their sin But the same are beloved as touching Election even before their Calling As Absolon was beloved of David as a Son but hated as a Rebel and Traytor 2 Two things must bee considered in the love of God his benevolence and his beneficence Or his affection to the Elect and his manifestation thereof That is eternall in Election This is not until they are brought home to Christ 1 Joh. 4 9. Before the Elect do beleeve the wrath of God and all the effects of that wrath are removed from their persons by the satisfaction of Christ and they have interest in the special love of God But not in knowledge sense and injoyment thereof until faith bee wrought 1 Joh 4.16 1 Reas From the Office of Christ as being made Mediatour betwixt God and man Now the Mediatours work is to bring both the parties at oddes unto peace and attonement Thus Christ Isa 9.7 Col. 1.20 Hee makes peace by the blood of his Cross i.e. the bloody death upon the Cross And all those that are in Christ do partake in their measure and as they are capable of all the benefits of Christ and are free from the wrath of God 2 Reas From their union with Christ Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ 3 Reas Because this is all that God requires that there should bee a full satisfaction made to him for the injuries done to him by sinful creatures whether the satisfaction be made by themselves or by their surety Heb. 7.22 Now the surety being of Gods own appointment the satisfaction such every way as cannot be excepted against it must needs follow that God can have no further controversy with them that are in Christ 4 Reas This was one end of Christs sending into the world to pacify his Fathers wrath 1 Joh. 4.10 Now then if this should not bee accomplished fully his incarnation his grievous sufferings and his fathers love to the Elect should all be in vain Use 1. The dreadful condition of those that are not in Christ This shews their misery that are not in Christ in that they are objects of the displeasure and wrath of God What comfort can any poor creature have when God is angry with him Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all c. God hath power enough to punish sin and justice that hee will do it and this hee hath revealed from heaven in those unknown and unknowable sufferings of his Son Jesus Christ Let mee say to you as Paul to Agrippa Do yee beleeve the Prophets or Apostles either Oh why should I propound such a question in this place and in these professing daies Alas if wee did all beleeve them why are there so many half Christians amongst us Do they know the power of thine anger O Lord as Moses Psal 90.11 Thou that diddest not spare the Angels that sinned but castedst them down to Hell and deliveredst them unto chains of darkness to bee reserved to the judgement of the great day 2 Pet. 2.4 what will thy justice and wrath bee to other sinners Consider the Angels what glorious creatures they were what an innumerable company there was of them and what chains of darknesse are cast upon them already and what further terror of eternal judgement is expected by them and reserved for them and that for one sin How comes this to pass why because they have no Christ no propitiation no Mediatour to suffer and satisfy for them Deut. 29.24 What then meaneth the heat of this great anger Even to shew thee that whilst thou art without Christ thou art in the state of the very Devils thy glory or excellency shall not deliver thee from wrath any one of thy sins may make thee eternally miserable O remember this and shew your selves men bring it again to mind O ye Transgressors Isa 46.8 shew your selves to have the understanding of reasonable creatures and that in the knowledge of this Not so much the motions of the Heavens or any such curious Arts had need to bee known by you but the motions of Hell what rivers of brimstone are running there kindled by the wrath of this angry God Quest Who are those that know not the power of Gods anger Who they are that know not Gods anger Answ 1 They that fear it not but are bold in committing of sin Jer. 8.6 that do rush into sin as the horse in the battel Jerem. 8.6 Like the horse of war Job 39.22 29. he knows not what hurt the sword or the spear may do him therefore he fears them not So it is with them that are bold to commit any though the smallest sin that they know to be a sin 2 They that are hardened in sin Eph 5.6 those unperswadable persons As Covetous persons gather gold so these do adde sin to sin and fuel to fire and wrath to wrath against the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.3 hence Rom. 9.22 they are called vessels of wrath and they shall bee filled brimful with it Zach. 7.11 12. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear This is the very description of a hard heart Oh yee generation of vipers can yee escape the damation of hell said our Saviour Mat. 23.33 3 There bee Lingerers that as Lot do delay to depart out of Sodome after they are warned of eminent judgements These know not the dread of Gods anger The children of God are sometimes too slack in preventing particular judgements But the case is far worse with them who lye in a state of sin untepented of and are every moment exposed to eternal vengeance And the best that they will bee brought unto is but promises and purposes of amendment hereafter Ah how quickly is Gods anger kindled Josh 22.18 yee have sinned to day and to morrow hee will bee wroth How immediately and dreadfully did hee destroy Corah Nadab and Sapphira c. And though hee bee patient yet hee hath not limitted