28 28.19 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Cor. 3.38 and the institution of Sacraments and Prophesies and Gifts and Graces as the effects of his Divinity I cast out devils saith Christ by the Spirit of God and baptize in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost And the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith And we are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. See now how the holy spirit is God coeternal coequal and consubstantial with God the Father and God the Son is not this a great gift yea as great a gift as possibly can be given what can he more than to give himself and to give his spirit O the bonds of love that are upon man towards Christ in this respect Come my soul and take a view of the Glory and Bounty of Jesus Christ if thy heart be not all brass and iron and stone if there be any fleshiness softness or pliableness in it why then how shouldst thou chuse but love if either beauty or bounty if either Majesty or magnificence can draw thy affection Christ will have it for in him is all O let him be thy all surely if thou hast any thing besides himself he is the Donor of all he is the beauty of all the sum of all the perfection of all yea he is the Author Preserver and Finisher of all SECT VII Of Joying in Jesus in that respect 7. LEt us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in these particulars there is not a particular under consideration but 't is the object of a Christians joy As 1. How should it heighten my joys and enlarge my comforts when I do but consider that Christ is ascended into glory by this it is clear and evident that Christ is accepted of the Father for me or otherwise he should never have been received into Heaven if any frown had been in the face of God surely Christ coming so near God he should have had it if any exception had been against his satisfaction any flaw in our pardons surely Christ should have heard of it yea without question he must have been turned out of Heaven until he had made a full payment of our debts
were to mediate for the people and the people had experience that God would hearken to the cry of their Priest 1 Sam 12.18 19 23. Samuel called unto the Lord and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day And all the people said to Samuel Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God And Samuel said unto the people God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Now such an High-Priest as this though with far more eminency is Christ to God he intercedes for his people God forbid that he should ever cease to pray for his people and he hath God's ear in especial manner if ever God lend his ear to any one it must needs be to this High-Priest because of his office to intercede betwixt God and his people Christ stands in the middle or indeed next to God as he is in these Gospel-times our great High-Priest and therefore he must needs prevail with God in every petition he puts up for us Heb. 5.4 5. 2. That Christ was called to this office by God Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest no no but he was called of God as Aaron was it was God the Father that designed him to it and that furnished him for it and that invested him in it Psalm 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Now to what purpose should God call him to this office but especially to intercede for them to whom God was willing to communicate salvation it was God's mind as well as Christ's mind to save his Elect and this was the way where on they agreed that an High-Priest should be appointed and an office of intercession should be erected and by that means the salvation purchased should be applied many times we are apt to conceive legal or law-thoughts of God the Father as that he is just and severe and that Christ his Son is more meek and merciful but this cannot be for there are not two infinite wills not two infinite mercies one in the Father another in the Son but one will and one mercy in both And to that purpose observe but the readiness of God the Father to receive Christ honourably into heaven that he might do the work of the High Priest there no sooner had Christ entred through the gates into the City but presenly sit thou down saith God at my right hand but to what end surely not only to rule as King of which we have spoken before but also to intercede as our great High Priest hence we find in Scripture that Christ's session and intercession his Kingly and Priestly office are joyned together Heb. 8.1 He is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens he who why Christ our High Priest we have such an High Priest who is set down It is as if Christ at his enterance into heaven had said My Father I am come hither as the great High Priest having on his breast-plate the names of all the Elect and I come to intercede for poor sinners what shall I have welcome on these same terms to whom the Father replied Welcome my son my only Son on these very terms come sit thee down and interede for whom thou pleasest I have called thee on purpose to this very office and thou shalt prevail Surely the Father is engaged to purpose to hear the Son in that he is an High Priest to God and called to his office by God 3. That Christ is God's Son and that is more than God's High Priest he is his natural Son his beloved Son his Son that never gave him the least offence sure then when he comes and intercedes for a man he is most like to speed if a gracious child do but cry my Father my Father he may prevail very much especially with a Father who is tender-hearted Jesus Christ is the gracious precious Son of God the father and God the Father is a dear and kind-hearted Father how then should the intercessions of Christ but be most powerful with God hence some gather the prevalency of Christ's intercession because in many places of Scripture where this part of Christ's Priest-hood or intercession is laid down this Sonship is also expressed or set forth Heb. 4.14 Heb. 5.5 6. as we have a great High Priest entered into the heavens Jesus the Son of God And thou art an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech But immediately before Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee O needs must the intercession of such a Son be very prevalent I say of such a Son for was ever any Son like this Son of God was ever any Son so like his Father or so equal with his Father we know he is a begotten Son and yet never begun to be a Son he is the Son of the Father and yet never begun to have a Father he is a branch of the King of ages and yet in all the ages past was never younger surely all the relations of Son and Father in the World