our soules and the comforting of our hearts unto Christ these are the purchase of Christs blood and whilst he is exercised in promoving these he doth good to his own child and Spouse c. which is in effect a doing good unto himselfe Yea to doe these bringeth in to himselfe more comfort and glory then it procures to them And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following Chapter namely Heb. 3. sayes that Christ is engaged to faithfulnesse in the execution of his office not as a meere servant onely who is betrusted by his Master but as an owner who hath an interest of possession in the things committed to his care and a revenue from these So ver 5. Moses verily sayes he was faithfull as a servant in Gods house but Christ as a Son over his owne house that is as an Heire of all Whose house or family are We sayes the Apostle ver 6. If a Physitian for his fee will be faithfull although he be a stranger much more will he be so if he be Father to the Patient so as his own life and comfort are bound up in that of the childs or when much of his estate and commings in are from the life of the party unto whom he ministers physick In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost and to lack no Cordials that will comfort them no means that will cure them and keep them healthfull and no fit diet that may nourish and strengthen them As the care of that Prince of the Eunuchs in the first of Daniel was to have those children committed to his charge to eat and drink of the best because that on their looks and good liking his place depended Now so God hath ordered it even for an everlasting obligation of Christs heart unto us that his giving grace mercy and comfort to us is one great part of his glory and of the revenue of his happinesse in heaven and of his inheritance there First to explaine how this may be consider That the Humane nature of Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory happinesse and delight One in that neere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other Persons through his personall union with the Godhead Which joy of his in this fellowship Christ himselfe speaks of Psal 16. ver ult as to be enjoyed by him In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And this is a constant and setled fulnesse of pleasure such as admits not any addition or diminution but is alwayes one and the same and absolute and entire in it selfe and of it selfe alone sufficient for the Sonne of God and Heyre of all things to live upon though he should have had no other commings in of joy and delight from any creature And this is his naturall inheritance But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory and a revenue of pleasure to come in another way and answerably another fulnesse namely from his Church and Spouse which is his Body Thus Ephes 1. when the Apostle had spoke the highest things of Christs personall advancement in heaven that could be uttered as of his sitting downe at Gods right hand far above all principalities and powers c. ver 20 21. yet ver 22. he addes this unto all And gave him to be an Head to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all So that although he of himselfe personally be so full the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him that he overflowes to the filling all things yet he is pleased to account and it is so in the reality his Church and the salvation of it to be another fulnesse unto him super-added unto the former As Sonne of God he is compleat and that of himselfe but as an Head he yet hath another additionall fulnesse of joy from the good and happinesse of his members And as all pleasure is the companion and the result of action so this ariseth unto him from his exercising acts of grace and from his continuall doing good unto and for those his members or as the Apostle expresseth it from his filling them with all mercy grace comfort and felicity Himselfe becomming yet more full by filling them and this is his inheritance also as that other was So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon One personall and due unto him as he is the Son of God the first moment of his Incarnation ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation Another acquired purchased and merited by his having performed that great service and obedience And certainly besides the glory of his person there is the glory of his office of Mediatorship and of Headship to his Church And though he is never so full of himselfe yet he despiseth not this part of his revenue that comes in from below Thus much for explication Now secondly for the confirmation and making up the demonstration in hand This superadded glory and happinesse of Christ is enlarged and encreased still as his members come to have the purchase of his death more and more laid forth upon them So as when their sins are pardoned their hearts more sanctified and their spirits comforted then comes Hee to see the fruit of his labour and is comforted thereby for he is the more glorified by it yea he is much more pleased and rejoyced in this then themselves can be And this must needs keep up in his heart his care and love unto his children here below to water and refresh them every moment as Isaiah speaks Chap. 37. 3. For in thus putting forth acts of grace and favour and in doing good unto them he doth but good unto himselfe which is the surest engagement in the world And therefore the Apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground that in so doing they love themselves Ephes 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe so strict and neere is that relation Now the same doth hold true of Christ in his loving his Church And therefore in the same place the love of Christ unto his Church is held forth as the patterne and exemplar of ours so ver 25. Even as Christ also loved the Church And so it may well be argued thence by comparing the one speech with the other that Christ in loving his Church doth but love himselfe and then the more love and grace he shews unto the Members of that his Body the more he shews love unto himselfe And accordingly it is further added there ver 27. that he daily washeth and cleanseth his Church that is both from the guilt and power of sinne that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Observe it is to himselfe So that all that he doth for his members is for himselfe as truly yea
more fully then for them and his share of glory out of theirs is greater then theirs by how much the glory of the cause is greater then that of the effect And thus indeed the Scripture speaks of it as whilst it calls the Saints the glory of Christ So 2 Cor. 8. 23. And Christ in Iohn 17. 13. and ver 22 23. sayes that he is glorified in them And Psal 45. where Christ is set forth as Solomon in all his royalty and majestie yet ver 11. hee is said greatly to desire or delight in the beauty of his Queene that is the graces of the Saints and that not with an ordinary delight but he greatly desires his desire is encreased as her beauty is For that is there brought in as a motive unto her to be more holy and conformed unto him to encline her care and forsake her Fathers house v. 10. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Christ hath a beauty that pleaseth him as well as we have though of another kind and therefore ceaseth not till he hath got out every spot wrinkle out of his Spouses face as we heard the Apostle speake even now so to present her glorious unto himselfe that is delightfull and pleasing in his eye And suitably unto this to confirme us yet more in it Christ in that Sermon which was his solemne fare-well before his going to heaven assures his Disciples that his heart would be so farre from being weaned from them that his joy would still be in them to see them prosper and bring forth fruit so JOHN 15. 