any set time for his patience to bee protracted to Sometimes hee cuts off men in the very act of sin and then all their good purpose sdo perish 4 Those who when Gods anger hath seized on them in part they take a wrong course and fall to shifting off the hand of God e.gr. They are sick and they run to the Physitian they are poor and they fall to filching and over-reaching c. and so in like cases But Christ is forgotten all this while yea and sin too and thus they regard not the removal of that These are they whom Elihu speaks of Job 36.21 that choose sin rather than affliction and hope to escape affliction by sin forgetting the true cause that is Gods displeasure and the certain remedy that is the grace of Christ 5 Stiff unbeleevers the wrath of God abideth on them that shall never be removed John 3. last verse Object But wee see wicked
Image in so much that hee hath the fathers broad Seal to bee our propitiation and it can be had no where else 3 Hee is the fathers Annointed who received the Spirit without measure qualifying and furnishing of him with all such sufficiencies as were requisite to his Mediators office and this unction was with the Holy Ghost and Power Act. 10.38 i.e. with power to do whatever his office required to be done Mot. 2 Consider Christ in his person as hee is Immanuel God in our nature as being man hee is fit to be a propitiatory sacrifice and being God is able to vanquish all his sufferings and to give infinite vertue and value to them Being man he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and hath a feeling of our infirmities and being God hee is able to apply all his sufferings unto us that a poor beleever may call him Ithiel and Ucal Prov. 30.1 God with mee and the strong one 2 As hee is a middle Person a Mediatour betwixt God and man 1 Tim. 2.5 6. Heb. 8.6 A Mediatour of a better Covenant established on better promises he is a daies-man between God and sinful man and one fit to deal with both parties at Variance And therefore wee need not complain as Job doth Job 9.32 33. Hee is not a man as I am that I should answer him and wee should come together in Judgement neither is there any daies man or umpire between us that may lay his hand upon us both Yea but Jobs redeemer was a fit redeemer and umpire that could lay his hand upon God and take up all matters with him and lay his hand upon the sinner and bring him to God again 3 Consider Christ in all his fulness and freeness to Communicate that fulness of his His fulness Col. 1.19 it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell See also 1 Cor. 1.30 Heb. 7.25 how free hee is to communicate his fulness Heb. 2.17 Hee is a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining unto God to make attonement c. Joh. 7.37 38. hee makes solemn Proclamation of mercy to all commers and promises the Spirit of grace unto them 4 Consider Christ as just and a justified person and so fitted to purchase and procure our justification Truely if he had not been justified hee could not have justified us 1 Tim. 3.16 hee is said to bee justified in the Spirit i. e. justified by his divine nature whereby hee raised up himself from the dead As at his death hee was condemned by all sorts so at his resurrection hee was absolved and justified from the sins of his Elect imputed unto him and from all the accusations of the world who looked upon him as a grievous malefactour So that his righteousness both personal and publike appeared before all the world and that God the Father was well pleased with him and in him with all that shall beleeve on him Mot. 3. Consider the pretious excellency of the grace of Faith Which appears 1 In that it is an uniting grace It tyes and unites the soul to Christ and to God in Christ Other graces make the soul to bee like to Christ but faith makes the soul to bee one with him Eph. 3.17 thy Love Patience Humility Heavenly-mindedness make thee very like to Jesus Christ but faith makes thee to bee one with him as a member with the head and that is a greater and better condition for ought I can conceive than the state of the Elect Angels Though they are confirmed in glory by Christ yet they are not so united to Christ as a Beleever is They are the children of God by Creation but Beleevers by Adoption being united to the natural Son of God 2 This is the grace that assures us of our eternal Election Act. 13.48 Tit. 1.1 wee may thence most certainly conclude that our Names are written in the book of life Gods Council concerning our everlasting estate lies hidden in the bosome of God till such time as hee commends his love to us in his Son Jesus by working faith in our hearts this is the Coppy of Gods eternal decree and hath written upon it concordat cum originali it agrees with the Original This is the very meaning of this grace that God hath set his heart upon thy soul Now what ever God gives else as Honour Riches or Excellent spiritual gifts without faith brings but little comfort and a man may be a reprobate for all these things which fall alike to the just and unjust 3 Faith in Christ possesseth us of him and that no other grace will do Eph. 3.17 Heb. 11.1 And hence it is the first quieting-grace to the soul Isa 30.15 Thus saith the Lord in returning and rest yee shall bee saved in quietness and confidence shall bee your strength Heb. 4.1 3. there is a Promise made of entering into Gods Rest and wee enter into it by Faith wee who have beleeved are entered woe have this true Sabbath whereof the unbeleeving Jews had but the type wee have the true Canaan typified by the other this