till at last they put him to death in the most scornfull and reproachfull manner Consid I To open this consider That God out of his great love to mens souls hath appointed a Ministry and Officers in his Church that should be as Embassadours to intreat Reconciliation with God But because there could not be any commerce or communion between God absolutely considered and man fallen therefore the Lord Christ interposed and made peace but that what he had merited and purchased might effectually be applied to such as shall be saved among other instruments he set up Officers in his Church whose whole study and care should be to informe and reforme men So that people do enjoy the Ministers of God upon a two-fold special account First Gods great and special love to them That God hath taken care to send such is more then the creating of a world for you or vouchsafing all the temporal mercies you enjoy Hence it 's so often spoken of 2 Chron. ult and in other places that God sent his Prophets rising up early This is spoken as the great love of God to them And then Consid II The second Foundation of the Ministry is Christs Death and Resurrection his Ascending into Heaven as Ephes 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Pastours and Teachers Oh then how ingratefull and wicked is the world which doth no more regard this love of God and purchase of Christ in the Ministry Hence by the Prophet God promiseth That he would give them Pastours after his own heart Jer. 3.4 Though he feed them with the bread of adversity and drave them into corners Isai 30.20 Hence when God threatens a people with his uttermost wrath it is to remove the Candlestick and to make the Vision cease and to make no Clouds to rain upon them How much would people complain under a drought and want of Rain if for many years together there should not be so much as a Cloud seen But the gracious heart would think the removing of Christs Ministers not onely the taking away of Clouds but of the Sun and Stars in Heaven Secondly God and Christ who are thus the cause of their Office hath appointed them their worke and endowed them with abilities thereunto Their imployment is to publish the Word of God which is two-fold 1. The Word of the Law to convince men of sinne to inform of duty to make them sensible of their undone and damnable estate they are in Thus they are first to be wise Phisicians to detect and discover the disease the danger and cause of it Then secondly There is the Word of the Gospel which are the glad tidings of Gods favour and Reconciliation with those that are humble and contrite before him This is to publish the acceptable year of Jubilee to such as were spiritually indebted and under the thraldome of Gods wrath This is a work in it self absolutely necessary for what doth a sinner more want then these two things the Law in it's use and the Gospel in it's use Men in their temporal necessities respect the Physicians the Lawyers but soul necessities are not apprehended And as the necessity of it is so cogent so the dignity and excellency is admirable As the Soul and Heaven do farre exceed all earthly things so doth this subject all other Consid III Therefore in the third place God and Christ do justly expect that the world should with all gladnesse and obedience receive these his Messengers For shall God purpose so great love and Christ at so dear a rate purchase such Officers and must not the world set open the doors to receive them Shall not they cry Blessed are the feet of such as bring the glad tidings of the Gospel Are they not to be affected as the Galatians once to Paul To pull out their very eyes to serve him Certainly if David did so celebrate Gods goodnesse in creating Heaven and Earth and appointing the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field for mans use much more ought we in this great matter of the Church Consid IV Yet in the fourth place Though so much love be in this Institution and God expects so much thankefulnesse and obedience because of it it may make us tremble to see how little entertainment their Office and work hath in the world We speak not in regard of their outward honour and esteem For as Paul saith so ought we pray men might do no evil though we be accounted as reprebates 2 Cor. ult but we complain of the unsuccessefulnesse of it in respect of the divine operations of it We take up our Saviours complaint That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light John 3. Oh this is that which the Scripture doth so bitterly complain of Who hath believed our report and I told them the wonderfull or great and honourable things of my Law and they accounted them a strange thing Psal 119. This sad usage in the world made Paul cry out That they were the off-scouring of the world worse then the dust of the feet and were made a spectacle to the world and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Consid V Fifthly The Devil knowing the excellent end and use of this Office and worke doth by himself and all his instruments oppose it He rageth and the world rageth when this work is set up So that as when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he saw Satan fall like lightning Thus if it were in his power he would have Christ and his Officers be thrown down As they are to destroy his works and dispossess him so he labours to do to them It being thus thou that in the Ministry we may see Gods great love and mans great wickednesse Let us consider the cause why it should thus stirre up the wrath of men that they should be moved like so many hornets And First This work of the Ministry is contrary to the Nature and inclination of the world That as the Sunne is burdensome to the Owl and other night-birds and sweet smels to swinish creatures Thus is the glorious Gospel and the precious favour thereof abominable to corrupt men They can no more love godly and holy preaching then fire and water can agree therefore the more thy heart and tongue is set against it the more thou discoverest that hell which is in the bottome of thy heart Now the true preaching of the Word of God is contrary unto the world in these respects 1. The very nature and frame of their hearts admits not of Christs word till regenerated The old house must be pulled down even with the very foundation of it Thus Jam. 1. God is said to beget by his Word and our Saviour here Sanctifie them by thy truth Now this is directly contrary to mans nature to account all that he is and all that he doth damnable to judge every thing he hath done fit fuell for hell so as to have no comfort in any thing he hath
these do accuse thee say if a discharge had not been fully made how could Christ be glorified 2. It makes much to our eomfort because of that near relation which is between us so miserable and afflicted here and Christ our head now glorified What can be a greater cordiall then in the midst of all those exercises and trials and reproaches the people of God are debased with then to think they have a glorified head in heaven Though they be contemptible he is not This is but a conformity to him in his sufferings that we may also resemble him in glory 3. It is much to our comfort and advantage to hear of this because his glorification is a sure and effectual cause of ours so that our hearts may greatly rejoyce at this truth For as the Apostle argueth from Christs Resurrection If he be risen then shall we also certainly rise So doth the Argument unavoidably follow if Christ be glorified then shall we also be glorified with him so that when those innumerable Objections do arise how shall these vile bodies ever be made glorious How shall these corrupt and weak souls ever be made happy and blessed The answer is easie What is already done to Christ glorified will in time be fulfilled to us Death and the grave had no dominion over him no more shall it have over us Hence it is that the Scripture saith We are already set down with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 because he is our head Fear not then such a glorified head will not forget his members He said He went to provide a mansion place Joh. 14.2 It cannot then be but that Christ will set you on