of sinne Tenthly Sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jeroboams sin 2 Kin. 17. 21. For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publick person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of others to do the like It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel die of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20. 9. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospell is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjurie to thine iniquitie and that aggravates thy sinne Oh then admire the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sins cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First If at any time you find that you are under these aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vies thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O do thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus abounded in sin yet through the abundance of grace and love I have obteined mercie O let this inhance the value of Christs blood Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou been notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin FINIS JOHN 14. 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the world and this Wil and Testament of Christs begins in this 14. Chapter and continues to the 18. Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter is to comfort his Disciples both against their fears of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this world and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations to fence them against their fears for this much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when he was gone and he doth encourage them therefore by these Arguments First He saith I am but going to my Fathers house and the 28. verse of this Chapter he saith ye have heard how I said unto you I go away and come again unto you If ye loved me ye would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Father alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with me now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with me another day In my Fathers house there are many mansions I do not intend to go to heaven alone for there is room for you as well as for me and room for every beleever in the world Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is room enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and room enough for all the Beleevers in the world it notes the largenesse and amplitude of heaven Heb. 11. 12. therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the skie in multitude and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable And besides these there is an innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12. 22. To this add Rev. 7. 9. A great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds people and tongues You have here also the duration and continuance implied The word is here not our tent or tabernacle but our Mansion Thirdly form the certainty of it It is no poeticall fiction these are no hyperbolicall expressions as it followes in the Text If it were not so I would have told you Christ doth not speake more then there is if there had been no such thing Christ would not have said so much as if he should say I do not feed you with the false hopes of an Utopian happinesse as the Devill deals by his whom he brings into a fools paradise Fourthly from the end Say the Disciples but Lord thou art going to thy Fathers house and what shall become of us therefore Christ comforts them and saith I go to prepare a place for you As if he should have said I go to Heaven to make ready Heaven for you against you die as Grossiâ—â— observes that the phrase is borrowed from a company of Travellers which send one man before as a harbinger to provide the Inne and take up rooms and make provision ready for them against they come so Jesus Christ is gone to Heaven that he might be as a harbinger to take up Heaven for you to take up room for you in Heaven Fifthly He comforts them by a promise
sinnes in the light of thy countenance Psal 19. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults David did not onely confesse his murder of Vriah his adultery with Bethsheba but he confest smaller sins Davids heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment it was onely the appearance of revenge he had his knife neere his throte that which had the appearance of a sin Davids heart smote him for Conscientions men do not onely bewail and confesse open and grosser evils but the secret and the smallest corruptions of the heart they bewaile to God they confesse their secret pride their secret worldlinesse and secret murmurings against God they confesse their secret and smaller evils Indeed wicked men fall short of this wicked men confesse their Grosse and their open sins but do dot take notice of their lesser and secret evils there are two instances for this one is in Cain Cain confest his murder his was greater then it could be forgiven speaking of the murder of his brother Abel Gen. 4. 13. And Cain said unto unto the Lord My punishment is greater then I can bear He did not confesse his emnity that made him murder his brother he confest his grosse sin but did not confesse more slie and secret evils Thus you read likewise of Judas Judas confest his betraying of Christ a grosse sin but he never confest his covetousnesse a secret sin that made him betrry Jesus Christ saith he I have sinned in betraying innocent blood he that did bewaile and confesse his murder in betraying Christ did not confesse and bewail his covetousnesse and hypocrisie that were more lurking and secret evils That is a second Rule make conscience to confesse small and secret evils as well as open and grosser sins Rule 3 Third Rule touching confession of sin unto God is this When you confesse and acknowledge secretly your sins unto God labour to greaten your sins with all the heinous circumstances and heart-humbling aggravations you can imagin Thus the servants of God used to do when they confest sin unto God they would confesse sin with all the heinous circumstances 1 Kings 8. 47. Saying We have sinned and have done perversly we have committed wickedness Saith Lorinus Mark what a heap of words a heart-humbled soul will lay together in confessing of sin We have sinned there is one word We have done wickedly there is a second and we have done perversly there is a third A notable instance you have of Paul in Act. 26. 10 11. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received authority from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities Here Paul comes to aggravate his sin there are eight aggravations that here Paul doth lay down of his sinne wherby he would greaten sin unto himself that he might be the more humble First of all they were not ordinary men that he cast into prison but they were Saints and to wrong them is a sacriledge the Saints have I cast into prison Secondly To cast a man into prison for debt is no injustice if the man be able to pay but many have I cast into prison why for professing the name of Jesus of Nazareth meerly for professing Christ Thirdly If it had been but one or two Saints it were not much but they were a greater number Many of the Saints did I cast into prison Fourthly he aggravates his sin further to cast them into prison and give them in prison liberty is not much but he shut them up in prison and kept them close prisoners Fifthly If he had rested there it had not been much but he gave his voyce against them to put them to death Nay Sixthly He goeth higher for he did wrong to their souls too for he compelled them to blaspheme God Seventhly To aggravate it further he was mad against them and I was exceedingly mad against them hee was mad with rage and with passion and with fury against the Saints of God Eighthly I did persecute them to strange Cities them I did not kill I made them leave their Wives and Children and made them run and shift for their lives into strange corners This is the nature of a true penitent not to confesse sin slightly and carelesly but in confession of sin to cloath his sins with all aggravations that can be In confession of sin we should aggravate it that we have sinned against mercies correction warnings resolutions checks of conscience motions of the Spirit c. and this is a good Rule if you will follow it You have the like instance in the book of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5. We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements Vers 6. vers 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land There are seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his sin to aggravate his sin how doth Daniel cloath his confession First We have sinned there is one Secondly We have committed iniquity Thirdly We have done wickedly Fourthly We have rebelled against thee Fifthly We have departed from thy precepts Sixthly We have not hearkned unto thy servants Seventhly Nor we nor our Princes nor all the people of the Land There are seven aggravations which Daniel reckoned up to his confession Thus David when he would beg pardon prayed for thy names sake pardon my iniquity for it is great that is a third Rule about confession Rule 4 A fourth Rule in confession of sin is this In your confessions look not discouragingly on God as an angry Judge but hopefully as on a displeased Father to confesse sin to God as an angry Judge is to make you but condemned Malefactors in your confessions therefore make confession to God only as a displeased Father converted men do confesse sin to God as a Father whilest you have an eye of sorrow upon sin you are to have an eye of hope upon pardon thus Gods people did in their confessions To confesse sin to God as a Judge is to howl like dogs because you shall be beaten but to confesse sin to God as an angry Father is child-like with a fiducial confidence of pardon Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him And thus Shechaniah confesseth sin unto God Ezra 10. 2. And Shechaniah the Son of Jehiel one of the Sons of Ellam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. And thus the Prodigall in Luke 18. 18. I will arise and goe to my Father
and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a Prodigal yet he would goe to God as to a father In confession you are to go to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horrour and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a Father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience We should confesse our sins to God as a Patient confesseth his disease and bodily distemper to his Physician in hope of Cure Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficial confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin until shame hath filled your face and sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a general way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession We should in this part of prayer imitate that holy Martyr Bradford who never gave over praying till his heart was somewhat affected and warmed in the duty Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confession of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very useful thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their waies in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them thus David did in Psal 51. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart dead he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to collect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sinnes and findes his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himself and recollect sins of past years go back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedom in confession of sin in secret before God then in publick before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things 1. First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12. 12. And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publick onely and never in private thou art but a barren professor 2. Again consider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confession of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin unto Moses and unto Aaron but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto god 1 Sam. 15. 24. And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Verse 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to bewail bloodshed wicked men have made publick confessions of sin but in secret between God and their own souls they never made acknowledgment and confession of their evils unto God thus much for the third Quere The fourth Quere is this Wherein appears the difference of a gody mans making confession of sin unto God and between those confessions of sin in wicked men and there are these eight differences First Holy confession in godly men makes the soul to be more active and inquisitive after cure remedy and pardon for sin holy confession makes the soul industrious I confesse sin but how shall I subdue sin I acknowledge sin but how shall I get pardon for sin It makes it enquire how to get cure and remedy for the evils which before were confest Job 7. 20. I have sinned What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men c. I have sinned there is his confession Lord what shall I do there is his industry Thus the Jewes they were convinced by Peter of their great sin insomuch as they cryed out What shall we do to be saved But false confession leaves men idle and carelesse confesse they do but they are not inquisitive how to get pardon for those sins they do confesse Secondly Holy confession of sin unto God in godly men is attended with remorse of conscience and with grief of heart Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin there is confession and sorrow joyned together Hos 12. 4. Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Whilest confessions are in the mouth there will be either tears in the eye or sorrow in the heart if confession be true The wicked confesse sin but tey never grieve for the sins they have committed they are not ashamed neither can they blush in the Prophets language Thirdly A godly man in confession of sin hath more freedom of spirit
