bear the curse my self and for ought I see it will presse me down to hell But stay a little and consider Christ is made a curse for sinners which are under the curse of the Law thou art one of this unhappy number thou seest and bewaylest thy woful condition and abhorrest thy self Wherefore then doest thou not own this and take it home and say Christ is made a curse even for me If thou wert oppressed See 1 Tâ—m 1.15 16. overburthened with debt Creditors coming in on every side so that thou couldest not tell which way to turne thee no remedy but to prison Suppose now a man of very great wealth should offer himself to be thy Surety to satisfie all for thee were it not great folly in thee to refuse him and to say I have not deserved such favour or to distrust him and to say I cannot beleeve that he will do it Or suppose thou wert a Traitor to the supreme Magistrate convicted condemned if his Son should undertake for thee and yeeld up himself to justice in thy stead Were it not madness in thee to reject him especially if thou shouldest understand that this is done not onely by the Fathers consent but also by his appointment and approbation Poor sinner this is thy case Thou art this Debtor this Traitor and therefore under the curse Jesus Christ is made a curse for thee even by the appointment of his Father he comes to take it off from thee and to lay it upon himself Wilt thou now put him from thee and say This cannot be he will never do this for me and the rather pause a while and resolve to give him leave to take it If thou be wise thou wilt not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children Hos 13.3 Thou art in darkness here is a glympse of light thou art in prison there is a door of hope to escape The curse is too heavy for thee Christ is willing to ease thee of it Do not thou keep it to thy self to be swallowed up by it but let thine eye be towards him Look upon him as made sin and curse for thee and upon this ground dispute for thy soul thus Hath he indeed become a curse for me Why then there is hope I may escape it 2. And if we can take down this truth so as to make account that he is made a curse for us in particular then we may look on our selves as engaged upon this score to the practice of a necessary duty If the Lord Jesus did not stick to be made a curse for us then should not we be unwilling to be made a curse for him The onely begotten Son of God blessed for ever did abase himself he became a worm for us the reproach of men and contempt of the people Psal 22.6 7. he was despised reviled abused yea scorned spitted on and trodden under foot for us and shall we thinke it too much to suffer those things for him he was content to undergo the displeasure the wrath yea the curse of the most high God for our sakes and shall we the sorry sons and daughters of the earth the right heirs of the curse refuse or shrink to undergo the displeasure the wrath the curse of man for his sake Oh no let us lie down at his feet let us lay our bodies as the ground Isa 51.23 and as the street to them that go over let us submit to become any thing for Christ let us not be evil doers but if we be so accounted and be put to suffer as evil doers let us bear it patiently we should be ready to meet in the mid-way and cheerfully to imbrace the greatest injuries the foullest indignities which the devil or man can possibly heap upon us either for Christ and his testimony or with Christ in the prosecution and maintenance of any good cause wherein the Lord calleth us to appear Let not all the black-mouthed curses that hell it self can invent knock us off from well-doing or discourage us in the work of the Lord Jesus Whatsoever the work is let it suffice us if he accept us and be glorified Take my brethren the Apostles and Saints of God in times past for your examples herein 1 Cor. 4 9-13 I think saith S. Paul speaking of himself and his fellows that God hath set forth us as it were men appointed to death we are fools weak despised for Christs sake we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things For thy sake I have born reproach saith David Psal 69.7 yea for thy sake are we killed all the day long saith the Church Psal 44.22 which the Apostle applies to himself Rom. 8.36 Mind well that serious exhortation Act. 5.41 and the ground from whence it is inferred Hebr. 13.11 12 13. As the bodies of those beasts whose blood was offered for the expiation of sin were burnt without the camp Lev. 6.27 Lev. 4.11 12 21. so Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Thus the Lord Jesus submitted to the curse for us what must we do now for him Why even go forth unto him without the camp bearing his reproach He went out of the city and bare his own cross to Golgotha Jo. 19.17 We must with Simon the Cyrenean bear it after him Luk. 23.26 We must deny our selves take up our cross and follow him Mat. 16.24 If we hate not all even our own lives for him he disclaims us from being his Disciples Luk. 14.26 27. yea our spirits should be all on a flame within us in affectionate desires of the glory of Christ so that we should be content even to be accursed from Christ Vide Zanch. de Nat. Dei l. 5. c. 3. at least in the loss and forgoing of our share in eternal blessedness for the further enlargement of his kingdom in the salvation of many This was the mind of holy Paul Rom. 9.3 and it should be our mind also Those nice and delicate Christians which look for every mans blessing and good word which cannot endure a frowning brow an harsh word or an ill turn for Christ but they are ready to faint in their minds and to cast off all do requite the Lord Jesus very badly who endured such contradiction of sinners yea the cross it self for them Heb. 12.2 3. Jer. 12 5. If running with footmen weary you how will you keep pace with horses If some sprinklings and dashings of rain water in a fair day of prosperity do so disquiet you that you are ready to sit down and desert your Saviour then how will you do in the swelling of Jordan when not onely the rain falls but the floods come and the windes blow and the storms of persecution assaile you on every side threatening your utter overthrow Oh then what will you say to bonds and fetters to the dungeon and little-ease to racks and
stroak of that curse which of right belongs to us so that it lies not now any longer on the backs of poor sinners but on him for them and in their stead therefore he is called a surety Heb. 7.22 the surety stands in the room of a debtor malefactor or him that is any way obnoxious to the Law such is Adam and all his posterity we are by the doom of the Law evil doers transgressors and upon that score we stand indebted to the justice of God and lie vnder the stroke of his wrath Now the Lord Jesus seeing us in this condition he steps in and stands between us and the blow yea he takes this wrath and curse off from us unto himself he stands not onely or meerly after the manner of a surety among men in the case of debt for here the surety indeed enters bond with the principal for the payment of the debt but yet he expects that the debtor should not put him to it but that he should discharge the debt himself he onely stands as a back-set of good security No Christ Jesus doth not expect that we should pay the debt our selves but he takes it wholly to himself as a surety for a murtherer or traitor or some other notorious malefactor that hath broken prison and is run away he lies by it body for body state for state and undergoes whatsoever the malefactor is chargeable withall for satisfying the Law even so the Lord Jesus stands surety for us runnagate malefactors making himself liable to all that curse which belongs to us that he might both answer the Law fully and bring us back again to God As the first Adam stood in the room of all mankind fallen 1 Pet. 3.18 so Christ the second Adam stands in the room of all mankind which is to be restored he sustains the person of all those which do spiritually descend from him and unto whom he beares the relation of an head But to open it yet more fully I conceive that to this making of him a curse for us these three things do concur 1. His taking upon him the nature of man which is both sinfull and accursed the children were partakers of flesh and blood and he also took part of the same Heb. 2.14 he came in the likeness of sinfull and therefore of accursed flesh Rom. 8.3 he took upon him the nature not of this or that particular man as Abraham David Peter or any other but the nature of mankind in general even that self-same nature that sinned and is therefore accursed It was not a similitude or shadow of flesh or a meer shew of being a man but truly really sensibly flesh or manhood as himself avouched to his Disciples after his resurrection bidding them handle him that they might be satisfied that it was not a spirit which they saw but the very same true body which he had before Luk. 24.39 The Word or second Person in Trinity took the nature of man into the unity of his person that it might dwell and have its subsistence in the Godhead onely John 1.14 2. The real imputation of our sin or the guilt of our sin to him Isa 53.6 He was made sin for us even he which knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 All the sins of the Elect were charged upon him both original and actual and he had them all by imputation without any inherence of sin in him at all he had no sin of his own neither of nature nor practice for he was conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and so was born holy Luk. 1.35 And besides had the guilt but of one even the smallest personal sin been upon his soul it would have utterly disabled him from the work of his Mediatorship Heb. 7.26 yet he had the sins of others the sin of the world was laid at his door as if it had been his own he was numbred with the transgressors Mar. 15.28 Isaiah 53.12 Luk. 22.37 And thus the Lord looked upon him as a sinner upon our account If this had not been so how could either death have been justly inflicted upon him or his merit have been imputed unto us This must be Luthers meaning when he saith Christ was the greatest sinner he was Manasseh that Idolater David that adulterer Peter that denier of his Master c. to wit by imputation onely he being made sin for them as the Apostle speaks 3. An actuall undergoing and suffering the wrath of God and the fearful effects thereof in the punishments threatned in the law As he became a debtor and was so accounted even so he made payment thereof he was made a sacrifice for sin and bare to the full all that ever divine justice did or could require even the uttermost extent of the curse of the Law of God He must thus undergo the curse because he had taken upon him our sin The justice of the most high God revealed in the Law looks upon the Lord Jesus as a sinner because he hath undertaken for us and seizeth upon him accordingly pouring down on his head that curse and those punishments which are threatened in it against sin for the curse followeth sin as the shadow the body whether it be sin inherent or sin imputed even as the blessing follows righteousness whether it be righteousness inherent or righteousness imputed The Scripture is very clear and full in holding forth this as the main part of the curse it was prophesied of long before Isa 53.4 5. c. he was stricken or smitten and this striking was even unto wounding and this wounding was accompanied with bruising And because all our iniquities in the punishments of them met in him as all rivers in one sea all arrows in one butt all the Regiments of an Army in one place of rendezvous therefore he was oppressed for he was brought forth as a Lamb to the slaughter in his humiliation his judgment was taken away Acts 8.33 yea he was cut off from the Land of the living It was also fore-typified and represented by many sorts of Sacrifices in the Law 1 Cor. 5 7. All those Prophecies and types were accomplished in him he told his disciples often in the days of his flesh that he must suffer many things and so he did see Heb. 9.26 28. He hath appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and He was once offered to bear the sins of many All this suffering is comprehended in that sentence Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die this was the punishment which Divine Justice did award against sin therefore this he must suffer But because the main sâ—â—ess and as it were the very dregs of this bitter cup lies here it may be worth our labour to consider it a little more particularly and that 1. In the preparation thereunto 2. In the main brunt it self 1. There was a preparation to it by many smaller and
effectual calling Jesus Christ was made a curse and so became a sacrifice for sinners not that they might immediately without any more ado be made partakers of the redemption purchased thereby or be actually redeemed upon the very offering made but that having first made this benefit feasible so that now there is such a thing to be had which without him neither is nor could be he might afterwards communicate it to the Elect and give them the personal possession of it that they might enjoy it for themselves And this he doth by a powerful drawing them to himself and so by union to him they have a real interest in this benefit Therefore the Apostle sometimes speaks of it as appropriated to beleevers Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 and Jehovah stiles himself the Churches Redeemer Isa 49.26 as often elsewhere and Job calls him his Redeemer Job 19.25 Both these considerations are here implied as depending necessarily the one upon the other in respect of those that shall be saved and that they are not to be confounded but distinguished appears by Heb. 9.15 where we may observe a clear difference betwixt the death of the Mediator for the redemption of transgressions and receiving the promise of the inheritance This latter being laid down as a consequent or fruit of the former and limited to them that are called To conclude Take the whole in this short summe Redemption is the buying out and delivering of sinners from the curse of the Law and so from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God and the condemation of hell due thereunto by the death and satifaction of Christ the Mediator Sect. 2. Proof from Scripture-reason FOr the latter this main truth concerning the redemption of sinners by Christ now made a curse for them may receive further confirmation from grounds of Scripture-reason whether we consider the fitness of the person to undertake such an enterprise or the efficaciousness of his sufferings 1 The person was every way fit to redeem us being both God and man 1 He is true God 1 Joh. 5.20 blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father vers 18. and therefore very gracious with him which the Father himself did solemnly testifie by a voice from heaven Matth. 3.17 He is the mighty God Isa 9.6 therefore the Father hath laid help on him Ps 89.20 the Horn of David Psal 132.17 and the Horn of salvation Luke 1.69 mighty to save Isa 63.1 he was infinite lyable to break through all difficulties and with an holy scorn to sleight an whole host of the most terrible enemies to march through them without danger and in despite of them all to fetch waters of life for us out of the Well of Bethlehem He is the Lord 1 Chro. 11.18 Is there any thing too hard for him Jer. 32.27 2 He is true man also in one and the same person flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone next a kin to us therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2.11 It was a Levitical Ordinance that if an Israelite were fallen into decay and had sold himself to a stranger any of his brethren or nigh of kin unto him might redeem him Lev. 25.47 48 49 and the same might be done if he had sold any part of his possession vers 25. therefore these two phrases are used indifferently to note the same thing a near kinsman and one that hath right to redeem Ruth 2.20 3.9 Of this we have an instance in Hanameel Cosen-german to the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 32.7 8. c. This doubtless had some reference to Christ We had sold our selves to a stranger even to Satan to serve him Christ is a near kinsman one of the same stock and blood with us therefore the right of redemption is his It was also a statute and a custome in Israel That if a man dyed having no childe to inherit after him then his brother or next kinsman should take his wife and raise up seed to his deceased brother Deut. 25.5 c. and withall if the inheritance were alienated or set to sale he was to buy it out or redeem it for the use of the first-born that so it might continue settled upon the Family of the dead man Wee have a clear instantial Gospel-truth lys hid as I conceive Old Adam dyed and left no seed behinde him that might inherit heaven and moreover the inheritance was quite extinct and lost as to him and all his and therefore the Lord thrust him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 Onely Jesus Christ is found the next kinsman who begetting sons and daughters by the word of Truth doth therby raise up a seed of God redeem the forfeited inheritance and so settle it upon the first-born of Adams family for ever yet with this difference that this seed shall not be called after the name nor inherit in the right of the first Adam but they shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isa 62.2 And they shall inherit in the right of the second Adam onely Act. 26.18 Eph. 1.11 2 The sufferings of Christ were fully efficacious to redeem us for thereby 1 He hath given abundant satisfaction to the justice of God and so hath weakned yea nullified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taken away sin in the guilt and condemning power of it God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin that is upon the sad and woful occasion of sins being in the world or that he might abolish and destroy it And what is the fruit of this glorious designe Why he hath condemned sin in the flesh that is by laying the curse which the Law threatned against sinners upon that very flesh or nature which had sinned he hath cast sin in its own plea. A mans work may be said to plead for his pay the crime of a Malefactor cryes for the execution of the Law upon him so sin pleads against the sinner and calls for death its wages to be inflicted upon him Sin although as an act it be transient yet in the guilt of it lyes in the Lords high Court of Justice filed upon record against the sinner and calling aloud for deserved punishment saying Man hath sinned and man must suffer for his sin But now Christ having suffered for sin that plea is taken off Lo here saith the Lord the same nature that sinned suffereth mine own Son being made flesh hath suffered death for sin in the flesh the thing is done the Law is satisfied and so he non-suits the action and casts it out of the Court as unjust Thus whereas sin would have condemned us he hath condemned sin and there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 3. The blood of the Mediator out-cryes the clamor of sin We read Lev. 16.7 c. of two Goats which were
of peace and salvation to the lost world but every mothers childe of us had continued in the bond of iniquity and had suffered the extremity of the curse in our own persons for ever For this is the very next bottome whereupon all Gospel-grace and whatsoever is necessary to the salvation of sinners doth stand and as it were the soul from which it hath both being and breathing The excellency of the cause hath a strong influence into the effect to make it excellent also If we look upon the nature and frame of man in the first Creation his body curiously wrought out of the dust of the earth his soul breathed into him from heaven to be both a living creature and made after the Image of God Gen. 1.26 2.7 and all this done with a word we cannot but say it is a very excellent and precious work David stands wondering at it Psal 139.14 15. How much more excellent and precious is the work of grace which is the fruit of Redemption our second Creation for the effecting whereof the Lord did not onely Let it be but as if that were not sufficient the second person must lay aside his glory and take upon him the form of a servant and not onely bear our nature but also our sin and curse even to the death Phil. 2.7 8. By this we should estimate the exceeding great worth of that grace which is brought unto us by the revelation of the Gospel If some good things of nature be precious much more are those of grace Deut. 33.1 c. Prov. 3.14 15. And if we cannot but wonder at some of the eminentest works of nature how much more cause have we to admire the beauty and glory of that great work of grace which the Apostle calls marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 See 1 Pet. 1.12 4 God will have a Church Although Adam and all his posterity revolted from God and ran away into the tents of Satan his utter enemy to his dishonour and their own ruine yet for all that he hath a designe to fetch back and recover a number of them to make them his own people and thereby to glorifie the riches of his grace towards them in an eminent measure Me thinks I hear the Lord speaking on this manner What hath the crooked Serpent of hell served me thus Hath he enticed Adam unto rebellion against me and cheated him into the curse of my Law Alas poor man I pitty thee that thou hast suffered thy self to be thus ensnared How art thou fallen from thy dignity Into what a gulf of perdition hast thou implunged all thy posterity Ier. 48.30 But I know Satan his pride his malice and his envy that he would not leave me a people on the earth to serve me I know his wrath but it shall not be so his lyes shall not so effect it I will take a speedy course to befool him in his own plot I will have a people that shall be for my praise in despite of him Having therefore predestinated from eternity a considerable number of this forlorn generation and finding them now among the pots covered all over with filth and shame through their Apostacy his infinite wisdome deviseth a way to recover them out of captivity He gives the Lord Jesus out of his own bosome thaâ— by taking upon him the curse due to them he might ransome them from the curse and separate them from the lost world which lyes in wickedness and under the power of Satan and so form them for himself that they might shew forth his praise Isa 43.21 These are the very matter whereof the Church consists I mean the invisible Church which may be defined a chosen company of the posterity of Adam whom God hath purchased with his own blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People Mat 16.18 and Nation to be a peculiar people to himself Act. 20.28 Rev. 5.9 Tit. 2.14 Thus out of the ashes of this ruined world God raiseth up to himself a glorious Phenix Eph. 5.26 A Church which shall never dye but shall be established for ever Psal 102.28 125.1 5 The Church is very dear and precious in the eyes of the Lord Jesus They are the purchase of his own blood and thereby are become his peculiar people The costliness of any commodity puts upon it a suitable preciousness endearing it to the person which bare the cost of it Jacob served a hard service for Rachel and that inhanced her worth in his heart and increased his love to her so that the dayes seemed to him but a few Gen. 29.20 Michal Davids wife cost him two hundred fore-skins of the Philistims 1 Sam. 18.27 A great adventure an high exploit This doubtless rendred her the more dear to him which appears by his peremptory requiring her after she was unjustly taken away from him and had been some years another mans wife Probably seven years 2 Sam. 3.13 14 c. Jesus Christ served a very hard service and wrought a very great exploiâ— that he might purchase unto himself a Church to be his Spouse and having compassed her with much difficulty he looks upon her as his Sister his Love his Dove his fair One yea all fair the fairest among women the One the onely One the choice One his heart is ravished with her Cant. 4.9 she is as the poor mans little Ewe Lamb that lay in his bosome and was unto him as a Daughter 2 Sam. 12.31 A Kingdome or City wonne in battel with confused noise Hephzibah Isa 62.4 Multo sanguine ac vulneribus ea victoria stetit and garments rolled in blood Isa 9.5 is so much more dear to the Conquerour because it cost so dear The Kingdome of heaven the City of the great King is conquered out of the the hands of Satan at a very dear rate It cost the Lord Jesus strong crying and tears yea much blood and many wounds therefore surely it is very near to his heart and precious in his sight Isa 43.4 6 The condition of the invisible Church and all the members of the Lords chosen people is incomparably happy They are the onely renowned Society in the world for they are the Lords Redeemed ones This glorious design when once it takes place in poor lost sinners and is laid in their bosomes puts them into a glorious estate We may say of the Church as Moses of Israel Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord c. That we may take the length and breadth of this happiness let us look upon Redemption in its 1 Properties 2 Benefits 3 Priviledges Sect. 2. Three properties of Redemption and three Benefits issue from it 1 REdemption by Christ hath these three excellent Properties 1 It s free and gracious As the Israelites sold themselves to their corporal enemies for naught so we became slaves to our spiritual enemies without price and as they so we are redeemed without
in their first birth this Livery that they are children of wrath Eph. 2.3 and his wrath is revealed from heaven against sin Rom. 1.18 yea the Lord is said to hate not onely sin but sinners Psal 11.5 Hos 9.15 and they are called haters of God Psal 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei osores Deo exosi Pareus sic Theophyl Deut. 5.9 Rom. 1.30 But now by the Redemption which is in Christ as the Curse is taken off so the enmity also is slain wrath is turned away reconciliation is wrought The Messiah was to make reconciliation for iniquity Dan 9.24 which is as much as that 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Being enemies we are reconciled by his death Rom. 5.10 and when poor sinners being by sin enemies and strangers do receive Jesus Christ then in him they receive the Attonement Rom. 5.11 so that now they are actually reconciled Col. 1.20 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and set in an estate of firm amitie and friendship with the glorious God through the blood of the Covenant In the first Adam he disclaimes us as base Rebels but in the second he owne's us as reconciled friends Let the Lord's Redeemed ones lift up their heads and know their happiness Jesus Christ hath slain the enmity which was betwixt God and you This price of Reconciliation hath broken down the wall of separation and although the Lord be still a consuming fire marching against the briars and thornes and burning them altogether yet even then he saith to his vineyard Furie is not in me Isa 27.4 2. Remission of sinnes This goes hand in hand with reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 As the violation of the Law of an earthly Governour brings upon the offender besides the Governour 's displeasure an obligation to punishment and when that obligation is voyded then he is said to be pardoned so man's disobedience against the great Lord of heaven and earth did oblige him to such punishment as the royal Law had threatned but Christ our Surety by bearing it for us hath voided that obligation and so we are discharged from it and in this stands our Pardon Therefore the Apostle joynes Redemption and Remission together as being upon the matter both one Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 and expresly ascribes them both to his blood as the meritorious cause Vide Grot. defens cap. 6. Ludov. Luc. Assert contra Mich. Gittich arg Iun. Non idem sed tantundem Whence by the way we may discover the weakness of that Socinian Argument against Redemption by Christ's satisfaction because our Redemption is called Remission For where satisfaction is made say they by undergoing due punishment or paying a valuable price there is no place for pardon But surely the Holy Ghost knowes better then we how to speak properly It 's Redemption by his blood and yet it is forgiveness of our sinnes And their argument hath more shew then weight For this satisfaction was not made by paying the very same but the as much not the proper strict debt which the Law changeth upon the sinner but the full value or weight of it with some alteration The Law saith The soul that sinneth shall die even the self same person and it must be death eternal because the sinner can never pay the uttermost farthing Had this been there had been no place for pardon Psa 69.4 But now Christ comes in and voluntarily undertakes to restore the things which he took not away that sinners which took them away might be set free Suppose a subject hath committed a crime deserving in rigour of Law perpetual imprisonment if now the King's Son be content to undergo 6 moneths imprisonment in his stead which considering the quality of the person is as much as a mean man's suffering it during life the King indeed may refuse this way of satisfaction because it is not the very letter of the Law but if he accept it what doth it import less then a pardon to the subject This is the Case The Son of God giving himself a sacrifice for sin doth in a short time wrastle through and master those sufferings which would have mastered sinners and hold them under to all eternity Now although Almighty God the great Law-giver might have refused this kinde of payment as not being the very same which the Covenant of works exacteth yet having not onely consented but devised and settled it as the most covenient way for the security of sinners and the manifestation of his glory thereupon he is well pleased with it being as full satisfaction to justice as if the sinner had satisfied in his own person So that the Lord 's accepting of it upon this account is so far from excluding remission that it rather makes way for it and gives it a being This appears further by the Apostles ruled case Heb. 9.22 See Jun. paral Pareus without shedding of blood no remission which holds both in Legal sacrifices and in the great sacrifice of Christ typified thereby as the scope of the place shews But to return The Law chargeth the curse upon the sons of men The Lord Jesus takes the curse upon himself and thereby makes an end of sinnes for this was one of the works which he was to do Dan. 9.24 the debt being paid the book is cross'd the bond is cancelled No forfeiture to be taken no penalty to be undergone Let wretched sinners take notice of their happiness in this also Christ was sent to purge away all your iniquities 1 Ioh. 1.7 Psal 65.3 Redemption blots out all your Items and layes up pardons in heaven for your use to be readie for you in the time of need 3. Justification of our persons Obligation to punishment doth imply liableness to accusation and condemnation for the offence which deserves such punishment The righteous Law of God finding man a transgressour and so unrighteous threatens death as his due And in order to the inflicting of it stands up as an Accuser and passeth sentence against him Now Christ being made sinne and a curse in the sinners stead doth thereby with one and the same labour both set him free from the punishment of sin and acquit him from the accusation and condemnation of the Law Whereupon he may plead that although the demerit of his sin doth crie aloud for punishment yet it is not due to his person because Jesus Christ hath borne it for him and made full satisfaction to justice Rom. 3.24 The Apostle makes justification an effect of the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus Dan. 9.24 the Messiah was to bring in everlasting righteousness Jer. 23.5 6. a righteous Branch is promised to be raised up to David and his name shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness And thus he is made of God to us Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 When the offence is taken away by a pardon the person is accounted righteous Therefore the not imputing of sin and the
the consequent of his great sufferings which are largely described before Isa 52.14 15. the Lords servant shall have his visage marred by a deep humiliation yet he shall sprinkle many nations God gives Christ for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to bring out the prisoners from the prison Isa 42.6 7. There was a famous prophesie of the shining of great light upon the people that walked in darkness Isa 9.2 this was fulfilled when Christ sojourned in Capernaum Matt. 4.13 14. By the blood of Christ the middle wall of partition being broken down those that were far off are made near Eph. 2.13 14. and so no more strangers but fellow-citizens with the Saints vers 19.20 therefore Christ having said I lay down my life for my sheep presently adds I have other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring c. John 10.15.16 This is a great priviledge and so to be accounted The Apostle Paul calls upon us gentiles to glorifie God for his mercy Rom. 15.9 c. for alas what would have becomed of us sinners of the Gentiles if this Redemption had not opened a door of hope we had been left as dead bones altogether helpless and undone for ever 2. It s the foundation of that general Covenant which God is pleased to strike with all those whom he makes willing to come in and to joyn themselves unto him in a visible profession of his name and with their seed both of old among the Jews and now with all nations to whom he sends the Gospel The Apostle Peter presseth the men of Judea and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to a thorough entertaining of Christ by this argument because the promise is general Acts 2.38 39. which implies that Christ crucified is the basis of the Covenant Circumcision was a visible sign of the external Covenant whereby God owned the Jewish nation for his people above all others therefore it s called the Covenant it self Gen. 17.10 11 13. and Baptisme now is a visible sign of it to all those throughout the world which submit to the Gospel Both these institutions have reference to Christ as the inward marrow and substance of them for we are said to be circumcised in Christ and by the circumcision of Christ and to be buried and raised again with him in Baptisme Col. 2.11 12. Assuredly if the Lord Jesus had not undertaken to buy out sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for them there had been no such thing as a Covenant God would never have owned any of the sons of men in order to eternal life no nor so much as have suffered them to be called by his name But now by the work of Redemption all that are retainers to Christ in the visible Church though strangers to the life of grace have some kinde of right to all Church-ordinances Jus ad rem if not in re and are allowed a share in sundrie boons of favour they may get a general acquaintance with Christ and attain to some common graces whereby it may go better with them and they are nearer the kingdome of God than those that are mere strangers Oh take heed of slighting this mercie If the Lord will vouchsafe to own you and your seed in the way of a Covenant thereby making you in some degree capable of the choisest good things even heaven and eternal life you may thank your redeemer for this and if you do not improve it to better proficiency to raise you to an higher forme in his school and kingdome it will make a sad reckoning one day 3. It shall be by the all-sufficient merit and vertue of the grace of redemption that the people of the Jews once the people of God but now rejected and under wrath for their unbelief and hatred against the Lord Jesus shall be called to the knowledge of the truth and obtain mercy and the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in to make up one glorious Church and new Jerusalem There be many excellent promises in the writings of the Prophets which hold forth both these The restauration of the Lords ancient people is plainly foretold in those texts which I have formerly made use of on other occasions Isa 59.20 21. compared with Rom. 11.26 27. The Apostle cleares the meaning of that prophesie and applies it to the calling of the Jews Psal 69.35 36. God will save Zion and will build the Cities of Judah c. Isa 24.22 23. the prisoners shall be visited after many dayes and the Lord of hosts shall raign in mount Zion c. see also Jer. 30.8.9 and 18. Ezek. 20.34 37 40. c. This is lively represented by the resurrection of the drie bones Ezech. 7.31.1.14 The coming in of the Gentiles is spoken of Isa 60.3 4 c. and 66.19 20. c. Rev. 21.10 11 24 c. zach 8.20 c. all this flowes from the Redemption which is in Christ Isa 11.10 11 12. the root of Jess shall stand up for an ensigne both to the Jews and Gentiles Jer. 50.33 34. Israel and Judah are held captives but their Redeemer the Lord of hosts is strong and will thoroughly plead their cause c. Zach. 9 11. it is by the blood of the Churches Covenant that the Lord sends forth her prisoners out of the pit Zach. 10.8 yea the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn for him Mal. 4.2 Zach. 12.10 the white robes of those which came out of great tribulation were washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb Rev. 7.14 which our Brightman referrs to the calling of the Jews Oh how glorious shall those times be when the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold Isa 30.26 and he that is feeble among them shall be as David c. Zach. 12.8 Let us long for this day and have it much on our hearts Pray the Lord to bring again the captivity of his people and to plant them upon their Land to send forth watchmen which may call upon the Shulamite to return Amos 9.14 15. Can. 6.13 and to stirr up remembrancers which may give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. 4. The overflowings of this glorious work do reach even to the bettering of the whole Creation The whole company of reasonable creatures Angels and Men are the purpose of Jesus Christ he hath bought them into his own hands to be their Lord to possess command and dispose of them at his pleasure He commanded not onely the windes and the Sea and they obeyed him but also the evil Spirits and they owned his authority Matth. 8.27 Luke 4.35 36. He bought even those that denyed him 2 Pet. 2.1 God's patience towards the wicked preservation of them provision for them
