the soule with his indignation his heart would sinke but that a little leane starved hope supports him and he sees than Gods will is not yet fully revealed but that he may be saved and he saith this conscience may bee quieted and this soule may be saved and these sins may bee pardoned now despaire is the quite contrary when the soule hath no good in expectation and that which cuts the heart strings of a mans consolation and plucke a mans comforts up by the roots as hee hath nothing for the present so all means and wayes of getting any good are cut off and then he casts off hope and never lookes to God more because he never lookes for mercy from God and then hope goes out and saith Oh when will it once be cannot these sinnes bee pardoned c And at last hee sees there is no way of getting any good and therefore hee never lookes for mercy more but expects hell and damnation and cries out I am damned I am damned This is despaire and this is the nature of it Secondly this despaire is not any part or essentiall property appertaining to the pains of the second death whether we looke at the withdrawing of the sweetnesse of Gods love or whether wee looke at the inflicting of the wrath of God upon the soule this is no part of them for besides that which Divines will observe namely that all punishments are passions and they suffer them but despaire is a worke of the creature and it issues from himselfe and the creature doth it and therefore it cannot properly bee a punishment nor any part of the second death but besides all this which they observe this desperation so opened it is so farre from being any part of the second death as that it is not a consequent which nextly followes from the second death but from the weaknesse and sinfulnesse of the creature Desperation is not any effect flowing immediatly from the wrath of God upon the creature but it proceeds and comes directly and immediatly from the weaknesse and sinfulnes of the creature Imagine that yee saw the Lord Iesus Christ comming in the clouds with thousand thousands of his holy Angels and the thrones were set up and all flesh appeared the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left hand and the Lord Iesus Christ passeth the doome and the sentence against them saying Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire Now when a poore damned creature seeth that the sentence is gone and seeth the good wil of God pass'd upon him and the power of his wrath now to bee exprest to the full against him and he apprehends the will of God now fulfild never to be crost more and the decree of God is now exprest never to bee altered more and hee seeth the gates of hell now sealed upon him and that the Lord hath cast upon him the tombstone of his wrath and that he is buried under the power of the second death and now he seeth the time is gone and the justice of God can never bee satisfied more and this power of the Lords wrath can never be removed Oh the time was that I had the word and the power of into quicken me and to informe me and the Spirit of God to strive with me and then there was some hope but now the decree of God is maâ—e unrevokable and this wrath I shall never beare nor never remove There is now to word no praying no hearing no conference no mercy nor salvation to bee hoped for and so the soule lookes no more for any good because the Lord hath so peremptorily set downe his doâ—me thus the soule breaks under the wrath of God and is not able to satisfie and the wrath of God can never bee removed the fire will ever burne and the worme will ever gnaw and now the soule casts off all hope and this is the meaning of those phrases 2 Pet. 3.7 and in the 6. verse of the Epistle of Iude where speaking of the devils the text saith They are reserved in everlasting chains under darknes to the judgement of the great day the devill is hopelesse he hath no hope of good nor shall never receive any good but our Saviour Christ that was able by the power of his God-head to suffer this wrath of God and to satisfie justice and to support himselfe under this wrath and to come out from it he hath a certaine hope to please God the Father and to have everlasting blisse and happinesse with him there is hope with our Saviour because he can beare and satisfie and come from under this wrath Take a bason of water and cast it upon a few coales of fire and it will put them clean out but throw the same boson full upon a great fire and though it may damp it a little at first yet it cannot quench it but rather increaseth the flame and makes it burne the faster what 's the reason of this that it quenched the little fire and not the great fâ—re it was not firstly and nextly because of the coldnesse and crosnesse of the water to the fire for the same water was as cold upon the great fire and as crosseâ— the nature of the great fire but the little fire was rob weake of it selfe to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was quenched but the great fire was able to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was not quenched so it is here the wrath of God is like this water as David saith All thy waves and billowes have passed over me that is the waves of Gods indignation and the ocean sea of Gods wrath â—hen this fals upon a poore weake sinfull creature that cannot beare this but breakes under this wrath and cannot take off the vengeance of the Lord but sinkes under it this creature despaires of all helpe not because of the wrath of the Lord firstly but because of the weaknesse and the sinfulnesse of the creature that could not beare the wrath of the Lord and hence he despaires and the soule saith alas I am weake and a poore sinne creature and this wrath of the Lord is of an infinite vigour I shall never be able to beare it nor to get from under it therefore I despair and cast away all hope of helpe but the Lord Jesus Christ being perfect God and perfect man having a great flame of holy affections kindled in him by the spirit of the Father this did assist him hereby to beare the wrath of God in his soule and not onely was hee able to beare it but to overcome it and although hee were tossed up and downe in the sea of Gods wrath yet he was not drowned and though hee sipped of the poyson yet he was not poysoned therefore he bore the paines of the second death and overcame them and did not despaire he expected to receive good because he knew he should have good thus our Saviour Iohn 19.30 when
had undertaken these cautions I thought good to adde to stop the mouthed of all cavils that may arise in the hearts of those that are weake for the ground of Christs sufferings was freely and willingly according to the promise and agreement which was betweene the Father and himselfe Quest. 3 The third question followes and that is this whether our Saviour did suffer in body alone or in soule alone or in both Answer The answer apparantly and punctually is this Christ did properly and immediatly suffer the wrath of God in his soule as well as hee did the paines of death in his body hee did not onely suffer by communion and consent betweene the soule and the body as namely therefore the soule is pierced because the body is pierced no but he did properly and immediately receive and suffer the wrath of God in his soule as well as his body did death The Scripture doth expresse it this way and the Prophet foretold this in Esay 63.10 God shall make his soule an offering for sin you know every offering implies a full payment they did use to confesse their sinnes over the sacrifice and then to slay it intimating that the sacrifice was to undergoe whatsoever punishment was due unto their sinnes and so did Christ doe in bearing our sinnes nay Christ himselfe saith so Matthew 26.38 My soule is very heavie and sorrowfull even unto the death and that this must needs be the meaning of the text it shall appeare by further explication and therefore give mee leave to handle all the particulars of the sufferings of our Saviour and for our proceeding herein that I may be plaine and that this doctrine may drop as the dew and that every spire of grasse may receive some sap and sweetnesse and spirituall moisture there from let me doe two things wherein I will shew you that the sufferings of our Saviour were done partly in the garden and partly upon the crosse and for his agony in the garden let me doe two things First I will shew you what the Scripture saith of that agonie in the 14. of Saint Marke and in the 26. of Matthew Secondly I will make it good that those sufferings were most grievous sufferings which hee suffered in his soule For the first what our Saviour suffered when he was in that agony in the garden when he crieth out Father if it be possible let this cap passe from me The Scripture discovers the pith of all that anguish of soule and the whole compasse of it what it was that did thus fill the soule of our Saviour and that is in these two things and you shall finde them both in Marke 13.33 where the text saith when our Saviour was to enter into the combate he saith thus hee beganne to his amazed and to be very heavie let me expresse them thus hee beganne to bee driven to an astonishment and to have his soule fild with the indignation of the Lord. First our Saviour Christ foreseeing the wrath of God and the combate of God the Father comming against him hee began to be amazed the word in the originall is this That so you may see the depth of the distres and the bottome of the cup. The word amazement comes from a word that signifies to bee in a stand or to be astonished such a sorrow as men use to have for the losse of some deare friend nay the preposition in that which is added signifies a griefe beyond astonishment whatsoever griefe could befall a creature without sinne that all befell our Saviour this word carries two things with it First there comes an admiration from the suddennesse of the thing Secondly a stroke of errour which smiteth upon the soule with the admiration of it as when a sudden and an unwonted and an intolerable evil beginneth to seize upon a man and the stroke of some terrour and feâ—â— strikes in and drives the soule to an amaze and insomuch that the heart saith good Lord what will this come to if this befall mee what shall become of mee this is astonishment The second part is this and that goes further and our translation expresseth it to the full My soule beginnes to be very heavie that 's our translation but the word goes a degree further when this sorrow act onely strooke and shooke the heart of our Saviour with the suddennesse of it but it entred into his soule and fild it abundantly and rackt it to the uttermost of the abilities of nature to beare it shall I deale nakedly this word heavie carries two things with it First that the soule of our Saviour was surcharged and fild being full with the indignation of the Lord and that heavy vexation that lay upon him for so the word implies abundance of misery which doth beare downe the heart of a poore creature but this was not in the Lord Jesus Christ though his soule were filled brimme full of the indignation of the Lord yet hee was not overcharged with it Secondly hence it followes that all the faculties of the whole nature of the soule of our Saviour they gathered up themselves and they drew up all their forces to beare up themselves against the wrath of the Lord which was now comming upon them all the powers of his soule the minde and the memory and hope and feare they were all gathered up as in time of warre the souldiers come all forth from their garrisons to close in the maine battell so the Lord Jesus foresaw the wrath of the Father comming against him and hee drew forth all his abilities and left all other imployments wholly and brought them to fence and to fortifie themselves to beare this wrath of the Lord as if our Saviour had said Come yee all hither and help to beare up my soule against the unsupportable wrath of God this is the very skirt and selvedge of the word yet observe this by the way our Saviour was not deprived of this worke of any of his abilities but onely they were cald off from all other imployments and they wholly betooke themselves to beane the wrath of the Lord as the maine worke which now did lie upon them and this may be done and was done by our Saviour and yet without sinne As it is with a clocke a man may stoâ— the wheels upon force and make them stand still though there bee no distemper in the wheels causing it but onely the hand which stops it So it was with Christ there was no infirmitie in the minde or memorie of our Saviour but the hand of God was so heavie upon him and the wrath of God so seized upon him that all other actions ceased and hee attended to no other thing but to this how to beare the wrath of God the Evangelist in Matthew 26.38 shewes the explication of both these My soule is exceeding heavie tarrie yee here and watch with mee my soule is heavie even unto the death that is my soule is besieged and beset and
THE SOVLES EXALTATION A TREATISE containing The Soules Vnion with Christ on 1 Cor. 6.17 The Soules Benefit from Vnion with Christ on 1 Cor. 1.30 The Soules Justification on 2 Cor. 5.21 By T. H. ROM 8.30 And whom he called them he also Iustified and whom hee Iustified them he also glorified LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke and are to bee sold at the black Beare in S. Pauls Church-yard 1638. A TABLE OF THE Soules union with CHRIST out of these words 1 COR. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Doctrine 1. EVery true beleever is joyned unto Christ page 3 This knitting of a beleever to Christ consists in three Particulars Particular 1. A true beleever doth gather up all the faculties of his soule and doth imploy them upon Christ p. 5 Partic. 2. The beleever is satisfied with Christ and the riches of his grace ibid. Partic. 3. Is thâ— that the beleever doth binde the heart to the exercising of both these p. 6 The manner of this union doth discover it selfe in three Particulars Partic. 1. It is a reall union though spirituall p. 7 Partic. 2. This union it is a totall union ibid. Partic. 3. This union it is an unseparable union p. 8 Use 1. Information to instruct us of the happy privilege of the poore Saints of God though despised of the world yet they are received into covenant and union with Christ p. 9 Use 2. It is an use of terrour to all opposites against Christ p. 10 Use 3. It is an use of examination and triall from hence may bee knowne whether the soule doth rightly cleave to Christ or whether it doth only dissemble with Christ p. 16 Use 4. It is a ground of comfort for the Saints against all contempt and disgrace against all troubles miseries and persecutions that the world can cast upon them p. 20. Secondly against all temptations of Satan p. 22 Doctrine 2. The faithfull doe enjoy such an union with Christ that they are one Spirit with him p. 25 For the opening of this Doctrine two particulars are to bee discovered Partic. 1. The first Particular is the manner how the soule comes to bee one spirit with Christ p. 25 and this doth consist in three conclusions p. 26 Conclusion 1. The first conclusion is this that the Spirit of God doth really accompany the whole Word but in a more speciall manner he doth accompany the pretious promises of the Gospell p. 27 Conclusion 2. The second conclusion is this that the Spirit of grace doth leave a supernaturall dint and power and a spirituall and overpowring vertue upon the soule and thereby doth bring it unto Christ p. 28 Conclusion 3 The third conclusion is this that the Spirit of grace in the promise working thus upon the heart it causeth the heart to close with it in the promise p. 33 Part. 2. The second particular is the order of this union whether the beleever is knit to the humane nature of Christ first or to the Divine p. 39 Use 1. Instruction to informe us that the sinnes of the faithfull are marvellous hainous in Gods account because of their union p. 45 Use 2. It is an use of triall whereby a man may see what spirit most men of the world are of as their soules close with Christ and receive him so they are p. 49 Use 3 It is a word of exhortation to close with such as Christ himselfe doth close withall p. 52 A TABLE OF THE communion that the Soule hath with Christ from the union with him out of these words 1 COR. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Doctrine 1. THe Doctrine from these words is this that there is a conveyance of all spirituall grace from Christ to all those that beleeve in him p. 63 The Tenure of this conveyance discovereth it selfe in those particulars Partic. 1. The first particular is this that there is fully enough in the Lord Iesus Christ for every faithfull soule p. 66 Partic. 2. As there is enough in Christ to supply all the manes of this Saints so Christ doth supply unto them whatsoever is â—st fit to the need of every poore Saint p. 68. Partic. 3. Is this as the Lord Christ doth communicate what is fit so he doth preserve what he doth bestow and communicate to the beleeving soule p. 73 Partic. 4. Is this the Lord doth not onely preserve what grace he doth give but he quickens the grace he maintaines p. 76 Partic. 5. Is this As he quickneth what he maintaines so he perfects what he quickens p. 77 Partic. 6. Is this the Lord at last doth crowne all the grace he hath perfected p. 79 Use 1. It is a word of lamentation and terrour to every unbeleeving creature under Heaven here they may see the misery of their condition p. 81 Use 2. It is a ground of comfort to all the Saints of God that have interest in all the riches of this goodnesse p. 84 Use 3. It is a word of instruction to teach every Saint to lie downe in the dust that they all might glory in the Lord. p. 91 Use 4. It is an use of exhortation or direction to teach the Saints whither to goe to fetch succour and supply of what ever grace they want Christ is made all in all why then away to the Lord Iesus Christ p. 99 Question But you will say what course or means shall we use to get these things at Christs hands Answer The meanes are two First eye the promise dayly keep it within view p. 104 Secondly you must labour to yeeld to the Soule to the power of the Spirit and to the vertue of grace which is in Christ. p. 109 Now this particular conveyance of grace from Christ it is done two wayes partly by imputing partly by imparting p. 113. and they are both in the Text Christ is made righteousnesse or justice that is he doth justifie a sinner by imputation and Christ is made sanctification and redemption that is hee doth redeeme and sanctifie a sinner by communication ibid. Doctrine God doth justifie a beleeving soule not for what he hath or doth but onely for what Christ hath done for him p. 116 In the opening of the point two things are to be cleered First what it is to justifie Secondly what is mean that God doth not justifie any one for what he hath or doth p. 116 To justifie it is a word of judiciall proceeding when in a legall manner the judge doth pronounce a man free and doth acquit him p. 116 Secondly God doth justifie a poore sinner not for any thing he hath or doth The meaning is this no grace that a man hath no duty that hee can perform for which as the material and formall cause of our justification God doth pronounce any man to bee righteous p. 117 Reason 1. That which in no measure is answerable to Gods justice and