the greater the person is that sins the sinne is the greater 2 Sam. 12. 8 9. A Third Circumstance to aggravate his sin it was that he did commit the sin after God had given him manifold mercies so Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12. 8. Fourthly Consider this that David had a Wife of his own nay many wives of his own that did greaten Davids sin and so Nathan told him for saith Nathan There was a poor man who had but one Lamb and a rich man that had many Lambs which killed the poor mans Lamb his meaning was that David should commit adultery with the wife of that man that had but one wife when he had many of his own Fifth Circumstance if you consider the time when David committed this sin it was when Davids Armies were lying in the fields this was done then which was enough to provoke God to make them turn their backs upon their enemies Sixth Circumstance It was a great injury to a faithful Commander in his Army as to Vriah Seventhly Which is the chiefest Circumstance of all that David should commit many sinnes to hide that one sin that was an aggraving Circumstance David did commit six-sins to hide that one sin of Adultery 1. He sent for Vriah Bathsheba's husband to leave the Army when they were storming a place this might have endangered the whole Army 2. The Text saith that David made Vriah drunk thinking thereby to make him go in to his Wife 3. He used a meanes for Vriah to father his bastard that he had gotten in uncleanness 4. When that Plot would not take David did conspire and consult how to kill Vriah 5. David sent a letter by Vriah wherein Vriah was a messenger of his own death unknown to him 6. When Vriah was dead the Text saith that David said The sword makes no difference for the sword destroyeth one man as well as another he laid Vriahs death on Gods providence onely when it was he himself did plot how he should be slain O where was Davids conscience all this while where was Davids conscience that should thus fall to commit those sins to hide one sin you account that a hainous aggravation of sin when servants have done an ill turn if they shall doe many ill turns to hide one this iniquity was found in David to hide one sin he fell to commit many Eighth Aggravation which greatens Davids sin was this that David should marry Vriahs wife first killed the husband then married the wife Ninthly and lastly To make his sin out of measure sinfull David continued under this sin with all these aggravations for nine moneths together without repentance or remorse of conscience I do not name this to boulster any man in sin I onely mention this for a distressed conscience that though thy sin be an aggravated and a great sin cloathed with many hideous and hainous circumstances yet God did forgive such a sin as that and therefore well may David say The Lord forgave the iniquity of my sin not onely sin but the iniquity of sin Inst. A second Instance is of Peter you all know the story but it may be you have not lookt narrowly into the circumstances that made Peters sinne to be great In Peters sinne First Consider that Peter should deny Christ when he did make more confident professions that he would cleave to Christ then all the other eleven Disciples when Christ told them You shall be offended because of me this night saith Peter Though all men should forsake thee yet will not I yet none forsaked Christ but Judas and he in so shameful a manner as they this was a great aggravation Secondly It is observable that Peter did deny himself to be Peter Joh. 18. 25. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself they said therefore unto him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denied and said I am not Thirdly He said he did not know Jesus Christ what a horrible fault was that that he said he did not know Jesus Christ Luke 22. 57. And he denied him saying Woman I know him not Fourthly He did not only deny Christ to a single Maid but the Text saith he denyed Christ to the Maid and before all the people there was an open denyal of Christ Matth. 26. 69. Now Peter sate without in the Palace and a Damosel came unto him saying thou also wâ—st with Jesus of Galilee vers 70. But he denied before them all saying I know not what thou sayest Fifthly When another Damosel came and she said Verily thou art one of them and a follower of Jesus Christ be said a second time Woman I doe not know the man Luke 22. Sixthly He did not onely deny but Matthew saith he denyed with an Oath Matth. 26. 72. And again he denied with an oath I doe not know the man to swear to a lye is abominable Seventhly It is observable It is said that a third time there came a man to Peter about an hour after and saith Of a truth thou art Peter and to the man saith he I do not know him Eighthly This is not all that Peter did not onely speak a falshood not onely swear a lye but Peter did curse himselfe if so be he knew Jesus Christ the Text saith he began to curse as well as to swear Mark 14. 71. But he began to curse and to swear saying I know not this man of whom ye speak he wisht some direful judgement to befall him if he knew Jesus Christ Some Interpreters think that he did not onely curse himselfe but he curst Jesus Christ to make the people think that he did not care for Jesus Christ therefore did use some execration to curse Jesus Christ And O that pardoning grace should reach such a hainous sinner as this was A third Instance was in Paul you shall see many circumstances to aggravate and greaten Pauls sin Acts 9. 10 11. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the 〈◊〉 did I shut up in Prison having received authority from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Syâ—â—gogâ—e and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly and against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities There are no lesse then ten aggravating circumstances to greaten Pauls sin First It was one circumstance to greaten his sin if you consider the quality of the persons that he did injure they were not ordinary men but they were the Saints of Christ he put the Saints of Christ into prison Secondly If you consider the number that he wronged they were many of the Saints Thirdly If you consider the kind of wrong he did them he put them into prison Fourthly If you consider his severity towards them he did shut them into prison Fifthly If you consider the place where this
was at Jerusalem it was where Paul should have learnt to know better things for there the Apostles were and taught the Doctrine of Christ and of Christianity Sixthly If you consider the extent of Pauls malice saith he When they were put to death I gave my voice against them Pauls vote was against the Christians to put them to death Seventhly Pauls rage did goe against their soules as well as their bodies for saith he I did compell them to blaspheme Christ he laboured to damn their souls as well as destroy their bodies Eighthly saith he I was exceeding mad against them he was even mad with rage and exceeding mad with rage Ninthly He drove them from house to house I drove them into strange Cities And then Tenthly which was worst of all he did through their sides strike at the honour of Jesus Christ for why did Paul doe this to the Saints saith he I thought with myself to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth there was the person he aymed at yet Paul a man forgiven for all this for he saith when he aggravates his sin in 1 Tim. 1. 11 12 13. According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministery who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly its unbelief Thus I have done with the Doctrinal part of my Text laying down to you an induction of instances I am the larger in this because I know perplexed consciences in trouble of mind are apt but to greaten their own sins but can you aggravate it worse then David Paul or Peter could do yet behold those sinnes and those aggravated sinnes were forgiven by Jesus Christ I have four words to say in this Sermon by way of Application there may be in such an Assembly as this is whom God might suffer either before conversion or after conversion to be unclean with David to deny Christ with Peter it may be to swear to a lye to swear to a falshood nay it may be to engage to a lye to a falshood O take heed of false Oathes it may be to persecute the Saints of Christ with Paul Four Consolations First O know it for thy comfort O thou disconsolate heart let thy sin be never so great yet the mercies of God are greater A learned Interpreter gives to my hand which is his instance Lord my fault is great but thy mercies are greater Beloved I may say to you though thy sin be great yet the mercy of God is greater then thy sin and thou canst not have so many circumstances to greaten thy sin as can be produced in God to greaten his own mercy you shall read what he saith himselfe in Isa 44. 22. I have blotted ouâ— as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Suppose thy sin be not onely a little cloud but suppose it be a great cloud a thick cloud saith God I doe not only blot sins out like a little cloud but I will blot ouâ— transgressions that are like a thick cloud great sins as well as small doth the mercies of God cover The Sea can as well cover great rocks as little peble stones high mountaines as well as mole-hills Gods mercy is an Ocean that can cover great enormities as well as lesser infirmities The glorious body of the Sun in the Heavens can scatter the greatest mist as well as the thinnest vapours great sins as well as small are pardoned by infinite mercy It is worthy your notice what Moses speaks of the Mercy-seat It covered the whole Ark wherein the Law was kept To note saith a Divine though thou art a man or a woman guilty of all the Lawes breach not onely of one command but of all the commands yet the Mercy-Seat covered all the commands to teach you this that the mercy of God can pardon the greatest violation of the Law therefore that wherein the Law was kept was all covered by the Mercy-Seat 2. Take this for thy comfort O thou perplexed Conscience it may be when thou art in a corner none but God and thine own soule together thou dost aggravate thy sin and thinkest no mans sin so grievous as thine then take this for thy comfort let thy sin be never so great yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are far greater The blood of Christ saith the Apostle cleanseth us from all sin the Red Sea did with as much ease drown Pharaoh and all his hoast as it could doe a single man the red Sea of Christs blood can drown a whole hoast and a huge multitude of sins as well as a small lust Though thou hast need to shed more teares for sin in a way of contriâ—ion yet Christ need not shed more blood for sin in a way of redemption for he hath saved them to the utmost that come unto God by him the Apostle triumphing in the 5. of the Romans he meanes there that there is not so much evil in sin to damn us as there is good in the gift in Christ for to save because thy sin is he guilt of a creature and Christs satisfaction is the satisfaction of a God thy sin the sin of a finite creature and his sufferings the sufferings of an infinite Mediator Third Consolation is this to you that are perplexed in conscience that you have committed hainous and aggravated sinfulnesse yet that Jesus Christ doth wipe away the infamy and the ignominy of thy most horrid and scandalous sins committed before conversion Suppose thou hast been a notorious infamous creature yet Christ takes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy sin when he justifies thy person and doth sanctifie thy nature It is observable of Mary Magdalen as is conceived she was a notorious whore every one that saw her knew she was a common harlot there was a woman that was a sinner the meaning was she was an infamous notorious harlot What is done when Christ converted this woman Luk. 7. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgâ—ven for she loved much Christ did delight to wipe away the ignominy of her harlotry in her after-life It is worthy observation that four women are reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ what women were they they were women that were infamous the best of them did fill into much scandal and gave much offence there you find mention of Thamar Rachab Ruth and Bathsheba no more in the Genealogy but these what were all these women Begin with Thamar she committed uncleannesse with her Father in Law an infamous woman as you have the story in Gen. 38. 18. And he said What pledge shall I give thee and she said thy Signet and the Bracelets and thy Staffe that is in thine hand and be
condition Sixthly and lastly There was murder in this sin for Adam kill'd himselfe and all his posterity For by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin so that in him all have sinned and so all dyed therfore Adams sin was so cloathed with hainous aggravations that made it very great Look on Davids sin in numbring the people it was a very small sin and indeed interpreters justifie the fact in it selfe it was no sin for a King to number his Army yet there were some circumstances with which this fact was cloathed that made Davids fact very sinfull there were six hainous aggravations in that fact of Davids numbring the people First of all there was pride and vain glory this Tostatus saith that pride and vain glory was Davids sin Secondly There was carnal dependance in his sin he would number his people that seeing how strong he was he might depend on the multitude this saith Zanchius was Davids sin too Thirdly There was covetousnesse in the sin too Zanchius saith this was Davids sin It is observable that when in Israel the souldiers were mustered and the subjects numbred there was a tax by pole that every one should pay this was Davids sin that he would needlesly number the people for covetousnesse sake Fourthly There was curiosity for David did a needlesse act for what need David know every particular man in his kingdome Ioab said to David 1 Chron. 21. 4. Why doth my Lord require this thing why wilt thou muster up thy forces in a time of peace we are all true and loyall to thee yet vain curiosity made David do it Fifthly there was the sin of sacriledge this Zanchius notes for when the people were numbred there was to be given for the use of the Sanctuary halfe a shekel as you have the story Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number then shall they give every man a ransome for his soule unto the Lord when thou numbrest them that there be no plague amongst them when thou numbrest them Vers 13. This they shall give every one that passeth among them that are numbred halfe a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary compare this with Exod. 38. 25. And the silver of the that were numbred of the Congregation was an hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels after the shekel of the Sanctuary c. David some suppose did defraud the Sanctuary of that mony Sixthly In this sin there was an express breach of Gods Law this Deodat saith for his Law was the people should not be numbred that were under 20 years but only those above 20 years now David did number those that were under 20 year Exo. 30 14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbred from 20 years old and above shall give an offering unto the Lord Numb 1. 3. From 20 years old and upward all that are able to goe forth to war in Israel Now David numbring those that were under those years did transgresse the command of God That is a third consideration to you that say you never run into scandalous sins yet consider that little sins may bee so aggravated by circumstances as that they become grievous suppose thy sin be secret lust and passion and secret pride thy sins may have such circumstances as to make them great suppose thy sins be against checks of conscence they are great sins because they are against Gods officer in man Conscience is Gods officer in thee and Gods Register and Vicegerent in man and for thee to controll thine own conscience against the accusations and against the convictions and checks of thy conscience though the sin be but a smal trifie yet it is very great He that doubteth is damned if he eats The Apostle saith it is no sin to eat meat but if thou thinkest it is a sin to eat meat and dost it thou sinnest against conscience If thy conscience telleth thee that it is unlawfull to do this or that and yet thou wilt venture on it the Apostle saith He that doubteth is damned if he eats If thou doest any any thing against the rebukes of conscience it is a great crime because conscience is Gods Officer in thee to eat meat is but a trifle the Question was whether they might eat meat offered to an idoll the Apostle saith they might do it I but suppose conscience in a man might say I am perswaded that if I should eat this meat that was offered to an Idoll I should approve of Idolatary then saith the Apostle thou art damned if thou eat to shew that if in so small a thing as eating flesh then in other matters also if thy conscience telleth thee that thou sinnest if doest it and yet doest it thy little sin is become a great sin Secondly the smallest sin may be aggravated if there be a complacency in thy heart to a small sin A small sin that is indulged is a more aggravating sin then a greater sin thou doest fall into with resistance It is very observable in Lev. 13. 12. And if a leprosie break out abroad in the skin and the leprosie cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even unto his foot wheresoever the Priest looketh Ainsworth admires and wonders what God intends by this Law the meaning is the leprosie betokens sinne Now if the leprosie or the plague or the small pox if it comes out into a scab and comes into the flesh and strikes outward there is no disease within but then there is danger when sores strike inward and do not come out in the flesh this Law hath this use in it if the leprosie were onely on the skin the man was not unclean though there was sin in his life yet sin was not in his heart I but saith God if the scab be in sight deeper then the skin then pronounce him unclean to shew if sin be in thy heart and in thy life too though it be but a small sin yet it is a sin that will damn thee If I regard iniquity in my heart Psal 66. 18. the Lord will not hear me Therefore you that are morall men that say you thank God that you have not broke out into grosse sins consider though sin be small yet your small sins may have such circumstances as may make them very great sinning against your consciences or else sin seising upon the heart Fourthly to morall men that a great and grosse sinner may be pardoned when morall men who never brake out into such grosse wickednesse may live and dye in an unpardoned estate I will give you tow instances the one of the Pharisee and the other of the young man in the the Gospell First of the Pharisee in Luk. 18. I thanke God saith he I am no extortioner no drunkard no adulterer I am not this nor that the Pharisee was a man that never broke out into