9 10 11. where his scope is to assure them of the continuance of his love unto them when he should be gone so ver 9 10. As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue in my love c. As if he had said Feare not you my love nor the continuance of it in my absence but looke you to doe your duty c. And to give them assurance of this he further tels them that even when he is in heaven in the greatest fulnesse of pleasure at Gods right hand yet even then his joy will be in them and in their well doing so ver 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remaine in you and that your joy may be full He speakes just like a Father that is taking his leave of his children and comforting them at his departure and giving them good counsell to take good courses when he is gone from them to keepe his Commandements and to love one another so ver 10 12. and backs it with this motive so shall my joy remain in you it is as Fathers use to speake and it will be for your good too your joy will be also full To open which words a little the word remaine used concerning their abiding in his love and his joy abiding in them is used in reference to the continuing of both these towards them in heaven And when Christ sayes That my joy may remain in you it is as if he had said that I may even in heaven have cause to rejoice in you when I shall heare and know of you that you agree and are loving each to other and keepe my Commandements The joy which he there calls His joy My joy is not to be understood Objectivè of Their joy in Him as the object of it but Subjectiè of the joy that should bee in himselfe and which hee should have in them So Augustine long since interpreted it Quodnam sayes hee est illud gaudium Christi in nobis nisi quod ille dignatur gaudere de nobis what is Christs joy in us but that which hee vouchsafeth to have of and for us And it is evident by this that otherwise if it were their joy which hee meant in that first sentence then that other that follows And your joy shall be ful were a Tautologie He speakes therefore of his joy and theirs as of two distinct things and both together were the greatest motives that could be given to encourage and quicken his Disciples in obedience Now take an estimate of Christs heart herein from those two holy Apostles Paul and John who were smaller resemblances of this in Christ What next to immediate communion with Christ himselfe was the greatest joy they had to live upon in this world but onely the fruit of their Ministery appearing in the graces both of the lives and hearts of such as they had begotten unto Christ See how Paul utters himself 1 Thes 2. 19. What is our hope sayes hee or joy or crowne of rejoycing Ye are our glory and our joy ver 20. And in the 3. Epist of JOHN ver 3. John sayes the like that hee greatly rejoyced of that good testimony hee had heard of Gaius For sayes hee I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walk in the truth ver 4. Now what were Paul and John but instruments by whom they beleeved and were begotten and not on whom Neither of these were crucified for them nor were these children of theirs the travaile of their soules How much more then unto Christ whose interest in us and our welfare is so infinitely much greater must his members be his joy and his crown And to see them to come in to him for grace and mercy and to walke in truth rejoyceth him much more for he thereby sees of the travaile of his soule and so is satisfied Certainly what Solomon sayes of Parents Prov. 10. 1. that a wise son maketh a glad father c. is much more true of Christ Holinesse and fruitfulnesse and comfortablenesse in our spirits while we are here below doe make glad the heart of Christ our everlasting Father Himself hath said it I beseech you beleeve him and carry your selves accordingly And if part of his joy arise from hence that we thrive and doe well then doubt not of the continuance of his affections for love unto himselfe will continue them towards us and readinesse to embrace and receive them when they come for grace and mercy There is a fift Engagement which his very having our nature which he still weares in heaven and which the end or intention which God had in ordaining Christs assuming it doe put upon him for ever For one great end and project of that personall union of our nature unto the Godhead in the second Person for ever was that he might be a mercifull High-Priest So that as his office layes it as a duty upon him so his becomming a Man qualifies him for that office and the performance of it and so may afford a farther demonstration of the point in hand This we find both to have beene a requisite in our High-Priest to qualifie him the better for mercy and bowels and also one of those great ends which God had in that assumption of our nature First a requisite on purpose to make him the more mercifull So Heb. 5. 1. the place even
Formalists among the Jews had who without the Messiah closed with Promises and rested in Types to cleanse them without looking unto Christ the end of them and as propounded to their faith in them This is to goe to God without a Mediator and to make the Promises of the Gospel to be as the Promises of the Law Nehushtan as Hezekiah said of the Brasen Serpent a piece of brasse vaine and ineffectuall like the waters of Bethesda they heale not they cleanse not till this Angel of the Covenant come downe to your faith in them Therefore at a Sacrament or when you meet with any Promise get Christ first downe by faith and then let your faith propound what it would have and you may have what you will of him There are three sorts of Promises Three sorts of Promise and how Christs Person is the object of faith in applying them all and in the applying of all these it is Christ that your faith is to meet with 1. There are absolute promises made to no Conditions as when Christ is said to come to save sinners c. Now in these it is plaine that Christ is the naked object of them so that if you apply not him you apply nothing for the onely thing held forth in them is Christ 2. There are Inviting Promises as that before mentioned Come to me you that are weary The promise is not to wearinesse but to comming to Christ they are bidden Come to him if they will have rest 3. There are Assuring Promises as those made to such and such qualifications of sanctification c. But still what is it that is promised in them which the heart should onely eye It is Christ in whom the soule rests and hath comfort in and not in its grace so that the sight of a mans grace is but a back-doore to let faith in at to converse with Christ whom the soule loves Even as at the Sacrament the elements of Bread and Wine are but outward signes to bring Christ and the heart together and then faith lets the outward elements goe and closeth and treats immediately with Christ unto whom these let the soule in So Grace is a signe inward and whilst men make use of it onely as of a bare signe to let them in unto Christ and their rejoycing is not in it but in Christ their confidence being pitcht upon him and not upon their grace whilst men take this course there is and will be no danger at all in making such use of signes and I see not but that God might as well appoint his owne work of the new creation within to be as a signe and help to communion with Christ by faith as he did those outward elements the works of his first creation especially seeing in nature the effect is a sign of the cause Neither is it more derogatory to free grace or to Christs honour for God to make such effects signes of our union with him then it was to make outward signs of his presence SECT II. CHRIST the object and support of faith for Justification in his death ROM 8. 34. Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed CHAP. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as dying is the object of Faith as justifying TO come now to all those foure particulars of or about Christ as the object of faith here mentioned and to shew both how Christ in each is the object of faith as justifying and what support or encouragement the faith of a Beleever may fetch from each of them in point of Justification which is the Argument of the maine Body of this Discourse First Christ as dying is the object of justifying faith Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed For the explanation of which Explained 1. By two Directions I will 1. Give a direction or two 2. Shew how an encouragement or matter of triumph may from hence be fetcht 1. 