Thrones of his glory as well as he himself is set So that this doctrine is wholly for thy comfort 4. It may much rejoyce us to hear that Christ is glorified because in this state of glorification he is mindeful of us and pleading for us So that howsoever the greatest parts or effects of our mediation were seen in the time of his humiliation by his life and his death The Scripture attributeth all the mercies we do enjoy yet since he ascended into heaven and is partaker of all this power he maketh intercession for us his daily will is that the priviledges he purchased should be applied to us He daily acts as a King subduing our lusts conquering our corruptions applying his comforts and consolations to his people Well then Christ is glorified not for himself only neither is he exalted for his own honour meerly but it is for our glory as well as his for our honour as well as his As Joseph was lifted up in Pharaohs Court not for himself meerly but for his brethren to succour them in their necessities And as the glorious effects of the Sun are not so much for it self as for us the Creatures below oh then let thy soul cast off all unbelief and trouble when it heareth of Christ glorified for in all this glory he doth not forget thee he is not ashamed of thee Lastly This advantage the soul may make of this Truth thereby to lift up our hearts to heaven and to desire to be there where our glorified head is Thus the Apostle he longs to depart to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and the Church longs for and hastens the coming of Christ from whence we look for Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies into his glorious body Oh this should make us draw off all our affections and desires from other things Christ glorified should be the loadstone we should not be at ease or quietnesse till we come to him which made Austin say That as there were some men who needed patience to die so there were others who needed patience to live for the love and desire after Christ did so burn in their hearts that having tasted of this honey they judged every thing else gall and wormwood so that this Truth may be like fire burning in our bones In the next place let us consider the nature of this glory which Christ praied for And 1. There were three degrees to it The first and immediate beginning of this glory was upon his Resurrection After the black and dismall clouds this Sunne had been in the first glory of it began to appear in its Resurrection from the grave By this he was conqueror of death and the grave By this he judged the Prince of the world Till this was in all mens thoughts Christ seemed to be overcome in all appearance he was now brought under the power and command of death and Satan He was judged weak till this power discovered it self and this resurrection being not only by the Fathers power but his own He being the Sampson that brake the barres and bonds of death it was thereby made manifest to all the world that he was the Sonne of God Resurrection is such an impossible thing to humane reason and so incredible that Paul was cried down for a vain babler Act. 17.18 in promulging such doctrine and only in the Church of God Was ever such a thing heard of But this Resurrection was remarkable in Christ who not only raised himself from the dead but also caused many others to rise with him here was the first degree of his glory 2. The second degree was his ascension into heaven and this did exceed his Resurrection for though he was risen yet he conversed with his disciples did eat and drink with them occasionally so that he was to partake of greater and fuller glory when he ascended into heaven This Ascension of his into Heaven was great matter of wonderment and astonishment to his Disciples They all stood admiring when he was carried up thither Act. 1. 3. The last and chiefest degree of this glory was sitting down at the right hand of God By which expression is meant that great and wonderfull honour which God put upon him he sitteth at the right hand that demonstrateth a full and compleat victory over all his enemies and a quiet possession of this glory In these three things lieth all the glory Christ praieth for Resurrection Ascension and sitting down at Gods right hand all which immediatly followed his passions and sufferings and God had appointed such an order that one must be before the other and such a way God also doth take with his people They must have a Crown of thorns before they have a Crown of glory In the third place let us consider some of the most eminent and chiefest particulars wherein this glory of Christ doth manifest it self And 1. It lieth in that spirituall command and authority which he hath in his Church This is expressed when he saith All power is given to me in heaven and earth therefore go make disciples and baptize Here you see the Institution of Sacraments is founded upon that power given to Christ and from this it is Eph. 4 That upon his Ascention He led
into the world to have his ease and pleasure and outward glory but to Work This obedience of his it was both active and passive 2. Here is the description of the nature or quality of this work that which was given him by the Father to do so that in all this there was a stipulation and an agreement with the Father 3. There is his discharge of it I have finished it He did not leave it half done there is nothing more can be required of Christ This is a comfortable truth for wo be to us if Christ had not discharged all if there had been any supply to be made by us If you say How could Christ say he had finished his work when yet the dregs of the cup were to be drunk up the worst seem'd to be behind viz. all that agony and sorrow he was to suffer First Austin answers it by reading it in the future tense I will finish thy work but that cannot be The best answer is that Christ thus speaks because all was now at hand to be finished he was in a prepared and ready disposition to consummate all as we reade he said a little before his death It 's finished consummatum est Now the Scripture accounts that as done which is immediatly to be done and the man is ready to do it Thus Abraham Heb. 11. is said to offer up his sonne Isaac and to receive him from the dead when yet actually he did not offer him but he was immediatly fitted for it Obs Christ did fully and perfectly finish that work the Father gave him to do John 4.34 see what a notable expression our Saviour useth to this purpose My meat is to do the will of him that sent me My meat i. e. my joy my refreshing never any hungry man was more refreshed by food then I am in doing my Fathers will and what was that will to obtain pardon and salvation for a poor humbled sinner Oh why should the godly soul be dejected with doubts whether Christ will receive him or no it 's his meat to be communicating grace and mercy to thee Thou canst not so much desire him as he doth thee Again he addes To do my Fathers will and to finish his work for if Christ had begun it and not compleated it we had been still in our sinnes and without all hope this is the fountain of all our hope and joy Christ finished his work he did not leave any thing for me to do Indeed duties are required of us but not as additaments or suppliments to his mediation but as qualifications fitting us to partake of the fruit of it Let us dive into the Divinity of this Point And 1. Consider That Christ might have come into the world as a glorious Lord and Lawgiver only to rule and to give Laws but coming into the world as a Mediator and a Surety it behoved him to be under a Law and to discharge that work he undertook That Christ might have been in the world not subject to the Law or obliged to do any thing for our good is plain because his Incarnation was not necessary he was not compelled to it he might have chosen whether he would thus undertake for man or no therefore the Scripture saith Phil. 2. He made himself of no reputation and He became obedient to the death of the crosse It was wholly at his own good pleasure but suppose this will and purpose of his then there was a duty and charge laid upon him to perform all he was betrusted with he would have