thing as should bee called God-Man and is really and verily God and man together in one I say this is the greatest wonder that ever was in the world that the Divine and humane Nature should bee joyned together that wee should have a Saviour that is as verily man as God and as verily God as man that those two Natures the Nature of God and the nature of man should come together in one that were so distant before one from another this is a wonder beyond all sense and reason and wee had need have a Prospective-glass of God to bee able to see indeed any thing into it wee can easily beleeve wee think that Christ was God and man every childe can do so when you ask your children what Christ was you teach them that hee was both God and man I but I appeal to you when were your hearts taken with this as the geatest wonder in the world that there should bee ever such a thing as God and man in one and that to be the Savior of mankinde That man that is miserable should look up to God to save him look up to the mercy of God this were not so wonderful but that miserable man must bee saved by one that is God-Man Man and God this is that that except the Spirit of God that searches the deep things of God as you had it before reveal it unto a man it were impossible for man ever to have such a thought as this is and indeed the setting out of this so great a mystery is one great argument that the Scriptures are Divine for it is too high a thing to have entred into the thought of a creature I say too high a thing that ever a creature should have such a thought that the saving of man must bee by Gods being man it cannot bee imagined how such a thought could have come into a creature to bee verily man I say this argues the Scripture to bee from God it is too great a mystery for any creature ever to have imagined or thought of it is that that is the stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles but the power and glory of God to those that shall bee saved If God should have put this unto us and said Well I am inclined to do good to you and willing to save you but know your estate is such as you can never bee saved except there bee such a Saviour such a Mediator for you as must bee God and man both why certainly both Angels and Men would have stood amazed at this and have concluded that the estate of Man-kinde is desperate then if so bee that the estate of man that is fallen from God and hath sinned against him bee such as there is no way to deliver one soul from eternal condemnation and eternal wrath but by such a Saviour as must bee both God and man I say All Angels and Men would have even concluded then man must perish for ever but it is God the Wonder-woâ—king God that hath wrought thus for Mankinde which hath sent us such a Saviour as is both God and Man Surely then his Name may bee called Wonderful Christ is wonderful in his Person But Secondly Here is a greater wonder than that God is God and man God and man you will say that may bee hee hath come in the similitude of flesh and hath taken the shape of man some kinde of union there may bee between the Divine and humane Nature but consider this second Wonder hee is not onely God but a second Person in Trinity Consider these two things in the Person of Christ First He is to be looked at not meerly as God but as God the second Person of the Trinity and this is a great wonder in Christian Religion for it was little known before Wee read but little in the Old Testament about the Trinity onely in Christ the Trinity comes to bee known when wee are in streights wee will cry to God that made the heavens and earth to bee a Saviour but for us to know that wee must bee saved by God in the Second Person that is the character and ingraven form of his Image the Son of God and yet so the Son of God as hee is Co-eternal with his Father equal with his Father as the Scripture speaks and so God the Second Person in Trinity as yet hee is of the same Nature that his Father is of the same God and yet the Son of God the consideration of the mystery of the Trinity that appears in Christ is a great wonder above reason that wee may adore it but search into it wee are not able And then the second thing to bee considered in his Person is this That hee is not only God and man but God and man hypostatically united the union of the Natures that these Natures should bee united both in one Person this is the great wonder in Christian Religion There are two principal Wonders in Christian Religion I beseech you consider aright of them The first is divers Persons in one Nature 2 Wonders in Christian Religion The second is divers Natures in one Person These are the two Wonders in Christian Religion First divers Persons in one Nature and that is the wonder of the Trinity for there you have but one Nature the Divine Nature but three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost and that is a Wonder that the Heathens knew nothing of and was little known till Christ came And the second Wonder in Christian Religion is divers Natures in one Person that is in Christ Christ is God-man but one Person united hypostatically now to search into this that the same Person that is God is man and how the humane nature subsists in the Deity and hath no subsistence at all in its self but in the Deity how this is onely the Scripture reveals it to bee so but how it is I say is too deep a sea for any creature to wade into wee must stand and admire it and adore God in it that hath revealed this as the object of our faith but to bee able to search how such a thing can bee that that union can bee in one person this is that that is a wonder above all admiration Indeed it is one of the most wonderful works that ever God did in the world to unite two such creatures that seemed to bee of such distant Natures as the body of man and the Soul of man in one Person to unite a peece of earth and a peece of flesh to such a glorious thing as a rational immortal soul is the union of these two together in one person is the greatest work for the works of Nature that ever God did in the world David saw his body wonderfully and fearfully made but certainly the union of the body and soul the soul being of the same nature with the Angels that it should bee united with the body to make but one Person this is a
great wonder in the works of Nature But to unite the second Person in Trinity to the nature of man not to the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 for so the Scripture saith Christ did not take upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham for if Christ would have been united to another nature one would have thought it should have been to an Angelical nature but to refuse that and take mans nature and unite it in one Person that so it should bee said that that Person that is God the same Person is man Here is the great Wonder in Christian Religion the Personal union of the Natures of Christ and indeed from hence many wonderful things will arise As from hence that same Person that was the Creator of all the world was a creature the same Person I do not say the same Nature this is the wonder in Scripture And hee the same Person that is the Lord of Man-kinde yet is the Son of Man the Son of Man and yet the Lord of Mankind The same Person that is Eternal Immortal yet hee dyed so the Scripture saith They crucified the Lord of glory What can God that is the Lord of glory that made heaven and earth the Eternal God whose Name alone is excellent can hee bee crucified yet that Person that was the Lord of glory whose Name alone is glorious that Person was crucified but suffered in his humane nature whatsoever Christ did suffer in his humane nature it may bee said that that Person that was God did suffer though not the Divine Nature the Divine Nature could not suffer but the same Person that was God as well as man hee did suffer it is the Scripture phrase clearly and I might give you many Texts of Scripture to shew you that that person that was God suffered but that is enough They crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But you will say to what great purpose is it for us to understand this that Christ was God and man in one Person is it not enough to understand that hee was God and man what need wee look so much at the union of the two Natures My brethren Know that there is a great deal in this in knowing the union of the two Natures It is of marvellous use unto you for the helping of your faith to know not onely that Christ had those two Natures but the union of those two Natures You will say How may it help our faith Thus because hereby you may see that whatsoever Christ did or suffered though but in his humane nature yet it was of infinite value and efficacy and