judicial Tryal in the great day except it be in a way of absolution in order to the magnifying of their pardon God has long since blotted out as a thick Cloud Isa 44. 22. the transgressions of his people and as a Cloud their sins Now we know that the clouds which are driven away by the winds appear no more nor the Mist which is dryed up by the Sun appears no more other Clouds and other Mists may arise but not they which are driven away and dryed up Thus the Sins of the Saints being forgiven they shall no more return upon them they shall never more be objected against them Further The Lord saith Though your sins be as Scarlet Isa 1. 18. they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Pardon makes such a clear riddance of sin that it is as if it had never been the Scarlet Sinner is as white as Snow Snow newly fallen from the Skye which was never sullied The Crimson Sinner is as Wool Wool which never received the least tincture in the Dye-fat you know Scarlet and Crimson are double and deep dyes dyes in grain yet if the Cloath dyed therewith be as the Wooll before it was dyed and if it be as white as Snow what is become of those dyes are they any more is not the Cloath as if it had not been dyed at all even so though our sins by reiterating them by long lying in them have made deep impressions upon us yet by Gods discharge of them we are as if we had never committed them Again The Psalmist pronounceth him blessed whose Psal 32. 1. sin is covered A thing covered is not seen so sin forgiven is before God as not seen The same Psalmist pronounceth him blessed to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Psal 32. 2. Now a sin not imputed is as not committed The Prophet Jeremiah tells us That the Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found Now is not that fully Jer. 50. 20. discharged which shall never be found never appear never be remembred never be mentioned Thus by the many Metaphors used in Scripture to set out forgiveness of sin pardon of sin you plainly and evidently see that Jer. 31. 34. Ezek. 18. 22. God's discharge is free and full and therefore he will never charge their sins upon them in the great day But Some may object and say that the Scripture saith that God shall bring every work into Judgment with every Eccles 12 14. secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil How then can this be that the sins of the Saints shall not be mentioned nor charged upon them in the great day I Answer This Scripture is to be understood Respective c. with a just respect to the two great parties Matth 25 3â— 33. which are to be judged Sheep and Goats Saints and Sinners Sons and Slaves Elect and Reprobate Holy and Prophane Pious and Impious Faithful and Unfaithful that is to say all the Grace the Holiness the Godliness the Good of those that are good shall be brought into the Judgment of mercy that it may be freely graciously and nobly rewarded and all the wickedness of the Wicked shall be brought into the Judgment of Condemnation that â—t may be righteously and everlastingly punished in this great day of the Lord. All Sincerity shall be discovered and rewarded and all Hypocrisie shall be disclosed and revenged In this great day all the works of the Saints shall follow them into Heaven and in this great day all the evil works of the Wicked shall hunt and pursue them into Hell In this See Wisd 2. thâ—oughâ—uâ— and cap. 5. from the first verse to the tenth great day all the hearts thoughts secrets words ways works and walkings of Wicked men shall be discovered and laid open before all the world to their everlasting shame and sorrow to their eternal amazement and astonishment And in this great day the Lord will make mention in the years of all the world of every Prayer that the Saints have made and of every Sermon that they have heard and of every Tear that they have shed and of every Fast that they have kept and of every Sigh and Groan that ever they have fetcht and of all the good words that ever they have spoke and of all the good works that ever they have done and of all the great things that ever they have suffered Yea in this great day they shall reap the fruit of many good Services which themselves had forgot Lord when saw we Thee Hungry and fed Thee or Thirsty and give Math 25 34. 41. Thee drink or Naked and Cloathed Thee or Sick or in Prison and Visited Thee They had done many good works and forgot them but Christ records them remembers them and rewards them before all the World In this great day a bit of Bread a cup of cold Water shall not pass without a reward In this great day the Saints shall reap a plentiful and glorious crop as the Matth 10. 24. 25. â—ecles 11. 16. fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost In this great day of the Lord the Saints shall find that Bread which long before was cast upon the waters But my Second Reason is taken from Christs vehement protestations That they shall not come into Judgment Joh. 5. 24. Verily Verily I say unto you he that heareth my Vide Aquâ—â— 87. Supâ—l est in l. 4. Sâ—â— dist 47. Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death unto life Those words shall not come into Condemnation are not rightly translated the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not come into Judgment not into Damnation as you read it in all your English Books I will not say what should put men upon this Exposition rather than a true translation of the Original word further it is very observable that no Evangelist useth this double asseveration but St. John and he never useth it Jâ—h 1. 51 ch 3. 3 11 chap. 6. 26. 32 47 53 c. but in matters of greatest weight and importance and to shew the earnestness of his Spirit and to stir us up to better attention and to put the thing asserted out of all question and beyond all contradiction as when we would put a thing for ever out of all question we do it by a double asseveration verily verily 't is so c. Thirdly Because his not bringing their sins into Judgment doth most and best agree with many pretious and glorious expressions that we find scattered as so many shining sparkling Pearls up and down in Scripture As First With those of Gods blotting out the sins of his people I even I am he that blotteth
were called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Now concerning the passive obedience or suffering of Christ I would present unto you these conclusions First That the sufferings of Jesus Christ were free and voluntary and not constrained or forced Austin saith that Christ did suffer quia voluit quando voluit quomodo voluit Joh. 10. 17. I lay down my life ver 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Gal. 2. 20. Who gave himself for me Christs sufferings did rise out of obedience to his Father Joh. 10. 18. This Commandement have I received of my Father and Joh. 18. 11. The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And Christs sufferings did spring and rise out of his love to us who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. so Ephe. 5. 25. As Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it And indeed had Christs sufferings been involuntary they could not have been a part of his obedience much less could they have mounted to any thing of merit for us Christ was very free and willing to undertake the work of mans Redemption when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me Then said I Hâ—b 1â— 5. Lo I come to do thy Will O God It 's the expression of one overjoy'd to do the Will of God So Luk. 12. 50. I have a Baptisme to be Baptised with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished There was no power no force to compel Christ to lay down his life therefore it is called the offering of the body of Jesus Heb. 10. 10. Nothing could fasten Christ to the Cross but the golden link of his free Love Christ was big of love and therefore he freely opens all the pores of his body that his blood may flow out from every part as a precious Balsom to cure our wounds The heart of Christ was so full of love that it could not hold but must needs burst out through every part and member of his body into a bloody sweat Luk. 22. 44. At this time it is most certain that there was no manner of violence offered to the body of Christ no man touched him or came near him with Whips or Thorns or Spears or Lances Though the Night was cold and the Ayre cold and the Earth on which he kneeled cold yet such a burning love he had in his breasts to his people as cast him into a bloody sweat 'T is certain that Christ never repented of his sufferings Isa 53. 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied It is a Metaphor that alludes to a Mother who though she hath had hard labour yet doth not repent of it when she sees a Child brought forth So though Christ had hard Travel upon the Cross yet he doth not repent of but thinks all his sweat and blood well bestowed because he sees the Man-child of Redemption is brought sorth into the world He shall be satisfied the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such a satiating as a man hath at some sweet repast or banquet And what do's this speak out but his freeness in suffering But here some may object and say that the Lord Jesus Obj. when the hour of his sufferings drew nigh did repent of his Suretyship and in a deep passion prayed to his Father to be released from his sufferings Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me and that three times over Math. 26. 39 42 44. Now to this Objection I shall Answer first more generally Answ and secondly more particularly First in the general I say that this earnest prayer of his doth not denote absolutely his unwillingness but rather sets out the greatness of his willingness for although Christ as a man was of the same natural affections with us and desires and abhorrences of what was destructive to nature and therefore did fear and deprecate that bitter cup which he was ready to drink yet as our Mediator and Surety and knowing it would be a Cup of Salvation to us though of exceeding bitterness to himself he did yield and lay aside his natural reluctancies as Man and willingly obeyed his Fathers will to drink it as our loving Mediator as if he should say O Father whatsoever becometh of me of my natural fâ—ar or desire I am content to submit to the drinking of this Cup thy Will be done But Secondly and more particularly I Answer that in these words of our Lord there is a two-fold voice 1. There is vox naturâ— the voyce of nature Let this Cup pass from me 2. There is vox officii the voyce of his Mediatory office 〈…〉 less not as I will but as thou wilt The first voyce 〈◊〉 this Cup pass intimates the velleity of the inferiour part of his Soul the sensitive part proceeding from unnatural abhorrency of death as he was a Creature The latter voyce Nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt expreâ—â— the full and free consent of his will complying with the will of his Father in that grand everlasting design of bringing many Sons unto glory by making the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. It was an Argument of the truth of Christ his humane Nature that he naturally dreaded a dissolution He owed it to himself as a Creature to desire the conservation of his being and he could not become unnatural to himself For no man ever yet hated his own Flesh Ephe. 5. 29. Phil. 2. 8. But being a Son he learned submission and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross that shameful cruel cursed death of the Cross the suffering whereof he owed to that solemn Astipulation which from everlasting passed between his Father and himself the third person in the blessed Trinity the Holy Ghost being witness And therefore though the Cup was the bitterest Cup that ever was given man to drink as wherein there was not death only but wrath and curse Yet seeing there was no other way left of satisfying the justice of his Father and of saving Sinners most willingly he took the Cup and having given thanks as it were in those words The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Never did Bridegroom goe with more chearfulness to be Married to his Bride than our Lord Jesus went to his Cross Luk. 12. 20. Though the Cup that God the Father put into Christs hand was bitter very bitter yea the bitterest that ever was put into any hand yet he found it sweetned with three Ingredients 1. It was but a Cup it was not a Sea 2. It was his Father and not Satan that mingled it and that 〈◊〉 in all the bitter Ingredients that were in it 3. It was a gilt not
