Israel out of his sight and cast Judah and Jerusalem also out of his presence 2 Kings 24.20 And God removed Judah out of his sight 2 Kings 24.3 because the King and the People did evil in his sight 2 Kings 24.9 19. They were not cast out of the sight of God's Omniscient Eye but from the Eye of his gracious and Fatherly Providence 3. God will at last Rain a Hell from his Angry Face 2 Thes 1.9 Those that known not God and obey not the Gospel shall be Punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Face of the Lord the same Face shall shine a Heaven of Happiness into the Souls of the Saints and shall Frown an Hell of Misery into the Souls of the Wicked 2. If God hide his Face from our Sins Love will come up into his Face and look out at his Eyes on Believers and Saints Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance on us the Love that was secret and hidden in the Heart comes up into his Face and is manifested to and shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Cant. 8.10 I found Favour in his Eyes Love and Kindness sparkles in and looks out from the Eyes God looks with a pleasing Countenance on his People the Spiritual Day doth break and Dawn and the Sun of Righteousness doth Arise and Shine in the Hearts of Believers Malachy 4.2 Psa 130.5 6. and the Countenance of God is said to behold the upright Psal 41. last that is with complacency and delight he withdraweth not his Eyes from the Righteous Job 36.7 He sets his Eyes on them for good Jer. 24.6 I will set mine Eyes on them for good If Sin be not set before God's Face God may take good out of his Treasury for us and bestow it on us Hos 14.2 yea God will set us before his Face for Ever Psal 41.12 That we may still dwell in his Presence Psal 140. last and behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17. last Psal 16. last 2. It is most desirable for God to blot out all our Iniquities for 1. It is the most dreadful Evil and Curse that can be wished for Sin not to be bloted out Psal 109.14 Let not the Iniquity of his Mother be blotted out 2. If God do not blot out Iniquitie he may by sudden Judgement and sore Vengeance blot persons out of the Land of the Living Gen. 7.4 Every Living Substance that I have made I will destroy in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will blot out Corrupt Men are Evil lines of being and it is said It repented God that he had made Man on the Earth it greived him at his Heart Gen. 6.5 Man is so cross and contrary to the very end of his Creation that God did blot out the Old World of Men by the Flood if Men are bloted out of the World in their Sins Where must they be lodged but in a miserable Eternity 3. If we consider what Sin is What a valuable Mercy is it for it to be bloted out 1. It is a mist a thinner or a thicker Cloud according to its Nature and aggravations Isa 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins Sin is as a hiding Cloud it hinders the light of God's Countenance from shining on us Isa 59.2 Your Sins have hid his Face from you 2. It is as a storming Cloud Psal 11.6 The Lord will rain Fire and Brimstone on the Wicked this shall be the portion of their cup. If Men suffer here They are cast into the hand of their Transgression Job 8.4 In the Hebrew it is That God did cast Job's Children into the hand of their Transgression If their Iniquities are punished hereafter they do for them fall into the hands of God Heb. 10.31 2. Sin is a debt Matth. 6.12 Forgive us our debts These debts are recorded in the Creditor's Book God saith Behold it is written before me Isa 65.6 and it is registred also in the debter's Book Jer. 17.1 It is written it is graven that is the Sin of Judah on the Table of their Heart Sin is called a debt because the Sinner owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings and Eternal Torments And it is desirable this debt should be blotted out to prevent God's arrest and our Eternal Imprisonment 3. Sin is a crime a capital crime and that which is kept safe as matter of accusation against the Sinner It is as it were sowed up in a bag Job 14.17 As the depositions of Witnesses and the confessions of Malefactors are kept safe against the Assizes and day of Trial. Yea Mens Sins are sealed up among God's Treasures Deut. 32.34 God speaks of the Israelites bitter and corrupt Fruit and then puts this question Is not this laid up in store with me Is it not scaled up among my Treasures God hath a Treasury of knowledg of all past things and Sins are sealed up among these Treasures But what a kind of capital crime is Sin I answer 1. It is Rebellion against God I have Nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me A Rebellious Subject with us a Rebellious Son among the Jews was put to Death What Homage do we owe to God our King What Obedience should we render to God our Father 2. Sin is Spiritual Whoredom and Adultery Hos 4.12 They have gone a Whoring from under their God Thou hast destroyed such as go a Whoring from thee Psal 73.27 Adultery was capital it was punished with death by the Law of God Men loath God and love the Creature 3. Sin is Robbery and Stealing Mal. 3.8 Ye have Robbed me God saith My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 But the Heart of Men goeth after their Coveteousness Ezek. 33.31 Though they are by Baptism and a Solemn Covenant devoted to God yet they Sacrilegiously alienate themselves from God Isa 24.5 They broke the Everlasting Covenant Is it not our benefit to have our Crimes blotted out 4. If Sin be not blotted out God cannot write his Laws in our Hearts Jer. 31.33 34. God promiseth to write his Laws in the Heart And why It is thus answered vers 34. For I will forgive their Iniquity and I will Remember Sin no more Forgiveness of Sin is the root of all the Promises and Covenant-Blessings 5. God cannot record any Good thoughts words or works of ours if Sin be not blotted out Mal. 3.16 A Book of Remembrance was written before him for those that feared the Lord and thought on his Name Sin doth so corrupt and stain our best Works that nothing might be recorded for our honour or advantage Nehemiah prays that God would not wipe out his good deeds Neh. 13.14 6. If Sins be not blotted out the time is coming when God's Book will be opened Revel 20.12 God will review Men's Sins look on them and