been found unfaithfull had he not done every thing to the uttermost 2. There was a holy and admirable agreement between God the Father and the Sonne to be a Mediator for those his Father had given him Hence it is that he saith so often his Father had sent him and I came to do the will of him that sent me Although the Covenant of grace be made with beleevers yet there was a previous and antecedent Covenant or agreement between the Father and the Sonne to be a Mediator and the agreement was that if Christ would lay down his life for such then the Father would give them to him as his seed and glorifie them as also reward him with all honour and glory That Christ was rewarded with all honour appeareth Phil. 2. and in other places and that because of his work done as a Mediator and that he had a seed given him appeareth in that it 's said he should see of his seed and be satisfied Isa 53.11 The Arminian doctrine therefore that holds an Universall Redemption in imputation only and not application maketh it possible that his soul might be in all that travell and yet he not be satisfied for not one might be saved There was then this admirable agreement between the Father and the Sonne transacted in heaven they were purposing good to beleevers even before they had a being or could have any desires for their own good 3. From this Covenant and agreement it is that Christs work is truly and properly obedience for it may be asked How could Christ be said to obey seeing he could not but do Gods will there was an inward necessity from the Hypostaticall union and as we do not say the service that Angels and Saints do in heaven is properly obedience for then that should be rewarded with a new heaven and so in infinitum Why then can it be said that Christs doing and suffering is obedience To this we Answer The Scripture doth expresly call it obedience and such an obedience as hath a reward annexed to it Hence John 10.8 Christ cals it the Commandment which he had received from his Father And whereas it 's said Christ necessarily obeyed and so it could not be otherwise it 's true supposing his will to be a Mediator then such was his holinesse that he could not but be faithfull yet this was not a naturall necessity as the fire burneth but a necessity of immutability arising from the perfection of his nature neither is to sinne of the essence of liberty but it 's a defect and doth accompany only a mutable liberty in what is good Let it therefore be firmly beleeved that all which Christ did it was truly and properly obedience to the Law of God Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one c. 4. This was not meerly obedience but a meriting obedience so that our salvation and his glory was not due to him meerly as such by vertue of a promise or by congruity but from condignity although concerning the later viz. meriting his own glory many sound Divines think otherwise There was an intrinsecall worth and excellency in Christs obedience answering to our salvation Hence though we have our Justification and Salvation of grace and meer grace yet in respect of Christ it was of justice and debt so that in Christ the Covenant of works was fulfilled though in us
obedience Nothing is too much too great too dear to part with for so gracious a God This breedeth love and we know love is an active fire it cannot lie still but kindleth all that it cometh near Thirdly They are active and willing because of that sanctified renewed nature which they are partakers of They are said to have the divine Nature 1 Pet. 1.4 The Seed of God is said to abide in them 1 Joh. 1.3 And by this means they are carried out voluntarily to divine actions Thus in nature saith Aristotle which is the inward principle of motion or rest How readily do sparks fly upward The stones descend downward And thus it is here Those inward principles of Sanctification they do so new mold a man that now the will of God is his delight the Law of God is written in the inward man Nothing is so connatural and sutable to him as those things that are also pleasing to God Indeed for the unregenerated man it 's no wonder he must be haled and constrained to what he doth That he like the Mill cannot move any longer then the waters of affliction fall upon him for there wants a principle within but it is otherwise with those that are born again Their proper food their proper delight their all in all is to be doing the will of God as Christ professed Joh. 4. and David doth often acknowledge those indeared affections he had to the Word of God above Kingdomes and all other earthly advantages Fourthly They are a willing people because in their former time of unregeneracy they were so willing and ready to serve sin and Satan and were constantly obedient thereunto Now saith the Apostle As they had given themselves servants to sinne so now to righteousnesse Rom. 6.19 They readily set themselves as the word signifieth whensoever lust bad them go they did go Whatsoever was commanded there was ready obedience This by way of an holy revenge and to make a godly satisfaction They are the more serviceable to God They grudge the devil had so much time that so much of their choicest and best affections were lessened in time They therefore strive to redeem the time to recover all for God They shame themselves saying What was I willing and glad to doe the works of the devil and shall I not doe the Will of God Fifthly They are willing because they know no Obedience is accepted of with God unlesse it be willing It 's not thy faith thy humiliation thy zeal unlesse there be willingnesse and delight in it that God accepts of Isa 1.29 If ye be willing and obedient so God accepts of a willing minde Wo be to me saith Paul if I preach the Gospel and not willingly but of constraint 1 Cor. 9.6 Though he did preach it yet if not willingly there is a Woe to him Oh then it 's no wonder if the people of God are so glad and chearfull within them in the work of the Lord otherwise their work would lose their reward and they the Crown of Glory Think of this then when you finde the wheels of your Chariots move heavily Thou art happily thinking how to put off truth or duty or thou wishest it over say this unwillingnesse marreth all God will not aceept of a Sacrifice unlesse offered in fire Say upon all thy dead and formal duties these are not duties God looks not upon them as so Non operari non esse are all one before God in some respects Sixthly They must needs be a willing obedient people because of that eternall glorious reward which is promised to every holy duty What will put Wings to the soul if not this To think that God will assuredly put upon thee Robes of Immortality and glory for a duty though never so little for a cup of cold water who may not admire the vast disproportion that is between our work and Gods reward If the Apostle spake of the most extreme sufferings that could be in this life they were not worthy to be compared to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4 17. How much more is it true of those good works we do which are but little in quantity and defiled in quality Well therefore may they rejoyce and work righteousnesse Well may the godly labour even in the heat of the day with much gladnesse of heart for the recompence of thy reward doth exceed all proportion If the Kingdomes of the world should be given to a man for lifting up a straw it would not be so great a matter as when God and Heaven became thy reward for every holy duty No wonder if they are best when they are thus doing for how can they be better There is no such profitable and comfortable wotk as to be doing that of the Lords Lastly Even in the very duty it self though there were no heaven hereafter yet there is so much present comfort and joy attending it that it 's both work and meat and drink also Therefore we see how David was joyfully affected herein Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly He that doth Gods service willingly and fervently he hath present pay in hand The very sence and feeling that he doth it so readily doth afford great comfort to him Virtus est sibi ipsi praemium A godly duty is accompanied with honey and manna he