is the very Harbour of a tossed and weather-beaten soul As Mr. Burroughs well expresseth it Faith is the first grace that descries land when the soul is in the tempest and storm of a troubled Conscience Oh Beloved this is the excellency of faith that it not only discovers Land for wee may bee cast away for all that but it carries us safe into the harbour for that is our entrance into our Rest the landing of the wearied soul on Christ its rest Mat. 11.28 Quest But how should I get faith in Christ Direct 1 Be very careful to study the knowledge of Christ Yee may bee sure you cannot beleeve on him whom you do not know This is that which is commended by Christ himself as that wherein life eternal doth consist Joh. 17.3 and Paul who was rapt into the third heavens prefers this before any other knowledge Phil. 3.8 hee calls it the over-exceeding and super-excellent knowledge of Christ This is that which acquaints the soul with a Physitian a Redeemer a Saviour a Propitiation and whatever God requires for satisfaction or man desires or can desire for perfection Tell a wounded spirit that is full of horror of Conscience all the most profound and transcendent notions in the whole circle of Learning they will not a jot refresh him or bring him the nearer to heavenly joys Let him bee acquainted with all the motions of heaven they cannot bring him to heaven With all the secrets of nature they cannot bring him out of the dreggs of nature nor make him a Childe of Grace This is sufficiently experienced in the Heathen Philosophers who for all their great knowledge were ignorant of God witnesse the learned Athenians among whom the true God was but an unknown God Act. 17.23 and the reason was because their knowledge was not joyned with the knowledge of Christ There is no other knowledge
Sacrifice what they did in the type wee must doe in the substance 1 Bind the Sacrifice to the Altar Psal 118.27 this is fixing the heart on Christ crucified in the promise and we have very slippery hearts in this case they had need to be bound to it 2 They put their hands on the head of the Burnt-offering Levit. 1.4 and the Jewes tell us they always did it with empty hands and laid on both their hands with all their might so you must lay hold on Christ in the Promise with an empty hand and doe it with all your might and weight 3 They confessed over the sacrifice their iniquities Lev. 16.21 so must wee confessing that wee have justly deserved that which Christ hath undergone So God will smell a savour of rest Levit. 16.21 Of Remission of Sins THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON ON Rom. 3.25 For the remission of sins that are past THus farre of the Object of Justifying Faith Now it remains that we speak of the ends of Justification which are two in the text 1 In respect of God to declare his righteousnesse 2 In respect of man for the remission of sins illustrated and specified in these words Sins that are past together with the ground of the specification or the impulsive cause through the forbearance of God I shall at this time begin with the latter of these viz. remission of sins that are past Two questions are here to be spoken to 1 Quest What is meant by remission of sins 2 Quest What is meant by remission of sins that are past Quest 1. What is meant by remission of sins Ans The word here translated Remission signifies loosing that is opposed to binding by a borrowed speech from Prisoners that are bound with fetters and chains that are very painful and grievous from which when they are loosed and set at liberty they are greatly eased and comforted so it is with poor sinners it is exceeding grievous to the soul to bee bound with the cords of iniquity and sin Prov. 5.22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins But when sins are forgiven then the soul that was captivated by Sin and Satan is loosed from its bands As a captive redeemed whose ransome is paid It is true the poor Sinner generally thinks himself most at liberty when he sins most and is in Satans safest custody when he is in a worse case than the vilest slave in the Gally but when once he comes to the sight of them he sees also his thraldome and bondage he longs after a discharge and freedom which he accounts the greatest happinesse in the world Quest 2. What is meant by remission of sins that are past Ans Some interpreters doe take it for the pardon of those sins that are committed before conversion that all those sins through the forbearance of God are pardoned which are mentioned they say not as though the pardon of sins is restrained unto them that are past but past sins are mentioned to warn them that are pardoned not to take liberty for the future to embolden themselves in sin But it seems to have another sense and that is to signifie the forgivenesse of sins that were committed before the coming of Christ wherein the Apostle shewes the reason why the Lord did not deferre the the revelation of Christ until his incarnation but did in the dayes of the Old Testament propose and set forth Jesus Christ in the times of the Patriarks and Prophets and this was done to signifie unto us that not only such sins might be forgiven that were committed since his coming but also such as were committed before And I incline the rather to this exposition First because he spake of proposing of Christ in the Old Testament as a propitiation as hath been shewed Secondly Because hee said vers 21. the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ was testified by the Law and the Prophets that sins might bee forgiven to beleevers