hath in himself that which God hateth namely sinne not his own but ours And therefore I conclude That Christ was made a Curse for us not onely by the ignominious manner of his death but by suffering in our stead the Curse due to our sinnes The Lord give us grace so to study Christ's being made a curse for us that by faith in him and love to him we may be freed from it and the blessings of Abraham may be our portion Thy servant in Christ Jesus Edm. Calamy TO THE READER ALthough this Treatise in regard of its worth and weight might without any Testimonial have adventured it self even upon this censorious and froward generation yet seeing something by way of recommendation is desired I look upon it not onely as a duty but an honour that I may be serviceable in leading forth so usefull a book into the world as I apprehend this to be and certainly I can make no better use of my Name than to prefix it to this discourse if it may be an inducement unto any one to read it The Authour concerning whom my affectionate esteem will not suffer me to be wholly silent is a person of long standing in the faith and much experience in the things of Christ now passing the seventieth year of his age and about the forty fifth year of his Ministery And having well-nigh fulfilled the dayes of our yeares which are said to be Threescore and ten Psal 90.10 being within sight of Eternitie he hath set before his eye the infinite obligations of eternal Redemption and not thought it sufficient to serve his own generation by preaching the Gospel but hath been perswaded to leave this labour of Love as a Legacy to the generation to come that the people yet to be borne may know and praise their Redeemer The work thou hast in thine hand is the fruit of a well-grown tree that brings forth fruit in its old age and though the leaves and branches thereof may not be so seemingly fair and luxuriant as some younger plants do afford yet taste of the fruit and thou shalt finde it of good relish sound and nourishing It grew indeed in a cold Northern Climate which men think brings little to perfection but it had the advantage of a warme heart which is the best soil and the beames of the sonne of righteousness for the ripening of it If any say It is a common Subject let him remember Titus 1.4 that it is Common Faith and Common Salvation Iude 3. and must be known by more then a common knowledge It 's plain indeed as being reached not to Curiosity but to Conscience but plain work clean wrought is very commendable and many times where is most of Art there is least of Use Yet it is not so plain but the lines and engravings of the Holy Ghost may be discerned in it by an eye well enlightened and although the Treatise was entended mainly for Practise yet our reverend Authour like a wise and vigilant builder hath as the exigents of these times require carried on his work with a weapon on the one hand Neh. 4.17 and a working Instrument in the other defending the Truth against its adversaries as well as recommending its followers Let it not therefore be grievous to thee for it is safe for thee Christian Reader to retire a little from the Curiosities and Contentions of this pretending Age to a serious Consideration of this most necessary and weighty subject For though thou understood all Mysteries and all knowledge and hadst Faith to remove mountains it will profit thee nothing unless thou canst finde this Mount EBAL levell'd zechar 4.7 this great Mountain of CURSES made to thee a plain before the Lord JESUS who buildeth up his Church as an Holy Temple unto God But I will not detain thee from the work it self whith set's before thee DEATH and LIFE a CURSE and a CHRIST The Lord by his special grace incline thine heart unto and establish it in a sincere choise of the Lord Jesus that thy soul may live So prayes Thy servant in the Gospel Edw. Bowles YORK April 19. 1658. To the Inhabitants of PUDSEY LEEDS and BRADFORD Beloved Brethren I Need not say much to you concerning the Reverend Authour of the ensuing Treatise You fully know his doctrine manner of life purpose 2 Tim. 3.10 Faith Long-suffering Charitie Patience That he hath laboured long in his masters Vineyard as with great diligence so not without some success It is the high commendation of blessed Paul that from Jerusalem and round about even to Illyricum Rom. 15.19 he fully preached the Gospel of Christ So our Reverend brother not onely in the populous places near unto us but in lesser Villages hath frequently sounded the Gospel of Salvation not confining his labours to that obscure Congregation wherein he hath officiated as a painful overseer for many yeares but communicating the sweet savour of Christ to many others and let us adde this He hath been so farre from heeding the preferments of this world though tendered him at several times as he hath contented himself with a mean allowance not worthy to be named considering his worth and industry but I shall say no more of him though I might say exceeding much as knowing his modestie to be such as he would rather blame than thank me for it Give me leave to say a little unto you who have so often been partakers of his Ministerial labours and 1. To you of Pudsey whose Pastor he hath been and still is much precious seed he hath sown among you and therefore from you is expected much precious fruit If you after so much Preaching Catechising and expounding be found either ignorant or secure prophane or dissolute as you are left without excuse so the many yeares pains of so faithfull a Teacher will rise up in Judgement against you Luke 12.45 To whom much is given of him much is required God hath given in to you much instruction He exspects from you much knowledge of the best things endeared affections thereunto and abundance of those fruits Matth. 3.8 which John the Baptist calls Fruits meet for Repentance worthy of amendment of life Which I desire may be considered that so you may not be found barren and unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 2 Pet. 1.18 The goodness of the soil should be seen in the plentifulness of the Crop and the pains of the Pastor in the peoples knowledge of God and Christ in their Faith hope love meekness humilitie patience holiness and obedience 2. For you of Leeds and Bradford as you have all and often participated of his godly labours so I heartily wish and desire it may appear you have not done so in vain and therefore exhort you to remember how you have heard Revel 3.3 and received and hold fast and repent Yea to hold fast these good and ancient truths you have
of the thing Page 109 The Doctrine 1. Cleared by shewing what Redemption is name and thing ib. 2. Confirmed by Scripture-grounds ib. 1. The fitness of the person to undertake being true God and true man Page 114 2. The efficaciousness of his sufferings Page 116 Whereby he hath 1. given abundant satisfaction to justice ib. 2. broken the Serpents head c. Page 118 An Objection If by Ransome then not by Rescue Answered by 3 Considerations in reference to 3 persons with whom the Redeemer had to deal Page 120 1. God the soveraign Lawgiver being wronged by man's sinne the chief thing to be done was to satisfie Justice by paying of a Ransome ib. 2. Sathan into whose hands man is delivered to be his Jailour or executioner being man's deadly enemy doth oppose his deliverance and holds him captive still therefore he must be rescued by conquest Page 122 3. Man's slavery is voluntary in respect of himself and his heart is averse from deliverance therefore the Redeemer must put forth an Almighty power to subdue him and make him willing to accept of liberty Page 125 Another Objection It might have been done in an easier way answered Page 126 1. This was the good pleasure of his will ibid. 2. Most agreeable to his holy nature 1. Sutable to his soveraign ends and setting forth the glory of his 1. Justice 2. Truth 3. Wisdome 4. Goodness Page 127 CHAP. V. 1. USE Confutation of enemies to this grace Page 131 1. Papists which adde several parcels to make up the price of Redemption Page 132 2. Socinians which teach that Christ's becoming a curse for us was not for satisfaction but onely for an example of imitation Page 134. CHAP. VI. 2. INformation in sundry branches Page 143 1. The love of God and Christ is unspeakable ib. 2. The work Redemption is a very costly peice Page 144 3. The grace of the Gospel is very precious Page 145 4. God will have a Church Page 146 5. The Church is very dear to Jesus Christ Page 148 6. The condition of the invisible Church is incomparably happy discovered Page 149 1. In three excellent properties of Redemption It s 1. Free and gracious ibid. 2. Full and plenteous Page 150 3. Eternal and without period Page 151 2. In rare spiritual benefits which flow from it Page 153 154 155 4. Adoption Page 160 5. Sanctification Page 162 6. Final Redemption Page 163 7. Full Glorification Page 166 3. In seven precious priviledges attending on Redemption Page 169 1. It makes us truly blessed Page 170 2. And the Lords peculiar people Page 171 3. The Redeemer is at Gods right hand carrying on the work Page 172 4. He hath purchased the gift of the Spirit to bestow on the elect Page 175 5. By personal interest in it we become the Lords free-men Page 177 6. All the promises are ours Page 179 7. We have a special interest in Gods providence Page 181 Four priviledges more common Page 186 1. Redemption opens a sluce for the waters of life to run among the Gentiles ibid. 2. It is the foundation of the general Covenant made with mankinde Page 187 3. By the merit and vertue of it the Jewes shall be called Page 189 4. It overflows to the bettering of the whole Creation Page 190 CHAP. VII 3. COnsolation against the annoyances Page 193 1. Of sin 1. In our old estate ibid. 1. The hainousness Page 196 2. Multitude ibid. 3. Long continuance Page 196 4. Advantage by neglecting the offer of grace Page 197 2. In our new condition Page 200 1. It s presence ibid. 2. It s prevalence Page 212 3. Advantage by frequent neglects and swarvings Page 214 2. Of terrors by new guilt Page 216 3. Of cursing and reproaches Page 208 4. Of temporal afflictions especially Page 209 1. Persecutions for righteousnes Page 211 2. Sufferings in innocency Page 212 3. Punishments for sin Page 213 Quest Whether the evils which the Redeemed suffer may properly bee called curses answered by a distinction Page 214 CHAP. VIII 4. EXamination Actual interest in Redemption tried by sundry evidences Page 216 1. Dear love of the Redeemer which is incorrupt if it be 1. Single Page 217 2. Superlative Page 219 3. Invincible Page 220 4. Accompanied with self-jealousie Page 222 2. Weariness under the bondage of sin past and present Page 224 3. Sincere resolution and actual endeavour to abandon all sin Page 227 4. Separation from the world c. Page 229 5. Walking after the Spirit Page 230 6. Purity of heart and life Page 233 CHAP. IX 5. EXhortation 1. To sensless sinners which lye secure under their slavery Page 235 Advice in five particulars ibid. 1 Give way to the Law to convince you ibid. 2. Resolve not to abide in this condition but take counsel from Gods Ministers Page 238 3. Fall down before the Lord in an humble and full confession Page 239 4. Still take notice of this Ransom and of the feaseableness of deliverance by it study it and bee affected with it Page 241 5. Walk in the way which God hath limited forgetting an actual share in it Page 242 Which is 1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Repentance from dead works Page 243 Motives to set upon this way Page 245 1. No possibility of deliverance in any other way Page 247 2. Else Christ will glorifie his justice in leaving thee a prisoner to the Curse for ever Page 248 3. Now the Lord offers this mercy in the Ministry by his Spirit Page 249 4. The welfare and comfort of Gods Ministers depends much upon this ibid. CHAP. X. 2. TO sensible sinners which are burdened with the Curse Page 251 Counsel to thee in three particulars Page 252 1. Ponder the weight and strength of this great design ibid. 2. Continue instant in prayer Page 253 254 3. Learn self-denial abandoning thine own wisdome sense c. Page 255 5. Objections of an humbled soul Page 256 1. I know not whether I be redeemed or not 2. Christ never meant to redeem all Page 257 3. Onely the Elect are redeemed but I know not that I am elected Page 264 4. I have neglected so long that my day is past ibid. 5. I do not see that it is my way thus to beleeve I do not I cannot beleeve Page 267 All these answered severally Page 269 10. Encouragements to accept of Redemption Page 273 1. The name of God is most sweet ibid. 2. It is a clause in the Mediators Commission that he shall proclaim liberty ibid. 3. The termes are reasonable and easie Page 274 4. Faith engageth Christ to relieve a soul in extremity Page 275 5. This is the way to self-abasement Page 276 6. And to exalt Jesus Christ Page 277 7. It s the best part of thy thankfulness Page 278 8. And the most commendable self-love ibid. 9. A blessed thing to beleeve when all things perswade the contrary Page 279 10. Thousands of captive sinners have gone this way
cast filth upon it therefore I doe remand it from thee it shall no longer abide in that base unworthie soule of thine henceforth let that ugly image of sinne and hell which it seemes pleaseth thee better seize upon thee take it to thee and fils thy self with it Thus we are all alienated from the life of God Eph. 4.18 This part of the curse lyes heavie on the whole soule 1. On the Mind and understanding part which is impotent and unable to conceive the things of God and to discerne of things that differ our understandings are darkened Eph. 4.18 see 1. Cor. 2.14 2. On the Conscience which is defiled Tit. 1.15 being either sensles and so excusing when it should accuse Eph. 4.19 or when awaked wanting just matter of excusing and so unpeaceable Isa 57.21 3. On the will which is rebellious against the truth and wayes of God revealed to the mind depraved in its power of chusing can will onely that which is evil cannot will that which is good see Pro. 17.11 Jer. 5.23 Math. 23.37 4. On the affections which being the Wills Waiting-Maids are of the same temper disordered affecting evil disaffecting good running into extremitie of excesse or defect and so spoyling the conversation Thus man once made upright yet by seeking out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 is become without God in the world Eph. 2.12 ergo accursed 3. When the soule and body are parted then the wretched soule is sent down to hell to take possession of those everlasting flames As soone as ever the first death hath done its office forthwith the doome of the second death passeth upon the immortall soule and then the great Jaylour of hell layeth hold upon it and drags it into the presence of the Almighty on whom it shall look with horror and amazment Thy now sleeping conscience shall then be awakened and all thy sinnes shall be set in order before thee thou wilt not see them now but they shall then stare in thy face yea thy secret sinnes shall be set in the light of Gods countenance and thy most pleasing iniquities shall appeare before thee in their proper black hiew to gaster thy soule into finall desperation No place left for repentance the doore of mercie and the gate of heaven shall be thenceforth shut up against thee for ever thy wretched soul must take up its lodging in the lothsome prison of hell with the Divell and his Angels Luk. 16.22 23. 1 Pet. 3.19 where it shall lie filled with the wrath of God for the present astonished and swallowed up with the apprehension of the eternitie of that to come and tremblingly waiting for the great day of reckoning and the dreadfull houre when it shall be poured downe in full vials upon the whole man III. The curse which comes upon body and soule together or the whole man may be summed up in these 3 particulars also 1. The losse of his right unto and soveraignty over the creatures The Lord invested Adam in the day of his creation into a title and power * Jus 〈◊〉 potâ—staâ—e vâ— over the work of his hands especially the creatures here below he had free libertie to use them and they were given to be serviceable to him even the Sun Moone and starres to give him light the garden and all the trees of it except that one for his necessarie and comfortable sustenance and refreshing God hath given the earth to the children of men Psal 115.16 yea the Patent extended to dominion over the creatures Gen. 1.28 in which respect the Psalmist greatly admires the Lords high honouring of mankind Psal 8.4 6. c. But now by the fall Adam hath forfeited all this interest so that the creatures might justly deny us their service the Sun Moon and starres might withhold their light heat and influences from us the fire aire water c. might refuse to act or work for our good yea contrarily the creature setts it self against us in the quarrell of its Creatour as if it owed us a mischeif the Lion Bear Woolf would devoure us the beasts of the feild make head against us yea every worme will turne againe All the hosts of heaven and earth are readie even like to rebell against us This is a curse which all the sonnes and daughters of Adam feele in some measure and sometimes reacheth to the taking away of life limbe and all comforts And although the sinner enjoy the benefit of the creatures both for necessitie and delight yet that is onely by the indulgence of the most High who makes his Sun to shine and his raine to fall upon all and the choicest enjoyments are but as the Accommodations afforded to a Traitour in the Tower there 's a deadly curse lying hid in the bowels of them which will make sad work in the latter end 2. The general Judgement after death which is called the Judgement of the great day Jude 6. The Lord Jesus shall come in the clouds and shall be revealed from heaven with his mightie Angells in flameing fire 2. Thes 1.7 8. He shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God 1. Thes 4.16 When the trumpet sounded at the giving of the law Exod. 20 18 Heb. 12.19.20 21. it was doubtles to set forth the terribleness of the curse which attends the Law but at this great day it shall sound farr lowder to fill the eares and hearts of sinners which have broken it with the dreadfull report of it to their conviction and confusion Jude 14.15 Their bodies shall be raised out of the dust and united to their soules and their persons shall be presented before this glorious Judge and arraigned at the barr of his great Tribunall The books shall be opened and all their foule businesses although now cast behind their backs and laid to sleep in the darkest vaults of forgetfulness shall be unmasked before the whole world Eccl. 12.14 The processe and result of the transactions of that day will be no small part of this curse when the Goats which shall stand at Christs left hand shall heare him solemnly sounding out that most dolefull sentence Depart ye cursed c. Math. 25.41 3. The full and finall Execution after Judgement As soone as ever this great work of judging the world is over and the last doome awarded then shall follow the execution thereof accordingly then shall the great black curse be poured downe upon sinners all the curses of the Law and Gospell too shall meet together as in one Sea and fall upon the soules and bodies of all impenitent ones in their perfect strength and furie and abide on them for ever this is called everlasting punishment Math. 25.46 and it stands in 2 things 1. Some that 's privative called the punishment of losse * Paenae damni an utter expulsion or banished from the blessed face and presence of God and the glorie of heaven Depart from me Math. 7.23
and so insufficient being but a kind of entrance made by faith and other preparative dispositions the latter is that on which the maine waight of the business lies and it s done say they by the improovement and exercise of those good dispositions according to the command of the Law So that a Papist keeping to the principles of his religion must either have his blessedness from the Law or stand accursed still and if we make the best of it he is chargeable with that follie for which the Apostle taxeth the Galathians vers 3. Of beginning in the spirit and seeking to be made perfect by the flesh And herein the hand of God is remarkeable either in mercie or justice or both to some of them in taking them off from their old plea so that when they are to die they dare not trust their soules in so crazie a bottome yea their great Champion Bellarmine when he hath bett his braines and stretched his wits in sundrie pages to uphold the doctrine of justification by inhaerent righteousnes yet at length he comes to this resolve * Because of the uncertaintie of our owne righteousnes and the danger of vaine glorie therefore it is * the safest way to trust onely in the mercie and goodnes of God In which words he doth upon the matter unweave his owne webbe and destroy what he had built For if this be the safest way it is so because it is Gods onely approoved way for the justification of a sinner and conseq this way alone must be taken and all other wayes must be rejected and avoided as being not onely not the safest but positively unsafe and certainly full of danger yea unquestionably destructive 2. Blind ignorant Protestants which have nothing of religion but onely the bare name a meer outside their Christendome the faces of Christians They were baptised they keep their church they come to the communion and receive their Maker as they carnally and grosly speak they have a share in the outward priviledges of the church saying Lord Lord and therefore they think that no blame lies upon them the curse is farre enough of from them they are accepted of God and in a blessed condition thus the Jewes gloryed in the Temple of the Lord which the Lord condemneth as a trusting in lying words Jer. 7.4 They boasted of their priviledges that they were Abrahams seed never under bondage yea that they had one father even God c. The Lord Jesus tels them plainly that they were the servants of sinne and of their father the Divel Jo. 8.33 34 41 44. A clear glasse wherein the generalitie of our people may see their faces all their religion stands in this that they are called Christians and goe among the people of God this is their blessedness But oh wofull people how came you by this blessedness whence had you it you are under the Law it holds you under guilt and pronounceth you accursed and alas these priviledges and services are far too weak and poor things to take off that guilt and to remove that curse which sticks to your wretched souls Oh my soul pitties your sottishness Awake from your slumber and deliver your selves from these delusions before ye perish in them 3. Civil livers which go far in the observation of the outward duties of the second Table they are honest in their dealings equal in their actions sweet in their behaviour and as far as the letter os the Law will carry them unreprovable these are the righteous men which justifie and bless themselves as the young man Matth. 19.20 and the Pharisee Luke 18.11 but these went away unjustiâ—â—ed and therefore accursed Thus it was with the Apostle Paul before his conversion who had more to boast of in the flesh than any man for besides circumcision and many other Jewish priviledges which he enjoyed he came up so high in conformity to the righteousness required in the Law that as touching it he saith he was blameless and these things were his gain but when he found Jesus Christ he looked upon them all as loss and cast them away as dung yea as dogs-meat ⸪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 2. before Phil. 3 5-8 as if he had said If those dogs those evil workers the Jewish Teachers which press circumcision and legal righteousness do taste such savour and sweetness in this kinde of meat let them take it to themselves as fittest for them it will not down with me I have other meat which these men either do not know or cannot digest This is just the case of many among us But oh man if thou wilt bring thy self and thy work to the standard thou wilt finde that although thou blessest thy self and others bless thee too yet thou art without the sun-shine of Gods blessing For if it were granted that thou hast gone thorow-stitch in thy duty to men yet still the business is lame and halts on a side all this while thou hast neglected thy duty to God and dost thou look to be accepted for thy partial obedience would this be a sufficient acquittance to a child in his fathers house that he hath discharged himself well in all his carriage to his brethren and servants in the family while he hath never regarded his duty to his father or can he expect his fathers blessing may he not rather fear his curse This is thy case who restest in the moral righteousness of the second Table 4. Religious professors who besides all these have also a form of godliness they have the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Rom. 2.20 and in the Gospel too 2 Tim. 3.5 they have seen and sorrowed for their sins and bad courses they have broken off their iniquities and reformed their ways they perform religious duties pray reade the Scriptures hear the Word preached observe the Lords day shew some degrees of love and respects to good men In a word they have sundry commendable abilities within and bring forth many materially good fruits without and hereby they work out unto themselves a carnal peace perswading themselves that they are in good case and accounting themselves righteous and blessed of God but all this will go for no more in the Court of Heaven than the righteousness of the Law which holy Paul durst not stand to for his justification He did not onely disclaim those priviledges and that righteousness which before he had accounted his gain but all things whatsoever yea doubtless saith he I do count all things but loss I do even at this present since I came truly to know the Lord Jesus Christ renounce and cast away all things whatsoever I am or have in the business of my justification before God save the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.8 9. Let a man reach out as far as is possible in conformity and obedience to the first Table
distinctness to his heart and conscience for doubtless every natural man may say of the Law as the Eunuch of the Text in the Prophecy of Isaiah How can I understand it except some man should guide me Act. 8.31 God sends Moses to conduct the children of Israel towards the Land of Canaan but they must go thorow the wilderness and there the Law must be promulgated in a terrible manner with thundrings and lightnings c. that the fear of the Lord might be before their faces Exod. 20.20 Sinners must come to mount Sinai before they come to mount Sion Jesus Christ himself when he comes with healing in his wings and his heart and mouth full of blessing for sinners yet even then he will send his messenger before his face to prepare the way before him they must remember the Law of Moses in the mean time and before his coming he will send them one to go before him in the spirit and power of Elias c. lest he come and smite the earth with a curse Mal. 4.2 4 5 6. Luke 1.17 So that to shut up this use we must crave your excuse if we harp sometimes on this harsh string for although it be not toothsome physick yet it is wholsome We should be both unfaithfull to our great Master and treacherous to your souls if we should withhold from you this so necessary a part of Gods counsel We were not worthy to be admitted Counsellors at Law if we would not plainly tell our Clients the worst of their causes We know the terrour of the Lord therefore we perswade you by the light of the Law to consider of your misery 2 Cor. 5.11 That speech of the Pharisees is a truth though ill meant and worse applied by them John 7.49 The people which know not the Law are cursed When people cannot endure to hear of their sin and curse by the ministery of the Law it is too probable a sign that they lie fast bound hand and foot under the curse Oh my brethren were it not better to hear the curse ringing aloud in your ears in this world while there is a possibility of escaping it than to feel it lying on your souls and bodies in the full power and fury of it in the world to come when the time of mercy and blessing is expired Oh consider it and the Lord give you understanding Sect. 6. Vse 7 8. 7. SUffer the words of exhortation and give me leave to impart unto you counsel from God Oh that your ears were open and your hearts pliable that this counsel mght be acceptable unto you about a matter of so great importance Let this exhortation run in two streams 1. To all the sons and daughters of Adam you see in what wofull case you stand by the just verdict of the holy Law of God I beseech you weigh it well it s the great curse of Almighty God that you lie under Would you see it yet more clearly in its hideousness then look upon it in all its dimensions for breadth it wraps in all mankind Adam and his whole generation to the last man that shall stand upon the earth and all creatures which serve for his use for length it reacheth to eternity for depth it goes down to hell and there puts forth its greatest mischief for height it gets up to heaven and inâ—ects it the moon and stars are not pure in his sight Job 25.5 Review the sad effects and strange properties before mentioned and then tell me are you now convinced of your misery is it come so near to your consciences that you cannot now shake it off any longer Oh then I intreat you for the love of your souls get from under it how dare ye abide in this condition how can ye eat or drink or sleep with such a massie weighty curse lying upon your souls Say Oh wretch that I am I was born at first to blessedness but I am now implunged into a most wofull curse and shall I lie still under it and not go about to recover my first estate Oh no haste away and escape for thy life the longer thou continuest under the curse the more sinfulness and guilt thou contractest and so makest thy self more accursed Deliver thy self betimes how long wilt thou linger in this blacke Sodome 2. To parents and such as have the charge of others alas your children are under the curse of the Law Suppose that some of them were infected with the leprosie pestilence or any contagious disease threatening death or were under any calamity at present which would certainly be their ruine if not timely prevented would ye not use the best means for their help especially if your hearts can tell you that you have had a great hand in bringing them into this danger Oh then if you have the bowels of parents earning in your bellies you will spare no cost nor pains but lay out your selves freely in all ways possible for their seasonable recovery you you have been the immediate instruments of putting them into this lamentable pickle you have begotten and brought them forth and from you they have derived together with their being this dolefull curse and will you suffer them to lie under it still and not put forth your hands to help them out Do ye not tremble to think into what a deep gulf you have implunged them Oh what joy can you have in them in their beauty comeliness towardliness or their sweet natural parts whiles this sad thought is ever and anon coming into your mindes Alas these tender babes these hopefull children are in themselves no better than accursed creatures But we may well mourn over the desperate carelesness of the greatest part of parents and masters which suffer those that are under them to continue in that wofull plight without looking after their recovâ—ry yea give them leave in these licencious days to run up and down from one sect to another and from one wickedness to another and to make themselves still more vile and yet do not restrain them as it is said of Eli 1 Sam. 3.13 And what shall we think of those parents that encourage their children to sinfull ways they may swear scorn at godliness break the Lords day profane his worship neglect yea trample upon his Ordinances and they give them good leave to do so saying in effect to them as Rebecca said to her darling Jacob when she set him on to get the blessing Upon me be thy curse my son Gen. 27.13 While you carry thus towards them I tell you you may bless them morning and evening yet God curseth them Ah cruel father mother master dame you must one day answer for their souls and their blood will be required at your hands You say you love them and would see them do well but I beseech you love them better than thus or you will one day waile and wring your hands to see them irremedilesly miserable 8. This truth being duly
lighter skirmishes for having emptied himself of his glory so that he did not appear to be that which indeed he was and subjected himself to the state of a servant and so a meet object of suffering he became a man of sorrows all his life long Isa 53.3 compassed about with infirmity Heb. 5.2 as soon as he was born he was laid in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inne while he was very young he was persecuted and forced to flie into Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was tempted of Sathan Quod illud dictum civium satis arguit Usser Annal. per poster p. 552. he wrought for his living at the trade of his reputed father as it is more than probable by that speech of the Mazarenes Mar. 6.3 Is not this the carpenter c He was the object of mans reproach he was called a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners an enemy to Caesar one that hath a devil he was subject to the infirmities which are incident to mankind as hunger thirst poverty he was betrayed by Judas forsaken by his disciples abused by the Jews mocked buffetted spit upon crowned with thorns accused arraigned condemned as the vilest malefactor In one word he was a worm and no man Psal 22.6 2. The main brunt it self was that he was struck with death The Sacrifice in the Law was to be slain the goat which was to be offered for a sin-offering for the people must be killed and the blood of it must be brought within the veil Lev. 16.15 The same courses as to killing was to be taken with the burnt-offering peace-offering and trespass-offering as we may see in the 1 3 5 6 7. chapters of Leviticus So it was prophesied Isa 53.12 he poured out his soul unto the death and elsewhere often Now this death which Christ did undergo was both of the body and soul 1. He suffered the death of the body called the first death this Gabriel the Angel revealed to the Prophet Daniel some 1006 years before Dan. 9.26 the Messiah shall be cut off the accomplishment whereof the stories of the Evangelists relate very largely Isa 53.8 Acts 8.33 his life is taken from the earth We by sin had deserved the first death the taking down of this earthly frame by the separation of the soul and body therefore Christ our surety must die that death for us the particular end of death which he should and did suffer was the death of the cross which was so designed and ordered by the all-wise counsel and providence of God both because it was very painfull and grievous and also because it was a most shamefull and ignominious death but especially because it was even by divine appointment stigmatized with this brand of infamy that whosoever was hanged on a tree was to be accounted ceremonially accursed as it is avouched in the close of the verse It was not necessary that he should suffer all the several sorts of death as stoning burning sawing beheading c. it was sufficient that he suffered that one kind of death which the wisdom of God saw to be most fit and suitable neither yet was it necessary that his death should be attended with such cruelties as some men have been enforced to suffer as pulling the flesh from the bone pinching it with hot pincers and the like These are rather personal than natural and meerly accidental not essential to the first death Therefore the legs of Christ were not broken and although his body was laid in the grave yet he saw no corruption because these infirmities did not consist with the dignity of his person and the latter would have made void the fruit and effect of his sufferings Therefore the Scripture declares both these to be contrary to Gods will See Jo. 19 33-36 Acts 2.31 2. He suffered the death of the soul or that which is called the second death Sin brought death into the world not onely that death which pulls down this earthly frame but also that which makes a wofull separation of the whole man from God Therefore the Lord Jesus must undergo this death too Isa 53.10 he made his soul an offering for sin And this death stood in these two things 1. There was a stoppage or withdrawing of the sense of his fathers love and favour from his soul This he complains of as a forsaking Psal 22.1 and it answers to that poena damni punishment of loss which we should suffer But we must understand this to be done in such manner and measure as becomes the person suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not a pulling the Godhead from the manhood this union continued entire all the time of his sufferings and shall do to all eternity Neither was it a deprival of the spirit wherewith his humane nature was filled even from the womb that did still abide in him and shall never be taken away from him according to that precious promise Isa 59.21 which I conceive must be fulfilled first in him and then in his seed with him Neither was it a total or perpetual withdrawing but onely in part and for a time the Lord turned away his face from him for a little season he hid himself out of his sight and would not be found he took off the sweet influence of the joy and comfort of the spirit suspending them for a time and keeping off from him at a great distance Psal 22.1 yet all this while God was present with him by his supporting grace so that he had some intermissions and an Angel came to comfort him Luke 22.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he was heard in that he feared Hâ—b 5.7 or he was heard from his feare that is he was heard and delivered 2. There was a letting out and seizing of the Lords wrath and indignation upon his soul God did put into his hand a cup of the red wine of his wrath full of the mixture of the bitterest ingredients and he drank it off This answers to that pâ—na sensus punishment of pain which we should suffer All the waves of Gods displeasure went over his head See Psalm 18.4 5. 88.6 7 16 17. This supernatural death he suffered in both the kinds before mentioned first in the garden and after that on the cross In the garden Mat. 26.36 John 18.1 there the wrath of God did encounter him and he was put to grapple with it hand to hand he bare three several storms one after another and so took a deep draught of this bitter cup. The manner of it is described by sundry expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14.33 he began to be sore amazed which notes a dreadfull astonishment arising from a sudden commotion of all the powers of his soul together and to be very heavie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be surprized and possessed with a very great and pressing anguish of spirit through the unspeakable horrour of divine
