Command with many gracious Promises knit to it as Isa 55. Hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David And whenever the Command of Believing comes out it 's always with a Promise as Paul deals with the Jaylor Act. 16. Believe and thou shalt be saved and Mark 16. towards the close the Lord says They that believe shall be saved to encourage to Faith in Him 5. It presses the Offer and commands embracing of it with the Promise with a certification for the Offer is not conditional but alternative Mark 16. If ye believe not ye shal be damned so Deut. 30. Death and Life are proposed and they are bidden choose If the Gospel be not effectual in it's Commands and Promises it will be effectual in its Threatnings The Word of God will triumph one way or the other and not return to Him void as is very clear Isa 55.11 and 2 Cor. 2.15 16. It triumphs in some while they are brought by the Promise to give obedience to the command of Believing and to them it becomes the savour of life unto life and to others it triumphs as to the execution of the Threatning on them for their Unbelief and to them it becomes the savour of death unto death In a word Christ Jesus comes so near People in this Gospel that He must either be chosen and Life with Him or refused to the destruction and death of the Refuser ye have the same Christ the same Word the same Covenant the same obligation to Believe proposed to you that Believers from the beginning of the World had and another ye will not get and what more can the Gospel do to bring Christ near to you when it brings Him so near that ye have Him in your offer and the Authority of God and His Promises interposed to perswade you to accept of the Offer and Threatnings added to certifie you that if ye accept it not ye shall perish in which respect we may say as the Prophet Isaiah doeth chap. 5. What could God do more to his vineyard which he hath not done as to the holding out of the Object of Faith Jesus Christ to be rested on by you But some wiâ—l it may be object here 1. But if there come not Life and Power with the Offer it will not do the turn we cannot Believe nor receive the Offer Answ Whose fault is this that ye want ability It 's not God's fault ye have a sure ground to Believe His Woâ—d is a warrand good enough the Promises â—re free enough the Motives sweet enough the great fault is a Hâ—art of unbelief in you that ye will not believe in Christ nor open to Him when He is brought to your Door I doubt yea I put it out of doubt when all that ever heard the Gospel shâ—ll stand before the Throne that there shall be one found that shall dare to make this excuse that they were not able to receive Christ the Gospel brings Christ so near them that they must either say yea or nay it is not so much I cannot as I will not believe and that will be found a wilful and malicious refusal 2. It may be objected But how can this Gospel come to all alike seing it cannot be that these that will never get good of the Gospel hath it as near to them as these that get the saving Fruit of it Answ Not to speak of God's Purpose or what He intends to make of it not of the Power and Fruit that accompanies it to some and not to all it 's certain the Gospel and Christ in its Offer comes alike near to all that hear it It objectively reveals the same glad Tydings to all with the conditional offer of Life and with the same command and encouragement and certification in Threatnings as well as Promises In these respects Christ is brought alike near to all and when God cometh to reckon He will let Sinners know in that day that the Gospel came to their Door and was refused yea it comes and where it comes will take hold of some to pluck them out of the Snare and be ground of Faith to them and to others it will be a ground of Challenge and so the savour of death unto death for though it take not effect as to its Promises in all nor in its Threatnings to all yet as to either Death or Life it wiâ—l take effect in every one so as if Life be refused Death steps in the room of it But it may be asked Why will God have Christ in the Offer of the Gospel brought so near the Hearers of it Answ 1. Because it serves to commend the Grace and Love of God in Christ Jesus when the Invitation is so broad that iâ— is to all it speaks out the royalty of the Feast upon which ground 2 Cor. 6.1 it 's called Grace the Offer is so large and wide 2. Because it serves for warranding and confirming the Elect in the receiving of this Offer for none of the Elect could receive Him if He were not even laid to their Door It 's this which gives us warrand to receive that which God offers it 's not because we are elected or beloved of God before time or because He purposed to do us Good that we believe these are not grounds of Faith being God's secret Will but we believe because God calleth and maketh the Offer inviteth and promiseth knowing that He is faithful and we may trust Him Hence David says I will never forget thy Word and in God will I praise his Word for the Word in its Offer speaks alike to all and to none particularly Indeed when it comes to the Application of Promises for Consolation that is to be made according to the qualifications in the Persons but the Offer is to all 3. Because by this means the Lord hath the fairer access to found His Quarrel and Contraversie against Unbelievers and to make their Ditty and Doom the clearer in the day of the Lord when it s found that they never received the Offer My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me therefore I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels and this is an approbation given to Justice here it 's well-wair'd seeing they would not receive Thee that they get worse in Thy room Use 2. Seing Christ comes near you in this Gospel and this is one of the Mercat days I intreat you while He is near receive Him call upon Him while He is near or take it in the plain words of the Apostle open to Him take Him in give Him welcome while He bodes Himself to say so on you there is not a Conscience in any Man that hears this Gospel but he will have this testimony from Him in it that He came near them was in their sight and within their reach and grips as it were if they
sutably affected with them It 's a wonder that God hath sent such a Report to People and in it hath laid Christ so near them that He puts Him home to them and lays Him before them even at their Feet as it were and as great a wonder that when the Lord hath condescended to give such a Saviour and bâ—ought Him so near that all He calleth for is Faith to believe the Report or rather Faith in Him of whom the Report is which is the second thing in the words The second thing then is The Duty that lyes on People to whom the Lord sends the Gospel or this Report concerning Christ and ye may take it in this general That it lyes on all that hear the Gospel to believe the Report that it brings concerning Christ and by Faith to receive Him who is holden out to them in it this is clearly implyed Isaiah and all Ministers are sent to report concerning Him and to bear witness of Him and its the duty of all Hearers to believe it and this is the ground of his and their complaint when People do not believe it By comparing this Text with Rom. 10.16 and John 12.38 we shew that it is saving Faith that is here to be understood I shall take up this Doctrine in three Branches which we will find in the words and which will make way for the Use 1. That a People to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel may warrantably accept of Christ or the offering of Christ in the Gospel is warrand enough to believe on Him otherwise there had been no just ground of expostulation and complaint for not believing for though the complaint will not infer that they had ability to Believe yet it will infer they had a warrand to Believe for the complaint is for the neglect of the Duty they were called to 2. That they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel are called to Believe it 's their Duty to do it thus Believing in all that hear this Gospel is necessary by necessity of command even as Holiness Repentance c. are 3. That saving Faith is the way and mean by which these that have Christ offered to them in the Gospel come to get a Right to Him and to obtain the Benefites that are reported of to be had from Him thus Believing is necessary as a mids to the end of getting Christ and all that is iâ— Him This is also here implyed in the regrate made of the want of Faith which prejudgeth Men of Christ and of the Benefites of the Gospel We shall shortly put by the first of these which is That all that hear the Gospel preached have Warrand to believe and receive Christ for their eternal Peace and for making up of the breach betwixt God and them this preached Gospel gives you all Warrand to accept of Jesus Christ and ye would not seek after nor call for another I shall first premit two distinctions to clear this and then secondly confirm it As for the first of the two distinctions that serve to clear it We may take up the Gospel more largely and complexly in a Covenant-form holding out Christ and His Benefites on condition of Believing or we may take it up as it holds out a Promise without particular mentioning of a Condition Now when we say that the Gospel commands and warrands all that hear it to accept the Offer we do not mean the last that all that hear the Gospel have Warrand to accept the Promise without a Condition but the first that is that all the Hearers of the Gospel are commanded to accept of Christ offered there is by the preaching of it a Warrand to close with the Report and then to meddle with and take hold of the Promises and the things promised so that it 's the Gospel conditionally proposed that gives warrand to Believe as Believing rests on Christ for obtaining Life in Him The second Distinction is That we would consider Faith as it rests on Christ for obtaining Union with Him and Right to the Promises or as it applyes and makes use of the Benefites to be gotten in and by Christ the Offer of the Gospel gives not to all a Warrand to apply the Benefites to be gotten by Christ instantly but it warrands them to close with Him first and then to apply His Benefites Secondly For confirmation of this Truth That the general preaching of the Gospel is a Warrand for believing and exercising Faith on Jesus Christ for making our Peace with God It 's clear from these Grâ—â—nds 1. From the nature of the Gospel it 's the Word of God as really invitng to do that which it calls for as if God were speaking from Heaven it 's the Word of God and not the word of Man and hath as reall Authority to call for Obedience as if God spake it immediatly from Heaven and the Word of Promise is as really His Word as the Word of Command and therefore to be rested on and improven as well as we are to endeavour obedience to the Command and if we think that God's Testimony is true and if we lay any just weight on these three Witnesses testifying from Heaven and on these other three testifying from Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 then we may rest on Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel and believe that these who rest on Him shall have Life for it is as we said as really God's Word as if He were speaking it audibly from Heaven 2. It may be confirmed from these solemn things the Word and Oath of God whereby He hath mightily confirmed the external Offer of the Gospel even the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for Him to lie that these who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before them may have strong Consolation as it is Heb. 6.18 And God having thus said and sworn anent this external Covenant for this very end that the Hearers of the Gospel may know that they who receive Christ offered therein shall have Life it is Warrand sufficient to believe on Him for Life It 's also for this end that He haâ—h put Sealâ— to the Covenant Circumcision and the Passover in the Old and Baptism and the Lords Supper in the New Testament which are extended not only to the Elect but to Professors in the visible Church that every one who is baptized and admitted to the Communion may have confirmation of this that the Offer that God maketh of Life through Christ is a true and real Offer and will be made good to the Persons that shall receive it and so perform the Condition 3. It may be confirmed from the End for which God hath appointed the Word and Ministry in His Church even to make the Offer of Christ and Life through Him John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name the Word is both written
freely pardon you which gracious offer they most gladly accept of and submit themselves to it Submitting is an acquiescing in the terms of the Gospel as it is proposed It 's even as if ye should say we hold the Bargain and are well-content and satisfied with it In a word Faith carves not to God the way of Salvation but sweetly submitteth to the way He hath carved out A sixth Expression is Hiding of our selves in God or in Christ so the word trust in God signifies to hide our selves in Him as in a place of Refuge according to that Prov. 18. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righetous run unto it and are preserved or hid or they flee to it as Doves do to their Windows and this is it the Apostle hath Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness c. so that if ye ask What is Faith It 's a Man's betaking himself to Christ that when he shall be called for it may be answered Lord I am in Christ not having mine own Righteousness c. it is not to be lippenning to the Man 's good Hopes to his good Prayers or to his good Meaning but to Christ's Satisfaction and God's Promise By Faith when rightly exercised the Sinner holls and hydes himself in Christ till to speak so a bit of the Man cannot be seen and this is well set out by the Lord when He says Isa 23.26 Come my people enter into your chambers shut the doors about you hide your selves for a little while c. come in under the Mediator's Wings lock in your selves by Faith there and so make all sure A seventh Expression is 2 Chron. 30.8 Where when Hezekiah is writing to the degenerate Tribes to come home again he bids them yield themselves to the Lord in the Original it is give the hand to the Lord even as two Men who have been at odds and variance or have broken the tyes that were betwixt them come to renew the Friendship they chop Hands Now God is brought in stretching out His Hands to you Isa 65.2 therefore come and close with Him yield to Him give Him the Hand or chop Hands with Him and make the Bargain and Engagement sicker for the time to come all these Similitudes borrowed from Men are partly to make the Nature of Faith obvious and clear partly to strengthen and confirm Believers Faith An eighth Expression is that of opening to Christ Cant. 5.2 Open to me my dove c. Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man open the door to me c. Acts. 16. it 's said the Lord opened the heart of Lydia When the Word comes Sinners Hearts are locked on God Christ comes by His Word and knocks hard to be in bids open and take in the Saviour and Faith discerns His Voice and gives Him entry it 's the letting of the Word sink the making of Him welcome it 's not only the crediting of the Word as true but the receiving of Him whom the Word offers for the End for which He is offered and this is when the work of the Spirit with the Word wakens up a stichilling or flightering to say so within and makes the Heart to open to take in Christ as one worded it well and significantly my Heart clecked as a Lintseed-Boll to Christ and wherever Christ hath a design of Grace on the Soul and comes with Powet He continues knocking rapping and calling hard and aloud till Doors and Gates be cast open to Him A ninth Expression or Similitude under which Faith is held forth is that which is ordinary of a Marriage or of covenanting or consenting whether in Marriage or otherwise but more especially in Marriage When Christ taketh on Him the place of an Wooer Ministers are His Embassadours the Word is their Instructions wherein He bids them go tell Sinners that all things are ready and to pray them to come to the Marriage or to marry and match with Him and Faith is a coming-away to this Husbâ—nd a receiving of the word of Invitation a consenting to the Marriage It 's not so much a local as a qualitative change or mutation we change Fashions we subscribe the Contract on the terms it is laid out to us In the Bargain of Grace something is offered by God and that is Christ and His Fulness and there is something done on our side and that is acccepting of Him by Faith and this is not so much a saying with the Tongue as it is a believing with the Heart as it is Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believes unto righteousness it 's the Hearts present subscribing the Marriage-Contract and going away with Christ to live and cohabit with Him though Confession will be readily with the Mouth also as He calls for it A tenth Expression or Similitude is that of buying Ho every one cryeth the Prophet Isa 55.1 that thirsts come to the waters and he that hath no money come buy c. so Rev. 3.18 Buy of me eye salve c. It sayes this much that God in the Gospel sets forth as in a Mercat to Sinners rich and rare Wares and good cheap or at very low and easie Rates and that Believing is like buying up of the Wares Life Eternal is holden out on condition of believing on Christ and the poor Sinner thinks that a good Bargain for it takes no Money from him Rev. 22.17 This is called willing whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely the Soul hath a good will to the thing It is held forth by several other Expressions in the Scripture it is called a cleaving to the Lord or sticking to him Josh 23.8 and Acts 11.23 it is called hearing hearkening and enclining of the ear Isa 55 2 3. an attentive concerned and holily greedy listening to and taking hold of this Offer it 's a cleaving to the Lord as Woodben or Ivy cleaves to an Oak because its life depends on it And Deut. 30. and Josh 24. it 's called a choosing of the Lord and that upon deliberation as knowing that we have need of Him that He is a Saviour suited compleatly to all the necessities of our Souls and that we are warranded to Believe on Him it 's the native act and exercise of Faith to choice Christ among all the Wooers that are courting the Soul So likewise it 's set out under trusting and committing Psal 37. Commit thy way to the Lord trust in Him I know saith Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him it 's to give Christ the credit of your Salvation it 's one thing to give a Man the credit that He is true and another thing to concredit Him with our greatest concerns we will credit many whom we will not thus concredit our selves to nor commit our concerns to the former when these are applyed to God is Historical Faith but
not mixed with Faith And that for making the Duty acceptable Faith is necessarily requisite we may clearly see Heb. 11.6 where it is expressly said that without Faith it is impossible to please God And how is it that Abel offers a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain it was nothing sure in Cain's Sacrifice it self that made it be casten nor any thing in Abel's that made it be received or acceptable but Faith in the Messiah to come that was found to be in the one and was a missing in the other Is there not reason then to press this Duty on you and to exhort you not to think this a common and easie thing though the most part think it to be so if we look to the benefites of it to the difficulty of it and to the rarity of it in the World there is no Duty had need more to be press'd than this even that Christ Jesus should get the Burthen of your immortal Souls cast on Him by this Saving Faith I shall therefore in the further prosecution of this First Shew what mainly ye would eshew and avoid as that whereat Folk more ordinarily stumble Secondly What it is we would press you to and on what Grounds For the first I know the deceits and mistakes in Men about the Exercise of Faith are so many that they are moe then can well or easily be reckoned up yet we shall in some generals spoken of before hint at a few of them for so long as ye continue in the same Snares they must be still pointed out to you and endeavours still used to undeceive and extract you out of them and therefore 1. Beware of resting on a Doctrinal Faith which before I called Historical We know it 's hard to convince some that they want Faith yet we would have you to consider that it is not every kind of Faith but Saving Faith that will do your turn it 's the want of that which the Prophet complains of And therefore to open this a little ye would consider That there may be really such a Faith as is an assent to the truth of the Word in a natural Man yea in a Reprobate but that Faith will never unite to Christ nor be waited with the Pardon of Sin First I do not say that every one that is in the visible Church hath this Doctrinal Faith to believe a Heaven and a Hell that the Scripture is the Word of God and that all that believe in Christ shall get Pardon of Sin and Life the carriage alace of many testifies that they have not this much whatever fleeting notions they may have of these things or whatever esteem they may seem to put on the Gospel and whatever profession they may make that they believe the truth of it yet in their deeds they deny it for if there were a fixedness in the Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel in Men they durst not for their Souls live as they do Neither yet Secondly Do we say that all they that have this Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel or somewhat of it do believe every passage in it alike but often as they please them they believe them Hence many believe what the Word speaks of Mercy and of Pardon of Sin and will not question that but what it speaks of Holiness and of the severity of God's reckoning with Men for Sin they do not so credit that part of the Word it 's true where the Faith of the one is the Faith of the other will some way be but because the one agrees better with their Corruption than the other therefore the one is not so so received as the other and it 's very frequent with such to be found diminishing from one place and adding to another of the Word of God Nor Thirdly Do we say that all Men do in a like and equal degree believe the truâ—h of the Word there is in some more Knowledge in some less in some moe Convictions in some fewer and though we preach to you all yet there are some that believe not this to be God's Ordinance albeit there are many who will not be saved that takes this Word to be the Word of God and believe what is the meaning of it because the Word it self says it is so And the reason of this is 1. Because there is nothing that is not Saving but a Natural Man may hâ—ve it now this Doctrinal Faith is not Saving and so a Natural Man may have it yea the Devils believe and tremble and James does not dispute with these to whom he writes on this account that they believe not thus but tells them that Historical Faith was not enough and we think a man in Nature may have a great perswasion of the truth of the Word of God and that what it says will come to pass and yet still continue but a Natural Man A second Reason is Because the Scripture speaks so often of many sorts of Faith that are not Saving as Exod. 14. at the close it 's said the People believed the Lord and Psal 106.12 then they believed His Word and sang His praise and John 2.23 many believed on Christ to whom He did not commit himself there was Faith in them which His Signs and Miracles extorted from them which was not Saving and Matth. 13. two or three such acts of Faith are spoken of in the Parable of the Sower that were not Saving however sound they might be in their own kind and 1 Cor. 13. we have such a Faith spoken of as a Man dare not deny the truth of the Word though he should bring his Body to be burnt by his avouching of the same A third Reason is Because as much credit may be given to the Word as is given to any other History that is creditably believed and it 's on this ground that we believe there was such Men as Cesar Pompey Wallace c. and it being certain that there may be impressions on the Consciences of Hearers that this is God's Word backed with some common work of the Spirit and that it is generally received to be the Word of God in the part of the World we live in what wonder is it that Folk believe thus and drink in this Historical or Doctrinal Faith of the Word so as they may even dare to suffer to Death for it and yet in the mean time they may want Saving Faith the Devils being as sure as any Natural Man is that God is true and that His Word will be performed and therefore they say to Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time the Paâ—gs of a Natural Conscience in Men will assure them of a Judgment coming though they tremble to think on it And therefore ere we proceed further take a word of Use from this and it may let you see the great and very general mistake of the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel in resting on this Doctrinal Faith If ye tell them that
where there are three sorts of Ground that never bring forth good Fruit and there He speaks not only of the time of His own Personal Ministry but of all times 2. Look to the ordinary and dayly effect or rather consequent of this preached Gospel and it will prove it do not many Perish do not many croud thick in the broad Way that leads to Destruction do not but very few Fruits of Faith appear is there not little lamentably little real Change in the Way and Walk of most to be seen To clear it yet further Go thorow the several Ranks of Persons that in God's account are Unbelievers and lay them by O! there will be exceeding few Believers in Christ found First Then lay by the grosly Prophane that are never so much as civilized Secondly The Ignorant Stupid and Senseless that never have mind they have Souls are never feared for Wrath nor in the least exercised to make their Peace with God Thirdly The Earthly-minded that mind no other thing save the World Fourthly These of a Civil outward Carriage that have some good Works and as they think good Days too and yet come not near Christ to close with Him Fifthly The Hypocrites and that of all sorts both the presuming Hypocrites that will thank God they are better than their Neighbours and yet lippen not to Christ and free Grace through Him but seek to establish their own Righteousness gross as it is and the legal Hypocrites that never denyed their own Righteousness nor submitted to the Righteousness of Christ Lay aside all these I say and we leave it to your own Consciences to judge how few will be found to have Saving Faith and therefore I am perswaded if there be any truth of God delivered to you that this is a truth that though the Gospel be preached to many yet there are but few Hearers of it that do actually Believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of their Souls Use 1. The first Use of it is To beseech you to let this sink deep into your Minds as the Truth of God for these Reasons 1. Because it 's a most useful Truth and if it were believed it would make Folks very watchful over themselves and to tremble for fear lest they be found amongst the multitude that Believe not and put them tâ— secure and sicker their Interest in God and not to rest on a Fashion and Form of Religion without observing what Fruit followeth on the Gospel among the many Evils that undo not a few we think this is not the least that this Truth is never thorowly fixed in them they think there are many Heathens and Turks without the Church and many gross Swearers Drunkards and others such within it that will Perish but none others or at least that they are but very few who among a professing People Perish neither can they be induced to think it 's such a hard matter to get one or a very few that are Believers in a Countrey side so that if Isaiah were now alive to cry Who believes our report each of them would be ready to answer I believe 2. Because for as certain and useful a Truth as this is yet generally it 's not believed Folks cannot think that so few Believe and that Believing is so difficult and rare a thing I would ask you this Question Was it ever a difficulty to any of you to Believe If not what is it that makes Believing so rare what should move the Prophet thus to complain Who hath believed our report I shall shortly give you some Evidences that many of you do not really believe this Truth The first is That so few of you tremble at the Word of God the Historical Faith that the Devils have makes them tremble but ye have not that much this is given as a Property of a suitable Hearer of the Gospel to whom the Lord will look Isa 66.1 2. that he is one who trembles at the Word but the most part of you that hear this Gospel are like these Piâ—lars on which this House stands who are never so much as once moved at the Word ye either take not Faith to be an absolutely necessary thing and that ye cannot but Perish without it or ye think that the Faith ye were Born with will do your turn ye do not Believe that ye are naturally under the power of the Devil and led Captive of him at his will and that without Holiness and a spiritual gracious Frame and stamp on your Heart and Way ye shall never see God what wonder then that ye come not to rest on Christ when the very Letter of the Gospel is not credited A second Evidence is That there is so little preparation made to prevent your eternal Hazard it 's said of Noah Heb. 11. that Noah being warned of God prepared an Ark and this is attributed to his Faith it 's not possible that ye would live so negligently and carelesly if ye believed that the Curse of God were pursuing you and that ye will be brought to reckon for that which ye have done in the Body and that ye will meet with God as an Enemy if this were believed though your Hearts were harder than they are it would make you tremble and put you to other sort of thoughts and seriousness A third Evidence is That there is no Fruit of Faith among many of you for where it is it will not be got altogether smuthered but will kythe and shew it self one way or other and if ye will still assert your Faith I would say to you as James doeth to these to whom he writes Shew me your Faith by your works if ye shall say God knows I answer that ye shall find that to be a Truth that He knows and He will make you know that He does so but alace that poor Shift will not avail you when it comes to the Push O try your Faith then by your Works see what Mortification of Lusts what Repentance from dead Works what grouth in Knowledge what shining of Holiness in your Conversation is attained to many of you as to your very Knowledge are as if ye lived among Heathens many of whom have been as free of Vice and more profitable to others than many of you are and cared as little for the World as many of you do how comes it to pass then that ye have lived as if ye could have Faith and yet have no Fruit ye must either say that Faith is not necessary or that ye may have Faith without Fruit for we are sure your Fruit is not the Fruit of Faith To live honestly as you call it what is that there are many Heathens who have gone beyond you in that we will not say that Moral Honesty is nothing but sure it is not all all the Fruits of meer Moral Honesty are but sour Fruits that will set your Teeth on edge Neither is it your Hearing of the Word only but your Believing and
all we have said of the Warrand of the Gospel to Believe is to no purpose Christ never counted it Presumption to desire and endeavour in His own way to believe on Him for attaining of Life through Him To desire Heaven and Peace with God and to misken Christ and pass Him by were indeed Presumption but it is not so to desire these through Him 6. When ye have attained to this Heart desire if ye cannot distinctly to your satisfaction act Believing on Christ ye would firmly resolve to believe and essay it and say This is the way I will and must take and no other as David saith Psal 16.2 O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord Hence the exercise of Faith is called a choosing of God Deut. 30.19 and Josh 24. and seriously sincerely and firmly to resolve thus is our Duty when we can win to do no more and it is no little advancement in Believing when such resolution to Believe is deliberatly and soberly come under 7. When this is done Folks would not hold at a resolution for to resolve and not to set forward will be found to be but an empty resolution therefore having resolved though still looking on the resolution as his gift we would set about to perform and believe as we may and when we cannot go we would creep when we cannot speak words of Faith we would let Faith breath when it can neither speak nor breath distinctly we would let it pant In a word to be essaying the exercise of Faith and often renewing our essays at it which if we did we should come better speed in Believing then we do thus though ye were walking under a Conviction that ye would do no more at this then a Man whose Arm is withered can do to streatch it forth yet as the Man with the withered Hand at Christ's word of Command essayed to streatch it forth and it went with him or as the Disciples when they had toiled long even all the Night and caught nothing yet at Christ's word let down the Net and inclosed a multitude of Fishes so though ye have essayed to act Faith often and yet come no speed yet essaying it again on Christ's calling to it it may and will through Grace go with you 8. When yet ye come not speed as ye would your short-coming would be bemoaned and complained of to God laying open to and before Him the Heart who can change it and ye would have it for a piece of your weight and burthen that your Heart comes not so up to and abides not so by Believing I would think it a good Frame of Spirit when the not having of the Heart standing so fix'd at Believing is an Exercise and a Burthen 9. When all this is done in some measure ye would wait on in doing thus and would continue in this way looking to Him who is the Author and Finisher of Faith for His influence to make it go with you to look to Him to be helped is the way to be helped to Believe or to Pray to Him to better and amend Faith is the way to have it bettered and amended it 's said Psal 34.5 They looked to him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed And if it be said How can one look that sees not It 's true blind Folk cannot look yet they may essay to look and though there be but a glimmering as the looking makes the faculty of Seeing the better and more strong so the Exercise of Faith makes Faith to encrease this is it that the Psalmist hath Psal 30. v. last Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord that is if ye be weak wait on and He shall strengthen you Believe and give not over though to your Sense ye come not speed Beginners that are looking conscienciously to their way though they have but a glimmering weak sight of Christ and be as the Man that at first saw Mâ—n walking as Trees yet if they wait on they may attain to a more distinct seeing and to a more close and firm gripping of Christ We close with this word of Advertisement That as we speak not of these things as being in Man's power to be performed so neither can they be gone about to purpose but where there is some Faith and Love yet when they are at first looked on they are some way more within our reach then the distinct Exercise of Faith which is a great Mystery The Lord bless His Word and make it useful to you SERMON IX ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IF Folks soberly and gravely considered of what concerment it is to make use of the Gospel and what depends upon the profitable or unprofitable hearing of it how serious would both Speakers and Hearers be This same poor mean and contemptible-like way of Speaking or Preaching is the ordinary way that God hath chosen to save Souls even by the foolishness of Preaching as the Apostle hath it 1 Cor. 1.21 and where Ministers have been tender how near hath it lyen to their Hearts whether People profited or not They that will read Isaiah how he resented and complained of it and how he was weighted with it will easily be induced to think that he was in earnest and that it was no little matter that made him thus cry out Who hath believed our report We shew that four things were comprehended in the words First That the great Errand of Ministers is to bring the glad Tydings of Jesus Christ the Saviour to Sinners Secondly That it is the great Duty of People to believe and receive the Offer of Jesus Christ in the Gospel Thirdly That it is the great Sin of a People that Hear the Gospel not to believe and receive Jesus Christ when He is offered unto them The fourth and last thing which now we are to speak of having gone thorow the first three is That the great and heavy Complaint that a faithful Minister of the Gospel hath is when these good News are not received and welcomed when they have it to say Who hath believed our report when it is but here one and there one that closes with Christ Considering these words as they hold out the Prophets Resentment and Complaint we shall from them draw four Observations which we shall speak shortly to and reserve the Use and Application to the close of all Observ 1. The first is That its meet for and the Duty of a Minister of the Gospel to observe what Fruit and Success his Ministry hath among a People and whether they Believe or not Isaiah speaks not here at random but from consideration of the Case of the People and as observing what fruit his Ministry had among them we would not have Ministers too curious in this as to the state of particular Persons neitner would we have them selfy or anxious
know how interruptions of and threatnings to remove the preached Gospel from you never troubled you That business of the Tender gave a proof that if ye might brook your ease and the things of the World ye cared not what became of the Gospel and of the Liberties of Christ's Kingdom among you nay we may say the Gospel was never less set by never more reproached despised and trode upon then in the time wherein we live and who lays it to Heart If it were well tried there is more pains taken on seckless particulars in a Week then ye take upon your Souls in a Year and which may be spoken to the shame of some more time taken up in Tipling Drinking and Debauching then in Prayer or any other Religious Duty And is not that an undenyable evidence that ye make light of the Gospel They made light of it and went their ways c. saying on the matter care for yonder Invitation who wili as for us we have somewhat else to do A sixth Ground or Cause though possibly it be not so rife is a shifting of Convictions and Challenges a quenching of any begun Exercise in the Conscience Some of you have been made sometimes to tremble as Felix did but ye shifted it and put it off to another time and went away to some Company or Recreation that so ye might stifle it and drive it out of your thoughts Is there any of you but in Sickness or under some other sad Cross or at a Communion ye have had your own Convictions Challenges and Frights about your Souls estate and yet ye have smothered extinguished and put them out again A seventh Ground or Cause which is as large and comprehensive as any is Folks resting and sitting down before they have any solid Ground to rest upon taking a counterfite Work for a real one like these spoken of Hosea 7.16 of whom it 's said They return but not to the most High Some attain to a sort of out-side Reformation and they trow that on that account they are well enough and in good terms with God and when such are called to return they say as these do Mal. 3.7 Wherein shall we return they think they are returned and that their Peace is made already They cannot endure to be bidden Believe or to lay a new Foundation for they think it 's laid already In a word as Laodicea did they think themselves rich and encreased in goods when yet they are poor blind miserable wretched and naked but they know not and so are well satisfied with themselves as gracious Persons resting on these and the like Grounds As 1. It may be they Pray and think something of that 2. They think they have Faith enough if they have a Historical Faith 3. It may be they have had some resolutions and fits of a sort of Tenderness and these they rest upon We shall not insist to shew the rottenness of these Props but shall only say it were in some respect good for many of you that ye had never had the little pieces of Profession ye have There is a sort of civil legal formal fairfashioned Men and Women among us whose Conversation and Communication relishes to none but themselves and speak the Word who will they think that they are without the reach of it I must say this sad word thâ—t I think mâ—ny of you have as much believing as keeps you from Faith in Christ that is ye have as much Presumption and Security as makes you that ye are never serious with the Lord to amend it and to bring you indeed to Believe so that it 's a greater difficulty to beat you off from your rotten Grounds then it is to get you right though both require the Omnipotent Power of God ye think ye Believe always and ye have no Doubts about it and therefore ye think ye have Faith enough to do your turn Ah! when will ye know that Security is no Faith and that there is great difference betwixt Presumption and solid resting by Faith on Christ Eighthly We think that this wrongs many of you because ye are not among the worst sort and others esteem well of you ye think ye are well enough and this makes us that as to many of you we know not whether to be more familiar with or to stand at a distance from you because ye are ready to rest on so very slender Grounds It is not the commendation of Men but the commendation of God that ye should seek mainly after and yet if ye think good Men esteem well of you ye apprehend ye are good enough This was it that madâ— the foolish Virgins so secure because the wise took them and retained them in their Company and this is the neck-break of many especially when they look about them and observe some Sin in others which they have win to abstain from As if it had been enough in Herod and a sufficient proof of the reality of his Religion That he heard John gladly and did many things on the hearing of him A ninth Ground is and it 's a very poor one Folks sitting down on the Means when they have them as if when they have gotten the Gospel they were in no hazard and could Believe when they list I make no question but where the Gospel is powerfully in any measure preached there are many more secure and fearless then if they had it not and it 's very probable somewhat of this is hinted at Luke 13.26 where some are brought in saying to Christ We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets who when He boasts them away from Him at the great Day they will in a manner hardly believe that He is in earnest and they give this for the reason of it that they have heard Him Preach and they have run out to the Fields after Him It were good to fear while ye have the Word lest ye miss the Fruit of it compare to this purpose Heb. 3. at the close with Heb. 4.1 and we will find this commended to us So we see saith the Apostle that they could not enter in because of unbelief let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of us should seem to come short of it It 's much yea the first step to Faith to get Folks made suitably affraid to miss the Fruit and Blessing of the Ordinances while they have them It 's good to be affraid to come to the Church and not to get good of the Preaching or to go and read a Chapter of the Bible and not profite by it always to put a difference betwixt the Ordinance and the Blessing of it and to be affraid in the use of the Ordinances to miss the Blessing of them There may be many other Causes and we would not stint and limit you to these but sure these are Causes why this Gospel profites not We may add these
day cursing in Hell under the Wrath of God that they let slip and passed over so many golden Opportunities of the Gospel without improvement and know ye not that it will come to the same sad pass with you if ye do not receive it Do Men live always Is there not an appointed time for all Men upon Earth If before we have savingly exercised Faith on Him for making Peace with God we be drawn to a reckoning before His Tribunal what will come of it and are not our precious Opportunites apace and always sliping by and is not the work of Faith by delays still the more difficult are not our Bonds still the more strengthened and doth not our Indisposition still grow the greater and is it not very ordinary to see these who have slighted the work of Faith in their Youth to live stupid in their old Age and die Sensless 4. Consider what sort of Folk they are of whom the Scripture speaks as Unbelievers and whom the Word of God holds forth to be eternally secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith Many think that it 's but the grosly Prophane or such as never had so much as the form of Religion and such as others would scunner and loath to hear them but mentioned that it's I say only such that are accounted Unbelievers But the Scripture speaks of some that seek to enter in and shall not be able that desire to be in Heaven and take some pains to win in and yet are never admitted to enter into it and what is the reason because they took not the way of Believing for the obtaining of Life and coming to Heaven they took the way of Works they took the way of Prayer of Purposes Promises and Resolutions to ammend and grow better quite overlooking Christ and the way of Believing in Him and so took the way of Presumption and promised themselves Peace when there was no true Peace nor any solid ground for it 5. Consider which is of affinity with the former Consideration them that are secluded from the presence of God for the want of Faith they are even Men and Women as we are that lived in the same Kingdom and City with us that prayed in the same Company with us that thought themselves as sure of Heaven as many of us do that were guilty of the same or like Sins that we are guilty of that have heard many of the same Preachings that we have heard and yet they perish for want of Faith for not believing in the Son of God Why then should we think that impossible as to us that is so common and frequent in others Is not the same Nature in us that 's in others and are not our Hearts naturally as deceitful and corrupt as those of others and so may not we be beguiled as well as others And is it not the same rule that He will walk by in judging of us that He walked by in judging of others What can be the reason that Folk will read and hear the Word and will promise to themselves Heaven when the same Word clears it plainly that Destruction is that which they have to look for from the Lord It is nothing else but this confident and proud Presumption that many take for Faith Let not your precious opportunities slip away and beguile not your selves in such a concerning matter as Faith is ye will never get this loss made up afterwards if ye miss Faith here Lastly Consider the great necessity that the Loâ—d hath laid upon all Men and Women by a peremptory Command and Charge to believe in the Son of God He hath not with greater peremptoriness required Prayer nor dependance upon Him nor any other Duty then He hath required this 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ yea it 's singled out as His main Commandment If that great iniquiry be made What shall I do to be saved this is the answer Believe on Jesus Christ Do ye think that our Lord who hath so marked and signalized this Command in so special a manner will never take account for the slighting of it or do ye think to satisfie Him by your other Duties without minding this It cannot be Suppose ye should mourn all your Life-time and your Life were a pattern to others yet if ye want this one thing Faith in Christ ye will be found Transgressours as having neglected the main work Now for the Question ye will say What this is we are bidding you do when we bid you Believe Answ When we call you to Believe we call you 1. To be suitably affected with the sense of your own Naughtiness Sinfulness and Hâ—zaâ—d Till there be something of this Faith in our Lord Jesus hath no access nor will ever get welcome Deep apprehensions of the Wrath that is coming and a standing in awe at the thoughts of our appearing before Him contribute much to it I am not preaching Desperation to you as some mutter but we would press upon you the Faith of the Word of God that tells you what we are and liveliness under that impression that ye may not be stopped or letted till ye come to a thorow closure with Christ The most part of Hearers come never this length and this is the reason why many stumble in the very Threshold and make never Progress 2. We call for and commend this to you that ye would study to be through and clear as to the Usefulness and Excellency of Jesus Christ as to the efficacy of His Death as to the terms of the Covenant of Grace whereby a Sinner comes to obtain Right to Him to be sensible of Sin and Hazard without this is only the way to make a Man desperate and mad but when this is clear it makes an open door to the Sinner that he may see whither to run from the Wrath to come I do not only mean that ye would get the Catâ—chism and be able to answer to all the Questions concerning the Fundamentals of Religion contained therein but that ye would also and mainly seek to have the Faith of these things in your Hâ—arts and to have Faith in God that ye may be perswaded that He that was and is God died for Sinners and that by the application of His Satisfaction Sinners may obtain Life and that there is a sufficient Warrand given to a Sinner to hazard himself upon Him The first of these speaks the necessity of some Sense the second holds out the necessity of a general Faith according to that word Heb. 11. He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him We must know that there is a Warrand to come and ground to expect Acceptance from God upon our coming or else we will never come to nor believe in Christ The third thing that we call you to when we call you
were frustrate of his design no such matter It 's because the Power of Jesus Christ is revealed but to few and we take this the rather to be the meaning of these words because when Christ is preaching and many take offence and stumble Joh. 6.43 44. he says Murmure not among your selves no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him there must be an effectual work of the Grace of God put forth on the Heart else none will believe on me So it s said Joh. 12.37 38. that they believed not on Him that the saying of Isaias might be fulfilled which he spoke Lord who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed therefore they could not believe because that Isaias said again He hath blinded their eyes c. he speaketh not so to appologize for or to excuse their Unbelief but to shew the connexion that is betwixt these two the not revealing of the Arm of the Lord and their not Believing even so here the Lord shews the connexion that is betwixt the efficacy of the work of Grace and believing or turning to God that where the powerful and effectual work of His Grace goeth not forth with the preached Gospel there will be then no believing nor conversion no saving change of the Person from Nature to Grace That which we would say from these words may be drawn to three Doctrines which I shall first propose and then clear and apply them for use The first is That in the work of Conversion and begetting of Saving Faith there is requisite and necessary beside the preaching of the Word a distinct inward peculiar real immediate efficacious and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord on the Hearts of as many Hearers as are converted by this Gospel 2. That it is but few of many Hearers in whom the Lord thus efficaciously and effectually works by His Spirit and the Power of His Grace it 's but here one and there one a very few who are thus wrought upon and converted 3. That there is a necessary and inseparable connexion betwixt this inward and efficacious work of the Spirit and Faith or Conversion Where this work of Grace is not there cannot be Faith and where it is Faith necessarily must be otherways these two could not be commensurable of equal extent and reciprocal Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed He is not neither can be a Believer to whom it is not revealed and he is and cannot but be a Believer to whom it is revealed For the first We say there is in the work of Conversion and begetting of Faith beside the preaching of the Gospel a distinct inward peculiar real immediate efficacious and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord requisite and necessary for Conversion and begetting of Faith to convince of Sin and to humble for it to enlighten the Mind in the Knowledge of Christ to renew the Will and Affections and to perswade and enable the Soul of the Sinner to embrace and receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel We shall first take notice of and clear some words in the Doctrine and then confirm it First For clearing of some words in the Doctrine we say 1. It is a distinct work of the Spirit distinguished and separable from the Word though it goes along as He pleaseth with the Word yet it is not as if there were some Power infused into the Word and went always and necessarily along with the Word which is the foolish and groundless conceit of some for albeit it accompany the Word yet it 's from a distinct Agent working and a distinct work and is separable as I said from the Word though it be wrought on the Heart of the same Sinner to whose Ear the Word is preached 2. It 's an inward work of the Spirit for beside the outward and external preaching and calling by the Word there is an inward powerful effectual work and calling of the Spirit in the conversion of a Sinner which speaks to the Heart as well as the Word speaks to the Ear so that this work of the Spirit that goes along in Conversion is much more then any external perswasion of the preached Word can produce 3. We say it 's a peculiar work to difference it from what is common to the Hearers of the Gospel for it 's a work that is peculiar to them whom the Lord converts and is applied to none other but to those in whom He works Faith and whom He effectually calleth by His Grace It 's a peculiar work then and not common for if it were common to all the Hearers of the Gospel and not peculiar to some these two could not go together and be commensurable as we said Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed 4. We say it 's a real work as well as powerful A real work of the Spirit that is not only able and powerful to produce the effect and to convert the Sinner but real and powerful in producing and bringing of it about and to pass by a real influence of the Spirit actually renewing the Will infusing and creating the habits of Grace particularly the very habit of Faith amongst others in the Soul which is quite an other thing then the supposing and saying that a Man hath power to Believe and be Converted that there is no more requisite to his Conversion but to perswade him to put forth that Power or Strength which he hath into Exercise or Practice It 's a real work of the Spirit and a powerful bringing about of the conversion of the Sinner in a physical way as they say in the School 5. We say it is an immediate work of the Spirit on the Heart to difference it from a mediate perswasion or moral swasion as it 's called as if there were no more requisite in Conversion but God's enlightening of the Mind and by that perswading the Will to close with Jesus Christ without any immediate work of the Spirit on the Will it self In this Doctrine we take in all these according to the Scripture in opposition to the several Errors vented by Men of corrupt Minds anent the work of Conversion and of Saving Faith God's Arm and Hand must be revealed the work and power of His efficacious Grace must be put forth for moving and enclining the Heart and Affections and for determining the Will it self We might farther clear and confirm all these from that famous instance of Lydia Act. 16.14 where Paul preaching to some Women it 's said of her Whose heart the Lord opened that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul where we find these things differenced 1. The Lord 's powerful work on her heart from Paul's preaching to her Ear the Lord opened her Heart 2. It 's an inward work for it 's on the Heart 3. It 's a
impossibility that is in us naturally for the exercising of Faith in Christ If Men naturally be dead in Sins and Trespasses if the Mind be blind if the Affections be quite disordered and if the Will be utterly corrupted and perverted then that which converts and changes and renues them must be a real inward peculiar immediate powerful work of the Spirit of God there being no inward seed of the Grace of God in them to be quickened that seed must be communicate to them and sowen in them ere they can believe which can be done by no less nor lower Power then this Power of God's Grace It 's not Oratory as I said nor excellency of Speech that will do it it 's such a work as begers the Man again and actually renews him The second is drawen from God's end in the way of giving Grace comunicating it to some and not to others If God's end in being gracious to sâ—me one and not to others be to commend His Grace solly and to make them alone in Grace common or debt then the work of Grace in Conversion must be peculiar and immediate and wrought by the Power of the Spirit of God leaving nothing to Man's Free-will to diffâ—rence himself from another or on which such an effect should depend But if we look to Scripture we will find that it's God's end in the whole way and conduct of His Grace in Election Redempâ—ion Calling Justification c. to commend His Grace solly and to stop all Mouths and to cut off all ground of boasting in the Creature as it is 2 Cor. 4.7 Who makes thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou didst not receive This being certain that if the work of Grace in Conversion were not a distinct inward peculiar real immediate work and did not produce the effect of it self by its own strength and not by vertue of any thing in Man the Man would still be supposed to have had some Power for the work in himself and some way to have differenced himself from another but the Lord hath designed the contrary and therefore the work of Grace in Conversion must be suitable to his design Use 1. The first Use is for the refutation of several Errors and for the confirmation of a great Truth of the Gospel which we profess It serves I say First For the refutation of Errors which in such an Auditory we love not to insist on yet we cannot here the Ground being so clear and the Call so cogent forbear to say somewhat briâ—fly this way and the rather that the Devill hath taken many waâ—s and driven many dâ—signs to weaken the estimaâ—ion of God's Grace among Men and to exalt proud Nature and that there is here a collection and concatenation of these designs and ways against the Truth which this Doctrine holds forth vented by corrupt Men. As 1. They will have nothing to be necessarily applyed for the working of Conversion buâ— the preaching of the Word taking it for granâ—ed that all Men have universal or common Grace which God by His Soveraignty say they was obliged to give else he could not not reasonably require Faith of them and upon this comes in the pleaded for Power of Free-will and Mans ability to turn himself to God others by pleading for this notion of a Light within Men become to be Patrons of proud and petulant corrupt Nature as if there were need of nothing to beget Saving Faith but that common Grace within and Oratory or Swasion of Mouth from without And hence they came to maintain the foulest Errors which have not only been condemned by the Chuâ—ch of God in all Ages bâ—t have even by some Papists been abominated and many of these same Errors are creeping in even in these times wherein we live the design whereof is to tempt Folk to turn loose vain and proud and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness as if they needed not at all to depend on God and His Grace having a sufficient stock within themselves on which they can live well enough And it 's not only the Errors of Papists Pelagians Socinians Arminians or Errors in the Judgment that we have to do with but of such as overturn the very foundation of the work of Man's Salvation and who though pretending to higher notions do yet go beyond all these But if it be true that in the work of Conversion beside the preaching of the Word there is a distinct real inward peculiar immediate efficacious work of the Spirit necessary for bringing about such an effect Then there is no common and universal Grace that all the Hearers of the Gospel have nor is there any Power or Ability in Man to believe of himself otherwise there were no necessity of such a work as this for the converting of a Sinner the Prophet needed not to cry Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And Christ needed not say No man can come to me except the Father draw him for Men might come without drawing and believe without the revelation of God's Arm But in opposition to that we say and have made it clear that the work of Conversion is brought about by a distinct peculiar powerful real and immediate work of the Spirit on the Heart whereby he not only enlightens the Mind but renews the Will and rectifies the Affections 2. There is another Error that this refutes which seems to be more subtile for some will grant a necessary connexion betwixt the effect and the Grace of God who yet say that it is swasion or perswasion for here we take these for the same so and so trysted to prevail with some that brings about the effect or work of Conversion in them and not in others where that perswasion is not so trysted but this opinion lays not the weight of Conversion on the Arm of the Lord but on some circumstances accompanying the work and leaves still some ground of boasting in the Creature 3. A third Error which this Doctrine refutes is that of some others who will have Grace necessarily to go alongs with the Word in the working of Faith but so as it reacheth not the Will but that the Will necessarily determines it self as if the Will were not corrupt or as if that Corruption that is in the Will were indeed no Corruption as if that Corruption that is in the Will could be any more removed from the Will without the immediate work of the Spirit upon it then Darkness can be removed from the Judgment without the Spirits immediate work on it But seing the Will is the prime seat of Man's perversness while in Nature and the principal part to be renewed It 's a strange thing to say that in the work of Conversion other faculties and powers of the Soul must be renewed and yet that this which comes nearest to
Grace of God exercised within Mens Hearts as well as the Word is preached outwardly to the Ear wherever Faith is begotten these two go together the Word without and the power of Grace within the one of which is distinct from the other 2. That this powerful internal and immediate work of Grace within is not common to all the Hearers of the Gospel but a rare and peculiar thing to some to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed it's but one or few of many to whom it 's revealed To these we have spoken already 3. The third is which indeed holds out the scope of all that there is an inseparable connexion betwixt these two the begetting of Faith in the Hearers of the Gospel and the application of this powerful work of the Grace of God for working of it so that where this powerful work of Grace is not there is never Faith nor Conversion wrought and where this powerful work of Grace is there is Faith and Conversion The Prophet makes them reciprocal and commensurable who is the Believer he to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed and who is the Unbeliever he to whom the Arm of the Lord is not revealed These two are so conjoyned and knit together as they are never separated and so they must stand or fall together That we may be the more clear we shall take up the Doctrine in two distinct Branches The first whereof is That except the powerful work of God's Grace concur the most powerful preaching of the Gospel will never beget Faith in the Hearts of the Hearers of it The second is That where-ever this powerful work of Grace goes along with the preaching of the Gospel or wherever the Lord applyes His Grace with the Word preached there Faith is begotten in the Heart and that Soul is effectually united to Christ and savingly changed The one of these Branches serves to shew the necessity of God's Grace from the consideration of our sinfulness and impotency or inability and of the emptiness and ineffectualness of all outward Means in themselves and so to stop all Mens Mouthes as being utterly unable to contribute any thing to their own spiritual Good or Conversion that being the product of the Grace of God The other Branch serves mightily to commend the Grace of God as being the powerful Arm of the Lord that brings to Believe that calls and converts such and such Persons according to a prior engagement and transaction betwixt the Father and the Son As for the first of these It will easily be believed among Men and Women that have any true sense and feeling of the Corruption of their Nature and find dayly somewhat of the Law of the Members warring against the Law of the Mind and we are perswaded if all that ever received Faith were brought to depone in this matter they would bear witness that there is no Mean that without the effectual Power of the Grace of God can bring a stranger Sinner to close with Christ and believe on Him and if all that are now before the Throne of God in Heaven were called to speak to this great Truth they would put their seal to it and say Not unto us but to thy Name be the glory of our believing we had never believed if it had been left to the power of our own Free-will and if the power of thy Grace had not wrought in us the very Will as well as the Deed or Act of believing Yet because this Doctrine as we said serves to discover the sinfulness and impotency of Nature and how little we are obliged to our selves in this great work and to hold forth the absolute necessity of the Grace of God and how much we are obliged to it in the work of Faith and Conversion and to hold forth withall the emptiness and ineffectualness of all outward Means without this Grace and because it wants not its own considerable opposition from the enemies of the Truth we shall give you some Grounds for confirmation of it The first whereof is drawen from these express instances of Scripture wherein it is clear That there hath been much powerful Preaching and by the most eminent Preachers and yet the generality of People have been fruitless under it and their fruitlesness hath been brought to this very Ground to wit that the work of God's Grace and His out-stretched Arm went not along with it The first instance is Deut. 29.4 That Moses was a skilled Preacher who will deny he being faithful in all the House of God yet says he after much and long Preaching and after many Signs and Wonders wrought the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day where he not only puts a difference betwixt the preaching of the Word without and the work of Grace within but shows the necessity of the concâ—rrence of the work of Grace and lays the great weight of the Peoples profiting or not profiting on the wanting or having of that A second instance is in this Prophet Isaiah were there any among all the Preachers before or since that preached in a more Evangelick strain then he did and yet when he hath complained of the paucity of Believers saying who hath believed our report he fixes and stays on this as the cause to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And Chap. 6.9 10. he gives an account of the sad Commission he had from the Lord who said to him Go and tell the people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people sat c. where there is also a clear distinction made betwixt the inward working of Grace and the outward Ministry A third instance and one that is beyond all exception is in our bless'd Lord Jesus who spake as never man spoke and preached with such power and life that even carnal Hearers wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth for he preached with Authority and not as the Scribes and yet Joh. 6.44 when they begin to murmure at Him what says He Murmure not at these things none can come to me except the Father draw him none can Believe except the powerful Grace of God work Faith in him there must be a higher hand then ought ye see or hear a more powerful work then any external Preaching of mine as Prophet of my Church ere a Soul can believe on me and though his Hearers were not free of the guilt of this their Unbelief but had their own sinful accession unto their continuing in it yet our Lord looks in on the soveraign way and work of Grace and holds there telling them that his external Ministry will not do the turn but there must be an inward powerful immediate work of Grace for the working of Faith We add a fourth instance and it is of that chosen Vessel Paul who laboured more abundantly then all the rest of
obtaining the Pardon of Sin by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ but there is another ground or matter of boasting that Man might have if he could reach out the Hand to believe and receive that Righteousness and so put difference betwixt himself and another which in Effectual Calling the Lord puts to silence and quite removes that Man may hâ—ve it to say I have not only Pardon of Sâ—n but Grace to Believe freely bestowed upon me God made me to differ and He only He opened my Heart as He did the Heart of Lydia Thus the Lord will have all the weight of the whole work of our Salvation lying on His Grace that the Mouths of all may be stopped and that His Grace may shine gloriously that we may have it to say with the Psalmist Psal 57.2 It 's the Lord that performs all things for me and with Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 14. I obtained mercy and the Grace of God was exceeding abundant towards me The Uses are these 1. It writes to us in great and legible Letters the great emptiness and sinfulness of all Flesh who not only do not good but have sinned themselves out of a capacity to do good all Men and Women have brought themselves thus lamentably low by Sin that now if Heaven were to be had by a wish sincerely and singly brought forth yet it is not in their power to perform that condition and though it now stands upon the streatching forth of the hand of Faith to receive Jesus Christ yet of themselves they cannot even do this how ought then Sinners to be deeply humbled who have brought themselves to this woful pass I am afraid that many of you do not believe that ye are such as cannot Believe nor do any Good till His Grace work effectually in you 2. It teacheth you not to idolize any instrument or mean of Grace how precious and promising soever No Preaching if it were of a Prophet or an Apostle yea of an Angel will do the turn without Grace come with it there is a necessity of the revelation of God's Arm and of the assistance of His Grace not only to your Conversion but to every duty ye go about Ye should therefore fear and tremble when ye go about any Ordinance lest the Arm of the Lord be not put forth in it 3. It should make you more serious in dealing with God for His effectual blessing to every Mean and Ordinance seing without that no Ordinance can profite you 4. It serves to reprove and repress Pride 〈◊〉 to promove Humility in all such who 〈◊〉 â—â—tten good by the Gospel Have ye Faith or any measure of Holiness what have ye but what ye have received from whence came your Faith and your Holiness ye have them not of your selves these are not Fruits that grow upon the Tree of Nature or in its Garden but on the Tree and in the Garden of Free-Grace and ye have not your selves to thank for them 5. The main Use of it is for confirming and establishing you in the Faith of the Truth proponed in the Doctrine and for confuting and overturning the contrary Error that as it were in contempt of the Grace of God exalts proud Nature and gives Man's Free-will so great a hand in the work of Conversion That the main thing that makes the difference shall not be attributed to the Grace of God but to the Free-will of the Creature which of it self choised the Grace of God offered when another rejected it It may indeed seem strange that the Devil should so far have prevailed with Christians that profess the Faith of Original Sin and of the necessity of a Saviour as to make them look at Grace as useless in this prime step of Conversion and renewing of a Sinner that when the Grace of God and Man's Free-will come to be compared Man's Will should have the preference and preheminence the highest place and commendation in the work and that the great weight of it should ly there and that proud Nature should be thus bolstered up that it shall stand in need of nothing for the Man's Conversion but the right use-making of what it hath in it self And yet it 's no wonder that the Devil drive this design vigorously for what shorter cut can there be taken by him to ruine Souls then to make them drink in this Error that Nature and Free-will will do their turn and so take them off from all dependance on Free-Grace and on Jesus Christ and give them ground of boasting in themselves for when it is thus of necessity they must ruine and perish this should sure make you loath this Error the more And we are perswaded that the day is coming wherein the Truth opposite to this Error shall be confirmed on the Souls and Consciences of all the Opposers of it and wherein the maintaining of this Error shall be found a confirmation of Mans Enmity at Gods Grace which is not subject to His Law nor indeed can be But there are three Questions that may be moved here to which we would speak a word 1. If the Preaching of the Gospel cannot beget Faith without the powerful work of Gods Graâ—e what is the use of the Gospel or wherefore serves it 2. If Men cannot Believe without the work of Grace which the Lord soveraignly dispenseth why doth He yet find fault and expostulate with Men for their not Believing 3. If Grace perform all and Men can make no mean effectual nor do any good without it what then should Men do to come by Believing and this work of His Grace For the first We shall not say much unto it only seing the Lord hath made choice of the Gospel to be the ordinary external Mean of Grace and of the begetting of Faith there is no reason to say that it 's useless for though it be not the main and only thing that turns the Sinner but the Lord hath reserved it to Himself as His own Prerogative to convert and change the Heart of a Rebel-sinner yet he hath appointed it to be made use of as He hath appointed Baptism and the Lords Supper for many good and notable ends uses and advantages that are reached and come by the preaching of it As 1. By it the Righteousness of God is manifested that before lay hid Ye may by the preaching of the Gospel come to the knowledge of the Covenant of Redemption and of the great design that the Lord hath laid down for bringing about the Salvation of lost Sinners Rom. 1.17 Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith 2. By it the Lord revealeth the Duty He calleth for from Men as well as His Will concerning their Justification and Salvation He lets them know what is wrong what is right what displeaseth Him and what pleaseth Him Yea 3. By the preaching of the Gospel He holdeth out what Mens ability is or rather what is their inability and by His external Calling gives
them in it occasion to know this their inability in not giving obedience to His call and this is no small advantage when by it they have occasion to know the necessity of a Mediator and to seek after another way of Justication then by their own works for so it proves a notable mean to humble Men to stop their Mouths and to make them plead guilty before God 4. It 's profitable as the Lord is pleased to make use of it to call and gather in so many as He hath ordained to Eternal Life for though in it self it be not able to convert yet having the Power of God going along with it it is the instrument of Conversion and the Lord ordinarily makes use of it to the begetting of Faith in them that Believe as it is Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God preached and 1 Cor. 1.24 it 's called the power of God to salvation and it hath pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe for though God can work without it yet He hath thought good to make use of it to inform the Judgment and to stir up the Affections of Hearers and so it proves instrumental to the begetting of Faith in them 5. If it do not promove the Salvation of all the Hearers of it yet it promoves it in all the Elect and serves to make others the more inexcusable and in this respect it triumphs always 2 Cor. 2.15 16. In some it is the savour of life unto life in others the savour of death unto death leaving them the more inexcusable and the more obnoxious to Wrath by their rejecting of the Counsel of God against themselves I know this will be excepted against We come therefore to consider the second Question which is this How can the Call of the Gospel make Men inexcusable seing they cannot without the effectual Power of the Grace of God Believe as Christ saith John 6.44 No man can come to me that is no Man can believe in me except the Father who hath sent me draw him yea why doth God find fault with Men for their Unbelief for answer it hath been no new thing for Men to start Questions and Objections against the Grace of God and to be always striving to rub affronts and disgrace upon it see Rom. 9.13 14 c. where this same Objection is started and answered again and again for when the Apostle hath said vers 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated the Objection is moved Is there unrighteousness with God then Folks readily think that there is a sort of unrighteousness in God when He takes one and leaves another especially considering that the leaving of the other infers though it be not any culpable cause of the ruine of the Mans Soul he answers first with a God forbid as if it were an absurd thing so to assert and then endeavours to answer it from Gods Soveraignty as being Debtor to none I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and it 's not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that shews mercy In Gods administration of Grace He is Debtor to no Man nor hath He any rule by which He proceedeth but His own Soveraign Will and if it shall yet be said if God doth walk by His own Soveraign Will in giving Grace Why doth he yet find fault or condemn for who hath resisted his will Why is God angry that Men will not Believe since none can come to Christ against the Will of God His Indignation riseth at this proud and petulant Objection and He answers But who art thou O man that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour and another to dishonour By the Apostle's doubling of this answer and his not setting of himself to satisfie carnal Reason and Curiosity there is ground given to silence us here It 's the Lord He is our Potter and we the Clay it 's He in whose Hand we are who can do us no wrong and this may sufficiently serve to put a stop to all reasoning and disputing against Him Yeâ— we may add a word further seing the Apostle proceeds to another Reason Therefore 2. Consider whence it is that this inability to believe or turn to God doth come not from God sure for if He had not made Man perfect there might be some ground for the Objection but seing He did make man upright and he hath sought out many inventions who is to be blamed hath the Lord lost His right to exact His Debt because Man hath played the Bankrupt and debauched and turned Dyvour and unable to pay doth not this very objecting prove us guilty and evidence that we have lost that which God gave to us and made us with at the Beginning When God made Adam he had power to believe and give God credit as to every word revealed or to be revealed and that now after the Fall he and his Posterity want that power they have not this privation from Gods creating of them but from their Fall they by their Fall utterly incapacitating themselves for these Duties that they owe to God and for this among the rest 3. If there were no more but simple inability among them that hear this Gospel they might have some pretext or ground of excuse though it were not any real nor just excuse as hath been shewed but it never comes to this as the only or main cause of their not Believing There is always some maliciousness perversness and pravity in the Will it 's not I cannot but I will not it 's a wiful and some way deliberate rejecting of the Gospel that is the ground of Folks not Beliâ—ving and what excuse I pray can ye have who do not believe the Gospel when it shall be found that ye maliciously and deliberatly choosed to reject it To make this out consider but these few things 1. Mens neglecting of the very outward Meaâ—s that through Gods blessing prove instrumental in the begetting of Faith as of Hearing Reading Prayer Meditation Self-searching stirring up themselves to Repentance c. whereby the Lord ordinarily brings about and furthers the work of Faith 2. Consider the carnal careless and lazy manner of Mens going about these Means and Duties which to their own conviction are within the reach of that power which they have ye might hear oftener and more attentively ye might pray more frequently and more seriously then often ye do ye want even much of that moral seririousness in Hearing Prayer Reading c. that ye have in other things of less concernment ye will hear a Proclamation at the Cross with more attention then a Preaching of the Gospel ye will hear a Threatning from Man with more fear then ye will hear a Threatning from God's
Word ye will be more serious in seeking somewhat from Man then in asking Grace from God the reason is because your Heart is more to the one nor to the other can ye then rationally think that ye are excusable when Believing is not a thing that is in your Heart and that takes you up but ye go about the Means that lead to it unconcernedly carelesly and negligently 3. Consider how often ye do willingly choose some other thing then Christ to spend your Time and set your Affections upon laying obstructions and bars in the way of Gods Grace setting up idols in the Heart and filling Christs room before hand with such things as are inconsistent with His Company and all this is done willingly and deliberately ye have said in your Hearts as these did Jer. 2.25 We have loved strangers and after them we will go and will ye or dare ye make that an excuse why ye could not come to Christ because your Hearts were taken up with your Lusts and Idols So then the matter will not hold here that ye were unable and had not power to believe but it will come to this that your Conscience will have it to say that ye willingly and deliberately choosed to ly still in your Unbelief and that ye preserred your Idols to Christ Jesus 4. Consider That sometimes ye have met with some more then an ordinary touch motion and work of the Spirit that hath been born in upon you which ye have slighted and neglected if not quenched and put out which is your great guilt before the Lord Is there any of you but now and then at Preaching or when in some great hazard or under sickness or some other sad cross ye have been under Convictions of Sin and have had some little glances of the hazard ye were in of the Wrath of God more then ordinarly ye had at other times and I would ask you have these been entertained and cherished or rather have they not been slighted and worn out by you and may ye not in this respect be charged with the guilt of resisting the Spirit of God and marring the work of your own Conversion and Salvation These things and many moe which will cry loud in the Consciences of Men and Women one day will quite remove and take away this objection that ye could not do better Ye might have done better then ye did ye might have abstained from many Evils that ye committed and done many Duties that ye ommitted and done them with more moral seriousness then ye did but ye were perverse and did willingly and deliberately choose to continue in your Natural condition rejecting Christ and the Offer of Salvation through Him This also serves to refute and remove that prophane Principle or Tenet that many have in their Minds and Mouths That they have no more Grace then God hath given them will ye dare to come before God in the great Day with any such Objection no certainly or if ye dare God will aggrege your guilt by it and beat it back again into your Throat then O! then all such Subterfuges will be no shelter to you before Him nor in the least able to insconce your Souls against the strong Batteries of the Wrath of God that will be as a Storm against the Wall SERMON XV. ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed MInisters have not done with their work when they have preached and People have not done with their work when they have heard That which is of greatest concernment follows which either hath in the want of it influence on the sadning of both Ministers and People or in the obtaining of it on their Consolation This is the thing that we find Isaiah upon here who having preached the Gospel looks what Fruit it hath and when he beholds the general unfruitfulness it had in his own time and should have in our time it weights him exceedingly and indeed it 's very sad that Isaiah should be so much weighted in foreseeing the unfruitfulness of the Gospel in our days and that we our selves should be so little weighted with it and so sensless under it He casts in this word To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed partly to confirm the former word Who hath believed our report and partly to help to make the right use of it by drawing Men to the discovery of the Soveraign Hand of God in the matter and of the necessity of His Grace for making the Gospel effectual in the Hearers of it wherever it comes Who saith he hath believed our report To whom is this preached Gospel made effectual for Faith and Salvation It 's but to very few even to as many as have the Arm of the Lord the effectual Power of His special Grace revealed to them and no moe The last Doctrine we proposed and began to speak of as the Scope was That believing and receiving of the Gospel and the Lord 's exercing a powerful work of His Grace with it are ever still knit together they are of equal extent as many Believe as He stretcheth out His Hand of Power with the Word to work Faith in them and as many ly still in Unbelief as His Hand of Power is not revealed unto This is his Scope We took up this Doctrine in two Branches First That the most powerful Means cannot work nor beget Faith in the Hearers of the Gospel except there be an inward powerful work of Grace on their Hearts accompanying them and this we cleared and spoke a little to â—â—o Qâ—estions in the Use and left at a third to wit What the Hearers of the Gospel should do that have the Call and Offer of the Gospel seing without the effectual work of the Grace of God they cannot Believe which we shall forbear to speak to till we open the second Branch of the Doctrine because this Question relates to both The second Branch then of the Doctrine is That wherever the Lord applieth the powerful work of His Grace there necessarily Faith and Conversion follow or the stretching forth of God's Arm in the work of His Grace hath always the work of Faith and Conversion and the engaging of the Soul unto Jesus Christ following on it and indeed if it be true that we cleared bâ—fore to wit That there are as many Unbelievers as there are Persons on whom Grace doth not thus powerfully work or that they are all such that this work of Grace is not manifested on then the work of Conversion and Believing is as broad as this work of Grace is for the Prophet maketh them of equal extent who is he that believeth even he to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed and on the contrary who is he that believeth not even he to whom the Arm of the Lord is not revealed and on whom this work of Grace is not manifested By which we may see it to be very clear that the Prophet hangs the Believing of
it makes the Soul to say though I cannot satisfie for the Debt yet there is in Christ's Righteousnesse whereto I betake my self which can do it And if we look to that which intertains Tormenting Exercises that speak evil of the Grace of God for humbling Exercises are called for and are Profitable we will find it to be this to wit When Souls come to Dispute and Debate with Challenges and do not Interpose the Targe or Shield of Faith taking hold of Christ's Righteousness betwixt them and these Challenges for sometimes a Soul will betake it self to Christ's Righteousnesse for Peace at first and will look upon it self as bound to keep and maintain it 's own Peace and yet will on the matter think that it 's but a sort of Bâ—ffilling or Prophaning of Christ's Righteousnesse to say so to be making dayly use of it for answering of new Challenges And such will be ready to say should not a Believer be Holy And we say that he should and that it were to abuse the Spiritual Armour to take one Piece of it and not another yea or not all the rest but this we say likewise that when one makes use of the Sword of the Spirit he may warrantably make use of the Shield of Faith also Failling in this that is when Christ's Righteousness is not made use of in reference to particular Challenges mightily indisposeth many serious poor Souls for use making of the rest of the Weapons of their Spiritual Warefare And therefore as ye would exercise Faith in general for reconciiling you to God as to your State so ye would exercise Faith on Christ's Offering for doing away of particular Quarrells and for silencing of particular Challenges which is to be dayly washing at the Fountain In short as to the other Question This may be a mark of a Person that is making right use of Christ's Offering for his Peace if he be dayly making use of Christ's Offering for his Peace if he be dayly making use of His Offering for quenching and silencing of particular Challenges The 3d. Thing wherein this exercise of Faith in the use making of Christ's Sacrifice consists is in reference to the defects of our Grace we have indeed much need of Christ and He hath much forth-coming in Him for the helping of Grace for the amending of weak Faith and Love and other Graces as well as for obtaining Pardon of Sin and of Peace with God and for answering of Challenges And yet oftimes these who are making use of Christ in the former two respects are in hazard and ready to think that they should Believe more Love more and exercise other Graces more of themselves But we are to make use of Him for helping defects of Grace as well as for these other things By this I mean not only the use making of Christ meritoriously and so that we should look on Faith Love Repentance and every other Grace as purchased by Him as well as Peace with God and and that we should make use of Christ's Offering for attaining of these But I also mean that we should make use of Christ as a Priest to make His own Offering effectual for attaining all the Benefits of His Purchase Considering that he is able to save to the uttermost all these that come unto God by him The Apostle goeth on this ground Heb. 10.19 20. Seing we have such an high Priest and such an Offering Let us draw near with full assurance of faith c. And if ye ask what this is It is of largely extended use It is even to make use of Christ as a Priest not only as the object of Faith and as the Procurer and Worker of Faith but also for the confirming of weak Faith It 's a looking to Him to get the weak Faith that we dare scarcely lippen to made strong and a lippening or trusting of our weak Faith to Him to carry us through when we dare not well lean to it In the first respect we do by Faith lippen and trust to Christ's Righteousnesse in this last respect we lippen or trust our Faith to Him And look to Him not only for Pardon but we lippen to Him for making Faith to keep it's grips of Him and as it was with that poor man spoken of Mark 9. Who upon the one side betakes himself to Christ If thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us And on the other side being holily impatient finding his Faith like to fail and misgive when Christ sayes to him If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believes he cryes out in that his holy impatiencie Lord I believe help thou my unbelief he acknowledges his unbelief as well as his Faith and trusts Christ with the mending of his Faith and holding together the Sheards of it so to speak when it was like to crack and fall asunder Our doing thus evidenceth a more full denying of our selves when we dare not trust our own believing but as it is committed to Christ and when there is a Crediting of Him and Leaning to Him both for the Benefit we expect and for the Application of it That Word of the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Is apposit and excellent to this purpose That I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus As is also that of Pet. 1 Epist 1 Chap. v. 10. Who are keeped through faith by the power of God So then in answer to both the Questions 1. How to make use of Christ's Sacrifice And 2. How to know if we have made or do make use of it a right We say in short as to the First That there must First be a Leaning to His Merit for the Buying or Procuring of our Peace and a betaking of our selves to it for that end 2. When Tentations recure and when new Challenges arise there must be a constant dayly betaking of our selves to Faith in his Sacrifice as to a Shield or as to a Store-house which He Himself calleth an abyding in him John 15.3 There must be an use making of Christ as a Priest not only to remove dayly Contracted Guiltinesse but also to heall the Infirmity and Weaknesse of our Graces especially of Faith and Love giving Him Credit to bring our Faith and Love to perfection It is a sweet Word which we have Psal 103. He healeth all thy diseases As to the 2d Question we say that Person may look on himself as making right use of Christs Righteousnesse that is dayly making use of Him in these fore-named Respects who if he were to appear before God it is Christ's Righteousnesse only that he would build on He is also dayly making use of Him to answer Challenges as they recurre and dare not lippen to his own Faith but as it is committed to Him Considering that as Faith is in Himself it is dayly in hazard to be extinguished And we may add that he so makes use of Christ as that he dare not go
Justified through thy Death And this is so acceptable to the Mediator That He sayes Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God And Heb. 10. the Apostle saâ—es By â—his will we are sanctified He sought no more but this for all His Sufferings and Soul travel and that it is no less acceptable to Jehovah that makes the Promise is as clear Therefore in the last part of the verse It is said The pleasure the Will or the Delight of the Lord shall prosper in his hand That is the ingadgeing of Souls to believe which is Gods delight as well as the Mediators shall Thrive Succeed and Prosper Well It 's this that John 17. Christ callâ— the finishing of the work which the Fatheâ— gave him to aâ— What is that Thine they were and thou gavest them me It 's even His sâ—epping in betwixt Justice and them to make way for their Reconciliation through His Blood And this is very delightsome and well pleasing to Jehovah It is true this delightsomenesse is not to be so understood as if there were such Affections and Passions in the Lord as there are in us But it is Attributed to Him in these Respects 1. It 's called Pleasing and Delightsome to Him as it agrees with His Revealed Will and Command And so it câ—nnot be conceived but to be pleasing to God as that which He commandeth calleth for and approveth in which respect the Holinesse of them that will never be Holy and the Faith of them that will never bâ—lieve is or may be called Pleasing to God 2. It is called Pleasing to the Lord in respect of the End and as it is a Midse to the Glorifying of His Grace and the performance of His Promise to the Mediator For by this His Grace comes to be Glorified and He hath access to perform what He hath Promised to the Mediator 3. It 's pleasant to Him Because in this the Lord hath a speciall Complacency And hath Evidenced in His Word Comparatively a greater delight in Sinners cloâ—ing with Christ and in their accepting of Life through Him then in many other things Therefore it is that He calleth for this so pressingly And when Christ is not thus made use of He declares Himself to be grieved and that there is a sort of dispit done to Him whereas upon the other side He takes it dare I â—p ak it with reverence as a courtisie and honour put upon Him when a Soul gives up it self to Christ and dare hazarâ— the weight of it's Immortal Soul on His Word in this respect Abraham is said Rom. 4. To give glorie to God When he Trusted himself his Soul and all his Concerns to Him And we will find that believing is accounted to be an honouring of the â—ather and of the Son if we compare the 24. and 25. Verses of John 5. together The 1. Use Serves To let you see That not only do the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ call Sinners to believe do warrand them to believe and lay down grounds whereupon they may found their Faith But they also declare that it is well pleasing to them And that they shal be very welcome that come The carriage of the Father of the Prodigal Luke 15. Is but a little shadow of that welcome that a Sinner in returning to God by Faith in Jesus Christ may expect though indeed that Parable shewes plainly how hâ—arty a welcome returning Sinners may expect It was meet saith he that we should makâ— merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive and was loâ—â— but is found again Use 2. It serves to banâ—sh away that unworthy apprehension that is in the minds of too many that there is greater Rigidiâ—y and Austerity in God the Father then there is in the Mediator towards poor Sinners If we look to God as God His Grace abounds in the Person of the F ther as it doth in the Person of the Son And if we look to the Son as God He is the same Just God that will not acquit the Guilty more then the Father will do So that there is no ground for this apprehension which Fosters a sort of Blasphemous Conception of the blessed Trini y as if they were of different Natures and Dispositions most unbecoming Christians Hâ—nce is iâ— that many who are ignorant of God wâ—â—â— speak of Christ as bâ—ing easier to be dealt withall then the Father is a most Derogatory Conceit to the Divine Majesty and unâ—orthy of Christians Indeed if we abstract God from the Mediator there is no dealling with Him but if we look on God and come to Him in the Mediator there we find Him easie to be dealt with Therefore that which is called the Satisfaction of the Mediator Verse 11. Is called here the pleasure of the Lord Because He delights in the performing of His Promise to the Mediator in reference to His having of a Seed It is from this also that some Folks will pray to Christ as if He were a different Thing or Being from God And they would first make their Peace with Christ and then by His Moyon bring themselves in good Terms with God The Mediator indeed considered as Mediator is different from God who without Him or out of Him is a Consuming Fire But considered as God He hath the same Properties and gives Pardon on the same Terms And in this Respect we are to make use of His own Righteousnesse for obtaining of Pardon from Himself there being but one God There is occasion too frequently to meet with this Error And I know not how many inconveniences it hath following upon it Some think that they are alwayes sure of Christ's Friendship but they doubt of Gods As if the Father had not the same delight to save Sinners that Christ the Son hath And another abuse follows on the formâ—r that there is no more use made of Christ but by a Word of Prayer to Him without exercising Faith on His God-head If there ere no more to Rectifie this gross misâ—ake This one Text might do it If ye make use of Christ's Righteousnesse ye may expect Friendship from the Father and from the Son And if ye do it not ye have no ground to expect Friendship from either of them Use 3. There is here Ground of Glad Tydings to Sinners And that which makes the Covenant of Redemption to be diservedly called the Gospel and that made the Angels to Sing Glory be to God in the highest peace on earth and good will to men That there is such a Covenant laid down for bringing Life to Dead Sinners And that the Father and the Mediator are Delighted Comforted to say so Satisfied and well pleased with Sinners making Use of the Mediator for Life Is there then any Sinner here whose Conscience layes open to Him His hazard applyes the Curse to Him and passes Sentence on himself and hath some desire
a Sinner may be brought to get the Benefit of Christ's Satisfaction These two being the Sum of the Gospel To wit Christ's Purchase and the Application of it to Sinners In this last part of the verse We have these Five things to be considered which express this 1. The great benefit that flows from Christ's Sufferings and it is Justification Which in a word is this much To be Absolved Acquited and set Free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God Justifying here being opposed to Condemning So that when it s said They shall be justified The meaning is that these that were before obnoxious to the Curse and that were by the Law to be Condemned according to that Word Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that abids not in all things written in the law to do them Shall now through the benefit of Christ's Sufferings be declared Free and set at Liberty even as a Debtor is set Free by the interveening of a Responsall Cautioner 2. The Parties made partakers of the Benefit And they are called Many though they are few being compared with the World yet in themselves they are many They shall come or many shall come From the east and from the west and from the south and from the north and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven And comparing this Word with the last Words of the v. It sayes That they are as many as these are whose iniquities He bare and the payment of whose Debt He undertook It is not to be taken Universally for all but for some singular Selected Persons whose iniquities He bare 3. The Fountain from which or from whom this Benefit flows to many It 's the Lords righteous servant he shall justifie many Where the effect is attributed alone to Him 4. The way how Christ Justifies it s not simply by forgiving as He indeed hath power to forgive Sins But meritoriously To wit by His Satisfying for them Therefore it is added For he shall bear their iniquities He shall take on their Sins and pay their Debt And therefore when they come before the Tribunal of God the Guilt of their Sins is taken off them through His Merit 5. The great Midse or Mean by which this Benefit is derived to these many it is by his knowledge Which is not to be taken Subjectively for the Knowledge that He hath But Objectively That is He by making Himself known by believing Or it 's by his knowledge not Actively but Pasively taken not His Knowledge whereby He doth Know but that whereby He is Known It 's in a word by Faith According to that Philip. 3.8 9 10. I account all things saith the Apostle there loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord c. And he expones what that is in the next Words That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is according to the law but the righteousness of God which is by the faith of him These may afterward be more fully cleared as we come to speak to them more particularly There is here then a brief Compend of the Gospel and of the way of Sinners Reconciliation with God So that if ye would know 1. How a Sinner is Justified or wherein it consists here it is It consists not in the infusing of Grace nor in the Sanctifying or making of a Prophane Person Holy Though that doth accompany alwayes and follow Justification But in the absolving of a Sinner from the Guilt of Sin or in acquiting the Guilty 2. Would ye know the Ground on which this goeth or how it comes to pass That the Just God can Justifie an ungodly Sinner It is because of Christ's Righteousness and of His Satisfying of Justice or paying of the Sinners Debt 3 Would ye know how it comes that this Man and not another comes to get Christ's Satisfaction made his and hath his Debt thereby taken off It is by His Knowledge and by Faith in Him called knowledge here Because it necessarily presupposes the Knowledge of Him It is by acknowledging of Him in His Offices and by submitting and betaking of our selves to Him by Faith Because it is Articled in the Covenant of Redemption That His Righteousnesse shall be made forthcoming to all them that by Faith betake themselves to Him for shelter So that hereby the ungodly are declared Righteous because through the Cautioners Payment and Satisfaction their Sin is not imputed to them and they are declared Free because of His paying of their Debt for them 4. Would ye know the Reason of this how it comes that Faith Justifies in it's resting on Christ It is not because of any worth in it self nor because of any account that is made of it's Worth but because it rests on Christ's Righteousnesse and takes hold of the Benefit of Christ's Purchase Therefore it is added Because he shall bear their iniquities because by Faith they take hold of His Sufferings and Satisfaction whereby their Sin is taken away and God becomes well-pleased with them for His sake This then is a most material place of Scripture and we had need in entring upon it to have an Eye to this Righteous servant That He would be pleased to make the Meaning of it known to us and to give us the right understanding of this great Mystery First In general Observe here in what Estate Men are Naturally and as Abstracted from Christ They are unjustified and lying under God's Curse obnoxious to His Wrath This is supposed Consider Men then in their Natural Estate this is it They are even obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God which is ready to ceize upon them for their breach of Gods Covenant and for provoking of Him by Sin if Men thought seriously on this how could they sleep or have peace not knowing when they may be Arrested and put in Prison till they pay the uttermost Farthing which will never be O! that ye knew and believed this who are ready to defie any that will offer to charge you with one penny of Debt and who walk up and down without all fear of your hazard Lay your Natural Estate to heart and ye will have quite other thoughts of your selves 2dly Observe The way how freedome from this Debt of Sin and lyableness to the Curses derived And to this many things concur each of which hath it's own place 1. The Mediator and His Satisfaction This is the Ground of the Freedom 2. The Covenant of Redemption and the Promise made to the Mediator in it He shall see his seed c. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied By his knowledge shall many be justified c. Wherein it is Articled That these for whom He Suffered shall be Pardoned and set free And it is this that gives Sinners access to expect the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings otherwayes though Christ had Suffered they had not been the better of
and please Him with Duties they will ingage Him to give them pardon and in this they have to speak so an under hand Covenant of Works They will do something to please the Mediator and wherein they come short they expect that he will make it up and this is very ordinary in practice If ye ask some what hope have ye of Justification They will answer through Christs Righteousnesse and that is good in so far but ask them again how they will get it they will answer that they will do what they dow or may and they hope that He will pity them ye would look in upon your own hearts and see whether it be not secretly making something of this kind the ground of your title to Christ and of your Justification And yet all this may be and often is in them that will not stoop to the way of Grace nor submit themselves to the Righteousnesse of God They will speak of Christs Righteousness and yet they will needs give Him some compensation and so come never really to renounce their own Righteousnesse and to flee unto His and to hold it up as their defence before God Take but an impartial view of these steps and many of you who suppose that ye are believers will not be found to be so nor Justified before God because ye lay nor claim to it by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law Use 3. There is here ground for all that neglect Christ and do not by Faith take hold of Him to look for a most dreadful Sentence and ground for others who seek Righteousnesse through Faith to look for a most comfortable Sentence 1. Then is this a Truth that Justification is through Faith in Christ then many of you are not Justified And if the Lord prevent it not ye will never be Justified If so then it must be a most dreadful thing not to believe If ye would know what is your condition ye may read it John 3.18 36. He that believeth not is condemned already and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse For it is written cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them If ye really believed this many of you would be under horror to hear what a sad condition ye are in even condemned already and having the Wrath and Curse of God abiding on you because the Word curseth and condemneth all that are not in Christ by Faith This I fear belongs to very many who are altogether secure and carelesse and yet are in reputation amongst us And is it not very sad to be professing fair to have the offer of life and to be treating with God about your peace and yet to be still in the State of enmity with Him So that if death were within twenty four hours march to you you could have nothing to expect but the ratifying of this Sentence of Gods curse upon you We are sure there is as much in this as might in reason put you by all means to study 1. To be Believers for without Faith ye are never over the borders of Gods curse which may lay a chase to you and put you to the necessity of fleeing to Christ for refuge 2. To take some pains to try whether ye be in the Faith as the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be reprobats His meaning is know ye not that this is a truth that ye are in a reprobat or unapproven condition except Christ be in you and Christ is in none but in the Believer If so ought ye not to try your selves if ye be in the Faith if ye be Believers There is no ordinary way to win to the sure and comfortable Knowledge of it but by tryal and if ye be not Believers is there not reason and is it not of your concernment to endeavour by tryall to come to the Knowledge of it As this is ground of terror to the unbeliever so it 's ground of notable consolation to the believer who if he were even put to the reckoning with Paul I was a blasphemer a persecuter injurious yet here is hope for him that he shall be found in Christ not having his own Righteousnesse but Christs believing in Christ will obtain Justification to such a person His Righteousnesse taken hold of and put on by Faith is as pleasing and acceptable to God as the unrighteousnesse of the Sinner is displeasing to him This was it that made David to sing sweetly Psal 32. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity to wit through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as the Apostle clears Rom. 4. As the first branch of the Use shew the necessity of Faith for Chasing Sinners to Christ so this branch is a sweet motive to draw them to Him and if there were moe sensible Sinners amongst us whose own Righteousness misgives them and who are brought to that pass that the Jaylor and Peters hearers were in crying out what shall we do to be saved This word believe in the Lord Jesus and ye shall be saved would make them come in cheerful as he did from the brink not only of Temporal but of Eternal Death It 's this Faith by which we have access to stand before God ye would therefore be earnestly intreated to betake your selves to it and to Jesus Christ by it for your pardon and peace even for your Justification before God 2dly Consider these Words as they hold out the Object of Justifying Faith which is the great thing in them even to discribe Justifying Faith as to it's Object and Effect and in it's concurring to produce this effect And here there are mistakes and errors both in the doctrinal and practical part of all these 1. The Object of it then is Him Jesus Christ the knowledge of him or the Faith of Him or Faith in Him as other Scriptures have it Or looking more nearly to the words it 's Faith in Him as Suffering as Satisfying for Sin as in Soul-travel bearing our iniquities Hence Observe That Christ Jesus His Rightnousnesse holden forth in Gods promise of free Grace is the native and proper Object that saving and justifying Faith takes hold of and rests upon or to the same purpose the saving Grace of Faith that Justifies is that Faith that does peculiarly apply and rest upon Christ Jesus holden forth in Gods promise in the Gospel as the Righteousnesse of a Sinner that believes on him hence the Prophet calleth it here Not Knowledge more generally taken but the knowledge of him and that as He is holden out in this Chapter to wit as surety for Sinners and suffering for
their Debt This will be clear if we consider all these Scriptures that make offer of the pardon of Sin for it 's offered not in the condition of Faith in a more general Notion of it but on condition of Faith in him So Rom. 5.22 24 25. The righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believe in his name Where the Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and the priviledge of Adoption annexed to it is called the receiving of Christ and believing on his name It may also be cleared and confirmed by good reason 1. Faith does not Justifie as it 's cosidered in it self as an Act but as it relates to and units with Christ as the meritorious cause of Justification 2. Neither does Faith Justifie as it looks to every Object which the Word holds forth But as it respects Christ offered in the Gospel whom it receiveth because there is no other thing that can bear the Souls weight and burden Therefore he as offered in the Gospel must be the Object of Faith as it 's saving and justifying 3. The terms of the Covenant and Gods offer clears it also For Gods offer of Justification is not on these terms that a Sinner shall believe his Word in the general but that he believe on His Son whom He hath sent and receive Him as these Scriptures cited before to wit John 3.16.18 and Mark 16.16 Shew where the terms are set down whereon God offers Life to Sinners 4. If we could imagine a man to have all Knowledge and all Faith if Faith Act not on Christ as Redeemer Cautioner and Surety for such as come to Him it will not avail us nor be counted to us for Righteousnesse which may also confirm this truth The Uses of this Doctrine are such as serve both to clear the nature of Faith and to direct us in our practice The 1. Use Then serves to clear the Truth as the Papists corrupt many Truths so they corrupt this Truth concerning the nature of Justifying and Saving Faith in these Three 1. In the Object 2. In the Subject 3. In the Act of it As for the Object of this Faith they make it to be every thing that God reveals and sometimes they take in their own Traditions the reason is because they give not Faith a Causality in Justification nor the capacity and place of a thing acting on Christ particularly but take it in as a common Grace or at the best as a Grace that is Radical and gives Life to other Graces but never as taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse which quite overturns the way of Justification through Faith in Him for Faith that layeth not hold on His Righteousnesse cannot Justifie and their making the Object of Faith to be so broad doth enervat both the immediat merit of Christs Righteousnesse and the exercise of Faith on it 1. Then we grant that there is a Historical Faith requisit as to the whole Word of God yet we say that the Faith that Justifies is properly that Faith that singles out the Righteousnesse of Christ and takes hold of it So that it 's not our believing that the World was made that there will be a day of Judgement nor our believing that a Saviour of Sinners is come into the World and hath suffered c. that Justifies but it 's a closing with a receiving of and a resting on that Saviour a singling out of the Promise that makes offer of him as for instance where it 's said If thou believe on the Lord Jesus thou shall be saved and pitching on that and resting on him holden out in the Promise Faith gives the Soul footing here whereas before it's case was very desperat 2. We may clear what we are to look to as the object of Justifying and Saving Faith by our putting in these Three Words or Expressions in the Doctrine to wit Christ Jesus his Righteousnesse holden forth in the promise of Gods free grace in the Gospel and which are needful to be taken in though it be not alwayes necessary that we be explicit ln the uptaking of them 1. There is need of taking in Christs righteousnesse because it 's our defence at the Bar of Gods Justiâ—e even as a Debitor whose Debt the Cautioner hath payed hath that to answer when he is charged for it that his Cautioner hath payed it 2. There is need to take in this Holden forth in Gods promise in the gospel because though Christ be the Object of Justifying Faith and His Righteousnesse be the ground of the Souls defence before God yet Gods Promise must be looked on by Faith for the use making of Christ and His Righteousnesse and as a warrand to rest on Him and to expect Justification through Him and thus Faith hath Christs fulnesse or His full and compleat Satisfaction for Righteousnesse and Gods Faithfulnesse impledged that the Believer shall be accepted through it And it s on this ground that Faith sometimes looks on God as Able sometimes as Faithful Therefore it 's said Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost and Heb. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised whereupon there is a closing with the offer in the Promise and a looking to obtain that which is Promised as if they had a Righteousnesse of their own and this the Apostle calls the law of faith Rom. 3.27 Because to Justification there is beside the payment of the Debt a Law declaring the man to be absolved requisit and the Sinner having Gods offer and Promise that upon his accepting of Christs Righteousnesse he shall be Justified instructs that his Debt is payed by his Cautioner and that therefore he ought to be and is accordingly absolved And though Gods Promise be not so properly a Law yet the Apostle calleth it so and it is a solid defence to the Soul that is fled to Christ Who may thus reason I have no Righteousnesse of my own but Christs Righteousnesse by Proclamation is offered to me in the Gospel and I have heartily received it and closed with it and God is faithfull to make good His Promise to me and this looks to Christ as He is revealed in the Gospel 3. There is need to put in this word The promise of Gods free grace because hereby the Sinner is made to see whence the Promise came and of what nature it is and gives ground to take hold of the Promise and of that which is made offer of in it the Promise is of free Grace therefore it 's alwayes called the Covenant of Grace So Rom.
