the life of the Soul shoâ—ld be neglected or not stand in need of renovation But from this Text it is clear that in Conversion the Arm of the Lord must be revealed and that there is a powerful work of Grace that not only presents reasons from the Word to move the Will but really regenerates and renews the Will Now what is for the refutation of it these Errors serves also to confirm us in the Truth of the Doctrine opposite to these Errors 2. It serves to refute something in Folks Practice and that is their little sense of the need of Grace Most part come and hear Preaching as if they had the habit of Faith and as if it were natural to them and pretend to the exercise of Faith never once suspecting their want of Faith nor thinking that they stand in need of such a work of Grace to work it in them as if it were impossible for them not to Believe Hence many think that they have Grace enough and if they Pray it 's that they may do well never minding the corruption of Nature that is in them and indeed it is no wonder that such Persons fall readily into Error when their Practice says plainly they think they have Grace enough already The second Doctrine is That this distinct real inward efficacious powerful work of the Grace of God in Conversion is not common to all the Hearers of the Gospel but is a rare thing applied but to few it 's even as rare as Faith is And what we touched on to evidence the rarity of Faith will serve also to evidence the rarity of this work of Grace in Conversion It 's on as many as are Believers and are saved that the work of Grace is revealed and no moe Jer. 3.14 I will take one of a city and two of a family and bring you to Zion saith the Lord It 's two or three in the corner of a Paroch or in the end of a Town to speak so who are converted and the rest are suffered to ly in black Nature If the reason hereof be erquired after this might be sufficient to stop all Mouths which the Lord gives Mat. 11.28 Even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight It is of the Lord who is Debitor to none and who as it is Rom. 9.15 shews mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens and here we must be silent and lay our hand on our Mouth and answer no more all being found guilty He is just in what He doeth in calling or not calling effectually as He pleâ—seth And yet secondly The Lord hath thought good to call few of many for holy and wise ends As 1. To hold forth His own Soveraignty and that He is free and will walk freely in the dispencing of His own Grace Hence He not only takes few but ordinarily these that are the most mean contemptible silly and in a manner foolish of the multitude of Hearers It is not many noble not many wise according to the flesh not many rich not many learned that He chooseth and converteth very ordinarily He hides His Grace from these It 's but seldom that He calls and takes the stout and valiant Man and the learned Scholler but it 's this and that poor mean Man the Weaver the Shoomaker the simple Plough-man c. whom most ordinarily He calls when He suffers others to continue in their Sin 2. That He may make all the Hearers of the Gospel walk in holy fear and awe of Him He reveals His Grace in few It 's not the multitude that believes but here one and there one that all that have the Offer of Grace may fear lest they miss it and receive it in vain and may be careful to entertain and make right use of the Means of Grace and may withall cherish the Spirit in His motions and not grieve Him O! if ye knew and believed what a rare thing the work of the Spirit of Grace is ye would be feared to quench extinguish or put out any of His motions 3. As to the Godly He does thus To make them admire adore and praise His Grace and the Power of it so much the more The Uses are three 1. It serves to move all to reverence adore and admire the Grace of God and His soveraign way in it Presume not to debate or dispute with Him because there are few that believe and few that He hath determined His Grace for it 's an evidence of His dread a proof of His soveraignty in which he should be silently stooped unto and reverently adored and not disputed with we ought to bound all our reasoning within His good pleasure who might have taken many and left few or taken none as pleased Him And we should not think strange nor fret that the Gospel is powerful but on few here is the reason of it that may quiâ—t us the Lord hath determined effectually to câ—ll but few and yet he will not want one of His own All that the Father hath given to Christ shall come to Him though none come but as they are drawen in A thing that we should be sensible of but yet calm and quiet our Spirits rather wondering that He hath chosen and calleth one then fret because he hath past by many Use 2. The second Use is to exhort you that are Hearers of the Gospel and have not had this distinct and powerful work of Grace begetting Faith in you to be perswaded of this Truth that Faith and the work of Grace is no common thing The most part alace think that they have Grace and that it is not one of many that want it they will readily say it 's true I cannot believe of my self but God hath given me the Grace But I would ask you this question Do you think that Grace is so common a thing that it comes to you and ye never know how or so common that never a Body wants it If not how cometh it then to pass that ye think and speak of Grace as ye do we would think it a great length if many of you could be perswaded of your Gracelesness It 's not our part to point particularly at the Man and Woman though the deeds of many of you say within our Heart that there is no fear of God before your eyes and that many of you think ye have Grace who never had it And therefore we wouâ—d say these three or four words to you 1. Begin and suspect your selves that matters are not right betwixt God and you we bid none of you despair but we bid the most part of you be suspicious of your condition suspect nay be assured that Hypocrisie is not Grace and that your Presumption is not Faiâ—h for if but few get Grace then many should suspect themâ—elves and seing Grace is so rare a thing do not ye think it common 2. Neglect no means that may bring you through Grace to believe but be diligent in the