in hell it being the place of suffering not of doing nor from this that despair being the privation of hope as hope is not of the things which are seene Rom. 8.24 so despair is not of the things which are already felt Whence some would infer that as hope in the glorified Saints ceaseth because they have now the enjoyment of the blessedness which they expected so despair shall cease in the damned because they are possessed already of everlasting destruction But I suppose it cannot rationally be denied that the damned in hell do despair onely I say it is very probable that this despair is not properly a sin for as hope doth ever suppose and eye a promise of some good thing to come apprehending it as certain and waiting for the accomplishment so desperation hopes contrary must needs be exercised about the same object but puts forth a contrary act apprehends the promise as impossible and casts off all expectation of the accomplishment of it Now promises are confined to this life onely although the things promised for the best part of them are to be enjoyed in the life to come there are no promises made to them that are actually damned in hell of any future good and therefore as it would be no vertue in them to hope so it is no sin in them to despaire But to returne the wretched sinner in hell seeing the sentence passed against him Gods purpose fulfilled never to be reversed the gates of hell made fast upon him Luk. 16.26 and a great gulfe fixed betwixt hell and heaven which renders his escape impossible he now gives up all and reckons on nothing but the uttermost misery Now this despair is not an essential part of the second death but onely a consequent or at the most an effect occasioned by the sinners view of his irremedilesse wofull condition But this neither did nor could possibly befall the Lord Jesus he was able by the power of his God-head both to suffer and to satisfie and to overcome therefore he expected a good issue and knew that the end should be happy and that he should not be ashamed Ps 16.9.10 Acts 2.26 27 28 31. Isaiah 50. ver 6 7 c. Even as a very shallow streame would easily drowne a little childe there could be no hope of escape unlesse some man should come in due time to relieve it because it wants strength to save it selfe whereas a growne man might hope well enough to escape out of a far deeper place because by reason of his stature strength and skill he could wade or swimme out Truly the wrath of the Almighty manifested in hell is like the vast ocean or some broad deep river and therefore when the sinfull sons and daughters of Adam which are without strength are hurled into the midst of it they must needs lie downe in their confusion as altogether hopelesse of deliverance or escaping but this despaire could not seize upon Jesus Christ because although his Father took him and cast him into the sea of his wrath Isa 9.6 57.16 63.1 3 5. so that all the billowes of it went over him yet being the mighty God with whom nothing is impossible he was very able to pass thorow that sea which would have drowned all the world and to come safe to shore Thus of the first Branch Sect. 3. Shewing by whom or by what power he was made a Curse BUt then secondly we may make a further inquiry by whom or by what power he was thus made a Curse for us we finde that he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 made of a woman and under the Law Gal. 4.4 made Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 and so here made a Curse But who made him or how comes he who is the Son of God blessed for ever to be a Curse For the clearing of this I shall speak something to it 1. Negatively 2. Positively 1. Negatively It was not done 1. By any power or authority which the Law had over him in respect of himself for he did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 19. Yea he was as a Lamb without blemish and without spot therefore the Law could not take hold on him it had nothing at all to lay to his charge nor could possibly fasten the least guilt upon him save onely as he stood ingaged for us it lay not against him 2. Much less was it not by any power or contrivement of the creature for then it must be either Sathan or man but 1 Sathan could not do it for although he be the Prince of the world and had an heart brim full of malice against him yet he had nothing at all in him no power or authority over him no not in the least measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 14.30 How could he when the unclean spirits were at his command he cast them out with a word 2. Neither was man able to put him into this condition to make him a Curse no nor all the men in the world It was not the iniquity of the times into which he was fallen although it was a very evill time their very hour and the power of darkness Luke 22.53 yet that was not the proper working cause of it Neither was it the perfidiousness of Judas his houshold servant that was but a remote interveening means for the bringing of it on or raising it up to the height Nor was it the mischievous disposition and plottings of the high Priests and Jews against him he could easily have befooled and prevented them all he could for a word of his mouth have had a guard of more than twelve legions of Angels for his assistance or rescue Matth. 26.53 54. And when they came to apprehend him he did but speak a word and they went backward and fell to the ground Joh. 18.6 Neither was it lastly the timorousness of Pilate whereby he yeelded to the importunity of the Jews even against his own conscience See Mat. 27.18 24. Luke 23.4 14.22 c. And when Pilate did proudly boast of his power over him he checked him and told him roundly that all his power was no more but an inferiour delegated power meerly at the pleasure of an higher Joh. 19.10 11. So then it was not any one of these nor all these put together that could possibly bring the Son of God under the Curse they were onely subordinate instruments acting in some parts of it but he was infinitely above them all We must seek out some higher cause Therefore 2 Positively The Scripture holds forth three things very remarkable to this purpose which being taken joyntly are that soveraign power whereby Christ was made a Curse 1 The decree and appointment of God As he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 so he was delivered to death by the
determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God The hands whereby he was taken crucified and slain were wicked hands yet those hands therein did that very thing which the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done Act. 2.23 4.28 Therefore he is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 that is 1. In respect of Gods eternal purpose manifested by the promise made in Paradise That the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 And 2. Of the efficacie of his death upon all the Elect from the beginning of the world although the world was four thousand years old before he was actually slain It is observable that the Scripture ascribes the dispensation of this whole work to God the Father as the first moover and sovereign Manager of it He laid on him our iniquity Isa 53.6 He made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He set him forth Rom. 3.25 He sent him Rom. 8.3 Gal. 4.4 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 The Lord calls on the sword Zach. 13.7 to awake and smite his Shepherd the man that is his fellow he means Jesus Christ God-man who is equal to the Father as God but inferiour to him as man appointed to be the great Shepherd of the sheep the Lords little flock But saith the Lord I will smite the Shepherd Symbol Athanasâ—â— The application of this Prophesie we have Matth. 26.31 2 Christs voluntary condescention thereunto Joh. 14.31 having disavowed Satans power over him he professeth his own willingness and that from a principle of love to do that which his Father had commanded him Compare this with Joh. 10.18 where he saith I lay down my life of my self c. And it will appear that this was his own act to be made a Curse for us in that he did freely and of his own accord submit to his Fathers Commandment touching the laying down of his life God the Father made him perfect by sufferings Heb. 2.10 and he sanctified himself Joh. 17.19 by preparatory sufferings first and then by offering up himself even as the Priests in the Law were first sanctified by the sprinkling of blood upon them and then they offered for the sins of the people Exod. 29.20 21. He gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 He made himself of no reputation He took on himself the form of a servant he humbled himself and became obedient c. Phil. 2.7 8. yea although he knew before what was his Fathers will and his own duty yet by the sufferings themselves he learned obedience that is he came experimentally to know as a man what it is to obey and how hard a thing it is for the creature to grapple with the wrath of the Almighty and to submit to the pleasure of his justice in conflicts with the second death Vide Bezam Pareum Gerhardum in Locum Heb. 5.8 His willingness appears further by his setting his face stedfastly to go to Jerusalem when the time of his suffering drew near Luke 9.51 by his taking up Peter very sharply for discouraging and dis-swading him from it Matth. 16.22 23. and by his speech to him at his apprehension when he had cut off the ear of Malchus The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Joh. 18.11 3 A compact or agreement solemnly made betwixt God and Christ the Mediator which is the result of the two former Gods Commandement and Christs obedience We may present it to our understanding in this form God the Father saith to Christ the Mediator I look upon Adam and his posterity as a degenerate seed a generation of Apostates and back-sliders yea Traitors and Rebels liable to my severest wrath and utterly undone yet I cannot finde in my heart to see them all perish I have determined to shew mercy upon a considerable number of them to save them and bring them to glory If therefore thou wilt undertake for them becoming a Curse in their stead and so making satisfaction to my justice for their sins I will give them unto thee to take care of them and to bring them up to my Kingdome for the manifestation of the glory of my grace Well saith Christ I am content I will do it with all my heart and so the agreement is made This may be gathered from Psal 2.7 8 9. and Psal 40.6 7 8. Christ the Son speaks in both places In the former he publisheth the Decree or Ordinance of heaven touching himself and bringeth in the Father installing him into the Priesthood or office of Mediator for so the Apostle applieth that Text Heb. 5.5 Thou art my Son c. and also avouching this Covenant and agreement in the two main parts of it 1 The Condition which he will have performed on Christs part or what Christ must do He must ask of God that is not onely verbally by prayers and supplications beg mercy pardon righteousness and salvation for poor lost sinners but also really by fulfilling the righteousness of the Law both in doing and suffering and so by his satisfaction and merit purchasing acceptation for them at his hands 2 The Promise which he ingageth to perform on his part or what he will do himself thereupon The Son must ask and the Father will give he will give him the heathen c. that is he shall both be the Lords salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49. â—6 Mâ—t. 28.18 Phil. 2.10 11. and have all power given him in heaven and earth so that all knees shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord. In the other Text before mentioned Psal 40. Christ declares his compliance to the agreement and his subscribing the Covenant on his part when he came into the world as the Apostle explains it Heb. 10.5 c. Mine ears saith he hast thou digged or pierced Lo I come to do thy will as if he should say Oh Father thou dost ingage me to be thy servant in this great work of saving sinners Lo I come to do the work I here covenant and agree to yeeld up my self to thy disposing and to serve thee for ever It seems to be an allusion to the Masters boaring through the servants ear Exod. 21.6 we have an abridgement of this Agreement Isa 53.10 in both parts Si posuerit sacrificium pro reatu animam suam or Si posuerit sacrificium anima eâ—us 1 On Christs part his soul shall be made an offering for sin 2. On the Fathers part he promiseth that thereupon Christ shall see his seed he shall have a numerous spiritual posterity begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his Father Yea further vers 11. So ample shall be the fruit of his sufferings that he shall be satisfied in seeing the travel of his soul he shall have abundant joy and contentment even in that which hath cost him dearest he shall justifie many poor guilty
condemned sinners by their knowledge of him or by faith in his Name for he shall take upon him their iniquities and acquit them from blame And this Covenant of God with Christ is the very basis or bottome of the Covenant of Grace God made a Covenant with Christ the spiritual David Psal 89.3 4. that he might make a Covenant with all his Elect in him Rom. 11.26 27. He made this Agreement with Christ as the Head and on this is reared up the whole frame of precious promises comprised in the Covenant of Grace as a goodly building upon a sure foundation And herein the Levitical Priesthood was a type of the Priesthood of Christ That was settled on Aaron and his successors and continued unto them by Covenant their anointing was to be an everlasting Priesthood Exod. 40.15 and more fully Numb 25.12 13. he gave to Phineas and to his seed the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood and by vertue thereof they were inabled to manage the Covenant of life and peace which was with them Mal. 2.5 as to the Legal and Ceremonial administration of it even so the true Priesthood is settled on Christ and continued to him by Covenant and by vertue of this he manageth the Covenant of Grace in its Evangelical and Spiritual administration And as they must bear the iniquity of the Congregation and so be made typically a Curse for them Lev. 10.17 So Christ must be made a Curse truly by imputation by bearing the iniquity of the Congregation of the first-born which are written in heaven Only the Apostle gives us this difference betwixt these two Covenants that those in the Law were made Priests without an oath but Christ was made with an oath Heb. 7.20 21. For the proof of which he brings Psal 110.4 noting out a special preheminence of his Priesthood above theirs that theirs was changeable and so had an end but his is unchangeable and perpetual the Lord having confirmed the Covenant by his Oath and so infeoffed him in it by a grant never to be revoked Therefore Covenant and Oath are sometimes put together as Psal 89.3 But I am sensible that I have expatiated too far The issue of all is this in short Christ being made a Curse for us proceeds from the purpose and good pleasure of God appointing him and calling him out thereunto and it is the execution of a wonderfull and glorious design or contrivement agreed upon by God and Christ for working out the salvation of the Elect. I hasten to the Application Sect. 4. Use 1. Information in four particulars ANd first This Truth will afford us matter of very useful Information to establish our judgements in some particulars of special concernment 1 It holds forth unto us the strange mischievousness of sin in the nature and workings of it Oh the excessive sinfulness the unspeakable poysonfulness of sin that could reach as high as heaven and bring the Son of the Eternal God under the Curse Oh that the sons and daughters of Adam would look about them begin at length seriously to consider what an hideous Monster they nourish what a venemous Serpent they keep yea hug in their bosomes Look upon it in this glass and see how black and ugly it appears If you have not seen it by the Ministry of the Law so as to humble you and to lay you low before the Lord I beseech you turn your eyes unto Jesus Christ and see what foul work it hath made what mischief it hath brought on him Behold here a strange sight a sad spectacle the blessed Son of God made acursed The justice of the Law hath found him amongst sinners and singled him out from all the company and set him as a mark to shoot at yea hath spent all the arrows of its quiver upon him and thereby hath mangled and rent and torn and wounded him grievously yea hath brought him down to the gates of death even as low as hell When thou hast presented him to thy minde in this pittiful pickle then reflect upon thy self and say What evill beast hath done this Was it any offence that he hath done against the Law in his own person that hath provoked it to pour out such a flood of curses upon him Oh no he was holy harmless undefiled there was no spot of unrighteousness in him It was for my rebellion treason apostacy from my Maker Me me adsum qui feci I have sinned and Christ hath suffered the curse for my sin Take now a survey of the several branches of this curse and see how it dogged him all along from his birth to his burial especially the griefes and the groans the sorrows and the sweats the tears the terrors and the torments of his soul under the power of the second death and then say in thy heart Oh fool that I was I did not beleeve that sin had been so exceeding bad as it is I see now it is no tame beast but an unreasonable ravenous devouring Serpent full of deadly poyson Canst thou see all this heavy load lying on the back of Christ and yet judge any sin to be small or go on with a proud heart and a high look maintaining thine old league with sin and continuing in the hell of thine accursed natural condition as if it were thy heaven 2 It re-mindes us further of the greatness of that misery whereinto man is implunged by sin For if Christ be made a curse who had no sin of his own but onely ours laid upon him What a grievous curse then must needs lye upon them who have the guilt of their personal sins sticking close to their consciences and still lye weltring in their own gore-blood especially on those wretched souls which must bear the wrath due to sin in their own persons for ever The men of the world put the evil day far from them they feel no harme they fear no danger and therefore they blesse themselves in their present state and say No curse shall take hold upon them But oh how much better were it to reason thus Christ was made a curse for sinners therefore surely sinners in themselves and without Christ are in a desperate condition If we should see a man grievously tormented and put to death with extraordinary tortures and should withall understand that he suffered all these things for another mans crimes and not for his own we would conclude thus Surely that man was a notorious Malefactor and if the stroke of Justice had fallen upon his own head what a terrible death must he have indured If this curse was so bitter his wrath so heavy on Christ our Surety how unspeakably bitter and heavy would it be on us the principals Yea bring it home to thy self and say Alas What have I done I have surely spun a fair thred I have brought my self into a lamentable condition that either the Son of God must come down from heaven and be made a curse for me or else I
must lye by it for ever Let us work this meditation on our hearts for our deeper humiliation 3 It presents unto us the exactness and impartialness of the justice of God against sinners in that he will let the curse fall even on the head of his onely begotten Son if he finde sin upon him Tribulation and anguish must be upon every soul of man that doth evill without respect of persons Rom. 2.9 11. An unquestionable Maxime for we see tribulation and anguish have fallen heavy upon the soul of the Man-Christ though he did no evil himself onely because he was numbred with the Transgressors and bare the sins of many by imputation We may look upon it as a miracle of Justice and stand wondring at the Lords proceedings against Christ how the curse was inflicted on him in all the punishments of it yea the most grievous and piercing that can be imagined If any might have escaped who more likely than the Son of his bosome the Son of his delights but he might not be spared Justice will not suffer it but puts in its plea and saith I expect reparation for the transgression of my righteous Law If therefore Jesus Christ hath undertaken to pay this debt for sinners let him look to it I must and will be satisfied to the uttermost farthing He is willing to be their Surety and to stand in their room let him therefore bear the whole burden I will not acquit him till he hath discharged the whole debt No no his loud crying and tears his bloody and painful sweats his fervent and heaven-piercing prayers his often renewed petitions that this cup might pass away from him not any one of these nor all these could prevail to stay the hand of Divine justice but he must take off this cup of the Curse and drink it even to the bottome Oh that our secure sinners in Sion would weigh these things sadly and take the measure of the Lords severity against sin by his dealing with his own Son and think thus If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry Luke 23.31 If he was so strict with his Son what will he be to his slave If he dealt so sharply with his darling how will he deal with his enemy If his righteous servant escape thus hardly where shall the ungodly and sinner appear Prov. 11.31 4 It commends unto us the unspeakableness of the love of the Lord Jesus to poor undone sinners Behold here the Son of God the only begotten of the Father who is the image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature the brightness of his Fathers glory and the dearly beloved of his soul who is cloathed with honour and majesty and whom all the Angels worship even he is come down from heaven hath laid aside his Majesty put off the robes of his glory and abased himself to the lower parts of the earth to become not onely a worm and a reproach of men but also a curse for Adam his wretched posterity to take off the curse of the Law from their shoulders and to stand accursed in their stead Listen and hear 〈…〉 Dien Carth. how sweetly he bespeaks the Lord on our behalf Holy Father here is a company of poor miserable debtors very bankrupts wretched malefactors which lye under thy heavy displeasure and are the children of death but I appear here as their Surety I have taken all upon me require no debt inflict no punishment on them put it all on mine accounts I will discharge all their scores I will answer whatsoever can be laid to their charge Oh incomparable love surpassing all that can be found in the creature the highest pitch whereof reacheth but to friends Joh. 15.13 that is to such as are friendly kinde beneficial to us from whom we have received such good turns as do oblige us to a return of thankfulness and yet even this love is very rare To dare to dye for a good man that is a kinde man that hath been good to us is but a peradventure So much doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 import in some places as in Mat. 20.15 Eph. 4.29 Rom. 5.7 But God commends his love to us in that while we were sinners and therefore enemies Christ dyed for us vers 8.10 So then here is unparalleld loving kindness for who would stoop thus low Who would become contemptible yea abominable for others who would bee content to lye under the extremest miseries for enemies traitors and the worst of creatures Who would entertain and imbrace a curse upon any tearms and not rather shun and avoid it yet this hath the Lord Jesus done for us Oh that we had hearts to admire this miracle of mercy Sect. 5. Use 2. Exhortation in two branches SEcondly Hence we may also draw wholesome matter of Exhortation Hath Christ undergone the Curse Was he made a Curse in our stead who lye under the curse of the Law Oh that all the sons and daughters of Adam would take this into their serious thoughts that thereby they may be excited to learn and to practise two very necessary lessons 1 Of wisdome for themselves 2 Of duty to the Lord Jesus 1 Such poor sinners as have been convinced by the former doctrine of their accursed condition should now be wise for themselves even to give free way to him to take the curse from off them that he may bear it and not to take it to themselves Art thou now sensible of thy sinfull condition Dost thou hear the Law cursing thee aloud in thy conscience And dost thou feel the sting and venome of it drinking up thy spirit Then take to thy self the boldness to send it to Christ tell it Jesus Christ hath removed the curse from thee and laid it on his own shoulders Say Indeed I am a great sinner deeply implunged in transgression mine own iniquities have prevailed against me and are gone over my head and therefore the curse doth justly lye upon me and might presse me down into the nethermost hell but the Lord Jesus blessed be his name for ever is become a curse for me he hath born it in my stead it lyes not now on me but on him If thou hast ought to say against me go to him he will answer thee to the full This might be very seasonable if well digested to such convinced humbled sinners as are of so little faith that they dare not reckon of any good by Jesus Christ Oh saith the poor broken soul Wo is me I am undone for I am a vile accursed wretch I hear indeed that the Lord Jesus is becomed a curse for sinners but as for my self I fear the news are too good to be true I cannot be perswaded that he is made a curse for me What the Son of God made a curse for me for such a base sinful worthless creature as I am It is not probable I cannot beleeve it No no I must
strappadoes to gibbets and gallows to fire and faggot to boyling oil and scalding lead boring out your eyes plucking off your skins pulling the members of your bodies asunder by piece-meale and many the like barbarous usages devised by brutish men skilfull to destroy which Christians have been put to suffer in ages past and who can secure you from them in times to come Poor soule if thou canst not with patience bear the curse of a man whose breath is in his nostrils bethink thy selfe how thou wilt bear that grievous curse which will surely overtake thee if thou be ashamed of Jesus Christ Sect. 6. Use 3. Lamentation that sinners put him to it still THirdly and lastly from this conclusion thus presented to us we may take just occasion to enter upon a sad lamentation while we look upon the great wickedness of too many who not thinking it enough that Christ hath taken the curse off from them and laid it upon himself do heap upon him still more cursing and lay a greater weight thereof on his back every day If we should see a brute beast as an horse so laden with one pack upon another or with one fardell added to another that he is even falling down under it and much more if we should see a poor servant having a burthen heavie enough lying on him already to have still more heaped upon his shoulders till his back be ready to break under the load we would all pity the oppressed creatures and cry out of the oppressors as most unmercifull and unreasonable men Oh then what bowels of tender compassion should be in us towards the Lord Jesus who hath still new loads of curses laid upon him from day to day and how should our hearts rise in an holy indignation against them which deal so basely with him But methinks I hear some say What are there any such monsters in the world or at least in the Church we can hardly believe it Yes verily both in the world and in the Church and those very many and of sundry sorts as 1. All those which deny or do not acknowledge Christ Jesus to be that which indeed he is in regard of the incomparable excellency of his person in both his Natures Divine and Humane and his Offices of Prophet Priest and King c. as those Hereticks which began to spring up in the days of the Apostles which denied that Jesus was the Christ 1 John 2.22 and did not confess that Jesus Christ was comed in the flesh Ioh. 4.2 3. 2 Jo. 7. the old and new Arrians which deny the Godhead of Christ and hold him to be but a creature and the Jews as in the days of his flesh they looked on him as a meer man John 10.33 so they have still from that time persisted in the same errour calling him the son of Mary denying him to be the Lord and Christ The Manichees also of old denied him to be true man and the Papists by their fiction of transubstantiation by consequence deny the same It would be needless expence of time and paper to bring in a list of all which might be instanced under this head These heretical and erroneous conceits of Christ are in Gods interpretation no better than blasphemies yea curses pronounced against Christ Observe those expressions 1 Cor. 12.3 where to say that Jesus is the Lord and to call Jesus accursed are set down as opposites whence it followeth that to deny him to be the Lord is to call him accursed Sâ—e Beza Morton 2. Those which abhor contemn despise at least in their hearts the word of the Gospel the doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ All Atheists newters sensual wretches which reject the counsel of God against themselves and trample that pearl of truth which is held forth and freely offered unto them under their feet preferring their pottage before their birth-right as Esau What profit will this birth-right be to me saith he being at the point to die Gen. 25.22 so say the profane unsavoury people of these times when righteousness and blessedness are tendered to them in the Gospel through the cross and curse of Christ Jesus they are resolved to look to their bodies and estates in this world whatsoever become of their souls They choose rather to forfeit their interest in that glorious priviledge of the Lords first-born than to forgo their part in the base pleasures of the flesh and profits of the world As the Gadarens would rather have Jesus Christ depart out of their coasts than lose their hogs Mat. 8.34 so these persons prize the vilest things of the earth before grace and the things of eternal life Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.23 is a stumbling-block to the Jews and to the Greeks he is foolishness Oh what a mean estimation have our people generally of those spiritual riches for the purchasing whereof Jesus Christ was made a curse where shall we finde the door at which this damnable sin doth not lie yea I fear it lies at the doors of some which account themselves the choicest friends of the Lord Jesus and think the truth is with them onely even those that sleight the Ministery Ordinances and appointments of Christ in his Church and in effect say unto him We have no need of thee 3. Those which make an Apostasie from the doctrine which they have received who having once entertained the truth and made a profession of Christ according to the Gospel do shrink away from the truth fall off from Christ cast away their profession and undo that which they have done turning from the holy commandment delivered unto them and imbracing this present world Christ was once looked upon as precious now he is a reproach once they accounted him a blessing now they flie from him as from a curse Oh poor miserable creature hath not Christ abased himselfe to beare on his owne shoulders the heavie curse of thine enmity thy rebellion thy disobedience against the Almighty and all thy treacheries and abominations whereby thou hast provoked the eyes of his glory and hast not thou once escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and wilt thou now tarry back with the dog to lick up thine old lothsome vomit wilt thou betake thy self again to that state and trade of sin which put him to grapple with the curse of the Law and whereof thou wast once ashamed Truly in doing thus thou even rollest the curse back upon him as it were with both thy hands But he will have it no more the curse will fall upon thine own head thy latter end will be worse than thy beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 c. especially those which revolt so far as to sin against the Holy Ghost in their judgments professedly contradicting in their hearts maliciously opposing and in their words and works with all their power persecuting Christ his Gospel and the professors of it these crucifie to themselves the
Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame as if he should say they lay the curse upon him again Heb. 6.6 The apostasie of Julian recorded in the History of the Church reached even to blaspheming and cursing Christ and the doctrine of the Gospel and his end was lamentable for in this case there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation c. Heb. 10.26 27. c. 4. Those profane and graceless persons which have taught and accustomed their tongues to outragious and grizly swearing such as even rends the body of Jesus Christ in pieces and plucks it from his soul again makes more wounds in it tears away its flesh and squeezes his blood out of the veins We are commanded when we take an oath to swear by his name Deut. 6.13 this must be both very rarely and with great solemnity The bounders of it are truth righteousness and judgment Jer. 4.2 An oath thus taken is an act of religion and so a kind of blessing of God but if it swerve from these rules it is a fearfull sin straitly forbidden by Christ himself Matth. 5.34 c. and by the Apostle James chap. 5.12 and is no better than a cursing of God especially that hellish kind of swearing which is attended with such outragious blasphemies against the Lord Jesus If because of swearing Ier. 23.10 the Land mourneth then much more for those desperate and bloody oaths which reach to the cursing of Christ our Saviour The word there used signifieth both swearing and cursing which shews the near affinity betwixt these two and implies to us that every irregular taking up of the Name of God or Christ in an oath is in effect a cursing of them Alas my brethren the heavie curse of the Law of God which is due to us all for sin and might have crushed us for ever is fallen upon him and hath torn and mangled him pitifully and shall wretched creatures be so barbarous as to toss his holy Name up and down in their unhallowed mouths and to tear and mangle him anew by their horrible and villanous oaths Is not this to lay more curses upon him and even to oppress him with curses 5. Those who making a general profession of Christ and expecting salvation by him do yet walk on in their sins and take occasion by the abounding of grace in the Gospel to be more licentious and to adde sin to sin as drunkenness to thirst making the pretence and profession of Religion an emboldener to looseness to the abuse of lawfull liberties and to unwarrantable practises The Apostle Jude gives us the character of these calling them ungodly men which turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Jude 4. And S. Paul gives us an hint of them Rom. 6.1 the abounding grace of God manifested in Christ is both the Motive and End of their continuing in sin they sin both because grace doth abound and that it may abound But oh little do these persons consider that this grace could not have been feasable but by Christs bearing the curse for our sins And if it cost so dear a price shall we cause him to pay it again shall we be so bold as sin still and thereby put him to bear the curse over and over again as often as we sin far be it from us to do so wickedly The loose and carelesse Christian which makes account that Christ became a curse for him and yet followeth his old trade still doth as it were give Christ this malapert language Lord Christ I know thou art richly able to bear the curse were it a thousand times heavier than it is therefore I will put thee to it I will sin still and thou must bear the curse still I will not restrain my self from any of those courses which some men call sinfull but I will walk in the waies of mine own heart and fill my selfe with the delights of the flesh It s pity thou shouldst not have load enough that art so good at bearing the curse Oh abominable ranting that terrible denunciation Deut. 29.19 20. c. may be applied to this case by an argument from the less to the greater thus He that heareth that Christ is made a curse for him and yet blesseth himself in his heart and encourageth himself in sin the Lord will not spare him but all the curses of Gods book shall lie upon him c. Yea lastly every miscarriage in the profession of Religion willingly allowed or continued in through negligence or remisseness is in some degree a cursing of God which I gather from that speech of Job concerning his sons Job 1.5 It seems the sin which he suspected they were guilty of was the neglect of their watch that they willingly suffered looseness and vanity to seize upon their spirits See the English Annot. Caryl in loc which might bring forth some unsavoury fruits without A malady to which even good men are subject especially in times of feasting And this he calls cursing God in their hearts Unto these and all the rest of their brethren in evil I must speak a word or two taking up a lamentation and pleading against them on the behalf of Christ Oh ye sons of men what abominable thing is this that ye do why do ye offer such hard measures to him who hath put himself upon such perilous adventures yea extremities that he might save you from utter destruction Give ear and hear the Lord Jesus pleading his own cause against you thus what iniquity have you found in me that you deal thus basely with me that you handle me so cruelly you can find none in me but that which lay first at your own doors and is charged vpon me on your account or as Jerusalem in the day of her sore affliction bemoaning her condition Lam. 1.12 Jer. 2.15 Is it nothing to you all you that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow or as Job earnestly begging the compassion of his friends who persecuted him with great violence by their mis-grounded accusations and thereby heaped more misery upon him Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends c. Job 19.21 22. Is it not enough that I have born such sorrow as never man bare such a curse as would have pressed you all down to hell but I must have more burthens laid upon me still and that by my friends too new curses every day I beseech you have pity on me and hold off hands I have had enough of the curse already oh do not put me to it again And if for all this thou wilt shut up thy bowels from him and walk contrary to him thou shalt finde it true at length to thy cost Jam. 2.13 that there shall be judgement without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy CHAP. IV.