would not do otherwise for all the world Oh then that wicked men who though they have some pleasure in sinne yet finde many wounds and torments within them would make an exchange in stead of drunkennesse put on temperance in stead of riot and wantonnesse live in all chastity Thou wouldest finde an heaven for a hell immediately Oh how wouldest thou bewail thy time that thou didst not leave these husks no sooner Oh what an enemy was I to my own soul when I lived in such lusts and neglected such holinesse Taste and see the difference while you have this sinful distempered palate upon you it 's no wonder if you love the Egyptian garlick above the heavenly Manna Vse of Instruction How lothsome and unacceptable all that Obedience is to God which comes from any other principle then a renewed spirit It 's the free and principal spirit David praied for Psa 51. he saw all obedience if constrained if forced by the judgements of God was condemned as hypocrisie Thus the Prophets complained of the Jews that in the time of their distresse and calamity they would pray to God They would fast and humble themselves but saith God Oh that there were such a heart within them Deut. 5.29 And hence it is that Repentance and contrition extorted by the fear of death and the judgements of God are not acceptable Whatsoever is done is by force and this mâ—y be even death to many that hear it for when art thou for any good duty When is thy heart or mouth for it but when some great judgements of God are abroads or
thou forsaken me If the green Tree burn thus what shall the dry do For thee therefore to think by thy tears and Repentance to expiate thy sinne is wholly to mistake the necessity of Christ a Mediatour This is to put an Atlas his burthen upon a Pigmies shoulder See what the weight of sin did upon Cain and Judas though they would have given a world yet they could not obtain the lest drop of water to ease their spirits but like Dives were tormented in hell while here on earth Oh then that wicked men would consider more they lay load upon load but who at last shall take it off Thou thinkest not that though sin for the present be sweet yet it hath an eternal sting with it What wilt thou do when at last thou shalt cry out with Cain My sinne is greater then I can bear Lastly The last and utmost step of Gods mercy to us is glorification and making of us happy for ever When he hath done this there remaineth no more to be done and even this Crown of Glory is put upon our heads because of grace Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is Eternal Life And Tit. 2. We are saved by grace not by works The Apostle doth in that place with exact diligence shut them out from any share in our Salvation Now that all this from the first to the last even salvation it self is of grace will appear 1. From the imperfection that cleaveth to the best things we do Insomuch that they need grace to pardon so farre are they from having any worth in them for heaven This made the Apostle Paul account all that he had and did dung and drosse for the Righteousnesse of Christ This made David pray that God would not enter into judgement or be strict to mark what is done amisse When we have done all we must say we are unprofitable Servants how much more when we come farre short of all 2. If we consider the transcendant dignity of that glory God will bestow on us It must needs be solely of grace For the Apostle tels us The eye hath not seen it nor the ear heard it nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of is 1 Cor. 2.9 It 's no lesse then enjoying God himself The immediate fruition of himself is the only happinesse we shall have Now what comparison is there between our graces and God himself Again the Transcendency is seen in the duration Suppose our graces were present yet are they but for a season They are transient expressions Whereas our happinesse doth endure for ever 3. If we are enabled to do any good thing we are so farre from deserving at Gods hand That we are the more obliged to him and ought to be the more thankfull Coronat dona sua non merita nostra The more thou art enabled to repent or beleeve the more thankfull art thou to be to the grace of God Thus all is of grace But you will say Is not heaven called a reward At the day of Judgement doth not God pronounce a blessing because of the good works they have done Are they not called Blessed that die in the Lord because their works follow them Rev. 14.13 All this is true but this proveth no more then that an holy life and godly works they are via Regni not causa Regnandi as Bernard long since If we do not strive and labour we shall never have this Crown If we use not violence we shall never get this Kingdom So that grace doth not encourage to sinne or maintain slothfulnesse but we as the Apostle urgeth Phil. 2. are encouraged to work out our salvation because that it's God who giveth us to will and to doe Vse 1 Vse of Instruction to the godly Are they wholly the gift of God in Christ Is all from the grace of God then let the people of God walk humbly and thankfully Oh it 's a close secret sinne to have self-dependance self-confidence and yet there is no sinne hath greater enmity to the Gospel of Christ then this Neither do thou think to divide the matter between grace and thy duties as the Papists make our hope to be coming partly from our merits and partly from the grace of God What shall David Shall Paul such eminent Cedars in Lebanon fear their own selves and dost thou a low shrub boast of thy self Herein commonly is the difference between a true godly man and a civil vertuous man the one hath a secret hope in himself but the other looks for and expects grace as meerly from God as if he never had done a good work in his life Vse 2 Vse 2. Let this grace of God quicken thee to all life and zeal for God Grace is like fire to melt thee If mans kindenesse worketh upon a good nature how much rather should Gods kindenesse upon a sanctified and a renewed nature SERMON XLVII Of Gods Propriety in his People as the Ground of all the Good that accrueth to them JOH 17.9 For they are thine THis is the third and last description which our Saviour useth of those who are the objects of his praier viz. The propriety that God hath in them They are his own I have handled this Point formerly but then I did it under an absolute notion shewing you how many waies the people of God were his People but I shall now treat on it relatively as it 's an Argument used by our Saviour why he should be heard in his praier for his Disciples And certainly here is much of strength in it They are thine I pray not for thy Enemies nor for strangers but such as are near thee that are of thy own houshold such upon whom already thou hast placed thy love and delight so that our Saviour makes the propriety God hath in his Disciples and so in all beleevers to be the ground of his praier for them And indeed this must needs be very effectual for the Apostle argueth If any man provide not for his own 1 Tim. 1.0 he is worse then an Infidell If then God doth so greatly abhor him who takes not care for his own Shall not the Lord himself provide for his Thus Ephes 1.29 the Apostle urging the duty of Husbands to Wives argueth from propriety Their own Wives and no man ever hated his own flesh Now then God takes this relation of an Husband to his people and because they are his therefore he will hear their praier and vouchsafe all good to them Propriety is so great a matter that Aristotle makes it the cause of all the labour and trading that is in the world insomuch that he saith If all things were common the world would be filled with idle persons but because it 's their own ground their own wealth their own riches therefore they are so diligent to encrease in these things None regard the air the light of the Sun because it 's common to all Whereas if they could be