giver or the taker the inconstancy and slipperiness of it is discernable in the instances last cited It hath raised some but hath ruined more and those commonly whom it hath most raised it hath most ruined Sir if there be any thing glorious in the world 't is a mind that divinely contemns that glory and such a mind I judge and hope God hath given you I have hinted a little at the vanity of worldly glory because happily this Treatise passing up and down the world may fall into the hands of such as may be troubled with that Itch and if so who can tell but that that little that I have said may prove a soveraign salve to cure that Egyptian Botch and if so I have my end Sir Let nothing lye so near your heart in all the world as these eight things 1. Your sins to humble you and abase you at the foot of God 2. Free and rich and soveraign grace to soften and mâ—lt you down Col. 1. 10 11 12 13. Phil. 4. 12 13 14. â—al 2. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 10. Psal 119. 105. Amos 6. 3 4 5 6. â—â—â— 1. 1 2 3 4 5. into the will of God 3. The Lord Jesus Christ to assist help strengthen and influence you to all the duties and services that are incumbent upon you 4. The blessed Scriptues to guide you and lead you and o be a lamp unto you feet and a light unto your paths 5. The afflictions of Joseph to draw out your charity mercy pity sympathy and campassion to men in misery 6. The glory and happiness of another world to arm you and steel you against all the sins snares and temptations that your high places offices and circumstances may lye you open to 7. The grand points in this Treatise which being laid upon your heart by the warm hand of the spirit are able to make you wise unto salvation and to secure your precious and immortal soul against those pernicious and most dangerous may I not say damnable errours and opinions 2 Pet. 2. 1. that are preached printed and cryed up in the vain world 8. The interest of Christ and his people which will be your honour whilst you live your joy and comfort when you come to die and your Crown of 1 Thess 1. 19. 20. rejoycing in the great day of our Lord. Sir I shall not so far disgust you as to tell the world how many several score pounds of your money hath passed through my hands towards the relief refreshment support and preservation of such who for their piety and extreme poverty and necessity were proper objects of your charity but shall take this opportunity to tell you and all others into whose hands this Treatise may fall that of all the duties of Religion there are none 1. More commanded than this of charity pity compassion Prov. 3. 9 10. Eccles 11. 1 2. Gal. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 8. 3 4 5. cap. 9. 1 2. Isa 58. 7. to the 13. ponder upon it Mat. 25. 34 to vers 41. and mercy to men in misery especially to those of the houshold of faith 2. There is no one duty more highly commended and extolled than this 3. There is no one duty that hath more choice and precious promises annexed to it than this 4. There is no one duty that hath greater rewards attending it than this Evagrius a rich man being importuned by Sinesius a Bishop to give something to charitable uses he yielded at last to give three hundred pounds but first took bond of the Bishop that it should be repayed him in another world according to the promise of our Saviour Mat. 19. 29. with a hundred-fold advantage Before he had been one day dead he is said to have appeared to the Bishop delivering in the bond cancelled as thereby acknowledging that what was promised was made good It is certain that one days being in heaven will make a sufficient recompence for whatsoever a man has given on earth Neither shall I acquaint the world with those particular favours and respects which you have shewed to my self but treasure them up in an awakened breast and be your remembrancer at the throne of grace Only I must let the world know that I owe you more than an Epistle and if you please to accept of this mite in part of payment and improve it for your souls advantage you will put a farther obligation upon me to study how I may farther serve the interest of your immortal soul Let the lustre of your prudence wisdom charity fidelity generosity and humility of spirit shine gloriously through all your places offices abilities riches employments and enjoyments for this is the height of all true excellency and that it may be so remember for ever that the eyes of God of Christ of Angels of Jer. 16. 17. Job 34 21. Prov. 5. 21. Jer. 32. 19. Heb. 4. 13. 'T is a saying of the School-men quic quid est in deo est in deo est ipse deus Devils of Sinners of Saints of Good of Bad are always fixed upon you God is all ear to hear all hand to punish all power to protect all wisdom to direct all goodness to relieve all grace to pardon and he is Totus Oculus all eye to observe the thoughts hearts words ways and walkings of the children of men As the eyes of a well drawn picture are fastned on us which way soever we turn so are the eyes of the Lord. Zeno a wise Heathen affirmeth that God behold even the very thoughts of men Athenodorus another Heathen saith that all men ought to be careful of the actions of their life because God was every where and behold all that was done Of all men on earth Magistrates and Ministers had need pray with David Teach us thy â—sal 27. 1. way O Lord and lead us in a plain path because of our enemies or nearer the Hebrew because of our observers in all the Ages of the world there have been Sauls and Doegs who have looked upon God's Davids with an evil Jer 20. 10. eye and watched for their halting there are multitudes that will be still eyeing and prying into the practices offices carriages and conversations of Magistrates and Ministers the more it concerns them to watch pray act and walk like so many earthly Angels in the midst of a crooked perverse and froward Generation Phil. 2. 15. Wise and prudent Governours are an unspeakable mercy to a Kingdom or Commonwealth which Jethro well understood when he gave Moses that good counsel To make choice out of the people of grave and able men such as feared God men of trath hating covetousness Exâ—d 18. 21 22. 〈◊〉 tirum in â—â—a is a maximas true as old and to make them rulers over thousands and rulers over hundreds over fifties and over tens But in the Nations round how rare is it to find Magistrates qualified suitable to Jethro's counsel Alphonsus
Cor. 5. 10. Heb 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4 5 to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general judgment or to the particular judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed God Jesus Christ has by his own blood ballanced and made up all reckonings and accounts that were between thee and me and thou hast vehemently protested that thou wilt not bring me into Judgment that thou wilt blot out my Transgressions as a thick Cloud and that thou wilt remember my sins no more and that thou wilt cast them behind thy back and hurl them into the depth of the Sea and that thou wilt forgive them and cover them and not impute them to me c. This is my Plea O Lord and by this plea I shall stand Well saith the Judge of Quick and Dead I own this plea I accept of this plea I have nothing to say against this plea the plea is just safe honourable and righteous enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Secondly Every Sinner at his first believing and closing with Christ is justified in the Court of glory from all his sins both guilt and punishment Justification Act. 13. 39. doth not increase or decrease but all sin is pardoned at the first act of believing All who are justified are justified alike there is no difference amongst Believers as to their justification one is not more justified than another for every justified person hath a plenary Remission of his sins and the same Righteousness of Christ imputed but in Sanctification there is difference amongst Believers Every one is not sanctified alike for some are 1 Cor. 12. 19 1â— 14. 1 Joh 2 1. 12 13 14. stronger and higher and others are weaker and lower in grace As soon as any are made Believers in Christ all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Now that all the sins of a Believer are pardoned at once and actually unto them may be thus demonstrated First All phrases in Scripture imply thus much Esa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Jer. 33. 8. And I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have Transgressed against me Ezek. 18. 22. All his Transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their Vnrighteousness and their sins and their Iniquities I will remember no mâ—re ergo all is pardoned at once But Secondly That Remission of sins that leaves no Condemnation to the party offending is the Remission of all sins for if there were any sin remaining a man is still in 2. At a sinners first Conâ—ersion his sins are truly and perfectly pardoned 1. All as to sin already past 2. All as to the state of Remission they had a perfect right to the pardon of all their sins paâ—t present and to come though not an equal 〈◊〉 the state of Condemnation but Justification leaves no Condemnation Romans 8. 1. vers There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth and ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into Condemnation but is passed from death to life ergo all sins are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of Condemnation c. Thus you see it evident that there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus therefore there is full remission of all sins to the soul at the first act of believing But Thirdly A Believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ Joh. 15. 1. 6. Joh. 17. 21 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And he is still Cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ which covers all his sins and dischargeth him from them so that no guilt can redound to him Isa 61. 10. Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. c. But Fourthly A Believer is not to fear Curse or Hell at all which yet he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned c. But Fifthly Our Lord Jesus Christ by once suffering suffered for all the sins of the Elect past present and to come the infinite wrath of God the Father fell on him for all the sins of the chosen of God Isa 53. 9. Heb. 12. 14. chap. 10. 9 10 12 14. If Christ had suffered for ten thousand worlds he could have suffered no more than he did for he suffered the whole infinite wrath of God the Father the wrath of God was infinite wrath the sufferings of Christ were infinite sufferings ergo Look as Adam's sin was enough to infect a thousand worlds so our Saviours merits are sufficient to save a thousand worlds those sufferings that he suffered for sins past are sufficient to satisfie for sins present and to come That all the sins of Gods Isa 54. 5 6. people in their absolute number from first to last were laid upon Christ who in the days of his sufferings did meritoriously purchase perfect remission of all their sins to be applyed in future times to them and by them is most certain But Sixthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only Faith therefore pardon of sin is not suspended until we repent of our sins But Sevently If the Remission of all sins be not at once it is either because my faith cannot lay hold on it or because there is some hinderances in the way But a man by the hand of faith may lay hold on all the merits of Christ and the word reveals the pardon of all and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seals and confirms the pardon of all and there is no danger nor inconvenience that attends this assertion for it puts the highest obligation imaginable upon the soul as to fear and obedience Psal 1 30. 3. v. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand ver 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Forgiveness makes not a Christian bold with sin but fearful of sin and careful to obey as Christians find in their daily experience By this Argument it appears clear that the forgiveness of all sins is made to the soul at once at the first act of Believing But Eightly If new
Fifthly To say peremptorily he suffered what is it but to say that he principally suffered that he excessively suffered To say he suffered What is it but to say he was the cheif sufferer the arch sufferer and that not only in respect of the manner of his sufferings that he suffered absolutely so as never did any but also in respect of the measure of his sufferings that he suffered excessively beyond what ever any did And thus we may well understand and take those words He suffered That lamentation of the Prophet Lam. 1. 12. is very applicable to Christ Behold and see if there be any sorrows like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fiorce anger Now is it not enough for the Apostle to say that Christ hath suffered but will you yet ask what But pray Friends be satisfied and rather of the two ask what not for what sufferings can you think of that Christ did not suffer Christ suffered in his Birth and he suffered in his Life and he suffered in his Death he suffered in his Body for he was diversly tormented he suffered in his Soul for his Soul was heavy unto death he suffered in his Estate they parted his Rayment and he had not where to rest his head he suffered in his good Name for he was counted a Samaritan a Devillish Sorcerer a Wine-bibber an Enemy to Caesar c. He suffered from Heaven when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He suffered from the Earth when being hungry the Fig-tree proved fruitless to him He suffered from Hell Satan assaulting and encountering of him with his most black and horrid temptations He began his life meanly and basely and was sharply persecuted He continued his life poorly and distressedly and was cruelly hated He ended his life wofully and miserably and was most grievously tormented with Whips Thorns Nails and above all with the terrors of his Fathers wrath and horrors of hellish agonies Ego sum qui peccavi I am the man that have sinned but these Sheep what have they done said David when he saw the Angel destroying his people 2 Sam. 24. 17. And the same speech may every one of us take up for our selves and apply to Christ and say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this Sheep what hath he done yea much more cause have we than David had to take up this complaint For First David saw them dye whom he knew to be Sinners but we see him dye who we knew knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. But Secondly David saw them dye a quick speedy death we see him dye with lingering torments He was a dying from six to nine Math. 27. 45 46. Now in this three hours darkness he was set upon by all the powers of darkness with utmost might and malice but he foyled and spoiled them all and made an open shew of them as the Roman Conquerors used to do triumphing over them on his Cross as on his Chariot of State Col. 2. 15. attended by his vanquished Enemies with their hands bound behind them Ephe. 4. 8. But Thirdly David saw them dye who by their own confession was worth ten thousand of them we see him dye for us whose worth admitteth no comparison But Fourthly David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortal men and we see mortal men destroying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. O how much more cause have we then to say as David I have sinned I have done wickedly but this Innocent Lamb the Lord Jesus what hath he done what hath he deserved that he should be thus greatly tormented Tully though a great Orator yet when he comes to speak of the death of the Cross he wants words to express it Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of this death saith he But Thirdly As the sufferings of Christ were very great so the punishments which Christ did suffer for our sins these were in their kinds and parts and degrees and proportion all those punishments which were due unto us by reason of our sins which we our selves should otherwise have suffered Whatsoever we should have suffered as Sinners all that did Christ suffer as our Surety and Mediator always excepting those punishments which could not be endured without a pollution and guilt of sinâ— The chasrisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. 