Sect. 1. The third Conclusion What Redemption is THe third Conclusion or Doctrine is the marrow and summe of the Text. Christ by being made a Curse for us hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law This is the result the issue the fruit of the Lord Christs becoming a curse for us that hereby we are redeemed from the curse of the Law under which we were held This Truth may receive proof from the consent of other Scriptures Let us hear but two or three of the fullest testimonies that thereby it may be established Gal 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem us c. Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us c. Heb. 9.11 12. Christ by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle than that under the Law and by his own blood hath obtained eternal Redemption for us Observe here that this Redemption followeth upon and floweth from Christs becoming a Curse for us two wayes 1 In the intention and purpose of God and Christ God the Father in his eternal counsel did propound unto himself this end of giving Christ and Christ in the fulness of time did set before his eyes the same and in giving himself to become a curse that poor inthralled sinners might be redeemed thereby from the curse of the Law 2 In the effect and event of the thing Look what the Lord did intend to work and to bring about by Christs undergoing the curse for us the same was and is throughly wrought and brought about to the full The thing is done as to the making of a plenary satisfaction to Divine justice and so obtaining the benefit of Redemption on the behalf of all those for whom the Lord hath appointed it in his eternal purpose But for a more particular clearing and beating out of this Doctrine I shall endeavour 1 To shew what this Redemption is and wherein it stands 2 To give some arguments or grounds of Scripture-reason for the confirmation of it For the former the Scriptures of the New Testament afford us several words to express the nature of this benefit The most general word is rendred Deliverance and notes out a setting one free by any means whatsoever as in the Lords Prayer Deliver us from evil Mat. 6.13 2 Pet. 2.9 Tâ—e Lord knoweth how to deliver c. This word is used to express the work of Redemption 1 Thess 1.10 Who delivereth us from the wrath to come There is another general word of the same signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12.58 properly it imports a changing from or an alienation It is used once and but once that I know in this argument to wit Heb. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There be some other words of a more restrained signification one which is sometimes rendred Delivering as Act. 26.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but properly notes a taking away by force or by an act of justice as 1 Cor. 5.13 Act. 12.11 The Apostle Paul in mentioning this benefit maketh use of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 1.4 That he might deliver us c. There be other two words more frequent in Scripture which signifie a setting free by paying of a price The former is in reference to Captives or Prisoners who being in bondage to others are set at liberty by the payment of a Ransome This is called Redeeming or redeeming from Luke 1.68 and Rom. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are all in slavery under sin the Law Satan c. Christ comes and by laying down his life for us payes our ransome and so delivereth us out of their hands The latter word is borrowed from the Condition of such persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as having been abridged of their former liberty or of such things as having been alienated from their first owners and so being under the power of others are now brought out from that condition and brought into a state of freedome We read in the Law of sundry persons and things who being under the power of others might yet be redeemed as servants which had sold themselves lands and dwelling-houses which were sold by their ownners Levit. 25.23 c. And this Redemption was made by paying a valuable consideration according to the number of years to the Jubilee more or lesse and so buying them out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the import of the word here used and seems to be an Allusion to that Levitical Ordinance We had sold our selves to the drudgery of sin and were become Satans servants and so liable to all that curse and wo that attends upon that slavery Now the Lord Jesus comes and because our case is desperate no revolution of years could ever have brought us a Jubilee but we must be bond-men for ever therefore he hath paid an infinite sum that he might buy us out clearly from this accursed servitude and bring us into true liberty we are said to be ransomed not with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. and to be bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 and Christ is said to be slain and to buy us with his blood Rev. 5.9 The Scripture is exact and copious in discovering this great work in the particulars of it shewing us thâ— different termes 1 From which 2 Unto which Christ hath redeemed us 1 From what hath he redeemed us From sin Mat. 1.21 From all iniquity Psal 130.78 Tit. 2.14 From death Hos 13.14 From the power of the grave Psal 49.15 from the Law Rom. 7.6 Gal. 4.5 and here from the curse of the Law From this present evil world Gal. 1.4 From the earth and from among men Rev. 14.3 4. From the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Out of the hands of our enemies Luke 1.71 74. 2 Unto what hath he redeemed us To himself Deut. 4.34 2 Sam. 7.23 To God Rev. 5.9 to be the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb Rev. 14.4 to be a peculiar people to himself Tit. 2.14 to serve him without fear all our dayes Luke 1.74 75. Yet further the Redemption of Mankinde is considerable in a double respect 1 As it is an act and work of Christ the Mediator and so the immediate product of his sufferings thus it exists in Christ himself as Rom. 3.24 the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ therefore he is called the Redeemer Isa 59.20 Rom. 11.26 and he is said to send redemption to his people Psal 111.9 he hath laid down the price and so effected the business Heb. 9.12 he hath obtained redemption He professeth that he came to give his soul to be a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 and the Apostle tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he gave himself a counter-ransome for all a ransome every way equivalent and full 1 Tim. 2.6 2 As it is a benefit actually brought home applied to elect sinners by
to be presented before the Lord the one to be offered for a sin-offering the other to be kept alive for a Scape-goat that Aaron having laid his hands on his head and confessed over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel might afterwards send him away bearing their iniquities into a Land not inhabited All this is fulfilled in Christ he hath both given himself to be a sin-offering for us and thereby removed guilt so far that when it is sought it cannot be found Jer. 50.20 So much is implied in that expression Heb. 9.26 He hath put away sin by the sacrifice of himself therefore redemption and propitiation are put together as the effect and cause First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—acamentum he is a propitiation pacifying Gods wrath and rendring him propitious to sinners and thence follows Redemption Rom. 3.24 25. When the debt is discharged then the Law with the arrests and executions of it are void and of no force So Christ having paid our debt hath thereby both removed sin and guilt and voyded the curse of the Law so that now it hath nothing against us 2 He hath broken the Serpents head according to the ancient Prophesie given out in Paradise Gen. 3.15 by taking part of flesh and blood with us he hath through death destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil and so wrought our deliverance Heb. 2.14 15. The Son of God was manifested that he might loose or dissolve the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 he hath as it were shattered them all to peeces Isa 30.14 and will still be shattering them hee will not spare so that there shall not be left so much as a shred Now this was one of his works to hold poor sinners fast bound and shut up under the brazen bolts of the curse of the Law unto condemnation but he hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder Psal 107.16 He hath met those terrible enemies the Philistims of hell and grappled with them hand to hand he hath discomfited them and brought them under and he will not cease till he hath beaten them small as the dust before the wind nor turn again till they be consumed That which David spoke of himself as the Type See Isa 63.3 4 c. is eminently fufilled in Jesus Christ onely Psal 18.37 38-42 He is that little David that prevailed over the great Champion Goliah of Gath with a sling and with a stone and smote him and slew him 1 Sam. 17.50 51. He is that strong invincible Sampson that rent in peeces that infernal roaring Lion as easily as if he had been a Kid Judg. 14.5 6. that slew the Philistims hip and thigh with a great slaughter Chap. 15.8 and when they had him fast bound with new cords they became as flax upon his armes and with the jaw-bone of an Ass laid heaps upon heaps vers 14 15 16. that carried away the door of the gates of Hell to set the prisoners at liberty Chap. 16.3 and made the noblest conquest when he seemed to be wholly conquered and no hope was left that ever he could look up again slaying at his death far more than hee had slain in his life vers 21-30 He hath spoyled Principalities and powers and triumphed over them on the Cross Col. 2.15 When the High commission Court and Star-chamber were cast down then all fell with them that appertained to them as there are no more informations pleadings censures punishments So there are no Serjeants Bayliffs Apparitors Pursevants even so this Lord Jesus having thrown down the Court of sin by his death and thereby disabled the Law he hath also judged the great Catch-pole of hell and put him out of office so that he cannot now execute the curse and wrath of God upon poor sinners as gladly hee would and although for the present he can reach to bruise their heel and doth often work them wo yet the Redeemer will tread him under their feet shortly Romans 16. ver 20. Sect. 3. An Objection If by Ransome then not by Rescue Answered THus much for the clearing and prooving of the Conclusion but here lieth a Doubt in the way for answering whereof wee may borrow a little light from the premises If our Redemption was by Christ's becoming a Curse for us and so by buying us out with the price of his blood How could it then be by strength of hand and a forcible rescue These two seem to destroy one another Ransome and Rescue Vâ—de Musculum loc com de redemptâ—one To be delivered by the paying of a price and to be delivered by conquest are inconsistent as to the same persons The nature of the things is so different that they cannot concurre in the same deliverance Ans Although these two do usually stand at a distance yet in this great business of the Redemption of mankinde they close well together To clear this take these three Considerations 1. Mankinde by the breach of the Law being become a debtor to justice and under the curse even in the extremity of it and Almighty God who is the party wronged being the onely soveraign Lord and Lawgiver Therefore the principal and most proper way to effect man's deliverance was to give satisfaction to justice so that either sinners must die the death in their own persons or Christ their surety must give his life a ransome for them being at an utter loss in themselves Against this it may be objected Then we must say that Christ redeemed us from God and himself being God he redeemed us out of his own hands by paying a price to himself which is absurd Ans This seeming absurdity will vanish if we keep to Scripture phrase and take along with us these Two things 1. The person of the Redeemer was not onely God but also man and although as to the sufficiency for the work and the valour and efficacie of it he must necessarily be God yet both the right and act of Redemption belonged to him properly as man so that we may say It was the man Christ that bought us out of the hands of the curse and wrath of God 2. God the Father himself had a special hand in this business the whole dispensation and managing of it was by his supream and soveraign appointment as we heard before and thus it is no more absurd to say that God took a course to satisfie his own justâ—ce and to redeem us from himself than to say that a King doth so when he gives his own son to lay down his life Or a Creditor when he requires the debt of his own Son for which the son was surety by the Fathers consent for the saving of Traitors from the stroak of his Law 2. Man being thus obnoxious to the justice of God and therefore delivered up by him into the hands of Sathan as his jaylour or executioner to keep him as his
money Isa 52.3 Although it cost Jesus Christ the price of blood in an accursed death yet it was according to the riches of Gods grace Eph. 1.7 In regard of Christ our Surety it was not free but dearly bought for as Almighty God the person offended did require satisfaction to be made to Justice so Christ undertaking for us answered his demands accordingly But in all other respects it is free The appointing of such a thing as Redemption for lost sinners the providing of such a Surety to undertake the work the managing of it all along in such a way as it might not faile of its accomplishment the accepting of it when it was done for full satisfaction the particular application of it to the needs of all the Elect all these were acts of free grace and mercy Poor soul the Lord doth not expect the worth of one farthing from thee towards the purchase of thy Redemption Look thou upon it as the meer fruit of rich grace 2 It is full and plenteous Psal 130.7 Jesus Christ hath gone thorough-stitch with it he hath done it to the full for there is no defect or flaw in it at all He doth not work one or some few parts of it making an entrance for us and leaving us to grapple with the rest to bear the heat and burden of the day and to wrastle out as we can but he makes compleat work of it he redeems us from all our iniquities he delivers us out of the hands of all our enemies he takes off from our backs the whole curse and sets us in a state of true freedom Therefore in the bringing of it home to poor sinners they are said to receive abundance of grace Rom. 5.17 1 Tim. 1.14 I grant it is not made out to us at present in all the parts and degrees of it but it shall be entire and perfect in heaven there shall not an hoof be left behinde Take it in the whole from first to last and it is every way plenteous he will save to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 3 It is eternal and without period Heb. 9.12 The liberty whereinto Christ Jesus brings the Elect is permanent it shall never turne into bondage it abides irrevocable and unchangeable to all eternity The Jews which had sold themselves to bee servants were to be set free at the Jubilee yet that Jubilee lasted but for one year therefore the same persons might afterwards become bondmen again but this acceptable year of the Lords Redeemed Isa 61.2 63.4 is an everlasting year it shall never end therefore they shall never be subject to bondage any more When the Lord would comfort the Jews with hopes of a return from Babylon he usually annexeth Evangelical promises respecting the deliverance of poor sinners from the slavery of Satan whereof that captivity was a type some of which promises do plainly express the perpetuity of that spiritual freedome which they shall enjoy Isa 35.10 Isa 51.6 60.19 20. Jer. 31.11 12. 32.39 Ezek. 37.25 26. 39.29 and these shall begin to be fulfilled most visibly at the calling of the Jews 2 Redemption by Christ doth beget and bring with it many rare spiritual benefits It is a rich Mine containing a mass of treasure of unspeakable worth Could we dig into it we might finde variety of the choisest pearls in comparison whereof the most orient pearles that this world can afford are no better than dross What the Lord said once to his Anointed Cyrus a temporal deliverer of his people the same he hath spoken much more to his Anointed Jesus the Churches great Redeemer I will give thee the treasures of darkness the hidden riches of secret places Isa 43.3 These are the unsearchable riches of Christ Suscepit mala nostra ut â—hueret bonasua Aug. Eph. 3.8 The things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 He hath taken upon him our evill things that he might bestow upon us his good things That we may rightly understand the nature of these several benefits in reference to the mother-benefit from whence they spring I shall briefly make way to them by these three considerations 1 The Redemption that is in Christ hath in it not onely satisfaction Impunitas pramium but also merit from the former ariseth freedome from deserved punishment from the latter the conferring of everlasting reward Hence it is that some benefits consists in deliverance from evil and others in bestowing of good things 2 As the woful condition of the sons of men through sin is made up of two sorts of evills some referring to what they are in Gods account others to what they are in themselves answerably the condition whereinto Redemption brings them consists of two sorts of benefits 1 Relative importing a change in Gods account of them 2 Real standing in an alteration of qualities in themselves 3 The benefits which flow from Redemption do not immediately follow the sufferings of Christ on the Cross so as thereby and thenceforth to be actually existent and to enure to all the elect but are onely made feasible by them yet so as to be communicated infallibly in due time They are contained in the womb of redemption but yet their several births are according to the time of life I mean they are in it virtually as the fruit in the seed but not actually laid in the bosomes of sinners till redemption it self be applied unto them I may compare the whole fabrick of the salvation of sinners to a mighty tree the root of it is upward in heaven the decree of it election the boil of it is redemption having many spiritual benefits as so many branches growing out of it virtually contained in the boil breaking forth and deriving their several fruits to poor sinners at the time of their conversion These things being premised let us take a view of them as they are scattered here and there in the Scriptures I shall present them in that order which I conceive to be most proper These things being premised let us take a view of them as they are scattered here and there in the Scriptures I shall present them in that order which I conceive to be most proper Falling out with God was the beginning of our Apostasie and Reconciliation is the beginning of our actual recovery 1. Reconciliation This is so near a kin to Redemption that for substance it is the same differing onely in some respects As treason murther or the like crime commited against the Law of the Magistrate doth not onely make the offender liable to the penalty of the Law but also sets them at a distance and provokes the wrath of the Magistrate against him Even so the sin of man did not onely make him a prisoner under the Curse of the Law of God but brought on a wofull enmitie betwixt God and him The Scripture often presents the Lord displeased with sinners and gives all men as they stand
have a very foule nasty heart my soule is a very stie of all uncleanness I am carnal fold under sin Rom. 7.14.23.34 I can do no good thing Oh miserable man who shall deliver mee why Christ thy Redeemer hath made thee a new creature he hath put into thee a principle of holiness and he is still at work in thee weakning sin by degrees so that though it will dwell in thee yet it shall not over-master thee nor bring thee under its feet Corruption shall go down and grace shall get up more and more The Lord Jesus will not spare either pains or cost in prosecuting this business he will wear of that filthy slough of the old nature and the image of hell and make thee partaker of the divine nature that thou mayest be conformed to his own image Sigh and breath after it 6. Final Redemption Which stands in the total removal and absence of all miserie and imperfection begun at death to be perfected at the resurrection The Apostle calls it the Redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.23 as I conceive for these reasons 1. To distinguish it from the first and great act wrought by Christ on the Cross to wit Redemption by way of merit whereon the main stress of the business lay which was not intended so much for the body as the soul to deliver it from guilt and curse 2. To intimate that part of Redemption which we shall be partakers of by death whereby we shall be set free from manifold evils and annoyances which compass us about and molest us while we are in the bodie 3. Because the accomplishment of this benefit at the last day shall be more visible in the bodie The soules of righteous men even before the resurrection are fully delivered from all bondage wanting onely that perfection which stands in their union to their bodies These lying in their graves as in prison under misery shall then be united again to their souls and so both shall be equally sharers according to their several capacities in this final Redemption So then this is a certain effect or consequent of the great work wrought by Jesus Christ the price is paid for the whole and full deliverance shall come in the day of Resurrection which is therefore called the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 and Christ is made of God to us Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 At that day oh most desirable day there shall be a clear riddance from all those unwelcome guests which sin hath brought into the world As 1. from the evils of the bodie or outward man all crosses incident to our imperfect condition here whether attendants on mortality or corrections for our wandrings and miscarriages or sufferings for righteousness 2. from the evils of the soul or inward man from sin with all the rags and tatters of it which being fast on us here from the temptations of Sathan and the inticements of an evil world wherewith we are encompassed and also from the second death the wrath to come in the damnation of hell Gladâ—us mortâ—s retusus vulnerat adhuâ—â— sed câ—â—â—a pâ—â—â—cuâ—um Calv. in 〈◊〉 The first death indeed will hold us under a long time but at length it shall be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 and in the mean time it is but as a sword without edg which may wound a little yet without danger it shall do us no hurt but be as a wicked door to let our souls into immortalitie and the grave with the corruption of it shall be as a bed of spices to perfume our bodies and to prepare them for the resurrection Briefly whatsoever there is in all the world that can be called evil we shall be set free from it all forever all imperfection both of parts and degrees shall be done away Matt. 22.30 1 Cor. 13.10 yea Gods own ordinances as marriage preaching and sacraments which are given as remedies of weakness here shall take their leave as things whereof we shall have no further need or use Let the Lords redeemed lift up their heads and see this part of their happiness afarr off Your soules and bodies both lie under a thousand wearisome vanities in this pilgrimage but your redemption draweth nigh when there shall be no more sorrow nor crying but all tears shall be wiped away from your eyes Rev. 21.7 never to know or taste of misery any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. Full Glorification We have some foretasts of it in this life therfore the Apostle speaketh of it as a thing done in those that are justified Rom. 8.30 when God gives poor believing souls assurance of his love sence of his favour and fills the heart with joy and peace then he begins to glorifie them Therefore this joy is called unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 these are a choice portion of the first fruits of the spirit Rom. 8.23 we shall reap the whole harvest of glory in heaven It s called by way of Eminency the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 Redemption and the former benefits flowing from it are salvation begun and continued for we are saved here Eph. 2.8 2 Timoth 1.9 but this shall bee salvation consummate The Scripture sets forth this benefit by variety of appellations as Eternal life Matth. 25.46 Everlasting habitations Luke 16.9 Paradise Luke 23.43 The recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 A Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 A Crown of glory that fades not away 1 Pet. 5.4 The glory which is to be revealed in us or into us Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—to us Nâ—n nâ—m astâ—bâ—mus q asâ—inanes vacui Spectateres nec gâ—oria quasi extriae sâ—cus revelabâ—tur nâ—bâ— sed in nobis Bernard 8.18 For we shall not stand as idle spectators looking upon it as a thing without us but we shall be possessours of it within us the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2. Pet. 1.11 The inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 and the riches of the glory of it Eph. 1.18 Yea an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and which withereth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 And on this account the Apostle calls it the Adoption Rom. 8.23 because that shall be the time of our entring into the full possession of the Kingdome which is prepared for us and unto which we are intituled by adoption It was a main end of Christs giving himself for the Church that at length he might present it to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.25 27. And the Apostle reasoning from reconciliation by Christs death to salvation by his life Rom. 5.10 intimates that this is a necessary consequent of that This estate shall be the perfection of all created contentments Here shall be riches which cannot be plundered treasures which corrupt not pleasures which vanish not whatsoever is truly desirable which men enjoy severally some this some that in this world heaven hath all these and infinitly much more in a far more
excellent manner and measure to bestow on every one of the Lords Redeemed It shall be a full age of communion with God in knowledge and holiness the whole man shall be made partaker of unspeakable glory and filled with all the fulness of God to all eternity Here is now the top of all If we have our part in this Redemption 1 Cor. 13.12 1 Io. 3.2 two parallel texts let us stand a while and consider what great things the Lord doth for us We read of Abraham that he sent away Hagar and Ishmael her son with bread and a bottle of water and that by Gods own appointment because the Son of the bond-woman must not be heire with Isaac Gen. 21.10 12 14. And after that Isaac had been rescued from death by the offering up of a Ram in his stead Gen. 22.13 Abraham growing old gave small gratuities to the sons of the Concubines and sent them away from Isaac but unto him he gave all that he had the inheritance was reserved for him Gen. 25.5 6. You that are ransomed from the curse by Jesus Christ the great Ram of Consecrations you only are the Lords Isaac's the children of the promise The Ancient of dayes measures out to the men of the world the servants of sin some pittances of his good things temporal blessings for their subsistence here below but you are they that shall go away with the Inheritance It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luke 12.32 Oh then let us contemne all worldly glory let it fall out of our hands and hearts and let us rejoyce in the hope of this heavenly glory Rom. 5.2 These are the rare spiritual benefits which Redemption brings forth seven fair Daughters of one blessed Mother Look upon them and behold their beauty Are they not exceeding fair Incomparably lovely Did you ever see any beauty like unto their beauty Oh that we could all fall in love with them that we might never rest till we get an interest in them to injoy them in their goodness and sweetness both here and hereafter for ever Sect. 4. Four precious priviledges of actual Redemption 3 REdemption by Christ invests those that are partakers of it in sundry precious priviledges The benefits before mentioned give us a being and standing in the state of grace These concern our well-being and help to make our condition both more honourable and more comfortable For they are secondary effects of the Cross of Christ and his Legacies left to his friends wherein the world hath neither part nor portion Let us make a little inquiry after them and take a short taste of some of them for our use 1 It makes us truly and properly blessed The Apostle assures us of this in the next verse That the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles through Jesus Christ God had ingaged himself to Abraham by express Covenant Gen. 22.18 that in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 22.18 that is in the seed of the Woman bruising the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 This blessed seed Christ Jesus should destroy all Satans power which he had over sinners by means of sin and the curse and thereby render them really blessed And certainly those and onely those are singularly blessed which are made partakers of this Redemption All other blessedness is but a shew a shadow a complement scarcely deserving the name of blessedness At the best the world can hold forth onely some poor shreds or scraps but the soul and the marrow of it is here The Elect are happily carried by the hand of their strong Redeemer from Mount Ebal over the valley to Mount Gerizim Psal 115.15 while their neighbours are left behinde under the curse They are the Lords Jacobs which get the blessing from Esau for they are called to inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 See a notable Text for this Isa 19.23 24 25. which tells us that in after-times when the Gentiles Egypt Assyria shall be brought into the fellowship of the Gospel with Israel then the Lord will solemnly bless them as being his inheritance even by purchase and they shall be a blessing yea all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Isa 61.1.9 Who are they that shall be thus acknowledged even Captives to whom the Lord Jesus proclaimes liberty And who are they that shall make this acknowledgement All that see them even strangers and such as have no share in it as Laban Gen. 24.31 Saul 1 Sam. 15.13 and Balaam Numb 23.26 This is the prime priviledge and hath an influence into the rest 2 By the grace of Redemption we become a special a peculiar people to the Lord above all other people Deut. 7.6 Tit. 2.14 This follows upon the former being a choice branch of blessedness Psal 33.12 When a man hath paid a great ransome for some poor Captives he challengeth them for his own and they account themselves not their own nor any others but onely his that hath bought them so the Lord saith to the Redeemed You are mine Exod. 19.5 6. Mal. 3.17 and they eccho again to him Lord we are onely thine Psal 119.95 Cant. 6.3 7 10. Hos 2.23 The Redeemer himself owns all those whom the Father had given him to be peculiarly theirs Joh. 17.9 10. St. Paul insists much on this priviledge upon the very same ground Yee are not your own but the Lords for yee are bought with a price Rom. 14.8 9. 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Oh let us lift up our eyes and consider what an excellent priviledge this is to be the Lords and onely his to be a Garden inclosed a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed for him and to his use onely Cant. 4.12 to be graven upon the palmes of his hands Isa 49.16 to be a people near unto the Lord Psal 148.14 What can we desire more Beloved Christians It is not material in what condition thou art in as to men whether high or low rich or poor if you be in the number of the Lords ransomed ones you are his and you may humbly glory in it How do some men pride themselves in their relations and dependances I am such a mans son brother cousin-german tenant servant c. Poor matters to boast of in comparrison of this to be one of the Lord Jewels or a golden vessel in his house while many are looked upon as base contemptible rubbish and wholly laid aside 3 Our Redeemer is in heaven at Gods right hand carrying on the work that it may not fail but be effectual to all the Elect. Oh glorious priviledge He is at work 1 For those of them that are still under the curse to whom this benefit is not yet brought home He made intercession for the transgressors having first born their sins Isa 53.12 this he did while he was on earth he prayed for them that crucified him Luke 23.34 Father forgive them
c. and in that Prayer which he put up so solemnly before his passion he makes requests for those that should beleeve hereafter Joh. 17.20.21 Non humiliter supplicando quasi genibus flexis sed gloriose representande c. Ames Medul l. 1. c. 23. And what he did on earth he doth much more in heaven although not in the same manner but in such a way as agrees to a glorified estate not by falling down on his knees in humble supplications but by presenting his sufferings with the satisfaction and merit of them and procuring at the hands of his Father the actual application of them to poor sinners for their conversion and salvation according to that Psal 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. It was by vertue of his prayer on the Cross that so many thousands were brought in as the first fruits immediately after his Ascention and it is by vertue of his intercession in heaven that the whole harvest of the Elect shall be brought in also in all succeeding generations 2 For those that are actually made partakers of this grace of Redemption He appears continually before God to plead their cause Aaron had a brestplate of Judgement wherein were set twelve precious stones with the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel engraven upon them that he might bear them upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord Exod. 28 15.-29 So our Lord Jesus the High Priest of our profession hath the names of all his redeemed people as signets on his heart and presents them continually to his Father in heaven that upon the account of his All-sufficient Sacrifice offered for them he may perswade and prevaile with him for all necessary supplies of grace in all their concernments to continue them in their reconciled condition to give them daily strength to obey him to issue out pardons for their daily slips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In opposition to Satan who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 12.10 1 Joh. 2.1 2. He that is our Propitiation is also our Advocate with the Father and to hold them close to him so that not one of them shall perish but they shall all arrive at the happy haven of eternal glory All this was prefigured in the Law The High-priest having first offered a Goat for the whole Congregation of Israel must come the same day into the Holy of Holies and bring the blood with him and sprinkle it on and before the Mercy-seat withall burning Incense that a cloud might arise and cover it that by thus doing on one solemn day every year he might make an Attonement for all their sins Lev. 16.15 16 -33 34. Even so Jesus Christ our High-Priest having given up himself a sacrifice for the sins of the world and thereby obtained eternal Redemption entered into heaven and there appears with his blood to make Intercession through the merit of it for guilty sinners sprinkling their consciences with it to purge them from dead works Heb. 9 12.-14 to render them accepted by the Incense of his prayers and to manage the whole business of their salvation to the end Christ our Surety carries the price of our Redemption to heaven and renders it in his Fathers house See here righteous Father saith he this is the ransome for lost Man-kinde I have brought the full summe my will is that it shall be effectual both to deliver those that are still captives and to bring those home thou hast given me infallibly to salvation Thus ouâ— redemption by Christ becoming a Curse for us was not onely fully satisfactory to justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A savour of rest Gen. 8.21 Numb 28.2 but also an offering and sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 Oh what an happiness is this Dear heart thou hast a fast friend in the Court who is both able and willing to look to thy cause and to follow thy business that it shall not miscarry thou needest not fear but he will save thee to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 4 Our Redeemer hath purchased of his Father the gift of his holy Spirit that he may bestow it on all the Elect Having purchased it by hâ—s passion he conveyes it by his intercession Ioh. 14.16 and thereby both fetch them in and carry them on in the state of grace The Apostle acquaints us with this priviledge also in the 14. verse following God sent his Son to redeem us that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Christ in his Sermon at Nazareth applies to himself that notable Prophesie which is set down Isa 61.1 2. concerning his anointing and sending to heal the broken-hearted and to set at liberty them that are bruised ascribing this to the Spirit Luke 4.18.21 The Redeemer coming out of Zion shall not onely turn away ungodliness from Jacob but convey unto them his Spirit which shal never be taken away from them Isa 29.20 21. The Lord promiseth to put his Spirit on the Messiah his Servant that he may bring forth judgement unto victory Isa 42.1 2. c. which was fulfilled in part Matth. 12.17 18 c. Christ promiseth the Apostles to send the Spirit of Truth from the Father to testifie of him Joh. 15.26 and that even for the conversion of those that hated him as vers 24. Yea he shall convince the world of sin righteousness and judgement Joh. 16.8 c. shewing them the things which he receives from Christ and so glorifying him vers 14. They that are freed from condemnation by Christ coming in the flesh have the Spirit of God dwelling in them Rom. 8.1 2 9. for all necessary supplies in the way of salvation to teach them all things Joh. 14.26 to soften their hearts and to inable them to obey Ezek. 11.19 20. to change them into the image of the Lords glory 2 Cor. 3.18 to frame them to the affections of children and to stir up in them groans of prayer Rom. 8.26 27. Gal. 4.6 to witness with their spirits their adoption As Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to plead for us with God in heaven so the Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to plead for Christ with us on earth Ioh. 14.16 Rom. 8.16 to be a seal and earnest of their inheritance untill the day of final Redemption Eph. 1.13 14. and to raise up their mortal bodies at the last day Rom. 8.11 Oh admirable priviledge Judge in your selves If a King having ransomed a company of his subjects from Turkish slavery should send to every one of them a Noble-man to be alwayes near them were not this an incredible favour And if Jesus Christ the King of Saints should send a glorified Saint or a good Angel to abide with his redeemed people what an honour were it But if he should give his Spirit to be our Keeper Comforter Leader yea our All under himself