were the practice of Believers dayly they would see a necessiâ—y of thinking much of him O! when will we be serious and constant in the use-making of this part of his Office 5. Because it may serve also for ground of conviction to many that are called Christians and who go through many cases and d ffiâ—ulties and yet know not what it is to acknowledge him in his intercession O! It 's a sad thing for folk to bear the name of Christians and yet if they want any good thing and can get it another way they neglect and misken him And if it be well with them and if they obtain what they would have they sacrifice to their own net and he is slâ—ghted The next thing in order is to remove some Objections and to answer some Questions conâ—erâ—ing this improvement of Christ intercession in the manner that we have spoken of And there will readily be store of them in our carnal minds Now for the removing of these Objâ—ctions or Doubts I shall lay down some grounds for direction that may answer any Doubt of that kind which may arise partly from the Doctrinal partly from the practical part of this Doctâ—â—â— It being a puzling piece of exercise to â—omâ— that they think they know not how to improve Christs Iâ—tercession or that they never did it aright or possibly both these maâ—â—e their exeâ—cise The 1. grounâ— I would lay down is this That ye would remember that there is an unsearchablenesse in this mystery of the God head in the mystery of Gods becoming man and in the mystery of the Mediator his takiâ—g on of these Offiâ—es to exercise them in our nature and in speaking or thinking of them there is a necessity to silence that which our curiosity would propose for Satisfaction about them as namely how there are or can be three Persons in the God head and yet but one God how one of these Persons can be man and how it is that by him we have access to God the Father Son and holy Ghost There is silence required in the how of these things which leads to the next derection 2. We would study Satisfaction in the matter of the truth it self rather then to be poring into the m nner or how of profound Mysteries especially such as concern the blessed God-head Which is higher then the heavens broader then the earth and deeper then the sea That is as we hinted before we would study rather to know that there is such a thing then how it is as in this particular we know that the Son of God became man took on our nature and in our nature died rose again ascended to heaven sat down on the right hand of God and makes Intercâ—ssion for us These are clear But if we ask how these things can be That God can be man and that two natures can be in one person and how God can interceed they are things much above our reach and not to properly the object of our Faith I say as to the how of them â—â—d our consolation lyes not so much in knowing how such a thing is as in knowing that it is and I make no question but there are many who pray in Faith because there is an Intercessour who if the question were asked how he performs that work They could not tell well if at all These that can tell most of it are very ignorant of it and can tell but little The Lord in his goodnesse hath so ordâ—red the matter that he hath given grounds for the Faith of his people to walk on in their duty but will not satisfy their curiosity and truly if we will seriously reflect we will find that these things which most readâ—ly vex us are questions about the manner and not abouâ— the matter of things we do not doubt that the Son of God is God that the holy Ghost is God and that he procâ—eâ—s from the Father and the Son that the second Person of the Trinity became Man c. But the perplexing question is how these things are or can be The Lord hath made it necessary to be believed that there is one God and three Persons in the God head but to be in reason satisfied as to the how or manner of their subsistance and operations that is not required as necessary So is it here in this matter of Christ's Intercession And therefore this second direction is that ye would study clearness in the grounds that ye are to go upon in the use-making of his Intercession but ye would not be curious in seeking satisfaction about the how or manner of it 3. In our addresses to God and in our improving of Christ's Intercession we would beware of imagining or framing in our imagination representations to our selves of him who is the object of our worship or of the manner of the Mediators Intercession as if we had seen him or heard him with our bodily eyes or ears a thing that sometimes is fashions and troublesome as well as it is sinful and which we are not called to yea if it were possible to attain to any representation of this kind yet it 's but a representation of our own forming and so a breach of the second Command And therefore in going to God through the Mediator never represent to your selves one party standing beside or by another For that is but a diverting of the Soul from the exercise of Faith on a purely spiritual and simple object and derogatory to the majesty of God and when ever such representations are made or rise in the imagination or in the mind God would be looked to for crushing of them It 's from this that many of our doubts and questions arise and there is no loosing of them but by â—he abandoning of them If there were a-possibility to conceive something like God yet the Lord abhorreth that and Deut. 4.15 and 12.30 All Similituds and Representations of God are discharged 4 In our addresses to God through the Mediator we would rest our Faith on what is revealed in the Word seeking rather to take up God and Christ â—s they are revealed in it then without the Word to seek Satisfaction to our curiosity we would from the Word study to take up the attributs of God his omniscience omnipotency omni presence wisdom grace and mercy purity and holinesse soveraignity and absolute dominion in guiding all and as being at such an infinit distance from and infinitly above all creatures that thereby a right impression of God may be wrought in the heart we would likewise study clearness in the promises and concerning Christ and his Offices And in applications to God we would fix our Faith on these known grounds believing we shall be heard and being quiet on that Moses Exod. 33. Is under a vehement longing to see God I beseech thee saith he shew me thy glory The Lord tells him that he cannot see it and live but he will make his goodness pass before him
now asleep and to some of you yet alive who I dare not doubt never allow your selves to expect with confidence and comfort to look the Lord Jesus in the face but as seriously and sincerely ye make it your business to be found in his Righteousness so much cleared and commended to you and in the study of Holiness in all manner of Conversation so powerfully pressed upon you here That these sweet and savoury Gospel-Sermons may come to you all and more particulary to you my dear friends at Glasgow Rom. 15.29 Act. 20.32 with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel even of the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified is the serious desire of Your Servant in the Gospel J. C. SERMON I. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE hope it shall not be needful to insist in opening the Scope of this Chapter or in clearing to you of whom the Prophet meaneth and is speaking It was once questioned by the Eunuch Acts 8.32 when he was reading this Chapter Of whom doeth the Prophet speak this of himself or of some other man And it 's so clearly answered by Philip who from these words began and preached to him of Jesus Christ that there needs be no doubt of it now To Christians these two may put it out of question that Jesus Christ and the Substance of the Gospel is compended and summed up here 1. If we compare the Letter of this Chapter with what is in the four Evangelists we will see it so fully and often so literally made out of Christ that if any will but read this Chapter and compare it with them they will find the Evangelists to be Commentators on it and setting it out more fully 2. That there is no Scripture in the Old Testament so often and so convincingly applyed to Christ as this is there being scarce one Verse at least not many but are by the Evangelists or Apostles made use of for holding out of Christ If we look then to the sum of the words of this Chapter they take in the sum and substance of the Gospel for they take in these two 1. The right description and manifestation of Jesus Christ And 2. the unfolding and opening up of the Covenant of Redemption Where these two are there the sum of the Gospel is but these two are here therefore the sum of the Gospel is here First Jesus Christ is described 1. In his Person and Natures as God being Eternal as Man being under Suffering 2. In all his Offices as a Priest offering up Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice as a Prophet venting his Knowledge to the justifying of many thereby and as a King dividing the spoil with the strong 3. In His Humiliation in the Cause of it in the End of it in the Subject of it in the Nature and Rise of all God's good pleasure And 4. In His Exaltation and Out-gate promised Him on the back of all His Sufferings and Humiliation 2. The Covenant of Redemption is here described and set out 1. In the particular Parties of it God and the Mediator 2. As to the Matter about which it was the Seed that was given to Christ and all whose iniquities met on him 3. As to the mutual Engagements on both sides the Son undertaking to make his Soul an offering for Sin and the Father promising that the efficacy of that His Satisfaction shall be imputed and applyed for the justification of Sinners and the terms on which or the way how this Imputation and Application is brought about to wit By His Knowledge All are clearly held out here This is only a touch of the Excellency of this Scripture and of the Materials to say so in it as comprehending the substance and marrow of the Gospel we shall not be particular in dividing the Chapter considering that these things we have hinted at are interwoven in it The first Verse is a short Introduction to lead us in to what follows The Prophet hath in the former Chapter been speaking of Christ as God's Servant that should be extolled and made very high and before he proceed more particularly to unfold this Mystery of the Gospel he cryes out by way of regrate Who hath believed our report Alace would he say for as good News as we have to carry few will take them off our hand such is Mens unconcernedness yea malice and obstinacy that they reject them And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to point at the necessity of the Power of God to accompany preaching and even the most lively Ordinances to make them effectual how few are they that the Power of God captivates to the obedience of this Truth For the first part of this Verse Who hath believed our report To open it a little ye shall take these four or five Considerations ere we come to the Doctrines Consider 1. The Matter of this Report in reference to its scope it 's not every report but a report of Christ and of the Covenant of Redemption and of Grace In the Original it is Who hath believed our hearing actively that is that which we have proposed to be heard and the word is turned tydings Dan. 11.44 and rumour Jer. 51.46 It 's the tydings and rumour of a suffering Mediator interposing himself betwixt God and Sinners and it may be hearing is mentioned to point out the confidence which the Prophet had in reporting these News he first heard them from God and in that was passive and then actively he proposed them to the People to be heard by them 2. Consider that the Prophet speaketh of this Report not as in his own Person only but as in the Person of all that ever preached or shall preach this Gospel therefore this Report is not peculiar to Isaiah but it 's our Report the Report of the Prophets before and of these after him and of the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel 3. Consider that Isaiah speaketh of this Report not only in respect of what he met with in his owntime but as foreseeing what would be the carriage of People in reference to it in after-times therefore John 2.38 and Rom. 10.16 this same place is alledged to give a reason of the Jews unbelief because Isaiah foretold it long before 4. Consider that when he complaineth of the want of Faith to the report and tydings of the Gospel it is not of the want of historical Faith as if the People would not give Christ a hearing at all but it is of the want of saving Faith therefore Joh. 12.37 38. it is said though he had done many miracles before them yet they believed not on him and this propherick Scripture is subjoyn'd as the reason of it that the saying of Isaias might be fulfilled who said Lord who hath believed our report applying the
foot or door of every Soul that heareth it to be believed and rested on this is the great errand of the Gospel to propose to People Jesus Christ as the Object and Ground of Faith to lay Him down to be rested on for that very end when the Apostle is speaking Rom. 10.8 of the Doctrine of Faith he saith It is not now who shall ascend into heaven nor who shall descend into the deep but the word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart what word is that the word of faith which we preach now sayeth he Christ by the preaching of the Gospel is brought so near folks that He is brought even to their Hearts and to their Mouths so near that to speak so People have no more to do but to stoup and take Him up or to roll themselves over upon Him yea it bringeth Him in to their very Heart that they have no more to do but to bring up their Heart to consent to close the Bargain and with the Mouth to make confession of it and these words are the more considerable that they are borrowed from Deut. 30. where Moses is setting Death and Life before the People and bidding them choose though he would seem to speak of the Law yet if we consider the scope we will find him to be on the matter speaking of Jesus Christ holden forth to that People under Ceremonial-Ordinances and shewing them that there was Life to be had in Him that way and according to Gods intent they had Life and Death put in their choice I know there are two things necessary to the acting and exercising of Faith The 1. is objective when the Object or Ground is proposed in the preaching of the Gospel The 2. is subjective when there is an inward spiritual and powerful quickning and framing of the Heart to lay hold on and make use of the Object and offer it is true that all to whom the offer cometh are not quickened but the Doctrine saith that to all to whom the Gospel cometh Christ is proposed to be believed on by them and brought near unto them so that we may say as Christ said to His Hearers The kingdom of God is come near unto you both Christ and John brought and laid the Kingdom of Heaven near to the Jews and it is laid as near to you in the preached Gospel This is it then that Doctrine sayes 1. That the Gospel holdeth out Christ as a sufficient ground of Faith to rest upon And 2. with a sufficient warrand to these who hear it to make use of Him according to the terms on which he is offered And 3. it brings Him so pressingly home as He is laid to the Doors and Hearts of Sinners who hear the Gospel that whoever hath the offer he must necessarily either believe in and receive Christ or reject Him and cast at the report made of Him in the Gospel I shall first a little confirm this Doctrine and then secondly make use of it First I shall confirm it from these Grounds 1. From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in His Word and from the warrand he giveth His Ministers to make the same offers It 's their Commission to pray them to whom they are sent to be reconciled to tell them that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself as it is 2 Cor. 5.19 20. and in Christ's steed to request them to embrace the offer of Reconciliation to tell them that Christ died for the Sinners that will embrace Him and that He will impute His Righteousness unto them and Chap. 6.1 We beseech you saith he that ye receive not this grace in vain which is not meant of saving Grace but of the gracious offer of Grace and Reconciliation through Him This is Ministers work to pray People not to be idle Hearers of this Gospel for saith he I have heard thee in a time accepted and in a day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The force of the Argument is this if ye will make this Gospel welcome ye may get a Hearing for now is the day of Salvation therefore do not neglect it So Psal 81.10 11. where God maketh the offer of Himself and that very largely Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it The Offer is of Himself as the words following clear My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me for they that refuse His Word refuse Himself and hence Isa 65.1 he saith I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name and to the Jews I have stretched out my hands all day long to a rebellious people 2. We may clear and confirm it from these similitudes by which the Offer of this Gospel is as it were brought to the doors of People and there are several similitudes made use of to this purpose I shall name but four 1. It 's set down under the expression of wooing as 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you as a chast virgin to Christ this is ordinary and supposeth a Marriage and a Bridegroom that is by his friends wooing and suting in Marriage so that as we shew wherever the call of the Gospel comes it 's a bespeaking of Souls to Him as Cant. 8. What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for 2. It 's set out under the expression of inviting to a Feast and Hearers of the Gospel are called to come to Christ as Strangers or Guests are called to come to a Wedding-feast Mat. 22.2 3 4. All things are ready come to the wedding c. Thus the Gospel calleth not to an empty House that wants meat but to a Banqueting-house where Christ is made ready as the Cheer and there wants no more but feasting on Him So it 's set out under the similitude of Eating and Drinking John 6.57 He that eats me even he shall live by me 3. It 's set out often under the expression or similitude of a Market where all the Wares are laid forth on the Stands Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters c. and least it should be said or thought that the Proclamation is only to the thirsty and to such as are so and so qualified ye may look to what followeth let him that hath no mony come yea come buy without mony and without price and to the offer that is made to those of Laodicea Rev. 3. who in appearance were a hypocritical and formal People yet to them the Counsel and Call comes forth Come buy of me eye-salve and gold tryed in the fire c. It sayes the Wares are even in their offer or even offered to them 4. It 's set out under the similitude of standing and knocking at a Door because the Gospel brings Christ a knocking and calling hard at
Sinners doors Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me So Cant. 5.2 By the sleepy Bride it is said It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh and Psal 24. last four Verses it 's cryed Lift up your heads ye gates and be lift up ye everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in which is an â—arnest invitation to make way for Christ Jesus wanting nothing but an entry into the heart whereby we may see how near Christ comes in the Gospel and is laid to folks hand 3. We may confirm it from the nature of Faith and of the obedience that is required to be given to the command of Believing Wherever this Gospel comes it tyeth and obligeth all the Hearers to believe on Christ that is to receive and welcome Him and there could be no receiving of Him if He were not making an offer of Himself thus it 's said Joh. 1.11.12 He came unto his own but his own received him not but to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God He came to both these who received Him and to these who received Him not but He gave to Believers only this priviledge of Son-ship If we look to all the names of Faith as coming to Christ eating and drinking of Him receiving of Him resting on Him c. They all suppose that Christ is near to be catched hold of and within speaking and trysting terms to People that hear the Gospel 4. It may be confirmed from the many sad complaints that the Lord hath for not receiving Him and not believing His Word and from the dreadful designations by which He holds out the sin of Unbelief all which will make out this that God lays Christ at Sinners door in His Word Hence Joh. 5.40 our Lord says Ye will not come unto me that ye may get life and Matth. 23. at the close O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee and ye would not This was it that did aggravate their sin that He would and they would not So Psal 81. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and Luke 7. it 's said the Scribes and the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves and Acts 13.45 when the Jews rejected Christ it 's said they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life and therefore the Apostles say that they will leave them and turn to the Gentiles 5. We may confirm it from this That in respect of the Gospel and Offer made in it Christ comes alike neâ—r to all that hear it for if He be near to some then He is near to all I mean in regard of an objective nearness there is the same warrand to speak and make the offer to all before there be some discovery made for qualifying the Doctrine to some Iâ—'s true there is a difference in respect of the power that accompanieth the Gospel but as it layeth out the offer of Christ and Life through Him it comes alike near to â—ll the Hearers of it the Invitation comes to all and in the same terms to them that refuse as well as to them that receive Him the same Gospel is preached to both A 6th Confirmation is from the nature of God's administration of His external Covenant which is sealed in Baptism to both not one Covenant to one and another Covenant to another but the same Covenant on condition of believing to both Behold then in the preaching of this Gospel that Christ comes near you even to your door in respect of the mediate Ordinances as near as He did to Abraham and David Although God had His extraordinary ways of manifesting Himself to them not common to others yea this day the Gospel is more clear objectively to you then it was to Abraham who rejoyced to see Christ's day afar off when it was vailed yea the Gospel is as clearly preached to you as those who are now before the Throne of God had it preached to them as to the matter of it though we will make no equality as to the manner of it Use 1. Advert to this when ye come to hear the Gospel preached and think how ye are living in trysting terms with God and how near Christ comes unto you the word of Faith lays Him so near that ye have no more to do but to receive the offer of Him to believe and close with Him and step in upon Him as it were to come as living Stones to be built upon Him as a sure Foundation But it will be asked How comes this Gospel so near How does it bring Christ so near to Sinners Answ In these five steps 1. As it makes the Report of Christ and brings the Tydings of such things as that He is Born and that He hath Suffered and for such an End and that we may partake of the Benefite of them on such terms It makes the Proclamation narratively and tells what He did what Good may be gotten of Him and how we may come by it 2. As it brings an offer of these good things on the terms on which they are to be gotten so that it never tells that Christ is come but it says also here is Life to be gotten in Him by you if ye will take the way proposed to come by it therefore when the Proclamation comes forth that all things are ready the next word is Come to the Wedding And when in the one word He says I stand at the door and knock at the next He says If any man will open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me and when Isa 28. it 's said He is a precious corner-stone a tryed foundation-stone laid in Zion the next word is He that believes on him shall not make haste or as the Apostle hath it shall not be ashamed or confounded this makes the Gospel glad Tydings because it comes alwayes with an offer of Christ and of Life in Him 3. When the Offer is made and the precious Wares are exposed to sale in this cryed Fair of Grace a command comes out choose Life come buy the Wares believe receive the Offer as is clear in all the places we named before It leaves not Folks indifferent to receive or nor but chargeth them as they would be obedient to a Command to receive Him 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that ye should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ This is the great Gospel-command and Ministers have not only the telling of these News and warrand to make the Offer but a Commission to command to receive it and therefore the sitting and slighting of the Offer is a Sin opposite to the Command 4. It not only makes the Offer and backs the Offer with a Command to embrace it but it sweetens the
would have put out their hand to receive Him and seing it is so O receive this Gospel give Him room while He is content to sup with you take Him in make sure your union with Him this is the end why this Report is made and Christ is laid before you even that ye may lay your selves over on Him I would follow this Use a little by way of Exhortation and Expostulation jointly seeing the Doctrine will bear both for when Christ is brought so near even to the Mouth and to the Heart it will be great ground of reproof and expostulation if He shall be rejected Be exhorted therefore to be in earnest seing 1. It is a matter of such concernment to you many Nations Kings and Kingdoms have not had Christ so near them as ye have neglect not such an opportunity do ye think that all that is said in the Gospel concerning this is for nought Is it for no use that such a Report is made and Preaching continued so long among you And if it be for any use is it not for this that ye may receive the Report and may by doing so get your souls for a Prey To what use will Preaching be if this use and end of it be missed Will your hearing the Gospel make your Peace with God if Christ be not received 2. Consider the Advantages ye may have by receiving the Gospel that others have not is it a little thing to be called to God's Feast to be married to Christ to be made Friends with God and to enjoy Him for ever the Day comes when it will be thought an Advantage and are there Motives to perswade to any thing like those that are to induce to that 3. Consider what it is that we require of you it 's no strange nor hard thing it 's but Believing and this is nothing else but that the Report concerning Christ be received yea that He be received for your own good that is it that the Gospel calls you to even to betake you to a Physician for Cure to betake you to a Cautioner for your Debt if ye could escape a Reckoning and Wrath another way it were something but when there is no other way to obtain pardon of Sin and Peace or to escape Wrath and obtain favour and friendship with God but this and when this way to speak so is made so easie that it s but to stoop down and to take up Christ at your foot as it were or to roll your selves on Him how inexcusable will ye Unbelievers be when ye shall be arraigned before His Tribunal But 4. look a little farther to what is coming If ye were to live always here it were hard enough to live at feed with God but have ye faith of a Judgement after Death if so how will ye hold up your Faces in that Day that now refuse Christ will not horrible confusion be the portion of many then and will any ground of confusion be like this the slighting of Christ when He shall be seen coming to judge Slighters of Him what horrour will then rise in Consciences when He shall appear and be avenged on them that were not obedient to this Gospel as is most clear 2 Thess 1. When our Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire with his mighty Angels from Heaven to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel 5. Consider that Death and Life are now in your option in your hand as it were choose or refuse I speak not nor plead here for Free-will but of your willing electing of that which ye have offered to you for one of two will be either shall ye willingly choose Life which is a fruit of Grace or refuse Life and choose Death which will be found the native fruit of your Corruption ye may have Life by receiving Christ who is laid to your Door and if ye refuse Him Death will follow it as now in Hearing this Gospel ye carry in choosing or refusing so will the Sentence pass on you at the great Day and so your Sentence in a manner is written down with your own hand as it 's said Act. 13.46 Ye judge your selves unworthy of eternal life not out of humility but maliciously Now when the matter is of such concernment beware of playing the fool if ye will continue presumptuous and secure following your Idols what will the Lord say but let it be so ye get no wrong when ye get your own choice and He but as it were ratifies the Sentence which ye have past on your selves 6. I shall add but this one word more and beseech you that ye would seriously lay this to Heart as a weighty thing considering the Certification that follows on it It 's not only Death but a horrible Death Wrath and Wrath with its aggravation from this Ground like that of Capernaum that was lifted up to Heaven in this respect having Christ brought so near them to whom this Gospel is not the savour of Life unto Life it shall be the savour of Death unto Death and think not this a common Motive though it be commonly used it will bring Wrath upon Wrath and Vengeance upon Vengeance on the Hearers of this Gospel beyond that of Sodom if ye be still Rejecters of it sure none of you would think it an easie thing to be punished as Sodom was nor digest well the Curse that came on them is there any of you but ye would think it uncouth and strange yea stupendious to enter into their Judgement and to have your Lands turned in a stinking Loch and your selves eternally tormented with them but there is more wrath and vengeance following on the sin of Unbelief and rejecting of Christ when He comes to your Door in this Guspel To close up all Consider that Christ is near you and hath been long near you and wooing you ye know not how many Days or Years ye shall have how soon this Gospel may be taken from you or ye from it how soon ye may be put in the Pit where ye will gnash your Teeth gnaw your Tongues and blaspheme God therefore be serious while Christ is in your offer and roll your selves over upon Him while ye have Him so near you welcome this Hearing or Report while it sounds in your Ears that there may be no just ground of this Complaint against you Lord who hath believed our report SERMON III. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THe most part of Men and Women think not much of the preached Gospel yet if it were considered what is the Lord's end in it it would be the most refreshful News that ever People heard to hear the Report of a Saviour that is and should be great and glad Tydings of great Joy to all Nations and we should be so composed to hear such News from God and concerning His Will and our own well as to be
tell you that remission of Sins is preached to you through Christ so we command and charge you to believe on Him and receive this Gospel wherein He is offered for the remission of Sins For clearing of this Use and that we may have the more ready access to Application We shall speak a word to these three First To several kinds of true Faith three whereof are noâ— saving or to the ordinary distinctions of Faith Secondly To the Scripture expressions that hold out the nature of saving Faith Thirdly To some differences betwixt this saving Faith and false and counterfite Faith or these acts of true Faith more generally taken which yet are not saving For the first of these When we speak of Faith we shall draw it to these four kinds ordinarily spoken of and shall noâ— alter nor add to the common distinctions of Faith though there may be moe given The first is Historical Faith which may be called true being it whereby we assent to the truth of a thing because of his supposed fidelity that telleth it as when an Author writes a History we give it credit upon report that he was an honest Man that wrot it So Historical Faith is when People hearing the Word preached or read they assent to the truth of it all and do not question but that Christ came to the World that He was God and Man in one Person that He died and rose the third day and ascended to Heaven that they that Believe on Him shall be saved c. and taking the Word to be God's Word they may give to it a higher assent then they give to any Mans word because God is worthy infinitly worthy of more credit than any Man yea then all Men and Angels too There may be I say in this Historical Faith of Divine Truths a higher or greater assent then there is in believing of any Humane History which may be the reason why many mistake Historical Faith and yet it is but of the same kind and a thing which mâ—ny Reprobates have as John 2. at the close it 's said Many believed on him when they saw the miracles which he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them they were brought to believe from the Signs which they saw that He was more than a meer Man and that it was the Word of God which He spoke and yet it was but a Historical Faith yea this Faith may be and is in Devils who are said James 2.9 to believe and tremble there are many who if they believe Christ to be God and Man and the Word to be true think it enough yet James having to do with such tells them that the Devils believe as much as that and more thorowly then many that hâ—ve that Historâ—cal Faith he knows God to be true and One that cannot lie and he finds it to his cost he knows that such as Believe cannot Perish for he cannot get one of them to Hell he knows that there is a time set when Christ will come to judge the World and himself among the rest and therefore he says often to Him torment me not before the time and as the Devil hath this Faith so there are many in Hell that have it too the rich Glutton had it therefore he bids go tell his Brethren that they come not to that place of torment and it s told him they have Moses and the Prophets c. which says that he then felt the truth of many things he would not believe before This I speak that ye may know that this Historical Faith is the first step of Faith but it may be in Hell and so in many in whom saving Faith is not it s really a wonder that Folks that are called Christians should own this to be saving Faith and think they are well come too when they are only come the Devils length in Believing yea there are many that never came his length else they would tremble more The second sort of Faith is the Faith of Miracles which is often spoken of in the New Testament as when the Lord sayeth If ye had saith as a grain of mustard-seed ye should say to this mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and it should be done there was an active Faith to work Miracles and a passiâ—e Faith to receive the particular effect the Mâ—racle did produce some had the Faith of Miracles to heal and others to be healed this is an extraordinary thing and Folks may go to Heaveâ— without it and go to Hell with it though they cannot go to Heaven without Historical Faith hence it 's said Many shall come to me in that day and shall say we have casten out devils in thy Name to whom he will say depart from me ye workers of iniquity And the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.2 If I had all faith and could remove mountains if I want charity it avails me nothing this Faith of Miracles availeth not alone to Salvation because it acts not on Christ holden out in the Promises as a Saviour to save from Sin but on Christ as having power and ability to produce such an Effect which may be where there is no quiting of a Man 's own Righteousness and if there be not Grace in the Person that hath it it is an occasion of Pride We call you then to Historical Faith as necessary though not sufficient but not to this Faith of Miracles it being neither necessary nor sufficient A third sort of Faith is Temporary Faith spoken of Matth. 13. and set out under the Parable of the Seed sowen on stony Ground which soon springs up but withers so some Hearers of the Gospel receive the Word with joy and are affected with it but endure not The difference betwixt this and Historical Faith is that Historical Faith as such consists in the Judgement and reaches not the Affections at best it reaches not the affection of Joy for though the Devils tremble yet they are never glad Temporary Faith reaches the Affections and will make a Man as to tremble at the Threatnings as Felix did so some way to delight himself in the Promises of the Gospel and to smack then as it were from the apprehension of the sweet taste and relish he finds in them It is even here as it were told a whole Man that a Physician is come to Town he is neither up nor down with it but tell it to a sick Man and he is fain from an apprehended possibility of a Cure yet the apprehended possibility of the Cure never sends him to the Physician nor puts him to apply the Cure The fourth sort is Saving Faith which goeth beyond all the rest and brings the sick Man to the Physician and to make use of the Cure there may be some measure of true Saving Faith where there is not much Temporary Faith or moving of the Affections and there may be a considerable measure of Temporary Faith where there is no Saving Faith
at all even as a fallen-Star may seem to glance more then a fixed one that is over-clouded yet it hath no solid Light Know then that Faith is called for but take not every sort of Faith for Saving Faith it would make tender Hearts bleed to see so many mistake in the matter of their Faith there are some who say they had Faith all their days O that ye were convinced of the lamentable deceit and delusion that ye are under and that ye could distinguish betwixt Faith and Presumption betwixt Historical and Temporary Faith and true Saving Faith though the two former be not Delusions but in so far as ye rest on the same and take them for Saving Faith ye are deluded for Saving Faith puts you out of your selves to rest on Jesus Christ SERMON IV. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THE Gospel is a sweet Message and ought to be glad News when it comes to a People and therefore when this Report of our Lord Jesus Christ is made to Sinners O! but it 's a sad Complaint that follows on the refusal and not welcoming of it there is no better News a Minister can carry then these brought to the Shepherds by the Angels Luke 2.10 11. Fear not behold we bring you glad tydings of great joy to all people unto you is born in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord but were it an Isaiah it will weight him when he looks on a fruitless Ministry and despised Gospel and will make him complain Who hath believed our report O! that we may experimentally know the cheerfulness and gladness that follows the Gospel where it is embraced and that we may not know the sorrow and sadness that will follow the challenge for dispising of it one of these two the preached Gospel will be either it will be joyful News to you or a sad ground of complaint to God against you We entred to speak of the great Duty of a People that hears the Gospel and the great mean whereby these News become delightsome and that is by Faith to receive the Report of the Gospel or to Believe on Christ reported of in it This is clearly implyed for the regrate which holds out the sin is Who hath believed our report and therefore the great Duty must be to Believe and by Faith to receive the Report We come now to speak of the Use and because it 's the great design of the whole Gospel yea it 's the design of the Law also both of which level at this End and Scope even Faith in Christ It will be expedient and no ways impertinent that we insist a little on this especially when so many thousands are utterly ignorant of Faith being Strangers to what Believing in Christ is and so great Strangers to the native End of the Gospel and out of the way of getting good by the Preaching of it so that to this day they have not learned this one Lesson to wit concerning Faith in Christ and other Lessons will be to little or no purpose till this be learned We shall not insist to speak at large of the Doctrine of Faith but only in a plain way glance at what this great Duty is that is required of the Hearers of the Gospel it 's Believing in Christ savingly or Saving Faith for no other thing will hold off the Complaint against you ye will be complained of though ye would believe with all other Faith therefore it 's this Faith that is here meaned That we may come the sooner to that which we would be at we shall premit two or three words First When we speak of Believing here we presuppose these things that are necessary for clearing the Object of Faith and capacitating us to Believe though they be not Saving Faith As namely 1. That the Offer of the Gospel must come to People that the Object of Faith be held out to them that it be told them that there is a way for a Sinner's Justification through Christ Jesus and that Sinners may be accepted before God on His account or through Him There must also 2. Be an understanding of this a conceiving in the Judgment what it is Folks cannot Believe except they Hear and Understand what they Hear in so far as distinctly to fix their Faith on the thing known they must know and understand the Mediator's fulness the Covenants freeness and the efficacy of Faith to make Christ theirs Yea 3. It 's necessary there be some acquaintance with our own condition as that we are naturally under Sin that we are lost and under the Curse sick and utterly unable and even desperate to get our selves recovered by any thing that is in or by any thing that we can do of our selves that we are for ever undone if we get not a Saviour that our mouth may be stoped 4. Not only must we know this but it 's necessary there be an Historical Faith of it to Believe that there is Fulness and Sufficiency in Châ—ist that He is able to cure and take away the guilt of Sin in all that rest on Him these must be believed in general ere ever Sinners can rest on Him for their own Salvation which supposes that there may be an Historical where there is not a Saving Faith Now when all this length is gone Saving Faiâ—h is that which the Gospel calleth for and it is the Hearts acting according to what sound light and conviction it hath on Jesus Christ as holden out in the Promise for obtaining of Life and Salvation through Him so that when the Soul is lying still under its conviction and knows it cannot have Life but by resting on Christ and hears that there is a Sufficiency in Him for up making of all its wants then the work of the Spirit prevails with the Soul to cast it self over on Him for obtaining of Life and of every other thing needful it brings the Soul to embrace and lay hold on Him not only as one able to save Sinners but to save it self in particular and this is the native work of Faith that waits the Soul to Christ and puâ—s it over the bound-road or march of all Delusion it 's like a sinking Man's leaping to catch hold of a Rock or Rope it 's the bâ—inging of a lost Sinner from the serious apprehension of his own naughtiness and undone Estate to cast himseâ—f over on Jesus Christ for the obtaining of Life through Him Secondly When we speak of Faith we would premit this That even this true and Saving Faith which is not only in kind true that is such as hath a real Being but is Saving may be considered in its different acts or actings for its different needs or necessities Though the Covenant be one yet the acts of Faith are many we having to do with Pardon of Sin with Sanctification in its parts Vivification and Mortification with Peace
c. Faith differently acts on Christ and the Promise for obtaining of these Now the Faith that we would insist on is the Fâ—ith that rests on Christ for Pardon of Sin on which all the rest of the acts of Faith depend it 's that Faith whereby a Sinner receives Christ and casts himself over on Him that Faith whereby Union with Christ is made up Thirdly We would premit That there is a great difference betwixt Faith and the Effects of it as Peace Joy Assurance of God's Love and these other Spiritual Priviledges that follow Believing It 's one thing actually to Believe another thing to have the Peace and Joy that follows upon and flows from Believing the one being as the putting out of the Hand to receive the Meat and the other as the feeding on it It 's the first of these we mean and intend to speak of even that Faith whereby we grip Jesus Christ Himself and get a Right to all these Priviledges in and through Him Fourthly We premit That even this Saving Faith hath its degrees as all other Faith hath some have more weak Faith some stronger some have that full Assurance spoken of Heb. 10. or a Plerophory not only as to the Object that it 's sufficient but as to the apprehending and obtaining of Life through that Object so that they are able to say neither height nor depth nor any thing else shall be able to separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus we say then that Saving Faith hath its degrees though the degree be not that which we speak of but it 's the kind of this Faith whether weaker or more strong whereby a lost Sinner rolls it self over on Christ the Faith which puts the Sinner off the Ground it stood on ever on Him the Faith which brings the Soul from the Covenant of Works to a new holding of Life by Christ and His Righteousness We shall then speak a little 1. To what we conceive this act of Saving Faith is not for precaveating of mistakes 2. What way the Scripture expresses it when then we say that such a thing is not Saving Faith ye would know that thing is not it that ye must lippen to and when we say such a thing is Saving Faith ye would labour to act and exercise Faith according to it First For what Saving Faith is not 1. It is not the knowing that Christ is God and Man that He was Born was Crucified Dead and Buried and Rose again Ask some what true Saving Faith is they will say it 's a true Knowledge Ask them again how long is it since they Believed they will say since ever they knew Good by Ill ye would know that apprehensive or literal and speculative Knowledge is needful but it will not be taken for Saving Faith 2. It 's not a touch of warmness or liberty in the Affections in a natural way which may be in unregenerate Men yea possibly in Pagans as in a Felix who in the mean time have not so much as Temporary Faith because it rises not from the Word but from dispensations of Providence or from Temporary things and if it rise from the Promises of the Word if there be no more it 's but temporary Faith 3. It is not Convictions which many take for Faith and take it for granted if they be convinced of Sin they Believe and will say whom should they Believe on but Christ and yet they never follow the Conviction to put in practice what they are convinced of 4. It 's not simply a Resolution to Believe as others take Saving Faith to be who being convinced that their own Righteousness will not do their turn resolve to Believe on Christ for Righteousness but they will take a convenient time to do it and many maintain their Peace with this though it be no true Peace but a bare resolution to Believe is not Faith ye use to say there are many good Wishers in Hell I remember the words of a dying Man in this Place who thought he believed before and being asked what difference he conceived to be betwixt the Faith he had before and the Faith he now had attain'd to he answered before I thought or resolved to Believe but never practised it now I practise Believing There is such a subtilty and deceit in the Heart that if it resolve to Believe and if it observably thwart not with Faith it will sit down on that as if all were done therefore the Word is To day if ye will hear his voice that is to day if ye will Believe harden not your heart This resolving to Believe is like a Man sinking in the Water and having a Rope cast out to him he resolves to grip it but does it not So many think they have the Promise beside them and resolve to make use of it but do not presently make use of it and the Ship sinks down and they perish while the Promise abides and swims above 5. It is not Prayer There are many who think they Believe when they some way Repent Pray and put their Hand to other Duties and they know no more for Believing but something of that kind it is true indeed Prayer may help to Believe yet it 's not always with Faith it 's not every one that saith Lord Lord that believeth many will seek to enter that shall not be able Folks very often have these two miserable mistakes about Prayer either they put it in the room of Christ or in the room and place of Faith not considering that they are different things for Faith exerciseth it self on Christ as Mediator and Prayer taketh Him up as God the true Object of Divine Worship though if it be not founded on Christ as Mediator it hath no access the acting of Saving Faith is properly on Christ held forth in the Word and Prayer is a putting up of Suits according to the Word There are many that know no more what use to make of Christ then if He had never been incarnate nor had come under that relation of a Mediator and make their Prayers serve to make up all whereas Faith not only respects Christ as God but His Merits as Mediator and His Offices 6. Nor is Faith only a believing this Word of God to be true though we could wish many were come that length it would make a Man tremble to hear the blasphemous words that some will have when they are asked concerning their believing the truth of the Bible but though ye were that length it were not enough the Devils believe and tremble the Faith that we call you to is more then Historical it 's to resting on Christ to cordial receiving of the Message which He sends to you as suppose a King should send an embassage to a Person to woo her to be his Wife it 's one thing to know that there is such a King another thing to believe that he is real in his offer and that the
this latter is Saving Faith when we dare trust and lippen our selves to Him and to His Word and we think this Expression holds forth as much of the nature of Saving Faith as any of the former if we could take it up when we dare concredit our selves to Him because He hath said the word Thus also to act and exercise Faith on Him for Temporal or for Spiritual things it 's to expect the event from God but so as we expect and look for it on this ground that Christ hath purchased it and we have accepted Him on His Offer which gives us a right to these things needful for us and purchased by Him It 's said Matth. 22.5 when the Invitation comes that some made light of it but Faith on the contrary is a laying weight on it and a concrediting of our selves to God on that ground It 's called Rom. 6. a delivering up of our selves to the word and to Him in it it 's even to put a Blank in Christ's Hand to be filled up as He pleases Ye see then what ye are called to it is to open to Christ to come to Him to marry Him to roll your selves on Him to commit your selves to Him to give Him credit c. and is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you and if they be very reasonable and advantageous as indeed they are we would exhort you to come to Him to receive Him to apprehend Him to flee to Him to take hold of Him to marry Him c. Believe on Him and by believing be united to Him and get a right to Him and to all His Purchase give Him the credit of saving your Souls This we call for from you and if ye do it not the complaint in the Text will stand against you Who hath believed our report SERMON V. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's a great matter once to get the Gospel brought amongst a People and such Messengers as may make the savoury Report of Jesus Christ unto them yet this is not all there is a greater work behind and that is to get Christ believed on and to get the Report concerning Him received by the People to whom it is made This being the greatest and gravest work of the Prophets and of the Ministers of the Gospel and the most eminent not so much to get a word to say as to get the Word believed and this is Isaiah's complaint that though he himself brought the Report concerning Christ and foresaw many moe would bring it yet that the exercise of Faith in these who should hear it would be very rare We spoke of the great thing called for from a People to whom this Gospel comes and the Report of Christ is made and that is to Believe on Him to receive and rest on Him of whom the Report is made except this be though there were never so many Preachers and encouragements to Preach though ye should flock to the Ordinances every day the ground of Complaint will still remain if there be not Saving Faith in Jesus Christ which is the substance of the Gospel After confirmation of this Point We shew what Faith is from the several names the Scripture giveth it and wherein the exercise of Saving Faith is holden out all which imply these three 1. A great hazard and danger that the Hearers of the Gospel are in whether they be sensible of it in such a measure at least or not we speak not now yet they are so really so much fleeing coming laying-hold apprehending c. insinuate 2. A fulness and sufficiency in Christ Jesus holden forth to them as the object of their Faith as one that can deliver out of that danger and can right what ever is wrong 3. An act wherein mainly the exercise of Faith is holden forth and it 's the act of the Soul under that danger and distress betaking it self to Christ's fulness for help It 's a fleeing from the Curse of the Law to Him as to the City of Refuge so every name that Faith gets sets out a Man acting and moving some way for Christ's remeeding the evil and removing the hazard he is in Having spoken a little to this that Faith is the main duty that is called for we may now follow the Exhortation to press you to it it being to no purpose to speak of Christ and of Faith in Him except He be received This is the end of the Word written and taught John 20. at the close even to believe in the Name of the Son of God and by believing to receive Life in and through Him And therefore Secondly Seing this is the main Duty called for by the Gospel that by Faith ye should receive it and Christ offered in it we earnestly exhort you to it It is not so much to this or that particular Duty though these be implyed it 's not so much to attendance on Ordinances nor to submission to Discipline and Censures though these also be Duties that we exhort you to but it 's to obedience to the great command of Faith even to believe on Him whom the Father hath sent and sealed It is to receive this Gospel to submit to the Righteousness of Faith to open to Him that is knocking at the Door to yield to Him and to give Him the Hand that bygone Quarels may be removed and taken out of the way except this be we profess to you in His Name that ye bring not forth the Fruit that this Gospel calleth for from you and that no less will be acceptable to God nor taken off your Hand by Him And to add here the third Branch of the Doctrine We say that no less will do your turn as a necessary mean for attaining the Promise and that which is promised 1. Look to all the Promises whether of Pardon of Sin or of Peace with God of Joy in the Holy Ghost of Holiness and Conformity to God there is no access to these or to any of them but by Faith this is the very proper condition of the Covenant of Grace and the Door whereby we step into it and if ye think Pardon of Sin Peace with God and Holiness to be necessary then this great Gospel-Duty of Believing is no less necessary for the Lord saith John 3.36 He that believes not is condemned already 2. Look to the performance of any Duty or mortification of any Lust or Idol and Faith is necessary to that 1 John 5.5 It is by Faith we obtain victory over the world it was by Faith Heb. 11. that all the Worthies spoken of there wrought Righteousness c. 3. When any Duty is done of whatsoever nature it be there is no acceptation of it without Faith It is not our Praying or coming to the Church that will make Duty to be accepted but it 's Faith the word profited them not saith the Apostle Heb. 4.2 because it was
Isaiah's dayes only but in Christ's days John 12.37 38. and in Paul's days Rom. 10.16 where the same very words in the Text are repeated nay it runs down from the first spreading of the Gospel even to these latter days wherein we live many hear but few receive the Report 3. Consider how many they are that complain it 's not one or two or a few but all the Preachers of the Gospel it 's not Lord who hath believed my Report but who hath believed our Report it's complained of by Isaiah here and in several other places named before it 's complained of by Micah Chap. 7.1 Wo is me for I am as they who have gathered the summer-fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat the good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men c. it 's complained of by Hosea Chap. 11.7 Though they called them to the most High none at all would exalt him that is none would give Him the glory of His Grace in believing on Him Ah sad word as is that also in Psal 81. the Lord calls Hear O my people and I will testifie to thee open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and what Prophet is there almost if I need say almost but hath one way or other this Complaint that though the Lord streatched out His Hands all day long yet it was to a rebellious and gain-saying People Look forward and see what our Lord says of John Baptist and of Himself Whereto shall I liken this generation it 's like children sitting in the market-places saying one to another we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented that is there is much Preaching of Men endowed with several Gifts but none of them does the People much good John preached with much holy austerity like one Mourning the Son of Man most sweetly like one Piping yet neither the one nor the other prevailed there are some Boanarges sons of Thunder allaruming and thundering Preachers some Barnabasses sons of Consolation sweetly comforting Preachers yet all gain but little on the Hearers our Lord sayeth Mat. 23. O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you this is the ordinary Complaint ye would not A 4th Aggravation is If we consider who they are that meet with this Unbelief and Unfruitfulness in them they preach to if it were poor coldrife Preachers such as we alace in a great measure are or such as the Scribes and the Pharisees were or if it were they who had Learning only and not Piety it were not so great matter to see them meet with Unbelief and Unfruitfulness in their Hearers but it s even these whom the Lord sent and sharpened as Arrows out of His Quiver as this Prophet was it 's even his Preaching that is Fruitless in a great measure and was there ever a more sweet plain powerful and delectable Preacher than Isaiah was that even the very reading of his Preachings may affect the Readers yet is there any that complains more or so much as he doeth in the Chapters before cited it's like ye will think that if Isaiah were Preaching now he would be as a Stone that would not be moved thereby and yet his Preaching got the same return and entertainment that our gets now and Hosea called his Hearers to the most High yet none at all would exalt Him it was their work to streatch out their Hands all the day long but they hardened their Necks and refused to return Jer. 8. and Zech. 7. But 5ly Consider all these are Servants and Preachers under the Old Testament and you may be disposed to think that ye under the Gospel when the Vail is laid by and when Christ Himself their Lord and Master and His Apostles come to Preach the Gospel it should be otherwise yet John the Baptist who was Christ's Harbinger who was a burning and a shining Light a stayed and fixed Man not a Reed shaken with the Wind as many of us much are a Prophet yea more than a Prophet yet when he preached many of his Hearers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7. John comes preaching austerely and they say he hath a Devil and if there was any rejoycing in his Light it was but for a Season and Paul that chosen Vessel how often was he persecuted and he hath the same Complaint in the same words that Isaiah hath here of his Hearers especially the Jews Acts 13.46 and 28.28 and was constrained to tell them that he and his Fellow preachers behoved to quite them and betake themselves to the Gentiles and how doeth he complain of the Corinthians and Galatians and of their being bewitched and suddenly seduced and drawen away from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel by some Self-seeking Lown-Ministers coming with a glancing Countefite among them We shall close this with the consideration of our Lord Jesus who was a none-such Preacher of whom it 's said Matth. 7.29 that He spake with power and not as the Scribes and Luk 4. when he is opening that sweet Text Isa 61.1 23. it 's said They all wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth and the Officers that came to take Him say that never man spake as He spoke and yet this same is His Complaint Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered you and ye would not and John 1.11 it 's said He came to his own and his own received him not Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum were lifted up to Heaven by the Lord 's preaching to them in Person and yet woe after woe is denounced against them because they believed not for all His Preaching and Miracles and it 's a wonder if we look thorow the History of the Gospel how many a sweet Preaching He had and with what Weight and Power He spoke and sometimes with Tears and withall backed His Word with Miracles that made His Hearers acknowledge the Finger of God and yet how few were brought to Believe on Him so that He was put to take up this very Complaint of Isaiah here John 12.38 Is it not a wonder when He and His Apostles have preached so much and so long that the Church is so little a Flock and that Believers are so few in number even after His Ascension need we any further proof that the Gospel where it comes gets but little welcome the Carriage of many among our selves is a sad proof of it for we are afraid that many of you do not Believe to this Day though there hath been amongst you much long or many Years and powerful preaching of the Gospel but are still living without Faith and Perishing If this be not enough to clear the Doctrine 1. See how Christ speaks of it Matth. 13. in the Parable of the Sower of the Seed
generality of you and let not others wrong themselves nor mistake the intent of this Scripture How is it I say that the generality of you that hear this Gospel come under this common and epidemick Temper or rather Distemper to maintain your Peace and Confidence when ye can in the mean time give so little proof of it think ye that Faith cannot be a missing nor mistaken or that it is ordinary and common or that it is indifferent whether ye have it or not we are perswaded that many of you think that if ye have a good Mind as ye call it and a square civil honest Walk and keep still your good Hope that all will be well ye never doubt nor question whether ye have received Christ or not but if Unbelief ly in your Bosom I mean not doubting-desperation or questioning of the God-head but the not receiving of Christ and His Righteousness though ye had more than ordinary Hypocrites have ye will for this Sin of Unbelief find your selves under the standing Curse of God for our Lord says John 3.18 He that believes not is condemned already and vers 36. the wrath of God abideth on him In pressing of this Use I shall shew by a few Aggravations of this Sin why the Lord layeth so much weight upon it and that not so much as it opposeth Faith as as it is a condition of the Covenant of Grace and a mean to unite us to Christ but mainly as it is 〈◊〉 Sin thwarting His Command And 1. It thwarteth with both the Law and the Gospel it thwarteth with the Commands of the first Table and so is a greater Sin than Murther or Adultery nay than Sodomy though these be great vile and abominable Sins which may be thought strange yet it 's true it makes the Person guilty of it more vile before God than a Pagan-Sodomite the nature of the Sin being more hainous as being against the first Table of the Law in both the first and second Commands thereof it being by Faith in God that we make God our God and worship God in Christ acceptably Next it s not only a Sin against the Law but a Sin against the Gospel and the prime Flower to speak so of the Gospel it comes in contradiction to the very design of the Gospel which is to manifest the glory of the Grace of God in bringing Sinners to believe on Christ and to be saved through Him but He can do no great things of this sort amongst unbelieving People because of their Unbelief it bindeth up His Hands as it were to speak so with reverence that He cannot do them a good turn 2. It strikes more nearly against the Honour of God and of the Mediator and doth more prejudice to the Ministry of the Gospel and causeth greater destruction of Souls than any other Sin it 's possible notwithstanding of other Sins that Christ may have satisfaction for the travel of His Soul and there may be a relation bound up betwixt Him and Sinners notwithstanding of them but if this Sin of Unbelief were universal He should never get a Soul to Heaven the salvation of Souls is called the pleasure of the Lord but this obstructs it and closeth the Door betwixt Sinners and access to God it strikes also at the main Fruit of the Ministry it makes them complain to God that the Word is not taken off their Hand it frustrats the very end of the Ministry and it comes nearest the destruction of immortal Souls we need not say it brings on but it holds and keeps on the Wrath of God on Sinners for ever He that believes not as we shew before from John 3. is condemned already and the wrath of God abides on him 3. More particularly There is nothing in God even that which is most excellent in Him if we may speak so not excepte◠but it strikes against it It strikes gainst His Grace and frustrates that when Christ is not received some sort and degree of despite is done to the Spirit of Grace Unbelievers thwart with Him in the way of His Grace and will have no spiritual Good from Him it comes in opposition to His Goodness for where Unbelief reigns He hath no access in a manner to communicate it it strikes against His Faithfulness there is no weight laid on His Promises it counts Him a Liar in a word it strikes against all His Attributes 4. There is no Sin that hath such a train of sad Consequents following on It it 's that which keeps all other Sins livly for none hath victory over any Sin but the Believer the Unbeliever lyes as a bound Slave to every Sin and it 's impossible to come to the acceptable performance of any Duty without Faith for none can come sutably to any Duty without a Promise and can any but a Believer comfort himself in use-making of any Promise We shall close our Discourse with speaking a word to that which we hinted at before even to let you see not only the rifeness of Unbelief but the great hazard that flows from it and the exceeding great evil of it if we be only convinced of the rifeness of it it will not much trouble us except we be also convinced and believe the hazard of it but if we were convinced of both through God's blessing it might affect us more and necessitate us to make more use of Christ ye that stand yet a distance from Christ can ye endure to ly under this great Guilt and ground of Contraversie that is betwixt Him and you do ye think little to hazard on His Upbraidings and Woes even such Woes as are beyond these that came on Sodom the heavy Curse and Malediction of God and yet we say to you who are most civil discreet formal and blameless in your Conversation if there be not a fleeing in earnest to Christ and an exercising of Faith on Him the Wrath of God not only waits for you but it abides on you O tremble at the thoughts of it it were better to have your Head thrust in the Fire than your Souls and Bodies to be under the Wrath and Curse of God for ever it 's not only the Ignorant prophane Drunkard Swearer Adulterer Whoremonger c. that we have to complain of and expostulate with but it 's the Unbeliever who though He be lift up to Heaven shall be cast down to the Pit of Hell If ye ask what is all this that we would be at it's only this in a word we would have you receiving Christ if ye think that Unbelief is an exceeding great Evil and that it 's an horribly hazardous thing to ly under it then haste you out of it to Christ O! haste haste you out of it to Christ kiss the Son lest He be angry embrace Him yield to Him there is no other possible way to be free of the Evil or to prevent the hazard SERMON VIII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom
is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's a great encouragement and delight to the Ministers of the Gospel and it 's comfortable and refreshing to Hearers when the Message of the Gospel is received and our Lord Jesus Christ is welcomed but on the contrary it 's burdensome and heavy when there are few or none that believe and receive the Report when their labour and strength is spent in vain and when all the assemblings of them together that hear the Word of the Gospel is but a trading of the Lord's Courts in vain if there were no more to prove it this Complaint of Isaiah speaking in His own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel is sufficient for as comfortable Messages as he carried and He carried as comfortable Messages as any that we hear of yet there was a general non-profiting by the Word of the Gospel in his Mouth when we meet with such words as these our Hearts should tremble when we consider how general and rife an Evil Unbelief and the not receiving of Christ is how horrible a Sin how abominable to God and how hazardous and destructive to our selves it is and how rare a thing it is to see or find any Number believing and receiving this Message of the Gospel We spoke from these words to these Doctrines First That where the Gospel comes it makes offer of Jesus Christ to all that Hear it Secondly That the great thing called for in the Hâ—arers of the Gospel is Faith in Him Thirdly That yet notwithstanding Unbelief is an exceeding rife Evil in the Hearers of the Gospel Fourthly That it 's a very sinful heavy and sad thing not to receive Christ and believe in Him all which are implyed in this short but sad Complaint Who hath believed our report We would now prosecute the Use and Scope of this The last Use was an Use of Conviction of and Expostulation with the Hearers of the Gospel for their being so Fruitless under it serving to discover a great Deceit among Hearers who think they Believe and yet do it not whence it is that so many are mistaken about their Souls Sâ—ate and most certainly the generality are mistaken who live as if Beâ—ieving were a thing common to all Professors of Faith while as it is so rare and there are so very few that Believe The next Use is an Use of Exhortation to you That seeing Unbelief is so great an Evil ye would by all means eschew it and seeing Faith is the only wâ—y to receive Christ and to come at Life through Him ye would seek after it to prevent the Evil of Unbelief This is the scope of the words yea and of all our Preaching that when Christ and Remission of Sins through Him is preached to you ye would by Faith receive Him and rest upon Him for obtaining Right to Him and to the Promises and for preventing of the Threatnings and Curses that abide Unbelievers We shall not again repeat what Faith is only in short it comes to this That seeing Christ hath satisfied Justice for Sinners and His Satisfaction is offered in the Gospel to all that will receive it even to all the Hearers of the Gospel that Sinners in the sight and sense of their lost condition would flee unto Him receive and rest upon Him and His Satisfaction for Pardon of Sin and making of their Peace with God Is there need of Arguments to perswade you to this if ye be convinced of your sinfulness and of your lost estate without Christ and that there is a Judgment to come when Sinners must appear before Him and be judged according to that which they have done in the Body and if ye have the Faith of this that Sinners that are not found in Christ cannot stand as by the way wo to that Man that is not found in Him if it were a Paul for even he he is only happy by being found in Him not having his own Righteousness but Christs and withall that there is no other way to be found in Him but by Faith which is that which Paul hath for his main scope Phil. 3.9 10. Then to be found in Him by Faith should be your main work and study this is it that we should design and endeavour and to this we have access by the Gospel and it is in short to be denuded of and denied to our own Righteousness as to any weight we lay upon it for our Justification before God and to have no other thing but Christ's Righteousness offered in the Gospel and received by Faith to rest upon for Justification and making of our Peace with God This is it that we command you to flee to and by all means to seek an Interest in that when the Gospel makes offer of Christ and Righteousness through His Satisfâ—ction and commands you to Believe on Him when it lays Him to your Door to your Mouth and Heart that ye would roll and lay your selves over on Him for the making of your Peace and the bearing of you thorow in the day of your reckoning before the Tribunal of God That we may speak the more cleâ—rly to this Use We shall shortly shew you 1. What Ground a lost Sinner hath to receive Christ and to lippen to Him 2. What Warrands and Encouragements a Sinner hath to lean and lippen to this Ground 3. We shall remove a Doubt or two that may stand in the way of Sinners resting on this Ground 4. We shall give some Directions to further you to this And. 5. We shâ—ll give you some Characters of one that is tenderâ—y tâ—king this way of Believing And because this is the way of the Gospel and we are sure there is not a word ye have more need of or that through God's Blessing may be more useful and there is not a word more uncontravertible which all of you will assent to the truth of to wit that there is a great good in Believing and a great evil in Unbelief we would exhort you the more seriously to lay it to Heart O! think not that our coming to Speak and Hear is for the Fashion but to Profite Cast your selves therefore open to the Exhortation and let the word of Faith sink down into your Hearts considering that there is nothing ye have more need of than of Faith and that ye will not find it safe for you to hazard your Souls on your own Righteousness or to appear before God without Christ's Righteousness and that the only way to come by it is Faith This may let you see the necessity of Believing and that it is of your concernment to try how it is with you as to that and therefore again and again we would exhort you in the fear of God that ye would not neglect so great a Salvation which through Faith is to be obtained but lay it to Heart as ye would not have all the Servants of God who have preached the Gospel to you complaining of
we be necessitate to complain of you and to expostulate with you and considering the Case of People generally if our Hearts were suitably tender it would make us even burst for Grief to see so many sleeping securely and senslesly in their Sins and in that pitiful posture posting to the Pit if God prevent not Observ 3. The third Observation is That a Minister may and sometimes will be put to it to make report to God of what Fruit his Ministry hath and sometimes to complain to Him of the Unbelief and Unfruitfulness of the People among whom he hath long preached the Gospel Isaiah sure is not carried to this Complaint out of hatred to the People neither from any pleasure he hath in it nor any delight to tell ill Tales to speak so of them The Lord needs no Information yet he complains and that to the Lord as we shew from Rom. 10.16 where it is said Lord Who hath believed our report So then Prophets and Apostles complain of this It 's Ezekiel's Complaint no doubt to God as it was the Lords to him This people are a rebellious house and they will not bear And Isaiah speaks here in his own name and in name of other Ministers of the Gospel that they may joyn with him in this Complaint and there is reason for it if we consider 1. The Relation that a Minister stands in to God He ought to give an account to Him who gives Obedience and who not and what Is done by his Embassage there being no Talent given but a Reckoning how it was imployed will be called for 2. The Subordination that a Minister stands in to Christ wherein it is requisite he be keeped as knowing the Work is the Lords and not his pleads for this 3. That a Minister may be keeped from Carnalness and Vanity on the one hand and from Discouragement on the other he ought to be acquaint with and to hold up both the Fruitfulness and Unfruitfulness of the People to God 4. It 's meet for the Good of the People it be so not to irritate but kindly to affect the People that when he complains to God they may be convinced that it is to get the Evil complained of amended if so it may be This complaining will we fear be the result of much Preaching among you for either there must be more Faith and Fruits else ye will have the moe Complainers and the moe Complaints against you Observ 4. The fourth Observation is That it is and ought to be a very sad and weighty thing to a Minister and also to a People when he is put to complain to God of their Unbelief amongst whom he is labouring It 's the last thing he hath to do and he can do no more and it 's the greatest and highest of Witness and Ditty against them when a Minister hath been Preaching long and observing the Fruit of his Ministry and is out-wearied with their Unfruitfulness and forced to cry Lord there are none or but very few that have believed the Report that I have brought to them It 's the heaviest and hardest word that Christ hath to say to Jerusalem Mat. 23.37 and Luke 19.31 when He complains of their Unfruitfulness harder and heavier then all the Woes He pronounced against the Scribes and Pharisees or on other accounts and at least equivalent to them pronounced on the same account for the same Woe and Wrath follows both O! saith He that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes This comes as the last and sadest word holding out the desperateness of their Condition when the powerful preaching of the Gospel hath no gracious Force nor saving Effect following it when Directions prevail not when no sort of Ministerial Gifts do a People good when it comes to that Mat. 11.16 Whereunto shall I liken this generation it is like children sitting in the market-place crying to their fellows we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented when both the sweet Offers of Grace and the terrible Threatnings of the Law come forth to a People and both are followed for a long time without Fruit then comes out that word Whereunto shall I liken this generation John came neither eating nor drinking and ye say he hath a devil his austere way of Living and Preaching did you no good ye could not away with it The son of Man came eating and drinking in a familiar way and ye say behold a man gluttenous a wine-biber a friend of Publicans and Sinners They stumble on both unjustly and so it is still even to this day many stumble at the Messenger cast at the Message and then followeth the sad Complaint It 's meet that now we speak to a word of Use but we profess we know not well how to follow it there is so much ground to Complain and we are not alace suitably sensible of our own unfitness to follow the Complaint which makes us think that it would become another better But what shall we say It 's the Word of the Lord and it were needful that both ye and we should forget and take our eyes off Man and remember that it is the Lord God and some commissioned from Him that we have to do with that so we may accept of the Message 1. Then We may say that it is no pleasure to us to be hewing you and speaking sadly to you the Lord knows would to God there were moe that needed Healing-Medicines and that fewer had need of Hewing and Wounding but the truth is Carnal Security Spiritual Pride Hypocrisie and Formality are so rife and become so much the Plague of this Generation that People believe not their hazard Neither 2ly Is it our desire nor design to speak to all of you indifferently and without Discrimination for as the Lord saith Mat. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her children Though the Generality despise this Word yet we are confident the Lord hath some that He allows not to be grieved and we shall desire that such may not wrong themselves nor mar our freedom in speaking the Word of the Lord to others 3ly We shall not desire to speak peremptorly as to the Case of particular Persons though we will not deny nor conceal our Fears and sad Apprehensions as to many of you only what we have to say ye would know and be assured that it is not spoken at random by us but as having some acquaintance with many of your Conditions and we may gather from these what is very probably the Condition of others And now as to what we would say to you Some have been preaching this Gospel to you who are flitted and removed to another part of the Vineyard other some are gone to another World and some are yet continued Preaching to you but what Fruit is brought forth by the Ministry of all If we
think we must report can we report any other way then it is with you Shall we or dare we say that such a Man was a fine civil Man and that therefore he will not be reckoned with though he believed not in Christ No no but this must be the report that such a Man and such a kind of Men though Christ was long wooing them would not embrace Him though He invited them to the Wedding yet they would not come nay they mocked and spurned at it they trode the Blood of the Covenant under Foot and counted God a Liar in all His Offers and said by their Practice that they should be happy though they took not this way many of you who would not take it well if we should speak this to you in particular will find it to be a Truth one day And if ye shall say What would we be at The answer is at hand Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved This is the End of the Gospel and the mean of your Happiness it 's the great and the main thing that we call for which if it be not obtained the ground of the Complaint will continue And do you think this any strange hard or uncouth thing that when we bring to you the Offer of Christ in the Gospel we bid you receive it and flee in to Him to hide you from the Wrath to come and yet this is all we seek of you it 's neither your Shame nor your Skaith that we seek but that ye may take with your Sin that ye may judge and condemn your selves that your Mouth may be stopped before God and that ye may flee to Jesus Christ in earnest and close with Him on His own Terms As therefore ye would prevent the greatly aggravated Sin to wit sinning against the Gospel and the Complaint of the Ministers thereof against you and the terrible Vengeance of the Mediator Kiss the Son cast open the everlasting Doors of your Hearts and let the Gospel and Christ the King of Glory have access We pray you stand not in the way of your own Happiness refuse not to do Him that much pleasure and satisfaction for all the travel of His Soul as to give Him your Souls to be saved Now God Himself keep you from this Folly and Soul-destroying madness SERMON X. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken somewhat these days past to sundry Doctrines from this part of the Verse and particularly of the sad Complaint which Isaiah hath in his own name and in the name of all the Ministers of the Gospel that the savoury Report concerning Jesus Christ is not received and that though Life and Salvation through Him be offered to many yet there are but few scarce here one and there one that do embrace it this is the sad result Lord who hath believed our report Words that being spoken by such a Prophet and so often mentioned in the New-Testament may and should as often as we speak hear or reâ—d them put both Ministers and People to a holy demur and to look what becomes of all our Preaching and Hearing when this was all the Fruit even of Isaiah's Preaching as to the greatest part of his Hearers Ere we leave this part of the Verse it will not be unmeet that we speak a little to these three First To what may be the Causes why when the Gospel is powerfully Preached there are so few Believers Secondly How it comes to pass seeing so few Believe that generally so many think they Believe and so few suspect their own Faith And Thirdly To the necessity that lyes on the Hearers of the Gospel to enquire at and try themselves concerning their Faith and to have some solid Satisfaction in it Although we mention no particular Doctrines now yet considering the Doctrines we spoke to before these things will not be unsuitable to them nor impertinent to you For the first The Causes why so few believe the Gospel we cleared to you already That generally the powerful Preaching of the Gospel hath been with little Fruit so that Isaiah hath this sad Complaint Lord who hath believed our report and our Lord Jesus hath it also on the matter Mat. 11.7 We have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented and in the same express words John 12.38 And when it is so with sweet Isaiah in the Old Testament and with our blessed Lord in the New that spoke with such Power and Authority ye may see there is reason for us to enquire into the Causes why it is that so few Believe In speaking to which 1. We intend not to touch on all the Reasons that may be gathered together of Peoples not profiting under the Gospel but of these that ye have most reason to look to and that are most obstructive of Faith in you 2. Though we might speak of Reasons on the side of them that speak to you for who is sufficient for these things and we shall not deny but we have culpable accession to your Unfruitfulness yet it were not much to your edifying to insist on these 3. Neither will we speak to these soveraign Causes on God's part who in His Holy Justice gives up People to Unfruitfulness when they receive not the Truth in Love Neither 4ly Shall we insist on these Causes that may arise from the Devil who waits on wherever the Word is preached to mar the Fruit of it as we may see Mat. 13.19 the evil Spirits like as many Crows when the Seed of the Word is sowen waiting on to pick it up and ye would know that ye never come to hear the Word but there are as it were Flocks of Devils attending you Hence it is that some are rocked and lulled asleep some have their Minds filled with worldly Thoughts some forget all that they Hear ere they go out of Doors thus it is with many Hearers of this Gospel their Hearts are trode upon as the Way-side by Devils and Foul-Spirits that never a word takes impression on them and though ye may think such expressions uncouth-like and strange yet they are sadly true Satan waited on when Christ preached and sure he will scar no more to do so at our Preaching than he did at His if he stood at Joshua's right Hand to resist him he will no doubt be at ours But we say we will not insist on these But 5ly We shall speak a little to these Causes that are common in you which ye your selves mâ—ght know if ye would observe them and we would exhort you to take notice of them when we tell you of them First Then we offer or rather assert this for a Cause The want of serious minding the great concernment of the work of your Salvation and that this preached Gospel is the Word of the Lord by which ye must be saved Alace
though ye have immortal Souls and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart that your Souls are in hazard and that this Word must be it that ye must live by and live upon I appeal to your Consciences if ye think upon this seriously want of this Consideration fosters Security breeds Laziness and makes and keeps you Careless and Carnal I shall instance the want of it in three respects 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it How few are hungering and thirsting or preparing for benefite by it or preparing to meet with God in it In effect ye come not with a design to profite so that if it were known it would be wondred at wherefore ye come to hear the Word as Christ says of some They came not because they saw the miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so may we say of you that ye come not to profite by the Word but on some crooked carnal design 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come How many sleep a great part of the Sermon so that it 's a shame to look on the face of our Meetings when in every corner some are Sleeping whose Consciences God will waken ere long and the Timber and Stones of the House will bear witness against them Were you in any other Meeting about ordinary Business there would not be such Sleeping But when ye are Waking what is your Carriage for ye may be Waking and your Heart far away or fast asleep how seldom can ye give account of what is said though your Bodies be present your Hearts are wandering ye are like these spoken of Ezek. 33.31 who sat before the Prophet as God's people but their hearts went after their covetousness how often while ye are sitting here is your Heart away some in their Thoughts running after their Trade some after their Merchandice some after one thing some after another This is one sad instance of it that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years that can scarce tell one Note of it all and no wonder for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard What unedifying Discourse will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door how carnally and carelesly do many rush unto and go away from hearing of the Word and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Case do ye go to your Knees with it before God desiring Him to breath on it and to keep it warm or do ye meditate upon it Now put these three together your Carriage before in the time and after your Hearing the Word ye will find that there is just cause to say that the most part that hear this Gospel are not serious what wonder then that it do them no good In the end of that Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its said by the Lord Take heed how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given c. If ye improve well your Hearing ye will get yet more but so long as ye take no heed how ye hear ye cannot profite A second Ground or Cause is this That the most part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God they come never almost to have a Historical Faith of it it 's said Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently But when Folk do not really believe that God is what wonder they seek Him not that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell and that they study not Holiness they say in their Hearts they shall have Peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts and that the way to Heaven is not so narrow as Ministers say it is that God will not condemn poor christned Bodies this is the language of many Hearts and of some Mouths Need there any evidences of it be given if ye believed that the way to Heaven is so strait and that Holiness is so extensive could ye possibly with any seriousness reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted But the truth is this Word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God therefore sayeth our Lord to His Disciples Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink into your ears There are these things I fear ye do not Believe and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Consciences when there are so many that profess they know God but in works they deny Him as it is Tit. 1.16 when we see such things in your Carriage we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they spring 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be to wit Holy Just Powerful c. else ye durst not live at feed with Him The fool hath said in his heart there is not a God they are corrupt c. your practical Atheism and Prophanity say ye believe not there is a God 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature Do ye think as James bespeaks these he writes to chap. 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in you lusts to envy Ye do not think that your Heart is deceitful and desperatly wicked though we should Preach never so much on this Subject yet ye lay it not to Heart ye take it not to you in particular 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment and your particular and personal coming to it nay there are among you who are like to these Mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3 4. who say where is the promise of his coming And as there were in Paul's days some thâ—t denied the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. so there are still who do it on the matter at least Ye have the same corrupt Nature We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God Life to come and a Day of Judgment and if ye did so ye would be more serious in Duty and would come more Hungry and Thirsty to the Word 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed to wit That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jesus Christ and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holiness If all your thoughts were spoke out it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith and another way than that of Holiness And to make out this we need go no further then to your Practice we are sure many of you live in Prophanity and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven and what says this but
never knew all along your life what these things mean'd had need to stand the more in awe and to be affraid when ye come near Death Though it be a sad matter that when we should be Preaching and would fain preach the Doctrine of Faith it should by reason of your Delusion be the great part of our work to be thus digging you out of your Presumption and overturning your carnal and ill-grounded Hope yet we have the greater confidence and the more peace to speak to and insist in these Truths because they ly so near to the great design of the Gospel and to your immortal Souls Salvation and though we were able to preach more plausible and sweet things to you yet if these Doctâ—ines profite you not these would not Sâ—ing therefore they are so profitable we should not weary to speak and ye should not weary to hear them spoken of Would to God ye were seriously â—nd sincerely aiming to be clear and through in the matter of Believing and that ye stood in need and were more capable of more pleasant Truths if so we might have more comforâ—able though we will not say more profitable Doctrines to insist upon to you SERMON XII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken at several occasions to this first part of the Verse and before we leave it there is one Use several times hinted at already to which there is good ground to speak it being the design and purpose of these words to hold forth of what great concernment Believing is and of what great difficulty it is and so many being to the ruine of their Souls mistaken about it there is ground to draw this Use of Exhortation from it to wit That then all the Hearers of this Gospel would be exhorted to advert well to this that they make Faith sure in it self and that they make it sure to themselves seing as I said so many are mistaken about it and beguile themselves The more pressingly that the Gospel calls for Faith in Christ and the more weightily the Lord expostulates with the Hearers of the Gospel because of their Unbelief they are doubtless so much the more concerned to receive it in its Offer and also to look well that they content not themselves with guessing at Faith and that they never think that things are well with them except they can give good proof and warrand that they are so and that it is Saving Faith that they have seing there are so many that satisfie themselves as being Believers when yet so few are Believers indâ—ed The sâ—d mistake and disappointment of many should have so much influence upon us as to put us to more watchfulness and to a more narrow tryal of our own state and condition that we may know how it is with us All that we have spoken to the Doctrines of this first part of the Verse may be as so many Motives to stir you up to both these and would to God we could be perswaded to this as the Use of so many Preachings once to admit and take it for granted that it is the Truth of God that there is a necessity an absolute necessity for us to be really rolled and casten over upon Jesus Christ by Faith for attaining of Life through Him Though this be a very common Doctrine and ye would think a very common Use of it yet it is the great thing that God requires in the Gospel and the neglect of it or not receiving His Son the very contest and quarrel that God hath with the Hearers of it and the cause of the ruine of so many Souls that perish under the Gospel We shall therefore propose to you some Considerations that may stir you up to this and briefly answer a Question in each of these two branches of the Use And first For stirring you up to this receiving of Christ by Faith 1. Consider if there be not a standing Quarrel and Contraversie betwixt God and you for Sin and if there be as no doubt there is consider how that Contraversie is to be removed is there any other possible way but by Faith in Christ If we were Preaching to such as had never sinned and were never under the hazard of the. Wrath of God there might possibly be a difficulty to perswade to a receiving of Christ But when ye have all this in your Conscience that there is Sin and a Curse following Sin and that there is no other way for removing that Curse but by Jesus Christ is there not reason to expect that ye should receive this Truth will any of you think to stand and bide it out against God and if not then there is sure a necessity of Believing in Jesus Christ or of lying under the Wrath of God for ever 2. Consider that this Gospel and Word of Salvation is preached to you in particular When we speak of Salvation we do not say that Christ was once preached to the Jews or that in such a far-off Nation there is a door opened for Salvation in the Gospel but we would turn over the words of the Apostle Acts 13.38 to you and say to you in his words Be it known to you therefore men and brethren that through this man to wit Jesus Christ is preached to you remission of sins c. and this brings the Gospel near you even to your door it lays before you the way of access to God by Christ and puts it so closs and home to you that Christ must either have a refusal or a welcome from you The first consideration of your own Sinfulness and Misery might put you to seek after a Saviour though he were at a great distance but this other brings Him to your Heart and Mouth and is it fit think ye to neglect such a fair occasion and will it be wisdom when Salvation follows you and crys after you and Wisdom lifts up its voice in the Streets saying O ye simple ones how long will ye love fooâ—ishness c. to stop your ear or to turn away from Christ and to run upon your destruction Do ye think that this Gospel will be silent always or that your Conscience will be deaf and dumb always There are many Nations that have not the Gospel so near them and it 's hard to know but the day may come when ye would be content to buy an offer of the Gospel at a dearer raâ—e and when there shall not be a Tryster nor a Dâ—ys-man to be had between God and you and these days will then be remembred with horrour which now ye securely slip over 3. Consider what will come of this if ye do not believe the Gospel Know ye not that many perish that hear the Gospel and that upon this same very ground that they did not receive Christ and Salvation through Him offered to them therein and whereof they are now deprived Are there not many this
conjectures about this Matter and the greater their Security be they perswade themselves the more that they have Faith This is as sad as any of the former when they grant all that Folks should make their Calling and Election sure and should endeavour to be sure of their Faith but in the mean time take Peace with the Devil and Peace with their Lusts for Peace with God and a Covenant with Hell and Death for a real Bargain with God This is as true as this Word of God is that there are many that put by all Challenges by this and never suspect their Faith they hope that all shall be well and they must always Believe as if that were the whole Duty of Faith to keep down all Challenges A fourth sort is even of the generation of them that have some thing of God in them who scar in a manner to make all sure and think it is a piece of Humility and of holy and tender walking to maintain Doubâ—ing even as others think it Faith to maâ—â—tain Presumption They are always complaining as if all things were wrong and nothing right in their Case and so foster and cherish Misbelief There is such a thing as this that marreth even serious Souls in their endeavours to make their Calling and Election sure and as long as this is they cannot win to the suitable discovery of this excellent Grace that God calls them to Exercise even Faith in the Lord Jesus Need we make use of Motives to press you to this tryal of your Faith and to this giving of all diligence to make it sure who have especially hitherto neglected it If ye knew any thing of the vexation that Unbelief hath with it and what horrour in Conscience from the sense of distance from God were ye would think it a great matter to be clear in this thing and if it were known and believed how this delusion and unsickerness of Faith destroys the most part of Men in the World even of the visible Church Durst Men ly in their Security as most do without all endeavours to make it sure on good ground that they do indeed Believe Durst they ly still under God's Curse if they thought themselves to be really under it and did not foolishly fancy that it is otherways with them Durst Men treasure up Wrath to themselves if they thought not that the Hope they had were good enough O! but Presumption beguiles and destroys many Souls and particularly this same Presumption of Folks thinking themselves right when they are wrong hath destroyed and doeth destroy and will destroy moe Members of the visible Church then Prophanity Drunkenness Whoredom Theft Desperation or any other of these gross and much abhorred Evils do This is the thing that locks Folk up in their Sin even their Presumption when they say on the matter We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own heart It 's this that makes Men without fear Steal and Lie and commit Adultery c. that they say Is not the Lord among us Is not this the thing that keeps many of you that ye never tremble at the Word of God we have Faith in God say ye we lippen and trust in Him therefore seing Presumption is so rife have ye not need to try your Faith If there were so much counterfeit Money in the Countrey that it were a rare thing to get one good and upright piece of Money ye would think your selves greatly concerned and obliged to try it well lest ye were cheated with base and counterfeit Coyn Is there not need then yea infinitely much more need for them that would be so wise as not to be beguiled about the salvation of their Souls to search and try whether their Faith will abide God's tryal or not Ye will readily move this Question What then are the Characters or Evidences of a solid and sicker Faith that will abide the tryal by which the pretended Faith that is among the Men of this Generation may be examined and put to just tryal I shall first name some direct Scriptures holding out somethings essentially accompanying Faith and then shall add others having more condescending Characters for the more particular differencing of this helping to the decision of this great Question The first Mark whereby ye may try your Faith is The ground and rise of it or that whereby it is begotten and cherished Faith comes saith the Apostle Rom. 10.10 by hearing Doctrinal Faith comes by the preaching of the Gospel and Saving Faith is wrought instrumentally by the same Word of God it being the power of God to salvation it being this Word that is the very ground of our Faith I would ask you where from your Faith comes and what hand the Word of God hath in it There are many that have a sort of Faith not only without but contrary to the Word of God whereby they believe that they will get Heaven while in the mean time the Word of God does directly exclude them Get ye your Faith maintained without ever knowing the necessity of a Promise for that effect Can ye maintain your Peace and not have so much as any foundation in the truth and faithfulness of God to build it upon Love never that Faith that hungers not after the Word that is supposed to be lively without being ever fed by the Word that cannot claim either its rise and original or its growth from the Word I will not say from this or that word in particular or at this or that time read or heard but from the Word of God the Word is the very foundation that Faith builds upon If we look to what either accompanieth or followeth Faith there are some plain Scriptures that will make that clear as Acts 15.9 and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith there was indeed once a great difference between Jews and Gentiles but now when he hath brought both to believe in Christ the difference is removed There is an efficacy in it to circumcise the Heart to purifie it and to banish Lusts out of it for it closes and unites with Christ and so brings him home to dwell in the Heart and where Christ dwells He commands and so whatever opposes Him is banished Faith gives Christ welcome and will give nothing welcome to dwell with Him that 's opposite and displeasing to Him Faith improves Christ for the subduing of its Lusts and mortifying its Corruptions whereas before there might be an fair outside of a Profession and something clean outwardly and much filthiness and rottenness within but when Faith is exercised on Christ it purifies from all filthiness of the Spirit as well as of the Flesh it applys the Promises for that end even to get the inside made clean as well as the outside yea it s main work is to have the inside the Heart purified that being the fountain of all the pollution that defiles the Man and brings
which may be gathered from Heb. 4.1 that stout confidence that thinks it's impossible to miss the Promises is a suspect and dangerous Faith not to be loved it 's a much better Faith that fears then that Faith that 's more stout except there be a sweet mixture of holy stoutness and fear together It 's said Heb. 11.7 that by Faith Noah being moved with fear prepared an Ark c. Noah had the Faith of God's Promise that he should be keeped free from being drowned by the Deluge with the rest of the World and yet he was mourning and trembling in preparing the Ark If there were much Faith among you it would make many of you more holily feared then ye are Love not that Faith the worse that ye never hear a threatning but ye tremble at it and are touched by it in the quick 2. It 's a good token of Saving Faith when it hath a discovery and holy suspition of Unbelief wairing on it so that the Person dare not so lippen and trust his own Faith as not to dread Unbelief and to tell Christ of it There is a poor Man that comes to Christ Mat. 9.23 24. to whom the Lord faith If thou canst believe or canst thou believe yes Lord says he I believe help thou mine unbelief there was some Faith in him but there was also Unbelief mixed with it his Unbelief was so great that it was almost like to drown his Faith but he puts it in Christ's hand and will neither deny his Faith nor his Unbelief but puts the matter sincerely over upon Christ to strengthen his Faith and to amend and help his Unbelief It 's a suspect Faith that 's at the top of Perfection at the very first and ere ever ye wot There are some serious Souls that think because they have some Unbelief that therefore they have no Faith at all but true Faith is such a Faith that is by and beside suspected and feared or seen Unbelief That Faith is surest where Folk fear and suspect Unbelief and see it and when they are weighted with their Unbelief and cry out under it and make their Unbelief an errand to Christ it 's a token there is Faith there 3. The third Character is That it will have with it a sticking to Christ and a fear to presume in sticking to Him There will be two things striving together an eagerness to be at Him and a fear that they be found presumptuous in medling with Him and an holy trembling to think on it yet notwithstanding it must and will be adventured upon the Woman spoken of Mark 5.28 lays this reckoning with her self If I can but touch his cloathes I shall be whole and she not only believeth this to be truth but crouds and thrimbles in to be at him yet vers 33. when she comes before Christ she trembles as if she had been taken in a fault not having dared to come openly to Him but behind him she behoved to have a touch of him but she durst not in a manner own and avouch her doing of it till she be unavoidably put to it It 's a suspect and unsound Faith that never trembled at minting to Believe there is reason to be jealous that Faith not to be of the right stamp that never walked under the impression of the great distance between Christ and the Person the sense whereof is the thing that makes the trembling I say not desperation nor any utter distrust of Christ's kindness but trembling arising from the consideration of the great distance and disproportion that 's between Him and the Person Faith holds the Sinner a going to Christ and the sense of its own sinfulness and worthlesness keeps him under holy fear and in the exercise of Humility Paul once thought himself a jolly man as we may see Rom. 7.9 but when he was brought to believe in Christ he sees that he was a dead and undone man before I give you these three marks of a true Faith from that Chapter 1. It discovers to a Man his former Sinfulness and particularly his former Self-conceit Pride and Presumption I was saith Paul alive without the Law once c. a man living upon the thoughts of his own Holiness but when the Law came I died he fell quite from these high thoughts A second Mark is A greater restlesness of the Body of Death it becoming in some respect worse Company more fretful and strugling more then ever it did before Sin revived saith Paul though he had no more Corruption in him then he had before but it wakened and bestirred it self more I dare say that though there be not so much Corruption in a Believer as there is in a natural Man yet it strugleth much more and is more painful and disquieting to the Believer and breeds him a greate dale more trouble for says the Apostle on the matter when God graciously poured Light and Life into me Sin took that occasion to grow angry and to be enraged that such a neighbour was brought in beside it it could not endure that as an unruly and currish Dog barks most bitterly when an honest Guest comes to the House so doth Corruption bark and make more noise then it did before when Grace takes place in the Soul There are some that trow they have the more Faith because they feel no Corruption stir in them and there are others that think they have no Faith at all because they feel Corruption strâ—gling more and growing more troublesome to them but the stirring and strugling of Corruption if Folk be indeed burdened and affected and afflicted with it will rather prove their having of Faith then their wanting of it Love that Faith well that puts and keeps Folk bickerring to say so in the Fight with the Body of Death for though this be not good in it self that Corruption stirreth yet Sin is of that sinful nature that it flies always more in their face that look God and Heaven-wards then of others that are sleeping securely under its Dominion A third Mark is When the Soul hath never Peace in any of its Conflicts or Combats with Corruption but when it resolves in Faith exercised on Jesus Christ as it was with Paul in that Chapter after his Conversion That is a sound Faith that only makes Peace at first by Christ but that cannot to say so fight one fair stroke in the Spiritual Warfare nor look Corruption in the face nor promise to it self an outgate from any assault of the Enemy but by Faith in Jesus Christ as it was with the Apostle who toward the end of that Chapter lamentably crys O! wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet immediatly subjoyns Faiths triumphing in Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord he belike before his Conversion thought he could do well enough all alone but it is not so now when he can do nothing without Christ especially in this sore