are but a shadow of this relation betwixt God and Christ it is so near that though they are two as in all relations there must needs be relatum and correlatum yet Christ speaks of them as if they were but one I and my Father are one John 10.30 if then the Father should deny him any thing he should deny himself or cease to be one with his Son which can never be Christ is God's Son his natural Son his beloved Son Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased saith God O then how prevalent must Christ's intercession be with God 4. That Christ is God himself not only God's Son but God himself how powerful in this respect must his intercessions be unto the Father it is true that Christ is another subsistence and person from the Father but Christ is one and the same God with the Father Christ is the very essential substantial and noble representation of God himself Christ is the very self of God both God sending and God sent Christ is the fellow of God Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow Zach. 13.7 nay Christ is God and not another God but one God God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made Can we imagine now that God himself should be denied any boon of God himself if God sometimes spoke to his servants Ask of me Isa 45.11 command ye me concerning all the work of mine hands will not God much more say to God Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance Psal 2.8 and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession we have brought it now so near that if God be God
believe on the Son are we sanctified in some measure are we kept from the evil that sin may not have dominion over us hath Christ put up these prayers in our behalf that now we feel as it were and experience the truth of Christ's prevailings with his Father in our hearts and lives O sure signs that Christ's intercession is ours away away all diffidence doubting wavering fluctuating hopes a soul thus grounded may with Paul cast the ganlet and bid defiance to all the world Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God and who also maketh intercession for us SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus as carrying on this great work of our salvation in his intercession wounded spirits are full of scruples and thus they cry My sins will never be forgiven have not I sinned against God and Christ and the Spirit of Christ had I not my hands imbrued in the blood of his Son and have not I trodden under foot the blood of God and will that blood that I have shed and trod on intercede for my pardon Had I but gone so far as the Jews did who indeed killed and crucified Christ I might have had some hopes because they knew not what they did and therefore Christ prayed Father forgive them for they know not what they do But alas I sinned 1 Cor. 2.8 and I knew well enough what and wherein I have sinned had they known saith the Apostle they would not have crucified the Lord of glory but alas I knew it and I was fully convinced that the commission of every sin is a crucifying of Christ and yet against knowledge and judgment and light and checks of my own conscience I have crucified the Lord of glory Heb. 6.4 6. and is not the Apostle express it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Oh I fear my name is not in the roll of those for whom Christ intercedes I have crucified him afresh and will he intercede for such a dead dog as I am I cannot believe Silence unbelief be not tyrannical to thy self for Christ will not sin shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God himself for Jesus-Christ can work him to any thing if he but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his Father that thy wounds on earth shall close up presently O but I have sinned against light and what then I hope thou hast not sinned willfully maliciously despightfully against the light the Apostle tells us that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10.26 27. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain looking for of judgment and fiery indignation These two Texts in Heb. 6.4 and 10.26 are parallel and give light to each other and therefore unless thy sin be the unpardonable sin unless willfully maliciously and despightfully thou hast crucified Christ as some of the Jews did never pass a doom of final condemnation on thy soul what is there no difference betwixt a sin done willfully or purposely of malice with delight and aginst the feeling of thy own conscience and a sin done of meer ignorance inconsideracy infirmity or through a strong temptation though against light it self I know there is a light given in by God's Word and some beam of the Holy Ghost which yet never penetrated so far as to transform and regenerate the soul wholly to God's Image and in such a case a man may fall away even into an universal fall a general Apostasie but dost thou not hope better things of thy self than so I suppose thou dost O then believe O believe thy part in Christ's intercession and for the directions of thy faith that thou mayst know how or in what manner to believe observe these particulars in their order As 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ made under the directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the flesh and as quickned by the Spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as quickened by the Spirit and as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending the Holy Ghost of all these before 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints this act of Christ is for the application of all the former acts on Christ's part and our faith closing with it is for the application of this and all other the actings of Christ on our part Now is our faith led up very high if we can but reach this we may say our faith stands very lofty when it may at once see earth and heaven when it may see all that Christ hath acted for it here and all that Christ doth act and will act in heaven for it hereafter It is not an ordinary single particular act of faith that will come up to this glorious mystery no no it is a comprehensive perfective act it is such an act as puts the soul into a condition of glorious triumph Who shall condemne Goodwin Christ set forth it is Christ that will save me to the uttermost seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for me That same word to the uttermost is a good word and well put in it is a reaching word and extends it self so far that thou canst not look beyond it let thy soul be set on the highest mountain that ever any creature was yet set on and there let thy soul take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sin and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poor humbled soul did east within it self yea joyn to these all the objections and hinderances of thy salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it self lift up thy eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his intercession is able to save thee beyond the horizon and furthest compass of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of man can possibly suppose it is not thy having lain long in sin or long under terrors and despairs it is not thy having sinned often under many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the uttermost and then put in what exception thou wilt or canst O the holy triumphs of that soul that can but act its saith on