them out of my sight and let them go forth or as Zach. 11.9 I will not feed them that that dyeth let it dye c. So that we may sadly complain and bewail it that our defence is departed from us and we are exposed to all dangers that not only judgements but also mercies may become poysonful and baneful to us But now the Lord Jesus by paying our ransome from the curse hath renewed our interest in the providence of God so that he looks after us and watcheth over us in a special manner for our good It is said of the earthly Canaan that it is a Land which the Lord cared for his eyes were alwayes upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of it Deut. 11.12 It is true much more of the heavenly Canaan the invisible Church whereof that was a type His special providence is at work for the whole and every particular member of it continually Hee will keep his Vineyard of red wine both night and day Isa 27.3 This is the Theme or Argument of the 90. and 121. Psalmes where it is largely handled And the Apostle saith That God is the Saviour of all men specially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 This priviledge is very comprehensive and might be inlarged in many particulars We may take a short view of them thus The special providence of God towards the Redeemed is exercised about good and evil 1. About good things It goes before them Psal 5.11.12 103.4 5. compasseth them round and is their rereward The Lord takes care of them and as I may say fore-casts what may be best for them puts them upon honest and warrantable courses in their going out and comming in prospers them in all things they take in hand Psalm 1.3 as Joseph Gen. 39.3.23 and Hâ—zekiah 2 Chron. 31.21 blesseth a little unto them and makes it to go far Psal 37.16 It is our Redeemer Christ that turns our water into wine and multiplies a few loaves and fishes to feed many thousands 2. About evill things by saving them 1. From 2. In 3. Out of evils 1. He saves them from evills The Lord is not onely a Sun to inlighten and to warm us but a Shield to proâ—ect and guard us Psalm 84.11 Hee saveth the poore from the sword c. Job 5.15.19 20. Sometimes hee doth so carefully watch over his people that troubles and dangers do not overtake them the floods of great waters do not come near them Psal 32.6 for he hideth them in the hollow of his hand till the storms be blown over and so they are safe 2. He saves them in evills When afflictions and troubles are upon them He keeps all their bones â— Psal 36.20 Dan. 〈…〉 2â— â— 2â— 23. he bears a part with them Isa 63.9 he sustains and succours them he gives them patience in suffering he strengthens them with heavenly might he conforms them to himself purging out their dross and making them partakers of his holiness yea sometimes he conveyes for them miraculously preserving them safe in the very mouth and midst of mischief as the three Children and Daniel restraining the rage and violence of the creatures even contrary to their natures that they could do them no hurt 3 He saves them out of evills Although in his wise and just counsel he suffers troubles to seize upon them and chastens them with rods yet he hath his times of deliverance here sooner or later The godly injoy many petit partial redemptions in this life before that great day of Redemption come Psal 34.22 He knows how to deliver them 2 Pet. 2.9 Jacob hath his time of trouble but he shall be delivered out of it Jer. 30.7 For the rod of wickedness shall not alwayes rest on their lot Psa 125.3 Yea their death is precious in his sight Psal 116.15 so that even then they have hope And in a word this providence doth so order all things both good and evill that all shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 All the parcels of this precious priviledge flow from the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus It is prophesied of Christ under the type of Solomon that he shall deliver the needy and redeem their souls Psal 72.12 c. When the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow and a covert from the storm Isa 42.6 When Christ shall reigne the man shall be as a hiding place from the wind Isa 32 1 2. It is Jacobs Redeemer that will help him Et erit vir sc Christus Rex c. Jun. in Sch. ad loc and be with him in the water and fire Isa 41.14 43.12 God will save Judah by the Lord their God that is by the Messiah to come Hos 1.7 See that special promise Mark 16.18 What say you to this yee ransomed souls your own experience may make out all these things For hath not the Lord made provision for you Psal 94 13. and laded you with benefits even beyond expectation Do yee not see how hee keeps some sad stroaks off from you while some of the Devils slaves are beaten black and blue gives rest to you while the pit is in digging for the wicked bears your hearts up while some of your neighbours sinke under the burden rescues you out of six and seven troubles while they are swallowed up of them you may rejoyce in Benjamins portion The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him c. Deut. 33.12 and say as David The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Psal 23.1 Thus you have a Septenary of priviledges besides that of benefits which are the peculiar portion of the Lords Redeemed Let our hearts breath out the Psalmists admiration Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee c. Psal 31.19 Sect. 6. Four priviledges more common I Shall add other four which though they be more common and not proper to the elect yet deserve the name of priviledges too 1. Redemption by Christ is the opening of a sluce for the waters of life to run amongst the Gentiles The Prophets are very frequent in holding forth this priviledge that strangers shall come in and submit themselves Psal 18.43 c. all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God Psal 98.2 3. the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord Psal 86.9 Psal 87.4 Isa 65.1 Isa 11.9 waters shall break out in the wilderness c. Isa 35.6 7. and 41.18 19. This was the work of Christ our Redeemer so it was prophesied Gen. 49.10 Shiloh shall come and to him shall be the gathering of the people Psal 22.27 David tells us that all the ends of the earth shall turn to the Lord and that upon this ground because he is King and governour among the nations vers 28. but how comes he to this Soveraigntie it was
Christ testifies of the woman that was a sinner that her sinnes which were many are forgiven her Luke 7.47 Be thy sinnes never so many if they fill a roll that reacheth from the East to the West or from earth to heaven they can but wrap thee in the curse and Christ hath taken upon him the whole curse that he might redeem thee from it If thou hast multiplied to sin God will multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 he will cast all our iniquities into the depths of the Sea Mic. 7.19 If thou shouldest fill a thousand baskets with sand and cast them all into the midst of the Sea the waves would so sweep them all away that no remnant of them would appear so the streames of Christ's blood are able to wash away thy manifold sinnes that not one of them shall remain When the dew is fallen upon the ground thou mayest see infinite millions of drops but when the Sun breaks out and shines in its strength it licks up and scatters them all in a very short time and thou seest not one left So the Sonne of righteousness can dispel thy numberless transgressions as a cloud or a mist that they cannot be found Isa 44.22 Jer. 50.20 3. Long continuance in the state and trade and under the guilt and power of sin Oh I am a sinner of a long standing I am old and aged in sin Ierem. 2.33 Ier. 22.21 Eze. 23.43 I am soaked in iniquity I have served many apprentiships in it and am grown gray-headed I have drawn out a long train of vanitie and sin as it were with cartropes Isa 5.18 Methinks I feel the guilt of it so sodered into my spirit by dayly custome that it cannot be plucked out But stay a while poor soul if the Lord hath begun to draw thy heart to seek an interest in the grace of Redemption let not this dismay thee Although thou hast spent all thy dayes in a course of sin spun out a long thread of iniquity lived under guilt even to the age of Methuselah yet the Redemption that is in Christ is richly able to set the free He to whom a thousand years are but as one day can take of thy guilt of 1000 years standing There were means for cleansing an old Leprosie of long continuance and sacrifices to be offered to that end Lev. 13.11 and 14.2 The Israelites after the death of every Judge returned to their old trade of sin and ceased not from their stubborne way Judg. 2.19 Yet the Lord stirred them up Saviours still and though thou hast continued long in sin yet Christ continues still a Saviour The sinner that is 100 year old is accursed Isa 65.20 but the curse which thy Redeemer did undergoe is strong enough to shatter in peices the most inveterable curse and to turn it into a blessing The removal of guilt so deeply rivetted into thy soul by length of time seems to thee impossible but to him all things are possible To shut up this I would have the humbled soul to resolve thus Christ Jesus hath offered up himself to God through the eternal spirit and wherefore thus surely that he might by his blood purge my conscience from dead works and so deliver my soul from that eternal guilt and curse wherein it is intrapped Heb. 9.4 4. The advantage which Justice might have against the sinner for rejecting or neglecting the offer and season of grace Oh how often hath the Lord made a render of salvation to me by the Gospel how affectionately hath he invited me to come in and to take hold on the strength of this great Redeemer yet I have resisted the spirit and trampled this great grace under my feet or at least slighted it shamefully therefore I have cause to fear that the time is past and that mercy shall never reach to my soul Had I thoroughly closed at the first call or seen some reasonable time to lay down armes and submit I could hope that the Lord would have passed by all my former offences But that he should now accept me after the abuse of so much mercy such unprofitableness under his ordinances strong opposition against grace so unweariedly offered and settling my self on the lees of mine old sinful condition contrary to the light which I had received this is quite beyond mine expectation These and the like aggravating circumstances cannot but exasperate divine Justice and even compel it to vindicate its own honour and to avenge it self on such a notorious wretch as I am Surely the Lord hath determined to glorifie himself in my finall condemnation Thus the poor afflicted soul is apt to plead against its interest in this redemption But oh my dear heart be not so peremptory open thine eyes thou shalt see mercy glorying against Judgement James 2.13 None of these aggravations shall obstruct the sweet fruit of this glorious benefit but it shall break through them all True it is one of the Lords ends in suffering sin to abound and shewing forth so much patience to sinners is the manifesting of his Justice upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 as in the case of Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 But what is this to thee who hast laid down thine armes and art gasping for mercie He hath another and a more desirable end in respect of thee namely that grace may much more abound and may raign thorough righteousness unto life Rom. 5.20 21. And what wilt thou say if the glory which he gets by delivering thee from the curse be double to that which he might have by leaving thee under it By this he onely glorifies his justice but by the former he glorifies both his justice and mercy this in rescuing thee from guilt and wrath that in laying the curse upon his onely Son that mercy might have free way to serve thee Why then dost thou not rather conclude thus surely the Lord which doth all things for his own glory will more regard a greater then a lesser glory my unbelieving heart saith it will be his choicest glory to destroy me being guiltie of such foul rebellions But the mercy of the redeemer saith No not so I have borne the whole curse for thee that justice might have no advantage by thy rebellion therefore I will rather raise up my glory by thy deliverance The Jews did alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 and trample the grace of God under their feet even to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God yet a great number of them are and shall be ransomed by the merit of that same blood which they shed Zach. 12 1â— 13 1â— Ioh. 6.9 Peter having plainly confessed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16.16 yet shortly after he rebukes Christ for speaking of his suffering and death vers 22. whereby although ignorantly he opposed the work of redemption and when the time of suffering came he disowned him with swearing and cursing Matth.
26.70 c. yet the Lord Jesus passed by all these provocations and he became both a witness of his sufferings and a partaker of the glory to be revealed Acts 13.9 1 Pet. 5.1 Saul who was also called Paul did not onely reject Christ and the tender of Salvation by him but also was injurious a persecuter a blasphemer plaid the mad man against the Saints and compelled them to blaspeme Might not Paul have despaired of favour and said surely God will plead the cause of his Justice against me he will never put up such high affronts against mercie But we hear no such language No the grace of our Lord saith he was exceeding abundant c. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Herein he was set for a pattern to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 16. Let the same minde be in us 2. For the latter The converted soule who is actually made partaker of the grace of Redemption and all his scores cleared as to his estate of unregeneracy yet even he may see matter of discomfort by reason of 〈◊〉 1. It s presence or in dwelling Oh saith the Godly soul I feel a lump of sinne still â—â—â—â—ing in me there is a troublesome Inmate that still hampers me a continual dropping 〈◊〉 â—oâ—ome-enemy which besets and clogs 〈◊〉 wofully it is as near me as my very bowels I cannot be quiet for it if I lie down or if I rise up if I go forth or if I come in it is still about me In the business and imployments of my ordinary calling it't ' puting in an oar and in performance of Religious duties but it act's with all its might raising up oftentimes such base passions and lusts as like a malignant East-winde are ready to blast my best fruits Oh sad complaint But pause a while and take one thing with another Thou thinkest thou art still under the Curse while the case is thus with thee but it is not so The great designe of thy Redeemer in destroying sinne and delivering thee from it doth not take place fully whilest thou art in this mortality His meaning was not to remove it wholly out of thy soul so as no footstep of it should remain but onely to take away the sting and deadly ruining power of it for the present The total abolishing of it must be a gradual work not to be perfected till thou shalt put on incorruption Thy happiness here stands not in the not having sin but in the Lords not imputing of sin through the satisfaction of Christ It is the wisedome of our heavenly Father thus to exercise those whom he prepares to be vessels of mercy He will have their remaining time here to be a warfare that they may know the fellowship of Christs sufferings He was burthened with thy sin and could not be rid of it till death thou must be conformed to thine head and make account it will be thy neighbour while thou art in the body But remember that while thou art yoked with this body of sin and groaning under it thy Redeemer hath compassion on thee If the Canaanite be in the Land he will be a thorn in Israels side yet he shall not prevail Holy Paul had a law in his members which led him captive to the law of sin and made him cry out Oh miserable man yet even then he can thank God in the view of full deliverance by Christ Rom. 7.21 23 c. Thine head is now conforming thee to himselfe and will not cease till hee hath wrought out thy victory with triumph 2 It is prevalency or domineering Oh! if I had it under I could have some ground of comfort but alas it is exceeding masterful it doth not onely lead but hold me captive Oh! how doth sin rage within me Strong lusts like the Anakims If there be any grace in me any thing of the new man it is but as a grashopper in comparison of a Gyant One cryes out of the lust of the flesh which soon kindles and gets up into a flame of inclination to bodily uncleanness Another of the lust of the eyes in too eager desires after the world A third of pride of life in ambitious aspirings after great things A fourth of rash anger which bears him down as with the stream and puts him upon unseemly language and carriage And although I pray and strive against my lust saith the Christian yet it still ever and anon gets the upper hand I have been overtaken with a gross sin I have fallen into it again and again yea I have sinned willingly against knowledge and with delight I fear I shall one day perish by the hand of sin But stay a while and hearken what the Lord will speak to thee It is a sad thing that Christs free-man should be so hankled in a snare and so trampled under the feet of a masterful lust and more sad if he should lay under the power and command of a gross sin in the actual committing of it yet there is hope in Israel concerning this Onely take notice that I have no designe to bolster up the sinner in his way of inquity my endeavour is to speak peace to the disconsolate Saint I say then thou art not alone poor soul others of the Lords people have been and may be in this very condition Noah foulely overcome with wine yet commended by God himself to be a righteous man Sampson intangled in the love of one Harlot after another yet numbred among those which by faith obtained a good report David deeply implunged into those two gross sinnes Adultery and murder and abiding under the guilt of them a long time yet who among all the Lords Worthies registred in Scripture was comparable to him There were sacrifices in the Law for sins against knowledge as well as sins of ignorance A man that was grievously infected with the Leprosie Levit. 6.1 2 6 7. Levit. 13. â— 14 4 c. had means of cleansing at hand as well as he that was defiled with ordinary uncleanness The blood of the Redeemer can purge all sorts of sins and therefore the mercy of God doth reach out to pardon all Exod. 34.7 Is thy sin in too great power Remember that Christ crucified is the power of God he will break the head of Leviathan he came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Hast thou sinned willingly and with delight Jesus Christ delighted to do his Fathers will Ps 40.8 he suffered willingly for thy sin The Lord sometimes gives lust and sin leave to rage and master his servants for a season but it shall not totally prevail Although thy corruptions be as the sons of Zeruiah to David too hard for thee yet if the bent of thy soul bee against them if thou fightest against them with the heart of an enemy thou shalt at last bee conquerour over them through the Cross of Christ See the promise Rom. 6.14 3 The advantage which Justice might get against him by
reason of frequent neglects faylings wandrings swarvings from the rule of the word since his conversion Oh saith the godly soul I can do nothing aright how often do I miscarry in the manner motives and ends of obedience Methinks I am fettered that I cannot go a foot pace much less run in the way of Gods Commandements To some kinde of evill ready and free enough to some kinde of good too often dead and sluggish If I be redeemed indeed why am I thus or what comfort can I have in the work of Redemption while I am in this case Doth the prisoner when he is released feel the shackles still on his legs If Christ by undergoing the curse of my former bondage hath brought me into liberty why am I still in bondage who shall answer for me now or where is the ransome for it But now consider if these distempers are the unavoidable workings of remaining corruption which cannot be wholly shaken off The best Saints may finde in themselves an indisposedness to good and forwardness to evil especially about those things which are most spiritual and require much self-denial in their carnal and earthly interest of ease credit and other outward enjoyments as in a constant course of secret prayer private reproof of others upon just occasion acknowledging a miscarriage to their own disgrace putting up wrongs for the maintaining of peace and such like Why is thy heart dejected for that which is the common lot of all the godly Thou mayest think it is well that the Lord hath not left thee to grosser sins and although thou hast many failings yet the Lord looks upon thee according to thy better part he will own his own grain in the midst of much chaffe And here is the crown of thy comfort Christ Jesus hath offered a sacrifice for every one that erreth and for him that is simple Ezek. 45.20 and he can reasonably bear with the ignorant and those that are out of the way Heb. 5.2 and he will carry on his work in thy soul till thy sinful distempers bee wholly subdued and thou shalt have no more cause to complaine Sect. 2. Comfort against inward terrours reproaches of men and outward afflictions 2. AGainst inward fears and terrours of conscience arising from sense of guilt and liableness to Gods displeasure Even the Lords redeemed may have shrewd remainders of the spirit of bondage upon them their spirits are sometimes startled and terrified with the fear or feeling of Divine wrath God lets Satan loose against them to bring their old sins to remembrance or to roar upon them as a Lion for new miscarriages And when he meets with a timorous unbeleeving heart he plies it so long with his fiery darts till at length he bereaves the sinner of all comfort Sometimes he is dejected and laid low in the sight of his own vileness Sometimes he is tossed and disquieted as the Sea with storms and tempests Sometimes he is even swallowed up with waves of soul-trouble as a ship ready to sink so that Satan seems to have his will of him Lam. 3.18 and he saith My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. A sad and unwelcome business I confess yet many of Gods dear servants have been thus put to it as both Scripture and experience do testifie Job complains that God held him for his enemy and made him to possess the iniquities of his youth Job 13.24 26. and therefore the poyson of his arrows did drink up his spirit and the terrours of God did set themselves in array against him Iob 19.25 Chap. 6.4 yet elsewhere he professeth his faith in the Redeemer David cries out that Gods arrows stuck so fast in him and his hand pressed him so sore that there was no soundness in his flesh nor rest in his bones Psal 38.3 4. The like we may see in Heman the Ezrahite Psal 88.3 6 7 14 15 c. But let the afflicted soul now have recourse to this harbour of Redemption and there he shall finde good shelter against all these storms What hast thou to fear save the curse of the Law why but that is removed and gone Thy Surety hath freed thee from it by making an end of thy sins No sin no curse If the Lord hide his face and frown upon thee it will bee for a moment for a small moment but he will return and with everlasting kindness have mercy on thee And for this thy Redeemer hath ingaged his word Isa 54.7 8. As for Satan that Lion of hell when he can neither hold nor recover his prisoners it is his next policy to disquiet them and to make their lives uncomfortable But tell him that thou art Christs devoted servant by vertue of a dear ransome and he hath nothing in thee neither shall hee rule in thy conscience he may go lash and torment his own marked slaves but thou art out of his reach And if the Lord and Satan do still pursue thy soul with terrours remember that thy Master Christ hath drunk of this bitter cup before thee and be assured that he will plead thy cause with his Father and at length he will take that roaring Lion under-hand and rend him as he would rend a Kid as it is said of Sampson Judg. 14.6 Know it dear Christian for thy comfort there are no storms in heaven 3 Against the cursings evill speakings reproaches contradictions of the men of the world Their tongues are set on fire of hell and they are very eloquâ—nt in the hellish art of cursed language especially against the Lords Redeemed ones smiting them with bitter words and heaping upon them the basest indignities which either the Devil can suggest or their malicious hearts invent Hast thou been acquainted with such unwelcome salutations Do thy prophane neighbours open their mouthes against thee And dost thou hear the words of cursing and bitterness yet be not troubled at it These arrows though they be very sharp and sent from a strong arm yet they shall not reach to pierce thy heart these coals of Juniper though they keep in the fire a whole year yet thou needest not fear scorching by them the malignity of them is taken away by the grace of Redemption If the curse of Gods righteous Law be voided to thee much more is the curse of mans unrighteous law If the Lord hath reversed and disanulled his just sentence passed against thee in heaven will he suffer the unjust sentence of sinful man on earth to stand in force against thee If the curse which is deserved shall not come much less shall that which is causeless Prov. 26.2 Say thou to God as David Let them curse but bless thou Psal 109.28 thou mayest hope that the Lord will requite thee good for their cursing as 2 Sam. 16.12 when the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt and upon their way to the promised Land Balaam was hired to curse them but the Lord turned the curse into a
begins at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 Say then Is this thy case Thou hast sinned and now thou sufferest I advise thee to be humbled for it yet not to be discomforted The Redeemer hath born the heat and burthen of Gods wrath for thy sin and these punishments are not the effects of indignation steeled with hatred but anger meekned with love Minde it good Christian the Lord hath annexed this proviso to the Covenant of grace If you transgress you must expect to be visited with the rod yet the Covenant shall stand fast Psa 89.30 c. As poyson duely mixed and ordered by the art of the skilful Pâ—ysiâ—ian doth not kill but help to bring health So the wise God will temper the punishments which he layes on thee for sin that they should not hinder but further the fruit of thy Redemption Thy Saviour learned obedience by the things which he had suffered for thy sin Heb. 5.8 Take thou out the same lesson I might here take occasion to start and dispute this question Whether those which are actually made partakers of the grace of Redemption be so fully freed from the curse of the Law in this life that the evills which they suffer for sin have nothing of the curse in them nor can be truly so called But I look upon it as a strife about words the controversie may be thus decided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The curse may be considered either materially as it is a thing contrary to the good and welfare of the creature and so unwelcome or formally as it the sinners liableness to the avenging wrath of God for sin Or it may be taken either largely for any evill whatsoever which is the reward of sin or strictly for that great evil of evils which stands in the separation of the sinner from God and his eternal perdition Take it materially or in the largest sense and both Scripture and experience speak it aloud that beleevers are not fully delivered from the whole curse in this life But take it formally and strâ—ctly and thus the elect sinner is wholly set free from it at the instant of his conversion The terrible tempest that would overwhelme him and render him utterly and everlastingly miserable is passâ—d by and shâ—ll not fall upon his head onely some drops and sprinklings may dash him but they shall not hurt him yea the nature of them is so altered Medâ—â—inales 〈◊〉 Aâ—g 〈◊〉 corrâ—â—â—â—nes◠〈…〉 â—nes fabrâ—â—â— loâ—â—s â—â—siones â—â—â—â—tâ—onâ—s candidatâ—â—â—es Guil Pâ—â—is apud Ames Bell. Enerv. that they do him good as the Lords Warning-peeces to bring him to repentance after his falls and a Physical receits which though they be not toothsome yet are wholesome to the soul Heb. 12.10 11. Jer. 24.5 If thou be well advised thou wilt not look upon them as effâ—cts of revenging justice but as fatherly chastisements and medicines to cure thy folly and helps to promote vertue as hammering or squarings and knocking 's or washings and whitenings Dan. 11.35 And this may minister sweet refreshing to thee under the roâ—â— even when thou hast the greatest cause of humiliation for thy sin CHAP. VIII Use 4. Examination Sect. 1. The first mark of actual interest in Redemption 4. BUt now lest some bold sinner should snatch at this Consolation under pretence of an interest in the grace of Redemption and the benefits and priviledges thereof it is requisite to adde something for Examination that every one may know whether he be actual partaker of them or no. If this was the great design of Jesus Christ in taking upon him the curse to buy poor sinners out of the hands of the Law and to deliver us from the Curse then it concernes us all to search our hearts and to try our wayes that upon due consideration we may be able to give a true satisfying answer in our own souls to this weighty case of conscience Whether am I indeed and truth redeemed from the curse of the Law For what shall it avail thee to claime that as thy right which upon due search will be found to be none of thine Shall not the Lord judge thee an Usurper and a Theefe in so doing Therefore judge thy selfe by inquiring how thy heart can answer to these markes and evidences of a redeemed soul 1. Dear love of the Redeemer Suppose a poor guiltie-slave tugging and sweating in an hard service under a cruel Lord and readie to breath out his soul for very anguish by reason of his bondage if now some happie man shall in meer compassion disburse a great summe for his ransome and set him at liberty how doth this engage the silly captives heart to his Deliverer How doth the esteem of him and commend him Oh! saith he had it not been for such a man I had lien by it for ever I even owe him my self and all that I am and I shall love him dearly as long as I live This is thy case if thou hast left Christ actually redeeming thee from the Curse Thou canst look upon him and consider both those depths of misery from which he hath rescued thee and that height of felicity whereinto he hath enstaâ—ed thee and also the desperate hazzards which he was constrained to runne for the perfecting of this great work and thou canst seriously profess and say with David I will love thee dearly O Lord my strength and my deliverer Psal 18.1 2. and 116.1 2 c. Thou canst now speak it in the uprightness of thy heart Oh my soul is exceedingly indeared unto the Lord Jesus for looking upon such a miserable creature I was as a dead dog before the Lord the curse of the Law was ready to wearie mee but Christ hath taken it off and delivered me from it Therefore I love him he hath my heart and shall have it for ever well then saith every pretender I doubt not but I am redeemed for I love Jesus Christ else I were not worthy to live But alas there is much false unsound Properties of sincere love of the Redeemer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae ad splendorem solis examen sustinere potest Pasor Lexic dissembling love in the world onely that which is pure sound and uncorrupt will evidence your interest in Redemption Eph. 6.24 Let us therefore hold up this Eagle before the Sun that we may trie whether it be right bred or a bastard True love to Christ the Redeemer is 1. Single carried to the person of Christ in a direct line the eye looks straight towards Christ so that he loves him primarily for himself and the good things which he enjoyes by him but at the second hand I grant that the benefit of Redemption applied is both a meanes to produce and an help to advance this love but when the soul begins to know Christ somewhat experimentally then he sees that beautie and excellency in him which renders him altogether lovely Can. 5.16 now he loves him intirely
and longs to be more nearly united to him He desires not to be delivered from the curse and so to be righteous and holy that he may have an interest in Christ That is not his method But contra he desires to have real interest in Christ that he may be freed from the Curse and so be clothed with his righteousness and conformed to him in holiness Bona tua non nisi tecum Domine If thy heart can say yea to this thou hast an evidence of sincere love to Christ but if thou lovest him onely for lumps for the benefits which thou gettest by him deliverance from hell and the glory of heaven thy love is mercenary 2. Superlative It transcends and overtops all the Love of the creature The redeemed soul loveth wife children friends his own life and the good things of this world according to their several degrees of goodness and he loves them not fainedly and in shew but truly and indeed within due limits and in such proportion as they are capable of but yet he loves Jesus Christ farre and farre above them all This love leaves all other loves many thousand miles behinde it so that none of them can come near it He is precious singularly precious to them that believe 1 Pet. 2.7 he is an honour to them they have a very high esteem of him His interest prevailes in their soules infinitely above all other interests in the world Christ disownes yea rejects all love tendred to him which is inferiour to the love of our dearest relations Matth. 10.37 yea we must hate these in comparison of him Luke 14.26 Ask thy soul what it can answer to this Doth thy soul set an high price on thy Redeemer Doth thy heart embrace him as incomparably excellent dost thou finde the enjoyment of him more sweet and contenting than all other enjoyments and his absence hiding of his face and restraint of his gracious influences from thy spirit more bitter and grievous then all other wants or burthens which thou mayest meet with But if thy heart set up any thing above him so that Christ and his partie when they stand in competition with some other partie which hath gotten the chair in thy soul are slighted and must sit at its footstool or be thrust out of doors Oh this is a base beggarly love which will not stand thee in stead 3. Invincible To clear this the love of Christ in an elect person actually redeemed may possibly be overcome by the prevailing of the contrary corruption It is not simply impossible being a created quality and therefore no more able to stand of it self without divine support than Adam's love to his Creatour which was so easily mastered by the suggestions of the serpent to the ruine of himself and his posterity yet notwithstanding this possibility it shall never be totally vanquished and lost in the soul It may be greatly decayed and driven into a corner so that the godly Christian may want the sence of it and may verily think that the love of Christ dwelleth not in him at all yet it is there and shall abide in him for ever This fire as that on the Altar shall never be wholly extinguished Because the Spirit of God which first kindled it is still present blowing it up less or more that it cannot die It 's a part of the seed of God which abides in the saints and preserves them from sinning unto death which they must needs do if the love of the Redeemer be totally routed 1 Joh. 3.9 It 's a stream flowing from the well of water which springs up in the believer unto everlasting life John 4.14 The world thrusts sore at this love that it may fall Prosperity on one side presents the beautiful and pleasing objects of riches honours eternal delights Gen. 49.24 to draw the love of the soul to themselves Adversity on the other hand will endeavour to affright the soul from the love of Christ by the sterne and unwelcome shapes of troubles afflictions persecutions and death it self yet it 's bow abides in strength by the hand of â—he mighty God as Joseph's did The Saints love not their lives to the death Rom. 12.11 because they love the Lord Jesus as Jonathan loved David not onely as their own soules 1 Sam. 20.17 but also with a wonderfull Love 2 Sam. 1.26 Jonathan's Love to David was admirable in this that it could not be taken off either by the frowns threats and violence of his Father Saul against David and against himself for adhering to David or by the consideration of his own interest which was deeply concerned in this business he being heir apparent to the Crown and David standing in his light so the love of the right Christian to Christ cannot be wholly overcomed by temptations on the right hand or the left it can envie and despise both the sweet inchanting of pleasure and the bitter affronts of danger and keeps its ground in some good measure against them all Love is strong as death the coales of this fire make a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench it nor the floods drown it Can. 8.6 7. Trie thy self if this be thy temper thy love is right bred but canst thou give way to any thing in the world to take off the edge of thy love to Christ This fire which is so soon put out came not down from heaven Yea minde it thou lovest Christ but thou feelest not a return of love from him to thy soul yet if thy love be incorrupt thou wilt still hold on in prison as well as Liberty in death as well as life it will not be quite tyred out by long delay of comfort but the hope of an answer of peace will keep it acting in thee and the dayes of thy waiting and serving him will seem to thee but a few for the love thou hast to him as Gen. 29.20 4. Accompanied with self-jealousie Although the love of the godly soul to his Redeemer be thus divinely qualified yet he hath keeps up within himself an holy suspicion concerning himself that he may work out his own salvation now actually begun with fear and trembling Phil. 2.13 Look as it is with a poor maid who is deeply in love with some young man of Eminent parts She considers the great worth and excellencie of the person and her own means and unworthiness She sees a vast distance betwixt her self and him so that she shall never be able to answer him according to his condition hence she apprehends some danger of miscarrying least he should reject her and her love should be lost yet still her affection goes out freely towards him and he hath her whole heart only she sees cause to fear least some undue or uncomely carriage of hers should displease him and provoke him to distaste her and this fear makes her the more cautelous and helps her to endeavour to give him all possible contentment that she may