agreeable to the exactnesse of the Law and for which a man may be condemned that cannot justifie a man but it is so here therefore they cannot be justified p. 119 Use 1. It is a ground of confutation of the Church of Rome that holds the formall cause of the justication of a sinner it is the frame of holinesse wrought in him not imputed to him p. 122 Use 2. It is a word of consolation and it is a Cordiall to cheere up a mans heart and to carry him through all troubles whatsoever can betide him or shall befall him ibid. Use 3. It is an use of exhortation will nothing doe the deed but a Christ why then above all labour for a Christ more than all labour to prize a Christ p. 127 A TABLE OF THE Soules Iustification out of these words 2 COR. 5.22 For hee hath made him to be sinne for us which knew no sinne that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him OVt of these words two things are to bee opened First the discription of justification Secondly opening of the discription p. 132 Iustification it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever whereby the debt and sinnes of the beleever are charged upon the Lord Iesus Christ and by the merits and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the beleever hee is accounted just and so is acquitted before God as righteous ibid. Doctrine 1. Iustification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever p. 133 For the clearing of the doctrine 2. particulars are to be opened Particular 1. The first particular is this why is it called an act of God the Father Answ First because the Father was the party that was properly offended p. 135. Secondly because the Father is the Fountaine in the Deitie p. 137 Particular 2. Why it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever Answer Because it is a transient action that passeth from God upon the creature and so doth worke thereby a change and alteration upon the creature p. 139 The charge that is wrought upon the creatures is two wayes Particular 1. The Lord is said to passe a worke or an action upon the creature when hee puts some kinde of abilitie upon the creature either spirituall or naturall as when the Lord makes a wicked man a good man an adulterous man a chaste man and this wee call a naturall change because there is a gratious frame put into the heart p. 140 Secondly the Lord is said to make a change upon the creature when he takes off some relations and respects which the creature had and puts upon it other respects and this is called a morall change p. 140 Use 1. It is a ground of admirable comfort to beare up the heart of a poore sinner above all the accusations of sinne Satan or the envy of the world p. 143 Use 2. It is a word of direction to all the Saints to appeale to the Iudge of the Court in their judgement p. 148 Use 3. It is a groung of terrour to the wicked and to all unbeleevers that they have no share in this point of justification p. 154 Doctrine Christ Iesus never yeelded the least improvement of heart to sinne neither did he ever commit the least sinne in his life p. 159 Reason 1. Looke into the nature of our Saviour and it was pure p. 159 Reason 2. Looke into the Office of our Saviour and hee was without sinne p. 160 Use 1. It is a word of exhortation to the faithfull to conforme their hearts and conversations answerable to Christ p. 161 Doctrine God the Father did impute all the sinnes of all the world to the charge of our Saviour p. 166 When God the Father doth charge the sinnes of the faithfull upon Christ it doth appeare in these three particular acts Particular 1. God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ made a mutuall decree and purpose that so many as should beleeve should be saved and this was left to the care of Christ that he should make them beleeve p. 170 Particular 2. Our Saviour having undertaken to keepe these he therefore put himselfe into the roome and place of all those lost sheepe p. 173 Particular 3. Our Saviour having put himselfe into the room of a sinner the Law now proceeds with full scope against him p. 175 Reason 1. That which the Lord Iesus Christ did willingly submit himselfe to without sinne that God the Father might justly charge upon him p. 176 Reason 2. Because the justice of God requireth this at the hands of Iesus Christ that hee should take the guilt of sinners upon himselfe p. 177 Reason 3. Because herein is abundantly magnified the love and mercy of Christ p. 179 Use 1. It is a word of instruction to the Saints if God the Father hath laid thy sinnes upon Christ then doe not thou take them from him to thy selfe p. 180 How farre a beleever may charge himselfe with his sinne doth appeare in these foure conclusions Conclusion 1. Every beleever is bound to see and examine the sinfull carriage of his soule and to judge that it hath power to make him guiltie and also to condemne him p. 182 Conclusion 2. Every beleeving soule justified ought to acknowledge that it were righteous with the Lord to let out his wrath against him though not to condemne him yet to distract him p. 185 Conclusion 3. Every beleever accepted and justified in and through Christ by the Father yet hee is thus farre bound to charge his sins upon himselfe as to maintain in his owne heart a sense of the need that he hath of Christ as well to continue his respect and acceptation with God as to bring him at first into the love and favour of God p. 187 Conclusion 4. Thus farre the Saints of God ought to goe in charging their owne soules with their sinnes so far to see them and to bee affected with them as to bring their hearts to be truly carried with hatred against them and with resolution to get power and strength against them p. 189 How farre a beleever may not charge himselfe with his sin may bee conceived in these two conclusions Conclusion 1. A beleever should not in his judgement conceive nor in his heart be perswaded that any sinne nor all his sinnes shall ever bee able to fasten the guilt of sinne upon him so as to cause revenging justice to proceed against him to his condemnation p. 192 Use 2. It is a word of terrour to all unbeleevers they are destitute of all hope of the pardon of their sinnes p. 197 Use 3. It is a word of exhortation to the Saints was Christ made sin for thee then be thou content to bee made shame for him p. 200 Use 4. It is a word of comfort to all the faithfull learne to cast all thy sins on the Lord Iesus Christ Doctrine 4. The Lord Iesus Christ suffered fully whatsoever punishments divine justice required or were deserved by the sinnes
of the faithfull p. 202 For the opening of the Doctrine three questions are to bee answered Question 1. What were the kindes of punishments which Christ did suffer and how farre did bee suffer them Answer First Christ did suffer death naturall that is the dissolution of soule and body p. 210 How far our Saviour did suffer death naturall appeareth in three conclusions Conclusion 1. Whatsoever did appertaine to the substance and essentials of the first death that Christ did suffer p. 210 Conclusion 2. Christ did undertake to die the death of the crosse a most shamefull and base death only appropriated to the basest malefactors that hee might thereby shew the hainousnesse of sinne which deserveth the worst death of all p. 211 Conclusion 3. Those dishonorable infirmities which befell men because of the infirmitie of the flesh as the having the body to rot in the grave to be torne in peeces our Saviour would not undergoe these because hee had no need to suffer these p. 206 Use 1. It is a sweet cordiall to all the Saints of God upon their death beds for the death of Christ hath taken away the evill of death p. 207 Secondly Christ did also suffer in his soule in that there was a reall withdrawing of the mercy and compassion of God p. 213 Secondly there was a reall inflicting of the indignation of the Lord and that fils the soule of a poore creature p. 214 Question 2. How farre our Saviour suffered these paines Answer This is to bee knowne in these five conclusions Conclusion 1. It is possile that some paines of hell may be suffered in this life therefore the living of our Saviour in this life is no hinderance but that he might undergoe them p. 215 Conclusion 2. Some paines of Hell were endured by Christ and yet the union of the Manhood with the Godhead might still be untouched p. 216 Conclusion 3. Our Saviour suffered paine in his soule as hee was our Mediatour in our roome and in our stead p. 218 Conclusion 4. Whatsoever punishment proceeded from the Father our Saviour tooke it upon himselfe yet so as that he neither had personal sin to deserve it neither did he sin in bearing of it as the wicked doe which are damned p. 220. Conclusion 5. The desperation of a damned soule in hell and the eternity of torments they are no essentials of the second death and therefore they could not nor ought not to be suffered by our Saviour p. 227 Use 1. It is a word of information labour from hence to see the hainousnesse of sinne and to hate it because it hath brought all this evill upon thy Saviour and would have brought the same upon thee had not the Lord Iesus stepped in between thee and the wrath of the Father p. 234 Use 2. Did our Saviour suffer these paines then see here the strictnesse of Gods justice p. 241 Question 3. When did our Saviour beginne these sufferings Answer Our Sauiour did beginne the paines of the naturall death from his cradle to his grave he began to die as soone as hee began to live p. 245 Secondly our Saviour did suffer these paines in his soule partly in the garden partly upon the crosse p. 247 Question 3. Whether our Saviour did suffer in body alone or in soule alone or in both Answer Christ did properly and immediately suffer the wrath of God in his soule as well as hee did the paines of death in his body p. 249 Use 1. Is it so was the Lord Iesus driven to this astonishment and to all this misery then let every soule learne from hence what will be the fruit of sinne and what hee may expect from sinne p. 260 Reason 1. Is taken from the divine justice of God which required this by way of satisfaction as being onely sutable and agreeable to the divine justice of God by reason of sinne p. 283 Reason 2. Is taken from the office of Christ because our Saviour was our suretie and so he was bound to it by faithfulnesse p. 287 Use 1. It is a word of confutation and it directly meets with Popish Purgatory p. 288 Use 2. It teacheth us that all the troubles miseries afflictions either inward or outward they cannot properly bee called punishments inflicted upon the faithfull but chastisements p. 289 Use 3. It is a word of comfort to all you that are beleevers you have heard the treasures of mercy and the death of our Lord Iesus Christ laid open view them and take them all for your comfort p. 293 FINIS Severall Treatises of this AUTHOUR 1 THE unbeleevers preparing for Christ out of Revelations 22.17 1 Corinth 2.14 Ezekiel 11.19 Luke 19.42 Matthew 20.3 4 5 6. Iohn 6.44 2 The soules preparation for Christ or a Treatise of Contrition on Acts 2.37 3 The Soules humiliation on Luke 15. verses 15 16 17 18. 4 The Soules vocation or effectuall calling to Christ on Iohn 6.45 5 The Soules union with Christ 1 Corin. 6.17 6 The Soules benefit from union with Christ on 1 Cor. 1.30 7 The Soules justification eleven Sermons on 2 Corin. 5.21 8 Sermons on Iudges 10.23 Sermons on Psalme 119.29 Sermons on Proverbs 1.28 29. Sermons on 2 Tim. 3.5 THE SOVLES union with CHRIST 1 CORIN 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit WE told you that the application of the merits of Christ consists especially in two things First the preparation of the soule for Christ Secondly the ingrafting or the knitting of the soule to the Lord Jesus Christ Of this preparation wee have heretofore largely treated partly in contrition where the soule is cut off from sinne partly in humiliation whereby the soule is cut off from it selfe whereby the Lord rases the foundation of all carnall confidence whereby a man rests upon his owne privileges and performances and makes his services his Saviour either the soule seeth no need to depart from sinne or else it thinke it can helpe it selfe out of sinne when both these are removed from the soule then it is fitted to receive the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly the soule comes to be ingrafted into Christ and that hath two parts First the calling of the sinner or the putting of the soule into Christ Secondly the growing of the soule with Christ these two take up the nature of ingrafting a sinner into the stock First it is put into the stock Secondly being put into the stock it growes together with the stock these two things are answerable in the soule The former of these two wee have largely treated of and fully finished in the great worke of vocation when the Lord brings the sinner to himselfe by the call of mercie and the voice of the Gospell we are now to proceed and we have made some entrance into the second and that is the growing of the soule together with Christ for though the graft be in the stock yet it cannot be fruitfull unlesse it grow together with the stock now this growing together
is accomplished by two meanes The first is the union which the soule hath with Christ The second is a conveyance of sap or sweetnesse or a communion with Christ and all the treasures of grace and happinesse that is in him then to make up the growing together of the graft and the stock First the graft is put into the stock Secondly there must bee a communicating of the moisture that is in the stock to the graft and so they grow together otherwayes it growes not at all but withers away now wee are first to describe the nature of the worke in generall and then we will descend to particulars and the severall parts of it now wee will define this union so farre as it concernes our purpose not intâ—enching into particulars It is such a joyning of the faithfull soule in such a meanes to Christ that it becomes one spirit these are not by way of collection to be gathered but they are plainly expressed in the text and two points of doctrine I meane to prosecute the first point is from the first part of the text Doctr. 1 Every true beleever is joyned unto Christs the word in the originall is glued he is glued he is waxed he is firmly and neerly combined and knit to the Lord Jesus Christ The second part of the description is the second point in hand Doctr. 2 He is so joyned unto the Lord that he becomes one spirit as the adulterer and the adulteresse is one flesh so he that beleeves in Christ is so neerly joyned to him that he becomes one spirit so we see the verse offers two doctrines First that a faithfull soule is firmly and neerly knit unto Christ Secondly hee is so knit that he becomes one spirit But first of the first doctrine What ever by way of comparison can be alleaged concerning the neere combination of one thing with another they are all tyed to this knitting of the soule to Christ looke what a friend is to a friend looke what a father is to a childe what a husband to a wife looke what a graft is to a tree and that is neerer than a husband to a wife nay goe yet farther Galat. 2.20 what the soule is to the body the soule is not only knit to the body as one member to another as the hand is knit to the arme and the arme to the shoulder but the soule doth communicate it selfe universally thorow the least part of the body so the Apostle saith Christ is the very soule of a beleever I live yet not I but the Lord Iesus liveth in mee so that looke as the body liveth by the soule the soule closing and communicating and quickning of the same so Christ is in a Christian and speaks in a Christian and enableth a Christian to the performance of that he doth hence the body of the faithfull is called Christ 1 Corin. 12.12 but we will open this a little further in two passages First the carriage of the soule in this closing Secondly the manner how it doth close The carriage wee shall desire to discover in three particulars which may bee expressed in a graft when it is put into the stock and I say therein observe three particulars First there is an exercise of the elements that are in the graft upon the stock and are so farre mingled one with another and doe so farre close one with another that they become one Secondly the graft joynes to the stock and none other Thirdly they doe not onely act thus but are bound one to another and this makes them act answerably to these three particulars There is also an expression of the knitting of the soule to Christ in three particulars First the soule gathers up it selfe and all its spirits its faculties that doth exercise in the worke thereof upon Christ and that makes the soule to grow unto the Lord when the soule turnes the promise into good bloud it doth not only chew the meat but disgest it and it becomes good bloud a true beleever gathers up all the faculties of his soule and imployes them upon Christ hope expects Christ and desire longs for Christ and love and joy imbrace Christ and the will closeth Christ thus the soule settles it selfe upon Christ hoping expecting longing desiring loving embracing looke as it is with a woman that kneads dowgh if there be two parts of it the moulding and the kneading knits them together and makes them one lump so there is the moulding of the soule to the promise hoping and desiring and longing and chusing faith kneads all these together and knits them unto God and drawes the soule to him Secondly the soule is satisfied with Christ and the riches of his grace the beleever doth repose his confidence wholly thereupon Prov. 5.19 that which makes the love of a husband increase towards his wife is this Hee is satisfied with her breasts at all times and then hee comes to bee ravished with her love if a husband hath a loose heart and will not content himselfe with the wife of his youth but hath his back doores and his goings out this makes a breach in matrimoniall affection but when he is satisfied with her brests he is ravished with her love so hope hath an expectation of mercy and is satisfied therewith desire longs for mercy and is satisfied therewith the will closeth Christ and it is fully satisfied with him and if it were to chuse againe it would chuse none but Christ thus suck thou up the consolations in the promise and be satisfied therewith and then thou wilt grow there upon but if you will bee resting here and staying upon the contentments of the world this is weake confidence and drawes the soule from God Thirdly the last thing is the binding of the heart upon both these viz. the keeping of the heart to the exercise of the promise and to bee satisfied with the promise 1 Coloss 23. If yee continue in the faith being grounded and setled so that a man doth stake downe his heart to the promise and holds hope and desire and love and joy and the will unto it it receives all Christ and none but Christ and stayes here and continues here for ever this same covenant that bindes the soule to Christ is that which makes the union betweene Christ and the soule thus we see how the soule carries it selfe in this union The second thing considerable is the manner how it is done and the qualitie of this union and this we will discover in three particulars First it is a reall union but it is spirituall you must not conceive it grosly as if my body were joyned to Christ but there is a reall union which is spirituall there is a union betweene the nature of Christ God and man and a true beleever that which I desire to declare is upon this ground to difference this union from that which Divines are deceived in viz. that it is an union more than it bare notion