her own pardon Mary was weeping for her sin and it was first revealed unto another that she was pardoned to shew that when men fall into grosse sins God doth many times hide comforts from them other men shall have good hope of their pardon more then they have of themselves let this be admonishment and a check to you to take heed of falling into grosse evils for God may keep you long without manifestation of pardon Fourthly to admonish thee consider that thou doest run a very dangerous and desperate hazard to venture upon the commission of sin upon presumption of pardon Wilt thou sin that may be as painfull to thy conscience as the breaking of thy bones because Christ can set thee in joynt again Wilt thou sin and cut gashes in thine own flesh because thou knowest the Bloud of Christ to be a soveraign balsam to cure thy wounds for by his stripes we are healed I now come to give you something by way of direction Hast thou been a man that God hath left to thine own hearts lust thou hast not onely sin but the iniquity of sin sin aggravated then First take this rule Labour in the residue of thy dayes to be as eminent in grace as thou hast been formerly notorious in sin have thy lusts been strong labour now that thy affections may be strong God-ward and Heaven-ward has thy sin been cloathed with many hainous circumstances to make it great let thy graces be cloathed with many holy circumstances to make them great though this cannot make a compensation to the most High for nothing thou hast or dost can recompense God for the wrong sin doth him yet is this something by way of a Holy revenge on thy selfe the more thou hast been notorious in evill thou shouldest labour now to be more eminent in good Secondly Hast thou fallen into any grosse and aggravated guilt follow this Rule Labour that the greater thy sin and thy unkindnesse hath been to God thou express now the greater love to Jesus Christ for pardoning mercy O labour thou that hast great sins pardoned that thou mayest have great love issued out to Jesus Christ Christ did not simply aske Peter Simon Peter lovest thou me out goeth higher Peter doest thou love me more then these there was this reason why Christ shold aske him this Question because Peter had sinned against Christ more then all the disciples had therfore Peter must love Christ more Do I speak to any that have been taler by the head in sin then any of their neighbours have been O! if thou hast sinned much love much the greater the sin the greater the pardon must be and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth Luk. 7. 41. There was a certain creditor Which had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty Vers 42. Aud when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Vers 43. Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most and he said unto him thou hast rightly judged The meaning of this is the two debtors are two sorts of sinners he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt though thou hast but few little sins yet thou canst not satisfie for it He that owned much was a great sinner as Mary Magdalen It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins thy five hundred of sins O make good this Parable that he that hath most forgiven him love most the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy love most bee It is thus with Mary Magdalen Luk 7. 47. wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for shee loved much Her love doth hold proportion to her pardon much pardon on Christs part and much love on her part O beloved let me here inculcate this on your thoughts have any of you been great sinners have you been guilty of aggravated and hainous circumstances now finde that your love doth carry some proportion to your pardon Thirdly hath God suffered thee to fall into the iniquity of sin observe this direction the greater thy sin hath been to God labour that thy humiliation may be greater that it may carry some proportion to the greatnesse of thy transgression It is observable of what you read of three men in Scripture of David Manasses and Peter these all sinned greatly and their sorrow and lamentation did carry proportion to their sin in some measure Manasses sinned greatly and the Scripture saith of him That he humbled himself greuly before the Lord. Peter did deny Christ shamfuly and Peter went out and wept bitterly You know David sinned notoriously and he mourned exceedingly rivers of tears ran from his eyes he watered his couch with tears all this teacheth you that the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy humiliation should bee An observable Law you read of in Lev. 11. 24 25. And for these you shall be unclean whosoever toucheth the carkasse of them shall be unclean untill the Even And whosoever beareth ought of the carkasse of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the Even touching an unclean thing a man was unclean but if a man carried an unclean thing any length of time then saith God he shall be unclean till Even and he shall wash his clothes This law shews that touching an unclean sin requires an humiliation but if thou hast born a sin and hugged a sin in thy armes then there is greater worke required of thee he was to wash his clothes He that hath continued in sin must wash his heart by humiliation and must take more pains with his heart that hath fallen into a grosse evil then those who have not fallen so foulely and frequently Fourth Direction In case thou expectest to have a high esteeme of pardoning grace labour thou to find out all the aggravated and hainous circumstances in thy sin Do not fear that the seeing of the sinfulnesse of sin will do you hurt first look on pardon and then look on the aggravation of thy sin this is the way to heighten Christ merrits and greaten Gods mercy and extoll Gods pardoning grace It is notably mentioned of two men that were famous this way It is reported of Eusebius when he came to confesse sin he used these words Lord there is none have sinned as I have sinned the Devil sinned Judas sinned grievously but none sinned as I The Devil indeed sinned but Christ never dyed for the Devill as he dyed for me therefore my sin is a greater sin then the Devils Judas sinned greatly but Judas never had the pardon I had Achan sinned too but I sinned further then he O labour to finde out what aggravations there are that thy evils are capable of that so thou mightst come to magnifie and greaten the grace
of God in thy esteem A famous story of Austin when God converted him and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robbing of an Orchard he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances First I robbed an Orchard meerly out of vanity not out of need to steale for need is more tolerable though not justifiable but when he had enough that was vanity then it was not for the goodnesse of the fruit but meerly for the lust of the eye then I did not rob the Orchard alone but I got others with me then it was an unseasonable time of night then he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport then what they could not eat they gave to the hogs then saith he I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong O see how hee clothed that sin with many hainous crimes and circumstances canst not thou cloath thy uncleannesse thy oppression thy extortion thy unjust dealing with hainous circumstances let me direct you a little in this rule First To aggravate thy sin consider all sins against the manifestation of Gods love are great when God speaks peace to thee if thou shouldst then return to foolishnesse Psal 85. 8. this greatnes sin it was an aggravation of Solomons sin that he sinned against the Lord after God had revealed himselfe twice to him 1 King 11. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice Secondly It aggravates sin when you commit a sin upon a slight temptation for a man to sin when he hath little or no provocation that greatens sin What made the sin of the Devil so great it was this that those Angels had none to tempt them for thee to follow the stews for thee to follow thy lusts when the Devil doth not tempt thee to doe it when the provocation is meerly from thine own heart this greatens a mans sin and thus in the Prophet Micah that men should sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes O when thou shalt recollect and say how have I dishonoured God how have I run the hazard of an immortall soul when the Devil hath laid no temptation to me this greatens sins exceedingly A third thing to greaten sin by is when a man doth sin against the checks and rebukes of his own conscience Conscience saith doe not sin doe not wickedly and the man saith I must I must I shall lose all else When Conscience shall arrest thee and accuse thee of sin and thou shalt stifle and put by all this aggravates thy sin Fourthly The frequency of the acts of sinne to commit a sin once is not so much but to fall often into the same sin this greatens sin Fifthly Complacency of heart in sin when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise and of thy life but thou delightest in sin if sin be rivetted and rooted in thy heart thou art unclean canst thou go to God say Lord what grace is here land what mercy is here that thou hast pardoned great transgressions and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances I have read my pardon and yet I have now blotted my pardon canst thou say I have sinned and upon a very trivial occasion and on a smal temptation I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin O it is a great aggravation when Conscience arrests thee for sin and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of conscience would you greaten sin you are in a ready way to greaten mercy pardoning grace that is a 4th direction Fifthly If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins take you heed that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins you do not extenuate your sins do not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar Is not this a little one doe not say of wilfull enormities as Jacob did Peradventure it was an oversight do not mince the matter and doe not lessen sin but greaten sin The reason why thou shouldst not doe it consider first by extenuating sin and making it smal and little in your eye you will lessen the greatnesse of Gods pardoning grace who will value the skill and Physick of a kitchin woman That Physitian is valued that can cure a deadly and dangerous disease when a mans spirits are gone and strength is consumed the Physician is prized thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace 2. By the extenuating thy sin thou doest lessen the value of Christs bloud 3. Thou wilt lessen thine own repentance and humiliation for what man will labour after great humiliation for small transgessions therfore there is a world of wrong done to thy own soule when God hath pardoned great transgressions if thou shouldst extenuate and lessen the greatness of thy evils Sixthly Content not your selves with slight and superciall repentance so falling into great and gross evils be not like Lewis the eleventh King of France when he did an evill against his conscience he pulled off his hat and tooke his Crucifixe and cryed God mercy for what he had done so many men if they can but cry God mercy in ordinary and generall tearms they think they have made a Compensation to Divine Justice And thus have I done with the second branch of the use in these six particulars The third and the last branch shall be by way of Consolation to troubled and perplexed Consciences that by reason of their falling into aggravated and hainous sins do entertain doubtfull thoughts of their own pardon five Consolations I shall lay down to you from the scripture who have repented of great and many sins First Consider for thy comfort that conversion and repentance for sin before God wipes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy former miscarriages suppose thou hast been an ignominious notorious soul creature yet repentance puts a vail over thy ignominious lusts Secondly Take this for thy comfort that Jesus Christ doth manifest more love to those men who have fallen into gross sin after repentance and humiliation then he did to any other sorts of men in the world It is observable of Peter Peter did sin more then all the Disciples unless Judas that was the cast-away after Peter did humble himselfe and repent of his denyall Christ did shew more love to Peter then to all the other Disciples First Christ appeared to Peter after his Resurrection before he appeared to any other so Paul tels you in 1 Cor. 15. 5. And that he was scen of Cephas and then of the twelve there was love in Christ Peter did deny but three daies before and Peter must first see him Again When Christ was risen from the dead