the infinite value and efficacy of what Christ did and suffered doth arise from the union of the two Natures because it was that Person that was God did such things and suffered such things I remember I my self once knew a very godly man in the time of his sickness was in a great Agony under a very great temptation and at Mid-night sent a mile or two for a Minister and hee comes to him and this was his temptation Fearing hee should dye A temptation of the Devil to a godly man and the Devil came with this temptation Why thy sin doth deserve an infinite punishment thou hast sinned against an infinite God and thou dost deserve eternal death but Christ in whom you have trusted hee being man and suffering onely in his humane nature hee could suffer onely that that was finite and his death was but a few dayes a day or two how can he by suffering that that was but finite by induring a little while pain upon the Cross and by being under death but a day or two how can hee deliver you from an infinite suffering and from eternal death This was the temptation that lay upon him and hee was in a most lamentable agony of spirit upon this temptation but now in his calling to minde this that though Christ in his humane Nature was but finite and that that hee suffered could bee but finite yet because his humane nature was united in one Person unto the Divine Nature hence what the humane nature did suffer though finite came to bee of infinite value and worth and though his death that hee was under was but for a day or two yet it was of merit sufficient to ransome from eternal death because the Person that was God as well as man was under the power of death and by recalling what hee had heard heretofore about Christ being God and man in one Person hee came to bee eased and the Temptation began to vanish and the truth is there is no way that I know of to satisfie ones heart and conscience in the sufficiency of Christs merits but in this that it was the merit of him that was both God and man in one Person It is true those that do not see a necessity of an infinite merit they can easily satisfie themselves and say they beleeve in Christ Jesus that dyed for them I but how canst thou tell that this death of Jesus Christ is of infinite merit to satisfie the infinite Justice of God that requires satisfaction for thy sin Why God hath so appointed it and I hope in God it is so but if thou canst see the ground of this that will bee a marvellous help to thy faith that thou canst look upon thy Mediator as God and man in one Person and therefore thou canst look upon whatsoever hee hath done or suffered as of infinite value and so thou canst present it with boldness unto God The right understanding of Christ thus will help us to honour Christ much and will make him to bee a further object of our faith Thus Christ is wonderful in his Person in his Person as relating to God the Father the second Person in Trinity So in his Person that is his humane and Divine Nature united into one Person Christ Wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation Thirdly Well may hee have this Title of Wonderful seeing hee is such a one as hee is thus opened unto you But thirdly Christ his Name is wonderful hee is wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation Christ hee is God and man but how came Christ to take mans nature upon him it was a wonderful and a strange kinde of way that the second Person in Trinity came to take our nature upon him it was by being conceived by the Holy Ghost by being born of a Virgin Christ was man and came from man but not by man the way of Christs generation it is wonderful Oh who can declare it Wee ordinarily can say â—sa 53.8 wee do beleeve that Christ was born of a Virgin born of the Virgin Mary who cannot repeat his Creed but I appeal to you when were your hearts ever taken with the wonderful work of God in the Incarnation of Christ that way of being born of a Virgin God faith that hee will do a great and marvellous thing Isa
typifie that Christ as hee was man hee had no Father and as hee was God hee had no Mother and hee had no beginning in his Priestly office it was from everlasting and it shall indure to everlasting So hee is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck and not after the Order of Aaron 2 And in the next place All the Priests in the Law did typifie Christ and all did cease in him certainly hee must needs bee a great High Priest that was typified by them and in whom all ceased and vanished As when the Sun arises the light of the stars doth no more appear there was no further Priesthood when Jesus came and took that Office to himself in his humane Nature in this world 3 But further Christ is wonderful in his Priest-hood in this that hee had no need to offer for himself as others had for hee was blameless and without sin 4 Yea and consider what Christ offered and there you shall see him wonderful the Offering that Christ offered it was the blood of God I say it was that that wee may call safely according to Scripture language the blood of God and that will not seem to bee a hard expression if wee understand what the personal union of the two Natures are in Act. 20.28 faith the Apostle to the Church of Ephesus Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his own blood These kinde of phrases wee have that come from the Personal union of the two Natures so that the blood that Christ did shed and offer unto God as a Sacrifice for the sin of man it is that that the Scripture calls the blood of God Now the blood that other Priests did offer was the blood of Goats and Bulls and Lambs and Kids but now what a wonderful Priest have wee that comes to offer Sacrifice to the Father for us and comes to offer blood that is the blood of God Hee is wonderful in his Priestly Office in regard of his Offering 5 Further from this follows that Christ offered a Sacrifice unto God that was sufficient to satisfie God for all the wrong that ever was done him by mans sin they offered poor things unto God you know in the time of the Law things that were worthless But now the Sacrifice that Christ offered unto the Father when hee that High Priest came to offer it was a Sacrifice that did satisfie Gods infinite Justice did make up all the wrong that all the sins of the Elect had ever done to God it was that that infinite Justice said it was well-pleased withall It was worth all that Christ did render it up to his Father for not onely a Sacrifice that was a sweet savour because God would bee pleased to accept of it but a Sacrifice that had in its self such a savour that could not but bee sweet in the nostrils of God the Father for it did fully satisfie the Justice of God the Father for the sins of mankinde here is a wonderful High Priest now that hee should come and offer such a Sacrifice that should bee of such infinite merit and worth as it was 6 Yea and hee was wonderful because that hee did offer himself not onely his blood but himself soul and body hee made himself a Sacrifice none of the Priests did so in the time of the Law was there ever heard of such a Priest that came to offer sacrifice that did offer himself for such as hee would make attonement for Jesus Christ hee was anointed by God the Father as a Priest of his Church to offer sacrifice now hee must have so nothing to offer and Christ saw that whatsoever hee could offer if so bee that hee had offered that that had been the worth of Heaven and Earth whatsoever it had been it could never have been an Attonement for those souls which hee did undertake for therefore Christ offers himself as there is nothing but God can bee a satisfying portion to an immortal soul so no sacrifice but Christ himself could bee a Sacrifice to pacifie Gods wrath for the sins of mankinde if Christ should have said Father Thou hast made mee Lord over all the world and I will give it all for a Ransome for the soul of this poor sinner God would have said It will not do it but it must bee thy self I and Christ yeelds to it A body hast thou prepared mee Isa 53.10 And bee made his soul an offering for sin And a body hast thou prepared for mee both body and soul of Christ was offered to God the Father for a sacrifice that hee might smell a sweet savour of rest even concerning us who are wicked and wretched sinners Either Christ must offer himself soul and body to bee a Sacrifice for thy sin or else thy soul and body must have been offered as a sacrifice to Gods Justice and then it must eternallâ— have been under the stroke of Gods Justice but to that end to free that soul and body of thine if thou beest a beleever to free thee from the eternal Justice of God therefore Christ did offer his soul and body as a sacrifice to his Father 7 And