of their consciences opened wherein appears all their sins original and actual of Omission and Commission For omissions of duties all those shall be discovered Christ hungry and I gave him no meat Christ thirsty and I gave him no drink Christ a stranger and I lodged him not Christ naked and I cloathed him not Christ sick and in prison and I visited him not And for commissions of evils all those shall be discovered These and these sins I committed in my child-hood youth ripe age old age these were my gross sins Blasphemy perjury Idolatry robbery drunkenness uncleaness prophaneness c. and these were my less sins anger hatred envy distrust impatience pride presumption contention derision inconstancy hypocrisie c. Oh the numberless number of evil thoughts words and deeds that now are laid open In the black book is not only written all sins done but all such sins as were intended and purposed to be done All the projects of the heart though never acted must now be discovered Men little think of this if I should tell you of such designs that died in your hearts and never came out to light you would be now ready to say Tush I never did such a thing I onely intended it or had some thoughts about it and what then why then those very thoughts secrets purposes projects shall come to light or if there be any thing more hidden or secret as the very bent and frame of your hearts the very inclinations of your souls to this or that evil shall then be manifest to all the World Nay yet more such sins as by the sinners themselves were never took notice of either before or at or after the commission of them shall this day come out Conscience is such a kind of private Notary or Secretary that it keeps notes or records of all acts and deeds whether you observe them or no conscience hath the Pen of a ready Writer and takes in short-hand and in an illegible character from your mouths as fast as you speak and from your hearts as fast as you contrive Consciences writing saith one is not now legible as that which is written with the juice of a Lemmon is not to be read by day-light but against the sire by night you may read it so consciences writing cannot now be read but in that day when Heaven and Earth are set on fire this book shall be opened and the cypher be discovered Oh what a day will this be when not a sin committed by any reprobate from the beginning of the world but now it shall be rehearsed 2. As an account of all sins so an account of all temporal gifts which God hath imparted to reprobates must now be given Some have the gifts of the world as riches honours places of authority others have the gifts of the body as health strength beauty life others have the gifts of the mind as understanding wisdom policy learning now of all these gifts they must give an account Come you that are rich saith Christ render you an account of your stewardship how have you spent your riches The like will he say to the honourable and to those in places of authority Oh remember you were in authority and office and place but what service did you to me or my members you had wisdom and learning and knowledg and understanding conferred upon you but what good had the Church or Common-Wealth by it the like will he say to others according to the talents bestowed on them You excelled in strength beauty health of body length of days and now tell me and publish it to all the world how were these improved I believe many a sad answer will be given to Christ of these things riches mis-spent and health mis-spent and wisdom policy learning gifts and parts mis-spent O consider it if the Factor after many years spent in forreign Countries at last returns home without his reckonings who will not blame him for his negligence but when his Master calls him to account and he finds nothing but a bill of expences this in courting that in seasting who laughs not at so fond a reckoning Thus many pass the time of their life as a time of mirth then when they return to their Lord again behold all their accounts are sins their profits vanities 3. I shall add one thing more not onely of gifts Temporal but of all blessings spiritual though but tendred and offered must all give an account Oh the sad accounts that many a soul will make of these things methinks I hear some wicked wretch confessing thus to Christ True Lord I lived at such a time when the Sun of the Gospel shone bright in my face and in such a place where all was Goshen I lived under such a ministery who set before me life and death many and many a powerful and searching Sermon have I heard any one passage whereof if I had not wickedly and wilfully forsaken my own mercy might have been unto me the beginning of the new Birth and everlasting bliss Sometimes in the use of the means I felt stirrings or strong workings in my heart and then I was fully purposed to have been another man to have cleaved to Christ and to have forsook the World I was almost resolved to have been wholly for God I was almost perswaded to be a real Christian Oh what thoughts were in my heart when such a faithful Minister pressed the truth home methinks every Sermon I heard then is now a preaching again methinks I hear still the voice of the Minister methinks I see still his tears dropping down his cheeks Oh how fresh is the reproof admonition exhortation of such and such a Preacher now in my mind oh how earnestly did he intreat me with what love and tender compassion did he beseech me how did his bowels yearn over me how strongly did he convince me that all was not well with my sin-sick soul how plainly did he rip up all my sores and open to me all my secrets and my whole heart but alas within a while I made a jest of all I hardened my heart against all I stifled all his convictions I shut my eyes against his discoveries I cared neither for the Minister nor any thing he said or did And yet here is not all not onely the Ministers of Christ but the Spirit of Christ sometimes speak to my heart I remember at such a time Christ himself as it were condescended and bowed the Heavens and came down to intreat me for my souls health oh the strivings of the Spirit of Christ as if he had been loath to have took a denial Rev. 3.20 O Christ I remember thy words when thou cryedst to me open sinner open thy heart to thy Saviour and I will come in and sup with thee and thou with me Why sinner are thy lust 's better than I thy carnal pleasures better than I thy worldly commodities better than I why sinner what dost thou mean how
directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the Flesh and as quickned by the spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending down the holy Ghost 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints in which work he continues till his coming again Of all these before 8. Faith must go to Christ as coming again into this neather world to judge the quick and the dead This is the last act of Faith in reference to Christ From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead The coming of Christ the resurrection of the dead the change of the living the last judgment and the glory of Christ with his Saints to all eternity is that transaction which must be dispatched at the end of the world now this is the object of faith as well as the former Christ's work is not fully perfected till all these be finished nor is our work of Faith fully compleated till it reach to the very last act of Christ in saving souls Oh what an excellent worker is Jesus Christ he doth all his works throughly and perfectly the greatest work that ever Christ under took was the work of redemption that work would have broken Men and Angels and yet Jesus Christ will carry it on to the end and then will he say not onely prophetically but expresly I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17.46 Now Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if Christ will not have done till he comes again and receive us to himself and settle us in glory no more should Faith it should still follow after him and take a veiw of all his transactions from first to last what will Christ come again will he summon all the elect to come under judgment will he sentence or judge them to eternal life will he conduct them into glory present them to his Father and be their all in all to all eternity why then let our faith act it self upon all these promises or if I may instance in one for all Christ's coming is the most comprehensive of all and is not the coming of Christ very frequently mentioned in the pâ—omises as the great support and stay of his peoples spirits till then do not the Apostles usually quicken us to duty and encourage us to waiting by the mentioning of this glorious coming of Jesus Christ why then let us act our faith on this glorious Object Christians what do we believe and hope and wait for but to see this coming this was Pauls encouragement to rejoycing and moderation Phil. 4.4 5. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and let your moderation be known to all the Lord is at hand To think and speak of that day with horror doth well beseem the impenitent sinner but doth ill beseem the beliâ—ving Saint such may be the voice of an unbeliever and it may be of a believer in desertion or temptation but it 's not the voice of faith O believe on Christ as carrying on our salvation at his coming again For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Heb. 10.37 9. Faith must principally and mainly look to the purpose design intent and end of Christ in his second coming to Judgment Now the ends are 1. In respect of the wicked that they may be destroyed for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet He shall come with flaming fire 2 Thes 1.8 and then he will take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power O miserable men now it is God's design to be revenged on you This is the day when the wicked shall suddenly start out of sleep and meet with gastly amazedness at the mouth of their sepulchers above them stands the Judge condemning beneath Hell gaping on the right had justice threatning on all sides the world burning to go forward is intollerable to go backward is impossible to turn aside is unavailable which way then Heaven gates are shut Hell mouth is open where they must end their endless misery the last torment lasteth ever O the shrikes of the wicked at every passage of this day when the Prophet Joel was describing the formidable accidents of his day he was not able to express it but stammered like a Child or an amazed imperfect person A. A. A. for the day of the Lord is at hand We translate it Alas Joel 1.17 for the day of the Lord is at hand But Lyra Ribera the Vulgar Latine and others translate it A.A.A. in Hebrew it is indeed but one word and sounds as Aha which howsoever so written yet is it pronounced without any aspiration as Aharon is pronounced Aaron The best Criticâ—s would but have it one word and so they write it A-a-a for the day of the Lord is at hand thus they that stammer and cannot suddenly speak say A-a-a it is not sense at first the Prophet was so amazed that he knew not what to say the stammering tongue that is full of fear can best speak that terror which will make all the wicked of the world to cry and shrike and speak fearfull accents oh the shrikes oh the fearful sounds that will then be heard sure that noise must needs be terrible when millions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out and when their cryes shall mingle with the thunders of the dying and groaning Heavens and with the crack of the dissolving World when the whole fabrick of nature shall shake into dissolution Psal 51.21 and eternal ashes Now consider this ye that forget God lest he tare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Shall not the consideration of these things awake your spirits and raise you from the death of sin what do you believe these things or do you not if you do not believe these things where is your saith if you do believe them and sin on where is your prudence and where is your hope but enough of this it belongs to the wicked 2. In respect of the Godly that they may be saved Now this contains several steps As 1. They must be regenerated It is true they partake of this grace before but now is the full perfection and manifestation of it Mat. 19.28 and therefore the last day is called the day of regeneration Col. 1.13 14. 2. They must be redeemed So they are in this life Paul could tell his Colossians that Christ had delivered them from the power of darkness and that in him they had redemption through his blood Yet the Scripture calls the day of judgment