he sent a messenger to Peter particularly by name Goe tell my Disciples in generall and tell Peter that I am risen Mark 16. 7. But goe your waies tell his Disciples and Peter Peter was crying weeping and be wailing that he should deny his Master and saith Christ Goe tell Peter that I am risen 3. Christ doth single out Peter after he rose from the dead Christ hath more discourse with Peter then hee hath all with his Disciples else Joh. 21. Thus you see that Jesus Christ manifests love to those sinners that sinned foully after they have repented and are sufficiently humbled for their sin Thus it is with Mary Magdalen after she repented what expressions of love doth Christ to her First we read that hee cast out of her seven Devils Luk. 8. 2. Then he appeared first to Mary shee was the first that saw him when he was risen Mark 16. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen Again Christ commanded that where ever the Gospell came to bee preacht the fame of Mary should be made known Matth. 26. 1 3. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her what a great honour was this to Mary Magdalen Thus it appears that God doth manifest to those persons that have sinned the grossest sins if afterward they shall have the more serious and through humiliation the clearest evidences and the strongest comforts Thirdly Take this for your comfort It is not the greatnesse of that sin thou committest but onely the hardnesse and impenitency of thy own heart that can exempt thee from pardon Divines doe generally say that the reason of that saying in Scripture All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come It is not that there is not more merit in Christ to save then there is guilt in that sin but it is because that man cannot will not repent of the sin Therefore that sin cannot be forgiven because he cannot repent Suppose thy sin be blasphemy this doth not exempt from pardon It is not the greatnesse of thy sin but the Judiciall hardnesse and finall impenitency of thy heart that can exempt thee from pardon when Peter preached to the Jewes that had a hand in crucifying the Son of God yet saith he repent and your sins shall be blotted out O what sin could be greater then their embrewing their hands in the bloud of Christ yet doe but repent and your sins shall bee blotted out It is not for want of great mercy on Gods part and great merits on Christs part that men are unpardoned but it is want of repentance on thine owne part Fourthly That no grosse sin committed by a justified person can make void his former pardon A rule among the Shoolemen the worke of God cannot bee made void or frustrated by the worke of man Election is a work of God Redemption the work of God Justification the worke of God which cannot be made void by the work of man therefore if God hath elected thee redeemed thee justifyed and pardoned thee the incursion of grosse evills cannot restrain thee of former pardon It is true sinne may make void thy former comforts thy former evidences gross sins may lay wast thy conscience but they cannot lay wast the grace and the mercies of God herein you may be greatly comforted and established Fifthly Take this for thy comfort though thou dost fall into grosse and aggravated guilt yet such is the goodness and mercy of God that he orders thy very falling into sin to turn to thy good I doe not mention this to any that they should be imboldened to fall into sin because it may turn to good O it is God that orders a mans fall for his good A threefold good that God doth to his people out of their very sins God doth not onely doe good to his people by their afflictions but he doth good to his people by their very sins First Sometimes God doth so order that the falling of a godly man into sin shall abate pride in his heart men of great parts are apt to be proud God many times will let strong lusts attend strong gifts the more to abate and keep under the exaltation of spirit therefore saith Paul I have the messengers of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted above measure God doth many times to keep under pride let a temptation loose on a man so God doth him good that way Austin saith I am not afraid to say that it is profitable sometimes for good men to fall into sin Secondly It will prevent many other sins here is Gods great mercy the putting of a man to pain takes away pain God sometimes suffers a man to sin that sin might keep out another sin one sin may be so ordered by God to keep out another sin Thirdy Falling into sin sometimes doth renew the work of repentance the Lord sometimes lets them sleep that so he might awaken them by a greater humiliation and to tast the more of the bitternesse and fruit of sin here then is Gods goodnesse to a sinner that by letting him fall into a sin he doth thee good and makes thee to renew repentance and greatens humiliation in thy heart Now for the finishing of this subject there are seven Cases of conscience that in this Doctrine are needfull to be resolved First Whether God may forgive a man his sin and yet the man himselfe not know it here David had sin forgiven him and David did know it I acknowledge and thou forgavest but whether may a man have sin forgiven him and yet not know he is pardoned I answer in the affirmative that a man may have sin forgiven him and yet not know that his sin is pardoned though David did know his pardon at this time yet he did not know his pardon at other times Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation God broke Davids bones for his Adultery and David was driven to shed a River of tears before God did pour in one drop of joy Job 33. 10. Behold hee findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy Job thought that God was an enemy unto him and you have not onely the confession of one man but the doubts and fears of the Church in generall Lament 3. 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned we have rebelled c. Yet God had pardoned and God had forgiven them yet here was their fear and their doubt they lay under suspense of pardon God may pardon a sinne unto the Elect and yet they not know that they are pardoned and in the manifold Wisdome of God there are divers reasons for it first by keeping them under a suspense
sins The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sins are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evils For consider the scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so The Scripture compares some sin to Camels and some to Gnats The Scripture compares some sin to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19. 11. Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speak of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men Consider That God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his cloths to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his deniall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sinne and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs blood can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the sixth case of Conscience Case 7 The seventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are these circumstances which do aggravate and greaten sin Ans 1 First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soule this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger after he had appeared to him twice Secondly To sinne against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4. 17. Therfore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sin to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that he was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods Officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of Office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sinne Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens blood this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5. 22. 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous that thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eie as well as against the warning of the eare Fourthly Sin against Gods judgements upon our selves doth weighten sin this did aggravate Abaz sin 2 Chron. 28. 22. And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sinne against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too little for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c. What thou sinne David and hast been loaden with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sinne is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him If a man sinnes against God O who shall plead for him Seventhly To sin against the motions of Gods spirit aggravates sin when the spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked waies as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and wooe thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not only the voice of conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the spirit Quench not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit And then there is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7. 51. Ye stiffe necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the spirits motion And then the scripture speaks of vexing the spirit Isa 63. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not only by one single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the spirit all these circumstances must needs aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninthly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacencie that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving
of his comming againe verse 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe Sixthly By this that he will receive us to himselfe verse 3. And receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also and we shall ever be with the Lord. I shall explaine the Phrases when I come to handle them as they lie in order This Text contains in it the most materiall and fundamentall points of all the Doctrine of Christianity as Doct. 1 First the great doctrine of Christs bodily ascension into Heaven If I go Doct. 2 Secondly the fruit and benefit of Christs going into Heaven I go to prepare a place for you Doct. 3 Thirdly here is the great Doctrine of Christs second comming to judge the quick and the dead but I come againe Doct. 4 Fourthly here is the great Doctrine of the Resurrection of the body Christ shall come to receive them again from the dead and all the Elect with them Doct. 5 Fifthly here is the great Doctrine of that everlasting Communion that the Saints shal have with Christ in Heaven that where I am there ye may be also The first clause If I go it s a good note that Calvin hath on these words this conditionall Particle ought to be resolved into an Adverb of time If I go It is not a note of dubitation if Christ should go to heaven or no or a supposition peradventure he may go to Heaven peradventure not but it serves for limitation of time when Christ doth go to Heaven A like phrase you have John 12 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me This he spake of what death he should die if he be lifted on the Crosse he should save many by his death The word if doth not note a dubitation or a supposition it may be or it may not be but it notes an Adverb of time when I am lifted up and so in my Text And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also There is no difficulty in the first expression If I go and prepare a place for you from which words there are two observations If I go First that Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of great comfort and great advantage to all his people while they dwell here upon the earth The second observation is from the end and benefit of his going up to Heaven If I go I go to prepare a place for you That the great end of Jesus Christs going bodily to Heaven is to prepare Heaven for all the Elect. Doct. 1 The first Doctrine That Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of comfort and great advantage to all Gods people whilst they dwell here upon the earth In the handling of this point there are three particulars First I shall prove it to you by Scripture that Christ is bodily gone into Heaven I prove it by these five arguments in Scripture First by the Types that were before the Law Enoch was translated and taken up bodily into Heaven where now he is Gen. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him this is confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 11. 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony That he pleased God And under the Law Elijah was taken up in a fiery Chariot 2 King 2. 11. And it came to passe as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlewind into Heaven So Christ makes a third under the Gospell taken up to Heaven also Second Argument to prove this Doctrine is by Prophesies in the old Testament that Jesus Christ was to be taken up into Heaven bodily three prophesies one in the 68 Psalm there David prophesi'd of Christ in the 18. verse Thou hast ascended on high c. Now we should not have known so full that this had reference to Jesus Christs Ascension if Paul had not expounded this in Heb. 4. and the 14. verse Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The Prophesies that were long before Christ was born did declare this that Jesus Christ should ascend up into Heaven and in the 110. Psa 7. verse He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head what is that It is spoken of Christ I will set him upon my right hand first hee shall drink of the brook by the way he shall crie I thirst upon the Crosse he shall die and be crucified then afterwards he shall lift up his head he shall rise againe and ascend up into Heaven a full Prophecie in Daniel 7. 13 14. I saw in the night Visions and behold One like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of daies and they brought him neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and Languages should serve him His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroied This cannot be spoken of Christs comming to judgement but then the Text saith he shall deliver them to his Father 1 Cor. 15. But the comming of Christ in the clouds here is Christs going up into Heaven as it is in the 1. Acts verse 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And thus you have it by Prophesies confirmed Thirdly the Doctrine of Christs going up to Heaven is confirmed to you by Christs promises Christ upon the earth did promise that he would go up to Heaven John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before In John 20. 17. Jesus saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God Christ did promise that he would ascend John 16. 5 7. But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asked me whither goest thou Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16. 16. A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father I could quote you many Scriptures that Christ promised he would