us that he who hath imposed righteous Commands on us and hath denounced for our disobedience righteous Threatnings against us should to secure and preserve us or be made Righteousness to us This is admirable and wonderful that Jehovah should provide a Laver to wash us and work out a Righteousness to cloath and adorn us This is such a rare and stupendious thing that the Son of God by this gracious Condescention to us by this merciful Provision for us hath acquired a new honourable and everlasting Name The Words afford us two Points of Doctrine 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently and signally saved 2. That Jesus Christ is and shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Doct. 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently saved For the prosecuting of this Doctrine 1. I shall shew you what Days are meant and intended by the Days of Christ 2. What this Salvation is that shall be given forth in his Days 3. Why Salvation is by way of Excellency said to be bestowed in his days and then more eminently communicate 1. What days are meant by the Days of Christ Ans The Days that begin from the incarnation of the Son of God and continue and run on to his second coming these in Scripture are called his Days Psal 72.7 In his Days shall the Righteous flourish and these days are Long days for it followeth and an abundance of Peace there shall be as long as the Moon endureth So that the days of the Messiah do run parralel with the Moon as to their duration God had promised to him that he should prolong his Days and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his Hand Isa 53.10 It is a wonderful Condescention that he whose goings forth were from everlasting and was ancienter than days should take an Humane Nature and live a life in it that should be measured by days The Time since Jesus Christ was exhibited and manifested to the World is called his days 2. What is this Salvation that Jesus Christ bestoweth I shall shew you 1. The Nature 2ly The Properties and Adjuncts of this Salvation I shall first explain the Nature of it This Salvation hath two parts 1. A Privative 2. A Positive part 1. A Privative part It is Salvation from the most dreadful Evils 1. It is Salvation from Sin Matth. 1.21 thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins 2 Tit. 14. he gave himself to redeem us from all Iniquity His Blood is the precious Red Ink to blot out our Transgressions and the most wonderful Red Seas to drown the Spiritual Egyptians the Host of our Iniquities in Christ was but baptized in the deep Waters of sorrow and sufferings but he drowned for ever all our sins God made war with Christ to make peace with us Zech. 13.7 God saves by Remission of Sins Luke 77. and by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.4 5. God made him an instance of Severity that we might be eternal Monuments of Mercy 2. Christ saves from wrath Jesus delivers from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. last Being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 The Apostle doth not mention whose wrath but means the wrath of God This wrath is so formidable and terrible that all other wrath is as nothing doth not deserve the Name of wrath it is but a false or painted Fire a Bubble an empty Name and sound God can array all the Creatures as his Hosts in Heaven and Earth to fight against Sinners He can awaken and stir up Conscience to accuse and condemn the Sinner and so make him both a Burden and a Terrour to himself God can remember and set all our Trangressions before our Sight and fix our Eyes on this dreadful and dismaying Object that they shall never divert or look off from it God can pursue Sinners with punishment in this world and meet them with more dreadful vengeance in another World he can strike and support the Criminal at once he can blow up the Fire of his Anger and preserve the Souls and Bodies of Sinners to be eternal Fuel to it he can make extremity and eternity of Misery to meet in the same Person It is amazing wrath to make a bundle of Tares to subsist and continue in the Furnace for ever to be immortal Fuel to an eternal Fire It is from this dreadful wrath that Jesus Christ saves his People 2. There is a positive part of this Salvation 1. Jesus Christ saves and quickens us The Dead hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live John 5.25 As God breathed the Breath of Life into Adam's formed Body and he became a living Soul Gen. 2.7 so Christ breathed on his Apostles and said Receive you the Holy Ghost John 20.22 the Life of Saints is a Beam of and a stream from the Life of Christ Eccl. 2.20 How noble is their Life They live by Christ's living in them through the Spirit they are ingrafted into Christ are Branches of the true Tree of Life they are in him who is the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5.20 2ly Christ saves them and builds them Zech. 6.12 13. The Branches should grow up out of his Place and he should build the Temple of the Lord we fell and were ruined in and by Adam and we lay in Ruines and Rubbish till Christ doth lift up his Feet to our Desolations doth with Pity behold and in Mercy raise up our Ruins Satan