yet further Christ was wonderful in his Priestly Office for hee was not onely the Sacrifice but the Altar It would bee wonderful to hear of a Priest that should offer himself but the Priest to bee the Sacrifice and the Altar too that should sanctifie the Sacrifice it is a greater wonder and because this expression seems to bee very hard I take this out of Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God he offers his body and soul as it were upon his Divine Nature that as the Altar did sanctifie the Offering so the Divine Nature of Christ did sanctifie the offering of his Humane Nature so that he indeed became both the Altar and the Sacrifice 8 And then further Christ is wonderful in his Priestly Office and that is in this That he offered but one Sacrifice and at one time now the Priests in former time they offered many Sacrifices and they offered often but now if you would read of Christs Priestly Office read especially the seventh eighth and ninth Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews and there you shall have as much almost as in all the Scripture besides of the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ The Priests in the Law they offered often but Christ offered but once and having but once offered hee sits down in glory upon his offering of himself but once before the Father it was available for ever for so the Scripture tells us in divers places of the Hebrews and hee was able to save to the uttermost upon his once offering of himself And then further Christ is wonderful in his Priestly Office in this which
many Miracles and saith he Josephus Antiq. B. 18. e. 4 If it be lawful to call him a Man He was afraid to call him a man because of the wondrous things that he did But if any of you say How shall wee bee able to know certainly the truth of all those Miracles that hee did wee read in the Gospel how great things Christ did how he cast out Devils and cured the Blinde and Lame and raised up the Dead and the like but how can we know the truth of them For the answer of that Austine hath this Either all those things are true or they are not true if they be then hee is confirmed to be the Messias but if they be not true then saith he this is the greatest Miracle of all that such a supernatural Doctrin as that is to beleeve in him that was crucified to save the World and for men to venture their souls and eternal estates upon this without having this to bee confirmed by Miracles at first this is the greatest Miracle of all but we will passe by that only note it as we goe that Christ was wonderful in all the Wonders that hee wrought while he lived Christ wonderful in his Glorious indowments and excellency of his Person But further Christ he is the Wonder of the World in regard of those glorious endowments and excellencie of his Person those Personal endowments and excellencies that he had and herein he is the Wonder of the World Now the endowments and excellencies of Jesus Christ they are great and glorious Thou art fairer than the children of men It is he that received the Spirit without measure it is he that had the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge dwelling in him bodily and he must needs bee the Wonder of the World that Scripture in the second of the Colossians doth shew unto us what a wonderful Saviour we have it is such an expression that had wee not had it from the Holy Ghost we should never have dared to have ventured upon it as in Col. 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and then in vers 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily what an high expression is here All the fulnesse of the God-head doth dwell bodily in Jesus Christ surely he hath excellent endowments then he is filled with glorious things his Human Nature is elevated and inlarged to the highest capacity that a Creature can have to receive excellency And God hath raised up the Humane Nature of Christ to shew how high he is able to elevate a Creature and make it capable for the receiving of Glory that he might declare it to Angels and Saints to all eternity I say mans nature is raised to that height that God might to all eternity make known to the Angels and Saints this thing and say Behold to what a height is mine infinite power able to raise a Creature to be capable of happinesse Therefore Christs Human Nature is so raised and our nature in him which should be a wonderful comfort to us that our nature should be raised to so much glory in Christ And a great argument to us to take heed of the abuse of Humane Nature of thy Body and of thy Soul oh that ever any one should bee given up to that sottishnesse that is a man that hath Humane nature in him that should look after no greater good than meerly to eat and drink and play and satisfie his lust dost thou know oh Creature that thy nature is raised to such an height of excellency that God might declare to Angels and men what his power was able to doe and shalt thou that hast the same Nature that art a kin as it were to Christ shalt thou bee so base and vile to mind thy filthy and base lusts and mind no higher good than this the very thought of the raising our Nature in Christ it is a mighty argument to raise up the thoughts of one that is a man to a higher pitch than ever they have been think thus certainly my nature is capable of some higher good than meerly to ear and drink and play and to have a little Mony here for a while why now that shewes the personal excellency and endowments of Christ in general that all the fulness of the God-head doth dwell bodily in him and therefore Christ hee is called the Character and the ingraven form of the Image of God in the first of the Hebrews it is not said so of man though man be said to be made according to Gods Image yet it is never said of him That he is the brightnesse of Gods glory and the expresse Image of his Person so as it is said of Christ and in the Colossians you have mighty high expressions about the Personal excellency of Christ Chap. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature and then he is the beginning of all things ver 18. He is the Image of the invisible God as God and man for so I must speak of him he is the Image of the invisible God in another manner and more fully than any creature is or possibly can be for Jesus Christ take him God and Man he hath the very character and ingraven form of whatsoever glory there is in the Father I say take him as God and Man as thus hee hath an omnipotency in him therefore it is said in the third of the Philippians latter end Who shall change our vild bodie that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body how according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Now this is a great Mystery of godlinesse that God-Man should have an Omnipotency in him and then likewise he hath the expresse Image of all the knowledge of God for as he is God-man he is made the Judge of all the World and hee will bee the Judge not meerly as he is God but as God and Man now seeing hee is the Judge of all the World hee must have an infinite knowledge he must know the hearts of men and all the works of men and he must have an infinite Holinesse and Justice that must judge all the World And thus God-man hath an expresse Character of the Attributes of God which none else hath and then he hath an expresse character of the Immensity of God If you speak of his Body it cannot be every where but God-Man is in all places thus you have it in the third of John vers 13. it is a very strange expression and it can never bee understood but by understanding the personal union of the two Natures Why at that time hee was speaking to them there upon the earth and yet saith hee The Son of man which is in heaven At this time hee that is the Son of man is in heaven his body could not bee in two places at once but God-man was then in heaven Thus