the life of the Soul shoâ—ld be neglected or not stand in need of renovation But from this Text it is clear that in Conversion the Arm of the Lord must be revealed and that there is a powerful work of Grace that not only presents reasons from the Word to move the Will but really regenerates and renews the Will Now what is for the refutation of it these Errors serves also to confirm us in the Truth of the Doctrine opposite to these Errors 2. It serves to refute something in Folks Practice and that is their little sense of the need of Grace Most part come and hear Preaching as if they had the habit of Faith and as if it were natural to them and pretend to the exercise of Faith never once suspecting their want of Faith nor thinking that they stand in need of such a work of Grace to work it in them as if it were impossible for them not to Believe Hence many think that they have Grace enough and if they Pray it 's that they may do well never minding the corruption of Nature that is in them and indeed it is no wonder that such Persons fall readily into Error when their Practice says plainly they think they have Grace enough already The second Doctrine is That this distinct real inward efficacious powerful work of the Grace of God in Conversion is not common to all the Hearers of the Gospel but is a rare thing applied but to few it 's even as rare as Faith is And what we touched on to evidence the rarity of Faith will serve also to evidence the rarity of this work of Grace in Conversion It 's on as many as are Believers and are saved that the work of Grace is revealed and no moe Jer. 3.14 I will take one of a city and two of a family and bring you to Zion saith the Lord It 's two or three in the corner of a Paroch or in the end of a Town to speak so who are converted and the rest are suffered to ly in black Nature If the reason hereof be erquired after this might be sufficient to stop all Mouths which the Lord gives Mat. 11.28 Even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight It is of the Lord who is Debitor to none and who as it is Rom. 9.15 shews mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens and here we must be silent and lay our hand on our Mouth and answer no more all being found guilty He is just in what He doeth in calling or not calling effectually as He pleâ—seth And yet secondly The Lord hath thought good to call few of many for holy and wise ends As 1. To hold forth His own Soveraignty and that He is free and will walk freely in the dispencing of His own Grace Hence He not only takes few but ordinarily these that are the most mean contemptible silly and in a manner foolish of the multitude of Hearers It is not many noble not many wise according to the flesh not many rich not many learned that He chooseth and converteth very ordinarily He hides His Grace from these It 's but seldom that He calls and takes the stout and valiant Man and the learned Scholler but it 's this and that poor mean Man the Weaver the Shoomaker the simple Plough-man c. whom most ordinarily He calls when He suffers others to continue in their Sin 2. That He may make all the Hearers of the Gospel walk in holy fear and awe of Him He reveals His Grace in few It 's not the multitude that believes but here one and there one that all that have the Offer of Grace may fear lest they miss it and receive it in vain and may be careful to entertain and make right use of the Means of Grace and may withall cherish the Spirit in His motions and not grieve Him O! if ye knew and believed what a rare thing the work of the Spirit of Grace is ye would be feared to quench extinguish or put out any of His motions 3. As to the Godly He does thus To make them admire adore and praise His Grace and the Power of it so much the more The Uses are three 1. It serves to move all to reverence adore and admire the Grace of God and His soveraign way in it Presume not to debate or dispute with Him because there are few that believe and few that He hath determined His Grace for it 's an evidence of His dread a proof of His soveraignty in which he should be silently stooped unto and reverently adored and not disputed with we ought to bound all our reasoning within His good pleasure who might have taken many and left few or taken none as pleased Him And we should not think strange nor fret that the Gospel is powerful but on few here is the reason of it that may quiâ—t us the Lord hath determined effectually to câ—ll but few and yet he will not want one of His own All that the Father hath given to Christ shall come to Him though none come but as they are drawen in A thing that we should be sensible of but yet calm and quiet our Spirits rather wondering that He hath chosen and calleth one then fret because he hath past by many Use 2. The second Use is to exhort you that are Hearers of the Gospel and have not had this distinct and powerful work of Grace begetting Faith in you to be perswaded of this Truth that Faith and the work of Grace is no common thing The most part alace think that they have Grace and that it is not one of many that want it they will readily say it 's true I cannot believe of my self but God hath given me the Grace But I would ask you this question Do you think that Grace is so common a thing that it comes to you and ye never know how or so common that never a Body wants it If not how cometh it then to pass that ye think and speak of Grace as ye do we would think it a great length if many of you could be perswaded of your Gracelesness It 's not our part to point particularly at the Man and Woman though the deeds of many of you say within our Heart that there is no fear of God before your eyes and that many of you think ye have Grace who never had it And therefore we wouâ—d say these three or four words to you 1. Begin and suspect your selves that matters are not right betwixt God and you we bid none of you despair but we bid the most part of you be suspicious of your condition suspect nay be assured that Hypocrisie is not Grace and that your Presumption is not Faiâ—h for if but few get Grace then many should suspect themâ—elves and seing Grace is so rare a thing do not ye think it common 2. Neglect no means that may bring you through Grace to believe but be diligent in the
grave and composed frame of Spirit is better then a light and unsettled frame it being very hard if not impossible to keep the Heart right even where there is Grace but where there is some counterpoise or wither-weight and it must be far more impossible to keep it right where the work of Grace is not or but in the very first beginnings of it and though I do not call this composedness of frame Grace yet it keeps Folk in some capacity as it were to receive Grace It 's said Lam. 3.27 28. That it 's good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him he puts his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope for though Crosses are not always blessed to Conversion yet we may see now and then that sad times are the beginnings of better times and even in Hypocrites their sad times ordinâ—rily are their best times I neither desire nor allow any to bring Crosâ—es upon themselves yet I would desire all to make the best use of any Cross they are under and to be acquainting themselves with their Sin and Infirmities and with their Hazard and with such other things as may weight and compose them without fostering discouragement and aâ—xiety and to love as well to speak and hear such things spoken of as may provoke to sighing and sadness as these that may provoke to laughter I said of laughter saith Solomon Eccles 2.2 it is mad and of mirth what doth it and Prov. 14.13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness though oft times our Laughter may not be so sinful yet it readily more indisposeth us for any spiritual Duty then Sorrow doth the Heart is like a Clock whereof when the inner wheels are set a reeling it is not soon righted and setled 7. I would propose Ephraim's example to you Jer. 31.18 19. and desire that ye would in the fight and sense ye have of your sinfulness weakness fecklesness be bemoaning your selves and your sad condition to God putting up that Prayer to Him Turn thou me and I shall be turned These words flowing from suitable sense are good and then follows after that I was turned I repented It 's observable that in the very entry he is graciously taken notice of by the Lord Surely I have beard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus so it is with God's People when they consider how great Strangers they have been to God how sinful and stubborn and how impossible it is for them to mend themselves of themselves they retire themselves into some corner and there bemoane their case and cry out O! what a sinful nature is this and when will it be got amended I am as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke says Ephraim and the Lord tells He heard and observed it when possibly he thought he was scarcely if at all Praying but rather sighing out as it were a short ejâ—culation to God O! that I were amended the last word of his Prayer is Turn thou me and I shall be turned or convert me and I shall be converted he sees that when all is done he must cleanse his hands and leave the matter to God I cannot but thou canst work the work and it ends sweetly in words of Faith for thou art the Lord my God and where words of Faith are after serious exercise that exercise hath oft times Faith going alongs with it hence are these words Lam. 3.20 If so be there may be hope Psal 119 Incline mine heart open mine eyes c. and Luk. 9.13 How much more will your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him it's good to pray for the efficacy of Grace and to offer our selves Subjects to be wrought upon and Objects to receive what Grace offers to us As we began these Directions with a word of Caution so we would close them Do not think that these things in a Natural Man following this sinful course will bring forth Grace neither conclude that where these things only are discerned and no more in some Persons that there Grace is wanting it being to help such forward that we mainly speak to them Only in sum 1. Keep clean and clear the Light ye have 2. Improve the strength bestowed And 3. What ye have not put it over on God and seek from Him who hath Grace to give for working that in you and it would seem that in reason ye should refuse none of these three 1. We say Keep clean and clear your Light for if ye detain the Truth of God in unrighteousness and make as it were a Prisoner of it by setting a guard of corrupt Affections about it ye may bring on blindess 2. Improve what strength ye have for if ye improve not your strength were it but in Natural parts and endowments that makes you inexcusable when Spiritual and gracious qualifications are denied to you for ye have procured this to your selves are there not many things that ye thought your selves able for that ye never seriously once essayed much more might have been done as to Repentance Love to God Charity to others and the like and when ye have not stretched your selves to the yondmost in these there are sure many things left undone that ye might have done 3. What ye dow not do or find your selves unable to do put it on God to do for you seriously humbly singly and self-deniedly for if ye come not to God with that which ye are unequal and unable for ye are still on this side your duty and without excuse Take these then together Improve any strength ye have according to any measure of Light God hath given you and coming to God through Jesus Christ seek that ye want from him and leave the acceptation of your Persons and of your Performances on Him This is the result of all that we have spoken of this Doctrine of Grace that ye may not take occasion from the way of Gods dispencing Grace to continue graceless which if ye do it will be ground of a most grievous challenge against you but that ye may see an excellent consistency betwixt the soveraignty of Grace and your going about the means appointed of God in order to Faith and Conversion and the study of Holiness and that ye may go on in the use of these Means with an Eye to Grace in the sense of your own insufficiency to think as of your selves so much as a good thought leaving all your Duties at Christ's feet walking before him with a stopped Mouth when any thing is wanting standing at his Door and begging it from him and when any thing is received cleansing to say so your own Hands of it and giving him all the Thanks Praise and Glory of it To him be Praise for ever SERMON XVII ISAIAH LIII II III. Verse 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant
and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Verse 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IN the former Verse the Prophet hath asserted the rarity and scarcity of Believing the Gospel and receiving of Jesus Christ offered therein Who hath believed our report saith he who hath made Christ welcome And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to whom hath this Gospel been made effectual by the Power of God for the engaging of their Hearts to him In these two Verses he gives a reason as it were of this which runs upon these two 1. The low appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of his outward condition it hath no outward beauty splendor nor greatness to commend it but is attended with much meanness and with many afflictions 2. The itching humour of Men who are taken up with worldly grandour or greatness and glory and make little account of any thing that wants that as if he said it is no wonder that Christ get few to believe on him and that few receive this Gospel for he will not come with much worldly pomp and grandour which the Men of the World greatly affect and are much taken up with To open the words a little we shall first consider the matter of this reason and then the consequence of it or what influence it hath on Mens offending at Christ and continuing in their Unbelief only we shall premit two or three words to both That which we premit first is this That the He that is here spoken of is our Lord Jesus Christ who in the New Testament hath this Text applied to him for albeit there be no He so expressly mentioned in this Chapter before yet in the 13. Verse of the former Chapter to which this relates the He that is spoken of here is called the Lords Servant and it 's said of him that He shall be exalted and extolled and made very high and it is not unusual to speak of Christ singularly by a relative without an antecedent as Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth because Christ to Believers is so singular an one that when ever he is spoken of by way of eminency and excellency as here they cannot mistake him or take an other for him Secondly This want of form and comeliness is not to be understood of any personal defect in our Lords Humane Nature but in respect of and with reference to the tract of his Life and what accompanied his Humiliation to wit That it was low and mean without that external grandour pomp and splendour of outward things which the world esteem to be comliness and beauty 3. Where it is said He shall grow up before him c. It relates to the hearers of the report of the Gospel concerning him or to the man that believes not the report spoken of before And so relates to the words of the first vers Who hath believed our report Which is certainly meant of the man that hears of him and to whom he seems nothing worth because of his mean and low outward condition for if we should apply it to God we cannot see how it will so well infer the scope and be the reason of the unbelief asserted formerly for which end it is brought in here We come now to open the words a little and here we would know that Christs low condition is two wayes set down in these two verses 1. In the 2. vers In respect of his want of the abundance of the things of this world 2. In the 3. vers In respect of the accession of outward crosses and afflictions for not only doth he want credit respect and esteem but he hath contempt despight and reproach Not only wants he great riches but he hath poverty and is in a poor and low condition The first vers expresseth him negatively to be no worldly great man The second vers expresseth him positively to be a mean and despised man 1. Then these words He shall grow up as a plant out of a dry ground are expounded by the words following He hath no form nor comliness For as Shrubs or Scrogs growing up out of dry ground cryn and wither when trees planted in a fat soil are fresh fair and beautiful So shall it be with Christ when he cometh forth saith the Prophet to the eyes of the world he shall as it were be like a Scrab in a Moor edge Our Lord had personal and much divine comliness in him as we may see John 1.14 Where he saith that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth But the comliness here spoken of is that outward state pomp and splendour which great men in the world use to have which Christ wanted This is confirmed by the following words And when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him There is in men naturally a delight and complacency in that which is beautiful to the natural eye But saith he there shall be no such thing seen in Jesus Christ when he cometh and therefore no great wonder that few believe on him And that he saith We it is either according to the phrase used in Scripture to make some hard thing digest and go down the better with the hearers whereof the speaker is not guilty or it is his expressing what is the humour generally in all men naturally as if he had said had even we who are elect and godly no more but carnal eyes we would think no more of Christ then other folk do for we should get no satisfaction to carnal reason The second thing whereby his low condition is set out is in these words He is despised and rejected of men c. Not only shall he want that which carnal hearts and eyes seek and look after but he shall be so very low that men shall set him at nought mock and reject him And what wonder then that he be not believed on A man of sorrows As for the tract of his life it shall be spent in sorrows And acquainted with grief He shall not be a man that shall be a stranger to crosses griefs and heaviness but he shall be familiarly acquainted with them and they with him And we hid as it were our faces from him A consequent of the former As men will not give their countenance to them whom they despise So saith he we shall think shame to see or look at him He shall be the object of mens contempt and scorn and we shall not so much as countenance him He shall be despised and set at nought by Herod and the Roman
may the sinner apply it Answer Not only because it 's free and freely offered but by gripping to it by Faith as the Prophet doth here It 's not only to apply it simply but to step in and rest upon it in the terms it is made offer of so that as on the one part Jesus Christ became really lyable to suffering and satisfied for our sins when he said Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will So upon the other part the believing sinner comes to apply the price payed by imbracing the price and acquiescing in the satisfaction and gripping to it as his own and by his being brought to say in Faith Let his wounding be my pardon let his chastisement be my peace and let his stripes be my healing By this means as the Law had a right to Christ for his paying the Elects debt so they by believing get a right to the promise of pardon and healing For if the bargain was ficker on the one side to procure wounding to Christ as if he had been the sinner himself so on the other side the bargain is as sure The Believer is set free and may be as really comforted as if he had a righteousness of his own or had never had sinned Use 2. Therefore there is here wonderful matter of consolation to Believers that what was Justice to Christ is Grace and Mercy to us that which was pain to him is pleasure to us His sorrow our comfort his wounding our pardon his stripes our healing c. Use 3. As ye would not prejudge your selves of these benefites which Christ hath purchased make your peace with God through Christ If your pardon and peace be not obtained this way ye will never get it but ye shall be made to pay your own debt and be lyable to wrath eternally because of inability to pay your debt to the full Therefore step to and make the offer welcome how sinful and undone soever ye be The more sensible ye be ye are the more welcome This is the particular use of the Doctrine O! Let these things sink in your hearts that ye are sinners great sinners under wrath and at feud with God that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners and that there is no way to pardon and peace but by closing with him and saying hold on his satisfaction That ye may be drawn to cast your selves over on this everlasting Covenant for obtaining the benefits that Christ hath purchased 〈◊〉 â—d himself bless what hath been spâ—ken for this end and use SERMON XXIII ISAIAH LIII V Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IT were no small progress in Christianity to know and believe the truths that are implyed and contained in this same verse The Lord by the Prophet is giving a little compend of the work of Redemption by his saving of sinners from death through and by the wounding of the Mediator We did a little open the meaning of the words and gave a sum of the Doctrines contained in them at least of some of them which do contribute to this scope The Prophet is here speaking of Christ's sufferings with a respect to the cause of them and the effect that followed them and shews how this was indeed the mistake and blasphemous imputation that we had of and were ready to put on him even to judge him smitten and plagued of God for his own sins whereas God hath another design He was altogether without sin but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities We were at feud with God and he took on him the chastisement of our peace And this is the effect to procure healing to us We shall now speak a word to three Doctrines further beside what we spoke to the last day which are these 1. That there was an eternal design plot and transaction betwixt God and the Mediator as to Christs suffering for the redeeming of elect sinners before he actually suffered This the Prophet speaks of as a thing concluded For the cause of his sufferings was condescended on and the end and fruit of them was determined which implyes an antecedamus transaction betwixt the Father and him for putting him in the room of sinners And by this transaction Justice hath access to exact the payment of this price He interposed and the Father exacts of him the payment of their debt and seeks satisfaction from him for all that he bargained for 2. That this transaction or design concerning the Redemption of elect sinners is in respect of Christs suffering and satisfying of Justice fully and actually performed he undertook to be wounded and bruised and he was accordingly actually wounded and bruised The transaction as to the engagement in it and efficacy of it took place in Isaiah's time and before his time but as to the actual performance of what the Mediator engaged himself to suffer it is spoken of prophetically by him as a thing done because to be done and now it is done and indeed long ago 3. That the satisfying of Justice by the Mediators Sufferings according to his engagement proves as effectual to absolve justifie and heal these even the grossest Sinners that come under this Bargain and Transaction as if they had actually suffered and payed and satisfied their own Debt themselves these Sins are pardoned through his Sufferings their deadly Wounds are healed by his Stripes as if they had never had a wound their Compt is dashed and scored as clean out as if they had never had any Debt they are acquitted and set free as if they had never been guilty These three Doctrines ly very near the life of the Gospel and the Prophet in this Chapter and particularly in this Verse is often on them Our purpose is only shortly to explicate them to you as a short sum and compend of the tract of the Covenant of Redemption The first of them shews the rise of the work of Redemption The second shews the mids by which it is executed The third holds out the effect and consequence and the end of all For the first then There is we say an eternal transaction betwixt God and Jesus Christ the Mediator concerning the Redemption of Sinners his actual redeeming by being wounded and bruised supposeth this for the Son is no more lyable to suffering not to speak of his suitableness then any other of the Persons of the blessed God-head had there not been an antecedent transaction there was no obligation nor ty on him to be wounded and to enter into the room of Sinners as their Cautioner for payment of their Debt if there had not been a prior engagement neither could his wounding and bruising have proven useful or have brought healing to us if this prior engagement had not been And this is it which
great things and that we may see that the salvation of the Elect is sure forasmuch as it it laid down by way of Bargain Transaâ—â—ion or Covenant betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator whom the Lord will no more fail in performing the promises made to him then he hath failed in giving the satisfaction required This would help both to clear and confirm the faith of Believers and to strengthen the hope of all who are fled for refuge to take hold of him in the certain expectation of these things engaged for in the Covenant seing there is no less reason to think that Jehovah will be forthcoming to the Mediator then there is to think that he hath performed all that he engaged himself for The 2d thing here Is the native effect or fruit of the Covenant and that which the Prophet aims at even to shew how it came to pass that Christ suffered so much because it was so covenanted statute and ordained because he was by a prior contrivance and contract substituted with his own hearty consent in the room of the Elect who had many and great sins to compt for whence â—bserve That by vertue of this eternal Covenant betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator all the sins of the Elect with their several aggravations are imputed to Jesus Christ and reckoned upon his score Or take it thus by this eternal Covenant that past betwixt God and the Mediator the compleat punishment that was due to all the Elect for their sins in their greatest aggravations was laid upon Jesus Christ Jehovah laid upon him the iniquity of us all this is frequently touched on in this Chapter as particularly in the words going before He carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities c. and it 's sufficiently confirmed in the New Testament as 2 Cor. 5. He who knew no sin was made sin for us he had no sin in himself but by vertue of this Covenant he was made the Sacrifice for our sin and made to bear the punishment thereof and Gal. 3.13 He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law he himself being made a curse for us There are two words which we shall a little clear in this Doctrine and secondly give some reasons of it and then thirdly we shall speak to some Uses from it 1. For the two words or things in the Doctrine to be cleared they are these First What we mean by this when we sâ—y iniquity is laid upon Christ the second is How it is laid upon Christ As to the first When we say inâ—quity is laid upon Christ we mean these things shortly 1. That our Lord Jesus is really made comptable and lyable to Justice for these iniquitiâ—s as if they had been his own by vertue of his Covenant in Gods Justice he having engaged to pay Elects Debt his engagement makes him lyable to it 2. We mean that 's not only our Lord Jesus is made lyable to our Debt but that really he is made to satisfie for it In short we have done the wrong but he makes the amends as if he had done the wrong himself The just satisfied for the unjust He in whose mouth there was no guile was made to satisfie for guilty Sinners as if he had been the guilty person himself By the sins of the Elect God's declarative Holiness suffered Creatures malapertly brake his Command and his Justice was wronged Creatures topped with it to say so and that even after the Curse was pronounced and after they had believed the Devil more than God But our Lord Jesus comes in to make the amends and the Holiness of God is vindicate by his obedience and his Justice is vindicate by his suffering the Elect have deserved wounding but says the Mediator let the wounds which they have deserved come on me let them be mine and thus he makes reparation of the wrong and the amend because though the Elect be spared yet hereby the Lord is known to be as really and as much a hater of sin and as just in fulfilling his threatning as if the Elect had been smitten in their own persons because he punished Sin in his own Son yea by this means he is seen so much the more to be holy severe pure and spotless and that the Son of God sweetly submits to his becoming Man and to these terrible Sufferings for satisfying Diviâ—â— Justice Here O! here the spotless and severity of the Justice of God as also the greatness of the glory of the free Grace and Love shine forth conspicuously 3. It implyes this That really there was a conventing and turning of that Wrath and of these sufferings proportionably on Jesus Christ which Justice was to have inflicted on the Elect eternally if he had not interposed for them and that altogether in a full Cup propined to him and put in his hand that which would have been in so many drops an eternal Hell to Elect Sinners is made to meet on him in one great Sea He gets it to drink up dregs and all in which respect Gal. 3.13 He is said to be made a curse for us The Lord will not pass from one Farthing of what was due to him and will be satisfied with no less than proportionable satisfaction to that which was due to Justice by the Elect themselves though the Surety was his own only Son Therefore it behoved Christ to come under the Curse in which sense he is said to be made a curse for us which supposeth that he endured the same curse and punishment due to the Elects sins in all the essentials of it He behoved to die and to have his Soul separate from his Body for a time and for a season to want in a great measure the comfortable manifestations of Gods favour and presence and to have wrath pursuing him and to have horrour seizing upon him though our blessed Lord being spotless and without sin and having a good Conscience was not capable of these some way accidental circumstances of Unbelief sinful Anxiety and Desperation that sinful finite Creatures are lyable to when they come under wrath The 2d word or thing to be cleared in the Doctrine is How are Iniquities laid upon Christ Jesus In three respects 1. In respect of the eternal Transaction betwixt Jehovah and him as Mediator sustaining the person of the Elect even as one man hath anothers Debt laid on him when by a Law-sentence he is made lyable to it so is Christ made lyable to the Elects iniquity when their account is blotted out and the Debt as it were written down in his accompt to be satisfied for 2. In respect of Justice pursuing him for it When he becometh Cautioner and full Debitor for the Elect he is put to pay their Debt to the least Farthing the Lord musters up against him his terrours and commands his sword to awake and to smite the man that is his fellow But 3ly and mainly In respect of his actual
in whom his Soul delighted all along his sufferings His sufferings being for the sins of his Elect and he being to make application of his satisfaction and of the purchase made thereby to the Elect for whom he suffered and purchased these things by his intercession There was a necessity that he should come thorow otherwayes he should not have been a perfect and compleat Saviour Able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7.25 But such a High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heavens 3. It 's clear also if we consider the nature of the Covenant and of the promises made to him therein upon his ingaging and undertaking for the Elect as particularly vers 10. of this Chapter He shall see his seed and prolong his dayes his duration shall be for ever The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong Our Lord's Exaltation and victory over death being on the Lord's side conditioned to him the Mediator as well as he ingaged to suffer hence it 's said Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head The Uses are two The 1. whereof serves for clearing and confirming our Faith in a fundamental Article of Christianity without which it were needless for us to preach and needless for you to hear or believe and that is that our Lord Jesus suffered and also got the victory over suffering that he was raised from the dead and declared to be the Son of God with power intimating that Justice had gotten full satisfaction in evidence and testimony whereof he was declared free which is a main thing that believers have to believe even that we have an exalted Christ a raised up Saviour who could not be detained by all the Elects guilt in prison 2. It serves to be matter of strong consolation it puts life in all Christ's Offices and Qualifications and in all the Promises made to Believers to wit that our Lord Jesus is a living Christ over whom death had no dominion and he overcame it now to die no more So that as it is Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them There is nothing that a Soul needs or can desire but it is to be had in him And if we would look to particular instances much consolation will arise from this ground For 1. Hath a believing sinner to do with challenges at the Bar of Justice is it not unspeakable consolation that their debt is payed Hence it 's said Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It 's God that justifies who shall condemn It 's Christ that died yea rather that is risen again It 's that which gives proof of compleat payment of the Elects debt and defiance to any challenges and accusations to come against the Believer to his prejudice because Christ hath not only died but is also risen Justice being well pleased with his satisfaction he is let out of the Prison 2. If the Believer hath to do with corruption with the Devil and with many enemies Is it not strong consolation that our Lord is risen and up that the Prince of this world is judged that Satan is troden under foot and that be shall and must reign till all his enemies be made his foot-stool 3. Our Lord's Resurrection hath a twofold further consolation with it to Believers 1. It serves to be a ground for the exercising of Faith on him that as he is risen so Rom. 6. may we expect that being spiritually dead with him to sin we shall be with him raised up to newness of life 2. It is a pledge of Believers Exaltation and compleat victory over Death and the Grave and over all Enemies for Christ being raised as the Common Head of all Believers who are his Members they by vertue of his Resurrection and by that same efficacy shall be raised And it 's impossible that they can ly under corruption This is our great consolation who are Believers and live under the Gospel that we have not these things as a Prophesie of things to come but as a plain History of things in part done and by and by to be compleatly done 4. It hath also in it consolation in respect of temporal difficulties what are they all They are not sure such as Christ's were and the day is coming when Believers shall have an out-gate from them all And therefore since our Lord is up let not Believers be afraid of any changes whatsoever 2dly Observe That our Lord Jesus being raised up from his state of Humiliation is invested and put in a most excellent and glorious condition even such as the Prophet cannot express Who can declare his generation saith he Who can declare how glorious he is now Take two or three Scriptures to confirm this 1. That Eph. 1.20 21. He hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Our Lords Throne is exalted far above Angels and Archangels even out of sight The 2d is Phil. 2.9 Where having spoken of his Humiliation it follows Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and c. His Exaltation is such as hath a Dominion and Supremacy with it over every name He having as it is Col. 1.18 in all things the preheminency The 3d. place is Heb. 8.1 Of the things which we have spoken this is the sum we have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of Majesty in the Heavens Where Christs Exaltation is set out to be such as hath exalted him to the right hand of the Majesty on high Because this is one of the great Articles of our Faith to wit That Christ rose from death the third day and ascended into Heaven and is set down on the right hand of God We shall add a little more to clear it and 1. We would know that this Exaltation of our Lord is not to be understood of his exaltation properly as he is God in which respect there is no up nor down in him though his declarative glory was valid for a time during his humiliation yet in himself as he was God he was still glorious and blessed over all 2. When we speak of Christ's Exaltation as Mediator and as Man we do not mean that his Humane Nature hath lost the
for ever possessed in that which eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entered in the heart of man to conceive of 3. From the words as we exponed them Observe That our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and was in suffering brought very low is God We find ordinarily in Scripture especially thorow the New Testament these three going together 1. Christs Humiliation 2. His Exaltation on the back of that And 3ly His Godhead His Humiliation is not readily spoken of without his Exaltation nor his Exaltation without his Godhead because it 's impossible to separate Christs Exaltation from his Godhead his Exaltation being the evidence of his Godhead and the Prophet's scope here being to set but Christ's Exaltation and Philip preaching of it to the Eunuch from this Text it 's doubtless the contemplation of Christ's Godhead that occasioneth this admiring-exclamation who shall declare his generation which we apply not so much to the ineffableness of his generation as to its being an evidence that he is God There are three or four ways whereby the Scripture confirms this let me desire you by the way not to look on this as a little momentuous or but a common Doctrine since there are many so ignorant that we would be ashamed to tell what we hear from some of you concerning the Godhead of Jesus Christ ye would take the better heed to it it being a main pillar of Christian Religion without which our Preaching and your Faith are vain for he is not believed on at all if ye rest not on him as God But to prosecute what we proposed to wit these several ways whereby the Scripture confirms this truth and to this purpose consider 1. The express Titles and Names that are given to him in Scripture and some Scripture-sayings of him which hold it out three whereof we shall instance The first is that of Isaiah 9.6 7. Where when Christ is prophesied of it 's said Unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and what is he He shall be called wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end Here we have these three His Humiliation Exaltion and God-head His Humiliation Unto us a child is born unto us a son is given His Exaltation Of the increase of his governmentâ— and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice And his Godhead is interjected and put in between these two In the names and titles given to him Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father not as personally taken but as the word signifies The Father of Eternity from whom all things have their Being and for the same reason Chap. 7.14 He is called Immanuel God with us A 2d place is that of Phil. 2.6 Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery he did God no wrong to be equal with God he made himself of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant c. wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name c. A 3d. place is that of Heb. 1.2 3. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds what is he by whom he spake to us who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high there is here much of Christs excellency holden forth he is the brightness of the fathers glory and the express image of his person the beam of the Sun is not liker to the Suns light the impression of the seal on the wax is no liker to the seal then the Son is to the Father nay the livelyest resemblances fall infinitely short of a full and exact resemblance the Father and he being the same God and he being compared with the Father not simply as God essentially taken but as the second person of the Trinity compared with him who is the first person O deep and adorable mystery A 2d way to clear and confirm it is to consider his works oft-times joyned with his name The works of Creation Providence Redemption and guiding of his Church so we have it John 1.1 In the beginning was the word the substantial word of the Father the Son of his love called the word either as expressing the Fathers image as a mans word expresseth his mind or because as Prophet of the Church he hath revealed the Fathers will It s said that this word was not only with God but was God and then follows in several Verses together his Works the works of Creation all things were made by him c. the works of Providence are attributed to him John 5.17 My father worketh hitherto and I work and the work of Redemption and his glorious going thorow with it declare him to be the Son of God for none but God could redeem his Church 3ly For clearing and confirming of this truth we may take the express confession of the Saints in Scripture whereon there is much weight laid and I shall name but five or six of their confessions which to this purpose are expressly and fully recorded The 1. Is that of Matth. 16.16 Whom do men say that I am Peter answered thou art the son of the living God and Christ says Blessed art thou Simon Barjona flesh and blood hath not revealed that unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven to let us know that it is not such a little thing to believe Christs Godhead as many take it to be and then he calls himself the rock on which his Church is built Christ's Godhead is the foundation of Christianity A 2d is John 1.49 in Nathanaels words Christs tells him before Philip called thee when thou was under the fig-tree I saw thee and he having gotten this proof of Christs omniscience presently breaks out Rabbi thou art the son of God thou art the king of Israel and that is the first thing his faith evidenceth it self in A 3d. place is John 6.67 68 69. where when Christ is saying to the twelve will ye also leave me Simon answers Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the son of the living God there is muâ—h in these words we believe and are sure that it is so A 4th place is John 11.27 and it is Martha her confession yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the son of
God which should come into the world The 5th place is that of John 20.28 where when Christ bids Thomas reach hither his hand and put it into his side his glory shines so full in his face that he cryes out My Lord and my God and his faith is summed up and compended in that The last place that we shall name is that of Acts 8.37 and it s the Eunuchs confession I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God which is the sum of his faith The 4th and last way of confirmation of this great truth is drawen from the worship which is due unto him and hath been given unto him He is the object of Faith John 14.11 ye believe in God believe also in me He is the object of Prayer Acts 7.59 They stoned Stephen calling upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit and frequently else-where in Scripture he is prayed unto though these two are not too curiously to be separated Use 1. The first Use serves to strengthen your Faith in this that our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for sinners and is made offer of to them in the Gospel is God equal with the Father and so he is to be closed with and rested on as the brightness of the Fathers glory the reason why we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this is not small for its a most necessary thing and without the faith of it all the work of our salvation will hang louse neither can we have any claim to Eternal Life and therefore we desire you particularly who are ignorant Hearers and who have the name of Christ often in your mouths and yet know not what he is to know remember and believe that he that is the son of Mary is also the eternal son of God being God before he was incarnate and before the World was made and the Maker of all that was made Use 2. The second Use serves to let you know That though it be a most necessary thing to be confirmed in the faith of this Truth that Christ is God yet it 's a greater difficulty to believe and be perswaded of it then the most part take it to be many sad proofs whereof we have in Folks words and moe in their practice Flesh and blood saith Christ Matth. 16. hath not revealed this unto thee It 's a wonder whence many Folks faith comes who never found any the least difficulty in this and it 's a wonder that so few are through in the faith of it so that if they were called and put to it they durst not swear that he is God yea if we would look in a little further we would find that the faith of this is but scarce amongst us not to speak of the gross ignorance of many who will say when asked that he is not equal with the Father or that he was made God and other such like expressions will they have that are abominable to be once named amongst Christians Folks through their ignorance falling into damnable Heresies on the matter and yet not knowing that they do so As if our blessed Lord were a made god and not the same God with the Father For the proving of him to be God proves him to be the same God there being but one God Ye would consider for convincing you that it is thus with many of you 1. The little fear that is in men and women of the Majesty of Christ as God they durst not walk with so little fear of him if they believed indeed that he were God What made the Jews with the Scribes and Pharisees to spit upon him and despise him But because they wanted the Faith of his Godhead And have not ye the same nature in you Ye live in a place where the Faith of Christs Godhead is professed and is not questioned but your practice sayes to beholders that ye believe it not because ye fear him not 2. That your souls do so little welcome the offer of the Gospel that tells that ye believe him not to be God 3. That ye do not place your happiness in Believing on him and in the way of holiness ye say in effect wherefore serves Christ ye care not for him Hence it is that so many live contentedly without him and are not sollicitous about the enjoying of him 4. Even in Believers there is much unbelief of this truth which is sadly evidenced by this that they do not so bless themselves in him and that they do not so reckon themselves to have come well to and to be made up in him as David doth Psal 16. Where he saith and holily glorieth The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place c. And by the frequent discouragement that is incident to Believers as if Christ had not the guiding of them and of what concerns them or could not guide all well enough for their good If he were believed to be God it would quash temptations banish discouragement comfort under crosses sweeten every condition induce to holiness restrain from sin And in a word it cannot be told what is in the bosome of this one truth when solidly believed For what can possibly be wanting to the Believer in him that is God He hath the fulness of the Godhead to supply what ever they want and sustains the relation of a Husband to the Believer to make it forth-coming And he is furnished with suitable qualifications to make the application thereof What then could be wanting if this were thorowly believed that he is God Let me say it to you the Faith of this would provoke to more holiness and to study more the power then the profession of Religion and would help to live a more comfortable life in every condition SERMON XXX ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken THese words are a proof of that which we discoursed in the Lecture concerning Christs wonderful love to his pâ—ople Then which no man hath greater that a man should lay down his life for his friend But he hath commedned his love to us in that while we were yet enemies he died for us This is the great commendation of Christ's love and what will he refuse to his people who in his love hath come this length to them In the former part of this verse we shew that there was a hint given of Christ's Exaltation of the Exaltation and Glory of the Mediator following on the back of his lowest sufferings An ineffable and inexpressible Glory which the Prophet rather passeth with a sort of non-plussing silence then insisteth in the declaration of it Who shall declare his generation We come now to the last part of the words For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken They are added
now they bear the image of the heavenly Adam Not that they come up in all things to be exactly like to the Pattern but it is their aim and other things that disconform them to Him are deformed loathsome and ugly in their sight Their old Inclination is burdensome to them And is the continual ground of an inward Contest and Wrestling and in a manner they are troubled at the very heart how to keep down what is opposit to Christ And when their Corruption Over-masters them they are the more discomposed and disquieted They discern something in them that is not like to Christ and they abhor that though it be never so near and dear to them their very Self they see something also like to Christ in them And they Cherish and make much of it they would fain be at more of it and to have His Image more deeply impressed on their Spirits which they reckon their greatest yea their only Beauty The 3. Use is for Direction to Believers if ye be Christ's Seed ye must be other sort of Folks in your Designs and in your Deportment and carriage King's Children ought not to carrie as others It would be highly unsuitable yea even abominable to see them walk so trivially and lightly as every Base Ill-bred Beggers Child doth It 's no less Incongruous and Unbecoming that Believers should be taken with this and that Vanity that meer Worldlings are taken with and hunt after The 4th Use Speaks a Word of Consolation to Believers And holds forth the greatness of the Priviledge of being Christ's Seed It will be much to perswade a Poor Sinner duely sensible of Sin to believe this And that the Lord is in earnest when He speaks thus That such an one who hath betaken Himself to Christ for Life and humbly Claims Right to nothing but by Verture of Christ's Right the main thing that our Union with Him is bottomed upon who is content to be in Christ's Common for Life and goes not about to establish his own Righteousnesse but leans to His Righteousnesse for Life and Salvation should be His Seed and have all the Priviledges of Sons derived to Him And yet it is the Lord 's faithful Word Neither hath Eye seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive what good things are laid up for such a Person and that are stuffed up in these Expressions of our Relation to Christ Jesus Use 5. It may be also a quieting and comforting Word to some Believers who are in Affliction Poverty and Straits in the World That our Lord Jesus is a Kindly Affectionat Parent more kindly and tender hearted then the tenderest Father or Mother and indeed it may sufficiently quiet them that they have such a kindly Overseer and Provisor who is also a Cordial Sympathizer with them what ever their Condition be He will not deny His Off-spring and Seed whom He laid down His Life to Purchase The 6th Use May be for Incitement and Provocation to all that would be Happy to place it here Interest in Christ Jesus by Believing on Him brings us to have Interest in the enjoying of Him and all that is His and can there be any more sought after or wished for Are there any but would think it a good Life to be here And who are they of whom He speaks so It is not of some sort of strange and uncouth Folk that were once in the World but are now all out of it And of whom there are none now in it It is not such as want Sin and derive their Life from their own Works but it is such as are 1. As considered in themselves dead in Sins and Trespasses and without Spirituall Life and Being And who know that all the pains that they can take will not acquire it And who it may be are quite Dead to their own apprehension and sense oftentimes And who have Judged themselves and have the Sentence of Death in themselves 2. It 's such as look to Him for the obtaining of Life and who acknowledge Him for any Life or Livelinesse they have And who expect it and bruike it by vertue of His Purchase which is that on which all their Plea for Life is founded Now I know that all this will not readily clear some There are so many things that look counterfit like But I am now speaking to them who have some sticklings of Spiritual Life which yet are not so Lively as they can discern them to be the Stirrings and Sticklings of Life And they have a Body of Death in them which is ready to extinguish that Life and often they think it is extinguished already They have Convictions of their own Deadness and that things are wrong in their Condition and are quite out of all Hopes of Righteousness from and by themselves or from any thing that they have done or can do And they have some confused looks to Christ but they cannot Rid their Feet in the Matter of their Faith and Duties go not so with them as they expected and would have them To such I shal speak a Word or two and close 1. I would aâ—â— whence comes that Stickling of Life or Feeling of that Bodie of Death What is the Original of it will Nature discover the Corruption of Nature and bring Folks to be out of Love with Corrupt Nature Certainly where this is it 's not like Nature but is the Life of Christ especially when it puts Folks to discern and take up their own Deadnesse to quit their own Righteousness and to be content to lay their Mouth in the Dust and to betake themselves to the Righteousnesse of Christ if they could win to be distinct in it This looks to be from Christ whose Spirit convinces the World of sin and of the sin of unbelief in particular And of righteousness as being only to be had in Christ and of judgement that is of the reasonablenesse that He should have a Dominion over them and that they should walk in Holinesse Yet notwithstanding of all this they are hanging in a kind of Suspence and hover and know not whether to look on themselves as Believers or not They wot well that it is not right with them that they are lost in themselves and that no other way will do their turn but Faith in the Righteousnesse of a Mediator The thing whereat they Stick and halt is that they know not how to through and maintain the consent that they have given and they cannot think that their Faith is true Faith because they know not how to follow forth the exercise of it though they have renunced their own Righteousnesse And laid their Reckoning to be in Christ's Debt and Common for Righte usnesse and Life if ever they come by them All their difficulty is how to through their Believing Now it is not to the founding of Life that we are here speaking but to the exercise of Life and to the finding out of
this Satisfaction is allowed Him for His Soul-travel and as it 's Just that they that Labour should partake of their Labour and that the Hirling should have his hire so it 's not only Satisfying to Christ that Sinners get good of Him but it 's Just He having Purchased it at so dear a Rate For the First of these That Our Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted and satisfyed with Sinners making use and getting good of Him If there were no other Scripture to confirm it this same is sufficicient Would ye then know what Christ aims at in His Sufferings what will content and satisfie Him as a Recompence for all His Soul-travel It 's even this To see the of fruit of the travel of his soul To have Sinners getting good of Him and saved by Him and there is nothing but this that will Satisfye Him It were a great matter to have the Faith of this Settled and Rooted in our Hearts if we could rightly take up what He hath Suffered how low He hath condescended to come even to be a Man and a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief To be reproached and mocked to take on Him the Curse and to be in Pain and Soul-travel And then if we could rightly take up what He aimed at and designed in all this and what He accounted to be a recompence to Him for it all even this That when His Gospel is Preached such and such poor Sinners under hazard of Wrath and Challenges for Sin should through closing with Him be brought to answer all their Challenges by this Our Lord Jesus hath satisfied Justice for Sinners and when poor Sinners are under the sense of a hard heart that they should cast their Eye on the same ground for a remedy of that Spiritual Malady and Plague even His Sufferings which have purchased the mollifying of the heart as well as Justification and Pardon of Sin And when a Sinner is disconsolat and dejected because of Sin and Divine Displeasure that He should be Cheered and Comforted in His Sufferings This even this is refreshing and is delightsome to Him We say it were much to get this throughly believed That Sinners are not half so fain to come in under His Sufferings for shelter and refreshing as Our Lord Jesus is to speak with reverence to see them Sheltered Refreshed and Thriving The very mentioning of this ought to be as marrow to the bones But for furder clearing of it we would speak a Word 1. To what this Delight and Satisfaction is 2. To some grounds to confirm the truth of it that Our Lord Jesus is indeed delighted to see poor Sinners coming to Him and getting good of Him For the First of these We did when we was speaking of these Words v. 10. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Shew how it was a delightsome thing to Jehovah And now speaking of it from this 11. v. in reference to the Mediator we shall take it up in these particulars 1. There is in Our Lord Jesus not only a delight in Sinners getting good of Him as it is a thing He calls for and is agreeable to His revealed will and as being required of them as their Duty in which respect it 's acceptable to God and cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him neither 2. Is this delight only in respect of the End of His Sufferings which were undergone to make a way for and to strick open a Door to the Throne of Grace through the Vail which is His Flesh that poor Sinners might come to a Fountain and wash and have access to God through Him Which being the End He had before Him in His Death cannot but be acceptable to God because it was His End in the giving of His Son to Die and so it 's delightsome to the Mediator but also 3dly It is so in these two respects further Sinners coming to Him resting on Him and getting good of Him is His delight 1. In respect of the Honour that is done unto Him when a Sinner believes on Him He counts it the putting of the Crown on His Head As it is Cant. 3 11. see also to this purpose John 5.23 24. And though there could have been a possibility of honouring of God before yet there is no Honouring of the Mediator till Folk make use of His Sufferings by Faith And it is on this ground that Christ complains when He is not made use of and therefore when Sinners give Him credit by committing the saving of their Souls to Him and by making use of His Offices for that End and for His performing in them that wherefore they were appointed it cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him 2. In respect of that Sympathy that Our Lord Jesus hath with His own Members For though the Mediator be now glorified in H aven yet He hath a humâ—ne Heart and affection still though inconceivably glorious and so a kindly Sympathie with them and is some way affected with both their good and their ill And considering Him thus He hath a delight in the good and well-fare of His People and their being delighted in and satisfied with Him proves a Delight and Satisfaction to Him For the next thing to wit the clearing and confirming of it It might be cleared and confirmed from many Grounds but we shall only touch on some that may make it out most convincingly that it 's most delightsome to Jesus Christ to see Sinners making use of Him and getting good of His Sufferings And this His Delight may be drawn from Eternity and carried on to Eternity 1. In the making of the Covenant of Redemption it was delightsome to Him to enter in it As is clear Psal 40. I delight to do thy will O my God The Bargain was no sooner proposed if we may speak so to that which is Eternal But heartily it was closed with by Him And this is confirmed Prov 8.32 Where the Substantial Wisdom of the Father is brought in saying Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delights were with the Sons â—f men Our Lord Jesus before the World began was delighted in the fore-thought that such a thing was a coming that in such and such parts of the World such and such poor Sinners should be called by His Grace and get the good of His Suffufferings As a Man in a long Journey or Voyage may be delighted in the Forefight of the End of it before He come at it 2. Look foreward to Hâ—s â—xecuting of His Office of Mediator anâ— to His going about the work of Râ—dempâ—â—on and we will find that He does it with delight Therefore John 4. When Hâ— is sitting on the Well side and is weary with Hâ—s Journey and hath neither to eat nor to drink He falleth a Preaching â—o a poor sinfull Woman and when the Disciples would fain have refreshed Him
with that which they had bought He sayes to them I have meat to eat that ye know not of And when they begin to wonder what that could be He sayes further to them It is my meat to do my Fathers will and to finish his work And what was that a poor whotish Woman is spoken to by Him and brought by His speaking to acknowledge Him to be the Messiah and to accept of Him as such And by that blessed Work His Hunger and Thirst were Satisfied So Luke 22.15 He saith to His Disciples with desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer And Luke 12.50 I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Though he drinking of that Cup was terrible to Him and though mockings and reproaches were not pleasant in themselves yet the love that He had to Sinners good mastered all the bitterness that was in these and made them sweet 3. There is nothing that He more complains of nothing angers and grieves Him more then when He is not made use of Ye will not saith He John 5. come to me that ye may have life To shew that the best interâ—ainment that they could give Him was to come and get Life from Him And it 's told us that He was angry and grieved for the peoples unbelief and hardness of heart Yea He weeps over them because of this Luke 19. All which prove the great delight that He had and hath still in Sinners getting good of Him And frequently in the Song as Chap. 2 and 6. He is said to feed among the lillies There is all His intertainment that He gets in the World He feasts only on the Fruits of His own Spirit in them that welcome Him I shall name but one place more and that is Psal 147.10.11 He delights not in the strength of a horse nor in the legs of a man but in them that fear him The following Words clear it more what it is that delights Him In them that hope in his mercy that is in them that draw into Him by believing He delights in these Beyond all the World Use 1. It were a desirable thing to be believing this Are there any so prophane but are ready to think that if they knew what would please God or Christ they would do it The Question is here answered that this is pleasing and only pleasing to Him If this be wanting there is nothing that will please Him even that ye make use of Christs Sufferings and imploy Him in His Offices for getting the good that may be had by them This is it that ye are câ—lled to and which delighteth Him and if this be not though ye would give Him thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of oyl yea the first born of your body for the sin of your souls it will not satisfy Him nor be accepted because this alone is the Satisfaction that He will have for His Soul-travel I shall a liâ—tle explain this and then prosecute the Use of it Ye will ask then What is the Fruit of Christ's Soul-travel that satisfies Him I answer That we take in under it not only 1. That ye should aim to be at Heaven neiâ—her 2. â—his That ye be serious in the Duties of Holiness as if these were Well-pleasing to God without respect to Christ's Sufferings but it is the Use-making and improving of Christ's Sufferings for attaining of these When Folk by this midse by this New and Living Way step forward to Heaven and seek to be Seriâ—us in the study of Holiness when they that could not walk in the way of Holinesse do now walk in it leaning on their beloved and study to live by Faith in Him Tâ—is is it mainly wherein His Delight and Satisfaction doth lye even when a poor Sinner is brought to make Use of Him for Peace and Reconciliation with God for through bearing in all called for Duties for his Consolation and for his Admission to Heaven in the close And therefore they do not only fail here who are Prophane living securely never minding Heaven their Peace with God nor the study of Holiness Neither only these who cast the Law and its Reproofs behind their backs thâ—se are loathsome to God and to Jesus Christ but by this These are also reproved that do not improve the Sufferings of Christ for Peace and Reconciliation with God for Righteousnesse and for Strength for Comfort and encouragement and who hope not in Hâ—â— Mercy The Reason is because though it were possible they could make progresse in Hâ—liness and attain to Comfort and Peace â—hat â—ay yet it would not be thus The Fruit of the Travâ—l of Christs Soul He being paâ—â— by and â—o could not be Satisfaction to Him Buâ— where a poor Sinner sees that he caâ—noâ— câ—me to God of himself cannot make his Peace nor can He walk in the way of Holiness so as to please God and so flies to Christ for refuge and make use of His Purchase there lyeth Christs delight to see such a Sinner come and hide himself under the shâ—ddow of His Sufferings and in this respect the more hardly a Sinner is put at it is the more satisfaction to Him that He in His Death and Sufferings be made use of because this way the Sinners Life is more intirely the benefit of His Sufferings and that such a Person hath any Strength Comfort or Peace and is admitted to Heaven It is allenarly through the Travel of His Soul which is His great Satisfaction And therefore we would 2dly commend to you That as you would do Christ a favour to speak so with reverence And O! what a motive is this for vile Sinners the dust of His Feet to be put in a capacity to do Him a pleasure Endeavour this especially that as to you Christ may see the Fruit of the Travel of His Soul and be satisfied and that all His kindness offered to you may not be Fruitlesse This is the great hing of the Gospel as to that which is pressed upon you and this is the wonderfull motive that is given to presse it That it 's delightsome to Christ and therefore ye should believe on Him It were incouragement enough that it's profitable to your selves But if ye had hearts of stone this should move you to it That Our Lord Jesus seeks no more Satisfaction from you for all His Soul-travel but that ye make use of His Sufferings that ye do not receive this Offer of His Grace in vain nor be Fruitless under it In a word we have here laid before us and think upon it the most Wonderfull Inconceivable and Inexpressible Sute and Request of Him who is the Creator to us poor sinfull creatures and what is it I have been sayes He on the matter in sore Travel and Pain for you now I pray you let it not be for nought let me see the Fruit of it And to speak it with reverence of
Faith as it is a laying hold upon Christ 3. When we speak of the necessity of Faith in order to Justification we mean not as if there were such an absolute necessity of it in it self that God could not do otherwayes or Justifie without it but we mean a necessity in respect of the order which God hath laid down and held forth in the Gospel which is by the Knowledge of His Son to Justifie many And from these considerations many Arguments of our Adversaries are made very little regardable yea utterly void For Confirmation of the Doctrine then 1. Consider these Scriptures that expresly limit confine and bound Justification and pardon of Sin to the Person that doth believe So Rom. 1.17 The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. Col. 3.22 God hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Act. 13.38.39 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Consult the Scriptures and we will find that Paul clears both these Questions 1. who are Justified All that believe 2. When are they Justified When they believe 2ly Consider these Scriptures that place all men before believing into a state of Wrath and they will furnish a second ground for this as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already He lyes under the Covenant of Works and is condemned as considered in himself though God may have a purpose to make a change of his state So Ephes 2.1 2 3. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked and were children of wrath even as others c. and v. 12 13. We were sometimes without Christ being alians from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise without hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far of are made near by the blood of Christ and v. 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast it 's Faith that gives the Title which we had not before 3. Consider That the Scriptures do expresly make believing to preceed Justification and make Justification to be an effect or rather a consequent of Faith to which Faith necessarly concurrs as all these places which say that we are Justified by Faith in Christ do clear as Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ which place looks on Faiths concurring in Justification with a kind of causality Rom. 3.22.25 The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe c. Ephes 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith See more fully to this purpose Gal. 2.16 where the Apostle designedly as it were sets himself to confirm this Truth For speaking of the way how Sinners come to be Justified and as it were entring in the Debate he says Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even as we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ In which place we have three things considerable to make out the point 1. He compares the concurring of Faith to Justification in the Covenant of Gracâ— to the concurring of Works to Justification or to the obtaining of Life in the Covenant of Works as Works did Justifie in the Covenant of Works so does Faith in the Covenant of Grace Now certainly the performing of Works in the Covenant of Works behoved to go before Justification that way therefore the want of Works made Adam to come short of Justification by Works 2. He looks on Faith and speaks of it as concurring to Justification with a respect to Christ and never looks on it in this matter as a Grace considered in and by it self but as acting on Christ in a peculiar manner 3. In expresse words he sayes We have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified which clearly implyes that they could not be Justified before they believed and we may well and easily gather that the Justification here meant is that which is real and actual and not the declaring of a man to be Justified to Himself else Works might declare a man to be Justified to himself as well as Faith But he contradistinguishes Faith and Works here and opposes the one to the other The 1. Use Serves for clearing of this Truth That there is a necessity of Faith's taking hold of and resting on Christ ere we can be absolved and Justified And so both these Errors of Antinomians fall to the ground 1. That by which they assert that these who are Justified were Justified from Eternity and were never under God's Curse And 2. That Faith is not necessary to the attaining of Justification but only to a Persons knowing that he is Justified and so they say that Faith enters us not in the Covenant which is false it being the terms or condition on which God proposeth and promiseth pardon in his Covenant as is clear John 3.18 Whosoever believes shall not be condemned but shall have everlasting life and Mark 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved with this opposition He that believeth not shall be damned Faith being it which enters us in the Covenant For either Sinners are Justified before they can be in Covenant with God which is an absurdity and inconsistent with Gods Covenant or it 's by Faith that they are entered in the Covenant There is here also a clear discovery and confutation of a 3d. Error of Antinomians concerning the nature of Faith That it is Persons believing that they are Justified No not so For as the Apostle sayes Gal. 2.16 We have believed that we might be justified We believe in order to Justification And to say as Antinomians do would do much to infer universality of Justification as well as of Redemption It 's Gods mercy that this Error is discovered and that we have His Truth pointing out to us that Justification must have Faith going before it and alongst with it The 2d Use Serves to demonstrat the absolute necessity of believing and taking hold of Christ If Absolution and Justification be necessary Faith must be necessary And therefore if Christ be preached to you and if by Him all that believe are Justified Take hold then I beseech you of the Offer receive embrace close with it and let
's said to rest or rely as it respects Christ and his Satisfaction the thing offered and received with regard to the charge to which it is lyable It 's here that it rests and to this it betakes it self as to it's defence when challenged It 's difficult to difference these two or peremptorly to say whether Christs Righteousnesse be received or rested upon yet it 's made our defence because it 's closed with and we make them two Acts of the same Faith though it 's hard to make the one of them to be the effect of the other or the one of them to be antecedent to the other in respect of time at least As a Proclamation of Pardon being made to Rebells they say this Proclamation gives a freedom from the Laws pursuit because they have embraced it and these Rebells make that the ground if ever they be challenged whereon they found their Defence they have this to lippen to and upon this they rest Though none of these Acts can well be said to be before or after the other in respect of time For clearing of this a little more consider that this resting may be looked on either Passively or Actively Passively in respect of the Believers acquiescing in Christ and assuring himself that all shall be well This is not that Act of Faith that is called for to Justification but supposes the Person to be Justified for he must be Justified ere he can rest or acquiesce in it Actively in respect of our resting on him that we may be Justified as the Apostle hath it Gal. 2.16 And this Isaiah 5.6 Is called a taking hold of Gods covenant It is an actual committing of our selves to Him that we may win to peace or a leaning on Him as suppose one were to rest upon a Staff it doth not only imply the effect his having of ease but also and firstly his leaning to or resting on it in order to ease Therefore it 's said Math. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden and ye shall find rest The Act that Justifies is this last and active Act the Act of coming or leaning or resting and the passive Act of acquiescing or assurance is that which follows upon it as a fruit and effect of it And therefore we humbly conceive that it is not safe to define Justifying Faith by Assurance or to say that where-ever Faith is there is Assurance It is rather a resting on Christ that we may have rest and a ground of Defence and reason to be proposed if we should be quarrelled for or charged with the Debt of Sin The Uses are 1. To remove the difficulties as namely it may be asked here is there no confidence not assurance in this Active Act of Faith which is the Essence of it we answer shortly There are Three sorts of confidence pleaded for that are far from the nature of Faith and yet Faith wants not it's own Confidence and Assurance if it be taken in a right sense The 1. is for a man to believe that Christ died for him in particular at the first hand and to think that he hath no more to do but to believe that Christ Died and Suffered for him and that thereupon he is Justified For this layeth a ground for universal Redemption against the current of the Scriptures and can never be a ground of interest in Christ's Righteousnesse It supposes that to be done already and admits not the Soul to concur by believing for coming to the application and yet this is very rise amongst People I believe that Christ died for me and shed His precious Blood for me and so long as they can maintain this presumption and not suffer themselves to admit of any debating and questioning whether they have ground and reason for it or not they think they have Faith enough but this is no Act of Faith nor of the nature of true Justifying Faith which is to take hold of Christ offered that we may come to be absolved through Him Therefore when ever the Scripture puts us to believe It commands us to take hold of Christ offered and not at first hand to believe that he died for us in particular I suppose many are carried away with this presumption that will to their cost at last find it to be otherwayes 2. Others think that all Faith consists in this to believe that God loved them from all Eternity and that they are already Justified which is the Antinomian way They believe not that they may be justified which was Pauls way Gal. 2.16 but they believe that they are Justified And this also presuppons an universal Redemption and to presse it upon you were to bid you all believe that God hath loved you and pardoned you from all Eternity which were to bid you believe a lie for we wot well from the Scriptures of Truth that God hath not loved all from Eternity and yet this is the Faith that many of you presumptuously practises we are all naturally some way Antinomians Papists and Arminians in our practice and the way of Error is more consistent and current with our nature then the way of Truth But O! presumptuous hypocrites will ye darringly and without any ground believe Gods Love to you God shall shake you out of that confidence and blow upon it and make it evanish ye cry out on them that live in Error yet ye practise these same Errors to speak so as fast as ye can we cannot by much Preaching get you brought to the Knowledge of the Truth but ye can drink in Error ere ye hear of it and it will ruin your Souls if Grace prevent not and many of you shall find that thus you have destroyed your selves A 3d. Sort of rotten confidence is that which some have who cannot say they are for the time Justified yet they have a perswasion to get Heaven and to be Justified ere they die or that at death they will be sure of it and they wote well they shall not despair This is also naughty presumption and continued in as hazardous as outer disperation and killeth moe Souls then dispair doth for such rest quietly in their hope of being fred from wrath and having their peace made with God and yet never go to Christ to have it done this is like that mans presumption that sayes tush I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart God is gracious and merciful and I hope he will not be so severe as He is called The Lord calleth this a believing of Him for He sayes in His Word that there is no peace to the wicked and the foolish presumer sayes I shall have peace shall His Word or theirs stand they say Jer. 5.12 and 7 9. The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord are these they make a fair shew of attendence on ordinances and yet steall murder and commit adultery and say we are delivered to do all these things
that 's the Righteousnesse of Christ by Faith taken hold of by me which Fâ—ith shuts up as it were Paul in that Râ—ghteousnesse and hids him so as he is past over as if there were no unrighteousnesse at all in him The Effâ—ct of this Faith follows when a Person â—s chased and hath fled into and laid hold on Christ the effect I say is he shall be Justified we may consider this several ways and for explication's sake I shall shortly put by some of them 1. Then according to the exposition of the words take this observation That there is such a thing as Justification distinct from Sanctâ—fication That benefit of Justification follows on Faith's taking hold of Christ because it's such a benefit as follows Christ taking on our Sin By his knowledge shall he juâ—tifie many for he shall beâ—â— their iniquities Now Sanctification is not that but the infusing of Holâ—nesse in us and is the work of Gods Spirit inwardly working a change in the man we did some way clear and confirm this in the exposition of the Words and shew you how Sanctification differeth from Justification Now ye are justified now ye are sanctified Sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. Making them distinct benefits To clear it a little further Two things are to be considered in Sin both which are to be removed by Christ but differently 1. Something that defils and polluts us and makes at disconform to Gods Image hence Sin is in the Scripture compared to Boills and Sores and menstruous Cloaths and is called filthiness 2. There is a guiltinesse that follows on this whereby we are not only presupposed unclean but are made lyable to the Laws Certification wherein it 's said Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing written in the book of the law to do it Now if we speak of the removing of these two Justification takes away the guilt of Sin when the Sinner is pursued before God's Tribunal he is discharged by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to which he is fled for refuge The Law absolves him not because he wants Sin but because the Mediator hath saâ—isfied for his Sin and that Satisfaction is by Faith laid hold of Sanctification takes away the pollution and blot of Sin the Person that had these Boills and Sores is cleansed or healled or is a healling and under cure for there is no compleat healling while on this side of Heaven As suppone a man by transgressing the Law had wounded himself in wounding or hurting another there is here both a guilt and a deformity a guilt in transgressing the Law by hurting his neighbour and a deformity in wounding himself Justification is as if the penalty of the breach of such a Law were not exacted by the interposing of a Cautioner and Sanctification is like the healling of the Wound in a mans self by taking or application of some Physick or Plaister So is it here Justification sets us free from the guilt and Sanctification cures us of the wound of Sin mans fall was a guilt and by that fall he wounded himself and by Christ boâ—h are removed from the Believer by His Satisfaction He j stifies and by His Grace and Spirit He Sanctifies him Use We observe it only in passing because it serves to clear all that concerns Justification and therefore when we speak of Justification by Christs Righteousâ—esse 1. It 's not as if we had a Righteousnesse communicat to us and were made actuâ—lly holy but it 's the iâ—putation of Christ's Righteousnesse to us the confounding of these two does ill and is very prejudicial not only to Papists but to others who think they are Justified when they think they have some good frame which being wanting they suspect their Justificat on 2. The meaning is not as if Christs Righteousnesse were our Sanctification which is the Error of the Antinomians who make all Sanctification to be Justification even as the Papists make all Justification to be Sanctification therefore we would learn to distinguish these two yet not so as to separat them 2dly Observe That this effect Justification is not only nor mainly the sense of being pardoned and absolved but it 's real absolution and pardon it self because this Justification that follows Faith is that which Christ hath purchased by His Soul-travel and bearing of our iniquities and intitles the Justified Person to Him and makes him to be of His Seed and that is not to have the sense that we are Justified but actually to be Justified And here there is another mistake to be adverted to to think Justification to be the evidence of that which is past before we were born yea from Eternity The Justification here spoken of is that which makes us stand before God is opposit to Works and to the Curse and frees us from it But the sense of Justification is not that whereby we stand before God and is opposit to Works and the Curse and therefore take this Advertisement that Justification is not to be sensible of our Justification but it is really to be so whether we know and be sensible of it or not and that by vertue of Christs Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith The Third and main thiâ—g in this effect is That laying hold on Chrâ—st by Faith as He is offered in the Gospel does before God serve to the Justifying of a Sinner and the absolving of him from the guilt of Sin That is when a Sinner sensible of Sin is brought to lay hold on Christ's Righteousnesse then follows Gods absolving of him as if he had never had Sin or had satisfied for his own Sin which is not only holden out here but is frequently spoken of through the Epistles and is the Justification that stands in opposition to the way of Works to wit when a poor Sinner sensible of Sin is perswaded by Gods Spirit to flee unto and rest upon Christs Righteousnesse offered in the Gospel upon which follows Gods absolving of him This Doctrine takes in the substance of the Text By the knowledge of my righteous servant shall many be justified There are several things that will fall to be cleared in the prosecuting of this which we shall speak to shortly for clearing of that Question of the Catechism what is Justification because this Doctrine holds out the Form of it and deduceth it in this order 1. A Sinner is here supposed to be lying under Gods curse according to that Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law This is mans condition by nature 2. It is supposed that Christ becomes Cautioner for elect Sinners and takes on their Debt and satisfies for them on condition that if they shall believe on Him they shall be Justified and have His satisfaction imputed to them and that the Lord Jehovah accepts of the Mediators Satisfaction and ingageth to make out the condition 3. The Lord in the Word of the Gospel hath revealed this and hath
becoming ours The Uses are several 1. For information and conviction and we would 1. be informed in and understand well the meanining of this Doctrine when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in attaining of it as no other thing doth that ye may give it it 's right place and may make no confusion of these things that are distinct 1. We deny not Works notwithstanding of all that we have said to be necessary more then we do Faith but the great difference is anent the giving of Faith and Works or Faith as it is a work on equal share in respect of causality in our Justification And therefore we would beware with Papists to attribute a sort of condignity to Faith as if it merited eternal Life which flowes from their ignorance of Gods Covenant For they think that since He commands us to believe and promiseth Life to believing that there is a merit in believing as they fancie there is in Prayer Almes-deeds and others Duties or good Works but in this respect as it is a Work in us the Apostle excludes Faith and makes our Justification free whereas if Faith in Justification were considered as a Work meriting our Justification it should not be free and although there be no Papists in profession here amongst us yet it may be there are some and that not a few that think God is obliged to them because they believe and that expect Heaven and life Eternal on that ground even as when they pray they think they should be heard for their Praying and when they give Almes that they should be rewarded for the same as a meritorious Work 2. Neither do we understand when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in the attaining of it That by believing we are disposed to be holy and so more enabled to Justifie our selves which is also a Popish Error wherein I fear many professors of the Gospel amongst us ly who think they are obliged to their Faith because it disposes them to hear read pray and the like and so enableth them to work out a Righteousnesse to themselves whereby they expect to be Justified This is another fault and Error to be guarded against For though we give Faith a radical vertue to keep Life in other Graces yet so considered it is still a piece of inherent Holiness and pertains to Sanctification and not to Justification 3. When we say that Faith concurres in the attaining of Justification we do not say that it concurres in the same manner that Repentance Prayer and good Works do concur But it may be said here seing we grant that good Works and Duties are necessary what then is the difference I answer in these two 1. Faith is the proper and peculiar condition of the Covenant of Grace and not our Works or Holiness whereof Faith considered as a Work is a part Works is the condition of the Covenant of works for it sayes in this manner The man that doth these things shall live by them but the Covenant of Grace in opposition to it sayes If thou believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and confess with thy mouth that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved as it is Rom. 10. What Works is in the one Covenant Faith is in the other Covenant and that as it is opposed to Works and to Faith it self as it is a Work in us 2. There is a peculiarness in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification in respect of it's instrumentalness in taking hold of Christ for our Justification or in receiving and resting upon Him as we said before for that end For when Christ is offered in the Gospel Faith flees to Him receives Him takes hold of Him and rests on Him neither Repentance nor Prayer nor any good Work hath an aptitud and fitness to receive Christ and present His Satisfaction to God as the ground of the Sinners defence as Faith hath And therefore it 's so often said by Divines according to the Scripture that Faith is the instrumental cause of our Justification which we shall clear in two or three similitudes which the Scripture makes use of 1 Christ compares Himself to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse John 3.14 Man by Sin is stung deadly as the Israelites were by the fiery Serpents Christ Jesus as suffering and hung or lifted up upon the Cross is proposed to our Faith to look upon as the brazen Serpent was proposed to them that were stung and put up on a poll for that end and as there was no healling to the stung Israelites except they looked to it and the cure followed to none but to these who did behold it So Christ Jesus proposed as the Object and meritorious Cause of Justification Justifies none but such as look to Him by Faith and although they were to look to the Brazen Serpent yet their look gave no efficacy to the cure but it flowed from Gods ordaining that as a mean of their Cure even so it is not from any efficacy in Faith considered in it self that Sinners are Justified but it is from Jesus Christ the Object that Faith eyeing Him lifted up as the Saviour of the elect and His Satisfaction as appointed of God for that end doth Justifie and therefore it may well be called an instrumental cause because it is not Christ abstractly considered that Justifies more then it was the Serpent considered abstractly without their looking to it that did cure but Christ considered and laid hold on by Faith and in this respect Faith is said to Justifie even as the e e looking to the Brazen Serpent put them in capacity of the Cure though the Cure flowed from Gods appointment and not from their looking So is it in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification A 2d Similitude is that of miraculous Faith We find it often said by the Lord in His working such Cures Thy faith hath made the whole There was no efficacy in Faith it self for producing the Cure but it was the mean by which the Cure was transmitted to the Person under such a disease So it is in believing in order to our Justification It is by believing on Christ that our Spiritual Cure in Justification is transmitted to us and we are said to be Justified by Faith as they were said to be cured by Faith because by Faith it is convoyed to us A 3d. Similitude for clearing that Faith may well be called the instrumental Cause of Justification may be this even as the Advocats pleading may be called the instrumental Cause of the Clients absolving As suppose a man whose Cautioner had payed his Debt were cited to answer for the Debt his Advocat pleads his absolution and freedom from the Debt because his Cautioner hath payed it although the Debt was payed yet the man had not been absolved if it had not been so pleaded on this behalf So the concurrence of Faith in the
Christ hath born their iniquities that Faith is a saving Grace and a Fruit of Christs Death that such as believe may conclude their Justification and that Christ will make out the benefits of His purchase to them what want Believers that may be for their comfort Whereas if we should lay it for a ground that Christ died for all what comfort were in that For all are not Justified and Saved but only Believers yea by the Doctrine of universal Redemption though ye were even new Believers ye could not conclude that ye should be saved because ye might fall from it again But our Doctrine of Justification hath solid consolation For Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes And Rom. 3.12 It 's unto all and upon all that believe And it makes the Believer sure of his perseverance for it 's an expresse Article of the Covenant We shall only say this That ye will find that all that in Doctrine or Practice make the way to Heaven wydest they make it most unsicker and unsure and they are in great confusion and indeed it 's impossible it can be otherwayes For if men go once out of Gods way which is the strait and narrow way they can never be sicker and solidly sure because there is no solid ground of confidence in it The 2. Use serves to answer a Question that some out of curiosity pussel themselves with which if well soberly and wisely followed would be do curiosity and it is this How shall I know if Christ died for me Answer make it sure that ye believe and then ye shall be sure of the benefits of His Death For if He hath born the iniquities of these that believe and if there be no way to make it sure that He hath born our iniquities but by believing it is a needlesse stir and noise that is made about the knowledge of Election and of Christs intention in His Death for though we would say that He died for all it would not comfort except we said also that all go to Heaven But are ye burdened with Sin and have ye by Faith fled unto Christ and do ye actually rest upon Him Then ye may on that ground conclude your interest in Christ's Death and from that ascend to Election That which makes many Believers to be in hesitation as to this is their never throughing and making it clear to themselves whether they have believed and therefore if ye would see your Election and Interest in Christs Death put the matter of your believing to a point For it 's the door whereby ye win in to other secrets of God such as Election is and there is no other way to win to it Therefore these two are knit together John 6.39 40. This is the will of him that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing And if it should be asked How shall I know who are given to Christ to be redeemed by Him The next verse answers This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day would ye then know who are given and redeemed They are Believers I mean of such as are come to Age for none will make the question concerning Infants And therefore if ye would know the way of the coming to Knowledge of your Justification Redemption and Election of God begin at the lowest step of believing and make that sicker and all the rest will follow of will but if ye misken and overlook this and will go up to the top of the ladder per saltum and at the first it will be just with God that ye never win at the Knowledge of these secrets which were in His heart before the World was Use 3. It 's matter of Consolation to the Believer who may as certainly conclude an interest in Christ's Death as if he had heard the Transaction of Redemption read over and had seen his name in the Book of Life For our Lord saith John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life If thou be a Believer thy name is there Christ hath born thy iniquities and what Consolation is that to them who are clear anent their Faith But alace it sayes there is much Rotten Unsound and Slippery Faith among us and also much Faith that is but little lively that there is so little solid comfort following it Use 4. It serves to demonstrat the nec ssity of believing the advantages of it and the necessity of our indeavouring to be clear that we do believe If these two go together Justification and Believing then there is a necessity of Believing and if these two go together clearness about our Believing and the Knowledge that Christ did bear our iniquities then there is in some respect a necessity that we know we believe otherwayes we can have little or no comfort in Christs bearing of our iniquities and of our being given to Christ to be redeemed by Him From these two the advantages of Believing may appear Therefore to make all sure Justification Christs bearing of your iniquities and â—our being given to Christ make it sure that ye are in the Faith and this way give all diâ—igence to make your Calling and Eâ—ection sure And the Lord Himself prevail with you to do so SERMON LXIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressâ—urs and he bâ—re the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours THere hath been a compendious Sum of the Covenant of Redemption delivered by the Prophet in this Câ—apter wherein what is required as the Price for Elect Sinners from the Mediator is ho d n forth on the one side in a l ge descâ—iption of Hâ—s Suffâ—rings and â—â—at is pâ—oposed as the Fruit that should follow and as the Satisfaction that the Mediator should have for His Sufferings is on the other side also laid down as that He should see his seed and prolong his dayes and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand That he should see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and that by his knowledge many should be justifiâ—d In this verse we have a summary re-capitulation and repetitâ—on of this mutual bargain only it is proposed in a difâ—erent method For before what was reqâ—ired and undertaken by the Mediator was first set down and then the Promises made to Him were next set down Here the method is altered and the Promises made to the Mediator are first set down and the conditions required of Him last set down it 's like to shew the onenesse of the Covenant and
He will let him see as much as is meet and Chap. 34. When he gives him his answer It is not any glorious visible brightness he lets him see but he proclaims his name to him The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. And comparing the words with the scope It sayes that there can be no saving uptaking of God but as he is revealed in the word and that way we are to be fixed in the Faith of the excellency that is in him and in going to him by prayer through the Mediator we would guard against any representation and fix our Faith on clear Promises and attributs as Scripture holds him forth 5. We would endeavour rather to have a composed frame of Spirit with holy reverence in the exercise of fear faith and love and of other spiritual graces then to fill our understanding with things meerly speculative and lesse practical and profitable And supposing that we are in some measure clear in what is revealed of God and of his attributs and promises in the Word in as far as may found our Faith and warrand us to put up such and such suits to God through the Mediator and that we come to him in holy reverence we are rather to exercise our graces and have an â—ve downward in reflecting on our selves â—â—eking to be clear in what is called for in a worshipper of God then to be curiously poring and prying into the Object of our worship himself And therefore let this be well studied even to be up at that wherein we are clear and which we do not question not make any doubt of as namely that we should be in a composed frame of Spirit in holy reverence and under the due impression of the Mâ—jesty of God and then there will be the less hazard if any at all of going wrong whereas if we divert from this and seek to satisfie our selves in the how or manner of up-taking of God we will but myre our selves and maâ— the frame of our own Spirits and bring our selves under an incapacity of going about duty rightly This much we have spoken on the Third part of the Use of Exhortation wherein we allow a sober and solid up-taking of the things of God and in as far as may be profitable for founding of our Faith and for guiding of our practice but not to satisfie curiosity For if we once go to chase and follow question upon question in what concerns the Doctrinal and speculative part of this Doctrine we will run our selves a ground and therefore God having made these things wherein our duty necessarily lyes clear that there is no hazard to go wrong in single following of it we would study these things that are clear which might be another direction and hold us with and at what we are clear in and not suffer our minds to run out on either groundless or unprofitable speculations God himself help to the suitable practice of these things and to him be 〈◊〉 SERMON LXX ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And he made intercession for the transgressours IT 's a great mercy that God hath bestowed such a Mediator on Sinners that He hath given such an high Priest that can be touched with the feeling of Sinners infirmities so as to make Intercession for them And O! but it 's a great mercy to be helped to make right use of him When these two go together to wit a Saviour offered furnished with all these Offices of King Priest and Prophet and a Soul sanctified and guided by the Spirit of God in making use of him according to these Offices It 's a wonderfully and inconceivably gracious dispensation And it 's no doubt a very valuable mercy to be hepled to make use of this part of Christs Office to wit his Intercession This is that whereof we have begun some few dayes since to speak to you and for the better clearing of it we endeavoured to answer some doubts or questions that it may be have arisen and been tossed in the minds of some while we have been discoursing of and opening up this matter That which we would now speak a little to is a subject of that nature that considering our shallowness in uptaking of these things we cannot easily tell whether it be better to speak of or to forbear the speaking of any doubt or question least one occasion â—n another And therefore most certainly there would be much sobriety here and an abandoning of all sinful curiosity least unseasonable and intemperat desiring to know either what is not to be known or what we cannot know mar and obstruct our improvement of what we do or may know several things doubted of may be moved and objected here but we shall only speak a word to the clearing of these Four 1 Some thing concerning the Object of worship and particularly of prayer in general 2. We shall consider how the Mediator is the object of our prayer or how he may be prayed unto 3. A word more particularly in reference to the form of some particular petitions and to what seems most warrantable from the word in these 4. We shall answer some practical doubts that have or may have some puzling influence on the consciences of some Christians But as I said we had need in speaking and hearing of these things to be awed with some deep impression of the Majesty of God on our hearts least we medle carnally with matters of a most sublimely spiritual and holy nature For clearing of the First then we lay down these assertions The 1. whereof is That as there is one worship so there is no formal Object of worship but God This is clear because the worshipping of any with divine worship as namely with believing in them or praying to them supposes them to have such Attributs of Omni-science Omni-potency Supremacy c. As are only agreeable to the Mâ—jesty of God For we cannot pray to one but we must believe that he hears us and so that he is Omni-scient that he is able to help us and so Omni-poâ—entâ— that he is above all and so Supream as it is Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed There can be no divine Object of worship to settle the Soul upon but where the essential attributs of the God-head are and it 's on this ground that we reject invocation of Saints and Angels Adorability being the essentiall property of the Majesty of God as well as Eternity and Immutability are There can be no Adoring or Worshipping of any but where there is Adorability in the Object that is worshipped by that worship and there is none capable of worship but God Supremacy being due and Essential to him only 2. That though there be three Persons in the glorious and blessed God-head distinct yet there are not three distinct Objects of Worship but one Object of Worship only The Father is not one Object of Worship the Son another and the holy Ghost a