1. Direction The first Direction is this That in seeking forgivenesse or justification in the Promises as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith so it must be Christ as crucified Christ as dying as here he is made It was the Serpent as lift up and so looked at that healed them Now this direction I give to prevent a mistake which soules that are about to beleeve doe often run into For when they heare that the person of Christ is the maine object of faith they thus conceive of it that when one comes first to beleeve he should looke onely upon the personall excellencies of Grace and Glory which are in Jesus Christ which follow upon the Hypostaticall Union and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them onely and close with him under those apprehensions alone But although it be true that there is that radicall disposition in the faith of every Beleever which if it were drawne forth to view Christ in his meere personall excellencies abstractively considered would close with Christ for them alone as seeing such a beauty and suitablenesse in them yet the first view which an humbled soule alwayes doth and is to take of him is of his being a Saviour made sinne and a curse and obeying to the death for sinners He takes up Christ in his first sight of him under the likenes of sinfull flesh for so the Gospel first represents him though it holds forth his personall excellencies also and in that representation it is that he is made a fit object for a sinners faith to trust rest upon for salvation which in part distinguisheth a sinners faith whilst here on earth towards Christ from that vision or sight which Angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him Faith here views him not onely as glorious at Gods right hand though so also but as crucified as made sin and a curse and so rests upon him for pardon but in heaven we shall see him as he is and be made like unto him Take Christ in his personall excellencies simply considered and so with them propounded as an Head to us he might have been a fit object for Angels and men even without sin to have closed withall and what an additon to their happinesse would they have thought it to have him for their husband but yet so considered he should have been and rather is the object of love then of faith or affiance It is therefore Christ that is thus excellent in his person yet farther considered as clothed with his garments of bloud and the qualifications of a Mediator and Reconciler it is this that makes him so desirable by sinners and a fit object for their faith which looks out for justification to prey and seize upon though they take in the consideration of all his other excellencies to allure their hearts to him and confirme their choice of him Yea I say farther that consider faith as justifying that is in that act of it which justifies a sinner and so Christ taken onely or mainly in his
Common person with or for another hee goes for is one who represents personates and acts the part of another by the allowance and warrant of the Law so as what he doth as such a common person and in the name of the other that other whom he personates is by the Law reckoned to doe and in like manner what is done to him as being in the others stead and roome is reckoned as done to the other Thus by our Law an Attorney appears for another money received by him is reckoned as received by him whom it is due unto Thus the giving possession of an estate a re-entry made and possession taken of land c. if done by and to a man who is his lawfull Attorney it stands as good in Law unto a man as if in his owne person it had been done So Embassadours for Princes represent their Masters what is done to them is reckoned as done to the Prince and what they do according to their Commission is all one as if the Prince whose Person they represent had done it himselfe In like manner also the marriages of Princes are transacted solemnized by Proxie as a Common person representing his Lord and in his name is married to a Princesse in her Fathers Court and the Lawes of men authorize it and the marriage is as good as if both Princes themselves had been present and had performed all the Rites of it The difference betweene these two And thus to be a Common person is more then simply to be a Surety for another it is a farther thing and therefore these two relations are to be distinctly considered though they seem to be somewhat of a like nature Thus an Attorney is a different thing from a Surety A Surety undertakes to pay a debt for another or the like but a Cōmon person serves to perform any common act which by the Law is reckoned and virtually imputed to the other and is to stand as the others act is as valid as is he had done it So as the good and benefit which is the consequent of such an act shall accrew to him whom he personated and for whom he stood as a Common person Adam was not a Surety for all Man-kind Adam a Common person but not a Surety he undertook not for them in the sense fore-mentioned but he was a Common person representing all Man-kind So as what he should do was to be accounted as if they had done it Now the better to expresse and make sure our Justification in and by Christ according to all sorts of Laws the equity of all which God usually draws up into his dispensations God did ordain Christ both to be a Surety for us Christ ordained to be both and the reason why and also a Common person representing us and in our stead That as Christ tooke all other relations for us as of an Husband Head Father Brother King Priest Captain c. that so the fulnesse of his love might be set forth to us in that what is defective in any one of these relations is supplyed and expressed by the other Even thus did God ordaine Christ to take and sustaine both these relations of a Surety and a Common Person in all he did for us thereby to make our justification by him the more full and legall and justifie as I may so speake our Justification it selfe or his justifying of us by all sorts of legall considerations what ever that hold commonly among men in like case and that which the one of these relations or considerations might not reach to make good the other might supply what fel short in the one the other might make up and so we might be most legally and formally justified and made sure never to be condemned CHAP. III. The first Head The EVIDENCE of Iustification which Christs Resurrection affords to faith explained by two things 1. By shewing how Christ was made a Surety for us 2. How his Resurrection as a Surety holds forth this evidence COncerning the first of those two Heads at first propounded namely the Evidence which Christs Resurrection affords unto our faith in point of non-condemnation I have two things to handle in this Chap. to make this out First how Christ was made a Surety for us and what manner a Surety he did become secondly what the consideration hereof will contribute to that evidence which faith hath from Christs Resurrection For the first §. 1. Christ was appointed by God and himselfe also undertook to be our Surety 1. How Christ was made and became a Surety for us This you have Heb. 7. 22. He was made Surety of a better Testament or Covenant namely of the New The Hebrew word for Covenant the Septuagint stil translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament the word in the Hebrew being of a large signification comprehending both a Covenant and Testament and so in the New Testament it is used promiscuously for either And indeed this new Covenant of Grace is both Of this Covenant Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the plighter of his troth for it the Surety the Promiser the Undertaker The Verb this comes of is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promittere which comes form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in manibus striking hands or giving ones hand as a signe of a covenant and so to bargaine with or make up a covenant Prov. 22. 