to one of these yee did it not to mee Now Divines reason thus that all the doome that shall passe upon the wicked at the day of judgement shall goe in this tenure because ye have not done this and that and if those shall bee condemned that did not visit the Saints when they were in prison if those shall be damned that did not cover the naked what shall become of those that 〈…〉 hearts and rend the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 the Lord hath not onely torments for them here but he hath devils in hel to torment them for evermore Therefore let me speake a word of advice to those that are guilty of this great sinne of persecuting the Lord of life goe aside and reason with your soules and parley with your hearts and think with your selves Oh poore foole that I was it was not any poore Christian any poore Saint that I hated but it was the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of life and of glory that I persecuted that I would have pluckt out of his Throne I would have tore his flesh off his body and rent his members asunder and alas I never knew it it was not the Saints I opposed but the Lord Jesus Christ I speake not this to countenance faction my aime is at those that persecute religion and sanctity of life Vse 3 For examination and triall we may hence see who are those that cleave unto Christ as also those that are false and dissemble with Christ which pretend great love and professe great kindnesse unto our Saviour and how much they respect him and how neere Christ is to them From the former Doctrine you may discover whether this be true or false hee that is a true beleever and knit so to Christ as never more to bee separated and parted he takes up the whole strength of his soule and bottoms it upon a Saviour hee is sanctified with the freenesse of his grace and is resolved for ever to cleave unto him and bestow himselfe upon him he that truly beleeves is thus knit thus joyned to the Lord Iesus Christ looke as it is sometimes with a mightie branch of a tree â—r with the arme of a mans body however the bough of the tree may be rent sometimes and haled aside by the violence of the tempest or by the pulling of a mans hand yet it will hold by the body and when the hand is gone it will goe up againe so it is with a faithfull soule he so cleaves to Christ that he will never be parted from him he will never be separated what ever provocation or opposition comes to the contrarie the beleeving soule is sometimes rent and strained by the weight of persecution and temptation and with the violence of corruptions but as soone as the temptation and the weight is gone it clings to Christ againe and as the bough take away the hand and it will rise up againe so whatsoever temptations come or corruptions come or oppositions betide yet it will not be pluckt off from the Lord and though it may be swayed aside yet it growes to the Lord therefore the first of Samuel 10.26 it is said The hearts that God touched did cleave unto Saul so it is with a beleever those that are famous in the eyes of the world and have professed great kindnesse to him in the time of persecution they will flye off but those whose hearts God hath fully touched they will follow Christ notwithstanding all opposition as it is with the needle of a diall it may be stirred and moved but it will never râ—â— till it come to the right place againe so it is with the soule that is â—uit to Christ by faith though he may be 〈◊〉 â—ering and doubting yet he will never bee 〈…〉 till he come to be fastned the right way to Christ but others there are that cleave fainedly to Christ and herein it will appeare either they will off when occasion serves or else wither in the very worke of the profession of the Gospell though they continue therein some there be that fall away wholly from their profession of this sort are thousands of your common protestants that are only knit unto Christ by peace and prosperity there are millions if the day of trouble should come and fire and sword should come and make them make profession of their faith they would flie off from their profession and they would leave the Lord and the Gospell and all in the lurch because they are not knit unto Christ by saving faith In the second place there are others who though they doe not fall away totally yet notwithstanding they wither and die and come to nothing and these are your cunning and close hearted hypocrites those that are knit to Christ and grow to him by some helpe and succour and assistance which they have from him by which they flourish grow greene in the profession of the Lord there is a generation of cunning dissemblers and close false dealers with the Gospell that grow to Christ by some helpe they receive from him and that makes them make a glorious shew in the profession of the Gospel but yet if God take away his assistance they wither and die and fade and vanish looke as it is with the haires of a mans head or with the leaves of a tree the leaves grow to the tree and the haires to the head but they grow not so much upon the substance of the body nor the leaves upon the substance of the tree as the arme and the branch doth but they grow onely by the moisture that comes from the body and the moisture that comes from the root or looke as it is with a wen in a mans body it is no part of the body but it growes out of the superabundant humors of the body and that feeds the wen and increaseth it but if the body grow weake and feeble and that humour be taken away it withers and comes to a drie skin just so it is with these cursed close hearted hypocrites as the haires and leaves grow so they grow to the Lord Jesus namely the Lord vouchsafeth some sap and moisture and some assistance to the performance of some services but they never grow to the substance of a Saviour they never grew to the holinesse of Christ they never had the Spirit of Christ powerfully prevailing with them as it is with the wen so it is with these glorious hypocrites that can vent themselves very gloriously they are wens in the profession of the Gospell they looke full bigly and stare every man in the face and to the appearance of the world are men of great account but if once the Lord take away his assistance from heaven they are like leaves upon the tree if they fall not yet they wither away I have oserved sometimes you shall have drie leaves stay upon an oake tree till new ones come againe so these haughtie hearted hypocrites they will take up a kinde of a dying
worthy of this advancement it is the use that the Apostle makes Walke worthie of the calling whereunto the Lord hath called you are ye the members of Christ why then behave your selves as the members of Christ are you joyned thou neerly to Christ then carrie your selves as beseemes you let the dog returne to his vomit and the sow to the wallowing in the mire but let the Saints that are knit unto a Saviour walke worthy of that mercie and union and prerogative that God hath vouchsafed unto them it is a shame to see that servants of Christs family and the plants of his vineyard doe walke after the conversation of the world what manner of persons ought wee to bee in all manner of holinesse of conversation we are knit unto Christ and therefore ought to be holy as he is holy pure as he is pure wee ought to doe nothing but that which may beseeme and content a Saviour but ye will say the world will hold up their hands at us and their mouths will bee open against us why God hates the world and ye are redeemed from the world yee are called out of the world therefore live not as if ye were in the world but as God hath called you to live with himselfe in heaven your conversation should be such as if yee were in heaven I would not have a Saint of God tamper with the least distemper or be addicted to any base course but walke exactly before the Lord. Thus wee see a faithfull soule is knit unto Christ now that which followes is this it is so knit that it is made one Spirit The point we named before it is this Doct. 2 The faithfull injoy such a union with our Saviour that they are one Spirit with him The point is difficult and the mysterie great and beyond the reach and roome of that little light I injoy onely wee shall bee desirous with sobrietie and modestie to communicate what shall be most sutable to the minde of God not being unwilling but desirous to heare any advice from another concerning the same the doctrine then is a beleever is so knit to Christ that he becomes one Spirit for the opening whereof because it is a deepe mysterie suffer mee to deale plainly and punctually and that I may expresse my thoughts and communicate what I conceive suffer mee to discover two particulars First the manner how the soule comes to be one Spirit with Christ Secondly the order thereof These two we will labour to cleare so farre as we are able First for the former the manner how the soule◠com 〈…〉 be one Spirit with Christ it is an undeniable principle and confessed by Divines on all parts that the soule comes to be one Spirit by the power of the Spirit on Gods part and by the power of faith on the beleevers part they confesse that the Spirit of God workes upon a beleever and the beleever goes out againe to God by faith but wee have now onely the termes in the generall if we come to the particular examining of these and aske a weake soule how the soule comes to be one Spirt by the Spirit on Gods part and by faith on our part wee are as far to seeke as wee were before and most of the congregation can understand little of it This is our misery we content our selves with termes in the generall and never cracke the shell that wee may see the kernell wee never dive into the truth that wee may see the intent of the Spirit therein therefore for the opening of the point viz. the manner how the soule coms so to be knit to Christ as to be made one Spirit not denying any thing of the former truth but holding thereto wee will open it so far as our light serves us Quest If the question then be how the soule by the spirit on Gods part and faith on the soules part comes to be one spirit Answ That which I intend to speake I will cast into three particulars or three conclusions Conclus 1 The first conclusion is this know that the spirit of God the holy Ghost the third Person in the glorious Trinitie he doth really and inseparably accompany the whole word that is the generall but he doth more specially accompany the pretious promises of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord is in these in a more speciall manner though he be a God every where in regard of his providence yet hee is in a more speciall manner going with and accompanying of his Word and in a more speciall and particular fort hee is in the promises the soule comes to bee one with Christ and to bee knit unto him principally by the promise the law prepares the soule and the promise that calls the soule and knits it unto Christ God hath appointed his Word and specially the promise for the converting of a sinner and therefore the Spirit of God goes therewith and workes thereby and gives a blessing thereunto according as hee in his wisedome thinkes fit for he is a voluntary agent and therefore may use the word as he will and when hee will the Spirit doth alwayes worke in the word but not alwayes after the same manner You make nothing of the Gospell and of the Scripture I tell you the Spirit of the Lord God blessed for ever is there after an extraordinary manner and hardens the hearts of the reprobates and humbles and converts and comforts the soules of his servants and when not when I will or you will but when the Spirit of the Lord will This is that I take to be the best expression of it looke as it was with the brasen Serpent set up in the wildernesse there was an healing vertue inseperably accompanying of that brazen Serpent and it was as possible that hardnes should be separated from the brasse as his healing vertue for whosoever lookt upon it healing vertue did undoubtedly and inseparably goe with it because God had appointed this therefore hee did blesse this and undoubtedly worke by this Just so it is with the good Word of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord though he be God every where yet hee doth blesse this Word especially and goes with it and hath appointed it for the salvation of his servants therefore when the sound comes to the eare and the sense to the minde the Spirit goes with the Word when thou hearest it either to convert thee or to confound thee therefore the text saith ye stiffe necked and hard hearted ye have resisted the Spirit of the Lord they would have pluckt Christ out of Heaven and the Spirit and all Now that this is a case undeniable I prove it thus that word which is able to discover the thoughts of the heart and to raise the dead to life and can comfort a distressed soule and perswade the soule of Gods everlasting favour that word must needs have a supernaturall power goe with it for no created power can doe the former things
the union drawes somewhat neerer so that wee see first there is a holy Ghost in the promise and secondly wee see that the Holy Ghost leaves a supernaturall worke upon the soule and brings it home to Christ Conclus 3 The third conclusion is this the Spirit of grace in the promise working thus upon the heart it causeth the heart to close with it selfe in the promise the Spirit of God by the promise so works upon the soule that it makes the soule close with the promise and with it selfe in the promise and this is to be one Spirit and this I take to bee the meaning of that place Philippians 3.12 Paul saith that he was apprehended of Christ as if he should say I was not so much apprehending as apprehended not so much that he did it but Christ in him and upon him and by him for I told you the worke of the Lord in the worke of conversion is upon us by us to bring us to himselfe The Spirit of the Lord is in heaven and it is in the promise and that Spirit in the promise comes to the soule of a beleever and leaves a spirituall worke upon the soule of a beleever and the soule is moved by vertue of that Spirit to close with that promise and with that Spirit that is in the promise I would expresse my selfe by these two comparisons looke as it is with the moone the naturall Philosopher observes that the ebbing and flowing of the sea is by vertue of the moone she flings her beames into the sea and not being able to exhale as the sunne doth shee leaves them there and goes away and that drawes them and when they grow wet they returne backe againe now the sea ebs and flowes not from any principle in it selfe but by vertue of the moone being moved it goes being drawne it comes the moone casting her beames upon the waters it moves the sea and so drawes it selfe unto it selfe and the sea with it so the heart of a poore creature is like the water unable to move towards heaven but the Spirit of the Lord doth bring in its beames and leaves a supernaturall vertue by them upon the soule and thereby drawes it to it selfe or looke as it is with a claspe and a keeper take a great claspe put it thorow the keeper and being brought thorow it closeth with it selfe so it is with an humble broken heart it is like this keeper the good Spirit of the Lord is like this claspe the Spirit workes upon the soule and leaves a supernaturall vertue upon the soule and goeth with that vertue and puls the soule by the power of it selfe and knits it to its selfe it workes upon the heart in this manner and clasps the humbled sinner and brings him home and holds him to the promise and to it selfe in the promise Now I would contract these three conclusions in the former sermons into three questions to make them so familiar that weake ones which have any spirituall grace may be able to come to aprehend and understand them Quest 1 I aske therefore what is there in the promise of the Gospell or what is there in the Word of God is there nothing but letters and sillables and sentences Answ I answer Yes humane Authours have words and sentences but oh the glorious God the third person of the Trinitie the blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is inseparably present with and accompanying of the promises of God the words are but the shell but the substance is the Spirit of grace how were your hearts comforted in the time of trouble and how were your hearts broken and brought out from your lusts Oh it was the Spirit for man was never able to doe it but Lord thy almighty hand came downe from heaven and broke this heart of mine and if Christ that Lion of the tribe of Judah had not come downe from heaven this lion-like heart of mine would never have yeelded nor come downe this is the answer to the first question Quest 2 What doth the beleever doe aske your owne hearts doe your hearts close and meet with the good Word of the Lord and doe you say Oh it is the good Word of the Lord my heart consented to it and closed with it thus Answ Oh yes saith the soule me thought I was even knit to the Word then I aske againe was thy heart knit to the Word onely and the sillable only and did thy heart close with the sentences only the soule answers No the truth is my eare did receive the sound and my minde the sense but my soule received the Lord Jesus Christ To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 12. the words are but only as the conduit to convey the water of life and the Spirit of grace but they lay hold upon Christ there and that it is so I prove it thus did not you finde your hearts comforted at such a time Oh yes saith the soule me thinks I see the Ministers face still and when he came to such a point and such a passage good Lord mee thought I was in heaven could words and reasons and sentences have done it No surely the Spirit of grace was there and my heart did close with the same the stomack receives not meat as the dish or vessell doth but the stomack doth receive it and is fastned to it and hath the sweetnesse of it and is made one with it Iohn 6.63 The words that I speake they are Spirit and life and this is the excellencie of the Word when all the learned Doctors and Schoolemasters shall have the tongues but shall never humble one soule nor purge nor convert one heart yet the Word and the Spirit in it will doe that which is usefull and helpfull for thee in this kinde the Words that I speake they are Spirit and they are life saith our Saviour so then you see you that are ignorant and weake you say to your selfe how shall I come to be knit to the Lord Jesus Christ seeing hee is in heaven and I am on earth Oh but quiet thy selfe in this he is in a most speciall manner in the preaching of the Word and if thou cleavest to the Word aright then thou cleavest to the Spirit of Christ Quest 3 In the third place I aske how doth the Spirit of man come to close and to be one with the Spirit of Christ in the promise Answ I answer are your owne hearts able to doe this or is nature or your wits or parts able to doe this for you No the good Spirit of the Lord wrought upon and fitted and framed the hearâ— hereunto and put this temper upon it as the workman gives a temper to the knife and another makes iron draw iron and he doth it thus he drawes the magnet or load-stone over the iron and the vertue thereof makes it able to draw iron to it selfe so the soule saith