my self or separate my self to be a sacrifice 2. Christs satisfaction and his intercession being the two parts of his Priestly Office and his intercession being founded on his satisfaction as it is clearly v. 12. of this 53. of Isaiah yea â— very learned man affirms that Christs appearance in Heaven and his intercession are not properly Sacerdotal acts but in so far as they lean on the vertue of his perfected sacrifice What just relevant or cogent reason can there be to make a disjunction betwixt these parts of his Office and to extend the most difficult operous and costly part to all men and to narrow the other which is the more easie part as that whereby he only deals for the application of what he hath made a purchase of by his satisfaction which put him to much sad and sore soul-travel and to restrict it to the elect and gifted ones 3. Doth not the Scripture hold forth his death and the shedding of his blood as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people As is clear else-where so particularly Joh. 15.13 Greater love then this hath no man then that a man lay down his life for his friends Nay purchased reconciliation through the death of Christ is by the Holy Ghost made a greater evidence of divine love in some respect then the glorification of the reconciled according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life 4. All the other gifts of God to sinners even the greatest spiritual ones fall hugely below the giving of Jesus Christ himself that gift of God by way of eminency As the Apostle reasoneth irresragably for the comfort of believers Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Will he give the greatest gift and not give the lesser As Justification Adoption Sanctification and Glorification Which how great soever in themselves are yet lesser then the giving of Christ himself to the death And if it be undeniably certain that he giveth not these to all which are the lesser and lower gifts why should it be thought that he hath given the higher and greater 5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God be made common by extending it to all the world the greatest profligats and Atheists not excepted no not Pharaoh nor Ahab not Judas the traitor nor Julian the Apostat nay nor any of all the damned reprobates who were actually in Hell when he died and shed his blood 6. If he died thus for all it seems that the new Song of the redeemed Rev. 5. would have run and sounded better thus thou hast redeemed us all and every man of every kindred and tongue and people and nation to God by thy blood then as it there stands by inspiration of the Holy Ghost Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation But who may presume by such an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath so restricted and to make that common to all which God hath peculiarized to a few favourites But the Author having much to better purpose on this Head in these Sermons I need add no more here I shall only further say of these astonishing in a manner non-plussing and surpasing great sufferings of blessed Jesus that as they were equivalent to what all the elect deserved by their sins and should have suffered in their own persons throughout all eternity consistently with the innocency and excellency of his Person and with the dignity of his Mediatory Office Therefore it is said v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death or as it is in the Original In his deaths in the Plural Number as if he had died the death of every one of the Elect or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all their deaths in his one death And v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all or as the word is made the iniquity of us all to meet on him there having been a solemn tryst convocation and rendezvous as it were of all the iniquities of all the Elect more common and more peculiar in all their various aggravating circumstances not so much as one committed since Adams first transgression or to be committed to the day of Judgement being absent in the punishment of them upon his person no wonder that such a load of innumerable thousands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan and that the consideration thereof made great Luther say That Christ was the greatest sinner in all the world to wit by imputation of the guilt of all the sins of all the Elect to him and by his having had the punishment of them all laid upon his person So we may from them be instructed in these things First Concerning the hight of holy displicence and detestation that the Majesty of God hath at sin the only thing in the whole world that his soul hates and which in the vile and abominable nature of it hath an irreconciliable antipathy with and enmity against his infinitely pure holy and blessed nature and hath a tendency could it possibly be effected to seek after the destruction and annihilation of the very beeing of God and is interpretatively Deicide The Language of it being O that there were not a God That he cannot behold it in his own sinless innocent and dearly beloved Son though but by imputation for he was not made formally the sinner as Antinomians blasphemously averr but he will needs in so terrible a manner testify his great dislike of and deep displeasure at it and take such formidable vengeance on it even in his person Ah! the nature of sin which God who is of pure eyes cannot where-ever it be behold without perfect abhorrency of it is but little thorowly understood and pondered Would we otherwise dare to dally and sport with it or to take the latitudes in committing of it at the rate we do I have sometimes thought that it is an errour in the first concoction to say so of Religion in many Proffessors of it end pretenders to it that we have never framed suitable apprehensions of the most hateful vile and abominable nature of sin which hath a great influence on the superficiariness and overliness of all duties and practices of Religion and that many of us had need to be dealt with as skilful School-masters use to deal with their Schollars that are foundered in the first Principles of Learning lest they prove but smatters all their days to bring them back again to these even to be put to learn this first Lesson in Religion better and more thorowly to understand the jealousie of God as to
believing spoken of here to that saving Faith whereby folk believe and rest upon Jesus Christ 5. Consider that though there be no expresse Party named to whom the Prophet complaineth yet no doubt it is to God therefore Joh. 12.38 and Rom. 10.16 when this Scripture is cited it is Lord who hath believed our report so it is the Prophet's complaint of the little fruit himself had and that the Ministers of the Gospel should have in preaching of the Gospel regrating and complaining of it to God as a sore matter that it should come to so many and so few should get good of it so few should be brought to believe and to be saved by it Though these words be few yet they have four great things in them to which we shall reduce them for speaking more clearly to them 1. That the great subject of Preaching and Preachers great errand is to report concerning Jesus Christ to bring tydings concerning Him 2. That the great duty of Hearers implyed is to believe this Report and by vertue of it to be brought to rest and rely on Jesus Christ 3. That the great though the ordinary sin of the generality of the Hearers of the Gospel is unbelief Who hath believed that is it 's few that have believed it 's a rare thing to see a Believer of this Report 4. That the great complaint weight and grief of an honest Minister of the Gospel is this that his Message is not taken off his hand that Christ is not received believed in and rested on this is the great challenge Ministers have against the generality of People and the ground of their complaint to God that whatever they report concerning Christ He is not welcomed His Kingdom thrives not That we may speak to the first considering the words with respect to the Scope we shall draw five or six Doctrines from them The first whereof is more general that the discovery of Christ Jesus and the making him known is the greatest News the gladest Tydings and the most excellent Report that ever came or can come to a People there is no such thing can be told them no such Tydings can they hear this is the Report that the Prophet speaks of by way of eminency a Report above and beyond all other Reports these are News worthy to be carried by Angels Behold saith one of them Luke 2.20 I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people And what are these Tydings so prefaced to with a Behold for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord these are the good Tydings that Jesus Christ is come and that he is the Saviour by Office We shall not insist on this onely 1. We will find a little view of this Subject in the following words which hold forth clearly Christ God and Man in one Person so compleatly qualified and excellently furnished for His Offices 2. It 's also clear if we look to the excellent effects that come by His being so furnished as His satisfying of Justice His setting free of Captives His triumphing over Principalities and Powers His destroying the works of the Devil c. there cannot be more excellent works or effects spoken of 3. It 's clear if we look to Him from whom this Report cometh and in whose Breast these News bred if we may speak so they are the result of the Counsel of the God-head and therefore as the Report here is made in the Lord's Name so He is complained to when it is not taken off the Prophet's hand And 4. it 's clear if we look to the mysteriousness of these News Angels could never have conceived them had not this Report come these things tell that they are great glorious and good News glad Tydings as it is in the end of the former Chapter That which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they have not heard shall they consider The first Use is To draw our hearts to be in love with the Gospel and to waken our estimation of it Peoples ears are itching after Novelties and ye are much worn out of conceit with these News but is there in any News such an advantage as in these when God sendeth News to Men they must be great News and such indeed are these Use 2. Therefore be affrayed to entertain loathing of the plain substantial Truths of the Gospel if ye had never heard them before there would belike be some Athenian itching to hear and speak of them but they should not be the less thought of that they are often heard and spoken of Use 3. Therefore think more of the Gospel seeing it containeth the substance of these good News and glad Tydings and think more of Gospel-ordinances whereby these good Tydings are so often published and made plain to you 2. More particularly Observe that Jesus Christ and what concerneth Him the glad and good News of a Saviour and the reporting of them is the very proper work of a Minister and the great subject of a Ministers preaching his proper work is to make Him known or take it thus Christ is the native subject on which all preaching should run this is the Report the Prophet speaketh of here and in effect it was so to John and the other Apostles and should be so to all Ministers Christ Jesus and what concerns Him in His Person Natures and Offices to know and make Him known to be God and Man to make Him known in His Offices to be Priest Prophet and King to be a Priest in His suffering and satisfying Justice to be a Prophet in revealing the Will of God to be a King for subduing folks Lusts and Corruptions and to know and make Him known in the way by which Sinners both Preachers and Hearers may come to have Him to themselves as follows in this Chapter This this is the subject of all Preaching and all Preaching should be levelled at this mark Paul is 1 Cor. 2.2 peremptory in this I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified as if he had said I will meddle with no other thing but betake my self to this not onely will he forbear to meddle with civil Employments but he will lay aside his Learning Eloquence and Humane Wisdom and make the preaching of Christ crucified his great work and study the reason of this is because Christ standeth in a fourfold relation to preaching 1. He is the Text to say so of Preaching all Preaching is to explain Him Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness and so do the four Evangels and the Apostolick Epistles which are as so many Preachings of Him and that Preaching which standeth not in relation to Him is beside the Text and Mark 2. He is holden out as the Foundation and Ground-work of Preaching so that Preaching without Him wants Foundation and is the Building as it were of a Castle in the Air
to His Death what benefite redâ—unds to them from His Offices of King Priest and Prophet to the slaying of Sin and quickening to holy Duties what benefite or fruit from His Death Alace no more with most then if He had never died what profite or real influence as to any Spiritual change do any to count upon find and think ye all these things to be but words They know Him not that feel not something of the efficacy of His Death and Resurrection in themselves 3. Observe That the Report concerning Christ is the main subject and eâ—rand that has been and is and will be common to all the Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World It 's our Report it was the Report of all the Prophets Act. 10.43 To him bear all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth on him should have remission of sins they all agree and have a joint Testimony in these 1. In one Subject Christ and the same things concerning Him as that the pardon of Sin is to be gotten in Him and through Faith in Him and no other way c. 2. In one Commission they have all one Commission though they be not all equal all are not Apostles yet all are Ambassadours there is the same Authority for us to report and you to receive the Gospel as if Isaiah or Paul were preaching the Authority depending on the Commission and not on the persons of Men who carry it 3. In one common End which they all have and in one common Object they are sent to 4. In this that they all hold of one common Master being Gifts of one and the same Mediator Eph. 4. When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men to some Apostles c. The first Use is To teach you not to think the less of the Testimony or matter testified because of these that testifie to you if Isaiah or Paul were testifying to you ye would get no other Tydings though their life and way would be of another sort and stamp then ours are alace for the most part we are warranded as well as they to make Christ known to you therefore take heed of rejecting this Testimony of this Christ that we bear witness unto it is the same Christ that the Law and the Prophets bear witness to There is not another name given under heaven whereby a sinner can be saved it 's through Him that whosoever be on Him may receive remission of sins in this ye have not onely us but the Prophets and Apostles to deall with yea Jesus Christ and God Himself and the rejecting of us will be found to be the rejecting of them it 's the same Testimony on the matter that it was in Isaiah his time and therefore tremble and fear all ye that slight the Gospel ye have not us for your Party but all the Prophets and Isaiah among the rest and our Lord Jesus Christ who hath said He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me there will be many aggravations of the guilt of an Unbeliever and this will be a main one even the Testimony of all the Prophets that concur in this Truth which they have rejected take heed to this all ye Atheists that know not what it is to take with Sin and all ye Hypocrites that coin and counterfeit a Religion of your own and all ye legal Persons that lean to your own righteousness what will ye say when it shall be found that ye have rejected all these Testimonies ye must either say ye counted them false Witnesses which ye will not dare to say or that ye accounted them true and yet would not receive their Testimony and the best of these will be found sad enough for if ye counted them true why did ye not believe them this will be a very pungent dilemma Use 2. For comfort to poor Believers they have good ground to receive and rest upon Jesus Christ there is never a Prophet Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel but he hath sealed this Truth concerning Christ what needs any sinner scar at Him or be fearful to close with Him will ye give credit to the Testimony of Isaiah and of Peter Acts 10.43 and of the rest of the Prophets and Apostles then receive their Report and set your selves to be among the number of Believers that their Testimony may be rested on We are perswaded there is one of two that will follow on this Doctrine either a strong encouragement to and confirmation of believing and quietly resting on Jesus Christ for pardon of sin or a great ground of aggravation of and expostulation with you for your guilt who care not whether ye receive this Report or not We shall say no more for the time but God bless this to you SERMON II. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THE Prophet Isaiah is very solicitous about the fruit of his Preaching when he hath preached concerning Christ as indeed it is not enough for Ministers to preach and for People to hear except some fruit follow and now when he hath been much in Preaching and looketh to others that have been much in that work he sadly regrates the little fruit it had and would have among them to whom Christ was and should be spoken of a thing that in the entry should put us to be serious lest this complaint of Isaiah stand on record against us seeing he complains of the Hearers of the Gospel not only in his own time but in our time also We told you there were four things in this first part of the Verse 1. The great errand that Ministers have to a People it is to report concerning Christ and beside what we observed from this Head before looking to the Scope we shall observe further 1. The end that Ministers should have before them in preaching Christ and the Gospel is That the Hearers of it may be gained to Jesus Christ by hearing so as they may be brought to believe on Him it 's in a word to gain them to saving Faith in Christ 2. It is implyed That Jesus Christ is only to be proposed as the Object of Faith to be rested on by the Hearers of the Gospel and as the only ground of their Peace there is no name that can be mentioned for the salvation of Souls but this Name only ly and there is no other Gospel can be proposed but that which holdeth Him out to People 3. Observe which is much the same with the former Observation and to which we would speak a little more particularly That by the preaching of the Gospel Jesus Christ is laid before the Hearers of it as the Object of their Faith and proposed to be believed upon by them else there would be no ground of this complaint against them but where-ever this Gospel is preached there is Christ is laid as it were at the
and preached for this very End 4. And lastly It 's confirmed from the experience of all the Saints and from the ground on which they believed which was the same that we have they had no other ground but the same Gospel and Word that we have it was not the secret operation or instinct of the Spirit it 's that indeed which works Faith but it was the Word which was the ground of their Faith for there is no warrand for Faith but in the Word and as many Believers as have gone before us are as so many instances and experiences to confirm this Truth to us Use It serves for good use to such as may fall to doubt and dispute what warrand they have to Believe we say ye have as good warrand as Abraham David Paul or any of the Godly that lived before you had ye have the same Gospel-Covenant and Promises it was always God's Word preached which was the ground of Faith and there needs not be much disputing what is God's Purpose for we are not called to look to that in the matter of Believing more then in the matter of our Duty and as it were evil reasoning to dispute what may be God's Purpose in the matter of Duty when we are called to it it 's as bad reasoning to dispute His Purpose in the matter of Faith And therefore we leave this Use with a word of Adverâ—isement That this Gospel as it layes Christ before you it gives you Warrand to receive Him and rest upon Him and we may say as Paul did Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this Name is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses There is the Way held out for obtaining pardon of Sin and Peace the Lord hath made the Offer and laid a fair Bridge over the Gulf of Distance betwixt God and Sinners though ye should never get good of it and though ye should never set a Foot on the Bridge none needs to fear to step forward behold our Lord Jesus hath holden out the Golden Scepter His Call may be Warrand enough to come the Preaching of this Gospel stops all Disputing and banisheth debating of the Business it Calls all the Hearers of it and gives them Warrand to come forward and it 's such a Warrand as they will be found Slighters of the Great Salvation offered who had this Door opened to them and did not step forward for as the Apostle says 2 Cor. 6. Behold now is the day of salvation behold now is the accepted time and Heb. 2.2 If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord c. It 's the same Gospel that from the beginning hath been preached to Sinners and this is the reason why the Gospel is called Grace in that 2 Cor. 6.1 We beseech you that ye receive not this grace of God in vain and Gal. 2. at the ciose I do not frustrate the grace of God for many get the Warrand and Pass to come and receive Christ who put it up in their Pocket as it were and make no use of it as the Man that hid the Talent in his Napkin the Bonds of Marriage are proclaimed and the Warrand given forth and yet they halt and come not to the Wedding We shall add the second Branch which is That this Gospel where it comes and offers Jesus Christ to Sinners Men and Women are not only warranded to come but required and commanded to come the great Duty that the Gospel calls for is Believing it leaves it not indifferent to Believe or not but peremptorily lays it on as a Command ye hear many Preachings and Christ often spoken of now this is the great thing called for from you even Believing in Christ and while it is not performed there is no Obedience given to the Gospel We shall first confirm and then make use of this Branch of the Doctrine 1. For Confirmation take these Grounds 1. From the manner how the Cospel proposeth Faith it 's by way of Command in the Imperative Mood Believe Come ye that are weary c. Come to the Wedding open c. wherein somewhat of the nature of Faith is held out all these being the same with Believing 2. It 's not only commanded as other things are but peculiarly commanded and there is a greater weight laid on the obedience of this Command then on the doing of many other commanded Duties It 's the sum of all Christ's Preaching Mar. 1. Repent and believe the Gospel it 's the only command which Paul proposes to the Jaylor Acts 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus c. 3. It 's as it were the peculiar Command that Jesus Christ hath left to His People 1 John 3.22 This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and this Command of Believing on Him is the peculiar Command left to and laid on Ministers to press 4. It will be clear if we consider that the great Disobedience that He quarrels for is when there is not Believing when Sinners will not come to Him this is His Quarrel John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye may have life and here Who hath believed our report so Matth. 23. I would have gathered you and ye would not and John 12.37 Though he did many mighty works among them yet they believed not on him 5 Look to the nature of the Offer made by Christ and to the End of it and ye will find that the great thing called for is the receiving of it which is nothing else but Believing and all our Preachings of Christ and of His Benefites are useless without it without this he wants the satisfaction he calls for for the travel of his Soul and without it the Hearers of this Gospel profite not 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls the subordinate End of Preaching to wit the salvation of our Souls cannot be attained without Faith The Uses are three 1. It serveth to be a ground for us to propose the main Gospel-Duty to you and to teach you what is the great and main thing ye are called to it is even to Believe in Jesus Christ to exercise Faith on Him it 's not only that your Life should be civil and formal that ye should Read Pray frequent Ordinances learn the Catechism and such like but this is it to Believe on Jesus Christ for the obtaining of Life and remission of Sins through Him and it 's not a thing indiffâ—rent to you but commanded and with this certification that if ye Believe not ye shall never get Life nor pardon of Sin and therefore as we
Woman by consenting to marry him may be and will be happy and which is yet more actually to receive the Message and to consent to go and marry him It 's here as when Abraham's servant is sent to Rebekah Gen. 24. She and her Friends believe all the report that the Servant made of his Master and of his Son that it was true and then it 's given to her option if she will go with the Man and she consents to go and actually goeth this is it we press you to to go with us and close the Bargain and to accept of Him and of Life through Him by the same similitude ye may know what Saving Faith is and what is the difference betwixt it and Temporary Faith when the great rich and brave offer comes to be made to Rebekah by a Man with many Camels Gold and Bracelets when she believes that it 's true and that it 's made to her she is fain and it may be over fain if not somewhat vain also that is like Temporary Faith but when it comes to the articles of the Contract it 's said to Sinners ye must subject to Christ and follow His Will and not your own this this casts the Bargain thus many when they hear there is a possibility of Life to be had in Christ and much more when they hear it 's to be had on good easie and free terms it will make them smile but when it comes to that Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and consider forsake thy fathers house or the fashions of thy Fathers House it halts there and they suspend and demur to close the Bargain but Saving Faith goes further on and with Rebekah finally closes the Bargain Secondly The next thing is What is Saving Faith or what is it to Believe in Christ and would to God ye were ready to Believe and as ready to receive the Invitation as to ask the Question and that in asking the Question ye were in earnest for by the way many have asked the Question What shall we do to be saved where if they had been in earnest they might have been soon resolved The Answer is at hand Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved But to them that desire further clearness or confirmation in this concerning Business we shall speak a little yet ye must know that it 's such a thing as is impossible to be made plain to a proud humoured or unhumbled Sinner it 's the poor humbled Soul that will take it up and to such a Soul half a word will help to take it up The plainest way to set it out as we conceive is to name some Scripture Expressions and Similitudes that hold it forth The first whereof is in that of Mat. 11.28 Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden and John 6.35 He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst readily these Expressions hold out these three First An Evil which Men cleave to Secondly A Good that is offered to them Thirdly A passing from the Evil to the Good and so come to me implyes 1. A hazard that Folks are in by being at a distance from Christ 2. That there is access to Jesus Christ for remeiding that evil and removing of that hazard 3. A passing from the one to the other a passing from our own Righteousness to Christ's Righteousness a passing from our natural condition to Jesus Christ a real passing from Death in our selves to Life in Him Most part think Faith to be a conceit a humour or a guessing that they think they may have and never know how but it 's a real thing a coming from our own Righteousness as I said to His from a Covenant of Works to rest on Christ and His Righteousness held forth in the Covenant of Grace this is somewhat explained Rom. 7. where two Husbands are spoken of a Woman cannot marry another Man till her first Husband be dead so till a Sinner be dead to the Law he cannot marry Christ there must be a divorcing from the Law and Covenant of Works ere ye can close with Christ The second Expression is John 1.12 Where Faith is held forth as a receiving of Christ To as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name and it 's well express'd in the Catechism to be a receiving of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel this supposes that Christ is offered to us and that we are naturally without Him The Gospel comes and says Why will ye die O house of Israel come and receive a Saviour And the act of Faith is a gripping to that Offer a receiving and imbracing of it a being well content to take a free Discharge through His Blood A third Expression is Phil. 3.12 Where Faith is set out as an apprehending of Christ and Heb. 6.18 It 's called a laying hold on the Hope set before us and Isa 56.4 a taking hold of the Covenant all which suppose Folk to have a choice as it were laid to them and Christ to be holden out as a City of Refuge and a Shelter from that which we are in hazard of Christ is held out in the Gospel as the City of Refuge and the exercise of Faith is to run from the hazard to Him as a Child that is chased by an unknown and uncouth Body flees unto the Mothers Arms or as the Man-slayer fled from the Avenger of Blood to the City of Refuge and Faith having run to Him casts it self on Him or thrusts it self as it were into Him A fourth Expression is rolling or casting of our selves over upon the Lord as Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden on the Lord and Psal 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord it 's on the Margent roll thy self on the Lord or rest as it 's vers 7. and ease thy self on the Lord the Gospel lays Christ as it were at Folks feet and Faith rolls them over on Him it 's even the Souls finding it self through the work of the Spirit unable to stand under the Burthen rolling it self on Christ as a crafie and weak Body casts it self on a Doun-Bed for ease This is a very emphatick significant and active Expression of Faith setting out a Man quiting his own Legs or Feet as unable to stand on them and laying himself over on Christ This is it that we call you to even to quite your own Feet and to roll your selves over on Christ A fifth Expression is Rom. 10.3 Where it 's call'd a submitting to the righteousness of God which is held out in the Gospel thus as if a King were proclaiming a Pardon to Rebels and saying to them for as many hainous Crimes as ye have committed and are guilty of if ye will take with them and betake your selves to my grace and mercy sincerely resolving to be henceforth faithful and dutiful Subjects to me I will
the account on which we go to Him and rest on Him even as a consciencious Duty is that which flows from a Command as obedience to it so one of the main things that qualifies this Faith is a receiving Christ as Christ or as He is holden out in the Gospel which is therefore well put in the description given of Faith in the Catechism and it 's called a believing on Him whom the Father hath sent which is not to Believe on Christ simply but as He is holden out in the Word of the Gospel Presumption may look on Christ and His Fulness and few or none will readily dare to give Him a direct and down-right refusal or to reject Him professedly and avowedly when they hear of such Happiness that is to be had in Him but that which we say qualifies Faith is to desire receive and embrace Him according as He is holden out in the Gospel for wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 when He is lippened to with an Eye to the Promise and when that which makes us rest on Him is the Word of God for though Christ be the material Object of Faith yet the Word is the formal Object whereby we get a Right to Him and there is no gripping or getting hold of Christ but in and according to His Word and therefore the generality of People who on the Matter take the Antinomian way think they have no more to do but to apply Christ and to count Him their own at the very first but thorow their not exercising Faith on the Word of Promise they miss Him this is as I have said a main qualification of Saving Faith even to rest on Christ as He is holden out in the Word and by the Word to take hold of Him and rest upon Him Saving Faith doth not simply rest on Christ because He is Merciful and hath all Fulness in Him but it rests on Him and His Fulness as received in the Word and offered by God in His Word Faith takes God's Faithfulness in His Word and lays hold on Him by that Christ is the thing that makes Hâ—ppy but God's Faithful Promise is the Right by which we get a Title to that thing we would never love nor like of that Faith that knows not the use of the Word that betakes it self to Christ or the things in the Word but meddles not nor hath any dealing with the Word that holds them out when as it is only this Word that gives us warrand to expect that His Fulness shall be made forth-coming for our up-making and for the supply of all our need many desire and expect good of God but get it not because their expectation is not founded on His Word and God's Faithfulness in His Word is not closed withall In a word I would have you to think that Faith is neither an easie nor an insuperably difficult thing but that it is easie to go wrong and difficult to go right and that without God's special and powerful guiding ye cannot believe nor exercise Faith nor walk in the way of believing in Him and dependance on Him that ye may be helped to make a right use of Christ and to build upon Him that ye may not slip nor stumble and fall on the Stumbling-stone laid in Zion on which so many fall every day and break themselves to peices SERMON VI. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IF it were not recorded in the infallible Scriptures of Truth we would hardly believe that there could be so much powerful and sweet Preaching of the most excellent Instruments that ever were imployed and yet that there should be so little Fruit following on it who would believe that Isaiah so excellent so sweet and so evangelick a Prophet should have preached so many pleasant plain and powerful Sermons to a People from the Lord and yet that he should have so many sad complaints as he hath Chap. 6 28 and 58. that he should be put to bring in the Lord saying All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a rebellious People chap. 65. and that here himself should have it to say Who hath believed our report It 's scarce one Man here or there that hath Savingly believed on Christ and this is the third thing in the Words that now we would speak to and it 's a very sad though a very clear Truth The Doctrine is this That there may be much powerful Preaching of the Gospel and yet Unbelief generally among the Hearers of it Or take it with dependance on the former two namely 1. That the great work of the Ministry is to propose and make Christ known to a People 2. That the great Duty of a People that have Christ proposed to them is to Believe on Him Then this 3. Follows on the back of these That a People may have Christ proposâ—d to them brought to their Heart and Mouth and though it be but Believing that is called for from them yet that cannot be obtained from most of them This Gospel-duty of Believing is often slighted by the Hearers of the Gospel this is clearly holden forth here Who hath believed our report we have called for Faith but it 's a rare thing among the multitude of Hearers to get one that believeth Savingly To make out and prove this a little further we would consider this Complaint with these Aggravations of it which will make it the more clear and so the more to be wondred at As 1. These of whom the Complaint is made it is not Heathens but God's own People as the Lord complains Psal 81 10 11. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would have none of me our Lord Jesus complains of Jerusalem Matth. 23. at the end O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not that the Lord 's own professing People should not believe nor receive the Report that is made of Him hightens the Complaint and aggravates their guilt exceedingly 2. It is not a Complaint as to one Sermon or as to one Time but it 's a Complaint frequently repeated as to many fruitless Sermons and as to many Times yea Generations Isaiah preached long in many Kings Reigns and yet all along his Prophecy he complains of it as Chap. 6.11 How long Lord shall their eyes be blind and their ears heavy c. and Chap. 28.9 Whom shall I teach Doctrine them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts precept must be upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little and Chap. 65.2 All day long I have streatched out my hands to a rebellious people and here again Who hath believed our report much and long or many years Preaching much plain and powerful Preaching and yet little or no Fruit they are snared and taken and fall backward for all that And this was not in
assert your Faith when there are scarcely any characters of Unbelief but ye have them or what can be your advantage in keeping your selves carnally Secure when the strong Man in the mean time is in the House and to shut your Eyes and make your Necks stiff and to resolve as it were not only to ly still but to die in your Unbelief I perswade my self that many of you ere long will be made to wonder that ever ye thought your selves Believers and will be galled when ye think upon it that what ever was said to you ye would needs maintain your presumptuous Faith When we bid you suffer the Conviction to sink let none put it from themselves to others but let every one take it Home to himself although we would not have any of you casting loose what is indeed made fast and well secured nor overturning a slender and weak Building though it were to speak so but of two Stone height if it be founded on a right Foundation on the Rock but we speak to you that cannot be brought to suspect your selves when ye have just reason to do so sure this Challenge and Charge belongs to some yea to many and we would ask what ground have ye to shift it how can ye prove your Faith more than others that have none at all that ye hope ye have Faith will not do your turn that 's no solid proof ye cannot come to Christ except made suitably sensible of your distance and of that ye have never been convinced as yet do ye think to roll your selves on Christ sleeping and ye know not how certainly when the Pins of your Tabernacle come to be a loosing ye shall find that your fancied Faith shall not be able to keep out a Challenge ye could never endute to think your selves to be Christ's Enemies or that ye wanted Faith but when Death comes Conscience will awaken and the Challenge will needs be in upon you whether ye will or not many of you think that ye get wrong when your Faith is questioned or reproved as if it were an odd and rare thing to be Graceless or to be living as Members of the visible Church and yet want Faith and it irritats you to be expostulated with in private for your lying in Unbelief But suffer this word now to take hold of you I bâ—seâ—ch you and if ye could once be brought to suspect yourselves and to think thus with your selves What if I be one of those many that Believe not I fear I be in hazard to be mistaken about my Faith and from that put to follow on to see how ye will be able to ward off the Challenge and to prove your Believing to be sound we would think ye were fair on O if ye had the Faith of this Truth that among the many Hearers of the Gospel there are but few that Believe and were brought thereby to examine and try your selves there is no Truth that Christ insists more on than this that strait is the Gate and narrow is the way to Heaven and that but few find it and that there are few that Believe and few that be Saved If ye did once in earnest look on your selves as in Hazard and were brought to reflect on Matters betwixt God and you it might be the Lord would follow the Conviction we desire Him to do it and to Him be Praise SERMON VII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's a sad matter and much to be lamented when the carrying of such good News as is the Report of Jesus Christ in the Gospel becomes unprofitable to them that hear it and thereby burdensome to them that carry it Folks would think that such glad Tydings as make the Heavenly Host of Angels to sing would be very joyful and welcome News to Sinners and also most heartsome to them that carry them and where the former is there the latter will be also where the Word becomes useless and unprofitable to Hearers it is burdensome as to the concomitant and effect to honest Ministers that speak it though Isaiah brought these News in a very plain powerful pleasant and sweet manner to the People he preached to and that frequently yet in the midst of his sweet Prophesies he breaks out with this Complaint who hath believed our report he is carrying glad Tydings yet taking a look of the Unbelief of his Hearers now and then he complains of it to God in his own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel that should come after him We shew that it was a very ordinary thing where the Gospel comes in greatest Plenty and Power for the Hearers therof to meet it with much Unbelief a Truth that was verified in Isaiah his time and that he foresaw would be verified in the Days of the Gospel and therefore it 's our Report not only is it the Report of Isaiah but it is the Report of Christ and of Paul who make the same Complaint and Cite the same words of Isaiah and need we doubt of the truth of it when Isaiah in the Old and Paul in the New Testament thus complain Not to speak of their and our Lord and Master who came to his own and his own received him not and of whom when He came they said this is the heir come let us kill him need we I say doubt of the truth of the Doctrine or to think it strange to see it so in our Time and that we have the same Complaint when the Means at least the Instruments are incomparably far below what they were then though it be still the same Gospel The Prophet's scope is to give Advertisement and Warning to the Hearers of the Gospel for the Time to come of this rise Evil even the abounding of Unbelief in them that hear it 1. That he may prevent the Scandal of the unfruitfulness of the Word where it comes 2. That he may add a Spur of excitement to the Hearers of the Gospel to endeavour to make use of it and not to rest upon Means how powerful and lively soever they be but to press forward to the End they aim and shoot at 3. That he may put Folks to the Tryal and that they may be brought to look in upon themselves whether they be or be not in this black Roll of them that receive not the Report and we think if any thing put Folks to be suspitious of themselves and to commune with their own Hearts about their Souls estate this should do it especially when they consider how this Evil agrees to all Times and yet more especially to the Times of the Gospel and how it is an Evil that abounds not only among the Prophane but among these who are Civil and Zealous too for the Righteousness of the Law it should make them put themselves to the Tryal and not to take every thing to be Faith that they
consolation who are flâ—d for refuge to the hope set before them O! will ye not trow and credit God when He swears Among other Aggravations of Unbelief this will be one that by it ye make God not only a liar but perjured a heavy hainous and horrid Guilt on the score of all Unbelievers of this Gospel 4. To take away all Contraversie He hath interposed His Command yea it 's the great Command and in a manner the one Command of the Gospel 1 John 3.23 This is his commandment that ye believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and therefore the Offer of the Gospel and Promulgation of it cometh by way of Command Ho come believe c. whereby the Lord would tell the Hearers of the Gospel that it is not left to their own option or as a thing indifferent to them to Believe or not to Believe but it 's laid on them by the necessity of a Command to Believe and if ye think ye may and should Pray sanctifie the Sabbath or obey any other Command because He bids you there is the same Authority enjoyning and commanding you to Believe and as great necessity lyeth on you to give obedience to this Command as to any other do not therefore think it Humility not to do it for Obedience is better than Sacrifice For your further Encouragement to Believe I would say three words which ye would also look upon as Warrands to Believe and by them know that it is a great Sin not to Believe 1. Ye have no less Ground or Warrand than ever any that went before you had David Mâ—sâ—s Paul c. had no better Warrand my meaning is ye have the same Covenant the same Word and Promises Christ and His Fulness God and His Faithfulness offered to you the same Warrand that God hath given to all His People since ever He had a Church and do ye not think but it will be a sad and grievous ground of Challenge against you when ye shall see others that believe on the same Grounds that ye have sit down in the Kingdom of Heaven and your selves as proud Rebels shut out what ever dâ—fference there be as to the main Work of Grace and of God's Spirit on the Heart in the working of Faith yet the Ground of Faith is the Word that all hear who are in the visible Church and ye having the same Ground and Object of Faith in your offer there will be no excuse for you if ye do not Believe A second Encouragement is That the Ground of Faith is so solid and good that it never disappoints any one that leans to it and count the Gospel a feckless and insignificant thing who will it shall have this Testimony which damned Unbelievers shall carry to Hell with them that it was the power of God to salvation to them that believed and that there was nothing in the Gospel it self that did prejudge them of the good of it but that they prejudged themselves who did not lippen to it Therefore the Word is called Gold tryed in the fire all the Promises having a Being from Jehovah Himself on jot or one title of them cannot fail nor fall to the Ground 3. If ye were to carve out a Warrand to your selves as I hinted before what more could ye desire what miss ye in Christ what Clause can ye desire to be insert in the Covenant that is not in it It contains Pardon of Sin Healing of your Backslidings and what not and he hath said sealed and sworn it and what more can ye require Therefore we would again exhort you in the Name of Jesus Christ and in His stead not to neglect so great a Salvation O! receive the Grace of God and let it not be in vain In the third place Let us speak a word or two to some Objections or Scruples which may be moved in reference to what hath been said And First It may be some will say that the Covenant is not broad enough because all are not elected all are not redeemed nor appointed to be Heirs of Salvation upon which ground Temptation will sometime so far prevaâ—l as to waken up a secret enmity at the Gospel But 1. How absurd is this Reasoning Is there any that can rationally desire a Covenant so broad as to take in all as necessarily to be saved by it there is much greater reason to wonder that any should be Saved by it then there is if all should Perish beside we are not now speaking to the Effects but to the Nature of the Gospel so that whoever Perish it is not because they were not elected but because they believed not and the Bargain is not of the less worth nor the less sure because some will not Believe and to say that the Covenant is not good enough because so many Perish it 's even as if ye should say it 's not a good Bridge because some will not take it but adventure to go thorow the Water and so drown themselves 2. I would ask Would ye overturn the whole Course of God's Administration and of the Covenant of His Grace did He ever à priori or at first Hand tell Folks that they were elected who ever got their Election at the very first revealed to them or who are now before the Throne that ever made the keeping up of this secret from them a Bar or Impediment to their Believing God's Eternal Purpose or Decree is not the Rule of our Duty nor the Warrand of our Faith but His revealed Will in His Word let us seek to come to the knowledge of God's Decree of Election à posteriori or by the Effects which is a sure way of Knowledge our thwarting with His Word to know His Decree will not excuse but make us more guilty He hath shewed thee O man saith Micah chap. 6.8 what is good and what doeth the Lord require of thee and if any will scruple and demur on this ground to close the Bargain let them be aware that they provoke Him not to bring upon them their own fears by continuing them under that scrupling and demurring condition Ye cannot possibly evite hazard by looking on only and not making use of Christ therefore do not bring on your own ruine by your fear which may be by Grace prevented and by this way of Believing shall be certainly prevented But secondly Some may object and say I am indeed convinced that Believing is my Duty but that being a thing that I cannot do why should I therefore set about it Answ 1. This is a most unreasonable and absurd way of Reasoning for if it be given way to what Duty should we do we are not of our selves able to Pray Praise keep the Lord's Day nor to do any other commanded Duty shall we therefore abstain from all Duties Our ability or fitness for Duty is not the rule of our Duty but God's Command and we are called to put our Hand to Duty in the sense of our
few 1. There are some that stumble at the Messenger some at the Message Some thought Christ a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and said He had a Devil and so they said of John Baptist There are some that can abide neither free nor fair Speaking and they think it 's not the Word but the Speaker that they offend at but Prejudices against the Carriers of the Word have never done good but much ill and ye would guard against them 2. Sometimes there is a stumbling at the Spiritual Truths of the Gospel and a sort of new-fangleness in the Hearers of it that lasts not John's Hearers rejoiced in his light for a season something of it also was in Christ's Hearers but they soon turned the Back on Him when He tells them of eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood and of the necessity of it else they could have no Life in them This say they is a hard saying and who can bear it If we would consider these things we might see convincing Causes of our little Thriving and they might also through God's Blessing be made use of for directions to Thriving and if we could once bring you to be single and serious in Hearing and spiritually Thrifty in making use of every Sermon and Sabbath for edification we had gained a great point of you SERMON XI ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IF we would soberly consider the frame of the most part of Men and Women that live under the Gospel it would be hard to know whether it were more strange that so few should receive the Report and be brought to believe for all that can be said of Jesus Christ or whether that among the generality of Hearers that do not receive the Report there are so few that will let it light but that they Believe It 's wonderful and strange to see Unbelief so rife and it 's as strange and wonderful that among these many Unbelievers there are so few that think they want Faith Ye remember the last day we proposed to answer this Doubt or Question What can be the reason that when so few Believe all almost think they Believe and then to speak a word to the last Use that rises from the Matter that formerly we have handled on these Words We shew you and we think the Scripture is very clear for it That among the generality that hear the Gospel they are very rare and thin sawen that do believe it and yet go thorow them all there will not one among many be found but will assert they Bâ—lieve and they will to speak so be crabbed and picqued to tell them that they want Faith and so the most part of Hearers live and die in this Delusion a thing that Experience clears as well as the Word of God and a thing that doleful Experience will clear at the great Day therefore some are brought in saying Luk 13.26 We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets to whom Christ will say I know you not depart fâ—om me which doth import this much that some will come as it were to the very Gate of Heaven having no doubt of their Faith and Interest in God or of their entry into it and will therefore in a manner plead with Christ to be in and who would never once doubt of it nor put it in question but they were Believers and in Friendship with Him Although there will be no such debate or dispute after Death or at the Day of Judgement yet it says this â—hat many Hearers of the Gospel have drunken in this opinion which goes to Death with them and no Preaching will beat them from it that they are Believers and in gâ—oâ—â—erms with God till the intimation of the Sâ—ntence of Condemnation do it and the Wrath and Curse of God meet them in the Face And O how terrible a disappointment will such meet with in that Day May it not then very reasonably and justly be enquired what can be the reason â—nd cause when this is granted so generally to be a truth that there are few Believers that yet it should be â—s true that few question or make any doubt of theiâ— Faith and how this comes to pass I shall give you some reasons of it which if ye would think upon and suffâ—r to sink down in your Hearts ye would not marvel that so many are in this Mistake and Desusion and would put many of you to have quite other thoughts of your own condition then ye have We shall only speak to such Reasons as are sinful culpable upon your part The Reasons then are these First The most part never seriously think on the matter whether they Believe or not or they never put their Faith to a tryal if the foolish Virgine light her Lamp and never look whether there be Oyl in it and take on a fair outward Profession of Religion and never look what is within it or how it is lined to speak so what wonder she go up and down with the Lamp in her hand and never know whether there be Oyl in her Vessel or not since she never considers nor puts the Matter to proof and tryal The People are expostulated with Isai 44. from ver 9. for making of Images That a Man should cut down a Tree and with one piece of it should warm himself with another piece of it should bake his Bread and of a third piece should make a god and fall down and worship it and this is given for the ground of it ver 18 19. They have not known and understood and none considereth in his heart or as the word is seeth to his heart they consider not that that cannot be a god Folks would think that natural Reason might easily discover this folly We are perswaded that some of you will think your Faith as great a Folly when there shall be as clear evidences to prove the roâ—tenneâ—s of your Faith and Hope as there were even to common Sense to prove the Image made of a piece Tree not to be God when it shall be found and â—eclâ—red that though ye were never convinced of Sin nor of your Misery and lost Condition were never humbled nor touched under the kindly sense of it never fled to Jesus Christ in earnest nor never had the exercise of Gâ—ace yet out over the want of all these ye would needs keep up a good opinion of your Faith and Hope We say the reason why ye entertain this conceit and opinion is because ye never sit down seriously and soberly before God to consider the Matter nor do ye put your selvâ—â— to Proof and Tryal Let me therefore pose your Consciences if ye who have this opinion of your Faith durst assert to Him that this Faith of yours is the result of your serious Examination and Tryal is it not rather a guessing of fanciful opinion that ye Believe
And do ye think that such a Faith as that will abide the Tryal before God that never did abide your own Tryal It will doubtless be a sore beguile to go off the World with such an opinion of Faith and to have the Door shut in your very Teeth Alace there will be no amending or bettering of your Condition after Death The Day comes when many of you if God graciously prevent not shall curse your selves that ever ye should have been such Fools as to have trusted your own Hearts or to have taken up this opinion of your Faith without ground We would therefore seriously recommend to you the putting of your Faith more frequently to the tryal and that ye would often read and think on that place 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves c. O! do not think that a matter of such concernment should be left lying at conjecture and utter uncertainty who loseth when ye are so palpably accessory to your own Ruine by not endeavouring to put your selves to so much as a Tryal Do not say here for excuse We have no more Grace then God gives us when ye never endeavoured to be so much as at the form of the Duty or to go the length ye might have gone in putting your selves to the Tryal The deceit then being desperate and irredeemable if continued in do not for the Lord's sake after all that is said to you continue beguiling your selves A second Reason is Folks settling themselves on unsound evidences and principles of Peace that will not bear them thorow before God I do not say that they have nothing to say in word for themselves but that all they have to say will be no ground to prove their Faith or to bear it thorow before God that they do believe indeed It will be found at the best to be but a lie as it 's said of that Man Isa 44.20 A deceived heart hath turned him aside he feeds on ashes he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand He may have a seeming reason for his Faith but it 's no reason indeed If many of you were going now to die what reason have ye to prove your Believing by some will say God hath always been good kind and gracious to me I was in many straits and difficulties and I prayed and got many deliveries Thus all the ground of thy Faith is but Temporal Favours or Deliveries which is even as if Israel should have made their receiving of Temporal Deliveries and their acknowledging of them and having some sort of Faith of them to be ground enough to prove their receiving of Jesus Christ â—avingly There is a doleful proof of the unsoundness of this ground Psal 78.34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer They looked to God's by-gone Favours for them when they were in the Wilderness and at the Red Sea and they believed that he could do so still But they did flatter him with their mouth and lied unto him with their tongue for their hearts were not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant whereupon He destroyed them and through their Unbelief they did not enter into God's Rest It 's also said a little before in that Psalm vers 32. For all this they sinned still There may be many Temporal Favours and Deliveries and these acknowledged too and yet no receiving of Christ for making our Peace with God for removing the Quarrel betwixt Him and us and for making us cease from Sin Consider if it will be a good ground to plead with God upon to say to Him Lord thou must bring me to Heaven because I was in Sickness and thou raised me up I was in this and that strait and under this and that Cross and thou carried me thorow and brought me out of it The Lord will say to such that have no more to say ye had so many evidences of my Power and yet ye sinned still and yet this will be all the Pleading and Reasoning that will be found with many of you and the sad Reply you will meet with from God A third Reason is Folks giving an external Countenance to Ordinances and their formal going about of them They trow they have Faith because they keep the Church and are not open Contemners and Misregarders of Ordinances as some others are because they Pray Read Hear c. It seems it was something like this that the perswasion of these spoken of Luk. 13.26 is built upon Lord say they we have heard thee preach and have eaten and drunken in thy presence It 's not simply that they heard Christ Preach for many heard Him Preach who stoned Him but that when others stoned Him they followed Him and were not openly Prophane nor professed Contemners of Him and of His Preaching as these others were such like words fall sometimes from your Mouths Ye will possibly say what would we have of you ye are not Prophane ye wait on Preaching and live like your Neighbours and ye content your selves with that Alace this is a poor yea a doleful Fruit of Ordinances and of your attendance on them If there be more security presumption and desperate hazarding on the Wrath of God and less taking with the Quarrel betwixt Him and you on that ground A fourth Reason is Folks Hope even such a Hope that contrair to the nature of Hope will make the most part of you ashamed Ye trow ye Believe because ye hope ye Believe and that ye will get Mercy because ye think ye hope in God's Mercy and ye will not let any thing light to the contrair nor so much as think that ye may be deceived The opinion that Folk have of obtaining Mercy that is maintained without any ground but their vain hope is the rifest most unreasonable and prejudicial evil that is among the Professors of this Gospel hencâ— if any ground and evidence of their Peace be asked for they will answer that they Believe If it be again â—sked how know ye that ye Believe they answer we hope and believe it is so and can give no ground for it Many are like these spoken of Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand thereforâ— thou was not grieved They have a Faith and a Hope of their own making and this keeps them off that the Word of God takes no hold on them We preach that ye are naturally at Feed with God and offer Peace and Reconciliation through Jesus Christ but ye are Deaf for ye think your Peace is made already and but very few come sensible of a Quarrel with God to this Word as to the Ministry of Reconciliation This is wondered at in a manner by the Lord Himself Micah 3.11 where we have a People whose way is very unlike
War with his Corruption That is a sound Faith that makes the Sinner to make use of Christ in every thing he is called to that yoaks him I mean Christ to work on every occasion and particularly when it comes as it were to grapling and hand blows with this formidable Enemy the Body of Death this Monster whereof when one Hâ—aâ— is cut off another as it were starts up in its place For a close of this Purpose I beâ—eech and obtest such of you as are strangers to Saving Faith who are I fear far the greatest part to consider seriously all I have spoken of the nature and native evidences of it that you may be undeceived of your Soul-ruining Mistakes about it and let sincere and sound Believers from aâ—l be more cleared confirmed and comforted in their Faith SERMON XIII ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THere are many mistakes in the way of Religion wherewith the most part are possâ—ssed and amongst the rest there is one that generally the Hearers of the Gospel think it so easie to Believe that there is no difficulty in that by any thing they think it hard to Pray to keep the Sabâ—ath to be Holy but the most part think there is no difficulty in Believing and yet Unbelief is so rife and Faith so rare and difficult that the Prophet Isaiah here in his own name and in name of all the Ministers of the Gospel crys out Lord who hath believed our report he complains that he could get but very few to take the Word off his hand and because it weighted him to find it so and because he would fain have it to take impression on his Hearers he doubles expressions to the same purpose and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed which in sum is there is much Preaching and many Hearers of the Gospel but little believing of it few in whose Heart the work of Faith is wrought It 's but here one and there one that this Gospel hath efficacy upon for uniting of them to Jesus Christ and for working a work of Saving Grace in them the effectual working of God's Grace reaches the Hearts but of a few For opening the words we shall speak a little to these three 1. To what is meant by the Arm of the Lord. 2. To what is meant by the revealing of the Arm of the Lord. 3. To the scope and dependance of these words on the former For the first In general know the Arm of the Lord is no to be understood properly the Lord being a Spirit hath no Arms Hands nor Feet as Men have But it 's to be understood figuratively as holding out some Property or Attribute of God By the Arm of the Lord then we understand in general the Power of God the Arm of Man being that whereby He exerceth His Power performeth Exploits or doth any Work So the Arm of the Lord is His Power whereby He produceth His Mighty Acts as it 's said in the Psalms The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly His hand and his arm hath got him the victory and because the Power of God is taken either more generally for that which is exerced in the Works of common Providence or more particulâ—rly for that which is put forth in the Work of Saving Grace We tâ—ke it here in short to be the Grace of God exercing its Power in and by the Gospel for the converting of Souls and causing them savingly to Believe so Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes not simply as it consists in speaking of good sweet and seasonable words but as it cometh backed by the irresistable Power of the Grace of God as the word is 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but unto them who are called both Jews and Greeks the power of God and the wisdom of God and that it is so to be taken here the conâ—â—â—â—ion of these words with the former will make it clear for sure he is not speaking of the Power of God in the works of common Providence but of His Power in the conversion of Souls to Christ even of that Power which works Saving Faith in the Elect. For the second The revealing of the Arm of the Lord By this we do not understand the revealing of it objectively as it 's brought to light by the preaching of the Gospel for thus it 's revealed to all the Hearers of the Gospel it 's in this respect not keeped hid but brought forth clearly to them in the Word And therefore secondly The revealing of this Arm or Power of the Lord is to be understood of the subjective inward manifâ—sting of it with efficacy and life to the Heart by the effectual operation of the Spirit of the Lord as it 's said of the great things prepared for them that love God 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit it 's that which is called 1 Cor. 2. the demonstration of the spirit and of power which makes plain and powerful to the spirit of the Hearer inwardly that which the Word preacheth outwardly to the Ear which without this would strick only on the Ear and yet remain still an hidden Mystery This is the revealing of the Lord's Arm that is here spoken of because it is that on which Believing dependeth and of the want whereof the Prophet sadly complaineth even where there was much Preaching For the third to wit the Scope Dependance and connexion of these words with the former We conceive they come in both for Confirmation and for Explication of the former words 1. For Confirmation There are as hath been said but few that Believe for there are but few that have this saving and effectual work of God's Grace reâ—ching their Heart though they have the Word preached to them yet they have not the Arm of the Power of God's Grace manifested to them and so He confirms His former Doctrine concerning the paucity of Believers under the preaching of the Gospel First By asserting the fewness of them that are brought to Believe to be converted and effectually called by the Gospel which comes to pass through their own Unbelief And Secondly By asserting their fewness in respect of God's soveraign applying of His Grace in the Gospel which is but to few it 's but few that Believe for it 's but few that He makes effectual application of His Grace to 2. We say it comes in to clear and explicate the former words whether we take it by way of a Reason or of an answer to an Objection For if it be said how can it be that Isaiah Paul yea and our Lord Jesus Christ himself should preach so powerfully and yet that so few should Believe he answers it 's not to be marvelled at in respect of God as if he
use of them all of the Word Prayer Sacraments Meditation c. It 's by these that the Lord begets Grace and by neglecting of them ye may make your selves guilty of destroying your own Souls 3. Beaware of quenching the Spirit in any of His Operations or Motions of smothering or putting out any Challenges or Convictions If the Conscience be at any time touched or the Affections tickled go not away as the temporary Believer doeth sitting down there without going any further Fear to strangle the beginnings of the life of Grace for Grace may begin at little and if ye quench any Motion Conviction or Challenge ye know not if ever ye shall meet with the like again because when He knocked hard at your Heart ye held Him out and keeped Him at the door and ye may be in hazard of that terrible charge Acts 7.31 Ye uncircumcised in heart and ears ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye 4. Seing this work is not common to all the Hearers of the Gospel but peculiar to some labour to have it made sure to your selves by putting it to proof and tryal in good earnest Use 3. The third Use is for you that are Believers and would God there were many such to whom I would also speak three or four words 1. Learn from this to be humble What hast thou man but what thou hast received and if thou hast received it why doest thou boast as if thou hadst not received it O! but it 's unsuitable to Believers who are Free-Graces-Debtors and Beggers whereof yet none need to think shame to be proud and forget themselves Thou hast nothing Believer to boast of but that He hath shamed thee with His Grace and shouldest thou be proud of that as if thou had made thy self thus therefore guard watchfully against all puffing up self-conceit and high-mindedness and study to be humble and to carry a low Sâ—il else thou mayest break out into some scandâ—lous offence and may become a shame and reproach to the Gospel We commend Humility to you above many things for we think that in these days Folks pride is like to break their Necks for when once Conceit creeps in they begin to think they are so far advanced in Holiness that they must not keep Company with others nor joyn in Worship with them and from that they go to another thing and from that to a third that it is hard to tell where they wilâ— halt or end they grow so giddy that they are scarcely like to leave so much Ground as themselves may stand upon O! think shame of Pride it 's a most intollerable thing to be proud of that which God hath given wherein ye have no more hand and whereof ye can no more boast then they who never had it 2. Be thankful and give God the praise of that ye have gotten It becomes the upright to be thankful It 's no little matter to have God's Power manifested in the working of Faith and conferring Grace The temporal Throne and Kingdom and great things in the World are nothing to this it 's peculiar to the Lord 's own and not common Many get their fill of the World who never get nor will get this The World is of so little value with the Lord that to speak so He doeth not much regard who get it though it be exâ—ctly distributed by His Providence but converting and upbuilding Grace is peculiarized to His Favourites Being therefore clear that He hath bestowed Grace on you O how should ye exult in blessing God as David did for giving you counsel to make choice of such a portion and for His powerful determining of your Heart by His Grace to embrace it for which ye have not your selves to thank but God 3. Be compassionate and tender towards others considering that it is only Grace that hath made the difference betwixt you and them and not any good nature in you which was not in them as some foolishly fancy Be not puft up at the faults and falls of any but rather mourn for them as well as for your own and be the more humble when ye think of the difference that Grace hath made lest ye fall and since your standing is by Grace be not high-minded but fear of all Persons it worse becomes you to look lightly on let be to mock at the falls of others considering who and what hath made the diffâ—rence 4. If it be so peculiar a priviledgâ— to be pâ—rtakers of this powerful and spâ—ciâ—l Grâ—ce of God that is put sorth in the great work of Conversion Then sure there is â—omething peculiar called for in your Conversation even that it may in all things be as it becometh the Gospel and answerable to this Grace bestowed on you O! what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness SERMON XIV ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed THE way of the Grace of God is a very difficult Subject to be thought on or spoken of suitably and as it becomes Grace having a soveraign and unsearchable Channel of its own wherein it runs yet no doubt it is very useful now and then to consider it if we knew how to make use of it aright yea even these steps of Grace that are most cross and contrary to carnal Reason may not a little profite when duely pondered Thus when the Prophet hath been looking on the scarcity of Faith and on the paucity of true Believers he looks a little further then on the external preaching of the Gospel even in upon the way of God's Grace not out of any curiâ—sity nor from a fretting humour because of the unsuccessfulnesse of his Ministry but that he may thereby get himself stayed and composed and that he may bring both himself and others to reverence and adore the holy and soveraign way of God therein To whom saith he is the arm of the Lord revealed It 's a word like that which Christ had on the like occasion John 6.44 Murmure not among your selves no man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him We opened up the meaning of the words the last day In short they come to this as if he had said how few are they that believe the Gospel and who take the Word off the hand of His sent Ministers and how few are they on whom the Grace of God that only can make men believe does effectually work the Prophet pointing at a higher hand then that of the Ministers in the success and fruitlessness of the Gospel and coupling these two together the Preaching of the Word and the Power of God's Grace in the working of Faith and Conversion in Sinners We proposed these three Doctrines to be spoken to from the words 1. That in the work of Conversion and begetting of Faith beside the preaching of the Word there is a powerful internal immediat work of the
the Gospel on the Lord 's manifesting His Arm so that where it is not manifested this work of Faith is not brought forth and where it is manifested necessarily it is brought forth This being a Doctrine concerning the Efficacy of God's Grace which ought not to ly hid from the Lords People we shall a little first clear it and then secondly confirm it to you First For clearing of it's Meaning 1. Ye would not take up our meaning in it so as if we made every common work that lively means may have on the Hearers of the Gospel to be Conversion The preaching of the Word will sometimes make Folks tremble as we see in Felix and will waken Convictions and Terrors in them and put them into an amazement and yet leave them there for all these Convictions may be and often are resisted as to any Saving Fruit at least which we conceive to be that which Stephen points at Acts 7.51 while he saith Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye and what he means by this is explained in the words following Which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted c. even their contending with the Word of the Lord in the mouths of His Servants Yea in that same place where it 's said that they gnashed upon him with their teeth it 's insinuated that they came over the belly of the cutting Conviction which his Preaching had upon them Nor do we 2. mean That every common operation of the Spirit whether illumination of the Mind or a touch on the Affections such as may be in Temporaries and Apostates as is clear Mat. 13.20 21. Heb. 6.4 and downward is Conversion There is a great difference betwixt a common work or gift of the Spirit which in a large Sense maâ— be câ—â—â—ed Grace because freely given anâ— the â—â—vâ—ng work of Grace which before 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—eâ— a peculiar work And oft-times tâ—â—t câ—mmon operation of the Spirit is quenched and pâ—t out therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5.19 exhorteth thus Quench not the Spirit 3. When we speak of an effectual bringing forth of Faith by this Grace of God we would not have you thinking that we suppose no reluctancy to be in the Man in so far as he is unrenewed for though where Grace effectually worketh Faith follows necessarily yet Corruption being in the Man it 's disposed and apt to thwart with and to oppose Grace and the Will hath its aversness to yield But the meaning of the Doctrine is this That though there be such a strong power of Corruption in the Man to whom Grace comes and on whom it is put forth yet the power of Grace is such that it powerfully masters and overcomes Corruption and wins the Heart to believe in and to engage with Christ though to speak so there be something within that strives to keep the door shut on Christ yet when it comes to that Cant. 5.3 He puts in his fingers by the holl of the lock and makes the myrrhe to drop the Heart is prevailed with so as it is effectually opened as the Heart of Lydia was to receive the Word that Paul preached Thus notwithstanding of Corruptions opposition Grace gains its point and the Lord never applys His Grace of purpose to gain a Soul but he prevails 4. When we speak of the power and effectualness of Grace in conquering and gaining the Heart and Will of the Sinner to believe in Jesus Christ we do not mean that there is any force or violence done to the Will or any exerting of a coactive power violenting the Will contrary to its essential property of freedom to close with Christ But this we mean that though Corruption be in the Heart yet Grace being infused and acted by the Spirit the pravity in the Will is sweetly cured and the Will is moved and made to Will willingly and upon choice by the power of the Spirit of Grace taking in that strong hold This great work is wrought by an omnipotent swavity and by a sweet omnipotency and it needs not at all seem strange for if Man in Nature be by the power of habitual Corruption made necessarily to will Evil so that notwithstanding he doth freely and willingly choose Evil why should it be thought strange oâ— absurd to say that when a principle of the Grace of God is infused into the Soul and acted by the Spirit of God If hath that much influence power and efficacy as to prevail with the Will it keeping still its own freedom to make it willing to embrace Jesus Christ and yet not at all thereby wrong that essential property of the Will sure Grace is as powerful as Corruption and the Lord is as dextrous a worker and can work as aggreeably to the nature of the Creature in this gracious work as the Creature can in its own sinful actings So then we say when the Lord is pleased to apply the work of His Grace to convert a Sinner that work is never frustrated but it always hath necessarily the work of Faith Renovation and Conversion following on the back of it Secondly We shall a little confirm the Doctrine and the grounds of Confirmation are these The 1. whereof is The express Scriptures wherein this Truth is asserted as John 6.44 45. It is said in the 44. Verse No man can come to me except the Father draw him and on the contrary it is as expressly set down vers 45. It is written in the Prophets they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me and this being contradistinguished to external Preaching and being that which is called drawing v. 44. he knits Believing to it and makes Believing called coming a necessary effect of it that to whomsoever God gives that inward Lesson they shall come which confirms the Doctrine that whomsoever the Lord teaches and schools by His Grace and calls effectually they do necessarily Believe Another passage we have Phil. 2.12 13. Work out the work of your salvation in fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure where the Apostle makes the work of Grace not only to work ability to will and to do but to work also to will and to do actually and Grace never worketh to will and leaves the Man unwilling but necessarily supposeth the Man's closing willingly with Christ with whom He worketh thus A 2. Ground of confirmation is drawen from these Expressions whereby this work is set forth and the Promises comprehending it in God's Covenant wherein it 's called the giving of a new heart a heart of flesh the writing of the law in the heart the putting of his Spirit within his people and causing them to walk in his statutes c. Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 27. and it is impossible to conceive aright of the fulfilling of these
save such as it is applied to but this highly commends Grace that if there be mighty Corruption in us there is a strong arm of Grace put forth by Him for perfiting of that which concerns us notwithstanding of this great strength of Corruption And if ye think your selves not to be Believers and think this Doctrine to be hard that ye cannot Believe without this Grace and yet would fain Believe consider that as none can believe neither can Believers stand without Grace so Grace can help you to do that which ye cannot do which is the commendation of Grace and should make it more lovely to you this gives encouragement to any poor Soul that is as it were in the place of the breaking forth of Children and layeth greater ground of confidence that they shall come speed than if they had it in their own hand and serves to obviat that grand objection of Souls that would fain be at closing with Christ and cannot come to Him here is a powerful Arm reached forth to draw them Use 3. The third Use serves to humble Believers who have any thing of the work of Grace and so to work them up to thankfulness to Him that hath communicate ought of it to them Is there any of you that have Grace who hath made you to differ from others it was not your selves but free Grace and therefore ye have reason to acknowledge it with thankfulness and to say if this same Doctrine had not been true I would have been a stranger to God all my days and remained under the dominion of Satan and Sin with these that are in Nature and with David Psal 16.7 to say I bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons This counsel was not the common advice that all got from the Word preached but the inward counsel of the Spirit that made his reins Instruct him and made him inwardly to follow the advice that the Word gave him outwardly and it is this inward work of the Spirit that keeps in the life of Grace as well as begets it as it is Psal 73.23 24. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory whom have I in heaven but thee c. my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever the Psalmist glorieth in this that the work of his throw-bearing did not depend on his own flesh and heart but on God who was the strength of his heart and his portion for ever If Believers would consider what they were in their natural condition and how much they are obliged to the Grace of God that with power was applied in their Conversion it would stop their Mouth as to boasting make them admire Grace and sound forth its praise And they would think Graces sweet way of prevailing to be no co-active forcing of their Will but the greatest part of their freedom and so far would it be from being look'd on as a violenting or wronging of their Will that it would be esteemed their truest and greatest liberty We are perswaded that the Saints in Heaven count it no bondage that God hath so fully fred them from all Corruption that they serve Him with delight and do so necessarily and shall any sojourning-Saints here below count it a wronging of their Will that God takes such pains on them to subdue Corruption and to bring them to some measure of conformity to them who are above God forbid Use 4. The fourth Use of it is To let us see what great ground of encouragement there is here for the Hearers of the Gospel to set about the work of Believing and what ground there is to make them all utterly inexcusable who shall continue in their Unbelief which may be thought somewhat strange when we say that no means can be effectual for working of Faith wâ—thout the effectual Grace of God be applied But let these two be put together 1. That though we be insufficient of our selves and though all outward means be of themselves ineffectual that yet there is a sufficiency in the Grace of God And 2. That this Grace shall be powerful to work Faith in the Hearers of the Gospel if they make not themselves guilty of frustrating this Grace in the offer of it as they may do These then who will not believe will be found most inexcusable But to return to the main intent of this Use We say that the encouragement lies here that though we be unable we have an able Mediator and Grace is powerful and therefore we should with the greater encouragement set about the work of Believing as the Apostle reasons Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it's God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Ye might possibly think it had been more encouraging to have said ye are able of your selves to will and to do but certainly Grace is a more encouraging motive then any thing in the Creature say not then ye cannot will nor do for that excuse is taken away by God's offering to work both in you by His Grace But let me exhort all both these that are begun to be Believers and these that are to begin to believe to be so far from disputing themselves from it as that they rather encourage themselves to work out the work of their own Salvation with fear and trembling because God's Grace which ye have in your offer is so powerful to work the work and will admit of no utter opposition from Corruption in you if ye receive not the Grace of God in vain that is offered to you in the Gospel If Grace were so weak as we might cast it back at our pleasure and if it were but a helper in the work of Faith and Conversion as Arminians make it what encouragement could we have from it and as to Practice is not this Doctrine as encouraging what advantage or comfort is it to undertake any thing in our own strength which is none at all is not this much more encouraging to undertake in the strength of Gods Grace knowing that the same work of Grace that begets Faith is as effectual to carry it on and to make us to persevere in it and to enable us to every good word and work let Grace work then and take a proof of it and ye shall find it powerful The Lord Himself give you wisdom so to do for your Salvation and Consolation SERMON XVI ISAIAH LIII I And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed IT 's much to walk evenly and stedfastly under the pure Doctrine of Grace and neither there-from to take occasion to give way to loosness and carnal liberty nor to become faint and discouraged and fearful at the way of God corrupt Nature is ready to abuse the
best things That word which we have 2 Pet. 3.16 that there are many that wrest and pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction holds true not only of doctrinal Heresies but it holds also true in respect of Mens Practice or practical Errours for some hearing of the impotency of Nature and of the power and perfection of Grace in bringing about its designed effect are ready to think that they need to do nothing alledging that if Grace undertake the work it will be wrought and if not it will not be wrought and thus Atheism and Prophanity steal in secretly upon the Heart and the sweet Doctrine of Grace is abused and perverted by such to their own destruction There are others again who it may be will not dare so to top with God who yet have their own fainting and discouragement when they hear of this Doctrine and think it hard that they themselves can do nothing and fear that they will never win to believe because they cannot do it of themselves these also fail and make not the right use of Grace Ye remember the Question which we proposed to speak a little to on the last Doctrine to wit That seing both these branches of it are true That except Grace concur the most powerful preaching of the Gospel will not beget Faith and that wherever the work of Grace goes along with the Gospel there Faith is begotten what is called for from the Hearers of the Gospel as the Use of this Doctrine Bâ—fore we come to answer this Question more particularly we would 1. Premit this word in general That none would account the Preaching or Hearing of the Word of God to be useless or fruitless albeit that without the work of Grace Men cannot yield the Fruit which it callâ—th for from them for our blessed Lord Jesus Isaiah and Paul preached this Doctrine of Grace and the necessity of the Lords Arm to be revealed in the Conversion of Souls and yet they taught the Word in season and out of season and were gathering in some and to some this Doctrine was made the savour of life unto â—ife though to others through their enmity and corruption it became the savour of death unto death To conclude therefore the inconsistency or to deny the consistency of these two to wit Of the necessity of Preaching the Doctrine of Grace and of the pressing in Preaching the practice of holy Duties and the use of ordinary appointed Mâ—ans would reach this dreadful length even to condemn the Prophets of old yea and our blessed Lord Jesus Himself who says John 6.44 after He h d preached long No man can come to me exâ—ept the Father who hath sent me draw him and vers 65 Therefore I said unto you that no man can come to me unless it be given him of my Father And will any think that His Hearers who accounted this with some others Hard sayings and from that time went back and walked no more with him were excusable in their doing so or that His Preaching was useless needless or impertinent as having a tendency to tempt Men to abandone all use of Means because He preached this Doctrine of the impossibility of believing in Him without this pull and draught of His Fathers Arm But secondly We shall a little more particularly in answer to the Question speak First To what Uses Folk would not make of this Doctrine or what things they would abstain from as tending to a wrong use of it Secondly To some Considerations for pressing this Doctrine and removing from it the construction of hardness that we are ready to put upon it Thirdly To what is the native Use it calls for And Lastly to some Considerations to press this For the first When we say to all that hears this Gospel that there is a necessity of a powerful work of Grace ere this Word can be profitable ye would 1. Abstain from and lay aside curiosity in seeking satisfying Answers to all these Objections that are moved against it and absurdities that it 's loaded with by the Devil and Mans proud Nature and learn to stoop to and reverence the soveraign Dominion of God and His deep and unsearchable Wisdom and Knowledge in this soveraign way of His Grace as the Apostle doth Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out ye would also consider that other word Rom. 9.20 Who art thou that repliest against God or expostulateth with Him Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus It 's good to enquire and to seek to know the use the Lord calls for of this Doctrine with sobriety but there is an enquiring to satisfie curiosity which the Lord abhorreth as we may gather from Exod. 19 21. where the Lord being to deliver His â—â—â—l saith to Moses Go down charge the people 〈◊〉 word of peremptory command left they break thorow unto the Lord to gaze and many of them perish The Lord is not displeased that His People should endeavour to behold and take Him up aright but when their end is not good but to satisfie an itch of Curiosity it displeaseth Him This may be useful in many cases and particularly in this we have in hand to teach us sobriety in seeking to know the way of God's Grace as the Lord would have His People Exod. 19. waiting for as much of His Mind as He thought fit to acquaint them with and to write on the two Tables of Stone but He would not have them breaking in over the Boundary or March which He did set to them lest He should break thorow on them and they should be made to perish So would He have Men in their studying the knowledge of His Ways and particularly of the way of His Grace to keep His Measures and to contain themselves within the limits that He pleaseth to set to them 2. Abstain from carnal freting at and expostulating with the way of God whether in the highest degree of upbraiding Grace and snarling at it that ye should not have the Stock in your own hand or in an inferior degree having a Heart inwardly discontent that ye are not more able of your selves then ye are to believe which is the thing that the Apostle opposeth Rom. 9.20 21. Should the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay c. especially since none can answer that question with any just reflection upon God who is to be blamed for that defect or inability or whence did that inability or defect in Mans Nature proceed God was gracious free and liberal in making Man perfect and whose Fault is it that it is otherways 3. Abstain from and beware of drawing desperate conclusions as to the giving over the use of the Means or of becoming more lazy and secure in the duties of Holiness and
in the practice of Piety because of the necessity of this Grace but on the contrary be the more diligent and serious that ye have so much need of Grace and that of your selves ye can do so little or rather nothing that is truly good without it I know that prophane Hearts are very fertile and broody of Arguments to plead this point of neglect of Means and will readily say what is the fruit of diligence and the prejudice of laziness the one will do us no good and the other can do us no ill seing it's Grace that doth all the work But 1. By your laziness ye mar your own fruitfulness and that through your own fault and make this addition to your guilt that ye not only continue graceless but do so through your sin wilfully 2. Ye may draw on to your natural impotency habitual and judicial hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind it 's on this very ground that many Ears are made heavy many Eyes made blind and many Hearts made fat and is that a little or light matter 3. Though ye may think this little yet that which will bear the weight of your sentence at the Day of Judgment will not be your natural impotency or that Gâ—ace was not made efficacious to yâ—ur Conversion but this will be it that when God sent out His Word to win you and offered His Grace for inabling you to yield ye did maliciously and deliberatly reject it So that it will never be suffered to come to this I was unable because the Word was wilfully rejected before it came to this But secondly Because there are some others possibly that have more seriousness in the use of Means who though they dare not quarrel with Grace yet it weights and discourâ—ges them because they can do so little and they are made heartless to essay and hopeless to come speed and it may be that this is in some whom the Lord allows not to draw any such conclusion but would rather have encouraged we would say to such that they would beware of fainting or being discouraged as if that were impossible to God and His Grace which is impossible to them they would by all means beware of sitting up and â—ackning their hand in Duty because they can do so little We know there are some that need not much to be spoken to for satisfying of them in this point but there are others who are weighted with this Doctrine to whom the Lord allows more tender usage and would not have them to faint nor be discouraged you that are such if any be may know that there is ground for us to press this and that we may remove the construction of hardness from this soveraign way of Gods Grace wherein He hath thought fit to draw Men unto an absolute dependance on Himself In the dispensing of it we shall propose these few Considerations 1. That which was hinted at before never a Man that hath heard this Gospel when he comes to count with God shall have it to say that the reason why he did not receive and embrace it was his impotency and inability but the real reason shall be found to be his wilful rejecting of it and upon the contrary it shall be found that there was never one that would in earnest have had strength to run the way of Gods Commandments and Faith to grip to and embrace Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel that for want of ability came short and if so what reason is there to complain if none want Faith but such as would not have Him and if none that would have Him can complain of their want of Him upon these two we have great ground of encouragement to them that have a sincere affection to be at Him and there is no ground for Folk to sit up or fall lazy in pursuing after union and communion with Him in the use of Means None shall have cause to complain of their want of Him but such as with their own consent gave Him over and any that would fain have had Him shall not miss Him for this real willingness to close with Christ being a work of the Grace of God and it being no less power that works this Will than the power which doth effectuate the work of Conversion and bring it to perfection He that begins the work will perfect it according to His Promise seing there is nothing that He does begin but He does perfect it and therefore in this case Folk had more need to reflect upon their willingness to have Christ and to close with Him on His own terms than to dispute their impotency and inability 2. Consider what they have been whom the Lord hath brought thorow were they not such as had as much need of Grace as ye have had they not the same corrupt Nature that ye have were they not as impotent and unable to do for themselves could any of themselves do more than ye can consider them all that are before the Throne was it not this same Grace of God and not their good Nature nor their Free-will that did the work and they were not expressly or by name included in the Promises more than ye are and ye are not expressly excluded more than they were the Lord brought forward the work of Grace in them that same way that He dealeth with you by the preaching of His Word He brought them first to know their sinfulness impotency and weakness to know that there was need of a Saviour that their Salvation was not of themselves neither was it in them to make right use of the Saviour and Salvation offered but in the power of His Grace and what if He be doing so to thee and if that condition be hard and hopeless now it had been a hopeless and hard condition to these many that are now before the Throne 3. Consider That there is no question but Grace is effectual to carry on the work and to make it go thorow all the difficulty and dissatisfaction is because God keeps the application in His own Hand which the Man's Heart would have in its Hand and which of them do ye think is most sure and encouraging all your fainting and discouragement resolveth in this because ye can do so little If ye be in good earnest desirous to have Grace throughing the work of Faith and Conversion would ye possibly make choise of another or better Hand than God's to put it in is it not as suitable and sure that His Wisdom should contrive and lay down the way as it is to His Power to set it forward and to the freedom of His Grace to make application of it and all more suitable and sure than if it were in your own Hand may ye not think shame to be discouraged on this ground because any thing ye do ye must needs get it from God and that that should be an obstruction in the way of Godliness which is a main encouragement to it
is the Lord an upbraider is there any that can quarrel Him as nigardly in dispensing of His Grace doth he not give to all men liberally and upbraideth no man and doth it not become Him well to have the conduct and guiding of His own Grace 4. Consider how many the Lord hath given Grace to already and how He hath given it freely surprizingly and unexpectedly if ye could bring forth any proof that never one got good of God ye might have a pretext for your discouragement and scarring but when as many as are before the Throne are pooofs of His being gracious to Sinners when so many have gotten good of God before you and when there are several who to your own certain knowledge are dayly getâ—ing good of Him sensibly freely and unexpâ—ctâ—dly who were as indisposed to belâ—eve as ye are and as much fainted and discouraged as ye are and when He says that He is found of them that sought him not is it not as likly that a poor Body that is longing for His Grace shall be satisfied as well now as ever according to that word Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled the Soul that would fain have Holiness shall get it I know there will be a business made here and an new Objection started whether this longing or hunger be real or not but if your longing and hunger be not real it will not trouble you much to want and it is not to encourage or comfort such that have no real longing that all this is spoken we know there is more need to make some vomit up the conceit of their ability than to encourage them against any seen and felt inability There are many alace that think little of the Grace of God with whom the error anent Universal Grace would aggree well they having a presumptuous conceit of Faith and that it is not so difficult a thing to believe as is alledged we must profess that we have not much to say to such for their encouragement only we would let them know that there is a time coming when God will refute and silence them But as for such as see their inability and are put to any measure of suitable seriousness and longing in earnest after Believing the Lord allows that they be strengthened and encouraged and to such we would say this If their missing of Jesus Christ weight them if it be their burden that they cannot Believe and if their longing hunger and thirst be some pain and piece of exercise to them so as other things relish not with them they are so taken up with that and if they had their Souls choice it would be this even a satisfying fight of union and communion with Him their longing and hunger is real and we may turn over that just now cited word to them Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled this hunger and thirst was never begotten without some spiritual Physick from Christ the great Physician who hath provision for satisfying it and as we use to say of the natural Life He sent never the Mouth but He sent the Meat with it so we may say of this hunger He that gives this spiritual Mouth gives always the Meat with it would to God there were many enlarged Apetites to receive our Lord would no doubt be found ready to satisfie them all if the Mouth were wide opened the Affections enlarged and the Soul sick under hunger and chirst for Christ and Holiness that Sickness should not be found to be unto Death but to the glory of the Grace of Him who is the great Healer For the third thing that we proposed to wit That seing there are many ways how Folk may go wrong and yet none should give over hope what is the native use and exercise that this Doctrine calls for I shall speak to this first in general and secondly in some few steps or particular directions 1. Then in general ye would consider that place Phil. 2.12 13. Work out the work of your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure where it is clear that the exhortation given to them to work out their Salvation is drawen from this same Doctrine of the efficacious work of Gods Grace working in them to will and to do as the great Motive God saith He worketh in you to will and to do therefore work ye out the work of your own Salvation There are in this general exhortation four things implyed the first is the very entry or beginning of the work of Salvation that is the exercising of Faith in Jesus Christ it is of God therefore work at that work as if He said Believe to the saving of your Souls as the word is Heb. 10. ult For it 's God that works the will in you The second is the work of Repentance this is also taken in here for his bidding them work in fear and trembling respects their sinfulness and necessarly implyeth Repentance The third is their aiming at perfection in Holiness the putting forth themselves in improving of all Means and in the exercising of all Duties for that end work out says He. And fourthly It looks to the manner that it be not carnally or in carnal confidence but with fear and trembling and if it should be asked how doth that conclusion flow from this Doctrine it 's Gods work or He works in you to will and to do therefore work ye out your Salvation Folk would rather think that the conclusion should be since God doth all this do ye nothing No but the just contrary conclusion is drawen and it hangs on these two 1. On the efficacy of Grace it 's God that works to will and to do it 's His Grace that strengtheneth you and where He works the will He works the deed where He begins a work He will also through and effectuate it therefore take ye encouragement to work as if He had said fight well for ye have a brave second though it be not proper to call Grace a second set your selves to the exercise of Holiness in earnest and God wil make it go with you 2. On the consideration of sinfulness and weakness in them which should make them work in fear and trembling as if He had s id seing it is God and the efficacy of His Grace that doth the work be not ye vain and presumptuous the first part says it 's God that works and not ye therefore be ye the more holily confident the second part says it 's not ye but God and therefore do the work with fear and trembling and both tend to this that Folk would be serious in minding and prosecuting the work of their Salvation from the first step to the last in fear and trembling on this ground that though they have nothing in themselves yet there
Souldiers And we esteemed him not That is we the people of the Jews who owe him more respect esteemed him not And hence he concludes that it is no wonder that but few believe on him And so in the words following he goes on to describe his Humiliation and to remove the offence that might be taken at it Surely he hath born our griefs c. As if he had said there is no such cause to skar and stumble at Christ for his lowness and base outward condition for it was not for himself but for us that he became so low and therefore it did not become us to think so little of him His griefs and sorrows are humane infirmities that he subjected himself to for our sake For the wrath of God which he suffered for us is spoken of afterwards And because there is great difference betwixt Christs bearing of infirmities and our bearing of infirmities He being like to us in all things except sin I shall for clearing of this name three distinctions given by Divines when they discourse of this purpose 1. They distinguish and put difference betwixt the taking on of infirmities and the contracting of infirmities The taking on of infirmities is the assuming of the effect without the cause of the infirmity without the sinful defect Contracting of infirmity is the drawing on of the defect with and by the cause Now we draw on the cause with the effect Christ took on the effect but he had no sinful defect in him to draw on such infirmities He might have taken on the nature of man without the infirmities if he had so pleased but he took on the nature and infirmities without the cause 2. They distinguish betwixt these infirmities which are simply natural such as man might have had though he had never sinned and these infirmities which flow from mans nature as fallen and corrupted The first sort may be called Passive and look to suffering as to be hungry thirsty weary sensible of that which hurts the body The second sort may be called Active and are sinful as flowing from sin and tending to sin as inclination to ill and indisposition to good dulness as to the uptaking of Gods mind c. Our Lord took on the first sort of infirmities that are simply natural and may be without sin But he was free of the other that implyes corruption in the nature He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin saith the Apostle Heb. 4.15 3. They distinguish infirmities in these that are called natural and common to all men as men and these that are personal and acquired as flowing from some defect in generation or are drawn on by some intemperance grossness in the life and conversation As some Families are subject to Diseases that come by Generation Others draw on Diseases by Whoredome Drunkenness and the like Now our Lord was free of these last because being conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin there was no defect in His Generation And being blameless in his life and conversation he could acquire none of these infirmities and therefore the infirmities which he bare are of the first sort that is such as are common to all men and to men as men And hence we think it probable which some say That as our Lord was not sick so he was not capable of sickness being so perfect in his constitution or complexion which makes for the glory of Grace and saith That our Lord behoved to die a violent death there being no principle in him tending to a natural death though notwithstanding he did most willingly to satisfie Justice for sinners And this may serve to explain these words That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs We come now to observe some things from the words And 1. From the condition our Lord is described to come to the world in Observe That the Messiah the Lords Servant that was to redeem his people was to become man This is here supposed and Prophesied of as the first step of his Humiliation He is called a Man And it is an aggravation of it that he was to be a man of sorrows Or taking our Lord Messiah to be already come we may take the Observation thus That the Lord Jesus Christ the eternal Son of the eternal Father is also a true and real Man A common truth yet a truth fundamental to the Gospel whereof we are not to think the less or the worse because it is a common truth When the fulness of time came saith the Apostle Gal. 4 4. God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law Who as it is Philip. 2. Thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet took upon him the shape of a Servant and was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient c. So Heb. 2.14 It 's said of him That forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same c. And vers 11. Both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren And vers 16. He took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all thinge it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren He was made even like unto us in all things except sin And if we look to the way of grace there was good reason for this that the Redeemer of sinners behoved to be Man 1. If we consider the interposed or adjoyned threatning to the Covenant of Works The day thou eats thou shalt surely die There must be a satisfaction to Justice and the curse threatned must be born 2. The curse must be born by man the Nature that sinned must die the Party offending must satisfie in his own Person or in a Cautioner And 3. By our Lord's becoming Man 1. He came to have a right as being near of Kin to sinners to redeem them And 2. By this the Law hath right to pursue and exact the Debt of him And 3. By this Grace hath access to commend the Redeemer of sinners to sinners Heb. 2.17 18. And 4.15 16. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to he made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest c. And that we have such a Redeemer it makes God to say so trystable and Grace to have access 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus and this gives man access to step in to God 4. This makes the mystery of Godliness to shine the more radiantly and the wisdome and love of God to shine the more conspicuously thorow it 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh And John 1.14 The Word was made