dwells in and rejoices over these Ruins Those that are pulled down with respect to God may be said to be built up with respect to Satan as Ruins of a House are of no use to us so ruined Creatures are altogether unprofitable to God Rom. 12. O this is great Mercy for Satan to be dispossed and ejected and for Souls to be framed as a holy House and to be built up as a Spiritual Temple for God to inhabit and be worshipped in Those that are God's Temples are animated by his Spirit and are filled with his Glory at once they are framed to be a Habitation for God and fitted to be Inhabitants with him in the Heavenly Jerusalem 3. Christ saves waters and improves our dry Ground our Barren Land Isa 44.3 God saith he will pour water on him that is thirsty and Floods on the dry Ground And God thus explains the meaning of this Metaphor I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed and my Blessing on thy Off-spring We are by Nature a wretched dry and barren piece of Ground we did ly upon improvement to none but to the Heavenly Husbandman it was the second Adam only that could enrich such a hungry and dry Ground he that can give the Spirit as Rivers of Living Water John 7.37 38 39. He invites Sinners to come and drink
Luke 12.4 and Satan though he may destroy the natural Life yet he shall not quench the Life of God in them and in due time the Saints shall tread down the wicked they shall be as Ashes under the soles of their Feet Mal. 4.2 3. and the God of Peace shall shortly tread Satan under the Feet of Believers Rom. 16.20 5. This is an everlasting Salvation Isa 45.17 Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation Saints shall have a full and an eternal Victory as God did swear to Abraham that his Seed should possess the Gates of their Enemies Gen. 22.17 When not only the Field Army is beaten but the strong Towns and Cities are taken then there is a total and lasting Conquest Saints shall be saved from Sin Sinners and Satan for ever and this Salvation must needs be eternal for it is founded on the Everlasting Righteousness Psal 92.24 and the eternal Redemption of Christ Heb. 9.12 There is no possibility for glorified Saints to sin or fall there shall no Serpent creep into the Heavenly Paradise to tempt Saints shall never make Forfeitures of it or be driven out of it they shall there eat of the Tree of Life and live for ever Rev. 2.7 6. This Salvation Salvation is joined with Vengeance executed on our spiritual Enemies Isa 35.4 Your God shall come with vengeance God shall come with a Recompence and save you Isa 61.2 the acceptable Year of the Lord is come with a Day of Vengeance As Israel could not be delivered out of Egypt or be freed from Babylon but the First-born of Egypt Pharaoh and all his Host must be swallowed up and destroy'd and Babylon's Empire must cease and her Kingdom be destroyed Jer. 50.18.26 So the Elect cannot have liberty and salvation but Satan himself must be destroy'd Heb. 2.15 and his works also be rootod out of the Hearts of Men 1 John 3.5 O what Mercy is this to Believers that the wrath of God is turned away from them and that the vengeance of God falls on Satan and Sin that Sin is condemned and executed but Sinners are justified and saved Rom. 8.3 with Rom. 9.1.33 3. But why is it said that Judah should be saved and Israel dwell safely in the Days of Christ why is Salvation so eminently put on Gospel times I answer though Saints before Christ were saved yet still it was with an Eye to and prospect of Christ's coming If Christ had not been exhibited in the Flesh and bled and died in our Natures no Sinners could have been saved The Faith Hope Salvation of Saints did depend on Gospel-times and days Christ was a Lamb slain in the purpose of God and in the Typical Sacrifices from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13.3 God took Christ's word when he became a surety he depended on his performance of his Promises and his Oblation of a Sacrifice and the Eyes of Saints was to him and upon him John 9.56 Your Father Abraham saith Christ to the Jews rejoyced that he might see my day he saw it and was glad He saw the day of Christ's Birth in the Birth of Isaac He saw the day of his Death when Isaac was bound laid on the Altar and ready to be offered up in Sacrifice and in the Lamb that was substituted in Isaac's Room which pointed out Christ that was our Exchange and so our Ransom and Redeemer The words that Jacob spake was the Language of Saints in the Old Testament Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord. Our Saints of the New Testament have this Priviledge and Advantage that they can speak as Simeon Luke 2.29 30. Mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People The Prophets were but Seeds-Men they ministred to the Church a Promise of the Messiah to come John 4.37.38 but the Apostles and Ministers of the New Testament are Harvest-men they relate the History and preach the glad Tidings of Christ's Incarnation Death Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven and the Saints of the Old Testament enjoyed no Spiritual Liberty but with respect to the Ransom to be paid by Christ and no Legacies had been bestowed but in prospect of the Death of Christ There is therefore great Reason why it should be said with an Emphasis that in Christ's Days Judah should be saved But what is the benefit of Christ's Days What peculiar influence have they on Salvation I answer It may well be said that in Christ's Days Men are saved because 1st That now Christ is incarnate he that made all things is now made Flesh 1 John 1.2.14 And we have a two-fold Advantage for our Salvation by Christ's Incarnation 1. He is now become our Brother Cant. 8.1 and so hath right to redeem us as he is our near Kinsman