how also it should bee implanted into him being called by the Spirit of God in vocation wee have heretofore fully and largely discussed and concluded that point then wee came to the second thing which is the second part of this implanting or ingrafting a sinner into the Lord Jesus Christ and it is the growing to of a sinner with our Saviour and that is accomplished and fully brought about by two workes there are two parts of it for it is not enough for the graft to be put into the stock but it must grow together with it if ever there be any conveyance of any sap or any helpe and strength which it may receive from the same so it is with the beleeving soule faith doth not onely bring us unto Christ but it makes us grow together with Christ and this growing is discovered in two particulars The first is a spirituall union of the soule with our Saviour when the soule comes to be united to and made one with the Lord of life that wee have also handled and concluded in the two last lectures Againe the second part that accomplisheth and makes up this growing together with Christ it is that heavenly communion that the soule doth get with our Saviour when the stock of the merits of our Saviour and the vertue of his grace is communicated to the soule for this we must remember that these two things make up the growing of the stock and the graft together First there must be an union of the graft with the stock Secondly there must be an intercourse or a communication of the sap in the stock to the graft so it is with Christ what ever he hath he hath for his Church and people and what ever he doth he doth for his Church and servants so that there is a kinde of conveyance of the vertue of his merits and power of his grace unto the soules of those that beleeve in him and are knit unto him by a true and a lively faith wee have done with the 〈◊〉 that the soule hath with Christ we are now to speake of the heavenly and spirituall communion the intercourse betweene the Lord and the soule when the soule is married unto him and this is that wee aime at this is that wee looke at at this time and this I must tell you by the way that our purpose is not to meddle with the particulars at this time but onely with the generall nature of the communion of the soule with Christ now for the discovery of this worke wee have chosen the words of the text now read unto you and the scope of the words it is mainly this to discover unto us the dowrie and feofment of all that spirituall grace that is conveyed and made sure to the beleeving soule being made one with the Lord Jesus that looke as it is with a man that hath a faire estate to himselfe it is only his owne but when the wife is wooed and brought home married he gives over the right of himselfe unto her and if hee make over his estate unto her shee hath title thereunto this now is the dowry of a Christian the Lord Jesus Christ is no bad match you must not thinke you could have done better it is a wonder that ever our Saviour would take us to himselfe or shew favour to us but the case is cleare if a beleever be called and brought home to Christ Christ is made to us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Christ hath all and whatsoever Christ hath it is all yours you have title thereunto and shall receive sap and benefit therefrom if you have hearts to take that good God offers and you may receive wee will not now meddle with the severals in the verse but these two things must be specially attended to in the words that we may make way for our selves in the point we have to trade withall First take notice of the compasse of that happinesse and spirituall grace which God vouchsafeth unto his and it is ranged into foure heads the text saith Christ is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption all that Christ hath or can communicate all that the beleeving soule can desire or want may be referred to these foure First Wisdome that is the declaration of the way of God and eternall happinesse in and through the Lord Jesus Christ which all the policie of all cunning men and all subtill pates in the world could never pry into that wisdome which revealed the secret things and the deepe things of God the Lord Jesus is made that wisdome to the beleeving soule Secondly Christ is made unto us righteousnesse that is whatsoever guilt lieth upon us whatsoever sinne hath beene committed by us what ever punishment wee have deserved Christ is made unto us righteousnesse to acquit us of all Thirdly Christ is made unto us sanctification the soule of a poore sinner is defiled with many corruptions and polluted with many distempers now Christ is made unto him sanctification to purge and purifie him from all those sinnes and distempers Lastly because while we wander up and downe this vale of teares and in this pilgrimage of ours wee shall bee oppressed with many evils that will lye upon us and death it selfe which is the last enemy will seize upon us and captivate our bodies in the grave therefore Christ is made unto us redemption he will take away all trouble and wipe all teares from our eyes nay hee will breake open the grave and deliver his Saints from thence The Heathen to make the Saints of God sure in time of persecution they first slew them and then they burnt their bodies to ashes and then threw them into the water and then they said Let us now see how they will rise againe alas poore creatures why the Lord loves the very dust the very ashes of his Saints in the grave and the Lord will redeeme our bodies from the grave and our names from dishonour and our lives from trouble and our soules from sinne and will set us free from all miseries and inconveniences at the great day of account these are the foure things wherein the dowry and feofment of a beleeving soule consists I will not now trade in the particulars but only in the generall and shew how that every beleeving soule that rests upon Christ by faith hath an interest in these The second thing considerable is this to whom all these things belong and the text tels us Christ is made all this to us and the truth is it is made over to all beleevers there is not one man exempted not one man excluded every beleeving creature hath a part and portion herein however the holy Apostle crowds in for a share and if wee looke into the 26 27 28. verses wee shall see to whom this belongs Ye know your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things that are mightie why then to you fooles why then to you weake things Christ is made wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption to you poore ones to you weake ones Christ is made all this nay looke into the 28. verse God hath chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised nay and the things that are not to bring to nought the things that are that is to say the off-scouring of the world the scrapings as I may so say looke as a man flings away the scrapings of things as nothing worth why so the parings of the world you that are nothing in the esteeme of the world a company of poore base simplicians Christ is made wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption to them in a word then bee it knowne to every beleeving creature though he have not a strong faith yet if he have but a true faith to you Christ is made all that mercie and grace that the word discovers and the Lord hath purchased and you need Now adde the last thing the text saith Christ is made all this the meaning is Christ is appointed and set apart and fitted by God the Father to this purpose to be wisdome and righteousnesse and to the poore and the base and despised and to the things that are not God hath set him apart to this purpose as for the wise and honourable and mighty they must shift for themselves and trust to their owne strength and sufficiencie but you that are poore and base you that beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ hee is made unto you all that the soule can want or the heart desire so that now then we have done with the meaning of the words and the opening thereof so farre as serveth our purpose intending only to trade in the generall concerning the communion of the graft with the stock wee have shewed you how the soule is made one with the Lord Jesus and how the soule is contracted to Christ and now wee shall come to shew the feofment that God hath promised and wee shall receive at his Majesties hand Doctrine The doctrine is that there is a conveyance of all spirituall grace from Christ to all those that beleeve in him I doubt not but every man would be content if he had a faire estate to see his evidences and every woman that matcheth with a man would see what she might hold her selfe to what if the man dye and what if his meanes decay what will hee estate her in now see your dowrie and the point is this that there is a conveyance of all spirituall grace from Christ to all faithfull beleevers in the world well then you see the point we will adde a little by way of confirmation and you shall see the consent of the Scriptures how they agree together herein and we will adde somewhat also by way of explication to unfold the nature thereof that wee may see what these invaluable treasures are for the proofe of the point one or two places will be sufficient to cast the case Ephes 1.3 there Paul blesseth God in Jesus Christ that hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ so that there are blessings of three sorts all blessings all spirituall blessings all spirituall blessings in heavenly places and all given freely but it is in Christ hee is the conduit that conveyeth this and wherein the streames of life and grace flow amaine to make glad the city of God to make glad the Saints of God and the soules of those that beleeve in him hence it is remarkable Iude 2. it is called Common salvation by Christ and so Christ is said to be a common Saviour consequently not common to all the world that every beast may brouse upon him and sinne and have a Saviour to save him but he is common to all the faithfull common to all beleevers that looke as it is in a common or forrest every dweller and every inhabitant upon the common hath a share therein no man can challenge any part of the common peculiar to himselfe and say This part is mine and no man shall put any cattell here but I but the common is every mans that dwels thereupon and the poorest man may put on his cattell without controll and drive his cattell whither he list on to the best part thereof and improve it to his best benefit without contradiction so Christ is a common Saviour and the richest mercies and the preciousest promises and the greatest grace and salvation that is in Christ Iesus every poore beleeving soule thou art a commoner and a borderer and it is a common salvation there is a fountaine set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in thou maist take any and receive benefit from the greatest and preciousest promises that the word reveales or thou standest in need of 1 Pet. 1.3 hee then saith that God through his divine power hath given unto us all things belonging to life and godlinesse through the acknowledgement of him that hath called us to glory and vertue what ever it is a man would have or can need belonging to life or godlinesse hee hath given unto us all things through the acknowledgement of him that hath called us to glory and vertue if thou canst rest upon Christ in beleeving then God will give unto thee all things through Christ belonging to life and godlinesse so then we have the proofe of the point by the joynt consent of severall Scriptures now wee will adde a word or two by way of explication that we may see the value of this dowry that God hath promised and will bestow upon those that love and feare his name now for the explication of the point wee will doe these two things First we will shew you the tenure of this covenant and how Christ conveyeth these spirituall graces unto us Secondly the reason why Christ is made so unto us and why he will communicate thus unto us We will first begin with the former wherein lieth the marrow and pith of the point we have said that all blessings belonging to life and godlinesse the common salvation of Christ belongs to all beleevers but how shall wee perceive this how is this conveyed to those that beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ now the tenure of this conveyance discovers it selfe in severall particulars there are five or six of them in number The first is this there is fully enough in the Lord Jesus for every faithfull soule that whatever grace or whatever mercie hee shall stand in need of or want there is no scarcity there is no kinde of scantnesse in the Lord Christ this way in all other graces in this world in all temporall things when any estate is to be imparted it is but in some particulars either money must bee
or the like the aime of him that takes him is not to take away his life but to make him deny his colours and commander and if hee can make him doe this then he conquers him but if hee dye under the hand of the tyrant if he be more able to stand for his commander and countrie than he is to drive him from it if he can beare misery better than hee can inflict it then hee is not conquered but conquers so it is here a Saint of God is never mastered before his patience bee mastered and his holinesse crushed but when a man is more able to beare misery than the enemy to lay misery upon him if his patience hold and his courage hold and his uprightnesse hold he is not conquered in this case but he is a conquerer therefore the place is excellent Esay 58.8 see how the Lord preserves his people hee is said to be the whole army of his servants however there bee many storms yet the rivers of water make glad the people of God the text saith Thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall bee thy rearward when a man doth walke uprightly and sincerly wee must presume that a man is in a combat for why doth hee speake of the rearward else there are two parts in a battell first the vant-gard which is the former part of the battell Secondly the rear ward which is the hinder part of the battell now Christ is both these you shall have enemies before you in the vant-gard and you shall have enemies behinde you to smite you in the rear-ward now righteousnesse shall goe before thee that is the vant-gard and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear-ward that is God is all about his servants the vant-gard before them to succour them and the rear-ward behinde them to releeve them so that he doth not onely give grace but he maintaines and preserves that grace he gives to the soules of his servants The fourth part of the tenure and conveyance of grace to the faithfull soule is this and I speake but only in the generall the Lord doth not onely preserve what grace hee gives but hee quickens that grace he maintains he drawes forth that ability hee bestowes hee puts life unto that strength and succour which hee vouchsafeth to worke in the hearts of his children hence all those places are marvellous pregnant God giveth the will and the deed so that it is not onely the having but the doing that wee have need of from God and Paul professeth that hee hath not onely grace from Christ but he lives not but Christ liveth in him if Christ did all in him and this is that wee shall observe Luke 1.74 That hee would grant us saith the text that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies we might serve him without feare take notice of two things here First that the Saints of God are redeemed and justified by Christ and now one would thinke a man that is justified and hath Christ â—ght trade for himselfe no but that he would grant us that being redeemed from the hand of our enemies wee might serve him without feare it is one grant to be redeemed and it is a new grant to serve him without feare as it is a mercie for God to bestow ability before wee have it so it is a mercy to quicken that abilitie which hee vouchsafes that wee may honour him by it and he may honour himselfe by us therefore it is a most pregnant place Colos 1. last verse when Paul was there labouring what hee could yet as though hee had nothing as though hee did nothing he gives all to God for marke the manner of the sense of the words Whereunto saith he I also labour and strive the word in the originall signifies I sweat at it and take great paines according to his working which worketh in me mightily Paul laboured and strived but how comes this about his striving is by the working of Christ and by his working he works as who should say It is grace I have any grace it is hee assisting it is he co-operating it is he accompanying I know not what to say it is his worke works and hee works mightily in them that worke and strive to advance the glory of God so then we have those foure particulars that in reason almost might satisfie any man what you want Christ hath what is fit Christ will bestow if you cannot keepe it hee will preserve it for you if you bee sluggish hee will quicken it in you what would you have more one would thinke this were enough but that nothing might be wanting take a passage or two more Fiftly therefore as he quickens what hee maintains so hee perfects what hee quickens hee doth not only inable us to doe what we should but he makes us make worke of it and he brings to perfection what he bestowes Heb. 12.23 there the text speaks of the spirits of just and perfect men hee begins the worke and never leaves till hee makes the worke perfect it is Christ that puts a mans weapons into his hands it is Christ that teacheth him to fight with those weapons and it is Christ that gives him the victory in that fight 1 Corin. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but blessed be God that hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ the weapons are Christs and the fight is Christs and the victory is Christs he will not onely bring you into the field and put weapons into your hands but give you the victory and all you Saints of God that sinke under the fiercenesse of temptations without and corruptions within hee will give you grace hee will give you weapons and you shall triumph over all your enemies therefore Ephes 4.13 it is said Hee will bring his body to a perfect stature all the Saints of God are compared to members now looke as it is in the body every member doth increase according to its measure till it come to its full bignesse so it is in the body of Christ all the members thereof shall increase till they come to be perfect hath God given thee a heart to looke towards Zion and hast thou any intimation of his love then though the word and meanes may faile he will provide help and meanes he will never leave thee till thou art a perfect man and woman till thou hast attained to bee a perfect member in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ there is no withered bow in this stock of the Lord Jesus Christ but as he gives grace so he will bring it to perfection in its measure God will never leave thee till hee hath brought thee to that perfection he hath appointed now a man would think here were enough but yet a little further and then I am as farre as I can goe
is not my basenesse that hinders mee but my corruptions that oppose the worke of grace in my soule and that will be my bane I know that God is able to doe what is needfull and Christ is willing to doe what he is able to those that beleeve in him and rest upon him but this proud heart opposeth the worke of his grace and the operation of his Spirit my minde is so blinde that nothing in the world takes place my heart is still polluted and my distempers still hang upon mee nay sometimes my soule is wearie of the good word of the Lord that would pluck them from me insomuch that I could almost bee content to pluck out my heart and will the Lord shew mercie to mee that oppose mercie and will the Lord make mee partaker of his redemption that resists the worke of his redemption I answer God hath appointed Christ for this purpose and Christ hath undertooke this worke therefore if God hath appointed it and Christ will worke it who can hinder it thy ignorance cannot hinder the Lord Jesus Christ if hee will teach thee hee will inlighten thy blinde minde and convince that stubborne heart of thine nay all the corruptions under heaven cannot oppose this worke of God hee hath appointed it and hee hath power to pull downe a stout stomack and bee hath power to sanctifie a polluted heart corruptions are many and temptations fierce but if he will redeeme who can destroy if he sanctifie who can pollute if he justifie who can condemne this is the worke of a Saviour if Christ will doe it none can hinder it if God hath appointed it nothing can let it but it is the worke of a Christ and God hath appointed it therefore cheare up thy heart in the consideration hereof you that are the Saints of God cast off all those cavils and pretences against the power of Christ and his grace and goe out of your selves and see the privileges that God vouchsafes unto you and reason thus with your selves It is true Lord my heart is naught and I have no power my minde is blinde and I have no wisdome but I know that Christ is made wisdome to mee and thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ to be made wisdome and sanctification to the soule of thy servant though sin pollute me yet Christ can sanctifie mee though the guilt be great yet the pardon of a Christ is greater than the guilt and where sinne abounds grace abounds much more therefore lift up your selves and cheare up your hearts and goe away comfortably what is awanting God will give what hee gives he will maintaine what hee maintaines hee will quicken what hee quickens hee will perfect and he will crowne you and your grace and all in the kingdome of heaven for ever what would you have in this kinde nay let mee speak one thing more Hee is the redeemer of his servants what is that why the Scripture saith the last enemy of all is death and that is the aime of all the wicked that is the worst they can doe now in Saint Matthew Christ saith Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it the gates of hell what 's that it was the fashion among the Jewes as our sessions and assises are kept in the market place so their place of meeting was at the gates so that when he saith The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it his meaning is this when Beelzebub and all the Devils in hell shall joyne together to destroy the Church all the policie of all the Devils in hell shall not prevaile the worst they can doe is to bring them unto death but Christ will bee redemption unto them art thou in captivity he will free thee art thou in persecution he will deliver theeâ— nay when thy body shall lye downe in the grave though the Heathen said when they had burnt the bodies of Gods Saints and throwne them into the water Let us now see how they will rise againe they were deceived thou must be contented for Christ will redeem that dust and say to the earth Give up and to the sea Give up thy dead deliver up the bodies of my servants let their sinews and bones come together and body and soule shall come together and enjoy happinesse in heaven together for evermore if then neither the guilt of sinne can condemne us nor the filth of sinne pollute us if neither misery nor persecution can hurt us then goe away not only comfortably but triumphantly into persecution and prison into holes and caves and dens of the earth Christ will bee all in all unto you in grace here and in glorie hereafter therefore let this comfort you Vse 3 In the third place it is the use the holy Ghost here makes Is it so that there is a conveyance of all grace from Christ to the beleever hee doth what he doth by him and hath what he hath from him then it is a word of instruction to teach us all to lye downe in the dust let no man glorie in man but let him that glories glorie in the Lord this is the maine collection the Apostle inferres God hath chosen the foolish and base things of the world that no man might glorie in flesh as who should say it is not my parts but Christ it is not my abilities but mercie it is not what I can doe but what Christ will performe therefore if Christ then bee Author of all wee have or can doe let him receive all the honour and praise of all we have or doe doth the Lord worke all our workes in us and for us then let him receive the tribute due to his Name and take nothing to your selves away with that proud heart that bars God of his honor and praise and of the due which indeed belongs unto him and ought to be performed by all his servants dost thou thinke the Lord will bestow all his favour upon thee and worke all for thee and thou in the meane time pranke up thy selfe and lift up thy crest no I charge you you Saints of God as to know your owne privileges to be thankfull for them so to know your owne unworthinesse and to lie downe in the dust and be abased for ever and to give God the honour due unto his Name Revel 4.8 The foure and twentie Elders fell downe and laid downe their crownes at the Lambes feet and said Thou onely art worthy to receive all honour and glory and praise If wee had a thousand crownes never so much honour and riches and credit and abilities fling away all at the foot of Christ let him have all the praise thou art worthy Lord we are unworthy thy assistance wee have received thy comfort thou hast continued and thou art worthy of all the honour in that thou hast beene pleased to worke any worke in us and by us to the praise of