you see the excellency of Christ in being the character of the Father and having the Divine Attributes in him in another manner than any creature in the world could have that is a meer creature 2 And then further this personal excellency of Christ will appear when wee consider how Christ comes to have those excellencies that hee hath them all by vertue of the personal union The humane Nature alone it is but a creature if you take it distinct But now this humane nature is filled with all excellency from the Father and indeed the Father is the fountain of all firstly these excellencies that Christ hath they come from the personal union immediately now God unto other creatures gives them as it were of bounty out of himself hee doth confer from himself hee puts forth an act of power for the bestowing of such and such excellencies upon such creatures but when the humane nature of Christ was to bee filled with such excellencies it is by taking of the humane nature of Christ into himself as wee say concerning sight Philosophers have a dispute whether it bee by taking in the species or by sending out something from the eye This may a little resemble this great mystery there are some things that God bestows by sending out from himself other excellencies hee bestows by taking in to himself Now all other creatures Angels and men but onely the humane nature of Christ have all the excellency that they have by Gods sending out from himself but now all the indowments of Jesus Christ and all his excellencies hee hath them all from God taking of him into himself that is in a pesonal union not taking him into communion with himself as his Saints but taking him into a personal union and so comes to have all excellencies in another manner than any other creature can possibly have Thirdly Christ is wonderful take him God and man in this That all his personal excellencies that hee hath depend upon himself hee is Independent the excellency that Christs humane nature hath it is I say Independent in this that is it depends upon his person there is no dependence of the excellency that Christ hath but upon the very person of Christ himself all depends upon him for hee saith of himself That hee hath life in himself so you have it in Joh. 5. Joh. 5.27 it is spoken concerning Christs excellency there For as the Father hath life in himself so hath hee given to the Son to have life in himself Indeed the Son is from the Father by an eternal generation but now though hee bee firstly from the Father yet now the Son hath life in himself yea and eternally hee had life in himself and so what excellency the humane nature hath it doth depend upon its own person which is a higher and a more glorious way of having excellency than it is possible for any thing else to have 4 And then in the fourth place hence Christ even God man hee comes to bee worthy of Divine honour Divine honour is due to Jesus Christ that is God-man there is no creature can partake of Divine honour by coming never so near to God but onely the humane nature of Christ being personally united Let a childe of God a Saint bee never so holy because hee comes to partake of so much excellency of holiness hee is not therefore to partake of Divine honour nor an Angel but now Christ God and man the very humane nature joyned with the Divine in one personal union comes to share in the Divine honour that is due to him both God and man and it is a wonderful Work of God to bring that that is in its self but a creature to come to have a share in Divine honour 5 And then Christ is wonderful in this that hence hee is an infinite object of the Delight of his Father not onely as hee is eternally begotten of the Father but as hee is both God and man Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I am pleased fully in him Jesus Christ is an object even adequate to the very heart of God the Father Oh how should wee take content in him certainly if hee bee so excellent as hee is as to give full satisfaction to God the Father then hee may very well give full satisfaction to your souls Yea and God the Father manifests his satisfaction so fully in him that hee hath made him to bee heir of all things Heb. 1.2 and therefore hee is said to bee the beginning of all things all do subsist by him Yea and further there is that satisfaction that the Father hath in him that God the Father did make all things for his sake I say all things in the world are made for the sake of Jesus Christ Angels are made for his sake and this world and seas all the work that ever God did or will do to all eternity it was for the sake of Jesus Christ that God the Father might honour himself in Jesus Christ that Text is very full for that and wee need no more in Col. 1.16 All things were created by him and for him So that God hath a higher end in creating the world than you think for God did not onely create that hee might manifest that hee was a mighty God and merciful and bountiful and the like but God had a higher end when hee made the world it was to advance his Son when hee made the Angels God would never have made them but for the honour of his Son Oh what infinite cause have wee to honour Jesus Christ Oh how happy are they that live to the honour of Jesus Christ by whom God may have glory beyond a natural way did you consider this that you were made for the honour of Jesus Christ and the honour that God the Father would have from you is this that you should live to the honour of his Son and all other honour that you give unto God except it bee in order to his Son it is not accepted I say whatsoever honour any man or woman doth endeavour to give to God is not accepted of him but in relation to the honour of Jesus Christ therefore if you look at God in a meer natural way and honour and worship him never so much as the heathens did all this would not do but now that honour that God hath in reference to his Son when a poor sinner is sensible of the breach that sin hath made between him and the infinite God and comes to see Jesus Christ and seeks to advance Jesus Christ by faith I saith God here is the honour that I would have And therefore when all the elect ones that were given to Jesus Christ to redeem when they are all converted and brought to Jesus Christ the world will fall about our ears why because saith God I have the end that I made the world for and now I have brought in all
come out from them and this was a great incouragement unto them to expect mercy from God because they were a people that the Lord would bring the great Saviour of the world out of And then thirdly That by the propounding of so great a mercy as Jesus Christ should bee to the world they might hereby have a help to their faith that surely God would not deny them lesser mercies what great matter was it for them to expect from God deliverance from some outward affliction when as God makes known unto them that love and that infinite compassion those tender bowels of his even to send his own Son into the world for them And then fourthly It was to teach them this that the way of deliverance from any outward affliction it was to exercise their faith upon Christ the Messia that was to come the Lord would teach his Church when it was in afflictions not so much to bee looking at the present affliction that was upon them and so to seek for outward help and means of deliverance but would have them exercise their faith upon the Messia that was to come though many hundred years after and this exercise of faith was so pleasing to God as it was the onely means or the chief means of deliverance from all outward afflictions Nay saith God if so be that they will relye upon mee and exercise their faith upon that great promise of mine to send my Son into the world as for their deliverance out of these outward troubles and afflictions it shall bee but a little matter for mee to do that for them ordinarily when wee are exercised with outward afflictions wee onely think of some natural helps and comforts contrary to those particular afflictions that are upon us whereas the way indeed for us to sanctifie Gods Name to do that that is acceptable to God when any outward affliction befalls us it is presently to exercise our faith upon the great promise of God in Jesus Christ upon the great Covenant of Grace that God hath made with us in him upon that great mercy of God in sending his Son into the world my condition is very sad and I am grievously afflicted I but surely that mercy that would send Jesus Christ into the world that mercy is enough to deliver mee out of any affliction or at least to bless it to mee therefore do not onely cry to God when you are sick or in trouble to deliver you from it but labour to exercise faith upon the Covenant of Grace in Christ upon that glorious mercy of God in his Son that is the way that God would have us to sanctifie his Name in And that is the reason why in times of great affliction there were such clear Prophesies of Jesus Christ as here in my Text For unto us a childe is born unto us a Son is given and his Name shall bee called Wonderful Counseller c. Now in this latter part of this verse wee have Christ set out unto us in five notable and famous Titles of his His Name is 1. Wonderful 2. Counseller 3. The Mighty God 4. The Everlasting Father 5. The Prince of Peace I intend onely to speak of the first His Name shall bee called Wonderful because I would have some kinde of proportion between what I have presented to you about God and what I shall about Christ And as for other things more largely about God or Christ it may bee afterwards but onely now