from the foundation of the World Thirdly Because hee addes by the forbearance of God or his long-suffering whereby the Lord stayed in so long expectation of the comming of his Son into the World till the satisfaction was actually made for God would not have forgiven the sins of the Fathers committed long before unless that in his great patience hee had respected the future propitiation of his dear Son Fourthly Because hee also addes vers 26. To declare at this time his rightoousness i.e. at this time since the comming of Christ hee doth declare and shew forth his righteousnesse which hee did not clearly demonstrate before his sons incarnation but now hee makes all the world to see how just hee is that hee would not forgive any sins no not in the daies of the fathers without full satisfaction by the death of his onely begotten Son Doctr. The full remission of sins That such is the efficacy and vertue of the satisfaction of Jesus Christ that it is available to the full remission of all the sins of the faithful from the beginning of the world to the end thereof This appears to bee plain and the full meaning of this place in that the Apostle insists upon the remission of sins past how long soever before Christs comming in the flesh and before his death which might seem all this while either not to bee forgiven or if forgiven yet that it was upon some other account than the death of Christ But now it appears that the sins of the Patriarks and Prophets were remitted onely upon this ground of Christs satisfaction promised and to come and therefore much more we may conclude that by the vertue of Christs death all the sins of beleevers since the coming of Christ are pardoned and forgiven Let me clear up these things to you and shew 1 That this remission is full 2 That it flows from the satisfaction of Christ 3 That it was available for the remission of the sins of the faithful before the comming of Christ 1 That this remission of the sins of beleevers is full and compleat of all their sins past present and to come and the Scriptures are clear for it Col. 2.13 And you hath hee quickened together with him having forgiven you all sins and trespasses Wee could not bee quickened to life eternal without the forgiveness of all sins any one sin retained without pardon would keep us in a state of death and this is that which God promiseth Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against mee Here then is no exception of any sins how many and how great soever they were but saith I will pardon all Isa 1.18 Though your sins bee as scarlet they shall bee white as snow and though they bee as crimson yet they shall bee as white as wooll Scarlet and Crimson are double and deep dies dies in Grain yet God will take away these double dies that
runs away from Christ and his People and Ordinances and can rejoyce when hee is furthest from Communion with him or can be content with beholding Christ afar off or conceit he hath enough of Christ already this is to bee far from Christ and from beleeving Caut. 6. Take heed that we bar not our selves out from Imputed Righteousnesse by inventing or pleading some pretence distinction or difference to exclude us as to say that it is the greatness and multitude of our sins shall hinder us or the imperfection of our duties and services or the littlenesse of our humiliation or the fewnesse of our good works declaration of his righteousness which is mentioned and repeated as a principal matter that the Spirit of God would have us take notice of the which is amplified First by an Exegosis or Explication Secondly By the adjunct of time to declare at this time c. This latter remains to be spoken to Quest What is meant by the Righteousness of God here Answ This is needful to bee opened because it is certain that Righteousnesse is ascribed to God in several respects and significations Righteousness of God the father taken four waies Divines do usually reduce them to four significations First That the Justice or Righteousness of God doth signify his Rectitude and Integrity and Purity as it is opposed to sin Psalm 11. vers the last the Righteous Lord loves righteousness his countenance doth behold the just It was said before vers 5. The Lord tryeth the Righteous but the wicked his soul hates c. This is usually called universal Justice and comprehends all virtues or moral perfections in it Secondly It is taken for the Mercy Goodness bounty of God whereby hee bestows many benefits on his Creatures 1 Sam. 12.7 Samuel saith to Israel Let mee reason with you of the Righteous Acts of the Lord which the Lord did in Egypt sending Moses and Aaron to them and bringing them out of Egypt and in the 45. of Isa 13. The Lord raiseth up Cyrus in Righteousnesse that hee should build up Jerusalem and let go the Captives and his thus sending of Moses and Aaron and raising up of Cyrus were signal Acts of his Mercy Thirdly The Righteousnesse of God signifies his Truth and constancy in keeping his Word and fulfilling his Promises 1 Joh. 1.19 If wee confess our sins hee is just and faithful to forgive c. Not that hee will forgive meerly for our confession of them as if there were any thing in the Act of confession to deserve forgiveness but 't is because hee is faithfull hee hath promised to forgive them and so will bee as good as his word Isa 45.19 I said not unto the seed of Jacob seek yee mee in vain I the Lord speak Righteousness that is this I have promised and I will do it Fourthly Gods Righteousness signifies that perfection of God whereby hee distributes to every one according to their works rewarding the godly and punishing the wicked Psal 9.7 8. The Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgement and hee shall judge the world in righteousness The Lord is there described as the Judge of all the World and so judging righteously every person So also the Word is taken Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the righteous judgement of God that they that do such things are worthy of death and the word is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies righteous Judgement and that is to punish with death them that are worthy of it Nahum 1 2-6 So Jerem. 