Lev. 25.47 48 49. If an Israelite did sell himself for a Servant after he was sold his Brother or any that was near of Kin to him might redeem him and so restore him again to liberty We are by the first Adam and since by our sinful choice sold under sin we know of no Kinsman or Brother that could give to God a Ransom for us It was God's infinite and free Mercy to raise up Jesus Christ in our Nature to pay a Ransome for us we did not think or dream of such a Brother or Kinsman No meer Creature should have undertook the work of Redemption but he must have miscarried and sunk under it but Christ is fitted now to redeem us because he is God's Son and our Brother 2. Christ as our Brother and incarnate Kinsman is fit to be our God or Avenger of Blood he that was the Kinsman of one that was slain did claim a right to avenge his Blood on him that shed it So Christ by assuming our Nature is fitted to avenge us of Sin and Satan that are our great Enemies to destroy those that have ruined and undone us the same Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both a Redeemer and an Avenger so it is said God shall come with Vengeance and save us Isa 5.4 2ly Jesus Christ hath now made his Soul an Offering for sin Isa 53.10 He came to make atonement and is a propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.2 he made Peace by the Blood of his Cross Col. 1.20 and reconciles Enemies to God by his Death Rom. 5.10 And this is observable that the Year of Jubilee began from the day of Attonement Lev. 25.9.10 Then Servants were restored to their Liberty and those that had alienated their Lands recovered their sold Inheritances Even so Christ having now made at Atonement he can and doth proclaim a Year of Jubilee for the Remission of Sins and the Releasing of Sins Servants God's Prisoners and the Devil 's Captives Isa 61.2 as in David's Days when a Pestilence was sent by God for numbring the People first God bid the Angel that came to destroy Jerusalem to stay his Hand 2 Sam. 24.16 But
about their Eternal State Hope is an Anchor cast within the Vale as soon as they set out and begin their Voyage they may cast their Anchor into their Port and Haven and so have their Hearts established Heb. 6.19 2. Those that have hope of this Salvation are supported under Afflictions and Persecutions 2 Tim. 18.9 Partake thou of the Afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who both saved us and called us As if Paul should say Murmure not at faint not under the Afflictions of the Gospel for God hath saved you from the greatest Enemies and from the worst Evils and all your Afflictions shall turn to your Salvation Phil. 1.19 They shall further advance promote it they shall refine Saints from their Dross wean them from their strange Land and cause them to long more after their Father's House and Heavenly Country Have they any Reason to be discontented whom God loves 1 John 4.59 and that are Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 and of the Kingdom James 2.5 3. These may die with comfort they have hope in Death Prov. 14.32 That which doth shipwrack others shall land them safe on the calm Shores of a Blessed Eternity that which impoverishes others shall enrich them Though Death doth pluck off the Rags of Mortality yet God shall cloath them with Robes of Glory When their Bodies drop down into the Pit their Souls shall be taken up into the Palace when their Flesh feeds Worms their Spirits shall feast with Saints and Angels though God doth kill them yet they may trust he will be their Salvation Joh 13.15 16. When the Eye of Sense shall be shut so that Saints shall no more see Worldly Objects yet then God will shew them his Salvation Psal 91. last They shall see God's Salvation from Sins Temptations Troubles Afflictions they shall see a freedom from Spiritual and Temporal Evils and also be translated into an Eternal Kingdom Christ will receive their departing Souls and be their Guardian and Trustee till the Resurrection O it is sweet when God adds to the Mercies of Sixty Seventy Eighty Years the enjoyment of a blessed Eternity It is Salvation that must crown Old Age with Glory Death is the critical time the Soul must then see Life or Death a Heaven must shine from God's pleasing Countenance or Hell be rained from his angry Face O how sweet is it then to see the truth of God's Promises in the enjoyment of an Eternal Salvation 4. Those interested in this Salvation shall be saved in the Day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 when Sins will find out others and Vengeance will take hold of them then Believers shall be saved O what unexpressible comfort will it be to point out Jesus Christ at the Great Day and to say This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us and we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation Isa 25.9 This is a Salvation that will for ever set Souls beyond Gun-shot out of the reach of all Dangers Evils Enemies They shall then fully receive the end of their Faith even an Eternal Salvation 1 Pet. 1.9 Christ will appear unto Salvation to those that look for him Heb. 9. last Then Saints shall be Heirs in full possession of Salvation Heb. 1.14 They shall be redeemed from all Evils or possessed of all goodness be exalted to the Kingdoms and be placed in the Throne I shall lastly give you some Directions how you may be saved 1. You must be enlightned and convinced of your Danger you must see the Evils you are under and the Danger and Destruction you are exposed to Few do think themselves to be condemned to Death and to be sick unto Death That they are Children of Satan and Enemies to God They will not believe that they are captivated by the Devil enslaved by Sin and chained to the World The Scripture teaches us