grave and buried as if death had gotten the victory over him And so he dies a most shameful death after he had lived a most mean and abject life 2. For his afflicted condition it is clear if we consider what troubles did accompany him in his life and at his death No sooner was he born but as I said he is persecuted by Herod so that himself and his parents must needs flee down to Egypt and they being but poor folks behoved in so long a journey to meet with many difficulties That they were but poor may be seen by Maries offering after her Purification And when he came forth in his Publick Ministry at his very entry to it he was most terribly tempted of the Devil taking occasion of his hunger after long fasting And all along the exercise of it what contradiction did he meet with from the Scribes and Pharisees How did he travel on his feet from place to place Often suâ—ject to weariness and fainting sometimes men will not so much as give him lodging which he suffers patiently and rebukes his Disciples for their impatience and preposterous zeal Luke 9. Many calumnies and reproaches were cast upon him He was called Beelzebub a Deceiver a friend of Publicans and Sinners How did some of his frâ—ends according to the flesh snarl at him and offer to bind him as a mad man What plots and conspiracies were laid and made to take away his life And when it came to the upshot of all Peter shamefully denied him and all the other Disciples forsook him and fled Many other things befell him as may be seen in the History of his Sufferings written by the Evangelists We read that he wept thrice to let us know that it was his frequent and familiar exercise And a little before his death we read that he was in a great agony and did therein sweat blood and offered prayers with strong cryes and tears but we read not that he did laugh or that ever any worldly mirth was found in him which clearly makes out this truth That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief For Use It would take the tongues of Men and Angels to speak of it it being the most remarkable and soul-refreshing Subject that ever the world heard of even that of which the Angels sing Luke 2.10 11. Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people that unto you is born in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shall be a sign to you ye shall find the babe wraped in swadling-cloaths lying in a manger Sure we should not sing less but more then Angels Men being more concerned then Angels in these things And therefore 1. Behold believe and wonder that he that was rich became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich that he that was Lord of all became servant to all that he that was the infinite God the express image of his Fathers person and thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet humbled himself and became of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant c. Behold we say believe and wonder at this 1. In respect of the cause it came from to wit everlasting love He did and suffered all this most willingly there was no constraint on him But as it is Psal 40. He delighted to do his Fathers will He had power to lay down his life and to take it up again 2. In respect of the end it was not to add to his own glory for as God his Glory being infinit it was not neither was capable of diminution or addition but he became poor that we might be made rich He was a man of sorrows that we might be made to rejoice he wept that we might laugh he wanted that we might have Is not this love stooping thus loâ— to be wondered at Was there ever the like heard of That God the great Party offended should come so low to recover the despicable Parties offending and that even while they were rank enemies to him God commendeth his love to us saith the Apostle Rom. 5.8 that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And saith himself John 15. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends But when we were enemies Christ died for us Were it then an unsuitable use of this Doctrine to be beholding believing and wondering at his love and to be often thinking and saying What is man that God should be so mindful of him as to send the Heir of all things his own Son into the world as his great Ambassadour and Commissioner to negotiat a peace betwixt himself and rebel-sinners which he was to purchase by becoming so very low and by suffering so very much 2. See in this the great evil and hurt of sin and the difficulty of making peace betwixt God and a sinner who hath provoked God Is it a little matter that made our Lord condescend and stoop so low O! if folk knew the evil of sin And that ere Justice could be satisfied the Son of God behoved to become Man and a deeply humbled Man The Sword of his avenging Justice behoved to awake against him and smite the man that was his fellow rather then that sin should go unpunished and Justice should want satisfaction Beware lightly to boast and brag of mercy or to think it easie to make your peace with God And remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. See in this much condescending in our blessed Lord Jesus and a motive as well as a copy of patience in him who is content to be made of a woman made under the Law who submits himself unto the Law and takes on a mean and afflicted state of life in the world It 's a wonder that Christs members should take so ill with a mean suffering and hard lot seing their lot is far very far from the contempt reproaches sorrows weights and griefs that accompanied their Head and Lord And it 's a shame that believers minds and hearts should be set so much on these things that he who was and is their Lord and Master and the Heir of all things possessed so little of or that they should place their happiness in whole or in part in the injoyment of these things or their misery in the want of them More patience under the Cross under watchings weariness reproaches c. would become us much better our blessed Lord Jesus had a great many moe 4. See this to be not only a motivâ— to patience in respect of outward things but a stâ—pping stoâ—e and ground of encouragement to go forward to Christ with every want spiritual and temporal It 's much that our Lord became Man but it 's more that he became a man under griefs afflictions sorrows and temptations and was subject to death it self And that he hath bowels of
sympathy from experience of these temptations vexations and sorrows as they are sinless as is clear from Heb. 2. and 4. at the close He knows what hunger thirst poverty contempt reproach and persecution are He knows what it is to be set upon with the violence of a temptation though there was no sin in him to comply with it 5. See here a most real Saviour since he is a suffering Saviour Why did our Lord become thus low But that he might come under the curse in the several degrees of it for the satisfying of Justice for our sins And see in every piece of Christs suffering a reality of the grace and love of God A reality in the Covenant and bargain of Redemption A reality in Christs satisfying of Justice and performing his ingagement according to the tenor of that transaction And seing there is a reality in this Saviour and in his suffering and satisfying of Divine Justice and in the price that he payed to the full Put not this Saviour again to open shame as the word is Heb. 6.6 Trode not the Son of God under foot neither account the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Do not despite to the Spirit of Grace as it is Heb. 10.29 He hath suffered enough already let him not be a sufferer again O! grieve him not by your unbelief but give him credit by adventuring your souls on him upon his own terms your selves will have the advantage and he the glory This is the pure simple truth of the Gospel Do not only receive it as a truth but receive him that it holds forth and let your hearts close with him and your Faith feed upon him wâ—o becâ—me poor that ye through his poverty migâ—t be made rich Happy they for evermore who are made rich through his poverty and miserable are they and mucâ— more miserable eternally will they be whose practice saith that they think they have another way to be happy then by his sufferings and satisfaction and so disdain and rejâ—ct both him and it SERMON XVIII ISAIAH LIII II III. Vers 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Vers 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IF our hearts were suitably tender the reading of these words knowing of whom they are spoken would some way prick and wound them It 's hard to determine though it may be we should not make the comparison whether there is more grace in our Lords condescendence or more wickedness and perversness in the unkind and evil meeting that he gets from sinners But surely there is much grace on the one side in his coming so low and much wickedness and perversness on the other side For what meets he with even blessed Jesus who is the glory and praise of all his Saints yea the brightness of his Fathers glory He is despised and rejected and we esteemed him not Even when he thus humbled himself and took on our nature and was and is prosecuting the work of our salvation and evidencing his grace in an inconceivable manner These are the two things that are spoken of here 1. His condescending to be a man and a mean man and which is yet more a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Which if we believed and knew really what he were that it was even he by whom all things were created who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every creature yea he for whom all things were created for whose glory the world and all things in it were made and continue He for whom all things are as their last end and through whom they are preserved in their beeing and governed in their operations and shall be seen to tend to his glory in the close we wold certainly wonder more at this his condescendence And yet alace it is he that is despised and rejected and that we hid as it were our faces from and would not give him our countenance It is he by whom the world was made that is despised and we esteemed him not And this is the second thing in the words which we are now to speak to even the abominably unsuitable meeting that men give to our Lord Jesus who hath so far condescended as to leave some way his Fathers Glory not to receive a Kingdom of this World but to be trode upon in it as a Worm He is despised and rejected and we will not intertain him nor make him welcome when he cometh We esteem him not Only take this advertisement for clearing of the words and for grounding of the Doctrine that this that is spoken of Christs Humiliation and mans stumbling at it is not precisely to be restricted to his Humiliation in his own person only and mens stumbling at that for it is given as the reason of men their stumbling and offending at Christ in all times But it is to be extended to Christ in his Gospel and Ordinances throughout all ages so it comes in as the reason why so few believe on him If ye ask the reason why men do not now believe and receive Christ in the offer of the Gospel Here it is for we esteemed him not for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant He shall be mean and contemptible-like to the men of the world and in an afflicted condition therefore he is not esteemed therefore he is not believed on These two are the main Doctrines to be spoken to here 1. That Jesus Christ who thus condescends and humbles himself for the salvation of lost sinners is not esteemed of but despised and undervalued which is implied in the words When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him and is more clearly holden out in the following words He was despised and we esteemed him not 2. That this undervaluing and little esteeming of Jesus Christ is the great ground of folks unbelief or the reason why men do not believe on him even because they think him not worthy the receiving two very clear truths in the words and in experience though as sad in their consequents As to the 1. which is this that our Lord Jesus Christ is usually and ordinarly exceedingly undervalued and little esteemed of by the men of the world to whom he is offered in the Gospel There are two things implied and supposed here in and about the Doctrine that will clear it and be as two reasons of it 1. That he hath no form nor comeliness and no beauty wherefore he should be desired which holdeth out this that men are ordinarily taken up with and seek after worldly grandour or greatness splendour and beauty that 's it that filleth mens eyes
like these that are brought in Jer. 44.17 saying It was better with as when we did bake cakes to the queen of heaven the Lord is counted by them to be as a wilderness and land of darkness and they say as it is Jer. 2.31 We are lords and will come no more unto thee and when Men esteem not Christ they seek not after him they care not for an interest in him they trust not to him when a Man valueth a Pearl he will readily sell all that he hath that he may buy it but that which is not esteemed there will be no care to come by it 2. It hath influence to obstruct Folks giving him credit which is of the very essence of Faith so then where he is not esteemed of he is not he cannot be believed on the former says that we will not marry him this says we will not trow him nor trust the reality of his offer Where he is not esteemed of he is not taken up to be real in good earnest and faithful in what he says His offers are looked upon as having neither solidity nor reality in them therefore Rev. 19. these two are put together first it s said Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb and then it is subjoined these are the true and faithful sayings of God so that when Christ is not esteemed of he is not thought worthy the crediting and lippening to And it 's on this ground that the Lord founds his contraversie with his professing People Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they have gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain they undervalued his word they thought him not worthy credit and therefore they turned the back on him the same is insinuated by the Lord Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me 3. This little esteem of Christ weakens hope or expectation of any good that Men may have from him when we esteem him not there is no expectation of getting our need supplied and our wants made up by him nor of attaining in him the Happiness that we would be at and therefore there are no serious addresses made to him for the same These three Love to him Trust in him hope from and through him being the prime Graces in a Christian when they are weakened Unbelief most certainly in so far prevaileth and it being Christ's worthiness and the estimation thereof that gives ground to all these then sure when he is not esteemed but undervalued these must also fall in their exercise and be in utter non-entry where he is altogether undervalued Now laying all these together there can hardly be any thing more culpably accessory to the abounding of Unbelief then the undervaluing of precious Jesus Christ it 's impossible that he can be cordially welcomed where he is not at all esteemed of As for Uses of these Doctrines they are of large extent serving to make manifest a root of bitterness and a great neck-break of multitudes of Souls and which Men and Women will not easily be perswaded to believe Let this therefore be the 1. Use of it To discover a great Sin that is incident to the Hearers of this Gospel among many other things that may be charged on them this is one and not the least even little estimation of Jesus Christ so little that when he is speaking they count him scarce worthy the hearing hence is the slumbering and sleeping of so many when he is preached of which holds out something of the nature of all Men and Women this despising undervaluing and thinking little of Christ is a Sin that may for a long time cleave fast and close to the Hearers of the Gospel and doth so to many to their very dying day It may be ye will think this a strange and uncoath châ—rge and that whoever disesteem him ye do certainly esteem him much but it were better ye were seriously and humbly saving with the Prophet here He was despised and we esteemed him not There are many who never once suspect themselves as guilty of or chargeable with this evil for whose conviction let me speak but a few words Is there not such a bitter root in you If it be natural to all Men and Women how comes it to pass that ye are free of it Is there nothing of the seed of the Serpent in you and if there be will there not be hatred at the seed of the Woman in you are ye any other sort of Hearers then they were to whom this is spoken were they not Hearers of the Gospel as well as ye nay he speaks here of Hearers of the Gospel in all Ages and yet ye will disdain to take with this Sin and will account it to be an uncouth if not an unjust charge and imputation to say of you that ye are undervaluers and despisers of Christ but the reason of it is twofold the first whereof is Because ye know not what Christ's worth is and therefore ye do neither esteem him nor know that ye disesteem and undervalue him whereas they who have win to some knowledge of his worth are always or very often complaining that they cannot get him suitably thought of and esteemed The second Reason is Because ye know not your selves and therefore ye take self-love and estimation of your selves to be love to him and estimation of him ye think your selves so well that ye cannot endure to think that ye want any Grace or good thing and estimation of Christ being a good thing and ye thinking that ye could not hold up your face and own the reproaching and despising of him ye will not let it light that ye want this Grace and good thing a precious esteem of him But there is no greater evidence that ye are lying under the power of the deceit and delusion of your own Hearts that your natural distemper and Feaver is not yet cooled and calmed but that ye are still roving in Nature and therefore though ye be living in enmity at God and Christ yet ye cannot be made sensible of it we really think it somewhat strange that Men and Women should live twenty thirty fourty or fifty years under the Gospel and yet never be brought to groan under this enmity nor to lay to heart this Sin of undervaluing of Christ But if it be a truth that none naturally do love and esteem him then certainly many of you are grossly mistaken that think ye esteem highly of him Ah! your fancied esteem of him will be counted an undervaluing of him And if ye ask What is that to undervalue Christ or when is he undervalued I answer He is undervalued 1. When he is not matched with or married when ye match with himself whereof he maketh offer is not closed with upon his own terms for what I pray can hinder the ending of a Bargain or finishing
esteemed him not even because of his lowness In the words now read and forward the Prophet sets himself to remove the offence that men took at our Lords Humiliation by shewing them that although he became so low yet he was not to be the less esteemed of for that And the ground which he layes down to remove the offence is in the first words of the Text which in sum is this that there was nothing in himself wherefore he should have been brought so low there was no sin in him neither was there any guile found in his mouth but he was graciously pleased to take on him that which we should have born and therefore men ought not to stumble and offend at his stooping to bear that which would with its weight have crushed them eternally and thereby to make their peace with God in the 6. vers he shews how it came to pass that he stooped so low All we saith he like sheep have gone astray and turned every one of us to our own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all We had lost our selves and God in the depth of his eternal wisdom love and good-will found out the way to save us wherein to speak so a Covenant was transacted betwixt God and the Mediator who becomes Cautioner for our sins which are transferred on him From the 7. vers to the 10. vers he goes on in shewing the execution of this transaction and how the Cautioner performed all according to his engagement And from the 10. vers to the close we have the promises made to him for his satisfaction The scope is as to remove the scandal of the Cross so to hold out our Lords pursuing the work of satisfaction to the Justice of God for elect sinners and the good success he had in it In the 4 and 5. verses we have three things 1. This ground asserted Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows 2. Mens enmity aggreged from this yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted In the very mean time that he condescended to stoop so low for us and to bear that which we should have born we esteemed but little of him we looked on him as a plagued man 3. This is more fully explained vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He was so handled for our sins and the chastisement of our peace was on him that which made our peace with God was on him By his stripes we are healed the stripes that wounded and killed him cured us We have here then rather as it were a sad narration then a Prophesie of the Gospel holding out a part of our Lords sufferings yet a clear foundation of the consolation of the people of God it being the ground of all our Faith of the pardon of sin of our peace with God and of our confident appearing before him that our Lord was content to be thus dealt with and to give his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair We shall clear the words in the assertion which will serve to clear the words of the whole Chapter and also of the Doctrines to be drawn from it 1. The thing that Christ bare is called griefs and sorrows by which we understand the effects that sin brings on men in the world for its the same that in the 5. vers is called his being wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity It 's a wounding that iniquity causeth and meritoriously procureth It 's not sin it self but the effect of sin to wit the punishment the sorrow and grief that sin brings with it called griefs and sorrows Partly because grief and sorrow is necessarily joyned with sin partly to shew the extremity and exceeding greatness of this grief and sorrow and the bitter fruits that sin hath with it 2. How is it said that Christ hath born and carried their griefs and sorrows By this we understand not only Christs removing of them as he removed sickness and diseases as it is said Matth. 8.16 17. But also and mainly his actual and real enduring of them as the phrase is frequently used in Scripture That man shall bear his iniquity or he shall bear his sin Levit. 5. and many other places It sees out a real inflicting of the punishment that sin deserves on him 3. That it is said our griefs and our sorrows it is not needlesly or superfluously set down but to meet with the offence that men take at Christs humbling himself so low As if he had said What aileth you to stumble at Christs coming so low and being so afflicted It was not for his own sins but for ours that he was so handled And they are called our griefs and sorrows 1. Because we by our sins procured them they were our deserving and due to us the debt was ours though he as our Cautioner took it on himself 2. Because though the Elect have distinct reckonings and peculiar sins some moe some fewer some greater some lesser yet they are all put on Christs account there is a combination of them a gathering of them all on him as the word is vers 6. He hath laid on him or made to meet on him the iniquities of us all The meaning then of the assertion is this Surely this is the cause of Christs Humiliation and this makes him not only to become Man but to be a mean poor Man and to have a comfortless and afflicted life in the World that he hath taken on him that Punishment Curse and Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and therefore he ought not to be offended and stumbled at Now because Socinians the great Enemies of Christs satisfaction and of the comfort of his People labour to elude this place and to make Christ only an exemplary Saviour and deny that he really and actually did undergo these Griefs and Sorrows for the Sins of his Elect We shall a little clear and confirm the exposition we have given the question is not about the taking away of Sin but about the manner of removing it They say that it is by Gods pardoning of it without a Satisfaction We say it is by Christs Satisfaction So the difficulty in expounding the words is whether to expound them of Christs removing our Sorrows and Griefs from us or of his bearing of them for our Sin and so really taking it away And that this Scripture means not of a simple removing of them as he did remove Sickness Matth 8.17 but by a real taking them on himself and bearing of of them in order to the satisfaction of the Justice of God for our Sins We shall give these Reasons to confirm it 1. Because these words are to be understood of such a bearing of Sorrows and Griefs as made Christ to be contemptible and despised before others This is clear from the scope for they are given as a reason
them to wit Sin therefore to such as he cured he says very often Thy sins be forgiven thee he studied to remove that in most of them he did deal with and so looking on our Lord as taking on our Sins complexly with the cause and as having a right to remove all the effects of Sin evidencing it self in the removing of these Diseases whereof Sin was the cause these words may be thus fulfilled and so they are clear and the Doctrine also We have here no meer exempâ—ary Saviour that hath done no more but confirmed his Doctrine and given us a copy how to do and behave but he hath really and actually born our Sorrows and Griefs and removed our Debt by undergoing the punishment due to us for Sin Observe here 1. That Sin in no Flesh no not in the Elect themselves is without Sorrow and Grief Tribulation and Anguish are knit to it or it hath these following on it or take the Doctrine thus Wherever there is Sin there is the cause of much Sorrow and Grief no more can the native cause be without the effect then Sin can be without Sorrow and Grief it 's the plain assertion of Scripture Rom. 2.8 9. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil which one place putting the four words together says 1. That there is Sorrow most certainly and inseparably on every Soul that hath sinned And 2. That this Sorrow is exceeding great which may also be the reason why this Sorrow is set out in two words in the Text therefore four words are used by the Apostle to express it It 's not our purpose here to dispute whether God in his Justice doth by necessity of Nature punish the Sinner These three things considered will make out the Doctrine which is That there is a necessary connexion betwixt Sâ—n and Sorrow and that this Sorrow must needs be very great 1. If we consider the exceeding unsuitableness of Sin to the holy Law of God and how it is a direct contrariety to that most pure and perfect Law 2. If we consider the perfectly holy Nature of God himself The righteous Lord saith the Pâ—almist Psal 11.7 loveth righteousness and the Prophet Hab. 1.13 says He is of purer eyes then that be can behold evil and he cannot look upon iniquity and though we need noâ— to dispute Gods Soveraignty yet it is clear that he is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 and he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.7 and thaâ— there is a greater suitableness in his inflicting Sorrow and Grief on a Sinner that walks contrary to him then there is in shewing him Mercy and there is a greater suitableness in his shewing Mercy to a humbled Sinner that is aiming to walk holily before him 3. If we consider the revealed will of God in the Threatning who hath said the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die we may say there is as they speak in the Schools a hypothetick necessity of grief and sorrow to follow on Sin and that there is a necessary connexion betwixt them and this may very well stand with the Mediator his coming in and interposing to take that Grief and Sorrow from off us and to lay it on himself but it was once ours because of our Sin If it be askâ—d wâ—at Grief and Sorrow this is We said it's very great and there is reason for it for though our act of Sin 1. As to the Subject that Sins Man And 2. As to the act of â—in it self a sinful thought word or deed that is soon gone be finit yet if we consider Sin 1. In respect of the object â—gainst whom the infinite God 2. In respect of the absolute purity of Gods Law a rule that bears ouâ— Gâ—ds Image set down by infinite Wisdom and that may be some way called infinitely pure and Sin as being against this pure rule that infinite Wisdom hath set down And 3. If we consider it in no respect of its nature every sin being of this nature that though it cannot properly wrong the Majesty of God yet as to the intention of the thing and even of the Sinner it wrongs him Sin in these respects may be called infinite and the wrong done to the Majesty of God thereby may be called infinite as these who built Babel their intention in that work breathed forth infinite wrong to God as having a direct tendency to bring them off from dependance on him and so every Sin if it had its will and intent would put God in subordination to it and set it self in his room and therefore Sin in some respect as to the wrong against God is infinite 2. Observe That the real and very great Sorrow that the Sins of the Elect deserved our Lord Jesus did realty and actually bear and suffer as we have exponed the words and confirmed the exposition given of them ye have a clear confirmation of the Doctrine from them 1. Griefs and Sorrows in the plural Number shew intensness of Sorrow and Grief 2. That they are called ours it shews our propriety in them And 3. That it 's said Christ bare them These concur to prove the Doctrine that the same Sorrow which the Sins of the Elect deserved Christ bare It not only says that our Lord bare Sorrows but the same Sorrows that by the Sins of the Elect were due to them and so there was a proportionableness betwixt the Sorrows that he bare and the Sorrows they should have endured he took up the cup of Wrath that was filled for us and that we would have been put to drink and drank it out himself suppose that our Lord had never died as blessed be his Name there is no ground to make the supposiâ—ion the cup of Sâ—rrow that the Elect would have drunken eternally was the same cup that he drank our for them It is true we would distinguish betwixt these things that are essentially due to Sin as the punishment of it and these things that are only accidentally due to it the former Christ bare but not the latter To clear both in a word or two 1. These things essentially due to Sin as necessarly included in the Threatning The day thou eatest thou shalt surely die and in the curse of the Law according to that Cursed is every one that abides not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them are Death and the Curse these are essentially the desert of Sin in which respect it was not only necessary that Christ should become Man and â—â—ffer but that he should suffer to death or shâ—uld die and not only so but that he should die the cursed death of the Cross as the Threatning and Curse put together hold out and as to all these things that he underwent and met with before and at his death they were the accomplishment of the Threatning due to us and fulfilled in and by him in our room
intention towards him Upon the other side the more consolation be in this to Believers it speaks the greater ground of terrour to unbelievers because of the prejudice they sustain by the want of this And as many of you as make not Faith and Holiness your study ye ly out of the reach of this consolation that flows from Christs bearing the griefs and sorrows of his own And therefore let the prophane senâ—â—ess multitude that know not what it is to die to the Law or to live to Holiness as ye would not commit Sacriledge stand a-back and not dar to meddle with this redemption till ye stoop and come in at this door of Faith and Holiness And let as many as are in this way admit of the consolation for it 's the Lords allowance upon you But for others if ye presume to take hold of it the Lord will wring it from you and let you know to your cost that ye had nothing to do with it SERMON XXI ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed THese words and all this Chapter look liker a piece of the History of the Gospel then a Prophecy of the Old Testament The sufferings of the Messiah being so directly pointed at in them We shew that this first part of the 4. Verse holds forth the cause of his sufferings and it is applyed to our Lord Matth. 8.17 and 1 Pet. 2.24 As for the second part of the Verse in these words yet we esteemed him smitten of God stricken and afflicted any who are acquainted with the Gospel cannot but know that it was fulfilled in him and it is an aggravation of their sin who did so undervalue and despise him that though he condescended to come so low for us yet we slighted him even then when there was greatest love let out we abused it and made it the rise of greatest malice and for the 5. Verse it is applied by Peter 1 Pet. 21.24 This whole Chapter then being so Gospel like and having a direct fulfilling in Christ we may draw this general Doctrine from it That our Lord Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified died and was buried and rose again the third day is the very same Messiah that was prophesied of in the Old Testâ—ment and was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob whom the Fathers before his coming in the Flesh were waiting for And though this may be looked on as but a very common and useless Doctrine yet it is the main ground and foundâ—tion of our Faith we take many things for granted wherein if we were well tried and put to it we would be found unsicker and in this among the rest Now for confirmation of it this same one argument will make it out we shall not follow it at length but in the prosecuâ—ing of it shall astrict our selv s to this Chapter the argument runneth thus if in Christ Jesus that which was prophesied of the Messiah and promised to the Fathers have its fulfilling and accomplishment then he must be the same Messiah that was prophesied of and promised to them for these things spoken of the one and alone Messiah can agree to no other But whatever was prophesied and spoken or promised of the Messiah to the Fathers to the least circumstance of it was all fully accomplished and fulfiled in Christ therefore the conclusion laid down in the Doctrine follows to wit that our blessed Lord Jesus is the same Messiah that was prophesied of promised to the Fathers and whom they before his coming were looking for So that that question needs not now to be proposed art thou he that should come or do we look â—or another Go says Christ Mat. 11.4 5.6 and tell John the blind receive their sight the lame walk and the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear and the dead are raised and the poor have the Gospel preached to them and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me blessed is he who because of my Humiliation is not stumbled Now not to make a rehearsal of the general Prophesies in Scripture all of which have their exact fulfilling in Christ we shall only speak to two things here for makâ—ng out of the Argument proposed 1. That this Chapter speaks of the Messiah 2. That what is spoken in it is literally fulfilled in Christ 1. That this Chapter speaks of the Messiah Though of old the blinded Jâ—ws granted it yet now they say that it speaks of some other but that it speaks of him these things will make it evident 1. If we look to the 13. Verse of the former Chapter where it is said My servant shall deal prudentâ—y he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high there our Lord Jesus is spoken of as the Fathers Servant or great Lord-Deputy and the Jews themselves grant that this is mean'd of the Messiah and there is nothing more clear then that what is spoken in this Chapter relates to him who is called the Lords Servant in the former Chapter as we shew at our entering to speak of it 2 If we look to the description of his Person it can aggree to no other for it 's said There was no guile found in his mouth he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so he openâ—d not his mouth c. he had no sin of his oâ—n which can be said of no other therefore this Chapt r speaks of him 3. If we consider the end and effects of his Sufferings they do also clear it the end of his Sufferings for it 's for the transgressions of his People and as it is Dan. 9.26 He was to be cut off but not for himself the effects He shall see his feed and by his knowledge justifie many And the New Testament is full to this purpose there being no Scripture in all the Old Testament more made use of nor oftener applyed to Christ then this is 2. What is spoken in this Chapter is really and literally fulfilled in Christ and we may shortly draw what is in it to these five Heads all which we will find clearly fulfiâ—led in him 1. To his Suffâ—rings 2. To the ground of his Sufferings 3. To Mens account and estimation of him 4. To the Promises made to him 5. To the effects that followed on his Sufferings 1. For his Sufferings it 's said that he should be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief that he should be despised and rejâ—cted of men and not be esteemed that he should be looked on as stricken smitten of God and afflicted that he should bear ouâ— sorrows and griefs and be wounded for our transgressions
makes the offer on the terms of a satisfaction to Justice the Son as Mediator accepts the offer and undertakes for the Elect here am I to do thy will on the same terms that the offer is made and the Father accepts of the Sons engagement according to that word Matth. 3. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased he offers himself Surety for Sinners and the Father is content to accept of him as their Surety In the one respect it 's called the Fathers pleasure Vers 10. of this Chapter yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him c. because the terms were so proposed and in the other respect it 's called the Mediators pleasure or satisfaction Vers 11. because the condition proposed is satisfying to him The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He undertakes to pay and God accepts of his undertaking and obliges himself to absolve the Believer and the words following He shall see his seed and of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many are Promises made to him on supposition of his making satisfaction And in 2 Cor. 5. ult the first part of the Transaction is He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin and the other part of it is That we might be made the righteousness of God through him he accepting of the Bargain obtains a right to a justifying and absolving Sentence by vertue of his suffering for which cause these words are added in him or through him This shews the clearness of Gods Justice in proceeding with the Mediator the ground of Sinners Justification through him and gives Sinners a warrand to make use of Christs satisfaction as theirs because it was so agreed upon in the counsel of the God-head 5. We come now to speak a little to some properties of this Covenant and shall content our selves with three or four of them that make for the scope As 1. The justice and equity of it 2. The faithfulness of it 3. The freeness of it And 4. The wisdom that shines in this Bargain passing by the rest 1. The justice and equity of this Transaction may appear in these respects 1. That the Father should be satisfied that he that was wronged should have his honour restored that the threatning given out in his Law should light and take effect that the Soul that sins should in his own or in the Sureties person die and that a suitable recompence should be made to Justice before the Sinner be absolved 2. Justice appears in this respect That when the Son of God the Mediator offers to become Man and to endure and suffer all that the Elect should have suffered his sufferings should be accepted as a satisfaction because the justice of God yea the holiness power and greatness of God are as gloriously manifested in Christs satisfaction as if Man had suffered nay there would not have been such an amends and satisfaction made to Justice if all Creatures had suffered Justice by this means hath more satisfaction than it could have had otherways and hereby the holiness of God and the severity of his justice as well as the condescending love of God is the more manifested that he himself should condescend to satisfie therefore Rom. 3.26 it 's said That he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus God is just in that he will not only have satisfaction but an equivalent satisfaction for the restoring of his Justice to its declarative glory wherein it suffered by Mans fall 3. Justice appears in this respect That the Mediator satisfying Justice these for whom he suffered should be acquitted and have the sentence of absolution past in their favours which the rather we would take notiâ—e of that we may know the redemption purchased â—nd bestowed by the Mediator is by an exact satisfying of Justice and not by removing of our sins as he did remove diseases nor by pardoning of them by an authority committed to him but as I said by a real and actual satisfying of the Justice of God for them therefore Luke 24. it 's said He behoved to suffer these things and then to enter into his glory there was a necessity of it because of the justice of this Covenant for the Son not only to become Man and be in a low condition but to become a Curse and to die the cursed death of the Cross A second property is faithfulness on all sides Faithfulness on the Fathers side in his Word and Promise to the Son All that are given of the father are made to come to him and there is nothing lost John 6.37 44 45. Faithfulness on the Sons side performing all according to his undertaking fulfilling all righteousness Therefore when in the 〈◊〉 word he sayes Deliver me from this hour in the next word he sayes But for this cause came I unto this hour It was my errand into the World and now I am to go about it by and by And I lay down my life for my sheep of my self no man taketh my life from me but I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again His faithfulness also appears in keeping all that are committed to his trust None of them shall perish but he shall raise them up at the last day Therefore he is called the good or faithful shepherd 3. It 's a free Covenant it 's just as betwixt God and the Mediator but as to the Elect it 's most free By his wounds we have pardon and by his stripes we have healing The chastisement of our peace was on him There is not one grain weight or worth to be satisfied by us He was made sin for us he was made the curse even the wrath-pacifying-sacrifice and offering That we might be made the righteousness of God not through ought in our selves but through him 2 Cor. 5. ult 4. It 's a most wise contrivance for if the Son had not become Man and Mediator how could Justice have been satisfied or the Elect pardoned and healed They could not satisfie for themselves and no creature could satisfie for them therefore the only wise God finds out a wise mids for such an end as is the saving of the Elect in a way wherein Justice and Mercy or free Grace sweetly kiss each other and wherein they both shine forth conspicuously and radiantly That which we would say in short concerning this Covenant is this that Jesus Christ hath undertaken to pay the Elect's debt and hath stepped in into their room And God hath imputed unto him their sin and accepted of a satisfaction from him for them And all this in a legal and just way so as there is access before the Throne of God for them to plead for the application of his Righteousness by vertue of this Covenant That as really and faithfully as Christ performed his uâ—dertaking to God and his satisfaction wâ—â— accepâ—â—d for
know and study to be clear and distinct in your knowledge of this precious Truth how a Sinner that by nature is under Sin and Wrath and hath ground every day to look for it may be freed from that Curse and Wrath To prevent which the Lord hath made a Covenant with the Son who is appointed Mediator for making Peace betwixt God and Sinners by satisfying his Justice for them and by paying the same Debt that was due by them so that this Wrath is prevented and their Peace is made by vertue of this Covenant of Redemption wherein these two clauses are agreed and concluded upon betwixt these two infinitely responsal Parties 1. That Christ shall become the Sinner and be handled as a Sinner though there was no sin in him 2. That the Elect Sinner that by nature was a child of wrath even as well as others shall be fred from the Wrath to come by vertue of his Satisfâ—ction These are two Pillars that our Salvation is built upon and that our Peace and Reconciliation with God flow from By his wounding and bruising we are pardoned The chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed To clear this a little This Covenant would be considered 1. As it looks to the parties and their several actions 2. As it lookes to the Execution thereof in all the steps of it For the first There are three parties that concur in their own place 1. God is the Party offended and he is here bruising and wounding the Mediator He is the Judge and stands ready to execute the Sentence that stands in his Law against Sinners if he get not an equivalâ—nt Satisfaction 2. Jesus Christ the Mediator is the Party wounded and bruised the Mediator's part is to satisfie â—ustice to pay the Price and perform the Satisfaction resolved upon in the Counsel of God of suitable and sufficient value for the Redemption of the Elect according to his Engagement and he is actually wounded and bruised God determined what shall satisfie Christ Jesus accepts of the Determination engages to satisfie and does actually satisfie for elect Sinners A 3d. Party is We poor Sinners He was wounded for our Transgressions c. It 's the elect Sinner or the Sinner who being made in due time sensible of Sin and affraid of Wrath and who being kindly touched with the Apprehension of it and cleared anent the firmness and freeness of the Covenant and anent the fulness of Christ's Satisfaction doth by Faith flee unto Jesus Christ and submit to his Satisfaction and betakes himself allenatly to that for Righteousness Christ layes down the Price and the beleeving Sinner pleads for Interest in it and for the Benefit of it and by Faith gets Title and Right to an Absolvitor from his Debt and Guilt If it then be asked what is the thing whereby a Sinner is pardoned and justified reconcealed to God and delivered from Wrath and healed I answer It is by Believing in Jesus Christ If it be again asked What is the ground or reason why the believing Sinner obtains that Favour I answer Because our Lord Jesus hath sufficiently satisfied for and fully payed the debt of so many as are brought to believe on him If it be 3dly asked How comes it that Christs Satisfaction becomes a Ransom and is accepted for such and such a Believer I answer It is by vertue of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption or Transaction made betwixt the Father and the Son wherein it was agreed that his suffering and satisfieing of Justice should be accepted for believing Sinners as if themselves had satisfied according to that of Job 6.39 40. This is the fathers will that sent me that of all that he have given me I should lose nothing and this is the will of him that sent me that whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life So our believing is the first immediat step whereby we came to obtain pardon of Sin and Peace with God Christ's Righteousness or Satisfaction is that whereon our believing sounds it self yet so as it hath a respâ—ct to the eternal Covenant of Redemption whence both Christ's Satisfaction and our Believing do flow and without which we could have no Warrand to expect Righteousness through a Mediator for unless we know that Christ hath satisfied Justice for Elect sinners that shall believe on him we cannot rest on him for righteousness And unless we have an eye to the Covenant of Redemption we cannot expect that this satisfaction will be accepted for us And therefore if we will trace these steps back again the first rise of our Salvation is in the counsel of God the prosecution of it is in Christs satisfaction And the application of his satisfaction is by our fleeing to it and accepting of it by Faith And therefore we would learn in our looking and stepping up to Heaven to look to these three in this order we would first begin at Faith and in believing we would consider Christs satisfaction and from that we would ascend to the rise of it to wit the Covenant of Redemption and the terms of it All which put together give a very clear ground of expecting righteousness through Jesus Christ I shall illustrat it by a Scripture-similitude wherein I shall shew you how all the three concur yet so as there is a difference in their concurrence Ye know that under the Law there were Cities of refuge appointed which were Types of Jesus Christ in whom we find a shelter In these Cities of refuge consider these three that concurred for saving the person that had committed man-slaughter 1. God's determination appointing such a thing and that the Man-slayer being within such a City should be safe from the avenger of blood and this gave the rise to the other two that follow 2. The City it self as a shelter or refuge to the Man-slayer 3. The persons fleeing or running to hide themselves in it Now the safety of the person of the Man-slayer did flow from all the three 1. The Law appointing such a City was the ground 2. The City was the shelter 3. The persons actual running to the City gave him a claim and title to the priviledge of the City For though the former two had been if he had not fled to the City he had not obtained the benefit of safety Even so the Believer that would be saved is to consider these three 1. Gods determining such a way of Salvation to Elect Sinners by a Mediator 2. The Mediator priviledged as the City of Refuge for this end And 3. The sinners fleeing to him which is his believing on him and his seeking and pleading for the benefit of Christ's satisfaction according to the terms of the Covenant Now suppose a person to flee to the City of Reâ—uge he is preserved in it Justice cannot follow him further then the Gates yet so as he hath the benefit by Gods determination and appointment of the City for
suffering and of his suffering for sinners that he was wounded and bruised c. In this Verse the Prophet proceeds to clear how this came to pass that Christ Jesus was made to suffer for the Elect the Seed that God had given him which he doth by laying down the Occasion and Fountain-cause whence it proceeded 1. The Occasion of it in these words All we like sheep have gone astray All the Elect as well as others had wandered and every one of us had turned to our own way We had denuded our selves of all right and title to eternal life and had made our selves liable to Gods curse and wrath through our sinning 2. The Fountain-cause is The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all When we had all strayed Jehovah took our Lord Jesus as the Sacrifices under the Law were taken and put him in our room and laid on him the punishment due to us for our sins and actually pursued him for our debt So the words are an answer to that question How comes it to pass that our Lord Jesus suffered thus for sinners It 's answered The Elect had made themselves lyable to the wrath and curse of God through their straying and to keep them from that wrath God designed and provided his Son Jesus Christ to be the Redeemer and according to the Covenant of Redemption laid on him the punishment due to them for their iniquities In a word their sin and God's appointing him to be Cautioner made him liable to satisfie for all their debt The first part of the words holds out our natural disease The 2. part holds out Gods gracious cure and remedy In the first part we have these three 1. The natural state and condition of all Men and Women even of the Elect themselves who are mainly to be look'd on here All we have gone astray 2. This is illustrat by a similitude We have gone astray like sheep 3. It is amplified Every one of us hath turned to his own way Several words being put together to set out the desperat sinful condition whereinto the Elect as well as others had brought themselves 1. Our natural state and condition is set down in this word straying To stray is to wander out of the way to go wrong to be be wildered For God hath set a rule to men to walk by in the way to life the rule and way of holiness and whoever walk not in that way do go astray and wander out of the right way 2. This is as I said illustrat by a similitude of sheep The comparing of the Elect to sheep here is not at all to extenuat the sinfulness of their straying though sometimes the innocency of that Creature in some other comparisons is insinuated But it is to hold out the witlessness spiritual silliness ad bruitishness of their straying the Scripture usually pointing out that Beast to be disposed and given to wandering And both Nature and Experience tells us that in a Wilderness where there is greatest hazard they are readiest to run on the hazard such is their silly and to speak so foolish inclination Just so are the Elect by Nature 3. It 's amplified by this That every one hath turned to his own way Before it was collectively set down Aâ—l we have gone astray But now lest any should exeem himself it is distributively set down Every one even Isaiah Jeremiah and others such not one excepted This turning to our own way holds out two things 1. It 's called our own way to distinguish it from Gods way as it is Psal 81.11 He gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels That is in their own inventions or according to their own will humour and inclination 2. While it is said that every one turns to his own way it 's to shew this that beside the common way that all sinners have to turn away from God distinguished from God's way every sinner hath his own particular and peculiar way whereby in his way he is distinguished from another sinner There is but one way to Heaven but many ways to Hell and every one hath his different way some have one predominant lust some another But they all meet here that every one turns from God's way and every one takes a wrong way of his own Considering the scope we shall shortly and passingly point at two general Observations whereof the 1. is this that it contributes much for folks conceiving and considering of Christs sufferings aright to be well acquainted with their own sinful nature and disposition Men will never look rightly on Christs sufferings nor suitably esteem of him nor make him and the Doctrine that holds him and his sufferings forth cordially welcome except they have some sense of their sinful nature and diâ—position Hence it was that many of the Pharisees and Hypocrites of that time wherein the Lord exercised his Ministry amongst the Jews never welcomed him nor prized his sufferings whereas among the Publicans and Sinners many were brought to get good of him Not to insist in the Use of this only in a word see here a main reason why Jesus Christ is so meanly thought of and the respect of his sufferings is so little welcomed and esteemed even because so few walk under the due sense of this that like lost sheep they have gone astray The 2d general Observation from the scope putting both parts of the Verse together is this that we should never look on Christ's sufferings but with respect to the Covenant of Redemption and God's transacting with him as our Cautioner Therefore the last part comes in The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all For albeit we know that Christ hath suffered much yet if there be not an eye to and some acquaintance with the Covenant the rise of his sufferings and God's hand and end in his sufferings it will be to no purpose Therefore when Peter is to speak of his sufferings Acts 2.23 He premits these words Him being delivered by the determinat counsel and fore-knowledge of God and then subjoyns his being crucified Looking on Christ's sufferings with respect to the Covenant 1. It lets us know that Christ's sufferings come not by guess but by the eternal counsel oâ— God and by vertue of that transaction betwixt the Father and the Son and this takes away the scandal off them which the Prophet sets himself here to remove 2. It gives Faith access to make use of his sufferings when we look on him as purposely designed for this end 3. It holds out the love of God Father Son and Spirit towards Elect Sinners That howsoever God looked angry like on the Mediator as personating them and sustaining their room yet that Jehovah had the devising and designing of these sufferings and that he sent his Son to suffer thus it holds out wonderful love 3. And more particularly from the first part of the words which is the main
love ye wouldflee to Jesus Christ and give him employment for making your peace with God and taking away your sin and sanctifying of you O but this be suitable to Sinners and if ye think your selves Sinners prejudge not your selves of the benefite of a Saviour This should be a distinct Sermon EVery expression that the Ptophet useth to set forth the grace of God in Jesus Christ to sinners by is more wonderful then another because indeed every thing that he expresseth is more wonderful then another And there is so much grace and infinite love in the way of the Gospel that it 's hard to know where there is most of it whether in its rise or in its execution whether in the decree of God or in Christs satisfaction whether in the benefits that we enjoy or in the way by which we are brought to enjoy them Sure all together make a wonder passing-great a most wonderful wonder even a world of wonders It is a wonder that as it is vers 5. he should be wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace should be on him and that by his stripes we should be healed And when here he comes to explain this and to shew how it came to pass that Jesus Christ suffered so much he holds out another new wonder All we like sheep have gone astray c. As if he had said would ye know how it came to pass that the Mediator behoved to suffer and suffer so much All we the Elect People of God had gone astray like so many wandring sheep as well as others not one excepted And there was not another way to recover and reclaim us but this The Lord Jehovah laid on him the iniquity of us all To recover us when we were lost Jesus Christ was substituted in our room by the eternal Decree of God and the iniquities of all of us who are his Elect people as to their punishment were laid upon him This then is the scope to shew the rise of Christs sufferings and how it came to pass that our Lord suffered and suffered so much the occasion of it was the Elects sin and the Fountain cause the Fathers laying of their sin on him by an eternal Decree and making him to answer for it according to that Decree with his undertaking which was the Covenant of Redemption whereof Christ's suffering was the execution Thus we have the Fountain whence our Lord's sufferings flowed He is in the Covenant of Redemption substitute judicially enacted the Elects Cautioner and takes on their debt and being substitute in their room Justice pursues the Claim and Sentence passes against him for making him answerable and liable to the debt of their sins Which sets out as it were a Judge on the Throne Jehovah and two Parties at the Bar We and Him We the Principal Debtors and Him the Cautioner Jesus Christ in our room and place The Law by which the Judge proceeds is the Covenant of Redemption And we the Principal Debtors not being Law-biding he is made liable to the Debt and on this ground the Sentence passes against him for satisfying what we were owing and hereupon followed his sufferings So then the rise of his sufferings is that it was so transacted by the Wise Just and Gracious God and thus this vers comes well in to explain and further to clear what he asserted in the former vers Though the words be few yet they are a great compend and sum of the Gospel How therefore to speak of them so as to unfold them aright is not easie And because the Devil who seeks by all means to marr the beauty of the Gospel doth more fiercely assault where most of its beauty shines and hath therefore stirred up several sorts of enemies to wrest these words and to obscure the beauty of grace that may be clearly seen in them We shall a little open the few words that are in this last part of the verse And the Lord hath laid on hIm the iniquity of us all Having spoken to the former part of it the last day In these few words then we have 1. something spoken of iniquity which three Parties have some acts about to wit 1. The Elect us all 2. Him to wit the Mediator 3. The Lord to wit Jehovah Then we have the express act of the Lord to wit his laying on Him the Mediator the iniquity of us all 1. As for this word iniquity by it is meant sometimes 1. Sin formally taken as it hath a disconformity to the Law of God and supposeth a spot and defect and so it is commonly taken when we pray for pardon of sin And when David says Psal 51. My sin is ever before me And Psal 38. My iniquity is gone over my head And so it is the transgression of the Law of God 2. It is sometimes taken for the effect that sin procureth and so it 's in effect the punishment of sin as Levit. 7. the 18 and 20. verses being compared together vers 18. it 's said He shall bear his iniquity which vers 20. is He shall be cut off and so it is clearly meant of the punishment of iniquity For to bear his iniquity and to be cut off are the same thing there And that word of Cain Gen. 4.14 My iniquity or punishment is greater then I can bear hath a manifest respect to Gods curse inflicted on him for his sin and is as if he had sald I will not get lived under the punishment that is inflicted upon me for every one that finds me will cut my throat and sometimes it is translated punishment as in that of Gen. 4.13 The Question then is Which of these two is understood here in this Text whether iniquity or sin formally taken or iniquity taken for the punishment thereof These who are called Antinomians plead that it is to be understood of sin formally taken But though it be hard so much as to mention this it being so blasphemous-like to assert that our blessed Lord Jesus should be formally a sinner and have the spots and defilementt of sin on him which we wonder that any Christian should dare to assert or presume to maintain Yet because this Scripture is alleadg'd for it we shall clear that iniquity is not here to be taken for sin formally but for sin in the punishment of it And the 1. reason that we give shall be drawn from the plain scope of the words the Prophet having in the 5. vers said that he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities The scope of this vers is to shew how it came to pâ—ss that Christ suffered and suffered so much which he doth by declaring that it could not be otherwise because the punishment of all the sins of the Elect was laid upon him And that which was called wounding and bruising in the former vers is here called on the matter a bearing of their iniquities for if they
overcome but when Christ came to satisfie Divine Justice for them all the Companies and Râ—giments of sins so to speak Rendezvouzed and brought in one formidable Army together met on Christ The word is well rendered here were laid on him being the same word in the Root that Saul used when he commanded Doeg to â—all upon the Lords Priests 1 Sam. 22.18 The word is Lay upon them or lay at them As when one is angry with another he will cry Lay upon him and this shews the exceeding greatness of Christs sufferings when all the sins of all the Elect met together as a huge and heavy Host did fall and do terrible execution upon our blessed Lord Jesus This then being the meaning of the words the Question is Whether the Lord Jehovah did lay this punishment really upon Christ or whether as Socinians fondly imagine he only intâ—rceeded for them But for Answer 1. What sort of meaning of the words would that be I pray The Lord made the inâ—quities of us all to interceed on him when the Tâ—xt sayes plainly that they were laid on him and on the matter that he bare them and â—xprâ—sly so vers 11. For he shall bear their iniquities Yea 2. Consider the scope and it câ—mes in as a reason why Christ suffered â—o much and would that can any thiâ—k be a good reason for so great and grievous sufferings undergone by Christ that God made him to interceed for all the sins of the Elect But if you look upon the words in their true meaning they are a clear reason why he was wounded exceedingly bruised and chastened and why he endured so many stripes even because all the sins of all his Elect met on him because he was made to bear the punishment of them all Also the words following clear it He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken And Gal. 3. He was made a curse for us He suffered the just for the unyust He actually and really suffered that which we should have suffered If it be asked Wh t is this to lay iniquity on Christ Or how is it said that the iniquity of the Elect was laid on him Or in what respect I answer 1. In respect of Gods eternal Covenant the punishment due for our sins is laid upon him by an eternal deliberat Counsel or Consultation of the Persons of the God-head Wherein as we shew before Christ enters Surety for us accepts of and engages to pay our debt 2. In respect of Gods actual pursuing Christ having thus engaged himself putting in his hand the Cup and making him drink and the Bill of our account and making him countable 3. In respect of Gods acceptation of that satisfaction which Christ performed and payed down for them This being the meaning of the words we come to point at some things from them and the very opening of them may give us some In-sight in the way of the Gospel and of a notable ground of footing to our Faith If we could rightly apprehend God making this transaction with the Mediator we might not only have a ground to our Faith but a great encouragement to come to Christ and to rest on him who hath thus fisted himself in our room before the Tribunal of Diving Justice and it would waken and warm Faith and Love towards him But Observe here more particularly 1. That all the Elect People of God are lyIng under iniquity even as others This we spoke to the last day and shall not repeat what was then said It 's with respect to iniquity in the Elect that all the business of Redemption is transacted and from hence as the occasion it hath its rise even from God's being offended and from the necessity of a Mediator For this doth presuppose our debt and a standing sentence against us till Christ interposed for the removing of it 2. From its being said before that every one turned to his own way and here that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Observe that every one of the Elect beside the common state of sin wherein all are hath his own particular guilt that is in his own way This is clearly holden out here while it is said that not only like sheep we have gone astray but that every one hath turned to his own way Which as it holds forth a way in them all different from God's way so also a way in every one of them somewhat different from anothers way And this is called a walking in the counsel of our own heart Psal 81. and a mans own sore 2 Chron. 6.29 and a mans own iniquity Psal 18.23 Because it 's in a special manner his To clear it a little consider that sin is peculiar to a Believer or may be called his own way in these respects 1. In respect of his being more addicted to one sin then another which is usually called a mans predominant Two men may both be covetous and passionat but the one of them may be called a covetous man because he is especially given to that sin of covetousness and the other may be called a passionat man because he is especially given to passion 2. In respect of some peculiar aggravating circumstances Though we will not dar particularly to determine as to persons yet if we look thorow all men and women it will be readily found that there is some sin which in respect of some or several aggravations is in some a greater sin then it is in others And hereby God hath given ground of humiliation to all There is not a man as we just now hinted but readily he hath an evil which is at a greater hight in him then in another As for instance one may be given more to the sin of Drunkenness another more to Hypocrisie another more to Uncleanness c. I do not speak so much here of the divers kinds of sin as of the several aggravations of this or that sin that they are given to such and such a man may have aggravations that will aggrege such a predominant evil in him far beyond what it is in others And it is from this ground that a Believer not in a complementing way but most really and sincerely doeth call and account himself the chief of sinners because there are some aggravations that elevat his sin above the sins of others or above that same sin in others as a weak Believer may have some one good thing in him more commendable than it is in a stronger Believer so the stronger Believer may have some one sin that in respect of its aggravations may give him ground to look on himself as beyond others in sin Use 1. It serves much for our Humiliation in as far as this adds to our sinfulness There are none of us but beside the common way of sinning incident to all we have something that is peculiar to our selves we have our own way wherewith we
stand on it when seriously taken with but may submit to his Righteousness and say Be it so Lord I am content to take what thou freely offerest And the more sinful and lost ye be in your selves when suitably affected therewith the more wonderful is the grace of God in the Plot of your Redemption the more strong is your consolation and the greater ground of believing have ye your sins do not surprize God nor the Mediator the Bargain was made before your sins were committed and therefore the price must reach them even when they are all summed up together He was content to accept of them so as to satisfie for them and blessed be he for evermore that accepted of the bargain and payed the price according to his undertaking SERMON XXVI ISAIAH LIII VI Vers 6. All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all IN the former verse the Prophet hath asserted three most wonderful truths and very concerning to the people of God and yet such truths as will not be easie got digested by natural reason 1. That our Lord Jesus was put to sore and sad sufferings He was wounded and bruised c. 2. That these sad sufferings were for us the Elect it was for our sins and what was due to the Elect he was made to bear them He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities 3. The end of these sufferings or the effect that followed on them to us pardon of sin peace with God and healing The chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed And each of these being more wonderful then another therefore the Prophet goes on to clear their rise which is no less wonderful How it came to pass that he suffered and suffered so much and that we have such benefite by his sufferings It could not would he say be otherwayes but it behoved our Lord Jesus to suffer and to suffer so much and for us Neitheir was it unreasonable that it should be for our benefite For we had all like lost sheep gone astray and every one of us had turned to his own way And there was no way of relief for us but by Christ's stepping into our room and interposing for us and ingaging to pay our debt and by vertue of that interposition and bargain The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And therefore 1. Would ye have the reason of Christ's so great sufferings Here it is the Elect had many sins and he interposing for them their compt was scored-out and they were reckoned on his score 2. If the cause and reason be asked How it came to pass thaâ— Christ suffered so much for us Here it is he undertook to satisfie for our iniquities and God imputed them to him Even as if a Dyvour were pursued and one should step in and be Cautioner for him and being enacted Surety should take on and become lyable for the Debt The exacting it of him is the laying it on him But 3. If it be asked how it comes to pass that his sufferings become our healing and bring peace to us It is answered it was so transacted and agreed upon He was content to pay all our debt and the Father accepted of his payment for ours Our blessed Lord Jesus engaging and satisfying the Elect are set free and Justice betaketh it self to him as the more responsal Party This is the scope of the words which though but few yet exceeding full and signâ—ficant as holding out the fountain and fundamental grounds of the Gospel We shall look upon them in these three respects 1. As they imply a Covenant and Transaction whereby the Elects sins are transacted on Christ and his righteousness is made application of to them Christ undertaking to pay their debt and Jehovah accepting thereof and promising that his satisfaction made for the behove of the Elect shall be applyed to them 2. In respect of the effects which are two Which though they seem contrary the one to the other yet they are well consistent together and subordinat the one of them to the other The 1. is of Justice on Christs side he satisfies for the debt due by the Elect. The 2. is of Mercy and Grace to the Elect which is also implyed but comparing these words with the former it is very clear He is wounded and bruised and they are healed the chastisement of their peace was on him the imputing of their debt to him makes that it is not imputed to them 3. In respect of the influence that the eternal Covenant hath on these effects it lays down the way how these may be justly brought about which is the scope of all even to shew how Christ Jesus being the innocent Son of God and without sin was made lyable to the debt of the Elects sin He became Cautioner for them and is made lyable on that account to satisfie for them It clears also how his sufferings stood for theirs which may seem to be unreasonable and unjust among men that the sufferings of an innocent party should stand for the guilty It was so articled in the Covenant of Redemption that the Son as Mediator interposing and undertaking to pay the Elects debt the Lord Jehovah the Creditor should not reckon it on their score but on the Mediators and that he should count for it The Prophet in every verse almost is striking on the sweet and pleasant string of this noble plot and contrivance of God concâ—rning the Redemption of Elect sinners called the Covenant of Redemption Which these words considered with respect to their scope do in all the parts of it clearly hold out And therefore the clearing of it being the clearing of a main ground of our Faith in reference to Christs sufferings and to the way how they are made forth-coming to us and withal to the benefits that come by them to us we cannot speak too much nor too often of it if we could speak of it suitably to the passing excellency of the matter The first Doctrine supposed here is that there is an eternal Covenant and Transaction betwixt the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator wherein the whole business concerning the Redemption and Salvation of the Elect is câ—ntrived There is an eternal Covenant past betwixt God and the Mâ—diator wherein all that is executed or will be concerning the Elect till the day of Judgement was contrived There is nothing relating to the Elects Salvation but it was in this Transaction exactly contrived and laid down even as it is in time executed And it 's called a Covenant in Scrip ure and we call it so not strictly and properly as if all things in Covenanâ—s among men were in it but because materially and substantially it is so and the resemblance will hold for the most part The Lord having laid down in it the plot of man's Salvation in
the Elect in their highest and most aggravating circumstances the particular reckoning of them all as it were being cast up they are all put on his score 3. All these meet togcther in a great Sea and shock upon him at one time as they came from several Airts like so many Rivers Or they were like so many Regiments or rather Armies of men all meeting together and Marshalled to fall pell mell to say so on him One sin were enough to condemn the many sins of one is more but all the sins of all the Elect is much more They deserved to have lyen in Hell eternally but he coming in their room all their sins met as the violent preass of Waters on him What then behoved his sufferings to be when he was so put to it for all the sins of all the Elect and that at once Use 3. We may gather hence a just account of the truth of Christ's satisfaction and a ground of refutation of the Socinian error a blasphemy which is most abominable to be once mentioned as if our Lord had suffered all this only to give us an example and as if there had not been a proportionable satisfaction in his sufferings to our debt nor an intention to satisfie Justice thereby Every verse almost not to say every word in this Chapter refutes this If he had not satisfied for our sins why is he said to be here on the matter put in our room And if his sufferings had not been very great what needed the Prophet to shew the reason of his great sufferings in all the sins of all the Elect their meeting on him There was sure a particular respect had to this even to shew that the meeting of all these sins of all the Elect together upon Christ did cause and procure great and extream sufferings to him He suffered the more that they had had so many sins seing their many sins are given for the cause of his so much suffering Use 4. Here is great ground of consolation to believing sinners Out of this eater comes meat and out of this strong comes sweet The more sharp and bitter these sufferings were to Christ the report of them is in some respect the more savoury and sweet to the Believer whose effectual Calling discovers his Election And indeed I cannot tell how many grounds of consolation Believers have from this Doctrine But 1. If they have sinned there is here a Saviour provided for them 2. This Saviour hath undertaken their debt 3. He hath undertaken it with the Fathers allowance 4. As he hath undertaken it so the Father hath laid on him all their iniquity 5. All the Elect come in here together in one Roll and there is but one Covenant and one Mediator for them all The sin of the poor body of the weakest and meanest is transacted on him as well as the sin of Abraham that great friend of God and Father of the Faithful and the Salvation of the one is as sure as the Salvation of the other All Believers from the strongest to the weakest have but one Right of Charter to Heaven but one holding of the Inheritance 6. The Lord hath laid on him all the iniquities of all the Elect with a particular respect to all their aggravations and to all the several ways that they have turned to sin Their Original sin and all their actual transgressions with their particular predominants as to their punishment And there is reason for it because the Elect could not satisfie for the least sin And it is necessary for the glorifying of Grace that the Glory of the work of their Salvation be not halfed but solely and singlely ascribed and given to God therefore the satisfaction comes all on the Mediators account and none of it on theirs 7. All this is really done and performed by the Mediator without any suit or request of the Elect or of the Believer at least as the procuring cause thereof He buyes and purchases what is needful for them and pays for their discharge And they have no more to do but to call for an extract and to take a sealed remission by his blood The application whereof the Uses that follow will give occasion to speak to Use 5. Since it is so then none would think little of sin which checks the great presumption that is amongst men and women who think little and light of sin and that it is an easie matter to come by the pardon of it They think there is no more to do but barely and baâ—chly to confess they have sinned and to say God is merciful and hence they conclude that God will not reckon with them But did he reckon with the Mediator and that so holily rigidly and severely too and will he think ye spare you If he dealt so with the green tree what will become of the dry Be not deceived God will not be mocked And therefore 6ly As the close of all see here the absolute necessity of sharing in Christs satisfaction and of having an interest therein by this Covenant derived unto you else know that ye must count for your own sins And if so woe eternally to you Therefore either betake your selves to the Mediator that by his Eye-salve ye may see that by his Gold ye may be inriched that by his Garments ye may be cloathed that the shame of your nakedness do not appear And that ye may by being justified by his knowledge be free from the wrath to come or otherwayes ye must and shall ly under it for ever Thus ye have the fulness of Gods Covenant on the one side and the weightiness and terribleness of Gods wrath on the other side laid before you If ye knew what a fearful thing his wrath were ye would be glad at your hearts to hear of a Saviour and every one would run and make haste to be found in him and to share of his satisfaction and to be sure of a discharge by vertue of his payment of the debt and they would give all diligence to make sure their Calling and Election For that end the Lord himself powerfully perswade you to do so SERMON XXVII ISAIAH LIII VII Vers 7. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth THough the news of a suffering Mediator seem to be a sad subject yet it hath been is and will be the great Subject of the Gospel and of the gladest tidings that ever sinners heard This being the great thing that they ought in a special manner to know even Jesus Christ and him crucified The Prophet here takes a special delight to insist on it and in one verse after another hath some new thing of his suffering Having in the former verse spoken to the occasion ground and rise of his sufferings to wit the Elects straying like sheep their wandering and turning
every one to their own way and the Lord 's laying on him the iniquity of them all The Elect that were given to Christ being naturally at enmity with God and having run on in the course of their sinful nature to the provoking God And there being no way for them to escape the wrath which by their sin they had deserved till the Lord found out this mids to wit the second Person interposing as their Mediator and Surety and ingageing to pay their debt On which followed the imputing of all their iniquities to him according to the transaction made about them Which transaction being laid down as we have heard the Prophet proceeds to shew Christ's executing and performing of the transaction And because it might be thought that it was so great matter as could not but have much sad and sore suffering following upon it to take on all our iniquities He answers that notwithstanding of all that yet he took them on and that very willingly and chearfully Or because it might be thought that the former words look as if God had laid the punishment of our iniquity on him and that he had not taken it on himself the Prophet tells us that it is nothing so but that there was a mutual Covenant betwixt God and the Mediator and that the Mediator was as well content to bear the iniquity of the Elect as the Father was content to lay it on him And that though he was exacted upon oppressed afflicted and suffered sad stroaks yet he rewed not the bargain but went on resolutely in paying the ransom of the Elect as singly as ever a sheep went to the slaughter or as it is dumb before the shearer so he opened not his mouth to speak against it There are three things asserted here that serve to make up the scope supposing the transaction to have gone before 1. The Fathers exacting the Elects debt of the Mediator 2. The Mediators yielding and satisfying 3. The manner how he did it willingly readily and chearfully We shall first open the words a little and then speak to some Doctrines from them reserving the Uses to the close of all 1. Where it is said He was oppressed the word signifies to exact And we find it three wayes applyed in Scripture 1. To the exacting of Tribute as 2 King 23.33 Where it is said That Pharaoh Necho who put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold it 's the same word that is here 2. Sometimes it 's applyed to the exacting of debts As when a man is put to the Horn and Caption and Imprisonment follows upon it So Deut. 15.2 When the Lord tells his people that the creditor shall not exact of his neighbour or of his brother in the year of release 3. It 's applyed to the exacting of labour as Isai 58 3. ye exact all your labour And Exod. 1.11 The word Task masters comes from the same root This being the ordinary signification of the word it 's turned here oppressing figuratively because such Exacters and Task masters in their rigorous usage of these whom they exact upon are often oppressive And there being no Noun prefixed to the words in the Original they may stand as well thus It was exacted of him That which he was ingaged to pay he was fully exacted upon for it to the least farthing Or take the words as they stand here he was oppressed that is as we use to speak stressed or distressed for our debt He was not only ingaged but according to his ingagement was put hard to it to satisfie 2. It is said He was afflicted which is sometimes rendered to answer And these two agree very well together he was exacted upon and he answered the debt As when a Bill of Exchange for such a Sum is drawn upon a man and he answers it And this Exposition runs well and smoothly with the words following Yet he opened not his mouth He used no defence to elude or shift the debt He said not that it was not his but he answered it indeed and in a word said nothing to the contrary Or taking the words as here they stand translated He was afflicted they signifie the effect that follows on his being exacted upon Though it brake him not yet it brought him very low even to an afflicted condition The 3. thing is that though he was brought thus low and though it was not for his own but for other folks debt which usually troubles men most Yet he opened not his mouth to shew his wonderful condescendency and the great love from which it flows He payed the Elects debt with as good will and as pleasantly as if it had been his own proper and personal debt Though he was the Son of God and God equal with the Father and might have brought Legions of Angels to destroy his enemies yet as the lambs brought to the slaughter and as the sheep before the shearer is dumb so he opened not his mouth And it may be that there is not only here relation or respect had to the sheep as it is an innocent harmless simple tractable creature and not untoward and refractory as a Bull or ox useth to be But also respect had to it as it was made use of in the Sâ—crifices And so the meaning is he yielded his life willingly when none could take it from him for performing the Indentor to say so and for satisfying the transaction past betwixt Jehovah and him So having shown how it comes to pass that Christ suffered and suffered so much and was brought so low under suffering And having told that he was ingaged to pay the Elects debt and that the Father had laid their iniquities on him Lest any might think that the Father would have spared his own Son no saith the Prophet He was oppressed and not only so but afflicted and humbled And lest it should have been thought that the Lord Jehavah had better will to the bargain than the Mediator had It is added that he did satisfie the debt as willingly as the Father laid it on him as these similitudes made use of plainly hold forth Take these Observations from the words 1. That our Lord Jesus having entered himself Surety for sinners he was really put at and Justice exacted the debt of him which he had undertaken and engaged to pay Read the whole story of the Gospel and it will make out this It 's said by himself Luke 24. It behoved the Son of Man to suffer these things and then to enter into his glory He must needs go to Jerusalem and suffer And when the Cup is in his hand and his Holy Humane Nature having a sinless scaring at it makes him pray Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Yet seing here was a necessity that either he should drink it or that the Elect should perish In the very next words he sweetly subjoyns Not my will but thy will
be done And so hotly and hardly was he pursued by Justice that he must needs come to the cursed death of the Cross and actually die And as if death had gotten a piece of dominion over the Lord of Life he is laid in the grave So Zech. 13. the Lord saith Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow smite the shepherd Where we see that when the good Shepherd and great Bishop of Souls hath undertaken for the Elects debt Justice gives a Commission as it were to its own holy revenge to pursue the man that is God's fellow for that debt That which we design to confirm in the Doctrine is not only that our Lord Jesus suffered but that his suffering was by Justice it's exacting of him the debt of the Elects sin according to the engagement that he came under to the Father For the scope is to shew not only that he suffered so great things as oppressed and brought him very low But also that he was put at by Justice in these sad sufferings to pay the debt that he had taken on For confirming and clearing of this a little ye may consider 1. The Titles which he gets in Scripture he is called the Cautioner or Surety of the better Testament or Covenant Heb. 7.22 And by that Title he is shewed to be instated in our room and answerable for our debt And he is called the Lamb that takes away the debt of our sin by the sacrifice of himself He steped in into our place and kept off the stroak of the Sword of Justice that would have lighted on us had he not interposed 2. Consider the Titles which his sufferings and death gets Heb. 9.12 He is said to purchase to wit by it eternal Redemption for us And Rom. 3.24 we are said to be justified through the Redemption that is in Jesus We were slaves to the Devil subject to the curse discerned and adjudged to suffer for the wrongs that we had done to Justice And his suffering is called Redemption because as the man that redeems the Captive gives a ransom for him so he interposed and payed a ransom for us It 's also called a propitiation 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins to wit pleasing to God and accepted of him in the room of all the Elect And this word propitiation as it supposeth God's being displeased with the Elect before Christ's satisfaction so it plainly holds forth his being well pleased with them on the account of his satisfaction 3. Consider these Scriptures that speak not only of Christ's sufferings but of their end and scope even the drawing of him down to speak so into the Elects room as v. 5. of this Chapter He was wounded for our transgressions c. He got the stroaks and we got the cure 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God through him We are sinners and Christ is to purchase righteousness to us And the way how he doth it is by steping in into our room and becoming our Cautioner and he ingaging as Surety the Law wins at him on that ground so Gal. 3.13 He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us we were under the Curse and lyable to be pursued by it and our Lord Jesus becomes a Curse to deliver us from it Considering then the end of Gods Covenant which is to glorify his Justice aâ—d Grace that Sinners may know it is an evil thing to sin and depart from God and that Grace is a very costly thing whereunto he hath made access through the Vail which is his Flesh and considering Christs undertaking without which they could not be set free it could not be otherways This is a truth that hath in it much of the marrow of the Gospel and tends much to humble us and is also very much for our comfort What was Justice seeking of Christ when he suffered and was in an agony if thou beest a Believer or an elect Sinner it was even exacting thy Debt of him and would it not affect an ingenuous Debtor to see his Cautioner dragged haled and hurried to Prison for his Debt Even so if we could look on Christs Sufferings as so many Summons and Pursevants arresting him for our Debt it could not but affect us with much sorrow for our sins that brought him to this and with much love to him who was content to be so dealt with for them and no doubt this is one of the reasons why he will have his death remembered till he come again even that we may see our obligation to him and be suitably affected with it 2ly Observe That the Debt of the Elects sins was severely and with holy rigidity exacted of Christ to the very full worth or value this proceeding was as to Christ by way of Justice whether we look to the purchase that he made to wit the Elects Souls he laid down as good in their room or whether we look to a Transaction or Bargain going before whatever was in the stipulation he payed and satisfied to the full nothing was remitted nor given him down or whether we look to the Curse due to the Elect that was inflicted on him and he himself was made a Curse for us looking on the Curse simply as penal and what was bitter in it which shews his condescendency in his Sufferings so much the more 3ly Observe That our Lord Jesus was brought exceeding low while the Debt of the Elect was exacted of him He was put to exceeding sore affliction much straitned and stressed by the Justice of God exacting of him the Debt due by elect Sinners We spoke to some words before which bare out this as he was wounded bruised chastified c. and now we see the effect here when Justice puts him to it After he hath taken on the Debt he is tried stripped as it were to the skin punished and distressed ere he get it payed If we consider our Lord Jesus as God he is neither less nor more punished being so considered utterly incapable of any such thing But if we look on him as Mediator God-man God much withdrawing from him the influence of his comforting presence while he hath the cup of wrath in his hand so he is brought exceeding low and sadly afflicted And these four considerations under which we may see him paying our Debt may clear it 1. That he laid aside the glory which before the World was he had with the Father for a time which therefore that it may be restored to him again he prayeth John 17.5 it having been as to the manifestation thereof in his person eclipsed interrupted and darkened for a season hence the Apostle says Philip. 2. that he emptied himself and became of no reputation as if his glory had not been discernable for a time He that is Judge of Quick and Dead is himself
judged He that created Heaven and Earth hath not whereon to lay his head Though all the kings of the Earth hold their Treasures of him yet he was so poor that he lives upon the alms of others for women ministred unto him 2. Not only hath he a Being that is mean and low but he is exceedingly afflicted he suffered hunger he is pursued as if he had been a thief or a robber a band of men comes and apprehends him in the night as if he had been a Malefactor or Evil-doer and drags him away to the civil Judge his back is smitten his face is spitted on his head ratted and pricked with thorns sentence is passed upon him he is condemned and scourged and when he dow not bear his own cross his body being a true humane body is so fainted and infeeblâ—d it 's accounted a favour that he gets one Simon to help him to bear it or to bear it afteâ— him which is not markâ—d to shew that they did him any kindness or courtesie beyond others but to hold out the low and weak condition he was brought into that he was not able to bear it himseâ—f and not only so but he must come to death and to the shameful and cursed death of the Cross and he dies very quickly further to point out his lowness which was such that death overcame him sooner than the others because he had other things to wrestle with 3. In his name he suffered he was repâ—oached nodded at with the head reviled mocked sent about as a spectacle from Pilate to Herod back again from Herod to Pilate He had a scarlet rob put on him in derision the high Priests also deride him the Jews wag the head at him and count him not at all worthy to live and therefore prefer a Robber and Murderer to him 4. Consider his inward sufferings O! these were far more piercing Justice laid claim to his soul the sorrows of hell compassed him his soul is heavy unto the death he sweats blood and crys if it be possible that that wrathful cup might pass from him and on the Cross with a pitiful voice my God my God why hast thou forsaken me which by the way is not an expression of any quarrelling complaint or discouragement but of sinless nature when he is arraigned and made to stand before the Tribunal of God affected with the horrour of divine Wrath and cannot easily endure that there should be a Cloud betwixt God and him But these Soul-sufferings of his will fall in to be spoken to afterwards only we see here that he was afflicted and in suffering was greatly humbled and brought very low And indeed considering that all the Elects sins were laid upon him and that Justice was exacting all their Debt of him he could not be otherways but behoved to be exceedingly afflicted and sore distressed 4ly Observe That forasmuch as our Lord suffered yet he did most willingly and chearfully undergo it all He thwarted not with it he repented not he grudged not he flinshed not nor drew aback or which is to the same purpose our Lord Jesus in his lowest humiliation and affliction and all â—longst his deepest suffering shewed exceeding great willingness desirousness and heartsomness That word was always true of him I delight to do thy will O my God and the Prophet holds out this as a great wonder that though he was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth We shall for clearing of this propose these Considerationâ— 1. In his undertaking of the Bargain his willingness appears when burnt Offerings and Sacrifices would not do it and when there was no obligation on him to do what he did then comes in his free offer and consent and that with delight Psal 40. Then said I Lo I come in the volum of thy book it 's written of me I delight to do thy will O my God where we see that there was no extorting or throwing of a consent from the Mediator against his will but a delightsome offering of it and that word of his Prov. 8. is very remarkable to this purpose Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and my delight was with the sons of men The contemplation and foresight of his Incarnation and Suffering for the Elect was to speak so refreshing to him and made him leap as it were for joy ere the World was made and before they had a Being 2. Consider the great things that he undertook not only to be Man but a poor mean man It had been much for him to have humbled himself to be Monarch of the whole World as his vain and prophane pretended Vicar the Pope of Rome claims to be yet he not only will not be so but emptied himself and became a worm in a manner and no man an out-cast of the people O such a proof of his love And when he took the Cup that bitter Cup and said Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me lest it should seem a thwarting with the work of Redemption and with his Fathers will therein He says let it come Father not my will but thine be done 3. Consider the manner of his Suffering and we will see a further proof of his willingness How little pains takes he to escape them yea when Peter labours to diswade him Mat. 16. from suffering he disdains and rejects the suggestion with a severe check Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence unto me thou savourest not the things that be of God but of men and when his Disciples said to him resolving to go up again to Judea John 11.8 Master the Jews of late sought to stone thee and wilt thou go thither again He will needs go up notwithstanding and when they were going up to Jerusalem Mark 10 32. He went before all the rest to wit at a swift pace and Luk. 12.50 he says I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Never did men long so much for their Marriage-day and for the day of their triumph as our Lord Jesus did to get the Elects Debt payed and their Discharge extracted and drawen out 4. Consider his easiness and willingness to be taken He goes forth John 18. to meet the band of Souldiers that came with the Traitor to apprehend him and asks them again and again whom seek ye and says as often I am he he will not suffer his Disciples to draw a sword in his defence Matth. 26. but when Peter drew his sword he bade him put it up again for he could have commanded more then twelve legions of angels but it behoveth him now to suffer he came for another end than to oppose his sufferings and hence he says John 10. No man takes my life from me but I lay it down of my self and I have power to take it up again it was neither Judas nor Pilate that took his life against his will but he willingâ—y laid
it down for either the Elect behoved to die or he himself and since it is so as if he said then behold here is my life take it and I will lay it down that they poor things may go free and therefore does my Father love me says he because I lay down my life for my sheep not because it 's taken from me against my will but because I wiâ—lingly and of my self lay it down and when he is brought before Pilate and Herod and they lay many things to his charge Mat. 26.63 and Mark 15. He held his peace so that it 's said that Pilate marvelled Mark 15. he knew that he could not but have much to say for himself as all men in such a case use to have but he answered nothing or as it 's in the Text yet he opened not his mouth the reason was because he would not divert the course of Justice nor mar the Lords design in the work of the Elects Redemption through his death and sufferings He came not into the world to accuse Pilate or the Jews and to justifie himself though now and then for the conviction of enemies and for his own necessary clearing he did let a word fall but being engaged for the Elect he wil needs perform all that Justice called for And in this willingness he hath a respect to two things 1. To the Fathers satisfaction for his willing suffering is that which makes it a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to him 2. To the Elects consolation that they may know thâ—y had a willing Saviour that had no necessity laid on him to satisfie but satisfiâ—d willingly And from these two arises a third even the glory of the Mediators satisfaction for herein his love to the Elect shines brightly I lay down my life for my sheep this is the heart-waâ—ming commendation of his sufferings that with delight and pleasure he underwent them as if he had been purchasing a kingdom to himself Now to come to the Use of all these Doctrines when they with the things contained in them are laid together we profess we cannot tell you what excellent Uses they yield Would to God we were all in such a frame as the Eunuch was in when he read this Scripture as tâ—e divine History gives us an account Acts 8. ver 32. and forward who when Philip had begun to preacâ— to him on this excellent suâ—ject was so taken that before the Sermon or Discourse was at an end be ng holily impatient at any longer delay he says to Philip Here is water what hinders me to be baptized I say again would to God we were all in such a frame and that this were the fruit of such a Doctrine as this to many of you nay to all of you Use 1. Wonder Believers at the extensiveness and infinitness of the Grace of God and at the heart-affecting and soul-ravishing love of the Mediator at Grace in God that spared the Debtor and exacted payment from the Cautioner the Son of his love at love in the Mediator that payed so much and so willingly and cheerfully If any subject of thoughts be pertinent for us while we are about to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Supper certainly this were pertinent concerning a crucified Christ in stating himself in our room to pay our Debt and doing this of his own accord without the solicitation or interposing of any Creature and doing it withall so frankly and cheerfully Was ever the like of this love heard tell of for one and more especially for such a one to suffer so much and so cheerfully unrequired we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this great and sweet Truth that he had never better will nay never so good will to eat his Dinner then and as he had to suffer and satisfie Justice for you though at a dear rate He says John 4. It was his meat to do the fathers will that sent him and to finish his work Have ye suitable thoughts of his love when ye read the Gospel have ye in the Word seen him standing before Pilate in your room not answering when he is accused and Pilate marvelling at his silence and did Pilate marvel knowing and being convinced of his innocency and have ye never marvelled or marvelled but very little sure your little marvelling at his silence is the more sadly marvellous that the cause of his silence when he was charged with your iniquities with such and such a piece of your miscarriage with such a vain and roaving heart with such a wanton look with such a profane or idle word of yours with the horrid sin of your having so abused slighted and neglected him c. that the cause I say of his silence at such a terrible accusation and charge and not vindicating of himself or saying these faults miscarriages and transgressions are not mine as he might have done was pure love to you O! is not this strange and yet most true wonder then more at it Use 2. Here is strong consolation to Believers and wonderful wisdom in the rise and convey of it in uniting Justice and Love out of which the consolation springs Justice exacting upon and distressing the Son of God and he satisfying Justice so fully that though all the Elect had satisfied eternally in Hell it had not been made to shine so splendidly and gloriously Justice also on the Mediators side in yielding and giving satisfaction though it should oppress and break Soul and Body And yet love both on the Father and Mediators side on the Fathers side love in finding out this way of satisfaction to his own Justice when there was no cure but by wounding of his own Son and yet he was content rather to wound him than that the Elect should suffer and be wounded eternally and love on the Mediators side who willingly yields and undergoes their Debt and will not hide his face from shame and spitting what may not the Believer expect from God when he spared not his own Son for him and what may he expect from Christ who spared not himself for his sake and who is that good Shepherd that laid down his life for the Sheep and held his tongue and quarrelled not with those that smote him will he quarrel with a poor Sinner coming to him and pleading for the benefite of satisfaction no certainly but as the word is Zeph. 3.17 He will rest in his love or as the word signifies He will be silent or dumb in his love he will not upbraid thee nor cast up thy former miscarriages he will not say reproachfully to thee where wast thou so long playing the Prodigal he is better content with thy recovery than ever he was discontent or ill-pleased with all the wrong thou didst unto him Use 3. This word of Doctrine lays down the ground whereupon a sinner sensible of sin may build his expectation of peace with God The transaction concluded and agreed upon is the ground of his coming