removing a main obstruction that hinders your Faith and that is the undervaluing of him For if undervaluing of him be the great cause of unbelief and that which mainly obstructs Faith then the esteeming of him from a due impression of his worth must be a great mean of and help to Faith and the more he be esteemed of the more will he be believed on It hath an attractive vertue to draw sinners to love him a screwing vertue to screw up the affections towards him and withal a fixing and establishing vertue to settle and stay the Soul upon him by believing the soul that from the right impression of his worth esteems of him knows that it may lippen to him for he is holy and true And hence it is that the great thing that believers take to ground their prayers upon is some excellency in God some one or other of his Titles and Attributes upon which they fix to bear them up under and against any difficulty that presseth hard upon them This fixes also their hope and expectation of attaining of any good thing that they want through him And therefore upon the one side we would commend to you the study of Christ's worth and upon the other an high estimation of him as that which will fix your Faith and Love and Hope on him This we see to be in a high degree in Paul Philip. 3. I account all things saith he to be but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of him and his transcendent worth ye would not think it lost labour to read and study these places of Scripture that shew what our Lord Jesus is in his Person Nature and Offices that ye may have the Faith of his God-head fixed and may be clear as to the excelling fulness that is in him as namely that of Isai 9.6 To us a Child is born to us a Son is given the government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of whose Kingdom and Government there shall be no end And to study his excellent Properties his Eternity Omnipotency Faithfulness Mercy c. common to him with the Father and Holy Ghost and the excellent qualifications that as Mediator he is replenished with being full of grace and truth and in all things having the preheminency See Col. 1. John 1.14 and Heb. 1.2 3. c. The reason why we press you to this is not only that ye may have more clear Theory and Contemplation But also and mainly that your affections may be delighted in him and that your Faith may without hink or hesitation come to give him credit Ignorance of Christ breeds disestimation and disestimation makes you not to give him credit and thus ye are kept at a distance from him There is no study more pleasant more precious and more profitable There is here then a task for you that ask what ye shall do even to read and study the excellency of Jesus Christ and to labour to have it well fixed in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts It will give you notable direction what to do even that which is well-pleasing to God and may be very profitable to you through his blessing Use 5. See here the great necessity and conveniency of studying the disestimation of Christ that is in us as well as of studying the worth that is in him and what he hath out of love suffered for us These two are put together in the Text it being needful for us to be as well acquainted with the one as with the other We shall give you this use in two short Doctrines The 1. whereof is That it is a necessary duty for the hearers of the Gospel to study throughly and to be convinced of and clear in their disestimation of Christ as well as of his worth and excellency because it maketh up repentance and maketh it flow and thorowly humbleth the sinner when he findeth this desperat wickedness and perversness to be in himself and maketh him kindly to loath and abhor himself and unless this desperat wickedness be seen and felt that great and bitter mourning spoken of Zech. 12.10 will never flow forth The 2. is That where folk have any just estimation of Christ and of his worth and are sensible of the evil of unbelief there will also be some sense of the sin of undervaluing of him and the more sense they have of the evil of unbelief they will be the more sensible of their undervaluing of him And will with the Prophet here cry out He was despised and we esteemed him not And from both these ye may see the necessity of studying to find out this corruption the search and discovery whereof will in-sight you in the evil and perversness of your nature and so deeply humble you and also serve highly to commend Christ and his Grace to you and without the discovery of this corruption it 's impossible ever to be humble thorowly or to have right thoughts of Christ and of his Grace Use 6. It serves to let us see the necessity of believing in Christ and of the imploying of him because there is no other way to be free of the challenges of misprising and not esteeming of him but by receiving of him and believing on him A 7th Use may be added and it 's this That the moe there be that despise Christ and the greater difficulty there be in believing on him the more reason have they to be thankful that he graciously works any suitable estimation of himself in and brings them to believe on him These who have gotten any glimpse of his Glory which hath lifted him high in their estimation to the drawing forth of their faith and love after him would praise him for it It 's he and only he that opened your eyes to see him and gave you that estimation of him and circumcised your hearts to love him let him therefore have all the praise and glory of it This is the Word of God and himself bless it to you through Jesus Christ SERMON XIX ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed THis is a most wonderful Subject that the Prophet is here discoursing of even that which concerneth the sufferings of our blessed Lord Jesus by way of prediction several hundreds of years before his Incarnation It was much that he was to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief But this was more that he was despised and we esteemed him not There is wonderful grace upon the one side that our Lord became so very low and wonderful contempt and enmity on the other side that we despised him and