5. And including the punishments common to the nature of man not the personal arising out of imperfection and defect and distemper Now the punishments due to us for sin were corporal and spiritual And again they were the punishments of loss and of sense and all these did Christ suffer for us which I shall evidence by an induction of particulars First That Christ suffered corporal punishments is most clear in Scripture You read of the Injuries to his Person of the Crown of Throns on his Head of the smiting of his Cheeks of spitting on his Face of the scourging of his Body of the Cross on his Back of the Vinegar in his Mouth of the Nails in his Hands and Feet of the Spear in his Side and of his crucifying and dying on the Cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who himself in his own body on the Tree bare our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Rev. 1. 5. And washed us from our sins in his own Blood Col. 1. 14. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of sins Math. 26. 28. For this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Christ suffered derision in every one of his Offices First In his Kingly Office They put a Scepter in his Hand a Crown on his Head and bowed their Knees saying Hail King of the Jews Matth. 27. 29. Secondly In his Priestly Office They put upon him a gorgeous white Robe such as the Priests wore Luk. 23. 11. Thirdly In his Prophetical Office When they had blindfolded him Prophesie say they who it is that smiteth thee Luk. 22. 64. Sometimes they said Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Joh. 8. 48. And sometimes they said He is beside himself why hear ye him Mark 3. 21. And as Christ suffered in every one of his Offices so he suffered in every member of his Body in his Hearing by their reproaches and crying Crucifie him Crucifie him In his sight by their Scoffings and scornful gestures In his Smell in his being in that noysome place Gâ—lgotha Math. 27. 33. In his Tast by his tasting of Vinegar mingled with Gall which they gave him to drink Math. 27. 33. In his Feeling by the Thorns on his Head blows on his Cheeks spittle on his Face the Spear in his side and the Nails in his Hands he suffered in all parts and members of his body from head to foot His Head which deserved a better Crown than the best in
desertion Christ is not to be looked upon simply as he is in his own person the Son of the Father in whom he is always well pleased but as he standeth in the room of Sinners Surety and Cautioner Math. 3. 17. Mark 1. 11. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Christ spake these words that thereby he might draw the Jews to a serious consideration and a nim adversion of his death and passion which he underwent not for his own but for our sins Pet. Gal. lib. 8. c. 18. pag 343. paying their debt in which respect it concerned Christ to be dealt with as one standing in our stead as one guilty and paying the debt of being forsaken of God which we were bound to suffer fully and for ever if he had not interposed for us There is between Christ and God 1. An eternal Union natural of the person 2. Of the God-head and Man-hood 3. Of Grace and Protection In this last sense he means forsaken according to his feeling Hence he said Not my Father my Father but my God my God which words are not words of complaining but words expressing his grief and sorrow Our Lord Christ was forsaken not only of all Creature comforts but that which was worse than all of his Fathers favour to his present apprehension left forlorne and destitute for a time that we might be received for ever Christ was for a time left and forsaken of God as David who in this particular was a type of Christs suffering cryed out Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from my help He was indeed really forsaken of God God did indeed leave him in respect of his sense and seeling So was Christ truly and really forsaken of God and not in colour or shew as some affirm Athanasius speaking of Gods forsaking of Christ saith All things were done naturally and in truth not in opinion or shew Though God did still R liâ—quâ—t Deâ—s dum nâ—n pâ—â—â— â—aâ—h Tâ—â—uâ—â—n continue a God to David yet in Davids apprehension and feeling he was forsaken of God Though God was still a God to Christ yet as to his feeling he was left of God to wrestle with God and to bear the wrath of God due unto us Look as Christ was scourged that we Ambrose might not be scourged so Christ was forsaken that we might not be forsaken Christ was forsaken for a time that we might not be forsaken for ever Fevardentius absolutely denies that Christ did truly complain upon the Cross that he was forsaken of God Fevarden pag â—73 Con 〈…〉 and therefore he thus objecteth and reasoneth If Christ were truly forsaken of God it would follow that the Hypostatical Union was dissolved and that Christ was personally separated from God for otherwise he could not be forsaken To what he objects we thus reply first If Christ had been totally and eternally forsaken the personal union must have been dissolved but upon this temporal and partial rejection or dereliction there followeth not a personal dissolution or general dereliction But secondly As the Body of Christ being without life was still Hypostatically united to the God-head so was the soul of Christ though for a time without feeling of his favour the dereliction of the one doth no more dissolve the Hypostatical Union than the death of the other If life went from the body and yet the Deity was not separated in the personal consecration but only suspended in operation So the feeling of Gods favour which is the life of the soul might be intermitted in Christ and yet the Divine Union not dissolved Thirdly Augustine doth well shew how this may be August lib de 〈◊〉 divin when he saith Passio Christi dulcis fuit divinitatis somnus That the passion of Christ was the sweet sleep of his Divinity like as then in sleep the soul is not departed though the operation thereof be deferred so in Christs sleep upon the Cross the God-head was not separated though the working power thereof were for a time sequestred Look as the Elect Members of Christ may be forsaken though not totally or finally but ex parte in part and for a time and yet their Election remain firm still the same may be the case of our head that he was ex parte de relictus only in part forsaken and for a time always beloved for his own Innocency but for us and in our person as our pledg and Surety deserted There are two kinds of dereliction or forsaking one is for a time and in part so the Elect may be and so Christ was forsaken upon the Cross another which is total final and general and so neither Christ nor his Members never was nor never shall be forsaken Christ in the deepest anguish of his soul is upheld and sustained by his Faith My God my God whereby he sheweth his singular confidence and trust in God notwithstanding the present sense of his wrath But how can Christ be forsaken of God himself being God Quest for the Father Son and Holy-Ghost are all three but one and the same God Yea How can he be forsaken of God seeing he is the Son of God and if the Lord leave not his Children which hope and trust in him how can he forsake Christ his only begotten Son who depended upon him and his mighty power First By God here we are to understand God the Father Answ 1 the first person of the blessed Trinity according to the vulgar and common rule when God is compared with the Son or Holy-Ghost then the Father is meant by this title God not that the Father is more God than the Son for in dignity all the Three Persons are equal but they are distinguished in order only and thus the Father is the first Person the Son the Second and the Holy-Ghost the Third Secondly Our Saviours complaint that he was forsaken Answ 2 must be understood in regard of his humane Nature and not of his God-head although the God-head and Man-hood were never severed from the first time of his Incarnation but the God-head of Christ and so the God-head of the Father did not shew forth his power in his Man-hood but did as it were lye a sleep for a time that the Man-hood might suffer Thirdly Christ was not indeed utterly forsaken of Answ 3 God in regard of his humane Nature but only as it were forsaken that is Although there were some few minutes and moments in which he received no sensible consolations from the Deity yet that he was not utterly forsaken is most clear from this place where he flees unto the Lord as unto his God My God my God as also from his Resurrection the third day Fourthly Divines say that there are six kinds of dereliction Answ 4 or forsakings 1. By dis-union of person and 2. By loss of grace and 3. By diminution and weaknings of grace and 4. By want of assurance
Burial Resurrection and Ascension and besides they make rehearsal of very small circumstances therefore we may safely conclude that they would never have omitted Christs local descent into the place of the damned if there had been any such things besides the great end why they penned this History was That we might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that thus believing Jâ—h 20. 31. we might have life everlasting Now there could not have been a greater matter for the confirmation of our Faith than this that Jesus the Son of Mary who went down to the place of the damned returned thence to live in all happiness and blessedness for ever But Secondly If Christ did go into the place of the damned then he went either in soul or in body or in his Godhead not in his God-head for that could not descend because it is every where and his body was in the grave and as for his soul it went not to Hell but immediatly after his death it went to Paradise that is the third Heaven a place of joy and happiness This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise which words of Christ must be understood Luk. 23. 43. of his Man-hood or Soul and not of his Godhead for they are an answer to a demand and therefore unto it they must be sutable The Thief makes his request Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom vers 42. to which Christ Answers Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise I shall saith Christ this day enter into Paradise and there shalt thou be with me Now there is no entrance but in regard of his Soul or Man-hood for the God-head which is at all times in all Psal 139 7 13. Jer 23. 23 24. places cannot be properly said to entertain into a place But Thirdly When Christ saith To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise He doth intimate as some observe a resemblance which is between the first and second Adam The first Adam quickly sinned against God and was as Gen. 3. quickly cast out of Paradise by God Christ the second Adam having made a perfect and compleat satisfaction Heb 9. 26 28 cap. 10. 14. to the justice of God and the Law of God for mans sin must immediately enter into Paradise Now to say that Christ in Soul descended locally into Hell is to abolish this Analogy between the first and second Adam But Secondly 'T is not impossible that the pains of the second death should be suffered in this life time and place are but circumstances the main substance of the second death is the bearing of Gods fierce wrath and indignation Divine favour shining upon a man in Hell would turn Hell into a Heaven all sober seeing serious Christians will grant that the true though not the full joys of Heaven may be felt and experienced in this life 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory or glorious either because this their rejoycing was a tast of their future glory or because it made them glorious in the eyes of men the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is glorified already a piece of Gods Kingdom and Heavens happiness afore-hand Ah how many precious Saints both living and dying have cryed out O the joy the joy the inexpressible joy that I find in my Soul Ephe. 2 6. He hath made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus What is this else but even while we live by Faith to possess the very joys of Heaven on this side Heaven Now look as the true joys of Heaven may be felt on this side Heaven so the true though not the full pains of Hell may be felt on this side Hell and doubtless Cain Judas Julian Spira and others have found it so That Father hit the mark who Gen. 4. 13. said Judicis in mente tua sedet ibi Deus ad est accusator conscientia tortor timor The Judges Tribunal seat is in Augustin in Psal 57. thy soul God sitteth there as Judge thy Conscience is the Accuser and fear is the tormentor Now if there be in the soul a Judg an Accuser and a Tormentor then certainly there is a true tast of the torments of Hell on this side Hell Thirdly The place Hell is no part of the payment the laying down of the price makes the satisfaction this is all that is spoken and threatned to Adam Thou shalt dye Gen. 2. 1â— Peter saith the Devils are cast down to Hell and kept in chains of darkness 2 Pet. 2. 4 And Paul calls the Devil the Prince that ruleth in the Ayr. Ephe. 2. 2. The Ayr then is the Devils Hell well then seeing this ayr is the Devils present Hell we may safely conclude that Hell may be in this present world and therefore it is neither impossible nor improbable that the Cross was Christs Hell the death and this may be suffered here The wicked go to Hell as their Prison because they can never pay their debts otherwise the debt may as well be paid in the Market as the Goal Now Christ did discharge all his peoples debts in the days of his flesh when he offered up strong crys and tears Heb. 5 7. and not after death Look as a King entring into Prison to loose the Prisoners Chains and to pay their debts is said to have been in Prison so our Lord Jesus Christ by his souls sufferings which is the Hell he entred into hath released us of our pains and chains and paid our debts and in this sense he may be said to have entred into Hell though he never actually entred into the local place of the damned which is properly called Hell for in that place there is neither vertue nor goodness holiness nor happiness and therefore the holiness of Christs person would never suffer him to descend into such a place in the local place of Heaven and Hell It is not possible for any neither to be at once nor yet at sundry times successively for there is no passing from Heaven to Hell or from Hell to Heaven Luk. 16. 26. The place of suffering is but a circumstance in the business Hell the place of the damned is no part of the debt therefore neither is suffering there locally any part of the payment of it no more than a Prison is any part of an earthly debt or of the payment of it The Surety may satisfie the Creditor in the place appointed for payment or in the open Court which being done the Debtor and Surety both are acquitted that they need not go to Prison if either of them go to Prison it is because they do not or cannot pay the debt for all that Justice requires is to satisfie the debt to the which the Prison is meerly extrinsical Even so the Justice of God