go away Fourthly the Doctrine of Christs going up to heaven is confirmed by the Testimony of the Apostles who were eie-witnesses of Christs Ascension Gerrard notes saying Jesus Christ did rise invisible none saw him Rise the Scripture telleth you that the Souldiers that watched were asleep yet Christ gathereth all his eleven Apostles that they might be eie-witnesses of his ascension that they saw him ascend to Heaven Acts 1. 9 10. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell and so the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being subject unto him So Paul tels you in Ephesians 4. 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things So in Hebrewes 9. the Author of that book tels you that Jesus Christ is not gone into the holy place but is gone into Heaven it selfe In verse 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversy great is the mystery of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory And in Mark 16. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God I take the more pains to prove this because of what ancient Heresies there have been to overthrow this great comfortable doctrin of Christs going bodily into heaven having our flesh in heaven this very day Fifthly it may be proved by the concurrent Testimonies of the Angels who were witnesses of this truth Acts 1. 10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell These two men were Angels the Angels did give in their concurrent Testimonies that Jesus Christ did goe into Heaven and the same Jesus Christ that did go shall come againe Beloved I know not any one point in all the Bible that is so proved and strengthened as Christs personall and bodily going up to Heaven and thus much for the strengthning of you in the proof of the point I lay that for the foundation because if the proof of it be not well grounded then the fruit of it will not be well regarded Secondly what is the reason that Christ must have his body and soul go up to heaven First Christ in his bodilie presence must goe to Heaven lest his Disciples should be taken too much with his bodily presence and never look after the Communication of his Spirit Therefore they ask Christ Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel They expected that Christ would take away the Roman Emperour which was a heathen and expected that he would be King himselfe Acts 1. 6. When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel It is for this reason say Interpreters because the Disciples should not dote on Jesus Christ as to look on him as a temporall King and look on him for a temporall Kingdome but that they might look after the Kingdome where he is therefore Paul hath a passage in 2 Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more As if he should say it may bee those that lived in Christs time that knew him according to the flesh as a lovelie person but saith Paul we know him in a spirituall way to look after heaven by Christ to look after salvation by Christ Secondly Christ must be taken up into Heaven in his body to make a compensation and a recompence to himselfe for his sufferings in his body Phil. 2. 8 9. And being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Therefore God did exalt Christ and raise him from the dead and bring him to Heaven because he obeied to the death of the Crosse and took on him the form of a servant Psal 110. last verse He shall drink of the brook in the way thersfore shall he lift up the Head Because thou diedst and sufferedst therefore thou shalt lift up thy head therefore thou shalt ascend up to Heaven Heb. 2. 9. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should tast death for every man For suffering of death hee was crowned with Glory and Honour and translated bodily into Heaven that is a second Argument Thirdly Christ was taken up bodily to heaven it was manifest to the world that Christ was God as well as man to manifest the God-head of Jesus Christ therefore taken up bodily to heaven Eph. 4. 9 10. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things There the Apostle proves that Christ going up to Heaven it was an Argument that Christ came down from heaven So in John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before That shews that Christ was in Heaven before therefore must he be God Coequall and Coeternall with God the Father and thus you have the second point dispatched to you shewing the reasons why Jesus Christ must go bodily into Heaven The third point is I but what benefit and comfort is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in Heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that he must go from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christ Ascension Eph. 4. 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and sin that carried you captive Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried
you captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour rode to the Capitol of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariots wheels So Christ did carry his captives by his wheeles as it were he led captivity captive Colos 2. 15. And having spoyled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the world that he hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne. Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodys to heaven I go to heaven that I may receive you to my self that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In Joh. 14. 19. Yet a little while the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also As if he should say wel I must leave you and I must goe to Heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shal also live with me in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his dayes saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and he is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven and this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christ is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce that hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of beleevers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Preist hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your soules might bee saved that your bodies might he raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that he might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7. 26. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfiled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8 4. For if he were on earth hee should not be a priest seeing there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest now if hee were upon the earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore we have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his body flesh and bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people this was typified out under the Law Exod. 28. 9 10 11 and 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix stones grave them on the names of the children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the work of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of Gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone into that which is so in it selfe the Holy of Holiest and there he hath not onely the names of al the elect of God throughout the world on his breast but hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his father This is a third ground of comfort that they have of Christs going bodily into heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this That Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit which was bestowed on his people whilest he was upon the Earth Ephes 4 ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave giftes unto men It is an allusion to the Roman custome that when the conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely lead the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoiled death and the Devil thus Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Sociâ—ian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gift of the spirit and they ground it on that text Ioh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and then they could not bee in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that abundant measure was not given because Christ was not yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascension and untill he was glorified therefore the Apostles soon after his ascension received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this also as the fruit of Ascension Ephesians 4. 10 11 12. vers He that descended is the
their being in heaven but there is great benefit redounding to us by Christs being in heaven for saith Christ I goe to Heaven to prepare a place for you Again Enoch went to heaven but he could not give the spirit so Elias went to heaven but hee could not give the spirit I but our Lord Iesus Christ hee is gone bodily into heaven hee hath ascended up on high and hath given gifts unto men Again they went to heaven saith Polanus onely as Citizens of heaven but Christ went to heaven as the Lord of heaven who is there in his body and in his person and these are the short and transient hints that I have given you on the first part of my Text. I come now to the second thing in the Text to the benefit that believers have by Christs going bodily into heaven I go to prepare a place for you Doct. 2 The observation is this the fruit and benefit that all the Elect of God have by Christs going into heaven is to prepare a place for them there I go to prepare a place for you Now in the handling of this Doctrine there are three particulars First I shal shew you in what sense Christs going bodily into heaven prepares heaven for believers Secondly I shall shew you how can this scripture say that by Christs Ascension heaven was prepared for us when other Scriptures say that heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the world Thirdly whether did the Patriarks and righteous holy men of God that lived before Christs ascension goe into heaven whither went they when they dyed therefore the Church of Rome gather from this Text that before Christ went to heaven there was none went into heaven but all went into a place called Limbus Patrum First in what sense may it bee said that Christ by his going into heaven prepares a place for believers there I answer in these three regards Christ by going into heaven prepares a place there First By way of Representation Christ is not gone to heaven as other men as a single and a private person but Christ is gone into heaven as a common and a publique person Christ is gone up to heaven with flesh and blood and with our natures hee is gone to heaven and hee is gone there as a Representer of all the Elect Jesus Christ is gone to heaven representing the persons of the Elect of God upon the earth Hence it is that you have a passage Eph. 2. 6. And hath raised us up together in heavenly places into Jesus Christ Wee are not in heavenly places wee are in earthly places but we doe sit in heaven because Christ is now in heaven hee being gone to heaven as a common and a publique person a Representer of all the elect Heb. 6. 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchesodec Hee did not goe there for himselfe but for us Christ did dye as a publique person representing all the elect of God and Christ did goe to heaven as a publique person and hath taken possession of heaven in our stead Christ keepes our inheritance there saith Grotius Christ is said to prepare a place for us in heaven just as a company of Travellers when they are going a journey they send one man before to be their harbinger to take up lodging in the Inne and make provision for them against they come to the Inne our Lord Jesus Christ is gone to heaven before to prepare a place for the elect there Secondly Christ prepares a place for the elect by way of intercession Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us That as the Priest under the Law when hee went to the holy places hee had the names of all the Tribes on his breast so the Lord Jesus Christ our great high Priest having the Names of all the elect not onely on his breast but in his heart prayeth to his Father that we might come there and this Intercession is another way that heaven is prepared for the elect Thirdly Christ is said to prepare heaven for us by way of Operation in us hee prepares heaven for us by preparing us for heaven and this is the sence that Austin gives of these words Jesus Christ prepares a Mansion for us in heaven when hee prepares us the Inhababitants for heaven here is the great evidence for heaven are your hearts prepared then you may bee assured that heaven is prepared for you Col. 1. 12 13 14. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in Light who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the Kingdome of his deare Son In whom wee have Redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins An unconverted man is not a meet man for heaven now when Christ makes you meet for heaven hee then prepares a place for thee 1 Peter 1. 3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to bee revealed in the last time So that beloved if you be kept for heaven and made meet for heaven that is a demonstration that heaven is prepared for you I now come to the second Quere which is this how can this scripture say that by Christs ascension Heaven is prepared for us when other Scriptures say that heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the world Mat. 25. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Now if a Kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning of the world how doth this Scripture appropriate a preparing of the Kingdome of Heaven onely from the ascension of Christ Divines do answer that you must distinguish between the decrees of God and the clear manifestation and full execution of those decrees Now if you respect the decrees of God then the Scripture is true that the Kingdome of heaven is prepared from the beginning of the world for the decree and purpose of God was before the world was that the elect should have heaven as an Inheritance but if you expect the clear manifestation of it then it was not till Jesus Christ Ascended and the distinction this Scripture allows of especially in the point of Justification in this point the Scripture doth clear this distinction Heb. 9. 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was
the time that the Roman persecution was curbed by Constantine that was a Resurrection and that they reigned with Christ at that time Answ For Answer first in Scripture phrase the word rising doth not carry a reference to the body rising from the Grave onely but of a man rising from a state of affliction and of sinne they are expressed in Scripture by a Resurrection Roman 10. 10 11. Let their Eyes be darkned that they may not see and bow down their back alway I say then have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid but rather through their fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Isaiah 22. 19. And I will drive thee from thy Station and from thy state shall hee pull thee down The men that are as it were low men in captivity in Babylon they shall rise it doth not referre to the resurrection from the Dead at the last day so a rising from sinne Coloss 2. 12. Buried with him in Baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead Wee are risen with Christ not bodily but out of our sinnes Coloss 3. 1. If yee thâ—n bee risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God So that here this is the first Resurrection the meaning is this that those that did escape the rage and cruelty of the ten Persecutions and did come to live in Constantines daies and did all the while of the former Persecutions keep themselves from the Idolatry of the Heathens and Corruptions of Antichrist they are said to have the first Resurrection blessed are they that were raised up by Christ from the sinnes and from the Errours Superstition and Idolatry both of Antichrist and the Heathens I but then it is said they live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares Beloved that Phrase living and reigning with Christ though some Interpreters reâ—erre it to Heaven yet with Brightman and others I concurre and alâ—o Bernard that it doth denote thus much that those in Successive Ages who enjoyed Liberty in the Christian Religion under Constantine the great who lived to a thousand years and were delivered from former afflictions that kept by Christs Power from the Idolatry of the times and from Antichrist they were said to live with Christ a thousand yeares for they lived to him and depended on him and were not plunged into the wickednesse of the times and thus with consulting of many Authors I finde this to bee the truest account in a few words in defending this Text from giving any foundation to Christs personall reigne for a thousand yeares upon the Earth The second Scripture that they doe urge for Christs personall reign upon the earth for a thousand years is the 2 Peter 3. 7 10 11 12 13. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire untill the day of judgement and â—erdition of ungodly men But the day of the Lord will come as a Theefe in the Night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noyse and the Elements shall melt with fervent heate the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall bee burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall bee dissolved what manner of persons ought yee to bee in all holy conversation and godlinesse Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall bee dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Neverthelesse wee according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Here is mention of a coming of Christ wee looke for and hasten to his coming at Christs coming wee looke for a new Earth Now say they to what purpose were there to bee a new Earth if Christ were not to come down on this Earth and the Saints with him for a thousand yeares as the Scripture doth seeme to give warrant for a thousand yeares reigne this Scripture seemes to give warrant that hee shall be on the Earth they say that the righteous shall onely have benefit of Christs personall reign upon the Earth To take off this First marke the scope and the context how this Scripture is brought in and it will something cleare the Text. it is brought in against some Epicurean Principles that some scoffers had taken up in those times ver 3 4. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last daies scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Eathers â—ell asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation Wee see no change in providence therefore where is the promise of Christs coming they scoffed at Christ that Christ was a contemptible man in this world this is the answer in the 7 vers But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and Perdition of ungodly men Peter speakes directly that the time of Christs coming which they scoffed at was not the time of the thousand yeares but of the day of judgment therefore this coming here that Peter speaks of cannot be meant of a thousand years before the day of judgement Secondly observe that the day of Perdition of ungodly men they say themselves that Christ doth suffer the wicked of the world to live in the world the thousand yeares though not to rule as they had done Thirdly observe that it is said here that before this new Earth is the world shall bee burnt with Fire the Heavens shall passe away with a noyse c. Now before a thousand yeares there is no such thing as it is before the day of Judgement The burning of that world is reserved against the day of Judgement therefore this coming cannot be referred to Christs personall coming on the earth to reign a thousand years Fourthly it is said here that Christ should come as a Thiefe But the day of the Lord will â—ome as a Thiefe in the Night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noyse c. That Epithet is referred to his coming to judge the world to his last coming and not to any other coming 1 Thess 5. 2. For your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a Thiefe in the Night But if Christ should come to reigne upon the Earth then he cometh visible and observable Mat. 33. 44. But know this that if the good man of the house had knowne in what watch the Thiefe would come hee would have watched and would not have suffered his house to bee broken up Therefore be ye also ready for in such an houre as you thinke not the Sonne of man cometh Rovel 16. 15. Behold I come as a Thiefe Blessed is hee that watcheth and keepeth
them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the Aire and so shall wee ever bee with the Lord vers 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend with a shout from Heaven c. If it had been Christ in his spirit then it would have been said the Lord by his spirit shall descend But the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout it notes his personall coming out of Heaven that whereas Jesus Christ had a personall translation and as Christ had a visible Elevation he was in the eyes of his Disciples lifted up so Christ shall bodily descend and come out from Heaven the Lord himselfe c. Therefore it cannot bee the Lord by his spirit Acts 1. 11. Which also said yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him goe into Heaven The same Jesus that you saw Ascend shall descend so that it cannot bee Christ in his spirit but in his person I onely mention this to confute those that follow the conceit of Origen meerly to make Christs coming to be but a spiritual coming a coming in the hearts of Saints Thirdly his coming it shall be visibly Acts 1. 11. This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven That as Christs going up to Heaven bodily was visible so Christs coming out of Heaven shall be visible Mat. 26. 64. Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds Indeed Christ did rise invisibly for no man saw Christ rise from the dead but Christ shall descend visibly you shall see the Sonne of man c. Mat. 24. 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory All men shall see the glory of Jesus Christ the wicked shall see him to their Amazement and consternation and the godly shall see him to their joy and consolation Fourthly Christs coming shall bee gloriously and there shall bee many things that shall make the coming of Christ to bee a glorious coming hee shall come in the clouds these glorious bodies shall bee the triumphant and swift Chariots of the sonne of God wherein hee will come to judge the world and his Atendance shall make him glorious Daniel 7. 10. A fiery streame issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the judgement was set and the bookes where opened Jude 14. and Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints And in 2 Thess 1. 7. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels O then behold the clouds to be the Triumphant Chariots of Christ the Innumerable company of Saints and Angels to bee attendants on the person of Christ to come to judge the world and that is the reason that hee is called so glorious Mat. 24. 30. And they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Mat. 16. 27. For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels Luk. 9. 26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Sonne of man bee ashamed when hee shall come in his own glory in his Fathers and of the Holy Angels And that is the reason of that Epithet given to Christs coming Titus 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Now beloved Christs coming to have this property or this manner the reason must bee to distinguish his second coming from his first coming to take off the contempt and reproach that was on Jesus Christ in his first coming and he shall come in glory in the second coming First wee read in Scripture that Christs first coming it was in the forme of a servant Phil. 2. 7. But made himselfe of no reputation and tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Now in the second coming hee comes with that glory and Majesty of a King In the first coming hee had no reasonable creature to attend him at the second coming hee shall have all the Saints and Angels in Heaven to attend him At his first coming hee was swadled with swadling bands but at this second coming he shall be as it were cloathed with the Clouds of Heaven Againe his first coming it was in dishonour and contempt every Traveller had more honour then Jesus Christ for the Inne was for every Traveller but there was no roome for Christ there hee was borne in an out-house but his second coming shall bee in great glory Againe in his first coming Christ representing the persons of the Elect came with sin imputed to him and was the greatest Beggar in the world as Luther saith and the greatest sinner in the world not by way of inherence but by way of imputation therefore Luther calleth him Peccator maximus the greatest sinner Christ incoming into the the world had all the sinnes of the Elect of God imputed to him so hee came as a sinner as an evill person though hee was not so yet hee was looked upon as so But the second time hee shall come without sinne hee shall not have our sinnes by imputation cast on him because when hee comes againe hee shall make a totall Abolition of sinne Therefore there needs no impution of our sinnes upon Jesus Christ Thus you have a fourth way of his coming he shall come Gloriously A fifth way of Christs coming againe is this he shall come terribly In Isaiah 13. 9. Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruell both with wrath and fierce Anger to lay the Land desolate and hee shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it Revel 6. 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall bee able to stand the coming of Jesus Christ it is a terrible coming that is a fifth way of his coming Sixthly and lastly Christ shall come unexpectedly though it is true there shall be immediate warnings of his coming as the powers of Heaven shall be shaken the Sun Moon and Starrs shall bee darkned but that shall bee but a little before his coming but beloved the coming of Christ shall bee when men are not aware of it as in the dayes of Noah men were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage when the flood come and destoyed them so shall the Sonne of man come Christs coming shall then bee to burne all with fire
also Fourthly it proceeds from that neer Union which is betweene a Beleever and Jesus Christ Christ is the head and Beleevers are the members now the members must bee raised and received up to Jesus Christ to make his body a perfect body Thus much for the Reasons why that Jesus Christ at the second coming shall raise and receive the bodies of the Elect to himself as well as the soules The second query is this but what benefit is it to the body what endowments shall the body receive by this when Christ comes First in generall I shall say this to you that the body shall receive more glorious endowments then ever it could bee capable to receive and enjoy here in this world it may bee thy body is endowed with a comely feature yet when Christ comes to receive thy body it shall bee endowed better then now it is Chrysostome saith take Wooll and let this Wooll be dyed into a Scarlet or purple colour dyed in graine yet the Wooll is the same Wooll as it was before when it was white but yet there is a more goodly lustre put upon it Thy body shall bee the same body but thy body shall have more illustrious endowments then now it hath And thus much onely in the generall now to come to particulars I shall resolve this question in these six Particulars There are six glorious endowments that the body shall receive from Jesus Christ at his second coming when he receives the body to himselfe First from being a naturall body as it is now it shall bee made by Christ a spirituall body that is the first endowment thou shalt cast off thy old Apparell of corruptible flesh and blood and shalt bee cloathed with robes of glory it is no contradiction to say a spirituall body because the Apostle useth the expression 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body The meaning is the body as it lives here is a naturall body needing naturall refreshments but saith the Apostle is shall be raised a spirituall body it shall have no more need of naturall refreshments which the naturall body requireth when it is a spirituall body it stands in no more need of meat no more need of drinke nor sleep and other naturall refreshments it shall bee raised a spirituall body Mat 22. 30. For in the resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven The Angels have no need of food and stand in no need of outward helps Rev. 7. 15 16. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and hee that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Therefore O beleeving soule behold thy happiness of soule and body in glory they shall bee no more standing in need of naturall refreshments then spirits doe when the Scripture saith that your bodies should be received by Christ The Platonick Philosophers understand the body shall bee turned into a spirit into a ghost or into winde or aire but that is not the reason of it it shall bee of the same substance as it is upon the Earth but it shall be refined Secondly the bodies of the Elect when Christ receiveth them to himselfe of vile bodies they shall bee made beautifull it may bee thou hast some deformity but Christ shall refine that body and new varnish and make it beautifull Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe The body of Christ is a beautifull body neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in it thy body shall bee like Christs glorious Body 1 Cor. 15. 43. It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknesse it is raised in power Here thy body it is a vile body Elâ—phaz cals the body a house of clay and Job cals it a house of Earth It is the Opinion of Gerrard and he gives strong reasons for it that if there bee any defects upon the body in this world if any of the members of the body be wanting it shall be restored to thee at the resurrection and there are these reasons to be given for it First because our bodies are promised to bee like Christs Body now Christs Body hath no redundant and defective member defect is but the product of sinne and the result of sinne therefore our bodies being said to to bee like Christs Body there shall bee no defect in it Secondly some members are necessarily required to make up the happiness of the Elect in Heaven suppose an Elect man should bee borne blind or lost his eies by casualty if this man should not have his eyes he could never see Christ in Heaven we shall see with these very eyes the Body of Christ The third reason is this because the bodies of the Elect shall bee as Adams body was in innocency Adams body was created perfect by God when Christ raiseth thy body it shall never want a member nor abound in a member thy vile body shall bee beautifull what though others bee 〈◊〉 then thee and clearer skin'd then thee what though others mens Earth bee painted better then thine yet when Christ receives thy body it shall be a beautifull a glorious body therefore you have that phrase Mat. 13. 43. Thâ—â— shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Thirdly from being a mortall body it shall bee by him an immortall body the body as it is here it is a mortall body dying and rotting in the grave but it shall bee made by Christ immortall 1 Cor. 15. 52 53. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bee raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Those mortall bodies that must die must bee made immortall and those incorruptible bodies made incorruptible and never die this is the great happiness of the elect that their bodies shall bee made immortall bodies Fourthly the bodies of the elect from being lyable to sorrows and sufferings in the world shall bee made impassive bodies the body here is exposed to Diseases Aches Consumptions and what not the body it is an Hospitall of Diseases a Magazine of all Infirmities but the Lord shall make this body impassive lyable to no sufferings God shall then wipe a way all teares from our eies no sorrows no crying nor no paine there is the great happinesse of the body it shall be made impassive not lyable to hunger thirst paine Diseases and the like Fifthly thy body from being a