in him not having mine owne righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is of the righteousnesse of faith in Christ which is of God by faith there is but these two righteousnesses in the world First a mans owne righteousnesse which hee hath wrought and God hath given him and the duties which he performes and this is the righteousnesse of the Law now Paul doth professe that he is not justified by this but onely by the righteousnesse of God that righteousnesse which is in Christ that righteousnesse which is imputed to him from Christ he labours to bee found in that righteousnesse for by that he shall be justified The ground and reason of the point is this that which in no measure is answerable to Gods Iustice and agreeable to the exactnesse of the Law and for which a man may be condemned that cannot justifie a man but what ever a man hath or doth all the graces of God wrought in him and all the performances done by him there is that imperfection or blemish even in them for which God may justly condemne him therefore a man cannot bee justified thereby this is an undenied rule of the Apostle what ever condemnes a man cannot justifie a man but the Law condemnes a man for what he hath or can doe therefore it cannot justifie a man There is no grace in a man no dutie to be performed by a man but if God will looke into it according to the strictnesse and exactnesse of the Law he may justly condemne him for it that I prove Gal. 5.17 every Saint of God hath these two things the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh lusting against the Spirit and these two are contrary In the best of Gods servants there is flesh and a lust of the flesh to hinder them from holy duties so there are two lawes the law of the minde and the law of the members the Law of God requires that a man should bee perfectly holy without any staine of sinne perfect in the performance of dutie without any blemish or staine therein but every gracious man hath a staine of pollution in his soule that is one thing and a staine in his performances that is another thing therefore no mans dutie no mans abilitie or sufficiency cannot justifie him before God It is that the Apostle Paul crieth out of Rom. 7.13 A law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde so that the case is cleare if it were thus with holy Paul as hee professeth of himselfe then much more of the best Saints now for that they have not more grace than Paul had therefore they cannot bee justified for what they have or doe Take a lame limme as the lamenesse of the legge will make every motion of the leg lame a man cannot but goe lamely so it is with the soule of a poore sinner when a man hath a lame heart a corrupt sinfull heart all his actions will bee lame his thoughts lame and his services lame so that neither heart nor life nor actions are in a right frame all are impure and weake I appeale to your owne consciences in this case would you be willing to appeare before Gods Tribunall with those prayers and those performances of thine and justifie thy selfe by them and say Lord thou canst not lay any thing to my charge the Law of God can bring inditements enough against thee to confound thee nay we condemne our selves in this case these dead hearts and these blinde minds and this want of faith shall the Lord then acquit any man for that which he condemnes himselfe If then the best and most gracious Saint hath sin in the frame of his heart and sinne in the best of his services then neither soule nor service can bee answerable to the Law of God and he cannot bee justified thereby but the best of Gods servants not only before grace but after grace in the best heart a man hath the best action hee doth there is weaknesse in the action therefore they cannot justifie a man therefore we must be justified onely through the merits and obedience of Christ thou canst not doe Christ hath done for thee thou canst not suffer Christ hath suffered for thee in him thou art justified through him thou shalt be saved So that when the soule of a poore sinner shall appeare before the Tribunall of the Lord and justice comes to put in a plea against him Christ shall step in and say Lord for this poore soule that beleeves in me I have died for this poore soule I tooke the nature of man upon me therefore let thy justice bee fully satisfied with what I have done for him well then saith justice goe thy way I have nothing to say to thee the Lord makes a proclamation Be it knowne to all men and angels I acquit this soule there is no imputation of sin he hath committed no failing in any dutie shall condemne him this is the way of justification The first use of the point is this we have here a ground of confutation of the Church of Rome I will not accuse them wrongfully but lay the charge upon them according to their own words and it shall appeare how they have wholly perverted the wisedome of the Lord in this great point of justification look into the 6. Session and the 7. Chapter of the Councell of Trent you that are wise and have read it observe it you that never did read it I will read it to you the words of the Councell are these which is a confirmed doctrine and unto which they are all bound generally to subscribe is taken for the doctrine of the church of Rome the words run thus That the alone formall cause for which a sinner is justified in the sight of God it is justice implanted â— a new quality of grace and holines wrought in the soule and not the merits and obedience of Christ imputed to the soule Imputation argueth that I have and doe nothing but another hath and another doth for mee and imputes it to meâ— the Church of Rome profesly holds the contrary and punctually point blanke in the force of contradiction they are the very words of the Councell the alone formall cause and that which gives life and being to the justification of a sinner it is the change and frame of holinesse wrought in him not impured to him this is profesâ—y contrary Vse 1 It is a word of consolation and it is a cordiall to cheare up a mans heart and carry him through all troubles whatsoever can beâ—ide him or shall befall him This doctrine of Iustification it seems to me to be like Noahs Arke when all the world was to bee drowned God taught Noah to make an arke and to pitch it about that no water nor winds nor stormes could breake through and so it bore up Noah above the waters and kept him safe against wind and weather when one was on the top of a mountain crying Oh
soule there is but one way every man hath committed sinne must suffer for his sinne the sentence is passed every man that beleeves not is condemned already what would you have now thou faint thorow couldest have a pardon but wouldest thou not have riches or friends the soule saith Alas what is that to me to bee rich and a reprobate honoured and damned let me bee pardoned though impoverished let mee bee justified though debased though I never see good day beside why then labour for a Christ for there is no other way under heaven get a broken heart get a beleeving heart but oh above all get a Christ to justifie thee get a Christ in all to save thee If I could pray like an angell could I heare and remember all the Sermon could I conferre as yet never man spake what is that to mee if I have not a Christ I may goe downe to hell for all that I have or doe looke into your soules and observe your lives and conversations when a man hath prayed and hee findes his minde dull his heart awke and untoward his thoughts wandring and roving why thinke with your selves doe wee condemne our selves for the duties wee doe performe and judge our selves for the services we have discharged and yet doe wee thinke to be acquitted by the Law of God Oh therefore above all intreat the Lord to give thee a Christ that hee may justifie thee here and save thee everlastingly hereafter Phil. 3.8 I count all things drosse and dung in comparison of a Christ Paul was a proud Pharisee learned Paul reverend Paul a man of admirable parts yet saith the Apostle That I thought to bee gaine was losse to mee yea dung and dog smeat in comparison of a Christ yea doubtlesse and I doe count all things losse that is not onely my parts and credit and privileges when I was a Pharisee but the best dutie that ever I did the best service that ever I performed I account all as dung and dogsmeat in the point of justification in respect of the Lord Iesus Christ grace therefore is good and duties are good seeke for all we should doe so performe all we ought to doe so but oh a Christ a Christ a Christ in all above all more than all Thus now I have shewed you the way to the Lord Iesus I have shewed you also how you may come to be implanted into the Lord Iesus and now I leave you in the hands of a Saviour in the bowels of a Redeemer and I think I cannot leave you better the worst is past now you are come hither Rom. 5.9 If you be justified by his death then much more shall you be saved through his righteousnes and merits You whose eyes God hath opened whose hearts God hath humbled and whose soules God hath called home to himselfe you are now in the hands of the Lord goe your way and when you see hell flaming and the devils roaring and the damned yelling and crying out looke backe I say and see this ditch out of which you are escaped looke upon the pit which you were going over you may blesse God and say wee are past that those dayes are gone wee are past from death to life Acts 20.32 when Saint Paul was to goe away from them and for ought hee knew should never see their faces more why yet marke what hee saith to them Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified as who should say God and his Word was the best Commandment he could put them over to as who should say Paul must depart and Paul must be imprisoned and Paul must die so that now he shall bee with you no longer to teach to informe to direct you but the good Word of the Lord endures to comfort for ever to cheere for ever to assist refresh for ever those that are weake and discouraged I put you over therefore to a good Word to an everlasting Word I commend you to a blessed and a living Saviour who will bee with you for ever by the immutable assistance of his blessed Spirit I leave you in the hands of your Saviour that when the head of your Minister haply shall lie full low or death overtake him why yet remember I have put you over to a Saviour Oh love this Word and love this Christ more than all prize this Christ above all and he will preserve you and this I will wish you that you would keep yourselves close to this good Word that will informe you and to this blessed Saviour that will support you from day to day THE SOVLES Iustification 2 COR. 5.22 For he hath made him to be sin for us which knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him FOr our more orderly proceeding herein you may remember that I shewed you before for what a man is not justified Now wee come to handle for what a man is and may bee justified and this I conceive so farre as my light serves mee to bee in the words of the Text for the Apostle having shewed that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and not imputing their sins Now in this Text hee shewes the reason how this comes to passe namely God â—aid their sinnes to Christs charge and made him sinne for us that knew no sinne It s no wonder then though God did not justifie a poore sinner for what hee had and did and though hee did not expect perfect righteousnesse at their hands for Hee hath made him to hee sinne for 〈◊〉 which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For our more orderly proceeding I will doe two things First I will discover the Doctrine of Iustification in a description Secondly I will open the description Quest. 1 For the first If any man aske me what Iustification is it is this briefly Answer Iustification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever whereby the debt and sinnes of the beleever are charged upon the Lord Iesus Christ and by the merits and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the beleever hee is accounted just and so is acquitted before God as righteous There are foure particulars in the description First it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever Secondly the debt of the beleever is charged upon our Saviour God the Father followes as it were the suit upon the suretie and not upon the debtor both these are in these words of the Text Hee hath made him sinne for us which knew no sinne Thirdly the satisfaction of Christ is put over to the beleever and set upon his score as in these words That wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Fourthly by this means the debt on our sides being laid upon the Lord Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse being applied to us God the Father acquits
into England then he is here accounted a good subject and he is so far from being condemned that hee is wonderfully advanced and honoured by the King here is a change in Turkie hee was condemned as a Traitor but in England hee is counted a good subject and is received into favour and honoured here is a morall change but now here is no naturall change here is nothing put into this man If he were ignorant before he is ignorant still if he were wicked before he is wicked still but he hath a good relation as a subject and is pardoned in England he is in another roome and rank this is a morall change But now if a man were ignorant before and since he came into England he were framed and made wise and holy this is a spirituall change before hee was ignorant and now hee is learned before gracelesse but now gracious this is a naturall change or rather a spirituall change Just so it is with a faithfull soule the poore sinner as hee is landed here upon the shore of sinne and corruption take him as he is by nature he is liable to divine justice and a Traitor in Gods account and as he stands liable to the Law hee is a damned man hee is sicke of sinne But now when the Father hath brought him home to the Lord Jesus Christ and landed him upon another Coast hee is now sure to partake of life and of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ and he that before was attached of treason is acquitted of all in the Lord Jesus Christ the respects of treason and condemnation are taken off and other respects and relations are put on this is done in justification and afterward when hee is justified then the Lord will honour and adorne the soule so that though the soule before was ignorant the Lord will now make him wise unto salvation though before hee were polluted yet now hee shall bee sanctified And thus much of the reasons why I call it an act of God the Father upon the beleever Vse 1 The proper fruit of this Doctrine is this Is it so that justification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever then it is a ground of admirable comfort to beare up the heart of a poore sinner above all the accusations and all the power and the policies of our enemies against us or the intendments of the wicked to hurt us remember but this that God the Father justifies and this will bee a cordiall to beare up the heart against whatsoever the world or the devill or the wicked shall lay to the charge of a beleever If thou art justified before Gods tribunall in Heaven why shouldst thou care or feare or bee troubled or disquieted when thou art condemned by the wicked upon the earth this justification on Gods part can wipe away and scatter all the clouds and all the accusations on mans part 1 Cor. 4.2.3 It is required of the dispensers that every man be found faithfull but as for mee I passe very little to be judged by mans judgement the word in the originall is very excellent I passe not to bee judged by mans day men have their dayes of meeting and of judging and their dayes of rioting in the alehouse and in the brothel-house and there they can tosse the names of Gods Servants up and downe and they sit upon their names and lives and liberties and they raise what reports they will these are the drunkards dayes and the malicious mans dayes there they sit and give their doomes what they will doe to such a Christian and to such a Minister but marke what Saint Paul saith I passe not for mans dayes it is no more to mee than the dust of the ballance or the drop of the bucket but hee alludes to another day to the day of judgement when the Lord shall judge all the world when hee that is holy shall bee approved of and acquitted and hee that is vilde and wicked shall bee condemned I looke to that day Were he not worthy to be begged for a foole that should goe away troubled and disquieted because a company of drunkards had condemned him upon the alebench when the Judge had cleared him upon the bench of justice therefore steele your faces against all the malicious accusations of the wicked let them sit and condemne thee upon the alebench if they will so long as thou art acquitted in heaven herein bee for ever cheared through his mercy It was that which made the holy Prophet so marvellously confident in Isaiah 50.8.9 and to throw downe the gantlet saying Hee is neer that justifies mee who will contend with mee see whether you can set your foot to mine vow for vow and word for word who is mine adversary let him come neere behold the Lord God will succour me who will condemne me lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up they shall vanish and shall not be able to appeare at the day of accounts nay the moth shall eat them up nay the wicked shall say in hell as the wise man saith We fooles thought this mans life madnesse and wee past our judgements upon these precise fellowes that must ever and anon bee in a corner to weepe for their sinnes but we finde now that wee are the fooles that have neglected grace and salvation and happinesse which now they enjoy for ever If a man had a case to bee tried in the Chancerie if the Lord Chancellour were his friend hee need not feare any thing for the Lord Chancellour would suffer nothing to come in against him but would cast them all out and heare none of them so you that are beleevers and have a friend and a Father that sits in the high Court of Chancery in Heaven howsoever there are many which would be medling with you yet your Father is the Judge of the Court and he will dishonour all those that seeke to dishonour you It is the ground of that blessed boldnesse which the Apostle concludes with himselfe not onely that the thing should not bee carried against him as Rom. 8.33 but that all should be for him Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that justifieth Let the gates of Hell bee set open and Belzebub and all the Devils come roaring out against him and let the wicked come that beare him ill will and let all his sinnes come and his owne conscience too yet hee need not feare any thing the ground is hence because it is God that justifies hee doth not say they shall never prevaile against Gods servants but they shall not plead against them and hee doth not say they shall not condemne them but they shall not accuse them as hee said Acts 19.38 The Law is open and there are Deputies let them accuse 〈◊〉 plead one against another so that here shall not bee so much as pleading against a poore beleever because God the Father hath