on this Satisfaction even such a way as procures Justificatâ—on and Healing to them And for your confirmation consider in general if it be possible that this Covenant of Redemption the Sufferings of the Mediator and the Promises made to Believing can be for nought did the Father pursue the Cautioner so hotly for nothing or did the Cautioner pay such a Ransom for nothing no certainly if it had not been to communicate Pardon and Peace with Healing by his Wounds anâ— Stripes to them who were lyâ—â—le to Condemnation and under the dominion of Sin neither of these would have been And therâ—fore for grounds of your Faith more particularly see here 1. A full Satisfaction God hath made way to Sinners Peace with himself by satisfying himself fully in Christ the Mediator for the sins of elect Believers so that a sinner that in the sense of sin betakes himself to him needs not to fear any back-accompts because what ever might make for our Peace was fully said on him so that we may with holy and humble boldness say that we are not come to the mount that might not be touched nor to blackness and darkness tempest and the sound of a trumpet but we are come unto mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling Our invitation therefore to you is not to bid you come and compt for your own Debt your selves but to come and accept of Christs payment of it and of his Satisfaction whereby Justice is compleatly satisfied 2. See here as another ground of Faith the Justice of God not with respect to us but to the Bargain betwixt the Father and the Son who are the principal Parties and we to speak so but Parties accidentally in this Covenant the Covenant being primarly and mainly betwixt God and the Mediator the Justice of it appears in this that it hath respect to a Covenant which is fulfilled on all sides and therefore the Elects believing and taking hold of the Mediators Satisfaction cannot but be accepted as if he had payed the the Debt himself the Father to speak so had the carving of the Bargain and what satisfaction his Justice was to receive to his own mind and as it was Justice on the Sons side to satisfie according to his undertaking so it 's Justice on the Fathers side to pardon and be at peace with the Sinner that by Faith flies unto Jesus Christ 3. See in this Bargain not only Justice but Mercy as its just so it s a graciously free Bargain which is wonderful and may seem somewhat strange if not paradoxal yet it s nothing inconsistent with the way of Grace it 's just that the Cautioner should pay the Debt and yet that Debt is most freely and frankly pardoned as to us it 's Justice in the height as to the Mediator but free Grace as to us in the height we come to it freely and without price though it cost him dear And that is one of the Mediators Undertakings that it should be free to his Seed Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that he who seeth the Son and believeth on him should have eternal life 4. Consider the reality and sureness of the Bargain it is such as it cannot fail having such Pillars to lean on the Faithfulness of God engaged on just and equal terms and the glory of God as the end and having a most necessary and câ—rtain effect to wit Healing to all to whom this soveraign Medicine is applyed This stability and sureness of the Covenant flows from Gods engaging to the Mediator and the Mediators engaging to God from the Mediators satisfying and the Fathers accepting of his Satisfaction which being confirmed by the Blood of the Testator it becomes a Testament which cannot be annulled nor altered or changed And if all this be so let me put the question is there not good ground here to exhort the Hearers of the Gospel to believe in Christ and on Believing to look for Life through him and a most solid ground laid down whereupon to build the hopes of Eternal Life and therefore seing this is the up-shot of all that Life is to be gotten freely by Faith in Jesus Christ improve this way of Salvation for making your Peace under no less certification than this even as ye would eshew reckoning with Divine Justice in your own Persons for the least Farthing of your Debt If it be objected here by any 1. We are at enmity with God and cannot satisfie I answer This Text tells you that satisfaction is not sought from you but from the Mediator who hath already given it and the Father hath accepted it for all such as shall by Faith plead the benefit of it 2. If ye shall say we know not how to win at God we are such as cannot step on foot forward and so very sinful and miserable that we know no such Transgressors and Wretches I answer Was it not for such that the Mediator transacted even for such as we Transgressors Rebels Despisers of him and such as judged him to be smitten and plagued of God If he had been Caution only for righteous Folks there had been some reason for such an objection but it is for Sinners for most hainous Sinners Nay this way of reasoning and pleading says on the matter that Christ needed not have laid down his life 3. If it be said We are so sinful and backsliding so filthy and polluâ—ed that we think we are not within the reach of healing I answer This reasoning would if it held turn in effect to this that ye are not within the reach of Gods Grace and for Christs Satisfaction which is not only injurious but even blasphemous to the Grace of God and to the Satisfaction of the Mediator if your sin be ugly and horrible he suffered horrible Wraâ—h he was wounded bruised chastised c. 4. If it be said further We can do nothing for our selves we cannot come to Christ we know not what it is to Bâ—lieve or if we win to do any thing alace all our Goodness is as the morning Cloud and early Dew that soon passeth away I answer The Covenant is not transacted betwixt God and you but betwixt God and the Mediator and the ground of your Peace as to the procuring cause depends on the Mediators performing his part of the Covenant in your name And further as for your Believing it is a piece of the Fathers engagement to the Mediator and must certainly be made as effectual as the Father must keep his word to the Son according to these Promises of the Covenant I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their minds they shall all know me and they shall be all taught of God And thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the like All these Promises were in the Covenant betwixt the Father