I shall desire to present Christ unto you in this one Title of his His Name shall bee called Wonderful From whence the Point is this Doct Jesus Christ is the great Wonder of the world That is our point of Doctrine God himself above seven hundred years before hee was born gives him this Name Wonderful in the 19. of this Prophecie vers 20. wee read of a Saviour Isa 19.20 a Great one saith the Text surely Jesus Christ hee is a Saviour and a Great one hee is the Wonder of the world Judg. 13.17 18. The story of the Angels appearing unto Manoah Manoah would fain know his name And Manoah said unto the Angel of the Lord What is thy Name vers 18. the Angel of the Lord said unto him Why askest thou after my name seeing it is secret Now the word that is translated in your books Secret it is a word that signifies Wonderful And Austin in his Questions upon this Book of Judges hee is consident that this Angel was Jesus Christ and that his ascending up in the sacrifice that Manoah offered it was to fore-signifie Jesus Christ to bee the onely Sacrifice that should ascend up to the Father for a sweet savour in the nostrils of the Father it was Jesus Christ that did appear here to Manoah and his Name is Wonderful Luther hath such a speech I remember of Christ saith hee the most famous and wonderful and glorious Miracle of all Miracles is Jesus Christ hee is the Wonder of the world God is very wonderful in all his works in the works of Creation Psal 8.1 Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name and in the end of the Psalm Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth yea in that one work of his in making of our bodies Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made saith the Psalmist God hath made our very bodies fearfully and wonderfully it is a wonderful work of God the framing of our bodies in the womb It was a means of the conversion of Gallen from Atheism hee saw the Anatomy of a mans body and beholding the wonderful work of a mans body it did force him to acknowledge the God of Nature that there was a being above Nature Now though God bee wonderful in all his works yet all his wonderful works in the Heavens and in the Earth and in the Seas they must all stand by and give way to this great Wonder as the Stars though they be glorious creatures in themselves yet when the Sun arises all their light is eclipsed you see nothing of them so though God hath many wonders in the world and hath done many wonderful works yet when the Son of Righteousness doâ—h arise when Jesus Christ comes to appear all the other works of God are darkned with the glory of this great Wonder other things are wonderful unto us because of our ignorance because wee are not able to understand the reason of things things are wonderful to children that are little regarded by wise men and understanding men Ignorance makes men to wonder at many things that have nothing in them but Christ hee is a Wondeâ— so as God himself the Father accounted him a Wonder God himself gives unto Jesus Christ this Name Wonderful and no marvel though hee bee a wonder to the Angels themselves in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 The Angels are said to desire to look into the things of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To pry into them They
salvation and the Covenant of Grace but not distinctly It may bee after this beam of light is darted in God may come over again distinctly and reveal to him his miserable estate by nature and humble him more and so hee may have a little glimpse of this at one Sermon and a little more at another but at that very instant there may bee that let into the heart that possibly may unite the heart to Jesus Christ and save it if it should dye at that present here is a wonderful work in the Prophetical Office of Jesus Christ 6 And then Christ is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this he teaches the heart no men nor Angels can teach the heart but Jesus Christ though men or Angels may present truths before another man and so convince the understanding yet there is no men nor Angels can bee able to say thus I will so make known such a truth to this man or woman as I will gain his heart by it it shall transform his heart into the very image of that truth that I shall present unto him no man nor Angel can do it but Christ hee teaches so as no man teaches Job 36.22 Behold God exalteth by his power who teacheth like him Now God teacheth by Christ in the administration of his Prophetical Office Man may come and tell us this and the other thing ought to bee done Oh but who teaches like Jesus Christ none teaches the heart but Jesus Christ Job 38.36 Who hath put wisdome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart certainly none living no Angel can do it nor no man can do it it is onely Jesus Christ in the administration of his Prophetical Office it is hee that teaches and prevails with the heart when hee comes with truths therefore when you see people come to hear many truths and sit under a clear and distinct Ministry that opens many truths unto them it may bee many will get brain-knowledge that shall make them to confer about those truths but yet not changed you will say What should bee the reason why they that have so much knowledge live wickedly why here is the ground Jesus Christ hee hath not exercised this Prophetical Office of his so far upon them to over-power their hearts Here is the reason why such men have had knowledge in the brain and yet lived wickedly a long time yet if they belonged to Christ at some other time they shall come to hear the Word of God they shall hear the very same truths they heard before and perhaps delivered in a weaker manner than they have heard it and yet their hearts shall bee a hundred times more wrought upon at that time than ever they were wrought upon before Sometimes a man comes by accident into a Congregation and hears a Minister upon such a subject and it may bee a Minister by the by speaks of something that hee little thought of perhaps before hee came up and this man hath heard the same truth largely handled perhaps many Tractates about it heretofore and his heart never touch'd but now hearing it mentioned by the by his heart is mightily wrought upon and he goes away and saith Verily God is in this place What is the reason why here Christ speaks to the heart and before man only spoke to the ear this is a wonderful thing in the Prophetical Office of Christ that hee speaks to the heart and thus should wee exercise our faith upon Christ in this when wee come to the Word look upon Christ by the eye of faith as the great Prophet of the Church that teaches so as no man teaches that doth not onely speak unto the ear but speaks unto the heart 7 Further Chrâ—â—t is wonderful in his Prophetical Office in this In that hee teaches immediately himself indeed hee doth teach mediately that is by his Ministers therefore you shall finde Act. 1.1 there St. Luke speaking of Christs teaching when hee lived here upon the earth saith hee in vers 1. The former Treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach why Luke is hee that writ the Gospel and the Acts hee writ the summe of what Christ did teach in the whole course of his life and yet here hee tells us that hee did make a Treatise and did relate what Jesus Began to do and teach if one should have said to Luke Why did you not relate all that Jesus did do and preach why Christ is dead now But the meaning is this That indeed all that Christ did preach personally when hee was here in the world it was but a Beginning Christ was to teach afterwards to the end of the world and that hee was to do partly by his Ministers that should bee to the end of the world hee doth exercise his Prophetical Office by them And by the way whensoever you come to hear any Minister of God to reveal any thing of the Gospel to you you are to look upon it as Christ exercising his Prophetical Office in this way hee is wonderful in teaching in this that hee doth not onely by instruments but immediately himself many times where there is want of means wee may there expect Jesus Christ immediately to reveal the Will of his Father to those souls that do belong to Election 8 And then Christ is wonderful in teaching for hee teaches infallibly which none can do Likewise many other particulars might bee named in the wonder of Christs Prophetical Office but time doth slip mee therefore wee will proceed to the next thing in the wonder of Christ onely take this along with you That in your beleeving in Jesus Christ you must beleeve in him as Christ that is Anointed by the Father King Priest and Prophet and when you exercise your faith upon him in all these three of his Offices then you will know what it is rightly to beleeve indeed But to go on The Third SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ Isaiah 9.6 And his Name shall bee called Wonderful Christ Wonderful in his Miracles CHrist is wonderful in the Miracles that hee wrought here in the World while hee lived in the second of Acts vers 22. Yee men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of you as yee your selves also know Never did any come into the Woâ—ld to work such great Miracles and Wonders as Christ did and indeed all that ever did Miracles and Wonders they did doe them by Jesus Christ Josephus that was no great friend to Christ hee was a Jew and did not acknowledge Christ to be the Messias yet he writing the Story of those times could not but take notice of such an one as Christ hee did professe that at such a time there was a Wise man did arise which they did call by the Name of Jesus that did work a great