not fail of her desires Thus it is with a poor son of Adam now made partaker of Redemption by Christ he is greatly in love with his Redeemer but considering the great inequality betwixt them and his proneness to offend he is jealous over his own base heart least some unworthy walking should give his love the lie and Christ the dearly beloved of his soul should turn him over to Sathan again and leave him to be a slave to sin and the curse or lest his love should decay or cool and Christ his onely one should be displeased at him and frown upon him The Gentiles grafted into the Olive-tree must not be high-minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Such are pronounced blessed Prov. 28.14 If Paul was jealous over the Corinthians much more might they themselves 2 Cor. 11.2 3. If this jealousie be a stranger to thee thy love may well be suspected By these signes thou mayest trie the truth of thy love to Christ and if thou findest this frame of spirit thou mayest conclude that thou art redeemed A love thus qualified is a sure evidence of thy Redemption For none can possibly love the Redeemer at this height but those which are actually partakers of the benefit By nature we do not we cannot love him onely the banner of his love in the work of Redemption displayed to the sinner by the spirit of God drawes his heart to love him It may be thou hast no assurance of any interest in this benefit but if thou findest in thy soul such an high estimation of Christ and grace and such an advised complacency of spirit in him as inclines thee to fix the dearest love of thy heart upon him notwithstanding the contrary struglings of the flesh within thee though it certainly draw after it the loss of all worldly interests whatsoever I say if this be thy frame thou hast no cause to fear thy condition Sect. 2. The second and third mark of interest in Redemption 2. WEariness under the bondage of sinne both that which is past and present 1. The remembrance of his late wofull thraldome under the guilt and power of sin doth sometimes sadden his spirit he cannot think of it without some degree of regret and sorrow The misery of his former slavery under sinne is his wormwood and gall when he hath it in remembrance his soul is humbled in him Yea although he hath good hope through grace that he hath escaped the danger of it yet that doth not damme or drie up the spring of sorrow in his soul but rather renders it now spiritual and kindly Now he saith in the language of the Prophet Oh let me never return into the house of this prison again lest I die there Trie thy self Iere. 37.20 It 's no sure signe of a good estate if upon supposal of thy interest in this benefit thy soule be lifted up to such an height of joy as drownes all thoughts of thy old sinfull condition and leaves thee altogether unaffected If the Apostle had judged this a commendable disposition he would never have exhorted the saints of Ephesus to remember in what a pitifull condition they had formerly been while they were farre off and in the flesh Ephes 2.11 12. 2. The sence of that heavie clogg which lies upon him the bodie of death with the lusts thereof which as fetters on his leggs are continually pinching him makes him to sigh and crie out Oh wretched man who shall deliver me and that not onely when he is in the dark about his spiritual estate but also in the day of his choisest assurance when he can heartily thank God in the view of his full deliverance to come Rom. 7.24 25. I conceive S. Paul doth there represent the temper of every right Christian as to this particular in his own example Suppose the armes leggs and other parcels of a dead carkass were chained to the body of a living man although the trunk of that carkass were taken quite away yet Oh how noisome would it be It would make a man wearie of himself Thus it is with the ransomed soul The bulk of the flesh as I may call it is destroyed by the cross of Christ the life of it is in a great measure laid in the dust when he is set free from the Law that is the commanding over-ruling masterfull power of sin yet still the members of this carkass the affections and lusts of the flesh are sprawling and stirring and working in him and these are as troublesome to a gracious heart as the stinking members of a dead body would be to a living body if they were coupled to it Consider thy self now and see how it is with thee Art thou as Rebekah weary of thy life Gen. 27.46 because of those daughters of Heth Canst thou say with all thine heart Oh that I were altogether freed from them oh that this vexatious Inmate with all her unwelcome train might be once pack'd out of doors that I might see it no more When shall it once be This is a sweet signe that thou art actually redeemed But now Art thou a stranger to this frame Is the bodie of sin no burthen nor grief of heart to thee Canst thou go under it without stooping Dost thou not rather bless thy self in thy civil carriage before men or at the best in thy religious outside profession and performances before God wondering at the preciseness of some persons which make so much adoe in sighing and lamenting under that pressing bondage of corruption which thou art not acquainted with nor knowest what it means This is a clear evidence that thou art still a wretched slave a meer stranger to the grace of Redemption 3 A sincere consolation and real endeavour to abandon all iniquity and for ever to relinquish a vain conversation Hee that hath laid a long time in iron fetters for his misdemeanours if he be wise for himself will utterly renounce those courses which hath brought him into that misery and he that hath felt the iron curse of the Law pinching his soul and is set free by the Lord Jesus the grace of God will effectually teach him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 When the Lord hath found a ransome for an humbled soul whose life was drawing near to the destroyers and hath sent his Commission to the Minister of the Gospel to deliver him the poor soul forthwith reflects upon himself and saith I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not that is I have gotten nothing by the trade of sin but woe and sorrow therefore I will follow it no longer Job 33 23.-27 I will not offend I will do no more Job 34.31 32. The Apostle Peter writing to the dispersed Jews tells them that they are redeemed from their vain conversation which they had received by tradition from their Fathers 1 Pet. 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They had sundry idle needless unprofitable customes both
the Spirit the same spirit presents the way of God prescribed in the word to the eyes of the minde and then bows the heart to the obedience of it so that the Soul saith Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.9 Christs sheep hear his voice by his Spirit speaking to the Churches and they follow him Joh. 10 27. Rev. 2.7 Consider this Christian where lyes thy walk which way goes the genius savour minding of thy soul Hast thou given up thy self to the guidance of the Spirit speaking in the word when it perswades thee to godliness humility love peace c. Doth thy soul imbrace its perswasions and art thou free to obey them It s well But doth thy pallate relish the things of the flesh Dost thou walk more willingly after it Are thy wisdome reason sense eâ—amples of others thy counsellors When thy carnal heart eggs thee on to some ungodly practise hatred malice brow-beating of thy neighbour revenge contentions selfishness and tenaciousness in case thou art called to help forward a good work it is a shrewd sign that thou art a stranger to this grace if thou followest its counsel 6 Purity of heart and life at least an unfained desire study endeavour after holiness in the whole frame of his soul and course of his conversation By our Apostacy from God we have implunged our selves into the ditch and are become every mothers childe of us at one clap filthy and stinking Simul putrefactâ— Psal 14.3 being slaves of Satan that unclean Spirit who labours to make us more and more black that we may be as foul as himself But when the Lord is pleased to draw any poor sinners out of this horrible pit by applying them to the grace of Redemption he will not suffer them to lye any longer in their blood and filth but he washeth away their filth and cleanseth their blood by the unspotted sacrifice of his Son and by the Spirit of judgement and of burning Heb. 9.14 Isa 4.3 4. See Heb. 10. â—2 Hearts sprinkled and bodies washed If an Israelite having taken any women captives in the war did espy one whom he had a minde to make his wife she must first be prepared by shaving her head and paring her nailes and putting off the rayment of her captivity and the like usages upon these termes and not otherwife shee might enjoy the priviledge of being his wife Deut. 21.10 c. That Hester a poor captive-maid may be capable of advancement to the Royal estate of a Queen wife to one of the greatest Monarchs in the world she must first be purified with the oyle of myrrhe and sweet odours for the space of fix months and then she is preferred to that honour Hest 2 12.-16 17. Even so when the Lord Jesus hath brought back the captivity of poor sinners that they may be married to him in heavenly glory they must first be purified in their consciences from the guilt and in their hearts from the reigning pollution of sin and they must still proceed to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that they may be presented to him holy 2 Cor. 7.1 and without blame Eph. 5.27 This was one of Christs great designes in giving himself for us that he might redeem us and purifie us to be a peculiar people unto himself The walk of the Redeemed is in the high-way of holiness Isa 35.8 9. Tit. 2.14 and he will not be bafled in any of his designes The Lord will not own thee for a redeemed soul if thou lyest still in thy filthiness and art a stranger to this spiritual purity What sayest thou to this how stands thy heart affected is true holiness beautiful in thine eyes dost thou desire and hunger after it dost thou study and stretch out continually towards it art thou still complaining of the remnants of impurity and canst thou not be satisfied without a greater measure of purity both of heart and life This is a good sign that thou hast an interest in Christ's Ransome But dost thou distaste puritie canst thou jeer it and scoffe it and slight it as needless is it burthensome to thee and likest thou rather to abide in the old sent and to lie in the dung of thy corrupt estate and wayes than to rise up and to follow after holiness Surely thou art still in the bond of Iniquitie CHAP. IX Use 5. Sect. 1. Exhortation to sensless sinners 5. THis important Truth may afford us matter of very profitable exhortation The knowledge of this main Gospel-principle concerning the buying out of poor sinners from the curse of the Law by Christs becoming a curse for them is very usefull for all the sonnes and daughters of Adam to excite them to such duties as are most proper to their present conditions respectively None of Adam's brood but it hath somewhat to say to them 1. It cries aloud in the ears of sensless sinners which lie secure in their old slavery under the curse unto this day Oh wretched creatures what thing shall I take to witness for you or what shall I equal to you Lam. 2.13 What tongue can utter words or what eyes can send forth tears sufficient to lament your sad condition You lie bound hand and foot under the power of darkness and here is Redemption to be had by Christ Oh then why will you chuse to lie so still and not rather accept of seasonable deliverance Should a Prince send a message to imprisoned Captives that their ransome is paid they may come forth upon reasonable termes be freemen if now none will stirr to embrace the offer might it not well be thought that either they are all dead or in a deep sleep or strangely besotted God sends these glad tidings to sinners every day by the Gospel they never regard it Either they say as the Jews Jo. 8.33 We are not in bondage or they sit secure and say no evils shall befall us Wo wo to the inhabitants of the world which slight this pretious grace choosing rather to lie still under the brazen barres of the curse of Gods fiery Law which accepts of no man's person and cannot admit of any plea of exemption for noble or base rich or poor All are alike Rom. 3.21 Oh what pittie is it and how should it humble us even unto the dust to see such a precious jewel trampled under the feet or carelesly cast behinde the backs of sinners to observe in the greatest number such an indifferency of spirit as they are no whit affected with this pearl that neither sorrow for want of it nor desire to enjoy it nor any serious regard of it can take place in their souls that though they be told of deliverance by Christ and profess that they believe it yet the Devil prevails with them to resist their own good and willingly to abide in the chains of the curse all their daies I beseech you if there be any spark of
lawfull selflove in your breasts if you have not wholy abandoned all compassion of your selves and are become your own enemies be awaked from your sloth and look about you Do you thus requite the Lord Jesus O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father Rom. 7.9 that hath bought thee Rather let my counsel be acceptable to you in these few particulars 1. Give way to the Light and authority of the Law in the ministry of it to bring thee to a thorough conviction of thy misery and extream need of the help of their Redeemer Think it not sufficient that the Law hath lent thee light enough to say All men are sinners and so to wrappe thy self in gross with them and to be content to be reckoned among them seeing thou canst not avoid it but bring it home to thy conscience believe thy self to be his accursed sinner and say I am the man Imprison not the truth in unrighteousness but let it so overpower thy soul that thou mayest be no longer able to resist it but mayest yield thy self into the arrest of God's justice that the spirit of bondage may cause thee to fear the curse and wrath of God and thou mayest lie slain Deut. 32.6 and dead in thy self utterly unable to recover thy self and therefore helpless and hopeless as to thy self or any thing in the world Let the Law have its free course to work thee into this frame When the Lord meane's to apply the ransome to a poor sinner for his deliverance from the pit he first open's his ears and scale's his instruction that he may hide pride from him Job 33 17.-24 If thou be wise thou wilt meet the Lord in this way though it be unpleasant yet it is profitable But if thou either continuest dead and blockish under the discoveries of the Law or favourest thy self in thy sloth and ease or liftest thy crests in confidence of the safety of thy condition there is no hope for the present of any saving good towards thee And yet alas how is the Spirit of the Law straitened in these sad times Our people will not suffer it to come near them much less to master them If any thing be offered them in way of conviction they either drown it in their cups or sing it away in merry Jiggs or laugh it out of countenance or at the best suffer it to wear off and to die in their hands But in the fear of God beware of these things I tell thee thou mayest be quite dismounted and cast down at the Lords feet All wayes must be block'd up whereby the carnal heart may take occasion to nourish hope of escaping out of this prison 2. Being at this loss advisedly resolve not to abide in this condition but to make hast out of it Say to thy self O my soul Where in what case art thou It 's no tarrying here It 's too hot to be under the curse in the flames of hell Who can dwell with the devouring fire with everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 Search enquire ask counsel Go to the ministers of Christ and say unto them as these Acts 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we do and the Jaylour Acts 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved They are the messengers of the Lord of hosts their lips should preserve knowledge and you must seek the law at their mouths Mal. 2.7 Their office is to publish this ransome and to declare unto the humbled sinner his righteousness in pronouncing him delivered by virtue of that Ransome Job 33.23 24. But oh alas if there be a Minister in the Town an Interpreter one that is willing according to the measure of the gift bestowed on him to reveal the counsel of God to poor sinners how long may he sit at home before any of his neighbours will knock at the door to tell him that they are wretched prisoners under the Curse and know not how to get out yea although he be accounted one of a thousand scarcely four persons in a whole twelve-moneth will come to him travelling under their burthen and propounding such questions as these Oh how shall I get from the Curse of the Law who shall draw me out of this woful dungeon wherein I ly Truly this speaks sad things to such a people and testifies against them that they are seared in their consciences and sealed up unto condemnation 3. Fall down before the glorious Majestie of the great Lawgiver the Lord of heaven and earth as forlorne prisoners and condemned Slaves Spread your case before him by a free and full Confession ripp up the bowels of that darkness and death that sinkhole of hell that lies in your souls Tell him in what a desperate state thou art deal plainly seriously and sincerely leave no covert or shelter or figg-leaf to hide thy self under but lay thy soul bare and naked before him Let thy Laughter be turned into mourning James 4.9 and in the sence of thine undone condition crie mightily as the prisoner at the barre for mercy and deliverance Ionah 3.9 who can tell but that the Lord will returne and have compassion on thee that thou perish not in the hands of the Curse When Saul was stricken down to the earth by a light and voice from heaven and stood before the Lord trembling and astonished he forthwith falls to this work Lord saith he What wilt thou have me to do as if he should say Lord thou hast overcome I must yield what shall I do in this exigent If thou wilt shew me thy minde and the way which I should go Lo I am here willing to obey Acts 9.3 4 c. and the Lord speaking of him to Ananias mentions it as a thing very remarkable even with a starre in the forehead Behold See Iob 3â— 26 he prayeth verse 11. And certainly If the Spirit of bondage hath brought the Curse close home to thy soul and caused it to sting thee to the purpose thou wilt not be restrained but thy chamber and closet and every corner where thou canst have Libertie to disburden thy self will be witnesses of thy complaints and petitions and thou wilt let the Lord see that thou art in good earnest But wo is me while our people continue so sottish and prophane and their hearts so unaffected with their misery that they cannot bow nor bend they have neither expressions nor affections of prayer it is no marvel if the grace of Redemption lie altogether neglected Restraint of prayer argues security Iob 15.4 If the bankrupt debtor be so stout and stiff that he will not fall down and beseech his Creditor to have patience and compassion on him he may lie by it who can pittie him 4. In the mean time take notice that there is a Ransome paid for sinners by Jesus Christ that he hath taken upon him the Curse to buy them out from it Take it for granted and write upon it as unquestionable that redemption is feasable
so that there is hope that even thou mayest be actually delivered out of this wofull prison Labour to understand the nature of this mystery be perswaded of the realness of it get thy soul bottomed on the certainty of this main Gospel-truth work on thy heart the consideration of the necessity of it in reference to thine own state Study it and dwel upon it in thy most serious thoughts that thy heart may be duly affected with it as a thing most nearly concerning thine own particular But alas our people although they hear this Doctrine frequently yet either they are as the horse and mule without understanding or they hear it as a common story deserving onely some weak confused assent or they look upon it as an ordinary mercie or as drie Manna never so much as going about to ponder the personal importance of it but busying themselves about and enslaving themselves unto the profits and pleasures and poor contentments of the world so that they have neither minde nor leasure to think of saving their soules from the stroke of God's curse It cannot be expected that these persons continuing such should ever attain to an actual interest in this benefit they forsake their own mercie by observing lying vanities Jon. 2.8 and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 5. But then take this along with you and be it known unto you all that the Lord hath measured out and appointed a way wherein you must go if ever you will come to this city of Refuge Reckon not on actual Redemption meerly upon this score because Christ hath taken upon him the Curse and thereby satisfied the justice of the Law God hath as well fixed the means as the End He hath prescribed something in the nature of a condition Cum unusquisque actui ex sua voluntate pendenti legem possit imponere c. Grotius de Satisfac cap. 6. to be performed on our part yet by his strength in order to the obtaining of a real interest in this benefit In every act which depends upon a mans will and pleasure to do it or not to do it he hath liberty to set down his own termes as that the effect or fruit of it shall enure either absolutely or under a condition As in case I am willing to be at cost for the ransoming of a slave out of Turkie I may lawfully impose upon him some honest reasonable conditions whereunto if he do not submit he shall have no benefit by the ransome If this may be allowed to a man whose breath is in his nostrils how much more to God the great Monarch and Governour of the world Although he was very well satisfied with the price which Christ paid as being fully satisfactory to his justice Yet it was not the minde either of the Father or the Sonne that any sinner should actually be discharged forthwith upon the payment of the price but onely upon a condition of something in himself which may be a ground of a personal title thereunto Suppose the Prince or state should accept of the satisfaction given by another be it his eldest Son for the crimes of certain prisoners resolving that their release should become actual onely upon some conditions to be performed by themselves although not by their one power should any of them under pretence of this satisfaction take it ill that they are not forthwith set at liberty and thereupon offer to make an escape may not this be justly interpreted a breach of prison may not they expect to hear some say Stay friends you make too much haste there goes too words to a bargain Look to your task do that which you are enjoyned and the prison doores will instantly flie open else you must be fetch'd back again and your bonds made more strong Even so if you will snatch at this freedome assoon as ever you heâ—r that the price is paid creeping out at the window and not going forth by the door you will finde at length that you are wretched Bondmen still if you will take possession by leaping over the hedge and not by the way of Liverie Rom. 10.3 Luke 13.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ejected out of illegal possession If not from eternity or before they were borne and Seisin you must be cast out as Intruders and Usurpers Yet alas this is a very common but a dangerous Solaecisme in Christianitie which is rendred more plausible by the late Antinomian doctrine of the actual acquittance of all the Elect at and from the very time of Christ's sufferings Men hear the report of the Redemption of the world by Christ and they presumptuously claim a part in it at the first news not regarding the termes upon which it must become theirs if ever they enjoy it If a Minister go to a careless sinner lying on the bed of languishing and present unto him his sinne and the Curse that he may see his danger and look out for the remedie he will confidently avouch that Christ hath shed his blood for him and will save him he never fears it and yet this man hath all his life time rejected the counsel of God against himself concerning the way to get a particular interest therein Alas poor soul this confidence is nothing else but a pleasant dream and there will be a sad awaking at last when thou hast cheated thy self into everlasting chains Sect. 2. The way to get an actual Interest in Redemption BUt what is that way or mean which God hath fixed as a kinde of condition of the sinners actual interest in this grace of Redemption I Answer 1. The proper and most principal mean is faith in the Lord Jesus The Scripture layes the stress of this business mainly upon Faith As Christ is the way to the Father John 14.6 so Faith is the way to Christ therefore it is called the faith which is into Christ Acts 26.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ—tâ— me So 2 Tim. 2.15 by which sinners receive forgiveness and an inheritance and it is described to be a comming unto Christ John 6.39 God hath set him forth to be a propitiation and he becomes such actually to me through Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 This is as an hand created in the soule by the Spirit of God to receive and take home Jesus Crist the Redeemer with all his benefits unto eternal life It is when a sinner sensible of his sinne and the curse and so lost in himself renounceth his own righteousness and all creature-helps and betakes himself to Jesus Christ alone accepting him as he is offered in the Gospel that is both to be his Saviour and his Lord both to rest upon him for righteousness and salvation an to resigne himself up to his Government in subjection to his Lawes This is the Faith of the Gospel which as it hath a special aptness in that it acts as the eye sees Non extramittendo sed intramittendo to be a mean of
interessing us in the grace of Redemption so we cannot doubt that the Lord hath put upon it this office also to be after the manner of a condition if we observe these Scripture-expressions Rom. 4.24 if we believe on him that raised up Jesus it shall be imputed to us for righteousness Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt believe in thy heart thou shalt be saved and the want of this condition is threatned with death Jo. 8.24 See also Jo. 20.31 Acts 8.37 But 2. This faith towards the Lord Jesus is ever accompanied with repentance towards God which is called repentance from dead works and coupled with faith in God as twins in the doctrine of the foundation of Christ Heb. 6.1 This is the souls irking with its former sinfull estate and wayes and a deep displeasure at himself for them together with a forsaking of them and turning away from them unto God in the sincere purpose of the heart and serious endeavour of the conversation And that repentance hath some hand in this business to be a mean and as a condition too in part of interest in Redemption may appear by promises of mercie pardon and healing made to it Pro. 28.14 Iob 33.27 28. Job 11.14 15 c. 2 Chron. 7.14 Acts 3.19 and the contrary threatning Luke 13.3 which plainly implies that without this there is no escaping of perdition and therefore no actual Redemption So that the sinner now as by one hand of faith he takes Christ's Righteousness unto himself so by Repentance as by the other hand he thrusts away sinne from himself out of his heart and hands that he may enjoy a part in the grace of Redemption Christ the Redeemer himself made these the chiefest subject of his preaching Mark 1.15 and so did his Apostles to whom the publication of this Doctrine was committed Acts 20.21 and directed humbled soules to both these as they had occasion S. Peter ascribes Repentance with Baptisme Acts 2.38 and S. Paul saith Act. 16.31 not that those two preachers differed in their judgements or that either of these two graces were sufficient alone by it self but rather to shew their near affinity that they cannot be separated that the right and thorough performance of the one is the performance of both This is the Kings High-way if you hope to compass Redemption and salvation in any other way you will certainly be deceived Oh that you the careless sinners in Zion for unto you I speak all this while would at length be rouzed by the sound of this trumpet to look out for deliverance by Christ before the prison doors be made so fast upon you that there will be no remedy and to provoke you the more to a thing so necessary consider these Motives 1. There is no possibility of deliverance from sinne and the Curse by any other means A redeemer you must have or you are undone and the redeemer must pay a vaste summe for your Redemption This is done to your hand by Jesus Christ if you will accept it upon his termes If you will not I would aske where will you finde a Redeemer Do you look for another to come He that must do this work must bear the Curse for you But where is the man that can or will undertake this God hath found none in heaven or earth mighty enough to lay this help upon Isa 63.5 but Jesus Christ therefore he hath laid it upon him Psal 89.19 and now there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne There is no wisedome nor power in all the world that can relieve or bestead the sinner which will not submit to this way of God 2. If thou wilt not give way to Christ to glorifie his mercie in rescuing thee from the Curse and Condemnation he will glorifie his Justice in letting thee lie an accursed prisoner for ever If thou wilt seek the Lord his hand will be upon thee for good But if thou forsake him his power and his wrath will bee against thee to thy ruine Ezra 8.22 If thou wilt not kiss the Sonne he will be angry and thou shalt perish in the way Psal 2.12 His taking the Curse upon him will not serve thy turne to secure thee from the danger of it unless thou wilt be perswaded to come up to his termes and heartily embrace him as thine onely Lord-Redeemer will give a large commission to it to destroy thee without mercie He that obeyes not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him John 3.36 and he will come with vengeance in his hands against them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1.18 3. Now the Lord offers you this incomparable mercie you have the render of it still continued in the Ministerie of the Word and the Spirit is Still inviting and beseeching you to accept of this redemption and reconciliation thereby Oh then hearken to the motion and yeild your selves forthwith unto the Lord. For although you do not give a peremptory denial yet if you sit still and triffle your hearts will be hardened Psal 95.7 8. I know thy thoughts thou takest it for granted that thou canst come and get a part in Christ when thou pleasest but it is not so It 's easie to say God be mercifull to me and it is in thy power to presume but to repent and to believe unfainedly and in truth thou shalt finde to be a work above thy strength I tell thee thou bold sinner God will one day come near and plead thus with thy conscience I gave thee Twenty thirty fortie yeares and all that while my Spirit hath been wrastling with thee to draw thee to Christ and thou sayest I can come at my pleasure If thou canst why hast thou not come all this while Seing therefore thou hast dallied with my grace and rendred all my importunity and waiting void and ineffectuall thou shalt never enter into this blessed rest of Redemption 4. If you have any true love to the Ministers of Christ or any desire of their welfare and comfort then come in and seek for a share in this benefit Wee are the servants of the Lord Jesus sent forth to proclaim Redemption to the world How would it glad our hearts to see you all flocking in as doves to the windowes for your interest therein that we may rejoyce in the day of Christ and say Behold here am I and the soules whom thou hast ransomed with thy blood which have yielded themselves to thee through our Ministery If you set light by this grace and love the world and the contentments of it better than Jesus Christ you break our hearts and you will bring down our heads with shame and sorrow to the grave But if you have no regard of us yet at least pittie your selves When the Lord of the whole world shall call us to give an account of our stewardship and we shall be forced to give in this true evidence against you Lord we have stretched out our hands all the day all the