a legal way so as his grace and mercy may be glorified and his justice satisfied hath put it in this form so as it may bear the name of a Covenant Wherein we have 1. Mutual Parties the Lord Jehovah the Party offended on the one side and the Lord Mediator Him the Party engaging to satisfie on the other side Which shews the freeness of the Redemption of the Elect as to them and the certainty of their Salvation And withal the immutability of Gods purpose for the Parties are not mutable Creatures but on the one side Jehovah and on the other side the Mediator though considered as to be Incarnat and the Head of the Elect This whole business bred there to wit in the Council of the God-head for promoving of that great end the glorifying of the Grace and Justice of God in the Elects Salvation 2. Whereabout is it It 's about this matter how to get the Elect saved from the curse to which on their foreseen fall and sinning they were made lyable Redemption necessarily presupposing mans fall and the Covenant of Works to which the certification and threatning was added The soul that sins shall die and the Elect presupposed as fallen as well as others are lyable to that curse except a satisfacton for them do interveen So that the Elect are considered as having sins and as being in themselves lost And what is the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator doing what are they about in this Covenant It 's how to get the punishment due to the Elect for their sin removed from them And these persons us all in the Text are all the Elect wherein there is imlyed a paticular consideration of them that are designed to Life and Salvation and a particular consideration of all their sins and of their several aggravations that there may be a proportion betwixt the price and the wrong that God hath gotten by their sinning against him 3. The occasion of this Covenant and the reason why it behoved to be is holden forth in the first All we like sheep had gone astray and turned every one of us to his own way The Elect as well as otheâ—s had made themselves through their sinning lyable to Gods wrath and curse and they were uncapable of Life and Salvation till the curse was removed And so there is a lett and obstruction in the way of the execution of the Decree of Election which must stand for the Glorification of God's Grace and Mercy primarly intended in all this work and till this lett be removed the Glorification of God's Grace is letted and obstructed For the removal of which obstruction there is a necessity of a Redeemer for the Elect are not able to pay their own debt themselves Now that there may be a Redeemer and that a price of Redemption may be laid down there is also a necessity of a Covenant otherwise the Redeemer cannot be if a Transaction do not preceed on which the Redeemers interposing is founded 4. What is the price what is the stipulation or that which the Mediator is ingaged to and that which provoked Justice required It is even satisfaction for all the wrongs that the sins of the Elect did or were to do to the Majesty of God These sins deserved wounding and smiting and the Capitulation runs on this that Justice shall get that of the Mediator that the Elect may be spared And comparing this verse with the former upon the one side our Lord Jesus gives his back to bear their burden and engages to satisfie for their debt and to undergo the punishment due to them And upon the other side Jehovah accepts of this offer and engagement and lays over the burden of their debt on him As the Mediator instates and inacts himself in their room for payment of their debt so he lays it on him and accepts of it 5. The end of this great Transaction to wit of the undertaking on the Mediators side and of the acceptation on the Fathers side is that the Elect may have pardon and peace and that by his stripes they may be healed That Justice may spare them and pursue him and that the discharge of the debt purchased by him may be made forth-coming to them as if they had payed the debt themselves or had never been owing any thing to Justice Hence Deductions may be made holding forth several points of truth As 1. Concerning the determinatness of the number of the Elect. 2. Concerning the vertue and efficacy of the price which the Mediator hath payed and the fulness of his Satisfaction 3. Concerning imputed Righteousneâ—â— which is or may be called the laying of his Righteousness on us as our Iniquity was laid on him he is counted the Sinner by undertaking our Debt and the Elect by receiving the offered Righteousness in the Gospel are accounted righteous by vertue of his satisfying for their Debt 4. Concerning the ground and matter of wonderful Soul satisfaction and ravishment that it is here that God should be thus minding the salvation of the Elect and thus contriving and ordering the work of their Redemption that their Debt shall be payed and yet nothing to speak so come out of their Purse and that by so excellent a mean as is the intervention of the Mediator and that this shall notwithstanding of the dear price payed by him be made freely forth-coming to the Elect. Use 1. O! Look not on the salvation of Sinners and the bringing of a Sinner to Heaven as a little or a light business and work it 's the greatest work and most wonderful that ever was heard tell of yea it s in effect the end of all things which God hath made and of his preserving and guiding the World in the order wherein it is governed even that he may have a Church therein for the praise of the glory of his Grace we are exceeding far and sinfullâ— wrong in this that we value not the work of Redemption as becomes and that we endeavour not to pry â—nto and take up the admirable love anâ— deep wisdom of God that goes along and shines brightly in this whole contexture who could ever have found out this way when he Elect were lying under Gods Curse and Wrath that then the Son of God should undertake to satisfie for them and that the Majesty of God should be so far from all partiality and respect of Persons that he will pursue his own dear Son for the Elects Debt when he undertakes it This is the rise of our Salvation and the channel wherein it runs O! rare and ravishing O! admirable amiable O! beautiful beneficial contrivance blessed eternally blessed be the contriver Use 2. The second Use serves to stir us up to study to know somewhat and to know more of the way of Salvation under this notion of God's covenanting with the Mediator not thereby to astrict God to mans laws forms but for helping us to the better more easie up-taking of these