low old and young What shall it profit any one to gain the whole word and to lose their own soul I have read of one that gave counsel to John King of Portugal that hee would repeat this Text to himself and spend one quarter of an hour in the meditation of it What shall it profit a man if hee gain the whole world and lose his own soul and that hee would make the words of this Text to bee the cloze of his prayer continually What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul This was wholesome counsel and certainly the tight meditation and understanding of this Text would bee of admirable use to every soul You have in the words these two things plainly hinted First That there is in every man a soul a spiritual substance besides what is visible and sensible And secondly That this soul of man is more worth than all the world it hath that excellency that if a man gains all the world and loses that when hee hath cast up his account hee may put his gains in his eye hee shall finde himself a miserable creature Wee might make more divisions or subdivisions of the words but I will content my self onely with those two things and speak chiefly to the latter Now to make way for that I will speak a little of the former What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul his Soul Every man hath a soul a rational spiritual substance beyond that that is visible or sensible in Job 32.8 But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding There is a spirit in man besides the bodily substance that you see there is a spirit in man such a spirit as is capable of the inspiration of the Almighty to give understanding c. And in Gen. 2.7 it is said That God formed man of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life Here is another manner of mans-creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than of other creatures God did but say of other creatures let them bee Let the earth bring forth creeping things c. And it was so But when hee comes to man hee forms man out of the dust of the earth that is for his body and for his spirit hee breathes into his nostrils the breath of life I have read of a people that would not bee perswaded that there was any difference between beasts and them And truly there is somewhat to do to perswade carnal hearts of any great difference between a beast and them in relation to God or to another life But certainly there is a spirit in man there is somewat beyond that body of thine that is visible which doth infinitely concern thee to look to For first Wee see that there are actions in men that are beyond that which concerns the body at all And therefore surely there is a spirit in man besides what the body is the highest actions of men are such as do not concern the body as thus The knowledge of the heavens the knowledge of Angels of spirits what hath the body to do with such things the knowledge of the mysteries of the Gospel and the conversing with them they are abstracted notions from all kinde of bodily substances the knowledge of God and Christ yea the very knowledge of Mathematical notions many notions there are in Arts and Sciences that are abstract from all bodily things certainly then there is a spirit in man beyond that bodily substance that doth appear common with the brute beasts Yet secondly There is a power in man to curb his body to deny himself of that which is most suitable to the body saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subactum seu dejectumpremo in captivitatem reduco vel ut alii contundo Prov. 23.1 2. 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection Surely there is somewhat in man that is above the body that hath so much command of the body as it appears the spirit of man hath to beat down the body If thou beest a man given to thine appetite when thou sittest at the table of a great man put a knife to thy throat a man is able to curb his appetite though the body hath never so strong a desire to such and such things yet the soul of man is able to curb his body and deny it Matth. 18.8 9. If thy right hand offend thee cut it off or thy right eye offend thee plâ—ck it out There is a power in man to deny the body that which it desires never so much which a beast cannot that cannot deny that which is suitable to his sense every way except therebe some stronger sensitive thing to take him off But man is able to deny his sense when there is no sensitive object before him to take him off By that dominion that the soul of man hath over his body hee is able to curb his body and to deny his body therefore surely there is a spirit in man 3. Again That which the Scripture makes the chief actions of man to consist in which have any reference to God is such things that are done by somewhat beyond the body Whatsoever a man doth if it bee but onely the body that is exercised and sense it is not acceptable to God 1. Tim 4.8 Bodily exercise profiteth little saith the Scripture and 1 Cor. 13.3 What if I give my body to bee burnt A man may give his body to bee burnt there all the senses may concur in it and yet if there bee not a spirit in man to act this upon any higher ends and grounds than any thing that is bodily can reach unto it is worth nothing it is not regarded Fourthly There is a spirit in man beyond this bodily substance for when this bodily substance is decaying mouldring away there are many thoughts in a man about an eternal estate and more fresh and lively sometimes when the body is mouldring away than ever there was before there are no creatures but Angels and men that take any cognizance of an eternal estate that take any thoughts about what is to come hereafter Now we say Nature doth nothing in vain Deus natura nihil aguâ—t frustra surely God would not have put such kinde of workings in man about another condition after this body shall moulder away but that there is somewhat that doth concern some other part of man besides that bodily substance of his Fifthly and then lastly There is certainly a spirit in man beyond his bodily substance for wee know that there are real pains and torments upon a mans spirit The burdens of conscience in the reflex act that a mans conscience hath upon himself summoning of him to appear before the great God Though a mans body be in never such health and hath all outward accommodations about
it is but a dissolution hee rather desired a dissolution that hee might bee with Christ which is best of all Certainly it was this that made the streight If I dye I shall bee with Christ immediately and if I live I shall injoy some communion with him and likewise do a great deal of service for him If Paul had thought that his soul and body should have dyed both together certainly hee would have desired to have lived rather than to dye for when hee did live his soul did injoy communion with Jesus Christ and hee did do abundance of service for him Now is it possible to think that a man that did so much service for Christ as ever man did and that injoyed so much sweet communion with Jesus Christ that such a man should bee willing to dye Certainly no but that hee knew that upon the dissolution of his body his soul should injoy further communion with Jesus Christ than it could do here It is an immortal substance it runs parallel with eternity of such an excellent nature the soul of man is And then further in this appears The excellency of it that it is the measure of all other kinde of excellency 5 The soâ—ls excellency shewed in being the measure of all other excellencies The soul of man is the measure of all other kinde of excellencies as thus look how far any thing may bee subservient for the good of the soul so far that thing hath an excellency in it and if it bee not subservient for the good of the soul it hath no worth and excellency in it as thus Suppose a man have a great estate in the world great comings in many friends many places now there is some excellency you will say in these things but are these subservient for the good of thy soul that thy soul can injoy communion with God so much the better then these things are good to thee but if so bee that these things hinder the work of thy soul and do not help it forward in the service that it is most capable of and made for there is no excellency in these things And indeed I know no one better sign that a man doth understand the true worth of his soul than this What doth hee account to bee the measure of the excellency of all the things of this world Thou wouldest fain have an estate and outward things in abundance as other men have Why thou sayest they are the good creatures of God I grant it they are so but now wherein dost thou think the excellency of these creatures doth most consist Certainly if thou comest to know the true worth of thy soul thou wilt say God gives mee these outward things and blessed bee his Name by a more large portion of these things am I inabled to do more large service for God my soul is freed from incumbrances in the world and they do help forward the work that my soul is specially concerned in viz. the service of God and therefore I account it a greater good to injoy these things than to bee without them now if thou comest to reason in this manner it is a sign that God hath shewn thee what the true worth and excellency of thy soul is 6 The price paid for souls proves its excellency But that I might draw to a conclusion This is that that above all things will demonstrate the worth and excellency of the soul The great price that was paid for it That Jesus Christ should bee willing to lay down his life to purchase the pardon of the sin of thy soul to deliver thy soul from eternal misery 1 Pet. 1.18 this shews the great worth of the soul Wee are not redeemed by silver and gold saith the Apostle Peter by any of these corruptible things Vers 19. but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ According to the price that is paid for one you may know the worth of such a one Suppose there were divers men that were taken captives one is but an ordinary Mariner you will say perhaps forty pound will redeem such a one but suppose the other bee a Gentleman or a Knight a Noble-man there must go five hundred or two or three thousand pounds for their redemption according to the excellency of the man so must bee the price of his ransome So my brethren when wee consider the price of mens souls that were taken captive by sin what was paid for them it was a price that was more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds certainly the soul is of an excellent nature Indeed it cannot bee imagined that Jesus Christ would have taken mans nature upon him and dyed an accursed death to have saved the whole world from being dissolved Suppose it had lain upon this that heaven and earth must have been dissolved except Jesus Christ would take mans nature upon him certainly Jesus Christ would have suffered heaven and earth to have gone to nothing rather than to have done as he did But when Jesus Christ saw that these immortal souls by their sin were brought into such a condition that they must perish to all eternity except hee come and take their nature upon him and lay down his life and dye an accursed death saith Jesus Christ rather than such precious souls which my Father hath made capable of injoyment of so much good from him and bringing glory to him rather than these should perish I am content to come and dye and suffer the wrath of my Father surely the price that was paid for souls doth hold forth the great worth of them In the death of Christ wee may read in large characters the worth of a soul And my brethren Even the body its self 7 The excâ—llency of the soul proved from the body because it is as the case of the soul it is a very excellent thing Of all the corporeal things that ever God hath made the body of man is the most excellent thing therefore David in Psal 139. speaking of his body saith verse 14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well And then vers 15. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest part of the earth When I was curiously wrought From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Hebrew signifies Imbroydred the body of man is Imbroydery and hence in Gen. 2. it is said there that God formed man ampigore and here in Psal 139. God did imbroyder him And therefore Gallen that was an Atheist a long time when hee came to see the Anatomy of a mans body hee cryed out Now I adore the God of Nature Now the Lord hath wrought the body so curiously because it is the case of the soul and that being such an excellent creature must have a suitable case As if you have a curious Watch you will not put it into
brute creature Bless God I say for this for by this means First You are looked upon by the Angels themselves with honour and with respect till such time as the Angels certainly know your Reprobation and that you bee sent down to hell Though you bee wicked for the present and your souls bee defiled yet the Angels know nothing but that these souls though now much fallen from God may bee such as may live with them to injoy eternal communion with God together with them and therefore they look upon you with honour And the providence of God it is more towards you than towards any other creature in the world Doth God take care for Oxen saith the Scripture True the providence of God it is over all his works there is not the least worm that stirs without his providence I but doth God take care for Oxen that is as if the Holy Ghost there should say the providence of God over other creatures it is nothing in comparison of that it is over the spirits of men over those that have immortal souls When God looks upon the creature that hee hath given an immortal soul too why saith God My Providence shall in a special manner bee over this soul And certainly the thoughts of God have been from all eternity working towards those that have immortal souls in a more special manner than towards any of his other creatures how ever you think of God yet that is certain God hath had his thoughts towards you one way or other from all eternity and intends to fetch out a great deal of honor to his name from you one way or other and therefore his Providence is towards you God observes you and marks you what way you take his eye is upon you for hee intends to bring some great glory out of you God will not lose his creature fully you may lose your own souls but God will not lose the glory that hee might have from you but hee will have glory from you one way or other And if God hath given you immortal souls you have cause to bless him because whatsoever you are now yet you are such as are capable of all the good that ever Jesus Christ hath purchased and therefore it is a happy thing for one to have an immortal soul because they are not out of capacity of receiving that good that the Lord Christ hath purchased for his people the brute beasts are not capable they are capable of no higher good but to eat and drink and live here a while and have their senses to bee pleased and there is an end of them but know whatsoever thou art thou art capable of all the good that ever Christ hath purchased and therefore thy condition is a great deal better in that respect than the condition of all other creatures in the world And thou having a soul within thee God hath made thee for eternity one way or other and hee intends for to have thee to live to all eternity in one condition or other Now it is I say a happiness to bee made such a creature as that God should have thoughts about from all eternity It may bee you will say It were better that it were otherwise with us I confess such is the condition of some through their sin living and dying in it that it were better ten thousand times that they had been Dogs or Toads and Serpents I but that is but through thy wickedness but it cannot bee said of the vildest alive for there is none of you but for ought Angels or men know may live eternally to the praise of Gods grace in Christ you have such kinde of natures as are capable of it Now it is true if you should dye in your sins then it might bee said at that instance when you dye in your sins that it had been better that you had been Toads or Serpents or any thing in the world But were not this a sad thing for a man that hath such an excellent nature to live and dye so that they may wish hereafter that they had been Toads or Dogs how many are there that are willing so they may live like a beast to dye like a beast I but that thou canst not bring thy self to dye like a beast