justified him Now the ground of this comfort lieth in three particulars or it affords a threefold consolation First because God the Father hath all things to doe with the soule of a beleever all the suits that are to bee made against a poore soule they come from God and if hee will cease the suit who can follow it if he will say hee is satisfied and well apaid then who can take any advantage against the soule Looke as it is with the Lord of a manour haply hee hath an ill neighbour lives under him and doth him much damage many wayes and the Noble man at last is resolved to follow the law against him therefore the poore man comes in and desires pardon of all that hee hath done amisse and promiseth never to doe the like and the Gentleman out of his noble disposition acquits him and forgives all now imagine some of the servants come in and raise clamours and complaints against him and all the servants of the family are against him well the poore man makes them this answer I have wronged none of you therefore if your Lord bee contented to acquit me I care not what you say I have not wronged you neither doe I feare you this is that which should chear up our hearts infinitely that God the Father is the Lord of the mannour even the Lord of the whole world and if there be any transgression done against thy neighbour whatsoever hee is the Lord of the manour it were no offence to steale but that he hath forbidden it and it were no offence to be disobedient to Parents but that hee hath said Honour thy father and mother c. The goods of thy neighbour are the Lords and the dammage that is done is against the Lord Now if God the Father doe mercifully acquit you and saith hee will pardon the breach of all his Commandements if God acquit us what need wee feare or care what the Devill sayes against us it may bee the Devill will come in and commence a suit against us and say what you be saved yes that 's a likely matter are you not guiltie of this and that well brethren we have done the Devill no wrong against thee onely have I sinned saith David it was against the commands of my good God and his holy Spirit it was against my Father and my Redeemer and they will pardon my sinne God saith I will forgive all that wrong done to me then let the Devill goe and shake his ears looke as it is with a creditor if he hath gotten the suretie in suit he will acquit the debtor and if the debtor be acquitted all the bailiffes in the world can doe him no hurt and hee saith I am out of your debt and danger so it is here God the Father is the Creditor wee have wronged God most infinitely wee owe unto God all that wee have but yet hee hath blotted out all our iniquities therefore if the Devill follow the suit it matters not The Lord saith I will remember his sinnes no more therefore the Devill can pursue him no further Secondly there can bee no court in the world can alter our justification if a man be righted in a lower court a higher court may call it over againe and overthrow it but this is admirable consolation doth God the Father acquit us in Heaven then let the Devill goe and appeale where he will A man never appeals from a higher court to a lower but from a lower court to a higher now all your sinnes are pardoned and you are acquitted in Heaven therefore goe your way comforted and let the Devill appeale where he will no man can reverse it The mercy of the Lord and his sentence endureth for ever you know it was Saint Pauls plea when hee saw that the Jewes were maliciously bent against him to have his life he said No man may deliver me unto them I appeale unto Cesar he saw hee should have hard dealing there if hee were committed to them therefore he appeals unto Cesar so we we have had our case tried in Heaven wee have Cesars judgement seat to goe unto the first person of the Trinitie is our Father the Creditor hath made it good unto us by the witnesse of the Spirit that our iniquities are pardoned and that he will heare no more of them therefore goe away for ever cheared and comforted Vse 2 Again in the second place we have here a word of direction Is God the Father the Judge of the Court then let me speak a word to all hūble broken hearted sinners when you have many Judges to sit upon you in your owne heart bee sure that you bee not judged by them but repaire unto God the Father and get his sentence upon them and whatsoever hee speakes submit unto it and bee contented to judge your selves and your estates answerable by it This is the great misery of many poore creatures that as many miseries as they have so many Judges they have sometimes their feare sits upon them and then they are damped sometimes their suspition sits upon them and then they are marvellously disquieted and sometimes hope sits upon them and then they are a little comforted Oh brethren and beloved in the Lord bee wise now for your soules and put your case to be tried onely by the Lord and not by every one Wee would count him a mad man that having a case of weight to bee tried should commit it to an enemy that hates him or else to an ignorant man that hath no skill at all in the businesse no wise man will doe it but hee appeales to the Judge of the court and lets him cast the cause just so it is here there are many of you some there are I am sure that have a sight of your sinnes and sometimes you thinke that God will certainly commence the suit against you what so many sinnes within mee and so many corruptions to follow mee and oppresse mee certainly my heart is naught are you so ignorant to commit your cause to bee judged by them your carnall reason is an enemie and your owne hearts are weake and not able to understand therefore go to a higher court and say with your selves I care not what the world saith and what carnall reason saith I passe not speake thou Lord a word of comfort to my soule and if his word bee for you then bee for ever comforted and quieted and looke onely to the judgement of the Lord and to none other it is in his hands onely to passe sentence and to condemne as hee seeth fit in his righteous judgement therefore stand to the sentence of him whose Word must stand and shall stand for ever as mount Zion If a plaintiffe have a case to be tried in the court of justice he cares not what the dispute of the lawyers be One man thinkes thus another thinkes thus another would be passing sentēce and saith thus it must be he cares not
what they say hee knowes that they are not Judges but hee stayes till the Judge comes and he quakes and trembles till he heares what the sentence of the Judge will be Now therefore be as wise for your spirituall estates as you are for your temporall estates Psalme 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord will say disputing there of the miseries and troubles which were like to befall the Church of God and himselfe too he lookes up to Heaven and saith I will hearken what the Lord will say for hee speakes peace to his people looke not what sense and feeling and feare and suspition say for they will speake killing words and will tell you that your condition is naught and damnable what all this vildnesse and basenesse and stubbornesse and yet goe to heaven that cannot be Good brethren hearken not to these for they are not the Judges of the court the sentence must come from God and remember that God will speake peace and comfort unto his people hee will comfort your distressed consciences and therefore let not Satan nor your owne distempered hearts be hearkned unto for though they speake never so much terrour to your consciences yet God will justifie you it is the libertie which the law allowes and every man will take it to himselfe if hee know the law when a man is questioned for his life he will not cast himselfe upon every Jurie but hee will take the benefit of the law and if there comes in one that is an ignorant person or one that is an enemy of his he may justly except against them and put them out and hee will say Good my Lord doe not cast away a poore man for no cause at all I except against these men of the Jurie they are mine enemies they have sought my blood many yeeres and they have informed against me and seeke to take away my life and I can prove it and the rest are ignorant and cannot understand the matter good my Lord let me have a good Jurie this the court of justice allowes and every man will bee sure to take it to himselfe as occasion serves in Acts 28.19 Paul was constrained to appeal into Cesar and therefore hee saith Chap. 2â— 10.11 I stand aâ— Cesars judgement seat where I ought to be judged You see beloved how wise men are for the good and safetie of their bodies oh be much more carefull for the good of your soules and hazard not your soules upon every base Jurie stand not to the triall of temptation feare and suspition but appeale to the great God of Heaven and say Lord it is an unjust Jurie you â—eele not these abilities and you feel not this assurance of Gods love and when corruption beginnes to stirre in the heart then carnall reason saith if a man had grace could he have all these corruptions if I had any grace it would not nor it could not be thus with mee Oh complaine to the Lord that they are an unjust Jurie looke up to the Throne of mercy and have your cause heard there and say Lord these have beene my profest enemies the Devill and this carnall proud froward heart of mine have beene deadly enemies both to thee and to thy grace and to the good of my poore soule and as for feare and suspition they have betrayed my comforts and â—ut the throat of them and many a time have taken away the hope of eternall life from me and as for my weaknesses and infirmities they are too ignorant they cannot passe righteous judgement because they know not what belongs to grace here or happinesse hereafter therefore appeale to the Lord and say you stand at Gods mercy seat let mercy doe what it will with you and mercy will certainly save you and let mercy be for ever honoured and be sure to lie downe at the footstoole of mercy If thou art content to goe to God and depend upon mercy and let it doe what it will with thee then mercy shall certainly save thee if thou wilt come to beleeving thou art sure to bee acquitted let the Devill come in against thee and plead and say Lord wilt thou acquit such a man that hath been a despiser of thy grace and mercy and the world saith to my knowledge he hath closed with mee and hath forsaken thee and then saith conscience I have told him of many sinnes but hee would never reforme them therefore Lord give Justice against him then the Lord makes answer and saith It skils not what he hath beene If hee will come to me and beleeve in me and repent of his sinnes I will freely acquit him of all that he hath done amisse therefore avoid the court Satan take this as an everlasting rule and you shall finde it by experience If a man might have all the favour in the world shewed him and have his owne friends to passe sentence against him and have his best duties and services to plead for him if hee should commit his case to them to be tried by them he would be for ever condemned by them there is so much pride on the one side and deadheartednesse on the other side and so much wandring in your prayers that they would cry to God for wrath and condemnation upon you 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby justified you must appeale to the Father of mercies or else you will never be acquitted by them therefore stand to that judgement of God whose judgement must and shall stand when the sentence of sinne and Satan and carnall reason shall be overthrowne The cause why many poore humbled broken selfe-denying hearts goe drooping and discouraged it is because they have a bad Jurie goes upon them and they dead their owne hearts because they appeale not to that God who is willing to acquit them through the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ Object But some may object and say how shall I know whether God will justifie me or no Answer For answer hereunto looke what the word saith if the word acquit thee it shall stand and if the word condemne thee though all the men in the world acquit thee yet thou shalt be condemned to all that beleeve not in my Gospell shall be confusion saith the Apostle and the words of Christ are He that beleeveth not is condemned already therefore looke what the word saith and cleave to that for ever Vse 3 In the third place from hence we have a ground of terrour to the wicked and it is like a thunder-bolt to breake the hearts of all unbeleevers and it is able to cut the sinewes of all their comforts and to sinke their soules to Hell to thinke that they are unbeleevers I speake not to those that have some doubtings and troubles arising in their hearts but to such as never yet beleeved in Christ howsoever a man may have parts and gifts and be advanced yet that which will be as gall and wormwood to the soule is
that Christ charged them upon himselfe they both make a compact that poore lost man shall be saved and Christ submits and is contented to beare their sinnes and to have the Law proceed against him Now I come to the reasons why God the Father doth charge the sinnes of all the faithfull upon Christ the reasons are three and I reason from the explication thus Reason 1 First that which the Lord Jesus Christ did willingly yeeld and submâ—â—imselfe to without sinne that God the Father might lay upon him without any wrong and might charge it upon him as due debt I say what the Lord Jesus Christ did willingly submit himselfe to without any dishonour to himselfe that God the Father might justly charge upon him but our Saviour did willingly submit himselfe to the divine Justice of God the Father to take their sinnes and to beare their sorrowes and to bee in the roome of a sinner he came voluntarily in our roome and therefore being under the Law and being our scapegoat the Father might justly lay and charge our debts upon him because hee had taken them upon himselfe he that will enter into bond with the creditor and free the debtor it is very equall that the creditor proceed against him as against the debtor Reason 2 Secondly the justice of God requires this at the hands of Jesus Christ to wit that he should not onely suffer for sinners but also take the very guilt of sinners upon himselfe by imputation and bee in their roome And that the justice of God doth require this at the hands of Christ may thus be conceived The anger justice and severitie of God were manifested in the fall of man for when man back sinned and fallen then anger and justice began to worke and now Adam saw God to bee an angry and a just God now the glory of those attributes appeared and now all the complaint stands upon mercies side and therefore mercy appeals to the great Court in Heaven and then it saith wisedome and power and goodnesse have all beene manifested in the Creatâ—on and anger and justice they have beene glorified in the fall of Adam but I have not yet beene manifested Oh let some poore soules bee comforted and saved that they may know there is a mercifull God and then the case is debated onely justice steps in and takes it selfe as wronged It is true saith justice it is fit that mercy should bee honoured yet it is not fit that I should bee wronged must my glory be injured would you have a company of sinfull rebels pardoned and forgiven when they have thus abused holinesse and goodnesse and resisted the Will of God nay except they be punished I cannot have my due mercy must be honoured but yet justice must not be wronged Now God is a just God and hee must give every one their due glory to whom glory belongs and justice to whom justice belongs justice must not be offended but must bee appaid and have its right this is the controversie therefore the Lord Jesus Christ steps in and makes up all even on both sides and there is a way devised whereby justice may bee fully satisfied and yet mercy magnified and so much the more is mercy magnified by how much justice was wronged Then Christ comes in and saith that justice shall punish all unbeleevers and so it shall be satisfied for all the wrong done to it and mercy shall bee magnified upon the beleeving soules because the beleever is not able to beare divine justice himselfe therefore Christ Jesus is contented to bee accounted guiltie that justice may inflict punishment upon him as deserving it for otherwise to punish the innocent and to acquit the guiltie will not stand with justice Now therefore that justice may have his due from him and yet doe him no wrong therefore he was content to be accounted guiltie and though hee were innocent yet he was contented to bee accounted noceâ— Now if God in justice require punishment of our Saviour then the same justice must account our Saviour as guiltie otherwise hee should punish the innocent which he cannot in justice doe but God the Father did punish Christ Jesus for justice is satisfied by the punishment therefore it is requisite that he should bee under the Law also God in justice must account him guiltie that in justice he may be punished so the issue is this If God the Father doe in iustice punish Christ then it is required that heâ— should bee accounted as guiltie and under the Law but the Father did doe it therefore he did account him as a sinner and as guiltie and did lay their sinnes unto his charge Reason 3 Thirdly the third argument is taken from the love and mercy of Jesus Christ which abundantly is magnified herein in taking upon him the roome of a sinner for whatsoever the Lord Jesus Christ could doe for a poore sinner without sinne that he did doe in the pardon of sinne but this Christ might doe without sinne and is doing thereof might expresse abundance of love not onely to lay downe his life for us but to vaile his innocencie for us hee was accounted a malefactor and a sinner for us this is the highest pitch of admirable love that can bee for the lower the degree of his abasement was the greater was his love for it is one thing to die and it is another thing to vaile his honour and holinesse and he that was God equall with the Father to be accounted as guilty of sin this argues marvellous mercy and love therefore it was fit that it should be taken Vse 1 The first use is a word of instruction to all the faithfull of God they are to learne this point of wisedome Is it so that God the Father hath laid thy sinnes upon Jesus Christ doth the guilt of them lie there and hath Christ taken them and the guilt of them upon himselfe and the condemnation due unto the same then doe thou not take them from him to thy selfe Therefore what the Jewes did with the sacrifice so doe you with a Saviour Leviticus 16.21 When Aaron came to offer up the scapegoat he laid both his hands upon him with all his might and he put all the sinnes of Israel upon the head of the live goat The Hebrew Writers observe three things in the words First hee laid on both his hands with all his might Secondly there was nothing betweene the hand of the offerer and the sacrifice which was made Thirdly he must confesse his sinnes and the sinnes of all the Israelites over the goat and say Lord I have transgressed and have committed this and that iniquitie but now Lord I returne to thee and bring an offering of attonement and I beseech thee good Lord to accept it So let this bee the guise of the heart of every faithfull Christian when hee would have quiet and ease if ever you would have acceptance with Christ then carry him with thee to the Father