24.46 It must be so else the Justice of God could not be satisfied else mans Redemption could not be obtained This our Saviour implieth I come to thee but how Even as the Israelites to Canaan through a Sea of bloud That then which our Saviour quickly spake was with great pain and agony undergone I come to thee through fire and bloud The Father doth this to demonstrate the bloudy nature of sinne the unspeakable love of Christ and the order God hath appointed for all beleevers ere they come to glory 1. the bloudy nature of sinne for it was this and nothing else that put Christ to be a Sacrifice for us had not Adam and we in him all apostatized from God There had been no need of his death but now by this transgression and ours superadded without the shedding of his bloud there could be no remission of sinne Yet oh the prophanesse and blindenesse of the world what a little matter do they make of sinne how easily do they think a pardon may be had for it Oh remember the least vain thought or idle word cannot in this world or in the world to come be expiated but by Christs bloud only had there been no other sinne in the world but a vain thought Christ must have undergone all that wrath of God and man ere it could be blotted out Oh think of this you who like Leviathan laugh at the Spear and sport your selves with those sinnes which put Christ to all that Agony Lastly This sheweth the order God hath appointed we must first be on Mount Calvary before we can be on the Mount of Transfiguration As Christ had first a Crown of Thorns here before he had a Crown of glory so it must be with us Rom. 8. We shall be glorified with him if we suffer with him Let this then sweeten all thy afflictions and miseries Though the beginnings of God with thee like those of Joseph to his brethren are harsh and rough yet the endings will be full of sweetnesse and comfort If thou grudest at thy Tribulations say this is to grudge at the Crown of Glory This is to repine at the way to everlasting happinesse In the second general place Consider That when Christ saith he goeth to his Father herein is implied that state of glory and honour he shall have in heaven as if he had said I shall be no more in the state and habit of a Servant no more in a despised and contemned condition but I am going to receive that Majesty and glory which is due unto me Although we told you Christ ascended into Heaven for our good and to pleade our cause yet it was also for his glory and honour This our Saviour excellently presseth Joh. 14.28 If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go to my Father The Disciples were troubled and full of fears because they were to lose his corporal presence but saith our Saviour true love to me would make you do otherwise you would regard my honour more then your benefit It is for your good that I abide with you It is for my glory that I go to the Father Now love that is unfeigned lieth in our affections to another not because of the good we have by him but for his own good Thus the Disciples they were to rejoyce because Christ was to be honoured and exalted though they should lose the comfort of his presence See here then who are they that do spiritually love Christ even such as rejoyce in that he is exalted and glorified though it be to their ruine and undoing O Lord Let me have this comfort and that comfort no longer if Christ may be more honoured As Mephibosheth said Let Ziba take all so that King David was returned safe so that the honour and kingdom of Christ may be promoted let good Name wealth and life it self go unlesse we be the true genuine Sons of God we are never able to abide this touchstone Doe not the most holy depend on Christ more for the benefit they receive by him then to honor and glorifie him Hence they bemoan their want of assurance and evidence which is their comfort more then recumbency on Christ which is his glory So then in that Christ went to his Father it 's implied that now there was a period to be put to all sufferings Now he was no more to be like a Servant but to be made the Prince of Glory Therefore observe the reason why he goeth to the Father because the Father is greater then he Not as the Arians would have it essentially but in outward dispensation because Christ here was in the fashion and form of the meanest and most despised of men Thirdly Though this phrase imply Christs Exaltation yet we must know also that in this is the whole Treasury of a Christian The Fountain of all our Comfort is in this that Christ is gone to the Father Therefore let the beleever diligently improve it for the effects are admirable of this his departure 1. Hereby his holy Spirit is given in the more plentifully and abundantly It is said The holy Ghost was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified Joh. 7.39 The large administration of the gifts of Gods Spirit were reserved till Christ in triumph went up to heaven Ioh. 16.7 If I depart I will send him to you You see the sending of the holy Ghost depends upon Christs departure The Spirit comes to make a spiritual supply of Christs bodily presence There cannot be two Suns together in the Firmament O then let all those who have Gods Spirit dwelling in them enlightening sanctifying and comforting of them acknowledge this the blessed fruit of Christs going to his Father but men are so prophane and sensual that they know not what the Spirits working upon the Soul is no more then a beast knoweth the operations of a rational Soul 2. A second benefit by Christs going to the Father is the enabling of us with all holy and heavenly gifts either in a sanctifying way or a ministerial Thus Eph. 4. Christ when he ascended into heaven gave gifts to men That you have a Ministry and Ordinances with the spiritual effects thereof it 's wholly from this Yea Ioh. 14 12. all miraculous Gifts do descend from this Our Saviour there saith That he who beleeveth on him shall do greater works then he doth that is as some say greater Miracles in themselves for we reade that by Peters handkerchief and his very shadow wonderful things were done which we reade not of Christ or greater in quantity and extension They did them in more places For whereas Christ wrought no Miracles at Ierusalem the Apostles did or greater as others say in regard of the successe because farre more were converted to the faith by the Apostles preaching then by Christs Well let this be how it will Consider the ground why they shall be enabled to do these great things because saith Christ I go to the
riches his honours his greatness his parts his morality doth not free him from this impurity so that he ought to abhor himself as a monster as a toad This is the foundation of all our misery that we doe not look upon our selves as so many vile carkasses as so many dead dogs Till this be laid as the first principle Christ is not prized Sanctification is not sought after Oh therefore stand like the leprous person afarre off and cry out I am unclean unclean Thou wouldst be ashamed as Adam was to come with this nakednesse and filthinesse upon thee into Gods presence 2. Being unsanctified doth imply That even the holy things we are imployed about do not sanctifie us but we rather pollute them Hag. 2. He that was unclean though he touched the holy things though he ranne to the Temple and the Altar yet he was not thereby sanctified but he rather polluted them and thus while a man is unsanctified those very duties prayers and ordinances he doth runne unto will condemn him as appeareth Isa 1. by that severe expostulation with them that abounded in their Sacrifices yet did not wash them or make them clean 3. There is implied an utter unfitnesse and indisposition to any good work as on the other side a vessel sanctified was meet for his masters use So that till we be sanctified by Christs blood we have no fitnesse for any holy duty iron can as well swim and logs flie as a natural man be prepared to do that which is holy and supernatural Thirdly That our Sanctification is here attributed to Christs Sanctification of himself we see 1. That the initials and beginnings of Sanctification are wholly from him Some have endeavoured to make the very Heathens partakers of some kinde of sanctification making a pietas pagana as well as Christiana but they are to fear lest that might be applied to them which Bernard did to Abailardus Dum sudat Platonem facere Christianum scriptum facit Ethnicum There is no sanctification but where Christ is and Christ and his body cannot be separated as the gold onely in the Temple was sanctified and this is good to lay us low and to make us admiring of the grace of Christ How is it thou art sanctified and others remain prophane polluted like bruit beasts who hath made this difference Who infused this holy nature into thee Wast thou not as loathsom as wallowing in the filth of thy lusts as others till Christs blood did cleanse thee 2. Not only the initials but progressives and consummatives in Sanctification are to be attributed to his Sanctification Therefore you heard him called the finisher as well as the authour of our faith and the Disciples though already sanctified yet are still more and more to be sanctified It 's true here is a difference between our first Sanctification and the increase of it at first we were wholly passive Christ found us dead in our sinnes and wallowing in our blood but afterwards he findes us alive onely needing his continual exciting and quickening grace Therefore Paul though converted yet still lives a life of faith in Christ we need Christ all the day long How unholy earthly dull and lumpish is thy heart if Christ did not constantly sanctifie it Fourthly This Sanctification purchased by Christ must be in truth and integrity so Christ addeth sanctified in the truth that is truly in opposition to those legal and ceremonial sanctifications which did only cleanse the body but not reach to the soul Although in the New Testament we have no such external bodily Sanctification yet still there is an outward Sanctification and an inward both coming by Christ and one separable from the other Thus you heard the apostate is said to be sanctified by the blood of Christ which was not indeed and truly so for then he would not have totally fallen off but in respect of the external administration Hence 1 Cor. 1.2 the whole Church of Corinth though afterwards reproved for many sinfull practices yet are called sanctified and that partly because of the external dispensation of the Ordinances which they enjoyed So that there is a Sanctification external and a Sanctification internall External is when by our Baptisme and Christian profession We acknowledge our selves separated from the world to live unto God but internal is when we are so indeed How shall we call the prophane ungodly person a sanctified one Look to the truth of Sanctification here mentioned in the Text. Now the truth of it lieth 1. In the manner of working of it The Spirit of God by the Word doth thus sanctifie therefore some understand this in the Text by the truth as formerly our Saviour prayed God himself is the onely Authour of Sanctification We cannot make our selves holy no more then we can make our selves men yet God works not in the order of grace immediately no more then in the order of nature where he makes use of second causes Thus in the working of grace he appointeth second means as the Ministry and Ordinances and therefore Paul 1 Cor. 3. saith They were Ministers by whom the Corinthians did beleeve and there is no better discovery of true Sanctification then to examine the manner and way how thou hast received it for if the Spirit of God by the Word hath wrought it in thee then fear not this is of a more noble and supernatural being then what morality or principles of civility can incline unto thee As Christ himself was in his bodily nature conceived by the holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner Thus is every one sanctified in an higher and more sublime way then all the moral and prudential dictates of nature can carry us unto Oh then prove thy self what hath the Spirit of God and his Word done unto thee That was not more wonderfull in those who had a prophetical Spirit then in such who are sanctified To enable men to speak with strange Tongues is not more admirable then to give a man a strange heart to what he had once and strange in respect of others 2. It 's true Sanctification when it hath the universality and integrity of all parts which is the whole Image of God as Paul prayeth 1 Thess 5. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body This work of Sanctification it 's an entire compleat harmonical compages of all holinesse take any part of it away and you dissolve the whole fabrick It 's true Sanctification though it have not perfect and compleat degrees but not true if it want any essential parts and therefore called the Image of God which cannot be one grace no more then a man can be a man in one part and a beast in another but the Systeme of all 3. It 's true Sanctification in the permanency and continuance of it Perseverance doth not make Sanctification to be true but the truth of Sanctification makes it persevere Perseverance is an effect not a cause of
and sores to appear upon that body which once was as fair as Absâ—loms body Hence the Apostles doe so much presse That all things be done in charity that they fulfill the Royall Law by loving that they doe not so much as grudge one against another This unity and peace is so glorious a thing that the Apostle 1 Thess 4.11 makes it matter of ambition Study or be ambitious to be quiet There is a great deal of carnal and worldly ambition after great things though fading and transitory but here is godly ambition here is spiritual ambition when to be a peace-maker and a peace-preserver we judge it the greatest glory God doth put upon us Eighthly This duty of Love and uniting is most imbred in the hearts of the godly it should be that which they are most perswaded of most inclined to It 's strange for thee to say God hath taught thee such and such high things and hath not taught thee love The Apostle speaks excellently 1 Thess 4.10 Concerning brotherly-love ye need not I write to you for you are taught that of God It 's a shame and a reproach to us that we need a Sermon for this Oh fear thy self thou boastest of the teachings of Gods Spirit above others and yet art not taught to love And here we see Those that thinke a Ministry needlesse and they will not hear it If nothing else may convince yet this may God hath not taught them this duty of love enough and therefore they had need of the Ministers of God to doe it But by this you see That Love and Unity should be so planted in all the godly that we need no more presse and preach this then an hungry man to eat his meat or the mother to love her childe God teacheth this duty in the chief place SERMON CXIV Of Vnity among the Godly More particulars setting forth the Excellency of it and mischiefs of Division Answering this Objection viz. Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ praied for it How comes it to passe that there should be so many breaches amongst the Godly JOH 17.21 That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee c. WE are describing the Excellency of Union and the mischief of breaches amongst the godly we shall adde to the fore mentioned As 1. Divisions and differences they are the fruit of the flesh Whereas love peace and kindenesse they are the fruits of the Spirit so that a man cannot more demonstrate himself to be in the flesh and devoid of Gods Spirit in any thing then by a contentious dividing spirit There are some men like those old Spaniards the historian speaks of that cannot live without an enemy So these Salamanders can only be in the fire they are unquiet restless men and these like Marcion with great boldnesse and delight will cry out we will cast fire into the Church and divide it But these demonstrate of what nature they are and who is their Father even that envious one the devil who delights to sow tares amongst the wheat Gal. 6.20 21. c. you may there see two chief principles of mens actions in the world whereof the one is immediatly opposite to the other the flesh and the Spirit now it 's good to observe what the works of the one and the other are of the flesh he instanceth in hatred variance strife emulations c. all tending to break unity and of the spirit the clean contrary love peace gentleness c. all uniting If then we would know who is a godly man who hath the Spirit of God Judge of the Tree by its fruit he is full of love gentleness and meekness It 's impossible that