Lake And Hell with all her furies quake And Trismegistus affirms concerning the souls going out of the body defiled that 't is tost too and fro with eternal punishments nor was Virgil ignorant thereof when he said Dent ocyus omnes Quas mervere patisic stat sententia poenas They all shall pack Sentence once past to their deserved rack The horror of which place he acknowledgeth he could not express Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Omnia paenarum percurrere nomina possum No heart of man can think no tongue can tell The direful pains ordain'd and felt in Hell It was the common opinion among the poor Heathen that the wicked were held in chains by Pluto so they called Alcoran Mahom c. 14. p. 160. and c. 20 p. 198. the Prince of Devils in chains which cannot be loosed To conclude the very Turks speak of the House of Perdition and affirm that they who have turned the grace of God into impiety shall abide eternally in the fire of Hell and there be eternally tormented I might have spent much more time upon this head but that I don't Judge it expedient considering the persons for whose sakes and satisfaction I have sent this piece into the world But Fourthly The secret checks gripes stings and the amazing horrors and terrors of Conscience that do sometimes Suae quemque ex agitant fuâ—iae Every man is tormented with his own fury that is his Conscience saith the Philosopher Dan. 5. 5 6. astonish affright and even distract Sinful wretches do clearly and abundantly evidence that there is a Hell that there is a place of Torments prepared and appointed for ungodly Sinners Doubtless it was not meerly the dissolution of Nature but the sad consequent that so startled and terrified Belshazzar when he saw the hand-writing on the wall Guilty Man when Conscience is awakned fears an after-reckoning when he shall be paid the wages of his crying sins proportionable to his demerits Wolsius tells you of one John Hufmeister that fell Sick Wolf lect Memor Tom. 2. c. in his Inn as he was Travelling towards Auspurg in Germany and grew to that horror that they were fain to bind him in his Bed with Chains where he cryed out That he was for ever cast off from before the Face of God and should perish for ever he having greatly wounded his Conscience by Sin c. James Abyes who suffered Martyrdom for Christs sake and the Gospels as he was going along to Execution he gave all his Money and his Cloaths away to one and another to his Shirt upon which one of the Sheriffs Attendants scoffingly said That he was a mand man and a Heretick But as soon as the good man was Executed this Wretch was struck Mad and threw away his Cloaths and cryed out That James Abyes was a good man and gone to Heaven but he was a wicked man and was damn'd and thus he continued crying out until his death Dionysius was so troubled with fear and horrour of Conscience Cicero that not daring to trust his best Friends with a Razor he used to sindge his Beard with burning coals Bossus having slain his Father and being afterwards Plut. de sera vindict Banquetting with several Nobles arose from the Table and beat down a Swallows Nest which was in the Chimney saying They Lyed to say that he slew his Father for his guilty Conscience made him think that the Swallows when they chattered proclaimed his Parricide to the world Theodoricus the King having slain Boetius and Symmachus Sigonius de occid Imper. and being afterwards at Dinner began to change Countenance his guilty Conscience so blinding his eyes that he thought the head of a Fish which stood before him to have been the head of his Cozen Symmachus who bit his lip at him and threatned him the horrour whereof did so amaze him that he presently dyed Nero that Monster of Nature having once slain his Mother had never-more any peace within but was astonished with Horrours Fears Visions and Clamours which his guilty Conscience set before him and suggested unto him Imo latens in praedio familiares suspectos habuit Xiphil in Nerone c. vocem humanam horruit ad 〈…〉 latratum galli cantumi rami exvento motum terrâ—batur loqui non ausus ne audiretur He suspected his nearest and dearest Friends and Favourites he trembled at the barking of a Puppy and the crowing of a Cock yea the wagging of a Leaf and neither durst speak unto others nor could endure others to speak to him when he was retired into a private House lest the noise should be heard by some who lay in wait for his life Now were there not a Hell were there not a place of torment where God will certainly inflict unspeakable miseries and intollerable torments upon wicked and ungodly men Why should their Consciences thus amaze torture and torment them Yea the very Heathen had so much light in their natural Consciences as made such a discovery of that place of darkness that some of them have been terrified with their own inventions concerning it and distracted with the very sense of those very torments which their own persons have described As Pigmalion doted on his own picture so were they amazed with their own Comments The very flashes of Hell-fire which Sinners do daily experience in their own Consciences in this world may be an argument sufficient to satisfie them that there is a Hell a place of torment provided for them in another world Fifthly Those matchless easeless and endless torments that God will certainly inflict upon the bodys and souls of all wicked and ungodly men after the Resurrection does sufficiently evidence that there is a Hell that there is a place of torment provided prepared and fitted by God Wherein he will pour forth all the Vials of his Wrath upon wicked and ungodly men Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it This place that was so famous for Judgment and Vengeance is used to express the torments of Hell the place of the damned Tophet was a place in the Valley of Hinnom it was the place where the Angel of the Lord destroyed the Host of Sennacherib Isa 30. 31 33. King of Assyria and this was the place where the Idolatrous Jews were slain and massacred by the Babylonian Armies when their City was taken and their Carkasses Jer. 7. 31 32 33. and chap. 19. 4 5 6. left for want of room for Burial for meat to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Field according to the word of the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy And this was the place where the Children of Israel committed that abominable Idolatry in making their Children pass through the fire to
thus argue He who was in Heaven before he was on the earth and who was also in Heaven whilest he was on the earth is certainly the eternal God but all this doth Jesus Christ strongly assert concerning himself as is evident in the Scriptures last cited therefore he is the eternal God blessed for ever But Thirdly Christs eternal Deity Coequality and Consubstantiality with the Father may be demonstrated from his Divine Names and Titles As First Jehovah is one of the incommunicable names of God which signifies his eternal essence The Jews observe that in Gods name Jehovah the Exod. 15. 3. Gen. 2. 4. The Jews call it Nomen Dei inessabile But this name Jehovah is not unspeakable in regard of the name but in regard of the essence of God set forth by it as Zanchy noteth This name was always thrice repeated when the Priest blessed the people Num. 6. 24 25 26. Trinity is implied Je signifies the Present tense Ho the praeterperfect tense Vah the future The Jews also observe that in his name Jehovah all the Hebrew letters are literae quiescentes that denote rest implying that in God and from God is all our rest Every gracious soul is like Noah's Dove he can find no rest nor satisfaction but in God God alone is the godly mans Ark of rest and safety Jehovah is the incommunicable name of God and is never attributed to any but God Psal 83. 19. Thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH Jehovah is a name so full of Divine mysteries that the Jews hold it unlawful to pronounce it Jehovah signifies three things 1. That God is an eternal independent being of himself 2. That he gives being to all creatures Acts 17. 28. 3. That he doth and will give being to his promises God tells Moses Exod. 6. 3. That he appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of El Gen. 22. 14. Abraham called the name of the place Jehovahlireh the Lord will see or provide Besides the Fathers of old are said not to have known God by his name Jehovah in comparison of that which their posterity knew afterwards for to them God made himself more clearly and plenarily known Shaddai God Almighty but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them The name Jehovah was known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob but not mysterium nominis the mystery of the name This was reveiled to Moses from God and from Moses to the people It is meant of the performances of his great promises made to Abraham God did promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's Seed for an inheritance which promise was not performed to him but to his seed after him so that this is the meaning God appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob El Shaddai God Almighty in protecting delivering and rewarding of them but by his name Jehovah he was not known to them God did perform his promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob but unto their seed and posterity after them This name Jehovah is the proper and peculiar name of the one only true God a name as far significant of his nature and being as possibly we are enabled to understand so that this is taken for granted on all hands that he whose name is Jehovah is the only true God when ever that name is used properly without a Trope or figure it is used of God only Now this glorious name Jehovah that is so full of mysteries is frequently ascribed to Christ Isa 6. 1. He is called Jehovah for there Isaiah is said to see Jehovah sitting upon a Throne c. And John 12. 41. This is expresly by the holy Evangelist applyed to Christ of whom he saith That Isaiah saw his glory and spake of him Exod. 17. 1. The people are said to tempt Jehovah and the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 9. Let us not tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents It is said of Jehovah Of old hast thou laid the Psal 102. 25. 26. foundation of the earth and the Heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure c. And the Apostle clearly testifies Heb. 1. 10. That these words are spoken of Christ So Jehovah rained fire and brimstone from Jehovah out of Heaven Gen. 19. 24. That is Jehovah the Son of God that stayed with Abraham Gen. 18. rained fire and brimstone from Jehovah the Father and Christ is called Jehovah Tsidkenu the Lord our righteousness and in that Zach. 13. 7. Christ is called the Fathers fellow The Lord Christ is that Jehovah to whom every knee must bow as appears by comparing Isa 45. 21 22 23 24 25. with Romans 14. 9 10 11 12. and Phil. 2. 6 9 10 11. I might further insist upon this argument and shew that the title of Lord so often given to Christ in the New Testament doth answer to the Title of Jehovah in the Old Testament And as some learned men conceive the Apostles did purposely use the Title of Lord that they might not offend the Jews with frequent pronouncing of the word Jehovah Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God Deut. 6. 13. Deut. 10. 20. is rendred by the Apostle Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And so Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God is rendred Matth. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Thus you see that in several precious Scriptures Jesus Christ is called Jehovah and therefore we may very safely and confidently conclude that Jesus Christ is very God God blessed for ever But The second Name or Title which denotes the essence 2 The Hebrew Ehieh asher Ehieh properly signifies I will be that I will be The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am he that is and in that Rev. 16. 5. God is called he that is and that was and that will be of God is Ehieh I am that I am or I will be what I I will be Exod. 3. 14. It hath the same root with Jehovah and signifies that God is an eternal unchangeable being some make this name to be Gods extraordinary name Damascene saith this name containeth all things in it like a vast and infinite Ocean without bounds This Glorious name of God I AM THAT I AM implyes these six things 1. Gods incomprehensibleness as we use to say of any thing we would not have others prye into it is what it is so God saith here to Moses I AM WHAT I AM. 2. It implies Gods Immensity that his being is without any limits Angels and men have their beings but then they are bounded and limited within such a compass but God is an immense being that cannot be included within any bounds 3. It implyes that God is of himself and hath not a being dependent upon any other I am that is by and from and of my self 4. It implyes Gods eternal and unchangeable being in himself It implyes God's everlastingness I am before any thing was