if they will take the guilt of your sinnes upon them they say we have too many inabilities to procure pardon for any one sinne and never a Saint in the world dares to meddle with the guilt of anothers sinnes and therefore they dare not meddle with them but they say as the wise virgins did to the foolish ones Matth. 25.9 When the foolish virgins said give us of your oyle for our lamps are gone out not so said they lest there bee not enough for you and us too but rather goe unto them that sell and buy for your selves Even so if you goe to the Saints and say I pray you undertake the pardon of my sinnes and rebellions and beare you the guilt of my sinnes because you are holy and righteous no say they we cannot so all the creatures cannot succour you If all the creatures in heaven and earth should conspire together to save you from the burthen of any one sinne they could not doe it nay the creatures become your accusers the bed whereupon thou hast committed so many abominations and the alehouse where thou hast beene drunke and hast blasphemed and the habitation where thou dwellest and all the creatures groane against thee under the burthen of thy abominations as Rom. 8.22 Therefore they wil take no more guilt upon them than what they have already they are too weary of the weight of what they fele already but though the saints dare not and the creatures cannot save you yet there is hope in heaven there is help to be had in Christ well were it with thee if thou hadst any share in that Christ but this is that which will sinke thy heart that there is no hope for thee there what dost thou talke of grace and of mercy when thou hast opposed the Gospell of grace and of mercy and thou continuest in unbeleefe this is the height and depth of the misery of all unbeleevers that there is no hope for them in heaven This was that which the wicked said when they insulted against David in Psalme â— 2 There is no helpe for him in his God what they said of David falsly God saith it truly of thee there is no help for thee in God there is mercy in Christ but that 's thy misery for there is none for thee being an unbeleever Psalme 18.41 David there expresseth the miserie of the wicked Because the Lord leaves them in their troubles they cried but there was none to save them yea even unto the Lord but he answered them not That 's thy estate right though thou callest to heaven and to Christ and to the God of mercy and to the merits of Christ yet they will not helpe thee thou hast many sinnes and thou shalt beare them every one Now thinke what your sinnes have deserved and how you will be able to beare them when all flesh shall appeare before God then the Lord will charge all thy sinnes upon thy soule and thou must beare and if every sinne deserves condemnation then how wilt thou be able to beare all those condemnations that are due to all thy sins which thou canst not number even the dregs of vengeance and the bottome of the cup of the Lords indignation Christ in Iohn 17.9 speaking of the faithfull and how hee praies to the Father for them he saith I pray not for them of the world but for these whom thou hast given mee out of the world When a poore unbeleever shall come to Jesus Christ and shall intreat him to speake a good word for him when hee hath never regarded his person not accepted of his gracious offers of mercy and shall intreat Christ to pray for him no saith Christ I never prayed for the obstinately wicked now if Christ will not speake a good word for thee dost thou thinke that hee will pardon the guilt of thy sinnes upon him nay he only pardons the guilt of the sinnes of the faithfull but as for thee thou must beare thy sinnes and suffer for them for evermore Vse 3 The third use is a word of exhortation and instruction to all the saints and faithfull of God if Christ were content to bee made sin for all the faithfull then what must you be contented to doe for your Saviour was he made sinne for thee then be thou content to be made shame for him be thou willing to beare the shame and disgrace and reproach that comes unto thee for the Name of Christ be content to be accounted the such and off-scouring of the earth bee not evill doers but be contented to bee counted as evill doers 1 Cor. 4.13 Wee are persecuted and yet wee pray we are reviled and yet we blesse we are accounted as the off-scouring of the earth untill this time So doe you bee content to beare any shame that is unjustly laid upon thee for thy Saviour which was accounted a sinner for thee Acts 24.14 S. Paul was resolute in it and said after the way that ye call heresie worship I the Lord God of my Fathers nay hee presseth this upon the hearts of Gods Children Hebrewes 13.12 13. speaking in the 12. verse that Christ tooke our sinnes upon him and went out of the citie and was slaine without the gate he saith in the 13. verse Let us therefore goe out of the Camp to him bearing our reproach be not afraid to be seene in a Christian cause nor to be disgraced for it goe out boldly and resolutely harden your faces and steel your hearts against all such things and let the dogs barke and the winds blow and the waves roare goe you out of the Campe for his honour bearing his reproach comfortably he hath borne sinne for thee beare thou shame for him Vse 4 Fourthly it is a word of comfort and consolation to all the faithfull be thy sinnes never so many and the guilt of them never so great yet learne this skill to cast it all on the Lord Jesus Christ ease thy owne soule of it and hurle thy care on him that careth for thee This is that which I would have all the faithfull wary of not to make their miseries more than they should Now Christ not onely tooke our sinnes by imputation but also the payment of the debt was really discharged by our Saviour he laid downe the payment of the debt and suffered the punishment really though I doe not conceive this to be directly intended yet it may be inferred from the words of the Text in the former point Christ was charged with the sinnes of all the faithfull and now Christ did suffer their pains and underwent the whole punishments which their sinnes required so the point of Doctrine from hence is this Doctrine The Lord Jesus Christ suffered fully whatsoever punishments divine justice required or were deserved by the sinnes of the faithfull I ground this Doctrine out of the Text thus the text saith Christ was made sinne that is he had our sinnes imputed to him and therefore hee must
what will ye spit in my face what you what and to a Saviour too and will ye pierce my soule by the corruptions of your hearts and by the actions of your hands thus the Lord Jesus Christ perswades you to see sin and to abhorre and 〈◊〉 it upon all occasions and therefore let us answâ—â— the requests of our Saviour and not shew our selves desperately wicked to pierce him againe and to renew his sufferings Vse 2 In the second place did our Saviour suffer these paines then see here the strictnesse of Gods justice Oh that exact precise severitie of Gods proceedings without exception of any mans person God puts no difference although hee were his Sonne but hee layes punishment upon him This is the reason of that exact dealing of God in Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish shall bee upon the soule of every one that sinned and why 〈◊〉 God is no respecter of persons as verse 11. that the ground of it and it is not onely exprest but it 〈◊〉 also proved undeniable Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the bountie and severitie of God towards them which have fallen severitie but towards that bountifulnesse remember Gods just proceeding against the Jewes and therefore it is that the Apostle citeth all the proceedings of Gods judgements not onely against the heathens that never knew him or his enemies that alwayes opposed him but even to his friends such as he had shewed much favour and mercy to if they sinne they shall be destroyed for their sinne But oh the just exactnesse of the justice of the Lord how severely just he is for this exactnesse is not onely upon the wicked and open profane but upon his owne deare children and they that have had his ordinances as in Amos the Prophet shewes what favours they had received in regard of the means but yet feel how severely the Lord punisheth them but he hold the miracle of justice in the Lord Jesus Christ his onely Sonne in whom his soule delighted our Saviour that had but the shadoâ—s of sinne had all punishments laid upon him in thick 〈◊〉 Now answer me whether God the Father bee not a strict God or no and a just and righteous God that would thus deale with his onely Sonne A man would have thought if any thing in the world could have stopped the hand of Divine justice that it should not proceed from God the Father then Christ he might have done it for her had all that ever any one in the world could have If the excellency of the person of our Saviour could have done it or the holinesse of the soule of our Saviour then he might have beene exempted from punishment yet all these were not able to doe it because hee was a suretie but yet a man would have thought that those teares of blood might in some measure moderate the matter could not those servent petitions of him have had so much as some abatement of the punishment when he cried out saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and then againe the second time Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee nay the third time Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me The Son of God was now upon the racke with it if it be possible let this cup passe from mee let mee onely have a sip and away and so let it passe from mee Surely if any thing could have stopped the hand of divine justice then Christ might have done it but God would not nor did not abate our Saviour one drop of his indignation but God inflicts it all and Christ suffers â— all behold therefore if thus bee not a just God heare and feare all you that heare the good word of the Lord this day you that thinke that Christ is made all of mercy it is a God of your owne imagination and your owne devising it is not that God which is the Lord of heaven and earth it is not the God of hoâ—sts the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ Oh say poore ignorant people he is a very mercifull God and full of compassion it is true hee is mercifull indeed but know this also to thy terrour that God is strict and precisely righteous you thinke to put off God with a few good words and lazy wishes and with a Lord have mercy upon us and if you can have but an houres time before your death to cry God mercy oh their you thinke all shall be well and God will goe away with anything and because you suffer a little punishments and afflictions in this life therefore you thinke to bee freed from them altogether hereafter no no know thou shalt not carry it away so indeed thou hast troubles and afflictions here but thou shalt have eternitie of torments for ever in the life to come if thou still continuest to bee a sinfull wretch and an unbeleeve there is no way with thee but to beare thy owne plagues and miseries hereafter when thou seest the Sonne of God himselfe corrected dost thou thinke to goe free if God would not bare oils Saviour any thing of it dost thou thinke he will abate thee any thing againe our Saviour had our sins onely imputed to him but thy sins thou hast committed them thy selfe and canst thou thinke to escape that are proud and stubborne and malicious and liest and livest be thy sins and dost wallow in them and allow of thy selfe in the commission of them no surely God will not spare any blasphemer nor unclean wretch nor profane person under heaven if he did not spare his owne Son he will not spare thee but hee will inflict upon thee the sharpest punishments that can bee imagined therefore now if God bee so severe against sinne then let your affections be answerable thereunto doe you pitie none that are sinfull not onely slaves but in a childe a son a husband let us labour to get a hearefull of hatred against sin in any of these nay though shee were the wife of thy bosome or thy childe or thy deere friend if thou seest sin in them bee sure to punish it especially you that are in places of authoritie into whose hands God hath committed the sword of the Magistracie for the execution of justice You that are Gods vice-gerents upon earth doe you as God himselfe hath done and walke in his way and so bee blessed in whatsoever you doe I said ye are Gods saith David every Magistrate every Justice in the countrie and every Master of a family ye are Gods that is ye have the Image of God put into you and therefore say thou with thy selfe in this manner would God suffer a swearer or a blasphemer or a prophane person or a drunkard or an adulterer to goe unpunished and would God suffer a prophaner of his Sabbath and would not reforme him then whatsoever is amisse in thy owne soule or in thy wife or childe or servant if it be in thy place punish if
beds and all kinde of dalliance and hee knowes nothing but goes as an Oxe to the slaughter untill a dart strike through his liver and he knowes not that it is for his life hee goes and his life goes Her house is the way to the grave which goeth downe to the chambers of death the like is in Iudas hee desired to betray Christ and for what onely to get a little poore pittance of thirtie pence his covetousnesse was now asleep and he had a murthering heart towards the Lord Jesus Christ and a covetous heart for himselfe all this while sinne was asleepe but when Christ was attached and condemned then Iudas began to be worried with his corruptions hee comes in horrour of heart and throwes downe the thirtie pence and comes into the high Priests hall and saith I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Now tell mee Iudas is it good to bee covetous now when his conscience was awake and thus wrath of God began to seize upon it and that Lion began to rore upon him then his heart begun to shake within him and hee departed and went away and hanged himselfe his sinne made way for it and thus it will be with every wicked man in the world Howsoever now you have delâ—ons to cozen others and you have your unjust measures and you can carry it away bravely your corruptions are now asleep but that covetousnesse out of thy shop and that adultery out of thy chamber it will one day rore upon thee looke upon the hands of Christ and they will say there hands were pierced by sinnes and it was sinne that hath fild this soule with astonishment Oh all you that see and heare the good word of the Lord this day see what sin hath done with our Saviour and expect the like effects from sinne if you still continue in it Now we come to the second part that is his sufferings upon the crosse where wee shall have much to doe with the Jesuites You see what he suffered in the garden now follow him to the crosse for when he was in the garden he only tasted of the cup but when he was upon the crosse he drunke the cup quite off in the garden he only sipped the top 〈◊〉 it but now hee drunke the dregs of it and the bottome and all For the opening of this looke Mat. 27.46 about the ninth houre that is about three of the clocke in the afternoone when he was crucified he cried out saying Eli Eli lamusabactani Now Divines say and Interpreter conclude and 〈◊〉 professe it and I beseech you attend to it that in this crie coÌ„plaint of our Saviour was discovered the dregs of the cup of the fierce indignation of the Lord now before I come to the 〈◊〉 and proper sense of the words consider thus much there are two interpretations of it First there is one of the Jesuites which we must confute and remove Secondly there is another interpretation of sound Divines which we must receive and yeeld unto For the first Bellarmine and others make the meaning of the words to be this that our Saviour Christ here complaines that he was left to the hands of the Jewes and that God the Father would not deliver him from that temporal death which they would put him to therefore said they our Saviour in the sense of the death natural cries out that God had left him in the hands of those ungodly men therefore they say the words run thus My God my God why hast thou thus forsaken me and lost me thus in the hands of Pilate and Herod and the Jewes to crucifie mee it is a sinew lesse and a weake imagination that I may speake no worse of it for I can hardly beare it with patience and that this sense is false there are a reasons to beare against it First this meaning is taken from a false ground and therefore the ground and bottome being brittle and weake the building must needs fall It is a weake thing for a man to say that sometimes the miseries and deaths of the Saints of God argue a forsaking of God for I say that though the Saints of God are sometimes delivered up to death by the wise providence of God yet they are not said to bee forsaken of God 2 Cor. 4.9 Wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but wee perish not You know what the ordinarie promises are in this kinde I will be with thee in six troubles 〈◊〉 the seventh I will deliver thee marke this the heaviest afflictions of the Saints of God nay death it selfe is so farre from being an argument of Gods forsaking them that it is an argument of their glorying in God as in 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities and reproaches necessities and persecutions and in anguish for Christs sake the Apostle rejoyceth in persecutions and in the midst of all extremities A second reason why it is false is this God is said to leave his servants two wayes and there are no other wayes in Scripture that I know of First when God takes away his assistance in the time of trouble and hee lends not that strength and that assistance whereby with patience they may beâ—e and with courage goe through those afflictions but now and then hee lets them not bee soiled by their owne infirmities and to fall by their weaknesses that they may learne to see their owne weaknesses and learne not to trust in themselves but in the Lord their God Now this forsaking cannot nor did not befall our Saviour in common sense because hee prayed for assistance and whatsoever hee prayed for hee had as Hebrewes 5.7 Hee was heard in that which he feared and so consequently assisted nay he was confident of the issue of it Luke 23.42.43 when the good theefe upon the crosse said Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome the Lord answered him this way shall thou be with 〈◊〉 in Paradise nay David did prophesie this of Christ and Christ himselfe performes it Psalme 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before mine eyes for hee is at my right hand therefore I shall 〈◊〉 be moved therefore God the Father did not leave our Saviour but he did assist him that hee was above all sorrowes and all miseries Secondly the other kinde of leaving which the Scripture speakes of is this when the Lord takes away the sense and feeling of the sweetnesse of his love and 〈◊〉 from the soule in Psalme 27.9 David saith Hide not thy face away from me neither cast away thy servants in displeasure put not a servant 〈◊〉 of doores Here I demand of any man but especially of the Jesuites whether of these two they will grant God did not forsake the Lord Jesus Christ the first way therefore he must doe it this way or none at all and if any man grant this then he grants the cause for then there was not onely the death naturall but the displeasure of the Lord