51.56 The Lord God of recompence shall surely requite you I will not further inlarge this but still the Question remains which of these waies the righteousnesse of God is taken in this place for it is manifest that the righteousnesse of God is in all these respects evidenced in the Justification of a sinner for First There is the Truth and Faithfulnesse of God Luk. 1.69 70. Hee hath visited us as hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets c. So Act. 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse c. Secondly His Mercy and Goodnesse doth appear in our Justification This David hath recourse unto in Psal 51.1 2. Bee merciful unto mee and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine iniquities But I conceive the Apostle doth intend onely the first and last sense for they are not contrary I mean Gods rectitude and his distributive or his relative and vindictive justice but are co-ordinate and the one doth infer the other but especially his vindictive justice is meant in the Text and this appears first because the Apostle had mentioned before both his Grace and Free grace in the forgiveness of our sins and also the imputation of righteousness vers 24. and his Truth too vers the 21. This was testified in the Law and the Prophets therefore now he speaks of another distinct Attribute of God namely his Justice Secondly The Apostle addes several Expressions to signify this as first hee saith that hee might bee just and the Justifier they are Conjugates and relate to the proper meaning of the word Justice which is suum cuique tribuere The Justifier of him that is of man who is unjust So that the Apostles meaning is the Lord justifies a sinner in a way of Justice Secondly Hee saith that God would declare his Justice in the way that hee proposes for the sinners Justification Thirdly Hee doubles the words to declare his Righteousness implying this that God would have us to take special notice of it for it is as much as if the Apostle should have said there is not onely Mercy and Truth in a sinners justification but there is also Justice in it The Lord declareth his justice in this thing and therefore it is that the Father set forth Christ to bee a Propitiation that hee might declare his Righteousness If the Lord had said Well ye are great and grievous sinners I am content to forgive you all your sins this would have declared the grace of God But when hee saith also that this is through the redemption that is in Christ and that hee hath set forth Christ to bee a Propitiation and that the blood of Christ was shed for thy sins this doth declare his Justice as much as his Truth and Grace Fourthly There is another expression to this purpose To declare I say at this time what is that but in the times of the Gospel since that Jesus Christ hath shed his blood for though the Justice of God was but darkly signified in the Old Testament by the Types of the Sacrifices and punishments inflicted yet it was far more clearly held forth by the Death of Christ and that the chastisement of our peace was on him Fifthly Adde to all these the like phrase used in other Scriptures declaring the justice of God 2 Thess 1.5 6. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God c. and vers 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with
lye or the holy God should sin or Almighty God should be weak so it is that the most just God should pardon sin to them that are without Christ yea know how impossible it is that any thing should act contrary to its nature as our Saviour reasons Doe men gather grapes of thorns c. yet the Lord of Nature can and hath changed the nature of inferiour Agents because his is above them but it cannot be conceived without blasphemy concerning the unchangeable Nature of God he saith I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 He is that eternal being that is ever the same and if so then thou must bee a member of Christ and so answer justice even the justice of God by the Surety or else thou must certainly bee the everlasting object of Divine vengeance and observe examples and expressions of Scripture to this purpose 2 Pet. 2.4 5. If God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them unto chains of darknesse c. Mark the words the Angels before their fall were most glorious Creatures and had God pardoned restored one of them he might have done God more service than many millions of men but them hee spared not he abated nothing at all but cast them down to Hell and put them into everlasting chains But why did not God spare them why because they had no Christ to answer Gods justice for them Heb. 2.16 Christ took not on him the nature of Angels Again Rom. 11.21 If God spared not the natural branches the Jewes take heed lest he spare not also thee Suppose thou art in the number of them that profess the name of God as the Jewes did suppose thou art a member of the visible Church yet God will not spare thee no more than the