that Men are held Rom. 7.6 and that they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 they are held in the Snares of Sin and led by Satan Their Lusts are Bonds their depraved Wills and corrupt Affections are the Chains that the Devil leads them by Men discourse see or discern what are the true Evils that they should be saved from they are not sensible of the blindness and vanity of their Minds the deceit and desperate wickedness of their Hearts That their Wills are perverse and rebellious and the greatest Enemies to God and their own Souls They will account that Troubles Afflictions Reproaches Wants and Death are Evils but they do not perceive that their greatest Evils and worst Enemies are within themselves A Root of Bitterness an evil Treasure a Body of Death a Fountain of Iniquity that is in their Souls But Sinners must know what first cleaves to them abide in them do defile and deform their Souls and testify against them before God Isa 59.12 Our Transgressions are with us and as for our Iniquities we know them Yea Men have no liking of that which is the true Salvation Saints are said to love God's Salvation Psal 70.4 but a Carnal Creature doth not love but loath God's Salvation to be delivered from his false Notions his vain Thoughts his corrupt Opinions his inordinate love of himself and of the Creatures to be taken off from his sensual Pleasures carnal Delights to be brought to give his Heart to God set his Love on Christ to delight in Spiritual Future Invisible things this is a Salvation he dreads and hates and if he could go to Heaven with this vain Mind and carnal Heart it would be a place of Exile and of Punishment to him You must see your Danger that you are as Isaac bound laid on the Altar and ready to be sacrificed as a whole Burnt-Offering in the Flames of Wrath. You must hear the just dreadful Sentence Matth. 18.25 The Lord commanded the Debtor to be sold and Payment to be made It is dreadful to be sold into the Prison into a Place of Eternal Bondage Your Heart must be broken your Spirit wounded your Soul burdened under the sense of the guilt and filth of Sin else you will not have a due value of the Doctrine and Promise of Salvation 1 Tim. 1.15 We must account it worthy of all acceptation more valuable than all the Riches Pleasures Honours of the World If a Man were sinking and drowning he would not regard a Bag of Gold or a Box of Diamonds but prefer a Cord cast out to save him a Boat to take him in more than all the things of the World Believe that your Condition is exceeding bad and dangerous Lot's Wife looked back as one that doubted whether Sodom would be destroyed and Lots Sons in Law could not believe that the danger of Sodom was so great and its Destruction so near Gen. 19.14 So Sinners believe not that to be Carnally minded is Death that they that live after the Flesh shall die that they that are far off from God shall perish Psal 73.27
Have you Faith of God's working Col. 2.12 Hope of God's begetting 1 Pet. 1.3 Love of God's kindling 2 Thes 3.5 Deut. 30.6 Have you Evidence that you are redeemed that is bought again 1 Cor. 6.20 in that your Captivity is turned and that you are brought again Isa 52.8 Hath God saved you 2 Tim. 1.9 Is God's Salvation in a considerable degree communicated to you and executed in you God's Gifts and Calling are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 Those that God hath begun to save in Time he will not destroy to Eternity Several SERMONS ON Jer. XXIII 6. And this is his Namewhereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness IN the former part of the Verse we are informed what the Messiah should do that in his Days Judah should be saved and Israel should dwell safely In the latter Words we are instructed how he should effect this This is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Salvation and Righteousness are often joyned together in the Scripture Zech. 9.9 He is Just and having Salvation My Righteousness is near my Salvation is gone forth Isa 51.5 I bring near my Righteousness it shall not be far off and my Salvation shall not tarry Isa 56.13 Paul saith the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation because in it the Righteousness of God is Revealed 1 Rom. 16 17. The Gospel could not offer and promise Salvation if it did not reveal Righteousness God will not exalt Mercy and debase and wrong Justice God will save in a way becoming of himself and that shall eminently redound to his Glory as he will magnify Grace so he will exalt Justice as Love shall shine and Grace reign so God's Holiness shall be crowned his Law magnified the truth of his Threatning be demonstrated He that is the greatest instance and gift of God's Love shall also be the most Terrible Example of his Revenging Justice and Severity In the Words we may observe 1. That a Name should be given to and put on the Messiah This is the Name whereby he shall be called 2. What this Name is he shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness 1. This is intimated that a Name should be given to the Messiah God delights in the Scripture to give several Names to the Messiah and that 1. To describe and set forth the greatness of his Person Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bare a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel which signifies God with us God and Man were at the greatest distance and enmity with each other What a wonderful thing then is expressed in this Name that God is with us in our Nature made Man and manifested in our Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 He thus came down to us to raise us up to himself He apprehended our Nature Heb. 2.16 that he might apprehend our Persons Phil. 3.12 and espouse them to himself Hos 2.19 