26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts Which whole verse the Septuagint reads Give not thy selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Suretyship The same word that is here used by the Apostle It was the manner both of the Jews and Romanes also to make Covenants by striking of hands And in Testaments the Heire and Executor shook hands or the Executor gave his hand to fulfill it Suretiship not onely used in matters of debt but in criminall causes punished with death and is put for being a pledge for another And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used not onely in promising to pay a debt for another but also in becomming a pledge for another for to undergoe death or a capitall punishment in anothers roome as in that famous story of friends namely Euephenus and Eucritus Eucritus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly become a surety for Euephenus when condemned to dye by Dionysius the tyrant This very word is used by Polyenus the Historian of that fact Now such a Surety every way did Christ become unto God for us Christ undertook as a Surety for both to satisfie God to work all in us also both to pay the debt by undergoing death in our stead and so to satisfie God and then as the Heire to execute his Will and Testament He became a Surety of the whole Covenant and every condition in it take it in the largest sense and this of all both on Gods part and on ours For us he undertook to
shew that this his justification and pronouncing him without sin thus done at his Resurrection was done to him as the First-fruits and as to a Common person bearing our persons so in our names From whence wil necessarily follow as the Conclusion of all That the persons of all the elect Beleevers have beene justified before God in Christ as their Head at or from the time of his Resurrection and so that Act of Justification to have beene so firmly past as it cannot be revoked for ever Now this is proved Proved 1. 〈◊〉 the common analogie of the former instances first by the very same reason or respect that he was said to be the first-fruits of them that sleep as representing the rest in his Resurrection which I shewed at large in the former Chap. upon the same ground he is to be so lookt at also in this his Justification pronounced upon him at his Resurrection even as the first-fruits also of them that are justified And so in the same sense by the same reason that we are said to be risen with Christ in his Resurrection we must also be said to be justified with him in this his justification at his Resurrection And indeed In all things which God doth unto us Christ is the first-fruits and God doth them first upon him to enlarge this a little as there is the same reason ground for the one that there is for the other he being a publike person in both so the rule will hold in all other things which God ever doth to us or for us which are common with Christ and were done to him that in them all Christ was the first-fruits and they may be said to have beene done in us or to us yea by us in him and with him Yea what ever God meant to doe for us and in us what ever priviledge or benefit he meant to bestow upon us he did that thing first to Christ and some way bestowed the like on him as a Common person that so it might be by a solemne formall Act ratified and be made sure to be done to us in our persons in due time having first been done to him representing our persons and that by this course taken it might when done to us be effected by vertue of what was first done to him Thus God meaning to sanctifie us Thus in Sanctification Christ first sanctified then we in him he sanctifies Christ first in him as a Common person sanctifying us all For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified through thy truth Iohn 17. 19. He sanctifies the humane nature of Christ personall that he may sanctifie Christ mysticall that is his body and him first as a Common person representing us that so we being virtually and representatively sanctified in him may be sure to be sanctified afterwards in our own persons by means of his sanctification And so in like manner for our sakes he was justified in the Spirit because we were to be justified and so to be justified first in him So in all blessings else and with him as a Common person Now this rule holds in all blessings else bestowed for Paul pronounceth of them all that God hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus Ephes 1. 3. which God did so order that as he speaks of ordaining salvation to be by faith Rom. 4. 16. that all those blessings might be sure to all the seed For this formall investiture of estating us into all blessings by such solemne acts done to Christ as our Head and Representer of us makes what he intends to bestow sure before-hand by an irrepealable act and sentence which hath its warrant in all Laws of men as I have shewne and shall anon again urge And secondly 2. Proved by the equity of that in Adams condemnation we were all condemned by the equity of the same Law that in Adam we were all condemned Adam being a Type of him in this by the same Law I say we were all justified in Christ when he was justified else the Type were not therein fulfilled Now the sentence of condemnation was first passed upon Adam alone yet considered as a Common person for us therefore also this Acquitance and Justification was then passed towards Christ alone as a publique person for us Yea in this his being justified Christ much rather a Common person in his being justified then Adam was in his condemnation Christ must much rather be considered as a Common person representing us then Adam was in his condemnation For Christ in his owne person as he had no sinne so he had no need of any justification from sinne nor should ever have been condemned And therefore this must be onely in a respect unto our sins imputed to him and if so then in our stead And so herein he was more purely to be considered as a Common person for us then ever Adam was in his being condemned For Adam besides his standing as a Common person for us was furthermore condemned in his own person but Christ in being justified from sinne could onely be considered as standing for others Thus Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so or in like manner by the righteousnesse of that one man Christ the free gift came upon all men namely in Christ unto justification of life He parallels both with a So only with this difference betweene Adams being a Common person for us and so betweene the ground of our being condemned in him and Christ his being a Common person for us and our Acquitance in him that the condemnation came upon all by a necessary naturall covenant for by such a covenant was Adam appointed a Common person for us but Christ his being appointed thus a Common person for us it was by a free gift of grace and therefore in like manner by a free gift of grace it is that the imputation of that which he did or was done to him is reckoned ours As then in Adam all dyed when he sinned as the Apostle speaks so in Christ were all justified when he was justified For as in his death Christ was a publique person for us and in all that befell him so in his Resurrection and in all that was then done to him and so in this his being then justified And as when he dyed the Iust was put to death for the unjust as Peter speaks so when he rose and was justified the Just that needed no justification was justified for the unjust who else had been condemned and so we were then justified with him CAP. VI. How our faith may raise from hence just matter of Triumph about our Justification An explication how we are justified by faith although justified in Christ at his Resurrection ANd hereupon is grounded this Triumph of Faith here from Christs Resurrection Who shall condemne It is Christ that is risen The