year all our life long to a careless and disobedient people Rom. 10.12 Our words came to their eares but they would not suffer them to reach their hearts Oh then how can you lift up your heads or whether will you flie for relief And now I could heartily wish that his word might follow you home and the sound of this trumpet grow more and more shrill in your eares till it hath awakened you thoroughly Still remember that it is a business of the greatest importance requiring your choicest pains and diligence if S. Austine said truly He that hath made thee without thee will not save thee without the understanding it of full savation or the whole course of it means as well as end then may we say as truly he that hath paid the price of thy redemption without thee will not give thee the full possession of it without thee That which a man seeks he may probably finde if thou wilt bestir thy self in the use of means there is hope that thou mayest injoy this mercy But if thou sleightest and neglectest it thou shalt be sure to lose it As free a gift as it is God will not drop it into your mouthes while you snort and sleep if you think it not worth your most serious endeavours you shall never bee better for it I have delivered mine errand and I must leave it with you Now advise and see what answer I shall return to him that sent mee CHAP. X. Sect. 1. Exhortation to sensible sinners 2. THis precious Truth holds forth an Olive-branch of peace to sensible and broken sinners which are convinced of their misery by the curse and lye under the bondage age of it unable to get out Poor soul thou feelest thy self accursed thou hearest that Christ by becoming a curse hath ransomed sinners from the curse yet something still knocks thee off that thou canst not reach up to the enjoyment of this happines but walkest mournfully as a meer stranger to it expecting the uttermost mischief that it can work against thee I beseech thee in the bowels of our dear Redeemer take special notice of this weighty Truth and bring it home close to thy spirit Arâ— thou perswaded that Christ hath done this for wretched sinners Why then dost not thou set thy heart upon it and improve it seriously for thy best advantage Thou poor weather-beaten soul be of good chear the Lord Jesus hath paid thy ransome and now he bids thee come out of prison Wilt thou not give him leave to redeem thee but chuse to lye by it still Oh do not nourish this bondage of conscience any longer by holding off from this blessed remedy Say to thy soul I see the Redeemer hath paid a price which is abundantly sufficient to redeem many thousands and hath made them prisoners of hope Well I will humbly hope that I am one of that happy number And that thou mayest be really happy in the personal possession of this grace of Redemption I will give thee counsel and God shall bee with thee Take it in three particulars 1. Seriously ponder the weight and strength of this great design It is bottomed on the everlasting love of God and managed by his admirable wisdome The spring from which it flows is love and wisdome carries it on from first to last It is the good pleasure of his will founded on his everlasting decree that sinners should be delivered and saved in this way and in none other Hearken what the Lord saith to thee poor sinner I have given my Son to take upon him thy curse that thou mightest be freed from it And here I give thee my faithful promise that if thou wilt heartily accept him for thy Lord-redeemer and resign up thy self unto him thou shalt both be acquitted from all the mischief which the curse would bring upon thee and moreover instated in all that righteousness and glory which he enjoyes as Mediator and that by a sure Covenant never to be forgotten my word may be sufficient security to thee but if that will not serve behold here are my seals the Sacraments visible evidences of my well-meaning which may put all out of question Oh then I beseech thee bring thy heart to rest satisfied in this unless thou darest sleight the Lords free love or thinkest that thou canst disanull his eternal purpose and resist or alter the counsel of his will and be wiser than thy Maker what may hinder but thou shouldest lay hold on this strength and make peace Isaiah 27.5 2. I suppose thou art skared out of thine old prophane temper and seest great need of plying the Throne of grace a with supplications for mercy deliverance pardon and acceptation Psal 130.1 Lam. 3.55 56. Well continue still instant and watch thereunto let not thy sales fall especially pray earnestly for grace and strength to perform the condition Although the benefit of Redemption be far out of thy reach and seem impossible in thine eyes Mar. 9.23 yet if thou canst beleeve it is thine all things are possible to him that beleeveth And because faith is the gift of God and no man can Come to Christ unless the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 therefore it behooves thee to bee importunate for this drawing power to bring thee to Jesus Christ that thou mayest rest upon him and be happy And unto prayer joyn other Ordinances waiting on God in the use of them all in their several degrees and seasons till the Spirit shall breathe a spark of faith into thy soul Hearken not to those which bid thee lye still Prov. 19.15 and wait but do nothing idle waiting may lull thee asleep in security and lay thee open to delusions and false hallowS concerning thy spiritual condition which may tend to thy undoing but it is not the way wherein the Spirit of God delights to draw near to the soul of the humbled sinner Wait on the Lord and keep his way Psal 37.34 The Lord is willing to do great things for poor sinners yet he will bee enquired of by them they must seek unto him for the performance of them Ezek. 36.37 3. While thou art thus sighing towards heaven and begging faith to be ransomed and freed from thy sore bondage be careful to learn self-denial trampling under-foot not onely thine own righteousness which I presume thou dost already but also wisdome reason sense and whatsoever else may unhappily stop thy way and keep thee off from Christ and still ever and anon be trying thy heart towards the acting of faith do not sit down in the sullenness of thy spirit saying I do well to hold of but struggle with thy unbeleeving heart Set thy foot upon this way and lift up one foot after another that at last thou mayest come to close with thy Redeemer See he is here waiting for thy coming Oh saith he Hos 13.13 How long will the poor child stay in the place of breaking forth of children Stick at it
no longer but over-leaping at difficulties forthwith betake thy self to Jesus Christ and thou art actually set free Ioh. 16.9.10 Let thy heart be convinced of righteousness as well as of sin that as thou hast seen thy sin powerfully working towards thy condemnation so thou mayest see and gladly imbrace the righteousnesse of Christs Salvation working as powerfully for thy acquittance and justification Say Lord although I finde no encouragement either in my self or from the creature to expect any good by the work of Redemption yet seeing thou hast graciously promised deliverance to all poor captives that will betake themselves to Jesus Christ and give up themselves to him by faith behold here I am I beleeve help thou mine unbeleef Mar. 9.24 hee shall have the cream of my heart I will make bold to go to him and cast my burthen upon him for ever But here the humbled soul is ready to plead against himself in this manner Sect. 2. Answer to two Objections Object 1. If I knew that this benefit did indeed belong to me then I might have some ground to beleeve on Christ for the obtaining of it But I have no assurance of that and thus to beleeve might be to beleeve an untruth and so instead of doing a duty I should commit a sin Answ 1. This Objection ariseth 1. From ignorance of the extent of the grace held forth in the Gospel as if it did except some particular persons whereas it makes an offer to all and every one indefinitely under the conditions before expressed 2 From a mistake about the proper nature of faith supposing it to be an assurance or perswasion of heart concerning the love of God in special to me and my actual interest in redemption whereas in truth it stands 1 In the understandings assent to the doctrine of the Gospel or a beleef of the certainty of those things which Christ hath done for us as Mediator Nemo jubetur credere se redemptum esse priâ—squam credat in ipsum And 2. The hearts willing consenting and accepting of him with all his benefits freely offered I must not first know that I have right unto actual Redemption and then beleeve on Christ but I must first beleeve on Christ that I may have an actual right in it No man can be groundedly perswaded of his personal interest in Christ and the grace of Redemption till he hath heartily consented to the match which the Gospel offereth and given up himself to him as his Lord Redeemer 2. Yet thou hast sufficient yea abundant warrant thus to beleeve that is to take Christ and to rest on him for Redemption both from Gods express command as 1 Joh. 3.23 and from his invitations by promises of rest righteousness and salvation Matth. 11.28 Act. 13.39 and 16.31 Christ himself tells us plainly Joh. 6.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. answering them that asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God That this saith he is the work or the work of God by way of eminency that work which he would have you to do and which is well-pleasing to him above all other works that ye beleeve c. This is thy work fall to it presently stand not disputing or questioning whether this Redemption be for thee but beleeve that by beleeving thou mayest be instuted in it and it may be actually thine Object 2. But I have heard that this benefit is not for all Christ never intended to buy out all and every one of Adams posterity from the Curse and it may be I am none of that number for whom it was meant Answ 1. To the former branch of the Objection Divines have various apprehensions concerning the extent of Redemption The most received doctrine amongst orthodox Writers as I take it is that it is as narrow as Election and effectual vocation that the Lord did not intend that the curse and sufferings of Christ should be paid as a price for the ransoming of all and every one but only of those who were singularly designed in Gods eternal purpose according to Election to the injoyment of it by effectual calling There be other two opinions which hold an universality of Redemption yet with a very great difference The Arminians teach that Christ dyed for all alike that by his death he obtained that all men should be restored into the state of grace and salvation that Almighty God did not will or intend the redemption of any one more See Wards Conc ad Clerum pag. 19.20 or less than another that both the price was paid for Judas as well as for Peter and the application of it on Gods part is equally for them both not more for Peter than Judas but the difference is made by themselves the one accepting the other refusing the grace tendered by the power of his own will But this doctrine is to be rejected as false and dangerous It doth clearly make void the grace of God and exalt mans free will lifting him up into the seat of God to be his own Redeemer for say they when God hath put forth all those workings of grace which he is wont to make use of in the way to conversion See Suffrag Collegâ—ate in Arâ— 1.2 3. yet still the will is left in an equal poise betwixt beleeving and not beleeving able indifferently to incline either way so that in case a man shall hearken and answer the Lords call by beleeving and so turn effectually this man now hath struck the main stroak in the business in as much as hee might have refused it if he would and he hath whereof to boast and may say I had no more grace given towards conversion than others yet they have rejected it and remain unconverted but I by the freedome of my will have imbraced it and so am converted and consequently in actual possession of the grace of Redemption The Scripture speaks otherwise 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing if not to think than much less to will or to work Phil. 2.13 It is God which works in you both to will and to work Oh wretched man by thine Apostacy thou hast lost thy self and made thy will a perfect slave to sin so that unless it be first set free by grace it cannot possibly be free to any good There be some other Divines Voluntas in tantum libera in quantum liberata Aug. both learned judicious and godly which allow an universality of Redemption and they deliver their judgement thus or to this effect That Jesus Christ by the appointment of his Father taking upon him the curse due to sin did give himself a sacrifice and paid a price for the ransome of all mankinde yet not with an equal intention and resolution for every one but thus Effectually to redeem and perfectly to save all those whom the Father had given him that is the Elect by applying unto them his
shall be But then 2. Hence to infer that it is no matter what a man doth or how he walks is a wicked and dangerous conclusion for the Decreee of Predestination hath made a necessary connexion betwixt the means and the end but that godless inference breaks this golden chain all to peeces To live in ignorance security unbeleef disobedience is the ready way to hell and consequently a fearful mark of Reprobation To neglect means of saving knowledge faith repentance and new obedience is to forfeit salvation and to declare thy self to be none of Gods Elect. A learned Divine illustrates this by a similitude thus Davenant Animadversions on a Treatise called Gods love to mankinde p. 512 Put case saith he a battel were to be waged betwixt two Armies and God should reveal some way or other that the greater part of the souldiers shoâ—â—d perish in the fight and some few escape not mentioning the particular persons which should be slain or preserved if any souldier should now either pass sentence upon himself before-hand or suffer his heart to be fore-stalled with a strong conceit that he is one of them that shall be slain and shall thereupon despairingly run upon his enemies swords or throw down his weapons and neglect himself and so perish I demand whether this despair and the effects thereof are not rather to be imputed to his own indiscretion than to the divine revelation without doubt he may justly blame himself for taking occasion where none was given The application is easie To walk in the state and wayes of sin or to avoid the way of faith and holiness out of a conceit or fear that thou art not in the number of the Elect is damnable madness 3. It is a groundless supposition to say If I be not elected all my labour of beleeving repenting and holy walking will be lost for it implies that a man may do all these and yet be damned But this is altogether inconsistent with the frame of the Gospel which holds forth the quite contrary that he that doth these things shall bee saved 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Rom. 2.7 8 c. 4. No man in the world can give thee an infallible assurance of thy election immediately neither oughtest thou to seek for such assurance Scripture and reason both will tell thee that â—ods eternall counsels are so deep as they cannot possibly be found out no man ought to conclude peremptorily of himself that he is a Reprobate rather let every one that lives in the Church and under the sound of Gods Ordinances conceive hope that he is one of the elect number provided that he improve this hope to be a spur to diligence in the use of means towards salvation But then take heed that thou suspend not this upon the certain knowledge of thine election say not I will first know that I am elected before I take pains in the way to salvation If the King should grant a pardon to a hundred Traytors whose names are inrolled in the Exchequer upon certain conditions to be performed by them expressed in a Proclamation it would be a foolish preposterous course first to search the Rolls before they look after the performance of the conditions no they must first do this and then sue out their pardon Even so thy way to heaven is not first to climbe up thither to search the Records whether thy name be there the word is near thee even in thine heart Say not who shall go up to heaven for me Rom. 10.6 8. Think not of jumping into heaven at once Begin at the bottome of the ladder and go up by steps He that will not set himself oâ— the way to salvation unless God will first make him of his Cabinet-councel is sure to meet with damnation as the deserved reward of his desperate folly Therefore poor soul if thou hast begun go on by the exercise of Faith Repentance and all other graces to make thy calling sure this will make thine Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and then thou needest not fear thy Redemption Obj. 4. But I have so long neglected to hearken to the counsel of the word calling me to believe that it may be the day of grace is past to me If the Lord had any thoughts of good towards me he would have perswaded my heart before this time but now I am grown into such a setled habit of unbelief that I may fear the Lord hath even determined to leave me under the power of it for ever Ans 1. God is the Soveraigne Lord of time he workes at all houreâ— of the day he calles at the Eleventh as well as the sixth or nineth houres Matth. 20.5 6. he hath his several seasons of offering grace bringing Christ home to the soul and satisfying the soul with the comfort of enjoying him according to his good pleasure 2. I confess it is a very dangerous thing for a sinner to resist the motions of the Spirit till he be even wearied out till the Lord say peremptorily my Spirit shall no longer strive with this man I will leave him to his own counsels And it is to be feared that this is the case of very many who living under quickening means yet grow old in a secure sensless state and course and it is ten to one that these persons have sitten out their day of grace Yet let no sinner no not he that is of the blackest grime or longest standing set down this absolutely against himself that this day of Grace is quite past Say not it 's now too late to Repent and believe or if I do God will not regard me This were to denie the grace of the new Covenant If now at length thou wilt open thine eares to the counsel of the Gospel and laying aside thine enmitie wilt heartily come in thou shalt finde by good experience that there is abundant grace in the Lord Jesus for thy recoverie and salvation See the example of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 14. 3. But as for the poor afflicted soul although thou hast turned a deaf ear to the encouragements of the Spirit of God and hearkened to thine own heart too long yet thou hast no such cause of fear For thy practise doth constantly proclaim that thou fearest the Lord and obeyest the voice of his servant Isa 50.10 in departing from all known iniquity and endeavouring to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Onely thou art in darkness as to thy right unto Jesus Christ and the grace of Redemption and although thou breathest after him in the desires of thy soul yet thou canst not reach up sensibly to close with him by faith In this condition as sad as it is to thee the Lord looks upon thee as a tender mother lookes upon her childe that will not take the breast he pities thy waywardness and will not make it an advantage against thee but still invites thee to stay thy self on his Name He can easily change thy heart of
magnanima satis est prostrasse Leoni than the dearest mother can be over her childe The lyon of the Tribe of Judah will not hurt that soul which lies prostrate before him 2. It is a special clause in the Mediatours Commission that he should proclaim Liberty to the Captives Isa 61.1 God the Father saith to him Lo I give thee for a Covenant of the people that thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth Isa 49.8 9. Be sure thou take special care of poor sensible sinners pour oyl into their woundes and give them beauty for ashes Cherish those distressed soules which lie sighing and sobbing under the burthen of their bolts and fetters those that are lost in themselves and come running to thee like the chased Hart panting after the water-brooks and cannot be satisfied without thee Dost thou think that Jesus Christ will not execute his Commission to the full 3. The termes on which thou mayest actually enjoy Christ and Redemption are very fair being both reasonable and easie 1. What can be more reasonable then that the poor slave should in the sence of his undone condition heartily own him for his onely Redeemer who hath both paid his ransome and fetch him out of prison and what is faith but the lost sinner's acknowledging and accepting of Jesus Christ for his All in all 2. What can be more easie than to do a work the stress whereof lies upon another hand not on thine It 's true of thy self thou art no more able to believe than to keep the whole Law for the dead man can stirre his right hand no more then his left but the Gospel or Covenant of grace affords strength to believe whereas the Law or Covenant of works affords none at all to obey Ier. 31.37 Heb. 8.6 â— 10. Therefore Christ tells them His yoke is easie and his burthen light in opposition to those Law-burthens which the Pharisees imposed and call's them to come to him upon that account Matth. 11.28 c. Thus Christ makes believing an easie work to a self-denying soul Even as it is easie for one that knowes not how to fashion a Letter to write a word or a sentence legibly if he will wholly refigne his hand up to be holden moved guided and carried on by the hand of a cunning Writer throughout I may now say to thee poor captive soule as the servants said to Naaman If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it how much more c. 2 Kin. 5.13 So here If the Lord did enjoyn thee some difficult exploit or some desperate adventure as the condition of thy salvation would'st thou not have put forth thy self to the furthest how much more when he saith Believe and be saved 4. Faith layes a kinde of engagement on Jesus Christ to relieve a soul in extremitie When a poor creature lies succourless if he can now advisedly look after him and cast his burthen upon him this doth after a sort oblige him to come in with succour An honest man will the rather do his neighbour a pleasure if he see Psal 55.22 Donabile tuum quod tibi dari desideras Buxtorf Io. 6.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he depends upon him A mercifull man will make this an Argument why he must do this or that for a poor man Oh saith he the man put 's confidence in me it 's a matter of weight if I fail him he may be undone so Christ takes himself bound to help thee if thou wilt come and commit thy way to him Otherwise Christ lookes down from heaven upon thee and saith There goes a wretched sinner that would gladly be delivered from the Curse and saved but alas he is not capable of help for he dares not trust me hâ— will not come at me The poor servant mâ— have his wages paid because he set's his heart upon it Deut. 24.15 and if thou settest thine heart upon Christ and his satisfaction he will render unto thee thy righteousness If the ship of thy soul be covered with waves through sence of sin and wrath and Christ be asleep thou hast no way but to jogge him by the hand of faith and to awake him as the disciples did Mat. 8.24 c. and if thus thou doest he will turn the storme into a calme Yea if he see thee but offering to come to him by faith and thou art begining to sink by reason of the weakness of it yet if thou canst but sigh towards him he will stretch forth his hand and save thee as he did Peter Matth. 14.29 c. 5. I know thou art vile in thine own eyes thou art willing to be abased even unto the dust thou thinkest thou canst not cast down thy self low enough Well friend this is the right way to self-abasement If thou wilt not come to Jesus Christ till thou canst bring something with thee which may commend thee to him or till thou canst get into a more pleasing posture thou takest the course to raise up thine own Crests and to glory in thy self But if thou wilt denie thy self in the thoughts of unworthiness as well as worthiness and without further disputing put thy self wholly upon his grace and strength for thy deliverance this is the way to a more kindely abasement than any Legal humiliatiâ—â— can possibly work For while thou standest 〈◊〉 from Christ thou wilt flie from God and thy heart will be hardened against him But if thou canst but touch the hemme of his garment thou shalt come in due time to know that in thy self which will lay thee humbly at his feet and melt thy soul in the bosome of his love See the example of the woman labouring long under her bloodie Issue and the manner of her cure Mark 5.26 c. 6. I know thou wouldst advance Jesus Christ thou wouldst give him all the honour thou possibly canst thou wouldst make his praise glorious Well if thou wilt break through all difficulties and heartily accept the offer of deliverance through him alone this is the way to exalt him this is his Crown and his glory It may be thou canst say Let God have his glory whatever become of me Why if thou wilt now come to him in the sorrowfull sence of thy wofull bondage and lay the whole stress of thy soul-affairs upon him thou shalt see that he will work out his own glory by thy salvation Thy Designe is to set up his glory by lying down in thy sorrow as altogether helpless and pining away in discontent but that will not do it thou canst not honour him in thy condition wherein thou art by any other way than by believing It is by trusting in Christ That poor sinners come to the praise of his glory Eph. 1.12 This is the best part of thy thankfulness 7. If thou wilt still hold off from embraceing this free mercy then thou addest one sinne to another even ingratitude to unbelief thou art
basely unthankful to the Lord Jesus Hath he laid aside his majestie and descended into the lower parts of the earth yielding himself a prisoner to the Curse of the Law and all that he might rescue thee from it and make thee a freeman of heaven Hath he purchased thy ransome with so great a summe and made so hard an adventure to hale thee out of hell Hath he brought thy deliverance even to the very nick of enjoyment and now is readie to lay it in thy lappe and to thrust it into thy bosome and dost thou shrink back from the gift wilt thou render all this coste and labour of love to be as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again Oh! do not requite him so badly There be some that draw back and that threaten's their perdition and there be some few that believe and this tends to the salvation of their soules Heb. 10.39 Now consider whether of these two companies is the more desirable and betake thy self thereunto without delay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It 's the most commendable Self-love 8. Yea and besides thou art else very injurious to thy self If it might be any gain to thee or at least no loss to be so unthankfull to thy Redeemer and yet this can admit of no excuse something might be spoken towards the extenuation of thy folly but truly thy loss will be invaluable thou foregoest that commodity which can never be recovered and implungest thy self into that mischief which will stick by thee for ever If thou wert floating on the Sea or some deep river in danger of present drowning should any well-willer of thine come and venture his life to save thee if thou shunnest him and refusest his help is not this to destroy thy self But oh thou hast cast thy self headlong into the Sea of God's curse and Jesus Christ hath as it were put his life in his hands that he might fetch thee out If now thou wilt not apply thy self to him but holdest off from him thou perishest through thine own default for there is no salvation in any other Acts 4.12 If thou missest it here thou mayest bid it farewell for ever 9. It is a blessed thing to believe when there is nothing visible to the eye of reason which may give encouragement thereunto but all things speak the contrary this is the excellency of faith it presents things which are not seen and convincingly evidenceth them to the soul They that reach up to this height are pronounced blessed John 20.29 Mary was eminently blessed in bearing Christ and this was an addition to her blessedness that she believed the message of the Angel concerning it though cross to her reason Luke 1.28 42 45. God's appearances are sometimes dark he threatens to condemne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11 â— when he mean's to save he rejects when he will embrace as the woman of Canaan to whom he gave sundrie sad repulses and yet both entertained her and highly commended her faith Matth. 15.28 The tender Mother doth sometimes set her self out of her childes sight yet even then her eye is upon it she takes care of it and it is then safest when it apprehends danger neerest Thus doth the Lord deal with thee therefore now stirre up thy self to trust in his name There is a choice promise Isa 41.17 If thou seekest water and findest none and thy tongue faileth for thirst yet then the Lord will hear thee and not forsake thee Every word hath weight and sweetness Take hold upon it and let it not go 10. Consider that thousands of poor captive souls have gone this way and have sped well When David said he was cut off and gave himself for lost he did but cry and the Lord heard him Psal 31.22 The Psalmist sighing out of the depths hoped in the word waited on God and at length was able to say out of his own experience With the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Psal 130.1.5 7. The Jaylour comes trembling to Paul and Silas and being exhorted to beleeve on Christ he followes their counsel and rejoyceth Act. 16 29.-34 This use we may make of the Parable of the Prodigal when he comes to himself and resolves to return his Father meets him falls on his neck kisseth him puts on him the best Robe with a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet and kills for him the fatted Calf which holds forth Gods wonderful graciousness to impoverished sinners that return to him by faith and repentance Luke 15.20 c. and the Publican in sense of unworthiness crying to God for mercy goes away justified rather than the Pharisee Luke 18.13 14. But especially look upon the example of Saul who is after called Paul the Lord meeting him on the rode as he was posting to persecute the Saints having convinced him of his sin sends him to Aâ—anias by whose Ministry hee is brought to imbrace Christ and to preach him zealously Act. 9.6 17 20. and herein he is set forth for a patterne to others in time to come that they might be encouraged to beleeve 1 Tim. 1.15 16. Do thou so too and expect the same success Thus the Lord speaks to thee O desolate soul as Laban to Abrahams servant Gen. 24.31 Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without as a meer stranger to mee and to the grace of Redemption my Sonnes satisfaction by his bearing thy curse hath made room for thee in mine house and he hath provided for thee all spiritual accommodations to make thee happy I am loath to leave thee till thou art perswaded therefore I shall adde one thing more Thou sayest I do not I cannot beleeve But what if I make it appear that thou dost beleeve even now when thou verily thinkest thou dost not Observe then the very stress of faith lyes in the wills hearty consenting to the offer of Christ in the Gospel Thou art a wretched sinner accursed by the sentence of the Law utterly unable to help thy self Thou hearest the good news of Redemption by Jesus Christ The Lord invites thee and saith If thou wilt renounce all confidence in thy self and the creature and unfainedly accept of Christ alone for thy Redeemer to save thee and thy Lord to sanctifie and rule thee he shall both free thee from the curse and bring thee to the Kingdome of glory See here he is for thee Art thou willing to have him Thou sayest yea with all my heart if I might And is it even so with thee thou canst not deny it else what mean those breathings and groanings towards him in prayer those solicitous inquiries and searchings after him in addresses to Gods Ministers Oh where shall I finde Jesus Christ Whither is he turned aside When will he own me That restlesness of thy spirit that thou canst not be satisfied without him These are plain demonstrations that he hath thy heart and that the strength of thy
will is carryed towards him in desires and longings to injoy him for thy All in all So that now poor soul Christ is willing and thou art willing the match is made thou enjoyest him by faith although thou dost not perceive it onely stand not here but endeavour to scrue it up to more sensible resting on him and so to the riches of full assurance CHAP. XI Sect 1. Exhortation to the Redeemed in two Duties 3. THis Doctrine calls upon the Lords Redeemed ones for such a carriage as is most suitable to their condition Every remarkable change of estate requires an answerable change of course and practise If a prisoner suppose Joseph be hastily brought out of the Dungeon to stand before a King he must shave himself and change his rayment his speech apparel gestures and all his behaviour must be quite of another strain than they were in his low condition Even so beloved Christians if you feel your selves bought out from the slavery of the curse I beseech you to consider that this excellent benefit layes a strong engagement upon you to walk as it becomes the Lords ransomed people And this walking must be manifested and held forth in sundry remarkable duties Gen. 41.14 Ergo tu dignum te gere tali pretio Ambros which I shall rank in such order as I conceive to be most proper The first duty which the Redeemed soul hath to do is this Admire the riches of the mercy of God in Christ laying this benefit in thy lap and let it stir thee up to an holy rejoycing yea glorying in God and let this joy break forth in praises 1. Let this glorious work take up thy heart and fill it with an holy wondring Say Oh what admirable condescension is here that Jesus Christ should be at such cost for me to buy out such a wretch from the curse of the Law and to make me actually partaker of this blessed liberty The thought of this incomparable design thus brought home to my soule doth even astonish me that the Lord should pluck me as a brand out of the fire and when I had little savour or desire that way did break open the prison doores and set me free Psal 126.1 2. Tune and teach thy soul to rejoyce in Jesus Christ Entertain this gift with all gladness Let the inwards of thy heart be much affected with joy in the consideration of the Lord's mercie to thee Mary rejoyced in God her Saviour Luke 1.46 47. When the Jewes were rescued from destruction by the dashing in pieces of Haman's bloodie project they had joy and gladness Esther 8.16 17. Thou hast now received the atonement by Jesus Christ therefore thou mayest now glorie in him Rom. 5.11 Thou seest sinne the Curse condemnation vanquished by the Cross of Christ and thy self a Conquerour through faith in his blood therefore thou hast abundant cause to rejoyce in him and in his salvation Hab. 3.13 17 c. 3. Let this joy vent it self on all fit occasions by thanksgiving both in songs Psal 126.2 and other expressions of his praise speaking good of his Name When the L rd hath redeemed his people they shall come to Zion with singing everlasting joy shall be upon their heads sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 35.10 This Prophesie doth either wholly or chiefly concern the Churches spiritual deliverance and shall be most fully verified when their deliverance is compleat The four beasts and Twenty four Elders sing a new song unto the Lamb upon this account because he was slain Vide. Pareum in locum and had redeemed them c. Rev. 5.8 9. which some apply to the Church triumphant in heaven Solomon in Type but Jesus Christ in truth should redeem the poor and needie and shall dayly be praised Psal 72.14 15. Psal 71.23 Take notice of this and practise it Oh It 's a mercie that calls for all that is within us to praise him and all little enough Psal 103.1 2 c. Keep in thy heart the remembrance of this benefit Let it still be warme upon thy spirit that thou mayest express some thankfulness every day but especially on the Lord's day which being the day of Christ's resurrection Psal 118.24 is applied by the Fathers to the Lords day is therefore to be observed as a solemne weekly Commemoration of the work of Redemption which was perfected thereby and that I doubt not by Divine or Apostolical warrant Let this be the principal work of the day and let it have an influence into all the parts of your lives It is to be bewailed that too many of the Lords ransomed ones spend their dayes in sorrow lowrness and dejection of spirit Whereas they should rather give up themselves to delight in him who hath plucked their feet out of the net 2. Hold fast the Libertie which Christ hath given you Seing you are now set free inslave not your selves again unto a second bondage which may be 1. More gross and palpable by apostasie from Jesus Christ in the Doctrine profession and obedience of the Gospel When thou hast entertained this truth of Redemption by Christ and hast gone so farre in applying it to thy self that thou darest claim a part in it beware now of backsliding that thou leave not Christ on the plain field in casting off the truth and abandoning the profession of it before men If thou drawest back the Lord will have no pleasure in thee Heb. 10.38 Let these terrible thunderclaps be ever in thine eares that those which fall away cannot be renewed unto repentance Heb. 6.4 c. That if we sinne willingly by a totall Apostasie from the truth received there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but an expectation of Judgement and fierie indignation c. Heb. 10.26 27. See also 2 Pet. 2.20 21. 2. More covert or refined and that either of conscience or of conversation 1. Bondage of conscience is when the redeemed soule gives way to the threats and terrours of the Law and suffers them to get so farre within him as they cause him in some degree to lie down under the power of them Yield not to this slaverie Onely know and make account that every sinne is in it self of such a malignant quality that it would certainly bring the curse and wrath of God upon thee If it were not prevented And therefore when thou art overtaken with it thou must judge thy self worthy to be destroyed and that the Lord might justly charge it upon thee and follow the Law against thee to thy condemnation and hereupon it will be necessary that thou be often renewing thy repentance in Godly sorrow with faith on the Redeemer for pardon and fencing thy soul more against thy sinne by hatred of it and resolution against it Do all this and spare not but let not the Law throw the fire-balls of hell into thy conscience Look not on thy self as one that lies under the Curse Thy Redeemer hath cleared the