any weaknesse on our Saviours part because this withdrawing of the sweetnesse of Gods love brings onely a punishment upon the soule and takes to grace nor holinesse from the soule of our Saviour Now wee are come to the bottome now our Saviour foresaw all the mercy goodnesse and compassion of God the Father going away from him and hee panted after it saying my God my God mercy is gone and compassion is gone in regard of the sense of it Now that you may see the weight of the sufferings of our Saviour consider thus â—â—ich that the 〈◊〉 away the selfe of Gods love discovers it selfe in Scripture after this manner The Lord in this worke of his and in this heavie withdrawing himselfe he turnes away his face and lookes another way deprives him of the injoying of the sweetnesse of his fellowship which formerly hee had Ionah 2.4 Ionah was a good and a gratious man though he was a strange man as one observes yet when the Lord had dealt something strangely with him and cast him into the sea a whale receives him and when hee was swallowed up of the whale he was then swallowed up of a greater griefe for God had taken away the sweetnesse of his love from him therefore saith he I am cast out of thy sight hee would play the runne away with God and would goe to Tarsus therefore God casts him out of his sight to his owne apprehension therefore saith hee I am cast out of thy presence this was onely in regard of the sense and sweetnesse of Gods love and favour this you may see in the example of David Psalme 31.22 I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight as no question but Ionah prayed in the whales belly and said Lord pardon my sinne and forgive my transgressions no saith the Lord get you downe to Tarsus so David prayed and cried earnestly saying not smile of thy favour Lord no saith the Lord and hee looked another way yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer and so Ionah yet will I looke towards thy holy Temple hee looked to mercy whiles his eyes and his heart and all faild so that faith may well stand even there where there is no sense at all Thus it was here in the case of our Saviour and thus the Scripture speakes admirable pithily Psalme 77.9 Hath God forgotten to bee gracious and hath he shut up his tender mercies as if he had said though I may not have mercy yet let me see mercy hath God in anger shut up his mercy the face of mercy is sweet and the presence of mercy is comely but hath God in anger shut up his tender mercies hee hath not onely sent him going out of doores as hee did Ionah but hee shuts himselfe up that the poore sinner cannot come within fight of him Oh saith the sonne I would my father would but looke out at the window that I might see him but when hee will not suffer his sonne to looke upon him this is heavie so the Lord saith to his servants no no you have slighted my kindnesse therefore I will locke it up that you shall see him no more In the second Booke of Samuel the fourteenth chapter the twentie eighth verse When Absolom had dwelt two yeares in Ierusalem and saw not the Kings face at length hee sends for Ioab to send him to the King and said either let me see the Kings face or else wherefore doe I live It was a great favour that hee might but see the Kings face though hee might not injoy fellowship with him this is a great trouble when the Lord shuts up his mercy in anger mercy hath come home to your hearts and it hath besought you to take it but you have dealt basely with the Lord and walked rebelliously against him well the Lord will shut you out of his presence and will shut up his mercy and then you shall say that you had mercy offered to you once and you would not accept it Thirdly and this is the highest degree of all the Lord doth not onely shut up his mercy that he cannot be seene but hee goes away that a man cannot tell where to seeke him Oh saith the sonne that I might but see my Father but hee is gone and then his heart is even swalloweed up nay God doth not only take away the sense and feeling of his favour beyond sight but hee goes away from a man that hee cannot tell where to seeke him that if he would write letters as I may say yet he knowes not where to send them and if he call his father he cannot heare him Thus the Scripture speakes and thus the saints of God have found it from time to time Psalme 77.7 8 9. Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will he shew no more favour this translation is reasonable well but the originall runs thus will hee adde no more to bee favourable as if hee had said what will he not only not entertaine me but is hee gone that I cannot tell where to finde him and in the â— verse Is his mercy cleane gone for ever This is the last of all and that which contains the pith of all that our Saviour speakes expresly of himselfe that God goes not onely out of his presence but out of his calling too the place is excellent Psal 22.1 from whence these words were taken My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee why art thou so farre from helping mee and from the words of my complaint God is gone beyond call Now that you may see the weight of the sorrowes that lay upon our Saviour consider thus much our Saviour was not onely cast out of Gods favour and God did not onely take away the sense of his love and the feeling operation of his favour that so he received not the sweetnesse that he had done but Christ tooke the place of sinners and therefore God the Father shut him out amongst sinners and drew his mercy out of sight and out of hearing and therefore he cried out My God my God c. Nay further why art thou so farre from my helpe Hee cried out that hee â—ore his bowels againe and stretched out his throat and cries my God my God and hee followes the mercy of God the Father in this kinde not that his faith did not prevaile but he had not the sense and sweetnesse of Gods love and so David in all that he spake saying Will he be favourable no more hath hee in anger shut up his tender mercies All this while God was present with him by supportation though he held that vision of mercy off from his soule now at this time it seemes to me and the text will beare it that though Christ before had but three bouts in the garden yet now all the sins of all his elect children and the cloud of sins of all the faithfull did arise to a mighty great fog and the cloud did overspread all the
and that the Pope can pardon them what will not a man give to bee freed from it this dotage is cleerly confuted with the evidence of the former truth I will onely expresse it thus If Christ suffered all the plagues which divine justice required then there is neither the punishments of Hell nor Purgatory to be suffered by the faithfull but our Saviour suffered whatsoever the justice of God required and therefore neither sinne nor hell nor purgatorie have any thing to lay to the charge of Gods chosen Secondly it not onely meets with them but it dasheth in sunder another conceit that seemes to finde acceptance with others for hence it is cleere that all the troubles and miseries and afflictions either anguish of heart inwardly or miseries outwardly they cannot properly bee called punishments inflicted upon the faithfull be they never so sharpe and bitter in themselves being laid upon the faithfull they lose that propertie and they become corrections Christ hath suffered all punishments and therefore God the Father will not require a double payment for one debt and therefore howsoever their grievances are many and great yet they are but chasticements at the worst and they lose that venome of plague and of punishment as it is with the sea water it is salt of it selfe and hath a brinish saltnesse fretting wonderfully yet when it passeth thorow the veines of the earth all the saltnesse is gone and it becomes fresh and is of a cooling nature Just so it is with the afflictions that are sometimes inflicted upon the godly howsoever in themselves they are sharpe and brinish and fretting yet the heaviest afflictions though never so sharpe and bitter yet when they passe through the merits and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ they retaine onely their cooling cleansing and refreshing nature Object But some will say doe not these things befall alike to all as David saith Psalme 88.15 Thy terrours have I suffered from my youth upwards doe not these things come alike to all the same povertie the same misery the same anguish of heart doe not these fall alike to all as in 1 Chron. 21.12 13 14. was there not much misery befell David and doe not the same plagues that befall the one befall the other the holiest man and the prophanest man partake alike in these wherein lies the difference then Answer I answer the difference lies in two particulars First the judgements that are laid on the wicked they come from Gods anger and God requires them in way of satisfaction unto divine justice but all the corrections and chastisements and terrours and troubles that befall the godly they come from Gods love and from his Fatherly care A Physitian cuts a man and an enemy stabs a man the knife was all alike but to the one it comes from a friend and to the other it comes from an enemy so God doth send afflictions to the godly and to him they come from the hand of a Father and to the other they come as from a Judge there are no judgements are sent upon the wicked but they come in part of satisfaction and divine Justice faith thou must to hell for all those sinnes of thine and I will have something in part of payment before thou come there but to the godly the wrath of God is satisfied to the full and the debt is fully paid and therefore God never layes any thing upon the Saints so much to satisfie divine justice as to correct and amend them Secondly all the punishments and corrections that come upon the godly the Lord so orders and tempers and sweetens them by his saving graces and by the worke of his Spirit that they all worke and turne to their good the love of God is so farre shed abroad into their hearts by the power of Christs merits and so shewed therein that they procure good and comfort to their soules for ever but in the punishments and curses of the wicked they come from under the crosse more hardned and more blinded and more fierce and rebellious against God and his grace but the godly come from under the crosse more holy and more meeke and more patient and reformed in their lives and conversations as it is with the poyson that is taken in hand by a skillfull Physitian hee knowes the nature of it and knowes how to correct it and to take away the malignant qualitie of it either of the cold or of the heat so afflictions of themselves are plagues and judgements and they are able to harden the heart and to blinde the minde this is that Ahaz saith the text even wicked Ahaz this is the punishment and poyson of the wicked and it bringeth punishment upon them it blinds their mindes and hardens their hearts and therefore whensoever a wicked man doth come forth from under the curse he is farre worse than hee was before his heart more dead and more fierce and hee walkes more rebelliously against God and his grace but when they are laid upon the people of God the Lord Jesus Christ takes away the malignant qualitie of them and all the poyson of punishment and povertie and takes away all the venome of sicknesse and disgrace and it is now a preservative and it is good to be afflicted as David saith and to have the poyson thus corrected and to humble him and to purge him and to doe him good in his latter end they are the same in nature that they are unto the wicked but the difference is in the qualitie of them therefore the conclusion is thus much That all afflictions come from the hand of a loving Father upon the godly and though they come in anger to their sinnes yet they worke for their good and salvation Thus much for the point of speculation and for the information of the judgement now let us come home to the affections and cheare up our hearts a little in the application of the point Vse 2 In the second place it is a word of comfort to all you that are beleevers you that have heard the treasures of mercy and the death of our Lord Jesus Christ laid open view them take them all to your selves for your comfort Are your heartâ— perswaded that Jesus Christ suffered all the punishments and drank off all the cup and hath left none for you then me thinkes this may make you goe away cheared there is no death no hell no divine justice for you to undergoe goe your way cheared and so you may for you are delivered from wrath hell and punishment this is an incomparable chearing of soule to all the faithfull of God bee their condition never so meane and their estates never so low come all hither and take that grace and mercy that is purchased and offered in the Lord Jesus Christ Object But me thinkes I heare some beginne to cavill against this truth and say let them take mercy that have a right to it and thanke God for it those that
to be forsaken that we might not be forsaken and to bee condemned that wee might bee acquitted Oh all you stubborne hearts that heretofore have made nothing of the blood of Christ and his honour but though the judgements of God and the hammer cannot breake your hearts yet let this mercy breake you and reason with thy owne heart in this manner and say Good Lord is this possible Lord this is too much for reason cannot reach it nor nature cannot doe it to give himselfe and his life and to bee forsaken and despised that a rebbell and a traitor should be received to mercy certainly I shall love him as long as I live yes and doe so too and seeke to that Jesus Christ and honour him and say for ought I know I may obtaine a part in Christ therefore I will never wrong him nor grieve his good Spirit more The Lord say Amen to the good desires of your hearts that you may stand and wonder at this compassion of the Lord that is out of measure great Vse 4 Hath the Lord suffered all these punishment for us then what shall wee doe for the Lord Jesus Christ returne an answer to the Lord what course you will take to answer the kindnesse of the Lord. When David had received many kindnesses from the Lord he lookes up to Heaven and saith I will love thee dearly O Lord my strength Love is the loadstone of love therefore have love inlarged in this dutie be not scantie in your love but bestow your hearts fully and liberally upon the Lord Jesus Christ and let all returne love to the Lord Jesus Christ and love him in all things by all means and at all times and know that the death of Christ requires this and will call for it I doe not love that a man should give the Lord Iesus Christ a little scanty desire and a few lazy wishes but love him with all thy soule and with all thy strength and say I will love thee dearly Oh Lord my strength when thou dost rise in the morning love Iesus Christ and bathe thy heart in it and when thou art in the way or at thy labour love Iesus Christ that strengthens thee when thou feedest upon the sweetnesse of thy meat thinke upon the sweetnesse that is in Christ and thanke the blood of Christ for all that thou hast in all the riches thou seest and in all the honours thou hast and in all thy friends and means and whatsoever thy heart loves or esteems in that see Christ and in that love Christ why what doth that concerne Jesus Christ I answer it will make it appeare that all that thou hast is from the blood of Christ and the blood of Christ is better than all the blessings you doe enjoy and they are all nothing without this for it is the death of the Lord Iesus Christ that ads a seasoning vertue to all the good things thou hast so that these are not good to us neither doe they worke good to us but that they are given to us in and by the Lord Jesus Christ for were they not given us in Christ there is such venome and gall in our sinnes and the wrath of God it selfe which slides thorow all the good things here below that it makes all the morsels gravell in the belly In a word the blood of Christ takes away the venome and indignation of Gods curse which otherwise would bring a plague upon what wee have and what we doe enjoy how many rich and honourable are there if the Lord let but in a veine of vengeance into their consciences all their riches and honours are base and worth nothing what 's that to me if I bee rich and a reprobate honoured and damned and the wrath of God to pursue me therefore without the death of Christ all these things are but curses to us the world is a prison and the creatures are our enemies and every one of our actions are our witnesses to condemne us and all our comforts are but gall and wormwood to us nay were it not for the blood of Christ your prosperity would be your ruine your beds your graves and your comforts your confusion and therefore that they are not so and that thou hast any comfort from these goe blesse God for it and say Lord it is through thy blood that I have received any blessing upon these blessings Lord I might have drunke the cup of thy wrath when I drunke this beere I might have eaten my bane when I eat my meat I blesse thy Name blessed Redeemer for thy love it is thy blood that hath purchased these things for me if you have received from any thing here below any good at all looke up to Christ and blesse his Name for it and say if this meat be so sweet then what is the blood of Christ therefore love Christ by all means let all your words be words of love and all your labour be the labour of love and all your thoughts bee thoughts of love and muse of love and speake of the treasures of mercy and let all your affections be full of love and all your workes be love and lift up his Name and say all ye that see my conversation that I walke so comfortably blesse his Name for it the blood of Jesus Christ hath done all this for me I was a wretched creature but the blood of Christ hath overpowred this rebellious heart of mine honour him and lift him up and say my heart was hard and filthy and my soule was destitute of all good and my sinnes many yet now I have some evidence of the love of God blessed bee his Name for it the blood of Christ hath done this for me muse of him speake for him worke for him and doe all for him in all miseries and troubles sorrowes and vexations temptations without and terrours within love Jesus Christ therein though these befall thee yet the venome and poyson of them is gone and they are sweetned unto thee thy prison is libertie thy contempt is advancement in all the things thou hast love Jesus Christ that hath procured these and now if you will not love Jesus Christ let mee aske you whom will you love nay whom else can you love answer mee will you love your friends that are deare unto you or your Parents that doe provide for you or your wife that is loving and mercifull to you you will love these as there is good cause you should but love Christ more than all these If you will love a friend or a father then much more Christ that is the Author of all and the continuer and preserver of all a friend would be an enemy but that the blood of Christ frames his heart A wife would rather bee a trouble than a helpe but that the blood of Christ orders her therefore I say with Paul 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee Anathema Maranatha aske your neighbours if they love not the Lord Jesus Christ Let that soule bee accursed untill the comming of Christ to judgement Curse him all yee Angels in Heaven and all yee Devils in Hell Curse him all yee creatures and let this curse remaine upon him untill the comming of Christ unto judgement and let these curses bee sealed downe upon him for ever and when you are come to the end of all this will bee the plague and the curse of all that you had Christ and mercy rendered to you once and you would not receive it therefore since Christ hath thought nothing too good for us even his life and blood and was content to part with the sense and feeling of the sweetnesse of the love of God the Father thinke nothing too good for Christ but love him in all things and by all means the Lord grant wee may FINIS