still in that work he stands engaged therein as an Undertaker for us and so as a Surety intercedes Such as Iudah was for Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for ever So sayes Christ for us And therefore Sponsio or undertaking for us is by Divines made a great part of this part of his office Now the consideration of this may the more secure us for the more peculiarly and solely it is his work the more his honour lies at stake and the more he will set himselfe to effect it yea and being by way of Suretiship it concerns him yet more neerly for he hath engaged and if he should faile might even lose that honour which he hath now in heaven CHAP. V. The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the pwoerfull influence it hath into our salvation Demonstrated first from the greatnesse of Christ and his favour with God THus we have heard what matter of support to our faith by way of evidence this must needs afford The prevalencie of Christs Intercession and the influence of it into our Iust fication that Christ intercedes Let us consider now what further assurance will arise to our faith from the influence which Christs Intercession must needs have to effect and carry on our salvation to an assured issue The work of Intercession being effectually to procure our salvation and to continue the pardon of our sins and hold us in favour with God therefore the influence and energie it hath herein must needs lie in that potencie and prevalencie which this intercession of Christ hath with God to obtain any thing at his hands for us and so to continue his favour towards us Demonstrated Now to raise up our apprehensions how potent and prevalent this Intercession of Christ must needs be let us consider both the Person interceding namely Christ and the Person with whom Christ intercedes for this favour which is God the one the Sonne the other the Father and so the greatnesse of Christ with God and the graciousnesse of God to Christ together with the one-nesse of wills and unity of affections in them both So that Christ will be sure to aske nothing which his Father will deny and his Father will not deny any thing which he shall ask Now first for the greatnesse of Christ the Intercessor 1. From the greatnesse of Christs person and his interest in God who intercedes that is his greatnesse with God the Father This is often urged in this Epistle to the Hebrews to perswade confidence in us in this very point in hand thus Heb. 4. 14 16. Seeing we have a great High-priest let us come boldly And whilst Great and Priest are thus joyned together the more comfort and boldnesse wee may have the greater he is For he is a Priest in relation to his dealing with God for our pardon as he is a Priest he deales in nothing else and the greater the person is who useth his interest herein the better the sooner he will prevaile And he is there said to be Great because great with God in prevailing with him and indeed so great as it is impossible but he should prevaile It was the greatnesse of his person which did and doth put such an influence into his death that it was as you heard a price more then enough to satisfie Justice even to overflowing And therefore Who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed And the greatnesse of his person must needs have as much influence to make Intercession prevalent In a matter of intercession the person that intercedes prevailes more then any other consideration whatsoever We see what great friends doe procure oftentimes with but a word speaking even that which money no nor any thing else could have obtained Demonstrated by three things Now Christ must needs be great with God in many respects First 1. The neernes of his alliance that he is Gods naturall Son in respect of the neernesse of his alliance to him He is the naturall Son of God God of God and therefore certaine to prevaile with him This is diligently still put in almost in all places where this part of his Priest-hood his Intercession is mentioned in the Epistle to the Heb. So in the 4. of the same Epistle ver 14. We have a great High-priest entred into the heavens Iesus the Son of God So Heb. 7. 25. and 28. ver compared the Apostle having said ver 25. that He is able to save to the utmost seeing he ever lives to make Intercession he doth ver 28. devolve this ability of his to save ultimately upon his being the Sonne thus in the 28. verse in the end of that discourse this is made as the Basis of all The Law saith he makes men High-priests which have infirmity which infirmity or disability of theirs is mentioned in opposition unto what he had just before spoken of the great ability of his our High-priest in his interceding ver 25. in those words He is able to save to the utmost Those Priests whom the ceremoniall Law made Aaron and his sonnes are unable to save they have infirmity Now what is it in him that makes this difference and him so able above what they were The word of the Oath makes the Son sayes he who is perfected as you have it in the Greeke and margent for evermore He mentions this his Son-ship principally in relation to his Intercession which there he had discoursed of Intercession is a carrying on our salvation in a way of grace and favour as his death was by way of satisfaction How great an influence this hath into Intercession to make it prevalent And answerably it may be observed in the Scripture that as the all-sufficiencie of the satisfaction of his death is still put upon his being God and so upon the greatnesse of his Person considered in respect of his nature or essence namely his God-head So in like manner that the prevalencie of his Intercession is founded upon the neernesse of his relation unto God his allyance to him and the being his Sonne Thus for the first When Redemption is spoken of the sufficiencie of the price is eminently put upon his God-head The bloud of God Thus also Heb. 9. where when he had ver 12. shewne how Christ had purchased and obtained a perfect redemption he then argues the sufficiencie of it from his God-head ver 13 14. For if the bloud of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself c. The eternall spirit is his God-head Thus answerably when he speaks of the prevailing of his Intercession in Heaven he puts it upon his Sonne-ship Iesus the Sonne he mentions the neernesse of
his first step to his glory and therefore this a certaine Demonstration 25 1. From the first gracious message which Christ after his Resurrection sent his Disciples who yet had forsaken him 26 2. From his carriage and speech at his first meeting with them 25 §. III. Demonstrations from passages at and after Christs Ascension into heaven 1. At his Ascension his blessing his Disciples 32 2. After he was come to heaven 1. Pouring out his Spirit on them as in his last Sermon he had promised which Spirit is to this day in our Preaching and an Argument of the fulfilling of this 33 2. All those works of Miracles and conversions of soules that accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel doe argue this as also the New Testament written since 34 3. Christs owne words spoken to Paul since himselfe was in heaven doe confirme it 35 4. The last words uttered in Scripture in the Book of the Revelation which was more immediately given unto John by Christ 37 Part II. Demonstrations Intrinsecall §. I. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the Influence which all the three Persons have into the Heart of the Humane nature of Christ in Heaven 48 1. From God the Father Which Demonstration is made forth by two things 1. God hath given Christ a perpetuall command to love his Elect on earth and hath written a Law of love in his heart 49 2. This Law of love remaines for ever in his heart which is proved by two things 1. That it is a Law and that of Love 52 2. That by observing that Law it is that Christ continues in his Fathers love 53 2. From God the Sonne unto whom the Humane nature is united This disposition of grace is naturall to him as he is Gods naturall Sonne 54 Accordingly the Humane nature framed on purpose with dispositions of mercy and meeknesse above all other 55 3. From God the Holy Ghost who on earth filled him with meekenesse and grace above all other dispositions and now resteth upon him in Heaven more abundantly then ever 60 §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in Heaven 70 1. Engagement The continuance of all his Relations and Alliances to us which no glory of his doth any thing lessen or alter ibid. Which relations were made chiefely for the other world and so must needes continue there 72 The Ground of this Engagement 76 2. His love is engaged and encreased by what he did and suffered for us 77 What a great obligation this is 78 3. His office of Priesthood which continues in Heaven doth further require all mercifulnesse and graciousnesse in him towards us sinners This Demonstration hath two parts 83 The 1. Shewing that the office of Priesthood was erected on purpose for grace and mercie ibid. Which is argued 1. By the Ends of it 2. By the Qualifications required for it 85 The 2. Shewing that by reason of this office an eternall duty lyeth upon him to shew grace and mercy and Christ is a faithfull High-Priest to performe that duty 90 Christs advancement can make no alteration in his heart for his Priesthood is his highest advancement And Grace did both Found and now upholds his Throne of Grace 94 4. His own Interest puts him upon these Affections of heart towards us His own joy happinesse and glory are encreased by shewing mercie to and comforting his children upon earth and it is more for his glory then for our good 98 Christ hath a double fulnesse of joy 1. Personall in his Father 2. Mysticall in his Members 99 How Christ rejoiceth in Heaven at our well-doing here on earth 101 5. His having the nature of man the same for substance in Heaven that he had on earth obligeth him to be mercifull unto men 104 The end of his Assuming mans nature was to qualifie him for mercie 105 Though it adds not to the greatnesse of mercie in God yet it addes a new way of being mercifull even as a man 106 Part III. §. I. Some Generals to cleare 1. How this is to be understood That Christs Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities 2. The way how our Infirmities come to be feelingly let into his heart 109 1. How this affection in Christ is to be understood This explained by these degrees 1. This affection of compassion is not wholly to be understood in a Metaphoricall sense as when God is said to be afflicted c. that is not meerely after the similitude of men but in a true and reall sense 111 2. These affections in Christs humane nature are more like to ours then those which the Angells have who notwithstanding have affections analogicall to ours 113 3 Christ having taken fraile flesh ere he went to Heaven this fits him yet more for having affections of mercie like unto ours 115 3. For the way how our miseries are let into Christs heart so as to affect it This explained by two things 1 The Humane nature hath the knowledge and cognizance of all that can or doth befall us here 118 2 He remembers how himselfe was once affected when he was under the like 119 §. II. A more particular Disquisition what manner of affection this is The seat thereof whether in his spirit or soule onely or in the whole humane nature Some Cautious added 121 This affection for our better conceiving it set forth three wayes 1. Negatively it is not in all things such as it was in the dayes of his flesh 2 Positively It is yet for substance the very same affection and the seat of it is his bodily heart as well as his soule 124 Foure Cautions or Positions about this 1. In what sense or so far as his Body is made spirituall so far are these Affections spiritualized as they are in his body 125 2. Hence though they move his Bowels yet they doe not perturbe or hurt him in the least 126 3. All naturall humane affections may be still in him that are not unbecomming his state glory And how much the having such affections are suteable to that state and relation wherein he is 128 4. Though a passionate suffering be cut off yet these affections are now more large and strong for the substance of them then they were on earth 130 3. Privatively If his heart suffers not with us under our Infirmities yet he hath lesse joy then his heart shall have when we are freed from all 131 How the Scripture attributes some kinde of Imperfection to some affection in him and in what sense §. III. This Scruple satisfied How Christs heart can bee feelingly touched with our sins our greatest infirmities seeing he was tempted without sinne 133 Foure answers given thereunto for our comfort Vses of all 137 FINIS THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven TO Sinners on Earth I. PART HAving set forth our Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST in all those great and most solemne actions of his his Obedience unto
That the heart of Jesus Christ now he is in heaven is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth §. 1. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the influence all the three Persons have for ever into the heart of the Humane nature of Christ in heaven THe first sort of Demonstrations shall be fetcht from all the three Persons and their severall influence they have into Christs heart in heaven to encline it towards us The first shall be taken from God his Father who hath thus advanced him and it hath two parts 1. That God hath given a perpetuall command to Christ to love sinners 2. That therefore his heart continues the same for ever For the first God the Father hath given Iesus Christ a speciall command to love sinners and hath withall implanted a mercifull gracious disposition in his heart towards them This I mention to argue it because it is that which Christ alledgeth Iohn 6. 37. as the originall ground of this disposition of his not to cast out those that come to him For it is my Fathers will sayes he in the following verses that I should performe that which I came downe from heaven for ver 38. And this lyes now still upon him now he is in heaven as much as ever for his will also is sayes he ver 39 40. that I should raise them up at the last day so as it must needs continue the same till then And compare with this the 10. of Iohn from ver 15. to 18. where having discoursed before of his care and love to his sheep to give his life for them to know and owne them and to bring them into the fold c. he concludes at ver 18. This commandment have I received from my Father It is his will sayes the 6. of Iohn and if a good son knowes that a thing is his fathers mind and will it is enough to move him to doe it much more if it be his expresse command And in this 10. of Iohn he further sayes that it is the command which he had received from the Father A command is a mans will peremptorily expressed so as there must be a breach if it be not fulfilled and such a command hath God given Christ concerning us Out of both which places I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of Gods First that Christ should die for his sheep in respect to which command he continued so to love them whilst here as to lay downe his life for them so Iohn 10. 15. but then he tooke it up againe and is ascended into heaven Therefore those other two things commanded him doe concerne him when he is in glory namely to receive all that come to him which is the second and the third to looke that he lose none of those for whom he dyed but to raise them up And for these his Fathers command lyes as strictly on him now he is in Heaven as for dying for them whilst he was on earth This command have I received from my Father and this is his will And together with this command God did put into his heart as where he commands he ever useth to doe such an instinct of transcendent love towards them as shall so strongly encline him to performe it that he shall neede no more commands He hath put such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an especiall love into him as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their own children more then to all other mens children which they see besides although more beautifull and more witty then their own And both this commandement and this inclination of love towards them wee have at once expressed Psal 40. 