things and then if he might die he did not care I wish saith hee First that I might see Rome in its beauty and to see Paul in the Pulpit and to see Christ in the flesh every Beleever shall see the Lord Jesus in the flesh Iob tells you of his confidence long before Christ was borne I know my Redeemer liveth and with these eyes I shall see my Redeemer here is thy happinesse that being where Jesus Christ is thou hast a society with Christ in his humane Nature 1 John 3. 2. Beloved now wee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is Wee do not know what Christ is wee shall know him then we shall see him as he is glorified in Heaven A third thing that makes much for the blessednesse of the Elect that in thy being present with Jesus Christ God gives thee more honour then ever thou couldest bee capable of in former time God gives thee Glory by vertue of thy being with Jesus Christ a notable Text Joh. 1. 26 verse If any man serve mee let him follow mee and where I am there shall also my servant bee If any man serve mee him will my Father honour That is where I shall bee in Heaven Beloved the time is now of giving honour to God and giving Glory to God but thy being where Christ is God then gives thee Glory and gives thee Honour Fourthly thy happinesse in being present with Christ where hee is is that thou shalt stand in no need of Ordinances beloved here the highest growne Christian and the strongest Beleever in the World doth stand in more need of Ordinances then a lame man doth of Crutches to goe by but when thou comest to have this accomplishment that thou shalt bee where Christ is thou then standest in no need of Ordinances then what needs the Candlestick of Sermons what needs the Candlestick of Preaching and the Candlestick of Praying when thou art present with Christ the Sun of righteousnesse there is no need of conduit pipes when thou art by the Fountain head thou needst no Ordinances the conduit pipes are the Ordinances there is no need of Ordinances any longer then thou art absent from the Fountaine which is Jesus Christ the ceremoniall Law is all Gospell it is a darke Gospell the Evangelists are the explained Gospel the ceremoniall Law is a darke Gospell Exodus 25. Meaning the holy place There was to be golden Candlesticks which Typified the Preaching of the Word In the Holy place there was the Incense Dishes to wit Christs Intercession this was only in the holy place but in the holy of holiest there was no Candlestick no Incense Dishes there to shew that whilest you are on this side Heaven in the Church of God you need the Candlestick you need Preaching and praying but in the holy of holiest there was none of this to shew that it was a Type of Heaven and when Christ beings thee there then thou art above Ordinances and never till then this is a Fourth particular A Fifth Priviledg of thy being where Christ is is this that thou shalt have a full communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ in Person Beloved here wee have our communion with Christ but it is a communion far different from that which we shall have in Heaven First it shall bee different in regard of the manner of its enjoyment in this world thou enjoyest Christ mediately by Ordinances thou doest but see him as in the Apostles phrase in a glasse darkely but in Heaven thou shalt enjoy Christ personally and have communion immediately with Christ in Heaven Secondly in regard of the measure of your enjoyment here you enjoy but a parcell of Christ you here enjoy Christs spirit by drops you shall then enjoy the fullness of the Ocean Thirdly it differs in regard of its time and duration Here you doe enjoy Christ it is true but it is by fits and starts you injoy him now in an Ordinance but you have interrupted fellowship and communion with Christ but when thou art with him in Heaven there is no interruption in thy communion with Christ Fourthly it is different in regard of its expectation herein Heaven thou enjoyest Christ by way of of possession Fifthly in regard of place here there is a great distance of place betweene Christ and us here wee enjoy Christ hee in Heaven and wee on Earth but then we shall enjoy Christ in one place hee in Heaven and wee in Heaven here thou mayest thinke much of Christ but if thou wert nearer Christ thou shouldest see and know more of his glory Sixtly there shall bee a difference in regard of thy companions and those that are in fellowship with thee in Heaven they are saints and Angels but on Earth though thou doest enjoy Christ yet thou art inforc'd to discourse and commerce with wicked men A sixth particular is this thy being present with Jesus Christ there is this to attend thee there shall bee gladnesse and rejoycing among all the Angels in Heaven If the Angels in Heaven shall rejoyce at a sinners conversion they shall much rejoyce at a sinners inauguration in Heaven they and we shall make but one fold to glorifie the great Shepherd of our soules the Lord Jesus what great joy shall there bee among Angels Archangels Thrones c. Singing Hallelujah to God making you partners of their glory Seventhly our being with Christ shall put us into a state of exemption from sin from the causes of sin and from the punishments of sin First from sinne here thy beautifull soule is bespoted with the spots of Leprosie I mean with foule and deformed lusts but when thou art with Jesus Christ thou art exempted from sin no more sin Secondly thou shalt be exempted from the causes of sin the Divel shall deceive no more there but here thou lyest exposed to all temptations Thirdly there shall bee no more punishments for sin here thou art punished in thy body by Diseases and the like here punishments by trouble of Soul but in Heaven thou art freed from internal punishments and externall punishments this was prefigured under the Law 1 Kings 33. The Palme-tree is an Embleme of victory Therfore the victorious are said to wear Palmes in their hands triumphing Revelation 7. to shew that you can never bee compleat Conquerours to wear signals of triumph and signals of conquest in your hands till you come to enter into the holy of holiest Then you have conquered over sin and over Temptation to sinne and conquered over all punishments for sinne The Morall Philosophers say that Raine Haile Storme and Tempests are engendred in the middle Region but above the middle Region there is no Winde no storme or Tempest whilest thou art here below there are stormes Winde and blustring Temptations but when God takes thee above this middle Region there is
sin thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done For this falshood Ahrahams conscience never smote him yet a Heathen by the light of a naturall conscience rebuked Abraham for it Abimelech a Heathen did tell Abraham Thou hast done deeds that ought not to be done And thus I have gone very farre in answering this Objection I have done it for to stay the troubles of a perplexed conscience not to make any man presumptuous these six steps neer going down to the Chambers of death yet it is possible that a pardoned sinner may have his conscience thus deluded and out of office Me thinks I hear many a presumptuous heart alledge if this be true that you say a pardoned sinner may go thus near hell and yet come to heaven if good men may sin a sin and yet conscience never trouble them then I hope that I may have my sin pardoned as well as the best Now lest this Objection might lurk in the heart of any man that hears mee I will turn the 〈◊〉 And that no man might be presumptuous and entertain false perswasions touching pardon I shall shew you that though a godly man may have his conscience out of office to smite him for sin yet in that case there is great difference between a pardoned sinner and an unpardoned there are these five particular differences First Though a pardoned man may have sometimes conscience asleep yet that pardoned man dares not be so bold and adventurous to sin against conscience as wicked men do you have this fully laid down in Scripture though but darkly Lev. 13. 10. And the Priest shall see him and behold if the rising be white in the skin and it have turned the hair white and there be quick â—â—w flesh in the rising c. Here were two symptomes of the Plague of Leprosie the growing of white hair in the soâ—e then raw flesh in the rising the Hebrew Rabbins do understand two things by this Law First The turning of the hair white in the sore they note to be continuance in sin living from youth to old age in sin till the hair be white and gray Secondly There was to be quick and raw flesh in the rising they understand it to be adventurousnesse in a sinner to commit sin against a raw and a gawled and a rebuked conscience Another man might have scabs all over his flesh yet he was not to be unclean Vers 13. Then the Priest shall consider and behold it the leprosie have covered all his flesh he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague it is all turned white he is clean Yet if a man had rawnesse in the sore he was to be unclean to note that a man may have many sins yet not be unclean in Gods sight but if he sin against the very dictates of conscience and be bold and adventurous against the gawlings of a perplexed conscience he shall be unclean Secondly Take this for a difference though the conscience of a pardoned man may not for a time smite him for sin committed yet he doth not take that course to stifle the checâ—s and to still the voice of conscience as reprobates doe wicked men take sensuall delights to still the checks and voice of conscience so Saul did 1 Sam. 16. 14. But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him Vers 17. And Saul said unto his servants Provide now a man that can play well and bring him to me When an evill spirit troubled him that was his conscience Saul called for musick to still the voice of conscience Thirdly Good men care not for â—ocond company Mar. 16. 18. For John had said unto Herod It is not lawfull for thee to have thy â—rothers wife Vers 21. And when a convenient day was come that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords high Captains chiefest States of Galilee c. Good men dare not avoid a reproving a searching ministry as Felix did Act. 24. 25. And as he reasoned of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come Felix trembled and answered Goe thy way for this time when I have covenient season I will call for thee He could not endure to lye under a conscience gawling Ministry godly men do not thus if a man be pardoned though he hath sin yet he is glad when the Ministry doth rowse and awaken his conscience Fhurthly A pardoned sinner dares not content himself under a dawbing and flattering Ministry that will sew pillars under his elbowes and say peace when there is none Jer. 23. 13. And I have seen folly in the Prophets of Samaria they prophesied in Baal and caused my people Israel to erre Vers 14. I have seen also in the Prophets of Jerusalem and horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lies they strengthen also the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his wickednesse they are all of them unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants of them as Gomorrah Chap. 8. 11. For they have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Fifthly They dare not run into the croud of imployments that so they might forget the gawlings of conscience as Cain did Gen. 4. Cain to put off the troubles of his conscience would fall to buying building and drowning himself in the world that so he might hear no more A pardoned sinner doth not thus but if conscience suggests guilt he prayes to God that conscience might speak throughly and to the heart Sixthly A godly man doth not wallow and continue in a custome of sin that so custome in his sin might take away conscience of his sin Ephes 4. 19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over to laciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Wicked men give themselves over to a custome in sin that so they might not have conscience to smite them for sin They are like a Smiths dog a strange dog that comes to a Smiths forge cannot abide to have the sparkles of fire flie about him but that dog that hath alwayes been accustomed to the shop can sleep still on and it never troubles him wicked men are like Smiths dogs used to the shop though flashes of hell fire are cast about them yet they sleep still and are not awakened but godly men do not make use of custome in sin to lull them asleep in their sweet lusts A 7. difference That though the conscience of apardoned sinner doth not smite him for sin yet is it sooner and easier awakened and raised out of a dead sleep then the conscience of a wicked man a look from Jesus eye and the Cock crowing made Peter weep hee went out and wept bitterly a rebuke to David from the Prophet made him cry out Lord I have sinned A reprobate conscience is not so easily put into office it doth not reprove him there must be much adoe and
great labour taken before his dead conscience will hear the rebukes of the Word there is more adoe with a wicked man to have his conscience in office then with a godly man Eightly There is this difference though the conscience of a good man be asleep for a time and doth not smite him for sin yet some time before he dyes his conscience shall smite him for sin there is no godly man in the world but under known sins if his conscience hath not smitten him his conscience shall smite him before he dyes but wicked men live dye in sin never have the controll or rebuke of conscience Ahaz was troubled by affliction from God yet conscience never troubled him for he did yet more wickedly against God Ninthly Though the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be asleep for a time and may not reprove him for sin committed yet a good mans conscience when it doth reprove him it doth check him more out of a sense of sin and the dishonour done to God then out of fear of hell or any outward judgements but wicked men are asleep in their consciences and if conscience doth ever awake it is not because sin is sin and because God is dishonoured but because there is hell for sin because there are outward grievous judgements when God breaks men by his judgements then they will put conscience on work but never doe it out of sense of sin Take this comparison of Ducks in a pond of water cast but a little peble stone into the water and it will make them dive but let it rattle and thundeâ—â—n the heavens the Ducks fear not a Divine makes this a fit embleme of a wicked mans conscience cast but a little pebble stone some present affliction neer a wicked man and that will make him dive that will trouble conscience and perplex the man but let God thunder from heaven let the Lord declare all the threatnings of his spirituall judgements against sin how evill sin is how God is dishonoured by sin and how the soule is indangered all these thundrings from heaven cannot make him startle And thus I have run hastily over the answering of this third Objection I have done it meerly for the relief of a perplexed Conscience thus I have done with this doctrine I confest thou forgavest Thou forgavest to forgive saith Musculus is a word of favour or grace not merit Thou forgavest It notes pardon of sin is not vouchsafed to men by way of debt but of gift I confessed and thou forgavest thou forgavest what Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin the sin of my sin Interpreters have various apprehensions touching the meaning of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of my sin I will bring it to a two fold channell Some there are that by iniquity understand the punishment of sin I acknowledged my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin That is thou forgavest the punishment of my sin the reason of that interpretation is because in the Hebrew language the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies iniquity signifies punishment and therefore they understand the iniquity of sin the punishment of sin but Interpreters generally go against this interpretation for usually the word is taken for sin it self Again the whole scope of the Psalm is not in seeking the outward punishment to be forgiven but the forgivenesse of sin is referred to eternall guilt Thirdly Here is in the Text a 〈◊〉 which is a note of admiration annexed to his expression Thou hast forgiven c. surely that would be no wonder to God to passe by an externall punishment for that he might do to men whose sins were never pardoned What is it for God to forgive the iniquity of sin I answer the iniquity of sin is meant that God out of his free grace doth not onely simply forgive a sin committed but he forgives the iniquity of that sin all the malignity of that sin all the hainous aggravated circumstances that may any wayes make it great A Learned Author having a whole Tract upon this Psalme hath these words the Psalmist useth this kind of speech To forgive the iniquity of sinne that he might touch us that it was no light fault that was pardoned it was sin and it was the iniquity of sinne sin upon sin and sin greatned by many hainous circumstances Yet Behold the great mercy of God Thou forgavest the Iniquity of my sin thus much for the explaining of the words Doct. The Observation is this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives his people not onely sin in the general but their great sins such as are cloathed with many aggravated and hainous crying circumstances Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin In the handling of this point I shall proceed in this method First To prove the point to you by an Induction of particular instances then the application of it by several uses It is a pointfull of comfort and indeed I know not such a Text in all the Bible that speaks of Gods grace in pardoning aggravated sinnes more clearly then this Text doth First of all I shall give you an induction of instances that God doth not onely forgive his people a bare sin committed but God doth out of the riches of his Grace forgive his people those sins that you may call the iniquity of sin sins cloathed with many hainous aggravated circumstances to prove this take the instance of David that speaks the words an instance of Peter another of Paul many men that have sinned against light love sinned against checks of conscience and against mercies are these sins forgiven Yes that is my work to prove that Gods grace doth forgive sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances to make them great First I begin with David because it is the instance in hand will you consider Davids sin the sin of Adultery and ransack the bowels of it you shall finde Davids sin cloathed with great hainous and aggravated circumstances to make it great and grievous and yet for all this that sin forgiven him First Circumstance to aggravate Davids sin if you consider the quality of it the kind of it What sin was it it was the sin of Adultery now of all sins the sin of Adultery is an aggravated sin there are five circumstances 1. He that commits adultery he sins against his own body 2. He sins against the body of the woman he is unclean with 3. It is a wrong to his own Wife 4. It is a wrong to the Adulteresses Husband 5. It is a wrong to the child that is illegitimately begotten in adultery that an ignominy should be on him when he is borne and therefore that David should fall to that sin it was one great sin to aggravate Davids sin Secondly If you consider the dignity and quality of Davids person that did commit this sin He was King Now
Gracelesse men what though Christ bee gone into Heaven yet thou shalt never follow after him What though Christ prepareth a place for all his Elect yet hee prepareth none for thee thy place is prepared by an angry God thou goest to Hell and not to a place prepared by Jesus Christ And thus I have done with the second Doctrine to wit that the fruit and benefit that all the Elect of God hath by Christs going into Heaven it is to prepare a place for them I goe to prepare a place for you The third main Doctrine is the Doctrine of Christs coming againe I goe and prepare a place for you but I will come again Christ may stay long but hee will not stay ever but Christ that said hee would goe away also said hee would come again To explicate the phrase I will come again what is meant by Christs coming again Beloved there are foure sorts of Interpretations of these words neither of which are true but the last First by coming again some understand Christs first coming so the Jewes understand it for some of them do study the Evangelists though they study to confute it they doe not beleeve that Christ is come they make it of his coming in the flesh John 4. it was the womans sence of the coming of Christ in the 25. verse The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come hee will tell us all things why he was come but shee thought that hee had not been come O saith Jesus Christ I am hee I am come already so that the Jewes and the Samaritans did ever take the phrase of Christs coming not to Judge the world but of the coming in the flesh Secondly it cannot be understood of the coming of Christ by his spirit so some Interpreters doe understand the words but I will come again by my Spirit and they make it agreeable to that phrase loe I goe away but I will bee with you to the end of the world but Calvin rejects it because the next words say I will come againe to receive you to my selfe Thirdly it cannot bee meant as the Millenaries understand it of Christs coming again to remaine a thousand yeares upon the Earth and for that I shall give you severall demonstrations from Scripture when I come to handle it Fourthly by Christs coming againe it is to bee understood as Calvin and most Interpreters take it of Christs coming to Judge the world as if hee should say I go to prepare Heaven for you and I promise you to come again that though your bodies die and rot in the Graves yet I will come again and raise you up another day and receive you unto my selfe It is to bee understood of his last coming And thus much for the explication of the phrase Obser 3 Christ doth here give them a promise of his coming to comfort their troubled hearts From thence observe that Christs coming again to judge the world is a Doctrine full of comfort to every Beleever whilest they are here upon the earth for the proofe of this see 1 Thess 4. 15. To the end For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that wee which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then wee which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayre and so shall wee ever bee with the Lord Wherefore comfort one another with these words In the handling of this there are four Queries to be answered The first is by way of Objection what comfort is this to us that Christ should bid them they should not bee troubled that hee might come againe when between the making of this promise and this time promised it hath run above 1600 hundred years already Answer First that Tract of time can neither interrupt the accomplishment of a promise nor the comfort of a promise it is comfortable that what is promised shall sooner or later come to passe Daniel 10. 1. In the third year of Cyrus King of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel whose Name was called Belteshazzar and the thing was true but the time appointed was long and hee understood the thing and had understanding of the vision It is a promise made by Christ to comfort you against all the troubles of the world hee will come againe and though the time bee long ere hee doth come yet the time appointed will bee true it is certaine though it be long Secondly that the godly in ages before us could rejoyce in promises being made to them though the accomplishâ—ment thereof was not fullfilled till many years after and why should not the Disciples doe so then and why should not wee doe soe now I will give you two or three instances John 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad The promise was made to Ahraham above a thousand years before he saw him and yet he was glad Heb. 11. 13. These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them afarre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them They did embrace the promises though they were farre off in their accomplishment An excellent Text you have in Isaiah 9. 6. For unto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall bee upon his shoulders c. Behold this is matter of joy for to us a childe is borne and unto us a Sonne is given they might have said Lord what is that to us wee heare of garments rowled in blood and of the confused noyse of Warriers and dost thou tell us of that which shall not bee till many yeares after and yet the Prophet doth thinke no fitter a promise to give them then the the promise that a Virgin should conceive a Sonne I mention it for this that though promises were made long since yet bear up your hearts for that it will be sure and certain though it be long and so much for the first particular The next particular is I but how doth it appeare that Christs coming to judge the world is a Doctrin so full of comfort to beleevers First it appears by the beleevers longing and looking for Christs coming to judge the world it is the people of Gods property to long for the appearance of Christ when it makes the heart of a Felix to tremble it is a Doctrine of Great comfort to a Beleever it is called the day of Redemption and called by Peter the day of refreshing and this made the Church say Come Lord Jesus come quickly this shews that to the People of God there is no Doctrine so comfortable as the Doctrine of Christs
coming to judge the world Titus 1. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall bee dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Tim 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for mee a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to mee onely but unto them all that love his appearing A crowne is laid up for mee and not for mee onely but for all them that love his appearing This shews that surely it must bee a Doctrine of great comfort to the elect of God because they so long and look for and love the coming of Jesus Christ Secondly it is a Doctrine of great comfort because Jesus Christ hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect for that time though Christ brings soules to heaven before his coming yet hee doth not compleatly glorifie any of his servants till his coming againe to Judge the world 1 Iohn 3. 2. Beloved now are wee the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what wee shall bee but Wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for we shall see him as hee is and in Colos 3. 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory God hath reserved the full glorification of the Elect against the time of his coming 1 Peter 5. 4. And when the chiefe Shepherd shall appear yee shall receive a Crown of Glory that fades not away Frequent Texts of Scripture there are to prove that the reserve that Christ hath of the full glorifying of the Elect it is at the time of his coming to judge the world The third particular is but wherein is the Doctrine of Christs coming again so comfortable to Beleevers there are these foure particulars more especially wherein the Doctrine of Christs coming againe to judge the world is a Doctrine full of comfort to Beleevers First in case of any scandalous aspersion or any unjust imputation which is laid upon them it may serve for great comfort to thee in this case The Apostle gives it you 1 Cor. 4. 3 4 But with with mee it is a very small thing that I should bee judged of you or of mans judgements yea I judge not my owne selfe For I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified but hee that judgeth mee is the Lord. Censure me what you will and judge of mee what you please for hee that judgeth mee shall be the Lord therefore it is a small matter that I am judged of you Suppose thou art judged thou art scandalized and thou art aspersed in the world appeale to Jesus Christ in Heaven for hee that judgeth thee is the Lord and this wee finde Christ did 1 Peter 2. 23. who when hee was reviled reviled not againe when hee suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously When thou art reviled and aspersed and censured doe not revile again doe not censure again but doe as Christ did commit thy cause to Christ that judgeth all things righteously Christ will come to over-judge all things that have been judged amisse Jude 5. To execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Men have hard speeches against many who are upright in the Land it is a comfort then that of Christs coming again one end is to convince men of all their hard speeches and scandalous aspersions Secondly Christs coming again is a Doctrine of comfort in case of all persecution thou undergoest from men for Christ for the Gospell 1 Thess 1. 6 7. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels As if hee should have said you are troubled and persecuted about the Gospel for Christs sake why bee not troubled for Christ is coming from Heaven 1 Peter 4. 13. But rejoyce in asmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his Glory shall bee revealed yee may bee glad also with exceeding joy when Christ comes to be revealed and to judge the world you shall be glad also with exceeding joy that is a second case wherein this Doctrine may bee of comfort Thirdly this Doctrine may serve for comfort in case of any inward accusation of conscience from the apprehension of thine own guiltinesse it may bee thou judgest thy self that thou art a damned undone Creature remember that there is a Judgement to passe on thee besides thy own mistake and misapprehension Christs coming to Judgement should bee a comfort to thee against thine own inward accusation because hee that is thy Jesus is thy Judge hee is thy Advocate to plead thy cause and thy Judge to judge thy cause Suppose thy conscience doth accuse thee and thou judgest thy selfe to Hell yet comfort thy self with this that thy Jesus will afterwards come to judge thee Fourthly Christs coming againe to judge the would it is a Doctrine of comfort in case of oppression in Courts of Judicature What though Might overcometh Right and the usurping hand useth waies of oppression and violence towards you it matters not For Christs coming to judgement shall bee of great comfort to you Ierome saith that Christ shall come to judge things that are not judged in the world and Christ shall come to judge things that are judged amisse in the world Christ shall judge all oppressions and violence which is done by an usurping hand here is matter of comfort that Christ cometh to judge them all over againe an excellent passage which Solomon hath Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose for every work That is I saw into Courts of Judicature and I saw wickednesse was there and I looked into the place of righteousnesse and behold iniquity was there then I said in my heart surely God shall judge both the righteous and the wicked if there were no argument in all the Scripture to prove Christs coming again this argument it will evince that Christ shall come to judge the world there must bee a judging over againe there shal bee a generall Judgement because there is so much perverting of judgement here below and thus you have wherein or in what cases the Doctrine of Christs coming may serve for comfort Fourthly To whom will Christs coming bee a comfort