82. 16. are nor by office and Title only as Magistrates are called Gods nor catachrestically and Ironically as the Heathen Gods are called nor a diminutive God inferiour to the Father as Arrius held but God by nature every way co-essential co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost Hold fast all truth but above all hold fast this glorious truth that Jesus Christ is God blessed for ever The Eourth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Gibbor The strong and mighty God God is not only strong in his own Essence but he is also strong in the defence of his people and it is he that giveth all 2 Chron. 16. 9. strength and power to all other creatures There are no men no powers that are a match for the strong God Now this Title is also attributed to Christ Isa 9. 6. El Gibbor the strong God the mighty God The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying God doth also signify strong he is so strong that he is almighty he is one to whom nothing is impossible Christ's name is God for he is the same Essence with God the Father this Title the mighty God fitteth well to Christ who hath all the names of the Deity given to him in Scripture and who by the strength and power of his God-head did satisfie the justice of God and pacifie the wrath of God and make peace and purchase pardon and eternal life for all his Elect. The Fifth name or Title which denotes the Essence of God is El Shaddai God omnipotent or all-sufficient he wanteth nothing but is infinitely blessed with the infinite Gen. 17. 1. perfection of his glorious being by this name God makes himself known to be self-sufficient all-sufficient absolutely perfect certainly that man can want nothing who hath an all-sufficient God for his God he that loseth his all for God shall find all in an all-sufficient God Mat. 19. â—9 Esau had much but Jacob had all because he had the Gen. 33. 9. 11. God of all Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia what are Riches Honours Pleasures Profits Lands Friends Augustin This name Shaddai belongeth only to the God-head and to no creature no not to the humanity of Christ yea millions of worlds to one Shaddai God Almighty God All-sufficient This glorious name Shaddai was a noble bottom for Abraham to act his faith upon though in things above nature or against it c. He that is El Shaddai is perfectly able to defend his Servants from all evil and to bless them with all spiritual and temporal blessings and to perform all his promises which concern both this life and that which is to come Now this name this Title Shaddai is attributed to Christ as you may clearly see by comparing Gen. 35. 6 9 10 11. and Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. with Hosea 12. 3 4 5. That Angel that appeared to Jacob See my Treatise on Closet-Prayer opening that Gen. 3â— and that 12. Hâ—s pag. 48 49 50 51. where you haâ—e four Arguments to prove that Jesus Christ is the Angel the man that is there spoken of c. was Christ the Angel of the Covenant Mark you shall never find either God the Father or the Holy Ghost called an Angel in Scripture nor was this a created Angel for then Jacob would never have made supplication to him but he was an uncreated Angel even the Lord of Hosts the almighty God who spake with Jacob in Bethel He that in this divine story is said to be a man was the Son of God in humane shape as is most evident by the whole narration The Angel in the Text is the same Angel that conducted the Israelites in the Wilderness and fought their battels for them Exod. 3. 2. Act. 7. 30. 1. Cor. 10. 4 5 9. even Jesus Christ who is stiled once and again the Almighty Rev. 1. 8. cap. 4. 8. In this last Scripture is acknowledged Christ's Holiness Power and God-head Ah Christians when will you once learn to set one Almighty Christ against all the mighty ones of the world that you may bear up bravely and stoutly against their rage and wrath and go on chearfully and resolutely in the way of your duty The sixth name or Title is Adonai my Lord. Though this name Adonai be given sometimes analogically to creatures yet properly it belongs to God above this name is often used in the old Testament and in Mal. 1. 6. it is used in the plural number to note the mystery of the holy Trinity If I be Adonim Lords where is my fear some derive the word Adonai from a word in the Hebrew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies judicare to judg because God is the Judg of the world others derive it from a word which signifies Basis a foundation intimating that God is the upholder of all things as the foundation of a house is the support of the whole building Now this name is given to Christ Dan. 9. 17. Cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for Adonai the Lord Christ sake Daniel pleads here no merits of their own but the merits and mediation of the Messias whom God hath made both Lord and Christ So Aâ—â—s 2. 36. Luk. 1. 4â— cap. 2. 11 12. Heb. 1. 13. Psal 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool Christ applies these words to himself as you may see in that Mat. 22. 24. Jehovah said that is God the Father said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 La-adoni unto my Lord that is to Christ sit thou at my right hand sit thou with me in my Throne it notes the Math. 28. 13. John 3. 35. advancement of Christ as he was both God and man in one person to the supremest place of power and authority of honour and heavenly glory God's right hand notes a place of equal power and authority with God even that Epâ—â— 1. 21. Heb. 1. 3. Luk. 22. 69. he should be advanced far above all principallity and power and might and dominion Christs reign over the whole world is sometimes called The right hand of the Majesty and sometimes the right hand of the power of God until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool This implies 1. That Jesus Christ hath ever had and will have enemies even to the end of the world 2. Victory a perfect Conquest over them Conquerours used to make their enemies their foot-stool Those proud enemies of Christ who now set up their Crests face the heavens and strut it out against him even those shall be brought under his feet 3. It implies ignominy the lowest subjection Sapores King of Persia overcoming the Emperour Valerian in battel used his back for a stirrup when he got upon his horse and so Tamberlane served Bajazet 4. The foot-stool is a piece of State and both raiseth and easeth him that
let it slip out but Scripture addeth this hint too where it speaketh of the bosom as the place of secrets Prov. 17. 23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of iudgment speaking of a bribe Prov. 21. 14. A gift in secret pacifieth Anger and a reward in the bosom expiateth wrath Here is secret and bosom all one as gift and reward are one So Christ lyeth in the fathers bosom this intimateth his being conscious to all the father's secrets But Thirdly as the Attribute of God's omniscience is asscribed to Christ so the Attribute of God's omnipresence is ascribed to Christ Mat. 18. 20. where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them and chap. 28. ult I am with you alway even to the end of the world he is not contained in any place who was before there Prov. 8. 22. Jâ—h 1. 1. 3. was any place and did create all places by his own power whilst Christ was on earth in respect of his bodily presence he was in the bosom of his father which must be understood Jâ—â— 1. 18. 2. â—oh 3. 13. 2. Psal 139. 7 8 9 10 11. of his divine nature and person he did come down from heaven and yet remained in heaven Christ is universally present he is present at all times and all places and among all persons he is repletively every where inclusively no where Diana's Temple was burnt down when she was busie at Alexander's birth and could not be at two places together but Christ is present both in paradise and in the wilderness at the same time ubi non Greg. in Ezâ— â—â— m. 8. Aug. m diâ— c. 29. where two are sitting together and conferting about the Law there is Shâ—inah the diâ—ine Majesty among them Grâ—tiâ—â— on Mat. 18. 20. est per gratiam adest per vindictam where he is not by his gracious influence there he is by his vindictive power Empedocles could say that God is a circle whose center is every where whose circumference is no where the poor blind heathens could say thar God is the soul of the world and thus as the soul is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte so is he that his â—ye is in every corner c. To which purpose they so portraied their Goddess Minerva that which way soever one cast his eye she always beheld him But Fourthly as the attribute of God's omnipresence is ascribed to Christ so the Attribute of God's omnipotency is ascribed to Christ and this speaks out the God head of See Colâ—s 1. 16 17. Psal 102. 26. compared with Heb. 1. 8. 10. Joh. 1. 10. Christ All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Mat 28. 18. John 5. 19. What things soever the father doth these also doth the son Phil. 3. 21. he is called by a metonymy the power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. He is the almighty Rev. 1. 8. He made all things Joh. 1. 3. He upholds all things Heb. 1. 3. He shall change our vile body saith the Apostle that it may be like unto his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. ult Now from what has been said we may thus argue He to whom the incommunicable properties of the most high God are attributed he is the most high God but the incommunicable properties of the most high God are attributed to Christ ergo Christ is the most high God But Fifthly Christ's eternal deity coequality and consubstantiality with the father may be demonstrated from his divine works The same works which are peculiar to God are ascribed to Christ such proper and peculiar such divine and supernatural works as none but God can perform Christ did perform As 1. Election the Elect are called his Elect Mat. 24. 31. Joh. 13. 18. I know whom I have chosen Joh. 15. 16. I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain vers 19. But I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 2. Redemption 1 Thes 1. ult Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 6. 14. cap. 8. 1. Luk. 1. 68-80 O Sirs none but the great God could save us from wrath to come none but God blessed for ever could deliver us from the curse of the Law the dominion of sin the damnatory power of sin the rule of Satan and the flames of hell ah friends these enemies were too potent strong and mighty for any mere creature yea for all mere creatures to conquer and overcome none but the most high God could everlastingly secure us against such high enemies 3. Remission of sins Mat. 9. 6. The son of man hath power to forgive sins Christ here positively proves that he had power on earth to forgive sins because miraculously by a word of his mouth he causes the Palsey-man to walk so that he arose and departed to his house immediately Christ he forgives sin authoritatively Preachers forgive only declaratively as Nathan to David the Lord hath put away thine iniquity I 2 Sam. 12. 7. John 20. 23. have read of a man that could remove mountains but none but the man Christ Jesus could ever remit sin All the persons in the Trinity forgive sins yet not in the same manner The Father bestows forgivness the Son merits forgivness and the Holy Ghost seals up forgivness and applies forgivness 4. The bestowing of eternal life Joh. 10. 28. My sheep hear my voice and I give unto them eternal life Christ is the Prince and principle of life and Colos 3. 3 4 2. therefore all out of him are dead whilst they live eternal life is too great a gift for any to give but a God 5. Creation Joh. 1. 3. All things were made by him and vers 10. The world was made by him Colos 1. 16. By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in the earth visible and invisible Now the Apostle telleth Just Mart. quoteth two Greek verses out of Pyâ—hagoras to prove there is but one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Pythagoras If any will assume to himself and say I am God except only one let him lay such a world as this is to stake and say this world is mine then I will believe him not otherwise Heb. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not propter quem as Gretius would evade the Text For whom he made the worlds but peâ— quem by whom so the Apostle to put it out of all doubt putteth them together Câ—los 1. 16. All thiâ—gs were creaâ—ed by him and for him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you He that huâ—â—t all things is God Christ built all things ergo Christ is God The Argument lyeth fair and undeniable The all things that were created by Christ Paul reduceth to two heads visible and invisible but Zanchius addeth a