undergoing the Curse and Suffering that which the Elect should h ve suffered for It is not the work of a Court to pass a sentence but also to see to the execution of the sentence not only are orders given to the sword to awake and smite but the sword falls on and smites him actually and though from the apprehension of the anger of God as Man and without the sensible and comforting manifestation of his Fathers love and his seemingly forsaking him for a time He prayed Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me yet it will not be and he submits most sweetly to it and not only is the cup put in his hand but the dregs of wrath are as it were wrung out into it and he must needs drink it up all which manifestly kythes in his agony in the garden when he is made to sweat blood and in his complaint if we may so call it My soul is exceeding sorrowful and what shall I say and in these strange words uttered by him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me all which tell us plainly that not only was he enacted Sureâ—y and had the sentence past on him but that really he satisfied and had the sentence executed on him that in his Soul he was really pierced and wounded and that with far deeper wounds then these were which the Souldiers by the spear and nails made in his Body before the Elects discharge of their Debt could be procured and obtained What it was more particularly that he suffered the following words hold out But here it 's clear that he suffered really and suffered much that not only he undertook to pay but that he was actually pursued and made to lay down to the least Farthing whatever was due to Justice by the Elect And this is the cause why these words are brought in as the reason why he suffered so much even because so many and so great sins with all their aggravations were laid upon him and if his sufferings were not great and undergone for this end to satisfy for the Elects Debt that they might be set free the Prophets scope would not be reached neither would there be a suitable connexion betwixt the latter and the foregoing words As for the 2d To wit some Reasons of the Doctrine we shall shortly give you these three why the Elects sins were laid on Christ and put on his account and why he was made to underly the compleat punishment of them by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption 1. Because it did much contribute to the glory of God for he had designed in his eternal Council that his Grace should be glorified in the salvation of the Elect and that his Justice should also be glorified in punishing of sin either in themselves or in their Cautioner and as free Grace and Mercy must be glorious in saving the Elect and Justice in being satisfied for their sins so it 's to that end that since the Elect cannot pay their own Debt that their Cautioner pay it and pay it fully that the Lord in exacting satisfaction from him in their name may be known to be just 2. This way makes much for the confirmation of the Faith of the believing Elect and for their consolation for the confirmation of their Faith for what can Justice demand that it hath not gotten it is fully satisfied and then for their consolation seing the Father put his own Son to suffer and to so great suffering for them what is it that they may not confidently expect from such a Fountain 3. This serves to hold out the wonderful great obligation of the Elect to God and to the Mediator for the greater their sin was the more he suffered the greater their Debt was the more he payed and they are the more in his common and the greater Debters to him and ought the more to love him and their duty for his sake as it is said of the woman Luk. 7. She loved much for much was forgiven her so this way of paying the Elects Debt calls and strongly pleads and also makes way for much warm and tender love in them to Jesus Christ In the 3d. place We come to the Uses of the Doctrine To which I shall premit this word of desire to you That ye would not look on these things as tasteless or unsavoury for had we not had these precious truths to open up to you we should have had no meetings to this purpose no ground to speak of life to you nor any the least hope or expectation of life And indeed it may be sadly regrated that amongst a multitude of professing People these substantial truths of the Gospel are so wersh and little relishing to the most part which too evidently appears in the unconcerned wearying and gazing posture of some in the slumbering sleeping of others in our publick Assemblies If our hearts were in a right frame half a word to say so to this purpose would be a wakening and allaruming to us However this is a great priviledge in it self Heathens may and do know something of moral duties but it 's a priviledge which we have and they want that the fundamental truths of the Gospel are amongst us and not amongst them The 1. Use serves to let us see the brightness of the Glory of Grace and Truth of Mercy and Justice shining clearly here Can there be any greater mercy and more pure mercy than this that the Lord should be gracious to sinners and to great sinners rhat had turned every one of them to their own way in providing a Mediator and such a Mediator in providing such a help for them and laying that help upon one that is mighty and that he should have done this of his own head so to speak with reverence when the Elect were in their sins and when thâ—re was nothing to be the impulsive or meritorious cause of it And that the Father should have laid this weight of punishment on Christ the Son of his love and pursued him at this rate of holy severity for sinners debt O! what grace and mercy shines here And 2. The spotless Justice of God doth also here wonderfully manifest it self O! How exact is Justice when it will not quite a farthing even to the second Person of the Godhead when he became Man and man's Surety But since he hath put himself in the room of sinners The Lâ—ed maketh all their iniquities to meet on him This is matter of admiration to Men and Angels to consider how Justice and Mercy run in one Channel and shine in one Covenant the one of them not incroaching upon the other Use 2. We may gather from this same insight and clearness in the very great sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ For these things are here put together 1. That he suffered for all the Elect Us all 2. For all the sins of all the Elect and for all the sins of all