Jewes Why should he not spare his own people that had so many priviledges Rom. 9.1 5. Oh beloved the reason is because they received not Christ they were broken off and though you think of your selves as well as of the greatest that ever sinned the just God except you get Christ will not cannot spare you Adde that Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son being a Surety for sin What was God without natural affection or was hee cruel No but Christ was now bound by an ingagement to his Fathers Justice and therefore God spared him not shall any close sinner hope then to be spared Now let me bring these things to the result of them and it is this That in some cases all deliberation is excluded as 1 Where there is but one possible means or way of safety deliberation is used when there are many wayes or means which is the best that wee may take 2 In case of imminent danger where without this means there is absolute impossibility of escaping destruction 3 In case of extreme present necessity as in case of violent storms the Mariner doth not deliberate whether he should throw out his Treasure or cut down his Masts for the saving of his life and the lives of all that are in the Vessel with him in these cases all deliberation is vain by the very light of nature and reason Now in the businesse in hand all these doe meet together to exclude all deliberation For 1 There is but one way to appease wrath and satisfie the Justice of God for sin Acts 4.12 and there had not been this way except that God of his grace had given it Besides it is utterly impossible for any to be saved without Christ Heb. 10.26 27. Without a sacrifice for sin there remains nothing but a certain fearful expectation of judgement And lastly it is a matter of extreme present necessity It is eternally necessary that God should be just and it is necessary the sinner should justifie the righteous God the Lord brought Pharaoh to it at last Exod. 9.27 when hee had poured forth all his Plagues upon his heart he confessed and said The Lord is righteous and there is no such prophane wretch but shall bee brought to confesse as much at last though hee bee never a whit the better for it but how much better is it to justifie God by flying to the only sanctuary even to Christ as the Publicans justified God Luk. 7.29 by flying to Christ in the use of the means but the Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselvs rejected Christ and his Ordinances against themselves i.e. to their own destruction When Paul preached Christ it is said that he declared all the counsel of God Acts 20.27 so it is necessary we should receive all the Counsel of God which is revealed in the offer of Christ to us it is extremely necessary that every soul should fly from the wrath to come when Lot hath the rain of fire and brimstone about his ears shall hee linger Shall he not escape for his life and this is not Lots case only but the common case of all the wicked Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest and this is the portion of their cup. Me thinks upon this consideration troops of sinners should flock to Christ as the very Sadduces did to John Matth. 3.7 who saith to them Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come how comes it to passe that yee come in now that have stood out so long Why you will say wee have been warned and warned many a time and we would take no warning till now at last we see it necessary to flee from the wrath to come and who is it can deliver us from it The Apostle tells you 1 Thess 1.10 that it is Jesus that delivers us from the wrath to come Instruc Love Christ for his satisfaction 3. This may teach all the faithful to love the Lord Jesus most ardently see what an Argument you have for it that he stopped the hand of Divine justice from seizing on poor miserable Creatures putting his life in his hands Job 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my Sheep and sure his sheep should love him very much for this Christ laid down his life partly in love to the justice of God lest that the stream thereof should bee stopped and partly in love to our poor souls as Ephes 5.2 Who loved us and gave himself for us an offering c. But some will say What need that could not God have forgiven us without an Offering at least such an offering A. No it must be presupposed that the justice of God necessarily required it otherwise we cannot think such bloud should ever have been shed Now to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne bloud to him be glory and honour for ever Rev. 1.5 6. Eph. 5.25 26. the fountain of our salvation is in the love of Christ and the wonder of that love and the freenesse of it is that hee loved us such sinners together with
the intensnesse and strength of it that it was stronger than death and all this to wash us from our sins 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive wee the love of God because he laid down his life c. sustaining the pains of death Of what death the First and Second Death He washed us in his bloud from all the filthinesse of Hell and Death All the dunghills in the world cannot defile us as sin doth and it was the filth of sin that Christ's bloud washed us from Sin defiles the soul yea the whole man Matth. 