pride arrogancy and envyings should be the fruit of Gods Spirit Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. doth thus argue If there be envyings and divisions among you are you not carnal Thus the Apostle James c. 3.13 14. speaks notably to this Who is a wise man let him shew it by a good conversation with meeknesse he divides wisedom into that which is earthly and devilish the mother of envyings and strife and the wisedome from above which is first pure and then peaceable yea verse 14. Whosoever hath the Name of Religion yet is haunted with this devil The Apostle bids him glory not and lye not against the Truth So that though a man pretend never such singular gifts such extraordinary Teachings of Gods Spirit yet if contentious he is not to glory yea he lieth against the Truth Thou saist it 's for the truth thou art thus contentious It 's for the truth thou hast made these divisions No the truths of Christ are to be maintained by the Spirit of Christ As the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God so neither doth the perversenesse of man the truths of God so far then as any in the Church of God are contentious and striving so farre they demonstrate the power of the flesh reigning in them 2. This Unity is necessary because all other things in Religion are reduced to one If therefore all things agree in unity every thing in Religion tends to this Why should not the people of God embrace it The several Unities are notably made an Argument to our purpose Eph. 4. For the Apostle at v. 1. having exhorted believers to walk worthy of their calling he instanceth in such graces as procure Vnity with all lowlinesse meekness forbearing one another See these graces are the comely worthy graces of our holy calling and you have the end of these graces v. 3. endeavouring we must make it our aim our labour our study and praier to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace hereupon he enumerates v. 4. why there should be such Unity There is one body Christ hath not many bodies no more then a man hath All the people of God are one body Now how destructive is it when one part of the body should conspire against the welfare of another Let grace do that in this mystical body which nature doth in this natural Then there is one Spirit There is but one Spirit that enlightens and sanctifieth the whole Church of God why then should there be so many contrary opinions and waies yet pretended to be of the same Spirit Indeed the Apostle saith there are diversity of gifts and operations yet the same Spirit He doth not say contrarieties and the same Spirit for that is as impossible as darkness to come from the Sun If then there be but one Spirit let not the godly give occasions to the adversaries to blaspheme saying the Calvinistical Spirit is one thing and the Lutheran spirit another Again there is one hope of our calling we are called to one Inheritance there is only one Heaven prepared for all the godly Why then should they be so different by the way when at our journeys end we must all be received into the same place of glory It
is true our Saviour saith Joh. 14.2 In his Fathers house are many mansion places There is room enough for all yet it 's but one house if one Church cannot now contain us how shall we think one heaven will It followeth there is one Lord that is Christ who is to be worshiped and served by us Indeed if there were many Lords as the Papists set up many Saints in heaven to have their peculiar worship then no wonder if there were several faiths and worships also but the Lord Christ is one This the Apostle urged the Corinthians with to compose their divisions Is Christ divided 1 Corin. 1.13 unlesse there were many Christs or Christ be divided into many parts there ought not to be many divisions in the Church how absurd would it be to say I have one Christ and another he hath another a third a third Christ There is one faith one systeme of doctrine to be believed Though there may be many particulars yet they make up one intire Truth So that although there be many Religions and many faiths in the world yet indeed there is but one Even as the Apostle saith There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called gods nuncupative gods but to us there is one only God So there are many called Religions many called Churches but indeed there is one only The next argument is there is one Baptism that is one profession of the doctrine of faith Though there is not one baptism in number yet there is one in kinde Christ hath appointed but one way for the profession of his name and being called upon by us The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is also made an argument of unity 1 Cor 10.17 So that the Sacraments in their signification denote unity They manifest one body one spirit how sad then is it that so many â—ents and divisions should be made in the Church about Sacraments which yet are the bodies and seals of unity and communion Lastly there is one God and Father of all Because there is one God only therefore we ought to be at unity God being One cannot be divided in himself he cannot command things to be believed or done contrary to himself Therefore let all these unities make us serious in endeavouring after unity yea we might adde that in hell there is unity all the devils agree against the Church There could be a Legion of devils in one man Shall there then be unity against us and not we at unity among our selves These things thus urged let us answer that Objection Seeing God hath promised one heart and one way and Christ hath also thus earnestly praied for it who is not denied any thing by the Father how is it there are so many breaches amongst the godly That we may cry out contrarily to the Psalmist Behold how sad and destructive a thing it is for brethren to be at discord one with another how comes it about that the godly do no more remember of what spirit they are That they consider not the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a Dove That Babel was to be built by confusion of tongues but Jerusalem without any noise of the hammer and therefore Solomon must build the Temple not David because he had been a man of war That this may not scandalize any Consider these things 1. Though unity among the godly be thus necessary yet that inferreth necessarily divisions and oppositions to the world and therefore we are not to wonder if the Gospel and powerful dispensing of Christs waies makes fractions and troubles in the world for the godly cannot have peace with themselves but they must be in open opposition to the world Therefore in this Chapter and in other places our Saviour informs them that the world will hate them So that we are not to say That the Gospel of Christ is in it self of a turbulent dividing nature as carnal Politicians suggest and that therefore the best peace and unity is where Atheism doth abound for if by the Gospel there be sad distractions and concussions of Kingdoms and States it 's not from the genius of the Gospel but from the opposition and corruption of mens hearts Therefore when our Saviour said he came to send fire and sword in the earth Luk. 12.49 that Father should be against Son and mother against daughter That a mans Enemies should be those of his own house This was not from the nature of Christs doctrine but the corrupt indisposition of the subject as when the Sun doth offend soar eyes or the medicine and potions taken disturb the humours and makes a man the sicker in these cases not the Sun or the Physician is to be blamed So if the Introduction of Christs Kingdom and his Ordinances make great divisions in a place It 's not Christs way but wicked mens sins that are to be blamed This then is to be concluded upon that the godly and the wicked can have no unity The godly may not come off to the worlds principles and the world will not come off to the godly mans principles and therefore there must be a perpetual enmity which made the Wise man say That the Righteous was an abomination to the wicked and the wicked to the Righteous Pro. 29.27 2. Seeing there cannot be unity between Sheep and Wolves the godly and the wicked hence it is that even in