enjoyned in the first Commandement and against trusting in man is there a curse denounced But Christ Jer. 17. 5. v. commands us to believe in him John 14 1. Ye believe in John 1. 12. God believe also in me John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life vers 36. He that believeth in the son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 6. 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life The same respect that Christians give unto God the father they must also give unto the son believing on him which is an honour due only to God other creatures men and Angels may be believed but not believed on rested on this were to make them Gods this were no less than Idolatry Secondly loving of Jesus Christ with all the heart commanded above the love nay even to the hatred of father mother wife children yea and our own lives Luk 14. 26. He who is not disposed where these loves are incompatible to hate father and all other relations for the love of Christ can be none of his I ought dearly and tenderly to love father and mother the Law of God and nature requiring it of me but to prefer dear Jesus Phil. 3. 7 8. Master Brad. Acts and Mon. Fol. 1492. who is God blessed for ever before all and above all as Paul and the primitive Christians and Martyrs have done before me your house home and goods your life and all that ever you have saith that Martyr God hath given you as love tokens to admonish you of his love to win your love to him again Now will he try your love whether you set more by him or by his tokens c. when Relations or life stand in competition with Christ and his Gospel they are to be abandoned hated c. But Secondly all outward worship is due to Christ as First Dedication in Baptism is in his name Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the name by that right initiating them and receiving of them into the profession of the service of one God in three persons and of depending on Christ alone for salvation Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is the consecrating of them unto the sincere service of the sacred Trinity Secondly Divine invocation is given to Jesus Christ 2. Ponderâ— upon these Scriptures 2 Cor. 12. 8. 9. 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thâ—s 1. 1 2. 2 Cor. 1. 2. Acts 7. 59. Stephen calls upon the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Thes 3. 11. God himself and our father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you Ephe. 1. 2. Grace be to you and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ It is the Saints Character that they are such as call on the Lord Jesus Acts 2. 21. Acts 9. 14. But Thirdly Praises are offered to our Lord Jesus Christ Rev. 5. 9. And they sung a new song saying Thou arâ— worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation vers 11. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels This is taken out of Daniel cap. 7. 10. whereby the glory and power of God and Christ is held forth they being attended with innumerable millions of Angels which stood before the fiery throne of God c. round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands vers 12. saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Vers 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever here you have a Catholick confession of Christ's divine nature and power All the creatures both reasonable and unreasonable do in some sort set forth the praises of Christ because in some sort they serve to illustrate and set forth his glory Here you see that Christ is adored with religious worship by all creatures which doth evidently prove that he is God since all the creatures worship him with religious worship we may safely and boldly conclude upon his Deity Here are three parties that bear a part in this new song 1. The redeemed of the Lord and they sing in the last part of the 8. verse and in the 9. and 10. verses Then 2. The Angels follow verse 11. and 12. in the third place all creatures are brought in joyning in this new song verse 13. That noble company of the Church Triumphant and Church Militant sounding out the Praises of the Lamb may sufficiently satisfie us concerning the divinity of the Lamb. But Fourthly Divine adoration is also given to him Mat. 4. Mark 1. 40. Luke 5. 12. So that he touched Christ his feet as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not kneeled as the word is translated Mark 1. 40. This Leper came to know Christ was God 1. by inspiration 2. by the miracles which Christ did 8. 2. A Leper worshipped him Mark saith he kneeled down and Luke saith he fell upon his face He shewed reverence in his gesture Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean He acknowledged a divine power in Christ in that he saith he could make him clean if he would This poor Leper lay at Christ's feet imploring and beseeching him as a dog at his master's feet as Zanch de Red. renders the word which shews that this Leper look'd upon Christ as more than a Prophet or a holy man and that believing he was God and so able to heal him if he would he gave him religious worship he doth not say to Christ Lord if thou wilt pray to God or to thy father for me I shall be whole but Lord if thou wilt I shall be whole He acknowledges the Leprosie curable by Christ which he and all men knew was incurable by others which was a plain argument of his faith for though the Psora or scabbedness may be cured yet that which is called Lepra Physicians acknowledg incurable for if a particular Cancer cannot be cured much less can an universal Cancer as Avicen observes Mat. 2. 11. Though the wise men
licence yet the great King of Heaven and Earth counts it his glory to give us free access at all times in all places and upon all occasions by the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one mediator between God and us even the man Christ Jesus Christ was made true man that in our nature he might reconcile us to God and give us access to God which he could never have done had he not been very God and very man without the humane nature of Christ we could never have had access to God or fellowship with God being by nature enemies to God Rom. 5. 10. Eph. 2. 1. 12 13 14. and estranged from God and dead in trespasses and sins 'T is only by the mediation of Christ incarnate that we come to be reconciled to God to have access to him and 1 John 1. 1 2 3. acceptance with him in Christ's humane nature God and we meet together and have fellowship together It could never stand with the unspotted holiness and justice of God who is a consuming fire to honour us with one Heb. 12. 29. cast of his countenance or one hours communion with himself were it not upon the account of the man Christ Jesus the least serious thought of God out of Christ will breed nothing in the soul but horrour and amazement which made Luther say Nolo Deum absolutum let me have nothing to do with an absolute God Believers have free and blessed access to God but still 't is upon the credit of the man Christ Jesus Let us come boldly to the throne Heb. 4. 15. 16. of Grace saith the Apostle speaking of Christ that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need the Apostles phrase is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word which signifies liberty of speech and boldness of face as when a man with a bold and undaunted spirit utters his mind before the great ones of the world without blushing without weakness of heart without shaking of his voice without imperfection and faltring in speech when neither Majesty nor Authority can take off his courage so as to stop his mouth and make him afraid to speak with such heroick and undaunted spirits would the Apostle have us to come to the Throne of Grace and all upon the credit of Christ our High Priest who is God-man But Ninthly Is Jesus Christ God-man is he very God and 9. Ezek. 35. 10 11 12 13. Isa 37. 23 24. very man then you may be very confident of his sympathizing with you in all your afflictions then this may serve as a foundation to support you under all your troubles and as a Cordial to comfort you under all your afflictions in that Christ partaking of the same nature and having had experience of the infirmities of it he is the more able and willing to help and succour us Heb. 2. 17. wherefore As the Brazen Serpent was like the fiery serpent but had no sting in all things it behoveth him to be like his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people so Heb. 4. 15. If one come to visit a man that is sick of a grievous disease who hath himself been formerly troubled with the same disease he will sympathize more and shew more compassion than twenty others who have not felt the like so here from Christ's sufferings in his humane nature we may safely gather that he will shew himself a merciful high Priest to us in our sufferings and one that will be ready to help and succour us in all our afflictions and miseries which we suffer in this life in as much as himself had experience of suffering the like in our nature for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted and this should be a staff to support us and a cordial to comfort us in all our sorrows and miseries It is between Christ and his Church as it is between two lute strings that are tuned one to another no sooner is one struck If weperish Christ persheth with us Luâ—her but the other trembles Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted These words may be read interrogatively thus was he in all their afflictions afflicted Christ took to heart the afflictions of his Church he was himself grieved for them and with them The Lord the better to allure and draw his people to himself speaks after the manner of men attributing to himself all the affection love and fatherly compassion that can possibly be in them to men in misery Christ did so sympathize with his people in all their afflictions and sufferings as if he himself had felt the weight the smart the pain of them all he was in all things made like unto his brethren not only in nature but also in infirmities and sufferings and by all manner of temptations that thereby he might be able experimentally to succour them that are tempted he Zech. 2. 8. Ishon of Ish It is here called Bath the daughter of the eye because it is as dear to a man as his only daughter Act. 9. 4. Mat. 25. 35 36. that toucheth them toucheth not only his eye but the apple of his eye which is the tenderest piece of the tenderest part to express the inexpressible tenderness of Christ's compassion towards them let persecutors take heed how they meddle with God's eyes for he will retaliate eye for eye Exod. 21. 24. he is wise in heart and mighty in strength and sinners shall one day pay dear for touching the apple of his eye Christ counts himself persecuted when his Church is persecuted Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he looks upon himself as hungry thirsty naked and in prison when his members are so so greatly does he sympathize with them hence the afflictions of Christians are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remainders of the afflictions of Christ such as Christ by his fellow-feeling suffereth in his members and as they by correspondency are to fill up as exercises and tryals of their faith and patience Christ gave many evidences of his sympathy or fellow-feeling of our infirmities when he was on earth as he groaned in his spirit John 11. 33. and was troubled when he saw those that wept for Lazarus vers 35. Luk. 19. 41. he wept also as he did over Jerusalem also It is often observed in the Gospel that Christ was moved with compassion and that he frequently put forth acts of pity mercy and succour to those that were in any distress either in body or soul Christ retaineth this sympathy and fellow-feeling with us now he is in Heaven and doth so far commiserate our distresses as may stand with a glorified condition Jesus Christ grieves for the afflictions of his people the angel of the Lord answered and Zach. 1. 12. said
accursed death Oh what a Leprosie is sin that it must have blood yea the blood of God to take it away Now thus you have seen 1. That the sufferings of Christ have been free and voluntary and not constrained or forced 2. That they have been very great and heinous 3. That the punishments which Christ did suffer for our sins were in their parts and kinds and degrees and proportion all those punishments which were due unto us by reason of our sins and which we our selves should otherwise have suffered 4. That Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the very torments of Hell though not after a hellish manner 5. That he that did feel and suffer the torments of hell though not after a hollish manner was God-man 6. That the punishments that Christ did sustain for us must be referred only to the substance and not to the circumstances of punishment 7. That the meritorious cause of all the sufferings of Christ were the sins of his people Now to that great question of giving up your account at last according to the import of Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 3. Ram. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 7. those ten Scripures in the margent you may in the fourth place make this safe noble and happy plea Oh blessed God Jesus Christ hath suffered all those things that were due unto me for my sin he hath suffered even to the worst and uttermost for all that the Law threatned was a curse and Christ was made a curse for me Gal. 3. 13. he knew no sin but was made sin for me 2 Cor. 5. 21. and what Christ suffered he suffered as my surety and in my stead and therefore what he suffered for me is as if I had suffered all that my self and his sufferings hath appeased thy wrath and satisfied thy justice and reconciled thee to my self For God was in Christ reconciling the 2 Cor. 5. 19. world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them And he hath reconciled both Jews and Gentiles unto God in one body on the Cross having slain enmity thereby Jesus Christ took upon him all my sins they were all of them laid upon him and he bare or suffered all the wrath and punishment due for them and he suffered all as my surety in my stead and for my good and thou didst design him for all this and accepted of its sufficient and effectual on my behalf Oh with what comfort courage and confidence may a believer upon these considerations hold up his head in the great day of his account Let me now make a few inferences from the consideration of all the great and grievous sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore First Let us stand still and admire and wonder at the love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners that Christ should rather dye for us than the Angels they were creatures of a more noble extract and in all probability might have brought greater revenues of glory to God yet that Christ should pass by those golden vessels and make us vessels of glory Oh what amazing and astonishing love is this This is the envy of Devils and the admiration of Angels and Saints The Angels were more honourable and excellent creatures than we they were celestial spirits we earthly bodies dust and ashes they were immediate attendants upon God they were as I may say of his privy chamber we servants of his in the lower house of this world farther remote from his glorious presence their office was to sing Hallelujahs Songs of praise to God in the heavenly Paradise ours to dress the Garden of Eden which was but an earthly Paradise they sinned but once and but in thought as is commonly thought but Adam sinned in thought by lusting in deed by tasting and in word by excusing why did not Christ suffer for their sins as well as for ours or if for any why not for theirs rather than ours Even so O Father for so it pleased thee We move this question not as being curious to search thy secret counsels O Lord but that we may be the more swallowed Mat. 11. 