thou must be infinitly worse or infinitly better than the brute beasts But bless God that thou hast a nature capable of so much good whatsoever thou art in other respects though God hath made a great difference between thee and others that are of the same kinde in thy outward estate God hath made a great deal of difference between poor and rich between a poor Alms-body that lives in so mean a condition and between a Noble-man a Prince an Emperour I but this difference is made in the outward estate and body but there is no such difference made in their souls thou hast as precious a soul within thee that is naturally as good as ever any Emperour had in the world so Philosophers say of the souls of men mens souls are equal and one is not better than another by nature what they are better by is afterwards by education or by common gifts of the graces of God but by nature all men are equal And therefore that wherein mans excellency is is in his soul thou art as high as any Emperour in the world and therefore it is that the Scripture would have no difference made between the souls of men in Exod. 30.15 you shall finde there by that Scripture that God would not have difference made of the souls of men it is said in the 14. verse Every one that passeth among you that are numbred from twenty years old and above shall give an offering unto the Lord God would have an offering from every one of them Now mark what hee saith in the 15. verse The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when they give an offering unto the Lord to make an attonement for their souls There must bee the same attonement made for souls both for the rich and for the poor And as wee spake the last day in opening the excellency of the soul it appears by the price that was paid for it so here they are equal in this that the poor mans soul must have as great a price paid to save it as the richest man in the world And therefore bless God for thy soul in this that hee hath made thee equal with the Kings and Princes of the world in that that is thy more noble and more excellent part And bless God for soul-mercies above all mercies If the soul bee so excellent then I say bless God that hath granted thee soul-mercies though hee hath denied thee bodily-mercies it is no great matter as suppose If so bee that God should take away the sight of thine eyes yet if hee opens the eyes of thine understanding of thy soul thou art happy Suppose that thou art
any more that doth it but it is a satisfaction to justice a price paid for the soul no soul is ever saved but it is saved in the way of a price that is paid for it and this thou must acquaint thy soul with which thousands of people are ignorant of yet they hope to bee saved but how they will pray to God that they may bee saved and that God would have mercy upon them and is here all certainly this is not the way of the Gospel but the way of the Gospel it is that that reveals unto the soul the price that is paid for a soul even the blood of Christ That in Christ the great Mediatour of the second Covenant there is a perfect satisfaction to Gods Infinite Justice this indeed is a great part of the Mystery of the Gospel this is the saving truth of the Gospel and thou must acquaint thy soul with this truth if thou bee saved And when thou hearest of this truth perhaps thou canst not understand it for the present Oh then thou hadst need go to God in secret and bee crying to him that hee would reveal this truth unto thee But you will say it is not our crying It is true it is not meerly our crying but there is something of God further But God hath made many gracious promises of answering our cries and now that so hee may make good his promises hee will further reveal this Mystery of the Gospel to thee that there is a necessity of satisfaction to divine Justice for thy sin that hath brought thy soul into a lost condition Secondly And further A necessity of a perfect Righteousness wee will not speak of any thing controversal about it which way it comes to bee applied but this all will grant that there is a perfect Righteousness that wee have need of the way of salvation is a perfect Righteousness thou must have a surety that must have a perfect Righteousness for thee Thirdly And then the way of salvation is this it reveals an absolute necessity of the Application of the satisfaction and Righteousness of Jesus Christ the Application of that that it must bee made thine some way that thou must have thy part and share in it by thy union unto Christ and by being made one mystically with him through Faith so that the soul is not meerly saved through mercy Nor thus that Christ hee hath come and done such and such things and therefore saith God the Father for the sake of Jesus Christ I will save thee for hee hath satisfied mee by what hee hath done No but there is somewhat more I confess it is true in the conclusion wee are saved for the sake of Christ but it is by our union with Christ wee are united to Christ and made one with him and so what Christ hath done for our salvation is tendred up to the Father as ours wee being one with Jesus Christ so that now if thou shouldest know thy miserable estate by nature and thereupon inquire after salvation and cry to God that hee would bee merciful unto thee that is not enough but the Gospel reveals further Suppose thou comest to know more than thou canst understand by the light of nature but yet the Gospel doth reveal to thee that not onely thou must bee saved by Christ but thou must bee united to Christ by Faith there must bee a spiritual marriage between the Son of God and thy soul thou must have Christ to bee a head and thou a member hee thy husband and thou his Spouse thou must inquire after this union and that is the way of beleeving and the substance of the Apostles words to the Jaylor when hee cryed what hee should do to bee saved why saith hee Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt bee saved It must bee through Jesus Christ the great Mediatour of the second Covenant by thy beleeving in him and being made one with him that thou must come to bee saved Fourthly And then the Gospel it reveals further as necessary to salvation a necessity of Regeneration of being born again of having the Image of God renewed in the soul by the Spirit of Jesus Christ of being a new Creature the want of which if the soul should now depart it must certainly perish under but now if it come to bee saved it must have this revealed to it for in the Gospel there is held forth the great work of God in begetting that soul anew to himself that hee doth intend to save in putting a new life into it in sending the Spirt of Jesus Christ into it whereby it lives and acts and works being now carried on not by its own spirit but by the Spirit of the Son of God this is necessary to salvation to do acts of Regeneration so Christ tells Nicodomus hee must bee born again and this onely the Gospel reveals and thus our souls should labour to acquaint themselves with the great things of the Gospel and as the wise man saith concerning instruction in Prov. 4.13 Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for shee is thy life So I say of these instructions that are revealed in the Gospel keep them for they are your lives do not think that God though hee is infinitely merciful yet that hee will save souls any other way for God hath set this way and it is an infinite mercy that wee are to admire at and adore and praise his Name for that there may bee salvation any way and if there may be salvation any way oh you poor wretched children of men know that you should be restless till you come to understand further that one way Oh that wee could make it to bee the great business of our lives to search into the Gospel and finde out these things for it is through this that we come to have eternal life Fifthly A fifth rule for the salvation of your souls If God hath put it into your hearts to seek to have them saved you must walk with fear and trembling before the Lord all the daies of your lives the fear of God must bee mighty and strong upon your spirits if you would bee saved and you must labour to keep the fear of the great God upon your spirits that place is famous for this in Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure As if the Holy Ghost should say you had need walk with fear before the Lord for the truth is hee hath you at such infinite advantage as you are not able to stir one foot to do any thing for the deliverance of your souls from eternal wrath without the work of God upon you you had need take heed what you do that you do not provoke this infinite God that hath you under his feet that you are able to do nothing towards your salvation if hee withdraw