the Church of God there being so many still that retain their beastly nature and though they have the title of Christians yet are really of the devil hence it is that in Christs Church there is many times such deadly opposition Wonder not then if among those that yet pretend highly to Christ there be sad divisions for many are in the flesh still many savour not experimentally the things of God There shall arise among you men that shall speak perverse things saith the Apostle Act. 20.30 So there shall be false Prophets who will bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2. and why because they are men of corrupt mindes If then all that pretend to Christ to his Spirit had indeed Christs Spirit there would be no such divisions but saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. They went from us because they were not of us and 1 Co. 11. there must be heresies that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are sound may be esteemed Therefore though Christ hath thus praied and God thus promised yet in the Church there will be grievous rents because these are not of the Church though in the Church and therefore were not included in Gods promise or Christs praier Hence it is that the Scripture is full of such predictions that there shall arise false Prophets that there shall be wolves in sheeps clothes that Satan will transform himself into an Angel of light by which if it were possible the very Elect would be seduced Therefore you are not thus to argue when you see raging divisions amongst those that professe faith in Christ and holiness
make it uselesse for there needeth not any more two meritorious causes of salvation then two Suns in the firmament or else if Christ merited as the remote cause and we as the proxime cause then salvation is to be attributed more formally to our grace then Christs sufferings So that as if the Sunne should inlighten the starres that they could make the day this would take off from the immediate glory of the Sun though that was remotely the cause of it Thus though Christ be the cause of our grace yet because our grace is in it self made the meer meritorious cause therefore it would obscure the glory of Christ Oh then let the gracious man take heed of any proud risings or stirrings of heart of any proud opinions or doctrins which may secretly fermentate him herein Fourthly Neither is the connexion between grace and glory causal in a physical and natural way as the fire burneth or as the acorn will naturally grow into a great Oak It 's ordinarily said That grace is the seed of glory or grace is glory begun and glory is grace consummated but all this is not so to be understood as if grace by any intrinsecal natural vertue did grow up to glory as a childe doth to a man No God might if he had pleased when we had done the highest acts of grace yet have annihilated us Though we had fought the good fight of faith yet he might not have given us a crown of glory for this heavenly glory accompanieth grace only by vertue of a promise Had not God promised and mercifully annexed such glorious priviledges our graces of themselves could not have procured them Fifthly Therefore is grace and glory connexed partly from the promise of God He is willing out of his free bounty to bestow heaven upon our gracious walking so that we cannot plead our graces but Gods promise onely neither is he a debtor unto us but unto himself and this is the righteousness mentioned by the Scripture when it speaks of God rewarding us as when it 's said If we confess and forsake our sins he is righteous to forgive them 1 Joh. 1.9 and so it 's just with God to remember our sufferings 2 Thess 1.6 and Paul saith It 's the righteous Judge 2 Tim. 4.6 which will give him the crown of glory Here justice and righteousness is not mentioned for strict commutative righteousness but the righteousness of Gods promise and fidelity So that God looketh upon the promise as on the rainbow which is a sure evidence that he will never destroy the world more and then grace is an antecedent to glory because Grace is an ordinable means to glory Without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 Sin cannot in it's nature be appointed the way to happiness Therefore the ancient saying is that it is via not causa regni so that by Gods commanding and appointing the way it 's as indispensably necessary as if it were a cause And then Lastly It makes for the honour and glory of God to make grace a necessary forerunner of glory For if every prophane and ungodly person might be saved this would redound greatly to Gods dishonour this would invert and contradict those places of Scripture which speak of Gods purity and holiness so that his eyes cannot behold the wicked that he will in no wise acquit the ungodly Exod. 34.7 That he is angry with the wicked all the day long Psal 7.11 Thus you see that there is an inviolable chain between sanctification and happiness and that it is gross and foul presumption for a man to separate these two to think he shall ever partak of one without exercising the other and therefore this Vse 1 In the first place doth thunder out unspeakable woe unto all wretched and ungodly men What hopes what expectations have ye of happiness Deceive not your selves any longer with such false surmises look over all the Bible and you shall see nothing but hell fire and eternal torments to such who are workers of iniquity What do you think God will alter the course of grace when he will not the course of nature Will God turn the day into night or the night into day Will he make the Sun stand still or the waters of the Sea part asunder to please the creature Yea these miracles he may and hath done but to save a wicked man living and dying in his wickednesse would be the greatest miracle that could be yea we may say such is the holiness and justice of God that he cannot do it What is it then that doth thus befot and bewitch wicked men What keepeth you from gnashing the teeth tearing the hair and crying out Oh this life those sins will as surely damn me as if I were in hell already without repentance And Vse 2 2. It speaks infinite comfort to those who have true grace though in the least degree For seeing that grace doth not as a natural cause produce glory but by the Covenant and Promise of God then the weakest grace may plead this as well as the strongest The lowest believer may say I have as good and as faithfull a promise as the stronger even a cup of cold water given to a Prophet upon right grounds shall have an everlasting Kingdom and therefore that cannot be for any worth or dignity in the good duty performed What is lesse then a cup of water and that cold yet for this there is promised an everlasting Kingdom And certainly if Paul thought 2 Cor. 4.17 these afflictions though in themselves never so great yet nothing comparable to that eternal weight of glory much lesse then are those lesse afflictions comparable to it And so I proceed to the second Doctrine Christ prayeth That believers though thus sanctified and perfected in one may be made glorious Now this plainly supposeth That Glory is a gift That it doth not follow upon our highest degree of Sanctification and therefore when the Apostle had said The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 he doth not also say the wages of grace is eternal life but he cals it The gift of God So that here is a difference between hell and heaven The wicked mans life deserveth hell it 's the proper reward of every ungodly action yea some say that hell is lesse then the sin God doth not punish according to the desert of it but it 's otherwise with glory and happiness for after we have done to the utmost yet it 's wholly in Gods good pleasure whether he will give a Kingdom or no. Now the Reasons Why eternal glory must be a gift even to the most godly men is 1. Because that all our best actions have some sinfulness cleaving to them insomuch that if God should deal strictly according to those adhering defects we might be damned notwithstanding the graces we have Therefore the Psalmist prayeth Psal 143.2 That God would not enter into judgement with his servant because in his sight no flesh