and the exacting of the price according to the transaction is the ground of his expectation of the benefit of Christs purchase And there is Justice for it as the Apostle intimats Rom. 8.34 35. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. And upon this follows the believing souls triumph O! but there is much need to be thorowly acquainted with the mutual relations that are betwixt Christ and believing sinners with the ground of their approaching to him and with the good they are to expect through him Use 4. This word is made use of 1 Pet. 2.21 To give us a notable and none such pattern of patience Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He did bear all wrongs patiently and packed them up quietly to say so and opened not his mouth He could have told Pilate and Caiaphas what they were but spoke not a word save one to the High Priest notwithstanding all his provoking carriage and a very meek one too If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil and if well why smitest thou me Among other Copies then that Christ hath casten take this for one make him a Copy and Pattern for Patience It is to be regrated that folks are so unlike to Christ in this respect they think it a disdainful thing to pack up a wrong and they will scorn and rush at it But what if Jesus Christ had been of that temper and disposition if it be fit to make such a supposition ye had been without a Redeemer and had perished for ever When he calls you to be followers of him and to suffer patiently as he did though most unjustly as to men for you to think or say that ye scorn it and that ye are not so mean spirited what is it else but to think and say on the matter that blessed Jesus in his patient and silent carriage under all the injuries that he suffered very unjustly from men shewed himself to be of a low and base spirit and that ye disdain to follow his way O! intollerably saucy and proudly blasphemous reflection The many contests the many high reâ—entments of wrongs the great grudging frettiâ—g and foaming at them that there are in Châ—istians say plainly that there is little of the meek and patient Spirit of Christ in and amongst us and that many of us know not what spirit we are of SERMON XXVIII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken WE need not tell you of whom the Prophet is speaking here every verse and every word almost do make it manifest that he speaks of Christ the Saviour and indeed it can be applyed to none other It 's the same verse Acts 8.34 from which Philip proceeds to preach Christ to the Eunuch The Prophet hath been largely holding forth Christ's sufferings in the former verse and we conceive he takes a turn to speak of Christ's exaltation and out gate from these sufferings It 's true as if he had said He was brought to Prison and Judgement He was indeed straitned and pinched and laid very low but Prison and Judgement did not keep him He was taken or as the word is He was lift up from both And for as despicable as he was in man's eyes yet he was not so in himself for who shall declare his generation There is a wonderfulness in him who suffered that cannot be reached but must be left with admiration And a wonderfuâ— glory whereunto he was after his humiliation exalted and there is a reason of this given for preventing of offence if any should say how then could he suffer and be brought so low in suffering if he was so glorious a persoâ— He answers it is true that he was cut off out of the land of the living but for no offence in himself but for the transgression of Gods Elect was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was upon him Yea this as we conceive is given as a reason of his exaltation Because in the lowest steps of his humiliation he condescended to fulfil his ingagement to the Father in satisfying Justice for the sins of the Elect according to that of John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again Because according to his ingagement he suffered for the sins of his Elect People therefore he could not but have a comfortable and glorious outgate There are these three things in the words 1. Somewhat asserted concerning Christ Jesus He was taken from Prison and from Judgement 2. Something hinted at which cannot be expressed Who shall declare his generation 3. There is a reason given in reference to both For he was cut off c. which we shall expound when we come to it For the first He was taken from Prison and from Judgement We conceive these words look both to his humiliation and to his out-gate from it the one being clearly supposed that he was in prison or straits and brought to judgement and the other being expressed that he was brought from prison and from judgement 1. Prison here may be taken generally for any strait pinch or pressour thaâ— one may be brought unto which we conceâ—ve both the Words and the Prophets scope will clear Christ never having been properly in prison at least for any considerable time but straitned and pinched And he was taken from that being in his humiliation and in his sufferings in the room of the Elect pursued by the Law and Justice of God 2. Judgement is taken passively for Judgement past on him and it looks not only to the procedour of Pilate of the Chief Priest and of the Scribes and Pharisees but to a Judicial Process which the Justice of God led against him in which respect he answered as the words after will clear for the sins of God's people 3. The word He was eaken sometimes signifies to deliver as a Captive is delivered when he is taken from him that took him Captive as it is Isai 49.24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered To which the Lord here answers It or he shall be taken So then the scope and meaning of the words is that the Prophet subjoyns a narration of Christ's Exaltation upon the back of his Humiliation as it is usual in the Scripture to put these together and in this order as namely Philip. 2.8 9. He bumhled himself and became obedient unto death even to the death of the cross Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name c. He was exceedingly straitned and pinched for the Elects sins but death had
no dominion over him he had a glorious out-gate He was taken out and set free from the prison or straits wherein he was held And from these judgements that past upon him The reason of the Exposition is drawn from the plain meaning of the words which must run thus He was taken from judgement the very same which is in the following expression He was cut off out of the land of the living that being the ordinary signification of the preposition from the meaning must be this that he was taken out of the condition wherein he was It agrees also best with the scope of the very next words Who shall declare his generation Wherein he proposeth an admirable aggravation of this delivery The 2d thing hath a connexion with the former and therefore take a word or two for clearing of it What to understand by Generation here is somewhat difficult to determine the word in the Original having several meanings yet generally it looks to one of two as it is applyed to Christ 1. Either to the time past and so it 's used by many to express and hold forth Christ's God-head and so the meaning is though he was brought very low yet he was and is the eternal Son of God Or 2. as commonly it is taken it looks to the time to come and so the meaning is who shall declare his duration or continuance Generation is often taken thus in Scripture for the continuance of an Age and of one Age following another successively as Joshua 22. This Altar shall be a witness to the generations to come So then the meaning is he was once low but God exalted him and brought him thorow and who shall declare this duration or continuance of his exaltation As it is Phil. 2.8 9. He humbled himself c. Therefore God highly exalted him As his humiliation was low so his exaltation was ineffable it cannot be declared nor adequatly conceived the continuance of it being for ever There is no inconsistency betwixt these two Expositions His duration or continuance after his suffering necessarily presupposing his Godhead brought in here partly to shew the wonderfulness of his suffering it being God that suffered for the man that suffered was God Partly to shew Christ's glory who notwithstanding of his suffering was brought thorow and gloriously exalted And these reasons make it evident 1. Whatever these words Who shall declare his age or generation do signifie certainly it is something that can be spoken of no other but of Christ and that agrees to him so as it agrees to no other Now if we look simply to the eternity of his duration or continuance that agrees to all the Elect and will agree to all men at the Resurrection Therefore the Prophet must look here to his continuance and duration as he is God 2. Because Who shall declare his genaration is brought in here to shew the ineffableness of it and so to make his sufferings the more wonderful it was he who suffered whose continuance cannot be declared 3. It 's such a continuance as is brought in to shew a reason why death could not have dominion over him nor keep him according to that Rom. 1.4 He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead And the reason subjoyned to this will someway clear it for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken Thereby insinuating that because of the great work which he had to do there behoved to be some singularness in the person that had the work in hand who notwithstanding of the greatness and difficultness of it came thorow and was hereby exalted However it be the Prophets scope being to set out Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation his Humiliation before and his Exaltation after which is as we said ordinary in Scripture We conceive the meaning we have given is safe and agreeable to the Prophets scope We may observe three things from the first part of the words 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ in his performing the work of Redemption was exceedingly straitned or pinshed or held in as the word is elsewhere rendered bound up and hemmed in as men are who are in Prison and by these straitnings we mean not only such as he was brought into by and before men whereof we spoke before but especially these that were more inward and these being amongst the last steps of his Humiliation more immediately preceeding his Exaltation and spoken of as most wonderful we conceive they look to these pressures that were upon his spirit and we shall instance several places of Scripture that serve to hold them out the first is that of John 12.27 28. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour here our blessed Lord is troubled in Spirit and so pinshed and hedged in as in a Prison that he is holily non-plussed what to say The 2d Scripture is Matth. 26.38 My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death which is like the expressions used by the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.8 We were pressed above measure above strength in so much as we despaired of life and we had the sentence of death in our selves there was no outgate obvious to humane sense and uptaking so is it here wherein we are not only to consider his Soul vexation but that his Soul vexation was very great extreamly pinshing vexing and in a manner imprisoning to him The 3d Scripture is Luke 22.44 He being in an agony prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground there was such a striving wrestling and conflicting not with man without him but with inward pressures on his spirit that he is like one in a Barrace or Cockpit or engaged in a Duel with a mighty Combatant sore put to it very far beyond ought that we can conceive of so that he swat great drops of blood and says father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done it is in Matthew if it be possible and thereafter if it be not possible which says there was no winning out of the grips of the Law and Justice till they were fully satisfied and these dreadful words uttered by him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me hold out that from the sinless humane nature of Christ the comfortable and joyful influence of the God-head for a time was in a great measure suspended though the sustaining power thereof was exercised mightily on him so that he looks on himself some way as forsaken and left in the hand of the Curse To clear this a little we would consider these pressures that were on our Lords Spirit 1. In respect of their cause 2. In respect of their effects 1. In respect of their cause There is upon the one side his undertaking for
be libelled for sin though not for his own sin and what it was to be sentenced and to meet with wrath which gives to sinners a safe and refreshful shelter under him as under the shadow of a great rock in a weary land This is the great design of the Gospel to make proffer of the benefite of these sufferings to you and to pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God Now God himself perswade you to it SERMON XXIX ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken EVery step of Christs way to sinners and every word whereby it is exprest is wonderful And therefore it is no marvel that the Prophet doth by way of admiration cast in this word And who shall declare his generation We shew you that we conceive these words to be these that express the Prophets turning of himself from Christs Humiliation to his Exaltation He hath insisted long in setting out his wonderful abasement exinanition and humiliation which these words import He was brought from prison and from judgement Which look not only to his external imprisonment to his coming to judgement bâ—fore men but also and mainly and principally to the pinches and straits that he was brought into and his arraignment before Gods Tribunal and so to the cause of his suffering to wit for the transgression of his people as the words following hold out which was not the cause of his censure before men but the procuring cause of what he met with from and before God But though he was brought to prison and to judgement to death and to the grave yet they did not they could not detain him He was taken or as the word signifies he was lift up from prison and from judgement being the same word that followeth He was cut off out of the land of the living which supposes a turn and change from his Humiliation to his Exaltation and these words Who shall declare his generation Set out the unconceivable and unexpressible glory that Christ is exalted unto so Acts 8.33 35. Where these words are cited it 's said In his humiliation his judgement was taken away That is in his lowest step of his Humiliation his judgement or that to which he was adjudged was taken from him and he was declared free However since in these words our Lords Humiliation is implyed and his Exaltation expressed as following on it we think it safest to understand them so The words put together hold out the high degree of Christs glorious exaltation so as his generation cannot be declared He was taken from prison and from judgment and gloriously exalted in another manner and to another degree of glory then either Angels or Believers are or are capable to be For he that is exalted is God whose generation cannot be declared Death having no more dominion over him and he having the keyes of hell and of death In a word we take this Who shall declare his generation most immediatly to relate to Christ's Exaltation as Mediator and to the glory wherewith he was invested and to the dominion that he hath over all creatures yet considering that the Prophets scope is to set out this as wonderful and considering that the first step of his Exaltation is his Resurrection whereby as the Apostle speaks Rom. 1.4 he was declared to be the Son of God with power His Resurrection being singular in this respect that he rose by his own power and considering that Acts 8.35 Philip began to preach to the Eunuch Jesus Christ as the object of Faith We think it reasonable to conceive that he preached Christ to be God from this Text so as the Eunuch might have a solid foundation for his faith And this subserving the scope which is to set out the wonderfulness of Christs love to Elect sinners who being God yet condescended to come thus low for saving of them We may take in his God-head mediatly from which as the former steps of his Humiliation received worth and efficacy so he was thereby sustained and born up under all these sufferings whereby his people are saved From the first and second expressions put together we shall draw three Doctrines relating to three main Articles of our Faith The 1. whereof is this That our Lord Jesus had an out-gate from and victory over the lowest and most pinching pieces of His Humiliation and suffering so that though he was at prison and judgement yet he was lift up from both and had a glorious out-gate This takes in three things which the same grounds will confirm 1. That in his lowest state and step of Humiliation he was sustained and carried thorow so that all the assaults which he was put to endure and encounter with from all his enemies wicked Men and Devils did not overcome him 2. That as he in himself was born thorow and sustained So in respect of God's bar at which he was arraigned he was absolved and set free He so came thorow by paying of the debt that he had an Absolviture as it is 1 Tim. 3. ult Great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit Our blessed Lord Jesus being sustained by the power of his God-head was carried thorow in his sufferings payed the Elects debt and received the sentence of absolution even as a person to speak with reverence in such a subject having payed the debt for which he was imprisoned is absolved and set free 3. It takes in our Lords actual delivery he not only received the sentence of absolution but was actually set free so that as he was pleased to put himself in prison and in straits for us so he was brought from every step of his humiliation from prison and from judgement from death and from the grave He nailed the hand-writing which was against us to his cross as the Apostle saith Col. 2.14 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it And as it is 1 Cor. 15. at the close He took the sting from death disarmed it and trode upon it And there was necessity for this even such necessiâ—y that it was impossible it could be otherwayes as we have it Acts 2.24 It was not possible that he could be holden of death This will be clear if we consider these things 1. The person that suffered he was not an ordinary nay nor a meer man but God-man As is clear Acts 2.27 cited out of Psal 16. where it is said Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption 2. The end of Christs sufferings which was to satisfie for the debt of his people there having been no reckoning on his own score or account he being still in Gods favour and his Holy One
as a reason of the former and the one part of them is a reason of the other he had said before Who can declare his generation Who can sufficiently declare and unfold how gloriously the Mediator is exalted And he gives this for the reason of it For he was cut off out of the land of the living The force of which reason is that he humbled himself therefore God hath highly exalted him as the Apostle reasons Philip. 2.9 So tha this is not added as being posterior to his Exaltation but as a reason shewing the connexion of his Exâ—ltation with his Humiliation And left it should be a stumbling to any that this glorious person suffered death he gives the reason of that also which strengthens the reason of his Exaltation For the transgression of my people was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was on him he suffered not for any wrong in himself but for the sins of his own elect people The first part clearly looks to Christs death which was a Prophesie in Isaiah his time but is now a Historical narr tion to us we having the Gospel as a Commentary on it To be cut off out of the land of the living is to have an end put to the natural life which is ordinarily done by death But cutting off here signifies to be taken away not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary way to be removed by a violent death by the stroak of Justice We may shortly take these two Observes here for the confirmation of two Articles of our Faith Looking on it 1. As a Prophesie we may Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to suffer and die it was Prophesied of him That he should be cut off out of the land of the living And Dan. 9.26 it is plainly and clearly asserted that the Messiah shall be cut off which being compared with the History of the Gospel we have it as a truth â—ulfilled for our Lord Jesus was cut off and as he himself sayes Luke 24. It behoved him to suffer these things and to enter into his gloâ—y Aâ—d supposing the Elect to be sinners and the curse to be added to the Covenant of Works The day thou eats thou shalâ— surely die supposing also the Mediator to have ingaged and undertaken to satisfie Juâ—â—ice and undergo that curse for the Elâ—ct There was a necessity that he should die as it is Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us which curse was evidenâ— in his death for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 2. Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to die a violent death and not an ordinary natural one which this expression and that other Dan 9 clearly holds forth And consideriâ—g his sinless nature that was not lyable to death and that he had not these principles of dying in him disposing him to die that we sinful miserable mortals have is us And considering withal that the Lord Jâ—hovah was to speak so pursuing him as siâ—ners Câ—uâ—ioner at the Bar of Justice it was meet yea necâ—ssary that our blessed Lord should not die an ordinary death as men die ordinarily through weakness or sickness on their beds but a violent death Use It serves to be a confirmation of this truth that the Messiah behoved thus to die therefore we say in the Belief He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Which shews 1. The reality oâ— his satisfaction and the compleat payment that he made to Justice when he layes down that price which the sinner ought to have laid down 2. It shews the reality of our Lord's sufferings and that they were not imaginary but that as he was a real and true man so his sufferings were most real His soul was separat from his body though the union betwixt both his body and soul and the God-head continued still 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of our faith in this that our Lord Jesus is the Messiah that was Prophesied of and promiâ—ed in whom all the suffâ—rings in his soul and body that were spokâ—n of to go before his death were accomplished and in whom this was also accomplished that he was cut off out of the land of the living So that if we look rightly on the Scriptures our Lords sufferings will be so far from being matter of stumbling that they will rather be a clear convincing and evident proof that Jeâ—us of Nazareth is the true Messiah and that in him all th t was spoken concerning the Messiah is fulfi led and came to pass 4. It 's mâ—tter of great consolation to believers that our Lord Jesus who is now exalted died and so death is spoiled and there needs not be any great fear for them to yoke with it This land of the living is not their rest within a little they must be gone hence Our Lord was cut off from it and that by a shameful death for the behove and sake of others and not for himself and therefore his death cannot but be made forth-coming for them for whom he under-went it and their petty suffâ—rings need not much to vex them Those plainest truths that are most ordinary have in them most of spiritual sap juâ—ce and life to strengthen Faith and to furnish consolation to Believers And were they rightly understood and fed upon by Faith O how lively might they be And were there no more but these two words in thâ— Text. O how much consolation do they yield in lâ—fe and in death Our Lord is gone before Believers and they may be greatly heartned to follow him The last part of or the last thing in the words seem to have some more obscurity in it and therefore we shall insist the more in opening up of the same For the transgression of my people was he stricken These words do not look to the reason why Pilate and the Priests condemned him for they had no thoughts of the sins of Gods people Though Caiaphas stumbled as to himself by guess on a Prophesie of his dying for them but they give a reason why he was cut off out of the land of the living And look to the Court and Tribunal of God's Justice before which he was standing by which he was to be sentenced to death for the transgressions of God's people and also absolved He was thus stricken in respect of God's purpose and design For clearing of the words it may be inquired 1. What is meant here by my people 2. What is it to be stricken or smitten for them For the 1. My people it is a discriminating or differencing thing of some from others And therefore by my people here is not meant 1. All the world or all that ever lived and had a beeing We find not any where in Scripture that these are called my people or God's people but when ever my people is spoken of it is used to rid Marches betwixt his people and
Covenant He hath not promised to justifie all nor to make all believe but some only He as it were saith to the Mediator these I give thee to be redeemed by thee and on the laying down of thy life and satisfying for them I promise to make them believe and that through faith in thee they shall be justified therefore saith Christ John 6.44 Murmure not among your selves no man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him And who are they that shall believe on him See v. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast him out but will make him dearly welcome And vers 45. Every one that hath heard and learned of the Fâ—ther cometh unto me And John 17.2 That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Thus ye see what we mean when we call this a differencing Decree 2. We say that it is a definite Decree both in respect of tho number numbered that is about so many and no moe and not all and in respect of the number that numbers such a man and such a woman in particular in such a place and not such an other person They are all particularly designed and are therefore said to be written in the Lambs Book of Life It is not all who are foreseen to believe who are elected as if election did follow believing as the cause of the Decree But it 's such a number whom the Lord ingageth to the Mediator to draw to teach and make them believers 3. We say it is a Decree that is free as to all merit in them whom it reacheth and it 's free in these three respects 1. In respect of any thing in the person or persons elected who are supposed to be lying as the rest of the World therefore it 's said of Jacob and Esau Rom. 9 11. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand c. That is God respected not the doing good or evil in his electing of the one and passing by of the other 2. In respect of Christ's satisfaction and redemption which presupposeth this Decree to be and is the mids by which it is accomplished so that we are redeemed because we are electâ—d The Elect were Gods people when Christ did undertake and engage for them and in this respect election is a Founâ—ain-grace and Christ's death is not the cause of Election though it be the cause of all the benefits that follow upon it 3. It 's free in respect of God's absolute Soveraignty who acts herein according to the purpose of his own will having no reason without himself as it is clear Matth. 11. Evâ—n so Father because it seemed good in thy sight And Eph. 1.11 Being predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will As the Potter hath power over the Clay and makes of the same lump on Vessel to honour and another to dishonour as he pleaseth So the Lord acts most Soveraignly in the Decree of Election 4. We say that this Decree is absolute and peremptory Which is not so to be understood as if it admitted of no midses in the execution of it But this is the meaning that the performing and bringing about thereof depends on nothing without God neither can it be possibly frustrated These sheep can never be plucked out of his hand neither can they ever perish but must needs all and every one of them actually enjoy that which is decreed for them by this Decree else they could not be called God's people if they might not be his Thus ye see whâ—t is the meaning of these words my people â—hat is his Elect people in or by the Decree of Election I shall shortly give you some few grounds from Scripture to clear and confirm this truth The 1. whereof is taken from the names that the people of God get and from the expressions that are used in making mention of them in Scripture which will infer all that hath been said as namely they are called my sheep John 10. his Sheep that he knows as it were by head-mark by name and sirnâ—me which cannot but be his they are call d the election of Grace Rom. 11.5 at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace and vers 7. the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded it 's impossible but the Elect must obtain there being an inseparable connexion betwixt the decree and the end thereof they are said to be written in the Lambs book of life before the foundation of the world before there was any mention of themselves or consideration of ought in themselves they are said to be loved and beloved and ordained to eternal life Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed where believing is made a fruit and effect of this decree of election it s so far from being a cause thereof they are called blessed of the Father Matth. 25. and these whom he blesseth cannot but be blessed they are called such as are given to Christ holding forth a peculiar differencing of them from others they are called the people whom he foreknew and predestinated Rom. 8.29 whom he did foreknow them he did p eaâ—stinate c. and Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew every one was not so foreknown for Christ will sâ—y to many at the great day depart from me I never knew you Titles and names of this kind are frequent in the Scripture whereby God differenceth some from others which hath its rise from Gods purpose and decree of election A 2d ground is taken from the opposition which the Scripture maketh betwixt the Elect and others who are not elected which shews clearly that election cannot be understood of all as if there were a general and conditioâ—al election hence it 's said Jacob have â—â—loved and Esau have I hated the electing of the one is laid foregainst the râ—jecting of the other so John 10 the Lord sayâ— of some that they are his sheep and of others they are not my sheep and Rom. 9. the Apostle speaks of some vessels of mercy which are before prepared for glory and of somâ— vessels of wrath fitted for destruction and 2 Tim. 2.21 some are said to be vessels of honour some of dishonour some are ordained to eternal life Acts 13. and some are ordained of old to that destruction as Jude speaketh some are written in the Lambs book of life and some not Revel 20. and wherefore is all this spoken but to let us know that God hath freely and soveraignly in his decree put a difference betwixt some and others which as it began to speak so in God's eternal purpose so it will continue in the event Which is a 3d. ground of confirmation and it will be
the riches of the free grace of God there being a Decree of Election for saving so many and for bringing them to Glory And they being under sin there is another decree and threatning that goes forth for cursing the sinner and these two seeming to be altogether irreconciliable the Question comes in on the one hand how is it possible that a sinner under the curse can be saved And upon the other hand how is it possible that an Elect of God can be damned The wisdome of God looseth the knot Spotless Justice is satisfied by taking hold of and falling on the Cautioner Wonderful Grace and Love vent themselves in pardoning the sinner and in accepting of a ransome for him And manifold wisdome manifests it self in knitting these two together so as none of them can want its effect But all returns to the manifestation of the Glory of Grace in the up-shot It cannot be that the Elect shall be damned Yet here stands the threatning of a just God and his curse ready to be execute but here is the reconciliation The curse is execute on the Mediator whereby God shews himself to be a hater of sin and an avenger of the wrong done to his Justice And the Elect sinner is pardoned whereby God manifesteth the freedome of his grace and his wonderfully condescending love But now we come to a 9th Doctrine which is more directly held forth in the words and it hath two Branches that our Lord Jesus his death and sufferings is a proportionable price and satisfaction laid down for the sins of the Elect and for them only This is in the express words of the Prophet If the Question be asked Wherefore suffered Christ all this He answers he suffered it as a price for transgression If it be asked again for whom or for whose transgression did he suffer He answers not for all Men and Women in the World but for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was on him for their transgressions The first Branch of the Doctrine is to this purpose that Christs suffering is intended to satisfie for the transgression of Gods elected people and with respect to satisfying for their sins did he suffer And if we take these to be truths that we marked before as implyed in the words this will natively and necessarily follow If he engaged to be Cautioner and Surety for the Elects debt then his laying down his life must be on the same account and for the same end Now when we speak of Christs laying down a price to satisfie for the transgressions of the Elect we mean not only this that his sufferings and death have a value in themselves to satisfie for their sins but that they are so intended by him in undergoing of them and that they are so accepted of God according to his purpose and according to the transaction that past betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator They are not only as Socinians say to be a confirmation of the Doctrine which he preached and to be a rule and example to us of patient suffering and of giving obedience to the death as he did But it 's also and mainly to satisfie the Justice of God for our debt So then this wicked Tenet of the Socinians is exceeding derogatory to the sufferings of Christ and to the matchless love that shined in them yea and even to the whole design of Redemption For if Christs sufferings be not a satisfaction to Justice we are left without all just plea and apology for our selves at Gods Bar and if we have none then that curse looks the wakened sinner full in the face The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And however men in their security may please themselves with such dreams and think that a satisfaction to Justice is not needful yet if the conscience be once wakened it will not be quieted without one And if mens Faith give not credit to Gods threatnings they can have but little or rather no comfort at all in his promises There is therefore a necessity of a satisfaction and if Christs sufferings be not the satisfaction there is not another and so the whole work of Redemption is overturned So then though Christ in his sufferings hath left us a Copy how we should suffer yet that is not the only nor the principal end of them but it is contrived in the Covenant of Redemption and intended by the Medi tor and withall accepted by Jehovah that they should be the meritorious cause of procuring pardon to the Elect and the price of their Redemption This may be further cleared and confirmed 1. From the phrase that is ordinarily made use of in Scripture He suffered for the sins of his people And in the Text For the transgression of my people was he stricken Their sins had a peculiar influence in bringing the stroak on him And what influence I pray could they have but as they procured the stroak to him And if his stroaks were procured by our sins then the desert of them was laid on him and his sufferings behoved to be the curse that we elect sinners should have suffered So when he is called their Cautioner it tells that he undertook their debt and his laying down of his life is the performance and fulfilling of his undertaken Suretyship and Cautionry And considering that their debt was exacted of him and that he was arraigned before Gods Tribunal as their Surety in their room and that this could be for nothing else but to answer for them as being their Cautioner His sufferings behoved to be intended as a satisfaction for their sins For the Elects sins were not the cause why Pilate the people of the Jews and the Scribes and Pharisees pursued him to death but for our sins he was sisted before God's Tribunal and being our Cautioner he was called to reckon for them and they were put upon his account or score 2. It 's clear also from the names that his sufferings get in the Scripture where they are called the price of our Redemption a buying of us a propitiation for our sins that pacified God Rom. 3.25 and 1 John 2.2 A Sacrifice often and Ransome Matth. 20.28 The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many that is for all his Elect people to relieve them from the bondage they were under which plainly shews the respâ—ct that his sufferings had to our sins that they were a propitiation for them to God 3. It 's clear if we consider that Christs death as to its object is for the transgressions of all Gods people of all the Eâ—ect that lived before he suffered whether they died in their infancy or at age and for all that lived or shall live and die after his suffering to the end of the world Now what benefite could redound to them that died ere Christ came in the flesh by his sufferings if it were as Socinians say for his death could not sure be a pattern
and preferring a Robber to him But in all this they were fu fi ling what God had before determined to be done which we say is mâ—tter of great consolation both as to our own particular case as to God's general guiding of the World and especially of his Church therein There is nothing wherein the malice of men seems to be most prevalent but our Lord is still gaining his point upon and by them They are all the while executing God's determination though to their own ruine 2. See here an exact correspondency betwixt all the circumstances of our Lord's sufferings and God's determination and a concurrence of all of them for the promoving of it in the History of the Gospel A bone of him is not broken when the bones of the two Thieves crucified with him are broken a Spear is run at him and his side is pierced when they are not pierced And all this because it was prophesied of him that A bone of him shall not be broken and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and when it comes to his burial Pilate wots not what he is doing when yet he is fulfilling the Lords design in giving his body to a rich man Joseph of Arimathea when he asked it from him to be buried by him whereby the Prophesie of the Text is fulfilled The wickedness of some the contingent actions of others and the ignorance of many concurr all together to make out the same holy and unalterable design and purpose of God And therefore 3dly Let us stay our faith here that our Lord is yet still working in all these confusions and when matters return'd up-side down to humane appearance our blessed Lord is not non-plussed and at a stand when we are he knows well what he is doing and will make all things most certainly infallibly and infrustrably to work for his own glory and for the good of his people From its being said that He gave his grave with the wicked as holding forth Christ's willingness to be buried as he saith of his death John 10.17 No man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down and take it up again Observe That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption even in the lowest and most shameful steps of it our Lord was a most willing condescender He gave his grave with the wicked He was a most free and willing undertaker when as it were the Question was put Who will satisfie for Elect sinners He comes in and sayes as we hâ—ve it Psal 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God I am here Father as if he had said I offer my self and accept of the terms heartsomly and delightsomly I rejoyced saith he Prov. 8.28 in the habitable parts of the earth before the foundation of the world was laid my delight was with the sons of men So it may be made evident that in all the parts of his sufferings and in every step thereof he did most exactly and also most willingly perform whatever was carved out to him He preached and wrought miracles and did all with delight as himself sayes John 4.32 It is my meat and my drink to do my Fathers will and to finish his work It refreshed him when his body was hungry and faint to be carrying on the work of Redemption in speaking to a poor straying sinner If we yet look a little forward we will find that he so longed for the saddest part of this exercise that he is pained till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 I have a bâ—ptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished His heart longed so much to be at it that he would approve nor admit of nothing that might stand in the way of it therefore he rejected Peters advice with holy detestation with a Get thee behind me Satan He knew well what was in Judas mind and yet would not divert him but bid him do what he was about quickly He went to the Garden where he was known to resort and gave his enemies opportunity to rake him and would not suffer his Disciples to draw a Sword to oppose them When he was before Pilate he would not open his mouth When he was buffetted he gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to him that plucked off the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting Because he knew what was aimed at in all this and accordingly saith Matth. 20.20 The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many When His Holy Humane Nature scarred at the Cup and when he was thereby put to pray Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me he sweetly subioyns but for this cause came I unto this hour And the nearer it came to his death he vented his desire after it the more With desire have I desired saith he or with special desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer Even when he was to eat the last Passover and to take his last good night and to be in readiness for what was coming What could have been the mean or motive to bring it about if he had not been willing It was this willingness that Jehovah was pleased with and that made his Sacrifice to smell sweetly to his Father who loveth a cheerful giver and it had never been satisfactory if it had not been willing but extorted and therefore saith he Joh. 10. No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down And I delight to do thy will Psal 40. Use 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator Behold what manner of love this is that when it was not required he should offer and freely give himself to death and to the grave this is the love of a friend and beyond it that he should have so loved his Church as to give himself for her to death and to the grave Well may he say as he doth John 15.15 Greater love hath no man then this c. 2dly It shews what great ground of consolation and encouragement a sinner hath that would fain be at Christ to believe on him and to expect Life and Salvation through him Our Lord was most willing to lay down his life and to come to the grave for that end and is it possible that he will refuse a sinner that comes unto him and that would fain share in the benefite of his sufferings which was his great end in suffering This one thing to wit the willingness that he had to suffâ—r and the delight that he had in suffering to purchase Redemption to sinners may be as a strong cordial to strengthen the heart of a swoâ—â—ing Sinner and a great motive and encouragement to come forward to him Thou wilt it may be say I wot not if Christ loves me O!
was holy and harmless and ere long he will gloriously appear to be holy when these who pierced him shall see him and be confounded I say the Uses are these in reference to the Church and People of God It serves 1 To shew the condescendency of love and the contrivance of infinite wisdome for the behove of sinners Such a high Priest became us Love condescended and wisdome contrived that he should become man and suffer the just for the unjust Wisdom set on work by grace provided for sinners such a High Priest as they stood in need of And indeed sinners have no want here for they have a High Priest becoming them and this is an evidence of it that he is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners c. 2. It serves to be a great ground of encouragement to sinners to step to and make use of Christs Sacrifice our Lord had no sin and needed not to offer a Sacrifice for himself And if he offered Sacrifice for atonement wherefore did he so It was either for himself and that could not be for he was holy or for nothing or for no end and to say so were blasphemy or it must be for a real satisfaction for Elect sinners or such as should make use of him And thus Faith hath a sure ground to lay hold on and namely that his satisfaction was real And that it was for this end to be made forth-coming for the behove of such as should believe on him And therefore look upon Christ's suffering and upon his innocency who suffered and ye will find that ye have a suitable High Priest and atonement made for you O but that is a sweet word 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 3ly It 's ground of great consolation to them that betake themselves to Christ why our Lords Sacrifice cannot but be accepted for there was in him no guile nothing that might make his Sacrifice unsavoury and as it commends the way of Grace to a sinner so it is ground of encouragement to a sinner to look to be accepted through him for if the temptation should say thou art a sinner and such and such a great sinner that is nothing to purpose for God hath accepted of Christ and of his Sacrifice and if thou make use of his Sacrifice it cannot but be accepted for thee here then is the consolation that we have such an High-Priest as became us who needed not to offer for himself but only for the sins of the People and of his own People 4ly It serves notably for our imitation He was holy and in his holy walking hath left us a copy to write aâ—ter and to walk by and therefore in your speaking of Christs Holiness or in your reading of it consider that he is thereby casting a copy to you and bidding you purifie your selves as he is pure to 〈◊〉 holy as he who hath called you is holy learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart to be humble and heavenly-minded and in whateveâ— respect his life and walk is proposed to us as a patern set your selves in his own strength to imitate it and be ye followers of him as dear children whenever ye read oâ— his obedience to the death of his holiness in all mâ—nner of conversation and of his fulfilliâ—g all righteousness let it provoke you singly and seriously to design and endeavour conformity to him therein in your practice 2ly From the connexion of these two That he was accounted a sinner before and at his death and that after his death God did put that note of respect upon him that he was buried with the rich because he had done no violence c. but was holy and harmless in his life Observe That however Holiness may suffer as long as holy persons live yet at death and after death there is ever a testimony of the Lords respect put on it or thus holy walkers are always seperated and differenced from others as their deâ—th it 's ever otherwise with them than it is with others when death comes however it hath been with them in their life He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence c. This hath been confirmed in the experience of all that ever lived The rich glutton Luke 16. hath the better life as to externals and Lazarus had a poor â—fflâ—cted life but when death comes the rich glutton goes to Hell and Lazarus goes to the bosom of Abraham This is laid down as a certain truth Eccles 8.12 13. Thâ—ugh a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with him that fears God but it shall not be well with the wicked there shall be a change at death and it cannot be otherwise whether we look 1. To the holy Nature of God who hath a complacency in Holiness as it 's said Psal 11. ult The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Or whether 2. We look to the Word of God which Isa 3.10 11. bids say to the righteous It shall be well with them for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings for blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works do follow them but we unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him the same connexion that was betwixt Christ's life though a suffering life and his death shall be betwixt the life of all his Members and their death If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him The Uses are 1. To let us see what is the true wâ—y to eternal well-being when this short life shall be at an end and it is the way of Holiness and so it serves to answer a great question who shall be happy at their death even they that are holy in their life whose hands have done no violence and whose mouth hath had no guile to wit with the full bensil of their will and without all gracious reluctation for absolute freedom from these in this life was proper only to our Lord Jesus since Adams fall Such may expect the Lords countenance when death separats their soul and body therefore take this as a mark for tryal observe and see what is your carriage and judge accordingly and seing the Lord hath joyned Holiness and Happiness together inseparably presume not to separate them 2ly Is it so that Holiness hath a good and comfortable close of a man's life which is the substance of the Doctrine it would commend to us the study of Holiness as the most precious advantagious honourable sickâ—r and safe course that a man can follow Say to the righteous it shall be well with him it 's not say to the honourable man nâ—r say to the
to bruise him in whose breast to speak so bred the plot of sinners Redemption Jehovah thought it good He loved the salvation of sinners so well that He was content to seem in a manner regardlesse of His own Sons cryes and tears for a time to make way for performing the satisfaction that was due to Justice and He did this with good will and pleasantly We shall not insist more on particular Uses but is there or can there be greater ground of Consolation then this or is there any thing wanting here to compleat the Consolation Is there not an well surnished Saviour commissionate to give Life to whom He will Who hath purchased it that He may give it and a well willing loving and condescending God willing to give His Son and willing to accept of His Death for a Ransome and what would ye have more The Partie offended is willing to be in friendship with the offending Partie and to give and accept of the Satisfaction what can Tentation say or what ground is for Jealousie to vent it self here He that did not spare his own Son but willingly and freely gave him to death for us all how shall be not with him also freely give us all things As it is Rom. 8. And if we were reconcilled to God by the death of his Son when we were enemies shall we not much more be saved by his life as it is Rom. 5.10 There is a great disproportion betwixt Christ and other Gifts yea and the gift of Heaven it self and shall a poor sinner have a suffering Saviour given and may he not also expect pardon of Sin Justification Faith Repentance and Admission to the Kingdom There is here good and strong ground of Consolation to them that will build on it let the Fathers and Christs love to you be welcome in it's offers that His end in bringing many Sons to glory be not frustrated by any of you so far as you can though it cannot indeed be frustrated For the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and he shall see the travel of his soul and be satisfied SERMON XXXVI ISAIAH LIII X Verse 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand CHrist and His Sufferings have been a most delightsome subject to be spoken and heard of before ever He suffered and they would be to us now no less but much more so even very glad tydings to hear that ever the Son of God was made an Offering for sin This Verse as we hinted the last day doth set forth Christ's Sufferings and in these three that the design of God in bruising the Innocent Lamb of God might be the better taken up 1. They are holden forth in the rise where they bred or in the fountain whence they flowed the good pleasure of God It pleased the Lord to bruise him to put him to grief Which the Prophet marks 1. To shew that all the good that comes by Christ to sinners is bred in the Lords own bosom It was concluded and contrived there and that with delight There being no constraint or necessity on the Lord to give His Son or to provide Him to be a Cautioner for dyvour sinners but is was His own good pleasure to do so 2. To show the concurrence of all the Persons of the Trinity in promoving the Work of Redemption of sinners which was executed by the Son the Mediator to shew that the Love of the Son in giving His Life is no greater then the Love of the Father in contriving and accepting of it for a Ransom there being naturally in the hearers of the Gospel this prejudice that the Father is more rigid and less loving then the Son but considering that it was the Father Son and Spirit that contrived Christs Sufferings that the Sons Sufferings were the Product and Consequent of this contrivance it removeth this corrupt imagination and prejudice and sheweth that there is no place for it It doth also contribute notably to our ingadgement to God to be throughly perswaded of the Lords good pleasure in the Sufferings of the Mediator as well as in the Willingness of the Mediator to Suffer He having performed the will of the Father in the lowest steps of His Humiliation 2. They are exprest and holden forth in their Nature and End they were to be an offering for sin and this follows well on the former verse because it might be said How could He that had no violence in his hands nor guile in his mouth be brought so low He hath answered in part by saying It pleased the Father to bruise him and to put him to grief But because that does not so fully obviat and answer the Objection He answers furder that there was a notably good end for it Though He had no sin in Himself nor are we to look on His Sufferings as for any sin in Him yet we are to look upon them as a Satisfaction to Justice for the sins of others even as the Bullocks Lambs and Rams and the Skipgoat were not slain for their own sins for they were not capable of sin yet they were some way Typical Offerings and Satisfactions for sin in the room of others for whom they were offered so our Lord Jesus is the proper Offering and Sacrifice for the sins of His Elect People and His Sufferings are so to be looked on by us and this is the Scop. But to clear the words a little more fully there are different readings of them as they are set down here in the Text and on the Margent Here it is when his soul shall make an offering for sin On the Margent it is when his soul shall make an offering for sin The reason of the diversity is because the same Word in the Original which signifies the Second Person Masculine Thou meaning the Father signifies the Third persons Foeminine his soul shall make it self but one the matter whether we apply it to the Father or to Christ both come to one thing It seems to do as well to apply it to Christ the former Words having set out God's concurrence and good pleasure to the Work these set out the Mediators Willingnesse as in the last Verse it is said that He poured out his soul unto death and properly Christ is the Priest that offered up Himself yet we say there is no difference on the matter now as to the scope the will of the Father and of the Mediator in this Work of Redemption being both one though as we said we incline to look on them as relating to Christ 2. Offering for sin in the Original signifies sin so that the Words are when thou shalt make his soul sin The Words being ordinarly used in the Old Testament and thence borrowed in the New Testament to signifie a sin offering as Exod. 29.14 and Levit. 4.5 and 16. Chapters where
others esteem not of it and therefore cannot make use of it 7ly They that are rightly making use of Christ's Sacrifice find it to be a difficult thing and that which will cost them wrastling to get it made use of aright they breath after it and yet win not to that which they would be at in it O! as David cryes Psal 51. purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be white as snow They know not well what way to make use of it to their Satisfaction they would make so much use of it or how to vent and exercise their Faith on it and when it comes to Actual Believing and to the Acting of their Faith they find it to be like a smooth and slippery Stone that they cannot easily hold their Feet on So Paul sayes Phil. 3. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ and that I may be found in him He cared not what he cast over board that he might win to that Land even to Christ and His Righteousness Like Sea men in great hazard who cast all over board to win the Shoar It 's even so with the Believer He sees that there is such hazard to go wrong and that It 's so difficult to be right even to make the heart submit to the way of Faith and to abide by it Singly that he is content to suffer the loss of all things if he may be right here But on the contrary a Man that rests on his own Righteousnesse be a difficultie what will to him Faith is no difficulty to him He may have fear to come short of Heaven sometimes but he thinks that he is alwayes exercising his Faith In a word the Believer ordinarly believes best when he hath the deepest and most kindly impression of his Sin as for the Legall Man he can believe well as he thinks when he hath no challenge for Sin but when he is challenged for Sin his Faith faills him Now from all that hath been said ye may see the necessity of making use of this Sacrifice And how warrily and cautiously it should be done that ye may steer a straight Course between gross Prophanity and Presumption either of which will ruine and destroy the Soul The Lord Jesus Himself be your Steers-man and Pilot that ye by His Skilfull Conduct may Stemme the Port and hold off these Rocks on which thousands of Souls Split and make Ship-wrack SERMON XXXVIII ISAIAH LIII X Verse 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin be shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand SIn was easily brought into the World a little businesse brought in Sin and the Curse and Wrath of God with it and without any great difficulty Men can continue in Sin and lye under Gods Wrath and Curse but the taking away of Sin and the Satisfying of the Justice of God for it is no easie matter that if we may so speak did put Heaven and Earth both to it There was such a contrivance of this way and such a mean chosen and made use of that Sin might be removed and the Curse taken away as the like was never heard of The Intimation and Manifestation of this Way is in the first part of this Verse Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him In Gods Council and by His Pleasure it was Contrived and the Way found out and the Mean is set down in these Words When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin The Mediator even he who was the Spotless Lamb of God in whose Mouth was found no Guile was bruised and put to sad Suffering to get this Effectuat That the Curse might be removed from Sinners He was made the Sin-offering We shew that Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin is taken away and that it is implyed here So that it is denyed to all other Things or Means to have any Effecacie Vertue or Merit in them as to the removing of Sin and the Curse brought on by it this is I say so peculiarly applyed to Christ's Offering that it is denyed to every thing else which shews 1. How much Sinners are oblidged to Christ who when no other thing could do it interposed Himself 2. The necessity of making use of this one Offering without which never Soul can be Perfected or Saved He is the alone Foundation of Sinners Peace and of all the Consolation that they can have in the Promises of God Now to proceed and to hint at some few things more from the Words wherein the End and Nature of Christ's Sufferings are set forth He in His Suffering and Offering up of Himself did step into the Room of the Sinfull Elect that by Justice exacting of Him the Debt that was due by them they might escape and be set free Hence Observe 1. That when there was no other Thing nor Mean that could sufficiently satisfie Divine Justice or be a Sacrifice for Sin Our Lord stepped to and undertook and became the Sacrifice to take away Sin according to that often cited Psal 40.7 8. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire in burnt offering thou hadst no pleasure He is not speaking of what God required in the Law as Typicall for He required Sacrifices and Offerings in that respect but not to be a Propitiation for the Sins of the Elect World because they could not do it and then follows Lo I come or I am here mine ear hast thou bored It is Heb. 10 A body hast thou given unto me which sets out His being put in a Capacity to be a Sacrifice I delight to do thy will O my God Here there are these Four Things implyed 1. A lyableness in the Elect to the Justice of God for Sin and as to all other Means and Wayes of Relief but by this One Sacrifice a Disperatness and Impossibility and considering the Sentence which God had Pronunced The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them No Sacrifice can be accepted but this only Thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl have no access He did not in that respect require these neither would He capitulat on these Terms 2. That when no other Sacrifice could do the turn Christ Jesus came in and was content to interpose and to be the Sacrifice for Sin Lo saith He I come I am here ready to Satisfie for my Elect People For this is an Old Design and He had undertaken from Eternity to carry it on 3. There is implyed here a great Willingnesse a Delightsome and Heartsome Condescending in the Mediator to be the Sacrifice He steps in affectionatly in the Room of the Elect as the Sacrifice for them to receive the Stroak of Justice that they may escape and go free I delight to do thy will O my God This is Gods Will as
by the Elect And to be avenged on Him for their wrongs and His being to step in into their Room and to be smitten with that awaked and furbished Sword and to Offer Himself the Sacrifice as He had long before ingadged Here O! here was the heat and strength of the Battel Use This shews 1. What a Dear Price Christ payed for Sinners 2. The severity of the Justice of God in exacting the Elects Debt of the Cautioner 3. How much we are oblidged to the Cautioner who so willingly undertook the Debt and was so ready to pay it though it cost Him not only External and Bodily Sufferings but Soul-suffering and put Him to encounter with Gods Curse and Wrath We are perswaded could we conceive and speak aright of these Sufferings that there is a great Mystery here And really it is a wonder that we are not more affected wiâ—h it even to consider that such miserable Creatures should be pursued by Justice that can do nothing to avert the Stroak of it And that such a great and gâ—orious Person as the Son of God should Interpose Himself And that the Father should spare the poor sinfull Enemies and make a way for them to escape by the Diverting of His Justice from pursuing them and by making it take hold of the Son of His Bosom Exacting the Debt severely from Him O! what a wonder is this That the Lord should passe by the Enemy and satisfie Himself of His own Son Yea that God should take on Himself the place of a Mid-man and Satisfie Himself That God should be in Christ reconciling the world to himself This this is the Wonder Herein Infinit Wisdom Pure and Spotless Justice Holiness and Faithfulness Grace and Mercy to the Admiration of Men and Angels appear and shine forth most Radiantly It can hardly be known in which of these the Glory of God shines most in this Great and Glorious Work of Redemption But of them all we may say to you Elect and believing Sinners what could our Lord Jesus do more for your Salvation I say what could He do more then to Offer up Himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice for your Sins In the Gospel He calleth upon you to make use of it that by Vertue of His Sacrifice your Peace may be made with God as it is 1 John 2.1 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and then follows He is the propitiation for our sins This may give abundant ground to Sinners to go upon in their Application to God for Pardon and Peace even this that He hath made Himself a Sacrifice for seting of them free For whom He Offered Himself a Sacrifice O! Sinners admire Him employ and make use of His Moyen and Court in Heaven Improve and Welcome these glad Tydings and let it never be said nor heard of that He was Offered up a Sacrifice and that ye would not admit of the benefit of it that ye would not accept of Him to be a Days-man and Tryster betwixt God and you to remove all grounds of quarrel O! for Christ's sake and as ye love your Souls step to and seek Grace to make the right of use His Sacrifice in order to the obtaining of the Pardon of your Sin and the making of your Peace with God Let Himself powerfully perswade you to and prevail with you in this incomparably greatness of all concerns SERMON XXXIX ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleâ—sure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHere there is any Light and Knowledge of a God-head amongst Men There is this impression on them that it is a dreadful thing to have a Contraversie lying over betwixt God and them unremoved And upon this ground it is that as naturally the Conscience doth challenge for the provoking of God so Men according to the Light they have are set on to seek after this and that and the other Mean and Way to get God appeased and the Conscience quieted and it 's like that this hath descended to Men from Noah that the most part of them have thought on the Mean of Sacrifices by them to make their Peace with God So the Lord taught the Family of Adam after the Fail and Noah renewed it after his coming out of the Ark and it is probable as I said somewhat of this hath abiden with and stuck to Men even when they Degenerated and Apostatized from God and offered Sacrifices to Devils though not intentionally but unto God in their account And indeed it is no marvel that Flesh and Blood be here at a stand and made to say wherewithal shal we come before God But we have this advantage by the Gospel That in it the Lord hath shewed to us what it is that satisfieth Justice and takes away Sin and the Curse and that it is even this in the Text Thou shalt make his foul an offering for sin There is no other thing that a Sinner can bring with him that can be accepted or that can make him to be accepted of God We have hinted at some things from the Words already and shew that Christ's Sacrifice is called an offering for sin as excluding all others and as expressing the Nature and Ends of it We shall now speak to one thing more which is the 4th implyed in this expression And it is this That though Atonement and Satisfaction to God can be made by no other Sacrifice or Offering yet there is an Atonement and Satisfaction that may be made by Christ's Offering Hence He is called an offering for sin not only because it excluds all others but also because he is accepted for that very end as a Propitiation for the Sins of them for whom He Suffered and Offered Himself in a Sacrifice as this is denyed to all other things as we just now said so it is Applyed and Appropriated to Him and His Offering as Heb. 10. v. 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all v. 12. This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God And v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified This is the great thing that the Apostle aims at in that Dispute not only to cast the Leviticall Offerings as to the removing of Sin and the Curse and making of Sinners Peace with God but to commend this one offering as able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through it And according to this we have that great Question answered to poor Sinners wherewithall shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the most high God He hath shewed O! man what is meet and what the Lord requireth of thee That there is nothing but this one Sacrifice of Christ that
to God without Him as the Word is Heb. 7.25 Them that come to God by him he comes unto God by Christ in Prayer in Praises and in every other Dutie of Worship The Apostle to this Purpose sayes Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God The believing Soul is never right till it 's all be put in His hand Though all these be not distinct and explicit in the Persons use making of Christ's Sacrifice yet he expects that the Application of the Benefits which Christ hath purchased to him shal be made forthcoming to him by vertue of that same Purchase And that He who is the Author will also be the finisher of his faith The sum and upshot of all is to shew that as we have much Good by and in Christ if we could make use of it So He calleth us to be Cheerfull and Comforted in the use making of it and not to Minish our own Consolation when he hath condescended Graciously thus to Extend and Inlarge it with so Richly Liberal and Bountifull a Hand SERMON XL. ISAIAH LIII X Verse 10. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand IT may be thought and that very justly that there must be some great and glorious Design driven in the contryvance of the Work of Redemption That was executed by such a Mean as is the Suffering of the Son of God And that there must be some Noble and Notable thing following on it that moved the Father to send his Son and the Son to come for this Work This part of the Text answers and tells us what is the Design He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes c. He shall communicat Life to many that were Dead and shall beget a Generation that shall have Life deryved from Him as a Seed have from their Parents And so this is a third Answer for removing of that stumbling Objection proposed in the beginning of the Verse to wit How it came to passe that the Innocent Son of God who had done no violence and who had no guile in his mouth was put to such Sufferings We shew that there were three Grounds laid down in Answer to this 1. It pleased the Lord to bruise him It was the Fathers good pleasure The 2d is from the Nature of His Sufferings which were to be a Sin-offering or an Offering for Sin not for His own but for the Sins of the Elect. The 3d. Is That His Sufferings should have notable Fruits and Effects following them set down in Three Expressions which are partly Prophesies telling what should be the Effects of the Sufferings of the Mediator partly Promises made to the Mediator telling what should be His Reward and Hyre to speak so for His Sufferings 1. He shall see his seed that is many shall get good of His Sufferings 2. He shall prolong his dayes That is He shall outlive these His Troubles and Sufferings and shall have a glorious Out-gate and Reign 3. The pleasure of the Lord shal prosper in his hand That is The Work that was given Him to do and to finish shall thrive well and no part of it shall faill or miscarry In the First Promise made to Him or in the first Effect that should follow on His Sufferings in these Words He shall see his seed We have these Three 1. A Relation implyed betwixt Christ and Believers They are His seed such as in the next verse are said to be justifiea by Him It is in short many shall get Pardon of Sin and Justification by His Death In this respect it 's said Psal 45. penult verse In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth 2. A Prophesie and foretelling of the event that should follow Christ's Sufferings and so it holds out this That our Lord Jesus should not only have a Seed but a numerous Seed that should be made sure to Him And it seems to be in allusion to that which is spoken of Abraham and of others in the Old Testament of whom it 's said that they should have Seed That is that many should descend of them But there is more here For whereas others while they are Living or in their Life-time beget a Seed which begetting is interrupted by Death The Death of our Lord Jesus begets His Seed or His Seed are begotten by His Death 3. Considering the Words as a Promise they hold out this That though our Lord Jesus Suffer and Die yet He sha l not only have a Seed but He shall see His Seed He shall outlive His Sufferings and Death And shall be delighted In seeing of them who shall get the good of His Sufferings As it 's said of Job that he saw his children or sâ—ed of the third and fourth generation That is he lived long and saw mâ—ny that came of him even so though our Lord came to Death and to the G ave yet He should not only have a numerous Seed many Children but He should live and see them and that not only for three or four or for ten Generations But for very many Generations And His dying should neither mar His begetting nor the seeing of them And this seeing of his Seed is opposed to such Parents as are Dead and who though their Children and Posterity be in want yet they know it not From the First of these Observe That Believers are our Lord Jesus His Seed they are come of Him whatever their Meannesse and Lownesse be in the World and though they could not clame Kindred to any of externally honest Rank and Quality yet they are His Seed To this purpose the Apostle bespeaks the believing Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.27 28. Ye see your calling brethren how that not many mighty not many wise men after the flesh not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise c. that no flesh should glorie in his presence Though ye be not of any high Rank or Quality in the World yet of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made to us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption In this respect Christ is called the everlasting father Isa 9.6 For He is the Father of all Believers that ever had or shall have Life who are Psal 45. penult verse caled His Children To clear this a little ye shall take it in these Four or Five respects or Considerations in which believers are said to be Christs Seed or be descended of Him 1. In this respect that as Believers they have their being of Him as Children descended from off their Parents as to their Natural being So Believers as they have a Spirituall Being descend from Him and hold their Being of Him without whom they had never been Believers And in this respect they are His Seed 1. Because He Meritoriously Purchased Life to them which
Life And we say that such an exercise suppons Life to be though it be not descernable in it's exercise to the Soul it self There are many Poor Creatures born and brought forth into the World that can neither Talk nor Walk but must be carried and keeped Tenderly and that are some way as if they were not brought out of the Womb So is it with many Believers and it were good to be in Christ's Common as for Life so for bringing Life to exercise and by diligence and waiting on Him in the use of His own appointed Means to seek to come to some Distinctnesse in Neating and Exercising of any Life that He hath given And it is no small incouragement to this That Christ shall see his seed That He must have Saints and Believers in Him which should make Poor Souls that have no Life in themselves with the more confidence to commit themselves to Him upon this very ground that the Father hath ingadged to Christ that He shall have many such for His Seed The which Promise is performed to Him in the gathering in of Poor confused and Mind-perplexed Sinners to be in His Debt for Life and to hold their Life of Him for ever It will sure be no small part of the ground of Saints praise in Heaven that He not only bought Life for them but that He made Application of Life to them And trained them on till He got them fitted to speak to His Prâ—ise Wherein the Body of Death makes many a sad stop and makes poor Believers to Stammer as it were while they are here But it 's good News that Jesus Christ hath bought Life and brought it to Light And that by this Gospel He is making Application of it and declaring that He is content to bestow it freely on all them that will be in His Common for it SERMON XLI ISAIAH LIII X. Vers 10. He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand IT was once a Riddle how out of the strong could come forth Meat and how out of the Eater could come forth Sweet It 's here most clearly Unridled and that in a most Wonderfull and Comfortable Manner Our Lord Jesus the strong Lyon of the Tribe of Judah it put to grief and bruised and his soul is made an offering for sin and here is the Sweet Meat that comes out of it He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days c. The substance of the Words is That by His Death many shall be brought to Life It 's the same Death that hath given us the hope we have of Life And all the ground that we have to speak of it to you which had never been had He not been bruised and put to grief We shew that here is holden forth the Lord 's great design in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption And that these Words are a further answer to the Stumbling Objection proposed before to wit How the innocent Son of God could Suffer It pleased the Father to bruise him when he should make his soul an offering for sin c. Which Justifies God in that proceeding and serves to weep away that Reproach that might seem to stick to Him In sum it is this If we consider the notable and noble Fruits and Comfortable Effects that followed on His Sufferings and Death there is no ground to stumble at God's giving His Son or at the Sons Condescending as Mediator to Suffer to be Dispised and put to Dâ—ath And this is the first Fruit and Eff ct thereof that He shall see his seed Whereby is meaned that by His Death the Elect who are given to Him do by Faith in Him recâ—ive a new Life from Him aâ—d are taken in under a most sweet and kindly Relation to Him by their being begotten again to a lively hope through His Resurrection from the Dead We spoke to â—â—is Point That Believers are Christ's Seed which shews the great Priviledge that they are admitted to and their great Obligation to Christ on that account they are oblidged to Him for their Spiritual Life and Beeing as Children are oblidged to their Natural Parents for their Natural Life and Beeing And Infinitely more oblidged in as much as the one Life is Infinitly Preferable to the other There are three things more to be Observed from the Words And 1. Considering them as they stand in Dependence on the Former That God's Design in sending His Son into the World and the Mediators Dâ—sign in coming so low is to have a Seed begotten to the Hope of Eternall Life and to have â—oor Souls dead in themselves shareing of Life in and through Him even to have many partaking of Life through His Death 2. Considering the Words as foretelling the event of Christ's Death and Sufferings We have this Observation from them That Our Lord's Deaâ—h shall certainly procure Life to many Or thus it cannot be but His Death must have truâ—â— to the saving of Souls from Death and to the making of them partakers of Life 3. Looking on the Words as a Promise made to the Mediator We Observe from them That the Seeing of a Seed is exceeding much thought of by Jesus Christ It pleased Him wondrous will Therefore this Promisâ— of a Seed is mâ—de to Him to incourage Hâ—m to lay down His Life We shall speak a Word to each of these And shall leave the consideration of the Words as they hold out not only our Lord 's out-living his Sufferings but His seeing a Seed on the back of them to the Second Effect that follows He shall prolong his days For the First Doctrine we suppose It will be clear if we consider how the seing of his seed is Subjoyned to and Dependeth upon the former Words anent His making His soul an offering for sin which holds out this That the great Design of God and of Christ the Mediator it s His Sufferings is to beget a People to â—ternal Life And to make way that Sinners Naturall Dâ—ad in Sin may partake of Spiritual and Hâ—avenly Life and may be begotten to the Hope of Eternal Life through Him And what other Design I pray could there be then this For the Lord had nothing to procure to Himself To speak simply there could be no addition made to the Glory of God thereby Therefore it 's said John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all that be hath given me I should loss nothing but should raise it up at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one who seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation and what is it That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that John 10.10 I came that they might have life and that they might
have it more abundantly There are two things that we would speak a Word to for clearing of the Doctrine And then make Use of it The 1. is How this can be God's Design in Christ's Humiliation to beget many Sons to Life 2. How Christ's Death Contributs to this Design For the First When we speak of God's Design hâ—re we mean not His last and ultimat Design but His immediat Design in the Gospel which is subservient to that His last and ultimat Design to wit The Glorifâ—ing of His Grace and Justice in giving the Mediator to Satisfie Justice for Dyvour Sinners who are not able to Satisfie for themselves and He having chosen this as the Midst to that highest end we may well say that this is His immediat Design in the Gospel that thereby the Glory of His Grace and Justice might be manifested For the 2d Which is How Christ's Sufferings contribute to this end It may be soon cleared if we consider that there is a twofold Let in the way of Sinners partaking of Life which Christ's Suff rings do remove The 1. Let is a standâ—ng Quarrel betwixt God and the Elect they having Sinned and having nothing to pay their Debt This our Lord Jesus by His Death removes He payes the Debt and tears the Obligation called the hand writing that was against them nailling it to his Cross Col. 2. And in this respect His Death is called a ransome for many And in the Words before He is said to have made his Soul an offering for sin On the same account to wit That the Principal Debâ—or might be set free The 2d Let is Mans utter unfitnesse to walk with God For though the Debt were taken away yet they have no Life But Jesus Christ by His Death hath laid down a ground how a Sinner may be reconciled to God and may partake of Grace here And so be in case to walk with God even while sojourning in the World in some good measure and of the Life of Glory hereafter His Sufferings are not only a Ransome for their Debt but also a Bridge to speak so to step over the Gulf of the distance thâ—t is betwixt God and them unto Glory whither He as the Fore-runner is gone before them In this sense we have our Graces as the Fruits of Chriâ—t's Suffâ—rings the Life of Grace Faith Love Perseverance c. We have also Protection Preservation and Guiding in the way till we be brought through to Eternal Life As that Word is John 6.39 40. cited before That of all whom the Father hath given me I should loss nothing In the First respect Christ is surity for our Debt In the Second respect He is surity for our Duty In the First Respect we are admitted into Covenant with God In the Second we are entertained in it by Him who lives for ever to make Intercession for us Use 1. See here Believers what ye are in the Fathers Debt for sending His Son And what ye are in the Sons Debt for coming to die for you Ye behoved to have born the Curse your selves if He had not born it but He took it on H mself that ye might be Freed from it Thus it stood with you ye deserved to be shut out for ever from God to have the Sword of His Justice awakened against you And he gave his back to the smitters and his cheecks to them that plucked of the haire And was content that the Sword of Justice should awake against Him and smite Him that He might by His strips heal them and by His Death procure Life to them Yea it stood thus with you and it could not be otherwayes The Justice of God being provocked and the Elect being under the Curse as it is Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sins shall die Either they behoved to die or the Cautioner and our Lord was content to be a Sin-offering thereby to set Sinners free To be lifted up on the cross that he might draw all men after him to pay their D bt which all the Creatures could never have payed And therefore we would asâ— you if ye think Heaven and Glory to be of Worth and if ye think it to be a great mercy to be free from the Wrath to come and from the Damned State and Condition of Reprobat Angels and of Reprobat Men and Women in Hell And to be admitteâ— to enter with Abraham Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdome of God and into these Hâ—avenly Mansions Are ye not much in Chrisâ—'s Debt that procured this for you and at such a Rate that thereby Life might be communicate-to you who were Naturally Dead in Trespasses and Sins whatever the rest of the World think of it if any of you be Born again as you ought in a special manner to think much of it so ye will do in some measure for ye are as much in Christ's Common as all that is worth who was content that Poor Sinners should partake of Him and of the Life that is in Him to taste of Hâ—mself and who hath said Because I live ye shall live also In aâ—most wonderful way His Dâ—ath is the Price by which Life is Communicated to Us And it would become Bâ—â—â—â—vers well to be often reckoning what they are in His Debt It 's an of God's great Ends in the Work of Redemption even to have Sinners esteeming highly of and much Ravished with His Grace and with His Love brightly shinning in the way thereof yet less Conscience is made of this then of many other Duties by Believers We will send an Ear to a Practical Point of Doctrine and will some way ayme to mind it If we be bidden pray we will pray if we be commanded to Mortifie Sin we will endeavour it and so in other Duties But who minds this as a Dutie when we are called of God to Admire and Praise His Grace and Love and Humbly to Glory in Him so as seriously to set our selves to fall about it And yet this were a most Native Proper and Kindly Exercise for Believers even like the Work of those who say Salvation to our God that sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb Rev. 7.10 To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. Rev. 1.5 To be taken up with such sweet Soliloquies in our selves about this Subject and with such Songs of Praise to Him who hath given us so noble a Beeing and Life which is convoyed to us by His Blood is sure a suitable Use of this Point For if our Life be of much Worth He must be of Infinitly much more Worth in Himself and should be so to us who purchased it at such a Dear Price The 2d Use is to exhort you whom we suppose to be renewed as some of you now hearing me are and O! that all of you were that when ever ye
think of injoying of Heaven and Glory ye would think also whence it came to be thus with you O! think on that Rock out of which ye are hewen as ye are Believers and are intitled to Life And this will lay the Natural Pride which Alas too often Believers have going along with their Hope of Life as if they were something better by Nature then others because they have hope to come to Heaven but think this also with your selves that there are no thanks to you but to Him who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood which should make you walk softly and with a stoppâ—d mouth and in this Case every thought of your Title unto and of your Hope of Heaven would be both singularly pleasant and profitable to you Use 3. See here that which maketh the Glad Tydings of Christ's Death wonderfully Comfortable It 's much that Christ came and Suffered but if ye add this that His Design in Suffering was to beget Sinners to a New and Spiritual Life tâ— raise and quicken them that were Dead in in Sins and Trespasses to pay their Debt and to Cancell their Obligation It makes it to be much more wonderfull Alas we have great want of Spiritual Affections that are not more Affected with this even with this That the Father should send His Son and that the Son should come into the World and wherefore That He might have a Seed that poor Bodies that were Dead and without Life might be quickned and that such as had no hope of Heaven might have it That in such a way an entry into Heaven should be made to Sinners this is the wonder do ye Believers indeed believe this that the Lord's Design in all the Work of Redemption was to bring Dead Sinners to Life This is it that makes Christ get the Name of a Saviour That the Shepherd being smitten God might turn his hand on the little Ones And therefore as a 4th Use See here a good ground whereupon to Preach to you by the Death of Christ the Offer of Life and the Remission of Sin as the Apostle hath it Act. 13.39 40. Be it known therefore to you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not he justified by the law of Moses And there is never a Text that speaks of the end of Christ's Sufferings but readily it some way layes a ground how a Sinner may get Life And it is as it were a Proclamation to Sinners to make the right use of what is offered to them If our Lord Jesus had not Suffered there had not been a warrand for us to speak of Life to you There had been no Treaty with Sinners no Door opened for access to Heaven no ground for any to call God Father But on the Contraire Christ having Suffered and Satisfied Justice it givâ—s us Ground to make this Procâ—amation to you Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgivenness of sins And these two put together 1. That there is a sufficient Price laid down for the Satisfying of the Justice of God for the Debt of Elect Sinners 2. That this is the Lords Dâ—signe in laying of the Prâ—ce down even to Procure and to Communicat Life to them according to that of John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life And that of John 12.32 And if I be lifted up I will draw all men after me This demonstrats that there is a Sufficient-Warrand to make use of Christ for pardon of Sin and for obtaining of Life through Him For readily the Exception is One of Two Either 1. That the Price will not â—o the Turn and that cannot be said for the Death of Christ is a Price Sufficient or 2. That Sinners know nor what is the Lorâ—'s Purpose in it This Text holds out that and tells us Iâ— is that he may have a seed This is the Sum of the Covenant of Redemption saâ—eth the Father Son if thou wilt lay down thy Life Thou shalt see a seed that shall have Life through thy Sufferings and the Lord would never have given His Son to die if He had not minded the Salvation of Sinners and to beget and promove Life in them through His Sufferâ—ngs And to what end is the Gospel Preached by which Life and immortality are brought to light But that what He hath bought may be appâ—yed to Sinners And therefore as a 5th Use We beseech you to concur with Christ in the Design of His laying down of His Life Is it not think ye great Ingratitude to Him and great Cruelty to your selves that when the Lord hath Designed such a thing by the laying down of His Life That ye should as far as ye can stand in the way of it Now His Designe is to have many in His Common for Life â—hat He may have a Seed and to have Poor Sinners that are Dead and Lifelesse in themselves taking with their Sin and coming to Him to get Justice Satisfied and a Right to Life by His Offering And is this a Prejudicial Designe or Unprofitable to Sinnerâ— Why then should ye stand in the way of that When Our Lord hath Designed Sinners good and hath been content to lay down His Life to make Life possible to you when all His Dâ—signe in dying is to have Sinners saved by their betaking themselves to Hâ—m and that by their betaking themselvâ—s to Him the Second Adam They may get a Râ—ght to Life Transferred to them â—s iâ— not Folâ—y and Madness for Sinneâ—s to obstruct what they can this His Design The Apostle makes use of this Argument 2 Cor. 5. â—8 19. He hath given us the word of reconciliation that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them we therefore as ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Châ—ist stâ—ad be ye reconciled to God And what is the reason For he was made sin for us who knew no sin And or this â—nd That we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not â—his the samâ— Argumâ—nt that â—s in the Text Our Lord was made 〈◊〉 Sin-offâ—ring that Hâ— might see a Seed And 〈◊〉 â—o then we would intâ—eat you if the Blâ—eâ—iâ—g Bowels of Chriâ—â— can have any weâ—ght with you and if you would do Him a Pleasure not to marr His Designe as fâ—r as ye can for He will infrustrably accomplish His Designe And that is to have Souls brought in to make Sinners Peace with God and that they may make use of His Sufferings for that End Need we use Arguments to perswade you to this Whâ—ch is so much for your own good and welfare even to save your Souls To come and be
Reconciled to God to make use of Christ for Life to prevent the Wrath that is to come and to make Heaven sure to your selves Which is impossible for you honestly to ayme at but God shall have the Glory of His G ce and Wisdome from you And if this be not your ayme and endeavour God will not have the Glory of His Grace in you Though Passively He shall have the Glory of H s Justice in pun shing you Eâ—ernally in Hell but that is not His great and proper Designe in the sending of His Son For Hâ— could have had H s Gâ— ry that way though He had never sent Him into the World And therefore in His Name and in His stead we do again and again seriously beseech and solmnly obtest you to give Our Lord Jesus Satisâ—action in this Particular ye that are going to Hell or are in hazard of it come to Christ Jesus the Prince of Life The Purchaser and Giver of Life and get Life from Him Come as Dead-Sinners in your selves and by the Law to get a new Gift of Life by His Right And we propose this Suit and Request in His Name who tells us that He laid down His Life to get a Seed This Gospel comes to every one of your Doors and sayes to you will ye be oblidged to Christ for Life will ye be His Children If the Heart be honest and ye can sincerely say content Lord and will creep in under His Wings that ye may be found in Him and may be covered with His Righteousness There is good ground to expect a closed Bargain For our Lord purposly Died that He might have a Seed and is calling upon you for this very End and will not go back of His Word if ye be content to Bargain with Him And therefore I would again say unto you shift not His call It is His Design to have a Seed and it should be yours to seek to be of that Seed O! let Him have His Errand among you The Offer comes as I just now said to every one of your Doors and your answer will be and must be either yea or nay either that ye are content to be His Children that His Grace may be Glorified in you Or that ye are not content and that ye will not come to him that ye may have life As it is John 5. That ye scorn to be His Seed and Children But Ah! the day comes when ye would be glad of such an Offer and will not get it But to come a little nearer in the Application of this Use 1. Are there not many of you without Life Yea hundreds of you Not one among many is renewed If ye think your selves to be Dead this Word of Life and Salvation is sent unto you and sure ye have need of it 2. There is Life in Christ to be had a Fair Purchase made and a way laid down to bring Sinners to have a Right to Life And are not these two think ye well met and trysted on what ground then is it bottomed upon one of these two or rather on both of them implyed in this phrase of being Christ's Seed 1. It implyes That there be a coming to Christ as void of Life and an actual trusting to Him for the attaining of Life That Sinners pricked with the fear or feelling of the Wrath of God acknowledge Christ as the Father of their Life and Credit Him with the Application of Life to them 2. It implyes not only the Crediâ—ing Him with the Application of Life but that we commit our selves to be alone iâ— His Debt and Common for it which is implyed in that Word John 5. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life The use making of Christ for the attaining of Life is implyed in the Word coming And that is for slain and dead Souls to go to Christ for Absolution and Life called Heb. 7.25 A coming to God by Christ and again It is not ye will not come unto me that ye may buy or procure Life or Work it to your selves But ye will not come to me that ye may have it ye will not be in my Common for it The first Word expresses where we get our Life and that is in Christ's Sufferings The Second Word how we get it even as the Child gets Life from the Parent we get it fully and freely conferred on us by Him So that the Similitude sayes this much come to Christ who hath procured your Life and trust your getting of Life to Him on the Terms of Grace And since this is all that Christ seeks of you Not to make your Performances the ground of your Pleading for Life but His Purchase and that having need on your side and fulnesse on His side ye should come and have What hinders your closing of a Bargain This is the very thing your Salvation will stand or fall on even on your yeelding to come to Him and to be in His Common for Life and on your leaning to His Righteousness or not and according at ye Act Faith or not on Him in this respect So will the Sentence of your Absolution or Condemnation passe in the Great Day And therefore let me beseech you yet again above any thâ—ng to make this sure And when I speak of making it sure it is not only to have a Glance of the thing in your minds as many may have to whose Door Christ comes when yet they will not go out of doors to Him Nor is it only to have a Conviction in your Judgement and Conscience of the Reasonablenesse of it as many of you have so many Convictions of Sin and of the necessity of Faith in your Judgement aâ— will make you Inexcusable ye are Convinced that such a thing should be And there it holds The Lord draws you by His Word to give assent to the Reasonablenesse of the Offer but ye smuther the Conviction Ye come Aggrippa his length in assenting to the Truth but come no furder ye laid your account it may be that ye could not save your selves and that your Salvation was only in Christ and ye took that for Faith But believe me there must be something more â—hen that even a laying of your selves over on Him and a making of Application to Him to fi l the empty Room in the Heart I remember of a dying Person that had a good Word to this purpose who when it was asked at him how his Fâ—ith did now differ from that which he had in his health Answered when I was in health I was convinced that I should believe but now my Soul actâ—ally casts it self on Christ The many Convictions that Men have that they should believe will stick to them and go with them to Heâ—l and make them the more inexcusable that they held there and went no further 6ly And lastly It serves to be a ground of Expostulation with many hearers of thâ— Gospel who have heard of this noble Designe and
yet make no use of it O! Hypocrites Formalists and Prophane Persons what a Reckoning will ye have to make when this shall be found on your Score ye were dead in Sin and the Lord contrived a Designe to save lost Sinners in sending His Son to be an offering for sin and the Son came and laid down His Life and ye were called and invited to come to Him and to have Life in Him The glad Tydings of Redemption were Preached and made Offer of to you and ye would not be content to close with Christ but would so far as ye could thuart with Him in His Design though it cost Him His Heart-blood to bring it about What will come of this or what will ye Answer Him for it ye will say it may be that ye were content to concur with Christ and stood not in the way of it but it will be replyed why then did ye live and die in your Sin and bring your Soul to this dreadful hazard and loss your Conscience and God will bear 〈◊〉 upon you and ye will not get it shifted that your destruction was of your selves because ye would not be saved And will that think ye be a Suitable and Satisfying Answer That though Christ would have saved my Soul I would not be saved by Him and then to go to Hell for that What a tormenting thing will it be in the Conscience that Life was Offered to me on Condition of believing in Christ but I Refused or Scorned to take it on that Condition Think on it what ye will think to be sent to Hell because ye would not be saved freely by Christ And to perish because ye would not be Christ's Seed Because ye would not take with your guilt that ye might have Life from Him What do ye all think that ye have Life are there none sensible of their need of Life from Christ Alas that we should be put so often to repeat these Words we may almost speak to stones with as great hope of Success as to many Consciences among you that are habitually obdured and blinded with Presumptâ—on by the god of this World who hath put out your Eyes But thâ— day comes when ye will find your selves greatly mistaken I shall insist no further only seing that ye are Naturally Dead in Sins and Trespasses and seing that Christ's Designe in dying is to have a Seed As ye would not prejudge your selves of Life As ye would not be found to be dispisers of His Sufferings and such as have trode the Blood of the Covenant under foot studie to make sure eternal life to your selves by betaking your selves to Him for it or lay your reckoning to be reputed guilty of this horrible crime with all the aggravations of it SERMON XLII ISAIAH LIII X Verse 10. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand THere is not one reading of these Words but it might put us to this wondering Question For what is it that thâ—s great Design of all Christ's Sufferings hath been driven and what hath been the great End of this Covenant of Redemption that hath such Sharp Sore and Sade Sufferings following thereon to the Mediator who ingadged in it This World was made with little noise to say so There was no ingadgment on God for bringing about of that Work though very great as there is in bringing about this This thâ—n certainly must be a quite other thing that hath an Offering and â—uch an Offering as had in it the bruising and dâ—ing of the Person that was the Son of God interposed for the obtaining of it But this answers the Question He shall see his seed c. Which in sum â—s this His Life shall procure Life to maâ—y dead Sinners and they shall get it certainly applyed to th m And the Work of the Miniâ—â—ry to speak so and of the Mediatory Office of Christ shall thrive well in His hand So that there is not one Soul that is Designed to Life and Glory but it shall be brought to the Possession of it in due time There are two things which we hinted at the last Day that we shall now speak a Word to and the first of them is this That it is an agreed upon and a concluded Article in the Covenant of Redemption that our Lord Jesus shall and must have a Seed This is a most certain and infallible Truth It is an effect laid down here as a necessary consequent of His Offering up of his Soul for sin It 's a determined thing if we look 1. To the certainty of the event Our Lord Jesus Christ must have a Seed to wit Believers in Him That is concluded on and promised to Him 2. If we look to the Seed that He shall have They are particularly determined upon to wit how many Children He shall have and who they shall be That was both a Promise in the Covenant and a Prophesie as we have it Psal 22. Where the Psalmist speaking before of Christ Saâ—es verse 30. A seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation And this is laid down as a solid Conclusi n John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Which suppons both a determinat number given and the certainty of their coming Become of the rest of the World what may they shall undoubtedly come And indeed if we look to the nature of this Transaction we will find it to be a Promiâ—e and a Promise of God to the Mediator that can neither be altered nor unaccomplished yea it 's a Covenanted Promise made on a Condition to wit the laying down of His Life as the stipulation on His Syde And that which he hath for so dâ—ing from the Father on His side is this That He shall see his Seed And when this is not only a Promise but such a Promi e as is grounded on a Transaction bearing a Conâ—ition which the Son hath performed As He Himself saith John 17.4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do There is a Justice and Faithfulness in the Performance of this Promise on the Fathers side to Him That he shall have a Seed 3. It 's clear also if we consider the End of this Transaction which is to glorifie the Grace of God by Christ's Purchase in the Salvation of Elect Sinners In respect of this End it cannot fail but Christ must have a Seed that that End may be attained So then our Lord Jesus must have and certainly shall have many that shall partake of Eternal Life by Him The 1. Use of it serveth to let us see the unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine that leaves the Fruit of Christ's Death as to the seeing of a Seed to an uncertainty laying the weight of it on maâ—s Free Will a thing that is very taking with Natural Men and with conceaty Carnal Reaâ—on But if it were left to Mâ—ns option
to the curse of God for the transgressing of His Law which had said The soul that sins shall die and cursâ—d is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elects Cautioner and to satisfie for their Debt whereby he steps into their room takes on their Debt And as the word is 2 Cor. 5. ult Becomes sin for them Is content to be lyable to and to be pursued by Justice for their Debt and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the Persons of the Elect for whom the Cautioner stands good yet in respect of the Curse and Death due to them there is no relaxation but the same thing due to them is laid on Him as it is Gal. 3. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us In every thing He was put to pay the equivalent for making up the Satisfaction due to Justice and these two being put together that Elect Sinners were obnoxious to Wrath and that our Lord came in their Room He behoved to be put to sad and sore Soul-suffering 3. Consider God's end in the Work of Redemption which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending Grace and Mercy in exacting of satisfaction from the Cautioner and in setting the Sinner free that His Grace may be so Glorified as their shall be a proof given of His Justice and Soveraignity going along with it and Infinit Wisdom being set on Work to glorifiâ— infinit Grace and Justice there is a necâ—ssity for the promoving of this end that the Mediator shall thus satisfie and the more full the Satisfaction be the more conspicuously do the Grace and Justice of God shine forth and are Glorified according to that word Rom 3.26 To declare his righteousnâ—ss that he might be just and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus This is the end of Christ's being made a Propitiation that God may be manifested to be Spotlesse and Pure in His Justice as well as Free and Rich in His Mercy and Grace who having given a Law to Man will not acquite the transgression thereof without a condigne Satisfaction 4 Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfie Justice for Sin that it 's more to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of one Person which all the Angells in Heaven and Men on Earth cannot do and therefore the punishment of the Damned in Hell is drawn out to Eternities length and yet there is never a Compleat Equivalent Satisfaction made to Justice but it is most of all to satisfie Justice for all the Sins of all the Elect who though they be few in comparison of the Reprobat World yet simply considered they are many yea even innumerable And our Lord having taken all their Sins on Him He is peremptorly required to satisfie for them all And if this withall be added that He is to satisfie for all the Sins of all the Elect at once in a very short time and hath the Curse and Wrath of God due to them Mustered and Marshaled in Batallie against Him and as it were in a great Body in a most formidable manner marching up towards Him and seriously charging Him and all the Wrath which they should have drunken through all Eternity which yet would never have been drunk out nor made the less put in one Cup and propined to Him as the Word is Psal 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way The Wrath of God running like an impetuous River must be drunk up at once and made dry by Him These being put together do clearly and convincingly shew that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable Soul-travell and Suffering that our Lord Jesus was put to The Use of this Doctrine is large and the 1. Use is this Tâ—at ye would take it for a most certain Truth which the Scriptures doth so Frequently and Significantly hold forth That our Lord Jesus in performing the Work of Redemption had much sad Soul-travell and sorrow The Faith of this is very usefull to demonstrat the great love of God and of the Mediator For doubtless the more Suffering be undergone by the Mediator the more love Kythes therein to the Elâ—ct 2. It serves to hold out the Soveraignity and Justice of God and the horribleness of Sin 3. In respect of God's People it 's usefull that they may be through and clear in the Reality and Worth of Christ's Satisfaction He having no other End in it but to satisfie Justice for their Sin 4. It 's usefull to shew the Vanity and Emptinesse of Mens Supposed and Fancied Merits and of any thing that can be alleadged to be in Mans Suffering or doing for the satisfying of Divine Justice seing it drew so deep on Christ the Cautioner And here two gross Errours come to be Refuted and Reprobated One of the Socinians who seek quite to overturn Christ's Satisfaction And another of the Papists that minish His Satisfaction and Extenuat and Derogat from the great Priviledge of the Pardon of Sin as if any thing could procure it but this Satisfaction of Christ by His Soul-travell both which are aboundantly refuted by this Text. But to speak a word more particularly to the First For clearing of which ye will ask What could there be to affect the Holy Humane Soul of our Lord Or what was that wherein His Soul-sufferings did consist But before we speak to this we would premit this Word of Advertisement in the entry That there are two sorts of Punishments or Penal Effects of Sin The 1. Sort are such as are simply Penal and Satisfying as proceeding from some extrinsick cause The 2d sort are sinfull One Sin in the Righteous Judgement of God drawing on another And this proceeds not simply from the nature of Justice but from the nature of a meer sinfull Creature and so from an intrinsick cause of a Sinful Principle in the Creature Now when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Christ which He was put to in Satisfying for the Sins of the Elect We mean of the former that is Sufferings that are simply Penall For there was no intrinsick Principle of Corrupt Nature nor ground of Chalâ—enge in Him as there is in Sinfull Creatures And therefore we are to conceive of His Soul-sufferings as of some thing inflicted from without and are not to conceive of them as we do of Sinfull Creatures or that have Sin in them whereof he was altogether free Having premitted this we shall speak a little to these two 1. To that wherein this Soul-suffering did not consist 2. To that wherein it did consist For the former wherein it was not 1. We are not to suppose or imagine any actuall separation betwixt His God-head and His Man-head as if there had been an interruption of the Personall Union not so for the Union of the