20. There is a wonderful Marriage of the Divine and Humane Nature in one Person that the Son of God and Believers might be joined together in one Body Eph. 5.23.29 30. An other Name of the Messiah is mentioned Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given he shall be called the Mighty God the Everlasting Father Here weak Flesh and the mighty God Time and Eternity an Infant of Days and the Ancient of Days a Child lately born and the Everlasting Father meet in one Person Though the Humane Nature did cloud and eclipse yet it did not abolish or extinguish the Majesty and glory of the Divine Nature 2. God gives the Messiah a Name that points at and sets out his Office He shall be called the wonderful Counsellor the Prince of Peace Surely he is a most excellent and wonderful Counsellor that can direct and advise how Enemies may be reconciled Prisoners be enlarged Captives be released languishing dying Souls may be healed those that are lost and entangled in a woful Wilderness may get into the right way and return into the Favour and Family of God and Strangers may be adopted by and related to God and he is an Admirable Prince that can speak Peace to Enemies and give Happiness to the Miserable that shall quiet and satisfy their Souls 3. God gives Christ a Name that signifies his new Relation to a Spiritual Seed He shall be called the Everlasting Father Isa 9.6 If we consider Christ upwards so he is the Everlasting Son but if we meditate on him downwards so he is the Everlasting Father He propagates his new Nature he raises up an Holy Off-spring he begets Sons and Daughters to God as a Second Adam because the new Nature shall never perish his Spiritual Life shall never be extinguished Christ may well be stiled an Everlasting Father the Seed of the new Creature is incorruptible it lives and abides for ever in that holy Nature that springs from it 1 Pet. 1.23 4. In the Words of the Text it is said that the Branch raised up to David should be called Jehovah our Righteousness A Branch should be joined to Jehovah and so should work out Righteousness for us and derive it to us This is indeed a wonderful Name given to the Messiah and Three things are implied in it 1. That our Righteousness is not in our selves but without us it is a Robe put upon us Isa 1.10 He hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness The Righteousness of God is said to be upon all them that believe not in them Rom. 3.22 How false then is that Name that Medina on Thomas Aquinas in Prim. Secund. Quest 113. Artic. 21. by the way of Contempt doth put on the Lutherans extrinsicarii Haeretici that is Hereticks that assert an outward Righteousness imputed for Justification 2. This Text proves and demonstrates that Christ is our Righteousness that his Obedience is the Matter of our Righteousness and his Attoning Sacrifice the Meritorious Cause of our Justification God accepts us in Christ the well-beloved Ephes 1.6 We are blessed in him that endured the Curse and are forgiven for his sake who was made Sin Ephes 4. last The first Adam was the efficient cause of our Sin but the second Adam is the formal cause of our Righteousness 3. This truth the Text doth further declare and hold out that this Righteousness of Jehovah must be made ours we must be interested in it we must be invested with it else Jehovah cannot be stiled our Righteousness And how can this be but by a Donation and Imputation of this Righteousness to us God that made Christ Sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 doth also make him Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 We must believe into Christ and so believe unto Righteousness How sweetly do those Phrases answer he that believes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on and into the Son John 3. last with his Heart he believes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.10 unto or into Righteousness I shall a little further consider of insist on and explain this Name
44.22 Sin did reign so as to bring us under the guilt of Eternal Death But how comfortable is it that Reigning Grace should succeed Reigning Sin Revenging Justice might next follow after Reigning Sin but it is Grace that now reigns through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life Rom. 5.21 Our Iniquities were as deep Waters gone over our heads there was no wading through them they were a heavy burden too heavy for us to bear Psal 38.4 they were ready to sink us down into the deep Sea of the wrath of God but in this Righteousness of Jehovah we may be lifted up and exalted Psal 59.16 As Jesus Christ once gave himself a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God Ephes 5.2 to God the Father continually gives Christ most precious and fragrant Incense on the account of his Obedience and Sufferings always to plead before the Father Revel 8.3 much Incense is said there to be given him to offer with the Prayers of all Saints Christ's Obedience and Sacrifice makes an everlasting Perfume in the Heavenly Sanctuary It is said of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They earnestly catched at they greedily laid hold of they strongly grasped the Righteousness that is by Faith This is the only Cord cast out to us sinking and drowning Sinners which we should catch hold of to keep us from perishing for ever 6. This Name of Christ shall continue last be victorious in the World over all the Reproaches Slanders and Defamations cast on Christ the blind Malignant World called Christ a Glutton a Wine Bibber a Friend of Publicans and Sinners Matth. 