8. where giving the reason why he became our Mediator and sacrificed himselfe he not onely sayes I come to doe thy will O God but also Thy law is in my bowels In which speech both these two are mentioned 1. That command I mentioned is there expressed for it is called a Law And 2. it was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart and therefore said to bee a Law in his heart or bowels You may easily conceive what Law it was by the subject of it his Bowels which are still put for the most tender affections Colos 3. 12. Bowels of mercie kindnesse c. It was no other then that law of love mercy and pity to poore sinners which God gave him in charge as he was to be Mediator It was that speciall law which lay on him as he was the second Adam like that which was given to the first Adam Non concedendi over and above the Morall Law not to eate the forbidden fruit such a Law was this he there speakes of It was the law of his being a Mediator and a sacrifice for of that he expresly speakes v. 6 7. over and besides the Morall Law which was common to him with us The word in the Originall is In the middest of my bowels to shew it was deeply engraven it had its seat in the center it sate neerest and was most inward in his heart Yea and as that speciall Law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam Praeceptum Symbolicum as Divines call it given over and besides all the ten Commandments to be a tryall a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest such was this Law given unto Christ the second Adam so as that God would judge of all his other obedience unto himselfe by this Yea it was laid on him vvith that earnestnesse by God and so commended by him as that if ever Christ vvould have him to love him he should be sure to love us Thus in that place fore-cited Iohn 10. 17 18. Christ comforts himselfe with this in his obedience Therefore doth my Father love me It is spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned and so withall imports as if God should love Christ the better for the love he should shew to us it pleased him so well to see Christ love us And so it is as if God when he gave Christ that Commandement ver 18. had said Sonne as you vvould have my love continue tovvards you let me see your love towards me shewne in being kinde to these I have given you whom I have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you as you have it Iohn 17. 23. As God vvould have us shevv love unto him by loving his children so he vvould have Christ also shevv his love towards him by loving of us Novv for the second Branch of this Demonstration namely that that love vvhich Christ vvhen on earth expressed to be in his heart and vvhich made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father that it doth certainly continue in his heart still novv that hee is in Heaven and that as quick and as tender as ever it was on earth even as vvhen he vvas on the Crosse
that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
abide upon him in heaven It must never be said The Spirit of the Lord is departed from Him who is the Sender and Bestower of the holy Ghost upon us And if the Spirit once comming upon his Members abides with them for ever as Christ promiseth Iohn 14. 16. then much more doth this Spirit abide upon Christ the Head from whom we all since Christ was in heaven receive that Spirit and by vertue of which Spirits dwelling in him he continues to dwell in us Therefore of him it is said Esay 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him Yea and in that storie of the holy Ghosts desending upon him at his Baptisme it is not onely recorded that He descended on him but over and above it is added And abode upon him Yea further to put the greater emphasis upon it it is twice repeated So Iohn 1. 32. I saw the Spirit sayes the Euangelist descending from heaven like a Dove and hee adds this also as a further thing observed by him and it abode upon him And then againe ver 33. I knew him not sayes he but he that sent me gave me this token to know him by Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he And further as it is intimated there he rested on him to that end that he might baptize us with the holy Ghost unto the end of the world The same sayes he is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost He at first descends as a Dove and then abides as a Dove for ever upon him and this Dove it selfe came from heaven first And therefore certainly now that Christ himselfe is gone to heaven he abides and sits upon him much more as a Dove still there Moreover let me adde this that although the Spirit rested on him here without measure in comparison of us yet it may be safely said that the Spirit in respect of his effects in gifts of grace and glory rests more abundantly on him in heaven then he did on earth even in the same sense that at his baptisme as was said he rested on him in such respects more abundantly then he did before his Baptisme during the time of his private life For as when he came to heaven he was enstalled King and Priest as it were anew in respect of a new execution so for the work to be done in heaven he was anew anointed with this oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes as Psal 45. 7. Which place is meant of him especially as he is in heaven at Gods right hand in fulnesse of joy as Psal 16. ult it is also spoken of him when also it is that he goes forth in his majesty to conquer as ver 4. of that 45. Psal And yet then Meeknesse is not far off but is made one of his dispositions in this heighth of glory So it followes in the fore-cited verse In thy majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and Meeknesse c. Therefore Peter sayes Acts 2. 36. that That same Iesus whom you Jews have crucified and who was risen and ascended God hath made both Lord and Christ Lord that is hath exalted him as King in heaven and Christ that is hath also anointed him and this Oyle is no other then the holy Ghost with whom the same Peter tells us he was anointed at his Baptisme Acts 10. 38. Yea and because he then at once received the Spirit in the fullest measure that for ever he was to receive him therefore it was that he shed him downe on his Apostles and baptized them with him as in that 2. of the Acts we reade Now it is a certaine rule that whatsoever we receive from Christ that he himselfe first receives in himselfe for us And so one reason why this oile ran then so plentifully downe on the skirts of this our High-priest that is on his members the Apostles and Saints and so continues to do unto this day is because our High-priest and Head himselfe was then afresh anointed with it Therefore ver 33. of that 2. of the Acts Peter giving an account how it came to passe that they were so filled with the holy Ghost sayes that Christ having received from the Father the promise of the holy Ghost had shed him forth on them which receiving is not to be only understood of his bare and single receiving the promise of the holy Ghost for us by having power then given him to shed him downe upon them as God had promised though this is a true meaning of it but further that hee had received him first as powred forth on himself and so shed him forth on them according to that rule that whatever God doth unto us by Christ he first doth it unto Christ all promises are made and fulfilled unto him first and so unto us in him all that he bestows on us he receives in himselfe And this may bee one reason why as Iohn 7. 39. the Spirit was not as yet given because Iesus was not as yet glorified But now he is in heaven he is said to have the seven spirits so Rev. 1. 