15.19 You then that are beloved ones and washed can yee content your selves with a slight consideration of this What manner of love is this Qualis Quantus 1 Joh. 3.1 Ephes 3.18 That yee may comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. Mark here is a thing that concerns all Saints and wee should labour for such might and strength as not only to apprehend in our minds but comprehend and lay hold upon all the measures of this love in our hearts and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge i. e. either all other knowledge or else all the knowledge of carnal persons or all the knowledge of the Saints in the perfection of it that is it is the most desirable blessing in the world to understand the love of Christ aright Wee can never know too much of this love What should this love work upon our hearts truly wee should bee rooted and grounded in love not only have some leaves of profession but be rooted and grounded in it and it may lye deep in our hearts as roots and foundations use to doe yea this love of the Lord Jesus must bear up all the bulke and wait of our Christian trials yea as a root feed and nourish other graces and holy indeavours in us Oh it is much to be lamented that so many have left their first love They are but few sure that have ever had any rooted or grounded love to Christ at all that is suitable to Gospel measure or rule Luk. 7.47 What is the Gospel measure of love A. Matth. 10.37 Hee that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me i. e. our love to Christ should exceed all other loves and affections in our hearts yea in comparison of Christ we should hate father and mother c. Luk. 14.26.33 wee should hate all forsake all so farre as they stand in competition with Christ or the things of Christ else we cannot be the Disciples of Christ Instr 4. Redeemed ones have great boldnesse towards God This may work in all redeemed ones a marvellous boldnesse towards God that which the Scripture often expresses Ephes 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse of accesse with confidence Heb. 10.19 Having boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus It is sweet and precious that we have Heb. 4.16 Let us goe with boldnesse to the Throne of grace c. i. e. to Christ our High Priest hee hath set up a Mercy-seat for us And is that all Nay but saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 Wee are come to God the Judge of all and we are come to the Seat of Justice and wee may in an humble boldnesse plead the justice of God and say Lord who art the Judge of all doe mee justice thou art just and therefore the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Oh ponder and take again upon thy heart the meaning of this it is not only that hee may bee merciful and gracious and the Justifier of beleevers though that bee a sweet and precious truth too to be beleeved and rejoyced in but it is that hee may bee just Oh beloved this is the very quintessence of faith when as the beleever by faith shall present unto God the Father the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for satisfaction for sins and goe to him with a full price in his hand and current pay and to say as they doe in dealing here is one and there is t'other and this is not bare distributive but commutative justice between God and man where there is not only Geometrical but Arithmetical proportion that is weight for weight and measure for measure is observed Oh then tender all the pay together all the obedience of Christ active and passive tender we to the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of Christ it is such a jewel as exceeds our sins infinitely though they have been very many and great Gods justice shall be no loser by us at all and let poor beleevers incourage and embolden their hearts with this Luther was bold when he prayed thus not only Fiat voluntas tua but Fiat voluntas mea not only let thy will be done but let my will be done and it was but the confidence of faith upon this ground we are speaking of Oh beloved the world will account this malepertnesse to come thus before God that they are more bold than welcome but they are strangers to these things and to all that liberty we have in Christ Gal. 2.4 It would be sauciness indeed for those that are out of Christ to approach at any time on this manner to God but let the Children take this as the daily portion of the Childrens bread and it is no wrong to that text 1 Joh. 1.9 to take it in this sense If we confess our sins he is just for Christs sake to forgive us our sins nor to that 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse Inst Adore the righteousnesse of God in all his wayes 5. If God be thus just exactly just in the justification of a Sinner let us learn to acknowledge and adore the righteousness of God in all his wayes Psal 145.17 If his mercy doth not pardon one sin but in a course of justice through the death of Christ then doubtlesse the Justice of God will not be bafled or turned aside in the managing other matters in the world The light of Nature sees nothing but mercy in this case but the light of Grace sees Gods justice also So that though God deals otherwise many times in many things than we could have expected or can see a reason of yet he is always just and holy in his proceedings and it is not enough for us to acknowledge the righteousnesse and holinesse of God in some of his ways and works or in his ways towards others and not towards our selves and in his dealing with some persons and not with all but wee must justifie the Lord in our hearts and words always in all things toward all in all the ways of his providences in his afflicting the godly as well as punishing the wicked Ezra 9.13 yea in the prosperity of the wicked In his great Counsels of Election and Reprobation in the rejection of the Jews c. of which when Paul had spoken Rom. 11. he