11.19 they charged him as a Blasphemer John 10.33 36. because he said he was the Son of God and so made himself equal with God John 10.33 they stiled him a deceiver Math. 27.63 The Jews did black Christ all that they could they raised Mists yea thick Clouds to obscure and hide his Glory yet all this should not prevail this Illustrious Name of Christ should wade out of all these Ecclipses and scatter all these Clouds Notwithstanding all the endeavours of the World to obstruct his Honour and cloath him with shame yet he should by Multitudes in all Ages be owned acknowledged and called Jehovah our Righteousness 6. This Evidences that the Mighty Power of God did go along with the Gospel of Christ that though the Jews at this day do stile him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hanged Man and the Gentiles as Blasphemous Porphyry did call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Crucified Sophister yet all these Reproaches should be wiped off and this glorious Name of Christ should shine out through all these thick Clouds of Infamy he should be known and called The Lord our Righteousness I shall observe and insist on this Doctrine foom these latter words of the Text. Doctrine That Jesus Christ is and shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness The Prophet in the Name of the Lord promises That the Lord would raise up to David a Righteous Branch one that should be most Holy and Just in his Humane Nature and that this Righteous Branch the Messiah sprung from David according to the Flesh should be called Jehovah our Righteousness this intimates he should be Man and Jehovah too in one Person and as such he should be owned and acknowledged Four things are to be spoken to for the prosecution of this Doctrine First What Righteousness of Jehovah the Son is here meant and understood Secondly To Evidence and Demonstrate that Jesus Christ God-Man is our Righteousness yea our only Righteousness for Justification Thirdly How this Righteousness of Christ is made ours Fourthly Who they are that shall call Christ by this Name The Lord our Righteousness 1. What Righteousness of Jehovah is here meant To this I shall Answer First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First I Answer Negatively It is not the Essential Eternal Righteousness of the Son of God as Osiander the Lutheran affirmed but this cannot be For 1. This Righteousness is incommunicable it is proper to the Divine Nature and cannot pass or be derived to a creature To say that this Righteousness is given to Believers is to deifie them rather than to justifie them that is most certain that in this sence God will not give his Glory to another Isa 42.8 2. This Righteousness is an Adversary contrary to us at Hostility with us God according to it hates the Wicked and abhors the Workers of Iniquity Psal 5.4 5. He is a swift Witness against them Mal. 3.5 A Terrible Judge to them and a Consuming Fire in the execution of his Vengeance on them Deut. 4.24 As God is Holy he lothes unclean Souls and as he is Just he hates guilty Creatures If another Righteousness had not been found out God would rise up against them as an Enemy and break out on them for their everlasting destruction Secondly I Answer Affirmatively This Righteousness of Jehovah is not a Righteousness possessed by the Son from Eternity but acquired in time It is not the Righteousness that was his Patrimony as a Son but his Purchase as a Servant by the sweat of his Brows by the travel of his Soul by the effusion of his Blood by the expense of his Life This was wrought by the Son of God Incarnate by the Mediator in the form of a Servant as Joshua the Type of Christ is called the Minister or Servant of Moses Exod. 24.13 Exod. 33.11 So Jesus Christ was made under the Law Galat. 4.4 It is said Isai 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many This is very observable God himself asserts That by his knowledge his righteous servant should justifie many and that by virtue of his service in bearing the Iniquities of his People Jesus Christ did exactly perform what as a Servant he had undertaken and so he was Righteous Here we may observe a wonderful Mystery that Jehovah is said to be our Righteousness yet God's righteous Servant also is said to justifie These two things sweetly conspire in our Justification God's servant did perform Obedience and suffer on the Cross He that took our Nature and was a Servant in it was only capable of doing and dying for us As Man he must be subject and suffer but yet as he is also Jehovah he gives an infinite Price and vallue to his Obedience and Sufferings The same Person was God-Man as Man he served and performed the Obedience by which we are justified Rom. 5.19 but as God he gives an infinite worth to his own Service So both Jehovah is our Righteousness and yet God's Righteous Servant doth also Justifie Christ's Righteousness consists in Two things First In his Obedience to the Commands of the Law Secondly In his Subjection to and enduring of the Curse of the Law Jesus Christ took debitum officii the debt of Duty as well as debitum poenae the dept of Punishment And suitably unto this object of our Faith is thus expressed 1. Our Faith is