two Natures in one Person remains still He was God and Man still though as was hinted before there was a Suspension of such a Measure at least of the sensibly Comforting Influence of the Divine Nature from the Humane as had wont to be let out thereto And yet there was even then a sustaining Power flowing from the God-head that Supported Him so that He was not swallowed up of that which would have quite and for ever swallowed up all Creatures as is evident in this crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Which shewes that though the Union and Relation stood firm yet a comfortable Influence was much restrained 2. There was no sinfull Fretting no Impatiencie nor carnal Anxiety in our Lord all along His Sufferings for He did most willingly undergo them and hâ—d a kindly submission in them all As is evident by these Words But for this cause came I into this hour And not my will but thy will be done 3. There was not in H m any distrust of Gods Love nor any unbelief of His Approbation before God neither any the least Dâ—ffidence as to the Out-gate For in the Sadest and Sharpest of all His Conflicts He was clear about His Fathers Love to Him that the Relation stood firm and that there would be a Comfortable Out-gate as His Prayer before shews wherein He styles God Father And these hardest like Words uttered by Him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me do also shew wherein twice over He confidently asâ—â—rts His Interest My God my God Though He was most terribly Assaulted yet the Tentation did not prevaill over Him 4. Neither are we to conceive that there was any inward Confusion Challenge or Gnawing of Conscience in Him such as is in Desperat Sinners cast under the Wrath of God Because there was no inward cause of it nor any thing that could breed it yea even in that wherein He was Cautioner He was clear that He was doing the Fathers will and finishing the Work that was committed to Him and that even under the greatest Apprehensions of Wrath Therefore all such things are to be guarded against in our Thoughts least otherwayes we reflect upon our Innocent and Spotless Mediator But 2. To speak a Word to that wherein it doth consist 1. It did consist as we hinted before in the God-head's Suspending it's Comfortable Influence for a time from the Humane Nature Though our Lord had no Culpable Anxiety yet He had a Sinlesse Fear considering Him as Man and that the infinit God was Angry and Executing Angryly the Sentence of the Law against Him Though He was not angry at Him considered as in Himself but as He stood in the room of the Elect as their Cautioner of whom He was to exact the Payment of their Debt and could not but be in a wonderfull amazment as the Word is Mark 14.33 He was sore amazed And Heb. 5.7 It 's said when he had offeâ—ed up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears unto him that was able to save him from death he was heard in that which he feared Which looks to His wrestling in the Garden 2. He had an inexpressible sense of grief not only from the petty outward Afflictions that He was under which may be called petty comparatively though they were very great in themselves but also from the Torrent of Wrath flowing in on His Soul That Cup behoved to have a most bitter Relish and an inconceivable Anguish with it when He was a drinking of it as appeared in His Agony O! â—s He was Pained and Pinched in His Soul The Soul being especially sensible of the Wrath of Goâ— 3 It consisted in a sort of wonderfull Horrour which no question the marching up to say so of so many mighty Squadrons of the highly provoked Wrath of God and making so Furious and Formidable an Assault on the Innocent Humane Nature of Christ that considered simply in it's self was a finit Creature behoved necessarily to be attended with Hence He prayes Father if it be possible let this cup depart from me Intimating that there was a Sinless Loathness and a holy Abhorrence to middle with it and to adventure upon it Though we have not Hearts rightly to conceive nor Tongues suitable to express those most exquisite Sufferings yet these things shew that our Lord Jesus was exceedingly put to it in His Holy Humane Soul The 2 Use Serves to stir us up to wonder at the Love of God the Father that gave His own Son and exacted the Elect's Debt of Him and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him And to wonder at the Love of the Son that ingadged to be surety for them And humbled Himself so Low to lift them up It was wonderfull that He should stoup to become Mâ—n and to be a poor Man and to die but more that He should come this length as to be in an Agony of Soul and to be so tossed with a Tempest of Terrible Wrath though He was not capable of Tossing as meer Creatures are This being well considered would highten exceedingly the praise of Grace in the Church and very much warm the Hearts of Sinners to Him And for pressing this Use a little and for provocking to Holy Wondering at this Love consider these Four 1. Who it was that suffered tâ—us Even He that was without guile He that was Gods delight His Fatheâ—s Fellow the express image of his person He thâ—t made all things and who will one Day be Judge of all Iâ—'s even He that thus Suffered 2. Whâ—t He Suffered even the Wrath of God and the Wrath of God in such a Degree and Measure as was equivalent to all that the Elect should have Suffered Eternally in Hâ—ll which presseth forth from Him these expressions which we hinted at before 3. For whom all this was which makes it appear to be yet more wonderfull It was for a number of lost straying sheep That were turned every one to his own way as it is verse 6. For Dyvours and debauched Bankerupts that were Enemies to and in Tops with Him Some of them Spitting in His Face some of them upon the Consultation of taking away His Life as may be gatherâ—d from Acts 2. Yea take the best of them for whom He suffered even those whom He took to the Garden with Him to be Witnesses of His Agony and we will find them sleeping when He is in the hight of it and is thereby cast into a Top Sweat of Blood and out of Case to Watch and bear Burden with Hâ—m but for an hour It had been much for Him to have Suffered for Righteous Persons but as it is Rom. 5. God commends his love to us in this that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 5. The manner how He Suffered to wit most Willingly and Patiently though He easily could hâ—ve commanded more then twelve legions of Angels to rescue Him yet He would not but
trust in Him SERMON XLIV ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shalâ— my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished unto all good works and that His People may be made wise unto salvation Yet these Scriptures wherein our Lord Jesus is holden forth more clearly are eminently usefull He being the Foundation and Ground of all To whom the Law and the Prophets bear witness and they are only profitable to us in the Estate wherein we are in so far as they relate to to Him and point Him out to us And we may further say that these Scriptures wherein His Sufferings and Death are holden forth in the Richness and Fruitfulness of them are singularly so that being the very Life of the Covenant and the very Door by and through which we step from Death to Life And whatever they be to others sure they have a speciall Sweetnesse in them to sensible Sinners And therefore the Sum of the Gospel and of Saving Knowledge is by the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.2 Compended in the knowledge of Christ and of him crucified which unfolds His very Heart and Bowells to us The Prophet hath been pointing out this in severall Verses and hath hinted at the effects of His Sufferings in the former verse And now in these Words he puts a new Title on them calling them the travel of Christ's soul Not only to set out the exceeding greatness of them but with respect to thâ— foregoing Words wherein it 's said He shall see his seed Which is repeated here when it 's said He shall be satisfied So that as a Mother is in Travell for bringing forth of a Child So sayes he shall Christ be put to Soul-travell for bringing Life and Immortality to the Seed given to Him to be saved by Him And seing He is put to Travell He must needs bring forth and see his seed Here we may allude that of Isaiah 66.9 Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God We have spoken of the Nature and Greatness of these Sufferings Now ere we proceed to any moe Observations we would speak a Word further to the Use of this It being indeed an Eater out of which comes Meat and a Strong out of which comes Sweet These pangs having calmed and quieted the Pangs and Showres to speak so of many Travelling Souls and brought forth a Birth at last And therefore beside what I spake to in the Use the last day I would add this That we would endeavour to have the solid Faith not only of His Sufferings but of the Greatness of His Sufferings imprinted deeply on our hearts That I say the Sufferings of a Dying Blood-sweating Christ Wrestling and Strugling even to His being in an Agony with the Wrath of God and puting up strong Cryes with Tears may be born in on our hearts and that we may throughly be perswaded of the greatness of the Work of Redemption and that it was a most Dear and Coastly Bargain to Christ For it was not Gold nor Silver it was not Kingdoms nor visible Worlds nor Angells that were given as a Price for Elect Sinners but it was the precious Blood of the Son of God Nay it was the bitter and sharp Soul-travell Sâ—dness Sorrow and Agony of our Lord Jesus which to speak comparatively was beyond the shedding of His Blood And what a Price do ye think this to be That He that made all and preserved all in their Being and was before all things should come thus low as to be a Man and a mâ—an sorrowfull suffering and dying Man yea to be a cursed Man and to go out of â—his Life as being under a Curse yet being alwayes the beloved Son of the Father And being even then when at His lowest the Prince of the kings of the earth and shining forth gloriously in the Powâ—r and Riches and Freeness of His Love and Grace sure this wonderfull low stooping and humbling of Himself Preaches out the Love that straitned and constrained Him to run upon that which was His own Death there being no hands that could have taken away His Life had He not willingly laid it down which He did with delight Could we make use of this there is much here to be said for our use We shall draw what we would say on it to these four heads 1. To something for Instruction 2. To something for Consolation 3. To something for Exhortation 4. To something for Reproof and Expostulation I say 1. It serves for Instruction and ye would from it be Instructed in several things 1. How to think aright of the great Severity of the Justice of God and of the Horrour of Wrath and of the dreadfull Consequ nts of Sin which it will most certainly have following on it May it not make your Souls to tremble to think upon and consider that our Lord Jesus was brought to such a pass as to be in such an Agony to be so exceeding sorrowfull and even amazed To be so troubled in Soul that he was thereby made to sweat great drops of blood and to be wrestling with somewhat that His holy Humane Nature had a scarring at O! the desert and wages of Sin is dreadfull when the Law pursues its Controversie and when Justice exacts what a broken Covenant deserves Alace The most of men believe not this but it s here that may convince us whâ—â— an evil thing Sin is and what a dreadfull thing it is to fall into the hands of an angry God O! that ye would think upon it that ye may beware of Sin by all means and may alwayes be minding that Word which our Saviour hath If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry If it was so done with Him who in the Action if I may so call it was performing His Fathers will and giving an admirable proof of His respect to the Honour of God What wiâ—l He do to the dry Sticks the Damned Reprobat who have slighted the offer of His Grace despised the Sufferings of a Mediator and disdained to be reclaimed Hear it and tremble and be perswaded that the Horror that Sin shall bring upon the Sinner when God comes to reckon with him is inexpressible 2. Be Instructed and see here how great the difficultie is of making peace with God when once His Law is broken A thing that is little believed by most who are disposed to think that they will get God sooner pleased and pacifiâ—d thâ—n they will get their Neigâ—bour or Master pacified and pleased which sayes That either they they think nothing or but very little of His
suitable for Sinners to carry the Faith of this along with them in their bosome If He procured Heaven to us by His Soul-suffering and Travel we cannot procure it to our selves and therefore a necessity lyes on all that would be at Heaven to be in Christ's common for it And this is the up-shot of all that Dyvour Sinners may know that they are in His common As for His Purchase so for the Applicâ—tion of it Use 2. This Doctrine yeelds much Consolation and it is the Fountain and Rise of it His Soul travel bought it all and makes way to the bringing of us to the possession of it And in many respects our Consolation depends on it We shall look upon it as the rise thereof more generally in these respects 1. That to a poor Sinner lying under the Curse there is a possibility of getting it put by and kept off that Heaven is not desperat and that the fear of coming before the Tribunal of Justice is not absolute for our Lord hath satisfied Justice the Price that He laid down was not for nought but levelled at this very Scope as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we Sinners might be made the righteousness of God in or through him and what strong Consolation is this for a Sinner under the Curse of God to have this word spoken to him though thou cannot satisfy Justice for thy self yet there is a way laid down to satisfy it for thee the Mediator having the Price that was required proposed to Him did not stick at the Terms but held the Bargain and hath accordingly actually performed it 2. It is a Consolation in this respect That not only is there a Compleat Satisfaction given to Justice but a willing Saviour ready to make that Satisfaction forthcoming and to make it forthcoming freely can there be a greater proof of our Lord Jesus His Love to Sinners then this That when they were considered with all their Debt lying on their heads He undertook this Soul-travel for them to procure them Salvation from Wrath and Justice This is more then His giving them His Word for it though that had been enough it 's more then the giving them His Oath thus to commend His Love As it is John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his fâ—iend but sayes the Apostle Rom. 5.8.10 God commends his love to us that while we were yea sinners yea enemies Christ died for us This good Shepherd laid down His Life for His Sheep 3. It 's a Consolation in this respect That there is also a willingness to the Lord Jehovah the provoked Party to accept of this Satisfaction and to absolve the Elect on account of this Satisfaction For what I pray was all this Soul-travel that the Lord underwent But Jehovah His transferring of the Debt of the Elect on Him according to the transaction that had past in the Covenant of Redemption He would never have made the Sword of His Justice to awake against the man that was His Fellow if He had not been content to accept of His Satisfaction for them that should make use of it for we have not only the Mediator and His Satisfaction to look upon in this Soul-travel but also the contrivance of the Covenant called in the former words The pleasure of the Lord who while we were enemies gave His Son and was content to want Him for a time to speak so and to be a distinct party to pursue Him Is not this then a good Bargain when we have a willing Mediator and Merchant content to give the Price and Satisfaction and a gracious and willing God content to accept of this Satisfaction and both of them content to make the Application of it to us freely As it is Revel 3.18 Here is matter of strong Consolation the ground whereof will not fall to wit The mediators Soul-travel and the Lord Jehovah will not cast the Bargain When the poor Sinner sayes I have nothing to pay but there is a Price in Christ's Satisfaction offered in the Gospel and the Judge sayes admits it for the Sinner that lays claim to it as if the Sinner had never Sinned or had actually payed the Price himself But 4. Look a little further and we will find more Consolation though this be much consider a Sinner in a tempted condition and under Sad-soul-exercise that wots not what to do with Unbelief with the Devil and with the Wrath of God all which are like to overwhelm and swallow them up and the heart is like to sink here is the native and kindly Fountain for such a Soul to drink at That our Lord Jesus suffered more and that it was another sort of Cup that He drank of and drank out And for these Ends 1. To take away the Sting and Bitterness of thy Cup. 2. To procure and Meritoriously to Purchase a Freedom and Out-gate from these Temptations to thee 3. Also that He might be made a Sympathizing High-Priest and the more compassionat towards the Person that should be so Tempted according to that Heb 2. ult For that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able also to succour these that are tempted He was Tempted that He might have kindly sympathy with Tempted Souls and therefore when such are ready to fall a swoon He dates and dandles them as it were on His Knee and when they are in hazard to turn their backs in the Conflict He comes up with fresh strength and recruits them So Heb. 4.15 We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin We have such an High Priest as was not only mocked and scorned of Men and some way deserted of God but who was tempted though not from Sin within for He was without Sin yet to Sin for He was assaulted by the Devil and tempted to unbelief and other gross Sins As is clear Matth. 4. though as He sayeth Himself The prince of this world had nothing in him And He was not only tempted to Sin but as if He had actually Sinned He met with Wrath from all there is a sweet and strong Sympathy flowing from such bowels as one Brother hath towards another yea inconceivablie beyond the tenderest bowels that the most warmly loving Brethren in all the World have one towards another And therefore he knows well what Apprehensions Temptations riding thick to speak so will attempt to beat in upon poor Souls and can from experience Sympathy with them It is not so to be understood as if there were any additionall degree made to His Kindnesse Skill and Grace as He is God These being infinit in Him as so confedred yet He being Man as well as God or having a humane Nature He hath from His Personal experience a Sympathy and that in a humane way
though infinitely above what we can conceive with His own under their Temptations and sad Soul-exercises And seing the Scripture holds out such a thing as this That our High Priest is a Man that hath bowels of Sympathy it may sufficiently warrand a Believer to expect much good this and other wayes from Christ He having Grace infinit in Him as God and a tender heart as Man to befriend them and to communicat and let out of that Grace unto them And this is great ground of Consolation to Believers under any Cross and piece of hard exercise to know that we have a Mediator who knows in experience though not the sinfulnesse that accompanies these hard exercises in us yet what these fears are of being shut out from God and how dreadfull a thing it is to be at controversie with Him and is like to these who having come thorow a sad Tryall and Piece of Exercise themselves are thereby the more ready to Sympathize with others under it 5. and lastly The consideration of this may comfort Believers even in their outward afflictions it had been another sort of Crosses that they would have been made to meet with if He had not taken this Cup of Wrath and dunken it for them and therefore they would be comforted and bless God who hath taken this Soul-travel from off them and made way for a Retreat and Shelter for them in Him and it should even shame Believers who are ready to think so much of any little Bit of inward Exercise or of outward Affliction seing our blessed Lord Jesus endured so much not only outwardly and Bodily Affliction but also so much inward Trouble and Soul-travel that thereby their Burden might be made light and their yoke easie Use 3. For Exhortation seing our Lord Jesus was put to such sore Soul-travel sure it layes a great obligation on them for whom he Suffered to endeavour to make some Suitable and Gratefull Return seing therefore we are so much in His Common and Debt we should give Him a friendly meeting in these Four which this calls for 1. It calleth for Love to Him that vented such Love to us 2. It calleth for Faith That seing He gave such a Price for us we should trust our Souls to Him 3. It calleth for Holiness and Obedience even living to Him and to the Glorifying of Him that hath bought us This Argument will sure weigh with you who on solid grounds lay claim to His Purchase 4. It calleth for Thankfulness and Praise in magnifying His Grace and Love that hath so Loved us And are not all these very suitable and becoming that Sinners should Love Him and that these who Love Him not should be Anathema Marenatha accursed to the coming of the Lord that Sinners should believe on Him and be obedient to Him and thankfull 1. If ye believe this Truth this Comfortable and Soul-ravishing Truth let me exhort you and be exhorted and prevailed with tâ— love Our Lord Jesus Christ and to give Him that answerable respect meeting and welcome that becomes If we may plead for any thing from you sure we may plead for this If it be true that He ingadged in such a Bargain in which if He had not ingadged Himself we had inevitably gone to the pit and if He hath actually payed the Pâ—â—e which He undertook to pay let your Consciences speak if it should not melt the hearts of such to whom the benefit of this is offered with Love to Him And if ye have the Faith of the Doctrine can ye deny but this obligation lyeth upon you Look in on your Consciences and Hearts and see if ye be able to shift it and if ye had suitable Palaces for intertaining Him in if ye be not bound to open to Him and give Him patent entry to them and if your Eyes were Fountains Tears if it would not become you to wash His Feet with them and to wipe them with the Hair of your Heads Would to God that you were under the suitable impression of this and that ye were by the Gospel and the Priviledges ye have by it constrained to love the Lord Jesus Christ It may be some of you think if this be all that is called for He shall not want it We assure you it is called for My Son sayeth He give me thine heart But we are afraid that though ye will confess that this is your duty and that ye should have Love to Him yet the most part of you want it For when we speak of Love to Châ—ist it is not a Pretext or Apprehension of Love that will be taken for Love but such Love as hath these Qualifications 1. If Christ be Loved He will be esteemed of as the most excellent Thing or Person the most excellent Bargain the most Kind Friend the most Loving Husband and as the most Full Compleat and absolute Sufficiency or Sufficient One As He is spoken of and esteemed of by the Spouse Can. 5. His countenance is like Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet he is altogether lovely The heart is brought to esteem of Him and to prefer Him beyond all that it can set the eye upon It were indeed somewhat if ye were brought under Conviction and through Perswasion of this that Jesus Christ is the incomparable best thing that a Sinner can have a Title to But alace He is dispised and rejected of Men though He be the chiefest of ten thousands And Men play the fool egregiously in preferring other things to Him who is infinitely worthy of the Preference uâ—â—â— and of the Preheminency above them all A 2d Evidence of Love is the hearts longing and panting after the injoyment of Him and after the injoyment of Him as the most excellent Object quite surpassing all other Objects And when the thirst and longing of the Soul is so carried out after Him as it cannot be satisfied without Him which is to be Sick of love for Him as it is Can. 2 5. and 5. v. 8. To be in a manner swooning and fâ—inting because of His absence and even greening to speak so for His presence to have the bent of the Souls Designes and Desires towards making â—f that Glorious Conquest whereof the Apostle speaks Philip. 3. Even to count all things to be but loss and dung and to cast all things as it were over Board to win to him and to be found in him To count of Him as the pearl of price and as the treasure hid in the field For the sake of which ye would strip your selves to the Skin and sell all that ye have to buy it 3. This Love to Christ Jesus hath in it a Satisfying Delight in Him and the Souls blessing of it self in Him it 's contenting it self with Him and it 's rejoycing in that Sweetness which it findeth to be in Him as being the only Attractive Object that hath such a Loveliness in it as breeds Satisfaction Which Satisfaction begets a
Kindly Warmness in the Heart to Him again even till the Soul be put in a Holy Low or Flame of Love to Him more of this Love would make Christ and the Gospel much more Sweet and would make every one of these words that expresseth His Love in His Sufferings to be like Marrow and Fatness and would also make the Promises to be like Breasts full of Consolation It would withall cause that there would not be such mistakes of Christ nor such gaddings and whorings from Him and such preferrings of Idols to Him as alace there are Where this Love is not there can be no other thing that will be acceptable We shall say no more for the time but only this That we do appeal to your Consciences if there be not here an excellent and non-such Object of Love and if there be not here much reason to be in Love with that Object A very Heathen will return Love for Love and should not we much more do so in this case God Himself kindle this Love in us and make us know more the great advantages of it SERMON XLV ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Work of Redemption is a business that was very gravely and very seriously contrived and prosecuted in respect of God and of the Mediator there was much earnestness in it as to them and yet notwithstanding which is a wonder Men whom it concerns so much whose Salvation depends on it and to whom the benefit of it redounds are but very little serious in their thoughts of it Our Lord Jesus was in Travel Soul-travel sore Soul-travel to bring about this Work and that the Gospel might be Preached to Sinners that they might have thereby a ground to their Faith to expect Life and Remission of Sins through Him Is it not then sad that we should speak and hear of it and be in a manner like the stone in the wall no more or little more affected with it than if it were a matter that did not at all concern us The Reading and Hearing of these Words will doubtless be a great Conviction to secure Sinners that our Lord Jesus was at such pains and put to such sore Soul-travel and Suffering and that yet such Sinners were never stirred nor made serious to have the Application of this Purchased Redemption made to them The Scope of these Words is to shew the great inward Soul-travels Conflicts and Straits that our blessed Lord Jesus had and was put to in throughing of the Work of Redemption and in paying the Price due to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It 's a wonder that ever we should have it to speak of and that ye should hear of this Subject which is the very Text to say so and Sum of the Gospel And therefore before we leave it we shall speak a little more to the Use of it and truly if we make not use of this Doctrine we will make use of none though I confess it is a great practique how to draw it to Use and to conform ourselves in our practice to the Use of it We proposed somethings the last day which we could not then prosecute As 1. something for Exhortation 2. Something for Reproof and Expostulation which rising clearly from the Doctrine drawn from the Words we may now insist a little in them 1. For Exhortation Considering Christs Sufferings and the extremity of them and that they were undergone for Sinners we would exhort you to love Him as ye ought There is ground and warrand here to require it of you seing that Love in His bosome came to such an hight that He was content to lay down His Life yea seing He was in such a hot flame of Love that the Cup of Wrath did not quench it but His Love drank and dryed it up Greater love then this hath no man It is a most wonderfull Love considered with all the circumstances whereby it is hightened And there is ground here to excite and stir you up to give Him a kindly meeting and to welcome His Love with Love It will sure be a great shame if our Lords Love stood at nothing so that He might do the Fathers will and finish the Work committed to Him which was the perfyting of the Work of Sinners Redemption the Redeeming of His lost Sheep It every triffle or any triffle shall quench Love in our hearts to Him O! What a shame will it be in the Day of Judgement to many when this Man shall be brought forth loving this Idol and another Man loving that Idol more then Christ this Man loving his Lust that Man his Ease and another Man hâ—s Wealth or Honour and preferring them to Christ and when it shall be found that they would not quit nor part with their right Eye nor their right Hand which are not worth the name of Members being called so because they are Members of the Body of Death out of Love to Him Think Folks what they will that native impression of the obligation that lyes upon them to love Christ is wanting and that Divine and Soul-ravishing Influence that His Love should have on hearts It is true ye all think that ye love Him unless it be some of them who indeed love Him but if ye could reflect upon your selvâ—s ye would find that ye have little or no love at all to Him indeed And therefore for undeceiving of you beside what we said the last day take two or three Characters of kindly love to Christ 1. This Love is never satisfied with any degree or measure that it hath attained so as to sit down on it It hath these two things in it A desire to be further on in Love and a weightedness that it cannot win at growth in Him The loving Soul is disposed to think that it's Love to Christ is not worthy to be called Love and it breaths after it even to have it self warmed therewith to Him and to be brought to a further nearness to Him as we may see through the Song of Solomon And particularly Chap. 7. at the close There will I give thee my loves And Chap. 8. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother Kindly Love to Him puts the Soul to long for an opportunity to vent it's Love towards Him 2. Where this Love is the Soul will be as serious in praying for it that it may attain it as if it wanted it and it will be as much affected for the want of the lively exercise of it and will be as much challenged for coming short in it as it will be for any other Sin There is no benefit that it seeks more after then to have the heart circumcised to love Him and O! but it will be accounted a great benefit to get love to Christ And
serious thoughts of your Souls estate or of the necessity of making sure your Peace with God I beseech you lay to heart your Condition and bewar of trampling the Blood of the Covenant under your Feet let not the Grace that is offered to you in this Gospel be heard and received in vain but by the acknowledgement of Sin and of Gods Justice to which ye are lyable for the same timously betake your selves to Christ's Suffering for a shelter from the Wrath of God that will be as a Storm against the Wall Thus we press as the great Use of this Doctrine upon you that ye improve the Cup of Wrath that the Mediâ—tor hath Drunken for your exempting from the Curse that is due to you and that Cup that ye deserved to have Dâ—unken Eternally 2. For you who under the Conviction of Sin are looking towards Christ let me intreat you not to stay on this side of the City of refuge but step forward and improve this Soul-travel of the Lord for your Spiritual Ease Setlement Quiet and Comfort as well as from keeping you from Wrath otherwayes it will bring bitternesse in the End If ye make not use of Christ's Sufferings if ye betake not youâ— selves to Him and do not trust Him for Justification and Life ye will make your selves guilty oâ— His Blood and will be found traders of it under Foot And therefore let me here speak a Word to the Second thing proposed That is the Grounds or Reasons or Motives that should press you to make Use of these Sufferings and of the Grounds of Faith that they hold out unto you And 1. In General let me ask Is there not need that ye should do so Is there not Guilt and hazard of Wrath because of Guilt and if â—o Why stand ye at a distance â—rom the Saviour If it were Sinless Saints and Angels that were exhorted to make Use of H m it would be the leâ—s wonder that there were so little thinking of a Mediator but when it is Sinners that are called upon and Sinners in such eminent hazâ—rd it 's indeed a wonder that there iâ— not greater flocking unto Him and pressing on Him If there had noâ— been need would the Father have so pursued the Son or do ye think that it was for a Complement that He laid down His Life Which sure He would not have done if Salvation could have been had another way 2dly And more particularly As ye would consider the marvellous Grounds that He hath laid down for Faith to rest upon so ye would consider the many Motives that ye have to press you to rest on these Grounds which we shall draw to these Four 1. The Fulness and Sufficiency of the Ground that is given to Faith in Christs Sufferings which the deeper they draw on His Soul Faâ—th hath the Fuller and Better Ground to make Use of them 2. The Power and Ability that are Conspicuously in Him to make Application of His Purchase He hath encountered Wrath and hath overcome He is Absolved and Justified before God and is exalted to be a prince and a saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins And having Satisfied Justice and defeated the Devil and being thus exalted He can bring through and land fate such Sinners as betake themselves to Him And these two to wit A sufficient Price payed for the Debt of the Elect And a sufficient Prince and Saviour able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through Him and who is Exalted and sitteth at God's Right Hand to make Intercession for us as they are a solid Ground for Faith to rest on so a strong Motive to press believing 3. The great Faithfulnesse of God that Brightly Shines and Wonderfully appears here who according to the Covenant sends His Son and pursues the Quarrel against Him and in so doing keeps the Promise made to Abraham And the great Faithfulnesse of the Meadiator in coming and performâ—ng all that He undertook for the Elect Both of them are so faithfull in performing all that was Covenanted to the least ioâ—a thereof as is evidenâ— by what our Lord sayes I have finishâ—d the work which thou gavest me to do Seing therefore there is such exact Faithfulnesse in Keeping and Fulfilling of all that passed in the Covenant of Redemption and of all that was Promised to the Fathers And seing the Mediator hath said that of all that come unto him he will cast out none nor put thâ—m away is there not here a strong Motive to believing Will not the Lord Jesus be as Faithfull in keeping the Promise made to Comers unto Him as the Faâ—her and He have been in performing of what was Covenanted concerning their Redemption The 4th Is the great Love of God and of the Mediator that eminently shined here in their willingness to make the Application As He is Faithfull so is He willing to be imployed and what greater evidence of Love would we have then this That Our Lord Jesus hath delighted so much in the Salvation of Sinners that He laid down His Life and endured much more Soul travel for this very End We beheld sayes John Chap. 1.14 his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Fatherfull of grace and truth In His Humiliation He was G orious in both these Glorious in His Truth making His Faithfulnesse to shine in exact keeping of what was Aggreed upon and Promised Glorious in His Grace to poor Sinners in making Application of His Purchase Freely and Fully yea the more that He was obscured by His Humiliation the more did His Grace shâ—ne forth how much more Gloriâ—us will He be in these when He is now exalted 3dly If these two perswade you not to believe on Him To wit the Grounds that He hath given for belâ—eving and the powerfully pressing Moâ—ives to make Use of these Grounds consider the absolute necessity that ye lye under of making use of these Grounds without which ye will never be able to shift the Wrath of God Is there any that can give God a Recompence The redemption of the Soul is precious and ceases for ever as to you Or if any could have been able Why did the Mâ—diâ—tor come thus low And where should have been the Glory of Grace and Truth that hath shined so Radiantly in His Sufferings And therefore from all these be exâ—orted to give Him the Credit of your Sâ—lvation by making Use of His Righteousnesâ— and by founding your Plea before God on His Sufferings as ever ye would have your Souls saved Otherwayes ye can expect nothing but to fall under the Rigour of Justice and to be made to satisfy for your own Debt to the uttermost farthing and when will that be Darâ— the most innocent amongst you step in to satisfy Justice for themselves if not is there not a necessity to make Use of His Sufferings for that End Which He haâ—h made attainable by His Tearing of the Vail of His
And this is summed up in these Words He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied Upon which two stands the Covenant of Redemption And hence it is That all things relating to the Salvation of the Elect are to sicker and fiâ—m that there is no possibility of the misgiving or failing of whatever is here transâ—cted upon We have spoken somewhat of the Price which the Son the Mediator was to give and of the Soul-travel which He underwent in the paying of it We shall now speak of the Words as they hold out thâ— Promises made to the Mediator and it 's two fold 1. He shall see of the travel of his soul Which Words being an Explication of the former and looking also to these which follow there is a Word to be supplied which will â—â—k in both and it is fruit He shall see the fâ—uit of the travel of his soul That is He cannot but have a Seed and a numerous off-spring because of His Soul-travel in bringing them Forth and so the Promise in this respect shews the certainty of the eff ct that is that He shall most certainly bring forth in H s travelling The 2. Promise is That He shall see the Fruit of His Soul-travel or His Seed It 's much to have a Seed but it 's more to see it it 's not only this That Christ shall have a numerous Isâ—ue but that He shall Out-live Death to see and over-see and be a a Tuâ—or to them though by His Death He Purchase Life to them We shall from the first Promise take two Observations The 1. is this That our Lord Jâ—sus by His Suffering and Soul travel shall câ—rtainly attain the Fruit He aims at in it His Death and Sufferings shall not be Fruitless but shall certainly have the intended Fruit Whatever we take the Fruit to be whether we take it our of the former Words it 's a Seed that he shall see or have Or whether we take it out of the following Words It 's the Justifying of many Both these come to the same thing and it shall certainly come to pass and be made effectuall in the Up-shot of it As the Lord Himself sayeth John 12.24 Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth muâ—h fruâ—t Where He compares His own Death to the sowing of Seed which when sown doth rot and then springs up and hath Fruit so as if He had s id my Death shall be a Seed or Seed-time whereon abundant Fruit shall follow for the Good and Salvation of many This Doctrine supposes 1. That our Lord Jesus had a respect in the laying down of His Life to the Salvation of Hâ—s own Elect People or thus that our Lord Jesus in the laying down of His Life had a designe and purpose to save the Elect as often He saith I lay down my life for my sheep And here they are called a Seed and Fruit and such as are Justified in due time 2. That this purpose should by His Sufferings be certainly made effectual this being the Fathers Promise to Him He shall see His seed or the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied It cannot be frustrated And we may furder confirm it from these Grounds 1 Because it is a Covenanted and Transacted business betwixt the Father and the Son and is here Promised If therefore there cannot be a failling of the Transaction and Bargain it must certainly have the full effâ—ct 2 Because the Mediator hath faithfully â—ulfilled His part of the Covenant And if He haâ—h been so faithfull on His side Then Jehovah on the other side of the Covenant who hath in it promised Satisfaction to Him for the travel of His Soul cannot but perform His part also The Mediator performed His Part even till it câ—me to these sweet Words uttered by Him on the Cross It is finished And therefore as I said the other part That he shall see the fruit of his Soul-travel must also be performed 3. It 's also clear from the End and Designe of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and the Son and of Christs laying down His Life which was to bring about Life unto and to make it forthcoming for all them that the Father had given Him and to and for no more nor to and for no fewer Therefore He saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And I give them eternal life and will raise them up at the last day Now this being the End of the Covenant and of Christs Death and the mean whereby the Glory of Grace is manifested that Life might not only be Purchased to the Elect but also actually conferred on them according to the Fathers and the Mediators designe in the Covenant Christ Jesus cannot but have the Promise made good unto Him there being an engadgement of and on the God-head to speak after the manner of Men as to the Reality Certainty and Success of the performance and for making out this Promise to the Mediator The 1. Use Serves for Instructing and Clearing of us in several things contraverted by unsound men For if this be a Truth That our Lords Sufferings and Soul-travel cannot but have Fruit and the Fruit that He aimed at therein then 1. There is a definit particular and certain number Elected to partake of the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings because there is only such a particular number that is given to Christ to be Redeemed by Him and that do actually partake of the Benefit of His Sufferings which cannot fail 2. That Christ's Sufferings are not intended as a Price and Satisfaction for the Sins of all and every one for so He should not see the Fruit of the Travel of His Soul but should in a great part miss and loss it if He had intended that the Travel of His Soul should have been undergone for Judas as well as for Peter 3. There is here a Ground for the Certainty and Efficacy of the Grace of God in converting Elect Sinners for Christ Jesus cannot loss these who are committed to Him to be Redeemed more then He can loss the Fruit of His Suffering then sure Faith is not left pendelous on Mans Free-will but is put out of question as to all His own through His undertaking As He saith That no man can come to me except the Father draw him so He saith These that are given me shall and must come to me There is a Put or Powerful Draught of the Spirit of God which is nothing else but the efficacy of His Grace by which this is made infrustrably sure and not left contingent 4. See here the Truth of the Perseverence of Elect and Regenerat Saints who are appointed to be the Fruit of His Soul-travel and a Satisfaction to Him for the same For if they should fail and not persevere to the End The Promise here made to the Mediator should be cast loose and not
His Purchaâ—e since He lives to make it it will no doubt be great ground of Challenge against you who slight His Sufferin s and keep at a distance from Him since He is alive and since what is much accounted of by Him even the Fruit of His Sufferings is by you set at nought who Neglect Râ—fuse or Despise Him and the â—enâ—fiâ— of His Sufferings O! what an aggrâ—vâ—tion of your Guilt will this be when He is looking on to sâ—e what comes of the Fruit of His Sufferings and Soul-travel To be found thus to slâ—ght and in a manner to affront Him He knows and takes notice of the breathings of Faith where they are and is well pleased with them and with the least mintings at it He knows also who despise Him and refuse to believe in H m and hath all put on record God give us wisdome to make the right chose SERMON XLVII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iâ—iquities AS it is a most wonderfull Work that Our Lord Jesus hath in hand and a mighty great Bargain that cost Him the Travel of His Soul So it may be thought that it must be a very great Price that Our Lord Jesus hath to expect as His Satisfaction for all that sore Labour and Travel This is it that the Text holds forth He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul Which in Sum is this He shall see poor Sinners getting good of Him Justified by His Grace and admitted to friendship with God and that to His Satisfaction as the Words following clear He shall be satisfied to wit as to that Fruit and shall acquiesce in it as His Satisfaction for all the Travel of His Soul We told you that there were three things in these Words 1. The Price that is called for from the Mediator in performing the Work of Redemption and making Reconciliation betwixt God and Sinners to wit The travel of his soul The sad and sorely pinching Straits and Pressures that He was put to and brought under not only in His Body but also in His Soul 2. The Promise made to Him upon His undertaking and paying of the Price He shall see of the travel of his soul That is the Fruits and Effects of His Soul travel It shall not be for nought but shall certainly have Fruit He shall have a numerous Seed and Issue 3. There is here holden forth the Mediators acquiescence in the Bargain so proposed That He undertaking the Condition of laying down His Life on these same Terms that He shall see a Seed He requires no other Satisfaction and therefore He accepts of it and acquiesces in it as the Result of this Designe and shal be satisfyed Having spoken of the former Two We come now to speak of the Third And we may consider it in these three Respects 1. As it looks to Christ's Designe Who is like to one that is running a Race and hath the Prize before him and in his eye and this is implyed here That He hath something before Him in laying down of His Life which He shall not miss but shall reach and be Satisfied in it so many are given Him for whom He enters Cautioner on Condition that His Righteousness shall be made furthcoming to them and that none of them shall be without or want it 2. As it looks both to the number and certainty of the Effects and Fruits in respect of them that are given to Him He shall be satisfied He shall have though not all Men and Women yet a sufficient number even as many as shall satisfie and content Him And whatever was intended by Him in the laying down of His Life He shall want nothing of it but shall be satisfyed in it and thus the Words are to be Actively understood to wit of Gods Actual performing of that which shall be Satisfying to the Mediator 3. It may be looked on as the Effect and Consequent following upon the former Promise and so it is to be understood Passively for the delight that He takes in the Fruit of His Sufferings and in the seing of Sinners getting the good of them and the so meaning is That He shall be fully contented and throughly well Satisfied with yea even delighted and to speak so comforted in this for all the Travel of His Soul when many shall be brought to believe in Him and to get good of Him To clear it furder We may take the Words as alluding to severall Similitudes As 1. To that of hungry and thirsty Persons who are said to be satisfied when their hunger and thirst are removed by meat and drink which implyes That Jesus Christ in His pursuing and performing the Work of Redemption had a Holy Hunger and Thirst and this His Hunger and Thirst Is Satisfyed in their Salvation and what leadeth to it As Himself saith John 4.32 Where He makes use of this same Similitude I have meat to eat that ye know not of 2. It may allude to a Man's taking pains in planting of an Vine-yard or Orchard to whom it is a Satisfaction when all the Trees grow thrive well and bear Fruit and so the meaning is That Our Lord Jesus shall be at vast Expence and great Labour and Pains in making Sinners to become Trees of righteousness but that all these for whom He Suffered and was at all this Expence and Pain shall hold so well and be so Fruitfull at length that He shall be fully Satisfied in them and think all well bestowed Or 3. We may take it in allusion to a Woman in Travel who is said John 16.21 To have sorrow while her pains are upon her but so soon as she is delivered she no more remembers her sorrow for joy that a man child is born And this Similitude is here especially alluded unto therefore Our Lords Sufferings are called Travel because of the Pains that He was put unto in them and because the End of them was to bring forth Children before called His seed As if the Prophet had said Our Lord Jesus shall be put to great Sorrow in Suffering but He shall bring forth And as a Woman hath Joy in the Man-child brought forth so shall He have more comfort and delight in the bringing forth of Believers then He had sorrow in the procuring of Life to them though that was very great From the Words thus considered and explained take these two Observations 1. That Our Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted satisfyed and well-pleased with poor Sinners making use and getting good of His Sufferings It 's a thing most Satisfying and Well-pleasing to Him 2. That seing Our Lord Jesus is so well-pleased with Sinners making use of Him there is all equity and reason for it that He should have this Satisfaction and this follows not only on the former but clearly riseth from the Words For
thereby he may have Satisfaction for all his Soul-travel And therefore we would exhort you on this ground to give Him your Souls to be saved by Him in order to His Satisfaction And what is spoken in common take it as spoken to every one of you in particular Men and Women Old and Young Rich and Poor If ye would do Christ a favour and pleasure give Him imployment for Pardon of Sin for Peace with God for Sanctification for Consolation and for Access to Heaven Or if ye would know what motive we would use to perswade you to make Use of this Gospel for all these take this for one and a main one That it will Satisfie and even to speak so with Reverence comfort Christ for all the Travel of His Soul and for all the hard Labour that He endured even as it Satisfies a wooer for all his Pains and Patience in waiting on after many refusals and slights when he gains the Womans Consent and when the Match is made up So it will Satisfie Him when He sees Souls by vertue of His Sufferings brought to believe on Him and to lay the weight of their Salvation upon Him for then He sees it was not for nought that He laid down His Life And truly if this Motive prevail not I know not what Motive will prevail But to make it the more clear and convincing consider these things 1. What it is that Christ seeks when He seeks Satisfaction for the Travel of His Soul He even seeks your benefit and good If He had sought that which would have been painfull to you ye would I suppose have judged your selves obliged readily to have gone about it had it been as we use to speak to have gone through the fire for Him But now when this is all that He seeks that by making use of His Sufferings ye may be Justified made Holy comforted in your Life and brought to Heaven at your Death should it not much more ingage you to give Him this Satisfaction 2. Who seeks this Satisfaction and to whom is it to be given Is it not to Our Lord Jesus Christ There is very great weight in this Part of the Argument that by believing on Him and making use of His Sufferings we not only satisfie and save our selves but make Glad the heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ who being considered as God needs no Satisfaction neither is capable of any Additional Satisfaction from Creatures He being infinitely happy and fully Satisfied in the injoyment of His own All sufficient Self Nothing from without can be added unto Him yet He having condescended to become Man and Mediator betwixt God and Man to reconcile lost Sinners to God He is graciously pleased to account it Satisfaction to Him for all His Soul-travel to have Sinners making use of Him for their good and if their be any weight in the Satisfaction of one that is Great and Good and good to us This hath weight in it that our doing so will satisfie Him that is Matchlesly Great and Good and superlatively so to Sinners 3. Consider the Ground on which this Satisfaction is pleaded for and it will add yet more weight to this Argument it 's Satisfaction to Him for His Soul-travel And can any find in their hearts to think but He should be Satisfied on this account Is there not reason for it Who as the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 9.7 goeth a warefare on his own charges who plants a vineyard and eats not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Ah! Should Our Lord Jesus bestow all this Labour and Pains for nothing And further 4ly Whose Satisfaction is it that is sought This consideration is somewhat diversified from the 2. And would not therefore be looked on as any Tautology is it not His who is Lord of all and who will one day be Judge When if we had all the World would give it to please Him And who will pronunce the Sweetest or the Sadest Sentence upon us according as we have Satisfied Him in this or not Considering that it is He who desires this satisfaction from us should there not be an holy Diligence Eggerness and Zeal to get that performed that will Please and Satisfie Him Especially when the improving of His Sufferings may do it But 5ly From whom requires He this Satisfaction Is it not from them who like sheep have gone astray From these who have many iniquities lying on them and are lying under the Curse of God by Nature From these who must either be healed by His Strips or else they will never be healed but will die of their Wounds may not this make the Argument yet the more strong that He is not seeking this Satisfaction of strangers but of His own People nor of Righteous Folks but of Sinners who are lying under the Curse and whose happiness lyes in giving Him this Satisfaction And when it is thus with you That either your Sins must be taken away by Him or else ye must lye under them for ever That either He must bear the Curse for you or ye must bear it your selves If these things be obvious as indeed they are O! give Him the Satisfaction that He calls for and let Him not be put to say as it is Isai 49.4 I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought and in vain 3dly To press this yet a little more Although it should be sad to us that there should be need to press that so much on us which is so profitable to us and Satisfying to Him even that we would make use of Him for our Spiritual Good and Advantage These considerations will add weight to the Argument 1. What esteem Christ hath of it He thinks it as it were to be Payment and a sort of Compensation for all His Labour and Sufferings The Price was not Gold nor Silver nor any such thing which He gave for Sinners but it was His Precious Blood His own Life who was the Prince of Life and the Prince of the kings of the Earth And O! what a vast and infinit disproportion is there betwixt His Life and all our Lives and yet He accounts it a sufficient Reward if we will but give Him our Souls to be saved by Him in His own way and will make Use of His Death and Sufferings for that End And if it were possible that we could think little of our own Salvation and much of Christ's Satisfaction for His Soul-travel ought we not to think much of our own Salvation in reference to His Satisfaction And now when he hath joyned these together so that we cannot please nor satisfie Him except we give Him our Souls to save and cannot satisfie Him but that in doing so our Souls shall be saved Should it not induce us to make Use of Him for that End If He had commanded us to run here and there and to undergo some long and very toilsome Voyage or
many come before Him when it shall be told them That He craved no more Satisfaction from them for all that He Suffered but that they would have improved His Sufferings for their own good and that yet they would not give Him that much Doeth not this say that their is need that we should look well what Fruit there is of His Sufferings that there may be more then if He had not Suffered at all 9. Consider the great weight that will be laid on this Sin of refusing to believe and to Satisfy Him in this to wit in improving of His Sufferings above all other Sins This is a Sin that will be found to be against Equity Thankfullnesse and Ingenuity that when He had done and Suffered so much He was so ill requited Yea it will be found to be a wilfull and malicious Sin That when your Good and His Satisfaction were joyned together ye would rather choise to destroy your selves then to Satisfie Him in saving your selves through Use-making of His Sufferings There are two remarkable Words to this purpose Heb. 6.10 In the 6. Chap. it 's said of such That they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame That is they do displease and anger Him and do what in them lyes to cast reproach upon Him as if He were no Saviour at all or an insufficient Saviour to put Him to Suffer over again in His wanting of Satisfaction for His Sufferings As it is a great pain for a Mother to be in Travel but it 's another and in some respect a greater pain if the Child die in the bringing forth In the 10. Chap. v. 28. It 's called A trading under foot the son of God and an accounting the blood of the Covenant to be an unholy thing And in the 26. v. Before it 's said There remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement And it 's upon this very account As we did at another occasion make use of these two Scriptures to a like purpose and did thus Caution our Application of them against mistakes For what greater indignity can be put on Him then when His Satisfaction depends on the improving of His Sufferings yet people will not do it As nothing pleases Him better then to improve His Sufferings so on the contrary There is no Sin that doth displease Him more then when they are not improven And if ye will not now believe this to be a Truth yet when the Lord shall call you to count for it ye will find it to be a most certain and sad Truth That He called you to believe and that ye would lye still in your Unbelief Ignorance and Prophanity That ye destroyed your own Souls and made His Sufferings as uselesse as to you as if there had never a door been opened to Sinners to Heaven by them Is there any of you that will be able to answer to this challenge If not Then let Him have this Satisfaction by improving of His Sufferings that He may find to say so that His Death hath not been for nought as to you Study to have Him great in your esteem and to have your Souls saved by the vertue and efficacy of His Sufferings otherwayes the challenge will be unanswerable Considering that He declared that this would satisfie Him and ye knew that it would have pleased Him and removed the quarrel and saved your selves And that withall by this means a comfortable sentence at Judgement might have been procured to you And that yet ye disdained to do it And therefore since it stands so with you be intreated to make earnest and greater earnest of believing and of the great work of getting your own Souls saved which He hath thought so much of else it had been better for you that ye had never had a delightsome hour in the World And sad will the encounter be that ye will have with Him and with your own Conscience in that Day when it shall have this to tell you that ye cannot now expect any Good or Favour from the Judge Because when He would have saved you ye would not have it so but would needs run on your own damnation And therefore we say again either give Him Satisfaction by improving of His Sufferings and by making Earnest of the businesse of your Salvation Or resolve to meet with a most terrible Pursuer of the Quarrel against you The Wrath of God is dreadfull but much more the Vengeance of the Mediator who because ye would not give Him His will in your Salvation He shall have it in your Ruine and Destruction 4. There is here a sweet Word of Consolation to poor Souls that faln would have Sin taken away and are afraid to presume Our Lord will never be angry that ye make use of His Sufferings for your own good Nay He accounts it a Satisfaction to Him that ye improve them That when ye find your selves Arrested for Sin ye put it on His Score and draw a Bill on Him to pay your Debt That when you find your selves under that which to you looks like the dominion of Sin ye look to His Cross for Vertue to Crucifie Kill and Subdue it If therefore as I have often said ye would do Him a Favour or Pleasure make use of Him Be assured that the more weight ye lay on Him ye do Him the greater pleasure And this is all the amends that He seeks for all the wrâ—ngs ye have done to Him and all the Satisfaction that He seeks for all the good turns He hath done to you That ye come to Him thus to make use of Him And it is good Reason even all the Reason in the World that He get this amends made to Him and this Satisfaction granted to Him SERMON XLIX ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THere are two things of great Concernment for Men to know for sinfull Men to know if any thing be of Concernment The one is how the Justice of God that is provoked may be Satisfied or what it is by which provoked Justice is Satisfied And the other is What the way is how we come to get that Satisfaction applyed to us or what is the way to get the Benefit of it made ours And both of them are Answered in this v. clearly and shortly The first is holden out in the first part of the v. To be the travel of Christs soul Which hath a special look to the Covenant of Redemption and to the Condition on which it is Accomplished and Performed That is His Soul-travel under which all His Sufferings are comprehended The other is in the Latter Part of the verse By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities This holds forth in short the Gospel nay how
being in themselves blind may come to Him for light being poor may come to Him for Gold to inrich them being â—â—ked may come to Him for garments to cloath them being ungodly may come to Him that He may Justifie them But alace People are for the most part sensless and regardless of their Sin and misery and therefore He gets no imployment from them Many sit very brave and fine here and have no Legal Bar on them to keep them from the Communion who yet have sleepy and sensless Souls and are ruining and destroying themselves This we assure you is the condition of many of you who never knew to make use of Christ and of His Righteousness and yet will boast of your Faith and of your good heart to God Away with your old presumptuous Faith take with your unbelief and presumption Say not ignorantly that ye shall do as ye can though ye cannot do as ye would ye are unsound at the heart mistaken about your spiritual state and know that the Devil by a deceitful heart is speaking out of you such language For it's enemies we are Commissioned to reconcile and it 's lost Sinners that Christ came to seek and save and ye see not your selves to be such and therefore ye care not for such offers of Grace But ah many of you if Grace prevent not will get a cold welcome from Christ at that Day and will be made sadly to smart for the slighting of many Precious Opportunities which God did put in your hand and whereof to make use ye had no heart SERMON LI. ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. THere hath been much spoken from this sweet Scripture of Our Lord Jesus His Sufferings and somewhat also of the Promises made to Him that His Sufferings should not be for nought in these Words we have a compendiouâ— explication of the Effects that â—â—ow from them by which He shall be Satisfied for them all which ye may take up in these Four 1. The great benefit it selâ— that is holden out here and that is Justification 2. These to whom it shall come it is many so that His having a Seed spoken of v. 10. Is exponed here by this that many shall be justified 3. The way how this is derived to them by his knowledge which we shew is to be understood of Faith in Him 4. The ground from which this flows and on which it is built and that confirms it For he shall bear their iniquities And as it 's in the following v. He bare the sin of many And therefore they must be Justified it being but reason that these many whose iniquities He bears and whose Debt of Sin He payes should be Justified We may speak more particularly to the Explication of each of these as we come to them we shall then first expone and give the meaning of this Word Justification or to Justifie ere we come to the Doctrine because it will serve to clear it and will make way for it and so much the rather as it is the very hing of the Gospel and that on which our Salvation depends though yet but very little and very ill understood there being many that cannot tell what it is though there be not many Words more frequently mentioned in the Scripture and though it be that whereby a Person is translated from the State of Enmitie into the State of Friendship with God As for this Word To Justifie or Justification then there are three senses given of it Two whereof are Erronious and the last only is according to the mind of the Spirit of God speaking in the Scripture which we shall Clear and Confirm 1. Some take this Word Physically as if it were to make Just by the infusing of habitual Grace or by a Physical and Reall Change and so taken it is the same with that which we call Sanctification but in all the Scripture we know not one Place where necessarily the Word is so to be understood Although this acceptation of the Word is the great rise of the Popish Error in that Controversie concerning Justification 2dly Others take it for Gods Revealing Manifesting or Declaring the way how a Guilty Person comes to be Just and so to Justifie is for Ministers to teach the way to People how they may live holily As it is said Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to Righteousness c. By whâ—ch sense some Wickedly and Blasphemously detract from Christs Satisfaction as if His Justifying were no more but a teaching of Sinners the way how to be Juâ—â—â—fied to wit by living holily and justly But the Word that follows in the Text For he shall bear their iâ—iquities Cuâ—s the Throat of that Exposition for it is by Christs bearing of the punishment of the Elects Iniquities and for paying of their Debt that they come to be Justified Therefore the one is given for a Reason of the other 3dly Considering the Word according to the meaning of it in Scripture we take it for a Legal forensick or Court Word borrowed from mens Courts wherein a Person arraigned for such a Cryme is either Condemned or Absolved And when he is Absolved and Declared to be acquitted or made free from that which is laid to his Charge he is said to be Justified so is it before God and in His Court Justification is the freeing of a Sinner from the Charge that the Law giveth in against Him and the absolving and declaring of him to be free from the Guilt of Sin and from the punishment thereof which by the Sentence of the Law is due to Him The former two senses run to the making of a man to be inherently holy or without a Fault Which is as if a Guilty Man or a Criminal being sifted before a civil Court of Judicature were declared to be Innocent But this true meaning of the Word sets out a Man arraigned before Gods Tribunal and charged with Guilt and found Faulty but Absolved and Acquitted not because he wants Sin but because his Debt is payed and his Sins Satisfied for by a Cautioner Even as a Man that is called before a Civil Court for such a Sum of Money and is found lyable to the Debt but his Cautioner coming in and paying the Debt for him there is both in Reason and in Law just ground why that Man should be absolved and declared free of the Debt So is it here Christ Jesus taking on and satisfying for the Debt of the Elect and procuring Absoluâ—ion for them for whom He payed the Price there is Reason and ground in Law that they should be Justified and Absolved All these Opinions agree in these two 1. That Men naturally have Sin and that they must compt for it 2. That this Jusâ—ification whatever it be where it is doth fully Absolve and Acquit the Sinner and makes him free of Sin as to the Guilt the Punishment and Consequents of it Death and the
Curse as if he had never had Sin But the difference lyeth here that this last acception of the Word absolves a Man though he have Sin in himself by the interposing of a Surety and Cautioner who payes his Dâ—bt and procures the Sentence of Absolution to him And in this Sense Justification is as if a Man were standing at the Bar of Gods Tribunal Guilty and having a witness of his Guilt in himself and God out of Respect to the Mediator His Satisfaction and Payment of His Debt which He hath laid hold upon by Faith does pronunce that sinfull Person to be Free Absolved and Acquitted from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin and doth accordingly Absolve him upon that accompt So then Justification is not to be considered as Gods Creating and Infusing of gracious habits in us but the declaring of us to be Free and Acquitted from the Guilt of Sin upon the account of Christs Satisfying for our Debt This we will find to be very clear if we consider how the Word is taken both in the Old and new Testament as namely Isaiah 5.23 Woe unto them that justifie the wicked for a reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him And Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. Where the plain meaning of the Word can be no other then this that when a Judge pronounces a man to be Just although he be unjust it is a wicked thing which the Lord abhores And so Psal 51.4 That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest That is that thou might be declared to be so And Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her children 2. We will find this meaning of the Word to be clear if we consider Justification as distinguished from Sanctification For in that Popish sense they are both made one and the same but they are distinguished in Scripture As 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where he looks on these two Benefits of Justification and Sanctification as distiâ—ct and distinguisheth the one of them from the other now Sanctification being the Grace that renews our nature and makes an inward spiritual change Justification must needs be that Act of Gods Grace that takes away the Guilt of Sin and makes Sinners to be friends with God through Christs Righteousness and so is a relative change of their State 3. It will be clear if we consider to what it is opposed in Scripture it is not opposed to sinning as Sanctification is but to these two 1. To the charging of a Sinner with somewhat unto Condemnation And 2. To the Act of Condemning now the opposit to Condemnation is Absolution as is clear Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn c. Gods Justifying is put in as opposit to the Charging and Lybelling of the Elect and to the Condemning of them therefore none of these can be and so Justification there looks both to the part of an Advocat pleading and declaring a man to be Free and to the part of a Judge pronouncing him to be Absolved and Justified which well agrees to Our Lord Jesus who Justifies His People both wayes 4. It may also be cleared from parallel Scriptures where Justifying is called Reconciling As 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us c. And how that comes to pass is told in the last v. For he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him So that to be made the Righteousness of God is to be Justified and to be Justified is to be made friends with or to be reconciled to God and that not by working a moral Change but upon the account of Christ's Satisfact on bringing us into friendship with God So Eph. 1.6 Where to be Justified is exponed to be made accepted in the Beloved And what else is that but to be in good terms with God to have him passing by all quarrels as having nothing to say against us but accepting us through Christ as Righteous So Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could be justified by the law of Moses A place that clearly holds forth that as all the Elect are naturally chargable by the Law as being Guilty of the breach thereof and that they cannot be absolved from it by ought in themselves so they are through Faith in Jesus Christ freed from it As if the Lord had said ye are fred from the Sentence of the Law because through Christ is preached unto you Remission of Sins and there is away laid down for your Absolution who believe from the Guilt of Sin and from all the consequents of it 5ly It 's clear from the Text because it 's such a Justifying as hath in it Christs being Sentenced in our Room as the cause of it now He was Sentenced in our Room not by having Sin infused in Him which were Blasphemous to think but by having our Sin imputed to Him and therefore our Justification must be our Absolution by having His Righteousnesse imputed to us As is clear throughout this Chapter Therefore it s said He hath carried our sorrows and born our griefs He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities by his strips we are healed He laid on him the inquitie of us all And in these words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities It 's a Justification that comes to us by Christ's taking on our Debt And this we cannot imagine to be otherwayes but by a Legal Change or by a Change of Law-rooms He coming as Surety in our Room and we having Absolution by vertue of His Satisfaction So that the meaning of the Words in short is As if the Prophet had said would ye know what we have by Christ's Sufferings Even this to wit That many as many as whose iniquities He bore and satisfied for shall be Acquitted and Absolved from the Guilt and Punishment of their Sin through His Satisfaction They shall be fred from the Sentence and Curse of the Law which they deserved And shall be declared Righteous through the Righteousnesse of their Cautioner which they have laid hold upon by Faith Hence Observe 1. That all Men and Women even all the Elect themselves are by nature lyable to an arraignment before the Justice-seat of God That they are Justified supposes a bringing of them as it were before His Tribunal ere they can be Justified and have the Sentence of Absolution past in their favours The Apostle takes this for granted
Rom. 14.10 We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ And Heb. 9.29 It 's appointed for all men once to die and after that comes the judgement There is a Solemn Decree past That as all Men shall die so every Man shall be brought to a Reckoning and Judgement And Act. 17.31 He hath appointed a day in which he shall judge the world in righteousness c. and that cannot be ranversed See 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ We must There is an inavoidable necessity of it For further clearing and confirming of this ye would know that there are Three Courts that especially the hearers of the Gospel are lyable unto which we would make our selves for They are all put together Rom. 2.12 15 16. There is 1. The Court of the Word wherein God keeps a Justice-seat or Tribunal Condemning the Wicked and Absolving the Righteous As Christ sayes John 12. The word Which I speak shall judge you in the last day And this is it that the Apostle hath in that forecited place Rom. 2 12. As many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law A 2. Court is the Court of the Conscience And this is more broad and extensive reaching all Men without as well as within the Church Wherein God hath His own way of Lybelling and Accusing of and passing Sentence upon Sinners As v. 14 15. When the gentles who have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not a law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another A 3d. Court or Judgement-seat is that which is more Discernable Distinct and Terrible And that is the Judgement-seat of God when He shall conveen all and every one before Himself immediatly and shall Judge and pass Sentence upon them Whether this be done to a particular Person or to the whole World as v 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Use We would have you confirmed in the Faith of this Truth That there are none of us but we are lyable to all these Courts And therefore ye would live so as ye may be in a posture fit for this appearing many of us alace live as if we were never to be called to an account And as if there were no Tribunal that we were to appear before 2ly Observe That all Men and Women even the Elect themselves are naturally and as in themselves obnoxious to Condemnation and lyable to the Sentence of it before Gods Tribunal for Jesus Christ His Justifying of them and procuring their Absolution implyes this much That they as considered in themselves are lyable to and cannot receive another Sentence then that of Condemnation It sayes that not only they have Sinned but that because of their Sin they are lyable and obnoxious to Condemnation That for their Sin Gods Curse is due to them John 3.18.36 He that believes not is condemned already And he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The Sentence is standing against Him unrepealled even that Sentence which we have Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them The Sinner comes no sooner to look to the Court of the Word nor to the Court of his own Conscience but that Sentence is laid before him And when he comes before God he can expect no other thing The Lord proceeding according to the Rule of the Word So Rom. 3.19 We know that whatever thing the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Which suppons a lyableness to His Curse and a subjection to the Judgement of God as the Word is rendered on the Margent There are none as considered in their natural condition who have a word to say against it To clear it a little ye would consider two things in the Law as it is a Covenant of Works under which all Men are by Nature 1. The Directive or Commanding part of it that carves out Mans Duty and so it is the Rule of Righteousness to Men and Women and what is not conform to the Commands and Directions of it is Sin and hath a Guilt with it This is most certain that the Law even as to Believers is a Rule of Righteousnesse according to which they are to walk 2. There is in it the Sentence of a Curse whereby the Person that Sins is not only declared to be Guilty but lyable to Gods Wrath and Curse This may be seperated from the former The Law was no doubt a Law of Righteousness to Man in his Innocency and is so to the Believer still who is Absolved from the Curse of it but yet the Believer as considered in his Natural Condition is not only Guilty but stated under the Curse And this is the meaning of the Doctrine That Naturally not only are all Men Sinfull but they are stated under the Curse of God The Law sayes on the matter Man and Woman thou hast not abiden in what is written and therefore thou must die Thou art lyable to the Curse which will light if it be not prevented If there were any need of Reasons to prove this they are not wanting It is so 1. That the Lord may humble all Flesh as the Apostle sayes Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God 2. It is so ordered that His Grace may shine the more conspicuously When the Person is found Guilty and abnoxious to the Curse by the Law Grace shews it self to be wonderfull in pulling the Sinner from under the lash of the Law As Isaac was set free and a Sacrifice was accepted in his Room So the Sinner is set free and the Mediator in His Satisfaction is accepted in His Room To this purpose it is said Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have have mercy on all Not that He shews mercy on all that ate in unbelief but this is the meaning That it might be mercy to all that should get good of the Mediator and alone mercy to the Elect both of Jews and Gentiles It 's on this ground That Ephes 2.3 The Apostle not only saith Ye were dead in sins and trespasses But also turning it over on Himself He adds And we are all the Children of wrath even as others Lyable by Sin to the Curse of God if it had not been graciously prevented Use 1 Let all of us take a view hereof our Natural Condition and indeed it were the better for us that we were more frequently viewing it What is it will ye say It is even this
lay down their Arms and come in and if one of them were challenged and called to a Reckoning after his coming in for his Rebellion The ground of his Plea would not be that he never was out in Rebellion but that such an offer was made and that he did hazard his life on it So is it here A Sinner is a Rebel against God by Nature and being in Rebellion hath the Offer of Pardon and Life made to him on condition that he close by Faith with Christs Righteousness and the Sinner doth by Faith give God credit and hazards his Soul on that Whereas unbelief to follow the similitude is as if a Rebell hearing of such a Pardon offered would not think that a sure way to come off but would either plead innocent or take him to some other shift This then is the Faith that I mean of which actually closes with and makes use of Gods Offer of Christs Righteousness for Absolution 3dly Consider the Causes of Justification And there are Three in the Words 1. The Meritorious Cause that hath procured and bought this Benefit is Christs Satisfaction His bearing of our iniquites He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities 2. The Instrumental Cause Condition or Mean or Way how that Benefit is derived to us is Faith called here His knowledge It 's the Faith we spoke of just now Faith taking hold of such a Promise and resting on Gods Faithfulness for the making out of it It 's this which gives the Soul a Title to Christs Righteousness which formerly it had not and makes Christ's Purchase of due to belong to it by vertue of Gods Offer and consequently the benefit of Justification is derived to it by it's taking hold of the Offer which otherwayes it could not partake of 3. The formal Cause wherein Justification properly consists is this even God's Absolving or Judicial pronouncing of the Sinner to be Free and His accounting of Him as righteous on account of Christs Righteousness imputed to Him and taken hold of by His Faith where the Sentence is past we need not curiously inquire It 's like as the Sentence of Condemnation stands in the Word while the Sinner is in unbelief So by believing in Christ He hath Absolution in the Word as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned And this Sentence of the Word is as effectuall for Absolving of the Sinner as if the Sentence were pronunced in an immediat way or with an audible voice from Heaven by God with the Sinners name and sirname in it And therefore let me commend this with the other places I named before to you that from them ye may learn to take up the way how a Sinner is Absolved and Justified It 's Christ's Satisfaction that makes the amends and is the Meritorious Cause It is Gods Word that makes Offer of that Satisfaction and it 's our Faith begotten and quickned by Gods Spirit that taketh hold of it and Justification it self it Gods Absolving and Accepting of the Person as Righteous in His sight who is fled to Christ's Righteousness And thus though Gods Grace and Mercy be the Efficient Cause that admits of the Ransome yet neither is Grace in us the Formal Cause nor is Grace in God the Meritorious Cause but it 's that which layes down the way how a Satisfaction shall be provided and accepts of it when provided and of the Sinner on account of it when by Faith he betakes himself to it Use 2. Seing there is such a way of Justification provided and by the Gospel brought to light revealled and made manifest as the Word is Rom. 1.17 and 3.21 Since I say that Mystery which before was hid is disclosed and Life and Immortality brought to Light by the Gospel let me earnestly intreat you that ye would make use of this Mean and way of Justification for the obtaining of Absolution before God The end of Preaching as we said is to reveal this Righteousness and the end of the revealling of it is to ingage Sinners to make use of it Of which though we should Preach to you from the one end of the year to the other if ye do not betake your selves to it so as to close with it and heartily to submit unto it it will all be to no purpose For pressing of this Use a little further consider the great concern and moment of this Application and what may induce you seriously to mind it And to this purpose 1. I would pose and put you to it if ye believe that by Nature ye are lyable to Gods Curse and that ye must compear before His Judgement-seat and if ye be found in Nature when ye compear that it will be a Woful and Dreadful Sentence that ye will meet with from God and if withal ye believe this that by Justification ye may have Sin Pardoned be Reconciled to God and have the Curse removed from you and be put in such a State as if ye had never Sinned If I say ye believe these things to be the Truths of God is not this of your Concernment whether ye be made Friends with God and have your Sins Pardoned or not whether ye shall be Eternally Happy or Eternally Miserable whether ye shall get Gods blessing or lye for ever under His Curse If this I say be of your concernment then surely Obedience to this Exhortation is of your Concernment because there is no other way to win to Absolution but this 2. Consider That it 's the very design of the Gospel and of this benefit that is made Offer of to you therein which all the Nations that have not the Gospel want The priviledge being denyed to them God makes Offer of a way to you how ye may be Justified and ye professe your desire to learn it and to get it practically made use of and Improved and as Paul hath it Philip. 3.8 9 10. That ye may know Christ that ye may win Him and be found in Him And it is the Sum of the Gospel as we have it Act. 13.38 Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you remession of sins and by him all that believe are justified This is even the time that the Lord is making this Proclamation that was before Prophesied of and Published by Isaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many This is it that is even now Revealed Declared and made Manifest to you that by Christ Jesus alone Righteousnesse is to be attained And if it be of such concernment that for this very end God hath sent His Sone to die and hath sent this Gospel to declare and make offer of this benefit of His Death unto you It 's no doubt greatly of your concernment to make use of it when it comes to you 3. Consider That if the Lords Proclamation of it have not that effect to ingage you to Christ Jesus for the obtaining of Righteousnesse through Him
yet can never quiet the Conscience nor Satisfie Gods Justice Yea our own Predecessours in this Nation were drowned in the same Errors And we were as foolishly and senslesly superstitious as the Inhabitants of any other Nations before the Light of the Gospel brake up among us accounting such and such Sins to be do Sins leaning to their Merits to the Merits of Saints to Indulgences Soul-masses Whippings and a nuâ—ber of things of that kind And now that God hath mercifully fred us of these foolries how much are we obliged to him Hath ever Scotland been thankfull as it becometh for this mercy We do by our unthankfulnesse darken and obscure the freedom of Grace that by this Gospel is preached unto us And there needs no other evidence of it but this That many are to this day as ignorant of the way of Justification of Sinners and as abstract from and as great strangers to the right way of making use of Christ's Righteousness as if it had never been revealed unto them or if they know and can speak any thing of it all the use that they make of it is to turn the Grace of God into wantonness And because Holiness is not the ground of making their Peace with God to take the more Liberty to Lousness These are not Fruits of the Gospel other Fruits must be brought forth or else ye will repent it when ye cannot mend it Let it therefore affect you that God is so ill requite for His goodness and study to be more thankfull to Him that we may speak of these Truths and discover their Errors and that we are not Judicially blinded as many other People and Nations are 4ly Pitie them that are lying under darkness of their Delusions and Errors and pray for them It 's a sore matter that the most part of the Christian World should have the Name of Christians and yet should maintain such Doctrine and lay down and hold such a way as keepeth from benefit by Christ Jesus yea as denyes on their matter that He is come For this is indeed the Spirit of Antichrist and of the Man of Sin that takes Souls off from Christ and yet how few make conscience to pray for these poor people and that God would pursue the whoore and brake up and skell that Market spoken of Revel 18. And would discover His Truth and make His Gospel to be purely preached to them that are fitting in the Region of Darkness and in the Shadow of Death ye would pity bound up and imprisoned Souls in this Error and pray for their reclaiming and that God would keep this Land from it It 's an old seated and rooted Error and the rest are but foolries in comparison of it This is the Devils great ingine and arme others are but vapourers to say so which may tell us that speaking and hearing of such a business is not altogether uselesse What if the day should come that all our Bibles and every English Book that serves to hold out Truth and to discover Error should be taken from you and ordered to be burned and that Books stuffed with their Errors should come in their room Many of you think little or nothing now of the Light and Liberty of the Gospel which ye enjoy but if Heaven be of so much worth this Gospel is of much worth to you and this Truth of it in particular 5ly Let not this Gospel be preached for nought O! receive not this Grace in vain that is this Grace offered to you in the Gospel and the clearing of such Truths to you O! What a challenge and aggravation of our Guilt will it be when we come before the Throne when many other Nations will be condemned because they leanned to their own Merits and made not use of Christ and many of us shall be condemned because though we professed an indignation at these Errors yet we made no more use of Christ than these who by their Doctrine excluded Him If our Predecessors could speak what could they say Would it not be this it is just that ye perish for ye had Christ and His Righteousness clearly preached to you which we had not and yet ye slighted Him Therefore take hold of and improve the opportunity God hath clearly revealed this Truth to the Land and to this Place walk in the Light while ye have it else your condemnation will be the greater as it is John 3.19 6ly Seing God hath given us this a singular mercy even the clear Revelation of the way of Justification by Christs Righteousness and Merits Let us not through our evil conversation make the Truth of God to be evil spoken of turn not the Grace of God into wantonness It was an evil that soon arose in the Primitive Church and which the Apostle disputs against Rom. 2.3 and 6. Because He preached Justification by Grace and not by the Works of the Law some were ready to abuse that sweet Doctrine and to say Let us sin that grace may abound and let us do evil that good may come of it whose damnation sâ—yes he is just And he follows out these Objections and insists in answering of them And O! but this is damnable from the abounding of Gods grace to take the more liberty to Sin and yet what other Language have the Lives of mâ—ny but this Because Justification and Hâ—ppiness are not builded on our Works â—herefore we may live as we list dispitfully and presuâ—ptuously reflecting on the way of Justification by Faith and on God who hath contrived it But if any of you will abuse Gods grace and Sin the more God shall charge it on your own heads this Gospel shall never do you good God will require it of you your Sins are multiplied and your Plagues shall be multiplied above any that have lived under black Popery I dar say many of you would probably have had a greater restraint on you from Sin and would have been more Charitable and Foreward in many external good Works if ye had been profest Papists than now ye are being profest Protestants a judicial stroak on you for the abusing of Grace And is this the Fruit of the Gospel No certainly Grace was never preached that Men should grow cold and indifferent in the practice of good Works but that through the laying hold on Christs Righteousnesse they might have peace with God and that thâ—ough the study of Holinesse God might be glorified Therefore study the exercise of Faith so as ye seclude not Holiness and study Holiness so as ye mar not the freedom o Grace and put these two together which are the Compend of the Gospel when suitably practised SERMON LIV. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many THis blessed Death and Soul-travel of Our Lord Jesus hath been good news to many and it is the ground of all the hope of Life that ariseth from the Word to a Sinner It should never be tastlesse nor dis-relishing
in His Justice and Mercy They do what they can that God should neither be Just nor Gracious but He shall be Just in condemning them whether they will or not though He be not glorified in His Grace as to them they setting themselves what they can to let it yet in His Justice He shall most certainly be glorified O! that Men and Women believed how deep their Guilt draws who are found standing in the way of the glorifying of Gods Grace It will be found in some respect to draw deeper then the Guilt of these abominable Sins of Adultery and Murder in the day of the Lord and yet many of you will be found to have done this and to have come short of Righteousness For the 3d. Thâ—t is the Meritorious Cause Take it in this Doctrine That the Meritorious Cause that procures our Justification and with respect to which God Jâ—stifiâ—s a Sinner is the alone Merit and Sâ—tisfaction of Christ Jesus And this arises from the Text on these two Considerations 1. Because this Justification is laid down as an effâ—ct of Christs Soul-travel and Suffering and if Justification be the proper and immediat effect of Christs Sufferings then His Soul-sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of it we cannot imagine another He purposeth by His Sufferings for the elect that they shall by His Knowledge be Justified therefore they must be Absolved and Justified by His Interposing to tâ—â—â— on their Debt and to His Sufferings must be the procuring Cause of it The 2. Consideration is taken from the words following He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities If Christs bearing of our iniquities be the ground of our Justification or that by which it is procured then His Sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of our Justification or that on account whereof we are Justified because His bearing of our iniquities can no other wayes be the cause of our Justification but by His interposing to Merit the same to us by His Sufferings Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christs Sufferings shall be the cause of our Justification Here it is He shall bear our iniquities and therefore our Justification flows therefrom the Lord by the Prophet hath so knit these two tâ—gether that His Sufferings both go before and are subjoyned to His Justifying of many that it may be put out of question that the Mediators Suffering is the alone Meritorious Cause of His pronouncing the Sentence of Justification and of accepting and accounting uâ— as righteous before Him This is no in so many words professedly controverted or denyed by the Papists with whom we here deal For they grant that Christ by His Sufferings procures Grace and Gods acceptation of our good Works in so far as they are rewarded beyond their condignitie But to make the difference betwixt them and us the more clear we shall put in Four Words in the Doctrine and speak a little to them We say then that Christs Satisfaction is not only the Meritorious Cause of Justification but also 1. It is the nearest and most immediat Cause 2. The alone Meritorious Cause 3. The Meritorious Cause as Contradistinguished from and opposed to our own Works and inherent Righteousnesse 4. It is the Meritorious Cause as inherent in Him and as imputed to us These Four are clear in the Text and may very well be put in the Doctrine 1. Then we say it 's not only the Meritoritorious Cause but the next Immediat Cause causa repinqua as we use to speak in the School of our Justification So that if it be asked what is the Cause or Ground on which God Absolves a Sinner or the next Immediat thing that He hath a respect to in His Justifying of him It 's Christs Merit His Soul-travel and Sufferinâ— Papists deny this and make the next Immediat Cause to be the Grace infused in us that which is called gratia gratum faciens But if ye ask the Prophet what is the Ground I mean the next Immediat Cause on which Justification is deryved to many He tells us that it 's not the inherent Righteousnesse of these who are Justified but that it 's Christ's Soul-travel and His bearing of our iniquities Hence 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is called our Righteousnesse He is saiâ—h the Apostle made of God unto us wisdom righteousness c. Not only by Christ have we a Righteousnesse that makes us acceptable to God but His Righteousnesse is ours and God respecting of us in or through it makes us acceptable 2dly Not only is His Righteousnesse the Meritorious Cause but it 's the only Meritorious or the alone Meritorious Cause and herein Papists and we differ They grant that Christ's Satisfaction is the Meritorious Cause but remotly only as it procures inward or inherent Grace by which we Merit but they will not have it to be the only Meritorious Cause but will needs have our own Works to merit also and that properly whereas the Prophet speaks of Justification as the effect of Christ's Soul-travel only and if so then there can be no other thing admitted for there cannot be two social or joynt Meritorious Causes Therefore throughout the Scripture when the Merit of Justification is attributed to Christ it excludes all other things and is opposed to our own works which is the Third thing 3ly Then we say That Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own inherent Righteousnesse or Works and herein also Papists and we differ They grant indeed a Meritorious Influence to Christ's Righteousnesse but that is say they as it makes our own Righteousnesse Meritorious Not as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own Righteousnesse but as having influence on it Now these are directly opposed in Scripture I shall only name that one clear place Phil. 3 9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousnesse which is of the law out that which is through the faith of Christ Where Paul consulting and resolving what he will betake himself to as his Defence at the bar of God We see 1. That it is His Scope and Design that in the day of Judgement he may be found in such a case and posture that he may be able to abide the tryal And 2. That he speaks of Two Righteousnesses the One is his own that is the inherent Grace which he hath gotten and the Works which he hath done The Other is the Righteousness of Christ without him which is by Faith Now when he layes his reckoning he is so far from joyning these two together as Con-causes or Social Causes of his Justification that he opposes them That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness in him without my own or not having my own c. in him as having given up with denyed and renunced my own Righteousnesse he will not admit of that on any terms in lesse or in more so clearly doth he as to his
Justification before God seclude his own Righteousnesse and betake himself to Christ's Righteousnesse alone as Contra-distinguished to his own 4ly We say That Christ's Righteousness is in Him and imputed to us or made ours by imputation is the alone Meritoritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation so as that which He hath purchased is reckoned and accounted the Sinners as if it were His own inherently and personally This I also gather from the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christ is the Meritorious Cause of Justification Thus it is because He shall bear their iniquities if He hath taken on the burden of their Sins and had their Sins imputed to Him then it will follow by proportion that they are Justified by the imputation of His Righteousnesse to them and there is nothing that the Scripture doth more inculcat then this That we are Justified by the Righteousnesse of Christ without us and imputed to us or reckoned ours we by Faith laying hold upon it and Gods accepting of it for us mak s it become ours and yet there is nothing that we do more particularâ—y erre in and which Papists do more scoâ—n and flout at wholly enervating the way and contrivance of Grace by excluding and shouldering out the Righteousnesse of Christ calling it in derision a Putative or meerly fancied and â—maginary Righteousnesse as if there were â—o reality in it and by bringing in and establishing their own Righteousnesse though it be very clear from this and many other Scriptures that Christs Righteousnesse must be ours by imputation because He â—are our iniquities He became our Righteousnesse by paying of our Dâ—bt as our Cautioner and no otherwayes the Scripture never speaks of His being our Righteousnesse by procuring ability to us to pay our own Debt I shall clear this 4th Branch a little further because it will serve to clear the rest That is thâ—t Christ's Righteousnesse as it is in Him and imputed to us is he only Meritorious Cause of our Justification And if we consider 1 The way of Justification that is used among men this will be the more plain There being two Covenants by the one of which Life was once attainable and by the other of which it is only now attainable 1. The Covenant of Works which absolves a man that never brake it which is as when one among men or before mens Court is declared to be free because he was never oâ—ing the Debt 2. The Covenant of Grace that provides a Cautioner to pay the Sinners Debt upon whose payment thereof had recourse to by Faith there is access in Law to the Sinner to call for absolution even as it is in mens Courts though the principal Debter hath nothing to pay yet if the Cautioner pay the Debt it is the principal Debtors clâ—aring and if he should be again charged to pay the Debt his immediat deâ—ence would be that the Cautioner had payed it already So is it here the Lord hath borrowed and made use of this way that is used among men to make the Mystery of Justification which passeth in the Court of God the more clear to us it is as if one should alleadge that such a Person is owing so much and he should say I cannot be charged with it and upon what ground Not because I was not owing the Debt but because such anone has payed it for me So sayeth the Apostle Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies who shall condemne it is Christ that died c. The defence proposed before the Tribunal of God is Chritis dying and that is as much as he hath payed the Price or Debt who then can charge it on the principal Debtor And the frame and contexture of the words shews that it is a judicial precedour for they suppose a charge or lybel and a sentence and the Meritorious Cause of the Sentence of Absolution is that Christ hath died 2ly If we consider the nature of the two Covenants and compare them together it will be clear the Papists confound the two Covenants For works to them is the condition of both Covenants making use of that place Matth 19.17 2â— Keep the commands if thou will be perfect sell all thou hast and give to the poor quite contrary to the scope of it for therein Christ is putting the man to a thing impossible to himself to bring him to see the necessity of a Mediator and discover his unsoundnesse when he will not forgoe his great Possâ—ssions for him But the Scâ—ipture doth so clearly difâ—ereâ—ce the Covenant of Grace and â—he Covenant of works that they are opposed For the Covenant of works sayeth do this and live and the Covenant of Grace sayeth If thou shall believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and conâ—â—sse with thy mouth thou shalt or saved And therefore the account of ones being Juâ—â—ified in tâ—e Covenant of Grace must be different from the account whereon one is Justified in the Covenant of Wâ—rks otherwayes they would not be opposit The Covenant of Works respects inhâ—rent Righteousnesse as the condition The Covenant of Grace respects Faith taking hold of the Righteousnesse of Christ and therefore H s Righteousnesse must Justifie as being in Him without us and as imputed to us it cannot be our Righteousnesse within that Justifies for so it should be the same with the Covenant of Works for though Christ did procure inherent Righteousnesse to us it makes no difference in the condition it self which is works 3ly It will be clear if we consider how the Scripture speaks of Christ's Righteousnesse becoming ours even as our Sins became Christ's and was the cause if we may so speak of His condemnation that is as He became lyable to the Curse that as He stood a Legal Person in our Room He became guilty and lyable to the payment of our Debt For otherwayes it is abominable once to speak of His condemnation and if His Righteousnesse become ours as our Sin became His then certainly His Righteousnesse is the cause of our Justification as it is in Him inherently and in us by imputation only The blasphemy of Antinomians is most detestable and not at all pleaded for even by Papists and therefore we stand not on it here Now our Sin became Christ's by imputation therefore His Righteousnesse must be ours the same way If it then were asked How we are Justified The Text answers He shall justifie many because he shall bear their iniquities The Prophet makes his Sufferings to be the antecedent whereof our Justification is the consequent for His bearing of our iniquities is given as the reason of our Justification this is also clear 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In which words the Spirit of