out his Soul unto death So Psal 89.34 35. Once I sware by my holiness that I will not lie unto David my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And indeed it cannot but be so If we consider either the Person that makes the Promise He is God unchangeable in Himself absolutely faithful and cannot deny Himself Once have I sworn and I will not lie unto David Or the party to whom the Promise is made He is the Mediator God-man in whom the Father is well pleased And the Mediator having performed what He undertook for the Elect There is no ground to question the performance of the promises made to Him Use And it is a very comfortable one look whatever is promised to the Mediator in reference to Particular Privat or Publick Mercies all shall be most certainly and infrustrably performed Christ is the Party to whom the Promises are made and Jehovah cannot fail to perform what is Promised to the Mediator more then the Mediator hath failed in performing what He undertook Now it 's promised to the Mediator Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse from the womb of the morning tbou hast the dew of thy youth Where there are these things promised to Christ 1 That His People shall be made willing in the day of His power which is exponed in that John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him God takes away the stubbornesse and frowardness that is in the Elect and makes them plyable to embrace and receive and give up themselves to Christ 2. That His People shall be numerous the youth of His womb shall be numerous as the dew in the morning 3. They shall be holy and shining in holiness In the beauty of holiness Again it 's promised to the Mediator that all Believers in Him shall be Justified as it 's verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many and this is according to that John 6.39 40. This is the will of him that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should losse none and this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life The poor Sinner that by Faith betakes himself to Gods Promise the Promise cannot fail him because the Mediator is considered as the party to whom the Promise is made and the absolute Salvation and Redemption of Believers is in the same place Promised Though they be in hazard through many Sins indwelling Lusts Tentations and Snares to be drawn away yet they shall have eternal life they shall never perish none shall pluck his sheep out of his band He shall see his seed of all that are given him he shall loss none This would commend believing to us as a sure and sicker bargain because the ground of our Faith is Articled betwixt God and the Mediator and it 's as Impossible that it can fail as it 's impossible that God can be unfaithful and that the Mediator can fail in that He is ingaged Again if ye look to promises of publick mercies as that He shall have a Church in the World and that she shall be continued and preserved c. These Promises shall certainly be performed as that Psal 2.6 I have set my king upon my holy hill of zion ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheâ—itance and the uttermost ends of the eaâ—th for thy pâ—ssession A fruit of which promise is our Preaching and your Hearing the Gospel here this day and the Promises Psal 89. from verse 20. and forward With him my hand shall be established and my arme shall strengthen him the enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him I will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers I will make him my first-born higher then all the kings of the earth my mercy will I keep for him his seed shall endure for ever if his children forsake my law then I will visit their transgression with the rod nevertheless my loving kindness I will not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail There is Hos 3. A promise of the ingathering of the Jews And Isa 9.6 It 's said that The government shall be upon his shoulders and of the increase of his government there shall be no end And Revel 11.15 It is proclaimed The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ All these and many the like Promises shall be accomplished though the World should be turned upside down every moneth once let be every year The ground of the Churches continuance and preservation is not because such and such persons govern otherwayes what would have become of the Church when Antichrist prevailled but the promises made to the Mediator Here lyeth the Christians peace when he hath to do with challenges it 's impossible that the Believer in Christ can perish And here is insured the Churches preservation even by Gods promise to the Mediator that He shall have a Seed and that many shall be Justified that He shall divide the Spoil And though we see but very little appearance of the spreading of the Gospel amongst the Jews and Pagans or where Antichrist reigns the visible Church being now for many years rather incroached upon then extended yet there is not one Word here promised but it shall be accomplished And this is both a ground of our peace and of our confidence in prayer as it is Psal 7.2 Prayer also shall be made for him continually and dayly shall he be praised Two sweet exercises dayly to be praying for that which is in the pattern of prayer Let thy kingdom come and dayly to be praising Him for the coming of His Kingdom But 2ly What is spoken of Christ the Mediators part we take it for granted that there is nothing spoken of but it is or shall be performed The Father ingages to perform to Him whatever Promises are made to Him because He hath performed whatever He undertook and although Isaiah long ere the Messiah came in the Flesh spake of it as a thing done in the preterit or by-past time when as yet it was not actually done yet He doth so because it was as certain as if it had been already done Observe hence That there is no part of Christs undertaking as Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption but it is and shall be actually performed O! but there are two responsal and faithful Par ies in this Covenant it is not God and Adam who brake the Covenant and played the Traitor but it 's God upon the one side and the Mediator Immanuel God with us on the other side Therefore there is faithfulnesse in