seek for Israel and Judah's sin I Answer Satan the Babylonians the Enemies of the Church of God The Chaldeans said they did not offend in Killing and Captivating the Jews because they sinned against the Lord Jer. 50.7 And as their sins brought them into Captivity so they thought they would still have held them in Bondage they sought for their sins to hold them in perpetual slavery and to keep the Yoke on them Satan resisted Joshua the High-Priest and seems not only to charge him but also to accuse the Jews and therefore Christ the Angel saith The Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke thee Zech. 3.1 2. The filthy Garments are taken from Joshua and his Iniquities did pass away Zech. 3.4 And God promiseth to remove the Iniquity of the Land in one day Zech. 3.9 and so though the Babylonians sought the Jews sins yet they were not found 5. God himself will be a hiding-place to those from whose sins he hides his Face Psal 119.114 Thou art my hiding-place and my shield Psal 143.9 I flee unto thee to hide me * The Judge himself is a Hiding-place As the Secret of God is with their Souls to comfort them Psal 25.14 so the Secret of God is on their Tabernacles Job 29.4 to protect them They are the most likely Persons to be hid in the day of Wrath Zeph. 2.3 yea God hides them in the very Grave Job 14.13 O that thou would'st hide me in the Grave until thy wrath be past We must come to God to hide us from his own Wrath. As the Souls of Saints are hid in Heaven from eternal evils so their Bodies are hid in the Grave from Temporal Sufferings The Grave that is a Prison to the Wicked to reserve them in for Eternal Vengeance is to Believers a Hiding-place from Temporal Afflictions 6. If God hide his Face from our sins we shall see his Face in Ordinances here and in Glory hereafter 1. They shall see God's Face in Ordinances here David longed to see God's Power and Glory as he had seen it in the Sanctuary Psal 65.2 They may call on God and he will be gracious to them and they shall see his Face with joy Job 33.26 2. They shall see his Face in Glory Revel 22.4 They shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Forehead As for me saith David Psal 17. last I will behold thy Face in Righteousness 3. We have in these days of the Gospel great Incouragements strong Inducements to prefer this Petition God did for a time cloud and hide his Face from Christ did cut him off and blot him out of the Land of the Living Psal 22.1 Isa 53.8 Jesus Christ entred into deep waters Psal 69.1 2. the floods of Sorrow Reproach and Sufferings did overflow him and now we may cry to God out of our depths Psal 130.1 Out of the depths have I cried to thee O Lord out of a depth of Guilt Trouble and Anguish Jesus Christ came into the Depths and we may confidently cry to God to raise us out of our Depths The Blood of Christ as to Worth and Merits is a deep Sea and we may trust on God through Christ to drown our sins in the depth of this Red-Sea Micah 7.19 Thou wilt cast-all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Christ hath provided Spiritual Red-ink enough Though Christ shed his Blood but once yet God may 1000 and 10000 times over dip his Pen in the Blood of Christ and blot out all our Sins we Commit It was painful to Christ to shed his Blood but it is pleasant to him to wash Souls in it A dark night came on Christ but we may wait for the dawning of a Comfortable and Joyful Morning Psal 130.5.6 The Righteousness is brought by which we may be Justified the Blood is shed in which we may be washed from all our Sins 1 John 1.7 Men did hide their Faces from Christ under his Sufferings as a ghastly ungrateful object Isa 50.3 Being so Buffeted Spit on Crowned with Thorns but we may lift up our Faces to him being now Justified by the Father Seated in his Throne and Crowned with Glory I shall speak something by way of Direction both how we may obtain the blotting out of our Sins and how we ought to walk sutable and answerable to so great a Mercy 1. We must see and know our Sins be sensible of them afflicted for them burdened under them Psal 51.3 I acknowledge or as others Render the Hebrew word I know my Iniquity Isa 59.12 As for our Iniquities we know them Why did the Psalmist so earnestly beg that God would blot out his Transgressions and wash him from his Iniquities He renders this reason of his petition I know my Transgressions that is how much they offend and provoke thee and how much they defile and deform me He that is not burdened will not cry to be eased he that is not wounded will not sue to be healed he that beholds not his debt will not press for the cancelling of his bond And we must see Sin and abhor and detest it and forsake it Shall we seek to God to put it away as Evil and yet we harbour it in our Hearts and indulge it in our practice as good It must be hid not only from the Eye of God's vindictive Justice but also from the Lustful Adulterous eye of our Souls 2. You must see Christ and Believe on him John 6.40 He that seeth the Son and Believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life The Curses of the Law are Amen to those that are out of Christ Deut. 27. last But the Promises of the Gospel are Yea and Amen to those that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 If Christ had not carried our Sins upon the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 we must have born them and they would have sunk us down into the Bottomless pit Though God doth pardon and put away Sin Judicially as a King 2 Sam. 12.13 yet it is Jesus Christ that puts it away Meritoriously as a Priest Heb. 9.26 As you know your Iniquities so you must know Christ to take them away Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my Righteous servant Justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities He did bear them for a time that they might not be bound on us to Eternity 3. We must earnestly desire God not only to hide his face from our Sins but also to turn our eyes from beholding vanity Psal 119.37 How sweetly do these two petitions harmonize and agree Lord hide thy Face from my Sins and turn away my eyes from beholding vanity Lord sheath thy Sword towards me and lay thy ax to the root of in-dwelling Sin Lord forgive all my wrong steps and wandrings and Lord order my steps in thy word and let no Iniquity have Dominion over me Psal 119.133 Lord blot my Sins out of thy Book mortifie them in and root them out of my Heart I have wandred from thee I have