the Lord doth so explain bound and inculcat this that there can be no rational exception against iâ— nor evasion from it He was made sin that is a Sin offering or an Oâ—â—ering for our Sin though there was no guide â—ound in His mouth though He had no Sin neither was capable of Sin yet He was made a Sacrifice for our Sin as He was made Sin so are we made the righteousness of God in him If any should ask what is it to be made righteous The Apostle answers even as Christ was made Sin the sâ—me way are we made righteous and that is by imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to us and not by our own merit we have no more merit then He had sin but as He was accounted to be the Sinner though free of Sin in His own Person so a believing Sinner is accounted righteous though without any merit in Himself because God hath ingaged in His Covenant to make Christ's Righteousnesse forth-coming to the Believer Though that were enough yet the Spirit of the Lord addeth a further Word in him to answer that question whether Christ hath procured inherent holinesse to us that thereby we may be Justified no sayeth he that is not the way Our Righteousnesse is in him and not inherent in us even as the sum imputed to Christ is inherently in us so the Righteousnesse whereby we are Justified is inherently in Him 4ly It may be clear from this That frequently it is called a Righteousnesse that is attained by Faith and that is opposed to our own Righteousnesse and working now it cannot be conceived how we can get a Righteousnesse by Faith but by pleading that His Righteousnesse may be imputed unto us Rom. 3.22 It is called the righteousness which is by faith and v. 25. Whom God hath set forth for a propitiation through faith in his blood and cap. 4. v. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Faith taking hold of His Righteousnesse offered to Sinners in the Gospel His Righteousnesse so taken hold of becomes a propitiation to pacifie God towards the Sinner as if He had satisfied in His own Person Even as if a company of men had been out in Rebellion and a Proclamation of Pardon comes forth from the King because he is Satisfied by a great friend who hath payed their Ransome Which Proclamation of Pardon runs on these Terms whoever will lay down Arms and come in and accept of the Kings Pardon that is procured and made offer of shall be acquitted of the guilt of Rebellion and received into favour Who when ever they are challenged will plead their Absolution on that friends procurement and offered such Terms in the Proclamation Now suppose as I hinted before not long agoe that when these Rebells have yeelded themselves and accepted of the Terms if any of them should be called to answer at the Bar or the Kings Bench as being challenged for his Rebellion his answer and defence would be that such a Proclamation was made to us and I said down my Arms and accepted of the Pardon this in Justice would be admitted and sustained as Relevant because that procurement or procured Pardon becomes the Persons according to the Terms of the Proclamation It is even so here we are Rebells to God Christ Jesus steps in as the great friend of Sinners and Satisfied Justice and thereupon the Proclamation comes out as it is Act. 13.38 39. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses When the Sinner is arraigned before the Tribunal of God He hath two Acts of H s Faith One that submits to God and to His way of absolving Sinners and another that pleads for Absolution â—ot on the Terms of his own innocency but on the Terms on which Christs Satisfaction is made offer to him and so Faith Justifies as it takes hold of the Meritorious Cause and builds it's defence at Gods Bar on Christs Righteousnesse alone It 's the procurement of the Mediator that it pleads upon and in this sense the imputed Righteousnesse of Christ and the Righteousnesse of Faith are one and the same because Faith takes hold of the Righteousnesse without us which can be no other but the Righteousnesse of Christ 5ly It 's clear from the plain and direct expressions of Scripture to this purpose Take but these few as Rom. 4.3 and 22. compared with Gen. 15.6 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse he had the promise of Christ to come and received and rested on it it was not his Faith but the promise of the Messiah rested on by Faith that was imputed to him for Righteousness and v. 6. Even as David described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works It is not blessed is the man who is holy though such a man is seriously studying to be holy albeit not in order to His Justification thereby but blessed is he to whom righteousness is imputed without works and he confirms it from Psal 32. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputs Righteousnesse though he have it not in himself and to whom he imputs not Sin though he have it in himself So 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespassâ—s unto them Jesus Christ is the reconcileâ— of the World to God by His own Merit being God and Man in one Person the efficacy of His Sufferings reconcileth the World of the Elect and how is this purchased Reconciliation applyed By not imputing their trespasses unto them That which here is called Justification is there called not imputing of transgression through that Righteousnesse which Christ hath purchased or through off ring up of Himself in a Sacrifice to God to satisfie His Justice 6ly We might say That this way of Justification through the imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse ought to â—he admitted according to Papists own grounâ—â— For 1. They grant that young Children who cannot Merit are justified and admitted to glory by Christ's Merit as the immediat and proxime cause of their Justification and why not also of these that are at age Is He not the common Cause what absurdity is in the one more then in the other Is not the Justification of both alike free though there be a difference in the manner of Application yet in the Meritorious Cause there is no difference and seing to Children Christ is the Meritorious Cause of their Justification why not also to these come to Age 2. They will grant an imputation of the Righteousnesse and Merits of other Saints to them that want of
last to Hell and Destruction hence it is at least in part that the Kingdom of Satan is called the kingdom of darkness and sure they are very proper Subjects of his Kingdom who are Ignorant and is it possible think ye that people can think of God or of their Dutie aright or have any solid peace who are in that Condition They are just like to one sleeping on the top of a Mast in great hazard and yet utterly senslesse of it Look but to two or three Words that hold out the dreadfull danger and hazard of your Condition who are Ignorant The First is that 2. Thess 1. Christ will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that know not God and obey not the Gospel The 2d is Hos 4. My people perish for want of knowledge The 3d. is Isa 27. This is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them Think not then little of Ignorance neither think your selves to be well so long as ye live in it A 2d Son will readily grant that Ignorance is an evil thing and that Knowledge is good and desirable but yet they take no pains to have their Ignorance cured and removed or to attain Knowledge They are secure and confident though poor blind and wretched and make their Ignorance a cloak of excuse for their other Sins Hence some will say we have been poor ignorant bodies and we hope that God will not lay Sin to our charge O! what delusion and disperat danger is here If it be asked and it would become us well to inquire in it What can be the reason of this horribly gross Ignorance that is among us which is such that we are almost hoplesse of many of you if some extraordinary works of God's Spirit fall not in on your minds and hearts very readily these go together the most ignorant are the most sensless and the most Ignorant are the most confident The causes of this may be several as 1. Folks undervaluing the practice of Religion let the most Ignorant Persons being earnest in the practice of Religion and they will readily through Gods blessing as seek after so come at some measure of Knowledge This is a fountain of your Ignorance that ye are not in earnest in Religion Then shall ye know saith the Prophet Hosea Chap. 6. if ye follow on to know the Lord Excuse not your Ignorance and want of Knowledge by your not being Book-learned by your want of time and leasure and by other such shifts If ye were in good earnest and serious in seeking after the Knowledge of the things of Religion ye would soon in some measure understand and take them up But ye come and hear and sit for an hour and take no heed what is spoken ye will not read the Catechism nor ask a question about what ye are ignorant of nor will take heed to what is said when others are examined There are none of you but if ye were in earnest ye might come to some good measure of Knowledge because they were sometimâ—â— as ignorant as ye are and as incapable who yet have come to Knowledge and these will be witnesses against you who had the same Gospel the same seasons and means of Knowledge and yet continued full in your Ignorance 2. Many of you do not value the sinfulnesse and hazard of Ignorance For ye continue as secure aâ— if God would never lay it to your charge ye would not readily lye in the Sin of Drunkenness or of Swearing or of any other such things without a challenge but ye can lye still in your Ignorance and in the Sin of not profiting by the means which ye are under and yet dispense with your selves therein and ye secretly say within your selves if we be well otherwayes we hope Knowledge will not be required of us But will not think ye Gods Image be required to be in you are not Faith Repentance and Holiness required and can any of these I pray be without Knowledge do ye see any touched with the impression of their Sin and Guilt but as soon they fall to the study of Knowledge and who continue to be Ignorant but stupid bodies that never saw their hazard which is an ordinary companion and attendant of Ignorance A 3d. Cause is Negligence and sloathfulness The wise man sayes The hand of the diligent maketh rich and slothfulness brings on poverty in every thing if ye compare Folks together ye will find that where-ever any are soberly and seriously diligent God blesses it So that we may gather and conclude their diligence from their Knowledge There are many here who I suppose are very Ignorant but let me ask you what time pains have ye ever bestowed on the study of Knowledge ye hear the preaching and ye read a Chapter of the Bible now and then but that 's not enough for ye may be present here and yet not hear to any purpose How many come to hear the preaching of the Word from whom through their own fault Devils come as so many Craws on new sowen Land and snatch away the Word that is sowen and it 's never known that such seed was sown for most part ye either hear negligently or ye quickly forget all that ye hear ye never speak of it in your Families neither take ye any time for reâ—ding and pondering the Catechism how many of you did ever set any dayes or hours apart to study Knowledge Ye will cry out against pretended Enthusiasiness and Inspirations as Delusions and there is good reason for it But how shall ye get Knowledge if ye will be at no pains for it your practice sayes ye expect it should come by immediat inspiration without all use of ordinary and appointed means 4. Others wil say that they would fain know but they are very dull and incapable and it 's often true that they are so but are such in earnest out of love to Knowledge studying to come by it It 's said of some 2 Thess 2. Because they received not the truth in love God gave them up to strong delusions to believe a lie There are many who study Knowledge but not from a right principle nor from a right motive it may be that they may get their Token to come to the Lord's Supper to eshew shame when they are examined or that they may be able to talk It 's just with God to let such want Knowledge 5. Folks go not about the use of ordinary means as having therein need of God's blessing and of His Spirit to help them rightly to take up His Mysteries they pray not for Knowledge as Gods gift how many of you when ye take up the Catechism to read fall down on your knees to seek God's blessing on your reading thereof When John is speaking of the benefits that come by Christ this is by him put in among the rest And hath given us an understanding that we may know
Faith comes by hearing as it is Rom. 10.17 and hearing by the word of God and in the same Chap. v. 14 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Where the Apostle clearly and convincingly inâ—â—rt the necessity of a lawfully called Ministry for preaching of the Gospel and for carrying on the Work of Justifying and Sâ—ving Faith The reason is because if their be a necessity of Faith and if no Faith can â—e without Knowledge then there must necessarily be something to reveal it I speâ—k here of the ordinary way of Gods revealling Himself what He may do â—xtraordinarly towards Dumb and Deaff Persons to Idiots and Young Children I midle not with that but leave it to Himself as a Secret which He thinketh not fit to impart to u I call the Gospel the external mean of promoving our Justâ—fication in Four respects 1. Because it layes before us the Object of our Faith for in it as it is Rom. 1.17 is the righteousness of God revealled c. and Rom. 11.21 22. it 's said Now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested c. We would never know the way how a Sinner comes to be at peace with God and to be Justified without the Gospel 2. Because it not only reveals the Object of Faith but it makes offer of it and hereby a Sinner that hears the Gospel hath warrand to imbrace and make use of Jesus Christ's Righteousnesse and to rest upon it and therefore if tentation should say to the Sinner though Christ dyed what is that for thee Faith hath this to reply The Gospel calls me and that warrands me to come to Him and to make use of His Death the Promise as it is Act. 2. Is to as many as the Lord our God shall call And in this respect the Promise is our Right and Evident whereby we come to have a claim to Christ 3. Because God makes use of the Word preached for ingaging of Sinners to Christ and for making them to take hold of Him It 's true that it is not powerful of it self and without the Spirit yet it 's the ordinary mean that God maketh use of Therefore sayeth the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warefare are not carnal though they be weak in themselves yet they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds And in this respect the Gospel not only offers Life but through Gods blessing as a mean begets Life and by the Spirit accompanying it Sinners are ingaged to take hold of Christ and to rest on Him for Salvation 4ly Because this Word being taken hold of and closed with contains the pronuncing of the Sinners Absolvitor of His absolving Sentence when it sayes If thou believest thou shalt be justified and saved upon supposition of believing the Sentence stands good to the Believer Thou art past from death to Life There being no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus The 1. Use Serves to clear that which we hinted at before in naming this for a cause of Justification though it be the external instrumental cause yet it is a Cause The 2. Use Serves to teach you to put a Pryce on the Gospel It 's the bane both of prophane secure Sinners and of a sort of vain and giddy People among us that they prize not the Preaching of the Gospel as the external instrumental Cause that concurres in the Justification of Sinners but if ever ye be absolved ye will be beholden to this preached Gospel I will not say alwayes to the Preaching but sure to the Gospel that is Preached This on the one hand reproves these who will be ready to say that they have Faith who yet never knew the Gospel to do them good and such also who seldom come to hear and who never care for preaching And upon the other hand it reproves these who when they fall a Tottering Reeling and wavering and begine to incline to error cast at the preaching of the Gospel having it may be slighted it before in their hearts whether when Satan once gets them he tosses them in a great measure as he pleases and makes them so giddy by frequent turning about that they scarcely leave to themselves a foot-broad of Scripture-ground to stand upon But as ye respect the glory of Christ the good of your Souls and your absolution before God esteem much of the Gospel For it 's the power of God to salvation And if ever ye ye come to Heaven it will be by this Gospel as the external mean These Nations that never heard it will think you to be most desperatly wicked and miserable who have had it and yet so unworthily slighted it For pressing of this Use a little Take Two or Three Directions in reference to it 1. Walk under the Convictions of the necessity of the Gospel For there is no absolution without it It is true God might have taken another way but on the supposition that He hath appointed Faith to be a mids to Justification and that Faith supposes Knowledge then certainly Knowledge doth suppose a necessity of hearing the Gospel ye will never value Preaching nor any other Ordinances of Christ if ye see not a necessity of them and know them not to be for your good 2. Study to know what is the main End and Design of and what is the advantage that is to be had by the Ordinances many come to the Preaching of the Gospel to hear and learn some Lesson for informing their Judgement some come to get Directions in refâ—rence to some particular Dutie some to get a doubt loosed none of which are to be dissallowed in themselves but rather in so far to be commended but how few come to it as to a mean to carry on and bring about their Justification and to bring them out of Black Nâ—ture into a State of Grace It 's the sum of Pauls Preaching and the end of it as the Divine Historian shews Act. 26.18 To open blind eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in him 3. Aim in your practice to carry on this Design even to put a close to the Treaty anent Justification betwixt God and you when ye come to the Preaching and hears us declare in the name of the Lord that a believing Sinner hath accesse to have his Sin taken away and to be Justified through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse ye would step to hearing this Proclamation made of the pardon of Sin by one of Christs Ambassadors in His Name and accept of embrace and cordially close with it if it were just now at this very occasion 4. This would be the great design both of Preachers and Hearers Of Preachers to follow
that way of Preaching most that layes open the mistery of Faith in Christ and of Hearers to love that way of Preaching best not so much that which fills the head with Notions as that which serves to help to close a Bargain betwixt God and you This was Pauls great design in Preaching as we see 1 Cor. 2.2 and 1 Cor. 1.23.24 He no doubt taâ—ght other things but he compended all in this or levelled all at this as the scope and this was his main Design in his Preaching and Pressing of other things The 3d. Use Serves To make a sad discovery of many of you is this Gospel the external mean of Justification Then see if ye ever knew any benefit ye got by it ye will belike say that ye are in friendship with God but how I pray you came ye by it There is little châ—nge to the better in your Knowledge and as little odds in your Practice ye are as much given to Covetousnesse Tipling Lying Swearing Pride Vanity c. as evâ—r and are these think ye the Fruits of Justification do ye think that to be Justification which is neither from the Word nor conform to it If God would commend this to your hearts I think it might alarm you to more serious thoughts of your Condition I put it to your Conscience if ye can conceive any difference betwixt you and these that never heard the Gospel ye are baptized and hear preachings c. But alace it 's none of these that Justifies they are only useful as they lead you forward to the use making of Jesus Christ Again let me ask you what effect hath Preaching upon you Hâ—th it convinced you of Sin â—o how then can it convince yâ—u of Righteousnesse Therefore if ye would make sure Justification indeed try it by the Word 1. What was it that put you to seek after Righteousnesse and Justification was ye ever convinced of the need of it and if ye have been convinced was it by Preaching of the Word 2. If ye have been convinced of your Sin and misery where sought ye for a remedy was ye led in through the Word to seek a Plaister to heal that wound of Conviction 3. What was it that warranted you to take hold of that Word or that gave you right to it I know that ye will say that it was Christ holden out in the Word that ye did betake your selves to but what weight laid ye on Gods call in the Gospel warranding you to lay hold on the Promise of Righteousnesse and Pardon of Sin through Christ I know there are many who though there had not been a call from God would have confidently stepped forward to the Promise but were ye ever like to Peters hearers pricked in your hearts and made to say men and brethren what shall we do Or being some way pricked was it Gods call holding out the Promise to be to you and your children and to as many as our God shall call that brought you to rest on the Promise God hath designed preaching for this end and ye would try if ever ye was put to it to look to Gods call that gâ—ve you warrand to believe for there is nothing more certain then this that wherever Faith is sicker and well built it 's grounded on Gods call and doth take His Faiâ—hfulnesse for it's Back-bond to say so and warrand More particularly we come to speake of this Word as it respects the inward mean or the inward instrumental cause of Justification which is Faith for there is this order and method 1. The Sinner is convinced and made sensible of Sin and brought to reckon for it in his own Conscience before God 2. There is Christs being holden forth interposing himself to take on Sinners Debt and satisfyâ—ng the Ju â—ice of God for it which is the meritorious Cause 3dly There is Gods Offer in the Gospel holding our Christs Righteousnesse to lost Sinners and calling them to make use of it 4ly Upon this there is Faith's receiving of the Offer and resting upon Christ and His Righteousnesse for Life which to speak so is the inward instrumental Cause taking hold of the external and as I said of Christ in it 5. And lasty follows Gods imputing the Righteousnesse of Christ to the Sinner and absolving him by vertue of that Righteousnesse from the guilt of his Sin as if he had never Sinned In speaking of this inward instrumental Cause Five things would be cleared which we suppose are implyed in the Words 1. The necessity of Faith holden out as the Mean by which Justification is come by 2. The immediat Object of Justifying Faith and that is Christs Sufferings or Jesus Christ as Suffering Travelling in Soul and paying our Debt 3. The Act of this Faith on this Object which is not a bare speculative Knowledge or a meer Historical Faith but something that really Acts on Christ with respect to His Sufferings 4. The effect of this Faith taking hold on Christ and His Sufferings and that is Justification which is not the making a Sinner to be Just by inherent Righteousnesse but the Actual absolving of him from the Guilt of Sin and from God's Curse the changing of his State and the bringing him from under the Curse into good terms with God 5. The manner how Faith concurres in proceeding or bringing about this effect wherein we have this general That Faith hath a peculiar influence in the Justification of a Sinner that no good work nor any other Grace hath There is none of all these things but it is in this miserably declined generation wherein the Devil sets himself mightily to obscure Truâ—h as the Lord by the Gospel doth clear it contraverted I shall only endeavour to clear the positive part and let you see what is Truth in these things whereby ye may be brought to discover and abhore the errors that are contrare thereto The 1. Doctrine than is this That before a man can be Justified and Absolved from the Curse of God due to him for Sin there is a necessity of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ This is clear from the Words and from what hath been said in the opening of them up If it be by his knowledge or the knowledge of him that many are justified then it cannot be that they are Justified before they come to the Knowledge of Him or from Eternity only in passing take two or three words of Advertisement and then we shall confirm the Doctrine 1. When we speak of Justification it 's in respect of our being absolved and fred not from the pollution of Sin but from the guilt of it as it makes us obnoxious to the Curse the clearing of the effect will clear this more 2. When we speak of Faith it 's not to be understood as it were a Declaration or Manifestation of our Justification Or it is not to be understood of Faith in the hight of full assurance and as it is a plezophory but of
4.16 It 's of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed For if it were not of Grace the Sinner would never think himself sure nor would he know if such a Sinner might take hold of such a Promise but considering that the Promise is of Grace and His acceptation is of Grace as is often repeated Eph. 1 2 and 3. Chapters These Three are the great warrand that a Sinner hath to roll himself over on a compleat Mediator a faithful God promising to answer all grounds of Fears Doubts and Jealousness and free Grace which answers all Challenges that may come in to hinder his closing with and his resting on the Promise for if it should be said How darest thou lay hold upon the Promise The answer is it 's free it 's not the mount that may not be touched but it 's Jesus the mediator of the new covenant c. It 's Grace that is the Rise the End and the Condition of it These are the Three on which Faith yeelds it self to Christ and which are the Object of it on which it dar hazard and on which it does hazard and these Three are revealled in the Gospel of the Grace of Him that is Faithful and cannot deny Himself May we not then say O! Sinners if ye will believe that ye have a good resting place a sure foundation a tryed corner-stone as it is Isaiah 28. cited Rom. 9. Where the Apostle hath it He that believes on him shall never be ashamed There is a suffiâ—ient surety a full Mediator there is a faithful God that will keep His Word and there is a free Covenant and Promise softer for a bruised Soul to roll it self over upon than any bed of the finest downs is for a wearie and crasie body this is a chariot paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem single out Christ from all that is in the Word without slighting any part of it and believe in Him and lippen to Him let Him have another weight and lift of you than ye give to any other thing he is able to bear it and God will never quarrel you for so doing but will keep His word to you that do betake your selves or that have betaken your selves to Him He that believes shall never perish nor come into condemnation O! know what a ground ye have to rest upon it 's even the substance and marrow of all the Word of God ye have Christ and His Fulnesse God and His Faithfulnesse Grace and it's Freeness and are there such Three things beside or is it imaginable or possible that there can be any beguile or failure here spare not then to lay the weight of your Souls upon it let it be the foundation of your peace and let it answer all challenges that may be whether for many or for great and grievously aggravated Sins only by Faith take hold of this Righteousnesse and rest upon Gods Faithfulnesse and free Promise to make it forthcoming to you but upon the other side O! how great will it aggrege your guilt that had such a remedy in your offer such a tryed corner-stone elect and precious to rest upon and yet made no use of it Let me exhort beseech and even obtest you That ye recieve not this grace in vain but as Christ is laid for a sure foundation so come to Him and build upon him that ye may not be ashamed in the day of the Lord when all that believe not how presumptuously so ever they may hold up their heads now shall be ashamed and confounded World without end O! happy thrice happy will they all be found to be then who have trusted in him SERMON LIX ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Knowledge of Christ was wont to be much thought of by the People of God and to be in high estimation among them and we may say we wote well it was deservedly so considering that it is by His Knowledge that Justification was derived to them and is deryved to us This is that which the Lord is clearing by the Prophet here to wit how the benefit of Christs Sufferings and Purchase may be deryved and communicat unto a Sinner Which these words though but few as purposly made use of to clear even that His Sufferings should not be in vain but that He should sow a Seed and though that Seed should not be all Men yet they should be manie and the way how these many should come by the benefit of His Sufferings is also held forth and that is By his knowledge who is the Righteous Servant We shew you that this doth upon the matter look to Faith and is meant of it and confirmed it by other paralel Scriptures which say that through faith in him all that believe are justified we came also to speak of this Faith which Justifies and did propose Five things to be spoken of concerning it and indeed if any thing be of concerment this is if a right to Christ and His purchase be of concernment then sure it must be of concernment to know how we come by that Right 1. The necessity of it 2. The object of it 3. The act of it 4. The effects that flow from it 5. The manner of it's concurring in the attaining of Justification We spoke of the First to wit of the necessity of Faith and shew that though there be a full Satisfaction laid down to merit and procure Justification yet it 's applyed to none but to Believers and not till they believe 2. We spoke also to this That Faith as it Justifies looks not to all the Word of God as it 's Object but mainly and principally to Christ and to the Word only in so far as it holds out Christ in the Promises and Offers of Gods Grace as it 's here called the Knowledge of Him or Faith in Him We now proceed to hint a Word for clearing of a Question and it 's a new and very late one to wit whether Justifying Faith layes hold on Christ as a Saviour and Priest only or whether it layes hold on Him not only as a Priest to save but also as a King to command though this doth not look at first blush to be of any great moment and that such an inconsiderable-like difference is not to be stood upon yet we will find that this last wants not it's own influence on altering the common and ordinary and as we conceive the solid received Doctrine concerning the way of Justification if we should admit it And therefore we answer the Question from the Text. That Christ considered as suffering and bearing our Sins and so as offering Himself in a Sacrifice is the Object that Justifying Faith as such takes hold of Therefore the connexion of these two is clear in this verse He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied
is not this a gross believing of the Lord God shall beat back many of your vain confidences in your faces and your hearts shall tremble and your faces wax pale when God shall cause your Charge and Summonds to come unto Judgement sound in your Ears These and such like confidences will never bear you through it is not these we speak of Yet 2ly We say that the right exercise of Faith wants not it's own confidence comfort and assurance when taken in a right sense much whereof is attributed by by some to the definition of Faith for some mistake Faith and others are mistaken or misunderstood in their speaking of Faith Some Divines that writ of Faith speak of it's being an assurance defining it at it's hight yet generally they take in and presuppose the active Act of Faith resting on Christ others define it by these two Acts a receiving of and resting upon Christ Therefore we would never conceive of them at least of many of them as making this assurance to our sense to be essential and absolutely necessary to the being of Justifying Faith much lesse would we think that they mistaken and passe by the true Acts of receiving and resting upon Christ only some of them which we humbly think is their mistake having to do with Papists who place Faith in the understanding adde an assurance of Faith to the Former Acts In which we say there is a ground of confidence or a conditional assurance upon supposition that Souls receive Christ and rest upon Him they may be confident that that is a ground that will not fail them They may be confident that He will not deceive them a confidence in this that they may step to or lean upon Christ and not fear that He fail them or that they may without all fear of hazard cast themselves on Christ Therefore He is called a tryed elect precious corner-stone a sure foundation and indeed that is no small ground of confidence That when a Soul comes to Christ by believing it may be sure He will not fail it 2. Being sure that we have committed our selves to Christ which supposes Faith's being put to exercise and practice there may be a confidence in this respect we may be sure He will not fail us in particular 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that I have committed to him and that I shall not be ashamed He puts both these together I know that He is able and that He will not fail me I shall not be ashamed So Rom. 8. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separat us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus If Souls have received the offer they may be sure it will not misgive them 3. Adde that this actual or active resting on Christ may be seperat from the sense of it or from the passive Act of Faith or quietnesse that follows on resting on Christ for there is a resting on Christ which is very Faith it self and not the effect come and ye shall find rest coming is before finding of rest to our sense at least we are not to knit this passive rest with the other active Act of resting as if it were impossible to rest on Christ without present sensible ease Beside it is this active resting that gives us right to Christ and not the passive Gal. 2.16 We believe that we may be justified This necessarily goes before our believing that we are Justified To close with a Word of more particular Use let me exhort you to lay lesse weight on your bare thinking that ye believe on your present ill grounded hope and peace Aim and endeavour to Act and exercise Faith on Christ actively receiving and resting on Him for winning to Peace This practice of Faith is the over word to say so of the Doctrine of Just fication That seing there is such ground of Justification laid down the Righteousnesse of Christ and that it is proposed to you and seing this is the very Act of Justifying Faith to receive and rest on Christ as He is proposed and offered when this offer is made to you let your Faith receive take hold of and consent to the bargain and ground and found your Defence here for answering all challenges that the Law and Justice may present against you That there was a Saviour offered to you and that ye received Him and rested upon Him will be a ground that shall bear you out when ye come before God and except this be made sure our speaking and your hearing of Faith will be to no purpose SERMON LX. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many For he shall be or their iniquitâ—eâ— THis is a great assertion and of mighty moment wherâ—in to the Knowledge of Christ the Justification of many is attributed and indeed if we knew what an advantâ—ge and benefit it were there would be nothing more studied then how to obtain it For it is the vâ—ry in let and opens the door to Glorification and if to be happy in the enjoyment of God be a benefit of great concerment then this of Justification must be so We proposed to speak of the way how this benefit is applyed and that is by Faith set out under this expression His knowledge or the knowledge of him and touched on the benefit of Faith and the necessity thereof for attaining Justification God having so ordered it in the Covenant that none others should be Justified but such as have Faith 2. We spoke also to the Object of this Faith Christ Jesus as our Righteousnesse and Peace So that Christ becomes in a peculiar manner the Object of Faith beside any other thing Because it 's only in Christ it can find a shelter Therefore it 's only to Christ that it flâ—es when it is pursued 3. We spake likewise of the nature of this Faith or it's Act it being the hearts trusting it self to Christs Righteousnesse whereon it hazards the weight of it's Peace and relyes here And as all the Terms of Justification are borrowed from Law wherein there is supposed a Charge a Tribunal and a Judge So is this resting in like manner It 's in effect an arraigned Persons making of Christ's Righteousneesse his Legal Defence against all Challenges The substance of the phrase is in that of Philip. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having my righteousness c. Where presupposing a lybelling and Charge where to does the Apostle betake himself and what is his refuge It 's Christ and His Righteousnesse even to be found in Him as if the question were proposed Paul what wilt thou do in the day of Judgement what wilt thou lean to for a Defence in that day To which he answers not to my own Righteousnesse but this is it even to be found in Him which he expones to be the having on His Righteousness by Faith
Sinners Justification is to table Christ's Satisfaction for his defence before God and to plead his absolution that ground The believing Sinner's Faith sayes it is true I was own so much Debt of Sin but Jesus Christ my Cautioner to whom I am fled hath satisfied for it therefore I ought to be absolved and the Law allowes of this sort of pleading and upon this ground in which respect Faith concurreth in attaining and may well be called the Instrumental Cause of our Justification I shall say no more on this Use but these two words we may partly regrat our great ignorance that we know so little of the use of Faith in our Justification And partly we mâ—y lament the great confusion that is in these times wherein men are set to overturn such a clear truth as if Faith had no instrumentality in our Justification but as if it and other Duties and Works were equal sharers and alike in it Which 1. overturns the nature of Gods Covenant of Grace in making Works the condition of it as if there were no difference betwixt the two Covenants of Works and of Grace 2. It hath this miserable ill attending it that it shoulders out Christs Righteousnesse and shuffles in an inherent Rrighteousnesse of our own as our defence when we come immediatly before the Throne of God whereas the Gospel puts us to a Righteousnesse without us and imputed to us This way leads us to seek Righteousnesse in our selves whether Works or Faith as a Work be made the ground of our Justification it is all one For if Faith considered as a Work in us disposing us to Holiness and as a part of sincere Holiness be the thing presented to God as the ground of our Justification it is still something within us and such a thing as is still imperfite which would miserably mar poor Souls comfort whereas the Righteousnesse of Christ laid hold on by Faith being made the ground of our Justification it affoords solid consolation For though Faith in us be weak and imperfite yet His Righteousnesse is perfite and as it was not the Israelites looking as we said that was the ground of their health and cure but Gods appointing of such a mean for their cure looked to Otherwayes they that were weak-sighted and had bleared eyes might think themselves not in such capacity of healling as these who were strong and more clear-sighted whereas they were all alike cured if once they looked even so is it here A 2d Use of this and the other Doctrine formerly spoken of is for Direction and practical Information would any know how to get Justification by Christ here is the way It 's by Faith in Him when Christ Jesus and His Satisfaction is made offer of in the Gospel for Justifying all self-condemning Sinners that lay hold on Him Sinners by Faith fleeing to Him and resting on Him get a title to His Righteousnesse that cannot but save them So that if it were 1. asked what is that which a man appearing before the Throne dare hazard to present to God as the ground of his defence It 's answered Christs Righteousness His Satisfaction 2. If it were asked How comes one to have Title and Right to that Righteousnesse so as he may own and present it for his defence It is answered that it is attained by believing in Him If it be asked how comes Faith to get a Title to that Righteousnesse is it by any vertue or efficacy in Faith as a Work in us It 's answered no but it comes to get Title to it by going out of it self by receiving and taking hold and making use of the worthinesse that is in Christs Righteousness which is as a Garment able to cover the Sinners nakednesse and to hide all his spots and as a compleat Ransom to pay all his Debt And this we see here upon the one side a necessity of Faith in order to Justification and upon the other side a warning not to count Grace and the Righteousnesse of Christ the less free that Faith hath an instrumentality in the application of it Faith having Two things that it pleads upon 1. Emptiness and need in it self whence it arrogats nothing to it's own pleading but 2. founds it's defence on the good ground it hath to propose And therefore as upon the one hand we would know that there is away to come by Justification by taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse by Faith So upon the other hand we would be afraid to let any thing stick to us from our Faith as if we had a meritorious or efficient hand in or were to be thanked for our winning to Justification For as a Beggar in receiving an Alms can alleadge no merit to be in his receiving or calling for it so no more does Faiths receiving mar the freedom of our Justification by any merit in it Use 3. Seing Faith concurres instrumentally in the attaining of Justification there is here clear ground to exhort you by Faith to receive Christ and to commend to you the exercise of believing because without it ye cannot be Justified and by it ye shall certainly be Justified Use 4. Here O! here is ground of consolation to poor Sinners sensible of Sin trembling at Gods Bar as being obnoxious to the Curse that by receiving of Jesus Christ they may be absolved from the Debt of Sin and fred from the Curse Therefore if there be any such here put forth your hands and receive what is in your offer open your Souâ—s mouth wide and let in Christ and He will fill it Faith having as to our Spiritual Life the same place that the mouth hath to the body as to the entertaining of the natural and bodily Life it opens and receives what is needful to keep in the Life of the Body And were not this good news to poor Souls burdened with Sin loathing themselves and their own Righteousnesse seing it all to be but as filthy Rags and crying out with the Jaylour what shall we do to be saved Paul would say to such and we say it in the Lords name Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be justified and saved for Justification is derived by Faith in Him to the Sinner Use 5. This serves exceedingly to humble a Sinner whether it be a Sinner aiming and seeking to be Justified or a Sinner that hath attained Justification in so far as there is no ground of boasting here If ye be aiming to be Justified it may humble you for what can ye contribute to it being enabled ye can indeed receive what is offered and that is all neither can ye receive except ye be enabled as is said It serves also to humble such as are Justified Have ye Righteousnesse it's not your own but Christ's It 's He only that did the turn if it should be said ye beliâ—ved and may boast of that I ask what did ye when ye believed did ye any more but this ye pleaded guilty and did consent
the mutualnesse of the Terms of it and that though as to our conceiving and up-taking of it there be something first and something last yet with God there is no such thing but it is one present Act. Thâ— promises made to the Mediator are in two exprâ—ssiâ—â—s with an inference in the Word Therâ—fore knitting this to what went before I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong In short the similitudes here used are taken from Conquerours and Victors who having been in a War and fight and having defeat and routted all their Enemies and put them off the Field have a notable Out-gate Victory and Triumph and a great Spoil as the Fâ—â—iâ— of the War And so the meaning is That the Mâ—diator by His undertaking to Sâ—tâ— fie for the Elect should have a great Fâ—ght and Combat with many Enemies but He should losse nothing by it He shou d have a notable Our gate an excellent Victory and glorious Triumph great glory and spoil So that as there was never War like Hâ—s nor Enemies like these that He had to encounter with so there should never be such Victory Triumph and Spoil as our Lord Jesus should have The word Portion is not in the Original buâ— well supplied It is only I will divide him many as the Word is often used and He shall divide the spoil with the strong That is He shall iâ— dividing the Spoil be above the strongest The Words infer and take in these Three 1. A great defeat of and Victory over all the Mediators Enemies the Devil Death and the Curse He gets a great victory over them and gives them a great defeat so that they are quite beat off the Field as dividing the spoil imports Psal 68.12 She that remained at home divided the spoil and Isa 9.3 As men rejoyce when they divide the spoil 2. The great number of Captives that our Lord in His Victory and Triumph takes and brings off that is He gets a great bootie which is that spoken of in the words before By his knowledge shall many be justified and it 's that which is exprest in that Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive that is these that were formerly captives thou hast redeemed from their capivity and led them captive that carried others captive as the people of God pray Psal 126.4 Turn again our captivity 3. It takes in the excellent Victory the great Triumph and Glory that the Mediator should have by this means He is exalted above every name that is named that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of thinge in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth For further clearing of it we shall recommend to you Two or Three places in which it 's like there is an allusion to this as that Col. 2.14 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us taking it out of the way and nailling it to his cross tearing as it were the Obligation that the Law had over the Elect by His paying of their Debt And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it There is His Victory and Triumph He combats with subdues and trods under foot all His and His peoples Enemies by satisfying the Justice of God for the Elects Debt and spoils them of many Souls that were led captive by them and triumphed openly over them declaring Himself to have gotten the Victory in a most Majestick manner A 2d place is Phil. 2.8 9. Being found in fashâ—on as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto the death even to the death of the cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above eveâ—y name that at the name of Jâ—sus every knee should bow of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father This is His Victory Triumph and Glory such as none in Heaven or Earth ever had or shall have the like A 3d. Place is that Ephes 2.21 Hâ—â—alâ—ed him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the church Whether they be Devils or good Angels or Men Sâ—ints militant or triumphant He is above them all all are made subject to Him and He is the head of His Church The expressions run in different Persons The first is in the First Person I will divide him a portion It 's a Promise of God the Father to the Mediator for His attaining the Victory as it 's said Ephes 1.20 God raised him from the dead The 2d Expression is in the 3d. Person He shall divide the spoil To shew that the Mediator God man concurred in the attaining the Victory Therefore Rom. 1.4 He is said to raise himself and in thâ—t it 's said I will divide and He shall divide It is to hold out the Mediator His attaining and possessing of what was promised and to shew that there is nothing promised to the Mediator but actually He is and shall be put in the full possession of it The last part of the Words holds out the conditions on the Mediators side in Four Expressions 1. Because he hath poured out his soul unto death That is because He willingly condescended to die He yetted or poured out His Soul to death 2. He was numbred with the transgressours He had a reproached and shameful Life and a reproached and cursed Death He was thought the worst of the World so that Barrabas a murtherer was preferred unto Him It also points out the respect that His Death had to a Satisfaction for the Sins of the Elect He was legally numbred and counted amongst transgressours though He was no Transgressour 3. He bare the sins of many which expones the former and sayes this much That noâ— only He simply died and died a shâ—meful Death but that He died for this end to bear and by His bearing to remove the Sins of the Elect for it relates to the many that in the former Words are said to be justified by his knowledge And it cannot be but these many shall be Justified because He did bear their Sins as to the Punishment and Curse due to them and whosoever Sins are born by Christ these are and shall be Justified and therefore He must be Victorious and have a glorious triumph and out-gate because He layes down His Life for His Sheep as it is John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life and take it up again And by the way it is a strange
thing that the only begotten Son of God should be loved on this account accepted and glorified in this Work even because He poured out his soul unto death out of zeal to His Fathers Glory in prosecuting the Work of Sinners Redemption 4. And he made intercession for the transgressours Which points out His making application of His Death and the benefit thereof to the many whose Sins He bare He died to take their Sins away and interceeds to have His purchase made effectual For though this be applyed usually to His Prayer on the Cross yet that is but one particular of His intercession which is of larger extent and therefore it 's noted as a condition required of the Mediator that He must not only die but also intercâ—ed that the benefits of His death might be made forthcoming for them for whom He died Thus ye see we have the sum of Gods Covenant here as if the Lord were proposing to the Mediator Now Son if thou wilt pour out thy Soul unto death and thereby bear the Sins of my Elect People and make intercession for them thou shalt losse nothing by it thou shalt have a notable Victory and Triumph and a great Spoil In the Words before The Mediator having accepted the Terms of the Covenant and performed them though not actually at that time but in the Purpose and Decree of God which now are actually performed therefore the Promises are turned over in a concluded Covenant and in an absolute Right to Him What needs further explication we shal endeavour to reach it as we speak to the Observations and because the Words for the most part yeeld the same Doctrines that have been spoken to before we shall not insist in them 1. Then from the repitition Observe in general That the nature and terms of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and the Mediator is a profitable Doctrine and useful to be understood and believed by the People of God Therefore it is so clearly proposed and again and again repeated and laid before their eyes and summed and repeated in this verse to keep them in mind of it These that know the Covenant of Redemption as that which hath in it the sum of all the Foundations of our Faith and the ground of our access to God and of our peace with Him they will easily grant that that it 's very necessary to be studied known and believed For First by it we know what we may expect from God because what we are to expect is promised to Christ in this Covenant as to our head This portion with the great and this dividing of the spoil with the strong He hath it as our head 2. Because we know by this Covenant how we come by these things promised And that is by pouring out of his soul into death bearing of our sins and interceeding for us Which supposes and includes our betaking of our selves unto Him by Faith 3. Because by this Covenant the rich and free Grace of God hath it's due Glory For there is nothing considered here as the reason of setting captives free but Christs paying of the Price it comes freely to us as a gift bestowed 2dly And more particularly Observe That though our Lord Jesus Christ in the Work of Sinners Redemption had a sore Combat and Fight yet He hath a glorious Out-gate Triumph and Victory It was the greatest fairest and most serious onset and assault that ever was heard of that our Lord Jesus encountered with As the remembrance and consideration of what hath been spoken of His being in an agony and sweating drops of blood of his praying that if it were possible that cap might depart from him Of His crying my God my God why hast thou forsaken me c. Will most convincingly make out the Justice of God pursuing Him for all the guilt of the Elect Principalities and Powers being in His tops The Devil the Prince of this World having all His Instruments yocked and at Work some to nod the head some to mock and scourge Him c Yet He did abide it all out He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that pulled of the hair and hid not his face from shame and spitting And had a most glorious Victory and Triumph over all what we said in exponing of the Words clears it somewhat and that Word John 12.31 Now is the judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out to point out His Victory over the World and the Devil and that Word Col. 2.14 15. He spoiled principalities and powers He uncloathed them and left not as we use to speak a whole rag on them He by a strong hand pulled all the Elect from them and left none of them in their possession He brake open the prison doors and set them all at liberty This was indeed a great Victory He hath also a great spoil of many Captives and great Glory being exalted in our nature At the right hand of majesty on high having a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow and that passage Ephes 1.20 21. Is to the same purpose He hath put all things under his feet c. If we look to Reason it cannot be otherwayes 1. If we consider what our Lord Jesus was in His Person being the Son of God He cannot but be glorious John 17.5 He proves Father glorifie me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Though by being Man He became of no reputation and a vail was drawn over the declarative Glory of the God-head in His Person for a time yet He remained still the Son of God and Glorious in Himself and it cannot be but He that is God must be Glorious in His Exâ—ltation when that vail that obscured His Glory is taken away 2. His Office as Mediator and head of the Elect proves it He that waâ— appointed head ovâ—r all things to the Church could not but be great and glorious and therefore when that of Psal 16.10 Is cited by the Apostle Act. 2.24 and 13.35 It 's said That it was impossible that death could keep him 3. It will be clear if we consider the Work it self wherewith He was intrusted it being a Work that was so well liked of and approven by God He could not but have a Glorious Victory and Out-gate Therefore sayes He John 10. My Father loveth me because I lay down my life for my sheep and Philip. 2.8 It 's said Because he humbled himself and became obedient unto death therefore God hath highly exalted him It was the contract betwixt God and the Mediator that He should first become low and then to be exâ—lted and therefore He behoved to be exalted and made very Glorious Use 1. Learn not to underâ—â—lue nor to vail and obscure the Glory of 〈◊〉 Mediator from the consideration of His Sufferings for though He was low yet He is now exalted He had a most
And considering the nature of the Mediators death that it was a violent and cursed death that which had extream anguish and sorrow going before and alongst with it It shews that the Lord hath purposly taken that way to make it known how bitter a thing Sin is how terrible a thing His Wrath is and how holily severe His Law is and to let all know that it is a dreadful thing to come in topes with Him who did so put His own Son to it Use 1. This Doctrine though it hath been spoken to before is a soveraign Doctrine yea the Soveraign Doctrine and the corner stone of all Religion That Christ hath died for the Sins of His People It gives us accesse to preach the Gospel which is therefore called the preaching of Christ crucified know therefore and believe that the Mediator died and that it behoved Him to die For it was required as a condition of the Covenant of Redemption to be performed by Him to which He yeelded and consented O! what love is here to article such a thiâ—g before Sinners had any Being It was more then to be hungry and thirsty and weary He behoved to die and to be made a curse when Sacrifices and burnt Offerings will not do He sayes Lo I come in the volumne of the book it 's written of me I delight to do will O! my God I hearitily accept of the bargain Use 2. It speaks an sadly alarming Word to all you who are secure Athiests and care not for the Wrath of God O! what will become of you when the Wrath of God and you shall meet If Sin brought the Cautioner to death O! what Wrath shal ye come under when ye shall be put to reckon for your own Sins The smitting of the Sheperd was more then if all the Sheep had been smitten and though now ye think little of Sin yet the day comes wherein ye shall know to your cost that it is an evil and bitter thing to depart from God and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Use 3. See here the necessity of making use of Christs Death either ye must do it or die and come under the Curse of God your selves there is not a midse If ye have Sin how will it be gotten put by and satisfied for not by your Prayers let be by a laughter or smile nor by your living of an honest life as ye call it Christ had infinitly more of this then any of you and yet He got not Sin so put by we may here allude to that Eccles 8.8 There is no discharge in tbat war neither shall wickedness deliver these that are given to it Death when it hath a commission and Gods Terrour backing it O! how will it handle the secure stubborn Sinner when the hand of God shall pursue him eternally Alace what are many doing that never fear the Wrath of God that suspend put of and delay the closing of their accompts and all endeavours to die to Sin and to live to Righteousnesse and either passe over their dayes as Athiests or as formal Hypocrites and such are some of you that hear me this day who never seek to be found in Christ nor to improve His death to the mortifying of Sin What will ye do in the day when ye shall be called to a reckoning ye will curse the day that ever ye heard the Gospel and that this was concluded that Christ should die it will be the savour of death to you through all eternity and will be the most Soul-searching and tormenting Word that ever ye heard and ye will wish that the Work of Redemption had never been heard of nor resolved upon Use 4. It 's a comfortable and encourraging Word to sensible Sinners such betaking themselves to Christ may be sure to get good of Him for He hath payed the Price already and hath given His Word for it That such as believe in him shall never perish but that he will raise them up at the last day Ye would not think that it will be displeasing or dissatisfying to the Father or to the Son that ye come to Him and take hold of Him for it was for that end that God sent Him and that He laid down His Life and died but He dies no more It will be no trouble to Him but satisfaction to His Soul for all the travel of it to make application of His purchase to you And seing it will not displease but be most acceptable to Him that ye believe on Him and be saved by Him and since not believing rubes shame in a manner upon Him why do ye not betake your selves unto Him by Faith for His satisfaction and your own Salvation 2dly He not only died but it 's said He poured out his soul unto death which implyes two things 1. The intensness of it it was an uncouth and strange Death not only was His Body afflicted but His Soul was poured out 2. It looks to His good will readiness and cheerfulnesse in dying Father as if He had said must I die and wilt thou have my Soul sorrowful and heavy I am content to be so thou shalt have my Life He comes not prigging to die to speak so but casts down His blessed Life at His Fathers feet and plentifully gives it out to the uttermost so that He will not as it were leave one drop of His Blood but will needs pour and yett it out in aboundance even all of it Hence Observe That our blessed Lord Jesus was most hearty in laying down His Life for Sinners was most cheerful in undertaking and most willing and cheerful in executing what He did undertake He makes not two Words of the bargain to speak so but when Sacrifice and Offering will not do it as it is Psal 40. Then sayes He Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God There is no standing nor disputing here on the Mediators side but a present willing and heartsome undertaking Therefore Prov. 8. He sayes Though he was continually with the father even from everlasting yet his delights were with the sons of men rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth Ere ever the World was made ere there was a Sinner in beeing to be redeemed He rejoyced before hand thinking there would be such an opportunity to manifest His good will grace and mercy And if we look through the Gospel how often will we find this made good No man taketh my life from me but saith He I lay it down of my self and I take it up again and when they came to take Him and Peter drew his sword he said Could not I command twelve legions of Angels but all that is written of me must be fulfilled I have bargained to lay down my Life and it must be and I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished and
that their Souls are in and that they look at peace with God as an easie business But one day it wil be found to be a great matter to be at peace with Him that Sin is bitter and Wrath heavy and that to be in good terms with God is better then a thousand Worlds God Himself make you wise to think seriously on it in time SERMON LXV ISAIAH LIII XII Vers 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he bare the sins of many and he made intercession for the transgressours THere was never bargain so seriously entered in as this betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator never bargain was of such concernment and weight It is therefore no marvel it be insisted upon The Prophet hath been holding forth the terms and conditions of it on both sides and now he sums them up in this last Verse that the businesse may be left cleâ—r and distinct setting forth what the Lord Jehovah ingageth for to the Mediator and what the Mediator ingageth for to Jehovah only with this difference that in the former part of the Chapter the Mediators ingagment is first set down and then what are the Promises that the Lord Jehovah made to him But in this Verse where the Covenant is resumed what the Lord ingageth for to the Mediator is first set down and then what the Mediator is to perform in the last place To shew as I said the mutualnesse of the Covenant of Redemption and that it is but one bargain one link whereof can never be loosed on either side In the last part of the Verse what the Mediator is to perform is set down in Four Expressions as past and done because of the certainty efficacy of the Mediators Sufferings and of His performing what He undertook and of divine Justice It 's acceptation thereof The 1. is because He hath poured out his soul unto death It was proposed to the Mediator to die which he undertook and in the execution goes cheâ—rfully about it He poured out his soul unto death without any prigging grace and love to speak so with reverence were so liberal and prodigal of the Life of our Lord Jesus for the Salvation of lost Sinners That His blessed Soul was separat from his Body and he made obnoxious to the Curse which most willingly he underwent his Life or Soul was poured out unto death The 2d is He was numbred with the transgressours which implyes Three things 1. It suppons that he was indeed no transgressour there was no guile found in His mouth yet he behoved to stoop so low as to be reckoned among or numbred with transgressours as the former expression holds out the painfulnesse of his Death So this holds out the ignominie of it he not only died and behoved to die but he was looked on as a despicable person even so despicable that Barrabas a thief and robber was preferred unto him and of this we spake from verse 3. He was dispised and rejected of men 2. It implyes mens ingratitude that when our blessed Lord came to redeem them they did not count him worthy to live but looked on him as a transgressour This was also fulfilled in the History of the Gospel as John 18.30 They say unto Pilat If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee 3. It implyes the low condescendence and depth of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath no bottom he will not only die but die a shamful and cursed Death and take on reproach and ignominy with the Debt of Sinners when they are dispysing him The Cautioner must not only die but die a shamful death some deaths are creditable and honourable and men will with a sort of vanity affect them but it behoved not to be so with our Lord Jesus when he entered himself Sinners Cautioner he must not only die but be despicable in his death as it is Chap. 50.5 He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair he hid not his face from shame and spitting because it was so articled and agreed upon when he was reviled he reviled not again O! what condescending-love shins forth here in the Mediator It was much to pay the Debt and die but more in his dying to be counted the transgressour much to be Cautioner but more to be counted the dyvour As if some wicked and perverse Officer ceazing on the Cautioner should not only arrest him for the Debt and exact it of him but account and call him the dyvour Debtor yet he bears all patiently It would learn us to bear reproach for him he bare much more for us then we can bear for him he was railed on and reviled bufferted and spitted on they in derision said unto him Hail king of the Jews they mocked him nodded the head at him hanged him up betwixt two thieves as the most eminent malefactor of the three and Mark saith Chap. 15.28 That this scripture was fulfilled which saith and he was numbred with the transgressours God had appointed it and the Mediator had condescended to it and therefore it behoved so to be We spake to the matter of this before and will not now insist on it any further The 3d. is He bare the sins of many which is also causal as the former are It 's put in here 1. To shew the end of his dying and the nature of his death His death was a cursed death but not for his own Sin but for the Sins of others even to pay the Debt that was owing by his Elect the many here are the same many spoken of in the former verse who by his knowledge are justified It 's not the Sins of all that Christ bare but the Sins of many and the many whose Sins he bares are the many that are justified and all who are justified their Sins he bare and of no moe So that as many as have their Sins born by Christ are justified and whoever are justified had their Sins born by him 2. It shews also how the Sins of these many are taken away It was by Christs bearing the punishment due for their Sins this it that which we spake to from verse 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all In a word it 's this The Mediator articleth and agreeth to take on the guilt of the Sins of the Elect though not their Sins themselves formally considered he took the deserving or burden of their Debt Of this we have also spoken before and will not therefore insist any more particularly on it The 4th and last Article or part of the condition required of the Mediator is He made intercession for the transgressours There was more required of him then to die and to die such a death for the Elect's Sins He must
hast given me be where I am to behold my glory That longing and effâ—ctual desire â—nd will of his presented by him in heaven is continuing still effectuall for all the Saints in the Câ—urch militant There is ground of quieâ—nesse anâ— comfort from his Intercession â—nd by verâ—ue of it to have hope that not only presenâ— but coming snares and tentations shall not prevaiâ— Therefore the Apostle Rom. 8.38 â—o his speaking of Christs Intercession â—ubjoâ—nes his highest triumph I am perswaded that neither death nor life principalities nor p wers things present nor things tâ— come and because it 's impossible to numâ—â—r all things hâ— sayes nor any other creature shal be able to separat us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Now if all â—hese be put together beside many moe that may be gatherâ—d from Scripture what wants a Beâ—iever for his own privat and particular consolation which this one word That Christ is an intercessour doth not answer But 2. There is not only consolation for a Believers particular condition from this ground but also in reference to the publick case of Gods Church Thâ—re are Four things especially that seem very heâ—â— to the Church and publick work â—f God in reference to all which we will find consolation from this ground The 1. is the fear of a scarcity or weakness of the puâ—â—ick Ministry that being the great gift wâ—ich he hath given for the edifying of hiâ— body and it being a prejudice to the Church when she hath not Pastors accordâ—ng to Gods own heart But compare Psal 68 18. with Ephes 4.8 12 13 14. and we will find that his Intercession answers that fear In the Psalm it 's said Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men wâ—ich suppoâ—es his seeking of or making suite for them or as the word is thou hast received gifts in the man that is being in our nature he procured them And Ephes 4. It 's said he gave gifts to men and compare these Two places with a Third to wit Acts 1.4 Where he bids his Apostles tarry at Jerusalem till he send the promised spirit and immediatly after his ascension as it is Acts 2. He poured it out which abode on them in the likness of cloven tongues of fire It 's likewise said John 11.39 That the spirit was not given for Jesus was not yet glorified All which shew an influence that Christ's ascension hath on the pouring out of the Spirit and on the gifts given to men whether Ministers or others There is nothing amongst men readily lesse cared for then a Ministry some would have none at all others would have them of such a stamp as would please and humour them But our Lord haâ—h received gifts to give unto men And he that poured out such gifts on the Apostles and others haâ—h what gifts he pleaseth and sees needful for his Churches edification yet to give And that he gives such gifts to men that his people are not praying much for whence is it but from his Intercession Therefore Revel 1. we will find that he delights in this propertie as a piece of his spiritual state and grand our That he holds the stars in his right hand such is his respect to them and his it is to dispose of them 2. It 's a greatly exercising difficultie to the Church of God to think of the mighty opposition that is made by enemies Mahomet Heathens Antichrist false Brethren threatning to swallow up the little flock the Church of Christ which is like a bush burning with fire and not consumed But for this there is a consolation in Christs intercession according to that word Heb. 10.13 He sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool He hath this for his suite at the Fathers Bar and is backing it upon this it followed and as a fruit of it that all the first persecutions were broken On this it hath come to pass that Antichrists kingdom is tottering and it 's on this ground that his bearing down and utter breaking wi l be accomplished Hence it 's most emphatically said 1 Cor. 15.24 That He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet According to the promise made by Jehovah to him Psal 110. 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool He cannot be an Intercessour but his enemies must down For who I pray wiâ—l be able to stand when he gives in his complaint against them who will plead Antichrists and other persecutors cause when he appears against them â—nd he is so certain of his enemies being mâ—de his footstool that he is waiting till he see it done he must reign till then maugre all the malice and might of Devils and Men. 3. It 's a difficultie to the Church and people of God to think on such great confusions as are in the world there are but few Judicatories that are for Châ—ist but few Governours higher or lower that do consult his honour or regard him It 's others that have the Throne and Court and the guiding of things thâ—â— friends and fâ—vourers of his interest for most part But here the consolation lyes that there is a Court in Heaven that gives out orders where the Church hath an Agent constantly lying where the Devil and the World hath none Jesus Christ is the Churches Agent and Intercessour there Daniel Chap. 10.13 Hath a word to this purpose The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes but Michael the chief prince came to help me And v. 21. There is none in all the court of Persia that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince The great Intercessour was at Court looking that nothing went wrong seeing that no decree were past to the prejudice of the people of God and his work in the time when they were building the Temple He Zech. 6.13 is said to build the temple of the Lord to bear the glory and to be a Priest sitting and ruling on his throne having the government committed to him what hazard then is there here when heaven guids all when the Church hath an Agent at the Court to see as I said that nothing go wrong when Michael the Prince is there and sees all the Acts and Decrees of the Court and readeth them yea draweth them and looks well that there be nothing in them hurtful to his Church And O! may we not and should we not thank God for this 4. A Fourth thing that troubles the Church of God is the abounding of offences in her self and the spreading of errour which like a flood threateneth to drown the Church and great stormy winds come that are like to blow down the house of God offences and stumblings abound and errour which I just now said as a flood is like to drown all when the
without a Mediator and withall an approbation of Gods way who hath appointed a Mediator for that end and a loving to keep up communion with him by a Mediator So that suppose we were clear that our sins are pardoned yet we would know that this coviction and impression is necessary to put us to make dayly use of this part of the Mediators Office for we may have conviction of the First part that is that we cannot make our peace without Christs Satisfaction and yet we may be defective as to our walking under the due conviction of the Second that is of a necessity of keeping up of our communion with God by vertue of his Intercession which is as if a Rebel being reconciled and made a friend by the procurement of some great Person yet having to do with the King should not dare to go unto him without the man that was instrumental in making his peace or we may allude to Absaloms coming home by Joabs procurement who was three years thereafter at Jerusalem ere he saw his Fathers face and had a new dealling with Joab for that end So it 's very suitable to the way of grace and shews that our being and standing in grace is free not to dare to go in to God even when our peace is made without the Mediator 4. Upon the back of all this there is a necessity of the Faith of the Mediator or Intercessor his being at the right hand of God ready to agent our cause through whom we may have access when there is reason enough in our selves why we should be keeped at the door and though we dar not go our selves alone yet to adventure to go through him to God And though this be but the doctrinal Faith of the thing in general yet it 's necessarily presupposed as well as the rest That whâ—n a challenge rises and the Conscience sayes how â—aâ— thou go to God Faith may answer Because there is a friend there in our nature when the sinner is convinced of sin the Conscience challengeth and the Law condemns and there is some sad expectation of the drawing forth of the Sentence Theâ—e is an act of Faith that convinces of a Saviour whose satisfaction if it be made use of and improven all will be well This we say is necessarily presupposed to the use making of Christs Intercession 2dly These 4. being presupposed it follows that we shew what properly it is to make use of Christs Intercession or wherein it consists And 1. when Faith hath laid hold on Christs Satisfaction for peace with God in the improving of his Intercession there is an act of Faith whereby we actually bestir our selves to approach unto God upon the weight we lay on his Intercession that when the Soul sees it self secluded considered in it self yet it will go forward lippening to that so that if a challenge come in its way and say what ground hast thou to look that thou wilt be welcome to God the Soul sayes none in my sâ—lâ— but there is a friend before me with whose satisfaction I have closed for my peace and I lay this weight on his Office and on Gods call to make use of him that on the ground of his moyen with God I dar h zard to go forward even as if a Rebel after his peace were made had some business to do with the Prince and hearing that there is a friend at Court yea the same friend that made his peace he thinks that a good time and fit season to go in and present his suit expecting to come speed through his moyen And this keeps alwayes the weight and honour of our obtaining any thing we seek as a prerogative to Christ and stops the persons own mouth from looking to any thing in it self to boast of even as the Rebel hath no cause to boast of his getting a hearing from the Prince but gives the thanks to him who as he made his peace so also procured him a hearing and it is according to that word Heb. 10.21 Having an high-Priest over the house of God let us draw near with full assurance of faith expecting a hearing and that Heb. 4.15 16. Seeing we have an high Priest who was tempted in all things like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtâ—in mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the First step of improving Christs Intercession when the juâ—â—ified sinner is at a stand on some new challenge for guilt and dar not go forward nor adventure to approach unto God on this account and ground that there is a Mediator and Advocat at his right hand to hazard if we may speak so or rather with confidence to go forward and present his suit to God 2. There is an act of Faith as in undertaking so in expecting and on-waiting upon God for obtaining a hearing of our suit on this account that Jesus Christ is an intercessour in heaven for such as imploy him And this guards against both the faillings before mentioned to wit against anxiety on the one hand 〈◊〉 presumption on the other against anxâ—â—ty and fainting when as there is not only a proposing of our desire but an on-waiting for and expectation of a hearing from God against presumption and turning carnal when the expectation of a hearing is not founded on our own righteousnesse but on the Intercession of Christ This is it which we have Dan. 9.17 compared with Jonah 2.4 In the 2. of Jonah 4. v. He sayes Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet will I look again toward thy holy temple The which look was in effect a looking toward the intercession of Christ the Messiah The Temple with it's Sacrifice having been typical of him and the Mercy-seat that was there being typical of his intercession It is as if unbelief had suggested to Jonah now Jonah what will become of thee thou art a gone man and needs not pray any more yet sayes he I will look again towards thy holy temple and though he knew not wel now being in the belly of the Whale where the Temple stood yet his Faith having an suitable exercise on the Messiah signified by the Temple and his looking being an act of Faith carried in his suit to God which was accepted and Indeed this is a main thing by which a poor Believer cast down wins to his feet again The other place is Dan. 9.16 17. Where when he is serious and doubling his petition he hath these words Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolat for the Lords sake and to let it be known what he meaned by saying for the Lords sake which looks to him who was to be intercessour in our nature he expones it in the following words O! my God incline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desâ—lations For we do not present our supplications bâ—fore thee
and make use of his Intercession For the Third To wit the inconveniencies and prejudices of this evil they are very many we shall only hint at them for they are dierectly opposit to the good that comes by the improving of Christs Intercession 1. It makes many prayers to be fruitless and frustranious though folks should weary themselves in prayer yet it is all but lost labour and the Lord will say as it is Isaiah 1. Though ye make many prayers yet I will not heaâ— them if Christs Intercession be neglected but one word put up in Christs name hath a gracicious hearing 2. It makes many prayers and other duties also to be lifelesse No duty goes with folks neither can it go with them when Christ is slighted Seing it is by Faith in Him that we have Life derived to us whereby we are made lively in every thing 3. It hath much anxiety following on it To be praying and to have no expectation nor ground of expectation of a hearing For if we look no further than to something in our selves it is but a poor foundation of quietnesse and peace 4. It hath this prejudice that it inures habituats and accustomes us to a low esteem of Christ and makes us want many sweet experiences that we might have of his usefulnesse and worth and it fosters a disrespect to Christ whereas the use making of his Intercession keeps alwayes up an esteem of him and mâ—kes the thoughts of him fresh and it is ever well with the Soul while he is esteemed of and it is impossible it can be well when he is not in request Now ye may easily gather what all this aims at even that ye may not satisfie your selves wiâ—h the form of Dutie but that ye may look that it be rightly discharged so as Christ in his Offices and particularly in His Priestly Office and more particularly in this part of it be made use of It may be there are some here that have been called Christians these 20 30 or 40. years But I would inquire at you what use have ye made all the while of Christs Intercession The neglect of this is a Sin against mercy a Sin against your own Souls and the cause of many other Sins therefore take it among your reproofes that not only ye have neglected prayer lived in ignorance and taken his name in vain but that ye have also long professed Faith in Christ and yet have not made use of Christs Intercession This will be amongst your saddest challenges when ye come to sickness and to your death-beds and ye will have it heavily charged on you That there hath been great slighting and miskening of Christ even when ye thought what ye were praying to him In the 4. place To clear it yet further we shall 1. Hint at some symptomes or evidences of neglecting of Christs Intercession 2. At some Characters of a Person that is making use of Christs Intercession aright 3. At some Directions that may help to the suitable performance of this duty And 4. At some Motives and Incouragements to it First For the Symptomes or Evidences of miskening and slighting of Christs Intercession 1. This is one when there is little walking under the impression of the need of His Sacrifice when folks walk whole-heartedly to speak so and without due conviction of the distance that is betwixt God and them For Christs Intercession flows from His Satisfaction and the improving of His Satisfact on flows from the conviction of our natural distance from God when folks are not sensible of their enmity and of their vileness and see not their need of washing when they have a heal heart few challenges little exercise of repentnce and of self-loathing it 's a great evidence that there is little or no use made of Christs Intercession The 2d Symptome is deep security and much self-confidence where these are Christs Intercession is little or not at all made use of When a Soul makes no question of nor nor hath any doubt about it's own peace or about it's praying or getting a hearing This is indeed self-confidence and does flow from the former to wit Ignorance of our distance from God which is clear both from experience and from Scripture They that make least use of Christs Intercession and have most carnal confidence have readily fewest challenges Thus the Pharisee stands Luke 18. and prayes saying Lord I thank thee c. The greatest part of such folks prayers is thanksgiving on carnal grounds Whereas the poor Publican dare not come near but when the Pharisee comes boldly forward He stands a far off and sayes Lord be merciful to me a sinner Who as if he had said have a respect to the Covenant of Grace and so to the improving of Christs Intercession It 's certainly an ill token when folks sit down with confidence to their prayers and rise up from them without all fear of being denyed and said nay A 3d. Symptome of not making use of Christs Intercession is when folk have too much anxiety which is a fault that a Believer may easily fall in when he hath no ground from himself to propose to God for a hearing and when he cannot answer his own challenges and is therefore discouraged which sayes that he lippens not much to Christ and to His Intercession A 4th Symptome is When duties of worship become burdensome when it wearieth folk to pray to sanctifie the Lords Day c. when these are fashions and cumbursome to them The reason wherof is because they take the burden wholly or mostly on themselves and lay it not over on Christ Whereas were he rightly made use of it would be found to be a truth That His yoke is easie and his burden light as himself saith Matth. 11.30 A 5th Symptome is When folks are not thankful for any mercy they receive and are not wondring how it comes that they get such mercies as they have when they think little of their dayly bread of Ordinances of access to Pray c. Souls that are improving Christs Intercession think much of any mercy because the least mercy is quite without the reach of the merit of ought they can do and must come to them by the Mediation of another Thus every mercy becomes a double mercy as it is considered in it self and as it comes to them by vertue of Christs Intercession therefore the Believer Improving Christs Intercession wonders at every thing he meets with from God that he is admitted to pray or to praise for he knows that it 's from free-grace thus admitting Sinners through and by a Mediator As to the 2d To wit The Characters or evidences of a persons making use of Christs Intercession The 1. may be this A constant use-making of Christs Satisfaction when the Soul is never quiet but when it hath a respect to that And this use-making of Christs Satisfaction hath in it always either more implicity or more expresly an use-making of his Intercession
removing a main obstruction that hinders your Faith and that is the undervaluing of him For if undervaluing of him be the great cause of unbelief and that which mainly obstructs Faith then the esteeming of him from a due impression of his worth must be a great mean of and help to Faith and the more he be esteemed of the more will he be believed on It hath an attractive vertue to draw sinners to love him a screwing vertue to screw up the affections towards him and withal a fixing and establishing vertue to settle and stay the Soul upon him by believing the soul that from the right impression of his worth esteems of him knows that it may lippen to him for he is holy and true And hence it is that the great thing that believers take to ground their prayers upon is some excellency in God some one or other of his Titles and Attributes upon which they fix to bear them up under and against any difficulty that presseth hard upon them This fixes also their hope and expectation of attaining of any good thing that they want through him And therefore upon the one side we would commend to you the study of Christ's worth and upon the other an high estimation of him as that which will fix your Faith and Love and Hope on him This we see to be in a high degree in Paul Philip. 3. I account all things saith he to be but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of him and his transcendent worth ye would not think it lost labour to read and study these places of Scripture that shew what our Lord Jesus is in his Person Nature and Offices that ye may have the Faith of his God-head fixed and may be clear as to the excelling fulness that is in him as namely that of Isai 9.6 To us a Child is born to us a Son is given the government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no end And to study his excellent Properties his Eternity Omnipotency Faithfulness Mercy c. common to him with the Father and Holy Ghost and the excellent qualifications that as Mediator he is replenished with being full of grace and truth and in all things having the preheminency See Col. 1. John 1.14 and Heb. 1.2 3. c. The reason why we press you to this is not only that ye may have more clear Theory and Contemplation But also and mainly that your affections may be delighted in him and that your Faith may without hink or hesitation come to give him credit Ignorance of Christ breeds disestimation and disestimation makes you not to give him credit and thus ye are kept at a distance from him There is no study more pleasant more precious and more profitable There is here then a task for you that ask what ye shall do even to read and study the excellency of Jesus Christ and to labour to have it well fixed in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts It will give you notable direction what to do even that which is well-pleasing to God and may be very profitable to you through his blessing Use 5. See here the great necessity and conveniency of studying the disestimation of Christ that is in us as well as of studying the worth that is in him and what he hath out of love suffered for us These two are put together in the Text it being needful for us to be as well acquainted with the one as with the other We shall give you this use in two short Doctrines The 1. whereof is That it is a necessary duty for the hearers of the Gospel to study throughly and to be convinced of and clear in their disestimation of Christ as well as of his worth and excellency because it maketh up repentance and maketh it flow and thorowly humbleth the sinner when he findeth this desperat wickedness and perversness to be in himself and maketh him kindly to loath and abhor himself and unless this desperat wickedness be seen and felt that great and bitter mourning spoken of Zech. 12.10 will never flow forth The 2. is That where folk have any just estimation of Christ and of his worth and are sensible of the evil of unbelief there will also be some sense of the sin of undervaluing of him and the more sense they have of the evil of unbelief they will be the more sensible of their undervaluing of him And will with the Prophet here cry out He was despised and we esteemed him not And from both these ye may see the necessity of studying to find out this corruption the search and discovery whereof will in-sight you in the evil and perversness of your nature and so deeply humble you and also serve highly to commend Christ and his Grace to you and without the discovery of this corruption it 's impossible ever to be humble thorowly or to have right thoughts of Christ and of his Grace Use 6. It serves to let us see the necessity of believing in Christ and of the imploying of him because there is no other way to be free of the challenges of misprising and not esteeming of him but by receiving of him and believing on him A 7th Use may be added and it 's this That the moe there be that despise Christ and the greater difficulty there be in believing on him the more reason have they to be thankful that he graciously works any suitable estimation of himself in and brings them to believe on him These who have gotten any glimpse of his Glory which hath lifted him high in their estimation to the drawing forth of their faith and love after him would praise him for it It 's he and only he that opened your eyes to see him and gave you that estimation of him and circumcised your hearts to love him let him therefore have all the praise and glory of it This is the Word of God and himself bless it to you through Jesus Christ SERMON XIX ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed THis is a most wonderful Subject that the Prophet is here discoursing of even that which concerneth the sufferings of our blessed Lord Jesus by way of prediction several hundreds of years before his Incarnation It was much that he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief But this was more that he was despised and we esteemed him not There is wonderful grace upon the one side that our Lord became so very low and wonderful contempt and enmity on the other side that we despised him and
I could never have expected mercy 2. In the solid Faith of a Believer there is as an Use-making of Christ Crucified allenarly as the meritorious Cause of Justification and Life So he is exercised in this to be allenarly settled on Him as such As for presumptuous Souls as they find it easy to believe so they find it easie to believe and to rest on Him only but as the true Believer hath it for one Piece of Exercise to Him how to win to Christ so it 's a Second Piece of Exercise to Him to get Him rested on only and to get Him as Crucified made the Ground of his Faith As the Apostle insinuates when He sayes 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Christ Jesus and him crucified Where we have three Grounds of Sâ—ving Faith or Knowledge 1. Jesus Christ 2. Him as Crucified and 3. A determining to know no other thing but Him to rest upon for Life and Salvation It 's in this Respect that the Apostle Philip. 3. Doth count all things to be but loss and dung and cast as it were all over board that he may wâ—n Christ and be found in Him Many find it no difficult business to rest on Christ only and to keep out other things from being joyned with Him and never once suspect themselves in this by any thing But the Believer as I just now said hath here an Exercise and Difficulty to get Christ alone rested on so that nothing else be in the least rested on Because he knows nothing else to be a sure Foundation and because he knows that it 's natural to him to rest on other things beside Christ 3. The true Believer is taken up not only to have a sure Ground to build on but also to have his own Gripping at and Building on that Ground made sure It 's his exercise to have it out of question that his Faith is true Faith and not Presumption or Guessing To have the Grace of Faith Actually and Really taking hold of or apprehending Christ Whereas another that presumeth and hath only an Opinion or Conjecture in place of Faith As he is in his own Opinion easily brought to Christ so he finds it easy to exercise believing on Him he will it may be grant that he cannot Sanctifie the Sabbath-day and yet he can believe as if Believing were less difficult then to Sanctifie the Sabbath So many will grant that they cannot Pray and therefore do decline Worshipping of God in their Families who yet will confidently say that they can believe and that they do believe alwayes as if believing were lesse difficult then to Pray for a quarter or half a quarter of an hour But where solid Faith is the exercise of it is a difficult thing and the Person that hath it hath a holy Jealousy of it And the experience of many others and of himself sometime telling him that he may be mistaken he is often trying it and doth not nay he dar not trust much to it and is put often with that Man spoken of Mark 9. To cry and sometimes with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief He dar not trust much to his own Grip and therefore hath recourse to Christ to get it sickered and to have Him taking and keeping the Grip of his Grip as it was with the Apostle Phil. 3.12.4 When Believers have betaken themselves to Christ they have a new Exercise to know that it is so indeed It 's not only an Exercise to them how to Ground their Faith right how to quite all other things and to betake themselves to Christ only and to cast their burden on Him But it 's an exercise to thâ—m to clear that it 's Christ indeed that they rest on or to be clear that they have rested on Him It 's no good token when folk are soon Satiâ—fiâ—d with their Believing and never put it to the Tryâ—l And this is it that mâ—kes many go on guessing till they come to Death which makes a devorce betwixt them and their fancied Faith and discovers it to be but a Delusion Wheras it is Believers Work to try whether they have and to know that they have believed which they win not soon to know and the Reason is because the sense of Sin the apprehension of Wrath and their love to God and to Christ the Mediator with their desire to enjoy Him suffer them not to be quiet till they be sicker We may see all the Four together Philip. 3.7 8 9 10. Where the Apostle speaking of his case when he was a converted Christian in opposition to what it was when he was a Pharisee and thought himself to be very well and a strong Believer sayeth What things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things to be but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dâ—ng that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness c. The oâ—jâ—ct he would be at is Christ The manner how is Not having mine own righteousness The meâ—n through whâ—ch is Faâ—th in Him This is it that brings him to Union with Him And then he would know experimentalâ—y that he doth know Him savingly as a Believer in Him By finding the power of his resurrection by having fellowship in his sufferings And by being made comformable unto his death Whereby he would prove and make out to his own Quieting and Consolation that he is indeed a Believer The Bâ—liever is never right till he be in Christ and it s his Exercise to be quit rid of all other things and to rest upon him alone neither doth he rest here but he must be clear that he is in Him and that he hath fellowship in His Sufferings and Conformity to His Death This we would recommend to you as your main study as ever ye would comfortab y evidence to your selves your believing in Him SERMON XLVI ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THE Bargain of Redemption is a great Bargain and we may say that it is a good Bargain wherein the greatest things that ever were imagined are transacted The sum whereof is in these two 1. What shall be the Satisfaction that must be given to the infinit Justice of God or what shall be the amends that must be made to God for the Satisfying of His Justice for the Sins of all the Elect and that is compended in these Words The travel of Christs soul That is the condition or these aâ—e the Terms on which only the Lord Jehovah will Tryst to speak so and He will Tryst on no other Terms 2. What shall be the Satisfaction that the Mediator shall have for all His Sufferings and Soul-travel
Fruits of His Purchase all the praise of them may be to Him alone The Use of this is large it speaks something more generally to them that are Strangers to Christ and who think that they would be at Him and something to them that are in Him and something to both And the 1. thing that it speaks is this which we have often heard of but cannot hear of it too often Even the great and glad Tydings and very good News which we have to speak of through Jesus Christ That Redemption is Purchased by Him to poor Sinners and that through Him there is access to Life and Peace and Reconciliation with God from which through Sin we had fallen and run our selves under a Forefaulture of and from which we had been barred up Eternally except He had Suffered There was a will of Separation and Partition standing betwixt God and us which by His Sufferings was demolished and broken down and thereby a door of access to God struck up even through the vail of his flesh These should be refreshing and fresh Newes to us every day as indeed they would be if we rightly knew and believed the benefit of God's Friendship and what were our hazard in lying still in nature and what was the Price that Christ laid down to Purchase for Sinners Friendship with God and delivery from His Curse that it behoved to cost Him sore Soul-travel ere any special Grace could be bestowed on Sinners and that this same Gospel that is Preached to you is a Fruit of the Travel of His Soul and that in making the Covenant of Redemption this same was a part of the Indenture to speak so That these good News might be Published in this same place and these glad Tydings spoken of among you And therefore 2. Put a greater Price on the Means that may furder your Salvation on Repentance Faith Holiness Peace with God c. For they are the Fruits of a very dear Purchase and the Results of a great and sore Conflict which the Mediator had with the Justice of God ere there could be access for a Sinner to any of them There was not so much payed to get the World Created as was payed to buy Faith Repentance Access to God and an Entry to Heaven to Run-away Sinners Nothing was payed for the one but a mighty great Price for the other And therefore 3. We would expostulat with many of you How it comes to passe that ye think so little of these things that Christ hath Purchased that ye think so little of Faith in Him and that so many of you take a counterfit for it try not if you have it trouble not your selves though ye want it and that other things of little value are much esteemed of and over-valued by you Is there any thing comparable to that which Christ hath put such a Price on that He gave His own Life for it and that God hath put such a Price on that He promised it to Christ as a part of the Satisfaction for the Travel of His Soul And yet it s lightly valued by many yea by most Men and Women The day will come when ye will think Faith to be of more value and will think the Pardon of Sin and an interest in Christ's Blood to be valuable above the whole World though ye had it when ye shall be brought to reckon with God for the slighting thereof And therefore 4ly Seing this is a Truth that every thing that leads to Life Eternal is a Fruit of Christs Purchase take the right way to attain it The exhortation implyes these two 1. That ye make a right choise of and put a just value on these things that ye should choose and value 2. That ye take the right way for attaining of these things 1. Then Would ye know what is to be valued and chosen It 's certainly these things that God and the Mediator esteem of and that the Congregation of the First-born esteem of The things that Christ hath Purchased and which are the Fruits of the Travel of His Soul are most excellent and therefore Mind Study and Seek after these things that may lead your Souls in to Life Eternall seek after Faith and Repentance to have your peace made with God to have the heart purified to be of a meek and quiet Spirit Which in the sight of God are of great price as the Apostle Peter speaks to have Pardon of Sin and Holiness for adorning the Gospel of God and to have Glory that ye may see God and injoy Him these things are the best things this is undoubtedly the better part which will never be taken from them Whose choise through Grace it is God will give great Estates Countries and Kingdoms in the World to Men to whom He will not give so much Faith as is like a grain of mustard seed nor a dram of true Holinesse because He thinks much less of the one then of the other and because the one is not so like God nor will it have such abiding Fruit as the other 2dly What way may folk win to make this choice and to attain these best and most valuable things no other way but that which this Doctrine holds out If all things that lead to Life and Salvation be Fruits of Christs Purchase then sure it is by vertue of Christs Purchase alone that ye must come by them Pardon of Sin comes by the Blood of Sprinkling Peace with God Grace and more Grace the exercise of Grace and growth in Holinesse Faith in all its exercises and advances and every other Grace come by His Sufferings as also doth Glory because He hath purchased these Graces of the Spirit as well as Pardon of Sin and Heaven often Christ is miskenâ— and passed by here many think that they shall obtain Pardon of Sin and go to Heaven without Him others though they will not own that yet fail in the second and would make use of Him for Pardon of Sin and for paying of their Debt if they could Repent and Believe in Him but till they find these in themselves they scar to come unto Him whereas the Sinner that is convinced of Sin and of His hazard would lay down this as the first step of his way in coming to Christ any Repentance and Believing and the making of the heart willing to close with and to cleave to Him is the Fruit of Christs Purchase and I must be in His Common for it for there is no other possible way to get it The first airth to speak so that a wakened and sensible Sinner should look unto for Pardon and Peace for Repentance Faith and all things would be to Christ and His Sufferings whence all these come Sinners at first are disposed to take too far a look and so mistake in the order of things Therefore when the sense of Sin pinches them and they set about to believe and find that their hearts are very averse from believing and can
hardly be brought to it then they are fainted when they consider and find that if it stood but on this even to consent to take Christ they cannot do it but then and in that case the Lord minds that they should be much in His Common for Faith and Repentance and for a soft and tender Heart and that they should seek these from Him as well as Pardon of Sin considering that all this is Christ's Purchase and that there is a possibility to win to it this way when they can win to it no other way If ye would take this way even to eye and look to Christ as the Author and Finisher of Faith and be in His Common for it through His Grace it should go better with you This is it which the Apostle hath Heb. 12. Where he calls to Lay aside every weight and the sin that easily besets and to run the race with patience that is set before us and if it should be said how shall that be done even by Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of ouâ— faith And then follows who for the joy that wâ—s set befoâ—e him endured the cross and â—ispisâ—d the shame Thus leading Folk into His Suffâ—rings as the solid Foundation of th ir Fâ—ith Use 2. See here ground for quashing the naturall pride that is amongst Mâ—n anâ— Women as to Spiritual things How so Where is the ground for this here it is because all is Christs Purchase Which may also give a check to these who because they have nothing in themselves think not that they shall come speed upon this ground as iâ— doth to these others who have gotten something and are proud of it To clear it a little we would consider that there is a pride in Folks ere they come to Christ they cannot well endure to be in Christs Debt for every thing They will take Pardon of Sin from Him but they would have Faith and Repentance of themselves as some Money in their Purse to bring with them to Him that they may buy it But where will you I pray get Faith or Repentance if not from Him Are they not Hiâ— Gifts and Fruits of H s Purchase which if it were well considered there would be no access to the proud reasonings of Uâ—belief Dâ—t ye say but these things are the Fruits of Christs Sufferings and His Gifts and if so must ye not be in His Common for them And as it silenceth the Reasonings of Unbelief so it stops the mouth of the Sinner and humbâ—es him much more then if he had these things in or from himself and were only to be in His Common for Righteousness and Jâ—stification 2. We would consider That there is often some Pride and Conceit in them that have Faith disposing them to think themselves to be better then other Folks But if ye have Faith whence is it or who hath made you to differ Is it not a Fruit of Christs Purchase and will ye be Vain or Conceity of that which is the Purchase of another This is a Spiritual poor Pride that stinks in the Nostrils of the Holy Lord so to abuse His goodness as to be proud because He hath Bought and Bestowed that which ye could never have procured nor attained your selves If then Folk have noâ—hing it is good to mind this That Christ hath purchased what Sinners stand in need of and that it may be had in and from Him And if Foâ—k have any thing they should not be proud or conceity of it but mind that what they have is a Fruit of Christs Purchase and that therefore there is no ground to be proud of it The 3. Use Serves to shew what great Obligation lyes on S nners that get any speciall good from God I 's Christ that hath purchased aâ—l and therefore they ought to improve all that they have gotten for Him who hath bought all As it is 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods Whatever ye have of Faith oâ— Repentance of Holiness or of ability to serve â—nd honour God in your Station it 's bought with a Price and a dear Price and therefore Glorifie God in the right Use-making and manadging of it We would think it no little Progress and Advancement in R ligion if ye were brought to walk under the suitable impression oâ— your ingagement to Christ as holding all that ye have and that serves for your through-bearing of Him For what do we or can we do It 's Christ that buyes all and that confers all we can do nothing of our selves but abuse His Purchase And were it not that the sickerness and staâ—iâ—ity of our Covenanting depends on the first Covenant even the Covenant of Redemption transacted betwixt these two Responsal Parties Jehovah and the Mediator we would quit mar and break all the Bargain betwixt God and us and cast all loose every day if not every moment The other Promise is that He shall see his seed and as we hinted before It 's one thing to have a seed another thing to see a seed The former Promise looks to His having of a Seed and this to His seeing of that Seed Whence Observe That not only is there a Seed Promised to Christ but also the Seeing of a Seed not only Fruits but the Improving and Manadging of these Fruits Or thus That not only is there a Seed Pâ—omised to Christ but the overseeing of that Seed is also Promised He shal have no other Tutor to speak so to leave His Children to but Himself He shall Die and shall by His Death beget a Seed and yet by His Death He shall become the overseer of that same Seed that by His Death is begotten There is much of the Dignity of Chriâ—â—'s Office and of the comfort of Believers here That Jâ—sus Christ is not only the procurer of our Life but the overseer of iâ— Hence is â—hat Conclusion of the Apostle Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him forasmuch as he lives for ever to make intercession for them He hath not only Purchased Life and many good things to Believers but He is living to make the Application of His Pâ—rchase to them And therefore is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him Indeed if He had been prevailed over by Death there might have been great hazard and Doubt if not utter Dispair of â—ver attaining His Purchase and a great crack to say so or breach in our Consolation but when He is Executor of His own Testament and bâ— His Spirit makes the Application what is or can be wanting We shall say no more but that here it is clear that we have a living Mediator as Himself sayes Revel 1.18 I was dead and am alive and live for evermore And therefore Sinners stepforward to His Sufferings and seek the Application of