26. up in the admiration of the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledg The Apostle being in a holy admiration of Eph. 3. 18. 19. Christ's love affirms it to pass knowledg that God who is the eternal Being should love man when he had scarce Prov. 8. 30 31. a Being that he should be enamoured with deformity that he should love us when in our blood that he should pity us when no eye pitied us no not our own Oh such was Christ's transcendent love that man's extreme Ezek. 16. misery could not abate it the deploredness of man's condition did but heighten the holy flame of Christ's love 't is as high as Heaven who can reach it 't is as low as Hell who can understand it Heaven through its glory could not contain him man being miserable nor Hell's torments make him refrain such was his perfect matchless love to fallen man that Christ's love should extend to the ungodly to sinners to enemies that were in arms of rebellion against him yea not only so but Rom. 5. 6 8 10. that he should hug them in his arms lodg them in his bosom dandle them upon his knees and lie them to his breasts that they may suck and be satisfied is the highest improvement of love That Christ should come from the Isa 66. 11 12 13. eternal bosom of his father to a Region of sorrow and John 1. 18. Isa 53. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. John 17. 5. Mat. 25. death that God should be manifested in the flesh the Creator made a creature that he that was cloathed with glory should be wrapped with rags of flesh that he that filled Heaven should be cradled in a manger that the God of Israel should fly into Egypt that the God of strength should be weary that the judg of all flesh should be condemned that the God of life should be put to death that he that is one with his father should cry out John 19. 41. of misery O my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me that he that had the keys of hell and death Mat. 26. 39. Rev. 1. 18. John 19. 41 42. should lie imprison'd in the Sepulchre of another having in his life time no where to lay his head nor after death to lay his body and all this for man for fallen man for miserable man for worthless man is beyond the thoughts of created natures The sharp the universal and continual sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ from the cradle to the cross does above all other things speak out the transcendent love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners That wrath that great wrath that fierce wrath that pure wrath that infinite wrath that
makes Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect it is God that justifieth some read Râ—m 8. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in â—â—s vecare o call in o thâ— I am It is a Law custom to clear men by Proclaration if one hath been indicted at the Assizes and no Bill â—roughtin against him there is an Oh yes made if any haâ—e any thing to say against the prisoner at the bar let him come forth since he stands upon his freedom The application is easie it question-wise thus shall God that justifieth no such matter and if the judg acquit the prisoner at the bar he cares not though the Jaylor or his fellow prisoners condemn him so here there are no accusers that a believer needs to fear seeing that it is God himself who is the supreme Judg that absolves him as just God absolves and therefore it is to no purpose for Satan to accuse us Rev. 12. 10. nor for the Law of Moses to accuse us John 5. 45. nor for our own Consciences to accuse us Rom. 2. 25. nor for the world to accuse us God is the highest Judg and his Tribunal-seat is the supreme Judgment-seat therefore from thence there is no appealing As amongst men persons accused or condemned may appeal till they come to the highest Court but if in the highest they are absolved and discharged then they are free and safe and well so the believer being absolved before God's Tribunal seat there is no further accusations to be feared all appeals from thence being void and of no force The consideration of which should arm us and comfort us and strengthen us against all terrours of conscience guilt of sin accusation of the Law and cruelty of Satan in as much as these either dare not appear before God to accuse us or charge us or if they do it is but lost labour Ambrose gives the sence thus None can or dare retract the judgment of God for he confidently provoketh all adversaries if they dare come forth to accuse not that there is no cause but because God hath justified It is God that justifieth therefore it is in vain to accuse them and It is God that justifieth them if God doth it none can reverse it for there are none that are equal with God Let all the accusations which shall come in against thee from one hand or another be true or false they shall never hurt thee for he from whom there is no appeal hath fully acquitted thee and therefore no accusation can endanger thy peace Ah what a strong Cordial would this be to all the people of God if they would but live in the power of this glorious truth that It is God that judifies them and that there lies no accusations in the Court of Heaven against them the great reason why many poor Christians are under so many dejections despondencies and perplexities is because they drink no more of this water of life It is God that justifieth did Christians live more upon this breast It is God that justifieth they would be no more Gen. 41. 1 2 3. like Pharaoh's lean Kine but would be fat and flourishing did they but draw more out of this Well of salvation It is God that justifieth how would their spirits revive and a new life rise up in them as did in the dead child by 2 King 4. 34 35 36 37. the Prophet Elisha's applying himself to it The Imputed Righteousness of Christ is a real sure and solid foundation upon which a believer may safely build his peace joy and everlasting rest yea it will help him to glory in Rom. 5. 1 2 3. tribulations and to triumph over all adversities Isa 45. 24. Surely shall one say in the Lord I have righteousness and strength That which is the greatest terrour in the world to unbelievers is the strongest ground of comfort to believers that is the justice and wrath of God against sin Look how it was when the Angel appeared at the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ The keepers were affrighted Mat. 28. 4 5. and became as dead men but it was said to the women Fear not ye for ye seek Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified so it is much more in this case when God's Justice is powerfully manifested the sinners of Sion and Isa 33. 14. the world are afraid and terrified but yet poor believers seek for Christ who was crucified ye need not fear any thing yea you may be wonderfully cheared at this and it is your greatest comfort that you have to deal with this just God who hath already received satisfaction for your sins It is observable that the Saints triumph in the justice and judgments of God that are most terrible to the enemies of God in that which is the substance of the song of Moses and the Lamb Rev. 15. 3 4 5. so in that Luk. 26. 28. where the day of judgment is described say some and that in it there shall be distress of nations and men's hearts failing them for fear viz. of the justice and wrath of God Why so it is for looking after those things that are to come upon the earth for the powers of the earth shall be shaken c. But when these things begin to come to pass Then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth near This day is the most dreadful day that ever was in the world to all the ungodly but the just and faithful then shall be able to lift up their heads to see all the world on a light fire about them and all the Elements in terrible confusion But how dare a poor creature lift up his head in such a case as this They shall see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory here is enough to comfort the poor members of Christ to see Christ on whom they have believed and who hath satisfied God's justice for them and imputed his own righteousness to them to see him set upon his judgment seat cannot but be matter of joy and rejoycing to them Now they shall find the power of that word upon their souls Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received at the Lord's hand double for her sins i. e. Their conflict with the wrath of God is at an end the punishment of their iniquity is accepted they have received in their head and surety Christ Jesus double for their sins i. e. Justice hath passed upon them in their head Christ Jesus and they are sure that the judg of all the earth will do right and will not punish their sins twice The exactness of Gods justice cannot do this Job 34. 10. Far be it from God that he should do wickedness and from the Almighty that be should commit iniquity
in some respects the breach of the commands of the Gospel are greater than the breach See Heb. 2. 2 3. 8. 6. 10. 28 29. of the commands of the Moral Law for the breach of the commands of the Gospel carrieth in it a contempt and light esteem of Jesus Christ Men's not rejoycing in Christ Jesus must flow from some dangerous humour and base corruption or other that highly distempers their precious souls If all created excellencies if all the privileges of God's people if all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fulness that is to be found in Christ Jesus and therefoâ—e the greater is their sin who rejoyce not in Christ Jesus Do you ask me where be Plutarch in Phocione my Jewels my Jewels are my Husband and his Triumphs said Phocion's wife do you ask me where be my ornaments my ornaments are my two sons brought up in vertue and learning said the mother of the Gracchi Do you ask me where be my Treasures my Treasures are my friends said Constantius the father of Constantine but now if you ask a child of God when he is not clouded tempted deserted dejected where be his Jewels his Treasures his Ornaments his comfort his joy his delight he will answer with that Martyr none but Christ none but Christ Oh! none to Christ none to Christ Christ is all in all unto me Colos 3. 11. Aeterna erit exultatio quae bono laetatur aeterno That joy lasts for ever whose object remains for ever such an object is our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the joy of the saints should still be exercised upon our Lord Jesus Christ shall the worldling rejoyce in his barns the rich man in his bags the ambitious man in his honours the voluptuous man in his pleasures and the wanton in his Dalilahs and shall not a Christian rejoyce in Christ Jesus and in that robe of righteousness and in those garments of salvation with Isa 61. 10. which Christ hath covered him The joy of that Christian that keeps a fixed eye upon Christ and his righteousness cannot be expressed it cannot be painted no man can paint the sweetness of the honey-comb nor the sweetness of a cluster of Canaan nor the fragrancy of the Rose of Sharon As the being of things cannot be painted so the sweetness of things cannot be painted The joy of the Holy Ghost cannot be painted nor that joy that arises in a Christian's heart who keeps up a daily converse with Christ and his righteousness cannot be painted it cannot be expressed who can look upon the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ and seriously consider that even every vein of that blessed body did bleed to bring him to heaven and not rejoyce in Christ Jesus who can look upon the glorious righteousness of Christ imputed to him and not be filled with an exâ—berancy of spiritual joy in God his Saviour There is not the pardon of the least sin nor the least degree of grace nor the least drop of mercy but cost Christ dear for he must die and he must be made a sacrifice and he must be accursed that pardon may be thine and grace thine and mercy thine and oh how should this draw out thy heart to rejoyce and triumph in Christ Jesus The work of redemption sets both Angels and Saints Rev. 5. 11 12 13 14. Rev. 1. 5 6. cap. 5. 8 9 10. a rejoycing and triumphing in Christ Jesus and why not we why not we also who have received infinite more benefit by the work of Redemption than ever the Angels have A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance Joy in the face puts a new beauty upon a person and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful it puts a lustre upon beauty so does holy joy and rejoycing in Christ Jesus put as it were a new beauty and lustre upon Christ Though the Romans punished one that feasted and looked out at a Plin. 1. c. 7. window with a Garland on his head in the second Punick war yet you may be sure that God will never punish you for rejoycing and triumphing in Christ Jesus let the times be never so sad or bad in respect of war blood or misery But Eighthly The Imputed Righteousness of Christ may serve to comfort support and bear up the hearts of the people of God from fainting and sinking under the sense of the weakness and imperfection of their inherent righteousness The Church of old have lamentingly said we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness Isa 64. 6. is as filthy rags when a Christian keeps a serious eye upon the spots blots blemishes infirmities and follies that cleaves to his inherent righteousness fears and tremblings arise to the sadding and sinking of his soul but when he casts a fixed eye upon the righteousness of Christ imputed to him then his comforts revive and his heart bears up for though he hath 〈◊〉 righteousness of his own by which his soul may 〈◊〉 â—ccepted before God yet he hath Gods righteousness which infinitely transcends his own and such as in God's account goes for his as if he had exactly fulfilled the righteousness which the Law requires according to that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 30. What shall we say then the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith Faith wraps it self in the righteousness of Christ and so justifieth us The Gentiles sought righteousness not in themselves but in Christ which they apprehending by faith were by it justified in the sight of God and the Jews seeking it in themselves and thinking by the goodness of their own works to attain to the righteousness of the Law missed of it it being in no man's power perfectly to fulfil the same only Christ hath exactly fulfilled it for all that by faith close savingly with him Oh sirs none can be justified in the sight of God by a righteousness of their own making but whosoever will be justified must be justified by the righteousness Râ—m 3. 20 28. cap. 10. 2. Gal. 2. 16. Tâ— 3. 5. of Christ through faith The Gentiles by faith attain the righteousness of the Law therefore the righteousness of the Law and of faith are all one viz. in respect of matter and form the difference is only in the worker The Law requires it to be done by our selves the Gospel mitigates the rigour of the Law and offers the righteousness of Christ who performed the Law even to a hairs breadth The right way to righteousness for justification is by Christ who is the way the door the truth and the life because we want a righteousness of our own God hath assigned us the righteousness of