3. which book sets him out as he is since he went to heaven Now those seven spirits are the holy Ghost for so it must needs be meant and not of any creature as appeares by the 4. ver of that Chap. where grace and peace are wisht from the seven spirits so called in respect of the various effects of him both in Christ and us though but one in person And seven is a number of perfection is therefore there mentioned to shew that now Christ hath the Spirit in the utmost measure that the humane nature is capable of And as his knowledge which is a fruit of the Spirit since his Ascension is enlarged for before he knew not when the day of Judgement should be but now when he wrote this book of the Revelation he did so are his bowels I speak of the humane nature extended all the mercies that God meanes to bestow being now actually to run through his hands and his particular notice and he to bestow them not on Jewes only but on Gentiles also who were to be converted after he went to heaven And so he hath now an heart adequate to Gods own heart in the utmost extent of shewing mercie unto any whom God hath intended it unto And this is the third demonstration from the Spirits dwelling in him wherein you may help your faith by an experiment of the holy Ghost his dwelling in your own hearts and there not only working in you meekenesse towards others but pitty towards your selves to get your soules saved and to that end stirring up in you incessant and unutterable groanes before the Throne of grace for grace and mercie Now the same Spirit dwelling in Christs heart in heaven that doth in yours here and always working in his heart first for you and then in yours by commission from him rest assured therefore that that Spirit
now insisted on when yet this primary qualification I then passed over and reserved unto this mention it is said Every High-Priest taken from among men is ordained for men and that to this end that so he might be one that can have compassion namely with a pity that is naturall and kindly such as a man beares to one of his owne kind For otherwise the Angels would have made higher and greater High-Priests then one of our nature but then they would not have pityed men as men doe their brethren of the same kind and nature with them And secondly this was also Gods end and intention in ordaining Christs assumption of our nature which that other place before cited namely Heb. 2. 16 17. holds forth Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham That is an humane nature and that made too of the same stuffe that ours is of and it behooved him to be made like us in all things that he might bee a mercifull High-Priest c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the end hee might become or be made mercifull But was not the Son of God as mercifull may some say without the taking of our nature as afterwards when he had assumed it Or is his mercy thereby made larger then of it selfe it should have beene had he not tooke the humane nature on him I answer Yes he is as mercifull but yet 1. Hereby is held forth an evident demonstration and the greatest one that could have been given unto men of the everlasting continuance of Gods mercies unto men by this that God is for everlasting become a man and so we thereby assured that he will be mercifull unto men who are of his owne nature and that for ever For as his union with our nature is for everlasting so thereby is sealed up to us the continuation of these his mercies to be for everlasting So that he can and will no more cease to be mercifull to men then himselfe can now cease to be a man which can never be And this was the end of that assumption But secondly that was not all His taking our nature not onely addes unto our faith but some way or other even to his being mercifull Therefore it is said That he might be made mercifull c. That is mercifull in such a way as otherwise God of himselfe alone had never beene namely even as a man So that this union of both natures God and Man was projected by God to make up the rarest compound of grace and mercie in the result of it that ever could have beene and thereby fully fitted and accommodated to the healing and saving of our soules The greatnesse of that mercy that was in God that contributes the stock and treasury of those mercies to be bestowed on us and unto the greatnesse of these mercies nothing is or could be added by the humane nature assumed but rather Christs Manhood had all his largenesse of mercie from the Deity So that had he not had the mercies of God to enlarge his heart towards us he could never have held out to have for ever been mercifull unto us But then this humane nature assumed that addes a new way of being mercifull It assimilates all these mercies and makes them the mercies of a Man it makes them humane mercies and so gives a naturalnesse and kindlinesse unto them to our capacities So that God doth now in as kindly and as naturall a way pity us who are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone as a man pities a man Thereby to encourage us to come to him and to bee familiar with God and treat with him for grace and mercie as a man would doe with a man as knowing that in that man Christ Jesus whom we beleeve upon God dwels and his mercies worke in and through his heart in an humane way I will no longer insist upon this notion now because I shall have occasion to touch upon it againe and adde unto it under that next third generall Head of shewing the way how Christs heart is affected towards sinners Onely take we notice what comfort this may afford unto our faith that Christ must cease to bee a man if he continue not to be mercifull seeing the very plot of his becomming a man was that hee might bee mercifull unto us and that in a way so familiar to our apprehensions as our owne hearts give the experience of the like which otherwise as God hee was not capable of And adde but this bold word to it though a true one that he may now as soon cease to bee God as to bee a man The humane nature after he had once assumed it being raised up to all the naturall rights of the Son of God whereof one and that now made naturall unto him is to continue for ever united And he may as soone cease to be either as to be ready to shew mercy So that not onely the scope of Christs office but also the intention of his assuming our nature doth lay a farther engagement upon him and that more strong then any or then all the former THE HEART OF Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth PART III. HEB. 4. 15. For we have not an High-Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted like as we are yet without sin §. I. Some generals to cleare how this is to be understood That CHRISTS Heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities together with the way how our infirmities come to be feelingly let into his Heart HAving thus given such full and ample Demonstrations of the tendernes samenesse of Christs Heart unto us now he is in Heaven with that which it was whilst he was here on earth and those both extrinsecall in the first part and Intrinsecall in the second I now come to that last Head which I propounded in the opening of these words namely the way and manner of Christs being affected with pity unto us both how it is to be understood by us and also how such affections come to be let into his heart and therein to work these bowels of compassion unto us This in the beginning of the Second Part I propounded to be handled as being necessary both for the opening and clearing the words of the Text which mainly hold forth this as also for the clearing of the thing it selfe the point in hand For as I there shewed these words come in by way of pre-occupation or prevention of an objection a sif his state now in heaven were not capable of such affections as should tenderly move him to pity commiseration he being now glorified both in soule and body Which thought because it was apt to arise in all mens minds the Apostle therefore fore-stalls it both by affirming the contrary We have not an High-Priest that cannot be touched c. that is he both can be or is capable of it and