repenting and believing he is as welcome to the Father as to the Son but if we consider the sinner â—s not repenting and believing he is so neither welcome to the Father nor to the Son It is true the Son being considered as man there is a sympathy that the Second Person united to our nature hath which is not in God abstractly considered yet this is not so to be understood as if the mercy of the Mediator having the two natures â—o united in his person were of larger extent then the mercy of God or as if he could be merciful when God is not For there cannot be greater mercy then that which is infinit and that is the essential attribut of the Father Son and holy Ghost only this sympathy in the Mediator is to be considered to strengthen and confirm our Faith in our application to God that we have him to approach to in our nature but it is not to give us any new ground of having access easier to Christ then to God but as we said only to confirm our Faith in having access to God Hence it is that Jesus Christ is alwayes propoâ—ed as the midse whereby and through whom a sinner comes to God so that we have access with boldness not to the Mediator as a distinct party but to God through and by him Therefore there is the same common way of application to God and to Christ the same Covenant and Promises the same exercise of Repentance of Faith and of Prayer which gives us access to God and that gives us access to the Mediator 3. Beware of placing this improving and use making of the Mediators Intercession in words or petitions directed to the Mediator which I apprehend is the use that the most part make of his Intercession to put up such Petitions as I am afraid to speak of as namely O! Mediator at the Fathers right hand plead for me as if the Mediator were a distinct party from the Judge to whom we must speak for interceeding with the Judge which still leads us to look on the Mediator as another different party or as having other terms whereupon he dealleth with Sinners or as if there were another way of making use of him and of application to him And on other grounds then of and to God The contrary whereof we have shewed whereas the use making of his Intercession consists rather as after will appear in Faiths application to God in him and laying weight on his Intercession for access and acceptance of our persons and services when we make it the ground of our adress to God the ground on which we draw near and this we may and should do when we name Christ or pray to him as God with respect to his Office of being Intercessour even as when we look to him by Faith to get sin pardoned there is a looking to him as God with respect to his offering and satisfaction to the justice of God on which account we expect to be pardoned But 2ly to explicat this a little more we shall shew wherein this exercise of Faith in making use of the Mediators Intercession doth mainly consist And for the more clear following forth thereof we shall speak to these Two 1. To somethings presupposed 2 To some things wherein more properly it consists To both which we would premit this word that when we speak of making use of Christs Intercession there are Two extreams to be avoided One is when persons go to God miskening Christ and do all that they do as if they were constantly friends with God and in good terms with him and had need of none to make their peace or to keep up and maintain their peace with God which is in effect the way laid down in the Covenant of Works when Adam was a friend Another extream is in the defect and that is when persons go to God by Christ yet do not lay weight on his Intercession as becomes when not only they want confidence which the other hath though on a wrong ground but do not lay the burden on the right ground but go to God faintingly and discouragedly as fearing to trust or lippen to Christs Intercession There is necessity to guard against both these For there must be such an use-making of Christs Intercession as we dare not go by him and yet a concurring act of Faith puting us to go to God by him and to lay the weight of what we seek and expect on him and on his Intercession Now the things that are presupposed to the use-making of Christ's Intercession guard against the first extream and these things wherein the use making of it properly consists guard against the other extream First Then these things presupposed are 1. A conviction of our natural sinfulness not only of the distance that is betwixt God and us but of the quarrel and enimity and that by our deserving we may justly have the door of access to God shut upon us That is it that puts the sinner to ask for an Intercessour to make use of him â—s these who have provoked a great person fear to go their alone to him but seek for the Mediation of some special friend or favourit 2. There is presupposed a consenting to and acceptation of Christs Satisfaction as the ground of our peace with God For there is no access to his Intercession till this ground be laid because all the efficacy that is in Christs Intercession results from and is sounded upon his Satisfaction 1 John 2.2 If any man sin we have anâ—â—vocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins He procures nothing by his Intercession but through the vertue of that blood which he offered in a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice and therefore in improving of his Intercession this method must be followed There must first be a betaking of our selves to his Satisfaction as the ground of our peace and whereupon we plead for peace and for any other thing that we stand in need of except this be all the imaginations that we can have of Christs Intercession as if we would first prevail with Christ conceiving that he will soon be ingaged and then have hopes of prevailing with God if his Satisfaction be miskent will be to no purpose For as we shew in the First use of this point He interceeds only for his own people who are believers in him and have closed with his Satisfaction and as we shew from Revel 8. It 's only the prayers of all Saints that are offered up by him I mean none can comfortably conclude that he interceeds for them but Believers and Saints And therefore till his Satisfaction be relied on as the ground of our peace we can look for â—o benefit by his Intercession 3. There is beyond this required the conviction and impression of our own unâ—uâ—â—ablenesse to keep up friendship and fellowship with God through our remaining corruption and the prevailing of tentation