score and disanulled the Law as to the Curse of it so that it hath nothing to say against thee This lyon may roar upon thee but be not dismayed the Lord hath sent the Angel of the Covenant and hath shut the Lyon's mouth his Dan. 6.22 rage is abated his undoing power is taken away he may shew his teeth and snatch at thee but he cannot wound thee mortally Thou hast now a just and clear ground to go upon in answering all the demands pleeas and accusations that can lie against thee in God's high Court of Justice Therefore doe not nourish Legal feares any longer but turn the Curse over to thy Redeemer and boldly tell it that it hath nothing to do with thee The Apostle in telling the believers of Rome that they had not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Rom. 8.15 intimates that such a condition to be held down under the slavish fear of condemnation doth not well consist with the estate of the Redeemed sonnes of God 2. Bondage of conversation when a sinner having hearkened to the Call and counsel of the Gospel in accepting the offer of Christ and redemption by him gives leave to the bodie of sinne dwelling in him to act its part too much and to bring him into some degrees of willing bondage under those lusts or sinfull practises which formerly he had escaped and relinquished Dost thou challenge a share in this ransome Oh then do not enslave thy self again unto any sinne Art thou fetch'd out of the house of spiritual bondage with a mightie hand Take heed that thou hanker not after the flesh pots of Egypt or attempt a return thither as the people of Israel did Numb 14.4 Hath the Lord spoken peace to thee wilt thou then turne again to folly God forbid Psal 85.8 Oh! alas that any of us should after continuance in the profession of Christ for some considerable time suffer our selves to be ensnared in our olde lusts or fall into new wayes of sinne which yet is the sad case of some who at their entrance gave hopes of better things Jesus Christ that mightie Champion hath cast the Curse of the Law on a dead sleep If thou wilt give libertie to thy self to commit iniquitie or to trade in any forbidden way thou mayest fear that the noise of thy sinne will awake this fierce Lion ere thou be aware to tear thy soul in pieces Hearken to the Apostle's counsel Fashion not your selves according to your former lusts 1 Pet. 1.14 If the Manslayer having fled to the city of Refuge would afterwards make bold to wander without the border of it the Avenger of blood findeing him might lawfully kill him his blood must be on his own head Numb 35.26 c. Even so if thou hast once betaken thy self to Jesus Christ as thy refuge and after that stragglest out of his liberties into any sinfull practise thou art then within the reach of the Avenger of blood the Curse may meet with thee and slay thy soul Thy Redeemer hath hedged thee out from all such base courses as are contrary to the end of thy Redemption If thou wilt take Libertie where he gives none at thy peril be it The best thou canst expect is that when he comes he will complain and say Alas what profit is there in my blood that I have gone down to the pit to deliver thee out of it seing thou art returning thither again Be advised then thou ransomed Christian to lay a strict injunction upon thy self and say O my soul thou art now set free sinne no more least a worse thing come unto thee Ne veniat Christus c si te in peccato invenerit dicat tibi Quae utilitas in sanguine meo c. Ambros alluding to Psa 30.9 Ier. 37.20 John 5.14 and when through the prevailing of corruption thou art drawn aside into some vagarie make haste to returne by repentance and pray earnestly that the Lord would keep thee from going back into that old prison of sinne and the Curse out of which through the grace of Christ thou art escaped Sect. 2. Third Duty 3. GIve your selves up wholly to the pleasure service and obedience of your Lord Redeemer Resigne your selves to him to be at his appointment and to his glorie So doth the Apostle exhort from this very ground 1 Cor. 6.19 20. The Lord Jesus having paid thy ransome and made thee a freeman from the Curse challengeth thee now for his own and saith Thou art mine It is thy part to Eccho and say Lord I am thine and to dedicate thy self to him with full purpose of heart in the whole stream of thy conversation and that 1. In doing Israels deliverance from Egyptian bondage was an ingagement to obedience See the Preface to the Commandements Deut. 5.6 and one end of our Redemption from the hands of our spiritual enemies is that wee might serve him in holiness Exod. 20.2 and righteousness all our dayes Luke 1.74 75. Christ died and rose again that he might be Lord of quick and dead therefore whether we live or die it must be not to our selves but to him Rom. 14.7 8 9. Those that are redeemed to be Christ's peculiar people must be zealous of good works 1 Pet. 1.15 18 19. Tit. 2.14 Christ hath suffered that we being made partakers of the benefit of his sufferings might live all our time after the will of God 1 Pet. 4.1 2. It was no part of our Redeemer's business to free us from obedience but rather by adding this engagement of Redemption to that of Creation to make the bond more strong that a two-fold cord might not be easily broken We are too carnally selfish If we think that Christ had no aim in this great work but onely to deliver us from hell and bring us to heaven Doubtless he had a further end in his eye even to reduce us unto our first subjection and obedience from which we had wickedly departed with the advantage of better abilitie to serve him that we might be to his glory In all which not our own wisdome or will but the word of God must be attended as our line to work by especially the Morall Law which is the platforme of righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eternal fixed Canon for the ordering of our conversation Therefore it 's called the Royal Law because the King of Kings hath appointed it to be the High-way for all his Subjects to walk in yea even believers must fulfil it Jam. 2.8 So that the Law ceaseth to condemne but not to command It is no longer a curse to destroy us yet it is still a Rule to direct us It 's strange that some men either cannot or will not see a clear difference betwixt the mark or finger which shews the way to the Traveller and the strength of body whereby he is enabled to go on in the way betwixt the command of the Law which prescribes us our
work and the grace of the Spirit which gives us power to do it The Spirit and the Letter are not opposite but sweetly subordinate Rom. 7.6 The opposition is onely betwixt the newness of the spirit and the oldness of the Letter That service which we before performed as slaves we now performe as sonnes Christ makes a change in us in relation to the Rule but no change in the matter of the Rule it self 2. In Suffering Christ hath undergone hard measures for thy sake and hath thereby purchased thy freedome Be thou willing to undergo hard measures for his sake that thou mayest advance his honour If thou hast tasted the bitterness of thy bondage and the sweetness of Redemption thou wilt not grudge to lay down all thy worldly contentments at the feet of thy Redeemer yea thou wilt not refuse to put thy life in thy hands and to be sacrificed for the promoting of his glory and be thankfull that thou art thought worthie to suffer for his Name Yea more Acts 5.41 Phil. 2.17 if Gods providence shall so order that a black night of darkness and trouble shall come upon the Church which may threaten to destroy or at least to shake the faith of Christians in this case it seems necessary that such of the Lords Redeemed as are grown strong should put their necks under the heaviest yoke of extraordinary afflictions if it may conduce to the establishing of others in the Truth and the furthering of their salvation S. Paul professeth his readiness hereunto 2 Tim. 2.10 and the Apostle John enjoines it as a necessary dutie upon this very ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We owe it as a dâ—bt Hee laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 John 3.16 Oh the noble heroik spirit of Moses and Paul who were willing to forego their parts in the glory of heaven on condition that the Lords wrath might be turned away from their countrymen the Jewes that they might be saved Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 And oh that we could thus farre deny our selves for the honour of him who hath denied himself infinitely more for us Conclude then for certain that the Lord 's Redeemed ought to resigne themselves wholly unto the will and service of Jesus Christ their Lord The equitie yea necessitie whereof may further appear if ye minde these few motives 1. He onely hath the right of proprietie in you The ransomed Captive is not his own to dispose of himself nor can any other person claim an interest in him to require service of him save onely he that hath paid the price of his Redemption Even so neither thy self nor Sathan nor the world but onely Jesus Christ hath the unquestionable title of dominion over thee to order and to rule thee so that thou art no debtor to live either to thy self or to them but to him that died for thee Rom. 6.11 The Sacrament of baptisme holds forth this lesson Thou wast baptised into the name of Jesus Christ and hereby art really engaged unto his service To withdraw thy self from his service and betake thy self to other Lords is an high degree of theft and Covenant-breaking The Prophet speaks of witholding Tithes and Offerings as of a strange unheard of kinde of robbery Will a man rob God Mal. 3.8 What unreasonable brutishness is this Rom. 12.1 What is it then for a Christian to rob God of himself and his reasonable service Shall the pettie Thieves be severely punished and the grand Robbers escape Resolve then and say Lord other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but now we disclaim them and we will remember thy name onely Isa 26.13 2. The safety and comfort of your standing all along in this pilgrimage here below depend very much upon this If you will forsake your selves and all other Lords and referre your selves to the guidance and appointment of Jesus Christ you need not fear any hard measures from him in whom there is no unrighteousness you may trust him he will see Psal 92.15 that you shall fare no worse for that but better He that hath saved you in the swellings of Jordan will assuredly look after yoâ— in smaller dangers This is the way to secure your own peace and happiness if having owned Christ by faith for your alone Redeemer you will yield up your selves to him in unreserved obedience in every condition to do and suffer according to his will But if you will needs be your own masters or put your selves under the command of other Lords you do hereby discharge him from taking care of you and expose your selves to infinite perils Thou that hopest thou hast an actual share in this benefit and yet either refusest to live wholly to him or else dost capitulate with him and wilt have a vote in the managing of thine own wayes thou mayest fear that God will give thee up to follow thine own counsels and to shift for thy self in all the stormes which thou mayest meet withall And woe to that poor creature whom God doth leave to himself and to his own carvings he must needs be in a very tottering condition farre from peace 3. In the great day of reckoning which is to come Christ the Redeemer shall be judge for the Father hath committed this business unto him and hath given assurance thereof in that after his sad conflicts with the Curse and death he raised him up a Conquerour Acts. 17.31 Now in that great Assize Inquisition shall be made among those which are retainers to Jesus Christ chiefly concerning 2 things 1. Whether hast thou in the sence of thy wofull bondage under the Curse of the Law heartily accepted of Christ offered in the Gospel and renouncing all other helps in thy self or the creature rested on him as thine onely Redeemer 2. Whether hast thou willingly resigned thy self up to him as thy soveraigne Lord to rule and order thee in thy whole conversation so as thy main study and work hath been to minde and to seek his interest to live to him and to die to him and so to be intirely for him and for his glory This Latter shall then be insisted on and put home Matth. 25.35 42 c. to trie the truth of the former Therefore it concernes you to bethink your selves before hand what answer you will make when you shall stand before the judge If your hearts tell you that you have onely given Christ good words calling him Lord Lord but have not made conscience of coming up to his commandes or yielding obedience to his will or submitting to his pleasure and disposing hand in all things Oh what a black day will that be when you shall not be able to lift up your faces before him but must stand speechless Then shall you be sensible of your desperate folly and condemne your selves for it sadly lamenting that you have so grosly neglected both your Redeemer
and your own soules but all too late your day will be past Happy is that man 2 Pet. 3.14 that shall then be found of him in peace without spot and blameless although his lot should be to live in beggerie and misery in this world all the dayes of his appointed time Yet alas what a wofull guilt lies on the consciences of too many Christians We all confess with our mouthes Christ's authority over us by the right of Redemption but how few of us make any proof thereof by suitable obedience The most have given up themselves to seek the interests of the flesh and the world their desires designes endeavours imployments delights contentments run wholly in theâ—e channels but the will service honour of Jesus Christ is not in all their thoughts He bids us be holy be sober and watch deny our selves take up our cross love our enemies have our conversation in heaven seek things above crucifie the flesh walk in newness of life grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ c. But these are strange things to many of us which challenge a part in the grace of Redemption and yet walk contrary denying Christ his right making provision for the flesh and inslaving our lives to the lusts and pleasures of this world What a number of hollow-hearted self-seeking Clyents hath Jesus Christ which follow him that they may escape wrath and the damnation of hell and injoy Gods favour and salvation in heaven and yet are never like to attain that which they expect but are even at the next door to destruction And all because they have not devoted their hearts and lives sincerely to the service of the Redeemer but fancied such a carnal salvation as will comply with the service of sin and requires no pâ—ins for compassing it but may be had with a wish and snoâ—ting on their beds and allows them sparing from the diligent study pursuit and practise of holiness in their conversation Perpendâ— qui talem pro nobis dedit pecuniam quale a nobis sit exasturus usuram August But as for you that love your Redeemer I beseech you lay to heart the dishonour that is done to him and look to your own soules If Jesus Christ hath disbursed so great a summe for you he may justly require some considerable profit If he hath even emptied himself to save thee from the curse what canst thou do less than devote thy self wholly to his honour I remember a story of a young man which being arraigned for some foule crime was condemned to dye The Judge looking upon him and taking some liking to him told him that he would reprieve him At which unexpected favour the young man being astonished professed that unless the Judge would take him into his service that he might wait upon him as long as he lived hee would rather chuse to dye Bee thou like minded let it not satisfie thee that Christ hath rescued thee from the curse and there an end but now take him for thy Lord let his will be thy will let the bent of thy desires and endeavours be to please him in all things breath after the highest pitch of obedience be willing to be at his disposing in the greatest difficulties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non tam efficientâ—m notat quam finem Zan. in locum and make it thy daily work to further thy Masters interests some way or other And whereinsoever thou failest or fallest short make it up by godly sorrow and faith in the Redeemer Rest not till thou canst say with St. Paul To me to live is Christ I am striving to live up to the minde and will of Christ he shall be my utmost end Phil. 1.21 In a word Christ accounts it his honour and do thou account it thine to serve him for ever See the Apostles profession 2 Cor. 5.14 15. and turn it into practise Sect. 3. The fourth Duty 4. LAbour to bring in others to the participation of the same benefit When thou art redeemed help forward the Redemption of thy poor brethren If the Lord Jesus hath taken compassion on thee and delivered thee from the curse of the Law by the actual application of his satisfaction to thy soul then it behoves thee to have compassion on thy fellow-prisoners and to use thy best endeavours that they also may be set at liberty Christ hath given himself a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 and he hath abundance both of merit and spirit to impart unto them so that if many millions of poor souls were brought in Rom. 5.17 there would be no less for thee Do thou then what lyes in thee that many may be brought to the reall possession of this benefit Oh that there were such an heart in all the Lords Redeemed to study the advancement of their Redeemers glory in furthering the salvation of captive-sinners that all if possible may be made partakers of this grace I would gladly presse this duty upon my self and you according to the several relations wherein we stand It concerns 1. Ministers of the Gospel We are Christs Heraulds sent forth to proclaime deliverance to the Captives and to perswade them to imbrace it Lev. 25 9 10 even as one part of the Priests office was by sound of Trumpet to give publick notice of the year of Jubilee and to prepare the people for the injoying the priviledges of it Our work is very important therefore it behoves us to be very faithful and diligent in it We have many under our over-sight alas too many which lye in the bond of iniquity strangers to Jesus Christ Our maine business is in reference to these that we may turn them from the power of Satan unto God and bring them to the injoyment of true spiritual liberty by Jesus Christ Wee may look upon those truely miserable soules as the ruful objects of our choisest pity and we ought by all due means especially by publick preaching and private instruction to labour their conversion and to save them from dropping into those everlasting burnings See the grave counsel of the Apostle to this purpose 2 Tim. 2.25 26. And here we must have a special eye upon those whom we perceive to be awakened to look out toward a change When the Lord sends to us any poor souls that are struck down by the Ministry unto conviction and humiliation he doth then call us to hold forth such spiritual direction and consolation as may sute best with their several conditions according to the word Mal. 2.7 Job 33.23 When the Lord appointed Cities of Refuge for the man-slayer he gave charge that a way should be prepared and the coasts of the Land divided into three parts It seems this division was in favour of the persons that every one might take the benefit of the nearest City lest the length of the way might occasion danger Deu. 19.3 6. And when the Lord promiseth to bring in his people by the cal of the Gospel
which may possibly refer to the calling of the Jews he bids Cast up cast up prepare the way of my people gather out the stones take up the stumbling-blocks Isa 57.14 62.10 which expressions seem to allude to the preparing of the way to the City of Refuge This burden lyes chiefly on us Ministers of the Gospel as it appears by the Prophesie concerning John Baptist Isa 40.3 4. Matth. 3.3 It is one part of our Office to make the way plain that no rub may lye in it to hinder guilty distressed souls in their march towards their only Refuge Christ Jesus And after all this we have variety of work in reference to you which are actually redeemed to stablish you in the present truth to fence you against errors temptations corruptions to build you up in knowledge faith holiness and so to bring you on unto perfection The charge of the holy Apostle is very punctual and full Take heed to all the flocke c. Act. 20.28 I would awake my self and my brethren and thus be-speak my self Oh these sheep are the purchase of Christs blood he became a curse for them that he might redeem them from it Hath he bought them and shall I lose them Hath he undergone the curse to set them free from it and commanded me to improve my uttermost endeavours to bring them to the enjoyment of this benefit and shall I suffer them to continue in that woful prison and to perish eternally through my silence and unfaithfulness God forbid Let us consider before-hand how sad it will be if at the great day our Master Christ shall bring forth his curse blood satisfaction and set before our eyes the preciousness of poor souls to plead against us for our negligence and to aggravate our just condemnation when there will be no place for repentance 2. Heads and governours of Families Husbands in reference to their wives Fathers to children Masters and Dames to servants while the bond of these particular relations continues the over-sight of these persons belongs to you not onely of their bodies but soules and the Lord expects that you should put forth your authority in requiring them to keep his way He had no doubt of Abraham but made full account that he would command his children and his houshold thus to do Gen. 18.19 and if thou be a right-bred childe of Abraham thou wilt follow his steps Certainly this great work of Redemption from the curse is one of the chiefe of Gods wayes therefore yee should see that they keep this way especially using all means to bring them to the knowledge and love and so to the personal injoyment of it in due time Go to then Thou art an Husband thou claimest a share in this liberty but thy wife abides still in her old woful bondage If thou hast any love to her soul thou wilt pitty exhort pray for her and say Alas alas for the wife that lyes in my bosome for ought I can perceive she is still under the curse of the Law her great ignorance and uncapableness her unsavouriness and coldness yea her aversness and backwardness in matters of godliness especially where it most concerns her own spiritual good do even proclaime it aloud to my griefe Oh that the Lord would have compassion on her that at last I might see her partaker of the blessing Thou art a Father or mother you that are such may look upon your children with weeping eyes while you see them chained in the bolts and fetters of the curse and consider withall that you were means to bring them into this bondage and that they are your bone and your flesh a part of your selves Oh then if you have the bowels of Parents help them at this dead lift Will you turn every stone to provide large portions for their bodies and will you do nothing in the mean time for their soules If they were in prison for debt or upon any other account you could not finde in your hearts that they should lye there still but you will try all wayes to procure their liberty and can you be content to see them lye under the curse in the dungeon of hell for want of share in this Redemption Thou art a Master or Dame Look upon your man-servants and maid-servants Are they not servants of sin slaves to lusts and divers pleasures Addicted to vain conversations as in the prophaning and mispending of the Lords day And so strangers to Jesus Christ and heires of the Curse Oh pitty their soules and do what you can by prayer and good counsel to recover them out of the gall of bitterness It may be thou canst say truly they are good servants to me they do my work faithfully I cannot blame them But what doth this avail while thou mayest say as truly that they are deeply ingaged to the service of Satan and aliens to the grace of Redemption my soul bleeds for their ignorance and obstinacy Oh that I might see my servants to become at length the servants of the Lord Jesus But where shall we finde such governours of Families one City or two in a tribe so few that a little childe may count them If the wise be provident frugal helpful towards the increasing of the estate if the children be dutiful apt to learn that which may be their livelihood hereafter only keeping themselves free from such courses as may ruine them or expose them to shame If the servants be strong to labour and bring in advantage by their diligence The Husbands Fathers Masters do not so much as put the question in what case their souls stand whether they be made free by Christ or still continue slaves to the curse they suffer them to lye in their gore-blood of their first birth and if three words of savoury instruction and exhortation would save their souls they cannot have them Oh cruel Husband Father Master will the love of your Relations reach no further Truly as it a signe that your selves have no part in this benefit so how can your hearts indure or your hands be strong when you shall see your wives children servants lying woful prisoners under those everlasting chaines Ezek. 22.14 for want of an interest in Jesus Christ and your consciences shall tell you that you are one cause of their misery in that you would not stir one finger towards their help or deliverance 3. Neighbours and friends especially persons that are near either in blood or by affinity you that are related to others by kindred can you look upon your brethren sisters and kinsmen which lye still under the curse and not be affected with their sad condition Oh! acquaint them with Jesus Christ let them know that he hath paid their ransome shew them the way to get an actual interest in it that they may be delivered from the wrath to come The rich Glutton being in hell intreats father Abraham to send Lazarus to testifie to his five brethren lest they also
marriage motioned upon assurance that the man would not rest till he had finished the thing Ruth 3.18 So much more should we learn silently to wait for the happy issue of this great transaction betwixt Christ and us in our compleat Redemption and full marriage in heaven 3. Hearty rejoycing in the foresight of it Let those strong desires and lively hopes be carried on and sweetned with the mixture of spiritual joy which may comfortably refresh and chear your soules all along in every condition upon the view of this day before-hand The Apostle speaking in the Name of justified persons saith We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God yea even in tribulations Rom. 5.2 3. and of himself he saith a crown of righteousness is laid up for me having fought a good fight c. The manner of his expression breathes out joy and contentment in the forethought of it 2 Tim. 4.8 and long before this holy Job discovers the same spirit of gladness I know saith he that my Redeemer livâ—th and that he shall stand up at the last day and then I shall see God in my flesh Job 19.25 26. How doth the apprentice or hired servant rejoyce to think on the expiration of his Terme and the last day of his service Thou poor soul who art still forced to serve the Law of sinne in thy flesh look forward and see the time of thy freedome coming on and be comforted How do the Mariners and Sea-faring men that have been wether-beaten and tossed with tempests rejoyce Psal 107.30 when they see the haven afarre off where they may be quiet If thou be put upon hard adventures and art sailing through a rough sea of stormes and troubles in this world yet lift up thine eyes and behold the haven of perfect liberty and glory whereunto thy Redeemer will wafâ— thee shortly and let this chear up thy Spirit How greatly doth it glad the heart of a condemned prisoner that lies bound in affliction and iron to hear the report of a pardon sealed at Court for him which shall be put into his hands at the Assises and solemnly proclaimed for his benefit the welcome thought of these things makes his heart even leap for joy and he begins to insult upon the prison his bonds and fetters and all the instruments of his restraint and saith I shal get rid out of all your hands ere long Thou ransomed soul Thy pardon is sealed in heaven the report thereof is comed to thine eares and heart by the ministerie of the Gospel It shall be effectually pleaded for thee at the day of Christ's appearing and thou shalt be possessed of an absolute freedome never to know bondage under sinne and the Curse any more Oh then Plal. 126.1 1. let thy mouth be filled with laughter and thy tongue with singing Let thy meditations on this subject be sweet and feast thy soul thereon with great delight Say thus to the glory of thy Redeemer Lord Jesus thou camest once to be accursed for me that was my shame but thou wilt come again at that day to be admired in me that shall be thy honour 2 Thes 1.10 Beloved Christians let us learn these lessons and practise them But truly such carriage requires a spiritual frame of heart I shall therefore adde a few particulars commending them to your observation as necessary helps to further us in the main dutie 1. Carefully keep thy self unspotted of the world let not the pleasure of any carnal lust so tickle thy soul as to get within thee and seise upon the vitals of grace give not libertie to thy foot to walk in any forbidden path but take pains to purge out thy dross and baggage more and more that thou mayest be pure in heart and undefiled in the way Through this gross neglect too many Christians suffering iniquitie to cleave to their hands disable themselves from loving the appearing of Christ they do not desire it but are averse from it they do not hope for it but rather fear it they cannot sensibly rejoyce in it but the thoughts of it put them into dumps and sadness Onely this taking heed to thy self will dispose thee to lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be secure because there is hope Jâ—b 11.14 c. 2. Preserve in thy self a willingness to die Thâ—s was the failing of Elijah 1 Kin. 19.4 and Jonah Chap. 4.3 8. I mean a well-grounded reall willingness not slavish or constrained through impatience under sufferings or discontent in an unwelcome condition but sincere and cordial from a longing after Jesus Christ to enjoy him in the full fruit of his Redemption This was S. Paul's temper Phil. 1.21 There is indeed in every man naturally an aversness from death being the dissolution of his frame and an evil of punishment and the grace of Regeneration doth not wholly take it away but onely keeps it within due Bounders and raiseth up in the soul a supernatural desire of blessedness with Christ in heaven and a willingness to submit to death in order to the attaining thereof Get thy heart wrought to this frame and held up By death the Lord will set thee free from all thy chaines and not till then if thou canst not make it welcome it seems thou art not wearie of thy chaines yet alas how common is this distemper We look upon the grace of Redemption as very desireable and we would enjoy it at the very height yet we hang still in the bodie and are loth to die The prisoner that knowes his Supersedeas is granted or his pardon sealed will he be loth to see the prison doores set open or shrink at the knocking off his bolts from his leggs If the Lord Jesus came down from heaven took upon him the curse of the Law and bare the wrath of God due to us Rebels and all that he might bring us to God in glory shall we stand off and so cause him to lose his labour Is heaven and the pleasures of God's right hand of no more worth in thine eye Oh Christians death may well be terrible to such as are strangers to Christ but he hath taken away the sting of it for you Therefore labour to get up above your feares and be freely content to be unclothed that you may be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 8. 3. In thy whole course after conversion commit thy soul and all the hopes of thy happiness unto Jesus Christ Lay up thy crown with him commend thy darling thy choicest treasure unto him and let him keep it for thee He hath ransomed thy soul which thou hadst lost and recovered the inheritance of heaven which thou hadst forfeited by thy treason therefore put them over into his hands by faith and hope and let him have the custody of them Do this in every condition of life wherein the Lord shall set thee When the light shines about thy Tabernacle and thou enjoyest prosperitie in things below say
out in the cursing of others Jobs and Jeremies cursing the day of their birth and the man that first brought tidings of it with the overflowings of inordinate passion in no case to be looked on as presidents And some have a Curse Ah fie upon him ready on a short warning to fling at a godly man even because he is godly as if the Lords Redeemed were the proper marks at which these sharp arrows should be shot Oh most abominable Bedlam-practice If you love your souls beware of it Consider these motives 1. Such language is the breathing and framing of the Angel of the bottomless pit it is the Dialect of hell fit for none but blinde heathens strangers from the Covenant such as Goliah 1 Sam. 17.43 or for prophane hardened sinners which give themselves up to all iniquity and professedly hate the righteous as Shimei 2 Sam. 16.5 7. Would ye not be in an higher form then these are Can ye be content to be so far from the very suburbs of heaven 2. The sentence is passed long ago and shall never be reversed Cursed is he that curseth the people of God It is the Lords own doom though it was delivered by the mouth of Balaam the false Prophet Numb 24.9 he was hired on purpose to curse Israel and came with a minde free enough to do it but the Lord turnes him aside from his own byas puts words of blessing into his mouth which he never thought of and causeth him against the bent of his own heart to pronounce those accursed that curse Israel And now dares any of you adventure upon a practise which will be so far from taking the curse from off your selves that it will seal you more surely under the power of it 3. It is a very gross and dangerous taking Gods Name in vain which may appear thus Every blessing and curse is virtually a prayer As praying to God to do some good thing for our selves or others is a reverent using of his Name because it is a petitioning for that which he hath promised to do so on the contrary praying for some evill to befall another is a taking of it in vain because it is a petitioning for that which he hath resolved not to do or at least hath given no intimation of his purpose concerning it which may be our warrant for such a prayer 4. It carries along with it apparent injustice and that in an high degree for godly men are blessed men So the Lord tells Balaam and upon that ground forbids him to curse his people Numb 22.12 Hereby thou wrongest God himself giving him the lye opposing him in his way and undoing what he hath done and them also in bearing false witness against them and representing them to the Lord in the most odious posture If a man should be spread before a great Prince some false accusations concerning his favourite thereby to incense the Prince against him what an injury were this to them both Surely cursing the godly is a greater injury both to God and them If then thou dost not like to bear the black brand of an unrighteous man resolve against this wickedness in the language which God himself put into the mouth of Balaam How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed or detest whom he hath not detested Num. 23.8 But truly snarling Dogs will bark and bite too if they can and the children of Belial will tear us with Curses Who can hinder them And we may observe that some mens tongues are so set on fire of hell they are so full of the poyson of Aspes and are so desperately transported beyond all reason that the very expressions are able to make the hearts of moderate men to tremble Indeed the dishonour of God and the danger of their souls may give us cause to mourn but they need not trouble us on any other account For first they are causeless Prov. 26.2 Godliness is no just cause of cursing but rather of blessing the Lords Redeemed are not Buts for such poysoned arrows the persons are mistaken such curses are like Birds which flye at rovers aiming at no set place or prevented in the flight Saepe sinistra cava praedâ—xâ— abâ—iâ—les corniâ—â— Vâ—rg that they do not reach it No wise man will regard the flying of Swallows The flying or chattering of some birds on the left hand as ominous or boding ill luck was an heathenish observation grounded meerly upon superstition without reason And the imprecations are the issues of prophane hearts and therefore not to be feared but contemned 2. Therefore they are bootless they shall not come they are vain they cannot effect that which they are sent for As Wasps which have lost their stings as the report of powder without shot as a crack of thunder without a bolt or as an arrow shot upward in the aire which soon spends its force and falls to the ground For 1. The Lord hath settled his blessing upon them by so firm and indefeasable a title that all the power and malice of the gates of hell cannot take it off or make it void God saith of them as once Isaac said of Jacob I have blessed them yea and they shall be blessed Gen. 27.33 2. And he will also as a most expert Physitian extract sweetness out of their poyson send down a blessing instead of a curse and do his servants good even the rather as David hoped 2 Sam. 16.12 See this more fully pressed in the Use of Consolation before To conclude Let the godly abandon this wicked practice even upon this score because they are redeemed from the Curse Say thus If the Lord Jesus hath ransomed sinners from the Curse and made an everlasting separation betwixt it and them then what have I to do with any more God forbid that I should bee so bold as to fasten it on my selfe or others or endeavour to revive it Nay I will not so much as take the name of it once into my lips I am called by the mercy of God to bee an Heire of Blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 and I will behave my self accordingly FINIS BOOKS Printed and sold by Thomas Johnson at the Golden Key in St. Pauls-Church-yard THE History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents describing at large their true and lively figure their several Names Conditions Kindes Vertues Countries Of their breed and the wonderful work of God in their Creation Preservation and Destruction Together with the Theatre of Insects or Lesser living Creatures as Bees Flies Caterpillars Spiders Worms c. A most elaborate work By T. Muffet Dr. of Physick in Folio The Lord Francis Bacon's Natural History in Folio Lexicon Anglo Graeco Latinum Novi Testamenti or a Compleat Alphabetical Concordance of all the words in the New Testament both English Greek and Latine in three distinct Tables Shewing also the several significations Etymons Derivations Force and Emphasis and divers acceptations of each word in Scripture A work of very great