High-Court of the Jews But The third kind of secret Murder is an open reviling and reproaching of a Brother in these words But whosoever shall say thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell-fire Thou Fool this is a word of greater disgrace than the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies unsavory or without rellish a Fool here is by a metaphor called insipid Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sote which we call Sot shall be in danger of Hell-fire or to be cast into Gehenna Gehenna comes from the Hebrew word Gettinnom that is the Valley of Hinnom lying near the City of Jerusalem in which Valley in former times the Itolatrous Josh 15. 8. Jews caused their Children to be burned alive between the glowing arms of the brazen Image of Moloch imitating vide 2. King 23 10. Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 32. 35. Jer. 19. 4 5 6. the Abominations of the Heathen And hence the Scripture often makes use of that word to signifie the place of eternal punishment where the damned must abide under the wrath of God for ever There were four kinds of punishments exercised among the Jews First Stranglings 2. The Sword 3. Stoning 4. The Fire Now this last they always judged the worst as Beza affirms upon this very place In these words Shall be in danger of Hell-fire Christ alludes to the great Sanhedrim and the highest degree of punishment that was inflicted by them namely to be burned in the Valley of Hinnom which by a known Metaphor is transferred to Hell it self and the inexpressible torments thereof For as those poor wretches being inclosed in a brazen Idol-heat with fire were miserably tormented in this Valley of Hinnom So the wicked being cast into Hell the Prison of the damn'd shall be eternally tormented in unquenchable fire This Valley of Hinnom by reason of the pollution of it with slaughter blood and stencth of Carkasses did become so execrable that Hell it self did afterwards inherit the same Name and was called Gehenna of this very place And that 1. In respect of the hollowness and depth thereof being a low and deep Valley 2. This Valley of Hinnom was a place of misery in regard of those many slaughters that were committed in it through their barbarous Idolatry So Hell is a place of misery and infelicity wherein there is nothing but sorrow 3. Thirdly By the bitter and lamentable crys of poor Infants in this Valley is shadowed out the crys and lamentable torments of the damned in Hell 4. In this Valley of Hinnom was another fire which was kept continually burning for the consuming of dead Carkasses and filth and the garbidge that came out of the City Now our Saviour by the fire of Gehenna in this Mat. 5. 22. hath reference principally to this fire signifying hereby the perpetuity and everlastingness of Hellish pains To this last judgment of the Sanhedrim viz. Burning Doth Christ appropriate that kind of Murder which is by open reviling of a Brother that he might notifie the heynousness of this sin marke in this Scripture Judgment Councel and Hell fire do but signifie three degrees of the same punishment c. See also Matth. 5. 29 30. And if thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell-fire Julian taking these commands literally mockt at Christian Religion as foolish cruel and vain because they require men to maim their members He mockt at Christians because no man did it and he mockt at Christ because no man obeyed him but this Apostate might have seen from the scope that these words were not to be taken literally but figuratively Some of the Antients by the right hand and the right eye do understand Relations Friends or any other dear enjoyments which draws the heart from God Others of them by the right eye and the right hand do understand such darling sins that are as dear to men as their right eyes and right hands That this Hell here spoken of is not meant of the Grave into which the body shall be laid is most evident because those Christians who do pull out their right eyes and cut off their right hands that is mortifie those special sins which are as dear and near to them as the very members of their bodies shall be secured and delivered from this Hell whereas none shall be exempted from the Grave though they are the choycest persons on Earth for grace and holiness Death like the Duke of Parma's Sword knows no difference twixt Robes and Raggs twixt Prince and Peasant All flesh is grass The Isa 40. 6. flesh of Princes Nobles Counsellors Generals c. is grass as well as the flesh of the meanest Beggar that walks the Streets The mortal Sythe saith one is master Hâ—rat l. 1. Oct. 28. of the Royal Scepter it mows down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the Field Never was there Oratour so Eloquent nor Monarch so Potent that could either Dâ—aths Motto is Nulli cedo perswade or withstand the stroak of death when it came It is one of Solomons sacred Aphorisms The Rich and the Poor meet together somtimes in the same Bed somtimes Prov. 22. 2. at the same Board and somtimes in the same Grave Death is the common Inne of all Man-kind There is no defence against the stroak of death nor no discharge in that Hâ—b 9. 27. Eccles 8. 8. War Death is that only King against whom there is no rising up If your Houses be fired by good help they Prov. 30. 31. may be quenched if the Sea break out by art and industry it may be repaired If Princes Invade by power and policy they may be repulsed If Devils from Hell shall tempt by assistance from Heaven they may be resisted But Death comes into Royal Pallaces and into the meanest Cottages and there is not a man to be found that can make resistance against this King of terrors and terrour of Kings Deaths Motto is Nemini parco I spare none Thus you see that by Hell in Math. 5. 29 30. You may not you cannot understand the Grave and therefore by it you must understand the place of the damned But if you please you may cast your eye upon another Scripture viz. Math. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell The word rather is not a comparative but an adversative We should not fear man at all when he stands in competition with God So Victorian the Pro-Consul of Carthage being sollicited to Arrianism
by the Embassadours of King Hunnerick answered thus Being assured of God and my Lord Christ I tell you what Victor Uticens l. 3. Wandâ—l perfecat you may tell the King Let him burn me let him drive me to the Beasts let him torment me with all kind of torments I shall never consent to be an Arrian and though the Tyrant afterwards did torture him with very great tortures yet he could never work him over to Arianism The best remedy against the slavish fear of Tyrants is to set that great God up as the object of our fear who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Mark He doth not say to destroy soul and body simply or absolutely so that they should be no more for that many that love their Lusts and prize the World above a Saviour would be contented withal rather than to run the hazard of a fierce hot persecution but to punish them eternally in Hell where the Worm never dyeth nor the Fire never goeth out Now by Hell in this Math. 10. 28. The Grave cannot be meant because the soul is not destroyed Eccles 12 7. Phil. 1. 3. with the body in the Grave as they both shall be if the person be wicked after the Morning of the Resurrection in Hell From the immortality of the soul we may infer the Eternity of mans future condition the soul being immortal it must be immortally happy or immortally miserable It was Luthers complaint of old We Luther Tim. 4. 33. 4. more fear the Pope with his Purgatory than God with his Hell and we trust more in the Absolution of the Pope from Purgatory than in the true Absolution of God from Hell and is it not so with many this day who bears their heads high in the Land and who look and long for nothing more than to see Room flourishing in the mid'st of us Take one Scripture more viz. 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which also he went and Preached unto the Spirits in Prison Spirits that is the Souls departed not Men but Spirits to keep an Analogy to the 18th ver Christ suffered being made dead in the flesh and made alive by the Spirit in which Spirit he had gon and Preached to them that are now Spirits in Prison because they disobeyed when the time was when the Patience of God once waited in the days of Noah Broughton in his Epistle to the Nobility of England August lib. 1. de civ dei cap. 17. which somtimes were disobedient When once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah That is Christ by his Spirit in the Ministry of Noah did Preach to the men of the Old World who are now in Hell In Noahs time they were on Earth but in Peters time they were in Hell Mark Christ did not Preach by his Spirit in his Ministry or any other way to Spirits who were in Prison or in Hell while he Preached to them There are no Sermons in Hell nor any Salvation there The loving kindness of God is abundantly declared on Earth but it shall never be declared in Hell Look as there is nothing felt in Hell but destruction so there is nothing found in Hell of the offers of Salvation One offer of Christ in Hell would turn Hell into a Heaven One of the Ancients hath reported the opinion of some in his time who thought that thou there be destruction in Hell yet not eternal destruction but that Sinners should be punished some a lesser others a longer time and that at last all shall be freed And yet saith he Origen was more merciful in this point than these men for he held that the Devil himself should be saved at last Of this opinion I shall say no more in this place then this one thing which he there said These men will be found to erre by so much the more fouly and against the right words of God so much the more perversly by how much they seem to themselves to judge more mercifully for indeed the justice of God in punishing of Sinners is as much above Isa 55. 7 8 9. the reach of mans thoughts as his mercies in pardoning them are O let not such who have neglected the great Heb. 2. 3. Salvation when they were on Earth ever expect to have an offer of Salvation made to them when they are in Hell consult these Scriptures Math. 25. 30. Math. 13. 41 42. Rev. 9. 2. 〈◊〉 Rev. 14. 19 20. Rev. 20. 1 2 3 7. I must make hast and therefore may not stand upon the opening of these Scriptures having said enough already to prove both out of the Old and New Testament that there is a Hell a place of torment provided and prepared for all wicked and ungodly men But The third Argument to prove that there is a Hell is this The beams of natural light in some of the Heathens have made such impressions on the heart of natural Conscience that several of them have had confused notions of a Hell as well as of a Judgment to come Though the poor blind Heathens were ignorant of Christ and the Gospel and the great work of Redemption c. yet by the light of Nature and reasonings from thence they did attain to the understanding of a Deity who was both just and good as also that the soul was immortal and that both rewards and punishments were prepared for the souls of men after this life according as they were found either vertuous or vicious Profound Bradwardine and Bradw de causa dei l. 1. c 1. c. several others have produced many proofs concerning their apprehensions of this truth What made the Heathen Emperour Adrian when he lay a dying cry out O animula vagula blandula c. O my little wretched wandring soul whether art thou now hasting c. Oh what will become of me live I cannot dye I dare not but some discoveries of Hell of wrath to come Look as these poor Heathens did feign such a place as the Elizean Fields where the Vertuous should spend an Eternity in pleasures so also they did feign a place called Tartarum or Hell where the Vicious should be Eternally tormented Tertullian and after him Chrysostom affirmeth that Poets and Phylosophers and all sorts of men speaking of a future retribution have said that many are punisht in Hell Plato is very plain that whoever are not expiated but prophane shall go into Hell to be tormented for their wickednesses with the greatest most bitter and terrible punishments for ever in that Prison in Hell And Jupiter speaking to the other Gods concerning the Grecians and Trojans saith If any shall so hardy be To aid each part in spight of me Him will I tumble down to Hell In that Infernal place to dwell So Horace speaking concerning Joves Thunder-bolts saith Quo bruta tellus vaga slumina Quo styx invisi horrida Taenari scdes c. With which Earth Seas the Stygian