for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies That is an improving aright of Christs intercession not to pray directly to him as a distinct party but to pray for mercy upon the account of his Intercession For what is for mercies sake in the latter is for the Lords sake in the former viz. because by him and by vertue of his Intercession mercy comes out unto us And this is a main use to be made of Christs Intercession to wit to have upon that ground an expectation of a hearing or to found our expectation of a hearing on that account and let it bear the weight of it as well it can 3. The right improvement of Christs Intercession hath this act of Faith That although there seem to be many difficulties and long off puting yet Faith upon the account of his Intercession will continue it's expectation of a hearing and it's looking for of what the person hath sought and stands in need of whatever cross dispensations thwart it's expectâ—tion and whatever signes of anger appear in the way of it's obtaining it waiâ—s on for all that Though Jonah be in the belly of the Wâ—ale and the weids wrapped about his head yet will he look towards his holy Temple So though a Soul have no life nor sense no inward â—â—isting nor arguments in the mouth yet acting on Christs Intercâ—ssion by Faith it will not leave nor give over it's suite considering that though it hath no ground of expectation of good from it self yet from Christs Intercessiâ—n it hath which is the improvement of that Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him c. If there were never so strong objections from unbelief and carnal reason and if it should be suggested ye have such and sâ—ch difficulties that cannot be overcome lying in the way of your Salvation and there is nothing in you concurring to make out your Salvation yet Faith sayes He is able to save to the uttermost or as the word iâ— he can save to the full or to the yond mosâ—â— and what is the ground because he ever lives to make intercession And this is the main thing to be taken notice of in improving of his Intercession when the sinner hath presented his suit or request to God through the Mediator to get his mind quieted on the account of Christs Intercession that it shall be answered even as a man who having a Cause to plead and geting an able Advocat who sayes to him I will warrand your cause quiets himself because of his undertaking So proportionably there is a weight laid on Christs Intercession by Faiths lippening to him which maketh the Soul to be without anxiety And this continued act of Faith doth not at all foâ—ter sin but strengtheneth rather to oppose sin quiets the mind and makes more humble and keeps a tranquillity in the Soul in bands as well as in liberty because it layes the weight of it's coming speed with God not on iâ—'s own argumenting but on the Mediators Intercession For as we shew from Revel 8. The prayerâ— of all Saints go up from his censer the weakest as well as the strongest because it 's his incense that makes them savoury 4. There is an improvement of Christs Intercession when any thing is obtained whether it be a mercy in preventing such and such a stroak or the bestowing of such and such a favour and that is when Faith derives not that mercy from nor attributs it to it 's own praying though it did pray and pray somewhat seriously but derives it from and attributs it to the vertue and efficacy of Christs Intercession and counts it self obliged to that as the rise of all the persons good and again by him returning thanks to God for it And this is a little proof of improving Christs Intercession Sometime when we want what we would have and are restrained we will improve all means to obtain yet when we have obtained there is but little acknowledgment of him therein which acknowledgment is our duty insinuat John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son And in this sense we ought to walk in the use of every mercy as beâ—â—iâ—g the acknowledgment of Câ—â—ists Intercession and to be affected with love to God and should withal have a new impression of it's obligation to be forthcoming for God upon the account of his Intercession Whereas the most part of foâ—k take their mercies and think not themselves to be in his common for them neither do they own him with thankful acknowledgment of them when they have gotten them even as a man who had gotten a favour through the mediation of another and should forget him would be very ingrate The making use of Christs Intercession in this respect is the improving of it for the awaking of our thankfulnâ—ss and the confirming of our obligation to him If we look through our life is there any day or hour but we will need something and be injoying something and the improving Christs Intercession thus would make the thoughts of Christ always fresh and lovely to us but we seek and get and enjoy as if a Mediator were not in heaven but as we acknowledge him in praying to him when we have need so when any thing is gotten we should acknowledge that we have received it and do enjoy it on the account of his Intercession who obtained it for us 3dly We said That this may be illustrat by similitudes And there are these Three whereby it may be illustrat The 1. is if we may call it a similitude the comparing of the use-making of his Intercession with the use-making of his Satisfaction wherein there is a resemblance we make use of his Satisfaction when we are convinced of our natural sinfulnesse and enimity and that we cannot make our own peace our selves yet hearing of his Satisfaction and having an offer of it and believing that His able to do our turn we hazard 〈◊〉 that ground to close with God in the Covenant And through the sense of peace come not for a long time yet we with confidence wait for it because the ground we lean on for it cannot fail proportionably to this we 〈◊〉 use of Christs Intercession when under a challenge we are convinced of a 〈◊〉 and daâ— not approach to God yet hearing tell that there is an Intercessouâ— in heaven who will undertake for them that imploy him we hazard confidently on that ground to propose our suits unto God and notwithstanding of difficulties expect and wait for an answer It may be Objected here that it seems there is no difference betwixt the improving of his Satisfaction and the improving of his Intercession Answer There is no difference in respect of the things fought nor in respect of the acts of Faith whereby we make use of the one and of the other nor in respect of the grounds whereupon